The Power of a Thought

I recently re-read my first blog, posted about two years ago. That first blog is a conversation between Rupert and a student. I remember receiving the dialogue from a friend who sent it to me via email. I remember reading it, liking it, and posting it to my website. I read it, but I didn't grok it, as they say.

Re-reading it today, as if for the first time, the truth got clearer. More simple. Like all teachings, it seemed to appear at the perfect time and fit perfectly into place.

The timing was perfect because lately I've been contemplating Consciousness' ability to fool itself. How does it do that?

How could I be Universal Consciousness and not know it?

How does Consciousness fool itself into believing that it is separate from itself?

As Rupert Spira explains, Consciousness veils itself with its own activity. The same way that a TV screen veils itself with the movie. The screen is ever present, but we forget that the screen is there while we are watching the movie. We willingly lose ourselves in the movie.

But what is the mechanism by which this incredible illusion is achieved? The answer: It is an ignorant thought that is believed to be true.

"For clarity, it would be more accurate to say that Consciousness takes the shape of a particular thought which identifies Consciousness with a body (and its corollary, the separate, outside world)" said Rupert Spira to the student.

Yes! Exactly! The illusion is an illusion. The illusion of a separate self and a separate outside world is created simply by an ignorant thought! The seeing and understanding of this is incredible. Whatever I (as a person) am believing right now is not true.

Awakening is a game of subtraction. We just need to stop believing ignorant thoughts. Once I believe that I am a person, that Consciousness is located, my beliefs and concepts are immediately superimposed onto my experience.

I am reminded of something Adyashanti communicated one time on the subject of his own death. He said, "it is no more significant than the passing of a thought"

This sounds like bad news for the person seeking the truth. However, it's not bad news because I am so much bigger than a person. I never was this person, even though it really feels like it. I just needed to stop believing it. It is the only barrier from preventing someone from entering the gateless gate.

As Bob Newhart wisely says on a funny YouTube video, "Stop it"