The following is from the Preface I wrote for the new edition of Rupert Spira’s book, The Transparency of Things We live in unprecedented times. Science is answering age-old questions about the nature of reality, the birth of the cosmos, and the origins of life. We are witnessing technological advances that a century ago would […]
Continue readingConsciousness does not identify with anything
I sometimes hear people claim that pure consciousness identifies itself with the ego, with thinking, or with the body. What they are effectively saying is that the pure Self, i.e. that which is conscious of all experiences, believes it is a separate self, a thinker, a chooser, and doer of actions. But the pure Self, […]
Continue readingThere is no such thing as self
Let me be clear, the emphasis is on “thing”. We all experience a sense of personal self, a “me” that is reading these words, an individual with its own thoughts and opinions, likes and dislikes. And we also know a sense of I-ness that is always present, that which knows this experience right now, and […]
Continue readingThe Emergence of Self-Awareness: The Mirror Test
Do other animals have a sense of self? One common way of answering this question is with the “mirror test”. Does an animal recognize itself in a mirror? The test was first devised by Charles Darwin who held up a mirror to an orangutan in a zoo, noting how the animal reacted with unusual facial […]
Continue readingFireworm Spectacular
Sitting on a dock in Isla Morada, watching the stars come out as dusk turned into night, when suddenly a bright green luminescence appeared in the water. At first I thought it must be a glowing jellyfish. Then more appeared, and looking more closely I saw each was a brightly glowing wriggling worm, a couple […]
Continue readingRunning Dry – II
Five years ago I posted a blog (Running Dry) charting the water levels in California’s reservoirs for the previous five years, pointing out that if the trend continued California would begin literally running out of water in a few years. Fortunately the following winters brought increased rainfall and the immediate danger was averted. But since […]
Continue readingReturning to Natural Mind
In the final analysis, the hope of every person is simply peace of mind. Behind all our endeavors lies the desire to be happy, to feel content, relaxed, and at ease. No one wants to be in pain or to suffer unnecessarily. This is our true bottom line. We may think we are seeking some […]
Continue readingPraying to One’s Self
A friend recently asked if I ever prayed for anything. My response was yes, but not in the conventional way. I don’t pray for intervention in the world, but for intervention in my mind, for that’s where I most need help. We usually think of prayer as an appeal to some higher power. We might […]
Continue readingNot Resisting Resistance
The building where I used to run a meditation group was on the same street as a fire station. One could almost guarantee that sometime during the meditation a fire engine would come rushing past, sirens wailing. Not surprisingly, people would afterwards complain. “How could I meditate with that noise?” How often have we felt […]
Continue readingBig Boat, Big Brother
I recently took a cruise, the first one in my life. It’s never been something I particularly aspired to, but I was invited to give the keynote at a conference being held on a cruise, so found myself with the opportunity to experience this aspect of our culture. It turned out to be the largest […]
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