It’s so easy to convince the ego there’s something more it has to do in order to be ‘awakened’ or ‘realised’. There is always a greater state of mind to be attained, a greater realisation to be had, a greater level of emotional balance to be developed, more psychic/yogic/magical powers that you still don’t have. There is always the spiritual carrot dangling in front of you reminding you that ‘you don’t got it yet’. And the ego is always looking to get that carrot. The ego doesn’t want to just let that carrot dangle there.

But this is the essential problem, for there is no ego. By ego I mean doer, or the idea that you are some kind of autonomous or semi-autonomous entity that can chose what to think and do. I’ll say it again: there is no ego, there is no doer.

All practices, all teachings are for the ego. Can you see that? It is the ego that is listening to the spiritual teaching, it is the ego that is trying to get somewhere, it is the ego that wants to be enlightened/awakened/self-realised/free of suffering.

All practices, all teachings are for the ego. Can you see that?

But there is no ego/doer. As it is the ego that is looking, seeking and trying to get this, how can there be a teaching

‘All you have to do is be aware’
Really? Aren’t you already aware?

‘But you need to be more aware’
Why? Because you think you are are not good enough where you currently are? Isn’t this just more trying to get somewhere/something else?

‘You must realise that you are Pure consciousness. You are eternal and indestructable’.
Really? How on earth do you know that? And what of it? All realisation that come can also go. Plus it sounds a bit egotistical and conceptual to me, identifying as awareness…

‘All you have to do is let go’
Really? Who is letting go? The ego? There is no ego! And what are we letting go of? This is just more ego-talk.

‘In the highest realisation you will feel complete bliss, know everything, be able to answer all questions perfectly, exude a golden (or is it white?) aura and be generally extremely cool to hang around’
All realisations, states of experience and altered perceptions come and go, as do all powers and attainments. That which arises can also fall, that which appears can also disappear.

‘I’ve finally figured this all out!’
Well done Mr Ego, you got it!

‘Just devote yourself completely to <insert God of choice/Guru/Consciousness here>’
OK Ms Ego, go ahead and do that. Oh, and by the way, you’re just a fictitious imagined entity so how can you do anything?

 

OK, ok, am I being too harsh?

Practices don’t work, but they are often essential (see here for more about how spiritual practices can work, even though they don’t work). Spiritual practices are dished out by teachers who are still stuck in (imagined) duality or by genuine teachers who realise that the seeker is just too caught up in their illusion to see through it and so the next best thing is to encourage the seeker to aim for peace and happiness. All teachings are for the doer, they are all within the confines of the illusion of doership.

You see, just like Father Christmas, the doer is an illusion, an idea, a belief, a false notion. If you believe in it, then there are consequences, but there’s actually no evidence for the doer. The belief exists, the doer doesn’t. The illusion exists, but the doer doesn’t.

If that’s where you are, caught up in egoic thought processes, then fine. You will feel like you have to do something, so you may as well do a spiritual practice. Just remember that the teachings are not true, just realise that all spiritual practices are for the ego, and then you can go ahead and do them. They will, if they are any good, have a purifying effect: hopefully  they will make you feel happier and more at peace, reduce your attachment to thoughts, reduce the hold of the ego, and then perhaps, as you are not as caught up in yourself and your belief in doership, this ‘no-doer’ will be ‘seen’, spontaneously and naturally.

So what do you do then?

Initially you can start to look for evidence for the ego/doer. What this really means is that the ego is looking for evidence that it doesn’t exist, which of course is an impossible task. But then eventually , somehow,you have to see that the whole construct is corrupt, wrong, illusory: all there is is spontaneous movement. This is not just an idea, but just the way things are. And it is already always being ‘seen’ or noticed. How this is seen cannot be put into words, but the seeker that takes themselves to be the doer has no choice but to try anyway (or not try).

If this is not working for you, then see my article on practices to attain enlightenment here.

But isn’t this itself a realisation? Kind of. It is realising there is nothing needed to be realised. It is the realisation that there is no realisation required. It is the dropping in the belief of spiritual inadequacy. Nothing is needed for total complete supreme enlightenment to be! Isn’t this what non-duality means?

Behold the voice within that chases the carrot and always thinks there is more to do: ‘This is not the highest teaching…this doesn’t sound right…you have to meditate…you have to sing and chant…this is too simple…you have to do this or that…’.

Notice how the genuine spiritual teaching simply says ‘This is it! Just this, as you are, already!’

Notice how the mind listens to the teaching but then says ‘OK, I hear you, but this is most certainly not it!’ or ‘This can’t be it!’ or ‘Can this be it? But I don’t want this! Isn’t there more? That other teacher says there is more…‘

Most teachings convince you that there’s something wrong with you as you already are, or that you are not complete already. Even if they say you are already perfect and complete as you are, they then go on to tell you what to do (to improve yourself or your understanding or experience in some way).This, my friend, is called duality. Non-duality points to the fallacy of this narrative. Get it? Have you got it? 🙂

With love, blessings and a deep gratitude to you all

Tom

❤ ❤ ❤