Effortless seeing, hearing, knowing.

The modern spiritual scene in the West is plagued by opportunists, charismatic teachers full of conceptual nonsense about 'the evolution of consciousness' and 'the perfection of the self' and every Tom, Dick & Harriet consider themselves 'an advanced soul'.
It is all humbug, total fabricated nonsense and self delusion.
– 'The Secret' is a pretty good indicator of how gullible seekers are and of how 'clever people' can manipulate ideas into a sale-able item. - Commercialism will never represent the truth, it will always distort things for its own purposes.
Like a honey trap, the viewer is tempted into a 'tunnel vision', lined with barbs and hooks to keep you trapped in the ideas - and 'self blame' is used like a weapon upon the unwary.
It is only a realm of belief in a formula, designed to feed the greedy soul, the hungry ignorant one that refuses to face reality, the fanciful self-image that is so used to fanciful notions.
In that presentation 'the source of the secret' is only hinted at – because it is their trump card and they know that it is only a crutch. – It is their own beliefs that they are peddling and at the root of the imputus they want a 'payout', 'more and more' – greed and manipulation are the ingredients most obvious.
Speaking of such, take a look at any of the popular gurus – they are infested with conceit and their own special-ness – and so their followers learn the same patterns of behavior. – It is the conceited self-image that clouds the clear view. (to be fair, I should add that there are one or two who don't fall into that old concieted guru trap - but they are few in number)
I am sure these gurus say many wonderful things and know exactly how to appeal to the 'hungry seeker'. - They may smell like a freshly baked cake – but take a real bite of it and what you find is that it is a hollow façade, a cream puff with no nutrition at all.

The integrity of a genuine 'messenger' can never be tempted to lead anyone into any belief structure whatsoever. – He (or she) avoids being the centre of attention, where possible. - He says “take a look – see for yourself” – "Test what I am saying and know the truth of it for yourself – there is no other way".
Fancy self delusional concepts can never bring you back to the immediacy of ‘this moment’ – they always lead the mind away into realms of more and more belief and the only one making that journey is the 'me', and that is just a bunch of concepts - idea about oneself.
All this nonsense about 'consciousness evolving' is ludicrous sales talk.
Consciousness is THIS Immediacy and it cannot be anything 'other' than THIS.
The illusion in the minds of seekers, that their own consciousness is evolving is the 'hook' for getting sucked in - The only thing that can 'appear' to be acquired in consciousness is a concept.
The whole guru game is a fraud and if you can find me a guru that will admit that, then I will sing his praises. - I am inclined to think that the days of the guru are over - so many gurus and priest being exposed laterly - they have to close ranks and turn in on themselves go underground in their own self-deluded 'campsite'.

The self absorbed notions of a seeker may manifest as 'an imitation' of some worshiped guru and it may say, of itself, “I am pure awareness” - and it may ring as true as any cracked moldy bell will ring - with an unmistakable dullness. – The intellect may resonate in a limited fashion exclusively 'in the head' only - and that needs constant 'feeding' to supports all kinds of erroneous beliefs. - Dracula needs his blood and he avoids 'daylight' - sounds familiar!
Being 'stuck in the head' or in the heart is obviously the case, for thousands upon thousands of believers. - Being fed bullshit by charasmatic leaders is an age old 'story' and it 'appears' to work and as long as it 'appears to work' then 'people' will 'fall for it' over and over.
It is a flourishing business - franchising the truth.
A parrot that has learned to say those same words " I am pure awareness" may sound far more genuine than some fancy seeker – at least the parrot is not fooling itself with embroidery on its self-image.

What you truly are can say the very same words but that expression will only arise ‘after the fact’, expressed from 'this unmediated present knowing' and it is that knowing essence that is pure awareness itself. – That is a resonation throughout the whole being - it has no need to say those words, or any words at all.
The singular and indubitable fact is that that presence, that knowing essence cannot be negated – even if it appears as the form of a desperate seeker, a beggar, as a so-called fully realized sage or as yourself.


In the tradition I was 'in' some years ago, prior to 'how it is now', (as this unencumbered ‘presence of knowing’, which revealed itself after an introduction via the 'clear pointing' from Bob Adamson) - in the 'practices' of that previous tradition there was a strong emphasis on all kinds of efforts and even super efforts, designed to 'go against the grain' of habitual and mechanical patterns in oneself.
At times it would appear that one had broken through a stale energy ‘wall’ and the functioning would instantly have a completely different quality to it. – My teacher at that time, often spoke of an 'effortless effort' and I doubt that few, if anyone, understood what he was indicating. – I had ‘an inkling’ of what he meant but it seemed more like an empty idea, at the time (because the mind could not 'do' anything with it).
Without 'a good taste' of effortless effort, the mind cannot even turn it into what we would normally call 'an understanding' of it. - The mind was more or less totally with naming things at that time, for 'me', which is based on words and images anyway.
Underneath all that mind stuff, something kept me 'going', I knew there was 'something' incredibly valuable to uncover 'somehow'.
Now, as this 'presence', there is understanding - understanding that the natural functioning, of seeing, hearing, knowing etc, are all effortlessly presently functioning – and that there is no need for being 'someone doing it' - no need for any contrived notions to 'intervene' in what is 'naturally occuring'.
It appears that the mind gave up 'the game of trying' to be the one ‘doing’ everything.

The myriad ‘Ways’ of spiritual traditions have simply appeared - there is no one with a secret behind it all 'pushing' a 'product'. – Some are just 'conceptually enclosed circles', going around and around, leading the mind on and on, with no escape. – Then some traditions are closer to the heart of the matter and are like a broken circle, providing a way out (or in to the essential centre). – Whatever they appear as, the heart essence is the same and it is not conditioned by any circle nor any object, concept or idea. - Unmediated Knowing is the true nature of what one is - no matter 'who' it appears as.
As the façade of the 'sales rep', the 'me' is seen through, and as it is seen from a clear space of knowing, then there is a taste of what I truly am – I am this ‘knowing presence’.
The habitual mind cannot claim anything there - and that is disconcerting for the mind.
‘That’ pure knowing needs no support whatsoever and from that space of knowing all concepts are seen to be what they are - concepts.
The old identified point of reference is robbed of its delusions and what usually happens is that the mind will panic and look for something to clothe itself with, an old favorite idea or concept of itself.
The 'me' is an appearance in the mind - it can serve you whenever it is required - but if it thinks it is the 'king' and it is running the show - then suffering will go on, as usual.

Having heard such news, how will you proceed?
Will you brush it off? - tell yourself that you have heard it all before?
Will all those old habitual efforts be made as usual?
Then will you come crying to your guru, after another ten years, complaining that you have still not arrived?
Or is it just a life style thing you want – just enough ‘input’ to keep you feeling spiritually special? - Do you hold internal conversations with yourself - argue about oneness in your own mind? - Wake up, how many times do you think that 'message' is going to be layed at your feet?
Spiritual arrogance will turn into pathetic beast in your own heart, unless you vanquish it once and for all.


A flow on from the previous note from yesterday:-
Gilbert replies to R.

All good. - No one writing - it flows out from intelligence - this will come more and more easily - not that you will find 'anyone' to agree with what is written.
You recognized 'something' in my notes some months ago - now by following the various pointers, you KNOW for yourself something that was only glimpsed or theorized about 'then' - and now that is the PAST - dead and gone.
Knowing is all there is and as I always say (yet few see the significance of it) seeing is already happening - it is the immediate functioning - living.
My first book "The First Instant" is a raw expression of insights that were happening at a time, a 'time' much like where you are now, speaking in the realtive, in the apparent scheme of things. - Many of the things I said in those notes just flowed out onto my keyboard or onto a note book. - I was not ‘doing it’ and it was not for anyone - but it seemed to help get things clear for myself.
I do not insist that people read my books or listen to my CD's - I know that it is useless to push this 'stuff'. - Whatever is expressed is just overflowing here - "My cup runneth over" - ever fresh expressions keep coming out - that is the nature of it. - When the contriving mind ceases to grasp at 'old ideas' then the freshness of immediate awareness is realized as the first instant of cognition - "I am THAT by which I know I am".
The best advice for anyone is: Re-read Bob’s pointers until they sink in or they resonate in a deeper way. ('deeper' is just a way of expressing 'a stronger resonation')

Warm regards - g

R. replies:
Reading your website - an excerpt from one of Bob's meetings seems to have brought some more clarity.

Bob: "Well 'knowing' is what I call intelligence. -Not your intellect. -Intelligence. -That is the activity of knowing – intelligence energy. - Knowing is an activity – of something that is going on in the immediacy of the moment. - Any activity is a movement of energy. - Not the content of knowing, I know this or I know that, than is all acquired, all conceptualized, all words stuff. - The basic activity of knowing. - You are not knowing a moment ago. - You are not knowing a moment in the future either. - It is going on in the immediacy of the moment, so its an activity – something is happening now. - It is this energy or life force or whatever label you want to put on it. - It is functioning there in the immediacy of the moment. - That is what you are."
- end of quote.

This KNOWING is happening, presently... anything that arises is known. - You may say "I know" but where is that "I" that knows? - It cannot be found. - In fact, the body which supposedly contains this "I" is just appearing in KNOWING... - even for the body to appear that knowing must be present, otherwise how would you know it?

It makes no difference if there is peacefulness, chaos, suffering or bliss... - it is all happening within the activity of knowing... - I am JUST that KNOWING. - All experience, BAR NONE, is just reflected in that knowing awareness.

The body appears to do this or that - even the slightest real doubt about the nature and reality of the body is enough to break that spell... - How can you claim to be moving about, using the thoughts... - the body is apparently functioning on its own in so many ways, growing hair and fingernails, beating the heart, sucking in and pushing out air... how can you claim partial control? - The body functions according to its environment, in fact the "environment" and the "body" cannot be separated - the actions of one are dictated by the other. - This body is pushed or pulled - as Nisargadatta says, there are no causes, or the only true cause is the universe itself. - As Bob says, you are being lived.

It is all one solid block of "consciousness" appearing in that knowing that I am. -Individual "events" are only distinguished in the mind identified with the body. - I am knowing (this or that). - The I AM KNOWING is all that can be known. - The "this or that" is just concepts, relative to apparent time and space, mental constructs. - All that continues to go on - but that immediate, present knowing is what it all arises within. -That never changes, never stops...

All concepts, whether "mundane" daily life type of concepts, or "spiritual" concepts, all arise within the space of knowing that I am. - God may come down and bless everyone, the world may explode into tiny bits, the car may get a flat tire...- all happening within that space of knowing... - I am out of it. The body/mind may suffer, may rejoice... - none of it affects what I am, touches me in any way. - I am no thing - I am what all "things" arise within or upon. - If a God exists it can only be within this space of knowing that I am, cannot be separate from it in any way. - God is a concept or a useful pointer back toward that which creates and is aware of every single bit of data presented. - I am that. - I am the source of all and contained within all but also beyond. - This impersonal intelligence is presently knowing itself through myriad points of reference.

This leaves no room for ego - you cannot know what you are and then be concerned with the achievements of this body, the attachments of a "person". - The body may go on achieving - but it makes no difference whether you are a rocket scientist or homeless. -What I am is no thing, cannot be anything different or special or lovable or happy or wealthy or healthy... - all these things, even if achieved, are still just arising in this simple space of knowing. - No knower, just knowing/seeing.

And these things are impermanent - this knowing is not. - It is there in the baby before reasoning, language, identification with the body... - it is there presently. - All else has been brought in from outside, learned...

Many will get up in arms when the statement is made that it makes no difference if you are a rocket scientist or homeless - the goal-oriented mindset is hammered from the time we are old enough to understand language, that we must "be somebody", do something important, make a difference... - this all assumes a do-er who can be or do something... - I am just the knowing of all apparent activity, experience... - I cannot achieve, cannot BE anything, do anything, have never spoke a word or thought a thought... - I am and have always been this clear present seeing/knowing/awareness (whatever label points the most directly). - It is impossible to NOT be what I am - all the rest is relative, impermanent, doubtful...
“What you're seeking you already are - you can't be anything else, you can't be anything more”. - I've read those words a thousand times but they just did not sink in.

Once again I've written a ‘small book’ in reply... – R.

Gilbert: - Spontaneous cognition and flowing expression. – No one to ‘get it’ yet the sense is that something has been ‘gained’ – on closer examination I know that I am beyond it all.

However the mind will not cease from its activity – So - Watch the mind - drop all habits and if you must keep one habit then make this the one - watch the mind.
warm regards - g