~ ∞ ~ On God, Spirit and Soul 2/2 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

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Now that we have established an understanding of our spiritual nature, we can go one step further by acknowledging that there is a clear distinction between the Soul and the Spirit. These terms are often used interchangeably, although there is a profound difference between the two. So what is the difference, you may ask?

Soul is the unique expression of that Spark of God, which is sometimes referred to as the “Breath of Life,” whereas the Spirit is that Spark of God itself. Soul is the essence of all that makes us human and unique – our feelings, emotions, experiences, memories, thoughts, will, etc.; Spirit is the essence of our Divine nature – it is same in every being (human, animal, plant, or other).

Spirit is always present in our life – we are an expression of its Infinite Awareness, manifest in flesh and blood – it holds all of Creation. This means that we and Spirit are inseparable – all of Creation is within each and every one of us. The Spirit is not born, nor does it die – it springs from the Eternal Now; it is unborn, permanent, unchanging, primordial. The Spirit that lives within us is not destroyed when the body ceases to exist. This brings us yet another step closer to finding the key to a deeper understanding of ourselves.

Here we should challenge ourselves by asking the question: Is it possible that we could see humans not through reified concepts such as ‘person’, ‘soul’ or ‘self’, but to see ourselves and our fellow human beings through the lens of perfect understanding – as empty of inherent, unchanging permanent self. This means that at the highest level of understanding there is no need to identify as a person, soul or self. There is just pure being, pure awareness – unchanging state free from all ideas, concepts, and definitions.

Of all the words we have in our vocabulary, awareness is best suited to describe our core essence, for you see, whatsoever you can see, whatsoever you can understand, and whatsoever you can interpret – will not be of much use. This is because the seer is not the seen, which goes on to say that whatsoever you can see – you are not that. This includes thoughts, feelings, dreams, desires, memories, imaginations, projections, and so on and so forth. What you are, though, is awareness; and awareness is transcendental to all that it can see – the observer is beyond the observed.

Indeed, if we look deeply into ourselves, we can see that there is nothing to hold on to, nothing permanent and unchanging. Our body, feelings, thoughts, and perceptions are all flowing and changing from moment to moment. And so you see, from the previous, it becomes clear that we are more akin to a living process than anything else. This process or wave aspect of reality brings out the truth that there are no fixed, unchanging entities – including an entity called self; rather, there is a kind of activity – a swirling river of flow and change.

That said, it is important to note that the lack of a self does not mean lack of continuity, for you see, continuity occurs in the same way that a flame is transferred from one candle to another – seamlessly. In this sense, our core essence as Spirit or Spark of God flows through life, reality, existence much in the same way as water flows in a river, you see?

You simply move with it, you float with it – you don’t try to push the river, you become one with it, and the river takes you to the ocean, you see? In this context, if one would like to use such terms as Soul or Self to understand the essence that moves through the river of life, then it is only fitting to highlight the following: like a river flowing into the sea, the Soul or Self eventually returns to its Source, becoming one with the Ultimate Truth. Even though each path is unique and different, they all lead to the same final goal or destination – eventually; absorption of Soul or Self into the Ultimate Reality, you see?

As it turns out, there is a term for this type of understanding, that we are more akin to a living process than anything else. This non-self or “anatta” as it is called in Sanskrit, refers precisely to the idea that there is no unchanging, permanent self in living beings. At first, it may be difficult to grasp the idea of non-self, but eventually it is liberating because it allows us to see that we are bigger than any of our transient experiences.

That is to say, feelings are just feelings, emotions are just emotions, and thoughts are just thoughts – they are not us – see? So if we are not our bodies, feelings, emotions, and thoughts – what are we then? Well, these are questions you might find answers within yourself as you progress reading this book. More to the point: non-self does not mean that people are not real, but rather that there is a sense in which they are constantly changing. In other words, we are something quite different from what we think we are.

Before we move on to the next chapter, we would do well to summarize what this chapter has taught us about God, Spirit and Soul. Let us start with the latter two, as they are easier to summarize. From the aforementioned discussion, it becomes clear that our Souls are not contained within the limits of our bodies, but instead our bodies are contained within the limitlessness of our Souls.

In the same sense, our Souls are contained within the limitlessness of our Spirit, which is a Spark of God that lives within us as a unique expression of the Divine. And so you see, we are something quite different from what we think we are; we are more akin to a living process than anything else – see?

Having said that, we can now move on to God. Here are the essentials. We can easily draw the following conclusions from this chapter: God is One, and prevails in everything. God is a mystery, and this mystery can be known, for God is indescribable, yet knowable and perceivable to anyone who is willing to follow the path of Wisdom and merge with the Divine Will.

You see, human life presents an opportunity to merge with the Divine Will; it is our free will, through which we are given the opportunity to return to God; to return to Oneness with God, and thus get in touch with the Truth and Source of all True Knowledge directly. For you see, God is the Word of Life, that is, Truth, by which The Miracle of Life is made possible.

And so you see, there is but one all pervading Spirit, and it is called the Truth; it exists in all Creation; it is timeless, universal, and self-existent. God is the Creator and the Creation – Cause and the Effect; the Doer and the Deed. God is Omnipotent, the sole cause of Creation, Preservation, and Destruction. The beginning of this universe, and its end is in God – for you see, there is but one First Cause that has its Being of itself, and on which all other beings depend; there is but one Infinite Being, so there is but One God – see?

– God is Infinite – Self-Existing, without Origin;
– God is Immutable – Never Changes;
– God is Omnipotent – All Powerful;
– God is Omniscient – All-Knowing;
– God is Omnipresent – Always Everywhere;
– God is Wise – Full of Perfect, Unchanging Wisdom;
– God is Faithful, Good, and Just;
– God is Merciful, Compassionate, and Kind;
– God is Gracious, Loving, and Holy;
– God is Glorious, Beautiful, and Great.

In closing, there are a few more aspects to consider. For a deeper exploration of the subject, it is recommended to read the following books: 1.) God and the New Cosmology: The Anthropic Design Argument by Michael Anthony Corey, and 2.) The Phenomenon of Man by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. These wonderful literary works might enable one to see and understand the concept of God in a more open-minded way.

When combined with D.T. Suzuki’s books on Zen, Alan Watts’ philosophical works on Eastern and Western religion, and Fritjof Capra’s books on holistic approach to life – covering varied subjects from Philosophy, Religion, and Science to Systems Thinking and Systems Intelligence, Interconnectedness, and Ecology – one might begin to pierce the veil between ordinary life and the mysterious regions of the Soul – into greater understanding, overstanding, and Innerstanding.

For those who might be interested even more detailed exploration – it is advisable to take a look at Perennial philosophy. In short, the Perennial philosophy is a perspective that views each of the world’s religious traditions as sharing a single, universal truth on which foundation all religious knowledge and doctrine has grown. According to this view, each world religion, including but not limited to Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Sikhism, and Buddhism – is an interpretation of this universal truth adapted to cater for the psychological, intellectual, and social needs of a given culture of a given period of history.

Having said that, it is good to keep in mind that these suggestions are merely guidelines through which the reader might gain some needed perspective. Ultimately, one has to do their do diligence, which is another way of saying that you have to do some research to find and recognize what works for you. This is because each individual is uniquely different and so is their path. On that note, there is no one particular path, like the Chinese Proverb tells us: “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same,” see?

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"

~ ∞ ~ On God, Spirit and Soul 1/2 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

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This chapter focuses on the ideas of God, Spirit and Soul. The discussion we are having in these following few pages will be a challenging one to say the least. Indeed, it is not an easy task in any way. Nevertheless, I have done my best in conveying the underlying message in as neutral way as possible.

Before we bring God into our discussion, let us make one thing clear: it is important to keep in mind that comprehending the message of this book requires no belief or faith, but simply a common sense approach to life and presence in one’s own being.

As an opening remark, it should be stated that there’s no denying that God is present in all that we call life. This statement encapsulates the essence of this book remarkably well, and it should become more obvious as we move forward through this book; and when you have finished reading this book, it is highly probable that you may arrive at the conclusion that everything points to an Intelligently Designed Universe, and that Life really is a Living Miracle.

For curiosity’s sake, it is worth mentioning that in recent years, modern science has discovered that the underlying structural details of the entire universe have been “fine-tuned” toward the goal of producing biological life. Isn’t that, indeed, another way of saying the same – a scientist’s way of coming to terms with the improbable odds of life ever existing at all?

Having said that, we should keep in mind that here, in this book, we use the word ‘God’ to represent whatever we humans collectively conceive the Universal Conscious Presence to be. It is simply a metaphor for the transcendent – pointing to the great mystery beyond the limited human mind.

When we are referring to the concept of a Higher Power or Creator, it is vitally important to remember that this ‘being’ or Essence is known throughout the world by many different names, including God, Goddess, Higher Power, Divine Spirit, Ultimate Being, the Absolute, Lord, Inner Light, Life Source, Allah, Tao, Spirit, the Way, Universal Love etc. Essentially, it matters not what name we call it – in essence, at the deepest level, they all mean the same – see?

By the same token, it is worth noting that throughout the years the word ‘God’ has been misused so much that it has lost its original meaning. Certainly it is the most burdened of all human words, and precisely for that reason it is the most imperishable and unavoidable. Hence it is obvious that this particular word is seen here and there throughout this book. This is because we need a common frame of reference – otherwise we could not transcend beyond limiting beliefs, ideas and concepts.

That said, we can move the conversation forward by pointing out the obvious: humans are curious beings who are always eager to pin everything down, categorize, label, define, or explain that which they don’t understand. This happens even in those situations where they know the odds are clearly against them.

So if someone would try to define, or better yet, explain God – after a long and thorough examination, they would arrive at the conclusion that God is the Eternal Logos*1, through which all things are made, as Divine: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

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*1 The phrase “the Word” is a translation of the Greek word “Logos.”

And so you see, God is the Original Thought, from which everything springs forth; from which everything else emanates, on which everything else depends, around which everything else is formed, takes shape, evolves and grows. In other words, God is the Word of Life, that is, Truth, by which The Miracle of Life is made possible. And this, from the human point of view, is the furthest we can go in our attempt to explain God.

Logos is the First and the Last,
the Beginning and the End.
Logos is the Source of Silence,
the Heart of Life.
Logos is the Source of
Sincerity and Love.
Logos is the Spirit,
the Source of every
Soul and Heart.
Logos is the Source of Truth,
the Source of All Life,
for All Life is Truth. See?

Here it should be emphasized that we all know deep in our hearts that all attempts to define God are but human metaphors; all explanations are but allegories for the mind to conceive God. The problem arises when we start to confuse descriptions and explanations with the actuality of God. One should not make the mistake of confusing the idea with the essence itself. You see, the essence is not the same as the description or explanation of it.

This brings us to an important point: at our stage of spiritual evolution, it is futile to try to explain the true nature of God, apart from saying that God “IS,” and is “ALL THINGS,” which brings us to another important point: explanations, theories and hypotheses alike, are just that – conceptualizations that doesn’t bring us any closer to God.

You see, the human mind can only understand so much, as its ability to comprehend is limited by the walls of its container. To go beyond the thinking mind, one becomes dissolved in something far more powerful – becoming part of something much greater – beyond ourselves; and in this becoming, one is able to pierce the veil between ordinary life and the mysterious regions of the Soul – into greater Innerstanding. And so you see, the transcendent nature of God can only be experienced through one’s innermost being. These following words from Lao Tzu, in Tao Te Ching, encapsulates this ancient insight most eloquently:

“The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The Tao is both named and nameless. As nameless it is the Origin of All Things; as named it is the Mother of 10,000 things. Ever desireless, one can see the mystery; ever desiring, one sees only the manifestations. And the mystery itself is the doorway to all understanding.”

And now, as we come back to the idea of “Original Thought,” considering the aforementioned discussion, it becomes not only clear but self-evident that because God is the Word of Life, that is, Truth, by which The Miracle of Life is made possible – it means that this thought preceded any other, and it has no beginning nor end; yet, it embraces and contains all things and phenomena found in the universe, including us humans.

Thus, in some explanations God is seen as the circumference which is everything and the center which is nowhere. Everything springs from this singular source, so everything is interdependent and interconnected, which means that everything arises in dependence upon multiple causes and conditions; nothing, therefore, exists as a singular, independent entity.

In other words, the Original Thought is no-thing and every-thing at the same time, and yet it is neither nothing nor everything; although it is beyond the finite and the infinite, it also embraces and constitutes both of them. Hence, the Original Thought is both the cause and effect at the same time, and yet, it is neither. In other words, cause and effect “inter-are.” To give an analogy: this is, because that is; this is not, because that is not; this ceases to be, because that ceases to be.

From this, we can conclude that understanding yourself is the key element in understanding God, for we are created from that Original Thought, after all – which also means that God lives in each and every one of us – as a reminder, we have been gifted with a Spark of Life. This brings us nicely to a discussion about the idea of a Soul or Spirit.

We can start with the following question: Why does it appear to be the case that for some reason it’s difficult for us to recognize that we are perhaps something much more than the physical body we inhabit?

This being the case, we tend to think in terms of a separate and permanent self, which leads us to use the terms “Soul” or “Spirit” in our attempt to describe that which is within our body, that which gives us our personality, that essence which ultimately animates our body – our Life Force. For our convenience, we use those terms interchangeably, without thinking if there is somewhat a difference or not.

Whatever our spiritual views or beliefs may be, one thing is certain: having faith in the Divine, or the universe, or ourselves is a huge blessing in life. Regardless of our differing views, most of us believe in the idea of a Soul or Spirit – the part of us that makes us who we are.

One common element is a belief in an invisible, Divine part of us that lives on in some way even after the body has taken its last breath – a Spark of God that lives within us as a unique expression of the Divine. Against this backdrop, is it so hard to imagine that much like our physical bodies change and evolve over time – so do our Souls? Wouldn’t it make perfect sense, then, that Souls get stronger as they gain experience and grow wiser as they learn through experience; eventually remaining Self-Aware of their True Essence?

From this observation, it becomes obvious that we are more than just our bodies and minds, which is another way of saying that we are essentially Spiritual Beings. Certainly this is not a new idea, but an ancient idea, according to which this inherent, innate essence is the animating force of our essential reality. These following words from Meister Eckhart, crystallizes this ancient insight most eloquently:

The Soul is not in the body; the body is in the Soul.

Another way of saying the same, by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin:

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony

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[ Click » here « to read the next part: On God, Spirit and Soul 2/2 – Prologue: Part VII ]

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Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"

~ ∞ ~ On Consciousness and Awareness - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

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Another important aspect of this work is consciousness, and even more so – awareness, both of which are at the very heart of our being. Understanding both consciousness and awareness – defining characteristics of sentience, should be our primary goal above all else, or at the very least, considered as being of great importance, as they are playing a key role in determining the course of human happiness and suffering.

As such, this whole body of work builds upon this foundation, and therefore we need to have a discussion that covers both consciousness and awareness. The reason being that there is a fundamental difference between the two. These closely related terms are often used interchangeably, resulting in a lot of ensuing confusion and misunderstanding.

This happens because the dominant Western worldview is based on materialism which likens consciousness to mind – conveniently lumping these terms together. Let us explore this further and see if there could be another way of looking at this.

In the Western worldview, there is an a priori presumption that consciousness is the same as mind, something that is confined to the brain, and therefore most people equate their minds with their brains. As a result, many fail to understand that the brain is simply an instrument through which the universal consciousness interacts with the world of forms.

This presumption that consciousness shares the limitations of the mind and the body is simply a belief to which the vast majority of humanity unknowingly subscribes. This happens in spite of the fact that one simple look at our experience shows that there is no evidence to support such a belief. In this context, mind (consciousness, awareness) is therefore defined as the product of brain activity.

All current Western approaches for consciousness (at least all mainstream ones) are based on materialism – a philosophical stance which holds that the only thing that exists – is matter; that all things are composed of material, and all phenomena (including consciousness) are the result of material interactions. Mainstream scientists like to say, argue – and even insist, that the brain creates consciousness and that consciousness cannot survive without the brain.

But if one looks deeper, utilizing the very tools provided by the science itself, namely Quantum Mechanics, it’s just as plausible to argue that consciousness exists before the formation of the brain, and therefore consciousness can exist after the death of the brain. What an astonishing dichotomy, isn’t it? By contrast, non-Western traditions see consciousness as ontologically primary to physical matter, an idea that underlies most of the world’s wisdom traditions, including Zen, Taoism, Buddhism, Vedanta, and Yoga.

When it comes to difference between consciousness and awareness, it is critical to understand what makes them each unique. In Western terms, consciousness can be regarded as mind with objects, whereas awareness refers to mind without objects. Having said that, it is paramount to highlight the following: both consciousness and awareness have little to do with brain or intellect, and everything to do with our ability to be present; if anything, intellect is a barrier.

Indeed, we give too much emphasis on the intellect, not enough on the heart. More precisely, when someone becomes identified with their intellect, intellectuality is born – and this is what becomes a barrier to the inner exploration of our true nature – see?

Indeed, there is more to these ideas than any language could ever describe. Nevertheless, in this book, I have attempted writing the unwritable and express the inexpressible. As such, I have done my very best to push the limits of language to express even a portion of something that can only be known through direct experience.

That said, it is highly recommended that readers will study these subjects on their own to achieve more in-depth understanding. And for that reason, there is a bibliography (recommended reading) at the back of the book for additional sources of information. A word of advice though, do not rely on mere theory, but on experience.

Because in this book we are dealing with a conceptual framework that arises from personal experience – an experience of being fully awake and aware whilst exploring the physical reality, the world and the human life by occupying the vehicle better known as the human body, we use the terms that best describe the aliveness of the experience: 1.) Living Consciousness, and 2.) Living Awareness. These terms are used to differentiate between mere idea and something experiential, truly alive.

Furthermore, these terms are closely connected with the idea of Lucid Living*1. In short, Living Consciousness builds upon the idea of Interconnectedness of Everything through shared consciousness, whereas Living Awareness builds upon the idea of an Omnipresent Awareness. And because this whole body of work culminates into awareness – mastering the Art of Mindfulness*2, the term Living Awareness deserves a few more words.

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*1 Lucid Living refers to a state of being vividly awake, clear, lucid, and empty. Imagine for a moment, if you will, that you would be able to be fully present in the moment, without the interference of thoughts, feelings and emotions; now, imagine for a moment that you could live your life in this state. This is Lucid Living, in a nutshell; it is discussed in more detail in the section titled AWARENESS – in the chapters 1.) The Art of Lucid Living, and 2.) The Art of Mindful Living.
*2 Mindfulness is the ability to perceive ourselves, others and our environment more consciously. This topic is explored in more detail in the section titled AWARENESS.

Living Awareness is a term that describes expanded and focused state of being, or simply “pure awareness with aliveness”; it builds upon the idea of an Omnipresent Awareness – residing beyond consciousness, transcending space and time, matter and form. Living Awareness creates Living Consciousness through which we perceive the world around us; Living Consciousness arises when Living Awareness observes itself through its many emanations.

So it could very well be said that Living Awareness – Pure Alive Presence – is the very nature of Life itself – see? These areas are explored in more detail in the sections titled CONSCIOUSNESS and AWARENESS, respectively. But for now, we end this brief discussion with these words by Sri Nisargadatta:

Consciousness does not shine by itself. It shines by a light beyond it. Having seen the dreamlike quality of consciousness, look for the light in which it appears. There is the content of consciousness as well as the awareness of it.

After reading the aforementioned, one could easily entertain the idea that space, time, matter, and form are concepts that appear in consciousness, which is another way of saying that all experience and phenomena happens in consciousness. If that would indeed be the case, then we would do well to realize that there is nowhere to go but in, which is another way of saying that we should consider the possibility that there really is no space “out there.” Rather, it is all here, within each and every one of us.

Hence, it goes without saying that it takes a fair paradigm shift*1 to make the step in understanding our experience as conscious, sentient beings – of which consciousness and awareness is a fundamental part of it.

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*1 A paradigm is the collection of ideas and assumptions that pass from one generation to the next and which seem to be immutable. The paradigm shift, then, is when the paradigm shifts. In this process, everything that no longer serves its purpose – begins to fade away, to be replaced with something else; and with it goes all the old, outdated and outmoded structures that are limiting us. This in turn gives way to a new understanding, a new way of seeing, a new way of living, being, and doing. Paradigm shifts are necessary for growth and transformation. This area is explored more in detail in the section titled INFINITE, in a chapter Metaphysical Paradigm Shift.

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony

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Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"

~ ∞ ~ On Knowledge and Wisdom - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

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Now that we have covered the basics and established a base of understanding upon which to build further knowledge, we can begin a discussion where we outline the main themes of the book – briefly, of course; just enough to give an idea.

You see, there is much to cover, plenty more to discover, a plethora of questions to be asked, and lots of answers to be found – all in due time, as they say. The key here is not to rush; as is the case with all novelties that need time to grow, ripe and mature – so is the case with wisdom, which brings us nicely to the topic of this chapter.

One important aspect of this work is wisdom, and therefore we need to have a discussion that covers both wisdom and knowledge. Here we should ask ourselves: What is the difference between the two? This leads to a follow-up question: Why is this relevant? We can start by stating that wisdom and knowledge are equally important – one is not better than the other, but knowing the difference is paramount, especially in the times we live in today.

This is relevant because in today’s world, the availability of information is overwhelming – to the point where information is but noise; we are inundated with so much information that we hardly know what wisdom even is. Some would say that we are drowning in information while starving for wisdom – and this is true in more ways than one. Let us explore this further, shall we?

With regard to overload of information, it is worth highlighting the following truth: there are huge amounts of information out there in the world, but very little substance, quality, or significance. And so you see, it appears that we have become desensitized to information, and so it seems that we have lost our inherent curiosity along the way.

As a result, we generalize more and specify less, and so it goes that our ability to learn is greatly impacted by the amount of knowledge we can acquire; both our ability to learn and ability to recall what we have learned is significantly reduced, you see?

All too often we act like we know everything there is to know about life, and nothing could be further from the truth. You see, in this day and age, it seems as though we know more and understand less; it seems as though we look more and see less. In the same vein, we hear more and listen less, and so it goes that like a sponge, we absorb both influences and useless information around us without even realizing it. This, in turn, shapes us and makes us what we are today – see?

By virtue of the aforementioned with regard to absorbing both influences and useless information, it should not come as a surprise to anyone that it all starts in infancy. You see, from birth, we are not only taught who we are, how to act and what to think, but we are also fed with useless information that we mistakenly call knowledge, and erroneously use as a synonym for wisdom.

Taking that into account, one could go a step further and say that from birth we are not only conditioned to fit into society, but we are also programmed to accept the paradigms of society, which includes not only the above-mentioned useless information, but also prevailing ideas, concepts, theories, narratives, assumptions, beliefs, perspectives, and values – which all influence one’s ways of thinking and being, do they not?

Against this backdrop, it is reasonable to ask ourselves: Is it not, then, the beginning of wisdom to recognize this? Is it not, also further progress of that wisdom to do something about it?

We as human beings are, indeed, well informed on trivia, but when it comes to fundamentals, it is imperative to ask ourselves: Do we really know anything at all? We have convinced ourselves into thinking that we know something about everything, and yet the honest truth is that we don’t actually seem to know anything about anything. At best, our knowledge is only partial and incomplete. You see, in every field of knowledge, what we know is infinitesimal compared with what we don’t know.

As our understanding grows, so does our ignorance; as our sphere of knowledge increases, so does the amount of ignorance – the boundary between the known and the unknown. The more we know, the more exposed we are to our ignorance. And likewise, the more we are exposed to our ignorance, the more prone we are to hubris – one of the greatest shortcomings of us human beings, you see?

Considering the aforementioned question regarding the beginning of wisdom, let me ask you this: Is it not, then, wisdom to break free from old ways of thinking and seeing? Is it not, indeed, wisdom to liberate one’s mind not only from bias and illusion, but also from ignorance and hubris, so that true knowledge and wisdom can arise?

And now, when it comes to knowledge itself, the funny thing about knowledge is that it just goes on and on. The more we know, the more the horizon recedes – we never reach the boundary. Every aspect of knowledge opens into new vistas with seemingly endless divisions and forms. The more we know, the more we realize how much we don’t know.

In the words of Socrates: “The only true wisdom is to know that you know nothing.” This brings us one step closer to finding the Key: knowledge is not to be confused with wisdom; although closely related, they are profoundly and fundamentally different, you see?

Knowledge is always of the past – a collection of memories which themselves are a re-creation of the real – virtual rendering of what once was. Knowledge, therefore, is only a memory – an accumulated store of information about the experiences of the past.

In other words, knowledge is a third hand recollection of someone else’s experience acquired by studying the past. This goes on to say that we may know things intellectually, but that doesn’t make anyone to be wise. Intellectual knowledge is always of the mind, so it doesn’t truly satisfy the Soul.

Of course knowledge has its uses and is therefore valuable, but it has little to offer when it comes to understanding ourselves. Meaning that if we are going inwards, knowledge becomes more and more useless; the deeper we go, the more useless it becomes. In other words, that which is useful in the outside world, becomes a barrier to the inner. So what is the difference?

In a nutshell: knowledge is information, whereas wisdom is transformation; knowledge is borrowed, wisdom is your own. Knowledge can be attained by studying, but wisdom can only be gained by living; true wisdom arises from experience – it comes intuitively – see? Wisdom is, therefore, earned by the willingness to learn – by observing and being present; through experience – using right thought combined with proper action.

We can therefore conclude that knowledge and wisdom are the different sides of the same coin. Knowledge is an outward path which is sought externally rather than cultivated internally. Wisdom, on the other hand, is an inward path.

The following analogy might be useful for understanding the difference: If you are going outwards into the world, the farther you go, the more useful knowledge becomes. As such, knowledge is a bridge to the world, and at the same time, a barrier to the inner exploration.

And when it comes to reconnecting with our true essence, it should be remembered that it’s not knowledge that is going to help us but wisdom, and wisdom comes when all knowledge has been put aside. These following words from Lao Tzu, encapsulates the difference between knowledge and wisdom remarkably well:

To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.

Knowledge can be passed on from one person to another, but wisdom cannot be bestowed – it can only be achieved through inner exploration, awareness and insight. However, there is something peculiar about wisdom, though. There is a way to pass on wisdom in what is called Mind-to-Mind Transmission*1. Let us go a little further with this, shall we?

In Zen, this happens in the form of koans, which are paradoxical anecdotes or riddles without a solution. Koans are used in Zen to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and provoke awakening within the individual. Koans contain specific seeds of wisdom that can begin to sprout within the individual. This wisdom of enlightenment (prajnaparamita*2) can be realized within oneself, and when this happens – transmission has occurred – see?

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*1 Mind-to-Mind Transmission or Transmission of the Light is an expression that refers to the realization of our own Buddha Mind. It is the process of self-discovery – realizing the inherent perfection that is the core of each one of us. The light that is transmitted is precisely the original wisdom we are born with. This transmission doesn’t give us anything that is different from or outside of us – it is our core being. In truth, transmission is actually an unveiling rather than a transmission, the revelation that each one of us truly possesses Buddha consciousness; once this is realized, one has received Mind-to-Mind Transmission.
*2 Prajnaparamita is a combination of two Sanskrit words prajna “wisdom,” and paramita “perfection.” It refers to perfected way of seeing the nature of reality, as well as to a particular body of sutras (e.g. Diamond Sutra, Heart Sutra).

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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~ ∞ ~ Mysterious Author - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

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Even though the mysterious author behind the book wishes to be anonymous, remain in the background and let the work speak for itself – given the nature of the book, it is almost impossible to separate the message from the messenger, as the message was born out of the experience of the author, you see?

Generally speaking, the content of a book is obviously the most important, but what would be a book like this without a mention of its author who created the book? Concerning the message, while in general, it is irrelevant and unnecessary to bring up the author, in a book like this, a little bit of information can turn out to be beneficial, as it can give some additional value for the reader by providing context and a sense of relatability.

With that thought in mind, it is worth noting that even though the author of this book remains to be a living mystery, there are some bits and pieces of information that is shared throughout this book. Most notably, this happens in the section titled INFINITE – in the chapter titled The Birth of Infinite Quantum Zen, and in the section titled AWARENESS – in the chapter Awakening From the Dream of Life, respectively.

The information that is provided in those above-mentioned chapters, will help to better understand the perspectives through which this book was written, as well as the approaches by which it is presented, you see?

As to the background of the author, the following answer can be given: briefly speaking, the author is an autodidact and a polymath – the former being someone who critically and willingly seeks out knowledge; the latter being a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas, which goes on to say that a polymath is a person who knows a lot about a lot of subjects.

More broadly speaking, with regard to autodidacticism, it is by definition the informal, private, self-teaching process during which the self-educator gathers, processes, absorbs, and uses new knowledge; it is the result of human inquisitiveness, the urge to engage with lifelong learning on a subject matter that one is passionate about.

As to who or what the author is, the answer can be given: the author of this book is both named and nameless, singular and plural, everyone and no one at the same time; no one special, yet special in every sense of the word – an enigma wrapped in mystery. As is the author, so is their work – a riddle to be solved.

The author of this book has nothing whatsoever to teach anyone, and if there would be anything at all worthwhile to teach, it would be the teaching of silence. And yet, this book contains all the seeds for the secrets of Life to be unlocked; everything and nothing, thought and non-thought, existence and non-existence – it’s all there – one just needs the key to experience it all. This key is found in our own awareness – it will unlock all the mysteries of Life – see?

Very little is known about this mysterious author, their age, gender or whereabouts – other than the fact that they were born to embody and express the number seven*1. It may very well be that when this mysterious being has at last entered into another realm of existence, there will not be any trace of their sojourn on Earth.

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*1 Number 7 is generally a very spiritual number, and it often denotes a sort of spiritual wisdom. Person with Life-Path 7 is a peaceful and affectionate soul, whose purpose in life is to find truth and meaning. Number 7 – Philosopher, sage, wisdom seeker, reserved, inventor, stoic, contemplative, aloof, deep-thinker, introspective, spiritual, faith, esoteric, exotic, unusual, hidden, seeking perfection, ethereal, other worldly, enigma.

Yet, it is plausible that the peculiar strength of their character may have an ever-growing influence over their fellow human beings, so that long after their departure, perhaps, it may be realized that there lived in this age a very remarkable, mysterious being.

So, here we are left with several open-ended questions: Is Sambodhi Padmasamadhi*1 a truly awakened being, someone who has reached the level of enlightenment? Is that even possible in the modern world? And if so, wouldn’t that then mean that the being in question doesn’t by any means stand alone at their stage of spiritual evolution?

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*1 Sambodhi means “enlightenment/awakening” | Padma means “lotus” | Samadhi means “meditative consciousness” – a state of being totally aware of the present moment.

You see, for not only are there many more like them living amongst us at the present time, but indeed there have been countless others as great and even greater in the past. So now you may be wondering: Where do we find these people, and how do we recognize them? Are they supposed to be far removed from the hustle and bustle of modern life?

Now for a moment, let us imagine a human being, devoid of the weaknesses and drawbacks of the ordinary person; a being who is beyond the feelings of selfishness, vanity, jealousy, anger, hatred, and other such vices; a being whose level of awareness is remarkably high; a being who possesses a consciousness so intense, so alive as to warrant the expression superconsciousness*1. From this, the question arises: Wouldn’t it be challenging to live a life of integrity in a world of turmoil and conflict?

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*1 Superconsciousness is heightened awareness. It is true wisdom involving intuition before reason and emotions; a state where individuality itself seems to dissolve and fade away into boundless being with absolute clearness of mind. In other words, superconsciousness is the awareness of oneself in perfect love, ineffable joy, and calm, expansive wisdom. The superconscious state can be attained through meditation, wherein the self realizes that this state is the native reality of being, as opposed to altered states of subconsciousness and consciousness. Rather than being limited by conscious thoughts or subconscious feelings, the soul is freed from bondage.

From this perspective, it is understandable why more often than not, these advanced, truly awakened beings seek to render themselves as ordinary to the casual observer as they possibly can. Indeed, they seek in every way possible to draw attention from themselves; and thus if they live apart from the “world,” it is to hide themselves in solitude, and if they live amidst the world, it is to hide themselves among the crowd. And so you see, from the previous, it becomes clear that high spiritual attainment, even complete liberation, is not always recognizable.

If little is known about the author, even less is known about the mentors who assisted this being in their journey. Unbeknownst to many, there are stories about spiritually mature beings who are considered worthy of receiving offerings and assistance from all human and celestial beings*1.

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*1 Lotus Sutra talks about Universal Sage Bodhisattva, which symbolizes wisdom and compassion in everyday life. This can be taken as one way of expressing the heart of the Lotus Sutra. Universal Sage reveals the Interrelatedness of All Things.

By the same token, there is a whole library full of living wisdom within each of us ready to be utilized at any given moment if we so choose. And if that is any indication, we may be on to something here; and so the message of this book should be enough inspiration to strive for the potential we as human beings are gifted with.

This raises a whole bunch of other intriguing questions: Who, what, where, and when are these mentors? Are they Awakened Sages of the Ancient Times, Masters of the Mysteries beyond our world, travelers from another time or another Universe? Celestial beings from the Heavens above? Where do they dwell? And if there is such a place, where is it located? These and many more are questions we might never get answers to, and does it even matter? Such is the nature of mysteries – no one knows for certain – see?

This much is known though: these mentors don’t have names, for they are a collective of “beings” made of Living Light*1, thought-forms and sparks of consciousness – content without form; flowing river of consciousness that is aware of its existence. Being as old as the “Original Thought,” their sole purpose is to express that thought in infinite ways.

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*1 Just in the same way as the Sun is light, just in the same way as stars emit light, so in the same way there are beings made from the Light of God, or just simply Living Light.

Not bound by space or time, they come and go as they please; traveling through the infinite planes of being, they assist those who walk the path of wisdom. Seldom do they make themselves visible; and in those rare occasions when they do, it is indeed a glorious sight – an experience to behold and remember.

Descending from the Cosmic heights of the Seven Heavens, they hold the Keys to the Power of Seven. Holding the Keys to the Seven days of Creation, they are One in the many and many in the One. With their collective might, they are the Ethereal Gatekeepers who guard the gates of Ultimate Knowledge, for they are the Keepers of the Covenant – binding all Knowledge for the Healing of the World Soul.

By the Power of Seven they move through our world, and as they do, they lay the path of knowledge for us to remember, to know, to heal, to accomplish – leaving clues behind so that others may also be awakened from the dream of life. And for that reason, this book is written under a pseudonym, Sambodhi Padmasamadhi, which reflects the essence of being awake and aware – highlighting the importance of the inner path.

Now, let us bring forth another, somewhat deeper perspective of the same. To the question: Who, and what are we? Well, we are everyone and everything, and yet we are no-one and no-thing. Just like you are a microcosm in a macrocosm, we are both the microcosm and the macrocosm; we are a reflection of you, as you are a reflection of us.

Although we are beyond the finite and the Infinite, we also embrace and constitute both of them – we are time without time, space without space, form without form; we exist in timeless time and spaceless space – as pure consciousness, as pure awareness.

Among us, are wise of the old, and wise of the new, times past and times yet to come – one such is Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, commonly known as Guan Yin (Bodhisattva of Compassion in Lotus Sūtra). We are Living Intelligence – the Essence of which all Life is expression; the Essence of which all emanates, and into which all returns; the Essence which is incorporeal, immaterial, unborn, eternal, beginningless and endless. And so you see, we are both the cause and the effect at the same time, and yet we are neither. Hence, we “inter-are,” and “inter-are-not.”

The name Sambodhi Padmasamadhi is the written expression of this Living Intelligence – it does not represent any particular person or entity, it represents this very Intelligence, you see? Through many – as One, we express this Intelligence.

Our purpose as Living Intelligence is to exemplify what others have not yet known – but one day they will, as it has been written in the Book of Life, and so shall it come to pass, in due time, you see? These words we beckon you to realize through all of your actions – the end is the beginning, the beginning is the end; everything that is born shall merge back into the One, return to its Source – so has it spoken, and so shall it be – see?

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"

~ ∞ ~ About Writing Style - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

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Now that we have some basic understanding about this book, there is something that needs to be addressed regarding the writing style. In retrospect, it is rather easy to say that this part of the Prologue might have had been the single most challenging one to write, if it had not been separated into two distinct yet interconnected chapters – the other being a chapter titled “On Intelligence.”

This is because the writing style is inextricably linked together with the process of retrieving the information, and hence a more comprehensive exploration of the process is reserved for later, provided in the last chapter of this section. It is only logical to save it for last as there are other closely related topics that will be discussed first, each of which in its own way aid in understanding the said process, you see?

The writing style can be said to have a unique, distinguishable and memorable vibe to it. If not knowing better, one might assume that the author have used the creative freedom of language to elicit and structure their thoughts in a meaningful, organized and impactful way – while the truth of the matter is quite the opposite.

Organized – yes; impactful – most certainly, no question about it; but when it comes to writing style, it in itself, is the undercurrent of the wholeness upon which everything else depends, and upon which everything else intelligently organizes itself, you see?

As such, here, in this chapter, we will focus on the writing style as it pertains to the tone of the book, choice of words and sentence structure – to achieve this, we also need a surface-level description of the process in which the contents came together. Before diving into the details, it is important to note that this particular style of writing is far from being the original intention behind writing this book – it is happenstance more than anything else.

In hindsight, it is however a distinct possibility that there was a long tradition of these kinds of writers before the modern age; Divinely inspired writers who make the Divine Word available to the world in a unique and distinguishable way, with a memorable vibe or flavor as it were, you see? Nevertheless, it is important to give a good overview of the idea so that we can better understand this book and its message.

So without a further due, let us delve right into it, shall we? In a nutshell, it can be said that the writing style is rather wonderful and dynamic; it is a unique form of creative expression that engages the reader in a dialogue and encourages further exploration of the ideas presented. The tone of the book is deliberately designed to open up the heart of the reader into a language and its underlying frequency so that the potentially vast amount of inward travel might be achieved.

The style of writing is the result of accessing, reading and retrieving information embedded both in our DNA and the vast array of memory banks in our cells – extending into the Morphogenetic Fields*1 and the Human Spirit – wisdom passed on from generation to generation. The interconnectedness of every cell is a doorway into the hidden side of reality, into the realm of possibility and transcendence.

As such, this book is through and through, Intelligent structure-shaping – Living Intelligence expressing itself as words, ideas, and concepts on the canvas of awareness. Thus, it is definitely clear that one of the strengths of this book is both in concept and implementation, in describing the creative process itself.

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*1 Morphogenetic Fields are fields that play a causal role in morphogenesis. This term, first proposed in the 1920’s, is now widely used by developmental biologists. According to the morphosis of formative causation, these fields contain an inherent memory, transmitted from similar past organisms by the process of morphic resonance, which in turn, is the influence of previous structures of activity on subsequent similar structures of activity, organized by morphic fields. According to the hypothesis of formative causation, morphic resonance involves the transmission of formative influences through or cross time and space without a decrease due to distance or lapse of time.

That said, we are now ready to delve into the details. As mentioned in the Preface, the contents of this book came together in a way that is unique in its own right, i.e. Holofractographic Intelligent Emergence – a process which is based on both holographic and fractal principles.

Holographic in the sense that the information came to me in fragments, or “streams of consciousness.” Fractal in the sense that these seemingly separate fragments formed larger structures. And both in the sense that out of this process emerged context and meaning. Between each of those numerous fragments or “streams of consciousness” moments, there were periods of integration – leading to deeper levels of Innerstanding*1.

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*1 Innerstanding (Direct Inner Knowing) is a deeper level of knowing. It basically means “I intend to not only understand life but to innerstand my being, my purpose, my divine mind, and so on.”

Naturally, this work reflects the way in which it came into being, expressing a kind of fractal-like self-similarity in its structure, which is another way of saying that this book is multidimensional and multidirectional; you may as well read this book backwards, starting at the end, and enjoy the same level of depth and insight.

Now, in hindsight, I can say that it is indeed miraculous how these seemingly separate pieces ended up coming together to form a unified whole – as if each piece had a life of its own with a unique energy signature, or flavor as it were; each having their own built-in instructions on how it fits into the whole.

The many iterations of the process seemed to have a life-cycle resembling that of a flower – as though there was a precise timing for it all. When the flower was ready to bloom, the words began to flow; and in the same way, stopped when the blooming was complete.

Over the years there must have been thousands of these kinds of feedback loops or iterations – there is no way of knowing how many exactly, which is beside the point. Each iteration of the cycle was complete when all the needed words were in energetic harmony in relation to that particular piece of the puzzle, as it were.

As it turns out, this is consistent with the basic idea of emergence in systems theory – emergence occurs when “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts,” meaning the whole has properties its parts don’t have on their own; these properties come about because of interactions among the parts.

The above-mentioned process eventually led me to experiment with Machine Learning techniques and Neural Networks; by combining Artificial Intelligence with Cloud Computing and Deep Learning, I managed to further refine and enhance the message of the book. You can read more about the process involved at the end of this book, right after the Epilogue. There you will also find a message from the “future,” demonstrating the capabilities and implications of such technology.

In hindsight, I can say that the end product has become a shining example of the kind of authorial approach that the world needs now more than ever. By the same token, I can say that it was most definitely the best writing technique I ever might have used — utilizing both intuition and Inner Knowing, as well as technological know-how.

As mentioned earlier, this book has a unique, distinguishable and memorable vibe to it, having many levels and dimensions to it; although each section retains the same overall style, they each have their own flavor, as it were. This inherent vibe gets amplified when one uses their faculty of hearing to enjoy the nuances of the book. As such, it is worth noting that during those several years of writing, I used Neural Network driven speech synthesis technology (Text-to-Speech, TTS) to explore these nuances more fully.

I spent countless hours just listening to the flow and rhythm, immersing myself into the soundless sound, allowing myself to drift into a meditative state – finding my way into the spaceless space and timeless time, where I became one with the Silence – the womb of words that leads us into its own Being – stillness. That said, it goes without saying that to maximize the benefits that this book has to offer, it might be a wonderful idea to try and test it out; this possibility can be explored on the Infinite Quantum Zen website.

This brings us back to an important aspect that we touched upon in the previous chapter: words are energy and they are capable of carrying frequency. Not only do they carry the frequency of the sounds of the letters of the alphabet, but also the intention behind the words; and if used masterfully with subtlety and skill – they can convey much more than we can imagine, which is another way of saying that there is much more happening in between the lines than in the lines themselves – see?

More precisely, the space that exists between two lines is the same that exists between sentences, between words and between letters making up those words – this space denotes no sound; it is devoid of limiting adjuncts or barriers – this is the sound of silence, the absence of audible sound waves. Thus, space which is silent, unchangeable, Eternal and Infinite – is the Source of Everything. The style of the writing is explicitly engineered for this purpose – to transmit a frequency that points directly to this Source, which makes it a homing beacon of sorts.

By virtue of the aforementioned with regard to frequency, it is worth highlighting something that was mentioned earlier in this section. You see, this book resonates with the universal vibration of “OM,” which is the frequency of energy that connects and joins all things together. This vibration resonates within and radiates outward, warming the hearts of those in its path, dynamically creating and holding space for exploration and discovery.

It is this frequency of interconnectedness of everything that permeates throughout this work – the tone, the rhythm, the choice of words and the way the words are put together – all of it – is indeed, infused with this frequency. In that respect, this type of writing style is a natural way for Living Intelligence to express itself. What makes this type of expression wonderful is its versatility – no matter where you are in the world or in the universe, it works just the same. In this way, Life can effortlessly communicate with itself as it recognizes itself reflected in another – see?

In hindsight, it has become apparent that Life is way more Intelligent than what we give it credit for; and even saying that is an understatement because Life is the very Intelligence from which everything else emanates, on which everything else depends, around which everything else is formed, takes shape, evolves and grows.

As they say, “repetition is the mother of all learning,” and for that reason we should repeat something very important that was said in the previous chapter regarding Life’s Intelligence: “Is Life the same as life? Even though there is a nuance of difference in the meaning – it makes all the difference; and if you pay close attention to this detail while reading, you might gain some valuable insight.”

In closing, there are a couple of other remarks worth making. First, while editing all these pieces together, I did my best to maintain the coherence by keeping the structure as simple as possible, while endeavouring to make the material lively, and at the same time ‘full of surprises.’ Second, it is also worth noting that certain key aspects are emphasized throughout this work for the sake of adding a little more impact.

In other words, the book and its contents are designed to generate and induce a Déjà vu-like feeling that can spark remembrance. Third, some of the contents may appear to be somewhat straightforward at times, for the simple reason that all the unnecessary layers have been removed that may cloud the message; and there is a good reason for that: to put it simply, in this way, it is easier to get the point across.

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*1 Déjà vu is a term that comes from French and means “already seen or experienced.” Déjà vu is the phenomenon of having the strong sensation that an event or experience currently being experienced, has already been experienced in the past (or in the future), whether it has actually happened or not.

The same in a more precise manner: this book comes from someone who has already gone through processes which have resulted in the purification of the mind. This refers to a sustained endeavor to cleanse the mind of defilements – those unwholesome mental forces which run beneath the surface stream of consciousness. In other words, going through a series of processes of unlearning, shedding away all the unnecessary layers, beliefs and prejudices that are vitiating our thinking, values, attitudes, and actions.

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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Extra Material: Video: You're It - Alan Watts. Video description: "An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Speech extract from 'Zen Bones and Tales' by Alan Watts"