There's something we've been emphasizing with you: It's the way we should approach these subjects we're discussing here with you. Here we are together studying ourselves, something that involves learning about Self-awareness. And this requires a new way of looking at our experiences, at what we are living, how our life is unfolding, how each feeling, thought, emotion, sensation is processed within us, how our actions are processed within us, what drives them, what the motives are, what lies behind the action, as well as a present thought or sensation or a feeling. This is the true way to approach it.
Therefore, when someone uses the expression "mindfulness technique," it seems to me that they haven't quite comprehended that we are dealing with something that requires an encounter with the moment. Every technique presupposes prior knowledge; first you acquire the knowledge, you acquire the skill: the knowledge, the skill, and the practice of the technique. The presence of attention on this moment, on this instant, does not require technique, it requires interest. When we face something as natural as observation, it doesn't require technique.
When something interests you, you observe, you give your mind and your heart, because your interest is there-it's a simple and direct interest. Then, there's this enthusiasm, this gaze, this quality of approach, and this doesn't require technique. Thus, this attention to our reactions, to what happens within us, and externally, in our actions, words, gestures, this doesn't require technique, it requires interest, the enthusiasm to observe, to become aware of ourselves.
Therefore, when people use the expression "technique" for this mindfulness, they haven't quite comprehended what this attention is. The presence of an alert mind, aware of its reactions, is Mindfulness. This alert mind is due to this interest in looking, this joy of observing, this enthusiasm for seeing. The presence of a technique is the presence of an exercise that is learned, and everything we learn is part of memorized knowledge-so are techniques. And every exercise is part of mechanical learning.
The presence of attention is not a technique, it's not an exercise, it's not something mechanical. Therefore, we need to learn about ourselves, because that's what gives us an approach to the Truth about Life. This contact with Truth requires a mind free from all its old behavioral patterns. Look at yourself, how your mind works. Observe your inclinations, your intentions, motivations, desires.
It's very common for this inclination of the mind, this mind programmed to move in this way, which is the conditioned mind, to be looking outward, involved with its own interests; these interests are egocentric, personal, private, and this is a complete absence of attention. It is in this inattention that this quality of mind, this quality of life, is present, and this puts us in a condition of alienation from the Truth about Life and, therefore, from the Reality of Truth.
What is this encounter with Truth? It is the encounter with the Divine, it is the encounter with God. When you ask "How to find God", realize: the comprehension of Truth is this encounter with God. But Truth is not seen, comprehended, or learned intellectually. It is not the result of an exercise, a practice, or a mechanical pattern of behavior. Thus, we discard this idea, we discard this form of searching through technique. We approach it through the genuine interest of looking, observing, and becoming aware of how we function.
At every instant you encounter Life as it happens; at every moment you have the opportunity for this encounter with God. You see God as something separate from you, distant, somewhere else. Reality, Truth, God is That which is present here when this conditioned mind model no longer exists, this way of looking at life from the past, something in this background of conditioning, in this pattern of behavior of the mind trapped in the model of memory, knowledge, and experience. This is conditioning.
We need a free mind, and this free mind is born from this attention, this gaze, this Mindfulness for this instant, for this moment. It is when this entire model of personal consciousness, in this conditioned mind, is seen and discarded. This is the presence of Meditation. Once again, the presence of Meditation, as well as this Mindfulness. In general, people separate meditation from mindfulness. The presence of Self-awareness brings this attention, this quality of seeing. In this quality of perception of life, there is the presence of Meditation.
Therefore, there is no separation between Mindfulness, Self-awareness, and Meditation. What is known as mindfulness, without Self-awareness, is not real. What is seen as technical meditation or meditation practice, without Self-awareness, is not Real Meditation. When there is the presence of Meditation, there is no one in the technique, there is no "I." The truth about Meditation is the comprehension of the one who meditates, of the one who makes use of some technique, of some practice.
This element that makes use of technique, practice, or that engages with some model of effort to achieve something, to obtain something, this element is a construct of thought. It is the appearance of thought, in this pronoun "I," and here the idea of ??someone in the exercise, in the practice, or in the effort is present. When thought dissolves, this thinker is no longer present.
Therefore, the Truth about Meditation, what is Meditation? Meditation, what is it? It is the awareness of Life, it is the vision of Truth that is present here, when the model of thought, the model of the "I," of this "me," of this ego-identity, no longer exists. Your real contact with Life is the contact of this awareness of Being with the Reality of the moment. Thus, Meditation is when this Self, which is the Nature of Truth about You, which is the Divine Truth present, when it Flourishes, there comes the presence of Meditation. It is not someone in Meditation; it is Meditation when this "I" does not exist.
Therefore, we must completely discard the idea of ??someone in the exercise, in the practice or technique, just as we must discard the illusion of someone to find God. In the question "How to find God?", it is God or Truth, it is Reality, it is that which is present here, which is the Supreme, revealing itself, this encounter with God. It is not someone having an encounter, it is the Reality of God revealing itself, it is Truth revealing itself. This requires a mind free from the past, free from conditioning, free from the way we currently deal, in thought, with life, with situations, with events, with others.
Note that the way we deal with others is in the format of an encounter between people. For us, the idea of ??someone there and someone here is quite reasonable. Therefore, our thinking, in relation to others, is the idea of ??people meeting each other, the "person I am" having an encounter with "the person you are." Reality, Truth, God, is That which is present here, being the Truth about Life, the Reality about this moment. Therefore, there are no people, as we believe, having encounters.
In conditioned thinking, in this format of personal, egocentric consciousness, which is something within a context of alienation, ignorance, and illusion, we are constantly sustaining this format. Therefore, what is this real encounter, what is Meditation? What is the truth of this learning about ourselves? The expression "self-awareness" has been misunderstood in a very misguided way. Generally, self-awareness is understood as someone knowing themselves. However, if you investigate the nature of the "I," of this "person," it becomes clear that this "I" does not exist, this "person" is not real.
Therefore, it's not about someone knowing themselves. When there is Self-awareness, what is present is the awareness of Life. The Reality about Life is the Truth of this Being, and there is no person, the "I" does not exist. Thus, when we enter into this investigation of the truth about ourselves, what is revealed is as God revealing Himself, and not as a person being understood, comprehended, improving, perfecting themselves, acquiring a technique to improve as a person. Yes, because, in general, that is what is understood by self-awareness. Here we present this expression in a different way.
Self-comprehension is the end of illusion of someone; it is the perception of Silence, of Freedom, of the Bliss of Being. This is what we are insisting on with you here, this is what we are working on with you. Perceiving the Reality of the moment, becoming aware of the Truth about Life is seeing the Truth that Life is here as it is, not as thought idealizes, conceptualizes, believes, or imagines it. You were born to assume, in this life, the Truth that this Life is the only Life. It is not the life of a person, it is Life as it is. And as it is, there is the Reality of the Divine, the Reality of God.
There is no separation between what you are and Life at this instant, and the Reality of God at this moment-??that is the other. When we no longer have this illusion of the person, of this "I," of this separation, there is the presence of Truth. Once It is present, Bliss is present, Love is present, Peace is present. That's what we're working on with you in these online weekend meetings, where we're together Saturday and Sunday, two days online.
In the video description, you'll find our link to participate in these online weekend meetings; just click the link and join the group to learn more about this work. In addition to online meetings, we also have in-person meetings and retreats. If what you've just heard makes sense to you, consider this your invitation. Like the video, subscribe to the channel, and comment below: "Yes, this makes sense." Okay? See you soon! Thanks for the meeting and see you next time!
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