Let's do a self-exploration on Immortality Is Not Continuity.
Chapter 12 The Person Is Not Reality Become aware of your breath.
Is the breath continuous?
If you observe carefully,
You will notice that there is a gap.
There is a gap between the in-breath and the out-breath.
This means that there is a void between the in-breath and the out-breath.
It is the void that allows a breath to be recognized.
It is the void which allows us to recognize the difference between the in-breath and the out-breath.
If there was no gap,
No void,
There would not be a separate identification for the in-breath from the out-breath.
In fact,
If there were a beginningless and endless breath without a pause or a gap or a void,
We would not be able to identify that we are breathing at all.
It is the void that allows a breath to be born and to die.
The birth and death of the breath gives us the opportunity to know the presence of breathing.
What does this mean?
It means that the breath and the void are essential to each other.
They are two aspects of the same thing.
Both are required to maintain the continuity of the breath.
Thus,
Both birth and death is equal to continuity.
Immortality is not continuity.
An immortal breath would not even be perceptible.
Let's open our eyes without looking at anything specifically.
Just notice your own eyes.
Notice that the eyes continuously keep blinking.
The blink is a gap in your perception of sight.
Let's examine closely now.
Even if you prevent yourself from blinking,
Notice that only a thumb-sized area in your visual field is actually perceived clearly.
Only a thumb-sized area is HD,
Is crystal clear.
The rest is blurred.
Move your eyes from one object to another.
You will notice the previous object gets blurred.
You can only perceive one visual perception at a time.
You can only perceive one object at a time.
And in between two visual perceptions,
There is a gap.
That gap renders the previous object blurry and the current object crystal clear.
Experiment with a few objects.
This means that there is a void in between two perceptions of sight.
It is the void that allows us to recognize the continuity in our visual field.
If there was no void in between two perceptions,
There would not be a possibility to identify separate objects visually.
It is the void that allows a visual to be born and to die.
The birth and death of the visual perception gives us the opportunity to know the presence of the particular visual.
What does this mean?
This means that the perception of sight and the void are essential to each other.
They are two aspects of the same thing.
Both are required to maintain the continuity of the perception of sight.
Does both birth and death equal to continuity?
Immortality is not continuity.
An immortal visual would not even be perceptible.
Let's close our eyes.
Become aware of the sound.
Carefully listen to my words.
There is a gap in between the words that I speak.
This means there is a gap in between the sounds that you hear.
If I were to use no gaps in between the words,
It would be simply a continuous noise and you would not be able to make any sense of it.
It is the gap in between the words.
It is the void that allows a sound to be born and to die.
That gives the sound its meaning.
The birth and the death of the sound gives you the opportunity to know the presence of the particular sound.
If the sound would not die,
You would get so used to the continuous noise that you would not even be able to hear it.
What does this mean?
The perception of sound and the void are essential to each other.
They are two aspects of the same thing.
Both are required to maintain the continuity of the perception of sound.
Thus,
Both birth and death is equal to continuity.
Immortality is not continuity.
An immortal sound would not even be perceptible.
Bring to your mind your last meal,
Whether it was breakfast,
Lunch or dinner.
Remember the last food object that you tasted.
That flavor was either yummy or yucky.
The flavor does not exist right now.
There is a void of that particular flavor at the moment.
It is the void that allows a flavor to be born and to die.
The birth and the death of the flavor gives you the opportunity to know the presence of the particular flavor.
If that flavor were continuously there,
You would not even be able to identify it as yummy or yucky.
What does this mean?
This means that the perception of taste and the void are essential to each other.
They are two aspects of the same thing.
Both are required to maintain the continuity of the perception of taste.
Thus,
Both birth and death is equal to continuity.
Immortality is not continuity.
An immortal flavor would not even be perceptible.
Remember the smell of roses.
Remember the smell of rotten food.
How are you able to remember these distinctive odors?
It is because of the void in between.
Right now,
There is a void of these odors.
It is the void that allows an odor to be born and to die.
The birth and the death of the odor gives you the opportunity to know the presence of the particular odor.
What does this mean?
This means that the perception of odor and the void are essential to each other.
They are two aspects of the same thing.
Both are required to maintain the continuity of the perception of odor.
Thus,
Both birth and death is equal to continuity.
Immortality is not continuity.
An immortal odor would not even be perceptible.
Hug yourself by wrapping your arms around yourself.
Hug yourself tightly.
Notice the sensation of your own touch.
If you carefully observe,
You will notice that the sensation arose and disappeared.
Where did it go?
It went into the void.
Now hug yourself tighter.
Notice the sensation of touch arise,
Stay and disappear back into the void.
Now pinch yourself.
Pinch yourself harder.
Notice the sensation arise and disappear.
How do you know that the hugging sensation was a pleasant one and the pinching sensation was the unpleasant one?
What enabled you to recognize the difference?
If there were no void in between the two,
Would you be able to recognize the difference?
Recognize that it is the void that allows a sensation to be born and to die.
The birth and the death of the sensation gives you the opportunity to know the presence of the particular sensation.
What does this mean?
This means that the sensation and the void are essential to each other.
They are two aspects of the same thing.
Both are required to maintain the continuity of sensation.
Thus,
Both birth and death together equal to continuity.
Immortality is not continuity.
An immortal sensation would not even be perceptible.
Notice the arising of a thought.
A thought saying that there is no thought is also a thought.
Notice that the thought is born from the void and disappears back into the void.
And the next thought is born from the void and it disappears back into the void.
If the thought accompanies a feeling,
Notice that the feeling also arises from the void and disappears back into the void.
What does this mean?
Thought and the void are essential to each other.
Similarly,
Feeling and the void are essential to each other.
They are two aspects of the same thing.
Both are required to maintain the continuity of the feeling.
Thus,
Both birth and death together equal to continuity.
Immortality is not continuity.
An immortal thought would not even be perceptible.
An immortal feeling would not even be perceptible.
Immortality is not continuity.
Only the process of change continues.
Immortality is not continuity.
Only the process of change continues.
Within the realm of time and space,
Nothing lasts.
Only awareness is timeless.
It is beyond time and space.
The primordial awareness,
The pure consciousness,
The Brahman is therefore not easily recognized from the level of the mind because the mind is in the realm of time and space.
Brahman is timeless.
Transcend beyond the arisings to the void.
Transcend beyond time to timelessness.
Let life walk hand in hand with death.
Then you will recognize that you the Brahman are immortal.
