Darkness descends

There are moments in life when darkness strikes the mind. It creates the thought that you are not doing what you should. It creates a sense of unease or a sense of subtle fear.

That you are not doing what you are expected to do. That you should be more social. That you should do more networking. 

Sometimes, its difficult to live with this sense of unease and not doing anything about it, so we lie to ourselves. It is much easier to lie to oneself than actually address the root of the issue.

Ultimately, we are social beings whose value comes from the tribe. Ignoring the tribe causes unease feelings to pop up. This is probably the way in which we have evolved.

We go through life totally driven by our programming. Dark feelings often cause us to take action. If allowed to fester, they can cause havoc and chaos within.

Isolating oneself away from others rarely does any good. But when that has been the default state for years, it can get difficult to undo it as your self image is tied up with your sense of isolation.

Isolation leads to fear of being outcaste by the tribe. Although you will not really be outcaste, still the fear of being outcaste does spring up. Being outcaste can result in job loss and humiliation.

So how does one deal with it then? The best way is to go out and help the tribe. In some form. Offer some value. 

And finally, if not anything else, remember that you are not separate from life. And all your worries and fears are temporary and will pass away. They are merely the consequences of human life.

All is One.

The mystery

What is the greatest mystery and wonder?

That I exist. That existence exists.

The existing of existence which is beginningless and causeless is the eternal mystery.

That right now right here here you are existing in existence as existence.

No separation means existence existing is eternal.

Simplicity of being

 There is only beingness. This very fundamental beingness that you are at your core.

At the bottom of all your worries, fears, anxieties, hopes, dreams, memories, achievements there is only the unfathomable sense of being.

And it needs no action from your end. Not even your recognition or attention.

The utter simplicity of existence is that it simply exists. There is no cause or beginning. 

And it is here that you reside always.

Rules for life

1. Be as you are.

2. Accept reality as it is.

3. Acknowledge your limitations (you are human).

4. Remember as often as possible that you are not separate from life/existence.

5. Recognize the real from the unreal.

6. Be aware. And then be aware of awareness.

7. As far as possible, be kind to others. Each one is fighting their own battle/demon.

In fact all the above are pointing to one fact.

You are not separate from reality. This is to be realized. But it takes a certain degree of awareness and reflection to develop the conviction regarding your non-separation from existence.

Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and everything else shall be added on to thee.

The only problem

There is really only one problem to be resolved and that is the arising of self consciousness.

Self-consciousness can be defined as the sense of existing as a separate entity, distinct from the environment around.

The sense of self-consciousness is not permanent. It is absent in sleep. It is absent under unconsciousness. It is a product of the activity of the central nervous system. 

The sense of being a separate entity is thus a consequence of the activity of the central nervous system (CNS). In the absence of the activity of the CNS, there is no sense of self ( as in unconsciousness during anesthesia).

All the suffering that we experience is a product of self consciousness. In the absence of self consciousness, there is no suffering.

Self-consciousness then is the fundamental confusion. Its purpose being to ensure the continued survival of the organism and nothing else. To use self consciousness for any other purpose is delusional.

And ultimately, self consciousness arises from the ceaseless life process. There is no actual separation possible. In the absence of separation, there can be no self. Only the ceaseless unitary movement of life.

Remember this and you will no longer suffer unnecessarily. 

Way to peace

The simple fact is that reality exists irrespective of your notions/desires/wishes/beliefs prejudices/miseries.

Surrender to the already existing reality. This is the way to peace.

We may never understand reality. But reality exists. There can be no doubt about this.

Surrender to the doubtless reality.

This is the simplest and surest way to peace.

In fact, there is no other choice. Reality wins always. It is impossible to go against reality.

The degree to which you are opposed to reality is the degree to which you suffer.

The more opposed you are to reality, the more you suffer.

The simple truth

Its really very simple.

Sensory experience indicates that you are a separate entity, distinct from the surrounding environment.

The fact is that you are not separate from the environment.

So, your experience as an entity separate from the environment is like an illusion.

The fact is that there is no actual separation.

However, knowing the fact does not change the experience of being separate. You are simply aware of the fact that your experience as a separate entity is not quite the way it actually is.

This is all there is really.

Since you are not actually separate from the environment, there is really nothing left for you to do or attain.

All is always well.

All is One.

Most valuable treasure

The most valuable thing is mental sanity.

If you can move through life with perfect mental sanity, that alone is enough.

If you lose your mental sanity, nothing else matters.

Hence, be grateful that you are mentally sane.

Sanity comes from wholeness. Recognize the wholeness of life and that you are not separate from this and sanity will be yours.

To be stuck in the unquestioned belief in separation can cost you your sanity.

The insane is one who is unable to recognize his own insanity.

The one who recognizes his own insanity has started his journey into sanity.

Sanity begins with the recognition of insanity.

Sanity above wealth.

Sanity above job.

Sanity above relationship.

Sanity above status.

Sanity lies in the recognition of wholeness and letting go of obsessive grasping.

Stuck in a negative thought loop

Mostly we are troubled by our own thoughts and responses to situations. In order to lead a sane life, below are some tips:

1. Don't believe your thoughts. Most thoughts are lies.

2. Remind yourself of something to be grateful for.

3. Realize that you re not perfect and will make mistakes.

4. Learn to let go and allow life to play out.

5. Just be as you are.

Sometimes, we get so caught up in our thinking/imagining that we fail to see that we are caught up in our own thought loop.

Hence it is good to have a practice of constantly checking in with the physical sensation of being.

And remind yourself that all things will work out and you will be fine.

The root cognitive dissonance

The key cognitive dissonance that lies at the heart of the human condition is the belief/sense of being separate from the environment. The sense of being a separate entity apart and distinct from the surroundings is the root cognitive error. 

Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done about it other than keep reminding ourselves of our basic/root cognitive dissonance. To be aware at all times that our perception is flawed. Since our perception is relativistic.

To be conscious of this root error is all that is possible. Existence is non-relativistic. Existence is absolute. Existence is non-dual. But our perception is dual and relativistic. This is the holy miracle. That dualistic perception itself arises from the non dual reality.