Nothing that comes into existence, could last forever. If something begins, it always ends. This is a rule of existence holding true, at all scales of manifestation. Only the unborn, that which was never created, but was just always there, could continue to remain forever.
Whatever is, could only have come from something rather than nothing, because ‘something’ cannot come from ‘nothing’. What has come into being, must eventually return back to wherever it came from.
In the meanwhile, things may appear to be momentarily stable, but they actually never are. Everything all the time, is changing, even if at levels so subtle, that we cannot detect its transformation.
Change with time, is a condition of manifestation. Time, is a concept, which accounts for the movement of change- from this into that, from now to then. It is the gap, which separates the wholeness of the one manifested totality, into fragments.
Time is duality, without which there cannot be separation of one moment from another, nor any manifestation of the material world, as we know it. Freedom from duality is essentially a freedom from time.
We can talk about ideas of the timeless, the concepts of oneness, but we cannot imagine, or know them, as we know things in the material world.
For a body-mind existing in the duality of time, a freedom from time is impossible to imagine. But it is possible! This timeless oneness, is not an object of perception, to be perceived through the duality of our body-mind. But, it can be known.
Because, that uncreated ever-being timeless Reality, of which we are an expression, is there. Without it being there, nothing could have existed. We know for sure, that we are, we could not have come into existence from nothing!
Whatever we have come from, to whatever we shall one day return, that is our Reality.
We are only a miniscule fragment, a mere speck, in the vast context and enormous scale of existence. Nevertheless, we are a part of this oneness, we arise from it, we take our form and shape from it, we are rooted in it, it is the source of our being.
This Reality is within us while we exist, we are not separate from it. We express it’s one essence, in multiple forms of duality, through each body-mind. It is the substance we and everything else is made of- the light, the energy, the sound- the being of ‘all that is‘!
If we are made up of this timeless oneness– surely, we should be able to know it? It cannot remain hidden from us, if it is our very essence and substance!
As many humans have already realized, it is indeed possible to know it. But, the approach is fundamentally different, from the way we know ordinary material objects of our perception.
We know it, within our own being, as our own deepest inner Self.
This knowing of the core feeling of our being, is the most intimate knowing we can possibly have. Everything else, is outside of this inner center of our being. We know it, by being here, staying here, not escaping from here. It is not difficult, because we are always already here!
But we ignore this simple fact, as the usual tendency of our attention, is to continually move outwards, to grasp on the external perceptions. The pull of duality always draws our attention outwards, away from the center of our Being-Knowing Self.
There is nothing complicated to understand here. In the moments when we remain as simple alert awareness– we abide in, and operate from the essential core of our one timeless being!
The moment we follow up thoughts, memories, concepts, ideas and react through the habitual tendencies of our conditioned attitudes, we ignore this one truth at the center of our being, and we get entangled in the myriad problems of duality. Then we suffer, because duality by its very nature, creates suffering.
But, we need not suffer. We have a way of operating in absolute harmony with this world. Inherent within each of us, we carry our innate shared oneness, the timeless non-dual truth of our Reality.
This oneness of our inner being, transcends all duality and suffering.
When we operate with alert awareness, we are looking out from this oneness! This simple ordinary awareness, helps us know, understand and respond appropriately to whatever is happening.
This is not just a mindfulness of outward events, but being aware of our own awareness, consciously knowing, observing, our own reactions and functioning.
A simple witnessing as awareness, from our most intimate being, of all that we ever come across.
It takes care of what we think, feel, say or do, keeping us aligned with the whole truth, in balance and harmony with everything else. This awareness helps us transcend suffering from our problems, not by eliminating them outwardly, but by allowing us to deal with them, in the best possible manner, for each situation.
Acting from here, we live synchronized with the fabric of the manifested universe, in which we are a tiny thread. We also remain detached and free, from all our actions and their complications.
This meeting our life from a place of awareness, is looking at superficial duality from its oneness, and watching the movement of time, from the timeless!
Our body-mind continue to undergo birth, degeneration and death in duality. But living as this presence, witnessing life from the center of our being- only briefly passing through this world of existence, which begins and ends- we continue to remain eternal, as the timeless-oneness that we really are!
Comments
8 responses to “What begins, always ends”
I’ll miss your perspective and your expression of it! Mind how you go! Fare Thee
Well all along the way!
Thank you, for your interest in my writing and your kind words!
Hi. I love your posts. It feels sad to see you go. But then again, I understand. There came a time in my life when I just wanted to live in it, and not write about what I just wanted to live. On one hand I just felt like shutting up. On the other hand, as Zen master Katagiri said, “You have to say SOMETHING!!!!!” I don’t know that this is what is going on with your blog, but best wishes to you. I will miss your posts. It would be nice to sit face to face and just live life together in the beautiful horrible mystery of it all. Om shanti shanti shanti.
Thank you so much for your kind words, sharing your views and your support throughout! I enjoyed writing here, as a means of exploring in detail what I seemed to have understood and using photos to illustrate that as a creative expression, which I thoroughly enjoyed! But it seems like a circle is complete now, as I had never intended anything when I started, so it is quite arbitrary, but I think it is time to conclude this here 🙂 Thanks again!
Here is something I compiled just yesterday; perhaps you will enjoy reading it.
Life is unfolding and changing in every moment. To maintain a sense of balance and perspective in this unfolding, it is helpful for me to have a paradigm that I can use in which to place myself, events and encounters.
The bottom line is my own experience, although I look and listen to other’s perspective. A traditional perspective that I have found most valuable in defining my paradigm is Advaita Vedanta. Advaita Vedanta originated in the Hindu culture, and is based on the Sanatana Dharma. The Sanatana Dharma is the “Perennial Law” that was first was compiled by the Rishis in India 3000-5000 years ago.
Sanatana Dharma
There is one universal soul (Brahman) who reveals itself to our awareness as “Saguna Brahman” (with form and qualities (suchness) as the gods and goddesses) and “Nirguna Brahman” (without form or qualities such as the concept of “Emptiness” might suggest.
There is an individual immortal soul (Atman) in each of us that gradually through many lifetimes evolves back into Brahman from which it originated.
The law of “Karma” (the evolution towards wholeness (or merging into one with Brahman) is in effect in this material existence.
“Moksha” (liberation from the Karmic wheel) is our goal and purpose in existence.
The “Vedas” are the final authority. The Vedas are the writings of the Rishis, especially the Vedanta (mainly the Upanishads) which are later summations of the earlier Vedic writings.
Time is “cyclical” (there is no birth or death, no original creation or ending). Brahman (the energy of life and love) has always been and always will be, and is the only absolute reality.
There is a Dharma to existence, which is the order and customs that make life possible. The Dharma is the duties, rights, laws, conduct and virtues that are consistent and unchanging, and prevent chaos, giving rise to order and predictability in the unfolding.
According to Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, there are generally 5 Yamas (restraints) and 5 Niyamas (observances).
Yamas
1- abstain from injury to all living creatures
2-abstain from falsehood
3-abstain from taking something that is not yourself
4-abstain from coveting or sexual cheating on your partner
5-abstain from expecting gifts from others
Niyamas
1- eat pure food, and remove impure thoughts
2-have contentment in one’s means
3- have times of meditation and silent reflection
4-study, and pursue knowledge
5-devote all actions to the Supreme Teacher
(all of these yamas and niyamas can be “practices” that help us re-member our true nature)
To determine your own particular Dharma, and to align with the Sanatana Dharma,
1- learn historical knowledge (such as the Upanishads)
2- observe the behavior of good people
3-reflect on what satisfies your heart, inner feelings, and what you feel driven to.
The Sanatana Dharma is consistent with most religious paths in Eastern spiritual life, and with the mystical aspects of all religious groups.
The Vedas were originally “received” by the Rishis and transmitted orally for over a thousand years before being written down. “Ri” means “heard” and the Rishis heard the vedic knowledge from the cosmos. In todays language you could say that they were tuned into the “web” or the holographic nature of our universe. This web or hologram could also be referred to as the Akasha or the “ether”.
The Vedas were first put into written form about 1500 B.C. There are 4 basic Vedas beginning with the Rig-Veda. They were mainly hymns and mantras in Sanskrit that were to help priests in their rituals. Following the Vedas came the Upanishads which are summations of the Vedas, more of a philosophical
synopsis of the Vedas intended for the common people. The Upanishads are collectively known as the “Vedanta”, or, the end of the Vedas. Following the Upanishads came the Puranas and the historical accounts such as the Mahabarata and the Ramayana and the Bhagavad Gita (which is an extract from the Mahabarata).
In the Advaita Vedanta there are 3 basic subtypes
Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism)
Tattvavada (dualism)
Advaita (non dualism)
The Sanatana Dharma recognizes 4 basic main paths or “yogas”
Kharma Yoga- (selfless service)
Bhakti Yoga-(devotion, love, creativity, religion)
Jnana Yoga- (knowledge, discriminating mind)
Raja Yoga- meditation (generally speaking) which downplays the role of discernment and emphasizes surrender.
Of course, while there are 4 main yogic paths, there are as many ways to individuate them as there are beings, depending on individual personality and character traits. A person may go through different yogic paths as they grow, age, and learn.
These yogic paths are in contrast to the eightfold path of Buddhism
(right concentration, view, resolve, speech, action, livelihood, effort and mindfulness)
In Vedanta, there are 4 “Purusarthas” or goals
1-dharma- individual correctness of your path
2-artha- means of life (livelihood), personal responsibility
3- kama- satisfaction of desires in a proper way
4-moksha- freedom from cycles of rebirth, and liberation
The body, and its desires and pleasures and sufferings are recognized as being valid and real, although relatively so, due to the constant input of Maya. (the veil of ignorance we receive to gain the illusion of separation (suffering) so the apparent material world can continue) and Brahman can manifest as all possible “things”.
Our true identity is one and the same as Brahman, and Brahman is the energetic presence that enlivens our body and psyche, including awareness and consciousness and the universe and all things.
While in a body we pursue happiness and the relief of suffering by finding and living our dharma, being responsible and practical to the affairs of our daily living, and all the while keeping Moksha as our overall goal.
Love yourself (as Brahman)
Serve Others (as they are also Brahman)
Remember God (Brahman)
It is also affirming how Quantum Physics is coming to similar conclusions as the Rishis did 4,000 years ago. It has been said that the three basic foundations of Vedanta are;
1- Brahman is the energetic substance of reality (including material reality)
2-our goal as humans is to realize Brahman as our only true nature
3- all religions have the same goal of union between body and spirit
David Bohm, a physicist of our era has stated the three greatest “discoveries” of Quantum Physics as being;
1- “There is an interconnecting network of “quanta” weaving the whole universe into “one” (Brahman, I think)
2- “All matter and energy are found to have what appears to be a dual nature, either a particle, or field, or wave” (we are that same Brahmanic nature, I think.)
3- “Non-locality”, “an influential connection can be made at considerable distances, and the state of the whole organizes the parts” (we are all after the same ends, eh?)
The actual reality is a non-dual, non-local, basic oneness with infinite possibilities and potentials, totally akin to the Brahman of the Vedas.
The classical world which is comprised of subatomic particles are the resultant collapse of the Quantum wave function due to the observances of a conscious observer; in short, the observer co-creates the world and hence, the world has no existence by itself without the observer (maya).
We actually do create reality, and more specifically, our personal reality.
Thank you so much for sharing this! This is profound and yes, in essence very close to what I have myself understood. Although I have not studied much about the detailed classification of these things, but I am familiar with the basic/ essential teachings of Hinduism, concept of Brahma, Atma and specifically Advaita Vedanta is very close to my heart. Thank you for providing a very concise summary of all this! I certainly feel there is an element of oneness in the essential truth, regardless of which tradition we follow, all the way to its very core and depth. We may ultimately arrive at this same truth, through any path, if we could just allow ourself to freely explore without a lot of the unnecessary conditioning and dogma associated with most religions. Thank you!
We live in a universe that is alive; not necessarily consciously aware, but alive at every level of its arrangement, from the quantum realm, the most fundamental particle to the complexity that is is the human mind. Time is a unit by which we, as a consciously aware system measure a “duration of change” within this continuum of change. I call this “motion” that result in form the very definition of life.
If there is only one thing, we should recognize that this one thing is everywhere the same. Therefore, it is not necessary to construct a concept of laws or rules to govern the “one-ness” that is our reality. This continuum of change that occurs within our universe is not deterministic nor is it random, it is simply indeterminate due to its complexity and the mystery of what drives the evolution of this complexity.
If the scientific community could accept this grounding premise of universal life, the only question that would remain for the scientist is this: What is the basis of this life? What is the force within this life that drives complexity. Or as Stephen Hawkins so eloquently stated: “What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe…”
I have often contemplated the profound question of why. But I do not believe that why is relevant when applied to a fundamental Reality; it is simply what it is. What is happening here in this living universe of ours is more stirring to my blood than any imagining on my part could every be.
Good luck, I am pleased to have met you my friend…….
The questions “what, why, how” can be left for the science, which has proven to be remarkably good at its attempts, to figure out the nature of things as they are and their mechanism. But the mystics are already content with the immense mystery of ‘whatever it is’ and their ability to witness it, they do not even bother with these questions about the details of ‘why, when, how’ etc.
Thank you for sharing your views here, I wish for bliss, peace and contentment in your life!