It’s not a typo.
You might describe it thus:
the ineffable
the infinite
the absolute
or, as I’m minded to do (here and elsewhere), true Self.
Note: I’m using a capital ‘S’ and not a lower case ‘s’ to denote something other than our ego-mind.
Confused?
I bet.
I mean, in a dualistic world there is no one thing: there’s always two.
And that’s why, sadly, you’ll never find true happiness.
Happy, and sad; good, and bad; hate, and like; bitterness, and joy. In essence, we pay attention to our thinking which only works in an oppositional way.
But I need my thinking to survive?
Do you?
Sure, it’s handy when you need something — e.g. to ask for a drink of water or some food — but in every other situation, it always gets you into trouble.
OK, Summerhayes, tell me how I’m supposed to live?
What, no thoughts?
Nope, not at all.
Even the most Self-realised will admit to still having thoughts but they simply don’t pay them any attention. In fact, there’s no-one in a position to do so.
Still confused.
Put it like this. Rather than seeking something external to you, why don’t you go to your direct experience of life.
That’s not hard, surely?
(I don’t say that to be facetious but merely to take you away from the paradox of the words and invite you to ask some basic questions of your own experience.)
It’s a truth: everything changes, including our thoughts, feelings, emotions and the physical world.
That realisation alone should make you consider how, previously, you’ve been able to describe the formless forms.
You might argue you’re doing so because it’s the only way to make sense of the world.
Really!
What you mean to say that you need to give everything a faux label to exist?
I don’t think so.
Absent the labels, your heart would still carry on beating, your eyes seeing and your taste tasting. You don’t think them into working, do you? They just do what they do. But, most of all, you’ll continue to express yourself in the unique way you’ve always done so. In this respect, you’re no different from nature.
But what of my no-thing point?
Ah, the answer is in the formless movement of this moment.
Put it another way: when there is no thinking what is there?
There’s pure awareness; but again, those words can never really describe something beyond the ken of our logical, thinking self.
Why?
Because you’re it. The whole unformed and/or formless happening of the moment.
“emptiness is form
form is emptiness” — The Heart Sutra
I appreciate that my message, along with innumerable people who’ve said something similar, may seem out of whack with the real, dualistic world we’ve been brought up to believe in, but if you’re still seeking equanimity in the external world, perhaps it’s time to look in a different direction for the answer.
Blessings,
Julian
If you’re able to support my work through patronage then you can either do so via Patreon or buying me a virtual coffee ☕.
If you’re interested, I offer a limited number of places for coaching clients where I ask you to consider your direct experience of life and what it means to awaken to true self.