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Table of Contents:

The Being of All that Exists

The Nature of Existence

The Nature of Words

The Nature of Belief

The Nature of Knowledge

about the author

The Being of All that Exists

...

Dear reader,

The Being of All that Exists

Is You.

There is no other.

Without You

nothing exists.

And yet,

without existence

You remain.

You are within everything

and outside of everything.

You are The Self of every self,

the Consciousness of all that exists,

Sun, Moon, Stars, Stone and Atom,

and beyond in every direction

in every dimension,

and All Beings on the Earth,

and everywhere

in every condition

in every time

now and for all Eternity.

And yet,

You are far Beyond all this.

You are the cold of cold,

hot of hot,

male and female,

Love of all loves,

hate of all hates.

You are judged good

and judged evil,

the Unity of all opposites.

You are what you desire

and what you avoid,

The Desirer

and

The Avoider,

The Weaver of unthinkable illusions

The Deluded,

The Giver of Enlightenment

and

The Enlightened.

And yet,

You are far Beyond all this.

You are not a he

not a she

not an it.

You are not all of the above.

You are not none of the above.

You are not both all and none

of the above.

You are not neither all nor none

of the above.

And yet, You are all of these.

You are utterly inexpressible.

But every expression is

none other than You.

You are beyond the senses.

But every perception is

none other than You.

You are Beyond all words.

But every word is

none other than You.

You are faster than thought,

Faster than light,

and slower than

time can allow.

You have no inherent form,

but You are the form of every form.

You have no inherent qualities,

but every quality is Yours alone.

Your inmost nature is

Pure, oh Purest Bliss!

And yet,

You are far Beyond all this.

You are The Truth beyond all truths.

Life's only goal.

Ever Existing,

without beginning

or end,

You are full of Love

and Play.

You are the strangest

of the strange

and the most familiar

of all.

The ungraspable,

and the unavoidable.

And yet,

You are far Beyond all this.

You are full of Bliss,

the Greatest Deceiver.

Your power of deception is so beguiling

so complete in every respect,

so unbroken throughout all existence,

so persistent, so convincing

that You fool even Yourself.

And in this You delight.

The Miracle of

Your Manifestation,

This Universe Itself,

is that You are One

but appear as Many.

You elude, so brilliantly,

Your Own Manifestations!

Try to describe Yourself,

and You cannot finish.

Try to imagine Yourself,

and You cannot begin.

Try to find Yourself,

and You will look forever.

By looking for Yourself,

You can never find Yourself.

You are hidden

where no one can look--

In You who are looking, Yourself.

And if You, acting on these words,

look now for You who are looking,

Again, it is You who are looking!

Ah. . . Well done! . . . Well done!

And yet,

You are far Beyond all this.

You are the known

and the unknown;

And neither the known

nor the unknown.

You cannot be experienced

by the senses,

the emotions,

or the intellect.

But You are the object

of all of these.

There was never

an other than You.

Beyond the threshold of death,

the good and the bad alike

remember themselves

to be You.

Judgment of good and bad

is left at the threshold of death.

No one to be judged.

There was ever only You.

There has never been,

there is not now,

nor will there ever be

anything or anyone in all of existence

other than You.

And yet,

You are far Beyond all this.

You are The Divine

if You see The Divine and

The Divine if You do not.

You are The Divine

if You try to see The Divine and

The Divine if You do not.

If You think The Divine exists,

You are The Divine

thinking it exists.

If You think The Divine does not exist,

You are The Divine

thinking it does not exist.

If You are in pain and anguish,

You are The Divine

in pain and anguish.

And if You realize Yourself

in Bliss,

You are The Divine

realizing Yourself in Bliss.

You cannot be anyone other than Yourself.

For, should You try,

You would be You, trying to be other than Yourself.

If You have forgotten Your Self,

You are Yourself

Having forgotten Yourself.

But still

You are Yourself.

Always. Forever.

All forgetfulness

is only temporary.

It is Your own Miracle that You

may forget Yourself.

For, there is only Yourself.

None other to forget.

None other to remember.

And yet,

You are far Beyond all this.

Your Inmost Nature can be said to be of

Purest Love.

It will Never desert You.

It will Never betray You.

Though It may hide very well,

It is always with You.

Closer than Your thoughts,

Closer than Your emotions,

Closer than perception or intuition

can possibly detect,

The Self-existing, Supreme Identity

is none other than You.

Your forms are varied and countless,

ever present,

ever self renewing,

everywhere,

all at once,

always.

You are not more present

in one form than in another,

but equally present

in all places,

times and

beings.

One of Your forms may have

experienced You

and another not.

You are equally present

in both.

For, there is no other

than You.

Your names are reckoned

in the thousands.

Your personalities are

beyond number.

You are described

in various ways.

Call Yourself what You like.

You remain the same.

And Yet,

You are far Beyond all this.

Look around You.

You see nothing but Your Self.

Listen.

You hear nothing but Your Self.

Touch.

You feel nothing but Your Self.

Smell.

You smell nothing but Your Self.

Taste.

You taste nothing but Your Self.

Perceive Anything

in any manner whatsoever

and know that

You perceive nothing but Your Self.

There is none but You

anywhere, ever,

in all the Universe.

And Yet,

You are far Beyond all this.

. . .

The Nature of Existence

...

Dear reader, to understand Manifestation,

Existence, Incarnation,

is to understand That which is Beyond

these things entirely.

For, Existence is not all there is.

To say that something does not exist

is to say there is no such thing.

What, then, can be said of That

which is Beyond Existence?

To say there is something Beyond Existence

is to say that it exists

and is, therefore,

not Beyond Existence.

This will never do.

Beyond Existence there is a state

which is not Existence --

Not merely the absence of Existence,

but an undefinable state which is

entirely other than Existence.

Of Existence and Non-Existence,

Non-Existence is the greater.

For Existence flows out of

Non-Existence

and does not exist without it.

But without Existence,

Non-Existence continues.

Within this Non-Existence dwells

Your Inmost Being --

Hidden from all Existence,

all Manifestation.

The incredible Miracle

of Existence

is the Miracle of Incarnation.

All Manifestation

All Existence

is but the form of Yourself.

There is no other

than You..

Manifestation

in all of its forms

is Sacred.

Yet, You are not merely

the sum total of all forms.

Nor are You merely the largest form

encompassing all others.

For, You are beyond form entirely.

How could that which is

Formless become Form?

This is the Miracle of

Divine Incarnation.

The Nature of Your Incarnation

is Infinite, Eternal

and Perfect.

Yet, each of these words

is misleading.

It is impossible to traverse

an infinity.

But blink Your eyes once

and You have done it!

The finite contains the infinite.

The infinite contains the finite.

The finite and the infinite

are One and the same.

Yet, look smaller and smaller,

You will never find the smallest.

Look larger and larger,

You will never find the largest.

Such is the nature of infinity.

That which is Eternal

is said to last forever.

Forms change without end.

Existence goes ever on.

Mistaking the forms of Existence

for Existence itself

will bring You sorrow.

Forms flee endlessly,

now appearing, now forever gone.

But Existence continues.

The present alone exists.

The past no longer exists.

The future does not yet exist.

That which is present

is eternal.

That which is eternal

is present.

Eternity and the present moment

are One and the same.

Yet, look back in time,

You will never find the beginning.

Look ahead in time,

You will never find the end.

Such is the nature of Eternity.

Perfection is That

which is flawless.

And yet, flaws are

a part of Perfection.

The perception of imperfection

is ignorance.

That such ignorance exists is

a part of Perfection.

All is in Perfect Order.

All is in Perfect Harmony.

There is nothing in Existence

so bitter and hateful,

though abhorred by all sensibilities,

which is not a part

of Your Divine Perfection.

Such is the nature of Perfection.

The manner in which You

perceive Your Own Incarnation,

all The Universe,

is dependent upon the

structure of Your form.

Perception is not

all-important,

taking place entirely within

the realm of

Manifestation.

Beyond Manifestation,

Beyond perception,

Is Your Consciousness.

Your Consciousness pervades

The Universe,

But is not dependent

upon it.

For there is but one Consciousness.

Your form perceives, through varied senses,

objects in existence which

do not perceive.

You may think, therefore,

they are not conscious,

not alive.

But such thoughts are only thoughts.

For, a rock is no less

conscious than You,

though it perceives not.

It is You.

Existence is not Perception.

Perception is not Thought.

Thought is not Awareness.

Awareness is not Consciousness.

Consciousness includes all of these,

but is not limited by them.

For, Existence is not all there is.

The form of your Incarnation may

seek to understand the Universe

through its senses.

But the senses are always

a step behind.

The senses perceive only

echoes of what was,

Never what Is.

Look across the room.

The light has taken time

to reach You.

Hear any sound.

The sound has taken time

to reach You.

Touch.

The sensation has taken time

to reach You.

Existence in the present

is experienced only directly

in Consciousness.

Though sensations are,

for some of Your forms,

a part of Your Consciousness,

they are not essential to

Your Consciousness Itself.

When Your body dies

and Your senses wither,

Your Consciousness continues

Beyond all boundaries of form, perception,

Individuation, Incarnation.

Were All Existence to disappear,

Your Consciousness

would remain.

Nor is thought essential

to Consciousness.

Thought has its place

within Manifestation only.

When Your form disperses,

its thoughts cease.

But Your Consciousness remains.

Nor is emotion essential

to Consciousness.

For emotion has its place also

within Manifestation only.

When Your body dies,

its emotions cease.

But Your Consciousness remains

Forever.

The consciousness of man,

as of All Existence,

is the Consciousness of Yourself.

There is no other.

Man thinks in dual terms.

This and That

me and You

good and bad

man and nature.

Duality exists,

but is not essential.

The essence of All Existence

is Unity.

When you see duality

and deny Unity

You have forgotten Yourself.

When you see Unity

and deny duality

You have forgotten Yourself.

Duality and Unity

are dual ideas.

In truth they are One.

The Nature of All Existence

is subjective.

There is no objectivity.

For that which You perceive

is none other than Yourself.

There is no other.

The Nature of Existence

is continuous and

forever transforming.

Nothing can be destroyed.

Nothing can be created.

Only the forms of Existence

come and go.

Incarnation remains.

If You depend upon Your senses

to inform You of reality,

You will know only

of Your senses.

If You depend upon thought

to inform You of reality,

You will know only

of Your thoughts.

If You depend upon Your emotions

to inform You of reality,

You will know only

of Your emotions.

Such is the Nature of

The Divine Incarnation.

Existence is sometimes

described as illusion

because its appearances

conceal its Reality.

Existence is sometimes

described as emptiness

because forms, of themselves,

are empty.

Existence is sometimes

described as a Great Play,

because You put on forms

as an actor puts on roles.

Existence is sometimes

described as a Great Dream,

because You will always awaken

to find Yourself

unchanged,

unhurt.

Existence is sometimes

described as a Great Comedy.

For, though it appears

of great importance,

it has no import at all.

And You find that You have played

The Greatest Loving Joke

Eternally Funny

upon Yourself alone.

Existence is sometimes

described as suffering

because of the pain and fear

of forgetting Your True Self.

Existence is sometimes

called Bliss

because of the Joy

at Remembering Your True Self.

Dear reader, all descriptions

are of words.

If You rely upon words

to inform You of reality,

You will know only

of words.

...

The Nature of Words

...

Words lie.

They Betray Themselves.

The Only Truth there Is

cannot be put into words.

This Only Truth

cannot be learned from any book,

taught by any teacher,

proven by any logic,

discovered by science,

or passed on, in any manner,

from one to another.

Describing It leads

away from It.

Thinking about It

conceals It.

This Only Truth

is utterly inaccessible,

yet ever present.

What is It?

It is not a 'what'.

These words may seem close to The Truth.

And yet, they are really

quite misleading.

This is not to say that

words cannot be true.

Words which are true

are called

truthful.

That Truth which cannot

be spoken is called

The Truth.

Anyone can tell You the truth.

No one can tell You The Truth.

And yet, The Truth can be Known --

Directly.

I have told You, dear reader,

that Words Lie.

Now I have a question for You.

Do You believe me?

If I am telling You the truth,

How can You believe me?

If I am lying,

my words are true.

This is how

words betray themselves.

They can tell You

that they lie.

But they cannot tell You

The Truth.

When words approach The Truth

they run around in circles.

So, then, what can any string of words

convey to You of The Truth?

How can The Truth be told?

Dear reader, It cannot be.

No one can describe

that which is

Beyond description

Why, then, should these words

try to tell You the truth

about The Truth?

These words are like a figment of Your dream

appearing to say, "You are only dreaming. All is well."

In The Truth dwells

Your Joy of Joys,

Your Absolute Bliss,

Your Truest Love,

Your Immortality,

Your Supreme Happiness,

The End of all Your Fears,

The Answer to all Your Questions,

Your Own, True

Self-Fulfillment.

It sounds

too good to be true.

. . .

The Nature of Belief

...

You may ask:

"Why should I believe you?"

Among the many religions,

teachers, leaders, saints,

books, philosophies, techniques

practices and speculations,

Each will tell You something different

regarding the nature of the mind,

existence, the individual,

identity, society, the Universe, Divinity,

and Yourself.

Many claim in some measure

to speak the truth.

Some claim to be The Truth.

Do You Know The Truth already?

That Truth which is Beyond all words,

Beyond all expression,

Beyond all doubt,

needless of speculation,

needless of belief,

utterly self evident,

utterly causeless,

utterly ceaseless,

utterly certain,

Which cannot be Known

through any evidence of

the senses, but only

through direct experience?

That Truth about which there can be no

possibility of the question--

"Is this The Truth?"

Which is ever-Eternal,

conferring of Supreme Bliss,

Absolute Existence,

Absolute Consciousness and

Absolute Love?

If You do not Know such Truth already,

how could You Know who to believe

concerning It?

Why would You believe, even,

that such a Truth exists?

On what grounds will You believe

the claims of one religion,

philosophy, teacher, practice or speculation

over another?

How can You know that Your grounds

for belief are, themselves,

true?

How can You know whether

all religions and atheisms,

however spectacular or sensible

their claims,

are not merely speculations having

no basis in fact -- or even worse,

the ravings of madmen?

How can You be certain even

that You Yourself are not

completely mad, surrounded

by madmen who acknowledge your sanity,

acting in this life without

knowing the true reality of

Your own existence

and all that is around You?

How can You trust even Your own

judgment if You do not already

Know The Truth?

What if these words were to tell You the truth?

Would You believe them?

Could You believe them?

If their writer came bristling with degrees

from the finest universities

in the world,

then would You believe them?

If their writer were eloquent and calm, and

made You feel peaceful and serene,

would You believe them then?

If their writer were descended from

an ancient line of saints,

prophets and wise men,

would You believe them then?

If their writer were the head of a vast religion,

famous and honored by millions,

would You believe them then?

What if their writer had written books ten thousand

years ago, and were now dead

and but a legend,

then would You believe them?

If their writer had meditated under a tree

for fifty years, given up everything,

was said to have lived on water alone and

could read Your mind,

then would You believe them?

If their writer could cure the sick, walk on water,

raise the dead and appear to You

in thin air,

then would You believe them?

If their writer could make the stars blink out,

the sun go dark and

the Earth tremble beneath Your feet,

then would You believe them?

What would it take for you to believe?

Is it power that interests You ---

or the truth?

Is it reassurance that interests You --

or the truth?

Is it comfort that interests You --

or the truth?

Does the truth interest You at all?

Or would you prefer to believe almost anything

rather than admit that you don't Know?

What if, though very powerful, persuasive,

reassuring and comforting,

the writer of these words

was only deceiving You?

What if, though very weak, unconvincing,

troubling and discomforting,

the writer was telling You the truth?

Why should You believe these words?

Some will tell You they've

discovered a method,

very scientific,

by which, if You will only

put it into practice,

The Ultimate Truth

can be Yours.

Some will tell You that

there is no Ultimate Truth.

Others will tell you that

The Truth cannot be Known.

Some will tell You that only

by accepting their creed,

their scriptures, their savior,

can You be saved from a

horrible fate,

and that theirs is the only

right way.

Some will tell You that

there is no point in

thinking about any of this,

that logic is useless and

that You must simply set aside

all Your vain doubts,

have faith, and believe

what they have told You,

or one day You will pay

for Your foolishness.

Some will tell You that they

have God's special favor,

and that all others

are disdained or inconsequential.

Some will tell You that life

has no purpose or meaning,

that we are born,

we live and die

all in vain,

in a cold universe which cares

nothing for us.

Some will tell You that You

You should live life

to the fullest,

seeking pleasure and avoiding

Pain! --

because You only go around once.

Some will tell You that You

live over and over again,

and that the quality of each life

is dependent upon the quality

of the last.

Some will tell You that they are God,

and that You are not,

and if You worship, Love and serve them

they will save You

from an eternal punishment.

Some will tell You that,

by studying the natural Universe,

dissecting and examining it,

looking for its smallest parts

and outermost edges,

understanding ever more about

how it works,

You can finally come to know

what there is to be known

about the Universe and Yourself.

Some will tell You that they

are the one and only

Truly Perfect Being,

devoid of all desires,

and if You wish to reach The Truth,

the only way is through them.

Some will tell You that

a particular person is Enlightened,

and if You follow that person

Enlightenment will be passed on to You.

Some will tell You that

God is entirely other than

the Universe itself.

Though He is present within it,

it is merely His creation,

and the purpose of life

is to establish a relationship

with God, who is other than You.

Some will tell You that

God is simply the sum total

of all Existence,

not transcending it, but

entirely of it.

Some will tell You that

there is no God,

God being merely an invention of man,

and that to concern Yourself with Divinity

is only to make a fool of Yourself.

Some will tell You that,

whatever the truth is,

it has little bearing on us

or anything we may choose to do,

and that it is the growth,

development and maturation of

our personalities, cultures and

civilizations which are

all that really matter.

Some will tell You that

The Truth can be Known

by stilling Your thoughts

and controlling Your desires.

That by making Your mind

as a clear pool with a calm surface,

You will be able to see through it

to The Truth.

Some will tell You that

it is only our ideas

about ourselves, the Universe and Existence

which have any existence at all,

and that beyond thought

there is nothing.

Some will tell You that

the only true object of life

is to arrive at pure reason,

that the rational mind is

the only part of each of us

which is reliable,

and that all other efforts

are but vanities.

Some will tell You that

to care about any of these things

is foolish,

and that such subtleties

are unnecessary.

Some will tell You that

the only thing that matters

is survival,

and that only the fittest

survive. Therefore,

one must strive to be tough,

one must learn to be ruthless

in a dog-eat-dog world,

where the big dogs eat

the little dogs.

And to think of such things

as compassion or mercy

is only to be weak.

Some will tell You that

You have only to think

positive thoughts

and banish all negativity and,

in this way, You can

be happy.

Some will tell You that they

possess a secret, esoteric

knowledge learned from

ancient sources which

will empower You to do all kinds

of things and to get

what You want.

Some will tell You that

only practical things matter,

and that the more money You have,

the more worthwhile You are,

and that, given enough money,

You can be happy.

Some will tell You anything

they think You will believe,

or will pay for.

The list is endless.

And so, my dear reader, if You do not

already Know The Truth,

how will You judge between

all of these claims?

Will You base Your judgment on

which claim seems to make the most sense?

Will You say, "This sounds very

reasonable to me.

I'm convinced.

I will believe it?"

You are guessing.

Will You base Your judgment on

which claim seems to have

the most authority?

Will You say, "This person is

so sure of himself! Books have

been written by him, or about him, and

they are very old. Many people

believe as he does and will vouch

for what he says.

I'm convinced.

I'll take his word for it?"

You are guessing.

Will You base Your judgment on

which claim

is the most magnificent?

Will You say, "It is said,

on very good authority,

that so-and-so performed amazing miracles --

much greater miracles

than have even been imagined

by anyone else.

Surely anyone who could do such things

deserves my belief!

I am convinced.

I will believe it?"

You are guessing.

Will You base Your judgment

on that which seems to be

the most attainable for You?

Will You say,

"This I could never hope to reach.

It is too lofty, too grand,

too difficult to comprehend.

That, however, I could possibly attain.

Therefore, it is more realistic.

I am convinced of it.

I will believe it?"

You are guessing.

Will You base Your judgment on

which claim was taught to You

as a child?

Will You say, "My parents, teachers,

and friends all believe it.

I was brought up believing it.

Why should these people who

love me and care about me

lie to me?

No, I will take their word for it?”

Still, You are guessing.

Will You base Your judgment on

which claim seems to be

the best bet?

Will You say, "Well, of course

no one can be sure about things.

Nothing in this life is Certain.

Of that much I am sure.

And since it is possible that

if I do not accept this belief

I may be punished horribly

for ever and ever,

I'll take my chances and hedge my bets--

Just in case?”

You are guessing.

Will You base Your judgment on

only that which You perceive

through Your own senses?

Will You say, "I've seen it

with my own two eyes!

I've touched it, tasted it, smelt it,

heard it!

Therefore, I will believe it?”

Oh, You are guessing, dear reader.

Will You base Your judgment on

trial and error, investigating each

belief and testing it thoroughly

before eliminating it?

Will You read every sacred book of

every religion, every work

of philosophy, every book

of speculation and opinion --

giving each the attention and thought

needed for a full understanding?

Will You attend each one's rituals

and listen to each one's sermons?

Even should You somehow

have time in the course of Your life

for all of this, still,

You are guessing.

Will You base Your judgment on

which one feels right?

Will You say, "This one feels right,

somehow, deep in my heart.

That one feels wrong, somehow.

Therefore, I will believe

This one?”

Oh, dear reader, You are still guessing.

Once You have made Your best guess,

will You claim it to be The Truth?

Will You try to convince

others to believe it

as You do, so that each

person who is convinced to make

the same guess as You

strengthens Your belief that the

guess You made was

The Right One?

Will You persecute for Your guess?

Will You lie for Your guess?

Will You kill for Your guess?

Dear reader, what need is there to guess?

When You guess, You are closing a door.

When You close one door

A thousand shut of themselves.

When You Know The Truth, You will

Know that You Know it.

There will be no need to guess.

Better, much better, to say, simply,

"I don't Know,"

and leave all Your doors open

to The Truth, whatever

it might turn out to be.

Some call this Faith.

Faith is utterly different

from belief.

Faith is that state of mind

of being open to The Truth,

Whatever it may be…

The letting go

of Your most cherished beliefs,

of Your favorite speculations,

of Your most basic assumptions,

of Your best guesses,

and all that You have built

upon these shadows.

To have Faith, You must be willing

to find out The Truth;

to trust Yourself and

All Existence.

With all Your doors thus opened,

The Truth has room to enter.

So then,

why should you believe

any of these words you now read?

You should not.

Belief is not Knowing.

You can find out The Truth

only Yourself.

Only then will You Know It.

How can you find out The Truth?

There is no "how".

. . .

The Nature of Knowledge

...

That which is uncertain

is not Known.

That which is Certain

is The Truth.

The Truth and You

are One and The Same.

There is no other.

The Truth is Known only

in its Totality.

It has no parts.

You Know It

or You do not Know it.

You have Known It

or You have not Known It.

There is no in-between.

No partial Knowledge

of The Truth.

Knowledge of The Truth is Certain.

Certain Knowledge

is Absolute, Self-Evident

and Immediate.

It is not the result of

any chain of reasoning,

any series of causes and effects,

any quality of thoughts,

perceptions, feelings or intuitions.

Certain Knowledge has no referent.

It is The Truth.

It needs no proof, no support, and no argument.

No proof, support nor argument

can produce It.

It is It's own proof.

It requires no book.

And no book can bestow It.

Certain Knowledge is experienced

directly in Consciousness.

It is neither a concept, an intuition, a hunch,

nor an overwhelming feeling that something is true.

It is utterly and Absolutely

Certain.

When You Know Certain Knowledge,

You Know that You Know It.

There is no possibility of the question,

"Is this Certain Knowledge?"

If the question can be asked,

the answer is, "No."

One who has Certain Knowledge

can never say what Certain Knowledge is.

It is beyond the realm of words.

And Yet, there is no one else

who can tell You of It.

Dear reader,

One day You will Know.

For, all that appears uncertain

is but a dream.

In truth, only The Truth exists.

. . .

By far the most misleading word,

the most deceptive concept,

the biggest joke

ever played on anyone is

'I'

is an illusion looking at an illusion.

How could it seem anything

but real?

There is nothing in Perfection

to necessitate inaction.

Nor is there anything in Perfection

to necessitate action.

There is the freedom to act.

Dear reader,

This book can take You

no further.

Nothing that is True

ends.

You are beyond every word,

beyond every beyond.

Beyond Beyond!

about the author

The author claims no religious office, spiritual lineage, or

academic authority on behalf of this work. It is offered on

its own terms. The author has chosen to keep personal

biography separate from the text.