The Timelessness of Aware Presence
Aware presence is the greatest treasure. This intrinsic being, the ground of all experience, is our true nature, untouched by the transient currents of birth and death, gain and loss. To discover this inner treasure is to know to a peace that transcends the fluctuations of the phenomenal realm, a stillness rooted in the self-evident truth of our timeless existence.
The very nature of awareness defies the linear constructs of time as we conventionally understand it. All experience unfolds solely within the present moment. The “past” exists only as a memory held within the present, a mental construct arising and dissolving within the field of awareness. Similarly, the “future” is merely an anticipation, a projection of present thoughts and desires onto an imagined horizon. Neither past nor future possesses any independent reality; they cannot coexist with the immediacy of the now. They are illusory concepts, useful for navigating the practicalities of the manifested world, yet ultimately devoid of inherent being.
Because awareness is the continuous presence that witnesses the arising and passing of all temporal phenomena, it cannot itself be bound by time. It is inherently timeless.
This timelessness of awareness directly implies its ever-present nature. That which is not subject to the limitations of time cannot be born and cannot die. It simply is, an unbroken, aware presence.
Furthermore, this spaceless, timeless awareness is inherently self-aware of its own timelessness. It does not require external validation or intellectual reasoning to recognize its eternal nature. The very act of being aware of the present moment inherently encompasses the awareness of the absence of true past or future. There is a direct, intuitive knowing within awareness of its own unbroken continuity. This self-awareness is not a thought or a concept; it is a fundamental aspect of being.
It is within this direct self-awareness of timelessness that true and lasting peace resides. The anxieties and fears that plague the human experience are often rooted in our identification with the transient aspects of our being—our bodies, our thoughts, our stories, all of which are subject to the perceived flow of time and the inevitability of change and loss. However, when we recognize our true nature as the timeless awareness that witnesses these changes, we detach from the grip of impermanence. We realize that what we essentially are is untouched by the ebb and flow of the temporal world.
This realization brings a deep, abiding sense of liberation and peace. The frantic striving to hold onto fleeting moments, the fear of future uncertainties and the regrets of the past lose their power. We rest in the unwavering aware presence, the eternal ground of our being.
The inner treasure of our true nature is not something to be attained or acquired; it is the very essence of who we are, always present, always timeless, and inherently at peace in its own self-aware eternity.
The journey is not to become timeless, but to recognize the timelessness that we already are. ⬚
Frictionless Flow
If there is only one seamless field of awareness experiencing itself in myriad forms, flow cannot be a mere psychological phenomenon. Flow reveals itself as the very nature of this unified reality in motion. Flow is the inherent dynamism of awareness expressing itself through its countless modulations, the perceptions that constitute our experience.
The ingrained sense of separation that often underlies our experience of the world, the “I” that acts and the “other” upon which it acts, are revealed as temporary configurations within the singular field of Being. Just as the ocean, in its fundamental nature, is singular and continuous, yet produces as an endless array of waves, so too is reality. Awareness, the very substance of our experience, is like the ocean, and our individual perceptions—sights, sounds, thoughts, emotions—are like waves. The waves are not entities separate from the ocean; waves are temporary expressions, dynamic modifications of the ocean's inherent fluidity. Similarly, the perception and the awareness of that perception are inseparable facets of the same unified event. There is no isolated perceiver standing apart from the perceived. There is only awareness recognizing its own ever-changing forms.
When we experience flow, we are, in essence, aligning with this inherent dynamism of reality, allowing awareness to move through us and as us without resistance.
The obstacles to flow from a nondual standpoint often arise from the persistent belief in a separate self. This perceived “I” attempts to control, to manipulate, to resist the natural unfolding of experience. The separate self creates friction, a sense of striving and effort, because it believes itself to be distinct from the very reality it is trying to navigate. This is akin to a particular eddy in the ocean trying to dictate the movement of the entire current, an inherently futile endeavor.
Conversely, when the sense of separation diminishes, when we recognize ourselves as integral expressions of the unified field, the need for forceful control subsides. We begin to move in harmony with the inherent intelligence and dynamism of Being. Our actions are not driven by a separate will struggling against the world, but rather by the natural unfolding of the unified field expressing itself through our particular body-mind. The musician becomes the music, the athlete becomes the movement, the writer becomes the words. The perceived boundary between actor and action dissolves into a seamless whole.
The joy and satisfaction derived from flow states are not merely personal achievements; they are the inherent delight of Being recognizing its own vibrant and interconnected nature.
Therefore, the pursuit of flow becomes less about mastering techniques and more about cultivating a deeper understanding of our true nature. It involves dismantling the illusion of separation through the awareness of our shared being, and allowing the inherent stillness, spaciousness and fullness of aware presence to reveal itself, moment by moment.
As we naturally align with this effortless dynamism, flow becomes not a sought-after state, but the spontaneous expression of our unified reality in motion. ⬚
An Imperfect Universe?
Most people would agree that the world is full of imperfections and needless suffering. However, to seek an inherent, static perfection within the ever-shifting panorama of galaxies, stars, and fleeting life forms is like searching for a permanent wave in the ocean. The universe, in its grand and transient display, is ultimately a modality, a temporary expression within the indivisible field of awareness. Its “imperfections”—the suffering, the decay, the apparent chaos—are as intrinsic to its nature as the crest and trough are to a wave. The true perfection of the universe lies not in its static being, but in its dynamic function: as a pedagogical tool.
Consider a dream. Within its narratives we encounter moments of joy and sorrow, beauty and ugliness, harmony and conflict. To judge the dream based on its adherence to a fixed notion of “perfect” would be to misunderstand its fundamental nature as a self-contained exploration of consciousness. The value of the dream does not reside in its flawless execution, but in the experiences it offers, the emotions it evokes, and the potential for insights upon waking.
Similarly, the universe is not inherently “perfect” in the conventional sense. Its very nature is one of constant flux, of arising and dissolving forms. The suffering we witness and experience is not a flaw in the design, but an integral part of the narrative, a catalyst for investigating the nature of our experience and the validity of our separation.
The true perfection of the universe resides in its pedagogical function. Every moment, every encounter, every arising perception within awareness serves as an opportunity either to remind us of our true, undifferentiated nature, reality, or to offer an opportunity to celebrate reality. The beauty we witness—the expanse of a nebula, the delicate structure of a flower, a deep connection with another human being—serves as a direct reminder of the luminosity and love that is the very source of all existence.
The apparent imperfections, the contrasts and contradictions, are not errors in the cosmic code, but rather essential elements of the learning process. Without the experience of lack, the appreciation of abundance would be diminished. Without the shadow of suffering, the radiance of joy might go unnoticed. The universe, in its wisdom, presents us with a spectrum of experiences, each designed to chip away at the illusion of separation and guide us towards the unwavering peace of our true Self.
Therefore, the perfection of the universe is not a static attribute to be found within its boundaries, but a dynamic function inherent in its very existence. It is the perfect mechanism for a continuous pedagogical unfolding that invites us to question, to feel, to connect, and ultimately, to remember who we truly are. ⬚
Mind Creates Space and Time from the Infinite
The ultimate reality is a timeless, spaceless, unconditioned field of pure awareness. This infinite potential is the source and substance of all that is. Yet, our everyday experience is characterized by the seemingly concrete realities of time and space, populated by finite objects with distinct boundaries. How does this finite appearance arise from the infinite ground? By the activity of thought and perception, which limits the infinite nature of consciousness. This limitation or refraction creates the appearance of discrete subjects and objects in space and time.
To use the analogy of a prism, when a single, unified light is refracted, a spectrum of colors is created, each appearing distinct and separate. These colors were not inherently present as separate entities in the original light; they are the result of the light interacting with the prism.
Similarly, our thoughts and perceptions act as the prism that refracts the infinite nature of consciousness, creating the illusion of time and space and the appearance of finite objects within them. Thought, with its inherent linearity and sequential nature, separates the timeless now into a perceived past and future. Perception, through sensory inputs and the mental constructs that interpret them, creates the illusion of discrete objects existing within a spatial framework.
From the pure, unconditioned viewpoint of infinite consciousness, there are no boundaries, no divisions, no before or after. There is only ever-present awareness. The concepts of past and future, this and that, are mental fabrications, interpretations imposed upon seamless awareness.
It's not that the infinite consciousness is somehow hidden behind or beyond the finite appearance, waiting to be discovered. The infinite is not separate from what we perceive as finite. Rather, the infinite is the very substance of the finite. The seemingly limited forms and fleeting moments of our experience are nothing other than expressions within a limitless consciousness.
The water that constitutes the wave is the same water that constitutes the entire ocean. There is no “finite water” distinct from the “infinite ocean.” The finitude is in the form, the appearance, not in the underlying substance.
In the same way our experience of the world—the feeling of being a separate individual in a world of separate objects, moving through time—is an appearance created by the way our minds structure and interpret the infinite potential of consciousness. There is no truly finite entity, no truly separate object, only the appearance. All is the infinite consciousness appearing as finite through the lens of thought and perception.
This understanding facilitates the dissolution of the fundamental sense of separation. The limitations we perceive in time and space are understood as mental constructs, not ultimate realities. By becoming aware of the workings of our own minds, of how thought and perception create these boundaries, we can come to understand this about reality: the infinite is all there is. ⬚
The Same Can Be Said for Consciousness
God is not made of mind.
Matter is not made of matter.
Mind and matter are the same
to God in which they appear.
. . .
PSA:
Having a religious background can offer a familiar framework within
which to ground some of the purer aspects of nondual understanding.
The established rituals, ethical teachings, and communal support
provide a stable container for exploring the dissolution
of the belief in being a separate consciousness.
Familiar prayers become meditations on presence.
Scriptural narratives become expressions of a great oneness.
Nonduality transcends doctrine. Religious foundations offer support.
. . .
To Access Stillness
Stillness, in its purest essence, is not the absence of activity, it is the heart of experience. Stillness is the fundamental ground of consciousness, the unmoving center upon which everything revolves.
Stillness is not only peaceful, stillness is the peace. In religious language this fundamental stillness is “the peace that passes understanding.”
As such, stillness cannot be touched or tarnished by any experience. It could never become restless, agitated, or disturbed by comings and goings, thoughts and perceptions.
This stillness, then, is not something to be cultivated or achieved. Stillness is inherent in our being.
When attention shifts from body-mind identification and attachments to the infinite, unmovable center, the source of all that is—when the understanding occurs—we are whisked into the stillness, the unshakeable peace. ⬚
Coffee Shop Talk
Religious fundamentalism, it seems, was put in my path to make me rebel,
because through that rebellion I came to know truth, the truth
about awareness, that it is utterly indivisible.
Separation happens in the mind.
The That which knows the content of minds
is the only awareness there is.
Awareness, being,
is one.
Through understanding we may recognize two voices,
the voice of truth and the voice of ignorance—
ignorance of the truth. What is this truth?
That consciousness is not limited.
We are not separate entities.
This being is shared.
I do not possess a facile wit.
Thoughts take time to bubble up.
Where they come from, I think I know.
The nondual understanding allows
you to bestow everything upon God,
and trust that God will, likewise, provide
everything for you.
. . .
Meister Eckhart: “God Cannot Know Itself Without Me”
The 13th-century mystic and theologian’s paradoxical statement is not an assertion of human ego but a declaration of the intimate and inseparable relationship between the divine ground of being and its manifestation though seemingly individual consciousnesses.
For Eckhart, God, in its ultimate essence as the Godhead, is beyond all name, form, and attribute. It is the unmanifest, the primordial ground of all existence. This absolute Godhead is unknowable in its direct being. It is only through its manifestation, through the “birth of the Son” within the soul and the created world, that God comes into expression and thus, in a sense, “knows” itself.
Here, the “me” in Eckhart's quote refers not to the limited, egoic self, but to the divine spark of the soul, which Eckhart believed to be inherently one with God. This spark of the divine within each individual is the very locus where God's self-expression and self-awareness occur in the created realm.
From a nondual perspective, this aligns with the understanding that the one consciousness, the ultimate reality, manifests itself in countless forms, including human beings. Each individual consciousness is like a facet of a single jewel, reflecting and experiencing the light of the whole from a particular angle.
It is through our being, through our capacity to experience and reflect, that the unmanifest God finds expression and comes to know its own multifaceted nature in the world of form.
We are not separate entities striving to know God. We are the very instruments through which the divine knows itself in creation. We are, in this sense, the eyes through which the divine beholds its own glory. ⬚
Parmenides' Groundbreaking Argument
Parmenides, a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher of the 5th century BCE, stands as a monumental figure in Western thought, not only for his metaphysical claims but also for his revolutionary use of logic to underpin them. Often credited with the inception of formal logic in the West, Parmenides demonstrated the fundamental oneness and unchanging nature of reality, in stark contrast to the prevailing views of constant change and multiplicity.
His primary tool was an application of deductive reasoning, presented in his seminal poem “On Nature.” Through a series of logical arguments, Parmenides aimed to dismantle the very possibility of non-being, change, and multiplicity, thereby establishing the singular and eternal nature of what is.
Parmenides begins with a foundational and seemingly simple premise: “Being is, and non-being is not.” This assertion, while appearing self-evident, forms the bedrock of his entire philosophical edifice. He argues that non-being is utterly inconceivable and unspeakable. To even think or speak of “what is not” is to imbue it with a form of being, thus creating a logical contradiction. If something cannot even be coherently conceived, it cannot exist.
Next, Parmenides proceeds to dismantle the concept of change. He reasons that for something to change, it must either come into being from non-being or pass out of being into non-being. However, if non-being is impossible, then nothing can arise from it, nor can anything truly cease to exist into it. Therefore, all that is must be ungenerated and indestructible, forever remaining the same. Change, which implies a transition from one state of being to another (involving non-being as a before or after), becomes a logical impossibility.
Similarly, Parmenides tackles the notion of multiplicity. If reality were truly composed of many distinct and separate entities, there would have to be something between these entities that is not them. This “not-being” separating the “beings” would again invoke the logically impossible. For Parmenides, true Being is continuous and indivisible, a unified whole without internal divisions or external separations. To posit multiplicity is to implicitly acknowledge the existence of non-being as the space between beings, a concept his logic has already refuted.
Furthermore, Parmenides argues against motion. Motion implies that something moves from where it is to where it is not. But if non-being is impossible, there is no “not-being” for something to move into. Therefore, all that is must be eternally still and unmoved.* Our sensory experience of movement, like our perception of change and multiplicity, is relegated to the realm of illusion, a veil obscuring the fundamental truth revealed by logic.
The power of Parmenides' approach lies in its reliance on logic, independent of sensory observation, to challenge the very foundations of how reality is understood. In doing so he revealed a radical vision of a singular, unchanging, and eternal Being.
While his conclusions may seem counterintuitive to our everyday experience, his rigorous application of logical principles laid the groundwork for Western metaphysics and epistemology, forcing subsequent thinkers to grapple with the implications of his arguments. ⬚