“There are words/concepts which refer to their referent, which refer to their source, which refer to their reality. The word ’this’ is not one of them.
Consider the word awareness.
The word awareness appears in awareness.
It refers to its source.
It refers directly and immediately to the experience of awareness.
Also, the word presence.
The word presence appears in presence and refers directly and immediately to the experience of presence.
As well as the word love, consciousness, reality…
Consider the word/concept chair.
The word chair does not appear in a chair.
It’s a concept which does not appear in its referent.
The word chair refers to a perception in the mind.
The word this does not appear in this.
It appears in awareness.
It appears in presence.
It does not appear in ’this’.
When you hear the word chair, an image appears of an object with 4 legs, made out of wood or out of metal.
When you hear the word ’this’, an image appears in the mind.
I am not sure what image.
Maybe a perception.
Maybe a puzzling question.
It depends on each person who is hearing the word this.
Some may ask: What do you mean by this?
Do you mean my mind?
Do you mean the mountain that I am perceiving?
Do you mean my feelings? etc.
There are a couple of teachers who use this ambiguous language using the term ’this’.
I do not find it helpful.”
Our experience is not made out of ‘this’. It is made out of world perceptions, thoughts and bodily sensations as well as consciousness.
Consciousness refers to reality, which is the substance, the essence of experience. The essence is that which cannot be removed. That which is intrinsic to experience.
For most of us, we believe and feel that consciousness/awareness is dependent on the body mind. We believe and feel that consciousness is personal and limited.
In other words, we believe and feel that I exists in time and space, that consciousness is born and will die or transmigrate.
Once we investigate the evidence which supports the belief in separation and limitation, we do not find any hard evidence.
This is when we are at the gate of understanding. We become open and available to grace.
Much love.
Yes, “this” betrays our sense of being grammatically correct.
“This” – as a concession to language – like a finger pointing to itself.
One reality, one power; even “this” is “that” seemingly kept separate through the contraction of the belief as “me”.
Sorry for my foolish words, I simply am.
This is That 🤙
Magdi, I am still chewing on your words; thank you for this.
There is some form of peace in “making-sense” … using logic and reason.
“the gate of understanding”… not to jump over it by saying “all is this”… but to open the gate, in a simple language that most could explore/confirm for themself.