Our teacher, Sharon Landrith, frequently encourages, “See it all the way through.” This advice is given when students have experienced an awakening and begin to abide more and more as Absolute, and yet, have a remnant of a person/doer—almost always unseen.
Sometimes in desperation after a taste of our True Nature, of Self, we fake the “enlightened” life. There is a subtle doer in the embodiment of Awareness through intentional mindfulness. Mind brings forth intellectual understanding, language, and actions to support this stance, while looking outside to feed this story of “enlightenment” and to validate it. If this resonates, then Grace is whispering, “See it all the way through.”
Stop. Who needs this validation? In the experientially felt answer, the story is now seen and can be dropped. Emotions are a good barometer of a story believed. If something doesn’t feel quite right or irritation frequently pops up in the abiding, that can be a cue to ask, “What is happening here? What is actually happening?” Again, without going to mind for the answer, open to the direct experience of what is.
Awakening is a self-validating experience. Nonetheless, throughout time, those who have experienced Awareness have often gone to a teacher for validation. This is a double-edged sword. The experience as fully embodied Is-ness requires no validation and would accept no contradiction. And yet, a Truth-abiding teacher is invaluable in spotting one’s tilting to the left or tilting to the right. A story comes to mind of a student monk who experienced Is-ness and went to the master for validation. The master said, “No, go back and search more.” The student continued to investigate Truth and came back saying, “This must be Is-ness.” Again, the teacher sent the student back to investigate more. A third time the student came back and was again rejected by the teacher. The student responded, “Thank you, Is-ness as Is-ness knows itself.” The teacher bowed, “Ah, that is Is-ness.”
We should be careful not to prematurely hoist the “enlightenment” flag, as that is proof of an ego-driven nature that is still ruling the day. When Nothingness/Everthingness is clearly recognized, there is no debate.
Awakening is instantaneous, and yet, embodiment through that which has Awakened seems to develop over time. Validation has its place in the letting go process and is a very useful tool. Eventually, that, too, must be dropped for the story it is. What remains in the felt flow, felt movement, arises from what we are. Every apparent perception, flow, moment is ultimately not what we are. We are that from which all perception arises.
See it all the way through.
Love, Steve and Bec