Simplicity and Complexity

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Pravin Kumar
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Simplicity and Complexity

Post by Pravin Kumar » Fri Apr 13, 2018 7:25 am

Simplicity and Complexity

It is easy to discover the absolute simplicity of Awakening by becoming aware of Awareness and then identifying with this, the deeper level of being in which all thoughts, mental images and sensations are seen (see appendix). Moreover, this is Consciousness at rest in which all things (forms of cosmic energy, consciousness in motion) arise, abide and finally subside. However, this absolute simplicity does not appeal to the human mind which loves complexity, categorization, compartmentalization, labelling and conceptualization.

This is especially so in the area of identification, that is in defining what we actually are, and also in spirituality in general. There are various categories that are used in this process that can be seen to include most forms of misidentification – labeling us as being separate objects (in a universe of the same) or as members of an elite group, many of which claim to have comparatively deeper understanding of the truth of reality. Some of these categories are:

The ‘Ism(s)’ – Unspecified system, philosophy or ideological movement (OED).
Examples being: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islamism, Judaism, Vashnavism, Saivism etc …
There are also more worldly examples e.g. communism, masochism, sadism, pacifism etc ...

The Olog(ies) – A subject of study or interest (OED).
Examples being: Numerology, astrology, psychology, scientology, phrenology, ideology etc…
These are considered by their devotees to be more than just interests but to actually help in defining what one is, one’s actual identity.
There are again more worldly examples such as morphology, radiology, chronology etc …

The Ian(s) - Suffixes which form adjectives or nouns (OED) normally used in labeling.
Examples being: Christian, Australian, Siberian, Canadian, Austrian, Indonesian, etc …
A simpler version of this is ‘an’ e.g. American, German, Mexican etc …
Note that these also purport to say something about what we actually are. It is interesting to note that these form the noun by adding the indefinite article ‘an’ to the end, also implying a separate object …

The It(ies) - Suffixes which form nouns denoting quality or condition (OED)
Such as: Christianity, Divinity, Spirituality, Catholicity, Nationality, Personality etc …
Needless to say there are many more worldly examples, but the ones given above tend to denote categories that we are associated with and say something about our identity. They even form the noun by adding ‘it’ which itself denotes a separate object!

This is not to say that some members of these categories do not have pointers to our true identity embedded within them, especially the religions, but they have overlaid this with so much dogma and complication that it is very difficult to unearth. So I would advise any one of you that has directly discovered that one is, at the deepest level, Pure Awareness to treat them all with kid gloves.

Especially dangerous are the tendencies to feel that one belongs to any category, as this can lead to a subtle (or not so subtle) form of tribalism, and any description of oneself that the ‘system’ imposes which defines one as a separate individual object. Rumi was aware of the danger of this as Coleman Barks points out:

"And he made it clear that someone who considers nation or religion an important human category is in danger from severing the heart from its ability to act compassionately. This is a radical idea now, but Rumi held this conviction in the thirteenth century with such deep gentleness that its truth was recognized."

For the problem is that if you identify as belonging to any particular group you will tend to favor other members of this group and could discriminate against those who are non-members. Also if you identify as a separate individual object you will identify others as that and thus be liable to treat them as objects. Whereas true compassion stems from ‘seeing all as oneself’, that is identifying all as being of the same essence and thus essentially the same as oneself.

In fact it is best to steer clear of them all by avoiding any labeling of oneself in any way that could lead to this erroneous conclusion. The continued investigation of, relaxation into and identification with Pure Awareness is the key to achieve this. This is the simplest way to discover the true nature of self-identity without having to fight through the morass of complexity imposed by the various systems categorized above. It also conforms to Ockham’s Razor given colloquially as ‘the simplest solution is the best’ and defined in the OED as ‘the scientific principle that in explaining a thing no more assumptions should be made than are necessary’.

For, in the investigation of one’s moment to moment experience (see appendix) which reveals that at the deepest level one is Pure Awareness, no assumptions need to be made or relied upon. And this also provides the simplest explanation of self-identity requiring no beliefs, just that which is directly discovered …

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Appendix

Below follows a simple method to investigate the nature of reality starting with one’s day-to-day experience. Each step should be considered until one experiences, or ‘sees’, its validity before moving on to the following step. If you reach a step where you do not find this possible, continue on regardless in the same way, and hopefully the flow of the investigation will make this step clear. By all means examine each step critically but with an open mind, for if you only look for ‘holes’ that’s all you will find!

1. Consider the following statement: ‘Life, for each of us, is just a series of moment-to-moment experiences’. These experiences start when we are born and continue until we die, rushing headlong after each other, so that they seem to merge into a whole that we call ‘my life’. However, if we stop to look we can readily see that, for each of us, every moment is just an experience.

2. Any moment of experience has only three elements: thoughts (including all mental images), sensations (everything sensed by the body and its sense organs) and Awareness of these thoughts and sensations. Emotions and feelings are a combination of thought and sensation.

3. Thoughts and sensations are ephemeral, that is they come and go, and are objects, i.e. ‘things’ that are perceived.

4. Awareness is the constant subject, the ‘perceiver’ of thoughts and sensations and that which is always present. Even during sleep there is Awareness of dreams and of the quality of that sleep; and there is also Awareness of sensations; if a sensation becomes strong enough, such as a sound or uncomfortable sensation, one will wake up.

5. All thoughts and sensations appear in Awareness, exist in Awareness, and subside back into Awareness. Before any particular thought or sensation there is effortless Awareness of ‘what is’: the sum of all thoughts and sensations occurring at any given instant. During the thought or sensation in question there is effortless Awareness of it within ‘what is’. Then when it has gone there is still effortless Awareness of ‘what is’.

6. So the body/mind is experienced as a flow of ephemeral objects appearing in this Awareness, the ever present subject. For each of us any external object or thing is experienced as a combination of thought and sensation, i.e. you may see it, touch it, know what it is called, and so on. The point is that for us to be aware of anything, real or imaginary, requires thought about and/or sensation of that thing and it is Awareness of these thoughts and sensations that constitutes our experience.

7. Therefore this Awareness is the constant substratum in which all things appear to arise, exist and subside. In addition, all living things rely on Awareness of their environment to exist and their behaviour is directly affected by this. At the level of living cells and above this is self-evident, but it has been shown that even electrons change their behaviour when (aware of) being observed! Thus this Awareness exists at a deeper level than body/mind (and matter/energy ) and we are this Awareness!

8. This does not mean that at a surface level we are not the mind and body, for they arise in, are perceived by and subside back into Awareness, which is the deepest and most fundamental level of our being. However, if we choose to identify with this deepest level – Awareness - (the perceiver) rather than the surface level, mind/body (the perceived), then thoughts and sensations are seen for what they truly are, just ephemeral objects which come and go, leaving Awareness itself totally unaffected.

One may then investigate this Awareness further to discover its wondrous properties, for more on this see any of my books on awakening.
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Simplicity and Complexity

By becoming of Awareness aware,
And seeing we are This,
We can awaken, without a care,
So simple this process is.

However, this does not appeal to the mind,
Which loves complexity and categorization,
So that all are by labels defined,
The major cause of misidentification.

This is especially true of spiritual groups,
The ologies, ians, ities, and isms,
That like to make us jump through hoops,
With their practices and dogmatisms.

Thus although many may the Truth contain,
This is overlaid with beliefs and complication,
Making it difficult understanding to gain,
Also to discover valid self-identification.

So if to Awareness you have become awake,
Its best to treat them all with gloves of kid,
Of their many complexities no notice take,
Ignoring their definitions of a separate id.

Rumi recognized the dangers of this:
If identified with a religion or nation,
Love and compassion can go amiss,
For those not of the same inclination.

Its best to avoid them all,
Sticking to the simple explanation,
That which no beliefs can pall,
Uncovered by direct investigation.

Colin Drake
For detailed palm reading and spiritual guidance Consult at: pravinjsoni97@hotmail.com

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