Yesterday, we started looking more carefully at mental chatter to see how it emphasizes the idea of “I” or “me.” It’s important that we continue this looking until we have a strong realization that seeing mental chatter as “me” or “my thinking” is insane.
If you don’t remember yesterday’s tip well, please review it.
Today’s reading begins by saying:
Much of what you do comes from the ego.
And then it defines the ego as:
Belief in the false identity “I”.
Mental chatter on its own is not a problem. If you paid no more attention to mental chatter than you do to the sound of the heater, air conditioner or refrigerator in your home, you’d experience true perception in spite of ongoing mental chatter.
The real problem is that you believe mental chatter. You might not believe all of it. You may have learned to let go of some categories of thought, but you most likely still believe a lot of mental chatter to be you thinking.
Look and see if that isn’t true. When mental chatter is running through the mind, don’t you give attention to it as if it is you thinking? We don’t say to ourselves, “I am thought.” In fact, that statement probably seems ludicrous. But we give attention to mental chatter as if it is me thinking.
That attitude of attention—giving attention to thought as if it is me thinking—is what creates the ego. The ego is listening to mental chatter as if it is me thinking.
The reason much of what we do comes from the ego is because much of what we do comes from the belief that mental chatter is me thinking.
If mental chatter says, “I don’t like this,” we react as if we do not like the current happening. It never occurs to us that it isn’t true, because we believe mental chatter is me thinking.
If mental chatter says, “I want a new …,” we react as if we need to obtain that object. It never occurs to us that it isn’t true, because we believe mental chatter is me thinking.
If mental chatter says, “I need to quit this job/relationship,” we react as if we are dissatisfied and need to change our circumstance. It never occurs to us that it isn’t true, because we believe mental chatter is me thinking.
In most cases, we do whatever mental chatter tells us to do, because we believe it is me thinking. It never occurs to us that it isn’t me.
Much of what you do comes from the ego.
True perception comes when we are disengaged from mental chatter. True perception comes from realizing in a very deep way that mental chatter isn’t me thinking. We know we’ve had this realization when what we do doesn’t come from mental chatter. Mental chatter may still make noise, but we have become adept at ignoring it as meaningless—as uninformed—as wrong—as not me.
That’s why Inner Ramana asks us to surrender. When we surrender, we listen to something other than mental chatter. What we do comes from something other than mental chatter. Through this practice, we begin to disengage from mental chatter. First, we see that we do not need mental chatter to get through daily living; there is another way. Next, we begin to see in an experiential way that mental chatter isn’t me. That’s when we begin to break free from the ego.
As you’ve learned, there are two awakenings. First, one awakens from delusion to true perception. Next, one awakens from true perception to reality. Reality is entirely different from delusion. It would be very difficult (if not impossible) for one to go from the deluded state to reality in one giant step. The human brain needs time to reprogram based on new learning, which prepares the human organism (the brain and the body) for the realization of reality.
That’s the purpose for two awakenings. One can go from delusion to true perception more easily—even as an unexpected, dramatic awakening. And then, the experience of true perception gives the brain a chance to reprogram in preparation for truth realization.
The practices in Inner Ramana lead us from the stage of delusion to the stage of true perception. Once we reach the stage of true perception, intuition is our guide without confusion or distraction. At that point, mental chatter doesn’t have an influence over us anymore—because we no longer see it as me—so intuition leads unimpeded and prepares us for the final awakening to reality. In that way, true perception is a bridge from delusion to reality.
That’s why NTI 1 Corinthians 15 said:
The purpose of your life in the fourth phase of living on earth (true perception) shall not be different than the purpose at any other time. Only now, in the fourth phase, the distractions have been erased. In letting yourself become an empty shell, you freed yourself from the desire for distraction. Now, in the fourth stage, your focus is complete. Now you know what you want, and you want it wholly.
The purpose of true perception is to prepare you to awaken to the First Principle of God.
Today, practice surrender, the mantra, and practice looking back at chatter after you say the mantra to see what it was saying and how you were listening as if it was you thinking.
Note: The next tip will be available tomorrow morning after 3:50am ET at this link
