My life is a succession of events, just like yours. Only I have detached and see the passing show as a passing show, while you stick to things and move along with them.

- Nisargadatta Maharaj,posted to ANetofJewels

Laughing at Reality

Attention to one's own Self, which is ever shining as 'I', the one undivided and pure reality, is the only raft with which the individual, who is deluded by thinking 'I am the body', can cross the ocean of unending births.'

Reality is simply the loss of ego. Destroy the ego by seeking its identity. Because the ego is no entity it will automatically vanish and reality will shine forth by itself. This is the direct method, whereas all other methods are done only by retaining the ego. In those paths there arise so many doubts and the eternal question 'Who am I?' remains to be tackled finally. But in this method the final question is the only one and it is raised from the beginning. No sadhanas are necessary for engaging in this quest.

There is no greater mystery than this — that being the reality we seek to gain reality. We think that there is something hiding our reality and that it must be destroyed before the reality is gained. It is ridiculous. A day will dawn when you will yourself laugh at your past efforts. That which will be on the day you laugh is also here and now.

~Ramana Maharshi in 'Be As You Are' ed. David Godman

If we investigate closely, we just might find that experiences do not happen
through the body. That the body is not something that serves as a conduit
for experience-it is ITSELF nothing more than experiences. It is
experienced as sensations, feelings and thoughts. And where do these
sensations, feelings and thoughts happen? Not in or through the body, not
anywhere in fact. Totally non-localized. Any localization is itself just
an experience.

Greg Goode http://heartofnow.com