Let's do a self-exploration on I Am That,
Chapter 8.
Let's sit comfortably and let's close our eyes.
In this self-exploration,
We will dive within to find out the answer to the question,
Is Anything Permanent?
Am I Permanent?
Take a step beyond the body and beyond the mind and rest as the witness of the body and the mind.
From this witnessing position,
The entire scene appears clearly.
Do not leave this witnessing seat.
Be a witness to the thoughts that are arising.
Are thoughts permanent?
Examine carefully.
A happy thought arises and passes away.
A greedy thought arises and passes away.
A sweet thought arises and passes away.
A sour thought arises and passes away.
Are thoughts permanent?
Be a witness to the feelings that are arising.
Are feelings permanent?
Angry feeling arises,
Plays for a while,
Passes away.
A lustful feeling arises,
Plays for a while,
Passes away.
A fearful feeling arises and passes away.
Are feelings permanent?
Let's look at physical sensations.
A comfortable sensation somewhere in the body arises and passes away.
A painful sensation somewhere arises,
Plays for some time,
But eventually passes away.
Are sensations permanent?
Be a witness to the perceptions that are arising.
You are perceiving the sound of my voice right now.
Notice that the perception arises,
Plays,
And passes away.
Pleasant sound or unpleasant sound arises and passes away.
Is the perception of sound permanent?
Similarly,
Are perceptions of smell,
Taste,
Touch,
Or sight permanent?
Is anything permanent?
Permanency is a mere idea born of the action of time.
And what is time?
The gap between two events,
Two thoughts.
As this gap cannot be understood by the mind,
The mind labels this gap as time.
Thus,
Time depends on the existence of repetitive thoughts.
And repetitive thoughts are nothing but memory.
Thus,
Time depends on memory.
Permanency means unfailing memory through endless time.
Is that even possible?
Unfailing memory through endless time?
This is impossible as the now lacks continuity.
Again and again,
There is only the now.
The now.
The now.
The now.
Every single now is unique,
Independent.
It stands alone.
The now lacks continuity.
If there would be a continuity in the now,
What would it be?
Then only would time really exist.
That would make the mind continuous.
And that would make the mind eternal.
This is impossible.
Do not try to eternalize the mind.
The mind cannot be eternal.
Permanency is thus impossible.
Nothing is permanent because there is just the now.
The now.
The now.
And the now is constantly changing.
Time does not exist.
Therefore,
Permanency is a mere idea.
It does not exist.
Go beyond the body,
Mind and world and stay as the witness.
Rest as the witness.
Relax.
Stop looking for something.
Stop seeking.
And let the witness sink back.
Let the witness melt away into nothingness.
This nothingness is consciousness,
Your true nature.
Do you recognize that you,
The consciousness,
Are beyond the changing now?
The now is still changing,
But you are untouched.
The nothingness cannot be touched by the changing now.
All the changes of the now are known by you,
The field of nothingness,
The field of consciousness.
Yet,
You remain untouched by them.
All the changes of the now happen in you,
The field of nothingness,
The field of consciousness.
Yet,
You remain untouched by them.
The now itself is made up of you,
The field of nothingness,
The field of consciousness.
Yet,
You remain untouched by any of those changes in the now.
All the changes of the now are impermanent.
You,
The field of nothingness,
The field of consciousness,
In which these changes arise and fall,
Are permanent.
The field of nothingness is permanent.
The field of consciousness is permanent.
You,
The field of consciousness,
You,
The field of nothingness,
You are permanent.
You are permanent.
