LOL !!!
Good one, maybe I should start giving Satsangs, dress in white robes and have a whole number of devotees that look at me in awe all the time as I continue my job as a locksmith :P
Maybe write a book "The enlightened Locksmith"
The realisation that I wrote about starts really easy actually.
It all comes down to the question that has plagued mankind ever since awareness entered our body:
"Who am I ?"
All you have to do, is follow the question inside.
With everything you think, feel, do, experience, ask yourself this question, preferrably all through the day:
Who is it that is experiencing this ? Who is thinking this ? For who am I thinking this ?
For me, fear used to be the biggest obstacle on my path, or so I thought.
But just like Byron Katie likes to turn things around, so did I.
I was constantly afraid of going bankrupt. A very strong fear. Nauseating.
Then, I realised that there had to be someone inside me that was experiencing this fear. Who is feeling this fear ?
As I started searching inside for the "me" that felt fear, I was shocked to discover that there was no "me". What is the color, shape, size or weight of me ?
In fact, try it now for yourself. ( Read this first
"Who am I ?" Meditation this sunday )
Fear is just one of the roads inwards. Any strong feeling or thought that you are experiencing now, is good for this. It doesn't have to be a strong one even, but the stronger the emotion, the wider the road inwards.
Take some time apart for a moment ( or do it during your meditation ) and as soon as you notice that you are thinking, simply ask yourself the question: Who is thinking this ?
Don't judge the thought. You don't have to. It is just a thought that comes up. As it comes up, you either go with it, or observe it. Asking yourself "for who am I thinking this ? " will lead you away from the constant chatter in your mind, the judging of your thoughts.
Feel free to change the question to the occasion. It is not a mantra: WhoamI,WhoamI,WhoamI,WhoamI...
Ask the question, and listen, look, observe, wait for an answer to pop up.
If an answer pops up, ask it the same question. You see, your mind needs to realise that it can't answer this question. The mind, which is located in your left brain hemispere, is linear. Something either exists, or it doesn't. If it exists, it has to have size, form, shape.
Mind even tries to trick itself into making a concept out of things it can't explain.
An example: I have a hole in my sock.
What is a hole ?
What is the weight, size, shape of the hole ? What is it's colour ?
At best, a hole can be described as "Nothing with something around it". It is a concept so that your mind can lable it, file it. A broken sock, filed under the H for hole.
How about this second example: Space
Lovely name. What is space ? What is the size, shape, colour, weight ? The image you see in your mind of space, is it accurate ? Who is observing that image ?
Example nr. 3 :
" I ", also known as "me", "Myself", or in Tolle's words "ego".
See where I am going ?
If you keep asking the question, in the end there will be no answer possible anymore. All concepts about yourself.. you have proven to yourself that it was just concepts. All the things you thought about yourself were just concepts. Just like the "hole" or "space".
If I were to say to you:
"from your answer I can see that you are a really dishonest person"
You would feel attacked. Why ?
Because your mind tells you otherwise. "I am in fact a really honest person, just the other day I told the shopkeeper that the change wasn't right, bla bla bla"
But that thought, that you are a really honest person... Is that who you are ?
Are you constantly that honest person ? Doing honesty all the time ? Is that always on your mind ? How about when you are working, or sleeping, are you still constantly being honest ? You don't have to. Because you are also not being dishonest all the time. You just "are" all the time. Be-ing.
Honest, dishonest, they are just concepts. That is all. You don't have to judge the concepts. Just ask yourself the question: Who is thinking this concept ? For who am I thinking this ? for me. Who am I ?
Hopefully you will try this.
Realising that you are not your thoughts is the last step. When you know this, you will shift your attention subtilly towards the one thing that you can't see. The see-er itself. Just like a knive can cut everything except itself, a camera can't make a picture of itself, an eye can see everything except itself, the essence of you, the soul if you will, can't see itself. It can only observe everyting that happens around it. It is the only thing that can't be discarded of, because you exist ! How can you not exist ?
That is the real You. It is shapeless. Weightless. Colourless. Timeless. It has always existed, and always will. It is the only mistery that even the highest enlightened being can't describe or understand.
And the only time that it can see, experience, is Now.
When else ? Can you experience things yesterday ? Tomorrow ? One minute from now ? These are also concepts ! They do not exist !
Of course they are usefull in the everyday world. How else would I know that tomorrow night, I have an appointment with the hairdresser.
But why would that have to bother me Now ?
It is surprisingly easy. Doing this excercise is all it takes.
When you have realised this, really felt it, not just intellectually like when you are reading this, but when you have experienced it yourself...
That is the last action, the last step you can take. The search is over, you have found your Self.
Now stay there.
I have no idea why Tolle had to write 2 books about this, it really is just this. That is all. I am That.
