<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">So very beautiful and helpful ♥️🙏🌊<br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Feb 10, 2025, at 6:02 PM, Yasskin Marc via Thespiritexpress <thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; min-height: 28px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""><div><A.jpg></div></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; min-height: 28px;" class=""><br class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; min-height: 28px;" class=""><br class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 20px; line-height: normal; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; min-height: 28px;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">So called enlightenment </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">embraces the whole </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">as an inherent trait </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum; min-height: 22px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Indivisible</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">and forever arriving</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum; min-height: 22px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Where this timeless river </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">keeps running through it all </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum; min-height: 22px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">through this Truth</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">that only Love knows</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum; min-height: 22px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">An exquisitely endlessly dazzling</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""> mystifying beauty </span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum; min-height: 22px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">we are forever beholden to.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum; min-height: 22px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Apple Color Emoji";" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">🌟</span></div><div class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""><br class=""></span></div></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; font-family: Herculanum;" class=""><br class=""></div></div><div class=""><br class=""><div class=""><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Feb 10, 2025, at 6:06 PM, Vivian Garciacano <<a href="mailto:vivian.garciacano@gmail.com" class="">vivian.garciacano@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div style="display:block;margin-bottom:2px" class=""><div style="display:block" class=""><div style="display:block" class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div class=""><div style="width:345px;min-width:0px;margin:0px 24px" class=""><div style="margin: 1.56em 0px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);" class=""><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class=""><h1 style="margin:0px 0px 24px;font-family:sohne,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;line-height:38px;letter-spacing:-0.014em;font-style:normal;font-weight:700;font-size:32px;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-decoration:none;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">The World Is Just Your World: Nisargadatta Maharaj, Peter Berger, and the Illusion of Reality</h1><div dir="auto" style="font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class=""><div style="font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class=""><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Whenever someone asked the Indian guru <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj</strong> about <em style="font-style:italic;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">the world</em> — <em style="font-style:italic;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">Why is the world like this? Why is there suffering?</em> — his response was never direct. Instead, he would begin by asking:</p><blockquote style="margin:0px;padding-left:23px;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class=""><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-style:italic;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">“Which world are you referring to?”</p></blockquote></div><div style="font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class=""><span id="cid:ii_194f2c1d354696f12f01" class=""><IMG_4168.jpeg></span></div><br class=""></div></div>With this question, he made a crucial distinction: there isn’t just one “world.” There is <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">your world</strong> — the world of your thoughts, emotions, and personal experiences — and then there is <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">the physical world</strong>, the objective reality of matter. Most people assume they are talking about a single, external reality, but in truth, <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">what we experience as “the world” is entirely personal</strong>. It is shaped by our minds, beliefs, and conditioning.<div class=""><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">This perspective finds an interesting parallel in the work of sociologist <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">Peter Berger</strong>, whose concept of <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">nomos</strong> describes how societies construct shared realities. If Nisargadatta Maharaj’s focus was on <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">the individual mind’s projection</strong>, Berger explored how entire societies build <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">collective worlds</strong> — ones that feel just as real and absolute as an individual’s personal reality.</p><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Together, these perspectives suggest something profound: <em style="font-style:italic;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">the world is not something “out there” — it is something we create, both individually and collectively.</em>Recognizing this can free us from unnecessary suffering and allow us to engage with life from a place of deeper awareness.</p><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Why the World Is Personal</h1><div style="margin: 0.67em 0px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="">Nisargadatta Maharaj insisted that what we experience as “the world” is <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">not an external, fixed reality, but a projection of our mind</strong>. Two people can be in the same physical environment yet live in completely different “worlds” based on their <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">perceptions, beliefs, and emotional states</strong>.</div><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">For example, imagine two people walking through the same city:</p><ul style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none" class=""><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:1.56em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">One is feeling anxious, overwhelmed by work stress, and irritated by the noise and crowds.</li><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:1.34em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">The other is feeling peaceful, appreciating the energy of the city, and noticing small details that bring joy.</li></ul><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Even though they are in <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">the same physical world</strong>, they are living in <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">completely different personal worlds</strong>.</p><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Maharaj described this world-making process as a <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">mental habit</strong>. We accumulate experiences, create memories, and attach meanings to things — soon, we mistake this <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">personal filter</strong> for reality itself. His key insight is that <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">the world is not something you live in; it’s a fiction you create</strong>.</p><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Berger’s Nomos: How We Internalize Reality</h1><div style="margin: 0.67em 0px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="">While Nisargadatta focused on <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">the mind’s role in shaping personal reality</strong>, Peter Berger explored how <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">society constructs a shared world</strong> that feels just as real. His concept of <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">nomos</strong> describes the set of social rules, institutions, and belief systems that provide structure and meaning to human life.</div><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Berger argued that from birth, people are <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">socialized into a specific version of reality</strong>. This happens through <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">parents, education, culture, religion, and law</strong>, all of which shape the way we see the world. Over time, what was originally a <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">learned perspective</strong>becomes something we take for granted as absolute.</p><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">For instance:</p><ul style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none" class=""><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:1.56em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">A person raised in a deeply religious environment may see life as a moral journey shaped by divine will.</li><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:1.34em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">A person raised in a highly individualistic society may see life as a competition for personal success.</li></ul><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Even though these perspectives are <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">not inherent realities but social constructs</strong>, they become “real” to the person who has internalized them. Just as Nisargadatta explains how <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">personal perception shapes individual reality</strong>, Berger shows how <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">social institutions shape collective reality</strong>— both leading people to mistake their “world” for something objective.</p><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Nomos Is Not “Bad” — But It Is Fragile</h1><div style="margin: 0.67em 0px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="">Berger did not argue that nomos is inherently bad. In fact, he saw it as <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">necessary for social stability</strong> — without it, people would experience <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">anomie (a state of normlessness and existential disorientation).</strong> Nomos helps societies function by providing order and meaning.</div><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">However, he also recognized that <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">nomos is artificial and fragile</strong>. It only exists as long as people <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">believe in it and reinforce it through social interaction</strong>. When someone questions or breaks away from their social reality — through personal crisis, travel, or deep philosophical inquiry — it can be deeply unsettling.</p><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">This is where Berger’s analysis aligns with Nisargadatta’s teaching: both show that <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">what we take to be “the world” is just one version of reality</strong>, and recognizing this can lead to either fear or liberation.</p><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Bridging the Two Perspectives: Abiding in Awareness</h1><div style="margin: 0.67em 0px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="">So if both <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">our personal world (Nisargadatta) and our shared world (Berger) are constructed</strong>, how should we engage with life? Rather than getting lost in illusion or fighting against it, Maharaj suggests something simpler: <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">abide in awareness</strong>.</div><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Instead of clinging to our mental projections or social identities, we can step back and <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">observe the one constant behind all experiences — awareness itself</strong>.</p><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">How to Apply This in Daily Life: Meditation as the Key Practice</h1><div style="margin: 0.67em 0px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="">Realizing that the world is <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">not fixed but a mental and social construct</strong> can transform the way we live. Here’s how to integrate this understanding into daily life:</div><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">1. When You Feel Stuck, Ask: “Which World Am I Referring To?”</h1><ul style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none" class=""><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:0.67em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">If something is upsetting you, pause and ask: <em style="font-style:italic;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">Am I reacting to the actual world, or to my interpretation of it?</em></li><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:1.34em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Recognizing this difference can help you <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">detach from unnecessary suffering</strong>.</li></ul><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">2. Observe How Awareness Is Always Free</h1><ul style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none" class=""><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:0.67em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Meditation allows you to notice that <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">no matter what happens in your personal or social world, awareness itself remains untouched</strong>.</li><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:1.34em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Thoughts, emotions, and social roles come and go, but the observer — pure consciousness — remains constant.</li><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:1.34em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Instead of getting caught in the illusion of “the world,” turn inward and <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">abide in the awareness that perceives it.</strong></li></ul><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">3. Challenge Socially Constructed Realities</h1><ul style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none" class=""><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:0.67em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Notice how much of your reality has been shaped by <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">culture, education, and social expectations</strong>.</li><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:1.34em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Ask yourself: <em style="font-style:italic;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">Do I truly believe this, or was I taught to believe it?</em></li><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:1.34em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">This doesn’t mean rejecting society — it means engaging with it <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">more consciously</strong>.</li></ul><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">4. Play the Game, But Don’t Take It Too Seriously</h1><ul style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none" class=""><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:0.67em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">You don’t have to withdraw from life — just don’t get lost in it.</li><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;list-style-type:disc;margin-left:30px;padding-left:0px;font-size:18px;margin-top:1.34em;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Engage in work, relationships, and personal growth, but <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">remember that none of these define who you truly are</strong>.</li></ul><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne,"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Conclusion: Waking Up to a Bigger Truth</h1><div style="margin: 0.67em 0px; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 28px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; font-family: source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="">Both <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">Nisargadatta Maharaj</strong> and <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">Peter Berger</strong> reveal a powerful truth: the world we experience is <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">not absolute</strong> — it is shaped by our mind (personal world) and by society (shared world). This realization can feel unsettling at first, but it also points to a profound freedom.</div><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36)" class="">Instead of being trapped in <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">your world</strong>, or blindly following <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">the world</strong>, you can step back and <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">watch the whole thing unfold</strong> — not with fear, but with clarity. And when you do, you might just discover that <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro,georgia,cambria,"times new roman",times,serif" class="">what you truly are is beyond all worlds — the pure awareness in which all worlds appear.</strong></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""></div><div class=""><div style="width:393px;height:48px;border-top-width:1px;border-top-style:solid;border-top-color:rgb(242,242,242)" class=""><div class=""><div class=""></div></div><div class=""><div class=""><div style="display:inline-block" class=""><button style="background:none;margin:0px;border:0px;padding:4px 0px" class=""></button></div></div></div><div class=""><div class=""><div style="display:inline-block" class=""><div style="display:inline-block" class=""><button style="background:none;margin:0px;color:inherit;font-size:inherit;border:inherit;font-family:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;font-weight:inherit;padding:8px 2px" class=""></button></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class=""><div style="width: 345px; min-width: 0px; margin: 0px 24px; font-family: medium-content-sans-serif-font, -apple-system, blinkmacsystemfont, "segoe ui", roboto, oxygen, ubuntu, cantarell, "open sans", "helvetica neue", sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none;" class=""><div style="margin-bottom:26px;margin-top:6px;font-family:medium-content-sans-serif-font,-apple-system,blinkmacsystemfont,"segoe ui",roboto,oxygen,ubuntu,cantarell,"open sans","helvetica neue",sans-serif" class=""><div style="margin-top:8px;font-family:medium-content-sans-serif-font,-apple-system,blinkmacsystemfont,"segoe ui",roboto,oxygen,ubuntu,cantarell,"open sans","helvetica neue",sans-serif" class=""><a href="https://medium.com/tag/meditation?source=post_page-----4e7e7c944077--------------------------------" style="text-decoration:none;padding:0px;border:medium;margin-right:8px;font-family:medium-content-sans-serif-font,-apple-system,blinkmacsystemfont,"segoe ui",roboto,oxygen,ubuntu,cantarell,"open sans","helvetica neue",sans-serif;color:inherit" class=""></a></div></div></div></div><br class=""></div><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon 10 Feb 2025 at 8:57 p.m. Vivian Garciacano <<a href="mailto:vivian.garciacano@gmail.com" class="">vivian.garciacano@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br class=""></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204)"><div dir="ltr" class="">yeah of course! one sec</div><div dir="auto" class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon 10 Feb 2025 at 8:50 p.m. Yasskin Marc <<a href="mailto:yasskin@mindspring.com" target="_blank" class="">yasskin@mindspring.com</a>> wrote:<br class=""></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;padding-left:1ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204)">Hi Vivian ~ that’s right ~ cannot seem to get access without paying.<br class="">
<br class="">
Can you just send it independently ~ ?</blockquote></div></div>
</blockquote></div></div>
</div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br class=""><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>Thespiritexpress mailing list</span><br><span>Thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org</span><br><span>https://lists.mcn.org/mailman/listinfo/thespiritexpress</span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>