Spiritual practice is like paying off a large loan.
Initially, almost all the payments are the interest with barely any dent to the principal.
It takes a very long time to see any visible dent to the principal.
But if you keep at it ceaselessly, one day you see that suddenly the loan is gone and you are debt free.
The journey of a lifetime passes away in less than an instant.
And yet, it seems so persistent.
Consuming all our attention.
And then one wonders, where did it all go?
There is no independent existence.
That means even emptiness or nothingness has no independent existence.
That means phenomena are essential, else nothingness would independently exist.
Consciousness is also dependent on other factors and has no independent existence.
There is really nothing that can be said other than this.
No independent existence.
Phenomena do not independently exist.
Emptiness does not independently exist.
Consciousness does not independently exist.
We keep on missing it.
How each instance of intense psychological suffering is due to the feeling of separation from the whole.
The feeling of being a separate individual stuck inside its own private hell of regret and guilt.
There are a million worldly perceptions.
Each convinced regarding its own validity.
Yet, these only accumulate ignorance.
This is the only requirement for liberation.
Recognize awareness.
That is it.
Nothing else is needed.
