00:00:15
what if everything you've believed about
00:00:16
yourself your name your memories your
00:00:19
identity was nothing more than an
00:00:21
illusion what if the story of your birth
00:00:24
and the inevitability of your death were
00:00:27
part of a cosmic misunderstanding you
00:00:29
you were never born and you'll never
00:00:33
die it sounds impossible right but stay
00:00:36
with
00:00:37
me this isn't just a philosophical
00:00:40
riddle it's a key that unlocks the door
00:00:42
to your true nature a nature that's
00:00:45
boundless Timeless and Beyond the limits
00:00:47
of the
00:00:48
Mind the idea of being unborn isn't
00:00:51
about denying the body or the physical
00:00:53
world it's about seeing through the
00:00:56
illusion of separateness of believing
00:00:58
that you are a limited individual
00:01:00
navigating an external Universe John
00:01:03
Wheeler a modern voice in
00:01:05
non-duality made this clear you are not
00:01:09
what you think you are you are not a
00:01:11
person trying to reach
00:01:13
Enlightenment you are the awareness in
00:01:16
which all things appear and disappear
00:01:19
imagine waves crashing on the
00:01:21
shore each wave seems distinct separate
00:01:25
one Rises one Falls and another follows
00:01:29
but when when you look deeper you see
00:01:31
there's no true separation between the
00:01:33
wave and the ocean
00:01:35
itself in the same way you are not a
00:01:37
separate wave but the infinite ocean you
00:01:40
have no Beginning No End and nothing to
00:01:44
lose this is not a theory it's something
00:01:47
you can see for yourself right now and
00:01:50
over the next few minutes we're going to
00:01:51
peel back the layers of Illusion examine
00:01:53
the nature of reality and explore why
00:01:56
the concept of you the one you hold so
00:01:58
tightly to is is the root of all
00:02:01
suffering
00:02:03
so let's Step Beyond the mind and into
00:02:05
the
00:02:07
truth because once you see it you'll
00:02:09
realize you were never born and that's
00:02:11
the most liberating discovery of all
00:02:13
close your eyes for a moment and ask
00:02:15
yourself who am I your mind will
00:02:18
immediately rush in with answers I'm a
00:02:21
parent a teacher an
00:02:23
artist I'm someone who loves who
00:02:26
struggles who dreams but pause for a
00:02:29
moment and dig deeper who is the one
00:02:31
saying these
00:02:33
things who is it that calls these
00:02:35
thoughts mine this is where the illusion
00:02:38
begins from the moment we're born we're
00:02:40
conditioned to believe in a separate
00:02:42
identity a me that stands apart from
00:02:44
everything else we're taught that this
00:02:47
self is boundaries that it starts with
00:02:49
our skin and ends with the world
00:02:51
outside we carry this illusion like a
00:02:54
badge reinforcing it with every thought
00:02:57
every emotion every action but have you
00:03:00
ever stopped to truly question
00:03:02
it let's take a closer
00:03:05
look imagine holding a cup of water it's
00:03:09
easy to think of the water as separate
00:03:11
from the
00:03:12
ocean but if you pour it back into the
00:03:14
sea where does the water go can you
00:03:18
pinpoint the exact moment when it stops
00:03:20
being water in a cup and becomes ocean
00:03:23
the same is true for the
00:03:25
self what we think of as me this bundle
00:03:28
of thoughts memories and Sensations is
00:03:32
like the water in the cup it feels
00:03:35
separate but in truth it is always been
00:03:38
part of something
00:03:39
infinite here's the problem we believe
00:03:42
so deeply in this separate self that we
00:03:44
spend our lives defending it nurturing
00:03:47
it and fearing its
00:03:49
loss we think this is my body my mind my
00:03:53
life but is it really think about it
00:03:56
your body is constantly changing
00:03:59
the cells that make up your skin your
00:04:01
organs even your brain they're replaced
00:04:04
over time the body you have now is not
00:04:07
the same body you had 10 years ago
00:04:10
so how can you say it's truly you and
00:04:14
what about your
00:04:16
thoughts they're fleeting aren't they
00:04:19
one moment you're happy the next you're
00:04:22
sad one moment you believe in something
00:04:24
with all your heart the next you've
00:04:27
changed your mind if your thoughts are
00:04:30
constantly shifting how can they Define
00:04:33
who you are let's go even
00:04:36
further imagine a thought arises I am
00:04:40
afraid where is this fear located is it
00:04:43
in your mind your body or is it simply a
00:04:47
passing sensation like a cloud drifting
00:04:50
across the sky when you stop identifying
00:04:52
with the thought you'll notice something
00:04:54
remarkable it loses its power John
00:04:57
Wheeler puts it plainly what you take
00:05:00
yourself to be this limited struggling
00:05:03
person is nothing more than a concept a
00:05:06
story you've told yourself based on
00:05:08
memories of the past and projections of
00:05:10
the
00:05:11
future but who you truly are is none of
00:05:14
these things your true nature is like
00:05:17
the space in a room the space doesn't
00:05:20
change no matter what objects are placed
00:05:22
within it a chair a table even people
00:05:27
they come and go but the space remains
00:05:29
un touched you are that space you are
00:05:33
the awareness in which all experiences
00:05:35
arise and
00:05:36
dissolve when you begin to see through
00:05:38
this illusion of self something
00:05:40
extraordinary happens you stop clinging
00:05:43
to the stories of I am this or I am that
00:05:47
you realize that your true Essence is
00:05:49
boundless Limitless and completely free
00:05:53
the illusion of self is not your enemy
00:05:55
it's simply a
00:05:56
misunderstanding and once you see
00:05:58
through it the world World opens up in
00:06:00
ways you never
00:06:02
imagined so take a
00:06:05
breath relax into the knowing that you
00:06:07
are not the wave you are the ocean
00:06:09
itself and this realization is just the
00:06:13
beginning let's take a moment to ask the
00:06:15
most profound question of all who are
00:06:18
you really you might answer I'm a person
00:06:21
a mind a body a collection of
00:06:24
experiences but let's go
00:06:26
deeper strip away the labels the roles
00:06:29
you play and the stories you tell
00:06:31
yourself what remains start by
00:06:34
considering your thoughts thoughts are
00:06:37
like clouds in the sky always changing
00:06:40
coming and going without
00:06:42
warning one moment you're thinking about
00:06:44
dinner the next you're replaying a
00:06:47
conversation from yesterday but here's
00:06:49
the key question who is noticing these
00:06:52
thoughts think about it if you can
00:06:54
observe a thought you cannot be that
00:06:57
thought you're the one watching
00:07:00
and this awareness of your thoughts this
00:07:02
unchanging presence has been with you
00:07:04
your entire
00:07:06
life it's been there in moments of joy
00:07:09
in moments of pain and even in the quiet
00:07:12
gaps between your
00:07:14
thoughts now turn your attention to your
00:07:17
emotions when anger arises you might say
00:07:21
I am angry but pause and look closely is
00:07:24
the anger who you are or is it just an
00:07:27
energy passing through you like a storm
00:07:30
moving across the sky it's intense for a
00:07:32
time but eventually it
00:07:34
fades and yet the
00:07:37
sky the space in which the storm appears
00:07:41
remains untouched you are not the anger
00:07:44
you are the sky what about your body it
00:07:48
seems like such an obvious part of who
00:07:50
you are but even the body is not
00:07:52
constant cells die and regenerate your
00:07:55
appearance changes over the years the
00:07:58
body you inhabit today is not the same
00:08:00
one you had as a child so can it truly
00:08:03
be you and if you're not your body your
00:08:06
thoughts or your emotions then who are
00:08:09
you let's try something radical stop
00:08:12
looking for answers in the mind and turn
00:08:15
your attention to awareness itself right
00:08:18
now as you listen to this there's a
00:08:20
knowingness a presence that is aware of
00:08:23
these words aware of your surroundings
00:08:26
aware of your very
00:08:27
being this awareness is
00:08:30
constant it doesn't come and go like
00:08:32
thoughts or emotions it doesn't age or
00:08:35
change like the body it's simply here
00:08:39
always silently witnessing everything
00:08:42
but awareness is not something you can
00:08:43
grasp or hold on
00:08:45
to it's not an object you can point to
00:08:48
and say this is
00:08:50
me and yet it's undeniably present you
00:08:55
don't need anyone to tell you it's there
00:08:57
you can feel it here and now as was the
00:08:59
foundation of your existence here's
00:09:02
another way to look at it imagine
00:09:04
sitting in a dark room with a
00:09:06
candle the flame illuminates everything
00:09:08
in the room but it doesn't need to light
00:09:11
itself it's already
00:09:13
shining in the same way awareness
00:09:15
doesn't need to be aware of itself it
00:09:17
simply is John Wheeler describes this
00:09:20
awareness as your true nature what
00:09:22
you've always been and what you'll
00:09:24
always be it's not bound by your
00:09:27
thoughts emotions or body it's free
00:09:30
infinite and everpresent
00:09:32
but what does this mean for you
00:09:35
practically it means you don't have to
00:09:38
chase after Enlightenment or a future
00:09:40
state of being the awareness you're
00:09:43
seeking is already here it's the part of
00:09:46
you that has never changed never
00:09:48
suffered and never been lost here's a
00:09:50
simple exercise to see this for yourself
00:09:53
take a moment to notice your breath you
00:09:55
don't need to control it just observe
00:09:58
feel the air as it moves in and out now
00:10:01
shift your attention to the awareness
00:10:03
that is noticing the breath this
00:10:06
awareness is not doing
00:10:07
anything it's not trying to achieve or
00:10:10
become anything it's simply witnessing
00:10:13
and in this witnessing you realize
00:10:16
something profound you are not a person
00:10:18
experiencing
00:10:19
awareness you are awareness experiencing
00:10:22
a person when you see this clearly the
00:10:26
search for who you are comes to an end
00:10:28
you realize that your true nature is not
00:10:31
something you have to find or create
00:10:33
it's something you've been all
00:10:35
along so take a deep
00:10:38
breath rest in this awareness this
00:10:40
presence and let everything else the
00:10:42
thoughts the emotions the roles you play
00:10:45
Fade Into the background they're just
00:10:48
passing waves you are the ocean infinite
00:10:51
and still this is the heart of who you
00:10:54
are and once you see it you can never
00:10:57
unsee it what does it mean to say you
00:11:00
were never
00:11:02
born at first glance it seems
00:11:05
absurd after all you have memories of
00:11:07
your childhood a birth certificate and
00:11:10
photographs from when you were a baby
00:11:13
but what if these were merely parts of a
00:11:15
story a story that doesn't Define who
00:11:17
you really
00:11:18
are the idea of being unborn is not
00:11:21
about denying the physical reality of
00:11:23
your body it's about seeing through the
00:11:26
illusion of
00:11:27
separateness it's an invitation to
00:11:29
recognize a truth so profound that it
00:11:31
challenges everything you've ever
00:11:32
believed about
00:11:34
yourself let's start here the belief
00:11:37
that you were born implies a beginning
00:11:39
doesn't it a starting point where you
00:11:41
came into existence as an
00:11:43
individual but here's the Paradox your
00:11:46
true Essence has no beginning and no end
00:11:49
it wasn't born and it cannot
00:11:52
die it is timeless boundless and
00:11:57
unchanging the belief in being Bor born
00:11:59
traps you in the illusion of being a
00:12:01
limited separate self a self with a
00:12:04
story a name and a past but the truth is
00:12:08
you are not your story you are the
00:12:11
awareness in which the story
00:12:13
unfolds you are not a moment in time you
00:12:17
are the Timeless presence that has
00:12:18
always been here silently
00:12:21
watching let's explore this further when
00:12:24
you were a child your body was small
00:12:27
your thoughts simple and your World
00:12:29
limited to what you could see and
00:12:31
touch over time your body grew your
00:12:34
thoughts became more complex and your
00:12:36
experiences
00:12:37
multiplied but through it all wasn't
00:12:40
there something
00:12:41
constant that constant is the awareness
00:12:44
that witnessed it all it wasn't born
00:12:47
with your body and it won't end when
00:12:49
your body dies it's like the screen on
00:12:52
which a movie plays the images and
00:12:54
sounds may change but the screen itself
00:12:57
remains untouched here's where where
00:12:59
this understanding becomes truly
00:13:01
transformative most of our fears and
00:13:03
struggles come from clinging to the idea
00:13:05
of being a separate self a self that was
00:13:08
born a self that will die a self that
00:13:11
can be hurt or
00:13:12
lost but when you see that this self is
00:13:15
just a concept an illusion those fears
00:13:18
dissolve think about it if you were
00:13:20
never truly born how can you truly
00:13:24
die if you've never been separate what
00:13:27
is there to lose John John Wheeler
00:13:29
describes this as the ultimate
00:13:32
Liberation you realize that what you are
00:13:34
is not bound by time space or form you
00:13:37
are the awareness in which all of these
00:13:39
things appear and
00:13:41
disappear and this awareness your true
00:13:43
Essence is free it has no limits no
00:13:47
suffering no birth and no death here's a
00:13:51
simple exercise to see this for
00:13:53
yourself right now notice the thoughts
00:13:56
in your mind they rise and fall like
00:13:58
waves beles now notice your awareness of
00:14:01
those thoughts does your awareness rise
00:14:04
and fall or does it remain constant
00:14:07
Untouched by the coming and going of
00:14:10
thoughts when you shift your attention
00:14:12
to awareness itself you begin to see the
00:14:15
truth you are not the story The Wave or
00:14:17
the thought you are the unchanging
00:14:20
presence in which everything
00:14:22
appears this is the essence of being
00:14:25
unborn it's not a denial of life but a
00:14:28
recognition of what you are beyond the
00:14:30
body beyond the Mind beyond the story
00:14:34
it's the ultimate realization that frees
00:14:36
you from Fear suffering and the illusion
00:14:39
of Separation take a moment to sit with
00:14:42
this you've never been bound you've
00:14:44
never been limited and you've never been
00:14:46
born you are the ocean vast and infinite
00:14:50
with no beginning and no
00:14:52
end the ego it's the centerpiece of the
00:14:55
story you tell yourself it Whispers I am
00:14:59
this I am
00:15:00
that it claims ownership of your
00:15:03
thoughts your actions and even your
00:15:05
worth but have you ever pause to ask
00:15:08
what is the ego really for most of us
00:15:12
the ego feels like the core of who we
00:15:14
are it's the voice in our head that
00:15:17
narrates every moment of Our Lives the
00:15:19
sense of being a me distinct from
00:15:21
everything else but when you take a
00:15:23
closer look you'll find something
00:15:25
surprising the ego isn't real let's
00:15:28
begin with a simple
00:15:30
exercise close your eyes and bring to
00:15:32
mind the thought I am me notice how it
00:15:35
feels does it feel solid like an
00:15:38
undeniable truth or does it feel like
00:15:41
just another thought passing through
00:15:42
your
00:15:43
awareness here's the secret the ego
00:15:46
exists only as a thought it's a mental
00:15:49
construct a bundle of ideas about who
00:15:52
you think you
00:15:53
are it's the sum of your memories
00:15:55
beliefs and
00:15:57
desires but none of these things are
00:16:00
constant they come and
00:16:02
go and yet you remain think about it if
00:16:06
the ego were truly who you are wouldn't
00:16:08
it be constant but it's
00:16:11
not one moment you're confident the next
00:16:14
you're doubtful one moment you feel
00:16:17
successful the next you feel like a
00:16:20
failure the ego shifts and changes with
00:16:23
every passing thought and
00:16:25
emotion and yet there is something
00:16:27
within you that doesn't
00:16:29
change something that has been with you
00:16:31
in every moment of your life quietly
00:16:34
witnessing it
00:16:36
all this is your true Essence your
00:16:39
awareness John Wheeler offers a powerful
00:16:42
Insight the ego is nothing more than a
00:16:44
story a concept it's the centerpiece of
00:16:47
a narrative we cling to believing it
00:16:49
defines us but when you investigate this
00:16:52
narrative you begin to see that it's
00:16:54
built on
00:16:55
assumptions let's dig a Little Deeper
00:16:58
ask ask yourself where is the ego
00:17:00
located is it in your body if so where
00:17:04
exactly in your head your chest your
00:17:07
heart when you look closely you won't
00:17:10
find it anywhere it's not a physical
00:17:12
thing it's not something you can touch
00:17:14
hold or pin down then consider your mind
00:17:18
is the ego your thoughts perhaps it
00:17:21
seems that way but thoughts are
00:17:23
transient they arise they linger for a
00:17:25
moment and then they dissolve if you are
00:17:29
your thoughts then you would cease to
00:17:31
exist every time a thought
00:17:33
disappears but you don't here's where it
00:17:36
gets
00:17:37
interesting the ego's power lies in your
00:17:40
belief in it it's like a shadow
00:17:44
convincing but without substance when
00:17:47
you believe the ego story you feel small
00:17:49
limited and
00:17:51
separate but when you see it for what it
00:17:54
is a construct the whole illusion
00:17:57
collapses so how do you break free from
00:18:00
the grip of the ego it begins with
00:18:02
awareness the next time you feel anxious
00:18:05
angry or fearful don't try to fix or
00:18:08
suppress it instead pause and ask
00:18:11
yourself who is feeling this you might
00:18:14
say I
00:18:15
am but who is this eye can you find it
00:18:20
can you locate the one who is anxious
00:18:22
angry or fearful what you'll discover is
00:18:24
profound the feelings are real but the
00:18:26
eye who claims them is not
00:18:29
here's another way to look at
00:18:31
it imagine you're watching a
00:18:34
movie you get so absorbed in the story
00:18:36
that you forget it's just a
00:18:38
film the ego is like that
00:18:41
movie it feels real because you're
00:18:43
deeply invested in it but when you step
00:18:46
back and see it for what it is you
00:18:49
realize you're not the character on the
00:18:51
screen you're the one
00:18:53
watching John Wheeler reminds us that
00:18:55
breaking the myth of the ego doesn't
00:18:57
require effort or struggle it's not
00:19:00
about fighting the ego or trying to
00:19:02
destroy it it's about seeing through it
00:19:05
once you recognize that the ego is
00:19:07
nothing more than a thought it loses its
00:19:09
grip on
00:19:10
you imagine the freedom of living
00:19:13
without the constant need to defend or
00:19:15
prove
00:19:16
yourself without the burden of carrying
00:19:18
your story like a heavy backpack this is
00:19:21
the freedom that comes from breaking the
00:19:23
illusion of the ego take a deep
00:19:26
breath in this moment let go go of the
00:19:29
idea of being a me rest in the awareness
00:19:32
that is always here always constant
00:19:35
always
00:19:36
free this awareness is your true self it
00:19:39
doesn't need a story a label or a past
00:19:43
it simply
00:19:44
is this is the truth that has been
00:19:46
waiting for you all along the ego was
00:19:49
never real You Were Never Bound and now
00:19:53
you are
00:19:54
free imagine for a moment living without
00:19:58
the con voice in your head that says I
00:20:00
am this I am that I need this I fear
00:20:05
that imagine a life where you are no
00:20:07
longer bound by the limits of a separate
00:20:10
self where you move through the world
00:20:12
with ease free from the weight of
00:20:14
self-doubt fear and
00:20:16
striving this isn't a fantasy it's your
00:20:19
natural state living without a separate
00:20:22
self doesn't mean giving up your
00:20:24
individuality or ignoring your
00:20:26
responsibilities it means seeing through
00:20:28
the illusion of the ego and recognizing
00:20:30
that life flows effortlessly without the
00:20:33
need for a controlling
00:20:34
me let's start with a simple
00:20:38
observation have you ever noticed how
00:20:40
much energy you spend trying to defend
00:20:42
the idea of who you are you want to be
00:20:45
seen a certain way achieve certain
00:20:47
things and avoid certain
00:20:49
outcomes but who is this you your
00:20:53
defending when you really investigate
00:20:55
you find it's just a collection of
00:20:57
thoughts a story you've believed in for
00:21:00
so long that it feels real but what
00:21:03
happens when you step back from that
00:21:04
story consider this right now as you
00:21:07
listen to these words life is happening
00:21:11
effortlessly your heart is beating your
00:21:14
lungs are breathing and your mind is
00:21:16
understanding these Concepts you didn't
00:21:19
have to decide to make any of these
00:21:20
things happen they simply arose on their
00:21:23
own this is the nature of life when you
00:21:25
stop clinging to the illusion of a
00:21:27
separate self
00:21:29
actions thoughts and emotions arise
00:21:32
naturally without the need for a central
00:21:34
me to control them it's like watching a
00:21:37
river flow the water doesn't ask for
00:21:40
permission to move it simply follows its
00:21:43
natural
00:21:44
course but here's the key Insight even
00:21:47
the thought that says I am doing this is
00:21:50
just another part of the flow it's not
00:21:52
evidence of a separate self it's like a
00:21:55
wave in the ocean claiming to be
00:21:56
independent from the sea it's still just
00:21:58
the ocean in motion for example think
00:22:01
about making a decision perhaps you
00:22:04
agonize over it believing that the
00:22:05
outcome rests solely on your shoulders
00:22:08
but when you live without a separate
00:22:09
self you begin to see that decisions
00:22:11
arise naturally based on the situation
00:22:14
without the need for a controlling ego
00:22:17
you might think you're choosing but in
00:22:19
reality the choice is simply happening
00:22:22
John Wheeler offers a liberating
00:22:24
perspective the idea of eye is not
00:22:26
necessary for life to function
00:22:29
it's a habit a mental construct we've
00:22:31
been conditioned to rely on but when you
00:22:34
look closely you realize life unfolds
00:22:37
perfectly well without it let's make
00:22:40
this
00:22:41
practical the next time you feel
00:22:43
stressed or overwhelmed pause and ask
00:22:46
yourself who is experiencing this
00:22:49
stress look for the me who is supposedly
00:22:52
struggling can you find it or do you
00:22:55
just find a cluster of thoughts and
00:22:56
Sensations arising in the present a
00:22:59
moment when you see that there's no
00:23:01
actual me at the center of your
00:23:02
experience something extraordinary
00:23:05
happens the stress doesn't disappear but
00:23:08
your attachment to it does you realize
00:23:11
that the thoughts and feelings are just
00:23:13
passing phenomena like clouds drifting
00:23:15
across the sky living without a separate
00:23:18
self doesn't mean life becomes perfect
00:23:20
or free of challenges it means you meet
00:23:23
those challenges without the baggage of
00:23:25
a false identity if sadness arises you
00:23:28
feel it fully without labeling it as my
00:23:31
sadness if Joy arises you embrace it
00:23:34
without clinging to it as my
00:23:36
joy this doesn't make you detached or
00:23:39
robotic on the contrary it makes you
00:23:42
more alive more open without the
00:23:45
constant chatter of the ego you're free
00:23:47
to experience life as it is not as your
00:23:50
mind thinks it should be here's another
00:23:53
practical Insight when you stop
00:23:55
identifying with a separate self you
00:23:57
stop taking things personally Al imagine
00:24:00
someone criticizes you normally the ego
00:24:02
would leap to defend itself creating
00:24:05
conflict and
00:24:06
tension but when you see that there's no
00:24:08
me to defend the criticism loses its
00:24:11
sting it becomes just another event like
00:24:15
a leaf falling from a
00:24:16
tree this shift doesn't require effort
00:24:20
it's simply a matter of seeing
00:24:22
clearly the more you look the more you
00:24:25
realize that life flows effortlessly
00:24:27
when you let go of the illusion of
00:24:28
control the ego doesn't run the show it
00:24:31
never
00:24:32
has it's like a passenger on a train
00:24:35
claiming credit for the journey the
00:24:38
train moves with or without its
00:24:41
commentary and here's the beauty of it
00:24:43
when you live without a separate self
00:24:46
you begin to see the interconnectedness
00:24:48
of all things the boundaries between me
00:24:51
and you self and another start to
00:24:53
dissolve you realize that the same
00:24:55
awareness flowing through you is flowing
00:24:57
through everyone and everything this is
00:25:00
the essence of true Freedom not the
00:25:02
freedom to do whatever you want but the
00:25:04
freedom from the illusion of being
00:25:07
separate so take a deep breath and let
00:25:10
this sink in you don't have to strive to
00:25:12
live without a separate self it's
00:25:14
already happening the only thing that
00:25:17
changes is your recognition of it life
00:25:20
is not something you control it's
00:25:22
something you are the river flows the
00:25:25
wind blows and you you you are the
00:25:28
awareness in which it all arises living
00:25:31
without a separate self is not a goal to
00:25:33
achieve it's the truth of what you've
00:25:35
always
00:25:36
been it's natural to feel doubt when
00:25:39
encountering ideas that challenge the
00:25:41
foundation of how you see
00:25:43
yourself the concept of having no
00:25:45
separate self of being unborn can feel
00:25:48
unsettling even contradictory to your
00:25:51
experience but doubts and misconceptions
00:25:54
are not obstacles there are
00:25:56
opportunities to see the truth more
00:25:58
clear
00:25:58
clearly let's begin by addressing a
00:26:01
common question if there's no separate
00:26:04
self then who is living this life it's a
00:26:07
fair question you feel your emotions you
00:26:10
make decisions you have memories doesn't
00:26:12
that mean there's a you at the center of
00:26:13
it all look closely though and you'll
00:26:16
find that life unfolds naturally without
00:26:18
the need for a central me thoughts arise
00:26:21
on their own feelings come and go
00:26:24
actions happen
00:26:26
spontaneously when you look for the self
00:26:29
who claims ownership of all these
00:26:30
experiences you find only an empty space
00:26:33
a vast open
00:26:36
awareness here's an analogy to help
00:26:38
clarify this think of a whirlpool in a
00:26:40
river it looks distinct separate from
00:26:43
the water around it but the whirlpool
00:26:46
has no independent existence it's simply
00:26:49
the movement of the river
00:26:50
itself the same is true of the self it
00:26:54
appears distinct but it's just the flow
00:26:56
of Life taking shape shaped temporarily
00:26:59
in
00:27:00
Awareness another common doubt is this
00:27:03
if there's no self how do I live in the
00:27:06
world this is rooted in the belief that
00:27:08
the ego is essential for
00:27:10
functioning but pause and consider does
00:27:13
the egoo really control your life did it
00:27:17
make your heartbeat today did it decide
00:27:20
to Breathe In This Moment life moves
00:27:22
effortlessly without the need for a
00:27:24
controlling eye decisions still happen
00:27:27
actions still arise but they don't
00:27:29
depend on the ego imagine driving a car
00:27:33
at first you're hyperaware of every
00:27:35
movement Your Hands on the Wheel your
00:27:37
feet on the pedals but over time the
00:27:40
process becomes natural
00:27:42
effortless the car moves without you
00:27:44
needing to think about every action
00:27:47
that's how life flows when you let go of
00:27:48
the illusion of
00:27:50
control here's another doubt you might
00:27:52
encounter if I'm just awareness does
00:27:54
that mean my life has no meaning it's a
00:27:57
question that strikes at the heart of
00:27:59
our conditioning we're taught that
00:28:01
meaning comes from achieving from being
00:28:03
someone from standing
00:28:05
out but true meaning doesn't come from
00:28:08
what you do or achieve it comes from
00:28:10
Simply being in of the sun it doesn't
00:28:14
strive to have meaning it simply
00:28:17
shines yet its light makes everything
00:28:19
else possible in the same way you're
00:28:21
awareness your presence is not something
00:28:24
you have to prove or
00:28:25
justify it is inherently meaning
00:28:28
meaningful because it is the source of
00:28:30
all
00:28:31
experience now let's address a deeper
00:28:34
misconception if there's no self does
00:28:37
that mean I don't matter the ego thrives
00:28:40
on being important on being seen on
00:28:43
being validated but when you look beyond
00:28:45
the ego you find that your true nature
00:28:47
isn't small or
00:28:49
insignificant it's vast boundless and
00:28:52
deeply connected to
00:28:54
everything John Wheeler explains this
00:28:57
beautifully the idea of a separate self
00:28:59
is like a drop of water imagining it's
00:29:01
isolated from the ocean but when the
00:29:04
drop lets go of its boundaries it
00:29:06
doesn't disappear it becomes the
00:29:09
ocean letting go of the ego doesn't
00:29:11
diminish you it reveals your infinite
00:29:14
nature finally let's tackle one of the
00:29:16
biggest doubts if I see through the self
00:29:19
will I lose my Humanity the fear is that
00:29:22
without a sense of me life will become
00:29:24
cold detached or robotic
00:29:28
but the opposite is
00:29:29
true when you stop clinging to the ego
00:29:32
you become more open more
00:29:35
compassionate without the constant need
00:29:37
to protect or defend a separate self
00:29:39
you're free to connect deeply with
00:29:41
others and with life
00:29:43
itself imagine this you're standing on
00:29:46
the shore of a vast ocean watching the
00:29:48
waves crash against the sand you don't
00:29:51
try to own the waves or control them you
00:29:53
simply Marvel at their beauty living
00:29:56
without a separate self is like that
00:29:59
you experience life fully without
00:30:01
grasping without resistance without
00:30:04
fear so the next time doubt arises don't
00:30:08
push it away instead welcome it as a
00:30:11
teacher ask yourself who is
00:30:14
doubting who is questioning look for the
00:30:17
one at the center of the doubt and
00:30:20
you'll find that it's not there the
00:30:22
doubt itself dissolves in the clear
00:30:24
light of
00:30:25
awareness doubt is not your enemy me
00:30:28
it's a doorway each time you question
00:30:31
the illusion of the self you move closer
00:30:33
to seeing the truth of what you are the
00:30:35
awareness that has never been born never
00:30:37
been bound and never been
00:30:39
lost take a deep breath and rest in this
00:30:43
knowing the doubts will pass but you
00:30:47
will
00:30:48
remain as we come to the end of this
00:30:51
journey let's return to the core
00:30:54
question who are you really
00:30:58
you've looked deeply into the nature of
00:30:59
your thoughts your emotions and your
00:31:01
sense of self you've questioned the
00:31:03
stories you've carried the roles you've
00:31:05
played and the boundaries you've
00:31:07
believed in and now what Remains What
00:31:11
remains is something so simple so ever
00:31:14
presentent that it's often
00:31:16
overlooked it's the awareness that has
00:31:19
been here all
00:31:20
along it's not something you need to
00:31:22
create or find it's what you've always
00:31:25
been this awareness is the ult ultimate
00:31:28
truth of your being but let's clarify
00:31:32
this truth isn't about rejecting life or
00:31:34
denying your experiences it's about
00:31:36
embracing the fullness of life without
00:31:38
being bound by the illusion of a
00:31:40
separate self it's seeing the waves of
00:31:42
joy and sorrow success and failure
00:31:45
without identifying as the wave itself
00:31:48
you are the ocean vast still and
00:31:51
infinite here's the beauty of this
00:31:53
realization nothing about your outer
00:31:55
life needs to change for you to see the
00:31:57
truth
00:31:58
you don't need to renounce the world or
00:32:00
perfect yourself to realize your true
00:32:02
nature the awareness you are is already
00:32:05
whole already complete it's like the sky
00:32:10
unchanged by the storms that pass
00:32:12
through it so what does this mean for
00:32:14
how you live it means you no longer have
00:32:17
to chase after meaning or run from Fear
00:32:20
you don't have to cling to the past or
00:32:22
worry about the
00:32:23
future life becomes an unfolding Moment
00:32:26
by moment free from the need to control
00:32:29
or resist think about it without the
00:32:32
constant weight of the ego you're free
00:32:34
to live with lightness and
00:32:36
openness relationships become richer
00:32:39
because you're no longer defending a
00:32:40
false
00:32:41
identity challenges become opportunities
00:32:44
because they're no longer threats to a
00:32:45
fragile sense of self and each moment
00:32:49
becomes alive with presence because
00:32:51
you're no longer distracted by the
00:32:53
endless chatter of the Mind John Wheeler
00:32:56
reminds us that the search for truth
00:32:58
ends when we realize we were never lost
00:33:01
the idea of being unborn isn't a denial
00:33:03
of life it's an affirmation of the
00:33:06
boundless Timeless Essence that you are
00:33:09
you've never been limited never been
00:33:12
separate and never been incomplete take
00:33:15
a moment now to rest in this
00:33:18
realization feel the Stillness the peace
00:33:22
the freedom that comes from knowing what
00:33:24
you are this isn't something that will
00:33:26
fade it's the unchanging Truth at the
00:33:29
heart of your being so as you go back
00:33:32
into the world carry this understanding
00:33:34
with you not as an idea but as a Living
00:33:37
Truth let it guide your actions soften
00:33:40
your fears and deepen your connections
00:33:42
remember you are not a person striving
00:33:45
to find awareness you are awareness
00:33:47
itself and that awareness is
00:33:50
free it has always been free thank you
00:33:54
for walking this path with
00:33:55
me May this truth continue to unfold in
00:33:59
your life bringing Clarity peace and
00:34:02
Liberation the journey is complete
00:34:04
because you were never truly separate
00:34:05
from the
00:34:06
destination you've always been home
00:34:10
[Music]
