An Admonition
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1. Many false selves will deceive all but the most diligent.
Most ‘I am’, subjective first person “feelings” will actually be associated with some form of body identification. Always look for the source who is witnessing the feeling of self. That source has no attribute or phenomenal existence. It is never an object. Abiding in the self means abiding in emptiness with no thought and the imaginal world disappears, leaving “what is.”
Abiding in the self means no longer looking for the self, because the self that looks is the true self.
At some point you will know who the real subject is, but may try to escape abiding in that self because the mind and body are accustomed to activity. Abiding in the true subject is an end to that.
The mind actually appears to have a self-preservative intentionality to prevent you from abiding in the true subject. This is what many teachers refer to as the ego avoiding self-destruction by distraction. However, the ego does not exist. It is not a thing that can obstruct self-realization. It is only the habit of thinking ― extrovertive focus on phenomena rather than on the source of phenomena ― that “obstructs” self-realization.
The true subject can observe phenomena and the actions of mind and see that the true subject has nothing to do with the external. One will say, “All that has nothing to do with me.” There is no meeting of the unmanifest subject and the manifest world and personality.
2. All the exercises, meditations, pointers, etc., are what one Zen master called polishing the mirror.
That is, massaging Consciousness. This is not the true way. This in itself will cause nothing to happen. No self-realization happens from these exercises. They are not really absolutely required for self-realization by one and all, and may actually be a big distraction for some.
All these are activities of the mind. However, these activities can lead to absolute quietness when least expecting it, and in the quietness true subject identification can occur in an instant. When that occurs you are no longer Man, nor are you God, emptiness or anything at all.
What happens next is not up to you.
3. The greatest impediment to becoming the unborn, the unmanifest, comes when a “person” identifies with the totality of Consciousness and thinks he has achieved it and there is no more to do or further to go.
Many who have this identification talk as if they are awareness itself, but become filled with themselves and very arrogant about their understanding. They say all the right words and judge everyone else who has not gained their great or true understanding.
You will know them by their actions and their statements. They will not use the words “I,” “me,” “mine,” etc. They may have gone, but they act too much like they are in the "goneness."
Many, many teachers ― including Robert ― warn of this trap, thinking you have attained everything (or nothing). True, complete attainment will be found in one who is humble and cares about all others. Most will run from being a teacher, but to some, teacher-hood, the guru role, will descend unknowingly and unwanted.
