Hello,
And welcome back to Luminous.
Meditation 12 the One.
The non-dual understanding is the revelation of the oneness behind and within the apparent multiplicity and diversity of appearances.
If there is only one.
Then the One is always only knowing Itself.
For there is nothing in itself other than itself.
Either to know.
Or to be known.
That's all.
In the later stages of our exploration.
We need to turn again towards the experience from which we previously turned away.
Even that is not quite right.
Who is the one who would turn away from me?
Or turn towards the content of experience.
If there is only one.
And if there is only one.
Who is it that would be in search of happiness,
Enlightenment,
Or God?
Any search would come from the feeling that something is missing.
How could the One practice anything?
Make an effort.
Or move towards some future state.
The place where it started would be itself.
Its practice,
Effort or discipline would be itself.
And the place at which it arrived would be itself.
For the one.
There cannot even be any creation.
Because if the one were to create something.
That creation would have to be other than itself.
If it were to create something other than itself.
Then it would no longer be one.
There would be itself and its creation.
And as such.
The One.
Would no longer be one.
For the one.
There cannot be any time.
Because time involves the passing away.
Of that which is present.
Or the coming into existence.
Of that which is not present.
If something were to pass away.
Than the one.
Which is fully present now.
Would be diminished by it.
And if anything were to come into existence.
Which is fully present now.
Would be enhanced by.
If the one could be diminished or enhanced.
It would not be won.
Complete.
And perfect now.
Therefore,
For the one there is no time.
There is only eternity.
For the one.
There can be no other.
Because if there were other than the one.
Then the one would not be one.
This absence of otherness.
Is the experience we know as love.
Thus love is the very nature of the One.
For the one,
There are no objects.
Because an object would be something that exists in its own right.
And if there were objects as well as the One.
Than the one would not be one.
And in the absence of any objects.
The One cannot be said to be the subject.
Because there is nothing for it to be the subject of.
Therefore,
There is no subject-object relationship for the One.
This absence of the subject-object relationship.
Is the experience we know as beauty.
For the one there is no desire.
Because desire is always a movement towards someone or something.
There is nothing in the One other than itself.
Towards which the one could move.
If the one were to move towards something.
That thing would be itself.
Its movement would be itself.
The place from which it moved would be itself.
And its movement would,
Therefore,
Be no movement at all.
Unless,
Of course,
Its desire was simply the pouring forth of itself within itself.
When this is understood.
Desire is transformed into praise and thanksgiving.
For the one.
There is no imperfection.
Because there is nothing in itself other than itself.
Out of which any imperfection could be made.
Any imperfection.
Would be like a white spot on a white page.
For the one.
There is nothing lacking.
Because the one could only lack something other than itself.
And if there were other than itself.
Than the one.
Would not be one.
The one is complete.
Perfect.
Fulfill.
Thus its nature is joy.
For the one there are no divisions.
Because any division would be more of itself.
Any division would be like a white line drawn on a white page.
Dividing nothing from nothing.
For the one,
There is no sickness,
Because any sickness would imply a state that was less than the wholeness of itself,
Less than the perfection of itself.
Any such state would be a second thing,
And therefore the One would not be the One.
Thus the one is whole.
And this wholeness is the ultimate health.
For the One there is no birth,
Because any birth would imply the coming into existence of something other than itself that is already fully present.
For the one,
There is no death.
Because if there were death,
The one would lose a part of itself.
And were thus become incomplete.
If something were to be born.
Where would it come from?
If something were to die.
Where would it go?
Given that there is nothing other than the One from which something could arise,
Or into which it could vanish.
The one who's without birth or death.
The one does not know anything.
It is everything.
Anything known would have a form.
Anything with a form would have a limit.
And anything that is limited would be a fragment or a part.
And there are no parts in the One.
There is nothing in the One.
Other than the One.
With which a part could be delineated.
This absence of knowledge is divine ignorance.
It is a state in which there is no knowledge of things.
And yet that which is.
The One.
Shines alone.
I do not mean to imply some special state.
The One is in fact all that is happening,
All the time.
It is as such,
Not a state.
It is our ordinary experience,
There to be recognized or not.
And even the absence of its recognition.
Is more of itself.
Even the illusion.
Is not really an illusion.
Even the forgetting.
Is not real forgetting.
Even ignorance.
Is not real ignorance.
At a certain point,
One simply cannot say anything else about that which truly is.
