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<div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">So..so...so... delicious to read this...!!!!!!! ...Your beautiful poem.... and Nisargadatta pragmatism "the world is just your world"... <img title="Emoji" alt="Emoji" class="yahoo-emoji-wrapper" height="16" src="https://s.yimg.com/nq/yemoji_assets/latest/yemoji_assets/1f602.png" width="16" style="padding: 0px 2px; vertical-align: middle;" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true">. How did I forget?</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Hippiieee!!!<img title="Emoji" alt="Emoji" class="yahoo-emoji-wrapper" height="16" src="https://s.yimg.com/nq/yemoji_assets/latest/yemoji_assets/1f483.png" width="16" style="padding: 0px 2px; vertical-align: middle;" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true"><img title="Emoji" alt="Emoji" class="yahoo-emoji-wrapper" height="16" src="https://s.yimg.com/nq/yemoji_assets/latest/yemoji_assets/1f57a.png" width="16" style="padding: 0px 2px; vertical-align: middle;" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true"></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Thank you Marc</div><div><br></div>
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On Monday, February 10, 2025 at 08:02:14 PM PST, Yasskin Marc via Thespiritexpress <thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org> wrote:
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<div><div id="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div><blockquote type="cite" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:20px;line-height:normal;font-family:Sans;min-height:28px;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></span></div><div style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-stretch:normal;font-size:20px;line-height:normal;font-family:Sans;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><img alt="A.jpg" id="ydp77a3e886yiv57624129692B59E78A-604F-4377-BCD9-60FA01386457" src="cid:HGUxwATWxnI8vl2SrcfK" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969" style="width: 100%; max-width: 800px;"></span></div><div style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-stretch:normal;font-size:20px;line-height:normal;font-family:Sans;min-height:28px;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></span></div><div style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-stretch:normal;font-size:20px;line-height:normal;font-family:Sans;min-height:28px;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-stretch:normal;font-size:20px;line-height:normal;font-family:Sans;min-height:28px;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">So called enlightenment </span></div><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">embraces the whole </span></div><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></span><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Indivisible</span></div><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></span><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Where this timeless river </span></div><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></span><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">through this Truth</span></div><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></span><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">An exquisitely endlessly dazzling</span></div><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"> mystifying beauty </span></div><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;min-height:22px;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></span><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></span><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div><div style="margin:0px;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:Color;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">🌟</span></div><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></span></div></div><div style="margin:0px;text-align:center;font-stretch:normal;font-size:22px;line-height:normal;font-family:Herculanum;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div></div><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><blockquote type="cite" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">On Feb 10, 2025, at 6:06 PM, Vivian Garciacano <<a href="mailto:vivian.garciacano@gmail.com" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">vivian.garciacano@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969Apple-interchange-newline"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="display:block;margin-bottom:2px;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="display:block;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="display:block;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="width:345px;min-width:0px;margin:0px 24px;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><h1 style="margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-family: sohne, 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; word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">The World Is Just Your World: Nisargadatta Maharaj, Peter Berger, and the Illusion of Reality</h1><div style="font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Whenever someone asked the Indian guru <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj</strong> about <em style="font-style:italic;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">the world</em> — <em style="font-style:italic;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><p style="margin:1.56em 0px;font-weight:400;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;font-style:italic;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">“Which world are you referring to?”</p></blockquote></div><div style="font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><span id="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969cid:ii_194f2c1d354696f12f01" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><IMG_4168.jpeg></span></div><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">what we experience as “the world” is entirely personal</strong>. It is shaped by our minds, beliefs, and conditioning.<div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969webkit-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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">This perspective finds an interesting parallel in the work of sociologist <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Peter Berger</strong>, whose concept of <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">the individual mind’s projection</strong>, Berger explored how entire societies build <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Together, these perspectives suggest something profound: <em style="font-style:italic;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, arial, sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Nisargadatta Maharaj insisted that what we experience as “the world” is <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">For example, imagine two people walking through the same city:</p><ul style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Even though they are in <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">the same physical world</strong>, they are living in <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Maharaj described this world-making process as a <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">personal filter</strong> for reality itself. His key insight is that <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, arial, sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">While Nisargadatta focused on <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Berger argued that from birth, people are <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">socialized into a specific version of reality</strong>. This happens through <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">For instance:</p><ul style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Even though these perspectives are <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">personal perception shapes individual reality</strong>, Berger shows how <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, arial, sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">necessary for social stability</strong> — without it, people would experience <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">However, he also recognized that <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, arial, sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">So if both <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">observe the one constant behind all experiences — awareness itself</strong>.</p><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne, 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Realizing that the world is <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, arial, sans-serif;font-style:normal;line-height:24px;letter-spacing:0px;font-weight:600;font-size:20px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">1. When You Feel Stuck, Ask: “Which World Am I Referring To?”</h1><ul style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">If something is upsetting you, pause and ask: <em style="font-style:italic;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Recognizing this difference can help you <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">detach from unnecessary suffering</strong>.</li></ul><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne, 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">2. Observe How Awareness Is Always Free</h1><ul style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Meditation allows you to notice that <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">abide in the awareness that perceives it.</strong></li></ul><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne, 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">3. Challenge Socially Constructed Realities</h1><ul style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Notice how much of your reality has been shaped by <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Ask yourself: <em style="font-style:italic;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">This doesn’t mean rejecting society — it means engaging with it <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">more consciously</strong>.</li></ul><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne, 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">4. Play the Game, But Don’t Take It Too Seriously</h1><ul style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style:none;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><li style="font-weight:400;font-style:normal;line-height:28px;letter-spacing:-0.003em;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Engage in work, relationships, and personal growth, but <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">remember that none of these define who you truly are</strong>.</li></ul><h1 style="margin:1.2em 0px;font-family:sohne, 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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36, 36, 36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Both <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Nisargadatta Maharaj</strong> and <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Peter Berger</strong> reveal a powerful truth: the world we experience is <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;font-size:18px;color:rgb(36,36,36);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">Instead of being trapped in <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">your world</strong>, or blindly following <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">the world</strong>, you can step back and <strong style="font-weight:700;font-family:source-serif-pro, georgia, cambria, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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, new times, serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">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="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="width:393px;min-height:48px;border-top-width:1px;border-top-style:solid;border-top-color:rgb(242,242,242);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div></div><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="display:inline-block;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><button style="background:none;margin:0px;border:0px;padding:4px 0px;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></button></div></div></div><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="display:inline-block;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="display:inline-block;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><button style="background: none; margin: 0px; color: inherit; font-size: inherit; border-color: inherit; border-style: inherit; border-width: inherit; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; font-weight: inherit; padding: 8px 2px;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></button></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="width: 345px; min-width: 0px; margin: 0px 24px; font-family: medium-content-sans-serif-font, -apple-system, blinkmacsystemfont, roboto, oxygen, ubuntu, cantarell, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="margin-bottom:26px;margin-top:6px;font-family:medium-content-sans-serif-font, -apple-system, blinkmacsystemfont, roboto, oxygen, ubuntu, cantarell, sans-serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div style="margin-top:8px;font-family:medium-content-sans-serif-font, -apple-system, blinkmacsystemfont, roboto, oxygen, ubuntu, cantarell, sans-serif;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><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, roboto, oxygen, ubuntu, cantarell, sans-serif;color:inherit;" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div></div></div></div><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969gmail_quote ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969gmail_attr">On Mon 10 Feb 2025 at 8:57 p.m. Vivian Garciacano <<a href="mailto:vivian.garciacano@gmail.com" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">vivian.garciacano@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div><blockquote 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);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">yeah of course! one sec</div><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"><div class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969gmail_attr">On Mon 10 Feb 2025 at 8:50 p.m. Yasskin Marc <<a href="mailto:yasskin@mindspring.com" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">yasskin@mindspring.com</a>> wrote:<br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div><blockquote 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);" class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969gmail_quote">Hi Vivian ~ that’s right ~ cannot seem to get access without paying.<br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">
<br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969">
Can you just send it independently ~ ?</blockquote></div></div>
</blockquote></div></div>
</div></blockquote></div><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br class="ydp77a3e886yiv5762412969"></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>Thespiritexpress mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thespiritexpress@lists.mcn.org</a><br><a href="https://lists.mcn.org/mailman/listinfo/thespiritexpress" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://lists.mcn.org/mailman/listinfo/thespiritexpress</a><br></div>
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