10-13-2011, 08:15 AM
This is an excerpt from the beginning of David Hawkins book : the eye of the I
"The Presence.
A hushed silence pervades the surroundings, and motion itself slows and becomes still. All things radiate forth an intense aliveness. Each is aware of every other. The luminous quality of the radiance is overwhelmingly Divine in nature. It completely includes everything in its total Oneness so that all things are interconnected and in communication and harmony by means of awareness and by sharing the basic quality of the essence of existence itself.
The Presence is a continuum that completely occupies what had appeared previously to ordinary perception as vacant, empty space. That inner Awareness is not different from the Self; it pervades the essence of everything. Awareness is aware of its own awareness and omnipresence. Existence and its expression as both form and formlessness is God and prevail equally in all objects, persons, plants, and animals. Everything is united by the Divinity of existence.
The pervasive Essence includes everything without exception. The furnishings in the room are equal to rocks or plants in their importance or significance. Nothing is excluded from the Allness, which is all encompassing, total, complete, and lacking in nothing. All is of equal value because the only real value is the Divinity of existence.
That which is the Self is total and complete. It is equally present everywhere. There are no needs, desires, or lack. Neither imperfection nor discord is possible, and every object stands forth like a work of art, a piece of sculpture in perfect beauty and harmony. The Holiness of all Creation is the reverence held by everything for everything else. All is imbued with a great splendor, and everything is silenced in awe and reverence. The Revelation instills an infinite Peace and stillness.
A glance at the body reveals it to be the same as everything else—unowned, unpossessed by an individual, equal to the furniture or other objects, and merely part of All That Is. There is nothing personal about the body, and there is no identification with it. It moves about spontaneously, correctly executes its bodily functions, and effortlessly walks and breathes. It is self-propelled, and its actions are determined and activated by the Presence. The body is merely an ‘it’, equal to any other ‘thing’ in the room.
When addressed by other persons, the body’s voice responds appropriately, but what is heard in the discussion resonates at a higher level of meaning. The deeper and more profound meaning is revealed in every sentence. All communication is now understood at a deeper level, almost as though each simple-sounding question is actually an existential question and statement about mankind itself. On the surface, the wording sounds superficial, but on the deeper level, there are profound spiritual implications.
Appropriate responses are given by the body, which everyone assumes is a ‘me’ that they are talking to. This in itself is strange because there is no actual ‘me’ associated with this body at all. The real Self is invisible and has no locality. The body speaks and answers questions simultaneously in parallel ways, on two levels at the same time.
Stilled by the Silence of the Presence, the mind is silent and wordless. No images, concepts, or thoughts occur. There is no one to think them. With no person present, there is neither thinker nor doer. All is happening of itself as an aspect of the Presence.
In ordinary states of consciousness, sound prevails over a background of silence and replaces it. In contrast, in the Presence, the opposite occurs. Although sound is perceptible, it is in the background. The Silence prevails so that the silence is actually not interrupted or displaced by the sound. Nothing disturbs the stillness or interferes with its peace. Although movement occurs, it does not disturb the motionless stillness that is beyond, yet inclusive of, motion. Everything appears to move as though in slow motion because time is absent. There is only a continuous state of Now. There are neither events nor happenings because all starts and stops, all beginnings and endings, occur only in the dualistic consciousness of an observer. In their absence, there is no succession of events to be described or explained.
Instead of thinkingness, there is a self-revealing knowingness that imparts complete understanding and is self-explanatory by its self-effulgent essence. It is as though everything speaks silently and presents itself in its entirety in the absolute beauty of its perfection. In so doing, it manifests its glory and reveals its intrinsic Divinity.
The suffusion of the Presence throughout the totality and essence of all that exists is exquisite in its gentleness, and its touch is like a meltingness. The inner Self is its very core. In the ordinary world, only the surfaces of things can be touched, but in the Presence, it is the innermost essence of everything that is interspersed with every other thing. This touch, which is the Hand of God in its soft gentleness, is at the same time an expression and the abode of infinite power. In its contact with the inner essence of everything, one is aware that the Presence is being felt by every other thing, object, or person.
The power of this gentleness is unlimited, and because it is total and all present, no opposition is possible. It pervades All That Is, and out of its power arises existence itself, which is both created by the power and, at the same time, held together by it. That power is an intrinsic quality of the Presence, and its presence is the essence of existence itself. It is equally present in all objects. There is no emptiness anywhere as the Presence fills all of space and the objects in it. Every leaf shares in the joy of the Divine Presence.
All things are in a state of silent rejoicing that their consciousness is an experience of Divinity. Unique to all things is a still, ever-present gratitude that it has been granted the gift of experiencing the presence of God. This gratitude is the form in which worship is expressed. All that is created and has existence shares in reflecting the glory of God.
Human appearance has taken on a whole new aura. The One Self shines forth through everyone’s eyes. A radiance shines forth from everyone’s face; everyone is equally beautiful.
Most difficult to describe is the interaction among people that moves onto a different level of communication. There is obvious love among everyone. Their speech, however, has changed so that all conversation has become loving and peaceful. The meaning of the words that are heard is not the same as others hear. It is as though there are two different levels of consciousness going on, coming out of the same scenario of form and movement; two different scripts are being spoken via the same words. The meanings of words themselves have been transformed onto a different plane by the higher selves of the people involved with each other, and the communication of understanding is on a higher plane. At the same time, it is clear that the lower selves of the people are unaware of the communication simultaneously going on with their higher selves. People are as though hypnotized into believing the reality of the ordinary selves, which is merely the unwitting acting out of scenarios or roles, as in a movie.
By ignoring the lesser selves, the higher selves address each other directly, and the persons’ ordinary selves appear to be unaware of this ongoing higher level of conversation. At the same time, people are sensing intuitively that something different from the ordinary is happening. The conscious presence of the Self creates an energy field that people find extremely pleasurable. It is this energy field that performs the miraculous and brings occurrences into harmony, along with a sense of peace to all who experience it."
And it goes on to explain how creation is part of the now:
"Visitors who had traveled many miles to ask questions suddenly knew in the presence of that aura the answers that came about through an inner understanding that made the original question irrelevant. This occurred because the Presence recontextualized the illusion of a ‘problem’ and thus caused it to disappear.
The body continued in its operation and reflected the intentions transmitted through consciousness. The continuance of the body was not of any great interest, and it was clear that the body is actually the property of the universe. The bodies and objects in the world reflect endless variation and are without imperfection. Nothing is better or worse than anything else, nor is it of different value or significance. The quality of perfect self-identity defines the intrinsic worth of all that exists as equal expressions of innate Divinity. Inasmuch as ‘relationship’ is a concept of dualistic mental observation, in Reality there are no relationships. Everything merely ‘is’ and exhibits the beingness of existence.
Similarly, without the interposition of a functioning observer with its innate categorization of thought, there is neither change nor movement to be explained or described. Each ‘thing’ is merely evolving as an expression of its divine essence. Evolution therefore takes place as a manifestation of consciousness, and it takes expression from higher-energy abstract levels to lesser but more specific forms, and finally into physical materiality. Thus, creation manifests from the abstract formless through progressive form into a final energy pattern, and then into concrete materiality. The power to become manifest is the expression of divine omnipotence as continuous creation.
Creation is the Present and the Now. This Now is continuous so that neither beginnings nor endings are possible. Visibility, or materiality itself, is merely a sensory phenomenon and not a necessary condition for existence, which is in itself formless yet intrinsic to all form.
Because everything is always in the process of creation, it means that everything is an expression of Divinity, or it would not have the capacity to exist at all. The realization that everything which exists reflects the Divinity of Creation is why it is worthy of respect and reverence. This accounts for the reverence for the spirit within all living beings and nature, which is characteristic of many cultures.
All sentient beings are equal. Only material manifestation is subject to cessation, and essence is unaffected and retains the potentiality of reappearing in material form. Essence is affected only by the forces of evolution itself. The emergence of material form from essence is influenced by the presence of that which is already in form. The content of material manifestation may therefore facilitate essence manifesting as form, or it may not be favorable, depending on conditions. One might say that Creation fulfills its own inner divine instructions or tendencies. Traditionally this tendency has been called destiny, which is the unfolding of the potentiality and the reflection of preexisting conditions (the classical Sanskrit ‘gunas’ of rajas, sattva, and tamas, or action, awareness, and resistance).Thus, man can influence conditions in order to potentiate the manifestation of desired eventualities. Through choices human consciousness can influence outcomes, but the power of creation is the province of God."
I found this so breathtakingly beautiful I simply had to share. And I would love to see things that way!! All the TIME.
"The Presence.
A hushed silence pervades the surroundings, and motion itself slows and becomes still. All things radiate forth an intense aliveness. Each is aware of every other. The luminous quality of the radiance is overwhelmingly Divine in nature. It completely includes everything in its total Oneness so that all things are interconnected and in communication and harmony by means of awareness and by sharing the basic quality of the essence of existence itself.
The Presence is a continuum that completely occupies what had appeared previously to ordinary perception as vacant, empty space. That inner Awareness is not different from the Self; it pervades the essence of everything. Awareness is aware of its own awareness and omnipresence. Existence and its expression as both form and formlessness is God and prevail equally in all objects, persons, plants, and animals. Everything is united by the Divinity of existence.
The pervasive Essence includes everything without exception. The furnishings in the room are equal to rocks or plants in their importance or significance. Nothing is excluded from the Allness, which is all encompassing, total, complete, and lacking in nothing. All is of equal value because the only real value is the Divinity of existence.
That which is the Self is total and complete. It is equally present everywhere. There are no needs, desires, or lack. Neither imperfection nor discord is possible, and every object stands forth like a work of art, a piece of sculpture in perfect beauty and harmony. The Holiness of all Creation is the reverence held by everything for everything else. All is imbued with a great splendor, and everything is silenced in awe and reverence. The Revelation instills an infinite Peace and stillness.
A glance at the body reveals it to be the same as everything else—unowned, unpossessed by an individual, equal to the furniture or other objects, and merely part of All That Is. There is nothing personal about the body, and there is no identification with it. It moves about spontaneously, correctly executes its bodily functions, and effortlessly walks and breathes. It is self-propelled, and its actions are determined and activated by the Presence. The body is merely an ‘it’, equal to any other ‘thing’ in the room.
When addressed by other persons, the body’s voice responds appropriately, but what is heard in the discussion resonates at a higher level of meaning. The deeper and more profound meaning is revealed in every sentence. All communication is now understood at a deeper level, almost as though each simple-sounding question is actually an existential question and statement about mankind itself. On the surface, the wording sounds superficial, but on the deeper level, there are profound spiritual implications.
Appropriate responses are given by the body, which everyone assumes is a ‘me’ that they are talking to. This in itself is strange because there is no actual ‘me’ associated with this body at all. The real Self is invisible and has no locality. The body speaks and answers questions simultaneously in parallel ways, on two levels at the same time.
Stilled by the Silence of the Presence, the mind is silent and wordless. No images, concepts, or thoughts occur. There is no one to think them. With no person present, there is neither thinker nor doer. All is happening of itself as an aspect of the Presence.
In ordinary states of consciousness, sound prevails over a background of silence and replaces it. In contrast, in the Presence, the opposite occurs. Although sound is perceptible, it is in the background. The Silence prevails so that the silence is actually not interrupted or displaced by the sound. Nothing disturbs the stillness or interferes with its peace. Although movement occurs, it does not disturb the motionless stillness that is beyond, yet inclusive of, motion. Everything appears to move as though in slow motion because time is absent. There is only a continuous state of Now. There are neither events nor happenings because all starts and stops, all beginnings and endings, occur only in the dualistic consciousness of an observer. In their absence, there is no succession of events to be described or explained.
Instead of thinkingness, there is a self-revealing knowingness that imparts complete understanding and is self-explanatory by its self-effulgent essence. It is as though everything speaks silently and presents itself in its entirety in the absolute beauty of its perfection. In so doing, it manifests its glory and reveals its intrinsic Divinity.
The suffusion of the Presence throughout the totality and essence of all that exists is exquisite in its gentleness, and its touch is like a meltingness. The inner Self is its very core. In the ordinary world, only the surfaces of things can be touched, but in the Presence, it is the innermost essence of everything that is interspersed with every other thing. This touch, which is the Hand of God in its soft gentleness, is at the same time an expression and the abode of infinite power. In its contact with the inner essence of everything, one is aware that the Presence is being felt by every other thing, object, or person.
The power of this gentleness is unlimited, and because it is total and all present, no opposition is possible. It pervades All That Is, and out of its power arises existence itself, which is both created by the power and, at the same time, held together by it. That power is an intrinsic quality of the Presence, and its presence is the essence of existence itself. It is equally present in all objects. There is no emptiness anywhere as the Presence fills all of space and the objects in it. Every leaf shares in the joy of the Divine Presence.
All things are in a state of silent rejoicing that their consciousness is an experience of Divinity. Unique to all things is a still, ever-present gratitude that it has been granted the gift of experiencing the presence of God. This gratitude is the form in which worship is expressed. All that is created and has existence shares in reflecting the glory of God.
Human appearance has taken on a whole new aura. The One Self shines forth through everyone’s eyes. A radiance shines forth from everyone’s face; everyone is equally beautiful.
Most difficult to describe is the interaction among people that moves onto a different level of communication. There is obvious love among everyone. Their speech, however, has changed so that all conversation has become loving and peaceful. The meaning of the words that are heard is not the same as others hear. It is as though there are two different levels of consciousness going on, coming out of the same scenario of form and movement; two different scripts are being spoken via the same words. The meanings of words themselves have been transformed onto a different plane by the higher selves of the people involved with each other, and the communication of understanding is on a higher plane. At the same time, it is clear that the lower selves of the people are unaware of the communication simultaneously going on with their higher selves. People are as though hypnotized into believing the reality of the ordinary selves, which is merely the unwitting acting out of scenarios or roles, as in a movie.
By ignoring the lesser selves, the higher selves address each other directly, and the persons’ ordinary selves appear to be unaware of this ongoing higher level of conversation. At the same time, people are sensing intuitively that something different from the ordinary is happening. The conscious presence of the Self creates an energy field that people find extremely pleasurable. It is this energy field that performs the miraculous and brings occurrences into harmony, along with a sense of peace to all who experience it."
And it goes on to explain how creation is part of the now:
"Visitors who had traveled many miles to ask questions suddenly knew in the presence of that aura the answers that came about through an inner understanding that made the original question irrelevant. This occurred because the Presence recontextualized the illusion of a ‘problem’ and thus caused it to disappear.
The body continued in its operation and reflected the intentions transmitted through consciousness. The continuance of the body was not of any great interest, and it was clear that the body is actually the property of the universe. The bodies and objects in the world reflect endless variation and are without imperfection. Nothing is better or worse than anything else, nor is it of different value or significance. The quality of perfect self-identity defines the intrinsic worth of all that exists as equal expressions of innate Divinity. Inasmuch as ‘relationship’ is a concept of dualistic mental observation, in Reality there are no relationships. Everything merely ‘is’ and exhibits the beingness of existence.
Similarly, without the interposition of a functioning observer with its innate categorization of thought, there is neither change nor movement to be explained or described. Each ‘thing’ is merely evolving as an expression of its divine essence. Evolution therefore takes place as a manifestation of consciousness, and it takes expression from higher-energy abstract levels to lesser but more specific forms, and finally into physical materiality. Thus, creation manifests from the abstract formless through progressive form into a final energy pattern, and then into concrete materiality. The power to become manifest is the expression of divine omnipotence as continuous creation.
Creation is the Present and the Now. This Now is continuous so that neither beginnings nor endings are possible. Visibility, or materiality itself, is merely a sensory phenomenon and not a necessary condition for existence, which is in itself formless yet intrinsic to all form.
Because everything is always in the process of creation, it means that everything is an expression of Divinity, or it would not have the capacity to exist at all. The realization that everything which exists reflects the Divinity of Creation is why it is worthy of respect and reverence. This accounts for the reverence for the spirit within all living beings and nature, which is characteristic of many cultures.
All sentient beings are equal. Only material manifestation is subject to cessation, and essence is unaffected and retains the potentiality of reappearing in material form. Essence is affected only by the forces of evolution itself. The emergence of material form from essence is influenced by the presence of that which is already in form. The content of material manifestation may therefore facilitate essence manifesting as form, or it may not be favorable, depending on conditions. One might say that Creation fulfills its own inner divine instructions or tendencies. Traditionally this tendency has been called destiny, which is the unfolding of the potentiality and the reflection of preexisting conditions (the classical Sanskrit ‘gunas’ of rajas, sattva, and tamas, or action, awareness, and resistance).Thus, man can influence conditions in order to potentiate the manifestation of desired eventualities. Through choices human consciousness can influence outcomes, but the power of creation is the province of God."
I found this so breathtakingly beautiful I simply had to share. And I would love to see things that way!! All the TIME.