Spiritual Concepts are Not in Service to the Truth - 4th May 2016

So then what can happen is that we start letting go, dropping our beliefs in some thoughts, and those which are still seemingly meaningful to us, those we still pick up. And they could be the spiritual ones now, the glorious-seeming ones; those could be picked up. Now the thoughts could also change. It could feel like the mind is now changing and it has become very spiritual. Actually, it's giving you very scriptural words. The thoughts are much more well-based. Don't buy them. Because if you buy this one also, is it the presumption that 'I have become a very spiritual person' or 'I have become a very special person now because I know this which is a super glorious thing to know'? These have no value actually, no value actually. Why? Because suppose the thought is 'I am that, I am awareness.' Then if it is just a thought and not really a pointer to your looking or the real checking—you saying that 'I am awareness, I know this, I don't need to check anymore'—then it just becomes a concept.

And when life comes with its seemingly strong situations, when the mind is blasting about various things and what could happen to you and what your life will become, then you insert one more like 'What to me?' into it. So the mind is saying 'You're in big trouble,' then you're saying 'I am awareness.' 'You're in big trouble.' 'I am awareness.' It's pure suffering then, even having the thought. 'You are in big trouble, let's do it,' although it sounds funny. So this thing is such great dichotomy can happen, that your suffering actually seems to intensify when we try to counter one thought with another thought. And this is from my own experience. I remember that then I used to know all of these things and I felt like I knew everything. And then when suffering came—my business was going down the drain, there were fights at home, all this was happening—none of these concepts were really helping at all. In fact, making it worse. I think, 'If I am that, then what is it that is feeling the pain? What is suffering?' So it was just becoming words because of this.

And ultimately, even though it is greatest because that is when the conceptual framework is seen to be completely useless unless it is only a pointer for our inquiry. So the minute we get into this phase that 'I know this now and therefore I don't need to look anymore,' you must be wary of such proclamations. I'm saying that we have arrived at this level or something like that. The knowing of knowingness itself, the awareness of awareness itself, is a recognition. But for whom did awareness, which is the unchanging one, untouched one, forget itself? Does awareness, the ultimate truth, need to have a recognition of itself to remind itself of the truth? Are any words needed for awareness? And the content of any waking state, including content like satsang, can it become meaningful to that which is the ultimate truth? For to this awareness, the content of what is appearing—although all content is made up of its own dynamic aspect called consciousness—the content is completely meaningless. Therefore, for awareness, whether it is a satsang or it's a comedy show, it doesn't really matter.

And once we start to have this recognition for ourselves, then the mind starts playing very subtle tricks. The con artist also starts bringing its game now because you're starting to have the recognition of what you are. Then what is the trick? The trick could be, 'Oh yes, now you've seen that you are awareness, so what is the point of satsang? Why do I need to inquire? You are awareness, what is the need for inquiry? What is the point of satsang?' None of this. And from the point of view of awareness, all this is completely true actually. Nothing is ever really needed and nothing ever happened. Completely true. Then what is it that we are here for? You are here because there is still a sense that 'I woke up and I went to sleep.' So this sense 'I am' is still playing here. Consciousness or God is playing here. And most environments in this play are adding to the conditioning, adding to the belief that consciousness is a person. 'I am something, I must become a better person, I must become happy, I am unhappy, I am happy.' All of this conditioning is getting added in most environments in this apparent realm.

But also part of the play are these smaller points of light in which consciousness is coming to the recognition of its source, which is awareness, and consciousness letting go of all conditions that have been attached to it. Part of the play still? Yes. So the seeming teacher in the play is the point of light of unassociated being which is opening us up to the same possibility of the same truth, but actually being here, being real for ourselves. Therefore, like I say, satsang is not for the person, because not even in this phenomenal play has a person really come into existence. And satsang is not for awareness, because awareness cannot be bound or free, cannot be deluded or illuminated. Satsang for awareness is as meaningless as any other part of this play. Therefore, satsang is for what? It is for the dynamic aspect of awareness itself called consciousness, which has been clinging as if it is a separate individual entity and now coming to the recognition that 'I am made up of this awareness, therefore I am awareness itself.' I am coming to the dissolution of all personal conditions.