Download PDF - Stillness Speaks

The ego, ignorant of its identity with the Self, alone and encircled byotherness, identifies with action and accomplishment which it sees as ameans to complete itself. The Self, who sees no otherness, has nothing togain through action because it is always complete.The ego continually tries to enjoy life because it doesn't enjoy itself.The Self is a state of effortless enjoyment, devoid of subject and object. In itone is what one enjoys.Ego's concept of doership and enjoyment, like all its subsidiary "iam's," condemns it to sporadic suffering. The practice of knowledge involvessorting out these inner "i's", acknowledging and recognizing them for thepartial identities they are, until the experience of the "I" beyond them allbegins to emerge.An effective technique involves listening to one’s speech and watchingthe mind, trying to keep track of the seemingly endless parade of not Self“i’s” which, like ripples, continually distort the clear lake of Consciousness.Though these little "i's" may serve useful functions in the relative world, theyare inessential parts of the Self."Attachment, desire, pleasure and pain areexperienced as long as the Subtle Bodyfunctions. In deep sleep they don't exist.They belong to the mind, not the Self."(22)Desire is painful. When I say I want something I’m simply saying I’mnot happy as I am. Attachment is painful because it destroys freedom, thegreatest pleasure. Pleasure is painful because of the fear of losing it and theinevitable craving for its return once it ends. And, obviously, pain is painful.To be rid of the mind's contaminants realize you’re not contaminated inthe first place. If the mind is anxious, depressed or temporarily high on anobject, so what? I'm not it. I’m the one who was there before the mind wentinto its change, the one who recorded the changes, and the one who continueswhen the changes cease. A dirty house doesn’t necessarily mean theoccupants are dirty. Feelings of impurity and self-disgust stem from incorrectidentification of the Self with the mind. The more we refuse to participate inthe negativities of the mind, the less the mind generates negativities. Nottaking responsibility means not allowing oneself to develop an attitude aboutthem, positive or negative. An attitude would be: they are "sinful," andtherefore, by association, I’m sinful. Turning them into problems to be37