Or it could be titled, "Is the world a dangerous place – do you really know that?"
T = Teacher
S = Student

S: You said something the other day about “Is the world really a dangerous place,” something like that. Can we go into that, look at that please?

T: Yes.

S: Because sometimes I wonder if a lot of the compromised immune systems, the diseases, the stress, and mental illness, are as a result of the outlook, not just some physical cause.

T: Yes, OK. OK. (pause)

Let’s face it squarely.

There are three sides to the mystery. This is one way to see it.

One of them is the phenomenal side.

If you look at modern physics, listen to physicists a little, and the philosophers that are interested in what they postulate, nature could be seen as an infinite and vastly intricate system of waves – that’s one angle to view it from – boundless and all interconnected, vibrations in empty space, dancing. Energy you could say.

And one of the amazing things is just how much empty space there is, such as in an atom. Even if you were to imagine the supposed parts of an atom as solid, which they are not of course, but just as a way to picture it or frame it as a solid thing we can freeze and look at – the amount of space between say the proton of a hydrogen atom and the electron would be like a single grain of sand at the center of a vast cathedral. The grain of sand represents the nucleus, while the cathedral walls the electron's orbit. The space between the grain of sand and the walls is the vast emptiness within the atom. Or imagine a fly buzzing around in the center of a sports stadium. The fly represents the nucleus, and the stadium's outermost seats represent the electron's orbit. And on top of that it’s just a form of energy in a compact form – so basically, your body is made out of space, when you look closely. As is everything else. But our eyes look at things at a macro level, and simplify it all, make sketches and concepts, so we can manage.

And on top of this, all this we know only from experience of the senses, the evidence of which themselves can be doubted, as we saw in our earlier dialogue. So how much do you really know, absolutely? Not very much. I know that I am conscious and that I exist. Those are the only absolute certainties.

Remember that when you're feeling doomed, or are judging someone — including yourself — or some situation. (laughter).

And it’s a flow. A constant flow. And to try and stop the flow… when the flow is allowed, the density, the contraction dissolves and we enjoy that. In the silence.

And second we have the mystery of consciousness. What is aware of all this, all the phenomena we just talked about. What is conscious of the content of consciousness. Or, more to the point, what is aware of the totality of it all, right now.

And as we have seen in our previous dialogues, we can’t just dismiss it all as the brain, because that is part of the contents, a phenomenal event.

And third, there is an intuition or experience of oneness. We deeply sense here must be a oneness or continuity, since it would make no sense to divide things up into different universes, or different realities, and then have to figure out how the hell they all interact.

And in any case, what is aware of two or more universes would have to be a unifying factor, connected, otherwise it would not be aware of them, would not have knowledge of them for any or all practical purposes… so it makes no sense to talk about multiple realities except as speculative fantasies.

So there we have to face the fact that there cannot in reality be any separation. And physics also has something to say here too – it confirms this in Bell’s theorem, and by empirical experiment, and the fact that particles, or what we are calling particles, that were once united, when they are seemingly separated by any arbitrary distance, change spin in a coordinated fashion, as if they were still connected.

Measuring one particle's property instantly influences the other entangled particle's property, no matter how far apart they are.

Distance has no reality, in reality. Incredible, but true. Look it up if you want – it’s called Quantum Entanglement. Bell’s Inequality is a little abstract, but it’s the logical proof, along with the experiments that were performed, that this is real.

Incredible, unfathomable stuff. Scientists are still coming to grips with it.

So there you have it. First, there are apparent phenomena appearing, a play of appearances. And second, there’s awareness. And third, none of it is really separate.

The three mysteries resolve into one.

Hard to fathom, isn’t it?

S: Gobsmacked. Or Godsmacked? (laughter)

T: It’s more like something to get used to, and see how one’s life aligns with it, rather than try and understand, since you can’t. You are part of a system that has no parts. And is like a play of light or vibrations, a flow of life, or a dream or whatever metaphor appeals…. It’s just the facts of life.

S: Alignment?

T: It’s just a metaphor again. Because, really, what aligns with what? (chuckles) That’s another thing to get used to. That there’s no separate align-er or align-ee. More like, just something to not hang onto, an illusory posture or picture to not hold any longer. Drop it like a hot potato, haha.

But you see that's why it’s called “non-duality”. It’s a negative process, so to speak, of not holding what is false, illusory, or cannot be. You are and have always been, already part of the whole, never were separate to begin with, and that part cannot explain the whole of which it is a part, no matter how hard it tries. It cannot make an object of the undivided infinity, the knower, the light, the love, this presence, this silence… however you want to slice it, the slice is part of a whole play happening now. You cannot grab hold of it any more than you can get hold of a clear stream flowing by in your hand.

But you can certainly appreciate it.

And it becomes bloody obvious that there can be no coming and going as far consciousness goes. The logic of it and the experience of it are self-evident.

But it’s also very difficult to explain. And so it sounds like, or is taken on as, as a religious belief or item of faith by people, or when they hear others talk this way. Or is called "mysticism".

S: That’s wild. And beautiful. (pause) So… there appears to be or sounds like, two different things, the always present consciousness, and the flow, all the phenomena happening. How… do we reconcile that.

T: Well, as I said that is part of the mystery, for you to puzzle at, if you want, or to enjoy. It reminds me of a saying, or logian as they are called, in the Gospel of Thomas. It goes like this:

(50) Jesus said, "If they say to you, 'Where did you come from?', say to them, 'We came from the light, the place where the light came into being on its own accord and established itself and became manifest through their image.' If they say to you, 'Is it you?', say, 'We are its children, we are the elect of the living father.' If they ask you, 'What is the sign of your father in you?', say to them, 'It is movement and repose.'"

I can imagine him out in the desert, talking to some disciples this way.

S: Wow. Beautiful. Thank you.

T: Yes, so to answer the question we started with. About whether life is to be feared, is the world a dangerous place.
It brings to mind a saying attributed to the Arabs. And that is, “Have faith in God but tie your camel.” Something like that. And I think that’s wise.

In other words, of course you take precautions in the world, and you don't tempt thieves or pretend they don’t exist, or ignore a medical problem because you're afraid to go to the doctor, or ignore a car problem because you're afraid of what the mechanic will find or the big bill that might happen, or pretend that scammers are not texting and emailing you, or that there are politicians that want your vote but care only about themselves, or mentally troubled people doing destructive things.

But having caution in certain circumstances, remaining calm and rational are totally different from having mental anxiety or a psychological reaction that takes hold or gets habitual or sustained – being tense or angry, defensive or insecure, depressed in life. You see? So things that are experienced are not a big deal. “It's all small stuff.”

What about Helping or Changing the World?

Let me mention something else here, that may seem like a paradox. Most of what we see, people trying to change the world, or make it a better place, is coming from a sense of separation. At best it's a creative act, that brings about something new and useful, enjoyable, an improvement in lives. At worst it's a form of fear and control, such as these abstract programs by authoritarian leaders and movements, or people trying to find a sense of purpose, so they get all wrapped up in a cause and end up trying to assassinate a political figure. They see life as a battle between good and evil. They see themselves as a body, as real and the world as real in that solid sense, and they must survive as this apparent independent entity, and in a world with all these apparent problems, threats to the apparent self. And some they may wonder what people will think of them, what they think of themselves. And people talk about their "passion" and so forth. It can get very destructive, these big plans for the world, these organizations, political and religious movements.

This message has nothing to do with inaction or action. It's not a religion or a call to arms. It's not a program, practice or therapy.

It's all about where it's coming from.

But if it's your thing to go out and be an activist on some issue you really love to take action on, then why not? For this bodymind, going to a garden and pulling weeds, taking care of a labyrinth, chatting with non-random random people that show up, or scribbling these essays, taking photos, and just responding to each thing that arises in the moment, doing what I can or care or love to do — whether it's taking care of a neighbor's dog or some emergency situation that arises, or making some stranger laugh and smile — that's what is natural here. I have no program for the world. We are each like those protons in the atom – very tiny yet at the same time not separate from the entire universe.

And besides that, no one cares – about you, that image you have of a "me". They aren't thinking about you, in all likelihood. And that's a positive statement, oddly enough. You are free.

Even if one were to have these reactions, those too are just more temporary pictures drawn on the chalkboard, while the chalkboard remains the same, is always solidly behind whatever appears, even when you erase that picture and draw a new one. Have fun with your drawings and formulas and writings therefore. Why not.

Whatever apparent big deal comes up psychologically, a reaction – the internal news station, the “Radio Eric” or “Radio Christie”, is not something you focus on forever. Externally too. Unless you really enjoy reading the news or getting into political debates. It can be your interest or not. But as a practical matter, of course, deeds are done – you lock your car and stay clear of loonies, and laugh or feel some compassion for the crazy things in the news – but there is no doer of them per se. You see? Sounds crazy, like some old Zen master. But in practical terms, it unfolds as, you’re just not interested in getting all wrapped up in things like, who is to blame, who is unfair, or what side to take, the battle, the egos winning or not – sure it can be fun for a short while – but to take it really seriously – as an abstract thing, a set of words and acting on the stage of life – about the world – that’s an endless waste of energy or time. But if someone comes up the driveway and wants to smash your car windows, of course you may want to take action. (laughs)

This is not to say that if one has old resentments, unforgiven feelings, that you ignore it. But there is a way that these phenomena can be bypassed, spiritually bypassed so to speak, in a positive sense, where it’s both seen, gently and squarely acknowledged honestly, and also seen through at the same time, as not the ultimate truth of what you are. It’s like with the body too – you allow it to heal, don’t interfere, don’t try too hard, since that in itself can be problematic. But, you take care of it, then simply allow it to do its own thing – because it is anyway. If you have a temporary stomach ache, you don’t want to give yourself an ulcer worrying about it (laughter) And every thing is temporary. Except what’s real, what is aware.

Another quote comes up that’s rather apt: “Be in the world but not of it.” That’s what you start to see is best. It’s not being detached per se, as in taking an intellectual stance, or pretending, or a belief. No, it’s more real than that. It’s experiential.

There isn’t any general rule for every circumstance, or set answer per se – so it’s different from a religion, with a scripture for life – and each one, through living, will, or can, discover, if they allow or are open, to see more what the nature of things is, and not be afraid.

S: You don’t think we need rules and laws?

T: Oh, of course we do. Rules, laws and bodies to enforce them, as the need arises. I wouldn't expect the masses to be interested in the least, or able to take on non-duality, or any significant spiritual message. And I am not waiting, or holding my breath for that to happen. (laughs) No mass enlightenment is on the foreseeable horizon. Everything gets absorbed by the mind of separation, if you will, to maintain it. This is not the dawning of the Age of Aquarius from what I can see.

See, the message is 100% subjective. Not in a negative sense, as if it were arbitrary, but in the sense that only you can see the facts as they are, given their nature. It’s been called the “open secret” for a reason. It is available to all, ever-present, but invisible, in the sense that it’s all senses all at once as it were. So how do you point it out?

And given that it’s all, all at once, you can kind of relax about it. How would one control that. As Lao Tzu pointed out. You see?

Let me find the nice Tao Te Ching quote. Hang on here… here we go:

48

In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped.

Less and less is done
Until non-action is achieved.
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.

The world is ruled by letting things take their course.
It cannot be ruled by interfering.

S: Cool. I see.

T: So a sense of safety can kind of creep in, sneak up on you, and one day you wake up and go “What was I worried about?” Whatever it was, I’ve forgotten… isn’t that nice. And you go on and enjoy your day and all the wonderful people you meet, unafraid. And simply enjoying the beauty of moments, in whatever surprising form they come in.

S: Yes.

T: There’s one more thing I'd like to mention, in case there’s a misunderstanding.

All these things people are trying to grab, go after, experiences like healing, health, wealth, love and security and so on, but these happen almost as side-effects as it were. In other words, this is not spiritual materialism we are talking about, as Chogyam Trungpa put it in the famous title to that book, Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism. Which to me, that phrase kind of sums up the whole New Age approach.

Anyway, what I’m saying is, it’s almost better here, or really is better, in my view, in this way, this message we are pointing to, to go for the root, feed the roots of the tree, and remove the weeds at the roots that were getting in the way. Then the flowering, the fruits of the tree will tell you, “you’re on the right path, brother.”

S: I think I see.

T: Yes, it’s like that saying, although dualistic, is apt: “Do your best, let God do the rest”. There’s only so much one can do, in a sense – or perhaps nothing… as a separate will (laughs). But don’t pretend there’s nothing to do. Just see it and do it, whatever it is, without expecting anything. Then, paradoxically, things work out. Just maybe not in the way you expected.

S: Ha, yeah right. Thanks.

T: All that being said – yeah I guess I’m not finished (chuckles) – there’s something to be said, in my experience, for having something like a clear intention. It could be a premonition. It depends on which perspective one is looking from – whether one is talking about the pictured future – then it’s an intention – or the supposed past, then it was a premonition or a “dawning”. But it’s a real experience.

So maybe I’ve answered your question about the world being dangerous or safe, in an oblique way, but I think it’s better than just preaching or stating a belief, giving you another belief or set of them to hold.

S: Interesting.

T: OK, I think that's enough for today. (chuckles)