Stoicism and Human Relations. What is Thought? Learning about Self-awareness

Generally, we have a way of approaching any subject either by creating a much greater complication than the subject represents or by oversimplifying it. So, there is this general tendency in us: either we complicate it or we simplify it. So, there is an exaggerated simplification or exaggerated complication.

Here, with you, today we are going to discuss some subjects that involve the beauty of this encounter with Self-awareness, this encounter with the truth about who you are, about who we are. So, this requires a new way of approaching it from each one of us. We cannot continue to complicate this subject, nor oversimplify it. I say this because some people write saying, "It seems so simple to me." And why, in fact, is it not so simple? While others say, "But what you say is very complicated."

So, you see, for some this is very simple and for others it is very complicated. What is it that is really creating this differentiation? What creates this difference is our way of approaching things, and we don't have a true way of approaching these subjects, because we are too used to looking at them from a background of knowledge and experience that we bring, something that we already have within us, and naturally this makes it difficult to have a new approach. And here we need to have a new approach.

It is only possible to delve deeper into a subject like this when we have a different approach to it, and this approach requires from each of us, right from the start, a silent mind, a mind with a certain stillness for this approach. You can never understand someone or understand something without a minimum of silence. If you want to pay attention to something, the brain needs to be quiet, which, in general, we don't achieve easily.

So, we put ourselves in this way: we want to understand, but there is this internal restlessness within us that makes this silence impossible, which is the silence that facilitates the deepening of that subject, and that is what we need here. We need to discover in this encounter what it means learning about ourselves.

Our topic here with you is learning about Self-awareness. We don't have this awareness of learning; we don't learn how to learn. We may have some ease in learning certain things in life, and it's interesting to mention this here. Everything that we have, in truth, a certain ease to learn, observe it yourself and you will realize, there is an interest within you, a deep interest. So, there is this internal fervor, this internal love, this internal passion for that subject.

So, notice, it doesn't get complicated, or no matter how complicated it may seem to you at first, this is not taken into consideration, because of this fervor, this love, this passion for that. So, it becomes simple when you learn with ease, no matter how difficult it may have seemed to be at first.

Here in these meetings, we are, with you, investigating the most important subject in life. And what is the most important subject in life? It is life, the comprehension of the totality of life; and this comprehension is something that is present when what we are discussing here with you is present, which is the vision of yourself.

There is no such thing as a true separation between you and life. Life is you; you are life. Everything that is present in you today is what is present in life, in this life of yours. Here, the lack of the understanding of "your life" is the lack of the understanding of life as it is happening at this moment to you.

We have some beliefs; in fact, we have many forms of beliefs. Here, to put it more specifically, we have, in relation to life, some basic beliefs that we need to get rid of. One main belief is the idea of ??separation, where you feel like someone in life, you see life as something for you. As long as this psychological condition persists, which is in reality illusory, various forms of conflicts will continue to be present within your relationship with life.

I want to address this subject of relationships here with you. This is one of the subjects that we need to have a real approach to, a true approach, a meaningful and deep approach. Here, when we touch on this issue of Self-awareness, we are basically touching on the importance of understanding how you function in the context of relationships, the truth about relationships.

Some want to approach this from a philosophical point of view, from a philosophical perspective, others from a psychological perspective. So, we have several ways of approaching this. We have the religious perspective, the psychological perspective and, for example, the philosophical perspective, as in the case of Stoicism - this Stoic view of relationships. But here we are with you, delving deeper into this from a perspective of what is happening here, in all of us.

Our relationships are not real when they are fixed to patterns that thought constructs. Let us clarify this for you here. The way we approach others is basically the way we approach ourselves. What is the truth of this approach we have about who we are? The truth is that we do not know the truth about ourselves; we have an approach based on what thought has been constructed, on what thought is showing us, presenting to us.

So, this approach is the approach of thought. This is the approach we have to ourselves. So, naturally, any approach you have with others, on this same basis of approach, will not be a true approach; we will have a mistaken approach, because we will have the presence of a separation in which the curtain of separation is thought.

So, there are several things here that we need to study when we study ourselves. One of them - and we have a playlist here on the channel - is about thought. This curtain of separation, of division, prevents us from a real relationship with what we really are. Our relationship with ourselves is mistaken, and so is our relationship with others.

It is impossible to have a true relationship when there is a wall, when there is a curtain. It is like when you go to the window and see the window, but there is a curtain there. If you do not open the window, there will be no relation of vision, of visual contact with the outside. So, you have the window, you have the window glass and you have the curtain. If you do not open the curtain, if you do not open the window, you will not have real contact with vision. At least this curtain needs to disappear from your field of vision, because it is the impediment.

In this contact with yourself, you do not know yourself, because you have about yourself what your thought says about you; you have about the other what your thought says about the other. Therefore, it is essential to discover the truth about thought. How do we get closer to this truth about thought? By becoming aware of what it represents.

Our difficulty here lies in the fact that thought is constantly occupying this field, it is constantly being this curtain that prevents us from being aware of what is happening, including with ourselves. This way, contact with others becomes impossible.

What we have considered as contacts in our relationships are rather contacts where this model of thought is present; and thought distorts reality, it prevents the truth of what is present in relationships. Thus, what is present in these relationships is division. And if we have division, there is no awareness, there is no comprehension, there is no truth.

Every thought you have about yourself is this curtain that prevents you from being aware of the reality about you, just as every thought you have about others, this is the curtain that prevents you from seeing the reality of who the other is.

Life requires this learning, moment by moment. Thus, this contact with life, which is contact with oneself, is the contact of learning; it is only when, in life, Freedom becomes possible and, naturally, the presence of Happiness, the presence of Love in relations, because it is the basis of this relation in life, with life. Once there is awareness of non-separation, because there is no longer this curtain, which is the curtain of thought, there is the presence of this communion with us, because there is no thought, there is our communion with the other, because there is no thought.

So, we need to discover what life is without thought. And what is basically thought? What is the truth about thought? Thought is a construct of memory, of remembrance, of recollection, of idea. When we deal with thought, we are not dealing with reality, we are dealing with the symbol, with the image, with the idea about that.

Notice how simple this is. When you remember your house, you do not have your house, you have an image, an idea, a picture, just as when you remember someone, you do not have him or her, you have an image, a picture, a thought. Thus, we are dealing with life through thought. All of our relations, all of our relationships, everything that we relate to through thought is nothing more than an image that thought is constructing and establishing as being true within these relations.

So, learning about Self-awareness is becoming aware of how you function in this contact with life as it happens. And part of what happens in life is the presence of thought, part of life is this very movement of life in relations. Thus, without understanding thought, without understanding relations, we have a conflicting, distressing, disorderly, confusing life.

Therefore, the basis for the Divine Reality, for the Reality of God, in life, is the awareness of his Grace, is the awareness of his Presence, and this present Reality is the Reality of the Truth about You in your Real Nature. A direct understanding of the truth about yourself is the elimination of this pattern of thinking as we know it, to approach life and, therefore, relations without this curtain. Then, we have contact with the reality of this moment, which is life as it happens, where the Truth of this new approach to this moment, this present moment, this living is present.

This contact is what I have called experiencing moment to moment. It is not about an experience you have, but about experiencing that moment, in that relation; in this relation where the absence of this separation is present and, therefore, Communion is present, Love is present, Freedom is present. What makes all of this possible as a basis is the vision of the Truth about who we are, which is this Divine awareness, which is this awareness of the Reality of Love, Peace, Happiness, which is the Nature of God.

Some have called it Self-Realization or God-Realization, it is the awareness of the Truth of your Divine Nature revealing itself due to the vision of Self-awareness, of understanding, of the elimination of this sense of "I," because of the truth about Self-awareness. Therefore, Real Self-awareness is nothing other than the elimination of this separation, this duality, where there is the Truth of That which is beyond the mind; therefore, beyond thought, beyond what we have been living for a long time in our lives, in this illusion of separation.

In these meetings here on the weekends we are working on this with you. Saturday and Sunday, we are together delving into this subject here. I want to leave you an invitation here: there is our WhatsApp link in the video description for you to participate in these online meetings on weekends. In addition, we have face-to-face meetings and also retreats. If this is something that makes some sense to you, leave a "like" here, subscribe to the channel and leave a comment here: "Yes, that makes sense." OK? And we'll see each other. Thanks for the meeting and see you soon!

December, 2024
Gravatá-PE, Brazil
Further information

What is meditation? | Learning about Self-Awareness | Atma Vichara | Meditation | Self-observation

Having an approach to the truth about yourself requires having a perspective that we generally do not know. It is the perspective that some like to call self-observation. But there is confusion here because the idea behind this self-observation is someone looking at themselves.

Here, when we present this expression to you, self-observation, we even prefer the term observation, plain and simple. We need the science of pure observation, because this is not about the self, this "I," this person, looking at themselves in the sense of introspection or self-analysis. Here, the better term would be self-inquiry or self-investigation.

So, we are at the threshold of a portal that opens to this study of ourselves, to this learning about ourselves. Thus, we observe what happens in this perspective. We simply observe.

This is what I want to invite you to understand here with great clarity. We have a playlist here on the channel that talks about the truth of this self-discovery and the beauty of this self-revelation. Studying oneself is learning about Self-Awareness.

This is a playlist on the channel: Learning about Self-Awareness. We don't know how to learn.

We are learning the way machines learn: acquiring information, acquiring knowledge, and applying this knowledge, this information, in action. And then we call this acquired experience.

So, for us, knowledge and experience are the foundation of learning. At least, this is how we function. In life, we learn everything this way: knowledge and experience. Everything we know how to do in life, we do based on this principle, on this foundation. Knowledge and experience.

As for this science of the nature of the self, which is the nature of God in you, learning about this is something different. It is not about acquiring knowledge or gaining experiences. See, here we already face a problem because, for most people, the encounter with God is possible through studying about God.

But what do we have to study about God? Generally, we believe that what we have are the things written in books, in spiritual books, in sacred books. So, after many years of reading many books, we develop a highly capable intellect to quote the scriptures, to recite pre-packaged phrases of things we have learned. How do we learn them? By acquiring knowledge and practicing speaking about it, or by listening to it over and over again. So, this is what we call knowledge, this so-called spiritual knowledge.

Now, understand this. This remains at the level of the intellect. Yes, we can have some so-called spiritual or mystical experiences, but the element that sustains this knowledge, this experience, remains.

And that element is the "I," this self, this ego. Whereas the reality of the revelation of this divine science is precisely the absence of the ego. Therefore, the learning we receive, that we have, that we cultivate, that has been taught to us, that we need to have, is a mistake.

We need to discover what it means to learn about God. But learning about God requires approaching the discarding of this element that sees itself as an entity present in time and space, which is the "I," having a particular life, separate from life itself, separate from the other, separate from God. Thus, the science about God requires the discarding of this "I."

That is when God reveals Himself. This is the real learning about God. So, how to approach this? How to learn about Self-Awareness? Because it is the absence of this understanding of oneself that places us in this mistaken condition of acquiring more and more theoretical, intellectual, verbal knowledge from books, this cultivation of experiences still for this element which is the "I." This is the mistake. We need to approach ourselves, observe ourselves, become aware of this movement, which is the movement of the "I," of the ego.

Therefore, the idea of bringing the reality of God into our lives, since my life is still a mistaken life, a conditioned life, a life imprisoned in a model of fear, anger, violence, ambition, conflicting desires, where all kinds of disorder, disharmony, problems, and suffering are present-that is the mistake. The real way to approach God is by discarding this illusion, which is the illusion of the "I," the illusion of the ego. So, the true form of this approach to learning requires this perspective, observing, becoming aware of the person you are, that you present yourself to be, that you demonstrate to be, in this context of relationship with him or her, with the world around you, and with yourself.

Hence the real need for the truth about Self-Awareness. And it seems to me that it is already becoming clear to you here that we use this expression not in the sense of this person changing, improving, learning more about themselves, acquiring more experiences, having a better foundation for a successful life where results are achieved through this tool, this so-called tool of Self-Awareness-a better position at work, in human relationships-this is not it. Here, the truth about Self-Awareness lies in becoming aware of this sense of separation between you and life, between you and the other, between you and God. So, an encounter with what you are is the discarding of yourself for something new to emerge.

For this reason, the presence of the true vision of Self-Awareness is something close and naturally aligned, without separation, without divorce, with the art of meditation. We need the foundation for meditation. You learn the art of meditation when you unlearn a life centered in this turmoil, this disorder, this noise, which is the noise of the "I."

The presence of meditation is the presence of this mystery, which is silence, the silence of truth. It is not the silence achieved within a meditative practice, within a meditation technique, but the silence that is present when the sense of separation is not. This is the presence of meditation.

So, we also need to discover what meditation is. When people answer this question, they immediately point out a technique and explain the benefit of the technique or practice they are prescribing to you. But a technique, a practice, see, is something mechanical, and the benefit of something mechanical is also the mechanical result of a system, a technique, a practice.

This is something that benefits someone. Someone benefits from the technique or practice of meditation because there is someone performing the meditation. Whereas here, we are telling you that meditation is exactly the absence of someone, in practice.

So, there is no such thing as a benefit to someone. There is the end of the illusion of someone. This is the presence of divine reality.

Thus, the real purpose of the truth about meditation-and here meditation is not something mechanical, it is not a technique, it is not a system, it is not something that someone does, that someone practices-the truth about meditation is that meditation reveals that which is beyond the known, which is the reality of God.

Our work here together consists of this discovery, the discovery of this present moment without someone present in this moment. Notice how we need to approach this topic in a new way here. When you have a thought, or feeling, or an emotion, the idea behind this subjective experience, this internal experience, this experience in you, the idea behind this experience is someone present, having the experience.

See, we were educated for a life where there is a central figure within it, having experiences. Whether they are experiences of this quality, which are subjective experiences, or objective experiences, in the sense of contact with the external world, when you are talking to someone, or seeing something, perceiving something external to yourself, the idea behind it is someone present in this objective experience. Talking to someone is the idea of someone saying something to another. Seeing something is the idea of someone being the observer of what is being seen.

When there is music playing out there, the idea is someone listening. So, there is the music there, the sound there, and someone here; there is the vision there and the observer here.

Notice that we have been educated, programmed, our psychological model of mental functioning is of this type. We believe we exist as someone present in the experience. Whether it is internal-when I am thinking, I am the thinker, when I am feeling, I am this element that feels, when I am sad, it is me and the sadness, when there is fear present, it is me and the fear-or when we are in contact with the external experience, we are present as the observer, as the one who speaks, as the one who listens, that which is outside of me. See, here we encounter an illusion. Because there is no such thing as someone, an experiencer, the "I" present in life. But this is our belief, this is our stance. So, dealing with life as it happens, the idea is that someone is capable of doing this.

A direct perspective on the truth, on who you are, requires the presence of this learning about yourself, this new perspective on these reactions. This will show you that this feeling, thought, and sensation of being someone, this experiencer, this observer, this element in the feeling, is a suggestion of thought. It is the idea of a thought present.

It is the idea of this "I" thought in this feeling, in this thinking, in this speaking, in this listening. Here, with you, we are seeing together the end of this illusion, for a direct understanding that life is what is present, being the reality itself, unique. And it is exactly this confusion we have about who we are in this context that is producing all kinds of disorder, confusion, suffering, and problems in our lives.

What is it to look at this moment without this observer? What is it to listen to this sound without this element that listens? What is it to speak to someone without someone seeing someone? What is it to look without the observer? Where is the looking present, just the looking, the sound present in listening, where only listening is present? What is life when the "I" is not? When the ego is not? This is what we are proposing here to you.

Therefore, in this approach to oneself, in this learning about what you are, it is learning about what life is in this moment. Here on this channel, as well as on our other channel, we are having a perspective, a listening, a perception, an approach to a unique vision regarding life.

Evidently, this requires unlearning all this that culture, society, human history has given us. We need to discover life in life as it happens when thought is not, when this trained model of thought is no longer present. So, what is the truth of this observation, this self-observation? It is the vision that there is no such element present that separates itself.

Notice that in this separation, we have space, and it is within this space, from this "I" that sees itself as separate from this or that or the sound, situation, or event, that conflict, problem, and suffering are present. Notice how important an understanding of this is.

Looking and perceiving that your relationship with him or her, from the perspective of thought, is a relationship based on an element within you that sees from an idea it holds, from a thought it has, from a concept it carries, from an image it has formed within itself about who he is, about who she is. Notice, we are not dealing with the truth when we are dealing with thought. Once thought is a representation that comes from the past, based on a memory of something that happened.

But our relationship, for instance, with someone, based on the idea that we are someone, this basis is a basis that rests on thought. I form an idea about who I am. I have an image about who I am.

And I have an image of who you are. When I meet you, I am not meeting you; I am meeting the image I have of who you are. And you are doing the same with me.

Thus, our human relationships, which are these relationships, are founded and anchored in this form of contact. And the presence of thought there is the most important element. And when it becomes more important, and once you understand that it is only distorting reality because what it brings is only something from the past to this present moment, we face a great problem.

Thus, our human relationships, our relationships, are full of problems because my contact with him or her, in this contact, the truth is not present. We do not have the truth of love but the search for something thought is projecting onto him or her. So, it is something completely mistaken.

This feeling I have for him or her does not rest on freedom; it does not rest on truth. This explains why there is no love in human relationships.

We have companionship, complicity, appreciation, care, affection, in a convenient way, as long as it is advantageous. When this no longer brings advantage to this self, to this "I," to this self-image, which is the ego, we break off the relationship and move on to another or maintain this game where a game of interest is present, an artificial life, which is the life of the ego. So, we have this aspect in this relationship with the external and, from the internal point of view, we naturally have all this complication. See what we are presenting to you here. As long as there is no real approach to this learning about ourselves and this truth about the science that reveals God, which is meditation-and here on the channel, we have some playlists working on this with you-until this is present, we will also be psychologically burdened with internal states that are present and will remain present because of this illusion that we see ourselves as this "I" in feeling, this "I" in thinking. Thus, internally, states such as anxiety, anguish, depression, low self-esteem, fear-see, there are countless internal states of conflict within each of us, problems within each of us.

Naturally, this is expressed in our relationships with him or her. Thus, conflicts, problems, and suffering are present in the absence of this science of divine truth. Why? Because we lack this understanding. We lack this vision of reality. There is no intelligence, no freedom, no wisdom, no love.

Here, we are working on this with you, showing you that in this life, yes, it is possible to become aware of the truth about who we are. You see here a photo of Ramana Maharshi. In his days, he shared with those who approached him what became known as Atma Vichara.

To look, to see the science of meditation. Becoming aware of what true meditation is: Atma Vichara.

So, Atma Vichara, from Ramana Maharshi, is this approach to the truth about meditation. Atma Vichara means self-inquiry, this self-observation, this science of how you function. This is what brings you closer to the truth of Self-Awareness and reveals to you the truth of meditation.

Here on the channel, we have a playlist about this truth of meditation, of this Real Meditation in an experiential way, in a practical way. This is one playlist. The other is about the truth of Self-Awareness.

So, here is an invitation for you. We also have online meetings on weekends. On Saturdays and Sundays, we are deepening this with you here.

In the description of the video, you will find our WhatsApp link to participate in these online meetings on weekends. Additionally, we have in-person meetings and retreats. If what you have just heard resonates with you in any way, here is an invitation. Leave your like, subscribe to the channel.

Leave a comment here: "Yes, this makes sense." Ok? See you. Thanks for the meeting, and until next time.

December, 2024
Gravatá-PE, Brazil
Further information

What is Meditation? Learning about Self-Awareness. Advaita, Non-Duality. Practical Meditation.

Here, in this work, our emphasis is on discovery, on clear vision, on the realization of Real Life. Real Life is the life where Love, Peace, Joy, Freedom, and Happiness are present. It is that the reality of this represents the truth free from this distressing, conflicting movement that the sense of "I" establishes when it is present. When there is this freedom, which is remaining free from the psychological movement of this "I," this "ego," we have the Truth about Freedom. Real Freedom is not the freedom to come and go; it is not the freedom to do what we want to do or to obtain what we want to obtain. Real Freedom is the presence of Truth in the absence of the "ego," in the absence of the "I." And that is what we are exploring, investigating, and showing you how this becomes possible in this life. A life free from the "ego" is something that, in thought, is simply impossible to approach imaginatively. Because this is something beyond thought, beyond everything thought can produce, project, or idealize. You, in your natural Divine state, in your natural state of Being, are this state free from time and space. In this model of space, where this separation is present - we are going to touch on this here with you. We have a vision from the observer about everything: about any subject you speak of, touch upon, or address, it is always from a perspective; it is the perspective of someone who sees, from this element that is separate from that. So, we are seeing the world, life, ourselves, all experiences, from an observer who sees himself as an element separate from that.

Thus, in regard to contact with people, objects, situations, and also knowledge, it is always the idea of "someone who knows," "someone who sees," "someone who feels." So, we have present here this separation; in this separation, we have a space: this is the space of duality, of this "I" and the "other thing." Here, we have been exploring with you how to break free from this psychological condition of absence of freedom. This absence of freedom is the absence of freedom because it is the absence of the Truth of this space Free from Duality. The space we have, the space we know, is the space of this "I" and the "not-I." See how important it is to have a Real approach to this subject. Because here, we must always, constantly, touch upon with you the importance of Self-Awareness and this learning about Self-Awareness. This learning about it is having a look at life without "the one who sees," without "the one who observes," without "the one who separates himself," as an element who "feels this way," "particularly this way," "especially this way," within life, within experience. So, the end of this "element" is the end of the "I," the end of the "ego," the end of the "observer," the end of this "element" present that separates itself. Here, we have not separated the reality of the revelation of this new space without the "I," without the "ego," from the very science that reveals God, which is the Science of Meditation. So, these are playlists that we have here: what is meditation? We have returned again, and again, and again. We need to learn, in life, to unlearn this duality pattern, this "ego-identity" pattern. Our formation has been the formation of the structure of the "I." This is our mental conditioning; it is our psychological conditioning. Our psychological formation is the formation of an "identity present" all the time: speaking, thinking, feeling, acting; dealing with subjects, having knowledge - and speaking about it - dealing with people, with situations. This condition of existence is the condition of isolationism, of separatism of this identity that sees itself apart and separate from life itself. This is the absence of your natural State of Being, which is this space without the "I," without the "ego." This, in life, as it happens here and now, moment by moment, is the very Truth about Meditation. Meditation is not what people say it is. Meditation is the Reality of the Science, of the absence of "someone" present in life, in experience. This represents the truth of experiencing, because, if there is no experiencer, there is no experience either - what we have present is experiencing. If there is no "someone" in life, what we have present is Life itself. The presence of Life itself, in the absence of "someone," is the Divine Reality, is the Reality of God. So, what is meditation? It is the presence of this mystery! That is what we have called here the Real Silence. Human beings seek this; they are seeking happiness, seeking peace, seeking love, but they are doing so in this mistaken movement, which is the movement of "someone" in search, of the "person" in search. Thus, there is this "doing," this "seeking," this "searching." We place here the element of time for this to be realized. Thus, we enter various forms of mistakes, of delusions; one of them is the notion of "achieving," of "obtaining," of "realizing." Notice that these verbs are always linked to a proposal of the future; this future, we do not realize, is an imagination of thought. Because there is no such thing as the Realization of the Truth of God, of Freedom, or of Enlightenment, whatever you want to call it, in the future. There is no such thing as the future. It is thought that has created the idea of the future. Notice that life is what is here at this moment; but we have an idea that tomorrow will be different. This idea is a projection of thought about tomorrow, something that is happening now, here. This projection, this imagination, is now, here. There is no reality to this future in this imagination, or in this projection. The reality is only thought! Therefore, there is no such thing as the future, now. This future of thought is not real. We could put it another way: the reality of the future is now because this instant reveals the truth of what is. But we remain in this idealism, this futurism, this "becoming," this "should be," or "could be," or "might be." That is how we are orienting our lives, and have oriented our lives, since yesterday, from this so-called "psychological past," because that is what we also imagine about what was. Thought projects what was as being the past and projects what will be as being the future. Notice that we are always inside a game, which is the game of thought! We are like a small fly that has fallen into the web, the web of imagination; and this web of imagination has its threads, and these threads, which build this web of imagination, are thought. Can we break away from this? For the science of life, now, here, free from the past and free from the future? Notice the importance of this, the implication of this proposal being presented to you! Becoming aware that life, at this moment, revealing itself as it is - free from the past that thought constructs, and from the thought about the future that this structure of this "egoic identity" has established - a life like this, is a life free from suffering! You have, for example, no form of fear, no form of fear. Notice, our fears are innumerable. But it is simply impossible to have any form of fear now, here, when thought is not present. It only takes a thought about what might happen that is bad for "me" - see, this "me" is an imagination of "someone," of "someone" who "is present." Only when thought arises does the idea of "someone" present arise, which is the "me." And when thought arises, it creates an unpleasant, bad future for this "me"; then, fear arises. It is fascinating to have a direct understanding of Reality, of this game that thought plays, of all this game it has set up. Thought places you in time, in the past or the future; and the idea of "you" in the present. See, it is thought creating this game. The reference of "you" in the present is the memory of "something," of "someone," of some event, of some situation. And this memory of "someone" is an image; this memory of an event is something that happened in the past, or something that might happen in the future. That is how this "someone," thought, is imagining in the present. Without thought, notice, there is no "someone," there is no "I." If I ask you something, you give me an answer. At the moment you give me the answer, what we have present, at that instant, is a response of the brain due to a memory that the brain has. So, this is the answer. I ask your name, and the brain brings that answer; and, at that moment, speech happens, and you tell me your name. But what do we have here, at that instant? See how we have to investigate all this. What we have here, at that instant, is just a movement of brain memory and a brain bringing a statement of a name. But, along with that, an illusion arises: it is the illusion that there is "someone" in this process. You say: "I." See, there is no "I"; there is only the name, the memory, the remembrance, all this brain mechanism to say the name. This "I" is what thought imagines about you. What is the truth about you? You do not know. All you have about yourself is what thought says about this "I." Therefore, this "I" is this "element" that is here in the present, which is an illusion; coming from the past, which is an illusion; going into the future, which is an illusion. An approach to the truth about Self-Awareness, this learning about Self-Awareness, is to discard from life, from this body-mind, the illusion of this "I." Then, you, in your Real Nature, are present. However, you, in your Real Nature, are not in time; you are not "someone" who has a story. Because a story - we have just seen this - a story is only a record of memory, something that comes from thought, which is within this structure of brain memory and brain response, while the Truth about you is unknown. Here together, in this learning about Self-Awareness, having a clear, real vision of what meditation is, we have present the Reality of this Self, of this Divine Real Nature of each one of us. When people ask: what is enlightenment? What is spiritual awakening? It is the science that there is no "someone" to become enlightened, "someone" for Spiritual Awakening. Spiritual Awakening or Spiritual Enlightenment is the Nature of Truth! We use these expressions, but we are still dealing with words that represent absolutely nothing. Because the great truth about all this is that, when this is present, there is nothing to be said about it. The Nature of God is the Nature of the unknown, and this Nature of God is you when "you" are not. This "you," that "you" know about "yourself," is not. Thus, there is also great confusion in people's minds with this expression Self-Awareness, because they believe in a tool to improve themselves as people, to become better people. To, as people, achieve goals, dreams, and personal accomplishments; developing themselves, having self-development. Whereas the Reality of Self-Awareness is precisely the end of the illusion of "someone" to be known. It is the discarding of the illusion of this "ego-identity." Regarding the truth of meditation, it is the science of this Self, now. It is not about a distant place, in a room, with legs crossed, breathing in a certain way, the recitation of a mantra, soft music playing in the background. That is not meditation! That is meditation practice, as people practice. They could practice this, in this way, for another two hundred years, or three hundred years, and they would never understand what we are presenting here. Because here we are presenting to you the end of the illusion of the sense of "I," of the "ego." This is the science of Real Meditation. It is the blossoming of your Real Nature. The presence of the Truth of Meditation, as we need to understand this art in life, is the Truth of your Self free from the "I." Thus, where there is Real meditation, there is no meditator. The presence of meditation is now, talking to someone, driving your car, working, within an intellectual or physical activity, while you talk to a person, while you watch TV, while you walk, while you have lunch, or have your snack, there does not need to be "someone" there; only the science of life, life in expression. Life in expression, without "someone" present, is meditation. It is in living; it is moment by moment, a life free from the "ego," which naturally represents a life free from time - past, present, and future - because it is a life free from thought. Here I refer to that thought which gives structure to this illusory identity, which is "special," which sees itself in this "specialness" of "being someone" moving within this idea of time and space. What we have is the Reality of Life. What we have is the Truth of Being. The beauty of this life is the beauty of Happiness, of Completeness, it is the beauty of Bliss, of your natural state of Beatitude, of Completeness, of Abundance of Love. Abundance, yes, Abundance of Peace, Abundance of Happiness. You, in your Natural State, in your Divine State, are the one who looks free from this notion of "someone" in the looking; you are the one who listens without this notion of "someone" in the listening; you are the one who feels without this illusory idea of "someone" in the feeling. That is why we are here with you, showing you what life in non-duality is. Advaita is the vision of non-duality. It is an expression in Sanskrit for the first without the second. The first without the second is the Divine Reality. The only Reality in life is Life. This Life is God, this is Advaita. Here, we are working this with you, discovering this science of meditation. Practical Meditation is different from the practice of meditation. Here, it is about Practical Meditation. All the time, we are working this with you here in these meetings. Showing you how to become aware of meditation in practice. It is not about practicing meditation, but about the science, the vision of life, here and now, where Meditation, in Practice, is happening. These meetings of ours here are online meetings that take place on weekends. Saturday and Sunday, we are together, in this contact with silence, in this contact with this approach to self-enquiry, self-investigation, meditation, we are working with you. You have here in the video description our WhatsApp link to participate in these online weekend meetings. In addition to these meetings, we have face-to-face meetings and also retreats. If what you just heard is something that makes some sense to you, here is an invitation. Go ahead and leave your like, subscribe to the channel, and leave a comment here: "yes, it makes sense." Ok? And we'll see each other. Thanks for the meeting and see you next time.

December, 2024
Gravatá-PE, Brazil
Further information

Joel Goldsmith | The Master speaks | What is Self-awareness? | Master Gualberto

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

Today, I will read an excerpt from Joel Goldsmith's book called "The Master speaks." In an excerpt from this book, Joel Goldsmith makes the following comment: "For this purpose it becomes necessary that we begin with the knowledge that we are not our feet, legs or torso, but that we are a state of consciousness appearing to the world as a body." In this excerpt, Joel Goldsmith comments on knowing ourselves, also called "self-awareness." Can the Master share his vision of what self-awareness is?

MG: Gilson, the great truth about Self-awareness is that there is no such thing as this "I" to be known. What, in general, people call "self-awareness" is the movement of recognizing thought itself and how this memory-reaction mechanism is working. You see, this memory-reaction, this psychological conditioning, is exactly this "I." The "I" is nothing other than this: a movement of memory-reaction, a set of evaluations, beliefs, opinions, concepts, memories, recollections of experiences. This gives us the illusion of a present identity, responding to life, relating to life as a separate element of life. Basically, this is the "I."

Thought has constructed, through ideas, which are sets of thoughts, systems to deal with this movement, which is the movement of present conditioning - in other words, to deal with the ego, with the "I" itself -, and thought has called this "tool of self-awareness," but the great truth about Self-awareness is that there is no such thing as someone present in life, separate from it, being the experiencer of it. The notion that thought has constructed in us, that this movement of thought has constructed in us, that this "I" has, that this ego has, is that we are, in life, being the experiencers of it. This is an illusion! The only Reality present is Life as It happens.

This movement that we call "I" is only the movement of this consciousness, as consciousness is acting in this body-mind, but this consciousness is still part of this movement, which is the very movement of reaction of memory, of thought. Here, we have to approach the awareness of Self-awareness, and the awareness of Self-knowledge will show us that there is no such thing as someone present to know oneself. Investigation of the nature of the "I," of this "me," of this ego, of this person, the investigation of this is the end of this psychological condition of existence, of illusory existence, separate from life, being, from life, the experiencer of it.

That's what we are proposing here for you: to become aware that there is no such thing as someone to be aware of anything, anything. The truth of this is Awakening, the truth of this is the end of illusion, it is the end of this idea of ??someone present in this dream, in this dream of existence, in this dream of separation, in this dream of duality. This requires a life dedicated to the Comprehension of Life. This requires this listening, this perceiving, this becoming aware of what is present here, without putting this element that we had just mentioned a moment ago, which is just a movement of memory, of reaction, something that comes from the past, within this. The importance of these meetings is that here, in them, we are becoming aware of this.

When This flourishes, when the Clarity of This is present, there is the presence of Intelligence. See, it is not someone in intelligence, it is not someone intelligent, it is the Awareness of Life as It happens. This is Intelligence! So, it is about the expression of Intelligence itself in this body and mind, but it is not someone intelligent. There is great confusion about this Natural State, and that is what I have been calling it for a long time. Here, it is not about a special state, something extraordinary. Yes, we are faced with something quite unusual, in the sense that what is common to all of us is something simple to be recognized by the model of thought itself, which recognizes everything that is part of it, and this matter is not part of thought. In this sense, this Natural State is something, yes, exceptional, unusual. It is about your Divine State, your State of Pure Intelligence.

This is what some call Enlightenment or Spiritual Awakening. Therefore, the truth of Self-knowledge is the awareness that there is a Reality present beyond the "I"... beyond the "I," this psychological model of existence, of a present identity moving in this idea of ??being the owner of the body, the lord of the mind, acting in life. There is no such thing! This relationship with life based on this belief, this "belief-feeling-thought," has placed us in a position of separation between Life as it happens and this element that approaches It. So, this element is the experiencer and "life" is the experience. This division is arbitrary, it is mistaken. This division is a fantasy, something that thought has produced.

It is interesting that this is said here. We trust in this, believe in this and live this because of this state of ignorance of the Truth about ourselves, which means that we are only maintaining a dream condition, a dreamlike condition of existence. That is why it is called "Awakening," because it is the end of this dreamlike state of sleep, of dream that humanity has been living for millennia. The Flourishing of your True Nature is the Awareness of Awakening from this dreamlike state, from this state of dream, of sleep, of unconsciousness. It is within this condition that we are seeing the world as it is, life as it is: confusion, disorder, suffering, problems, conflicts. Human beings have established their lives within this format, within this pattern. This is because they lack this Awareness of Truth, which is the Awareness of your Being, which is the Awareness of God. So, we are here to, in this life, go beyond this condition, go beyond this dream. We are here for Awakening.

GC: Master, within this theme of Self-Awareness, we have a question from a subscriber here on the channel, Lígia. She asks the following question: "Good evening, Master. Thank you. Does the projection of the conscious astral body facilitate Real Self-Awareness?"

MG: Gilson, we are still faced with a condition of perception of separation and duality. When you dream, you do not dream in your physical body. When you dream, you are using a subtle body in the dream, and you are also having an experience of the world. So, there is someone present, separate from the world, having a body, having thoughts and being conscious. This is the condition of the dream state that we have at night. This so-called "astral projection" ... What is the basic difference? There is the presence of a body, there is the presence of a world, there is the presence of this feeling of "I" and this consciousness of perceiving the world as something separate from this "I." You see, we are within the same principle of separation, of duality.

So, in the waking state, which is ours, in the dream state, which is the one at night, and in this so-called state of astral projection, in these three states the principle of duality of this "I" and the non-"I," of this self-consciousness is always present. Your question is whether this helps. The state of the psychological condition of duality is something to be investigated at this moment. Wherever there is this psychological condition of duality, there will be separation, and in this separation, the psychological condition of disorder, confusion, conflict, and suffering is established.

The basis for this Realization is Self-Awareness. No mental state where duality is present - ??naturally, because it is a state of the mind itself - can be of help, of assistance. So, it does not matter what psychological condition or mental state a person is in. In this "sense of person," there is this principle of duality, of separation. This is what needs to be investigated, to become aware of the reality of what you are here and now.

We have created these divisions, which are divisions that do not proceed. We are dealing with the same movement of consciousness of the "I": waking, dreaming, deep sleep, astral or spiritual world, or access to other planes. If there is an element present, separate and apart, if this experience is the experience for the experiencer, duality is present, illusion is present. Breaking with this is the end of duality, it is the end of this experience for the experiencer, it is the end of this condition of the past, of experience to be remembered. The remembered experience, the recalled experience, is the movement that declares the presence of this record of the experiencer. Wherever there is a record, there will be this element that records. So, there will always be this separation: the one who records and that which one records.

We have to abandon all this, leave behind all types of so-called "spiritual" searches or experiences so-called "spiritual," because in these experiences the element of experience is always present. Wherever there are experiences, there will be the element of experience. This element of experience is separate from experience; what it has of experience is the record of sensation, of pleasure, of recognition, of experience, of memory. The Reality of Awakening is the end of experience, the end of the experiencer, of the world where there is an element present in it, separate and apart from it. We are faced with something indescribable, something outside of the known, something that is no longer within this process of duality, of separation.

The Reality of this Being is the Divine Reality. This Reality is not subject to experiences. So, when you have experiences, you are there and experience is there too. So, separation is present, duality is present. Naturally, the record remains, and this record is memory, due to the presence of separation, due to the presence of this duality. All of this is still within this dream. Each and every spiritual experience is within the dream. People talk about the expansion of consciousness... No matter how much this consciousness expands, no matter how broad, extensive and extraordinary this experience of expansion of consciousness is, this expansion of consciousness requires the presence of a center. So, there is the center and there is expansion. This expansion from a center is still a movement where there is a separation between this present element and this experience of expansion.

Wherever there is a center, there will be a space around that center, and however much that space changes and expands, it will still be a space for that center. So, there is the center and there is the space. We are facing something that some classify as an "experience of expansion of consciousness" or "spiritual experience." Yes, spiritual experience, experience of expansion of consciousness, but wherever there is experience, there is not the Reality beyond the known, we are still within the known, within that which the mind identifies, recognizes and perceives, and if that consciousness does that, that is still part of that consciousness. That is not what we are dealing with when we talk here to you about this awareness of what is beyond experience and the experiencer, beyond the center and the periphery. It is something that is beyond this center and this space that it creates.

GC: Master, we have another question from another subscriber, José. He makes the following comment, asking: "Master, who is Enlightenment for, after all?"

MG: Gilson, there is no such thing as Enlightenment. Reality is the end of the dream, it is simply the end of the dream! It is not the end of the dream for someone, it is just the end of the dream! The end of the dream of someone. You see, it is different. It is the end of the dream, of this dream of someone. Someone is the presence of the dream; when the dream ends, this "someone" of the dream also ends. We have the Reality of the Vision of That which is beyond the known present, but there is no someone in it. It is the Awareness of Real Life as It Is. And here, when I say, "as It Is," I mean Real Life. Not this life as we know it. Life as we know it is the life of someone who knows life. So, life as it is, for someone, is the dream.

So, it is not about Enlightenment for someone, it is about the end of the illusion of someone for Enlightenment. Expressions like "Spiritual Awakening," "Spiritual Enlightenment," "God-Realization," are just expressions! They speak absolutely nothing about the Truth. There are no words that can describe That which is outside of what can be described. All the words we use are always pointing to something that thought identifies, classifies, specifies, points to, names. The Awareness of Truth is Truth as It is, but It is not something that thought can reach, that it can point to or describe, or about which it can clarify anything.

Thus, the Awareness of Reality is unnamable, it is indescribable. Intellect cannot reach it, thought cannot reach it, the mind cannot reach it. So, for whom is Enlightenment? There is no such thing as "someone" and there is no such thing as Enlightenment. Once the Clarity of this is present, it is only the Clarity of this present, it is the Reality of this present. There is not a someone. This is Divine Reality, something outside of anything that thought can elaborate, clarify, explain, specify and name.

Here, in these meetings, we are becoming aware of this, but it is paradoxical, because the awareness of this is something that reveals itself when someone is not there. So, the great truth is that this awareness is possible, but no one can be present in this awareness. When Truth is present, no one remains. When Reality shows itself, no one remains to see this Reality, nor anyone to show this Reality.

This is beyond thought, beyond intellect, beyond the "I."

GC: Thank you, Master. Our time has come to an end. Thank you for another videocast.

And, for those of you who are following the videocast until the end, I would like to extend an invitation. If you have a real and sincere desire to understand these truths, to truly know yourself, I invite you to participate in the meetings that Master Gualberto provides. These meetings are much deeper than these videos here on YouTube, because, in these meetings, in addition to Master Gualberto answering our questions directly, he shares this State of Presence in which He lives and, in this sharing, we end up taking a ride on this Silence in which the Master lives, in this Presence, in this Power, and this helps us a lot in this Self-awareness, in the understanding of what is 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 and subscribe to the channel, if you are not already subscribed, and also leave a comment here, bringing questions for us to bring to the next videocasts.

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

December, 2024
Gravatá-PE, Brazil
Further information

What is thinking? What is thought? Learning about Self-awareness. Spiritual Intelligence.

Here, in these meetings, our approach is for comprehension, which requires studying the truth about who we are, because our interest here is in comprehending ourselves. Studying who we are, the way I see, is the most important thing in life.

We have some things to tell you here in these meetings, and we are always returning to the basis, our basic vision, the structure, the foundation of all this. And what is the foundation of everything we discuss here with you? What is the basis of all this? The basis is the awareness of Truth, which requires Spiritual Intelligence for this comprehension. There is no possibility of any Real Intelligence for our lives, for dealing with any external issue out there, without first having a basis, which is this Divine Intelligence, which is this Spiritual Intelligence.

Our relationship with the world is a conflictual relationship. Note that in life there is a challenge, and this challenge consists of learning about life, understanding life, and approaching it in a way that makes life, as it happens for each one of us, truly happy, light, in peace, in love, and yet this is not how it has been happening. We are in conflict, we have problems, and we do not know how to deal with these problems.

So, why are these problems present? Note that problems consist of this inability we have to respond to what arises in a complete, adequate way. When a situation arises, and life consists of things happening, and there is no way to escape, in life, from being in relation with everything around us, because life consists of relations.

We are in relation with people, with situations, with events, with the unexpected, for example, a medical diagnosis, an illness that appears suddenly. Life consists of challenges happening. Our inability to deal with these challenges is what constitutes a problem. The problem arises when we do not have this ability to deal with life as it happens, and we do not have this ability when we lack this Intelligence.

See, here I refer to the Truth of Intelligence, I refer to Real Intelligence. The way I see it, Intelligence is not the simple ability to deal with merely technical and functional issues and problems in life. Yes, we can have a level of intelligence at this level. When the bathroom sink has a clogged problem, we call the plumber or personally set out to resolve the issue. This issue is a technical issue.

When your car has a problem, you have a technical issue to resolve, and this naturally requires a certain capacity, a certain skill, knowledge, experience, so there is a certain level of intelligence for technical matters. But here we use this expression in a very specific way. We are interested here in discovering the truth of Divine Intelligence, of Spiritual Intelligence, because it is not about this intelligence to resolve technical matters, this particular intelligence. Here it is about the Intelligence to deal with life as it happens, as it appears.

A plumber, a mechanic, a doctor, they are specialists, so they understand that area, they have the knowledge, the know-how to deal with that issue. So, when we need a doctor, or a mechanic, or a plumber, we look for a specialist and they help us.

So, dealing with issues at this level in life is basically very simple, but dealing with internal states within us - note this - dealing, for example, with the suffering that arises when we realize that someone has what we want to have, they have just bought it, and our desire for it is big, but we know that we cannot afford it, and then a pain arises. When this pain is present, what is present is a very bad, unpleasant feeling, it is an intense pain: this pain of envy.

Maybe you say: "No, I am not envious." Yes, you are not envious now, but these internal, psychological states arise in us in an unexpected way, and we greatly underestimate these states. We believe, at that moment, that we do not suffer from jealousy, attachment, envy, fear, until something arises, something happens. Then, suffering arises, the psychological condition shows itself. And the great truth is that we know nothing, absolutely nothing about how to deal with this pain, it is present.

In general, what we do is run away from this pain. We have several ways of escaping, of running away, and this is well known in psychology. We have several ways of escaping, of escaping from this pain, from this experience. We go to the psychotherapist for help, and he teaches us how to resignify it, for example. But what is resignify? We have temporary relief from the pain, a transition to a new state where, apparently, there is no more pain, but the sense of ego is present, pain is present.

Here with you, we are trying to discover how to go beyond this sense of "I," of the ego, so that we are no longer caught off guard by these states that we do not know how to deal with. So, every day we have to deal with ourselves, with what we are in this psychological condition of ego-identity.

So, when we say to you here that our psychological condition in life, in existence, is conflicting, it is because it is in fact conflicting. It always carries some level of discomfort, of problem, of suffering. So, dealing with life means having contact with the present moment, in the face of this challenge that arises, whether physical or psychological, with the ability to not allow this moment to become a problem - because we do not have this ability, which is the ability to deal with this challenge.

The truth about this is that since we were children, we were not educated to have a direct approach to life, in it, of it. We are constantly running away from unpleasant states that arise, escaping in this or that other way, from this pain, from this psychological condition of internal pain, present in this sense of this ego-identity.

Usually, we are living with this sense of "I;" usually, we are living with this feeling of "I" and with all the problems that it represents, without having the slightest idea of ??how to actually deal with it. Is it possible to have a life free of problems? Which means dealing with each situation that arises, whether external or internal, in such a way that it does not become a problem.

In this sense of the "I," of the ego, the lack of understanding of how we function and how to deal with this functioning, has shown itself to be a state of suffering for each of us. And it is clear that our relationship with the world around us, especially with the people closest to us, is naturally affected by this.

Because our life is made up of relations. We do not live as an isolated island, we live in constant contact with the people around us. At all times, we are talking to people, dealing with the situations that arise, with the events that occur, and the basis for these external relations with this external world consists of the relations we have with ourselves internally.

Here we have emphasized with you the beauty of this learning about ourselves, of this learning about Self-awareness. The vision of the truth about yourself reveals to you something beyond this idea of ??being present as someone in the experience. It is only in this sense that the expression Self-awareness is used here.

It is not about someone having knowledge of the person that one is, it is about the awareness that there is no person when we have direct contact with this investigation of the truth about ourselves. Then, we come across That which is beyond this illusion, beyond this idea of ??a person being present. And when we are beyond this, Something reveals itself outside of this consciousness, which is the consciousness of the "I."

So, we have emphasized with you the important issue, the important question of the end of the "I," of the end of the ego, of the end of this element that carries within itself all this disorder that makes it a creature in trouble, with a problem, living within this limitation imposed by a set of beliefs, opinions, judgments, evaluations, by a model of thinking and feeling present within this context of human history. So, we are faced with mental conditioning. This mental conditioning in this person is the problem.

So, here, we have to investigate the nature of the "I," where it is situated, where it finds itself, perceiving the illusion of what it represents, becoming aware of the end of this limitation, of this mental conditioning, for Something new present, Something beyond this ego, beyond this "I." So, the resolution of this basic problem, which is the problem of the "I," this gives you the basis for this Spiritual Intelligence, to deal with life as it happens, without this element that sees itself separate from life. And if it is not present, life flows precisely as it is: without conflict, without contradiction between what is Divine and what is profane.

There is a vision today, now, here, in life, free from this sense of conditioned mind, of ego-identity. This is the presence of this Spiritual Intelligence, due to this comprehension of the truth about yourself. So, to face life as it happens, without the sense of ego present, is to be in this same vision of life, in line with life, in this flow with life. A life in Freedom requires the presence of this self-investigation.

Here the difficulty is that we were not educated for self-investigation. We are living within the same program that runs in everyone. Our movement is still the movement of seeking external achievements in things, in havingnew relationships, in the conquest of material goods and the search for affective, emotional, sentimental fulfillments. There is a constant search for sensation, for pleasure.

So, we are living within a context of human culture where conflict is present, fear is present, because the pursuit of what thought has idealized as love, happiness is present. It is a mere search for sensations, for fulfillments and external achievements. So, we spend our entire lives within this old condition, habitual condition, routine condition, conditioned condition, in this mental condition, sentimental condition, without the awareness of Something beyond all of this.

And here we are with you investigating the nature of this Divine Awakening, this Spiritual Awakening, which requires the presence of this Intelligence, for a free life, as was stated a moment ago, in lightness, Freedom, Love, Happiness. The human being lives stressed, anxious, worried, depressed, anguished, in this old game of replacing what makes him unhappy, sad and a sufferer, with something that he believes will make him happy, fulfilled and without suffering. But this never happens, because the basis, the foundation of all of this is this limited psychological condition of this ego-identity. This is what the life of the human being consists of.

Here we are seeing with you how to attain the end for this. That is why we have to investigate the nature of thought, what thought is in you, because it is based on thought that this psychological life is affirmed, positioned and moves. So, what is thought? Another question is: what is thinking?

Here, there is a playlist available for you to investigate this subject: what is thought, what is thinking, this learning about Self-awareness and this Truth of Spiritual Intelligence. This is what we are working on here with you, for a truly free, happy life, where Divine Reality is present, something outside of the known. So, life understood in its entirety is not the ability to resolve technical issues, but rather to live free of problems, because the sense of "I," of the ego is no longer present. This is a Life in Wisdom, this is a Divine Life, this is a Life in God.

Here, within these meetings, we are investigating with you how we function, for this Divine Awakening, for this Awakening of Intelligence. We have meetings here online on the weekends. On Saturday and Sunday, we are together and, through questions and answers, within a contact with Silence, with this approach to Meditation, working on this with you.

In addition, we have in-person meetings and retreats. If this is something that makes sense to you, here is an invitation. Leave your "like" here, subscribe to the channel and say: "Yes, that makes sense." Ok? And we'll see you. Thanks for the meeting and see you soon!

December, 2024
Gravatá-PE, Brazil
Further information

Learn about Self-Awareness. Self-Awarenessand Mindfulness. Self-image: psychology.

Here we hope that we can truly, in this meeting, indeed, have an encounter. Notice that, in an encounter, a main element within an encounter is Sharing. Whenever you meet someone, what lies behind this intention of the meeting is, naturally, a sharing. And here we are sharing together. There is a sharing of something that is present here. But this sharing becomes impossible when we do not meet.

Here we have a topic that we have worked on a lot with you: the beauty of this Learning, the truth of Learning. And this Learning requires exactly this encounter. There is a difference between learning and having learned. When, for example, you make use of knowledge, the use of this knowledge is due to something that was learned. So, what differentiates an encounter of revelation from wisdom?

Here, our topic is the Awakening of Intelligence, of this Spiritual Intelligence. What differentiates this Awakening of Spiritual Intelligence from the search or the formation of knowledge-a meeting with knowledge that is learned, has been learned, and is now known and mastered-from the science of learning? Here, learning is the verb in action; it is a continuous act, here, at this moment. It is in this learning that the possibility of this flourishing of intelligence resides. I refer to Divine Intelligence, Spiritual Intelligence.

Here, with you, we are discovering how to bring an end to this psychological condition of disorder, which is the condition of the "I." Notice, the sense of "I" in us is the sense of psychological continuity. Just as the expression of learned knowledge, the more it is expressed, the more it reinforces memory. Notice, let us calmly put this here for you. Let us see the difference between this learning, in this moment, in this continuous act, and this "I learned," this learning as we know it. While this learning, as we know it, resides in acquired knowledge, this learning, at this moment, is something different because in this continuous act there is an understanding, moment by moment, of life as it is happening. This is what forms the Sage; this is what forms the new, the unexpected, the Unknown, which is this Presence of Divine Reality, of this Being, something that we are in our Real Nature.

Simplifying all this, you, in your Real Nature, are the nature of Truth, of this learning, moment by moment, in this contact with life, in this instant. In this contact with life, in this instant, this learning exists. And in this learning resides the Science of Truth, the Vision of Wisdom.

And this is what we are working on here with you, on this channel, when we propose to you the perception of this Divine Intelligence that you carry in your Real Nature, that you carry in your Being, which is different from this model of "I learned," which requires an accumulation of knowledge. Notice this: for practical purposes in life, the knowledge that is learned is fundamental. You need knowledge in various areas of life. Technical, professional knowledge is functional. It allows you to work in a profession, in an occupation, in a job. So, this is essential, this is fundamental! In this sense, learned knowledge, the knowledge that is acquired, is necessary.

Now, we have a type of knowledge that we acquire that is completely useless. And this is what I want to address here with you. We do not need this kind of knowledge that is learned, stored, and memorized. This is because this quality of knowledge gives life to this sense of "ego-identity." This life is the artificial life of an isolationist, separatist "center" that keeps us within life in a state of ignorance rather than Wisdom. It seems that now it begins to become clear to you.

The psychological condition of being someone is something we have learned. I will give you an example: you learned to feel hurt, offended, diminished, rejected, nullified by others because of the words they direct at you. And how did you learn this? You learned this by constructing an image, which is the image you have of yourself. This is how we build this "ego-identity." It is something present due to culture, learning, and training. Within this context of our relationships, we have learned to feel important and unimportant; to live in self-esteem and to suffer from low self-esteem. So, we have learned to live nurturing this sense of "I," of this "person" we are. This is something learned. Not only have we learned, but we also cultivate this learning and reinforce it.

So, there is this continuous movement in this psychological sense of "being someone," of identity formation, of identity sustenance. This identity is a fictitious identity, an illusory identity, an illusory center of existence where this "self-image" is affirmed, which is the image you have of who "you are." When someone compliments you, this reaches this "self-image," and it feels good, validated, valued, glorified, important, and proud of itself. Then, a compliment fills you. It fills this "self-image" with satisfaction and pleasure! So, when a compliment reaches you, it makes you, who is this "self-image," feel very good about the other person. So, you like them. This is the cultivation of the "self-image."

This is the cultivation of this form of learning that maintains and sustains this sense of separation-separation from the other, separation from life. This psychological condition within us is a condition of alienation from Real Life, which is life free from the "ego," life free from the "I," because this is situated precisely in the "I."

So, we see this as something positive, but in reality, we are facing a very delicate situation that is feeding this sense of the "ego," fostering this principle of duality, of separation, and therefore, of suffering. Because not everyone praises you, not everyone gives you pleasure, satisfaction, and egoic fulfillment. Some also defame, criticize, censure, and insult you. When you hear this or become aware of it, it hurts the "self-image."

So, when you are touched by flattery, you feel happy, but when you are touched by criticism, you feel bad, upset, angry, and outraged. We are giving you an example here of the kind of learning we have received within this world context that sustains this continuity of this false identity, which is the identity of the "self-image," of this "me."

What is the truth about you? Not what someone else thinks about you, or what you think about yourself. Not what you have learned from culture about who you are, or what you believe culture declares about who you are.

What culture tells you about yourself is what we carry within us due to conditioning received from culture-political, philosophical, religious culture, and this culture of others' opinions. This has given us the formation of a "self-image." So, this form of learning is not the Truth of understanding yourself. It is the falsification of the Truth about you.

We need a new way of learning. We need to learn about Self-Awareness, which is precisely becoming aware of this background of psychological conditioning we carry, this format of learning we have received from human history, human culture, human values, which has given shape to this sense of the "ego." See how important this is for your life! Anxiety, depression, anguish, fear, worry, rejection-all this, and much more, is sustained precisely in this "self-image," in this idea of "being someone," in this image that thought has built about who you are.

Because, notice, all of this is a construction of thought.

Here we are working on this with you: the end of this psychological conditioning and, therefore, the end of this quality of thought, the end of this "self-image." So, you need knowledge that is acquired and that gives you a professional, functional, technical formation. But you do not need the "self-image"; you do not need the psychological model of existence that humanity knows.

This psychological complexity of "being someone" in life is sustaining, feeding, and continuing every kind of suffering, every kind of problem, every kind of confusion in our lives. Because these "our lives," this is not the Reality of Life; it is the reality of the "particular life" of this illusory identity.

Thus, we are here looking at the beauty of this learning about Self-Awareness. This learning about Self-Awareness requires this vision of Self-Awareness in Full Attention. When someone compliments or criticizes you, it touches this "self-image." When, at this moment, you discover the beauty of what Full Attention is-at that moment, just listening and paying attention to what life is showing here and now, at this moment-this breaks with the conditioning of learning in inattention. This learning in inattention sustains the continuity of the image, of the "self-image." Notice how simple this is.

When listening to me, you either agree or disagree. This proves that this Listening does not contain this attention. When there is this attention, within this attention, there is Listening. And in this listening, there is no "you" to agree or disagree.

This is an example of what this attention is in this Listening. Listening to what the other says is not agreeing or disagreeing. Listening to what the other says is just listening. In this Listening, a new energy is present. This energy allows you to learn. Just learn and not reinforce knowledge you already have by agreeing or disagreeing; and not accumulate new knowledge from what the other says, in this old and traditional learning, learning, acquiring, accumulating knowledge.

So, notice the beauty of this encounter with this Listening, which allows you to learn without accumulating. When there is this Listening, what the other says becomes clear, but there is no accumulation. There is no record! There is only an understanding of what the other says.

See, it is not about agreeing or disagreeing; it is not about storing what the other says, turning it into knowledge for this "self-image." In this Listening, we have the presence of this attention to this moment. And, in this Listening, in the presence of this attention to this moment, there is Understanding. In this Understanding, we have Learning. Do you see the difference? This does not give shape to the "I." This discards the sense of an identity, which carries a self-image, which carries self-importance, which lives in this liking or disliking of what it hears.

So, we have now presented this directly to you. We have just presented this very directly to you. What is essentially this learning about Self-Awareness? It is being in this attention to this moment, without valuing this "self-image," which is a structure created and sustained in you by thought.

This "self-image," psychology touches on this but does not delve into it as we are presenting it here. We are working with you on ending this "self-image." In general, people value this "self-image." When they speak of "self-image" in psychology, in general, they are valuing this "self-image," giving it training to better deal with life's situations.

In other words, in another way, they are only fostering even more the formation and consolidation of this "self-image." So, people are greatly concerned, in a mistaken way, with changing this "self-image," improving this "self-image," perfecting this "self-image."

And here we are telling you that the realization of the Truth about you is what is present when there is an end to this "self-image." This is the discarding of the "self-image." Something possible when we bring to this moment this attention to our reactions, to any thought, feeling, emotion, or sensation that appears here, in this instant; when, for example, in the example we just gave, you are criticized or you are complimented.

So, notice the value of this, understand the value of this for your life, and if, at the end of this "particular life," of this sense of the "ego," which lives within this position of "up and down," as on a seesaw, it is either well or poorly. These internal psychological states, in this "ego-identity," are conflicting states because of this duality. Because we are either well or unwell, either fulfilled or empty. Feeling validated or invalidated; appreciated or depreciated; loved or hated; accepted or rejected.

What are we doing here together? We are breaking with this pattern of "egoic identity." We are understanding the truth about Self-Awareness.

So, we are exploring this here with you. We have the possibility, in this life, of realizing the Truth of what we are, going beyond this "self-image." This requires learning about Self-Awareness. So, the truth of Self-Awareness is something that is closely related to the presence of this Full Attention. And here this Full Attention is not the full attention of a technique, a method, a tool for the self-improvement of the "I"; it is the science of reality revealed in this instant when the "I" is not present, when the "ego" is not present.

So, approaching yourself is awakening in this life. This awakening is the discarding of this sense of the "ego," this sense of the "self-image."

Here we are discovering together how, in this life, to have, in this existence, the flourishing of the truth about who we are, the awakening of this Spiritual Intelligence, of this Divine Intelligence. This is what we are working on with you here. Realizing this in this life is becoming aware that there is a present reality. And this reality is not the reality of the "person"; it is the reality of God.

Human beings have lived on planet Earth for many years. We have been here for millennia. And we still have not become aware of Reality, that there is something present beyond the known; there is something present beyond this notion we have of time and space; there is something present, and this something is the Divine Reality.

Human beings have always been curious, and in their dissatisfaction, they have always sought to discover if there really is something beyond all this. The Sages who have appeared in this scenario, in this dream of existence, have told us about this Reality. But the human intellect came and organized the words of the Sages, and thus we created organized religions.

But notice, the purpose in life is to become aware of divine life. In this sense, the purpose in life is to become aware of Reality, yes, of the reality of God. But this is not something within the realm of the intellect. The intellect cannot grasp the real meaning of this, of this Divine Reality, which is the Reality of God.

So, contact with the Truth of this Being, this Real Being, beyond this "self-image," beyond this "egoic sense," is indeed contact with the Truth of God. In this sense, we have the presence of Real Divine Life, of true religious life. Thus, we have the presence of this realization of God, which some call Spiritual Awakening or Spiritual Enlightenment.

Here on the channel, we have a playlist about what Full Attention is. Another playlist about Self-Awareness and Full Attention, where we are exploring this topic with you. So, becoming aware of this, realizing this in this life, is having the revelation of Self-Awareness, the importance of Self-Awareness, of this learning about Self-Awareness.

Here, we are telling you that you, in your Divine Nature, are beyond the "self-image," beyond this egoic sense. And, therefore, beyond this duality, this psychological condition, where all kinds of suffering we know exist within this conditioning, in this old learning, which is the learning of this "ego-identity." Breaking with this is the science of a new learning. Breaking with this is breaking with thought as we know it, for something that is beyond the mind, which is the Divine Truth, which is the Truth of God.

So, here on the channel, we are dedicated to this Spiritual Awakening, this Divine Realization, this Awakening of God's Intelligence. We have meetings here on Saturdays, working on this with you, Saturday and Sunday; weekends together!

You have the link to our WhatsApp group in the video description to participate in these online meetings on weekends. In addition, we have face-to-face meetings and retreats. If what you have just heard is something that makes some sense to you, here is an invitation: leave your like, subscribe to the channel, and leave a comment: "Yes, this makes sense!" All right? And we'll see each other! Thanks for the meeting and until next time.

November, 2024
Gravatá-PE, Brazil
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