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Nondual Highlights Issue # 1446 - Saturday, May 31, 2003 -  Editor: Mark Otter

Oh self, you are the fragrance in the flower known as the body; you are the nectar in the moon known as the body; you are the essence in the herb known as the body; you are the coolness in the ice known as the body. Just as there is butter in milk, there is friendship or attachment in the body. You dwell in this body even as fire dwells in wood. You are the light in all luminous objects; you are the inner light that makes knowledge of objects possible. You are the strength of the elephant known as mind. You are both the light and the heat of the fire of self-knowledge.

- from Vasistha's Yoga, translated by Swami Venkatesananda, and published by State University of New York Press  

                                           The self is bodiless. - Ramana Maharshi

Am I the Body/Mind?

"I" is the first pronoun. The second pronoun is "am".
When you realize "I am," you become free.
This is called "Being."
Not being this or that. Just plain Being.
I AM.

It's quite a different situation than identification
with the body.
The body will continue to have experiences, yet you will not.
You will be free from the whole ball of wax.
Yet to other people, to others, it will appear as if you're doing
whatever you're doing.

It appears as if what you're doing is a reality.
Yet when you discover the truth about
yourself and you awaken,
you will no longer be connected to your body.
At the same time you will appear to be a body to others,
and they will see the games you are playing.
But you will be free from that.
Yet your body will continue to play the games.

It's a paradox.
Your body appears as the water in the mirage,
as the snake in the rope.
But yet, when you awaken, you are no longer the body.
and there is nobody.
But the body appears to others as being real.

This is why when a Jnani dies, or appears to be suffering,
nothing is really happening to the Jnani.
But to the ajnani all kinds of things are happening.
They see suffering.
They identify with sorrow, or death, and
with everything else.

Therefore, I say to you, do not disturb yourself
by these things,
Inquire "to whom do they come?" and be free.

  - Robert Adams from Silence of the Heart, published by Acropolis Books.

All of This for Nothing

Was I always so luscious?
Did I gleam and ripple, without adornment,
like the sparkling sea?
Every cell in my body is dancing!
I am shining from the inside
with a light that comes from nowhere.

I am pinned to this moment like a butterfly.
No longer does there appear to be
anywhere else to go.
The candle flickers inside my heart,
my child's breaths -- only one of the sounds I am making.
My heart is thickly laden with invisible fruit.

Something broke inside me.
Something laid down, exhausted from the struggle,
and died.
Whatever I gave myself to then has flowered inside and taken over,
turning my home into night sky.

Father, I cannot write home and tell you
where I have gone, where I am going.
As the darkness took me the road disappeared behind me,
and ahead of me, nothing.

I am only walking through now and always now.
All of this for nothing!
With the entire universe lovemaking inside me
I have stopped asking anyone for anything.

  - Jeannie Zandi from My Eyes Are Filled with Diamonds, self-published.

Azalea 2 - Scanner art by Mary Bianco

Little River!

-- For Pamela

Miracle of simplicity and play
soothing company of your murmurs
no other being could love what I laid at your shore
nor bring to silence the storm inside.

Little River!
Only beauty soft enough to quiet me
ripples and dapples and dancing
grasses swaying and leaves fluttering
softened the clench in my heart.

Little River!
Carried me away from myself
left me empty, whole, scattered to the winds.
run and dance in me
weave and roll, softening and dissolving all.
all is well.


  - Jeannie Zandi from My Eyes Are Filled with Diamonds, self-published.

Click here to go to a page from which you can browse for teachers in the lineage of Ramana Maharshi, or go forward to Pamela's page.

                                    When life breathes love, what can we do but dance? - Pamela Wilson

A Tendency to Shine

If you prefer smoke over fire
then get up now and leave.
For I do not intend to perfume
your mind's clothing with
more sooty knowledge.
No, I have something else in mind.
Today I hold a flame in my left hand
and a sword in my right.
There will be no damage control today.
God is in a mood to plunder your riches and
fling you nakedly
into such breathtaking poverty
that all that will be left of you will be
a tendency to shine.
So don't just sit around this flame
choking on your mind.
This is no campfire song
to mindlessly
mantra yourself to sleep with.
Jump now into the space
between thoughts and
exit this dream
before I burn the damn place down.

  - Adyashanti from My Secret is Silence

Click here to go to Adyashanti's home pages.

Yellow Roses - Scanner art by Mary Bianco

The Right Connection - excerpt of Neelam satsang found here .

Q. My experience with teachers is that it's hard to stay tuned and
connected with the glimpse of Reality that is given to me. Perhaps I need a
better connection.

N. Whatever you want, but I tell you that "connection" means trouble! You
know something about this. One day it works, the next day it doesn't, yes?
You don't want this constant trouble. So why not want what you are? Why
not just that? This doesn't need anything. No maintenance necessary! So
it's not a teacher you need, it's your Self that you need to discover,
finally. Otherwise, there will always be something else outside of you that
will require this whole shtick. Yes, so this is the only desire . . .. for
your Self. That will finish it all off. Simply the willingness to follow
it wherever it takes you. For once do not be led by anything else.

Q. It's quick.

N. Don't worry about it. Even just looking makes you so happy, you see!

Click here to go to Neelam's home pages.

Swan Lake - Digital art by Felicity Rogers

Click here to go to the 2003 International Digital Art Awards pages.