While walking to class at GC2 I felt an upsurge of Peace coming over me. It had happened a few times before, so I was comfortable allowing it to progress. In the course of 5-6 seconds, my entire life changed. The sense of self that was associated with the body disappeared yet the body continued to walk on its own. Thoughts also disappeared. What was present was a profound Silence, a profound Stillness that was vast and unending. This Stillness is awake; it was (is) me. When I say "me", there is no localization in time or space, no body and no thought attached to this self; self is there as a presence only; as a witness to events..sorry can't do better here. Silence, Stillness, Peace, Joy, Love and I are all one and the same and free from attachment to the world, yet permeating the world.
Silence is everywhere in the world. Creation appears to be arising out from this Stillness and yet the Stillness remains, unchanged, within all beings and things. It is inside of and outside of all things. Wherever the attention takes the eyes, they zoom into what is being seen like a magnifying glass...there is no seer, just the experience of seeing. Accompanying this experience is an explosion of joy and love. Looking at a crow in the tree, I can see every feather, I can feel its life, it is magnified, nothing else is being registered; there are no thoughts only a rush of joy. The crow is immersed in Silence and the Silence is within the crow and I am the Silence. It squawks and yet the sound does not effect the silence. It flies away and yet its flight does not disturb the Stillness. It is as if a boat races across a smooth lake and yet does not create a ripple. The S/S can never be disturbed and I am that. The eyes go to a rock on the ground and the same thing happens. Everywhere the attention goes the experiences explode in Love and Joy. The world is perfect as it is. It is Heaven on Earth and it is in perfect order. It is overwhelming and awesome in its beauty and scope; everywhere; all the time. I live in sacredness and in awe. Every act is an expression of gratitude; every breath is a miraculous event...
The body continues to walk without effort, it speaks and jokes with people the same as always, but I am not attached to it in any way. I watch it and all things from this Special Place. Sometimes I see people as if they are only a penciled silhouette and the inside of this silhouette is filled with Silence. These are the same eyes of the same person who just moments before was seeing a dull world. A world that was lost in the mental chatter and the internal dialogue. Seeing the crow from this perspective was as if seeing a stuffed toy posing as a living being, yet devoid of life.
Heaven is here all of the time, all around us, only 5-6 seconds away. All of Bhagavan's teachings are immediately seen from this perspective...there is seeing, but no seer....there is doing, but no doer....attain freedom from knowledge, freedom from fear, etc. etc. All are true and self evident. This is not a subtle state. It is as dramatic an event as waking up from a dream. There can be no doubt or confusion as to its fundamental reality.
With love,
Dr. Larry Harikian
Awakened Oneness Meditator
Oregon
Image: Spirit of Love
from Rumi Facebook page
Photographer-Artist unknown