Friends Talk with Douglas 

February, 7, 2023

The body, senses, and mind are seen as being the clothing of the Self within. Everyone living in ignorance of the illusion tends to emphasize clothing other than the Self.

However, when one reaches the Awareness of the Self, the position is reversed and the same clothes allow us to see the Self.

This is achieved when we make the clothing when the clothing of the Self is as thin as possible and can be seen through. In other words, we make the body senses and mind less visible so that we see through them as being more illusional than tangible. As such, your attention is caught by the Self, where the senses and the mind lose their significance as objects and become pointers to the Self.

When we examine an object it has to be seen through three states equally. Unknowingly you already do this, but now you must understand and be aware of it.

When the precept appears in the waking state it is the function of the senses,

When the concept appears as an idea, the dream state arises.

When knowledge arises, the deep sleep that is beyond the mind appears.

As such, you can only confirm the object after you have applied all three states.

Every thought is yours, and objectivity is an obstacle to the Truth. When you transcend objectivity, subjectivity also disappears and you begin to experience the reality of your Self.

Objectivity does not pertain to the object on account of your consciousness, which objectifies the object. An object is an object because of you. The world of objects never affects anyone, except our thoughts. The only thing needed to be free is to transcend all thoughts.

This is only possible by examining our thoughts and disposing of them, without leaving any trace of them. Any trace of a thought that is not disposed of is the objectivity attached to a particular thought, and such residue must be examined subjectively by the thought and seen to be nothing, and all appearance is an illusion.

If the least trace remains, it becomes a memory that creates a new thought. We can say that memory creates the world and memory is the last link that connects you to the phenomenal world.

When memory is understood to be nothing but your consciousness and the Self, then memory and the whole world merge into the Self.