We are creating mental images... Sailor Bob and Sangha. 19 Feb 2023

I'm Katharina. Gilbert. Josh, hi. Gilbert. Joseph. Peter. Swin. Darren. Krista. Zoram. Justina. Paula. Natalie. Kavisha. Andy. Carl. Jane. Tass. Chris. Ding. And back to Bob. Hi everyone. Want to take anything else? Yes, everything. Well, you all know what we talk about. Same old, same old. Talk about no thing. And when you recognise that everything is no thing and the no thing is everything. So you can't say it either is or it is not. Discriminate the appearance. Put words and labels on all these things. And when it's all broken down, you're a thing, I'm a thing, you're a thing. Chair's a thing, table's a thing, the tree's a flower.

Everything is that. And that's the great mantra. I am that. Innately, you know that because you just said that's the chair, that's the carpet, that's the tree, that's the flower. And it's all been labelled. Words. How many words were you born with? You realise you weren't born with any words. You didn't have any words until about two, two and a half, when the capacity of reasoning developed in you. So wouldn't that tell you that you are prior to word? You are before the word. And the word, when you look at it, is not the thing. Take the word water, try and drink the word. Swim in it if you can.

Drown in it. The word fire. Can you cook with it? Can you burn your mouth with it or eat yourself with it? So what's this word, I or me, that we're taken to believe that we are? We're taken to believe that we are that because we've never questioned it. At about the age of two, two and a half, might be a bit earlier, might be a bit later, your parents fussing around you, speaking words. And the capacity of reasoning is developing in you at that stage. And you're hearing these words. And your parents tell you you're little Billy or you're little Jane or whatever your mate might be.

And somebody asks you who you are now, you'll say, I am Billy or I am Jane. We've taken on the belief that that is what I am. This person. This separate entity. Or individual. Where does the word person come from? Doesn't it come from that ancient Latin? Person meaning persona. The mask. So now we believe we are this person or this mask. This conceptual image. That's all it is. A conceptual image we take to be real. Which we call I or me. And what we do, we add other words, concepts, ideas or images to it. I am Bob, the Australian, the good fella or not so good, the unhappy or the fearful, the anxious.

I've got this or I've got that. Whatever ale wants to like to put on the side. But all these concepts are labelled onto that. Onto that pure presence awareness. That's all it is. An awareness of being present right here, right now. Presence awareness. It's not the past awareness. It's not the future awareness. It's what is going on right now. But as soon as we put that label on, that's where we believe ourselves we are. Where we are. This separate entity. This individual. This is me. And as I say, we add all these other concepts or words on it. I'm a good fella having a bad try or I'm unhappy or anxious or I'm depressed or I'm not good enough.

All this manifestation is made up of words. We put words or labels on it all. Tells you that's who you are. Tells you that in the Bible. In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God. That's God or God is a label. We put on this, what I call from what of a better term, intelligence energy or life. Or you can call it God if you like. But realise everybody has a concept of what they believe this God to be. And so now it's become a concept. Or an idea. Which has moved it away from what I actually am.

And what did Christ tell you? He said I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. People thought he was talking about himself. He was talking about that sense of presence. That knowing that you are. How would you translate that? You'll say I am Bob or I am Bill or whatever you like. It is the way to go. Go to that I am-ness. As Nisargadatta tells you. He says stay with the I am-ness. The I am-ness is really the sense of presence. The awareness of being. The knowing that you are. They call it in Hinduism Advaita. Sat Chit Ananda. Nama Rupa. Vata five-fold.

Sat is existence. Chit is consciousness. Ananda is loving to be. Nama Rupa. Nama is the name we've given ourselves. Rupa is the form. Body, mind. And I tell you that Nama, Rupa, name and form is Maya. It's illusion. It's not the reality. But we've taken ourselves to be this body. And this mind. And this mind. And these things need to be investigated. And seen for yourself. And they tell you again in the scriptures. That the false cannot stand up to investigation. If you investigate some of these beliefs we've taken on board. And they're not the truth. They'll fall apart. They can't stand up to it.

So that's what needs to happen. Investigate. Have a look and see. Am I this body? Well you know you're not the body. You know it already. Because don't you say you're my body. Don't you say my house, my car, my coat. You know you're not the coat. The car. Or the house. Well maybe you're not the body either. Have a look and see. Same with my mind. If you believe you are this mind, show me a thing called mind. When I look for it I can see there's no such thing as mind really apart from thought. And if mind is thought or thought is mind, which particular thought would I be?

Well I'd be that I am thought, wouldn't I? Well if I was that thought, believed to be real, you'd be frightened of losing it. Yet you gladly give it up every night when you go to sleep. So you can't be that thought. Now you are not the body. What's this body made up of? Investigate and have a look. You'll see it's made up of elements. Air, earth, fire, water, space. Just like the elements around you. Well if you think you're separate, take the air out of your body. See how long you'd last without the air. Take the water. Your body's 60% water. Take the water out of your body.

It wouldn't last that long. Take the fire. The body temperature. You've certainly got hypothermia and die. Get off the earth if you can. Get out of space. When you look at it you realise you're not separate from these elements. And these elements can be broken down into subatomic particles. Which can be broken down into pure energy. So that's all this body is, a vibrating pattern of energy. The same with the mind. You can't show it to me. You can show it to me, you think or mind. And you realise there's no such thing as mind apart from thought. And if mind is thought, which particular thought would I be?

Well I'd be that I thought, wouldn't I? If it was that I thought, you wouldn't let it go overnight because it'd be the end of you. So you'd gladly give it up. So you're not the I thought. You're not the thought. What's thought? Thought is word, sound, vibration, energy. That's all a word. Sound is a vibration, a movement of energy. And doesn't Einstein tell you that? That's all there is, is energy. He says, I worked on this problem for years and couldn't find an answer. One night I went to sleep, woke up next morning and there it was. All the working hand out and the mind didn't work.

But left as it is, allowed to be as it is. It came to him. And Banke tells you that, a Zen monk in the 16th century. He calls it the unborn Buddha mind. The unborn mind. And he says everything is perfectly resolved in the unborn. In other words, nature or life is resolving itself. He goes on to say, why exchange the unborn for thought? And that's what we do. We exchange it for thought, contaminate and corrupt it, and lose sight of the true nature. Got all those words, concepts and ideas which are causing all our problems. Why exchange the unborn? When it's left as it is, tell me this.

Do you disappear without the thought? If you ask yourself what's wrong with right now if I don't think about it? To do that, you need to try and let the thought go. Don't take it on board. And is it the end of you? If you don't, if you're not thinking about it? It's not. The breathing, the heart beating, food being digested. Life is going on. But without the concepts, what is it? Well they tell us in the scriptures that it's absolute. Or the Buddhists call it the great perfection. What can you add to absolute? Can't add anything to it at all. It wouldn't be absolute.

What can you take away from it? You can't take anything away from it. It wouldn't be absolute. You must recognise and realise, recognise that everything is absolute. Nothing is absolute. Nothing is absolute. Nothing can be added to it. Nothing taken away. But instead of saying that, recognising you are the absolute. And you can't go around telling everyone you're the absolute. Or they'll have a place for you. But realise that you are the absolute. Know it for yourself. That's the main thing. Nothing can be added to you. Nothing can be taken away. And have a look at that. If you take that stance, nothing can be added to you.

Nothing can be taken away. Who can be inferior to you? If you are absolute. Who can be superior to you? If you are absolute. And what would you want of the other persons? So that's where all our problems go on. Is somebody better than us? Is somebody worse than us? Some of the things we like, some of the things we don't like. All comparison. But if you are the absolute, nothing superior, nothing inferior, you don't want anything, just recognise that is what you actually are. Pure being. Pure knowing. Pure loving to be. Sat Chit Ananda. Well, we think we've got to become enlightened. We've got to look into it and become something.

But it tells you that you are already that. And have a look and see. Anyone who is not existing right now, you'll say, no, I'm existing. You're absolutely certain of it. Anyone who is not conscious, is unaware right now, you say, no, I'm conscious. I'm not unaware. So if you're not unaware, you must be aware. Anyone who is not happy to be, well, I don't want to be dead right now, so I'm loving to be. So you're already aware. So you already are. Now, some of us have probably spent years searching, trying to become what you already are. Might recognise the futility of it. And the great mantra that they say is, I am that.

They tell you that in the scripture. And know that, you know that already. Because you say, that's a chair I'm sitting on. That's the carpet on the floor. That's the room. That's the space in the room. That's the tree. That's the flower. You already know that everything is that. Which we discriminate with the word. We put the word or the label on it. And discriminate it. And take the word to be real. And I pointed out the word's not the thing. But now we've got the idea we are. This concept, this word. And that's what they call it in Buddhism, the great perfection. They give it there in one sentence.

The great perfection. Nothing can be added to the perfect. Nothing taken away. And they say the great perfection is non-conceptual awareness. That awareness is that you are right now. Without any of the concepts. So you are already, always have been, and always will be that. That we've taken ourselves to be this conceptual image. And now to happen to be that. And out of habit we keep reinforcing it. Not investigate. And so we continue dividing the indivisible. And separating the inseparable. And this causes problems. For it's only me that can be unhappy. Only me can be anxious. Only me can be depressed, guilty, or fearful. And that is the cause of all the psychological suffering.

And the anxiety, the fear, the guilt, the shame, the anger. All these things are the effects of the cause. And that's what our problem is. Cause and effect. Duality. What if you ask the simple question, if I'm not relating to a cause, can there be an effect? Can there be an effect if it's not related to the cause? Well if you're not relating it to anything, there can't be the effect. So what's relationship? Relativity. Isn't that dualism? So we're creating the belief in this dualism. And we're suffering because. But if you see there's absolutely, can't be any effect, if it's not relating to the cause.

And me, is seen as the cause. What is this me? Isn't it the word? Or the concept? I am. It's me. And if it's non-conceptual awareness, what am I without the concept? Ask yourself that question. What is wrong with right now if I don't think about it? Well to do that you need to pause the thought for a while. Just see what you can say, without the thought. You can't say I am. And you can't say I am not. Without the thought. But without the thought, do you disappear? Is it the end of you? Realise it's not. And you realise also, that you weren't born, with any words.

So in recognising that you must realise, that you are prior to the thought. That the thought didn't come upon you until you learnt words, about two, two and a half, when the capacity of reason had developed. But before that you were breathing, heart beating, hearing fingernails growing. Ideas and concepts, you couldn't put labels on anything. You'll say I was born. But can anyone actually remember your birth? You think, can we take it for granted? We can. But how could you say, I was born, if you didn't have any words? And you didn't have any words until you were about two, two and a half, until you learnt words.

That's when it all came about. So you are prior to the word, you're before the word. You're before the mind. You are the absolute. The great reality. And that's how they put it in Buddhism, the great perfection. The great reality, is non-conceptual awareness. Awareness without any concepts, without any words. And that is what, how did you come about? Well, Nisargadatta tells you there's only life. There's nobody, nobody who lives a life. He said life lives on life. Out of life, more life comes. And isn't that so? Where did you come from? Didn't you come from the life of your parents? That animating life, isn't it?

That you call your father, enabled in that pattern, through the food he's eating, the breath he's taking, and the animating intelligence in your life, enabled in that pattern, shape and form, a little microscopic particle called a sperm to form. Now you can't see that sperm in your naked eye. But it knew what to do. The same in your mother. That animating life, as a pattern shape and form, your mother, enabled in that pattern, called a microscopic particle, called an egg or an ovum to form. That egg knew what to do. It attached itself to the wall of the uterus. So it was a fusion of that intelligence.

And that intelligence attaching itself to the wall of the uterus, and that sperm, full of intelligence, knowing what to do, swam to the ovum, and penetrated the ovum. Those two coming together, doubled that cell, doubled it again, and the little embryo, the little fetus, which is what you are today, formed. What were you doing about it then? And what have you, this separate entity, been doing it ever since then? You realise this believed in entity, this person. Can't take a breath, can't beat your heart, can't grow your hair and your fingernails, digest your fur, cannot do anything at all. And if it wasn't for that life essence, pulsating, throbbing and experiencing through it, you couldn't say a word, you couldn't even be the life itself.

But as Christ told you, I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. Not talking about himself. Talking about that primary thought, that sense of presence, which translates to the thought, I am. But see what we've done with it. When the parents told you, little Johnny or little Billy, someone now asks you, who are you? Instead of saying, I am the absolute, you say, I am little Johnny or little Billy. Take yourself to be this separate entity, this individual. And as I said before, it's only me that can be fearful. Only me that can be unhappy, depressed, guilty, shameful, remorse. Me is the cause of all my psychological suffering.

And the effects are the anger, the depression, the self-pity, the fear. They're the effects of the cause. Now investigate that. And ask yourself the simple question, if I'm not related to this cause, me, can there be an effect? If it's left as it is, not related to, not divided. And if I'm not relating it, left as it is, it's just that pure being. What's relationship? Isn't it relativity? Relationship, isn't that dualism? Me and other. Investigating and see that there's no me. There can't be anything other. Now watch that, see how your mind was. Works. 400 years ago, Shakespeare told you there's nothing either good or bad.

But thinking makes it so. And have a look. And see how thinking is happening. And you realise thinking is always happening in the interrelated opposites. You're either in the past, which is memory, or in the future, which is anticipation and imagination. It's either good or it's bad. It's pleasant or it's painful. Happy or unhappy. Watch your mind and see if it functions any other way. So it's a dualistic vibration. And they tell you in the scriptures, there is absolutely no duality in non-duality. Duality is a fiction. It's a concept. It's an idea. But what we've done, we've invented, we've invented these opposites, the thinking and the opposites, and put the labels on them.

Now it's good or it's bad. It's pleasant or it's painful. We've split it up. But realise it's all the one element. It's the essence, it's bearing, patterning, everything. There's nothing divided. Nothing separate. Have a look at day and night. We divide them. Have a look at what's happening. And realise there's daylight right now. And this thing we call Earth is facing the sun. This part we're living on is facing the sun. And this light of the sun lightens it up and we see it. So there's light. Now the other end is facing away from the sun. And it's dark. Does the light know anything about darkness or light?

It doesn't. It's two ends of the one thing dividing, seemingly dividing, but they're not. Day doesn't know anything about darkness. And night doesn't know anything about daylight. Two ends of the one thing. But we divide it. Now the same with these thoughts. As soon as we divide them, we're liking one and not the other. We see how that works in your mind. Thought comes up, not realising that everything is transient in this manifestation. I mean by transient, it's constantly changing. It's got no duration. No time. Time is duration. Time has a beginning, a middle and an end. But the timeless is spontaneous. As it's beginning right now, it's already ending.

Beginning and end. It's not no duration. So the thought comes up. It's good. And of course, we want the good things to stay there. We don't want them to go. Not realising that it's transient, no matter how much you love them, how much you want to keep them there, it's going to change. And we don't want it to go. So what do we do? We resist it from going. We try to keep it there. To keep the good things and so they stay as the one and they'll be happy and get rid of the bad. So we resist them, try to resist it from going.

Realise that resistance is conflict. If you're resisting anything at all, you're in conflict with it. You're fighting with it. And that conflict makes you unhappy, anxious, fearful, depressed, guilty, jealous, envy. One word for all those terms is uneasiness. Another word for uneasiness is dis-ease. Resistance, conflict and dis-ease. That's what's going on in your life. That's what's going on in our lives most of the time. Your unhappy feelings, all this conflict going on. What happens when the other way around? Something comes up that you don't like. Oh, I shouldn't be thinking this. It's a bad thought. Get me into all sorts of trouble. I've got to get rid of it.

What do we do? We resist it again. Again more resistance, conflict and dis-ease. So we're constantly in this resistance, conflict and dis-ease. What happens if I investigate this way this is functioning and see that me is the cause of all my psychological problems? They believed in me and the effects are as relating to this cause and investigate and see the cause, me, is a fiction. Hasn't got any power. Can't stand on its own. It's not separate from the other. Instead of trying to make it come back again and resisting it or trying to force it out, realise just as the earth continues to roll about the sun and daylight and darkness comes and goes, but they're not in opposition to another.

They're not fighting with each other. Left as they are, they come about with their change. See what happens if you give up the conflict in this body, the resistance to things. And see the good and the bad are not separate things. They're two ends of the one stick, two sides of the one coin. And left as they are, they'll come about. And have a look and see how that's functioning in this manifestation. Day and night, winter, summer, incoming tide, outcoming tide. All the seasons, winter, autumn, summer, winter. All the concepts. All the patterns, shapes and forms. All changing constantly. Vibrating, naturally, effortlessly, spontaneously. So if I look and ask this cause and effect and ask myself, now if I'm not relating to this cause, me, if I ask the simple question, can there be an effect if it's not related to a cause?

Well, can there? If it's not related to the cause, isn't it just as it is? And isn't what is unmodified, unquestioned, unmodified, just as it is, left as it is? Look at this me that's quibbled. These are the causes. And see that this me has no substance, no independent nature, cannot stand on its own. It's a fiction, just a concept. If it's just a concept, can it relate to anything? And if there's no relationship, no relativity, no two, where does that leave you? Anyone who's not existing right now, I've gone over this a few minutes ago, anyone who is not conscious or aware right now, no, I'm conscious, I'm not unaware, so I'm aware.

Anyone who's not happy to me, no, I don't want to be dead. So realise you are already that. It's not a matter of becoming because doesn't becoming imply a future time? So it's not now, you become something. But time, when you look at time, you'll see time's a concept. Is there a past if you don't think about it? Can you live a moment ago? You can't live in the past. You can recall it. And the only reality that the past has, God is what you're recalling right now. Can't bring it right now into the present. It's forgotten, it's not there. That's all you do, you can recall it, but you can't live it.

The same with the future, you can anticipate and imagine what you're going to think next, but you can't actually live in the future. And that anticipation and imagination can only take place right now. You can't go to the future and anticipate it because time's a concept. It's only this present awareness. See that the believed in entity, me, that's looking into it, is only a figment of my imagination, a concept, an idea. Nisargadatta tells you that quite plainly. He says, nothing can trouble you except your own imagination. That's a mighty good one if you look at it. Nothing at all can trouble you except your own imagination.

We'll break that word imagination down to image in. Imagine. And isn't that what we're doing? We're creating mental and conceptual images. Taking them to be real and put the energy of belief into it. And isn't that what your trouble is? What you are imaging in, imagining. Look in the mirror. What do you see in the mirror? Do you realise you see a reflection or an image in the mirror? There's a mirror at the end of the room. Have a look and see for yourself. You can't say it's not there because that mirror's full of reflections. Absolutely chock-a-block. The space that's seemingly in the mirror, that's reflected in the mirror too.

It's full of reflections. Now you can't say they're not there. Another word for reflections is images. You'll see your face in the mirror, an image in the mirror or a reflection in the mirror. Can't say it's not there. But go up to the mirror and try and grab a reflection out of it. You can't say it is there because you can't grab a reflection. It's only an appearance that we've taken to be real. We know that Nisargada tells you nothing can trouble you except your own imagination. See, that's true. And he says you're dreaming a dream you call the world. And he says stop looking for ways out.

We're trying to get out of the... out of this dreamlike world with our concepts and ideas. He says the dream's not your concern. Your concern is that you love one part of the dream. And not the other. And isn't that so? We want the good. We don't want the bad. We try and change it all the time. He says love all of it. Or none of it. And this is the important thing. The rest will be done for you. In other words, that life, that animating life essence, will bring up what needs to come about and does it for you. You realise this me that you believed was doing something has never done anything at all.

But it appears to be so. They call it a phenomenal manifestation. That's the definition... What's the definition of phenomena? The definition of phenomena is that which appears to be. So it's all appearing. Look at it. It's all a phenomenal manifestation. It's all appearing. The definition of phenomena is that which appears or seems to be so. It's only seemingly to be so. Because it can be all broken down into subatomic particles into pure energy. Pure intelligence energy. This body is nothing but a vibrating pattern. The thoughts, the words, the sounds, the feelings are still only that vibrating pattern. So you are that. Know it for certain.

Stabilise in that fact. And see what happens to the psychological suffering that goes on. The fear, the anger, the depression, the guilt, the shame, shame, remorse, the unhappiness. In that recognition of your true nature. See what happens to the false. The false is false. The false cannot stand up to the investigation. And that's what they tell you. And they say know the truth. Know the truth and the truth will set you free. What are you free from? You're free from the belief that I am this person. Have a look at that word belief. The dictionary definition of belief is an unquestioned acceptance of something in the absence of reason.

We've taken all this for granted without questioning it. We're accepting it to be so. An unquestioned acceptance of something in the absence of reason. Acceptance of an alleged fact. Being alleged that we are this person, we are this body, mind. This world has a beginning and an end. Acceptance of an alleged fact without positive knowledge or proof. Well put your beliefs to this test. And see if they'll stand up to investigation. I say go down to the ocean and I'll say get me a bucket of blue water out of the sea. You'd say don't be an idiot. Because you know water's not blue. The seawater's not blue.

But it's appearing to be blue. The blue sky, the sky is appearing blue. All sky is empty space. There's space in this room. Where's the blueness? The rainbow, the colours in a rainbow. When you investigate it all it says is the sun shining through the mist. The cloud has come down as rain and forms a mist. And the sun shines through it and breaks it up into colours. But there's no colour in the sky. It only appears to be so. The flat earth. We believe the earth was flat years ago. Yet now it's not flat to this day. All these things, when you investigate and know the truth, you're free from them.

And you can be free from this belief that you are this person with a little bit of an investigation. And that's what we point out to and say start from the fact, whether you see it or not at the moment, that you already are that. I am that. That's the great mantra in it. I am is that. Not the sense of the thought, not the thought, but what that thought represents. The I am-ness. The sense of being. So you are that. Now that's what we point to. A lot of you know it already because you've been coming a while. So you can express it in your terms.

It might be a bit different to what I'm saying. But it can only and ever point to the one essence. That's all it ever is. And others use my term, which is a lot. But it can be anything. So if you have doubts, if God has doubts, who's looking into it? Well, if you've got doubts or questions, don't hesitate to ask them. Because know the truth and the truth will set you free. Thanks everyone. We have a couple of new faces here. So you saw the format. We are live streaming, so there is about 20, 30 people with us who are watching live, and that will also be uploaded on YouTube.

So we have quite a few warm welcome messages from a few people who are with us. with us uh with just one comment really uh bob's on fire today love it that's from elena and that's why i can't burn you throw a bucket of blue water over here that's what i'm doing that's what i need oh there is one more jb says great spiel bob so thankful for you sharing the truth every sunday thanks to you and katbo and thank you for everyone who was with us here because it wouldn't have happened if not for those who want to hear and resonate so this is the time when the mic goes to you and we invite everyone to speak we don't force anyone to speak we don't teach anyone so we don't point finger at each other or don't intimidate each other there is no one who is less aware of their own presence than anyone else we all have full hundred percent certainty of being yeah there are people joking here behind yes so uh anyone would like to comment ask questions share there are people with beautiful clarity in this room here and as i said before there's no one who is not fully aware hundred percent certain that they exist so you already have that that is already present it's just the doubt sometimes there is an idea on top that this is not enough being existence consciousness police is not enough that i need something more more pleasure or more bliss or more joy or light those are ideas to be questioned so anyone so how can the me survive that talk how could it possibly survive i have to try and find one i'm about to say that's right so some of the um salient points from your talks over the years sort of um pop up frequently here and one is you know watch the mind see how it operates and that's you know ramifications of that or you know it's you could talk about it for hours but um it's a very simple pointer in ordinary language and uh it really is a key you know to seeing through this activity of the mind and the belief in me and all the rest of it but you know we we like stories and and uh so one story is that a long time ago i bought shares in an in an enterprise called me and for years i kept pouring more and more of my finances and things into this enterprise and uh and it gave me a lot of trouble um i didn't really get much out of it and a little bit of happiness now and then but a lot of psychological suffering and then i met this guy who said why don't you investigate that me and see if it has any substance or independence and i didn't do it i didn't want to do it but it happened spontaneously at an unexpected time the question rose in the consciousness and and i actually saw that the story of me and all the whole thing was a counterfeit enterprise and the other one you say is you know one when you see that something is false you can't believe in it again you may want to believe in it but you can't it's like children find out that santa claus is not real and you know you can't really believe in it again you still you know a child that finds out that santa claus is is just a fictional character he doesn't go around and spoil it for the rest of the people oh it was said because it's not real you know there's an intelligence there that allows the younger children to indulge in the fantasy but we're all adults now you know and psychological suffering is unnecessary that's something i heard bob say many years ago and it's very pertinent it's like psychological suffering is unnecessary it's not necessary so investigate why this psychological suffering is going on and it's it's like water in a mirage there's is nothing in it so yeah there's so many pointers in in your talk you know it's it's it's decimating it's a it's like a one of those companies that comes in and destroys everything with big iron balls on chains and uh and clears the clears the deck and you know the true nature of the mind is clear and empty.

It's like what you said, awareness without words and thoughts, non-conceptual awareness. The true nature of the mind is clear and empty and whatever appears in the mind, which you can't find anyway, is appearing on that emptiness and it doesn't change. People talk about clarity, oh this one's very clear and this one, it's not so clear and all, but clarity itself, it's like a quality of the cosmos. It doesn't come and go. What comes and goes is this belief in being separate in different, seeming different degrees. Sometimes you're having a really bad day, in other days it seems good, but you look at the sky, none of those clouds are stuck to the sky and some days there aren't many clouds at all or no clouds.

And there's an old song from the 60s, on a clear day, I can see forever. And that other one, I can see clearly now, the rain has gone. Yeah, so even in our own cultural stuff, there are pointers in our language and Shakespeare was fantastic with a lot of his phrases. So that's my flavour I just want to add to. No, you can't, you can't add anything to what you said Bob, but we all have our sort of view. In our culture, the Churro culture, we have Will and the Wrecker. Yeah. And here we have Bob, the self-wrecker. Yeah, that's it. That's great. Thank you Bob, very good.

We used to have John and Will and the Wrecker, didn't we? Yeah, that's it. Will and the Wrecker. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Indeed. Great. That's lovely. Yeah. I love that you sing as Catalonia Street. Thank you. Mary, I will sing along. One moment. Great. One moment. On a clear day rise and look around you, and you'll see who you are. On a clear day, how it will astound you, that the glow of your being outshines every star. You'll feel part of every mountain, sea and shore. You can see, from far and near, a world you've never seen before.

I'll just sing it so I know the words. Can we sing it? Yes, sing it? On a clear day, rise and look around you, and you'll see who you are. On a clear day, how it will astound you, that the glow of your being outshines every star you feel part of. Every mountain, sea, and shore you can see from far and near. A world you've never seen before. On a clear day, on that clear day, you can see forever and evermore. A question here from Tracy. How does one let go of the me when I have been so identified with, and I've been in transit for over half a decade?

Stop it. And British Julia says, Thank you, Jane, beautiful. Jonathan says, Thank you, beautiful. I would just say that question itself, in the question itself lies the answer. How does one let go of the me? There's the split, there's the one and the me in that question. So, yeah. Yeah, that one is actually another name for the me in that question. So the me is actually a memory of you. It is not who you really are. It's just a narration or a memory of you. So just as Gilbert said and Bob said, have a look, see if you can actually find that me right here, right now.

Yeah, and also can you find the I that wants to drop the me? Yeah, it's just a story. Oh, that's right. It's like can the false self get rid of the false self? It can't happen because it's false. So just be with what is. Free the thought about the me. I just had the thought, yeah, the problem is that you love part of the dream and you don't. You don't love part of it. And yeah, the thought that came up was love all the dream and none of it as well. So it kind of stops your mind from going anywhere then. You can't really do that.

The mind can't really do that. But somehow you love all of it and none of it. So, yeah. The same thing stood out for me. Today with Bob's talk. And that is there's no escape. And yeah, you either, you know, love all of it or none at all. And I think from my talking to a lot of people around this, there's an idea that there's some non-dual way of seeing and talking. And if it falls outside that, then it's rejected. No. That's no. You know, it's all it. You know, how can, you know, I am that. So, yeah, that's what stood out for me today.

That's right. Yeah. Yeah, and I'll just add to that. You know, a lot of people say, oh, so-and-so hasn't got it. Or so-and-so hasn't got it. Or, you know, that one, you know, they're in their head and they haven't got it and they don't get it. You already are that. Yes. So who the hell? Who the hell, you know, has the right to say someone isn't what they already are? I think that's ironic. I remember many years ago somebody in the meeting said, I can see it's all one, but not Gilbert. Gilbert. But that was meant to be a joke. Good one. Beautiful. I think we've got a song coming up.

This reminded me. I think it's a bit of a poem by Hafiz, the Sufi poet. Oh, beautiful. And it goes like this. Beyond all. I think my mind just went and that's okay. It's going to come back and then I'll remember the words. Beyond all right and wrong. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. Thank you, Paul. Okay. Beyond ideas are right doing. Beyond ideas are wrong doing. There is. A field. A beautiful field. I'll meet you there. I'll meet you there. Beyond ideas are right doing. Beyond ideas are wrong doing. There is a field. A beautiful field. I'll meet you there. I'll meet you there. I'll meet you there.

I'll meet you there. I'll meet you there. You and I. glove strong feeling. I'll meet you there. don't buy it on iTunes yes one time at band camp yes Julia Julia is American she's a buyer but buy supporting musicians that's right and we miss you Julia and there is couple of comments here there's one from Michael Michael the wrecker listening in and loving hearing all those big demolition balls swinging love to you all and special thanks to you Bob and Pat and British Julia says wonderful in musical Sunday satsang and it is wonderful and for those who are here rarely or who are here for the first time it is special it doesn't happen over time it actually never happened before laughter yes yes not that there is any time or any past nothing ever happened nothing ever happened and Nat says wow lots of amazing singers beautiful how I wish I was there you are everyone is always here and American Julia says I miss you all I wish I was there in person but I'm grateful to see it now yes there is no person laughter that's , that is yes we wish you were here as well and I hope we see you next week oh no in a couple of weeks but soon and Vivek says no more missing love to all thank you and yes the person being in person a believing of being in person and what so many people said here the idea of a person the construct of a person or a costume that you could say the person is like a Santa Claus is wearing a costume there is no Santa it's a guy wearing a costume the same way there is no Katarina there is just a body wait there is no Santa laughter laughter laughter laughter all my life is life laughter it's true laughter laughter beautiful but that's a brilliant illustration how much the lie can do to get rid of itself how much can a costume do to stop being itself how much can persona do or how much can words do words or persona or image or costume doesn't have any any power at all apart from the alleged power of belief that we give it you know Santa felt real didn't it or earth felt flat or whatever when it was believed.

But yeah, so that's just the belief to invitation to question. That's the invitation to question. I love that little line that Bob says about belief. Can you tell us that one again, Bob? About... The dictionary definition. What's the definition of belief? The definition of belief is one question, acceptance of something in the absence of reason. Acceptance of an alleged fact without positive knowledge or proof. Yeah, to me it was an alleged fact without any proof. No, me, no problem. Oh, who did it? A lot of people said it. Nobody said it. Yeah, it's credited to a lot of people. No self, no problem. Or no me, no me, no problem.

No mind, no problem. A lot of people it's credited. And it's probably been... It's been said over thousands of years, but by many. But that's how simple the truth is. That's a good teacher. No, me, no problem. Yes. What's causing the problem, you know? The cause. The cause being the me, the effect being the so-called problem, yeah. Yeah, that's the other thing. For me, obviously, you know, I always struggle. I've got to get this. I've got to, you know, become aware. I've got to see it all from... I've got to see it all from there. And really, it was that belief in the self still doing it was what was the stumbling block, you know, until I could jump over that and realize I am the awareness.

It's not the me. I'm already there, sort of, rather than something I've got to struggle to get. I suppose for years, the struggle here was that I needed to change the me. Whereas now it's like, well, it's just the me. There's nothing to change. It's just nothing to identify with, which allows me to kind of see it for what it is and really know it in its full character. So, yeah, that was a key. That was a really significant key that's turned things right around. Beautiful. And of the self-development and self-growth, spirit and all that fixing. Yeah. But good to see how that sort of still impacts kind of perception.

Yeah. Yeah. So it's... Yeah. Yeah. Beautiful point. And self-esteem, a huge industry of self-esteem. Yes. I know. Fake it till you make it. Be confident. Yes. Believe in your dreams. Believe in yourself. Oh, that'll be $20,000, please. And we have a nice comment from Michael. He says, believe, but he put a couple of lines. Be, lie, F. The way you spell believe. Oh, that's a good one. Be, lie, F. The word itself tells the truth. Lie is the basis of the world, of the word. Lie is in the center of the word belief. Brilliant. Thank you, Michael. Oh, I love that. That is cute. And Vivek says, nicely said, no changing of the me.

But there is only me. Yeah. Yeah, the me, the word. It's the translation of the sense of presence. It's nothing wrong with the word, but yet the whole concept of I'm not good enough. I'm not lovable. I'm not strong enough. There's something wrong with me. There's something missing. I need to add something. I need to find completeness because I'm so insecure because there is lack of confidence and vulnerability and anxiety. And everything's wrong with that concept of me. It's always not enough because it constantly compares itself. It's always something. And yet we're the absolute. Yeah. There was another song for Sammy Davis Jr. It was called I've Gotta Be Me.

I'm not going to sing. Come on. Come on. No, no, I'm not singing. But it goes, I've gotta be me. I've gotta be me. What else can I be but what I am? Lovely. Yeah. It's a great song. He was a great singer. He was a great singer. Crazy dancer. He's a bit wacky. Your turn, Dean. No, no, no, no, no. There's nothing there. I've got a couple of comments here. Tracy says, multiple decades of being in the self-help world makes it hard to let go of idea that I have to do something, achieve something. Yeah, good point, but it doesn't have to be hard.

It will be cheaper too. Yeah, it will be cheaper too. Yes, when you recognize that that whole business, that whole industry is just the way the wheel spins and you see that this is the way the life expresses. It's just as beautiful, shaping the form of me or something else, singing songs. The thing is, it just causes so much of psychological suffering which has been said many times is unnecessary. We have 10 minutes left. So drop the concept, Tracy, that it is hard. It is a concept. It is an idea. It isn't really hard. It's just recognition. And British Julia says, no. It's nothing appearing as everything.

And she's asking, where is Gilbert's guitar? It's in the car. In the car. Okay. So we hope we're going to get it out next Sunday. Okay, we have 10 minutes. Nothing here. Questions, comments, arguments, songs? Just to hear Boy George, Karma Chameleon. That's another good song. Go on. Ready? Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma, chameleon. We come and go. We come and go. Then I'm waking easy and your colors will light my dreams. Red, gold, and green. Red, gold, and green. Karma, karma, karma. That's it. Sorry. Sorry, Boy George. No, Dean. Mama. Hm? Enlightening mood, are you? Yeah. Sailor Bob's greatest hits available. On Bandcamp. And we have few songs, few beautiful songs, three-bit songs on Bob's website.

Yeah. Yours one is there. Oh, good. World Strong and Great Now, Gilbert singing. So yeah, check it out. It's Sailor Bob and the Bobettes. Yeah. And I'm going to sing a song. Oh, good. I'm going to sing a song. Oh, good. I'm going to sing a song. Oh, good. Oh, good. Oh, good. Oh, good. Oh, good. Oh, good. Oh, good. Sailor Bob and the Bobettes. Give me the phone numbers. When I went to India before I met you, I heard about you from Chris Dale when I went to see Ramesh Bhalsika in Bombay. And Chris, we were walking down the street going to lunch. He recognised my Australian accent and said, you know, you want to have lunch?

And we're going down the street. And I remember distinctly walking past this huge display of oranges. Some guy was selling oranges. And he's on this side and he's saying, oh, have you heard of a guy called Sailor Bob? And we'd been talking about non-duality and I was like, what's he talking about, Sailor Bob? And he said, no, no, he was with Mr Gaddafi and he's really clear, he gives meetings in Melbourne. And I'm thinking, I've come all the way to bloody India and now I find out there's a guy in Melbourne. I was living in Sydney. Anyway, at Ramesh's, one of the things he said most days was a quote from, supposedly from the Buddha.

And it says, events happen, deeds are done, but there is no individual doer thereof. That's right. Which kind of, you know, that's it. You know, this doer is actually a fiction. Correct. And everything is done by the consciousness or whatever you want, however you want to put it. And, you know, all the angst of doership, when you see that there's no doer, then where's the problem? Who's got the problem? I remember I was having a bitch to Bob about something years ago and he's patiently listening to this. I was getting, getting innocent. I know that face. Complaining about something. And he said, he said, if you see, if you, if you, if you, if you, if you, if you, if you see, if you see, if you, no, if you perceive a problem, then you've got a problem.

Put it right back on my lap. Brilliant. Can't argue with it. Most people just steamroll over that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right. Oh, I've got to have my problems. Like Bob said, he has no problems with his problems. No problems. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No problems. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I've got to have my problems with the problems. And what are my problems? Really? They just problems of the body. But if you are not the body, the fact that the body is having some ailments and some deficiencies and whatever it's really nobody's problem. Like animals don't have concept that my body should be slimmer or taller or faster or block blacker or blonde or something.

And even when the mind is going, even when the memory is going, when there is any sort of a brain injury or trauma. Yeah, that's just what it is. That's how the body-mind machine is expressing the life. Like Bob was saying, everything's the energy. The energy goes through the super-talented musical machine as the music, and it goes through the broken machine as the whatever, raping and killing. And it's just the same one life. And because everything is interconnected and interdependent and is really one in essence, even those things like the pain and pleasure, the day and night, and the rape is the victim and the perpetrator, they are all absolutely necessary in a greater scheme of things.

Who has not suffered? And when the suffering did not cause the investigation or a deeper look? Who can ever awaken who didn't fall asleep? Who can ever realize that there has never been a self? If the illusion of the self wasn't pervasive and overwhelming at first. So the possibility to see through the veil is there because of the veil. So the duality is as necessary for the experiencing and the expression as it is appearing, even though it is not there. I must call it Leela, right? That's why, yes. That's Leela. Leela. Divine game. That's all. Or Maya. Is it Leela or Leema? Don't doubt. Leela.

Leela. When I first came along in 2000, I think it was, there was a lot of people at the meetings and a lot of people suffering. They were there. They were here because they were suffering and they were looking for a way out. And they were all suffering from different things. And, you know, but where and or when did the seeking start? You know, the seeking never really happened. It's actually just a fictional story. And so, I mean, we've all come here and maybe there's an expectation of getting something or whatever. There's a form of seeking. But the message is you are already that. And so the seeking is...

The seeking is actually a fiction about a fictional character, me. And that dresses itself up as an I or, you know, something. And it's like the narrative keeps regenerating itself. But that's just the manifestation. There's no escape because you're not actually in bondage. And that's liberating for no one. There is no bondage. You know, it's like... It's a vacant block. But we're constantly constructing complexities and problems. It's the nature of the mind. Especially you, Carl. Go and see the demoting men. It's often, you know, it seems like the people are seeking a way out. And it's like there's something... When it comes to you, get me out of this.

I want to get out of it. Or something. But there's nothing to get out of it. Yeah, and no one to get out of it. No one to get out of it. It's like that story about the bird in the cage. And, you know, it's in the cage. And then it sees the doors open. And it thinks about getting out. And then finally it goes out and comes back. And goes out and comes back. Then it flutters all around the room. Doesn't go back to the cage. And then it realises there's no cage at all. You know, there never was a cage. That's great. Yeah.

Mm. And then it's saying, what is it called? Stockholm Syndrome. Yep. Where the person who's in bondage gets attached to the person who's got them in bondage. And, you know, we all do that. Yeah. It's like... And sometimes it's only when you get away from it that you realise and you can see it from a distance that, you know, it's crap. What am I doing this for? But you're not the doer. Yeah. Brilliant. Brilliant. A couple of comments and that will be about it. Ram. There is... Good night. Oh, no. There is a death metal version of the song What's Wrong With Right Now on YouTube.

Oh, you're writing it. Seriously. There's a what? Death metal. Death metal version of the song What's Wrong With Right Now. Thank you, Ram. You can google it. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. That is, yeah. All the royalties. Yes, definitely. Gilbert should get the royalties. And Julia says, American Julia, I broke my middle finger two days ago. She sent me a picture like that with this funny little silver thing. And she says, no problem. In fact, the spleen matches my nails. Splint. Splint. Yes, she does wear silver nails. Wow. That's a good one. And Nam says, thank you so very much to Kat and Bob. Love you lots.

Thank you. Thank you, Nat. And British Julia says, thank you, Bob and Kat and all who are there in Melbourne. I hope to meet you in person sometime soon. Amen, Julia. Come and meet us. Yeah, come and meet us. And Jonathan says, thank you so much, everyone. And now we got thank you messages. So now we can wrap it up and go for lunch. Go for lunch. Thanks, everyone. Thanks, Bob. Thank you. Woo!