When we hear “I” in our head, exactly what “I” is this “phantom voice” referring to? Which “you” is it claiming it is referring to? The “you” that got up this morning? The “you” from yesterday? The “you” from 10 years ago? Which “I” is the REAL you?? All of them? None of them?
And when you think of other people, which “version” of them are you thinking of? Is the image in your head actually that person? Has it ever been?
-Michael Jeffreys
Can it be seen that the moment itself, THIS moment, as it is spontaneously and causelessly appearing, gives no indication, no evidence, no proof of a past moment having ever existed!? That ANY reference to a “past” comes 100% from a mind made mental overlay, i.e., a story about a fictional character in time, with a “past” and a “future,” called, “me.”
The key to seeing this, ime, is to look at the moment and LET IT TELL YOU whether or not IT is indicating ANYTHING about a past…
-Michael Jeffreys
Few can see this… the mind will lash out… the ego will rebel… thoughts will give examples that appear to show horrible atrocities as to why it cannot be so…. and yet, I say again… there is nothing BUT perfection.
For example, as I write these words the cries of my next door neighbor’s baby can be heard. How is this not perfect? And if I find that it disturbs me, how is that not perfect? And if I love the sound of hearing life crying, how is that not perfect?
Whatever happens and whatever your response to what is happening, whether you like or don’t like it, whether you agree or disagree, freedom is seeing that it’s all happening perfectly spontaneously. That what is IS… and therein lies its sweet perfection.
-Michael Jeffreys
You are as much your body, your thoughts, or your feelings as you are a car, an apartment, or a pen!
When we say, “my car” or “my apartment” or “my pen,” we don’t mistake ourselves for the object. “My” is a possessive pronoun that indicates possession of an object. Something is claiming to have or possess something else. Yet, when it comes to “my body” or “my thoughts,” (due to conditioning, un-investigated assumptions and beliefs), we mistake (mis-take) our “body” and/or our “thoughts” as NOT another object/appearance that we seem to have, but rather who/what we literally are!? But this makes no sense, as the body ages, but do YOU? Thoughts come and go, but do YOU?
Again, if you say “my body,” your very words are indicating that it is NOT you, but rather something you seem to possess. You have a body, but it is not literally you. You have thoughts, but they are not literally you. This needs to be investigated deeply for oneself in order to see through the persistent, but ultimately illusory feeling/idea that you are your body/mind. (And the same thing applies to feelings and ideas, as in “my feeling” or “my idea.” Feelings and ideas are never you, but something you seem to temporarily have or possess.) Whatever the mind claims is “you” will ALWAYS be an object or appearance to YOU… including “the mind” itself.
As Nisargadatta said, “You are nothing conceivable or perceivable.”
-Michael Jeffreys
Michael Jeffreys 