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I'm still a little unsure how to know exactly when I've managed to focus in on awareness, especially as I hear it's comprised of nothingness. Leo said to become aware that you are aware, but when I do that I worry I'm just focusing on the concept of 'I am aware.' Or do I just follow my awareness and watch what it does, a bit like Adyashanti's True Meditation? I still can't work out if he's basically describing self inquiry with that technique. Should I perhaps be focusing on 'no thought,' or 'the void,' as essentially that's awareness, isn't it? Focusing on the quietness? Any tips would be awesome. Help a poor monkey out
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Bauer1977 replied to winterknight's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
Hey Winterkight, I know I said I wouldn't likely be back, as I truly believed that once I was able to comprehend God as every "thing", as well as being the will that drives it all, I didn't think there could be anything else to discuss. But, something new has developed. I am hoping you can help me with it. I am still not "doing" anything, and my center is seemingly with the "I" as the observer at all times now. But something new has happened while doing Self-Inquiry the last couple of days. When deep within it, my center appears to be behind the "I". From my perspective the "I" appears as a beam of light (awareness) from out of nothingness directly in front of me. When looking to the side, there are dozens of other beams of awareness appearing out of nothingness as well. They are all pointing outward, they are at varying heights, but all appear to be at the same depth, which puts my perspective at a slightly greater depth within, or as, nothingness. Given my limited knowledge on the matter, this should be impossible given the fact that "I" can't be aware of "I", but of course the "I" is in front of me, so in a way "I" still isn't in the field of awareness technically speaking. And any attempts to try and center myself back at the level of "I" during Self-Inquiry have so far been unsuccessful. Is this just a matter of imagination, or is there something to it. What can you tell me about it if anything? -
ivankiss replied to ivankiss's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
A mind would call it mental, yes. But it is trans-mental really. Post-rational. Post-logical. Metaphysical. It is done in stillness. In nothingness. In silence. Through direct awareness. The only work there ever is, is consciousness work. It happens beyond all realms. Prior to all appearance. Prior to all action. Prior to all illusion. Prior to existence itself. If you do not know how exactly; an ongoing process of healing or self-transcendence is taking place. Physical action is secondary. And it is not physical, really. It is a byproduct of consciousness work. A play-out. An experience. It is supported by passion and love. Will and dedication. Vision. Meditate some more. Breathe deeper. Keep expanding. -
Markus replied to Tony 845's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
@Tony 845 Short version: yes. Nuance is important though, so here for the long version: I and some friends/acquaintances got transmissions from Ramaji around a year ago, a little more. Few of us went on to make forum posts about how we were enlightened, in a rather juvenile, what one might call zen-devily way. Here's what I gathered from my experience: 1) Yes, Ramaji's transmissions do have an effect and can in a number of times facilitate entry into a state of abiding non-dual awareness. What I mean by that is becoming consciousness of nothingness behind self and world, a falling a way of the normal contracted sense of being an observer sitting behind the eyes, as well as the doer of the body's actions. It personally took me 6 times iirc to experience what Ramaji refers to as 1k. Some people were told they reached 1k but didn't really experience anything. So it was varied. I've also heard that some people have had countless sessions over time without much progress, and it would seem as if the transmissions may be weaker nowadays. 2) 1k isn't by any means the highest state of enlightenment. I wouldn't call it enlightenment at all, although by this forum's general definition it is an enlightened/awakened state. There's many depths of enlightenment. Ramana Maharshi, who Ramaji considers 1k, was definitely nearer to enlightenment than Ramaji. It's not even a comparison. Likewise, the depth of enlightenment between Ramaji and people he awakened through transmissions, including other RASA givers and his wife Ananda Devi, is nowhere near the same. Ramaji has a four-decade plus journey behind him, people can't just get RASA and be as enlightened as him. 3) Ramaji has plenty of ego issues, as do other RASA givers. 4) Ramaji could help you reach non-duality, perhaps, but it's important to point out the path doesn't end at that. You'll still have layers upon layers of karma, which could cause anything from a deep-down dissatisfaction with life to hard-to-bear suffering. If the suffering is more mild, being in non-duality will make it easier to be escapist and pretend like there's no I, life is perfect, etc. Someone who takes years or decades of contemplation to enter a non-dual state will have more perspective and maturity. Hope some of that helps. -
Yet another download; yet another quick guide. A few conceptual steps in order to reach a higher understanding of magic. You are reality. Should be apparent by now. There is no separation between anything at all. You are always having a direct experience of yourself. Always have been and will be. Each dream; each reality has it's own core frequency, from which everything is being expressed through infinite manifestations. Awareness can become aware of this core frequency. It can change it. Readjust. Shift. Awareness comes prior to frequency. Frequency is made of awareness; to put it that way. If you don't like the movie; change the channel. Don't complain about what's going on in the movie. It's perfect as it is. A perfect expression of that which it is supposed to represent. Would you expect to watch an action movie on The Discovery channel? Probably not. You'd switch to another channel. A more appropriate one. You would shift to another station. Choose another frequency. There is little to no difference when it comes to reality. You would not expect the main character in the movie to change the entire movie for you to enjoy watching what you prefer. Does not go that way. You wanna watch something else? Experience something else? Shift to it. Stop running into brickwalls. Leave the character behind. Forget about the movie. They are what they are. Can be nothing else. You have to detach from this movie not being what you expected it to be. Detached from the main character. You gotta switch to another channel. Here's some practicality; If you were to press the white key on a piano; would you do it by being focused on pressing the white key, or by being focused on not pressing the black one? Sure; you must acknowledge there is a black key, as well. You must know there is a possibility for you to hit the black key. But you want to hit the white one, really. You want that particular note. That particular frequency. You cannot achieve what you wish to experience while being focused on what you do not. And I am not pointing towards positive thinking and (forced) affirmation. Sure those have their place in the process of transformation. But... I am pointing towards a rather powerful thing. A decision. Hard as a rock. A choice. Radical rearrangement. Massive shift. Decide you want to experience what you want to experience. Let go of that which is not the representation of your new, preferred reality. Ignore it all politely, with a smile on your face. See only that which represent you newborn core frequency. Focus only on that which resonates. Which inspires, excites and motivates. Have that tunnel vision. See nothing but your preferred reality. Nothing but confirmations of your progress. Detach in love and peace. Say your goodbyes as many times as you feel like. You want to watch another movie. Nothing wrong with that. No crime committed. It is your birthright to choose dreams and experiences. To imagine realities that will be the perfect expression of your true nature. Of your core frequency. Have no remorse. Have no regret. Change is natural. Necessary. Align action with imagination. This is the recipe for a successful shift and rearrangement. For effrotless manifestation. Imagination is a direct link between the channel where you currently are and the one you want to shift to. It's pure, infinite potential. All of imagination is directly experiental. There is literally no difference from the absolute point of view between manifesting a giant pile of money or a single penny. Or any thing else, for that matter. The universe knows no limitations. You impose them. You dictate what is possible and what impossible. Become aware of those limitations. Focus on transcending them. Letting them go. Proving them nonsensical. You have to detach from all previously, unconsciously accepted misaligned beliefs. "The work" is (mostly) metaphysical. Happens nowhere; in nothingness. It is pure consciousness work, so to speak. Also; Be aware of the possibility of over-conceptualization pulling you back in terms of moving forward. Do not let imagination and expectations turn into a heavy burden which you carry around. Use imagination in alignment. Do not get lost in it. Act in alignment towards it. Let go of all outcome. Allow all possibilities. Let all come to you. Let magic work. Creativity is key. When in states of creativity and flow; no one is there to filter magic. To limit possibilities. The most incredible, unbelievable and miraculous things happen when one does not expect any outcome at all. When there are no limitations. No conceptual models of what and when should or should not happen. No imposition of any form of control over future. Only flow. Only allowance. Only emptiness. True, authentic joy and passion. Creativity will always find new, creative ways to blow your mind with absolute miracles. To get you closer to that which you wish to experience. To get you far beyond your expectations. And it will do it no time. You literally won't be able to believe it. You deserve it all. You are worthy of it all. Again; absolutely no difference in any experience you have. In any movie you watch. You are the one thinking you are somehow bound to watching only one movie; over and over again. When clearly; it has gotten way too boring and predictable. You are not chained to your current reality. Give that to yourself which will fulfill your whole being. Be the bringer of the change you'll be proud of seeing, experiencing. No one is depriving you of anything. No one is deprived of anything by you having it all. Those are stories; illusions. Created by those unwilling to let go of past. To transform. To grow and evolve. See through the limitations of those ideas. Laugh at them. You are limitless. No thought could ever stop you. Createyour heaven. Step into it. Be it; experience it. Have no worries about a single thing. The past is an echo slowly being swallowed by nothingness.
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A quick, spontaneous download is being received and expressed. There is sense of relevance and usefulness. Progress and expansion are the main motivators; as always. Liberation. Freedom. Peace. What's stuck is a thought. A loop of thoughts. Not you. You may not remember when exactly did you hop on the train. Nor for how long have you been on it. But you know the train is not stopping. It goes on forever. Heading nowhere; full throttle. The train of thoughts travels fast. Has no destinations. The irony is, of course, that all the passengers ever think about is destinations. Sadly; that is an illusion. This train is not stopping. Nothing wrong with it though. It's just how the train is. It's flawless. The passengers, however, refuse to accept this fact. Even though it is bluntly obvious. They are so desperate for arriving somewhere. After all; they have been on the train since forever. It cannot possibly be all for nothing...right? For some, The Truth might have a bitter taste to it. Not all taste the sweetness of nothingness at first. Ultimate control does not equal liberation. But liberation does equal ultimate control. Paradoxes are powerful. Beyond your comprehension. They are exactly how everything is and isn't. The paradox of having free will and control is that one has to completely surrender all need for control and freedom. In order to experience absolute freedom, one must transcend the trap of unconsciously imposing control over themselves and their circumstances, while simultaneously having a desire to experience no control ; freedom. One cannot be free while traveling on the thought train; thinking about freedom, about destinations. Absolute freedom will never come to you in thought form. Although thoughts are completely free and boundless, as well. But, they are merely thoughts. Do you have a true, authentic desire for direct experience of absolute freedom; or the absolute freedom of thinking? Thoughts are direct experience as well, yes. But direct experience can be more directly experiental than pure imagination. You gotta get off that train. You know that. You gotta jump. Drop the storyline. Have faith in nothing. Fear emptiness no more. You gotta trust your truth blindly. Undoubtedly. Passionately. Lovingly. Freedom is out there. Nowhere. Waiting for no one. Waiting for you to jump off the train. Off the train. Not in front of it. The train is imaginary. A thought form. That has to be obvious. Death is not an escape. In fact; there is nothing to escape. Escape is impossible. What is possible is the illusion of escape. The experience of desperation. Struggle. Hitting the bottom hard. Feeling like the whole universe is against you. Or after you. Ironically and paradoxically; all of those experiences are possible because of absolute freedom and no control whatsoever. One just has to shift their perspective in order to see. To recognize the true nature of freedom and find eternal peace. To liberate. Chasing freedom will never free you; either. If you chase; you're back on the train. It's imaginary destination is freedom. And it will stay imaginary forever. Experiental only through that form. Except... If you align action with thought. Or align thought with action. Thoughts are powerful, usefulness and necessary. But their true potential remains hidden until awareness shines through all. Freedom is right here; right now. Always. No train can ever take you to it. There is no need to get anywhere; do anything. You can, however, use your freedom to think of imaginary trains that lead to an imaginary destination. An imaginary freedom. Imaginary fulfilment. Imaginary peace. Imaginary anything, really. Imagine; You have 10 steps to take. You take 3 and then stop. Start thinking about your previous two and the next seven. "Who is taking all of these steps? Where are they headed? Why do they vanish as soon as I take them? Will I be in control of my fourth and fifth step? What about the ninth and tenth? Are there steps beyond these 10? Who is in control of it all?" YOU, dummy! You started walking for no reason at all. You are heading nowhere. Doing nothing. Thinking about everything. That is how free you are. You are just incapable of believing it. For a good reason. It is not meant to be believed. It is impossible for one to believe it. Only being it. Being aware of it. Expressing it eternally. Experiencing it directly. Simply keep walking. Fearlessly. Your steps will occur effortlessly. They will be exact. Precise. Flawless. Magic will work in your favour. Be conscious of your freedom to think. To choose thoughts. Or a train of thoughts. To jump on and off. To play; to imagine. Recognize all of those for what they are. Align the inspired, momentary action with your imagination of freedom. Act as you think. Think as you act. Rest in absolute nothingness and emptiness. Give up the thought of control. Give up the control over thought. Give up control altogether. Surrender now. Willingly. Intentionally. Deliberately and on purpose. Consciously. Be free right now. Choose freedom. Demonstrate freedom. Experience freedom. Be conscious of it's infinitude. You will have plenty of time to think about whether you have free will or not in retrospect. Plenty of imaginary evidence for both sides of the same coin. For no coin at all.
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I was thinking about even though it is an illusion it appears real. To the ego family, friends, hobbies, travel, computer games and the whole of the material world is life and even though you are attached to these things as an ego, not being identified with the ego and all the things that comes with it, is synonymous with death. The part that confuses me is that your true Self is nothingness (which would be death) but also everything (which is life). I suppose this just can't be grappled with using language and rationality but my mind is dying to know the answers to these rationally. I can see how religion has so many dogmas as the power of the mind wanting to know these answers without having the answers leads to just settling on an answer and belief systems.
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Eric Tarpall replied to Eric Tarpall's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
I think nothingness exist but objects also exist. And currently I don't see a connection between them but maybe I will some day. Yeah maybe that wasn't a good analogy. If you get stabbed in one hand your other hand doesn't feel it. -
Hi All, I'm sure many of you have heard Leo or various other teachers discuss the "void" in which everything exists. Instinctively whenever I've heard this being referred to, I've always known that i wasn't quite getting it.. I would kind of just try to imagine nothingness.. darkness, the vacuum of space. Nothing really ever came to me as any kind of "realisation" and i could tell that i was just projecting concepts. So a few months ago i was laying down in my backyard, looking up at the night sky. I was thinking about fast we are moving through space. Earth spinning at 1,600km/h its also circling around the sun at 107,000km/h and then consider that the sun is also moving around the milky way galaxy at 720,000km/hr Since there isn't really any kind of universal frame of reference, i began to imagine how we could potentially be moving through space at an infinite speed. I just entertained the idea. Thats when i had an Oh My God moment. It was a deep realisation that, even right now im unable to recapture in the way i did in that moment. I imagined, a cubic meter of a "location" in space that is absolutely motionless.. Stars, Planets, Us.. all passing through it at unfathomable speed. Completely unaffected by it. Sometimes it is "filled" with the vacuum of space and sometimes it is filled with the center of a planet, or even something as dense as a neutron star. It is the nothingness that allows all things to exist within it. Just thought i would share how i came upon this realisation myself in case anyone else was in the same place as I was up until this insight. Coincidentally I heard Leo mention it in one of his more recent videos where he described an object (i think it was a hammer) in empty space as an example. I just thought that even though the way in which I came to my realisation is more convoluted, it might just be the thing that someone needs to get the insight
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Dodo replied to MM1988's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
That materialistic? To me it sounded like the general idea that reality can exist without a perceiver. (At least a human one - which is probably true) Perhaps the only perceiver needed is nothingness/teotl, in which case he is CORRECT. -
the practical guide to enlightenment what if true non-duality was just being nothingness being human , nothingness being anger, nothingness being happy, nothingness being sad, nothingness being me, nothingness being you, nothingness being itself, nothingness being something, nothingness being nothing, nothingness being total, nothingness being words, nothingness being time, nothingness being future, nothingness being past, nothingness being non duality, nothingness being non duality what if relaxing and being is the only thing that you can do but ofcourse you can't because you always have the problem that there has to always be someone doing lol, and this is incomprehendable to an ego because they are the finite self but what if? you are just being in the literal sense, no connotations, no annotations just being hence you are already enlightened you just aren't conscious of it.
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@How to be wise but what if fear and anger aren't bad? what if it's pure nothingness BEING anger and fear itself, there in itself is no doership/ something done / or something happening. there is only an illusion of something happening ?
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Aakash replied to winterknight's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
the indivisable is being this is where my self-inquiry has led me. at all times you are nothingness itself. its like the whole point of enlightenment is to reliquish your doership or seperate self true or false? i'm not actually looking for an answer, there is nobody who is asking the question. i just wanted to express my excitement and so i hope you can engage in a brace the question with the full might of your being. and express it in which ever way you feel like you can express it, with your being. like the jello lol, it was a good expression of it. you are inside the jello, but you can not see how you are it. -
Aakash replied to TheAvatarState's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
@TheAvatarState i just came to the realisation that we may this all backwards, everything is nothingness and nothingness is everything its hard to hold both statements in your end at one time, but when you realise they collapse on eachother, it always leaves you with the same thing being. -
Aakash replied to Aakash's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
@Joseph Maynor bare with me, i just had a realisation, about exactly what you just wrote before i came online, its so weird that i can't express it fully, its just that isn't being enough, we are all trying to find lofty ideologies and meaning behind the word enlightenment but at its purest levels, you are nothingness and therefore being itself, when you are sad, you are being sad, when you are happy you are just being happy. what need to write a whole book on enlightenment when the simple truth is that all there is is being. whether some people find the pill to swallow that it may not be your life that you are living- it doesn't change the fact that you are being. relaxing and being is all that there is. its like the whole point of enlightenment is to give up your sense of doership and relish in your true self, which is all but fancy terms, you are still going to be the present moment itself. no attachment to anything is fine, everything is fine. its like the more you do this, the happier and peaceful your meant to become, thats fair to say, but it doesn't matter if your experience was positive or negative, you were still the same thing always being. -
@Leo Gura in the book god is nothingness what chapter are you on, i am on chapter 10-12 for sure. I am curious to understand the depth at which you understand nothingness currently. preferably not the answer: its difficult to put my own experience into this linear sequence, just a guestimate is fine, its a rather accurate book you have found
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Leo Gura replied to Miavono's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
Consciousness = Nothingness = Everything But the question is, how conscious are you? -
Aakash replied to TheAvatarState's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
@ajasatya @TheAvatarState I have relapsed and am finding it quite peaceful, but ultimately the single enlightened state is what the pointers are towards yes, but the scriptures and the duality bought about from different traditions can not lead you to enlightenment directly, they are all teoltlizing so to speak . the simplicity is: that everything is nothingness there is also no depth to it either, it may seem like it from the perspective of going from not knowing to knowing. just a friendly reminder hence the reason buddah reached perfect enlightenment. but what your speaking is true all religions start from the need to express the nothingness and hence end up creating fluff in different manners -
FredFred replied to Miavono's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
@Leo Gura On one end some people say that everything there is is consciousness, on the other end some say the only thing there is is Nothingness. I'm a bit confused here, can you give a quick explanation? -
Explanation for those who might have trouble grasping what I'm trying to get across with this 0 / ∞! = X As a partial manifestation of Absolute Infinity, out of total formlessness and no-thing-ness, the finite self (you) emerges (along everything else that is perceivable). X + (1 * ∞) = 1^n = ∞! You as the finite self, thinking that you are separate to everything else "around you", interact with all kinds of "other things" of infinite variety throughout your life. 1^n represents that the entirety of all those interactions and of all this interplay is fundamentally all finite - and, because it's 1 to the n'th power, all of the exact same nature, meaning that everything is ultimately just consciousness interacting with itself in all kinds of differnt ways, even though in the end, it all comes back to 1, no matter how large the number of the power may be. Thus, this is equal to Absolute Infinity, or more precisely Absolute Infinity at play, expressing itself. X - 1^n = 0 Once you, as the finite self, lose all finitudes you're attached to, i.e. your body primarily or all other finite material or non-material acquisitions, you then go back to Source, or Nothingness respectively. Now, if we want to throw karma in the mix, that's debatable, but essentially that's how it goes/ends and finally starts all over again. X + √ X = X ↯ ∴ X = 1^n As the finite self discovers, or gets in touch with its root(s) and its origin, it realises that its total finitude, which it was certain of prior to self-realisation, is an illsuion. Therefore, it is now clear that the finite self is just another emergence of consciousness, which will pass away just like everything else that is finite, but that the real Self is concsiousness itself, which never ceases or fades away.
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@Yoshy Wonderful:) Well, you see, there's really no differnece between life as it is now and a so-called "afterlife". As you can see in the first equation, that which you emerge from is Nothingness - and in the end, to Nothingness you will return. This is a ceaceless cycle. Enlightenment, then, is more or less the realisation that you who expects to be reborn, in the exact same way as you are right now perhaps, is an illusion because you are not differnt from 1^n - not different from anything else that is finite. But, the good news is that the real you which lies underneath all finiteness will remain exactly where it is, what it is, and how it is for eternity. So in the end there is nowhere to go or to come from. This is obviously just a partial fragment of the "whole" explanation but I obviously can't sit here for forever to "explain" enlightenment to you. That's your job to fully grasp and experience.
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∞! -> Absolute Infinity 0 -> Nothingness 1 -> thingness / finiteness X -> every finite self ∴ -> therefore Chapter 1: Birth 0 / ∞! = X Chapter 2: Everything In Between X + (1 * ∞) = 1^n = ∞! Chapter 3: Death X - 1^n = 0 BONUS CHAPTER: Enlightenment X + √ X = X ↯ ∴ X = 1^n (Please note: this is all just meant figuratively and is not properly mathematical at all)
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Dumb Enlightened replied to ivankiss's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
The problem is that the ones who are conscious of the nothingness won't go out there talking about, they'll keep quiet, why is that ? Because to whom they'll talk to anyway, but sometimes people read something in a book, think they understood and try to preach it to others. Also, if you were conscious of it, you wouldn't have written this -
Gurdjieff on Conscience, as recounted to P.D. Ouspensky in “In Search of the Miraculous,” taken from the edition published by by Paul H. Crompton Ltd 2004, Pages 155-156. “‘Conscience’ is again a term that needs explanation. “In ordinary life the concept ‘conscience’ is taken too simply. As if we had a conscience. Actually the concept ‘conscience’ in the sphere of the emotions is equivalent to the concept ‘consciousness’ in the sphere of the intellect. And as we have no consciousness we have no conscience. “Consciousness is a state in which a man knows all at once everything that he in general knows and in which he can see how little he does know and how many contradictions there are in what he knows. “Conscience is a state in which a man feels all at once everything that he in general feels, or can feel. And as everyone has within him thousands of contradictory feelings which vary from a deeply hidden realization of his own nothingness and fears of all kinds to the most stupid kind of self-conceit, self-confidence, self-satisfaction, and self-praise, to feel all this together would not only be painful but literally unbearable. “If a man whose entire inner world is composed of contradictions were suddenly to feel all these contradictions simultaneously within himself, if he were to feel all at once that he loves everything he hates and hates everything he loves, that he lies when he tells the truth and that he tells the truth when he lies; and if he could feel the shame and horror of it all, this would be the state which is called ‘conscience.’ A man cannot live in this state; he must either destroy contradictions or destroy conscience. He cannot destroy conscience, but if he cannot destroy it he can put it to sleep, that is, he can separate by impenetrable barriers one feeling of self from another, never see them together, never feel their incompatibility, the absurdity of one existing alongside another. “But fortunately for man, that is, for his peace and for his sleep, this state of conscience is very rare. From early childhood ‘buffers’ begin to grow and strengthen in him, taking from him the possibility of seeing his inner contradictions and therefore, for him, there is no danger whatever of a sudden awakening. Awakening is possible only for those who seek it and want it, for those who are ready to struggle with themselves and work on themselves for a very long time and very persistently in order to attain it. For this it is necessary to destroy ‘buffers,’ that is, to go out to meet all those inner sufferings which are connected with the sensations of contradictions. Moreover the destruction of ‘buffers’ in itself requires very long work and a man must agree to this work realizing that the result of his work will be every possible discomfort and suffering from the awakening of his conscience. “But conscience is the fire which alone can fuse all the powders in the glass retort which was mentioned before and create the unity which a man lacks in that state in which he begins to study himself. “The concept ‘conscience’ has nothing in common with the concept ‘morality.’ “Conscience is a general and a permanent phenomenon. Conscience is the same for all men and conscience is possible only in the absence of ‘buffers.’ From the point of view of understanding the different categories of man we may say that there exists the conscience of a man in whom there are no contradictions. This conscience is not suffering; on the contrary it is joy of a totally new character which we are unable to understand. But even a momentary awakening of conscience in a man who has thousands of different I’s is bound to involve suffering. And if these moments of conscience become longer and if a man does not fear them but on the contrary co-operates with them and tries to keep and prolong them, an element of very subtle joy, a foretaste of the future ‘clear consciousness’ will gradually enter into these moments.