Dear Francis, Thank you for answering so many questions - it is extremely helpful. My question is regarding consciousness. If our true nature is consciousness, which is unlimited, once we are enlightened why are we not aware of other’s thoughts, feelings, etc. or can see “the world” from a different perspective. Of course since I am not enlightened - so this is a hypothetical question! But I assume that those who know themselves to be consciousness do not have this experience. I have seen your video which talks about consciousness as the space and individuals as baskets filled with apples (sensations), oranges (thoughts) and bananas (whatever else!). But it seems if we are the space shouldn’t we be able to see into all baskets and feel all sensations? I know you have said, perhaps we have but do not remember if we were present or not, as we cannot be sure we were present at times other than now. But the fact which we never remember is confusing to me. I hope this makes some sense! Thank you - Rhonda
Dear Ronda,
You ask: “why are we not aware of other’s thoughts, feelings, etc. or can see”the world" from a different perspective?"
This is a fundamental question.
Short answer:
How do you know you aren’t? Find the evidence that you aren’t. There is none.
Long answer:
The human mind knows only one mentation at the time, always in the now. When a past mentation is known, it is in fact in the form of a current recollection, always in the now. It is this current recollection that gives “other times of this current mind” a seeming existence. In the absence of a current recollection, there is no “other times of this current mind” experience; but then, there is no current mind experience either, there is only experience of the current mentation, which arises out of, exists in, and vanishes back into experiencing, “awaring”, and is therefore nothing else than awareness itself. Rhonda’s personal mind is therefore an illusion projected onto the reality, consciousness, Godhead, through the creation of specific mentations that we could call “Rhonda’s recollections”. “Rhonda’s Mind” is the name of one of the many channels consciousness creates in this way and watches.
There are infinitely many others, among which “Francis’ Mind”, made of “Francis’ recollections” and “Universal Mind”, made of " all minds’ recollections“. Not really different from Rhonda’s Mind or Francis’ Mind, Universal Mind is still an illusion projected onto the reality of consciousness, an illusion that gives”other times of all minds" a seeming existence. It is the mind your question was alluding to, as if, if consciousness were universal rather than personal, this universal mind should be part of our human experience. But then our human experience would no longer be human. It may be also interesting to notice that the experience of universal mind and the experience of our true nature are not the same, and that the experience of universal mind doesn’t liberate us from ignorance. That’s why in many Hindu traditions the universal Mind remains in ignorance as long as the universe remains manifested and doesn’t realize its true nature until the universal dissolution that ends the cosmic cycle. Unlike your question seems to suggest, neither the experience of other minds (which we in fact have) nor even the experience of the universal mind has the power to put an end to ignorance. Whether we view the “Rhonda’s Mind” channel, the “Francis’ Mind” channel or the “Universal Mind” channel it is “We”, “I”, the Universal Viewer who needs to experience itself as the reality of all minds for liberation to take place.
Such a liberated body mind becomes God’s instrument. May your body mind become Krishna’s flute.
Love,
Francis
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