Plane-to-Plane Memorandum | |
| To: | My Beloved Students |
|---|---|
| From: | Master Djwhal Khul |
Subject: | July 2008 Lesson |
| Date: | June 27, 2008 |
Beloved Students:
I greet you in the afterglow of our annual Peace Convocation; an event that I hope was inspiring and meaningful for all my students, particularly those of you who attended. I hope you are still reflecting on our work and are still drawing sustenance from our special time together. May the entire Earth benefit from the energetic shifts we set in motion, and may each of you be blessed a thousand-fold for your participation in, and contribution to, our con-joined effort for liberating all sentient beings on our precious planet.
It is my hope for the planet that the theme for this month (July, 2008) will ultimately prove to be that of unity. As you surely know, the messages arising from the conventional reality these days are messages of duality, if not outright opposition. Not only is this the expected format for an electoral season, it is a sad fact that the pointing out of differences has become obsessional in the Western world. Truly, many people believe that the “divide and conquer” mentality is the only way to rule, or prove one’s point, or elect a person to high office. Of course, this mentality necessitates designating an “other,” who will be the recipient of those “divide and conquer” tactics. Granted, this mental mechanism has been used for millennia in the conducting of war, ruling of nations, and even in the engagement of business. However, it is now time to ask whether such tactics serve well all the beings engaged and compromised by them.
The simple truth is this: Unity (as in Essence unifying with Itself) is not possible in the conventional reality. The closest level that can be reached in conventional experiencing is consensus. Since the human experience arises in an apparent dualistic field, Essential Unity lies outside that field. This is why enlightenment is often described as “breaking through” the barriers, or walls, of illusion. Indeed, the conventional reality is not Real, although it is really, and powerfully, experienced.
Yet, all spiritual teachers instruct upon, and continually reference, Essential Union, or Union with the Divine. Indeed, this state can only be approached as an ideal, since there are no clear models, nor reference points, held within the conventional reality for such a profound awakening. You must remember that the conventional reality is not only steeped in illusion, it is illusion. Essential Unity, on the other hand is Reality. I apologize for the strong use of capitalization in these sentences, but without it, I find no way to converse with you in a manner that distinguishes between “reality” (by which I mean “really experienced”) and Reality (by which I mean the ultimate state and true nature of everything). Thus, you will have to bear with this technical flaw, since it is the best I can present at the present moment.
“So,” you may be wondering, “just where, or in what condition, can Essential Union be realized? If all these great spiritual teachers are advocating entering Essential Union, and if Essential Union is not part of the experiential spectrum in the conventional reality, what’s a spiritual aspirant to do?”
Well, my dear friends, this is a great example in which the power of “seeing through” profoundly applies. Essential Unity is not a product of the phenomenal world, and therefore can only be realized in the presence of emptiness. Simply stated, no self can experience Essential Unity, and herein resides a pro-found spiritual mystery. While the notion of a self is certainly an intriguing mystery, an even greater mystery lies in the experience of no self. In truth, how does what is deemed to be a self (i.e.: that part of consciousness that collects the experiences that seem to bear witness to its own existence) have an experience of its own “notness?” Clearly, even in the absence of a self, there must be something that continues to experience, and it is this very thing that can experience both “notness” and Essential Unity.
Of course, one of the greatest spiritual mysteries is that of emptiness. You could say that emptiness is a version of “notness” (or, you could deem “notness” a version of emptiness, which is perhaps the better stated case). While I can tell you some things about emptiness, you must experience its Reality for yourself. So what part of you experiences this “notness,” or emptiness? Clearly, it cannot be your “self.” Part of grasping this mystery lies in discovering just what is left to realize emptiness when the self has vacated consciousness. What remains when there is no self? This is a good time in your personal evolution to contemplate this question deeply, and I hope the question literally burns itself into your psyche, confronting you at every turn.
While this next statement may sound a bit perplexing, the truth of the matter is: it is in realizing emptiness that you Realize Emptiness. How does the great bodhisattva save all beings? Simply by realizing that there are no “beings.” In the process, the “self” that makes the realization of emptiness also dissolves, or disappears, leaving nothing behind that can be experienced. If you contemplate these considerations deeply, you will find they offer a greater understanding of the part of the Sutra on the Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom that states, “There is no knowledge, and there is nothing to reach and there is nothing not to reach.” Well, perhaps you will also understand the rest of the Sutra, as well.
Essential Unity, then, remains not only the ideal, but the model for unity in all its lesser forms, as well. In a dualistic world (such as you experience) consensus is the truth that points the way to unity, which, in turn, points the seeker to Unity. Therefore, we deem both consensus and unity to be “noble truths,” for they point the way to Unity. Since Unity is a matter between oneself (or that which now appears to be a self) and the cosmos, it can be called an ultimate Truth, for it points the way to nothing beyond Itself.
In the same manner, the reason that the Buddha’s “Four Noble Truths” are deemed “noble,” is because they point the way to a greater truth, the ultimate truth of enlightenment. Of course, it is somewhat dubious to speak of these matters, since while it may appear that there is a self who experiences enlightenment, in truth, the process of realizing enlightenment dissolves the self who does the realizing. Thus, until one’s experiences reach beyond the phenomenal realm, experiences of “notness,” emptiness and enlightenment are mere conjectures. As strange as it may seem, this is as it should be, since it is in the deep work of penetrating such great mysteries that the mind loses the reference point of a self and expands into its own essential nature.
If all this seems a bit confusing, just know that these are the great mysteries you are called to “solve.” The solution, however, is (or appears to be) a work in progress, for there is no definite end to this journey. Yet, as you progress along the path, you will find that through deep contemplation, great mysteries are revealed. We cannot exactly say that they are revealed to “you,” although you will perceive them. Neither can we allege that there is any single Being Who is the “revealer.” Again, this level of en-countering the mystery goes beyond logic, reason, even the phenomenal world. Your task is to embody the great question mark, or creating the mental vortex that will draw to you the critical insights wherein great mysteries perhaps reveal themselves.
Having worked with contemplation in both our New Mexican retreat in April, as well as in our just completed Convocation, I am hoping that all of you are recognizing just how important it is to develop and strengthen contemplative mind in your enlightenment journey. While you live in a world (particularly in the West) where the merits of analytical mind are often remarkably over valued, realizing your enlightenment is simply going to require other mental skills. Of course, in deepening your contemplation skills, you learn that analytical mind can actually take you right into a direct experience of contemplative mind. Thus, you can use the skills you already have to develop skills you were not taught in the conventional reality.
I cannot emphasize too strongly the value of contemplative skills. It is precisely for this reason that we have put together The Little Book of Contemplation. By developing contemplative mind, you open the door to direct insight and deep realization. Of course, like all other spiritual skills, developing contemplative mind will take some time and energy on your part, but I fully believe you will find the rewards profoundly significant to your awakening process.
Please join me this month in studying a lecture I recently recorded for you entitled, Pushing the Mind Further into Emptiness. I believe this lecture will provide fodder for you to “chew on” for a considerable time to come! Delve into this lecture and set your mind to harvesting the gems I’ve planted in it for you. This is another lecture in our series to prepare those minds of yours for a direct experience of emptiness.
I look forward to continuing our intensely rich focus for 2008 in the remaining event of our trilogy, “The Matter of Mind” event in a few months. I dedicate our collective efforts to the liberation of all sentient beings on planet Earth, and I do so look for-ward to our continued planetary service.
Your loving teacher,
Djwhal Khul
Copyright 2008, Vajra Flame Foundation, Ltd.
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