The sense of separate self is an illusion.
For those of you not “up” on the latest spiritual lingo, what is meant by that is: your felt sense of “me-ness”, of feeling like you are a separate person, inhabiting your body, and separate from all the other “me-s”, inhabiting their bodies–that whole thing– is an illusion. Not real.
This illusion is the source of all conflict, suffering and unhappiness.
All. Of. It.
Unfortunately, this illusion is also the source of all words, language, thoughts, and concepts. You see the problem. How do I use the words, language, thoughts, and concepts of the illusionary separate self to communicate anything in any way which does not just reinforce your belief in that illusion?
Let’s try this. You must bring your own contribution to this attempt by going beyond these words, using them as a pointer to something beyond and past the illusion.
That “something” is the Beloved. That Beloved is what you are seeking. It is what you are always seeking. Every instance of dissatisfaction you feel is because you long for the Beloved. Every instance of lack you feel is because you don’t have the Beloved. Every instance of “not quite right” you experience, is because it isn’t the Beloved.
This is your eternal infinite aching emptiness. Your illusionary sense of separate self seeks to fill that emptiness with more illusions: cars, houses, new jobs, new relationships, more money, more status, more prestige, more knowledge, more understanding, etc…
None of which is real.
Not only are those things illusory, not only is your sense of separate self illusory, but that emptiness itself is also illusory. It only seems to exist when the sense of separate self is believed in.
An illusory you seeks to solve a nonexistent problem by filling an imaginary hole with unreal things.
Read that again.
What could be more futile?
You are not a separate self.
The Beloved is right here. Now.
You are loved.
Infinitely.
No, not you. The other one. I really don’t much enjoy talking to you about spiritual matters, since you always seem to make it so serious. And you ALWAYS make it all about YOU! Such a serious, dreadful affair! What’s up with that anyway, like the eternal infinite source of all life and love forgot how to laugh? And the whole of existence revolves around you? Now, that would be a laughing matter.
Sure, you “think” you understand what’s written above, I know. Words, language, thoughts, concepts–that’s kinda your thing, isn’t? So sure, you can follow the words. Up to a point. To the edge.
Right up to the part where you realize you already are what you seek and should just stop seeking.
So you try to stop seeking, but can’t.
Because you ARE seeking.
So let me clue you in on a little secret.
You don’t actually exist.
I said that already, but you probably missed it. You tend to do that.
I know you think you exist; that it’s even obvious you exist, but that’s the whole point of an illusion, isn’t it? Wouldn’t be much of an illusion if it nobody fell for it, would it? And this illusion is the granddaddy of them all! Why, it conjured up a whole Universe into existence!
No, you don’t exist. At least, not as the separate entity you “think” you are. You’re an activity, not a person.
The activity of seeking.
Like I said, these words are pointers to something beyond.
So I’m not talking to you, the one who’s so good with words. I’m talking to the other one.
The one who doesn’t have much use for words.
Go beyond.
Go beyond the beyond.
And when you get there?
Go beyond.
Sacred Breath 