47. Consciousness Needs an Object

“Any kind of consciousness whatever

whether past, future, or present,

internal or external,

gross or subtle,

inferior or superior

far or near,

 

all consciousness

should be seen

as it actually is,

with proper wisdom–

This is not mine,

This I am not,

This is not my-self”

It is just arising and passing away…

Even if you tell it to stop,

it doesn’t stop.

It’s there.

 

Can you tell your mind

to enter Nirodha

here, now?

 

No.

 

Because it’s hard!

 

It’s hard, in a good way.

The path is blissful

when we practice properly.

But the truth is:

consciousness,

we don’t have full control over it.

 

We think that we do,

but the deeper we go,

we just see that it’s just stuff

arising and passing away…

Consciousness–

to be conscious,

there needs to be an object.

 

There needs to be something

to be conscious of,

otherwise, it doesn’t have a support,

it doesn’t arise.

 

And when we take that support away,

then we understand

what consciousness is…

what name and form is…

what all concepts are…

 

just standpoints, views.

And, we understand Nirodha.

These are on the same notes:

by practicing meditation

by going there all the way,

by calming the mind

letting go, letting go

letting go, letting go

 

(of course, I’m not talking about

the whole path of development

with joy, and all these things),

 

but at that point, at the end,

letting go, letting go, letting go,

the opening gets bigger,

the impression on the mind

is more established,

the understanding

through direct experience,

becomes integrated.

And these words

do the same thing,

they create the right pattern,

the right coding in the mind,

that will nourish that understanding.

 

 

 [ This is not mine,

   This I am not,

   This is not my-self. ]