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#2760 - Friday, March 16, 2007 - Editor: Jerry Katz

 

Nondual Highlights

 

Highlights home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NDhighlights

 

ONE: Essential Writings on Nonduality - http://nonduality.com/one.htm

 


 

 

In the excerpt below, Cee says, Do not let the statement, "Who you really are is beyond doing and thinking," be an excuse to avoid the work of disassembling the false identity.

 

 


 

 

The Way of Knowledge

 

by Cee http://www.pne.cc/

 

(not yet published)

 

Excerpt:

 

To Do or Not to Do

 

There has been some confusion spawning from a few modern day teachers of Advaita Vedanta that teach "there is nothing you can do." This has spurned in some people a lazy and ineffective "method" of spiritual practice. Let us spend a moment to clear up the confusion. The Way of Knowledge recommends effort in practice as long as there is any semblance of an ego. The inquiry should be practiced until complete and perfect enlightenment at which time spiritual practice falls away spontaneously.

 

It is true that there is a real ego that is a performer of actions. And it is true that the perfect nondual Self is not an entity that can partake of action. As you delve into inquiry, freedom and happiness become natural. You may discover that right actions are occuring without much effort. You may find that there is no one doing anything. There is simply no doer. Is the body itself actually performing actions? The fleshy body of blood and bones certainly has no power of its own. Is there someone or some thing inside or outside the body who is the performer of actions? As you become more adept at the inquiry there may be a relinquishment of attachment to doership.

 

Similarly, you may find that there is no one thinking anything. Where exactly is the one who thinks? Hidden in the brain somewhere? Who thinks "your" thoughts? If you find no thinker, do you still exist? Of course. To know there is no particular entity causing your thinking is liberating indeed! If thinking goes on, so what? Don't think twice about it. To be free from thought is a tremendous relief.

 

Still, there should never be confusion over what to do. The practice of inquiry is simple and straighforward. You should put in great intention and effort toward your own liberation and enlightenment. Do not let the statement, "Who you really are is beyond doing and thinking," be an excuse to avoid the work of disassembling the false identity. Just because the ego turns out to be unreal, is no excuse not to examine the ego. Who performs the enquiry? The enquiry itself will answer the question. The inquiry starts out as a doing. It is an effort made by the one who seems to be in bondage. If you assume you are somebody, you cannot avoid the effort of spiritual practice. You make a heroic effort until you understand real Existence without a single doubt, until you are utterly free.

 

What starts out as doing ends up as _being_. The inquiry, "Who am I?" ends up as Existence - Consciousness - Bliss, pure Being. Real Existence has no actor or action. Once realized, it is understood that there was no action taken, the entity who thought they were not enlightened never existed, and no time was involved. "Being" is spontaneously revealed. _Until then, do practice!_

 

~ ~ ~

 

Video Satsang with Cee: http://www.pne.cc/

 

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