Observer and the observed | How to be free from suffering? | How to overcome fear? | Satsang

Here we are with you investigating this question of the end of suffering. Yes, the possibility of a life free from suffering. When you ask how to be free from suffering, that question is understandable, but we're asking the question in a mistaken way. That's because the idea behind the question is that we exist as someone and as someone we are suffering. Here we are investigating exactly that.

The truth about the end of suffering, not about someone being freed from suffering. The idea of being someone, of existing as someone, of living as someone, is exactly what sustains within us an internal condition of separation from life as it happens, from thoughts when they arise, from feelings, from emotions, from sensations, from perceptions. This division, created by thought itself, is the illusion of someone. We have emphasized exactly that here with you. We are investigating the truth about the one who observes all this.

What is the truth about this "I," about this "me"? When you are in front of a scene, the idea is the presence of the scene and you. That is the idea. This idea is a thought. A thought that, in the face of that situation or scene, that object, person, place, we have the presence of someone.

Here we are approaching this topic, using various terms, various words. These expressions are pointing to this simple truth: that there is no separation in life in this moment, no separation between the one who observes and that which is being observed. This is a playlist here on the channel of great relevance, of great importance. The direct vision, the clear awareness of this is what we call understanding. The understanding that the observer in front of what he is seeing-there is no real separation between that observer and the observed thing.

This division is a division created by thought. Thought is the idea, is the belief that speaks to us of a separation, of a division, between the one who sees and that which is seen. The reality, the truth, the fact is that this separation does not exist. This separation is the element that fuels all forms of confusion, of problems, and of suffering. Notice that when you are afraid, your fear is of something.

So there is you and the cause, the reason for fear, which is something else. Here we have a separation. It is the presence of this separation between you and that thing-because fear does not exist without this separation. You are afraid that something might happen to you. You are afraid of something that happened, that might come to light, that might be discovered.

This could put you in a complication, in a difficulty. So there is you and that memory of what happened. There is you and what might happen again, which is exactly the memory of what happened. This separation between you and the memory, between you and what happened, is something that is present due to what thought is saying. It is something that is present due to the presence of thought.

Every form of fear, which is suffering, is something present because of this separation. When people worry or engage with this question of fear, to investigate, to approach, they realize there is no fear without the presence of thought. So the question is: what is fear? How to overcome fear? Is a life free from fear possible?

A life free from fear, for example, is a life free from this separation between you and thought, between you and memory, between you and the past. The past, memory, thought-these are the root of fear. But this root of fear lies in the soil of thought. So these are two topics here, among others that we address with you, that we are dedicating ourselves to exploring, to investigating, to understanding. Therefore, the old idea of overcoming or freeing oneself is based on a mistaken principle, which is the principle of separation.

It is this division between you and that from which you want to be free. We are constantly maintaining this division, this separation. That which gives us pleasure-we see ourselves as separate from it, in the eagerness for more of it. So, within each of us, within this view-a view established in us due to the presence of thought, because thought is the basic element, the key element of this separation between what is here and that other thing over there. The linking element between these two things-the common element between them-is the presence of thought.

It is thought within us that has established ideas, concepts, evaluations, and beliefs. This belief in separation, this belief in division, is sustaining within each of us internal states of emotional disorder, of psychological disorder. That's because we believe in existing as someone-someone who has pleasure to enjoy and someone who has pain from which they must be free. This very movement of belief, of concept, of idea, feeds within us the presence of the "I." These meetings of ours, whether online meetings, in-person meetings, or retreats, are gatherings called Satsang.

The word Satsang means the encounter with the Truth. It's an opportunity for us to investigate these questions together-questions of the "I," of this "me," of this ego, of this person, of this sense of someone. See, all these expressions refer to this observer, who sees himself as separate from the other thing. This other thing can be a person, a place, a feeling, an emotion, a thought. Here, understanding the truth about this is approaching Satsang.

The word Satsang means the encounter with the Truth. With the truth of what is present here in this moment. Learning to look at what is here in this moment. Perceiving this separation that thought is creating. Perceiving this illusion of duality present, going beyond it-that is approaching divine reality, the reality of God.

All these talks here consist of a possibility of direct perception. Without this, we will remain only in the realm of ideas, in the realm of words, of theories. When you, for example, are thinking, the idea of someone in that thought is something inherent to the process. This happens because we have a mind stuck in this model-this particular view of experience. This is the presence of the mind's conditioning in each of us.

Because when you are thinking, what we have present is a process taking place. That process is the process of thinking. There is no one present in this thinking process. What we have present is the thought itself. If, for example, I invite you to imagine a castle right now, you will imagine a castle, because you have the image of a castle inside you.

You can only have an imagination based on a thought that arises within you. That thought only appears due to a reference it brings, a reference it has. So you can imagine a castle. You imagine a castle based on the thought you have of how a castle should be or how you would like your castle to be. But notice, here we are faced with a trick of thought, which is the idea that you are the one doing this.

It is not you doing this castle, idealizing, building, imagining this castle. This is a process that is happening in your brain based on elements it already holds, which are the memories it has. The brain has images, the brain has memories, it has recollections of a castle. It is the brain that is establishing the castle, that is building the castle, imagining the castle. This is a memory process, a process of brain reaction.

There is no element present in this process. That element, supposedly separate from the process, is also an imagination of thought. Just as we imagine a castle-and that imagination is a process that occurs in the brain due to the movement of thought itself, and it is thought itself that is establishing that castle-we also have the illusion of this "I" as an element separate from thought itself. This is part of the imagination of thought. It is thought in you that imagines this you as the thinker.

Yes, there is something present, but that something present is not the thinker. Yes, there is something present, but that something present is not the experiencer, it is not the observer, it is not the "I." This is what we are here deepening with you, becoming aware of with you. We need to become aware of the present reality, the reality of that which is not the "I," which is not the thinker, which is not the imaginer, which is not the observer. We must become aware of the present reality.

That present reality is life itself. There is no such thing as you and life. There is no such thing as the thinker and the thought, the observer and the observed. There is no such thing as someone building this castle and the castle being built. What we have present is the presence of thought.

It reacts to a stimulus. It reacts to a challenge. When you were invited to have a castle, to build a castle, to imagine a castle, at that moment your brain was challenged, the mind was challenged. Since the mind functions based on memories, on recollections, on thoughts, it expressed itself. That expression of the mind is the expression of consciousness.

This consciousness is the consciousness of the "I," it is the consciousness of the thinker, of the experiencer, of the observer. Are we together? Here we are placing before you the beauty of realizing an encounter with something that does not belong to that model, which is the model of consciousness, the model of the mind, the model of the "I." Contact with that reality is the revelation of Satsang, it is the revelation of that which is indescribable, which is unnameable, which is beyond the mind, which is beyond consciousness, which is beyond the "I." Everything we've been doing here in these meetings is in the direction of that realization, of that discovery, of that awareness that this element that separates itself from life as it happens, from the world as it is, is an illusory element.

That is the illusion of separation. That is the illusion of duality. The awareness of the truth of life, as it happens, is the understanding that life as it is does not include this psychological condition-of fear, or anxiety, or worry, or any form of psychological suffering-because that very psychological condition is not real. In life, we need an approach in this moment that comes from a new moment, from a new brain. Our approach to this moment must be an approach free from the mind.

What is this mind? This mind is nothing other than a mistaken movement-a movement that, in disorder, has established this model of psychological thought. From a simple point of view, the mind is nothing but a movement of thoughts. The presence of the movement of thoughts is the presence of the mind. In an objective way, thought is necessary. Memory is necessary.

Recollection is something functional. Knowledge is something practical. Thus, thought is something very objective for practical purposes in life. I have called this life, where thought occurs in a practical way, a dream. Your name is something practical-it is an objective thought.

Within this dream, we all have names. Thought has given names to things. In this objective and practical dream of life, if things didn't have names, we would have a great difficulty dealing with experience. So we give names to things. When something new arises, we name it, we label it.

We give it a name in order to approach it through knowledge. So, in this dream, this dream of life, everything has a name-a name established by thought. From that name, we engage with experiences. So we have experiences, we name those experiences, we classify those experiences in order to deal with them. Thus, thought is something practical.

However, from a psychological standpoint, thought has also introduced imaginary names-constructions of its own ideas-within a context in life, which is the context of human relationships, of our relationship with life as it happens, placing the illusion of a present identity that thought calls "I." And when this "I" arises, confusion appears, disorder appears, suffering appears. That's when problems arise in our relationships. We cannot approach the totality of life from thought-and yet we are trying to do so from this illusion, which is the illusion of that background, which is the illusion of this quality of thought that I have called psychological thought. So, we have practical, objective thought in this dream of existence, and we use it in a direct way-these are thoughts about facts, about things, about situations. But we also have psychological thought about things, about facts, about situations, about people, about feelings, emotions.

This quality of psychological thought is what has given life to this "me," to this ego, to this "I." Can we eliminate this quality of thought from our lives in favor of a lucid, clear, intelligent, free mind, so that we are simply responding to life as it happens-without the sense of this "I," of this "me," of this psychological movement of thought? This is the life free from ego, the life free from the "I." It is the life in which the divine reality is present-the reality of your Being. Full awareness of this is revealed through an approach to this investigation into the truth about ourselves, in this encounter called Satsang.

The word Satsang means encounter with the Truth-an encounter with the reality of what is here, in this moment. Looking at this moment without the observer, perceiving life without the perceiver, engaging with experience without the experiencer is Truth in expression. It is life as it happens without the "I." Here with you, we are working on this. The end of ego.

The end of ego is the end of fear. It is the end of suffering. It's not about how to get rid of suffering. It's about understanding the end of suffering. It is when suffering ends that we are free from suffering.

It is when fear ends that we are free from fear. It is not someone conquering fear and having to conquer it again and again and again. It is not someone getting rid of suffering and having to get rid of it every time it appears. It is the awareness of the reality of your Being, free from the model of the "I," free from the model of the ego. Then thought ceases.

Then suffering is no longer present. And fear has vanished. Here, in these online meetings on the weekends, we are working on this with you. It's two days together. I want to leave you an invitation.

You'll find our WhatsApp link in the video description to participate in these online meetings on the weekends. Outside of these meetings, we also have in-person meetings and retreats. So if this is something that makes any sense to you, here's the invitation: go ahead and leave a like, subscribe to the channel. Drop a comment here: "Yes, this makes sense." Thanks for the meeting, and see you next time.

March, 2025
Gravatá-PE, Brazil
Further information

Practicing Self-Awareness| What is Self-Awareness? | What is Mindfulness? | Observing Yourself

Here the question is: what is Self-awareness? The beauty of this encounter with the awareness of oneself, with the direct understanding of what this "I" represents, is this approach that we call Self-awareness. To know the truth about oneself is, in fact, to transcend this limitation, which is the limitation of this "I." So, the use of this word here on the channel is very specific. It's not about this "I" knowing itself in order to improve, but rather about the awareness that this present "I" is nothing but a set of thought's assertions-that is the "I."

Therefore, the real importance of this encounter with yourself is the understanding that this "you" has this mode of representation constructed by thought, which, by the way, is a representation within a project, a model, a program of mental conditioning. The deconstruction of this requires the awareness of what is happening within this context, in this relationship with life-that is Self-awareness. The psychological deconditioning, the deprogramming of this internal psychological condition, reveals something beyond the "I," beyond the ego; this is the sense in which we use the term, the expression "Self-awareness." The next question is: how can this be done practically? So now we are talking about practicing or how to enter into the practice of this vision, this truth, this awareness-we are talking about practicing Self-awareness.

Because the idea is involvement in the practice, engagement in this practice. So another question is: how to enter into this vision, this understanding, this direct perception of the illusion of this "I," of this program that is the "I," of this conditioning that is the "I," in order to reach the truth of the revelation of what lies beyond it? So, here we are talking about practicing Self-awareness. The term or expression "practice"-or "practicing"-also needs to be understood. Here we are not dealing with something like technical knowledge.

If you practice sports, you are using a technical practice; if you practice math, science, physics, or medicine, you are in fields that require technical skill. So knowledge, experience, and ability are necessary in those fields. What differentiates this approach to the vision of Self-awareness here is that we need another element, and that element is not technique-that element is the Presence of Awareness. And here, when we deal with the Presence of Awareness, we are not dealing with something repetitive, that maintains continuity, that requires memory, or that demands specialized knowledge. Therefore, this approach of looking, of perceiving our reactions, is not a technique.

So we never separate. for a clear view of what this represents, we cannot separate Self-awareness from Mindfulness. So note the close connection between these two principles: the principle of Attention to our reactions, and the other is the vision of what we are in this moment, here and now. Therefore, Mindfulness and Self-awareness cannot be separated. So let me touch here with you on what we understand by "observing oneself." As has already been mentioned here, any form of looking through thought is through conclusions, evaluations, comparisons, beliefs, ideas, intentions, goals, acceptances, or rejections-this is the model of thought.

Thought in us prevents a real contact with life as it unfolds, because what thought does is give an interpretation to this moment. What is this approach to life, free from the past, free from the "I"? It is the looking at this "me," this "I" when it arises; becoming aware of its presence is to annul its operating model, its pattern of action. And what exactly is "becoming aware" of this presence of the "I"? It is perceiving that, in the face of an experience, the tendency of thought is to separate from the experience to become the one who observes, the one who perceives, the one who thinks about it, who has ideas about what is happening there.

This is the movement of the "I." So, at every moment, we are sustaining, in life as it unfolds, this separation. So, to self-observe is not this "I" looking at itself, but the presence of this instrument, which is the mind. Note that the mind is the instrument we have for this approach of observing, perceiving, of becoming aware of life. So, this instrument in you is the mind.

The mind is this instrument of perception. But what has happened with us is that this instrument is unable to be free for this quality of perception without the "I," without this observer, without this thinker, without this one who wants to get involved in the experience. So this approach to oneself, here in this moment, requires that this mind, that this instrument, be free-free for this self-observation. Now, this self-observation is simply observing. So, what is the truth about self-observation?

It is looking through this instrument, which is the mind. Only when the mind remains uninvolved-and it remains uninvolved when, in this moment, it becomes quiet-if it becomes quiet, if it becomes silent, there is this new space, which is the space of observation. This pure observation does not require the presence of someone in the observation. When there is the presence of someone, this observation does not exist-what we have is the old movement of the "I," to reject what is observed, to like what is observed, to want more or less of it. Therefore, self-observation brings you closer to this Attention on your reactions.

So, these reactions, when they arise, lose that element of identity, which is the "I." Note how important this is: our entire mode of functioning in life always carries this context of the "I," which is the context of the thinker, the observer, the experiencer. So we live in this constant like and dislike, this accepting or rejecting. That's why there is always this form of responding to life from this background of memory, this element that comes from the past, which is the "I." The elimination of that past is the elimination of that element-it is the presence of this observing without choice, this looking without any intention to change or alter anything.

The truth of this practice, or this exercise, is not something mechanical-it is something that requires the Presence of this Awareness. That is what sets this approach to Self-awareness apart from anything else learned out there. When we discover how to learn about this, we have the key that brings us closer to this vision of Wisdom, this vision of Truth, this awareness of Life. There is no place in life for this sense of "I," for the ego, for this observer, for this thinker-and yet this is how we are living, this is how we've been living our days. Discovering the truth about yourself is the discarding of this "you" as you see yourself, as you believe yourself to be, as you think yourself to be.

With this disappearance, we no longer have life as we see it, as we feel it, as we perceive it. It is always through thought that life is recognized by this element that recognizes. So, we have this "I" and the "not-I." Life is the "not-I," and thought in us affirms the presence of a thinker, which is the "I." Thus, between this "I," which is the thinker, and life as it unfolds, we have the presence of thought and every image that thought builds about life.

When you deal with people, you deal with people you know; this knowledge is a recognition that comes from memory, from the past. You know their name, you recognize their face, you even know something about their story, but all that knowledge you have rests solely on thought. But there is something important here that we don't pay attention to: the fact that at no point does thought declare the truth; every thought falsifies the reality of the moment. When you describe an episode, for example, an event, many elements are missing from your description, and that description is a rendering of thought-it is the perspective of thought. The truth is that thought is incapable of dealing with facts, because thoughts are images, are memories, recollections, which represent only ideas.

The idea is not the fact. So, any and all descriptions from thought are not the truth-they are an attempt at an approximation through symbols, images, concepts, ideas of what occurred. Thought looks for a photograph-it creates this photograph-but it falsifies the reality of the facts. So our entire approach to people, based on thought, is a mistake. And here we face something undeniable: when you describe who you are, you are not bringing a real description of yourself, because your description is born of thought.

Therefore, if you don't know who you are, how can you, in fact, truly know who the other is? Based on thought? But what is thought? It is only this representation of images, it is this attempt to create a portrait-it does not deal with truth, it does not deal with reality. A true approach to life-for the presence of Freedom, Happiness, Love, Peace-requires an understanding of Life, and thought cannot reach that understanding.

Generally, we are doing exactly that-we are separating Life from what we are, through thought. An understanding of Life requires an understanding of ourselves; but understanding ourselves requires the discarding, the deconstruction of all these ideas. Here, the first element to be investigated, to be understood, and naturally discarded, is this idea, this picture, this photograph, this image that thought has built about you-about who you are. So, the vision of life requires this understanding of it, but this understanding requires, above all, an understanding of ourselves, because there is no separation between you and Life. Life is you and you are Life, when thought is not present, when the idea is not present, when this "I," the thinker, observer, experiencer, is not there.

All our effort together here is in the direction of a Real Life, a life free from the "I," free from the ego, and everything has as its principle, its foundation, this observing without the observer, this perceiving without the perceiver. To self-observe gives you this vision of Attention to these reactions-a Mindfulness to this entire old movement, which is the movement of the mind, this programmed mind, this conditioned mind, this mind without freedom. Then the Truth about You is revealed. All that you display to be, that you seem to be, that in thought you are convinced you are, dissolves. We have, simultaneously, a few things happening here, giving you the foundation of this understanding of yourself, which is the understanding of Life.

Earlier we spoke of this Happiness, this Love, this Freedom possible in this Natural State of Realization, which is the Nature of Life, which is the Nature of God, which is the Nature of your Being. But it is essential that we also understand this: that this same Liberation is not something in the end, as a goal or objective to be reached tomorrow. There is no such thing as "tomorrow" in which to attain this. This very Freedom, which is the mind as this free instrument that we need for this approach, is something that, paradoxically, is already present. See how strange all of this sounds.

That's why I've advised you to take a look at all the playlists we have here on the channel, because we are using terms and language that may seem contradictory at times, but it's like a puzzle: if you put all the pieces together, you'll see the picture of the puzzle-but they are many small pieces that at first don't seem to fit. You need to find the right little place for each puzzle piece. When you find the right place, the image begins to form. Here we've spoken of this conditioned mind, this conditioned brain, and just now I've touched on the importance of this free mind, which makes this approach to Self-awareness possible. And now we're telling you here that, paradoxically, we carry this conditioned mind, because it is the current model of thought that is acting very, very strongly.

But here and now we also bring the power of this Grace-the truth of this mind that, in this moment, in a free way, already approaches this vision. So, when the mind becomes quiet, when this free mind is present, that is when the mind becomes aware of its own movement; by becoming aware of its own movement, this conditioned mind-which is nothing other than this very movement of the "I," of this model of restless, agitated, chattering, repetitive thought that lives in liking and disliking, that judges, evaluates, accepts, rejects, that looks from the past-this model of thought, within this conditioned mind, dissolves. So it is with the approach of this new mind, this free mind, this silent mind, that this space opens. It is when the mind becomes aware of its reactions-it is when this awareness, which is the Presence of this Real Awareness, takes the place of this illusory identity, this illusory egoic mind, this illusory personal consciousness, which is the consciousness of the "I"-that we have the presence of the Revelation of Something beyond the known, of something beyond the world, beyond this psychological condition, which is the condition of separation, of duality. So, this is the end of this thought that appears as this element of separation between You in your Real Nature and Life as it is, as it happens.

The truth of this awareness, the truth of this vision, is the end of all this confusion, suffering, problems, disorder-it is the end of ignorance. Thus, the Reality of Life as it is, as it happens, is the Presence of Wisdom. Life in this condition-life as it unfolds, in the beauty of this encounter-is the understanding of the Truth about God, about You. This is what we are working on together in these online weekend meetings, where we are, Saturday and Sunday, deepening this with you-two days together. In addition to these online weekend meetings, we also have in-person gatherings and retreats.

If this is something that makes any sense to you, here is an invitation. Go ahead and leave your like, subscribe to the channel, and write in the comments: "Yes, this makes sense." Ok? And we'll see each other. Thanks for the meeting, and until next time!

March, 2025
Gravatá-PE, Brazil
Further information

Joel Goldsmith. Living by the Word. What is Real Meditation? Meditation in practice. Marcos Gualberto.

GC: Hello, everyone! We are here for another videocast. Once again, Master Gualberto is here with us. Thank you, Master, for this meeting.

Today I am going to read an excerpt from a book by Joel Goldsmith called Living by the Word. In an excerpt from this book, Master, Joel makes the following comment: "Meditation aims to admit the light that is God." Regarding this subject of meditation, can the Master share his vision of what Real Meditation is in practice?

MG: Gilson, this awareness of Meditation is something that we have to approach in a very real way. Otherwise, we will get lost in something that is taught to us, or passed on to us, in a technical way, in a mechanical way. Everything that is shown to us within a pre-established model, created, produced by thought, every result that you can obtain from something like this will be a mechanical result, it will be something still within the field of the known. This is what we need to understand. This is why no technique, in fact, works. This is because we are dealing with something mechanical. If you obtain, through a practice, through a technique of this so-called "meditation," silence, stillness, this internal stillness, this internal silence, it will be the mechanical result of a practice. Outside of that practice, you will be restless again, outside of silence again. So, when, in general, we are taught some meditation practice, we are shown how to silence the mind, how to quiet our thoughts. And, yes, through practice you can achieve this stillness, but it is while practicing.

Here, with you, we are investigating what it means to have an approach to life, exactly as it happens, without any way of artificializing it, for example, through a technique, a practice. While you are talking to someone, it is necessary to learn to have an approach to yourself. This approach is this Attention that one must give to oneself, at the moment of this contact, of this relation. This is how there is the foundation for Self-awareness. And without this basis, which is Self-awareness, in whatever we get involved, we will always be walking parallel, distant, from this very important issue, which is the understanding of what is happening to us. The Truth of Meditation requires the presence of Self-awareness. Without Self-awareness, there is no Meditation. There is technique, practice that you can do without the vision of Self-awareness. So, you look for a place, sit down, put on some soft music or, without music, start repeating a mantra and the mind becomes quiet. But, in your life, in your day-to-day life, in traffic, dealing with your husband, wife, children, boss, at work, you are, once again, far from this stillness, this silence.

That is the place of Self-awareness, and it is based on Self-awareness that, in fact, we can have the foundation of Meditation. Nothing prevents us, at every moment, from being aware of ourselves. It is clear that, for this, we need to pay attention to our reactions at this moment. So, this is the real way of approaching Awakening, towards the Awareness of Truth about us. So, the Awakening of Consciousness requires, in this instant, this approach to what is happening here and now, within this common consciousness, which is the consciousness of the "I." And you cannot do this outside of this instant, outside of this moment. You ask: "What is Real Meditation?" It is the contact with Self-awareness, with your reactions, in this instant. This is what opens up the door for the mind to become still in a natural way, in a simple and direct way, since this stillness of the mind is not something that you are producing, but it is the mind itself becoming aware of itself, aware of its reactions. This naturally requires the presence of Silence. Once the mind becomes aware of itself, becomes aware of its own movement, it becomes still, it becomes silent in order to observe. And this observation, this is interesting, is not the mind observing thoughts. When there is this Silence, this Stillness, this Observation of this Attention, it is Pure Observation without the observer.

There is something present in this contact with this look at our reactions, where the sense of the "I," of the observer, of this element, which is the thinker, which is the experiencer, does not arise. So, the real contact with Meditation is the present Meditation without the meditator, without the observer, without the thinker. While you drive your car, while you walk down the street, at dinnertime, at lunchtime, there in your professional occupation. At every moment, we are in contact with ourselves and with situations around us, and with people too. So, there is a lot opportunities for us to become aware of these reactions that arise from within each one of us, at this moment, to give a response to someone, to attend to a given situation, to deal with thought that is here inside, with a memory that is arising, with the feeling that is appearing. Therefore, the only thing here is to observe without the observer. Any involvement that you have with this observation, this element is present. This is not this observing, it is observing from the "I."

Our psychological condition of consciousness is already this. We are already constantly engaging with thoughts, feelings, and emotions. We are already constantly responding to him or her based on conclusions, beliefs, and thoughts that we have about him or her. This is the way the "I" acts, it is the way the ego acts, this is our egoic consciousness, it is our common consciousness, but the moment you become aware of reaction and do not interfere, something new emerges. We are facing the flourishing of a new vision of life. It is when, in this instant, the Reality of this Being, of this Divine Presence, of this Divine Consciousness, is here. It is not someone present, it is this Reality present, assuming this space in relations. So, at this moment, there is the presence of Meditation, in life, in our daily lives, moment by moment. This is what we are emphasizing here for you: the importance of an encounter with Self-awareness based on this Attention, this look, this Full Attention to your reactions. So, at this moment, there is the presence of Meditation, this real approach of this Awareness that reveals That which is outside the mind, outside the "I," outside the ego.

We have several playlists delving into this subject here on the channel: what it means to have a direct approximation of this moment without the thinker, without the observer, without the experiencer.

GC: Master, we have a question from a subscriber here on the channel. He makes the following comment and asks, Márcio: "Yes, Master, what you say makes sense, but it is confusing to me. As a seeker, looking inside myself, where can I start practicing Real Meditation? Which practice is the beginning of the journey? Is it through Advaita Vedanta?"

MG: Gilson, this approach, when you ask, "Where can I practice?" ... Here, at this moment. This question of Vedanta... What there is in Vedanta are just statements of words from the Sages regarding this Non-Separation, this Non-Duality. This truth of approaching Non-Duality requires the presence of Self-Awareness, and Self-Awareness is here, in this instant, in this moment. We have meetings where we are together bringing clarity on this subject, greater clarifications on this, where we also have the opportunity to be together in Silence. So, this is the space, the space of the Presence of this Grace.

If we are in search of a facilitation for this State, the best company is the company of those who have realized That, of those who are in that disposition to share this State.

That is why we have emphasized the importance of Satsang, these online meetings that we have on the weekends. You ask: "Where can I get closer? How can I get closer to Meditation?" Participate in the online meetings, the in-person meetings, participate in the retreats.

One important thing here, Gilson, is that a real approach to this requires the presence of an element greater than our efforts, greater than our dedication, greater than any commitment. After all, all this commitment, dedication, effort, is born from the "I." The presence of Grace, the Awareness of your Being, is something that is revealed by the Divine Power itself, by the Power of Grace itself. This instant, this moment, is always a time to look at these reactions, and a wonderful space to investigate this is within Satsang. It is in contact with the Presence of Grace itself, it is in contact with Silence itself, that Silence reveals itself, that Grace reveals itself.

This is what we are doing together on these occasions. Now, regarding the moment of Meditation, this is the moment. Always, at every moment, you are faced with the opportunity to look at your reactions. This contact with the look without the observer is fundamental. The truth about Meditation is that only the direct contact with this vision of Self-awareness, with this Attention, with this vision of Self-awareness, is what makes this Reality, the Reality of Meditation, the Real Meditation, flourish in a real way, in a practical way. So, there is something here that works. Not as something to calm, to quiet, to de-stress, but something that, when it flourishes, is the Awakening of Intelligence, it is the Realization of God.

GC: Master, we have another question from another subscriber here on the channel. Cleiton asks the following question: "How do I pay attention to my thoughts and not get tangled up in them?"

MG: You ask how to pay attention and not get tangled up in them? It seems to me that you are talking about thoughts here, but understand one thing here: this awareness of Attention to these reactions is not just the end of this identification with thoughts. In general, our idea... this is something mistaken within our particular vision. We want to get rid of bad thoughts, of what is unpleasant, of what causes or brings suffering. We do not want to get rid of what is pleasant, comforting or pleasurable. However, contact with the awareness of Meditation, which requires the presence of this Attention to these reactions, which are the reactions of the mind, this does not only involve thoughts, much less bad thoughts. It involves each and every reaction that comes from the past, showing itself in this moment, in this contact within relationships.

In this sense of the egoic mind, in this sense of the "I," this awareness of this "me," of this "person," moves within a principle of sensation of pleasure and pain. So, these two aspects so-called "positive" and "negative," "good" and "bad," "pleasant" and "unpleasant," pleasure and pain, all these aspects are actually part of the same context. It is this context of the "I" itself, of the ego itself.

Here, it is not a question of getting rid of what is unpleasant through Attention, Self-awareness and Meditation. Here, it is about the discarding of this illusory identity, which comes from the past and which carries this pattern of duality.

When we carry one aspect with us, the other is present. Our idea, the erroneous idea, is that we need to get rid of what is negative in this "me." We do not understand that the so-called "positive" aspect is just the other side of this "negative" aspect. One side carries the other.

Here, a direct work of Self-awareness is what reveals to you, through this Attention, the dual aspect of the "I," the dual aspect of this ego, of this sense of separation. So, Gilson, there is nothing more unique in life than the presence of this awareness, which is the awareness of Meditation. But I keep reiterating this to you here: something that relaxes, that calms, that psychologically alleviates pain, is not necessarily the truth of Meditation.

There are countless practices, countless systems, countless techniques, but all of this works on a psychological level, something similar to self-hypnosis. So, you calm down, you relax, you induce in yourself a psychic, mental condition different from the one you were in before, but this does not eliminate this sense of "I."

And this is our purpose here: to work towards the Vision of Reality, towards the end of this psychological condition of ego-identity. The Awakening of your Divine Nature is That which is present, completely ending all the psychological condition of duality, of separation.

We, in general, have questions, and they are always looking for a magic formula. "How do I not get tangled up?" All this movement in intention, in will, in wanting, in doing, is something that subtly always carries this sense of "I," of the ego, in the intention of achieving something, of obtaining something. The great difficulty, Gilson, for Meditation is that all this movement of meditation practice is something engendered, created, produced by the "I" itself to obtain results. These results are mechanical. Naturally, since they come from this "I" itself, they are egocentric. So, when we want a model, a formula, what the sense of "I" is still looking for is to maintain its continuity. Thus, many people use meditation practices to escape, to temporarily flee from conflicting states, from distressing states, from negative states. And that is not the purpose of Meditation.

At least what we call Meditation here is the Divine approach, the approach to God, but it is an approach that only becomes real when there is an emptying of this content, which is the content of the "I," this present element, which is the thinker, which is the experiencer; this present element that looks from the past, which is the observer. The end of this psychological condition is the emergence of something new, of something that is present beyond duality, beyond the "I." Here, we are telling you that, in this life, yes, it is possible to Realize That which is You in your Essential Nature, in your Divine Nature. The discarding of this illusory egoic presence, this illusory identity, which is present within relations, creating conflicts, creating problems, living in disorder, living in suffering, with all these different conditions of psychic suffering, mental suffering, emotional suffering. This is something present due to this sense of separation between you and God, between you and Life.

This sense of separation is something that thought has constructed. This model of duality has been constructed by thought through this thinker, this experiencer, this observer.

Looking at life at this moment, without the sense of someone looking at it, learning to listen, to perceive, to learn to act, to act, to feel, to move in this instant, without the past, without this psychological background that lives in this "like," "dislike," that is constantly occupied with its self-interest in its egocentric searches, this is to have a real contact with Divine Reality, it is to discover the Perennial Source of Joy, of Love, of Peace, of Happiness. This is the Awareness of God, this is the Awareness of your Being, something that emerges, that arises, that awakens very naturally when we approach this work on ourselves, when there is an approach to the Truth of this Revelation, through Self-awareness and Meditation.

GC: And for you who are following the videocast until the end and really want to live these truths, I invite you to participate in the meetings that Master Gualberto provides.

In these meetings, in addition to Master Gualberto answering our questions directly, the Master, because he already lives in this Awakened State of Consciousness, shares this State of Presence in which he lives, and in this sharing, there is an energy field of great power and strength. And in these meetings, we end up hitching a ride on this energy field of the Master, and this helps us a lot in understanding these truths. We enter naturally, spontaneously, into the State of Meditation, the State of Silence, a State that is beyond comprehension, beyond intellectual understanding.

So, here is the invitation. In the first comment, pinned, there is the WhatsApp link to be able to participate in these meetings. In addition, please give a "like" to the video, subscribe to the channel and leave comments here, bringing questions for us to bring to the next videocasts.

And, Master, once again, thank you for the videocast.

March, 2025
Gravatá-PE, Brazil
Further information

Human relationships | How to find God | Search for spirituality | Learning about Self-awareness

A mistaken way of thinking about this encounter with spirituality or this encounter with God is what, in general, people have been doing. When they ask: "How can I find God?" Or: "What can I do to attain spirituality?" "What does this search for spirituality mean?" They do not understand that spirituality is not something that you positively achieve; because who is this present element that sets out to achieve such a thing?

We have to investigate the nature of this "I," which is the element that sets out to find this so-called spirituality. And as for this encounter with God, it is the same thing. It is not you who finds God; it is the Reality of God that finds you. It is not you who finds or, in this search for spirituality, realizes this spirituality. True Spirituality is not something that you do, just as the Reality of God is not something that you find. There is only Real Spirituality when the sense of "I," of the ego, of this "me," of this "person," is not there.

Therefore, it is not about a spiritual person or a spiritualized person; it is rather the Reality of the Unknown present in this body and in this mind. So, it is not you having an encounter with God, it is the Reality of God assuming the Truth of life there, in your mind, in your heart. It is not someone assuming It, it is God assuming It.

And how can we really get closer to this? And how can we, in fact, assume it in this life? Since it is not in a positive way, that is, it is not about this "I," this "me," doing This, finding God or, through the search, realizing Spirituality. So, how does this happen? By discarding the illusion of the "I."

See, I said exactly that: by discarding the illusion of the "I." You see yourself as someone real to accomplish things. This is because you have already accomplished some things in life. Notice, the idea of having accomplished, of being someone who has accomplished. So, you took a college course and acquired a degree, a degree, or you studied something and learned that, and now you are using this knowledge, this information in that given profession, then the idea of having accomplished. Or you built a business, and it is working, and it is doing well, so you are the person who accomplished it.

See, we are faced with an idea, a concept, a belief. A great number of things happened for these accomplishments to occur. However, we carry this feeling of "I who accomplishes" with us. The idea of someone who does things, in the belief that it all depended exclusively on me. This is a belief, it is an idea, it is a form of thought, it is an imagination.

Thus, we also believe that we can realize God or have this encounter with this Divine Life; and it is only in this sense that we use the expression "Spirituality" here. It has nothing to do with rituals, ceremonies or so-called mystical, esoteric or spiritualist practices. Here the Truth of Spirituality is the absence of someone spiritual. The Reality of God revealing Himself is the absence of the "I."

So, we return to the question: And how does this happen, since it is not I who realizes, since it is not I who does? See, what is the truth of this "I"? That is the first question. So, it is not about finding spirituality through searching, it is not about finding God from an internal movement of concepts, ideas, beliefs - which, by the way, we receive from religious culture.

So, how can we achieve This? By becoming aware of the Truth about You; and there is no separation between Life, God and You, in your Essential Nature, in your Real Nature. The encounter with Truth requires the presence of the investigation of the false. Investigating the nature of that which is not is the approach of that which is. You cannot positively go to the Truth of what is; you can indirectly investigate this Truth of what is by investigating what is not. This is the real approach of the Truth of God, of the Divine Truth.

What is the truth about you? Becoming aware of the illusion that you are, this is the true approach of this subject. Who are you? Here the question is: Who am I? What is the truth about this "me"? That is why we are exploring here with you, on this channel, we have a playlist about learning, what this learning about Self-awareness is. The truth of this learning is the discarding of the illusion of the "me." So, seeing the false, becoming aware of the illusion, the awareness of the false, the awareness of illusion is the vision of Truth. Illusion is this sense of "I," of this "me," of this "person."

How can we get closer to this? By learning to look at our reactions. For example, when you are sad, upset or worried, in general, you just respond or react automatically, without any awareness of this reaction. When you are angry, furious, upset, you respond with annoyance, respond with that anger, respond with that upsetment to that given situation.

So, our reactions are reactions that are born, that come from the past, and we are always responding in a reactive way, due to the presence of these states, without ever investigating what they represent. Thus, we are not aware of our reactions to go beyond them, to have a comprehension of something beyond them. We are always reacting, responding in a mechanical, unconscious and automatic way.

"When I am angry, I respond. When I am sad, I respond. When there is a state of sadness or depression or anguish, I respond. I have not yet learned to look at this, to become aware of this state, to investigate it, to study this here. What is this? What am I? Or who am I at this moment?" So, the presence of Self-awareness is this look without reacting. In this realization, what is shown is revealed; and when this is revealed, there is the end of this condition, because we are faced with a model of unconsciousness, of mechanicalness, of memory response, something that comes from the past.

To break with these conditions, with these internal, psychological frames of feelings, emotions and thoughts, is to break with this pattern of the ego, with this pattern of the "I." This requires the presence of this look, of this observation, of this direct perception of all this. See, we are dealing here with you with the basis for the Revelation of the Truth about God, the Truth about True Spirituality, this real encounter with the Divine, with the Nature of your Being.

Therefore, the basis for a free, happy, harmonious, peaceful and happy life is the awareness of the Reality of God; and this Reality of God is present when there is the end of this psychological condition. So, understanding this whole process that gives continuity to this present element, that sustains this present element, I refer to this process of unconsciousness of responses - that response of someone who is angry, upset, annoyed, upset, sad -, living within these responses, without looking directly at what this represents, for the end of this condition, is to remain within this old process of unconsciousness, of life of the "I," of life of the ego.

So, what is this learning about Self-awareness? It is discovering what it means to look, observe, perceive. See, it is to perceive, not to do something. Because the idea of doing something is the idea of an element that already sees itself separate to act in a positive way, that is, contrary to this condition. Since the idea is that this condition is a negative condition, this sense of "I," of the ego, when it interferes, it is to modify, it is to alter, it is to bring this so-called positive element of deconstruction of this condition. See, that is not what we are talking about here.

We need to learn to look, just to look, just to verify, to become aware of this. When there is this look, this psychological condition goes through a profound change, a profound transformation. There is something present, which is the condition of a new action that arises from this understanding, from this simple and direct look, perceiving and observing.

So, the true approach to Self-awareness is not by making choices, not by drawing conclusions, not by making assessments, not by creating adjustments or seeking to make changes. The Truth about Self-awareness is about learning to look without reacting. Then, Something emerges, Something outside of the known, Something outside of the mind, Something outside of the "I," Something outside of this process. This is the end of this separation, which is this element that is feeling this, involved with it, moving in it.

Notice how there is a great basis for the end of duality. Because the idea in us is of someone sad, so there is someone and sadness; it is of someone angry, rageful, afraid or worried, and this someone doing something against it. There is no separation between this state and this someone, and you become aware of this when you learn to observe, to look, to perceive. This is why we emphasize here the beauty of Meditation, of Real Meditation - we have a playlist on the channel about this subject.

The Truth about Meditation is the discarding of this particular model of separation, where there is this "I" and the state. Then, Something is revealed outside of the mind, Something outside of the ego, Something outside of this condition. So, at this moment, we learn, in life, what life is in this encounter with others, with the world, with situations, with events. Understand the importance of this.

The basis of our human relationships, for example, is confusion. We are always, constantly, sustaining some kind of disorder, confusion and conflict in our human relationships. This is because, internally, we are confused, disoriented, worried, distressed and unhappy, due to these conflicting states in which we find ourselves. The elimination of the sense of "I," of "me," of the ego, here, is Love in human relations, it is Peace in human relations, it is Happiness in human relations. It is when your contact with your husband, wife, children, the world around you is something entirely new, because the sense of "I," of this "me," of this ego, is no longer present.

To realize, in life, the Truth of Life is to assume the Freedom of God, it is to assume this Freedom of this encounter. So, there is nothing more important in life than this real encounter with Truth. So, the answer to the question "How to find God" lies in the end of this illusion, this sense of "I," this duality, this separation between this "I" and this other state, be it fear, anxiety, worry, anger.

The encounter with Divine Reality is the absence of someone, it is the Reality of God revealing itself. So, the end of illusion is the emergence of That which is Real. The vision of that which is false, of that which is not real, is Truth revealing itself in this moment. This is what we are working on here with you on Saturdays and Sundays. These are online meetings, here, in the video description, you have our WhatsApp link to participate in these meetings on the weekends.

So, if this is something that makes sense to you, here is an invitation. Here is our link to participate in these meetings in the video description. In addition, we have in-person meetings and also retreats. If this is something that makes sense to you, here's an invitation, leave your "like" here, subscribe to the channel and leave a comment: "Yes, that makes sense." Ok? And we'll see each other. Thanks for the meeting and see you soon!



March, 2025
Gravatá-PE, Brazil
Further information

Psychic Suffering | Human Suffering | Emotional Suffering | How to Deal with Thoughts

Here the question is: how can we deal with human suffering? The suffering that affects everyone. What is it and how to deal with it? What is this thing called suffering? And how to deal with it?

Notice that the basis - the real basis that sustains this issue of human suffering - is psychic suffering, is emotional suffering. So, how can we approach this issue of suffering? We know that a toothache is the presence of pain. If this psychologically affects you, beyond the physical pain, then you have the presence of suffering. Suffering is what affects you psychologically, whereas pain is what wounds or affects you physically.

If you burn your finger or stub your toe and fall, and find out your foot is sprained - and later discover the foot has a sprain - that is the presence of pain. So, there is a difference between pain and suffering. When you're angry at someone, you are suffering. When you're worried, you are suffering. When fear is present, you are suffering.

When you're sad, you are suffering. So, there is a difference between suffering and pain. Suffering is what affects the person; suffering is what affects this "I," whereas pain is what affects the body. If you have physical pain and internally feel irritated about it, angry about feeling that way, or worried about the pain, then you have both the presence of pain and the presence of suffering. So, notice how simple this understanding of suffering is.

Suffering is what affects you psychologically. Pain is what affects you physically. The way thought represents the experience - in that moment, what we have present may be just the pain or the presence of suffering. Here together, we are investigating this question of the end of this psychic suffering, the end of this emotional suffering. That is part of human suffering.

Here, in these meetings, we are exploring liberation in this life. The psychological condition of the "I's" existence, of the person, is the condition of a prison. As human beings, we live in this suffering because of the presence of this psychological prison that thought has built for this person. What is the truth of this person? This person is a construction of thought.

A construction that has a form, a name, a story, an image. That is the person. The makeup of this person, the structure of this person, the foundation of this person is thought. It may sound strange to hear this, but you are nothing other than a thought. When you use the pronoun "I," exactly what are you referring to?

To an idea, to a mental image. That is this you. What is a mental image? What is an idea? It is the presence of thought.

When you are sad, it is a sad thought. Notice this here with us. When you are angry, what is that anger? It is a feeling, it is an emotion, it is a sensation in this thought, in this self-image. That image is thought, that anger is thought, that emotion is thought.

See how important it is that we investigate this here. If we want to break free from this psychological condition - and that's what we are telling you here. In life, it is indeed possible to live a life free from suffering, from psychic suffering, from emotional suffering - but for that, you must become aware of the truth about yourself. You need to realize that you are nothing other than a thought. A thought that gets hurt, that gets sad, that gets upset, that becomes furious, taken over by anger - a thought in emotion, a thought in feeling.

This is the "I." Breaking free from this thought is breaking free from this image, is breaking free from this anger, from this emotional pain, from this psychic suffering. That is the beauty of an encounter with reality. An encounter with reality is the end of the illusion - the illusion of this self-image. So, let's touch on this now with you. Since the truth is that thought is the element behind all of this.

When you are angry, a thought is the element behind the anger; when afraid - it's thought; when sad - it's thought; when worried - it's thought. It is always thought as the element. Since thought is this you, this "I," and it is behind all of this - here the question is: what is thought? Here the question is: how to deal with this thing? How to deal with thought?

First, before anything else, let's understand something here. Once again, thought separates itself when it asks the question: how to deal with thought? The idea behind this question is of an element capable of dealing with thought. But look - the thinker himself is thought. We have a mistaken view of life because we have a false, completely illusory view of ourselves.

We see life as something happening, separate from what we are, because we see ourselves as someone present and life as something apart, separate. There is no such separation between life as it happens and you as you appear. By seeing ourselves as separate from life, as someone present - that someone is the one who, for example, is thinking, is feeling, is acting, is speaking. Here, speaking is life happening, thinking is life happening, feeling is life happening. It's when we have exactly that separation - notice - that we have the problem of suffering.

Exactly because we want to deal with it, do something against it, we create a separation. I don't know if this is a bit confusing here - for someone here for the first time on the channel, hearing this talk. You see yourself as someone present. But look - that's just a thought you have. What we have present is life as it is happening.

But you see yourself as someone who likes what's happening or doesn't like what's happening. Note that this is just a thought about how life should be, or how it could be. So, when you ask how to deal with thought or how to deal with thoughts, you see yourself as someone who is thinking and who can deal with thoughts. But who is it that is thinking? Is there such a thing as a separation?

The theory we have - which is just a belief - is that the thinker comes before the thought. First comes the thinker, and then he has thoughts. Look at yourself and tell me. Is that true? Is it true that you are first here and then produce thoughts of worry for yourself?

Are you the one who produces those thoughts of worry - or do they appear? Is it true that you are here and you produce sad thoughts in order to become sad? Are you the one doing that? Or are those sad thoughts that arise, and then you become aware that you are sad? If you were really the thinker of thoughts, would you manufacture for yourself thoughts of anxiety, of worry, of sadness?

Have you ever noticed that when you're afraid, it's thoughts that brought that fear? You're here, perfectly fine, and suddenly you're afraid something might happen to you. Is it true that you were here, then thought about it and made it appear - or did it appear and fear arose? Do you see? The great truth is that there is no thinker to think.

What we have present is thought arising. After the thought appears, then the thinker appears. First comes the thought of sadness, and then you find yourself sad. That's exactly how it happens. First comes the thought of worry, and then you find yourself distressed about being worried.

That's the order. First arises the thought that is the cause of fear, then you find yourself afraid. Notice that this is exactly how it happens. There is no such thing as someone thinking - there is only thought appearing. So we need to have a real approach to life in order to understand the end of suffering.

But to understand the end of suffering requires understanding the end of thought, because it is thought that is the cause, the reason, the truth behind psychic suffering, behind emotional suffering, behind this worry, anxiety, fear, or sadness. Notice that we go through much of life without realizing how we function. So, this kind of question - this type of question, how to deal with thoughts - presupposes an illusory base, a mistaken base, the belief that there is someone to deal with thoughts. There is no such thing as a separation between the thought and the thinker. When you come across a flower, there isn't "you" looking at the flower - there is only the seeing.

You only appear when an idea shows up. When, for example, you say: this flower is very beautiful, it would be so nice to have flowers like this in the garden at home. Notice - it's only in that moment that "you" appear, when you separate from the seeing, becoming the observer. When you're in front of a scene, what is present is the scene - "you" appear when you find it beautiful or ugly, when you like it or don't like it. Notice how subtle this movement is of the thinker, of the observer, of the experiencer of the experience.

It is the very movement of thought separating itself that creates this experiencer, that creates this observer, that creates this thinker. There is great beauty in this approach of studying ourselves. That's because through Self-awareness we realize there is no such element present as the "I." Here, the word, the expression "Self-awareness," is not about someone knowing themselves to become a better person. Here, it's about the awareness that this element called the "I" is merely a construction of thought in the face of experience.

Discovering the truth about yourself is becoming aware that this "I," this "me," this person, is an idea - it is a construction of thought. In this way, we completely dissolve this separation. And when that separation is dissolved, that element that could suffer dissolves. So, this great contact with life as it happens, without that element - thought - separating from the experience, that is the end of suffering. Suffering ends because that element that separates to clash with the moment, to clash with the experience, is no longer present.

When someone compliments you, you feel pleasure. When someone criticizes you, you get upset, or annoyed, or angry. That happens because, at the moment of the experience - in that instant, in that exact moment - this sense of self-image, this "I," notice it's just a thought, arises. When this self-image is flattered, this thought, which is the self-image, which is you, feels happy. When this self-image is criticized, you, who are that self-image, who are that thought, feel angry, feel annoyed, feel upset. So, the element present that sustains suffering is the same element that sustains pleasure.

Notice how important it is that we understand this here. In life, we are always in pursuit of pleasure - that is, of something that can flatter, soothe, pamper, bring satisfaction to this self-image. And we live constantly trying to defend ourselves from pain - from anything that might produce disturbance, offense, disorder, rejection toward this self-image. That is the presence of suffering. So we are constantly, in life, upholding the idea, the thought, the image, this mental picture of who we are, of who we cultivate to be, wish to be, hope to be.

That is the self-image. As long as that is present, we will always be experiencing pleasure and pain from a psychological standpoint. That is basically what sustains suffering. That is part of human suffering, that is part of psychic suffering, that is part of emotional suffering. Here, together, we are discovering how to break free from this self-image that lives in this psychological dependency on praise and rejection.

That when it is rejected, feels sad, angry, upset - that when it is praised, congratulated, feels happy, pleased, content. The end of this psychological condition is the end of that movement, which is the movement of thought, which is exactly this movement of separation. It is when that separation exists that suffering is present. Next time someone compliments you, just listen - give your full attention to hearing the compliment. Notice, we are dealing with something here that's not so simple, because throughout our lives this inner movement of thought in us has always defended its continuity through the self-image.

This belief that we exist as someone, as a person, is the self-image itself. This self-image loves to be praised and hates to be criticized. That is the addictive model of thought present in each of us. So, thought separates, creates this self-image, and sustains this self-image - wanting to be loved and trying to protect itself from being hated. So, the next time someone compliments you, pay attention in that moment to yourself and observe this reaction when it arises.

The first inclination of the "I," of the ego, of that past in you, is to receive that compliment and puff up like a balloon. But if you give full attention to that hearing without inserting this element that comes from the past - which is this "me," this "I," this self-image - if only the hearing remains, and that hearing requires free listening, and that hearing requires the presence of a new way of approaching the experience - the presence of that attention to that instant, that attention of that hearing - eliminates that "I," eliminates that past. Then only the compliment remains, but it doesn't touch you, because you are not present. As that "I," that "me," that person, that self-image - bringing attention to that moment - that is the end of the "I," that is the end of that self-image, that is the end of that sense of the "I," it is the end of the ego's sense for pleasure, for personal fulfillment. Do the same when faced with criticism, with insult.

Just listen. Give your full energy of attention to that hearing but do not place yourself as a person in the experience. Do not bring from the past this self-image, and observe what happens. Then neither the flattery makes you feel special, nor the insult makes you someone sad, angry, or upset. That is the end of that self-image.

That is the end of this quality of life centered in the "I," centered in the ego. That requires the presence of this attention upon your reactions. That is basic in this view of Self-awareness - for the end of this continuity of the "I," for the end of this continuity of the ego. Contact with life in this instant, free from this sense of the "I," is contact with freedom, with non-dependence on thought and, naturally, on emotions and feelings. Then something is revealed beyond the ego, beyond the "I," beyond this thought, beyond this flattery or this insult.

The encounter with the reality of your Self is the realization of truth, of happiness, of this absence of the "I." That is the end of suffering. That is the end of this old condition of human suffering, of psychic suffering, of emotional suffering. So, when we approach meditation, it is only possible through Self-awareness, which requires the presence of this attention. Then, the reality of your Self is revealed, the reality of God is revealed.

That is what we are working on here with you in these meetings. On Saturdays and Sundays we have online meetings here on the weekends. In the video description, you'll find our WhatsApp link to join these online weekend meetings. In addition to these meetings, we also have in-person gatherings and retreats. If this is something that makes any sense to you, here's your invitation - go ahead and leave your like, subscribe to the channel, and write in the comments: yes, this makes sense.

Ok? And we'll see each other. Thanks for the meeting, and until next time.

March, 2025
Gravatá-PE, Brazil
Further information