Quarterly Newsletter Spring 1999
Namaste

The Reality of the Shift

The most common concept I hear about at Intensives is that 'Enlightenment is Bliss.' The true essence of the shift does not lie in bliss, which comes and goes like the wind, but in Presence.

There is the third dimensional world of appearance, which springs from the function of the mind and is experienced as separation. Then there is the fourth dimensional reality of pure creative Spirit which witnesses Itself and the whole third dimension in pure choiceless awareness, unconditional love, stillness and a peaceful joy not connected to any specifics. How do I know this? Because that is my experience most of the time. I call this witnessing Presence. This is the real meaning and unfolding of enlightenment.

In both of my books so far I have been leading up to this great secret, hidden deep from the rampant concepts surrounding enlightenment, and that is that this Shift involves the emergence of the Witness from the background of your awareness to the forefront. And just what does this Witness observe? Presence!

This Shift to Presence is the new bridge between the eternal Oneness and our illusionary sense of separation. Presence is who we are at our core essence, but this Presence keeps getting interrupted constantly by the mind making judgments, resisting, expecting, and interpreting all sensory input as duality and polarity. We are always out to lunch and never at home before the Shift. Then we find Presence, and realize it is always here in the present moment! It was never really hidden or a secret. It hangs out in the spontaneous aliveness of the unknown, beyond the limits of our conditioning and predispositions. But only here in Presence is the awareness of 'what is-as is,' and that frees us from the illusion of separation.

Presence and the Witness are synonymous terms in my vocabulary. This is key to understanding this Shift. The mind continues to create an illusion of separation in order to keep 'the game' going. Then there is this Shift, or bridge, to our new identity that is no longer connected to and dominated by a mind that can only judge. Now, as if by magic, the Witness, who we truly are, observes 'whatever is-as is,' in choiceless awareness. This act of witnessing that never comes and goes and is always present is what I call Presence.

As the Witness we are not passive. We live in passionate, active acceptance of what is-as is, releasing everything the mind may present to the wonder of this glorious 'be here now' moment. All of a sudden we discover in this release to the Witness that we are actually the one and only Source of all there is.

Presence is this space of being so open, so aware, so welcoming of what is, that it would never occur to the Witness to change or fix anything. It is all so perfect already-just the way it is-just the way it is supposed to be! In spite of what the mind offers as alternatives from its imperfect viewpoint. The Witness watches the mind run off in a flurry of options and understands that this is what good little minds are designed to do. But if you don't identify with it, you are free of it, even in the midst of it.

There is a Witness who is aware and then there are objects which the Witness observes, like warm sunshine, a knot of fear in your gut, the smell of hot coffee in the morning, a huge contraction of impatience while stuck in traffic. Now there is a letting go even of the one who is aware and all that remains is Presence itself. Imagine experiencing the deliciousness of awareness of just being, doing nothing, understanding everything, and being free of all need to struggle or engage in any intentional effort to live this life 'right.' Life just lives itself through you and you are the Witness of it, lost in Presence, observing it all in the present moment.

However, you can't 'do' Presence because you 'are' Presence. How could you practice something that you already are? Something that is totally effortless and nearer to you than your breathing. All that happens is this; we recognize the Witness and the state of Presence naturally occurs. The function of the mind is to interpret, but identifying with the Witness overrides the sidetracking of the separated mind. In the cosmic game of hide and seek, Source has found itself in Presence, while still in a limited mind and body.

Presence contains within it an override of the normal functions of our divinely designed minds to judge, fix or become. It overrides the feeling of separation, the identity with the little 'me' that can only live in the past or future and doesn't have a clue about the awareness of the present moment. When Presence is experienced by the Witness, we are suddenly comfortable in a realm where the future is always unknown. We are free of the mind's need for certainty and assurances that we won't be annihilated someday. We can already feel our eternalness growing as the dream of a limited individuality slowly dies. Presence is the Knowingness that we are not just a fraction of the whole, we are the Source of the whole.

Presence springs from who we are, whether known or unknown at the present moment and we become aware that we are the source of our multi-dimensional creation. Presence reveals the oneness and discovery of who we really are. It is a bridge between the confusion of the human predicament and the freedom of needing to become and do. Presence is the secret of finally knowing you are home for good.

Enlightenment means light entering the darkness. Presence is awareness that blows away the illusions and concepts that formerly kept us trapped in the darkness of separation. How simple is Presence! It just sees 'what is-as is,' and all the concepts around what it is supposed to be just evaporate.

What is the Witness present with? Whatever is happening, whether pleasant like the taste of good food, or unpleasant like self judgment, or how you feel about just being present instead of being productive or at least useful. Presence shines on all that is happening and knows that all is well. We can't direct Presence to any particular aspect of our soap opera because that would interrupt the flow and would be directed by the mind rather than by the Witness. Presence just shines on all of life as our infinite, innate wisdom presents it to us.

Presence is all encompassing and serves as its own reward. Presence is the overall relaxing into the active embrace of life as it is, and as it presents itself. Presence is beyond questions, doubts and striving.

The mind goes on override, the breathing evens out, the body is relaxed and the view looking out over the third dimension as now seen through the eyes of Source is truly well! Our senses are more alive than ever before. All of a sudden we are touching, tasting, smelling and hearing for the first time in a way that is so fresh and original. We are now the witness, living in Presence, with our original innocence finally regained. Life is now real, passionately alive, and we accept it in its absolute perfection. Just bask in it as it unfolds. With even a little hint of bliss now and then to keep it interesting.

All my love,  

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