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You Are Not a Who

5/23/2012

17 Comments

 
Picture

That voice in your head, the one that tells you to:
    
Hit the snooze bar one more time
Spit off the roof of a tall building
Gossip about a coworker
Stop living in the past
Have one more cookie
Become more spiritual

You know, that voice.

When you think about it, though, it’s not really a voice, is it?

Unless you’ve gone completely mad, you don’t really hear a voice. It’s more appropriate to say that you are aware of the thoughts parading through your mind.

You call it a voice because it personalizes this naturally occurring process, because it creates the notion of a “me”, a doer, someone having thoughts, someone calling the shots.

But that’s not what happens. There’s no one calling any shots. There is no “me”.

“Me” is just another thought flitting through your mind.

“Me” is the thought you have never considered to be a thought, perhaps until this very moment.

You have been under the impression that you were directing your thoughts, when all the time you were a thought.

In a police lineup consisting of the following subjects holding numbers to their chests…

1.   Hit the snooze bar one more time
2.   Spit off the roof of a tall building
3.   Gossip about a coworker
4.   Stop living in the past
5.   Have one more cookie
6.   Become more spiritual
7.   Me

…you would likely identify subjects 1-6 as thoughts, and subject 7 would get a free pass. You would assume that “me” is the person on the other side of the two-way glass, the one identifying subjects 1-6 as thoughts. However, there were actually seven thoughts in the lineup, because “me” is just another thought.

Got it?

Okay, now that you know the correct answer, let’s try this exercise again.

The following subjects appear in a police lineup holding numbers to their chests:

1.   Hit the snooze bar one more time
2.   Spit off the roof of a tall building
3.   Gossip about a coworker
4.   Stop living in the past
5.   Have one more cookie
6.   Become more spiritual
7.   Me

How many of these subjects are thoughts?

All seven, you say? Correct.

Now, who is it on the other side of the two-way glass making this observation?

If “me” is standing in the lineup holding up number 7, then who sees this? Who is aware of this? How could you possibly be in two places at once?

Well, you can’t.

The “me” standing next to “become more spiritual” is an imposter. It’s a thought pretending to be you.

You are the one peering through the glass, aware that “me” is just another thought.

You are not a who. You are more of a what.

You are awareness, not a person who is aware, but awareness itself - formless, borderless, disembodied awareness.


You do not have a hat size or a birthday.

You do not have friends or fall in love.

You do not mow the lawn or pay taxes.

You never need a haircut.

You exist beyond the world of form. You are the field of awareness in which forms appear.

Strip away the false identities you have accumulated since childhood, all derived from the thought “me”, the great imposter, and awareness is what remains.

Awareness is your true nature, your core. Awareness is you galore.

You are the light of awareness illuminating all that is, including the thoughts parading through your mind.

You are aware before a thought appears.
You are aware when a thought passes by.
You are aware when a thought disappears.

Thoughts come and go, but you remain. You are the inextinguishable flame of awareness in which all is revealed.




John Ptacek

17 Comments
Bobbi
5/24/2012 01:04:57 am

truer than true! Looking forward to your next offering and... thanks in advance

Reply
Paul H
9/21/2012 09:37:11 am

This article appeared in the Living Now mag Sept 2012 under the title ‘You are not a hat size….’ It is one of the best layman’s explanation I have heard of the challenging Buddhist concept of sammasati – remembering you are (and are not). Thank you.

Reply
John Ptacek
9/21/2012 08:27:04 pm

Thanks for sharing your perspective, Paul. I am unfamiliar with the term sammasati, but its meaning does resonate with the content in my article. Thanks also for affirming that my message might be absorbable by a general audience. This is the intention of my writing, to make the wise but sometimes inaccessible teachings of our great spiritual leaders understandable yo a wide audience. Everyone deserves a sip of the good stuff, yes?

Reply
whitefang
10/20/2012 02:04:43 am

"But, a life without love, that's terrible!"

Reply
John Ptacek
10/20/2012 05:28:48 am

Hey Whitefang, who said anything about a life without love? Minus the illusion of who, love is all you are.

Reply
kyle
10/22/2012 04:37:35 pm

I like your writing. Your messages are true and deep. How did you come to discover your own awareness? I've just recently read Eckharte Tolle's, "The Power of Now" and your messages seem one in the same. Interesting stuff, look forward to reading more of your work

Reply
John Ptacek
10/22/2012 07:37:48 pm

Thanks, Kyle. Eckhart Tolle is one smart guy. He and J Krishnamurti had a powerful influence on me. In case you might want to explore Krishnamurti, As One Is might be a good place to start. I'm glad we connected.

Reply
ryan
1/8/2013 01:42:50 pm

i absolutely love your writing style. its so easy to understand.

Reply
john ptacek
1/8/2013 06:15:34 pm

Thanks, Ryan. Sounds like I'm doing my job!

Reply
snoring causes link
7/22/2013 02:46:08 pm

That's really interesting to think and I agree that you are right too. There is an inner voice which is leading us in various situations. The voice is of our inner voice and I do believe there is nobody in this world who never experienced this.

Reply
John Ptacek
7/22/2013 06:40:04 pm

When the chattering voice ceases, the voice of intelligence arises.

Reply
Kyle Leon link
9/24/2013 05:35:55 pm

Unless you’ve gone completely mad, you don’t really hear a voice. It’s more appropriate to say that you are aware of the thoughts parading through your mind.

Reply
Stephen Salt
1/31/2014 06:58:37 pm

I like this it's what brought me to this site, I first read it & was impressed that I felt like I could understand if only for briefly due to my own thoughts taking me back to the same old. But I was only able to feel interested & be compelled to find out more because of how clearly it comes across. I shared straight away with a friend who I usually confuse with my explanations. But this time I've shown him something where a seed might be planted. Thanks

Reply
Bobbi
1/31/2014 10:42:08 pm

Reply
Göran Backlund link
7/28/2014 03:02:00 pm

Good stuff. Thanks for expressing. "You are not a who" - I love that.

Reply
Cliff
8/12/2018 07:03:35 pm

Good stuff. I read all of your postings in one sitting and I'm hungry for more. Much thanks and appreciation!

Reply
John Ptacek
8/13/2018 03:24:32 pm

Glad you dropped in, Cliff. Thanks for the feedback!

Reply

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