Return Within

All of our suffering stems from our fundamental lack of self-knowledge. If we could, even for a split of a second, catch a glimpse or our true nature all of our suffering would instantly vanish, much like the way darkness vanishes when exposed to light.

It’s impossible to attain true self-knowledge, though, as long as we continue to identify with what we are not. If we are engrossed and obsessed with the phenomenal world, all we will ever know are things that have nothing to do with the reality and essence of our being. These things are typically a culmination of thoughts, emotions, feelings, beliefs, and other mental constructs, which are nothing more than transient phenomena in the vast expanse of our awareness. Identifying with these phenomena means overlooking the deeper reality that underlies these transient experiences and failing to recognize the profound and enduring essence that exists prior to them.

To this enduring aspect of ourselves is where we need to shift our attention if we are to know the reality of our existence. “Let what comes come. Let what goes go. See what remains” is what Sri Ramana Maharshi encouraged us to do, which means that we must redirect our attention away from the transient phenomena and instead focus on the underlying substratum in which these phenomena arise and fall. When this shift of attention occurs we will come to realise that anything ephemeral cannot be who we really are. How can we be any of these fleeting things when our existence remains evident even in their absence?

Our true essence lies beyond the realms of change and decay; it is the pure consciousness that precedes and exists independently of all else. It is beyond the limitations of time, space, and form, and as such, it is boundless and eternal. If we desire liberation, we must experience ourselves in complete isolation, free from all superimpositions. Only then can we truly understand our authentic nature and transcend the constraints that bind us.

I am currently offering a 30-minute FREE online session to the first five individuals who contact me. If you are interested please feel free to reach out to me to schedule an appointment.