The observer and observed thing | True Mindfulness | Spiritual Awakening | Illusion of time

There is an issue here that is fundamental for all of us: understanding the Truth of non-reaction. When we look at the world, we realize that our relationships are not complete relationships, they are not really intelligent, loving, true relationships, because there is always an impulse in us to try to change, to modify something that we don't like, that we don't want to see, that we don't like, and our inclination is to react.

Here I want to talk to you about the importance of change. It's true that change is needed in our lives. All this change that we want to see in the world, and here I'm not just referring to this world far away from us, when we talk about another country, another city or another neighborhood, we're talking about this world close to us, the world of our relationships. This is the closest world we have and we need a change in this world, because we are not within an action that is really born out of Compassion, of Intelligence, of Kindness, and Truth, because within each one of us, we carry this element, this sense of an “I” present, here and now, within living, within experience.

So, I want to talk to you about the importance of not reacting. And why not to react? And why not to try to impose our ideas, opinions, beliefs, conclusions within our relationships? Precisely because this is the cause of conflict, this is the cause of the dilemma, of the problem between us, of the problem of human beings. Our whole problem consists of this sense of an “I” that separates itself from the other. This “I” in us, this “me” is a set of beliefs, conclusions, ideas, objectives, and purposes. Our relationships are not true relationships because we are always in this movement, we are separate because of these conclusions, opinions, beliefs, certainties, and desires, all of which are personal, private, egoic. It's always this sense of an “I,” of an ego in this relationship separating itself from the other, the cause of conflict, the real cause of problems.

Here I have a few things to say to you about this matter of problems. No problem is real unless this sense of an “I” is present. This whole problem proves to be very true, very real in our lives. It's this sense of an “I” that separates itself, creating problem. So, we always bring this model of existence, we are always manifesting this sense of “someone” present separating and therefore clashing and fighting. Division is the cause of suffering, it's the cause of the problem, it's when problem becomes real.

So, all the problems in your life actually come down to one problem, and that problem is this sense of an “I,” of a present identity. This “I” is the one who is inside the experience, separating oneself from it as an experiencer who separates oneself in order to do something with that experience. So, we have here, at this moment, the idea of “someone” listening to a speech like this, the idea of “someone” experiencing something in life, this “someone” being an experiencer, the idea of “someone” in a relationship with another “someone.”

So, basically, our whole problem is the problem of the “I” in this division, in this separation. The encounter with Truth requires the annulment of this division. In a division where there are two things present, there comes a space between them, it can be a small space or a very large space, but there is a space between two things; here it is the “I” and the non-“I,” the experiencer and his experience, the “person” that I am or the “person” that I believe myself to be and the other, who, by the way, also believes himself to be. In this separation between these two things, in this division, there is space and conflict.

The encounter with the Truth, which is the encounter with the Divine Reality, the Reality of God Present, being this Reality this Being, this Truth that is beyond this condition of the mind as we function, where there is this division, where there is this separation and therefore conflict, this Divine Reality reveals itself when there is no longer this movement of the “I,” when there is no longer this situation of an “I” that separates itself from the other, of an observer who separates itself from what it is observing.

So, the truth is that the problem is between the observer and the observed thing, because we have this space. Let's study this with you. What does this space consist of? This space is made up of time. An object, from one point to another, requires time, space can be measured and this space is basically time; there is no way to separate this space from time itself, between one and the other there is a distance, and this is space, this distance is covered in time. What happens to us psychologically is the same thing. When I look at you, I have an idea of who you are or what you represent to me at that moment; this idea is an image I make of who you are.

So, we're living in this idea of “someone” who knows the other because they have an image of him or her; this image is something that we have registered in us because of the experiences we've been through. We've been through experiences, the presence of that experiencer has recorded those experiences, they've now become a memory within each of us, so I have a memory about who you are and you have a memory about who I am. This memory is an image, this is something recorded because of a memory, and this memory is an event within time. “I went through something yesterday and I remembered it” – in this contact with you – this gave me an idea of who you are. “You made me happy yesterday,” today I meet you and I'm happy with you. This is present because of this time, this memory, this remembrance. So, this requires time, and in this encounter, there is a division. The division is this “I” that observes this image and this image separate from this “I.”

So, psychologically, we function within a time, a time created by images – the image I have of you and the image you have of me – an image acquired in the past, which is time, in memory, which is remembrance, which is past and which is time, and all of this is thought. This is how we function in this contact with the other and life. So, the understanding of our world, based on this memory, is an understanding that is based on past experience and is in this present moment annulling the Truth of this encounter now, because this memory is imposing itself in this moment, so what I have of you is not the truth about who you are, it's the memory about who you were or who I believe you were.

Notice how fascinating it is to understand this Truth about the illusion of this “I” which is all the time interpreting life in this present moment based on the past, based on its remembrances, recollections, and memories. “I love you,” what I'm actually saying is that I like your presence, but what do I actually have of your presence? It's an image, a pleasant image that I have from the past. So, the contact that this “I” that I believe I am has with you, that you believe you are, consists of an encounter between images, because I'm doing it and so are you.

Our relationship with the world is based on this conclusion of memory, images, and beliefs, so there is no truth in this contact, there is no truth in what we call “love,” “peace,” “understanding” between us – this idea of this “I” creates the idea of this “us.” Is it possible to live a life free of this time, this quality of memory? Is it possible to have a life free of this quality of encounter that is based only on the past? Can we here, right now, face this present moment without the past? In this way we will be in contact with Divine Reality, with the Reality of Being, and this requires Attention to this instant, to this movement, this requires the Truth of understanding how we function, this requires the ability to look at ourselves, to know ourselves.

This Real Self-awareness, the Truth of Self-awareness, requires an understanding of how we function here and now. So, this Self-awareness brings you this moment of perception of Reality, because it is present now a fundamental element for this Real understanding of this instant, which is the Real understanding of life as it is here and now, and this element is this Attention. Mindfulness at this moment frees you from these records of the past, from this set of conclusions, opinions and beliefs, from the images you have of others, that you have of situations, that you also create of places.

We have images of the places we have been to, we have images of the people we have relationships with, we have images of situations that occur to us. We register these images, and if they are unpleasant, they become an internal movement of fear in us, because we don't want to go through it again; this is because we are registering these images, we are not letting the past die. The past is nothing other than a set of images, recollections, and memories that this “I,” which is the experiencer, is cultivating, keeping.

Notice how fascinating this subject is, this puts an end to psychological time, this is the end of time and also the end of thought. So, this time is something intimate with thought, just as this space is something intimate with thought, this space is something intimate with time. So, look at the close relationship between time and thought. It's thought that puts you in this idea of being “someone,” here and now, that puts you in this illusion of this time of being “someone.” In reality, Truth is happening in this instant, and in this instant, there is no time; in this instant, there is no thought. Thought and time are something that come from the past, from memory, from recollection, which is why we have called it psychological time.

So, we are cultivating the sense of a present “I,” here and now, within living, in experience, in this contact with the other, this sense of a present “I” that is in resistance. The contact here with this moment is free from the “I” when we don't react. We are always trying to impose a reaction on this moment, a movement that comes from the past to deal with this moment, so there is conflict. When we face situations, we don't just look at them, we don't just become aware of their presence in this Real Attention, in this true Mindfulness; we add the “I” element that is always reacting, we like some things, we don't like others that we see in people, that we see in ourselves and we are always reacting. Non-reaction – you see – this non-reaction is the secret. This non-reaction is possible when there is no longer this division between “me and the experience,” “me and the other,” when there is no longer the sense of an observer in the face of what is being observed.

It is possible to live a life free of the “I,” that is a life free of this reaction. So, when there is no reaction, when there is no movement of the “I,” of the ego, we have the secret. So, the great secret of a Happy life, in Love, in Peace, in Freedom, in Happiness in the relationship with others, with life, with this instant, is a life free of this reaction. So, non-reaction is the secret. I want to reaffirm this again: the great secret of a Real life, free of problems, is a life free of reaction. So, non-reaction is the secret.

Here, in this work, we are working with you on the end of the ego, of the “I,” of that element that separates itself from experience, that separates itself from the present moment, that separates itself from life, that separates itself from the other, that separates itself from God; this is the encounter with your Being, the encounter with Spiritual Awakening, with the Awakening of Consciousness, this is our subject here with you within this channel. We're working with you to put an end to the illusion of the “I.” That's the end of problems, that's the Real change that's needed in this world, in the world of our relationships. A free life is a life where there is no reaction. So, not reacting is the secret, it's when there is an end to this separation between the observer and the observed thing, then there is only one Reality Present, which is the Reality of God.

That's our subject here with you on this channel. We have online meetings and you can find our WhatsApp group here in the video description for more information and to take part in these meetings. We also have face-to-face meetings and retreats. If this makes sense to you, please leave your like, subscribe to the channel and leave a comment: “Yes, it makes sense.” OK? And let's work on it. Here's the invitation and we'll see you. Thanks for meeting us and see you next time!

September, 2023
Gravatá-PE, Brazil
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Psychological suffering | Advaita: Non-Duality | Anxiety, depression | Observed and observer

We must comprehend what suffering is. Here, I want to discuss with you about the most complicated suffering for all of us. I want to deal with the issue of psychological suffering. After all, what is suffering?

Notice that suffering is something psychologically present in us because of this thinking and feeling. What is this thinking? What is this feeling? To whom does this occur? To whom does this happen? The thought within us, how does it work? What are thoughts? See, all of these are things we need to investigate, deepen, and understand. And here, when I refer to the word “understand,” it is not intellectually knowing how to explain because you intellectually understood the subject. It is to have a direct understanding through real contact about it. We need direct contact with the process of thinking and feeling to understand what thinking is and, naturally, what feeling is.

So, here we are investigating with you the issue of thought. Have you ever noticed that thought happens now, but it’s just a remembrance, a memory? But it’s a memory always accompanied by a sensation. Thought carries sensations with it. This sensation we call “to feel” or “feeling.” The fact is that thought is something present now, occurring as a response coming from the past, that is, from memory, from remembrance. You don't have any thought here and now without the past in this format of recalling memories. Then, thought is the past, recollections, memories. And when arriving, it carries a feeling along with it. Thought and feeling are companions; they are together.

When we say we are suffering, what we really say is that we are remembering. Understand this clearly, the importance of understanding this: when we say we are suffering, in fact, we are reliving memories, the past, again of memory, of recollection, of remembrance. What we call “suffering” is now just the thought-feeling presence. A story thought tells and feeling brings to the organism, this mechanism, this body-mind. This suffering is the presence of the “I,” this “me.” So, suffering is the presence of the one who suffers, and the one who suffers is the “I,” me. And this is nothing more than memory, remembrance, past, touching this structure, this body-mind, this mechanism. That is the sense of an “I” present in suffering, the sense of the ego.

Thus, when we talk about suffering, we need to talk about thinking. There is no suffering without thought. The presence of suffering presupposes the presence of thought and feeling. And thought-feeling is memory, remembrance, the past. It has given life to this entity we call “me,” “I,” the ego. To look at what we are here and now is to perceive the presence of that “me,” that “I,” that ego. And it is the one that is present when thoughts and feelings arise.

So, what is thought? Thought is memory. As you went through some experiences, some were unpleasant. At that moment when you were going through these experiences, it left a mark in the brain, a remembrance, a memory, and it became a saved recorded image. And at some point, later on, that image appears, that recollection, that memory, that recording happens again. It is always here and now that this memory, this image, past, appears and brings the psychological pain of thought-feeling. That is the condition for the “I,” for the suffering person.

So, the presence of suffering presupposes the presence of the one who suffers. We do not approach to look at it when it comes up. But here, I want to tell you that it’s possible to be free from the psychological suffering, that psychic suffering which is the suffering of the “I.” Once the “I” is understood, when there is an understanding of what the “I” is, we can eliminate it from our lives. When you exclude this “I” from “your” life, there is no longer “your” life. There is the present life, but it is no longer the life of the “I,” this “me,” this person as you see yourself.

So here, our work together is to go beyond that “I,” that ego, that sense of being present. It is possible for us to go beyond suffering – I refer to psychological, psychic suffering. Then, the weight of all the unhappiness present in these different forms of psychological suffering, all of that disappears with the disappearance of that “me,” that ego. What I'm saying to you is that this ego, this “me,” is a by-product of culture, society, and the world. We carry a psychological conditioning that cultivates this “I” identity, the ego-identity in us. We must investigate, delve into this and discard it from our lives.

We are here with you looking, perceiving together with you that the only truth present of this “I” is the truth of memory, of remembrance, of the recollection of frustration, of a pain, a hurt, a need, or lack. A pleasure experienced in the past that did not end, the frustration experienced in the past, which did not end, either. I go through an unpleasant experience, and it does not end, and ahead, a few days later, it presents itself again.

So, we are constantly dealing with the past, memory, and remembrance. There is always an illusory identity present in that experience, showing itself at that moment, assuming this reality of this body and mind. That is the identity of the “I,” the ego. Anxiety, depression, fear, guilt, the pain of loneliness, envy, jealousy, resentment, hurt, everything that represents the psychological unhappiness present here and now because of this “I,” this ego, this false identity... When we have an approach of looking at what arises without feeding this identity that is the “I,” in this experience that is a memory, a thought with the feeling... When we do not put the “I” – what is it like to place this “I” in this memory, in this past that is returning in the form of thought and feeling, what is it to put this “I"? It is to place an element that judges, condemns, criticizes, or believes and identifies with the thought-feeling.

Thought-feeling is something happening here and now. That is something from the past, and when it arises in this inattention, due to the lack of attention to what appears, which is this memory, thought, or feeling, you mistake yourself; there is an “I” present mistaking itself for this thought and feeling. It mistakes itself when it is the observer involved in what is being observed. It is an observer when it condemns, criticizes, rejects, and wants to do something about what it sees, which is thought and feeling.

So, we have the presence of the observer seeing thought and feeling, reacting to it, interacting, and identifying with it. When that occurs, when that happens, we have the presence of the sufferer, which is the presence of that “I.” Notice that we have a duality here: we have the experience, which is the thought-feeling, which is this memory, something from the past, and this element called “I,” the observer, the thinker. This “I,” this observer, this thinker, is not actually separate from this thought-feeling. It separates itself to do something with it. And when this separateness occurs between what is observed and this observer, this duality happens.

Do you get that? A sense of “I” is present when judgment, comparison, or rejection is present or when passive acceptance of a state of identification with the past is present. The sense of an “I” creates the space between what is seen and the one who sees. So, we have duality here: the “I,” who is the experiencer, the thinker, the observer, and that experience. If that is present, suffering is present because suffering is the affirmation of the “I.” When that “I” is there, suffering is present.

We can approach this only by becoming aware of the presence of memory, the past, thoughts, and feelings without giving an identity to it, without creating this separateness between what comes up and an “I” separating itself to do something. We put an identity, which is the ego present in it, exactly when we try to do something. When we try to do something, we separate the observer from the observed. In fact, there is no such thing as this separateness.

Then, what is present is the thought-feeling presence here and now, but that has no reality at this present moment. Unless there is this inattention. In this inattention, we have been caught for many years. In fact, this is the history of mankind. We are sustaining the identity of the “I,” a hurt, offended, sad, remorseful, guilty, self-loathing, or self-proud “I.”

That is the sense of the ego present in our lives: a story that thought brings, with an accompanying feeling, and because there is no such attention when it arises, this separateness occurs. That is called duality. Duality occurs.

That is straight from the Vedas when we deal with the issue of Advaita, non-duality. The word Advaita means there is only One, the one without the second. Follow what we put here for you: What you are in your Being is not what thought presents as being you here and now. What thought brings here and now is just memory, recollection, and the past. That is something registered in the brain. Memory, recollection, is something engraved in the brain. A moment that, in the past, did not end is now returning here. There is no sense of a present “I,” there is no sufferer, no ego, no “me” to deal with that suffering.

The way to approach this is: at this moment, we pay attention to what appears here and now. Without putting this sense of an “I” to fight against, combat, try to get rid of it, to do something against, against this remembrance, this memory, this thought, this feeling. Notice that this requires the presence of that attention: being aware of every movement of thought and feeling as it arises.

No thought or feeling in you comes from anywhere but the past. Even when you see a scene before your eyes, it brings back a memory. Note that our brain basically works with memory. It’s just memory, just remembrances! And these memories bring feelings. When you pay attention to those memories, to those feelings, it loses the element of that identity, which is the “I.” And when this loses that element that is that illusory identity, it vanishes. No thought is upheld without the thinker, no feeling is sustained without the one who feels.

Observe this, look at yourself, and bring attention to yourself, here and now, before a thought. When you pay attention and only observe, without reacting to that thought, what happens to it? It vanishes and disappears. It is just when you are inattentive that thought continues upholding itself. One thought actually triggers another, which triggers another and another.

So, notice what we put here for you: there is only the presence of thought, which is memory; there is no such thinker. Only in this inattention to thought arising here and now, which is memory, does the thinker appear. And when the illusion of that thinker arises, thoughts go on reproducing themselves. It is not the thinker producing thoughts but thoughts finding support in the illusion of an identity, which is thought itself, which we call the thinker.

So, this phenomenon, which is the phenomenon of thought, only continues within us, in this internal chatter, this production of states of unhappiness such as anxiety, depression, anguish, and fear, because we are inattentive to its movement. Put attention to thought, and you will find out that it doesn’t uphold itself. If I say to you: observe thoughts arising now. Wait for the next one; only wait. Try this; wait for the next thought. That state of attention, of alertness, is exactly the presence of this present moment. And at this present moment, there is no room, in this attention to this instant, for the movement of the past, which is the movement of thought.

So, when you observe a thought as it arises – only observe, do not react to it, do not say “yes,” do not say “no,” do not agree or disagree, do not judge, do not compare – at that instant the attention on the movement of thought is the basis of Self-awareness. At that moment the thought disappears. And, if there is this attention now to this instant, this moment, to what is here*and now, present, arising, if there is this attention, thought does not find space to sustain itself at this instant, this present, this moment. This Presence, this Consciousness, this attention is the end of thought and feeling.

Here, I invite you to become aware of the movement of the “I,” thought, thinking, and feeling. And that’s the end of psychological suffering because that’s the end of the past. Our work together here is to become aware of the Reality of Being-Consciousness, which is the Reality that you are here and now when there isn’t that element which is the “I”. And now we have just realized that this element called “I” is just a collection of memories, remembrances, and thoughts.

This is the subject we work on with you here, within this channel. The Revelation of the Truth of your Being, here and now. This, some people call the Awakening of Consciousness or Spiritual Enlightenment, the Only Reality present when the sense of “I” is absent. Here, on our channel, we have an extensive playlist showing you the beauty of this approach to the True Meditation in practice. True Meditation is present when there is this attention, the attention to what arises here and now. Along with this view of yourself, you have the Truth of Self-Awareness. Without Self-Awareness there is no True Meditation, and without that Mindfulness – that Full Attention right now, to this whole movement of thought-feeling, which is memory, this entire reaction of the past – without that, without that Mindfulness, there is no Self-Awareness; and without Self-Awareness we have no basis for an approach to the Beauty that Meditation reveals. Then, Real Meditation, in a practical way, requires the presence of Truth or the approach to Self-Awareness.

So, here on our channel we have two playlists dealing with this Truth of Self-Awareness and the True Meditation in practice. It represents the end of suffering, in that Realization of What You Are, which is the Realization of God. OK?

If this is something that makes sense to you – as I have always told people here at the end of our meetings – subscribe to the channel. I want to invite you: we have online and face-to-face meetings where we work with those who approach us. OK? If this is something that makes sense, see you soon. Thanks for the meeting.

June, 2023
Gravatá-PE, Brazil
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