This is going to be a two-part article, because one article would be too long to express all of this. Two articles are also too short, but we can try to compress the essence of the message into two articles. So, let's try...
We may have different ideas of what 'God' is. For the sake of this article, to communicate easily and effectively, we shall use the word 'God', but as readers, please feel free to replace this word with whatever seems most relevant. We can use 'The Divine' or 'Krishna' or 'Shiva' or 'The Creator' or 'Allah' or 'The Universe' or absolutely anything else. The name is not important.
Maybe not all of us, but in general, we have this idea that there is some 'God' that made us all, that gives life to us all, and that is probably watching us from a distance. Kind of spying on us, maybe from up in the sky or somewhere else. Further, we tend to have this idea that God is out there and we are here, and in between is space or separation. God is in heaven, and we are here on Earth.
As for this 'God' concept we have, what do we consider the aspects of 'God' to be? Let's consider this for a few moments. If we could apply any attributes to our Creator, what would it be? Let's consider, before reading the next line...
And...? What do we think?
In general, we probably feel or think that God is always present. Also, God is immortal, infinite. Further, we feel or think that God must be all-knowing and that God is peaceful, loving, and does not discriminate. Additionally, we may think or feel that God must have the absence of lack and suffering.
Now, for a moment, let's forget about the attributes of God and the idea of God. Let's put God aside and consider our True Nature.
Here, we do not want to go with what we 'believe' we are or what we 'think' we are, but we want to go with our experience of our True Self. When we abide in the Self, when we rest in Awareness, we can experience ourSelf.
We do not want to give characteristics to our True Nature, because that may create a fixed image in our minds and we may start to chase this fixed image, but for the sake of this article, let's consider the 'aspects' of our True Nature.
First of all, we realize that we are always present. Also, we realize that we are peaceful and that we have no lack, no suffering. Further, we realize that concepts of time and space, name and form, they appear in us, but we are not limited by them. Thus, we are infinite, immortal. Our True Nature is also free of discrimination. Lastly, we are the Subject, in or to which all objects appear, and therefore we are the Knower of it all.
When the Bible tells us that we are made in God's image, it seems to be true, doesn't it? Everything we imagine The Lord to be, is already what we are.
Where does this leave us?
Do we go around telling everyone that "I am God"? Probably not, because in Western society, that is completely taboo. We will most probably be placed in a mental institute or someplace similar because it is frowned upon to burn people.
However, when we go to the Eastern part of the world and we tell someone that we realized that we are 'God', or that we are The Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, they will probably congratulate us, or ask us what took us so long to realize this?
See, two different approaches, depending on the philosophy, the culture, and the experience.
Therefore, we practice what is called the middle-way. This is going to be discussed in the next part of our two-part article. Please stay connected for our next article!
We may have different ideas of what 'God' is. For the sake of this article, to communicate easily and effectively, we shall use the word 'God', but as readers, please feel free to replace this word with whatever seems most relevant. We can use 'The Divine' or 'Krishna' or 'Shiva' or 'The Creator' or 'Allah' or 'The Universe' or absolutely anything else. The name is not important.
Maybe not all of us, but in general, we have this idea that there is some 'God' that made us all, that gives life to us all, and that is probably watching us from a distance. Kind of spying on us, maybe from up in the sky or somewhere else. Further, we tend to have this idea that God is out there and we are here, and in between is space or separation. God is in heaven, and we are here on Earth.
As for this 'God' concept we have, what do we consider the aspects of 'God' to be? Let's consider this for a few moments. If we could apply any attributes to our Creator, what would it be? Let's consider, before reading the next line...
And...? What do we think?
In general, we probably feel or think that God is always present. Also, God is immortal, infinite. Further, we feel or think that God must be all-knowing and that God is peaceful, loving, and does not discriminate. Additionally, we may think or feel that God must have the absence of lack and suffering.
Made in the image of God
The author remembers a verse in the Bible, telling us that we are made in the image of God. As a young child, the author always thought that this means God looks just like us, just bigger and better and more beautiful. However, this was difficult to accept or even to imagine... it just didn't make sense. It didn't feel 'right'.Now, for a moment, let's forget about the attributes of God and the idea of God. Let's put God aside and consider our True Nature.
Here, we do not want to go with what we 'believe' we are or what we 'think' we are, but we want to go with our experience of our True Self. When we abide in the Self, when we rest in Awareness, we can experience ourSelf.
We do not want to give characteristics to our True Nature, because that may create a fixed image in our minds and we may start to chase this fixed image, but for the sake of this article, let's consider the 'aspects' of our True Nature.
First of all, we realize that we are always present. Also, we realize that we are peaceful and that we have no lack, no suffering. Further, we realize that concepts of time and space, name and form, they appear in us, but we are not limited by them. Thus, we are infinite, immortal. Our True Nature is also free of discrimination. Lastly, we are the Subject, in or to which all objects appear, and therefore we are the Knower of it all.
Removing the space
Considering the above mentioned, we can clearly see that who we truly are, seems to be nearly the same as what we think God is. Actually, what we think God is, seems to be everything that we already are!When the Bible tells us that we are made in God's image, it seems to be true, doesn't it? Everything we imagine The Lord to be, is already what we are.
Where does this leave us?
Do we go around telling everyone that "I am God"? Probably not, because in Western society, that is completely taboo. We will most probably be placed in a mental institute or someplace similar because it is frowned upon to burn people.
However, when we go to the Eastern part of the world and we tell someone that we realized that we are 'God', or that we are The Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, they will probably congratulate us, or ask us what took us so long to realize this?
See, two different approaches, depending on the philosophy, the culture, and the experience.
Therefore, we practice what is called the middle-way. This is going to be discussed in the next part of our two-part article. Please stay connected for our next article!
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| The Clear Light of the mind illuminates the whole universe, and we are that Clear Light. |
Related articles on this blog:
True Freedom - 08 February, 2021
Waking up, Part 1 - 30 December, 2020
Waking up, Part 2 - 11 January, 2021
True Freedom - 08 February, 2021
Waking up, Part 1 - 30 December, 2020
Waking up, Part 2 - 11 January, 2021
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