 52. Eternal Spirit |
The conventional “subject-object” illusion (or the common illusory presumption that characterizes the conditional “self”) is the presumption that whatever arises is already (or certainly can be) Really “experienced” or “known”.
The conditional “self” is commonly presumed to be a “knower”—but, in Truth, the conditional “self” is inherently ignorant.
All conditional, perceptual, “experiential”, conceptual, or conventional “knowledge” is founded on the false presumption that conditional forms or events are familiar.
In fact, only certain formal features of arising phenomena seem familiar (due to repetition), whereas (in Truth) no thing, being, or condition (or even the conditional “self” itself) is familiar (and, thus, already and completely and really “known”).
Conditional “knowledge” and conditional “experience” (or conceptual mind and psycho-physical “experience” in general) are based upon the illusion (or the illusory psychology) of familiarity, or the constantly asserted presumption that “‘I’ (as the egoic body-mind-‘self’) ‘know’ What this or that Is.”
How can this presumption be True?
Only a moment of “consideration” will reveal that the conditional “I” does not (and cannot) “know” What any thing or conditional event or even the conditional “self” (or ego-“I”, or “self”-contraction) itself Is (altogether, Really, and Ultimately).
The conditional “self” is Inherently (or Divinely) Ignorant.
The conditional “self” is (Inherently, Always Already, and cannot ever be else than) “knowledgeless”, or bereft and free of the familiar (or the “known”). Indeed, the conditional “self” (or conventional “I”) is (itself) an illusion of “knowledge” (or of familiarity)—and, if The Inherent (and Intrinsically egoless, and Self-Evidently Divine) Condition of Ignorance is Realized in any moment, the “knowledge” of body, mind, or conditional “I” is replaced by The Mystery of Inherently bodiless, mindless, and egoless Being.
The Transcendental (or Non-conditional), Inherently Spiritual, Intrinsically egoless, and Self-Evidently Divine Reality is not other than (or separate from) the conditional reality.
Existence (or Being) is an inherent characteristic of The Non-conditional Reality and (therefore) also of the conditional reality (which arises as an apparent modification of, or a “play” upon, The Non-conditional Reality).
Existence Itself (or Being, Itself) cannot be observed or inspected (as if it were an “Object”)—because there is no “point of view” (whether Divine or Transcendental or Spiritual or conditional) that is separate from (or not Identical to) Existence Itself.
Likewise, Consciousness (Itself) cannot be observed or inspected—because there is no “point of view” relative to which Consciousness Stands as an “Object”. And Love-Bliss Itself cannot be observed or inspected—because it is never an “Object”, but It is Always Only (and Perfectly) A Subjective Reality.
Truly, of all that exists (whether conditionally or Non-conditionally), Only Existence (or Being) Itself, Consciousness Itself, and Love-Bliss Itself never appear as “Objects”, and (therefore) can never be observed or inspected (or even “experienced” or “known”) As They Are.
Indeed, These Unique Three—Existence (or Being) Itself, and Consciousness Itself, and Love-Bliss Itself—Are One and The Same.
