Here, we have two extremely important questions to investigate, to get closer to, to have a direct, real view of them. I mean a real, direct view, and not a mere intellectual approach, where we are only involved with words. This is another subject that we have addressed here, with you, presented here, for you. In general, our approach to any subject is initially theoretical, verbal and intellectual. For some specific subjects, we only do that, which means coming closer to a concept, to a theory. And this does not bring about, does not carry out, does not make possible an effective action. All this theoretical approach that we have to some subjects is something that remains only at an intellectual level.
Here, in these meetings, we have emphasized to you the importance of comprehension, of a direct vision of Reality, of what we are dealing with here. Therefore, it is not a matter of staying in theory, in words, in merely intellectual knowledge; we must have a look. But this look implies an action that is happening, then we have the presence of the awareness of comprehension indeed. What is this comprehension, what is this awareness? It is what is present when there is an experiential approach to that matter.
All the topics we address here on the channel require you to discover their validity, their uniqueness, their truth, in practice. We are going to investigate two questions with you here. So, let me just say this: it is important to get closer to this, taking direct action so that real comprehension can occur. The two questions are, first: What is thought? Let's make some statements about this here. It cannot remain only at the theoretical level; this practical approach is needed, which requires looking at it.
So, what is the truth of thought? Here, the first question is: What is thought? What is the truth about it? What is the comprehension of thought? From an early age, we are involved with thought. Our first actions arose based on an impulse, at first merely instinctive, as occurs with animals. The baby seeks out the mother's breast to suckle; it is an instinctive act or action of this very memory of the body, which we call instinctive action. But the baby soon has contact with thought.
So, since we were little, we have been in contact with thought, but we do not know the truth about thought. Because we do not know how it is processed, how it acts and the importance it has assumed in our lives. This is easy to observe, to perceive that all your actions are born from thought. A thought arises and an action happens. And why is this comprehension fundamental? Because our behavior, as well as this model of being that we have, guided by thought, once we do not comprehend what this process is, there comes a disoriented being.
Human beings do not know themselves. They do not know themselves because they do not study how they function, we do not study ourselves, we do not know how we are acting in life. Thus, we do not know how to feel, we do not know how to think, we do not know how to act, and it is from this feeling, thinking and acting that all the results in our lives come from. Our behavior in this not knowing how to think, feel and act puts us in a condition where all this movement within us, because it is a movement without awareness, there is no Intelligence in this movement.
Look inside your head and you will perceive that. Our thoughts determine not only our actions, but also how we feel, in relation to ourselves, in relation to others and in relation to life. The way in which emotion or feeling, or thought, is present, is determining our actions, our behavior. The basis of human life, our experience of life as human beings happens within relationships. So, notice something here: the lack of comprehension of thought, feeling and sensation, once within relationships what is present are actions – and these actions, as we have just said, are determined by how we feel and by what we think – these actions are conflicting actions, in disorder, in confusion, because there is no presence of Truth in them. There is no presence of Truth because there is no Intelligence, there is no Wisdom, basically there is no Comprehension. If you don't know why you think what you think – or feel what you feel, or speak what you speak, or act or behave as you do, or operate as you are operating – if you don't comprehend your actions, they produce disorder, they produce confusion. And that's what we have in our relationships.
Here, in these meetings, we are studying with you how to realize the Truth about yourself, in this life, to have a direct approach to your true Nature. And, here, we are saying that the Truth about you is not what it shows itself to be. We have that which shows itself to be the truth about who we are at this moment, but there is a Reality beyond that, which we are unaware of. This Reality is the one that becomes present when we comprehend the question of thought. What is thought? What is this movement of thinking?
So, what is thinking? Without the comprehension of it, you do not have a direct, real, true comprehension of the Nature of your Being. This is because you are trapped, mistaking yourself for this movement of ignorance of thinking, the ignorance of what thought is. Your reactions are reactions that come from the past, something learned, stored within you. So, what is the truth of thought? Observe! When something is requested of you, you respond; if I ask you a question, you answer. If an action is required of you in your relationship with him or her, that action happens. If a professional action is required in your profession, in your field of work, you respond, that action happens. And where does this come from? From knowledge.
This knowledge in you is the experience you have acquired throughout your life. These experiences are memories, they are recollections. Thought is part of this, so what is thought? It's memory, remembrance … A response with words requires knowledge, memory, remembrance, thought. A response with action requires knowledge, memory, experience… That can also be put as thought in action. Our actions are born from memory, they are born from a response of thought. Until we learn to deal with thought, we will not be aware of what thinking is in us and, of course, of what feeling is in us.
Note that thought is never unaccompanied by some level of sensation, feeling, emotion, concept, idea, presumption... All of this accompanies thought. And our life, today, is guided by thought, at this moment it happens because of thought. Yesterday was another day and, on that other day that was yesterday, our actions were also guided by thought, and this will continue to be like this. Unless we are aware of what thought is, there will be no comprehension of how to deal with the present moment.
Here, we are challenging ourselves to comprehend life without thought, a new way of approaching the experience of today, of this moment, without the past and, therefore, without thought. At a certain level you need knowledge, at another level you don’t need it. Remembering your address is a thought, your name is a thought, your wife’s name is a thought, your husband’s name is a thought… Remembering how to perform a professional action requires memory – physical, muscular, motor memory and intellectual knowledge, which is thought. At this level, thought is needed, but the problem arises when thought is completely guiding your life, as it has been doing.
When you don't like someone, that's a thought you have about him or her; when you like someone, that's a thought you have about him or her. You can't like someone you don't remember. If you don't remember, there is no like. So, notice how interesting it is to investigate this issue of what thought is and what thinking is. When thought is present, we have the expression of thinking, the presence of thinking is what is present and there is a thought there. When that thought carries a charge of sensation and emotion of pleasure, I like that thought.
So, to like someone is to have the memory of pleasure with that person, but what is that person? A memory, a recollection, a thought. This quality of thought, notice, is what is producing all kinds of confusion in our lives, because “I like someone, but I also don’t like the other; I like some memories in myself, but I also don’t like other memories present in me.”
It is important that you also perceive that these thoughts are reactions that come from the past, but they are not under the control of this “me,” this “I,” this person as you see yourself. You do not have the thoughts that you want, you have thoughts. Thought in you is something that happens as a reaction of memory, as a response that comes from the past. A response or a reaction to a stimulus that occurs at this moment, then thought arises. You have no control over this stimulus, just as you have no control over this thought, and that is what we need to become aware of.
The awareness of thought is the awareness of thinking, discovering what it is to remain free of this format of thought, which occurs on the basis of reaction: a response reaction and a stimulus reaction. You don't know what your next thought will be, which shows us that thought happens; you don't know what the next stimulus or trigger for a thought will be. See how important that is. These internal states that we know, that we want to get rid of, we cannot get rid of them, because they are inherent in this unaware condition of thought, without any control, happening within each of us.
We have, for example, anxiety and depression, we have different forms of fear, worries, anguish, sadness... We want to get rid of these negative aspects of thought, but who is this element that wants to get rid of? It is the thinker itself; it is the “I”! But what is the “I”? What is the thinker? The person as you feel yourself to be is nothing other than a set of memories and recollections, positioning itself in this moment as an element that separates itself from this instant. This is the condition of the ego, it is the condition of the “I,” of this lack of awareness of the Truth about who we are.
Here, with you, we are discovering how to discard this condition for a life free from thought and, therefore, free from this model of thinking. Here on the channel, we have several videos investigating this subject with you, delving deeper into it. The awareness of this comprehension is the vision of non-separation between you in your true Nature and the Reality of God! This is what is known in India – and here on the channel, we are working with you on exactly this – it is known as Advaita.
This is the real vision of That which lies behind the great religions of the world: the Awareness of Divine Reality. So, Advaita is Zen, it is the real vision of the message of Christ, of Buddha, of Krishna, of Ramana Maharshi, and of all the great sages, saints who in this life realized God. And this is what we are here working with you on. This is about this attainment of Awakening, of Spiritual Enlightenment. When people ask how to attain Spiritual Enlightenment, the Truth of the Revelation of your Being is this attainment, this awareness, this comprehension, this Truth of this Being revealing itself at this moment. We eliminate the idea of a time to attain and we become aware of the reality of this Truth, here and now.
That’s what we’re working on here with you. On Saturday and Sunday, we have online meetings. You can find our WhatsApp link to join these meetings in the video description. We also have in-person meetings and retreats. If what you've just heard makes sense to you, please leave a “like” here, and go ahead to subscribe to the channel and leave a comment saying, “Yes, that makes sense.” Okay? See you soon! Thanks for the meeting and see you next time.
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