The Conscious Heart

Art is cool because it gives structure to the mind. The invisible mind is transposed onto a canvas into a visible work of art. It's the physical imagination.

The conscious heart represents the idea that if you change your perception of pain and evil, you can see that it's all about love. The skull is death, disease, and suffering. It's physical and mental limitation. It's impermanence, nothing physical can last forever. We will experience pain as a part of life, not matter what. The snake represents the ego or religious concept of the devil. It's the root of all evil in this world. It's racism, and violence. It's war and hate. It's sadness and worry. It's greed, envy, jealously, anger, and intolerance. Put simply it's fear. Fear of death, inadequacy, and the unknown. It all begins with our mind and our ego, but ends in wars, homicide, and lost relationships. The eye is symbolic of seeing things from an eternal perspective or through "God's eyes." When you look at yourself and others from this perspective you recognize the beauty and miracle that is Life, that is all of us. You see past the ego in yourself and others. You understand that pain serves a purpose. All pain is learning. The rose is the blossoming of awareness as we learn to pay attention to our thoughts and take back control of our egoic mind. Only then can we begin to heal, begin to forgive, and let go of the past. We can truly love another as fellow travelers on this trip called "Life." 

My Realm

Welcome to my realm,

A vast landscape of dreamlike memories.

In my world, in my existence

I try to feel alive.

I face the crushing pains of limitation.

I breathe only because it's necessary.

This earth, it's my holy place,

And it's spirit is my God. 

The rock is my brother, 

And the stream my friend. 

I don't fear the unknown, 

It's what I do know that scares me.

Each day when my thoughts awake, 

I focus on nothing, 

Each day I make the same mistake, 

And conjure up something.

When I look around this sphere of hopelessness, 

I smile and know that in my realm, I am king.

The war I fight daily is not with man but mind.

How do you live in a world you weren't meant for?

How can you look to the heavens and be so sure?

Welcome to my realm, 

It's not much, but it's all I have.

To each man his own, 

Like each sword it's stone.

Each of us are chosen to rule our own destiny, 

And when we do find our path... our sword.... our stone, 

We shall all be kings. 

 

~C.J.S

The Power of Now

“If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and the internal dialogue. Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need to be approved, and the need to judge. Those are the three things the ego is doing all the time. It's very important to be aware of them every time they come up.” ~Deepak Chopra

I just got a copy of the book THE POWER OF NOW. Its the companion to A NEW EARTH, the book I wrote on before. Its message is simple yet "infinite in its depth and efficacy." It explains that there is power in living in the present moment. This power comes from letting go of the past and not worrying about the future. It's the power to overcome the weaknesses of the human brain that relies on past for it's identity and future for it's fulfillment. This is an identity created by our thoughts.

So you might say that our thoughts make us who we are. Well, maybe but that also implies that your  thoughts control who you are. If that's the case then you have no choice on the matter. You are not in control, but your thoughts control you. However,  for the most part, our thoughts are involuntary, repetitious, and irrelevant. They come from a conditioned thought process of personal past, as well as, part of a collective conditioned mind-set which includes every human being and the past events of our history.

A Brief History
Our history as the species, Homo-sapiens, has been one of tragedy. We have killed each other for centuries. Terrible tragedies of hate, greed, and misunderstanding. From the Spanish Inquisition to the Holacaust, from Slavery to the Crusades. The number of our own species that we've killed is in the hundreds of millions.

"It is estimated that during the 20th century between 167 and 188 million humans died as a result of war."


Because of this, there is pain and fear that are apart of our subconscious psyche, emotional scars of the past. We are the children of war and suffering, of hate and violence, of fear and ignorance. It's not our fault at all, but nevertheless, its apart of our psychology.


From the viewpoint of a mind conditioned by the past, we look towards the future and worry. We worry because what's happened in our past. We know what we, as human beings, are capable of doing to each other. We see it on the news everyday, reminding us to be afraid, and never to trust anyone. This conditioned viewpoint gives, and has given way to mass executions of other human beings justified by fear. We see suffering constantly. Broken families, ended friendships, injustice and loneliness. We worry about being called dumb, fat, ugly, or not good enough. We worry about what people think of us, as if something they think might take away from who we are.

“How can I be myself?” is, in fact, the wrong question. It implies you have to do something to be yourself. But how doesn’t apply here because you are yourself already. Just stop adding unnecessary baggage to who you already are."




THE MESSAGE

The message that is so vital to recognize and understand, is that we can be in control. It may not be possible to control our thoughts, but we can control how we react to them. We can see them for what they are. Thoughts, not reality, only perception. We can follow them and find the root of the problem. Where is this anxiety or hostility actually coming from? What is really causing this pain? Is it the situation itself or just our thoughts of the situation? Is it coming from the present moment or from similar past experiences that have caused pain? Are we offended because of what happened or because our intelligence was questioned? When we realize that we can observe our thoughts from the outside looking in, we become aware of Being. Its a type of awakening. We awake to the truth that we are not our thoughts. We no longer need to be held captive by our conditioned dysfunctional mind-set, which is mostly negative, but capable of recognizing the ego for what it really is and overcoming it. 

The word CONDITIONED is defined as:

•  brought or put into a specified state
• determined or established by conditioning

Our minds have been "brought or put into" a state of conscious unconsciousness "established by conditioning." We are awake and aware, but most of our thinking is on a subconscious level. Its where our deepest fears are found. The fears of inadequacy, meaninglessness, loneliness, death, and suffering. 

It puts us in a constant state of fear called worry. There are varying degrees of worry, but to have no worry whatsoever would imply that you don't think about the future and everyone does. It would also imply a letting go of the past. If this does happen and you achieve a state of "No Worry," then you are no longer living in the past or future, but are living in the present. Now. 

“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future.” ~Fulton Oursler

These "thieves" rob us of the present moment. It steals from us the opportunity we have to be happy right now in this very moment.  

If you pay close attention, you can hear your thoughts. If YOU are aware of THEM, then who are YOU if not THEM???? If you aren't your thoughts then who are you?? You are the awareness that is aware of the thoughts. This is your true self or spiritual self, essence or being, the consciousness that inhabits the body. The life that you are separate from thought. 


"The ultimate truth of who you are is not I am this or I am that, but I Am."


"The ego is the thinking that thinks it is you. You accept this thinking as your identity because it is all you know. To extricate yourself from the ego you must first see that YOU are different from the thinking."

"Every thought implies a perspective, and every perspective, by its very nature, implies limitation, which ultimately means that it is not true, at least not absolutely."

Upon Further Examination
When you examine your thoughts you notice that most of what we think about ourselves and others comes from erroneous perception and misinterpretation. We only see others on the surface, the rest is made up in our mind and most of it is false. We see ourselves as a reflection of how others perceive us. Maybe that person is thinking bad things about you. Maybe they aren't. Even if they were. Do they know who you are? Maybe on a superficial level or even a little deeper, but not the infinite depth of who you are. The true you. Not the "you", you think or they think you are, the "you" you really are.


The mind is imperfect and thoughts will continue distract us. We can't not think, it's impossible, but we can focus all our thinking on the present moment. Notice the things around you. Notice your breathing. Notice your thoughts as they come into existence. Where do they come from? Why are they there? What brought you to that thought? It's usually another thought. Follow the trail and see where the fear begins.

Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers actually gives a great example of how the ego and thought pattern protect him from fears of rejection or awkwardness. It's hilarious, but true how our thoughts keep us from even trying a lot of times. I couldn't post the video for some reason, here's the link to YouTube. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPIsb5Agbjs&feature=related

Consider this example of a possible thought process in a relationship:


"Julia is such a great girl. I love the way she makes me feel. I would hate to loose her. [Fear is introduced with the thought of lose] All the guys gotta think she's hot. They must fantasize about her all the time. Bastards! That David guy is always checking her out. I'd kill that guy if he ever touched her. He IS better looking than me. Julia might think so too. Whatever! I know what I'm worth. I mean she's great but nothing I can't replace. [Notice how the ego goes into defense mode]  I mean Allison has a crush on me too, and she's just as hot. If Julia ever cheated on me, I could just get with Allison. Who knows! Julia could be a money grubbin' whore. I mean maybe. Can't trust anyone!"


The mind has already accused Julia of cheating because of the fear of the pain that comes with being cheated on. Being cheated on it's like a direct attack on someone's self-worth and adequacy. It is subconsciously perceived as if someone were to look at you and say, "You're not good enough!" Also, when we are in relationships, that relationship can become a part of our ego identity, so when it's lost, its feels like part of us is dying. There is suffering in this.  


Now distrust is established and, through false perception, may lead to jealousy, anger, abuse (verbal, emotional, and physical) and finally separation. It all starts with a single thought, one single worry that doesn't go away when you constantly think about future events that haven't even happened. 


Fear is a defense mechanism
So he went from "great girl" to maybe a "whore," all because he protects himself from pain. By worrying he unconsciously makes up possible scenarios of the future. These scenarios will subconsciously play out in his head over and over again giving fuel to the worry and resulting in more negative false perceptions of the actual reality of the situation. The fear of cheating also comes from an establish history of failed relationships and affairs. When your mind is conditioned in a society who knows, from past experience, that 50% of marriages will fail then you expect it to happen. Our media is saturated with images and stories of betrayal and unfaithfulness. Cheating is excepted as a norm of society, so it is also excepted as a norm in our psyche. 


It's like a self-fulfilling prophecy.  
"The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come 'true'."


We mis-define a situation, such as: 


"Why was Joe talking on the phone with the door closed? He never closes the door. Is he talking to another woman. Maybe Amanda from work. What if he's having an affair?" These thoughts occur naturally, originating from past experiences and deep inner fears. Its ok to have them, but not to react to them because they may cause problems that didn't even exist. 


"Who were you talking to sweetie?"
"Oh my brother, Scott."
"Oh ok, How is he?"


Maybe you believe him, maybe doubt remains. It probably was his brother. Either way fear has been introduced. The ego already began making it's preparation to defend itself from pain. You may even imagine the entire scenario unfold in our mind.


"Although the body is very intelligent, it cannot tell the difference between an actual situation and a thought. It reacts to every thought is if it were a reality."


Once the thought is there, our emotions, which are our reaction to thought, take over. We feel the pain of abandonment and inadequacy all at once, as if the scenario has already transpired. This emotional pain is quite real. You can feel it rush through your body like an anxiety attack would. Now your behavior begins to change around this person. You may misinterpret situations and make accusations more hastily and often. These accusations could lead to fighting and more false perceptions. He may now perceive you as someone you're not. He may think:


"She doesn't trust me. If she can't trust me, then how can I trust her. I can't. I can't really trust anyone. Could she be afraid of me cheating because she knows she's capable of it? She might be cheating on me right now. How would it know? I wouldn't. Well if she does cheat, screw her!" 

Now both of individuals are infected with fear, which could possibly end with both of them cheating and/or separating. Again, it all started with a thought. A pointless random thought about a future that is NOT and a past that is NO LONGER. 


You might be saying right now, "Well that's just the world we live in." or "Welcome to reality!" Just because it is doesn't mean its supposed to be. If you think about it, things are the way they are because we've made them that way, not because they are that way. Reality is obscured by the mind and a conditioned past. The reality is that there exists a reality outside of what we have been conditioned to perceive. 


Some ego behavior is so subtle that you don't even notice it unless you are paying close attention. You may even think yourself free of the ego, more spiritually advanced then others. Our own spirituality can become a stumbling block for us, if we are not careful.  "If I'm right, then someone else has to be wrong." When we see everyone else as wrong, it automatically and subconsciously divides us. It affects how we act around, think about, and talk to other people. Our fear keeps us from loving one another. Instead we judge others. I am guilty of it constantly and even consciously at times. I see how it plays out in my head. Most of it that does happen, happens subconsciously. 


Its always two sided. No one erroneously perceives someone else without being erroneously perceived by that person in return. It happens constantly. From a well known acquaintance to someone you smile at on the street. Even if your encounter only happens for a brief second on a busy sidewalk, within seconds your mind can make up perceptions into the identity of the person. The brain can process data with lightning fast speed, and thoughts run rampant! 


READING
The Power of Now and A New Earth are both available for a few dollars @ Amazon. Here's the link. I'm learning just like everyone. I constantly mistake perception for reality. I've done it for a long time, and it's caused quite a bit of emotional pain in my life. I have felt a much deeper, more real sense of inner peace since I discovered the ego. It's allowed me to see others and myself in a new light of intensified awareness. I'm trying to focus of the present more. I can tell it's helping me overcome the worries I have about an unknown future. Feel free to read along with me and comment.


“The possibility of stepping into a higher plane is quite real for everyone. It requires no force or effort or sacrifice. It involves little more than changing our ideas about what is normal.”
~Deepak Chopra

Prisoner of Time

"Wherever man becomes conscious of the pre-given, pre-conscious, originary pretimelessness, he is in time-freedom, consciously recovering its presence. Where this is accomplished, origin and the present are integrated by the intensified consciousness." ~Jean Gebser, Philosopher




[Presence] is defined as:

• The fact or condition of being present, or of being within sight or call, or at hand. Its like when they do a role call of who's in class. The teacher says "Carl?" and I say "Present!" They can then assume that if I'm present, then I will be actively engaged in listening and paying attention in class. When we are present, we pay attention. We are more aware of the lessons to be learned here at the University of Life. I like how it says "being within sight." When we are present, our truer self is within sight. We can see that, when we free ourselves of time, we become aware of the subtle aliveness of our being. We feel the inner workings of the body. The fact that you are a living thinking being in a universe more immense than the imagination can comprehend, becomes a reason for great joy and gratitude in your life. 
• The part of space within one's immediate vicinity. On the molecular level of a human being, atoms, relative to their size, have the same amount of space between them as the galaxies in the universe which are separated by light years. There's unexplored space within us, an entire universe inside each of us. Who you are has infinite depth and meaning.
• Something that is felt or seems to be present The presence of our being is felt from deep within us. 
• The state of being closely focused on the here and now, not distracted by irrelevant thoughts When we are not distracted by irrelevant thoughts of a past that can't be changed and a future that has not yet come, then we become present. "Origin and presence are integrated by the intensified consciousness" meaning, the truth about where we come from and who we really are is recognized in that moment when we have freed ourselves of time.

Prisoner of Time

This drawing was a lot of fun to do. Here, the life cycle of man is shown from birth to death. The snake is the ego that manifests itself as the devil. It constantly tries to keep us a prisoner of time. It whispers, to us, "The last grain of sand will eventually fall and you cannot control time." It seems like we can control most aspects of our lives these days. However, we can't control time, but maybe we can not let it control us. "My life will mean something if this happens, or that happens" No! Your life is meaningful now. If we rely on future for our fulfillment we loose touch with the present and stop noticing all the good that is in our lives now. We even take for granted the air we breathe. 

Earth is completely encompassed by a never ending universe full of galactic collisions, supernovas, black holes, meteor showers, extreme temperatures, and radiation. However here we are. We step outside on a chilly autumn night and look up at the moon sitting still. The wind blows gently. The swaying of the trees makes a harmonic sound. You're surrounded by life. The plants, trees, insects, birds, animals, and us. We breathe the oxygen that trees exhale, and in return, they breathe the carbon dioxide that we exhale. Even if there is life on other planets, we are rare. It's like the universe won the lottery when Earth came about. It's a miracle. It's the greatest miracle of all and we've all already experienced it. We are it.  We ponder it for a moment and take a deep breath of sweet life. 

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery

The owl in the drawing is used here as a symbol of wisdom. The wise owl knows that to be free of the burden of time will bring about a flowering of consciousness represented by the rose. The man moves away from his identification with form. The ego melts away into the formless, conquering time, no longer unconscious, but aware of himself in the present.

"Christ... provides a prototype of this ego-freedom. Christ demonstrated a way of being in which one is no longer threatened by 'resubmersion'  in the dark waters of the soul, or committed to the 'optical illusion' of the ego, but capable of acting with the wholeness, and the unity of time, in mind." ~Daniel Pinchbeck

 

 Christ chose to shun the ego. An ego-less world is one that is non-judgmental. It's not racist nor greedy It's not jealous nor envious. It's not sad nor hopeless. It's no longer a race against time nor a race against one another, but a journey of life, a journey that we all share.

Buddha was aware of the ego as well. He taught:

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him."


"All wrong-doing arises because of mind. If mind is transformed can wrong-doing remain?"


"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell."

COSM

This is a trailer to the documentary COSM. It's a movie about the artist Alex Grey that takes you through his famous gallery, the Chapel of the Sacred Mirrors. His artwork is very unique and revelatory. Through his art he connects you with the infinite. You come face to face with the mind, body and spirit.

http://www.cosm.org/art/sacredmirrors.html

Stillness

Be still and listen.
Stop and pay attention.
The voice of our own invention.
The choice to deny contention.


In silence, we hear ourselves, 
Breathing, Living, Being.
Separate from our thoughts, 
Calming, Tranquil, Freeing.


Unshackled from our fear, 
Into the unknown we go. 
Suddenly seems so clear, 
There is no need for woe. 


Make strong that which is weak.
Be non-reactive and turn the cheek. 
Let go of form and past.
Free of time, Peace at last. 


                                ~C.J.S


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Here's a simple breathing exercise, you can try if you like. I've been learning some basic yoga that has been a great workout, as well as, a way to relax the body and mind. 

Power to Create

"Power to Create" [pencil] This drawing was done after I had been studying Salvador Dali. The surrealistic artist is one of my favorites of the great artists of the past.

Man is shown here as being one with nature. There is an interconnectedness between all living things. The hollow head is symbolic of the invisible mind and the spheres emerging from it symbolize the power we have to create our own world, whether its one of fear and materialism or of peace and higher understanding. 

The three dimensional shapes represent modern society with the human eye that seeks out the beauty of nature, like the mountains below, where man or woman can feel there connection with this earth from which they emerged. The floating man represents enlightenment. Just like birds, who evolved from the dinosaurs, grew wings and overcame gravity itself, man is also evolving to higher consciousness and overcoming the limitations of the egoic mind.

The circular shapes that surround the floating man represent the 3 dimensions of the physical realm: length, width, and height. The circular lines that seem to radiate from them are the other dimensions that may exist in the spiritual or metaphysical realms and ultimately represents the possibilities that exist beyond mortality. The tree seen through the bosom of man is the tree of life which serves as a metaphor for the livelihood of the spirit and a mystical concept alluding to the interconnectedness of all life on our planet.

"The infinite vibratory levels, the dimensions of interconnectedness are without end. There is nothing independent. All beings and things are residents in your awareness." ~Alex Grey

http://www.alexgrey.com/

"I belong neither to any country nor to any particular place; my spiritual being lives its eternal existence outside time and space. When I immerse myself in thought I go back through the Ages. When I extend my spirit to a world existing far from anything you perceive, I can change myself into whatever I wish. Participating consciously in absolute being. I regulate my action according to my surroundings. My country is wherever I happen to set foot in the moment. I am that which is free and master of life. There are beings who no longer possess guardian angels: I am one of those." ~Cagliostro

Many of the things I have been reading up on and pondering on have been brewing within me for years. I've always considered myself a victim of a harsh world. I suffered for a long time lost deep within a conditioned and dysfunctional mind set. A mind set we've all inherited as a collective whole, and though it varies from person to person, the schematics are the same. 

Its funny that the first realization that I could take control of my ego and end my suffering came from watching a Guy Ritchie film. Those familiar with Guy Ritchie are usually big fans of him. He directed such films as Snatch, Rock-n-Rolla, and Sherlock Holmes. He also directed a film called Revolver that didn't get a lot of publicity nor did it get great reviews. However, the true purpose of the movie is not to entertain, but enlighten. 

The concept of the movie is kind of hard to explain. Its trailer looks more like a high octane action thriller than anything else, and though there is quite a bit of action, the movie in itself acts as a metaphor. The movie's main character Jake Green is taken on a journey of self-awakening by what appear to be con artists. He'll have to face his greatest fears, as well as, himself or his ego to beat what the movie calls "the greatest con."


In this clip from the movie. The ego is described as an opponent in the game of chess. The opponent's victim is the person the ego belongs too. This scene describes how the ego works and tries to win the game. 

In this second clip Andre Benjamin explains the game.  For the first time Jake's intelligence is questioned or in other words, his ego has been attacked. We will defend our ego because we think it's who we are. The entity "Sam Gold" that they are talking about is the ego and "in religion the ego manifests itself as the devil." **There's a half second of partial nudity, in this clip in just case you find that offensive.

The movie is somewhat hard to follow if you don't know whats going on, but the message taken from it is valuable. When you begin to let go of the ego, then fear goes with. When fear is out of the equation a new level of peace begins to take residence in your being. When you see others behavior only as a reflection of their own ego, the need to be offended, upset, suspicious, jealous, envious, or negative whatsoever dissolves. You can truly begin to love another as Christ taught.


"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth our fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18

"For we know in part, and we prophesy in part."
"But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." 1 Corinthians 13: 9, 10, 12


In the time of the New Testament glass wasn't as clear as it is today. It was murky. If I were to see you or myself through the murky glass, I would only see a distorted version. This is how we see ourselves and others through the perspective of the ego. However, one day we will know ourselves and others as we are known, as who we really are: the being or life or spirit or essence or consciousness that is our true identity detached from the ego, the limited and conditioned mind, the repetitive impulsive thought pattern, and the mental labels of rich/poor, good/evil, tall/short, pretty/ugly, black/white, etc. 


"Unhappiness is an ego-created mental-emotional disease that has reached epidemic proportions. It is the inner equivalent of the environmental pollution of our planet. Negative states such as anger, anxiety, hatred, resentment, discontent,  envy, jealously, and so on, are not recognized as negative but as totally justified and are further misperceived not as self-created but as caused by someone else or some external force." 


By implication the ego is saying "I am holding you responsible for my pain." The goal is that in the midst of negativity are you able to realize "At this moment I am creating suffering for myself." 


The song below tells a simple truth, "You are why you are suffering." I never believed some of my friends who told me that happiness is a state of mind, until I finally learned about the ego in me. 

A New Earth

"To end the misery that has afflicted the human condition for thousands of years, you have to start with yourself and take responsibility for you inner state at any given moment." ~Eckhart Tolle

I recently finished a book called A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. It has been one of the most influential books I've ever read. It brought me closer to the reality of my reality and helped me understand role of the ego not only in my personal life, but in the collective psyche of world as well. 

Synopsis: "Building on the astonishing success of The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle presents readers with an honest look at the current state of humanity. Humanity now, perhaps more than in any previous time, has an opportunity to create a new, saner, more loving world. This will involve a radical inner leap from the current egoic consciousness to an entirely new one. In illuminating the nature of this shift in consciousness, Tolle describes in detail how our current ego-based state of consciousness operates. Then gently, and in very practical terms, he leads us into this new consciousness. We will come to experience who we truly are-which is something infinitely greater than anything we currently think we are-and learn to live and breathe freely."

A New Earth begins explaining the main aspects of the ego and how they operate in each individual as well as the collective.

OUR INHERITED DYSFUNCTION

"If the history of humanity were the clinical case history of a single human being, the diagnosis would have to be: chronic paranoid delusions, a pathological propensity to commit murder and acts of extreme violence and cruelty to his perceived 'enemies' - his own unconsciousness projected outward" 

"Fear, greed, and the desire for power are the psychological motivating forces not only behind warfare and violence between nations, tribes, religions, and ideologies, but also the cause of incessant conflict in personal relationships. They bring about a distortion in the perception of other people and yourself. Through them, you miss interpret every situation, leading to misguided action designed to rid you of fear and satisfy your need for more, a bottomless hole that can never be filled."

"You do not become good by trying to be good, but finding the goodness that is already in you, and allowing the goodness to emerge" You hear people say all the time, "There is good in everyone." Well, its true. What happens is the identification with the ego. The ego begins to take shape in us as children when we first discover the concept of "I, me, or mine." From there we begin to identify ourselves with the things around us. These identifications with form lead to a misinterpreted sense of self and others.

"The most common ego identifications have to do with possessions, the work you do, social status and recognition, knowledge and education, physical appearance, special abilities, relationships, person and family history, belief systems, and often also political, nationalistic, racial, religious, and other collective identifications. None of these is you."


"Unconscious people – and many remain unconscious, trapped in their egos throughout their lives – will quickly tell you who they are: their name, their occupation, their personal history, the shape or state of their body, and whatever else they identify with. Others may appear to be more evolved because they think of themselves as an immortal soul or living spirit. But do they really know themselves, or have they just added some spiritual sounding concepts to the content of their mind? Knowing yourself goes far deeper than the adoption of a set of ideas or beliefs. Spiritual ideas and beliefs may at best be helpful pointers, but in themselves they rarely have the power to dislodge the more firmly established core concepts of who you think you are, which are part of the conditioning of the human mind. Knowing yourself deeply has nothing to do with whatever ideas are floating around in your mind. Knowing yourself is to be rooted in Being, instead of lost in your mind."


I personally got a lot out of this book. It cost me a penny plus shipping, but has helped understand how to recognize the ego in me and others. It's taught me to be non reactive to my thoughts and emotions. When I get the urge to be negative or offended, I try to be aware of the thoughts in my head and look for the "why".... why do i feel negative? why am I offended? "I am the awareness that is aware of the ego" I've been able to point out the good in my life more and more. I'm also trying to live in the present moment instead of identifying with the past which hardly has a place in my mind anymore or focusing too much on future fulfillment. By doing so I can be happy right now and in any situation. The miracle of the present is the Life that is me. 

Other Favorite Quotes from the book:

"The moment you become aware of the ego in you, it is strictly speaking no longer the ego, but just an old, conditioned mind-pattern. Ego implies unawareness. Awareness and ego cannot coexist."


"When you don't cover up the world with words and labels, a sense of the miraculous returns to your life"


"The quicker you are in attaching verbal or mental labels to things, people, or situations, the more shallow and lifeless your reality becomes, and the more deadened you become to reality"


"All we can perceive, experience, think about, is the surface layer of reality, less than the tip on an iceberg. Underneath the surface appearance, everything is not only connected with everything else, but also with the Source of all life out of which it came." 

"Nonreaction to the ego in others is one of the most effective ways not only of going beyond ego in yourself but also of dissolving the collective human ego. But you can only be in a state of nonreaction if you can recognize someone's behavior as coming from the ego, as being an expression of the collective human dysfunction. When you realize it's not personal, there is no longer a compulsion to react as if it were."


"If the thought of lack – whether it be money, recognition, or love – has become part of who you think you are, you will always experience lack. Rather than acknowledge the good that is already in your life, all you see is lack."


"Words reduce reality to something the human mind can grasp, which isn’t very much. Language consists of five basic sounds produced by the vocal cords. They are the vowels a, e, i, o, u. The other sounds are consonants produced by air pressure: s, f, g, and so forth. Do you believe some combination of such basic sounds could ever explain who you are, or the ultimate purpose of the universe?




"Although the body is very intelligent, it cannot tell the difference between an actual situation and a thought. It reacts to every thought is if it were a reality."