Today’s reading is about the obstacle to truth. It refers to the obstacle as the belief in separation. The Teachings of Inner Ramana refers to it as the “I-thought.” It is also commonly called the ego.

What is the belief in separation, which is the I-thought and the ego? It is mental chatter.

What is the belief in separation?
It is mental chatter

What is the I-thought?
It is mental chatter.

What is the ego?
It is mental chatter.

You can see this for yourself if you pay close attention to the mental chatter in your mind. Mental chatter is all about “me” and “you” or “us” and “them.” It’s about what “I” think, what “I” want, and what “I” don’t want. Mental chatter is  the belief in separation. Mental chatter is  the I-thought. Mental chatter is  the ego.

In other words, the belief in separation isn’t one belief buried somewhere in mental chatter. Mental chatter itself  is the belief in separation.

The I-thought isn’t merely the words “I” or “me” in the mind. All mental chatter is the I-thought.

The ego isn’t some aspect of mental chatter, while part of mental chatter is benign or “my real thoughts.” The ego and mental chatter are synonymous. They are the same thing.

One reason the ego is able to deceive people so easily is because most spiritual aspirants define the ego as some thoughts or some qualities of thought, and they continue listening to other thoughts or other qualities of thought as if they aren’t ego.

All mental chatter is ego. There’s no such thing as truth in mental chatter. When you give believing-attention to mental chatter, you give believing-attention to ego.

Very few people have awakened to absolute truth, because very few people have disregarded mental chatter completely. The seventh step to awakening is disregarding mental chatter completely, regardless of what it says now.  One idea that keeps people listening to mental chatter, even when they want to let go of ego, is:

Something or someone will suffer if I do not listen to the ideas in my mind.

For example:

My children will suffer.

My work will suffer.

My finances will suffer.

My health will suffer.

My relationships will suffer.

My safety will suffer.

Underneath all of those ideas is the idea, “I will suffer.” That is the ego’s primary deception, which is also its primary defense.

When mental chatter chatters about how you need mental chatter to get by or survive, mental chatter gets your believing-attention. In this way, mental chatter maintains its apparent existence as you.

Whenever anyone says that you need the ego somewhat, and so you cannot let go of it completely, they have fallen for this trick. They have let go of some thoughts or some qualities of thought, but they have not let go of mental chatter entirely.

Mental chatter is not needed, not even in the world. Awareness is absolute intelligence. One who abides as awareness knows what to say and what to do in every circumstance. The intelligence of awareness is far superior to the feigned “intelligence” of mental chatter.

Let’s look at the difference between mental chatter and using the brain to think.

Compared to other animals, humans have large brains. The purpose of the human brain is survival. Awareness programs the brain so it can be used as an effective survival instrument. This programming is commonly called “learning.” For example, you learned language, math, computer skills, how to drive, how to ride a bike and much, much more. All of this is programmed into your brain.

Some of what is programmed into your brain is so deeply programmed that you no longer have to “think” about it. For example, you seldom have to think about words. You just use them. You don’t have to think about how to ride a bike. You simply get on a bike and ride.

However, when you are presented with a new situation, you have to “think” about it. If you pay close attention to the “thinking” that is necessary, it is awareness. Awareness pays attention to what is being learned, and it programs the learning into the brain. Awareness also sorts through previous programming to see if something is useful in the current situation. If so, it forms a relationship in the brain between the new programming and the prior programming.

What I have just described is not mental chatter. Mental chatter is different than the brainwork I just described. For example, when a new situation is present, mental chatter may say any of the following:

I’m never going to figure this out.

Why did Jane put that there? Now I have to undo everything she did!

I’m right. John’s wrong. I’ve got to convince him to do this my way.

Everything is always going wrong. How am I ever going to get ahead?

When I get this done, I will be able to do that. Then things will open up, and I can ….

Once I get this figured out, everyone will see how smart I am, and then they will listen to me more.

I didn’t expect this. I thought that since we did that, this would work out the way we planned.

I’m not going to blame Sally for this. I’m going to forgive her. I’ll be really nice next time I see her, and then she’ll see that I am spirit-guided.

I have to do everything around here. No one else is as committed as I am.

And Etcetera.

Mental chatter is the belief in separation. It is the I-thought. It is the ego.

Look at the previous examples of mental chatter and notice the belief in separation, the I-thought and the ego in those ideas.

Mental chatter is not thinking. Mental chatter serves no useful purpose at all. It can be let go completely.

If you paid attention to your thoughts on Day 277, you probably saw several comments that came from mental chatter as you read Revelation 8. If you didn’t see any chatter, it’s likely you believed chatter without noticing it.

Step 7 in the awakening process is seeing mental chatter without giving it believing-attention. Seeing it without believing it is disregarding it.  When it is not seen, it is believed by default.

Please read NTI Revelation 17:1-6 in the Bible before reading today’s reading in NTI.

Today’s reading tells us how to use meditation to awaken.

First, let’s look at how we keep the illusion alive. We keep the illusion alive with believing-attention. We keep the illusion alive by believing thoughts, emotions and perceptions and giving them our attention.

Since giving believing-attention keeps the illusion alive, not giving  believing-attention allows the illusion to fade away. And that is the purpose of meditation.

During meditation, you close your eyes and ignore thoughts, emotions and perception. You keep attention still, focused on awareness, without chasing after movement. This stillness doesn’t stop movement; it just doesn’t give movement any attention. In this way, movement is allowed to move through, out and away, until only stillness remains.

Today’s reading shares a few tips to help you keep attention still, focused on awareness, instead of being caught up in thought or emotion during meditation. It says:

“When you notice a belief in illusions, ask where your faith is now. Faith comes from desire. … In questioning your faith, you remember your desire. In remembering desire, you loosen your grip on belief.”

In other words, when thoughts arise and your attention goes to them, ask yourself, “What do I really want?” or “What is my purpose?” or “Why am I here?” or any other question that reminds you how much you want to remain focused on awareness and awaken. When you remember how much you want to remain focused on awareness and awaken, you naturally recall attention from thought, and place it with awareness again.

Fear sometimes occurs during meditation, especially as you progress from a familiar stage of meditation to a new stage or new level. When fear arises, notice that the mind is judging the experience. Again, remind yourself how much you want to remain focused on awareness and awaken. Let the movement of fear be—do not interfere with it; gently place attention on awareness, and remain there.

The scene from Little Buddha  that we watched on Day 280 is a good symbol of remaining still in meditation, regardless of what arises, in order to awaken.

You do not need to read from Revelation in the Bible today. Go directly to the reading in NTI.