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Question:

"When I read your writings, especially your answers to people's questions, there is the experience of a loosening of thought and less of a sense that there is a someone who is reading this or to whom something is happening. So who or what is noticing this? Is this also thought? Or is it the background? With which I mean that from which everything arises."

Reply:

“There is no ‘background’ EVERYTHING is IT!
Therefore, the answer to your question, is that the ‘noticing’ is just what is currently arising at that moment in time (so to speak). It could just as easily have been the noticing of a recipe for bread rolls! No- ONE’S noticing anything, because Being is, and also includes everything. Therefore, all that is seen, felt or heard etc. is simply Being bearing witness of itself in every place, including ourselves. We ARE ‘IT’ – and all written words are also ‘IT’ . You might say that Being is continually bumping into ITSELF in all it’s various forms. These ‘forms’ include all ideas, written words, furniture, sausages and people, etc.
Therefore no-one is noticing anything - ALL is ITSELF!”

Question:

"You say that many "seekers" have the feeling that something needs to happen for them to get it or be enlightened or whatever you want to call it but that no such thing or happening is really necessary.

Now I would have to admit to being one of those people and I certainly know why, whether I like it or not. The reason is that almost every single person that I have read or come across over the last 25 years who has come forward and written books and websites and offered teachings etc etc have ALL described having some such signifcant or meaningful event where everything changed, they experienced no self or Oneness or however they describe it - car crashes, walks in the park, at the foot of guru, up a mountain......always some weird event where something apparently very different and strange occurred to their normal sense of themselves which then in many cases seems to result to living as pure being or presence and the loss of the sense of separation.

Reply:

“The answer to your question is, that it is not the peak experiences which you described, that really have anything to do with the ‘seeing of THIS by no-one’.

One of the things that I have said in my interview and my book, is that often these experiences can get in the way – because the experience is so often mistaken for the ‘seeing’ (for want of a better word – as of course there is no-one to ‘see’ anything!) Also there is then such a hankering for the ‘glimpse’ to happen again, and that in itself can cause years more seeking!
What we call or perceive as ‘glimpses’ are simply yet another example of just what is arising. It could just as easily be another experience, such as suddenly getting your balance for the first time on a bike and being able to ride off into the sunset . Because glimpses and peak experiences certainly aren’t It – and have nothing whatsoever to do with the absolute simplicity of ‘just what is arising presently with no-one there to see it’.

So called ‘peak experiences’ are just unimportant, but wonderful, dramatic diversions from ‘life as we normally know it’. But, the ‘absolute simplicity of ‘just what IS arising presently,, is not dramatic but utterly ordinary but here’s the thing: until this is seen, no-one really knows what ‘utter ordinary-ness’ is! Because normally the mind embellishes every thought with more thoughts including ego (the belief that there is an ‘experience-er’)

So basically, it doesn’t matter at all what any speaker/writer of non-duality says about their so called ‘peak experiences’ – the fact is that there is NOTHING that needs to happen at all, for ‘THIS’ to be seen. The freedom in all this, is in really understanding that there is nothing that any-one can do to ‘bring IT about’ since there is only IT in every single form, experience and moment happening presently.

It’s only when the mind finally hears that’ there’s nothing it can do, that it may very well give up and that’s when the TRUE NATURE OF EVERYTHING is ascertained. But nothing can be done to ‘make the mind give up’ and it simply DOES NOT MATTER!!!!!!!!”

Question:

"When I read your writings, especially your answers to people's questions, there is the experience of a loosening of thought and less of a sense that there is a someone who is reading this or to whom something is happening. So who or what is noticing this? Is this also thought? Or is it the background? (With which I mean that from which everything arises.)

Reply:

“There is no ‘background’ EVERYTHING is IT!
Therefore, the answer to your question, is that the ‘noticing’ is just what is currently arising at that moment in time (so to speak). It could just as easily have been the noticing of a recipe for bread rolls! No- ONE’S noticing anything, because Being is, and also includes everything. Therefore, all that is seen, felt or heard etc. is simply Being bearing witness of itself in every place, including ourselves. We ARE ‘IT’ – and all written words are also ‘IT’ . You might say that Being is continually bumping into ITSELF in all it’s various forms. These ‘forms’ include all ideas, written words, furniture, sausages and people, etc.
Therefore no-one is noticing anything - ALL is ITSELF!”

Question:

"You say that many "seekers" have the feeling that something needs to happen for them to get it or be enlightened or whatever you want to call it but that no such thing or happening is really necessary.

Now I would have to admit to being one of those people and I certainly know why, whether I like it or not. The reason is that almost every single person that I have read or come across over the last 25 years who has come forward and written books and websites and offered teachings etc etc have ALL described having some such signifcant or meaningful event where everything changed, they experienced no self or Oneness or however they describe it - car crashes, walks in the park, at the foot of guru, up a mountain......always some weird event where something apparently very different and strange occurred to their normal sense of themselves which then in many cases seems to result to living as pure being or presence and the loss of the sense of separation.

So it is quite understandable that for those of us who have never had any kind of unusual experience or glimpse of any kind whatsoever should naturally reach the conclusion that unless we have such an experience or event happening to us, we will not have the same seeing or understanding of truth as those who have. It seems logical that those experiences provide a direct seeing and understanding of truth that it is not otherwise possible to see or understand, as you say, with the mind alone.

So for those of us whose only peak experience has been the occasional sneeze, it is very frustrating to hear you folks on the one hand all tell about your big experience and then say "but of course its not necessary to have an experience to see this" because it certainly seems to follow like night follows day."

Reply:

“The answer to your question is, that it is not the peak experiences which you described, that really have anything to do with the ‘seeing of THIS by no-one’.

One of the things that I have said in my interview and my book, is that often these experiences can get in the way – because the experience is so often mistaken for the ‘seeing’ (for want of a better word – as of course there is no-one to ‘see’ anything!) Also there is then such a hankering for the ‘glimpse’ to happen again, and that in itself can cause years more seeking!
What we call or perceive as ‘glimpses’ are simply yet another example of just what is arising. It could just as easily be another experience, such as suddenly getting your balance for the first time on a bike and being able to ride off into the sunset . Because glimpses and peak experiences certainly aren’t It – and have nothing whatsoever to do with the absolute simplicity of ‘just what is arising presently with no-one there to see it’.

So called ‘peak experiences’ are just unimportant, but wonderful, dramatic diversions from ‘life as we normally know it’. But, the ‘absolute simplicity of ‘just what IS arising presently,, is not dramatic but utterly ordinary but here’s the thing: until this is seen, no-one really knows what ‘utter ordinary-ness’ is! Because normally the mind embellishes every thought with more thoughts including ego (the belief that there is an ‘experience-er’)

So basically, it doesn’t matter at all what any speaker/writer of non-duality says about their so called ‘peak experiences’ – the fact is that there is NOTHING that needs to happen at all, for ‘THIS’ to be seen. The freedom in all this, is in really understanding that there is nothing that any-one can do to ‘bring IT about’ since there is only IT in every single form, experience and moment happening presently.

It’s only when the mind finally hears that’ there’s nothing it can do, that it may very well give up and that’s when the TRUE NATURE OF EVERYTHING is ascertained. But nothing can be done to ‘make the mind give up’ and it simply DOES NOT MATTER!!!!!!!!”

Question:

"How can you help me in my awakening for now and forever?"

Reply:

“No one can help you – there is no ‘you’. There’s also no ‘I’ here to help you. There is only Being – Oneness. In all this seeking, this is what you miss seeing.
Seeking fuels more seeking, yet ‘you’ can’t do anything about it! Seeking is absolutely fine and is all part of Being playing the game of searching for Itself. Seeking is just what is presently arising.

There is nothing more you have to do – no-where you need to go and no-one that you need to see.
After all, what is the problem with right now? Right here? You are probably sitting on a chair, in a warm room, maybe with a cup of coffee, reading this email.
That is all simply happening and unfolding presently. No-one’s doing it – ‘you’ are not doing it – you are not doing any thing – you are being done.
You are not even living - you are being lived. ‘You’ are not reading this – reading is simply happening – by no-one.
When you are brushing your teeth, brushing the teeth is simply happening – no-one is brushing the teeth.

All there is Oneness and everything is it – and included in IT. There is nothing and no-one that can possibly be excluded from Being - from what they are. Therefore, whatever is happening presently is absolutely fine the way it is, even if that is pain. It is only the mind that looks for answers (in all the wrong places). The mind by it’s very nature, is never still and is always looking forwards or backwards and constantly wanting to get away from that which is happening now. WHATEVER IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS ALL THERE IS. RIGHT HERE, PRESENTLY, IS PRESENCE. That is all there is to it.

Liberation is already the case, therefore, how can you ‘awaken?’ Anyway, there are no people – there is no ‘you’, therefore there’s isn’t anybody to awaken.
When this hasn’t been ‘seen’ – it is just that there is still a belief that there is a ‘you’ who is doing things. But when it is seen that things just are happening and no-one’s doing it – that all actions or feelings don’t belong to a ‘someone’, then there is peace and a relaxation into the seeing, and seeking may naturally drops away.

Perhaps whenever you are washing your hands, boiling the kettle, or walking one day, it could suddenly be seen (by no-one) that nobody doing anything!”

Question:

"Recently, reading books on advaita or listening to talks, I find myself approaching things a bit differently.
There is more of a sense of reading for a 'reminder or pointer'....to that which I know is right here....right now.
A part of me KNOWS this. There is a sense that my eyes have been covered with a veil that only needs to drop away in order to see what is here, right now....that is IT. There is a remembering of having 'tasted' that which everyone speaks about. There is also something new creeping in as of late....a sense of a heavy heart. A sense of something like depression.
Sometimes I wonder if this sense of depression is a normal expression when so much 'looking out there' is turned inward?"

Reply:

"When there’s a feeling of a ‘heavy heart’ or ‘depression’ creeping in – it just means there’s a subtle form of seeking still going on – a seeking for : ‘a veil that just needs to drop away’ so that … - so that what,? There’ll be a ‘you’ that finally gets ‘IT?’ I know about the feeling of heavy-heartedness – or joylessness that seem to accompany the studying of ‘Non-Duality’. (The problem is also that 'IT' can’t be ‘studied’)
These heavy feelings can occur when there has been real glimpses plus an ‘intellectual’ understanding of ‘THIS’ - together with a feeling that there’s no point in anything since it’s all a dream. The idea that there is a ‘veil that can drop away’ – is the same as expecting a carrot – a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - or an ‘Ah! I’ve got it!’ kind of moment. THERE IS NO VEIL! THERE’S NOTHING TO GET! The so called ‘veil’ is also IT! (When I speak of ‘IT’ – I mean ‘Being’ – ‘Aliveness’ - ‘Life’ – whatever you like to call it – or even ‘God’ ) There is no person who can 'get' anything – you already ARE it. Whatever you are doing right this moment is ‘Life’ doing it – you are presently reading this email – but there IS no YOU – it is simply ‘being’ read – but by no-one. If this isn’t being seen at the moment – it doesn’t matter – there’s no-one to see IT anyway. Even though everything is a dream – it is completely ALIVE! We’re really just talking about ALIVENESS - (I don’t use the word ‘consciousness’ - because there is no-one there to be conscious)

There is nothing you have to do except live LIFE as it happens – nothing else has to happen. Just see that the idea of a ‘you’ – is just a constant stream of thoughts arising one after the other – and ‘you’ are just another thought arising in consciousness. If you shut your eyes and imagine you haven’t got a name, it can be seen that all there is to ‘you’ is a basketful of experiences that simply arises for no-one.

There is nothing you can DO to stop seeking either, however it can often arise, that in becoming intimate with whatever’s happening at any given moment, it may be ‘seen’ – by no-one - that THIS really is all there is – e.g currently reading THIS.
So don’t worry about it – just lightly focus on whatever you are doing –( but DON’T make that into a practice – the mind always wants something to DO) and pay less attention to 'waiting for something to happen'. There is just vibrant LIFE!"

Question:

"Why did seeking ever start?"

Reply :

Seeking is simply thoughts arising. 'Seeking' thoughts are no more important than 'what shall I cook for dinner' thoughts.Thoughts arise from nowhere and poof! bursting just like bubbles, they just go back to nowhere (which is why I chose lovely floaty bubbles for my website! )"

Question :

"I continue to read all sorts of 'Non-Duality' books, but nothing happens!
I realse that looking for something to happen is the wrong approach but I am tearing my hair out (or "hair is being torn out"!!). I do wonder whether to just forget it and try to return to my long time established Methodist roots. The trouble is, having embarked on this quest and I have grown away from all I used to hold dear in more orthodox Christianity.
Before I "call it a day" have you anything to say to help me?"

Reply :

" You are looking for something to happen or something to 'get' . You are already aware of the computer you are typing on aren’t you? the screen you are looking at? the chair you're sitting on? etc. Your 'I AM' presence is simply the 'backdrop' to all this. You are 'it' already - you are that which you seek.
'Tearing your hair out' - is also 'it!' So is having a cup of tea! It's all very ordinary – it is extraordinarily ordinary.
The mind will never get this because it is simply beyond the mind. You can’t stop your thoughts – stopping thoughts is not the point. Thoughts arise, but as you become less interested in following your thoughts to their ‘endth degree’ - you can relax in JUST THIS!!!! Whatever is happening at the time – watching TV – getting frustrated or angry – being calm – eating your dinner.
I can’t even tell you to ‘let go of the search’ because you can’t do that either! If there’s searching, then THAT’S what’s happening now!
The only thing I can hint at, is just to see that whatever’s happening there’s no person doing it. No one’s brushing their teeth – brushing the teeth is simply happening – by no-one. Wash your hands and see that washing of your hands is what is happening but by no-one.
There is no YOU – there is simply one thought on top of another which all there is to the supposed you. ‘You’ are an object arising in consciousness just like the dog or the car or the TV. But don’t let this witnessing become a method or a process either. The only thing really to see, is that there is absolutely nothing you can do and let it go at that – which you won’t be able to do! But eventually, it’s possible that the mind will finally hear this and will just - simply - give UP! Or not! Just let all this ‘sit’ with you – and then go and enjoy making a cup of tea and why not have a jam sandwich! Or perhaps a sudden desire for marmite could arise!"

Question :

" I am fascinated by your "journey" and am wondering if you ever thought there was conflict between non-duality with its' acceptance of everything, apparent good and bad, and religion which mostly declares that God only brings forth good.

Also, I know that an 'I' separate and enclosed is impossible though it seems "I'm" trapped in it. Do you mind sharing your thoughts on this?"

Reply :

"There is no ‘journey’ to ‘THIS’ - you already ARE ‘there’ now with no journey necessary - there are simply ideas arising about various ways to reveal ‘it’, but that is entirely a mind-made construct.

Also, non- duality is not about ‘accepting’ good and bad or anything – there is no duality – no ONE ‘out there’ – so rather than ‘accepting’ any thing - it just IS what it IS. There isn’t a ‘practice’ involved whereby the mind learns to accept good and bad – it’s simply seen that good and bad doesn’t exist in the first place – there is only whatever is happening at the time – there’s no one there anyway, to make a judgement as to whether something is good or bad – it simply IS.

You mention that even though intellectually you feel you know the truth about there being no separation, you feel trapped in a sense that you ARE separate. Just don’t worry about that thought. EVERYTHING, including the thought that you are separate is simply thoughts that are occuring at this moment. You don’t have to worry about trying to believe it. For instance, I don’t have to tell you to ‘accept’ that you can breathe, do I? Breathing is simply happening, by NO-ONE. ‘YOU aren’t doing it. There is no YOU’. The idea of an ‘I’ or a ‘ME’ is just a thought arising in awareness, but no-one’s doing the thinking. There are always thoughts arising continually – one after another – and those thoughts build up the idea of an identity – a ‘me’ - but all that’s happening is that ‘thoughts’ are arising. The thought that you are having that you feel separate, and simply not 'getting this' – is just another one of those thoughts arising and even that thought is all part of this‘aliveness’ – is 'IT'. There simply is nothing to do and no journey to go on. Seeking can stop right now!"

Question:

" Is the book: 'A Course in Miracles' about Non-Duality, because if it is, I find it very confusing. It also states that 'the world is an attack on God'. Please can you say something about that?

Reply :

"As lovely and good natured and wise that the ‘Course in Miracles’ seems, it does not communicate Non-Duality - it’s really very dual for the most part, in that it describes things to do and better ways of being,i.e being 'good' and 'doing good'. But there IS NO-ONE who can be good, better, guilty, or manifest or not manifest. There IS only BEING/ ALIVENESS/ GOD/ LOVE/ LIFE etc. or whatever you want to call it. There are no things to DO or exercises to practice – WHO could be a better person? WHO is there to practice an exercise or use a method?

Presently, (and there only is presently) there is only the reading of these words happening, but no-ONE’s reading them– it is simply being read. No-ONE is breathing – breathing is simply happening but no-one’s doing it. There is nothing to GET, because there’s no-one here (or there) to GET anything.

Everything within ‘your’ apparent life, is just a dream - it’s all just mesmerism.
How can the ‘world’ be an attack on God, when EVERYTHING is GOD (or Being or Aliveness etc..)
In fact the word GOD is rarely used in Talks and writings about non-duality for the very simple reason that the idea of there being God sets the mind off on a road of separation immediately - as in ‘me and God’ etc. Because GOD or BEING is EVERYTHING– it is also the WORLD,‘GOOD’ and ‘BAD’. God/ Being is ‘ALL IN ALL’."

Question :
"I" get it intellectually and have for years but one thing "I" can't get away from is the illusion of choice. Thoughts arise and pass away as does everything else including the material universe BUT there remains the illusion that something has choice. It seems to me there can be a dwelling in thought and also repetitive thoughts about choices I think I've made, even though "I" know that there is "no-one" there to choose.

Reply :

"As you say, there is no-one there to do any choosing. Choice arises as spontaneously as thought arises – from nowhere returning to no-where. The idea that something changes as a result of that choice, is also part of the dream. The notion that a choice is ‘yours or ‘his’ – is also erroneous as there is no ‘you’ and no-one outside of ‘you’ that could be a ‘him’ choosing.
You tell me that there can be a ‘dwelling’ in thought - a repetitive thought or constant thoughts about the ‘choice’ that you think you’ve made – but in reality there is no past or future, so therefore the thought of that choice repeating, is only an idea RIGHT NOW, that it's repeating. For instance, take any ‘choice’ - perhaps, to have a cup of tea - why does the thought to have a cup of tea come now? – why not half a minute earlier or half an hour later – why tea? not coffee? You may say that you don’t like coffee? But there’s no past ‘you’ who could’ve dislike coffee before NOW .

Let’s take another example. The ‘choice’ to go away to Italy, perhaps. (Well firstly, Italy itself is a dream – there is no Italy!) Anyway, why should that choice arise now? Why Italy? Is there a dream perhaps that ‘You' has always wanted to go there? (future dream) or that you have been there before and enjoyed it? (past dream)? Ok so ‘you’, who apparently had a thought arise that said: ‘I’m going to Italy’ , will probably next have a future thought which attaches itself to the ‘Italy thought’, with imaginary pictures of what it will be like. These pictures are exciting and full of colour, but those thoughts are arising right now.
There may also have been a dream in which 'you' have been ‘dwelling’ in thought about the Italian holiday – but even that thought of yesterday’s memories is happening NOW. Yet even the word NOW isn’t correct because it suggests a past and present , but we can use other words, such as: ‘presence’ – ‘aliveness’ – ‘life’ - ‘being’ etc.

So ‘choices’ are just thoughts arising spontaneously – and no-one’s making them happen."

Question:

"You say it is about seeing that " no ones doing it". This is the problem Who sees this.? Who realises this.? No one. ?The idea of a no one is not acceptable and rejected immediately by me. I know this is a thought. But these are my thoughts as no one else has them. So its personal.

Our true nature essence or being seems always attached to only my thoughts/feeling/body which makes it personal and individual. There is awareness only of what is happening to my body. So its personal.

I think this is why non duality fails for me . It is not backed up by argument. It makes no sense. The mind does not give up. It just decides to try the latest new idea or new book. I'm wanting a complete answer."

Reply :

"It is always the mind that intellectualises every word spoken to it concerning non-duality, and the mind again, that always reasons that replies such as the one written for you, are ‘incomplete’. But there are no satisfactory or ‘complete’ answers to 'THIS', - beware of any ‘teacher’ that tells you that the mind is the way to go. It’s the mind that always wants answers, formulas and everything wrapped up in nice complete packages, but this is not the way it works. When the seeking stops, then all that you truly AREN'T can be seen, but there’s nothing ‘YOU’ can do about it.

The replies given, arise spontaneously, just like the questions do. They are not even ‘your’ questions and ‘my’ replies. (I never use the word ‘answers’ because there are no answers) and no attempt is made to satisfy the mind’s endless arguments. Those who read the dialogues may be happy or unhappy with the replies that are given - either way, it makes no difference.

It is not ‘belief’ that leads to the ‘seeing of this’ and this is not the way it happened here, either– it can happen at any time for anyone or not . But in reality nothing 'happens'.

A man who’s job was as a dustbin man, whom I met at a non-duality residential, and who had never done any seeking whatsoever – suddenly ‘saw’ it one night in his local pub and nothing has ever been the same for him since; and there are others like him. He was advised to go to the residential, just for confirmation. The 'recognition' just arose with no prior personal effort."

Question:

"Do you mean to say: there is a body, it's just not mine?Same with actions, choices, thoughts, emotions etc.?Awareness is always present. That I see. The I is not totally 'gone' though here, not totally seen through.Whenever the I is present, seeing it is being noticed by awareness, is that the way out of the illusion? Or is more investigation needed?”

Reply:

“It is only the mind, that seeks a formula, a practice, a “ ‘way out’ of the illusion”. That which is noticing awareness IS also awareness. In fact the word ‘awareness’ is one I seldom use, as it is a confusing term, because it then appears as if is there is someone there in the first place to ‘be aware’, when in fact there is no-one. No people – no body – no ‘you’. There are simply thoughts continuously arising - including the thought of ‘you’. This is something I say quite often: if you close your eyes and imagine you haven’t got a name – you will see that all there IS are memories of a supposed history of experiences – but belonging to NO-ONE – even a memory is just a thought happening right now of an apparent past event. It’s all just thoughts. Eventually, if there may be a recognition of this, then the seeking simply drops away. There IS no investigating or ‘self enquiry’ recommended here – WHO is there to investigate? Beyond memories and thoughts, apparent choices and emotions, there is simply BEING - huge, wide, limitless BEING – the ‘I AM’ presence . This is all there is and it’s the real ‘you’ that has always been there – before you were ‘born’ – right NOW and always – unchanging – unmoving – ever present. There are no real answers – because all ‘questions’ and ‘answers’ are mind-made.”

Question:

“Thoughts arise, emotions arise.. what about material, stuff? The separation of objects is not there, the separation is made up by the mind, but what about the whole of the material world, the whole thing together? Is it also made of thought? You describe it as not being solid. It feels so real. What is it made of? Or will this always be a mystery?"

Reply:

"The mind is the great separator. There is no material ‘stuff’ – if you want to say it’s ‘made’ of something – you could always say that absolutely everything is spiritual in substance – this would be the way Quantum Physicians would describe 'All' and Everything.
However, the outside world, that which you think you see outside of 'you' – is only a reflection of your particular dream. What is seen here, is different from your perception and is part of ‘my’ dream.
For instance, people who constantly watch the news all the time, see in their dream, that only bad things going on in the ‘world’. On the other hand, people who never see the news, may well have an opposite dream. EVERYTHING is always thought.
You are looking at this text in your dream and assuming that there is a someone in another place writing to you. But it is appearing NOW and because it is part of your dream, so in effect you are answering your own questions! It’s the mind going on again – analyzing everything!"

Question:

"During the past two years, I've been riding the nonduality circuit very hard: visiting with various Non-Duality teachers. . . What's being expressed by these folks is clearly SEEN and KNOWN to be true, and yet my dividing mind occasionally raises objections, saying, "That can't be right."

A big objection occurs when there's talk of 'other people'. For instance, in one of your replies to a question, you said: "For instance, people who constantly watch the news all the time, see in the dream, that only bad things are going on in the 'world.' On the other hand, people who never see the news, may well have an opposite dream."

My mind says, wait a minute -- wasn't Mandi just saying it's ALL dreamt -- past, future, other people, all of it. So why is she bringing in other people to the discussion? You're saying some people have "their" dream, and other people have a "different" dream. Does that make any sense? WHAT other people, WHAT other dreams, if all there is, is THIS? Why bring the imagined into the discussion, as if the imagined can be used as evidence of reality? I hope you can imagine my frustration"

Reply:

"Just to be clear: it is not 'your' frustration, it is the minds frustration, because it can never grasp this.

Regarding the question of ‘other people’, this is why ‘Non-Duality’ is so hard to put into words – language is so limited. There are no ‘other people’, not in the sense that the mind perceives it. However, the mind will never ‘see’ THIS or ‘get it’. ‘You’ will never find an answer to this because it IS your mind which is the searcher. There isn’t even a ‘mind’ - there are simply thoughts arising, one after another which give a false sense of a solid ‘you’. However, for all of us who make an attempt to write or speak about 'that which cannot be described', we can’t constantly refer to people, by prefacing every word with ‘apparent’ – so we have to use normal language.

There are no people because there is nothing that is separate - ‘I’ cannot separate Myself from Myself. ‘ I AM ‘ all there IS. ‘BEING’ appears in many facets – the idea of a ‘her’ or a ‘him’ out there is just another facet of my perception. I know that there is no ‘out there’ – there is only a reflection of my perception.

If I talk to you about a man I know who lives in Australia, I also know there IS no man in Australia – there is no Australia, either – there is only a thought right now that I know a man in Australia.

‘You’, are a thought arising ‘here’, that there is a man ‘out there’ who has asked me a question. But as I write a reply, there is simply the awareness that ‘I’ am writing to ‘Myself’. If there appears then a ‘you’, who is now reading this reply – then there is simply the ‘reading of this reply’ going on by no-one – from no-one.

This ‘BEING’ or ‘I AM ‘ presence – is all there IS. It is everything and contains everything. It is for instance, the ‘you’ reading the email – it is also the Email itself – the typed words etc. and it is also the computer that is displaying the email – it is all the same. When ‘I’ am typing this Email, there is no-ONE typing it – typing is simply happening by no-one.

Something I often suggest, is to close your eyes for a minute or so, and really try and imagine that you have no name. You will then see that there is no-one – no-body – just a box of memories, and memories are just a made-up story NOW, about something that didn’t actually happen!

So there are no ‘others’, whether it’s people, we're talking about or sofas, chairs or cats – there is just an appearance, an illusion a dream of an ‘out there’ and solidity. Yes, I can see a chair ‘over there’ – if I didn’t – I’d keep bumping into chairs and tripping over them wouldn’t I? Or I can see my friend sat ‘over there’ on the sofa – but it’s simply seen and known (by no-one) that there isn’t actually anyone there, but the ‘game’ is carried on as if it is real. Of course I can see people – otherwise I’d keep bumping into them, but they are experienced as part of me, part of All and Everything. Who you truly are – your direct, true nature, is pure ‘BEING’ - Omnipresent - unimprisoned and un-located in a solid object sat on a chair. ‘YOU’ are so much bigger than your mind. Your true nature is boundless and timeless – it was there before you were born – unchanging – unageing - there really was no-one that was ever born and no-one who can ever die. ‘You’ are limitless.

Just see that the mind or thoughts, constantly try to ‘pair everything down’ to ‘make smaller’ to categorise,to separate, to limit , but thoughts are not ‘YOU’. Thoughts will always to continue to arise. You can’t try and stop thought, but see that no-one is thinking them. There is nothing to do - nothing to see and nothing to get. The mind always wants ANSWERS and DESCRIPTIONS, but it will always be left unsatisfied, because no amount of language can ever ‘capture’ the aliveness and wonder of BEING."

Question:

"My work is in coaching and personal development. I have up to recently been very passionate about my work and in particular about spiritual development. Since reading the various non-duality texts available now and going to listen to Tony Parsons recently I have become very disillusioned about my work, my life and anything and everything else
How can I continue to teach what I don’t believe is true anymore…such as we have control over our lives, we create our reality, our thoughts are powerful and we can attract into our life what we desire through focus and determined action, follow your heart and you will realise your ambitions etc….Is all this complete rubbish, including intuition and psychic ability? Do our thoughts have any real impact on us, on our lives??"

Reply:

"Everything is meaningless and all a dream, HOWEVER, every aspect of the dream is all part of BEING – all part of the ALIVENESS and so there’s no need to give up anything that is enjoyed. There is no-one to make the choice to give up anyway – there’s nothing to give up and everything is fine exactly the way it is.

When ‘THIS’ is seen. life just goes on the same. Shopping continues- eating continues – working for a wage continues . The only thing that is different is the SEEING that there’s no-one doing anything, and so there is no attachment to any of your choices, words or actions. You may find that the work that you do now, falls away, or changes in some way, or not. It doesn’t matter.

A person appears to come to you for your special brand of help - it’s in your dream that they come to you – and in your dream, you can help them – so you might as well do your best to do so. We all have to make a living at what we do best, because while people are in ‘prison’ we may do whatever we can to make their cell more comfortable.

I also have to earn money in order to eat and pay the bills – that’s the dream. So I continue the work I’ve always done – some of which is similar to yours and also includes healing practices and some of the time, and then some of the time it arises that I am a singing teacher. The only difference is there’s no attachment to the outcome. e.g – someone may get healed or not - someone may learn to sing or they won’t. There’s the recognition that all the things I do, are simply being done by no-one. It all just arisesin 'THIS' and I can not truly have an effect on the outcome, since there is no 'I'.

You will either continue to do your work or you won’t. If you enjoy it and it appears to ‘help people’ then why not? There is no special way to act – what we 'do' is played out till it no longer arises. There’s no 'you' who can choose to do it or not do it anyway. Nobody's doing anything - 'you' are being done.

Y’know when people hear or read about Non-Duality initially, the mind grabs on to it as if there’s a practice involved: “ I must now act as a person to whom nothing matters, because what’s the point?” So many people do this and then get very depressed and ‘joyless’ – but the actual seeing of ‘BEING’ cannot be mimicked or acted or pretended. If it’s seen, it’s seen, if it isn’t seen, then nobody get anywhere by acting as if it has been seen. There really is nothing you have to do or change – YOU can’t do anything ut anything anyway.

Your present work has as much and as little relevance as anything else. While we still see apparent people in this world, there may well be a passion to ‘help’ them. That’s fine. It’s all fine."

Question:

" It seems that luck is the main factor in peoples conversion to non duality. Tony got his realisation by a walk in the park as did many others. The problem for me with most spiritual ideas and non duality is the lack of consistency but rather lots of contradition throughout. For example there is no one here make no sense at all. Who can say this then? No one.? It just seems another word play. Non duality seems to me to be based on ideas based on thought therefore based on memory and is therefore of limited value.
My point is that its really down to luck in the end and prior belief to a large extent in the non duality idea. Maybe the belief/ideas leads to the experience. Christians too first believe then have the experience of Christ."

Reply :

"It can appear contradictory, because ‘This’ or ‘Being’ is impossible to write or speak about without there appearing to be ‘someone’ who is speaking or writing about it in the first place! It’s similar to reading a recipe book. Let’s say you’ve always liked chocolate cake and you’ve always wanted to learn how to make it. So you get a recipe book. The cookery writer can show you a photo of the dish and tell you exactly how to make it and what the end result should taste, look and feel like, but no amount of words and pictures can give you the actual taste – but would you rather not have the delicious recipe?

In writing about non-duality there isn’t even a recipe, a formula or a practice that the mind can get it’s little greasping claws into - so, like the cookery writer, the words can only give you pointer to the ‘taste’. But when we read about ‘This’ and/or go to Talks, sometimes we can get glimpses or ‘tastes’ of it, because the mind will not be able ‘do’ anything with what is being heard or read, so it tends to give up and then there can be the opportunity for what you really are (or are not) to be revealed.

When you get frustrated and think that it’s just a matter of ‘luck’ who ‘get’s it’ and who doesn’t – this is the mind that is getting frustrated because the mind always likes to be in control for it’s very survival. But what we are talking about regarding BEING, is beyond the grasp of the mind. It’s simply a matter of the simple truth – it’s what you are doing RIGHT THIS MOMENT and the seeing that no-one’s doing it!

I know you are fed up of ‘non-duality-jargon’ - I totally understand, but there simply aren’t any other words to use. In fact there isn’t even an ‘I’ here to ‘totally understand’ – but in normal conversation it is almost impossible not to use: ‘I’s’ ‘Me’s’ and ‘You’s’.s we apparently age, we are all constantly saying that we feel exactly as we did when we were 20yrs younger – even though our bodies seem to tell a different story. This feeling ‘exactly as we did’ is in fact because nothing has changed! Our ‘essence’ or ‘being’, or ‘aliveness’, ‘spirit’ or true ‘nature’ has not and cannot ever change – it was the same before we were born and will BE after we (apparently) die . In fact people only appear to get old because they see other people doing it!

Finally, you ARE that which you seek – it’s true. It’s not a matter of ‘luck’ – here you are personalizing ‘IT’. Nothing ever happens to a person because there are no people – just the erroneous appearance of separation. There are only thoughts arising from nowhere and going back to nowhere bursting like bubbles almost as soon as they arise( which is why I have bubbles on my website). One thought after another appearing and ‘you’ are just another of those thoughts arising in consciousness. If you shut your eyes and pretended you hadn’t got a name, then all there would be are thoughts arising - when you open your eyes and connect again with a name – then once again, there seems to be a ‘you’ having thosethoughts. We can never stop our thoughts nor should we even try, which would be a waste of energy, because thoughts are all part of this ‘aliveness’ . Everything’s is just fine as ‘IT’ is.

So there’s no ‘carrot’ – no ‘pot of gold’ - no-'one' ever ‘got’ anything - and no-'one’s' ‘ ‘awakened’ – ‘liberated’ or ‘enlightened’."

Question:

“I want to let go of this search that is consuming me, but I'm still in the doubt of letting go of the possibility to know a treasure. To find real peace.
I'm scared to lose everything also, I'm scared to lose my mother, my father, my family....
Also I don't have a job nor I know what I want to do to earn a living ...So I think I have more important things than worrying about spirital stuff anyway....
At a moment while reading your FAQ I suddenly laughed (I experienced this also in the past) but I also felt fear.”

Reply:

“It is the mind that finds all this frustrating – because the mind is constantly seeking to work things out - solve problems – find answers etc. This is not possible.
‘BEING’ is as old as time and beyond time as time doesn’t exist.
There is no ‘you’ who is searching so there is no ‘you’ that can stop searching. Sometimes there are very clear glimpses of this and it sound s like you have had some glimpses. However, it can seem very frightening’ terrifying even, to the mind to let go of all our attachments, but this is to miss the point entirely. EVERYTHING IS ‘THIS’ RIGHT NOW!

‘You’ can’t help searching and being consumed by it – but that is also ‘IT’ . ‘BEING’ ‘THIS’ ‘DIVINE GRACE’ whatever you want to call it, is EVERYTHING - everything that is happening NOW! So searching, if that’s what’s happening, is ‘IT’ too. Do you see? Everything that is happening – everything that is felt is ‘THIS’ - ‘IT’ includes everything – there’s nothing you have to DO – nothing you can do anyway and there isn’t a special way to behave - ALL is included in LIFE – LOVE – ‘THIS’ etc. AND NOTHING IS EXCLUDED – NOTHING AT ALL, NOT EVEN SEARCHING. There is no-one doing the searching – searching is simply happening. If we are afraid to ‘die’ whilst we are alive, if there is fear about ‘letting go’ that’s ok – it simply means that the mind is attached to a false idea of reality, the idea that everything is real and solid ,but these 'things', (including 'people') that we get so attached to, are NOT real, it only seems so in the appearance.

If all this is 'seen', then it is seen but if not then not. It's completely unimportant.There is no ‘happening’ – nothing to achieve and nowhere to go with this. So don’t drive yourself mad with it. There’s far more likelihood of the recognition happening if you stop hoping for ‘something to happen’.
Whether there is searching or not, it truly doesn’t matter.

Question(s):

1.) "You said this on your site: "You are looking at this text in your dream and assuming that there is a someone, in another place writing to you. But it is appearing NOW and because it is part of your dream, so in effect you are answering your own questions! It’s the mind going on again – analyzing everything!"
Are you saying then that there is no such character as Mandi Solk with her version of the 'dream'? Is what appears as the Mandi Solk website purely a part of my perception?

2.) Knowing that there's only 'this' demolishes all hope, or belief in anything and everything, other than 'this'. Or at least it does for me. There is only 'this' (obviously), which appears to be three-dimensional, solid reality and also utterly flat and grey at the same time. Nothing to look forward to, no point in looking back... nothing to be gained or garnered from there. Only this."

Reply:

"Firstly, ‘Mandi Solk’ and her website are all part of your dream – as you and your question are all part of ‘mine’ – there is no ‘me’ – ‘you’ - ‘mine’ - ALL OF THIS IS JUST WHATSOEVER IS ARISING NOW.

Secondly, as for it all seeming ‘flat and grey’ – this is just thoughts arising telling you that ‘THIS’ is flat and boring and depressing. ‘THIS’, what is happening right now, is fully alive and vibrant and bursting with colour – because ‘THIS’ is always NEW.

Often, when people start attending Non-Duality meetings – the mind mis-hears the message, and there can be a tendency to start acting and feeling a certain way. But the seeing of THIS is very ordinary. It’s whatever is happening this moment. Breathing is happening, reading is happening, watching TV maybe happening – by NO-ONE. No-one’s doing it – it is simply being done – or BEING done. Don’t look for this seeing. Everything that is happening is all inclusive in the ALIVENESS of everything because there is NOTHING outside of ‘you’ – everything that is appearing is all part of ‘you’ including ‘me’.
It’s all a game the mind is playing, but when ‘seen’, it’s all such a wonderful game and it’s FUN! So everything is fine just the way it is and there’s nothing to change and no special way to be! Just be with whatever’s going on – or not! ‘You’ can’t do anything about it anyway!"

If you have any questions that you would like to discuss with me about Non-Duality, please email me on:

mandi@non-duality-north.com

or, if you would prefer, you can arrange for a 1-hour consultation at my home, (or a 1hr phone session). The cost for either is £35 (which is paid via Paypal using the "Donate" button below.) Please email me to arrange a suitable time.

I am also happy to visit groups anywhere, if you are happy to arrange it.

In this case, please ring me on: 01422 844801.

Thank you.