Jesus said, the “kingdom of God is within you.” He was referring to the true Self, which is discovered at the core of one’s being. The true Self is not different from us. It is genuinely what we are. This is why Jesus also said, “The Father and I are one.” He was not referring to himself uniquely. We are each one with our Source, never apart from it and never different from it. The idea that we could be apart from it or different from it is illusion.
What is the true Self?
The true Self could be called non-dual changeless aware intelligent isness. However, no words can accurately describe our true Self since the mind has given every word a mental definition, and a mental definition is never the thing itself. For example, imagine that you were trying to describe the color blue to a person who was born blind. Although blue is very simple to know in direct experience, it is impossible to describe to someone who has no concept of color.
It is the same for the true Self. The Self is a simple direct experience that cannot be described, but it can be known directly by each and every person because it is the truth of our being.
If we are the true Self, why are we unaware of it?
And why does it seem so hard to find?
The answer to these questions could be summed up as fear of the unknown. We are familiar with our body as ourself, our mind as ourself, and our perceptions as our world. Regardless of whether our experience is pleasant or unpleasant, it is still ours. It is familiar, and humans take comfort in the familiar whether it is true or not.
The obstacle that a truth seeker must overcome in order to realize truth is the obstacle of the familiar. It is the obstacle of “me as I perceive me and the world as I perceive the world.” This obstacle is so intimate and familiar that we mistake it for our truth. We cling to it as if it is what we are. As long as we cling to the familiar as if it is truth, we hide the truth from ourselves. In order to realize what we really are, we must let go of what we think we are and what we think is true.
How do we know if we are making progress in coming to know our true Self?
Our true Self is subtle; it can’t be known in the way an object is known. If it could be known in that way, it would be an object apparent to us rather than what we are. However, the effects of knowing our Self can be known. So, although there is no way to directly measure the progress you are making in coming to know your Self, you can measure it indirectly by noticing the effects. An increase in inexplicable love, a reduction in psychological fear and self-preservation, and an increase in causeless joy are the signs of coming to know the Self.
Awakening Together is a universal assembly of peers with a common purpose: Awakening to one true Self. As such, we are also dedicated to recognizing the ways we deny truth by adopting personal beliefs and biases. We want to recognize these limitations so we can free ourselves from them and open to the eternally free truth of our being.
