| The perennial philosophy "nondual"
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| | power as long as we remain detached and
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| spiritual traditions (such as
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| | simply watch it arise and disappear on
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| Nisargadatta's Vedanta, and Tibetan
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| | its own. It is when we cling to the
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| Buddhism's Dzogchen) hold that existence
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| | present, wanting it to continue or push
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| involves a monistic, enduring,
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| | away the unpleasant, wanting it to
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| unchanging, ABSOLUTE reality and a
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| | disappear, that we suffer and lose our
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| dualistic, ephemeral, constantly-changing
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| | innate equanimity and freedom. Vipassana
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| RELATIVE reality. Through the practices
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| | gives us many insights that we need if we
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| that I describe in my book TOWARD WISDOM,
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| | are to understand how trapped we usually
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| I too have come to see that this is the
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| | are in this relative realm.
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| way it is. Describing the situation in
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| | Although Vipassana does not introduce us
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| words has always been tricky, but I found
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| | to the absolute, it is designed to help
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| that certain "information age" concepts
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| | us see much that must be seen, and in my
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| clarify the situation.
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| | view (and that of most Buddhist teachers)
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| The way I put it in a ZYGON paper and in
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| | it is the place to start. We first need
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| Part 1 of my 2004 book MATTERS OF
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| | to learn to quiet the mind and look with
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| CONSEQUENCE, the absolute reality, the
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| | detachment at the relative reality into
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| foundation of all that is, is a oneness
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| | which we are heavily immersed and
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| that has both a physical aspect we call
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| | identified. The Tibetan Buddhist practice
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| energy, and a mental aspect we call
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| | of Dzogchen and the Advaita Vedanta of
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| awareness. Energy and awareness are
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| | Nisargadatta, on the other hand, seek to
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| carrier-like in nature. That is, they can
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| | introduce us to the absolute. Yes,
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| be shaped, or formed, or modulated by
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| | underlying the relative world of mental
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| information without their own nature
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| | information, and allowing it to exist, is
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| being in any way changed. Although
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| | that enabling something we usually call
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| informational modulation does not cause
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| | awareness. It is contentless, yet
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| the intrinsic nature of energy-awareness
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| | supportive of all content;
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| to change, it does cause a relative
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| | informationless, yet supportive of an
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| reality to arise. This relative reality
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| | infinite variety of informational
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| is a transient, insubstantial
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| | modulation. It is clear, transparent, not
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| INFORMATIONAL reality. Physical reality
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| | a thing. Other terms for it include:
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| is a relative world of information
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| | • innate wakefulness
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| supported by the absolute-reality-carrier
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| | • natural mindfulness
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| we call energy. Mental reality is a
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| | • primordial awareness
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| relative world of information, supported
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| | • empty, luminous cognizance
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| by the absolute-reality-carrier we call
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| | • everpresent, inherent, utterly
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| awareness.
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| | spacious openness
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| The evolutionary process, with its pass
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| | • inexpressible beingness
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| fail criteria of survival and
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| | • isness
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| reproduction, designed the human brain
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| | • one's own true nature
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| and its associated mentality with
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| | • rigpa (Tibetan for this reality)
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| survival and reproduction as primary
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| | • nondual awareness
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| considerations. The cognitive system that
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| | • total presence
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| evolution designed helps us to understand
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| | • open presence
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| relative reality because it is in this
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| | • spontaneously present awareness
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| arena that the drama of survival and
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| | • the cognizing power of emptiness
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| reproduction is played out. Human
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| | • one's own innate wakefulness
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| mentality was not designed to allow us to
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| | In Dzogchen and Nisargadatta's practice
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| understand absolute reality with ease
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| | the aim is to become cognizant of this
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| because there was no survival or
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| | absolute aspect of mind, and in some
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| reproduction payoff in that. Now, in
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| | sense to become it - to relax into it or
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| kinder, gentler circumstances, we want to
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| | identify with it and to view the relative
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| understand the deeper truth - absolute
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| | world of information from that vantage
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| truth - and we find that very difficult.
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| | point. Awareness is noninformational, so
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| And why shouldn't it be difficult? We're
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| | it doesn't appear as the normal kind of
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| trying to use the human cognizing system
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| | mind content. Even in meditation, the
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| for a different purpose. It was designed
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| | colors we see and the bliss we feel are
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| to give us a handle on relative,
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| | still part of the relative world of
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| informational truth, the truth about the
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| | brain-generated information. Allowing us
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| cosmic message; not absolute truth,
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| | to sense those colors and feel that
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| carrier-related truth, the truth about
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| | bliss, however, is this primordial
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| the cosmic medium.
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| | awareness, this cognizing power that
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| Spiritual practices are tools that give
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| | belongs to the realm of absolute reality.
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| us some hope of seeing through the
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| | Our deep true nature is that primal
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| relative to the absolute. Vipassana
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| | awareness itself, and not those things in
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| meditation is a practice that gives us a
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| | the informational, relative world that we
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| better handle on the nature of relative
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| | take to be our selves. The problem is
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| reality. We watch, with as much
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| | that mental information, mind content, is
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| detachment as we can muster, the
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| | so powerful and overwhelming, and our
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| informational show that the brain
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| | identification with it so tenacious, that
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| generates. Despite our best efforts,
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| | letting go of our identification as a
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| however, we frequently get lost in that
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| | thought-dominated person and surrendering
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| show - we lose that sense of detachment
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| | into our true nature - into our own
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| from it. Experiencing both detachment and
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| | innate wakefulness - does not happen
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| lost-in-the-showness, we eventually come
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| | easily. The detachment we develop in
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| to realize that this lost-in-the-show
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| | Vipassana readies us for this. Then, (as
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| state is where we spend most of our
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| | I see it) at some point it makes sense to
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| lives. The normal human condition is to
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| | switch to one of the absolute-reality
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| be identified with informational
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| | practices.
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| patterns, with the relative reality that
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| | In one sense, the difference between
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| the brain creates. In Vipassana we are
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| | Dzogchen and Vipassana is quite subtle.
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| still paying attention to the relative,
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| | In both practices the informational
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| but because we are more detached from it
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| | arisings in the mind are watched with
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| than before, gradually, bit by bit,
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| | detachment. The difference is that in
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| insight by insight, we begin to see the
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| | Dzogchen and other nondual practices one
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| nature of relative reality. We begin to
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| | is also cognizant of the underlying
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| see the impersonal nature of the brain's
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| | ground or carrier of that information -
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| churning out of information. There is no
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| | that "primordial awareness," that
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| "I" that is doing it. It just happens
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| | "utterly spacious openness," that "empty,
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| mechanically, automatically. We also
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| | luminous cognizance." It remains,
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| discover that the informational stuff
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| | enduring and pure, unaffected by the
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| that arises has no inherent power. With
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| | coming and going of the modulating forces
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| practice we learn that it's possible to
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| | applied to it. Primal awareness watches
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| watch even physical discomfort and heavy
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| | the show of relative reality. And that
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| emotions such as fear and anger without
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| | pure contentless awareness is the true
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| suffering when we accept that
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| | me. I can choose to participate in the
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| informational reality and refuse to give
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| | show at any time, but I am not OF that
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| it power by trying to get rid of it. We
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| | show. I am OF the realm of absoluteness.
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| see that it is our reaction to the
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| | That is my true home, and my refuge from
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| information that binds us and disturbs
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| | domination and control by mental
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| us. Pleasant or unpleasant stuff has no
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| | information.
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