Once in a while, an inspired thought or insight will pass through my mind and be impactful enough to make a note of. Often these emerge from inner processes and sometimes as a direct response to a situation. On this page I will share the most significant ones and reflect on what they represent and where they came from.
Who, what, where am I? I am here.
One of the most fundamental existential questions one can ask oneself is “who am I?” On the surface, it is fairly easy to attach ones identity to personality, personal history, heritage, beliefs, values, and so on. On a deeper level, however, there is a fundamental property upholding ones personal identity – it is the mind itself, or consciousness. Consciousness is the capacity to know and the source of being itself. It is the simple “I” – the “I” without any particular characteristics other than being. Even when our minds are clear of thoughts and sensations, pure awareness remains, at least as long as awareness is (see related quote). What am I, then?
I am. In simple terms, this means that awareness, or being, is aware of its own existence, its being-ness. This self-reflecting dynamic is an integral part of our fundamental nature, beyond form and qualities. So, I am. Where am I? I am here, because there is nowhere else to be other than where being already is and that is always here. An object may be perceived to be in many places in space and in time, yet the observer of the experience always remains here, even if the experience, or object is “over there”.
What initiated this question and subject in the first place? The simple answer is years of existential reflection and exploration. By staying curious and having an “open mind” to new and even conflicting experiences and perspectives, life is perceived to be deeply integrated, simple and complex, abstract and concrete.
You cannot not be; if you are, you always will be.
Darkness is not a force in and of itself, it is simply the lack of light. Darkness, in this analogy, represents non-being or state of deadness. In this state there is isn’t any-thing - no subjectivity, no (experience of) objectivity. The universe, for all practical purposes, ceases to be, at least as a known universe.
Light is that subtle substance that illuminate the qualities of the universe. Once something is known, it automatically includes the existence of a knower, an observer of the known. Light cannot not be, it is by its own virtue. Likewise, consciousness, which we have/are, is the container of ourselves, experience, and interaction with the world. Remove consciousness, and we are no more. However, when we are then we cannot not be. This may seem paradoxical, redundant or illogical, but with certain assumptions in mind, it makes sense.
This realization has emerged spontaneously during meditations, when the mind is settled, or while doing mundane day-to-day tasks, or when in deep thought or reflection. Essentially the realization is as described above – that there is an underlying container beneath the self, identity and experiences. It is, and because it is, it will always be. All personal qualities (body, mind, personality and personal history) will naturally cease to be in time, yet the container beneath it all will remain or re-emerge in one form or another.
If you can care for one, you can care for all.
Can’t remember exactly when this quote emerged or why, but it probably came from a place of insight and inspiration.
Love me, hate me, and we become the best of friends.
A few years ago since this emerged, and it may not seem very inspiring at first glance. I reckon it came from the realization of the constant struggle between our ego and “authentic self”, the ego being defined as the subjective entity which experiences itself as separate from, and hostile towards the “outside world”. On the opposite hand, there is the authentic self, the part of ourselves that is inherently free and experiences itself as deeply connected to the world and all that resides in it.
Sometimes we may discover someone who is fiercely open, honest and direct – someone who is real. No BS. At first we may be attracted to these qualities and we appreciate them, but if and when we find ourselves not able or willing to emulate the same in ourselves, we may start resenting the individual. In reality, however, it is our own inner struggle, doubt or insecurity that is clouding our perception.
If and when we find our true self ones again, however, clarity and appreciation replaces doubt and resentment, and once again we become the best of friends, until the next shift of perception…
This is the simple truth of happiness: accept what is.
Many of us have heard the spiritual wisdom of accepting things as they are, and in doing so, we are set free. On one level this seems to be true, but on another level, it is a recipe for isolation or indifference. The inspiration behind this notion comes from the deep realization that this particular experience is as it is, and there is nothing to do with it as it is. It is in this realization and acceptance, that we experience a sense of freedom – not freedom from the world, but freedom in the world. This does not mean, however, that one cannot have desires or engage in the world, it simply makes us free and available to the world.
This experience is something profound and real and it is something I believe we should aspire to as a humanity. Many of us don’t find ourselves in this state of being, as our minds are so caught up in, and lost in a constant cycle of struggle, of “material” aspirations and in unsatisfying human relationships. Sometimes we slam the door shut and isolate ourselves from the world in the hope of freedom, yet we do not find an inner sense of meaning or goodness in life, and in this sense, we are not free at all.
True freedom seems to come from a deep shift in mind and heart, and when this takes place, we naturally flow with life, moment to moment, and engage in it with joy and purpose.
Words cannot heal, but they can remind you to heal yourself.
Have you ever felt upset, sad, or angry and someone utters some words to you and suddenly you feel much better? Have you ever been inspired by a talk or presentation? It is amazing how a few simple words, in their meaning and harmony, can create positive and uplifting changes in ourselves.
Interestingly enough, though, the words themselves are simply vibrations in space, stroking our ears and finding its way into our minds. How those words are processed, however, is the most interesting and profound. Words alone have no strength, but in an open mind, they can remind us of what we already know to be real and true. And in this way, can help us heal ourselves. So don’t forget: the answer is already lurking inside you.
Time is only an illusion of the mind; in truth there is only now and now is forever.
Many times have I reflected on the notion of time and how it relates to space, particularly the inner space of subjectivity. I am no physicist, but I have never discovered how time can be a force and in of itself. Time seems to be an extrapolation, a consequence – a consequence of motion, of a moving universe. All matter, no matter how concrete or abstract in nature moves by some force or energy. Time is not the propellant.
Certainly time has some meaning in the world in which we live. We can distinguish between the “time” between 1 and 10 seconds, and 1 and 10 days. Time is both qualitatively and quantitatively different, thus it must exist, or? Looking closer, it is not the “time” that is making the clock tick on your hand. It is motion of matter, through the force of energy. The ticks, from one dial to another is simply a reflection of that. Likewise, we understand time from how the moon evolves around the earth, the earth around the sun. One month. One year. Imagine a universe void of matter, of any motion. No mind with flowing thoughts. No flow of experience. No-thing whatsoever. I contend that in this theoretical vacuum, there is no time. (PS: If there is a physicist out there who can prove otherwise and also address the points brought up here, I would love to learn more!)
Thus, time is a subjective phenomena. Since there is no “time”, space is all that is left, and it is in this space that we reside – moving, changing, transforming. We never go anywhere, but where we already are. We are here now, and now is forever.
If I can see you once, I will love you forever.
This is essentially the same as another quote, emphasizing the importance of discovering and expressing ones authentic self. Once in a while, if we are open for it, we may discover a spontaneous and deep connection to someone, even “strangers” with whom we have no prior personal connection. Separation dissolves into a form of unity, and there is a recognition of authenticity and strength of being, void of the ego we often experience in others.
If we can be open and vulnerable enough to be real (as we are) – and that is appreciated and embraced by the other, then a deep and meaningful sense of connection emerges. And that is one definition of love – the connection we have with another.
We don’t grow older, we grow younger in time. Our bodies are maturing and evolving, but our experience continually renews itself.
I have never felt more young, or more correctly, more awake and renewed than this moment in time. Perhaps that is because I exist now, from moment to moment, and all past moments have “expired”. Our bodies were certainly “younger”, less matured in the past, yet our experience continually renews itself, now. It almost feels as though the future itself is the endless reservoir of youth, of possibilities, of dreams, and of undiscovered worlds. I am now, in this form, living in the past – a past in which the future will build upon. A building block at the foundation of a much greater complex. A complex that only those in the future will get to appreciate in its fullest glory.
Anyway, the point of this quote is simply that our bodies grow older, but we are actually (subjectively) renewing ourselves, and in this sense, we are growing younger each moment.