Who are you?
Have you ever answered that question the same way twice?
Do you have a secret answer that's only for you?
Does this one stay the same?
If so,
Can you put it into words?
Try to answer the question as honestly as you can.
I'll wait.
Now,
Who is it that knows whether or not your answer is genuine?
Who is it that sees the qualities and characteristics that make up your answer?
Can you describe this aspect of yourself?
And if you can describe that aspect of yourself?
Who is it that knows this?
All qualities,
Characteristics,
And sensations that can be known are phenomena.
Or phenomena inevitably change.
Therefore,
They are not you.
So,
Who the heck are you?
I can say that I'm Dan,
But my doctor calls me Daniel.
I can say that I'm a teacher,
But to my mother I'm a son.
I can say that I'm a son,
But to my wife I'm a lover.
I can say that I'm my deepest sense of myself,
But this comes and goes.
If it comes and goes,
How can it be me?
Let's try an experiment.
Take a snapshot of your entire experience right now.
And another.
And another.
Include everything that's within awareness.
And resist any temptation to attempt to include more.
Whatever's present,
Just notice it.
And again.
And again.
Now,
Anything that you observe is,
By definition,
An object.
You,
We typically assume,
Are the subject,
The one who beholds the objects.
Take another snapshot.
Included in this snapshot are very likely some phenomena that you assume to be you.
But if you observe them,
They are,
By definition,
Objects.
Who is observing the thoughts,
Sensations,
Experiences that you assume to be you?
As you observe these,
They become object.
Can you find the subject who observes these objects?
If you can find this subject,
Then this,
Too,
Becomes object.
If you practice this,
It will lead to direct experience of what the Buddha called anatta,
No self.
This is sometimes expressed as true self.
It's sometimes expressed as God.
I often like to express it as the grand unfolding pattern of nature.
Insight into this matter does not lead to some kind of vacant zombie state.
On the contrary,
Insight into this matter leads to greater effectiveness in all roles.
Author G.
K.
Chesterton said that angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.
And I vaguely remember another quote,
Which I can't attribute,
That goes,
It's easy enough to float,
But can you walk without touching the ground?
Floating here represents the highs one can experience in states of meditative absorption.
The image of walking without touching the ground represents the apparently more challenging task of living a full life without becoming attached to it.
When it is seen that there is,
In truth,
No one who can attach to anything anyway,
This challenge dissolves.
Lightness of being is realized as one's natural state,
And one floats through the world like a helium balloon,
No matter what is occurring at the level of phenomena.
When action is appropriate,
One takes action.
When rest is appropriate,
One takes rest.
No doubts,
No worries,
No burdens.
May you practice enthusiastically to realize this truth.
May you float up off the ground like a balloon.
May you be happy,
Healthy,
And free of attachment.
