Consciousness is liberating

Consciousness always breaks through the fog of thinking and feeling. In Vedic thought, this fog is called the veil of Maya, and it is described as the root cause of ignorance.
It is important to know that consciousness lies just beyond the ordinary thinking and feeling. Once this is known, than an effort can be made to access it. Various means and methods have been developed over the years for this purpose.
These means and efforts are called spiritual practices. Some have become enshrined in religious traditions, while others are floating freely in the sphere of human endeavors.

"I am That"

The expression “I am That” is one of the great statements of Vedic thought. It means that I am that conscious entity that exists. It speaks of my knowing about my existence as a conscious being.

It does not say that “I am a man” or “I am a writer” and so on. It says that I am the essence of being in consciousness.

Wherever I turn, there I am surrounded by the bliss of consciousness. The experience of consciousness is blissful. It has the flavor of timelessness, stillness, and deep inner peace.

It always comes down to the question “Who am I?” I can find myself in my actions, as long as I perform them with a fully conscious mind. When I do this, I can say that “I am that,” but I also know that I am more than that activity. I am the actor behind the activity. I am the witness behind the activity. And I am the beginning and end of the activity.

Thinking in this way, I am satisfied when an activity begins and when it ends. I do not crave activities in order to have the conscious experience. I am aware of my existence as a conscious entity before, during, and after the activity.

How does consciousness develop?

How or why does consciousness develop? It develops because an organic body needs ways of protecting itself from danger. Self-preservation lies at the root of consciousness. Consciousness is the being aware of one’s thoughts and actions for the purpose of survival.

If one were to ask what the purpose of life is, then one could say that life’s actions are designed to give the expressions of life the best possible chance of survival. Life itself has no other purpose than to be. Life is. Life exists.

The experience of life is at its fullest in the moment. In the conscious moment. This results in the deep appreciation of the wonders of life. A leaf. A bird. A tree. Blades of grass. Clouds in the sky. And also the perception of it all through the senses and mind.

When there is a clear perception of it all, there is love for all. There is the knowing that all this is the divine play of life that manifests itself in this moment in fullness.

The human mind (and other minds) experiences it through the conduits of the senses.

The Essence of Life is Consciousness

The essence of life is consciousness. The “purpose” of life is to become as conscious as possible. The human form is the result of this “purpose.”

Out of the morass of unconsciousness arises, little by little, the spark of consciousness and through constant effort and grace, becomes the raging fire of full enlightenment, full conscious liberation.

The “I am” emerges fully after all that hinders its full expression is dropped, either through one’s personal efforts, supported by grace, or through outer circumstances, also supported by grace.

What is grace? Grace are fortuitous energies that break through on occasion to help life find its true purpose of full conscious liberation in a living form.

It is not a “being conscious of something other,” but a “being conscious within oneself and of oneself.” The meditation is directed only towards the Self, not towards another.

What you see in the mirror of consciousness is only you. “I am, therefore I am.” There is the knowing of one’s own existence, nothing else. There is awareness of “other” things, but only the consciousness of one’s own being.

This experience is pure and singular. It is the blissful knowing of one’s own existence. It is instantly liberating. It frees one from the confines of one’s mind. That is the best way, at the moment, for me to describe it.

It is the direct experience of knowing of one’s own existence. That is truly phenomenal! Life knowing that it exists. What could be more astonishing!

The simple fact that life exists is already extraordinary. And then life itself knowing that it exists is the icing on the cake. What can top that?

What does one do with that realization? One continues to live one’s life to the best of one’s abilities with the survival skills nature provided that were sharpened through the daily interactions with one’s surroundings.

The important thing in life is to direct one’s intentions always towards something higher, more perfect, more exalted, to reach the pinnacle of existence, which is the perfectly pure Self-realization in blissful consciousness.

And then follows the blissful interaction with others that are also on the path of more and perfect realization. Purity is called for. Perfect purity in mind and heart and deed.

There is the feeling that what one did just a moment ago was less than perfect, and that only in this moment eternal perfection is achieved. So, in a sense, perfection is a passing experience, like the scene outside a moving train, where new objects continually come into focus.

The passing perfection of consciousness. Even so, the blissful scent lingers on. And so there is a continuation of life’s experiences, one blissful step after another, one blissful moment after another. That is how life progresses. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Peaceful Holidays

It is important to feel peace in your life. Most people enjoy the holidays, because that is a time for family and celebration. It is a time away from the hectic life that often times prevents us from experiencing the "finer" things in life, such as love and understanding.
When we live a less hectic life, we quite naturally will experience more peace. So, let the holidays be a reminder of what we are missing during the rest of the year: compassion, love, and understanding for each other.
Happy Holidays
Chris

Peaceful moments

Be loving in the moment. Have patience. Relax into the moment. In the relaxed moment there is peace, there is tranquility, there is comfort. Ease on down the street. In this relaxed state you are in your feeling and sensing mind, no longer in your analytical thinking mind.

Only in this state can you experience perfection, the perfection of the moment. As long as your conditioned mind interferes in your affairs, you will not experience peace. And you will not be able to affect peaceful reactions from those around you.

The essence

Stay with any experience until you find its essence. Every activity has an essence. That you must find. Nothing else truly matters in life. To life superficially is not worth living at all. Dig down deeply. Make an effort to find the essence. The essence and the purity of your soul are one and the same.