Naked Mind by J.M.Harrison
The way we think defines what we believe to be true, yet how we look at the world is confined and distorted by the self-centered ego. This widely accepted (but fatally flawed) manner in which we use our minds is becoming worn down and outdated because as a race of beings we are consciously evolving towards the universal essence of pure consciousness, which is our underlying nature.
The primary concept of NAKED BEING is simple – that human consciousness has two fundamental aspects. Firstly there is the ego led ‘habitual mind’ — the self of personal identification (which most people refer to in determining who and what they are). Then transcending that personal identity — there is the source of our being, which is our bare minded nature. For underneath the habitual layers and patterns of the ego, there is an ever-present ‘pure mind’ just waiting to be consciously realized by each one of us. This is very disappointing for the ego, because it effectively means that there is nowhere to go, nothing to learn and nothing to do to be free. No one ‘else’ can free you from the confines of your mental patterning. Only you can free yourself — and YOU are already and always free. It is more a question of ‘unlearning’ the ego led patterns which are based on, and emanate from the mistaken idea that we are absolutely separate from each other. We are no more separate from each other than we are separate from nature or the wonder-filled beautiful planet we most fortunately inhabit.
The ego is what stands in the way of peace. What stands in the way of happiness? The thought you are unhappy. What stands in the way of love? The thought you are unloved. It is the ego which suggests these things. Our pure minded nature suggests nothing of the sort. It is interconnected present moment awareness directly experienced once the motions of the mind have stilled. Then we are left abiding in a sea of mental tranquility – – no longer separated from the unmodified mind which is the basis of all existence.
So how can each one of us experience this ‘pure mind’? The most direct way to have a conscious experience of our true Self is to stop. Stop the meandering river of thoughts by not engaging, expanding upon or being drawn into any thoughts which arise. When we are mentally still yet presently aware, then a fuller dimension of consciousness appears. When all notions of identity have been discarded as not being you, then the transpersonal awareness you essentially are becomes apparent — and this is what I call NAKED BEING. So this process of realization has more to do with emptying than acquiring, for the truth of what you are is ever-present, simply camouflaged by the habitual thinking of ego.
In the busy modern world, we just don’t seem to have enough time to spend nurturing our own spirituality. We can read and read, attend workshops talks and retreats but our time will always be limited and the cost often prohibitive. ‘NAKED BEING: Undressing Your Mind, Transforming Your Life’ is a mind provoking direct way of experiencing your true nature at home in the comfort of your favorite armchair or during a relaxing candle lit bath. And it really does work!
Peeling back our individual layers in order to glimpse our essential selves is not the end of the journey. It is just the beginning. What is presently occurring here on Earth is the emergence of a new consciousness, a Holistic Mind based on realizing the full potentials of human being-ness. As an analogy, if you were to ask a wave in an ocean what it was, it would most probably reply ‘a wave’. But nevertheless, the wave is in the ocean as the ocean is in the wave. It’s all a matter of how we perceive. If we see ourselves as absolutely separate and confined, we will always believe ourselves to be distinct individual ‘waves’ and never discover our inherent love and real intelligence. On the other hand if we see that we are waves, but that all around us are waves of the one and the same ocean, then life takes on a sacred perspective and awakens us to a life full of meaning and purpose.
Spiritual evolution is not about becoming the next Christ or Buddha, but about realizing the Christ and Buddha within you NOW. I am not using these names to refer to specific people, but to the universal pure minded essence we ALL essentially are. When we are unable to see this, then it’s because we have too much self-interest and clinging baggage in the way. Is Christ within you? YES! Is Buddha within you? YES! Who is your greatest teacher? YOU!
I’d like to leave you with a quote from the book:
‘These are the days of letting go. Of leaving behind the dogma of the past and embracing the living TRUTH of what we all are. This is not about belief, not about faith but about living the Truth of Life. The Truth of Life is within you, for you can never be separated from it. If you continue to believe that you are somehow disconnected from it, then you will remain incomplete and ever-lacking. What you believe that you lack is actually the conscious direct experience of your inner nature. Of our inner nature, for they are one and the same. When you experience the peace of mind and intelligent love YOU are, then your consciousness will be changed for good. Yes for good – the good of all.’ (Naked Being #29)
NAKED BEING: Undressing Your Mind, Transforming Your Life is published worldwide by O-books ( www.o-books.com ) and is available on Amazon.