By Peter Cutler
Peter CutlerWe can often see arguments on Facebook and other places about whether there is or is not a self and what all this means. There are arguments about everything, but spiritual posts frequently argue about this.
People are naturally confused by duality and this is completely natural. Why would you not be confused by delusion when you look at it seriously?
The mind will naturally be confused by a question like “Is there a self or not a self?” And it will be even more confused by an honest answer. “Neither. There is neither a self nor not a self AND there is both a self and not a self.”
There is neither a self nor not a self because both of these are merely concepts. Neither exists outside of the mind of thought. Both are illusions.
AND there is both a self and not a self because in the dream world of concepts anything can appear to be true even when it is not.
As long as you believe your thoughts you will live in an illusion you believe is reality. You will experience duality, confusion, conflict with other illusions and reality, and suffering.
Is there duality or non-duality?
Neither. There is neither duality nor non-duality. Both are illusions limited to the conceptual delusion of thought.
AND there is both duality and non-duality because in the dream world of concepts anything can appear to be true even when it is not.
Why are there so many spiritual teachings about non-self and non-duality?
Self and non-self, duality and non-duality are both extreme positions of conceptual illusion. Because most people are attached to one of the extreme positions: self and duality, spiritual teachers offer a medicine to help remove the extreme delusion of self and duality. The medicines to help remove the harmful and toxic illusion of self and duality that most people suffer under are non-self and non-duality.
In Buddhist terms, we call this using a thorn to remove another thorn. Once the thorn is removed we no longer need to cling to the thorn (medicine) we used to remove the first thorn. It’s done its work and we can let it go.
There remains a lot of teaching about the second thorn because most people have not yet experienced freedom from the first thorn (separate self and duality).
Until we have successfully removed the first thorn (self and duality), the second thorn (non-self and non-duality) should appear to be true and real. After the medicine has been successful and freedom from the first thorn (self and duality) has occurred, then we can let the second thorn go and realize that the second thorn too is illusion.
Arguing about which one is true is just the natural conflict that is part of attachment to the illusion of thought. Confusion about which one is true is also attachment to the illusion of thought.
Confusion is actually a higher and more open state of mind than confidence you know which one is true. Both are illusions. All thoughts are illusions. They are simply concepts, not reality. Reality is beyond all concepts and thus all thought.
Confusion can be the beginning stage of letting this and all concepts go and realizing reality which is always beyond all concepts.
A Zen monk, artist, author, and spiritual teacher Cutler helps people experience the awakened consciousness that is always available to everyone. For the past twenty years Peter’s openness to the Pure Energy beyond the limitations of thought and separation have helped hundreds of people directly experience the Pure Boundless Energy of their True Self through direct transmission or Shaktipat. In some cases people have experienced freedom from chronic physical illnesses, but far more profoundly dozens have awakened to their True Nature. We invite the community to welcome our latest addition to Sedona.biz, the Internet Voice of the Community. Please feel free to comment. Visit https://n-lightenment.com to learn more.
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4 Comments
All good information, Peter. Also a lot of words and definitions and things to remember, etc.
For me, there is a simple experience I had many years ago while I was still in my college days at Ithaca College – majoring in tech theatre and film. I saw a play entitled “Deedle Deedle Dumpling, My Son God” at ACT in CA. I later obtained the rights and used it as my Directing Project. It is the story of a son who is now in his early teens who is once again being tested/initiation? by his parents who represent the polarities. Through scene after scene one presents the “good” thought and the other presents the “bad” thought … so what is the son to thinK? What is the right answer? He tries to remember what he has been taught!! Alas – a difficult task to find the “right answer” in the midst of such confusion!!nted. The son doesn’t know any password. As it turns out – the gatekeeper also does not know the password – he only knows he is there to guard the gate and ask for the password. No one has ever come along before and wanted to pass through this gate.
So finally the son opens the gate and passes through. The adventure continues – and as you can see – he is on his own path of empowerment!!
We cannot find solutions or make sense out of that which does not make sense. Perhaps that is the biggest reflection to us in these times of so much media spouting information that upon examination makes no sense.
I love this saying –
“Hold onto nothing longer than the instant of its birth” … which allows me to alllow myself and all others to expand our point of view (whether large and small). In this way – all can continue to grow and unfold into our greater potential … I can experience myself as I am in each now moment and allow others to be who they are becoming rather than remembering them in the limited past perception.
This helps me to enjoy my interactions with nature as well as with humans and animals – and all the unseens!!
Wonderful, Suzanne. “Hold on to nothing longer than the instant of its birth.” The way to live a happy, sane, and aware life. Thank you.
In my above comment – in the first long paragraph – a part was left out.
“He tries to remember what he has been taught!! Alas – a difficult task to find the “right answer” in the midst of such confusion!!” …..
The son declares “ENOUGH!” and he goes off on his own out intoo the world to find what is true. He comes upon a gate with a guard marching in front of the gate. The guard calls out, “Halt! Who goes there?” The son identifies himself and says he wants to go through the gate. The guard replies, “What is the Password?” The son ponders for a moment, repliying he does not know a password. The guard mumbles to himself, I don’t know the password either. No one ever told him anything other than to guard the gate and to ask for the password. He decides to let the son pass through the gate.
(Sorry for any confusion) on to the next paragraph!
In my wonderful and fortunate career before retiring and this, I was an artist and writer, producer, director of commercial films for Fortunate 500 companies and pennyless non-profits which were my favorite projects. It was a wonderful career. Paid very well and was enormous fun. Many of the lessons of presence, surrender, letting go, and non-self I learned there. Well, maybe not so much non-self. That came a little later. 🙂