Soul Mechanic Book 1 "PRESENCE"
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Transcript of Soul Mechanic Book 1 "PRESENCE"
COPYRIGHTAuthor
Moxi
Copyright © 2014 David Moxey
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means
without the prior written permission of the publisher
First Published using Project Emancipation ,2013
This book may be purchased for educational, business, or
sales promotional use. Online edition is also available for
this title.
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of
this book, the publisher and authors assume no
responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages
resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
THANK YOU
My Father, William Alan Moxey.
Thank you for always supporting my visions and
my dreams.
My Mother, Jennifer Moxey
You never judged me and have always been right
by my side, no matter how far away.
Rocco
Your inspiration and creativity made this possible.
About the Author
Known as Moxi he had moved to Costa Rica and was given the opportunity to
live life at a pace of that was radically different than what he was used to. During
his time here in Costa Rica he was given the time to slow down, reflect on the
true significance of life, who he really is , and the real purpose behind what he
once used to call the “daily grind”.
The Concept of Soul Mechanics began at least 5 years ago.
Moxi was given the opportunity to meet travelers from all parts of the world. As
they passed through this small town on the pacific coast of Costa Rica, he spent
time learning from their wisdom and gleaning from their experiences.
He has sat with eastern gurus, physicists in the field of Quantum Mechanics,
masters in meditation, spiritual guides, and some of the most amazing
intellectual thinkers and philosophers in the world.
There came a point when he realized it was time to gather everything he had
learned and everything that had changed his life and put it together in a book.
This has been his daily passion.
He sits on his little patio overlooking the jungle typing away and sifting through
thousands of pages of notes full of some of the most powerful informational
truths and concepts.
The Soul Mechanic series has been split into a series of 12 books, each one
taking us closer and closer into the very center of the human Soul.
.
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the first book in a series known as "Soul
Mechanic".
This first book in our series will establish the foundation as you
progress towards the very center of your adventure inside the
reality of the human Soul.
BOOK 1 - PRESENCE
BOOK 2 - PERCEPTION
BOOK 3 - CONNECTION
BOOK 4 - FEEDBACK
BOOK 5 - INITIATION
BOOK 6 - DETACHMENT
BOOK 7 - ABSENCE
BOOK 8 - ESSENCE
BOOK 9 - ATTACHMENT
BOOK 10 - JUDGMENT
BOOK 11 - AKASHA
BOOK 12 - AWARENESS
WELCOME
Throughout the history of mankind, especially during the past 100 years of human
history, individuals in the fields of science, metaphysics and quantum mechanics
have made shocking and profound discoveries.
Many of these discoveries have consistently been met with ridicule and disbelief.
You will find many concepts and ideas which may be easily grasped, well
understood and previously known within the pages of this book.
However, as you progress you may stumble across what I consider to be well
proven scientific theories that may reach out beyond the normal level of acceptability
and into the realm of fantasy.
Its is these very ideas and concepts that while ridiculed now, will one day be
accepted and grasped the world over. Not only by the scientific community in
general but by the common populace of mankind.
What have you been told about happiness?
What have you been told about contentment?
Do you believe you know the secret to success?
Do you even know what success truly is?
I have asked these questions to thousands of people all over the English-speaking
world.
I have spoken to religious leaders, business people, artisans, teenagers, elderly
retirees to name but a few.
WELCOME
Do you think you might recognize the answers I have received?
I’m sure you would.
These are the “standard issue” answers we have all heard and at times have been
led to believe.
Each one of us with respect to our community, culture and belief system has been
fed one of these so-called answers. Unfortunately at the end of the day, perhaps
when we are resting our head on the pillow, or maybe when we are grasping for that
next paycheck, or for some, when we are at that moment of breathing our last
breath, we all come to that realization that these answers are all found wanting.
My friend Isaac was well aware that there were many unanswered questions in his
life. He considered himself a true seeker.
He was one of those people that asked the questions that many people do not even
know they have.
Our subconscious does a wonderful job at hiding our hunger for reality and
convincing us that we are content with the illusion of this world.
Are you content?
Or have you really dug deep enough to ask the ultimate question?
.
WELCOME
This is the question that is responsible for every mystery, every misdirected fear, all
confusion and every seekers journey in this life.
What is this question?
Well, my friend, it is both profound in its simplicity and wonderful in its implications.
It will either be embraced by yourself at this moment as you are reading or fully
rejected as pointless philosophy.
Before I ask you this question, please open your mind; prepare yourself to embrace
a curiosity that once explored, will radically alter everything you know to be true
about this life.
Now, let me ask you…
Who are you?
The following compilation of emails and chats are designed to be a type of overview
or blueprint giving you a personal tour of the mechanics of the human Soul.
As soon as we use the word "Soul" people tend to focus their imagination towards
concepts verging on the religious and spiritual.
.
WELCOME
The Soul is seen as this "thing" that dwells within us that one day will push itself forth
from our body and travel somewhere to some heavenly realm or unknown existence.
The unexplored mystery of the Soul is one that brought me to the very edge of
reality.
It was one that once explored, brought into focus the distinction between the illusion
and the true reality we interact with on a daily basis.
This reality is one that many live with while completely blind to its existence.
This where it gets exciting.
The Soul is NOT something we have or something we possess deep down inside.
The Soul is NOT a possession of ours.
The Soul is NOT that deep inner feeling of guilt, fear or passion.
The Soul is YOU.
You are a Soul.
.
WELCOME
The Soul penetrates and permeates every fiber of your physical and nonphysical
being.
It dictates everything that you are, what color your eyes will be, the color of your skin
and how tall you are.
Everything that you are is your Soul.
The Soul then extends further.
It goes far beyond just the human physical body, it is not only within. It not only
permeates your being, but it extends outwards beyond the body itself.
The question then must be raised; we have to ask,
"what is the Soul."
Let us talk about something digestible.
Consider something such as music in its most basic essence, we know it as nothing
more than a vibration.
When someone listens to a high level of music, a person would then feel the
vibration in their body. It moves from the speaker to the body, you would then feel
the vibration pulsing against your chest.
.
WELCOME
Music, by its frequency, could cause a glass to shatter and break. Music moves out
and beyond, being absorbed by its surrounding world and bouncing back from its
surrounding world producing a rhythmic wavelength that can even inspire emotional
responses in those that listen to it.
What makes the leaf of a tree green?
What causes color to be color?
What makes something green or red?
It is simply because each object is consistently vibrating at a specific frequency
which in turn creates that color to be perceived in a certain way.
When you observe that blue sky or that green leaf, you are observing a frequency
that extends beyond the specific object. It travels to your eyes and then is
interpreted to be a specific color.
All of these observations are entirely conditional upon the vibrational frequency of
the object.
Everything is vibration.
Not only is color a result of this, even the very shape and form of everything that
surrounds us.
.
WELCOME
The way things vibrate actually create the shape and existence of a particular object.
The shape of a tree, or the or the form of a blade of grass.
So when we move from this understanding and then travel back to the main issue,
which is that of the Soul, we see that the Soul also is nothing more than a vibration.
There are many more things to say about the Soul, but this is where we begin.
It vibrates.
The Soul is moving at a frequency, and that frequency dictates everything regarding
your body and even creates a color that many individuals might refer to as an "aura".
It not only surrounds your body, but it moves out and past your body, interacting with
everything around it.
This happens in exactly the same way as color interacts with your eyes, or music
might interact with your auditory senses. Your Soul moves out and interacts with
everything around it. When we take time to consider this, we realize this this holds
some incredibly profound consequences.
This means that YOU have a direct interconnection with everything that is around
you.
.
WELCOME
If you were to enter a room with 10 or 15 people that were all sad and negative, you
would say that there is a "negative vibe" in the room.
This is exactly true!
There IS a negative VIBRATION happening in the room, and that vibration is
affecting you in a specific way. This is the vibration of the specific Soul's existing
within that room.
So the human Soul has an extremely unique and profound ability to interact with
everything around it.
Have you ever considered that you have the ability to interact with other people
without having speak or do or say anything?
You can touch the world around you without using the physical body.
The trees, plants and flowers you pass as you take a stroll have a direct and
intimate connection with you.
This is simply because you are what you are in many fascinating and wonderful
ways.
.
WELCOME
There is one extraordinary thing that separates you from that blade of grass or that
tree.
The thing that makes you unique is that you can decide, manipulate or control the
vibration that you will emit at any given moment.
You can change the vibration.
You have the ability to create a higher or lower frequency which can accomplish
many amazing things.
This is just the very beginning.
This is the vibration of the Soul.
This is simply a seed that will create an opening to a doorway of a miriad of
possibilities that we will be exploring as we continue through these conversations.
TV, advertising, movies, Internet, mobile phones, music and many other
technological devices have managed to grab a hold of our attention and create a
powerful and numbing distraction.
.
WELCOME
The television alone has become a type of modern day babysitter that turns us into
zombies. We sit and stare at the screen with little going through our mind or
intellect.
We absorb everything around us and have no real time to think independently. All
these distractions are happening so overwhelmingly fast at a continual rate all the
time.
This goes on from the moment we rise in the morning until the time we fall asleep in
bed.
Overloaded and exhausted with images, sounds, and emotions that our
consciousness is constantly trying to sort out, we are not given an opportunity to
allow the brain to take a break, relax and quiet down.
However, if we do take that break, we can make contact with our inner world and
the heart.
It is there that we will find the ultimate answers and discover that we are part of
something much bigger than we have ever imagined.
The time we are living in now is all about this process of waking up and once again
becoming aware of who we really are.
This is about coming to an awareness of where we come from, what we are doing
here and where we are going.
.
WELCOME
"The world that you are familiar with, the physical, material world, is not the only one
in which you move and interact. Every day when you get up, shower and go to work,
each and every step reverberates through two sides of reality at once. Your physical
body walks in the world of matter, but a subtler aspect of you, woven within and
throughout your physical body, moves and interacts on a level of pure energy."
Belanger
The Soul must take over the Ego and "Reflected self", but is this really possible?
Can we do this?
We must come to the realization that the answers we are constantly seeking are not
to be found outside of ourselves.
The answers are there; they have always been there inside of ourselves simply
waiting to emerge, waiting to be noticed and discovered by our consciousness.
It is now time to find our way back to our Soul and release our grip on this physical
external thing we consider reality.
This is not merely a simple switch that we turn on in our mind; this is a process of
understanding and releasing. This is about observing and being.
Welcome to the journey, welcome to Soul Mechanic.
.
THE BEGINNING
- The adventure begins here.....
.
From: "Tam Shepherd" Sent: Monday, February 3, To:
Isaac,
It makes me sad that so many people don’t ask the
questions you do.
So many seem to think that the answers to life's apparent
problems are found in the physical world around them.
I wonder how many timeless Gurus our world and our
civilization has to live through.
How long will it be before we are impacted in such a way
that it becomes commonplace to understand the answers to
life's greatest mysteries?
THE BEGINNING
When will humanity realize that these answers are nowhere
to be found around us but are waiting to be discovered
within us?
I love your questions; I love your curiosity.
It seems that deep down you know there is more to life. You
know there is a deeper purpose and a greater reason
behind it all.
Your eagerness to uncover these truths excites me. I hope
you know; big questions deserve big answers. These
questions you have will literally open a wonderland of
metaphysical truths, so I hope you're not just hungry for the
answers.
As exciting as the truth can be, it is often the journey into the
truth that provides much of the adventure in life.
THE BEGINNING
IIn order to understand and know yourself, your purpose,
why you are here, and where you are going, you must
become familiar with the other realm; the realm of the non-
visible.
As you take these steps into the unseen realm, you will
notice that your Soul will experience a gradual process of
awakening.
This is the realm where you truly dwell.
Isaac, this physical realm you see around you each day is
but a reflection or shadow of that which is real.
For example, if you were to pick up a piece of gold here in
our physical realm you would have a mass filled with
protons, electrons and atoms. What you would be holding in
your hand is but a representation of the REAL gold.
It is nothing more than a shadow of reality.
THE BEGINNING
How can we know and appreciate the truth if we first do not
understand the lie?
We will venture into a world of pure unadulterated reality,
the world of the Soul.
We will go to a place outside of time, outside of space.
We will enter a world where everything we see in this
physical world has its origin and its birth.
Please understand, you will have to leave everything
behind; your ideas, perceptions, preconceived notions and
thoughts.
This world we will enter is the world of origins; there are no
shadows, types or replicas.
This is a place where all is reality.
THE BEGINNING
If you can understand and grasp this world where you truly
exist, then you will have entered into the true peace of
understanding the meaning of all that is.
Not only will this give you a mental understanding, but you
will discover a wealth of non-physical resources that you will
be able to incorporate into your true self.
This in turn will transform your entire being and cause you to
become the YOU that you were created for.
Let’s start the journey.
THE BEGINNING
From: "Isaac Templar" [email protected] Sent:
Tuesday, February 4 To: [email protected]
Tam,
I think I always knew that the truth to life was found inside
us.
Not really sure exactly what it all meant but even at this
point in my life in my mid 30’s I think I’ve seen enough to
know that the world isn’t really producing the answers I’m
looking for.
Different religions give different reasons and answers for
things, but at the end of the day they just create more
questions and more frustration.
When you talk about the “nonphysical” world, are you talking
about a spiritual world like religions do? And if answers are
not found here in the physical world then what good is the
physical world?
THE BEGINNING
Are we supposed to live like monks, completely detached
from everything physical and just meditating all the time? I’m
probably asking too many questions right up front; I’m sure
you will be explaining it all, but it helps me just to write this
down and maybe come back to it later.
I know you have a lot to say and a lot to explain. I’m looking
forward to it!
I don’t often get to have these kinds of conversations with
people, let alone with someone who actually claims to have
the answers.
Isaac.
THE BEGINNING
From: "Tam Shepherd" Sent: Thursday, February 6 To:
Isaac,
I understand your questions, and please feel free to ask
anything you want. Hopefully, we will have opportunities to
chat live online also.
I know I am making a clear distinction between the Physical
Realm around us and the Unseen Realm, but as you dig
deeper into this, you will begin to understand the
relationship between the two.
Although the answers are found in the unseen realm, the
physical realm around us still has importance. You always
have to remember that the physical realm is a creation of
the non-physical realm, so they are both interconnected in
many ways.
THE BEGINNING
So, I’m going to start with an introduction to the concept of
“self”.
This is a basic understanding of who you are and as we
continue our conversations it will definitely progress a lot
further from here....
Not long after the moment of your birth, you were led to
believe that you are a physical creature living on this planet.
You see, as humans, we process everything through our
five senses, allowing our subconscious mind to process and
store everything we see and experience. All of these
emotions, thoughts and experiences enter our mind and
begin to build this large collection of who we think we are. It
doesn’t take very long before we are led to believe the
biggest deception of mankind.
THE BEGINNING
We believe that we are human!
Not only this, but we are led to believe that as humans, our
opinions, thoughts and beliefs have made up who we are.
We build identities and a persona based on our experiences
and beliefs and as the years go by we allow ourselves to
believe and accept certain things.
Suddenly you have become "someone".
That "someone" is very far from reality. Although far from
reality, you have joined something very common and
dominating. You have joined society and walked away from
reality.
Who you really are, your real abilities and potential, is not
even a distant memory anymore. It is as if the real you no
longer exists.
THE BEGINNING
The true you has been replaced by another version known
as the “Reflected Self”. This reflected (false) self has done
an amazing job at replacing the real you.
It has convinced you that it is you!
No one challenges it or attacks it. Why would we if we all
accept it is real?
Online Chat:
Isaac: So.. You believe that we are not human??
Tam: Well according to the definition and according to
society the word “Human” suggests someone who carries
the characteristics and nature of people. These
characteristics that we act out every day, are they our true
nature that we were created to live out?
THE BEGINNING
Isaac: Well, humans have many characteristics. You are
saying that they are not true to our nature?
Tam: Yes Isaac. That’s exactly my point. The daily
characteristics that we act out and live out on a daily basis
have been created by a false sense of reality. Since this
sense of reality is false, then the characteristics we are living
out are also false. Once we understand the true nature of
reality, our nature and characteristics will also change.
Isaac: And then?
Tam: And then we will exist as we were created to exist,
according to the true nature of this universe. Perhaps then
when all of humanity evolves into this new way of living, the
word “human” may carry a new significance.
Tam: I’ll explain more in my next E-Mail
THE BEGINNING
From: "Tam Shepherd" Sent: Saturday, February 8 To:
Isaac,
What if one day you woke up and discovered that this “you”
that you thought you were was some fabricated self, created
by the world around you? That the real, YOU was there
deep down inside waiting to explode out and live.
What if you discovered that the real YOU had abilities,
knowledge, capabilities, power, and wisdom that you never
even dreamed of?
What if deep down inside there was this powerful creature
that had been held, hidden for a lifetime?
As C.S. Lewis put it quite simply
“You don’t have a Soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.”
THE BEGINNING
Humanity has been living for years in these physical bodies
with the belief and assumption that this is who we are and
that we have these “souls” existing within us.
Nothing could have been farther from the truth.
It turns out that this is the great cause of much of the pain,
suffering, and fear that we all seem to experience
throughout our lives.
These feelings, insecurities and emotions are all generated
and felt in the day to day physical world.
Since we are beings that live with the assumption that we
are physical, we then allow our bodies to be ruled by these
feelings and emotions that have their origin in the physical
realm.
The truth of the matter is; we are not physical beings at all.
THE BEGINNING
We are Souls with infinite potential, which dwell on the
nonphysical realm.
We are spiritual beings having a physical experience.
This body we inhabit is nothing more than a type of vessel
that our Soul has used to visit this earth. Our Soul manages
to connect to the biological controls of the body via the
nervous system. Unfortunately, at some point in human
evolution the Soul ceased to pilot this body, and the
Reflected Self began to take over as the pilot and
commander.
The reflected Self, to summarize, is nothing more than the
creation of society. It is a cocktail of dangerous thought
processes containing high dosages of Ego, Fear and
Control. When referring to the reflected self, the Ego is
always considered to be a powerful element of this
consciousness.
THE BEGINNING
The Ego is nothing more than a product of our interaction
with the external environment.
Isaac, when you were born you had no true Ego. There was
no true separate feeling of "me" or "I". However, this was
quickly created by your surroundings. You must remember
and understand that the answers you are seeking are not
outside yourself, but they are all to be found inside. Then
and only then, will you reach the true core of who you are.
The Ego must relax its hold of the self so that you can
ultimately find your way back to the Soul. The Ego does
have a distinctive and essential function, however when the
Ego becomes all that is. Then it has gone too far. As you
notice, I also mention elements such as Fear and Control,
both of which will be discussed and understood in further
emails.
THE BEGINNING
To continue; the reflected self is nothing more than what we
/ you “must” be. This society we live in has demanded a type
of creation that would not challenge or contradict anything
else that has happened in the world system.
The powers that be needed something that would simply
obey and operate under the rules given to it. Thus, the
reflected self came about, and the Soul began to be
smothered.
The great sadness is that your Soul is now no longer in
command.
We can no longer perceive all the messages and lessons
that are necessary to truly understand our existence and the
great reason for life.
We have been forced to live in a world of separation,
limitation and polarity; this is the perfect breeding ground for
the reflected self. It is the perfect place where the Soul can
never escape, and we will never truly understand our real
purpose in this life.
THE BEGINNING
Not only this, but the illusion has gone even further.
For most people, when presented with the reality of life, and
the true meaning of life, they simply laugh or perhaps
believe that you are a little crazy. People are either shocked
by these statements, or many simply deny it.
This is because the reflected self does not have the ability to
comprehend these truths. Therefore, the true meaning of life
and the true meaning of who we are must be presented in
such a way that it will systematically attack and tear down
the walls of the reflected self.
Layer by layer, the powerful walls of the false self must be
destroyed to allow for the powerful nature of the Soul – the
real you, to shine through and embrace the truth once and
for all.
THE BEGINNING
It's true; you are a Soul, and your Soul is constantly
searching for its true understanding of its unity with the
Source. However, as the Soul searches for this
understanding, the Ego, (powered by the false self)
manages to create so much "noise" that we all seem to
forget what it is we are searching for.
Our challenge then is to eliminate this noise, and then
silence the Ego. We must overcome the powerful
distractions of the false self, so that we might remember
exactly who we are, where we are truly heading, and where
we really came from.
So it is time to move on.
It is time to look inwards and explore that inner realm.
The answers we are searching for are not outside ourselves,
but inside.
THE BEGINNING
When we reach the core of who we are, we will understand
more and more the powerful deception of the false self and
irresistible power of the Soul.
From: "Isaac Templar" Sent: Saturday, February 8 To:
Tam,
“Reflected Self” – I’ve never heard of that before but I think I
understand it.
Also, I’ve heard tons of different explanations for what the
Soul is.
People are always trying to define it or even question if we
have one. I’ve never considered before that we don’t have a
Soul. That we are the Soul and what we have is a body. I
like that.
THE BEGINNING
You also say that the Soul (me) has all these abilities and all
this potential, do you have more to say about that?
From: "Tam Shepherd" Sent: Wednesday, February 12 To:
Isaac,
Absolutely!
Everything we are talking about here is really one giant
journey into the Soul.
Understanding your true potential and the real nature of the
Soul is unavoidable.
At this point, we are not there yet, it might take a while
before I begin to explain all of this, but don’t be concerned,
everything will be explained in its proper time.
PRESENCE
From: "Tam Shepherd" Sent: Wednesday, February 12, To:
[email protected] Subject: Presence
Isaac,
Lets continue with the adventure. You have probably noticed
that I have previously used the word "journey". I try not to
use that word as it actually contradicts the very core and
nature of what we will be talking about. However, I'll save
that for another email.
I want to begin with an essential principle known as
Presence.
I am not sure how familiar you are with this, or if you have
read anything on this subject.
Please let me know.
PRESENCE
From: "Isaac Templar" Sent: Friday, February 14, To:
Well first of all you made me curious when you were talking
about the idea of being on a journey. I dont see whats wrong
with that concept.
You asked me about presence.
I've heard of it before, its a common word basically
meaning to be somewhere. To be present somewhere at
some time. Right?
Im guessing you have a much deeper explanation about it.
I'm curious.
PRESENCE
From: "Tam Shepherd" Sent: Saturday, February 15, To:
[email protected] Subject: Presence
Yes you are right, there is a much deeper meaning behind
the concept of Presence.
First of all in order to understand Presence I have to talk to
you about the meaning of time.
This one of the most subtle things that this physical world
has managed to integrate into humanity. Once you
understand this you will have a strong foundation to build
everything else upon.
Much of humanity coexists in a culture that is inextricably
bound to the concept of time. It seems that nothing in our
world happens without it having some sort of time
coordinate.
PRESENCE
However, the grand majority of people in our society have
no idea that time is nothing more than an illusion.
At times this is a very necessary illusion that we have
created to navigate our way through life.
So, you notice that I call time an illusion.
I'm sure this calls your attention and I'm sure you are
curious as to what type of claim I am making.
Am I asserting that time itself is not even real?
Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. In contrast to the idea
of time being a necessary illusion that prevents every event
from colliding and occurring at the same moment, it has
become clearly obvious that time is also a very powerful
illusion that distracts millions of people from following their
true path in life.
PRESENCEWhy is this?
This is simply due to the fact that most people in the world
today tend to believe that life is predicated upon two
intangible and at times completely irrelevant concepts.
Let me explain what I mean.
People cling to what will happen in the future and what has
happened in the past.
Past experiences and future expectations have become the
two fundamental ingredients of standard living. We tend to
spend and invest much of our "time" and mental energy
planning for the future, setting goals and making plans. We
look forward to what is yet to come, working every day and
planning for the weekend, working every week and planning
for that vacation that lays months away. We live in such a
way that we believe everything has some type of connection
to the future.
PRESENCEWe give this a very attractive label:
“Hope”
Hope sounds like a wonderful thing.
Hope is the expectation that something positive will happen,
that things will improve and our future will be bright.
PRESENCEOur world orbits around this anticipation of future events that
have not yet happened. In many ways this has become the
foundation of our lives.
However, not ALL of our mental energy seems to revolve
around the future, and what may or may not happen.
Much of our mental and emotional energy also seems to
involve the past.
The past is full of memories both good and bad. Many of us
live in fear based on past disasters, regrets based on past
decisions and even a form of happiness as we recall times
of joy and positive memories.
So what I am showing you is that past and future tend to
work in partnership like a team. We use our past
experiences and recall them, we then use these memories
as a form of wisdom to plan for future events.
PRESENCEWe base our lives on this type of thought form; this modality
of thinking.
We are creatures constantly waiting to create a new
moment.
So Isaac, what do you think?
Is there a problem with this?
From: [email protected] Sent: Monday, February
17 To: [email protected]
Trick question?
Is there a problem with this?
A problem with Hope?
PRESENCEA problem with having goals and planning for the future? I
feel like if I couldn’t look into the future and make plans I
would live a pretty depressed life.
At this point I feel like your gonna have to convince me
pretty hard to actually believe there is anything wrong with
living this way.
But I’m really open to what you have to say, I suppose I like
to be challenged.. And I still want to know how this ties in to
your explanation of presence.
From: "Tam Shepherd" Sent: Tuesday, February 18, To:
[email protected] Subject: Presence
Isaac,
The best way for me to explain is by saying that this type of
living causes the individual to live in a world constrained by
only two dimensions.
PRESENCEIt is of essential importance that we learn how to live beyond
this two dimensional world and begin to grasp the life that
lies beyond this illusion.
Those who live a life bound by this semblance of time are
constrained to live in a linear two dimensional world
consisting of nothing more than forwards or backwards.
You may be familiar with the famous quote:
“If you are not moving forward you're moving backwards”
This must be one of the most ridiculous quotes I have ever
read.
However, it does summarize the common mentality of this
generation. Today’s generation truly believes that movement
equals success.
PRESENCEWe must be moving, changing, developing. This creates the
idea of climbing a ladder, scaling a mountain, getting closer
to the goal. Even the word "progress" creates that mental
image of moving forward.
Whenever we encounter an old friend that we haven’t
spoken to in a long time, quite often the question is “So
what’s new?” and how many times do we feel, that if we
have nothing to say, then our life may seem dull, boring and
directionless?
As I mentioned before, we have convinced ourselves to live
a life in constant expectation of a future event.
However, the question is…
Does this future event ever arrive?
PRESENCEAnd when it does.. What are we doing but then waiting then
for the next moment? The obvious fact of the matter is that
the future is never present. This form of living in the past
and future can be likened to living in a dream world, a world
that only exists in the mind and not in reality.
Almost everything existing in the mind of most people is
absolute fantasy!
PRESENCEWe have no way of proving that there exists any such thing
as “the future”. The future never arrives. Even if I had the
capability to travel into the future, once there it would be the
present. The most accurate definition for what we call the
"future" is simply "an unknown moment that has yet to be
experienced".
Therefore, at the end of the day, the word "future" is a term
used to refer to something that does not exist.
Now, here is the most important issue: our addiction to what
we have not yet experienced causes us to constantly miss
what is happening NOW. In its simplest form we know this:
The future NEVER arrives and the past exists only in the
mind as a collection of thoughts.
Time, as we know it is only an illusion. Mankind has created
the idea of time simply so we can differentiate between one
moment and the next.
PRESENCEIn reality, the only thing that is real is a constant flow of
present, yet ever changing moments. Since the future is
nothing but a mental construct that exists in the present, we
cannot experience the future until it "becomes" the Present.
Until then it lives in our mind as only a hope and dream. It
can't be measured, seen, felt or sensed in any way
whatsoever.
Simply stated; our only contact with our future is in the
present. The present has merely become a bridge between
what has happened in the past and what is about to happen
in the future – If you believe that these truly exist.
The grand irony is we spend our present existence living in
two realms of time that cannot be seen or measured or
experienced.
This is the life we have relegated ourselves to, one that
consists of nothing more than forwards and backwards.
PRESENCEWhat if there was another direction?
What if there were many more directions?
What if we have become so accustomed to linear
movements that we have placed instinctive blinders on,
preventing us from seeing new possibilities of movement?
I remember one day in my old job, during a staff meeting.
My boss pulled out a coin, placed it on the counter and said,
“There are only two sides to every coin” Another famous
statement.
On my way home that day, I took the time to meditate on
what he said in the staff meeting. After several days of
pondering and consideration, I came to the realization that
what he said was completely untrue.
My conclusion?
There are AT LEAST five sides to every coin.
PRESENCEMy point?
If there are at least five sides to every coin, what are we
missing when it comes to our perspective on life and time?
To begin with, let’s look at the first, most obvious and most
important direction that we tend to ignore.
Stop for a moment and allow yourself to consider the typical
form your daily thoughts take.
“What shall I eat for lunch?”
“What should I do tonight?”
“I wonder if it will rain tonight?”
“Why did he/she say this or that?”
“I wish I hadn’t done this or that”
We live in these make believe worlds and all the while we
manage to dismiss and ignore the ever present moment of
the NOW.
PRESENCE“Now” has the ability to scare most people in today’s society.
It has no apparent movement, it is going nowhere, and it is
not speculative or unknown. Everything about “Now” is
standing still before us. The concept of "Now" is one of truth
and honesty.
The future can disguise itself as something fearful or
something exciting. "Now" is what it is, and most of us can’t
stand that. When dealing with addiction we love to say “I’ll
quit tomorrow”, or when we are having relationship problems
we can say “we need to talk sometime”.
The future is the best friend of procrastination, and it fully
embraces the idea of living an artificial life. "Now" is the
golden moment, it is the time when things really matter. The
ability to dwell in the moment and live in the NOW is one of
the first steps to tearing down the pillars of illusion that we
have surrounded ourselves with.
PRESENCEDid you notice what I said above?
The "Now" moment has no apparent movement. We all
think that nothing is happening now. There is no exciting
change happening. So in order to experience “movement”
we transport our minds to an imaginary realm of past or
future, in doing so we create the illusion of change and
movement.
How sad that we all do this, and in doing so manage to miss
this dynamic world full of variance and transformation.
Remember something, it is ALWAYS now. No matter what
we do or where we go we are always living in the present
moment.
We simply invented time in order that we might understand
the ever changing sequence of NOW moments that we live
through.
PRESENCEOnline Chat:
ISAAC: Ok, I admit, some of this does make sense. I’m
beginning to understand your point, and It’s something I’ve
never really thought about before.
TAM: But?
ISAAC: But I’m still having a problem understanding that
time was invented, that it’s not real. I understand that we are
always in the present moment, but I can’t get past the fact
that time is always passing and the past and future are real.
TAM: I understand. This is not an easy subject to completely
comprehend. Please understand that what I am saying is
not just my personal opinion or my own thoughts. Many in
the scientific world have come to this same conclusion that
time is not what we once thought it was.
PRESENCEISAAC: Really? This is scientific?
TAM: Absolutely. In fact almost all of the principles and
concepts I am sharing with you in our conversations have a
scientific basis to them.
ISAAC: I didn’t know that.
ISAAC: But..How can time be an illusion if I remember
events that happened to me and they were clearly in the
past?
TAM: Well there are many ways to answer that question. In
reality, the human brain does not have the ability to
experience every moment at the same time. Therefore as
humans we have taken all these still moments and we move
through them in one direction. This gives the illusion of time.
PRESENCEISAAC: So when I remember the past, it isn’t really the
past?
TAM: Technically no. It’s actually a moment that exists right
now. But in your mind you have placed it in a category
called “memories” and you consider it to be a past event.
Can you imagine how it would feel to experience every
event of your life all at once?
ISSAC: I think I would go crazy.
TAM: Exactly. This is why we experience things the way we
do. Time does not pass us by. We are actually working
through a succession of “now moments” and we are only
able to move through those moments in one direction. This
creates the illusion of time.
ISAAC: And you also say that the Soul does not live in the
past or future.
PRESENCETAM: Exactly. Mainly because the past and future don’t
exist. The Soul bases its whole existence only on truth. The
reflected self creates thoughts, opinions and perceptions
based upon what it thinks may or may not happen in the
future, or based on its imperfect recollections of the past.
The Soul just sees things as they are now and lives in the
moment.
ISAAC: So if the idea is to live in the present, then when is it
ok to think about the future or the past? Seems kind of
confusing to me.
TAM: I agree, it can seem a little confusing, and quite
honestly it isn’t easy to explain fully. All I can say is, when
you start to practice the art of living in the present, you will
notice that it comes naturally, and you will find that balance.
PRESENCETAM: It is also good to remember that the future and past
can be the source of a lot of fears. When focusing on past
and future and fear comes into the picture, you know right
away that you are doing something unnecessary.
ISAAC: Isn’t it healthy to be afraid of the future? For
example, sometimes I’m afraid that I won’t pay my rent in
time. That fear gives me motivation.
TAM: I see where you are coming from. However at the end
of the day you are basing your fear upon something that has
not happened. For the Soul, this is very unnatural. The Soul
would approach this in another way. With an understanding
that rent is due, the Soul would then divert its focus from the
future to the now and look at your circumstances in the
present moment. Because your landlord is not standing over
you demanding money at this present moment, you have no
fear, however you still have awareness, like a call to action
to do something in the present.
PRESENCEISAAC: Ok, that makes sense. The future is unpredictable,
but the present, we can bank on and we can act upon our
present circumstances.
TAM: Yes.
TAM: I think the best way for me to explain this concept that
NOW is all that exists would be with an illustration.
ISAAC: Well, your illustrations really help me to understand
things better.
TAM: Good… So, these NOW moments exist just like
frames in an old film reel. In a movie we see the action and
events roll by but what we don’t see is that this reel is simply
a collection of still frames moving extremely quickly. Each of
these frames is simply a still, motionless image being
witnessed at a rapid speed.
PRESENCEISAAC: So you are saying that our lives are like a movie.
TAM: That’s a concept that many people actually believe.
That our lives are one giant movie that is being observed by
a higher being and we are simply actors in the movie playing
out our roles.
ISAAC: Is that what you believe?
TAM: It’s not far removed from what I believe. However that’
s not what matters right now.
ISAAC: Ha! You don’t like to tell me too much at once do
you?
TAM: Well, let’s just say I don’t want to overwhelm you with
everything at once. This is a lot to take in.
PRESENCEISAAC: Ok, so let me ask you this again.. Am I supposed to
forget about the past and forget about the future? Am I
supposed to ignore them and only think about what’s
happening now? Because that seems impossible.
TAM: Absolutely not.
TAM: I would never encourage anyone to cease with their
thoughts of the future or fond memories or recollections of
the past.
ISAAC: So what are you trying to say then?
TAM: What I am saying is that we have fallen into the habit
of living in such a way that we have lost much of our ability
to see the present moment. Instead of occasionally looking
to the past and future, humanity is beginning to live with
their minds consistently placed in these two realms.
PRESENCETAM: It is in this present moment that we find much of the
peace, calmness and joy that is often missing in life.
Consider your fears, anxieties, and concerns. How many of
them are based on what has not yet happened?
ISAAC: I guess none of them.
TAM: In this present moment as you are sitting here reading
this, what grand disaster is happening to you? What
stressful situation is overwhelming you? In most of not all
cases there is none. Fear draws upon your expectation of
what may or may not happen in the future; often times
based upon what has or has not happened in the past.
ISAAC: So what you are saying is, people spend too much
time dwelling on the past and future, like they live in the past
and they live in the future instead of living in the now.
PRESENCETAM: That’s exactly what I am saying. That’s why I said in
the previous e mail that the Past and Future are a
“necessary illusion” in this physical realm. We do need
them. We need them to make sense out of our lives just like
we need the physical realm to live in this world. However,
what has happened is that humanity has allowed the
physical realm and illusions such as time to take over and
control us, so the metaphysical realm of the Soul can no
longer breathe.
ISAAC: So it’s about balance.
TAM: Not even balance. The metaphysical (spiritual) realm
should have emphasis. This realm controls the physical
realm. The illusion of time is a part of that physical realm.
The concept of time should never control our daily lives.
ISAAC: Example?
PRESENCETAM: Sure. An example of this may be a person who is
about to go on a journey by air. He recalls several months
ago, the last time he was on an airplane and the traumatic
experience he had on the flight as it went through a rough
storm. Next week he will be on another airline and he is
terrified about the journey. This individual is spending the
present moment recalling the past, throwing it into the future
and allowing the fear to rob him of the NOW. In this way
“past” and “future” act like a tag team to rob you of the
possibility of experiencing a real present tangible moment.
ISAAC: Interesting.
TAM: How many times in your life have you dwelt in the
present, experienced the moment, savored the tastes,
smells, sights and sounds of the very present moment and
allowed your mind to absorb them and fully enjoy everything
they have to offer?
PRESENCEISAAC: Definitely something I should do more.
TAM: This will introduce a concept known as Presence.
Once you understand and practice Presence you will really
begin to find a radical change in your daily life.
ISAAC: So what is Presence?
TAM: Well let me send you an e mail first so I can explain
more. Then we can get into the issue of Presence.
ISAAC: Ok.
From: "Tam Shepherd" Sent: Thursday, February 20, To:
[email protected] Subject: Presence
Isaac,
PRESENCEAs you will notice consistently throughout our
communication, I will be contrasting the reflected self
against the true you; you’re Soul.
It is the reflected, false self that desires to live in a world that
does not exist. This is quite simply because the reflected
self is a persona constructed by the perceptions created, not
by the true mind but by the objects found in the world
around it, creating that “opinion based” synthetic world.
It therefore only makes sense that it would also thrive where
it can be a reflection of the unknown future. However, it is
your Soul that thrives in truth and reality. This is one reason
that the Soul loves creativity. If you are a creative person
you will know this.
When you are in that moment of writing, painting, sculpting,
whatever it may be, you are truly dwelling in the present
moment. This is the Soul’s opportunity to thrive.
PRESENCEThe Soul rejects anything false, anything illusionary. The
Soul completely rejects fear. Fear cannot exist in the current
moment. Fear thrives in the unknown; on the unexpected.
When fear is absent the Soul breaks free.
If you really desire to understand and experience the
deepest truth of everything as it really is, you must live in
harmony with being here, now.
PRESENCEIf you do this, I guarantee the world will become a much
different place. As your Soul breaks free it will begin to enjoy
the moment. Remember, the Soul is the true you, the Soul is
you in the deepest, truest sense. So by living in such a way,
for the first time (for many) YOU will be experiencing
everything around you.
This may not happen immediately; after all, you have been
conditioned by the reflected self to live in two other worlds
for quite some time. But as the days go by you will begin to
become accustomed to living hand in hand with your
number one companion – your Soul.
Let go of what cannot be changed, release the stress of
what has not yet happened. Free you’re Soul to comfort you
in the present moment. And remember, the more freedom
you give to your Soul, the more you are walking away from
the old you (the reflected self).
PRESENCEHave you ever noticed how you can look at a sunset or an
event and manage to miss its beauty simply because you
have other things on your mind and are preoccupied?
However, when you see these things when you are relaxed
and happy they look like the most beautiful things you ever
seen. It’s amazing that the same thing can hold so many
variations of perception and experience simply based on
your perception of time and the noise existing within your
mind.
We can now take control of our perception and in doing so
we can shape and mold our experience. As we shall see,
step by step, the most powerful way to alter our perception
and experience of the life we have been given is to take it
back from the reflected false self and hand it over to its
rightful owner, the Soul.
PRESENCEI'm sure that you have also noticed that when you are truly
living in the moment you are often “out of mind”. You are not
really thinking anything. You may have been inspired,
energized and content, but your mind was not so active with
thoughts. In fact it is during those “out of mind” moments
that we seem to receive the most inspiration! How ironic,
that the greatest thoughts come to our mind when we are
not thinking!
If a person is not fully present in his current moment he will
truly miss out on what is most important and valuable in his
life.
I know you have been wondering what Presence really is
and how it can have such an impact on your life.
I always say, the best way to describe what something is, is
for me to help you understand what it is not.
PRESENCEA person who is not Present simply operates from moment
to moment without really being aware of what is happening.
For example, this type of person will respond and react to
each current situation simply based on subconscious
programming from past experiences and society.
Many things are not truly processed or given the opportunity
to develop and digest in the mind.
The ability to be Present allows us to redirect all of our
energy to the present moment which, believe it or not
creates a higher level of satisfaction and happiness. The
practice of being Present truly unravels the "deep mystery of
being alive". This gives you the immense pleasure of being
deeply bound and interconnected to everything that exists.
So how do we enter into the practice of presence?
PRESENCEThis is nothing more than a simple awareness of everything
that is happening around you at each moment. It eliminates
stereotypical thinking and programming. Everything you will
observe will be seen simply as it is in that given moment.
When having discussions your mind is open to the current,
unique situation you are in. Allowing yourself to pause,
reflect, and as I mentioned before, digest every thought
before you speak.
What is happening?
What do you feel?
What do you see?
What do you hear?
Imagine for a moment that you died.
If you did die, all your responsibilities and obligations would
immediately vanish. It is no great surprise that these issues
would somehow manage to get worked out without you
having to be there.
PRESENCEShould you walk away from all responsibilities and
obligations?
Absolutely not.
However, by taking a few moments each day to "die on
purpose" you will give yourself the freedom to experience
and understand the present. Then when you begin to move
on and continue with that "daily grind" you will find that life
will begin to feel so much more rich and colorful. And don't
forget Isaac, something I once read in a great book:
"the best way to get somewhere is to let go of trying to get
anywhere at all".
Take a moment, dwell in the NOW, become Present and
meditate on this concept.
PRESENCEFrom: "Isaac Templar" [email protected] Sent:
Wednesday, February 19 To: [email protected]
Tam,
I took your advice, spent some time to go over what you
wrote and meditate on it all. I realized that I can’t just read
what you are saying and agree with it, even if I only agree
with part of it.
I really need to take it and put it into action.
Then I was thinking, how do I take information like what you
are sharing with me and really let it affect my life? I will have
to think about that for a day or so. But I realize now that I
can’t just agree with what you are saying and think it’s
interesting, I have to let it be a part of my life.
PRESENCEWhen I let that happen I literally start looking at things
differently. So I just want you to know, this is really
impacting me quite a bit. I know this is still early and I’ve
only been taking this in for a few days but if it’s impacting
me this much already then that makes me excited about
what’s to come.
But like I’ve learned, I’m not even focusing on what’s to
come. The future, whatever that is, isn’t really important like
it was. I’m not so excited about the future of our
conversation. I’m more excited about where I am now with
what I’ve learned and how it makes me feel and how it has
changed the way I think right now. Hehe, I would never have
said that before!
I would normally have been waiting for more, anxious to
hear what else you have, and I know that would have
undervalued everything I’ve learned thus far. I’m really liking
this.
Thanks Tam.
PRESENCEFrom: "Tam Shepherd" Sent: Thursday, February 20, To:
[email protected] Subject: Being
Isaac,
Wonderful. It’s encouraging to see this change taking place,
and you are absolutely right. Enjoy where you are in this
moment, don’t become overly anxious just to absorb more.
Being present in your current understanding will bring peace
and contentment, and as you are present in each moment
you will grow more and more.
That is where we are now.
Ready to move on?
Ready for the next step?
PRESENCEThis is very interconnected with the concept of timelessness
and Presence, and you are most definitely ready to absorb
all this.
As you begin to understand the concept of timelessness
then you can begin to wrap your mind around the idea of
"being".
Let me explain:
Being is understood as a “state”, such as being happy. You
cannot explain a state, nor can you do a state. You can only
be a state.
You cannot do happiness; you can only "be" happy.
Being comes from the Soul.
PRESENCEThe typical problem is, many have lost their ability to know
how to “be”.
Everything in the physical world is thinking and doing.
We are excellent thinkers and planners.
We are trained at “doing”. This is the busy world of the
reflected self.
However, no one is Being. We have forgotten how, and we
have lost the reason as to why it is so important. Living in
the present moment, which we have discussed, is the root
and foundation for Being.
Everything begins at this level.
Being speaks of existence. It is the state of something
existing. A person cannot do something unless he “is”.
Therefore Being precedes and causes thinking.
PRESENCEBeing is the foundation, the root and the source.
Being is the world of the Soul. However, as soon as we
move past Being and into the realm of thinking we must be
careful.
It is when the mind becomes overly alert that we become
prone to that same old reflected self invading our lives once
more and reclaiming us.
We have to be careful when our mind is thinking, that it is
under the influence of the Soul. This is yet another grand
irony; that we are the safest and most secure when our
minds are silent.
Doesn't this suggest that a grand problem exists in
humanity, that when our mind switches on, the problems
begin to arise?
PRESENCEWhen your mind begins to operate under the power of the
false self – the reflected self, things begin to fall apart and
the Soul vanishes into hiding.
Being is the concrete foundation or the first rung in the
ladder, and it is essential that we practice this mindset
before rushing on.
I think you have started doing this already - taking time out
each day to sit still and meditate quietly. Observing the
objects around you, noticing where you are, the colors,
shapes, sounds and smells.
Absorb everything around you.
PRESENCETry not to “think” about them, try to simply be present with
them and be at peace with your current state. Actually let
me re-phrase that. If you "try not to think" then you are
trying. This, ironically, causes the mind to become busier. It
is not the action of trying not to think that will help you; it is
the action of releasing your thoughts and walking away from
them for a moment.
The more we think about something, the greater the
chances of it leading to perception which leads to
interpretation and then judgment, opinions, frustrations and
fear can arise.
All of these thoughts feed the reflected self which damages
the Soul and leads to misery. We are all well used to
perception. We practice it all the time, and we are very good
at it, at least the reflected self is very good at it.
PRESENCEFrom: "Isaac Templar" [email protected] Sent:
Wednesday, March 19, To: [email protected]
Tam,
It’s getting easier to follow what you are saying now. I totally
understand what you mean when you explain Being.
Could you explain a little more about perception? You
mentioned it at the end of your email. You mentioned that
perception leads to interpretation which causes misery. Don’
t you think we perceive things all the time? Isn’t the task to
try and perceive things in the right way? Not to stop the act
of perception altogether.
From: "Tam Shepherd" Sent: Sunday, February 23, To:
[email protected] Subject: Being
Isaac,
As we talk about things you will notice that it will be easy to
get sidetracked into other issues.
PRESENCEI am going to try to deal with these issues one at a time. The
idea of perception is an important one and I will definitely
explain more about that later.
From: "Isaac Templar" [email protected] Sent:
Monday, February 24, To: [email protected]
Haha, you just love to keep me hanging. Im really curious
about what you are saying about perception. Can we talk
about that now?
From: "Tam Shepherd" Sent: Monday, February 24, To:
[email protected] Subject: Being
Sure, we can chat soon. Ill be gone for a few days and when
I return I'll send you an e mail and we can discuss it, or of
you prefer we can have an online chat.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
The Reflected Self and the strength of the Ego have a
strong connection to the concept of "I".
When you typically refer to "I", it is not who you really are.
This is merely who you think you are, based upon your
connection to objects, concepts and images of the world
around you. Even the things we have in our lives seem
valuable not simply because of the intrisic value of the
object, it is simply because they are considered to be
"mine".
All of these concepts of "me" "mine" and "I" give us this
illusion of self that is so unnecessary. This illusion of self is
taken advantage of and highly abused by society and all the
industries they push in our paths.
The marketing and advertising industry all know that they
have the powerful ability to sell things that people do not
really need at all.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
These things are simply desired by each individual because
they have this inner thought that these objects will somehow
add to who they are and take their identity to a new level.
People associate between their false self and the objects
around them simply to try and "become" different or unique
or many times ironically to be just the same as everyone
else. People do this in order to keep up with the evolving
trends around them.
Because the Soul is not fully active or awake in most
peoples lives, each individual feels like they must identify
with something outside of themselves. Therefore; we spend
much of our time and energy creating an environment that
will surround us. This is supposed to give us a relevant
place in this world. We then take those things ind integrate
them in our lives so deeply that we see them as a part of our
"personality".
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Obviously these things are all different based on age,
gender, our social class and immeadiate environmment.
This is how the false self operates. It simply responds to its
environment and attempts to become relevant or unique in
comparison to the physical world around us.
This constant change, and self maintenance is an ongoing
battle we fight to identify with who we think we are, when all
the time, in reality the true inner self does not even have the
opportunity to expose itself and have any form of self
awareness.
The act of presence is a great step forward in destroying our
constant obsession with "things".
Although it might seem simple to practice the art of Being
and Presence, it is not necessarily an easy thing to do.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
It requires you to exercise a measure of discipline; this is
simply because of the forces that continually work against
you.
The forces that are working against you are your own
programming from society. This has created a strong
unawareness which has made you operate in a complete
automated fashion.
We have all have been born and raised in a culture that
every act we do each day can be done without pausing for
one second of contemplation. Every act moves and flows
into the next without that single moment to pause and exist
in the moment.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
However, as we practice this art of being we become
liberated. We then become aware and we see more clearly.
We understand more deeply the aspects of our lives that we
were formerly out of touch with and subconsciously reluctant
to look at.
As you enter into Being, you confront the true emotions
buried deep inside. You will be brought face to face with
each issue such as sadness, grief, anger or fear.
All of these issues are ones that you did not have the time to
observe beforehand. You were able to hide and avoid your
deepest issues since the world around you kept you so
distracted.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
However, although these inner emotions will certainly
emerge, they will then pass and lead us to a new world full
of feelings such as happiness, peacefulness and joy which
in the past, went by as if they never existed.
You will no longer fall into the ruts that you previously fell
into. As you become aware and pay attention in this new
way, you will discover new and fresh reservoirs of creativity,
intelligence, clarity, determination, and wisdom within you.
For most people, they seem to be completely unaware that
they are constantly thinking. This incessant stream of
thoughts flowing through our minds gives little time to pause
and allow for inner silence.
It is because of this that we allow very little time for
ourselves just to be, without having to run around doing
things all the time. Everything we do is driven by society,
nothing is actually undertaken by our inner awareness.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Everything in our mind has become automatic impulses that
run through our brain like a rapid flowing river.
To escape from all this means meditation.
However, you may have noticed that Tam did not spend
much time talking about the art of meditation. We seem to
have this image in our mind of meditation as some sort of
"act" that we perform. We see ourselves sitting in a low-lit
room in the lotus position with our eyes closed and the mind
in silence.
The true art of meditation is one that can be carried out on a
daily basis throughout every seemingly inconsequential act.
These daily acts that we perform, whether preparing a meal
or walking down the street can themselves become acts of
daily waking meditation.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Everything we do or see can enter our minds and become
an act that is not just performed in such an automated
sense. We can perform these tasks routinely and at the
same time allowing what many consider to be meaningless
to become something completely different.
This act of waking meditation causes you to be aware of
everything you do. You begin to notice the way your feet
move as you walk, the feeling in your feet as you take each
step, the sound of the rain as you walk through the park.
Everything becomes its own unique experience.
As you move about your life day to day you become more
and more aware of every act, every movement and
everything that you view or listen to. What was once just a
typical day transforms into a day full of divine observance
where you enter into a deep connection with everything
around you.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
By being with yourself...... by watching yourself in your daily
life with alert interest, with the intention to understand rather
than to judge, in full acceptance of whatever may emerge,
because it is there, you encourage the deep to come to the
surface and enrich your life and conciousness with its
captive energies. That is the great work of awareness; it
removes obstacles and releases energies by understanding
the nature of life and mind..... Alert attention is the mother of
intelligence.
NISGARGADATTA MAHARAJ, I Am That
Are you able to come to a stop in your life, even for one
moment?
Could it be this moment? What would happen if you did?
Shift from "doing" into "being", step outside of yourself and
observe yourself. Watch the moment without trying to take
control, without trying to change anything.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
What is happening?
What do you feel?
What do you see?
What do you hear?
We all want to DO we want to ACT we want to MOVE and
we want a specific outcome from our actions. We all want to
be in control of everything that surrounds us. However, we
have never considered the act of letting go of these actions
and observing the outcome of absolute observance and
being.
When you look at other people, begin to ask yourself, are
you really seeing them or just your thoughts about them.
Our thoughts color everything in a particular way and we
create opinions and images in our mind and then we
become busy with our thoughts once again.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Always remember, true daily meditation is not about
shutting yourself off from your environment. It is about
seeing things clearly and consciously placing yourself in a
new position with regards to your relationship to the world.
STAY TUNED FOR
BOOK #2
“PERCEPTION”