Assumed, But Not Actual

The soft, wobbly ride on the "Rapid." It lurches from the bowels of the airport to the apocalyptic grim of downtown Cleveland. I gaze through the windows. Curiosity and sadness arise within me, and not a scintilla of aversion. Dark riders loll in the dusky seats. The only whiteness holds my hand.

Later, the talk at the aromatic Coffee House at University Circle. A handful of bright, hardy souls braving the frigid evening. I begin to speak. Words pour forth from a source I know all too well--and yet, not at all. For there is nothing but Presence, and no one to know it.

Afterwards, always the second-guessing: Was I specific enough in pointing out how pauses are wellsprings for creativity too? Were my examples accessible? Should I have reiterated how creativity arises in us similarly, but expresses itself differently in every person? And yet, it comes from the same source: Awareness itself.

Books are signed in my quick, indecipherable scrawl. I glance at my name. Who is this person that toiled at these svelte tomes? One can only point to a fleeting approximation, a beingness where individuality is assumed, but is not actual.

Long, tight hugs from those in attendance. Then the weighted silence during the quick stroll to the car. She glances at me, this former love, attempting to make sense of a "someone" that was never actually there in the first place. Her gloved hand touches my arm.

But we say nothing, as the sleet quickens. We gaze at the huge, neoclassic Cleveland Art Museum, with its white Georgian Marble. It's all a part of her storied life now--this sprawling, erudite, collegiate community. Her hand on my arm does not move. It says only one thing: Come back to me.

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News & Info

Rodney's new book, Fully Present: Daily Reflections on Nonduality, is now out. It is $18.95 for the paperback (excluding postage). You can order it directly from the publisher right HERE.

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NEW: The paperback version of Fully Present is now on AMAZON! It can also be purchased at Barnes & Noble, and is available through bookstores nationwide.

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For the Kindle edition of Fully Present, go here: AMAZON.

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And go HERE for the press release for Fully Present.

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More praise for the new book:

Tami Brady of TCM Reviews has reviewed Fully Present. Go HERE.

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"Fully Present is an elegant addition to the growing literature on nonduality as it is being uncovered, lived and understood in the modern West."

--Philip Goldberg, author of the best-selling American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation--How Indian Spirituality Changed the West. Philip's Web site can be found at www.philipgoldberg.com.

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"Rodney Stevens opens his daily life and thoughts to us in these immensely natural and pleasant ramblings of one who is fully engaged in life, love, nonduality, and cinnamon muffins."

--Catherine Ann Jones, award-winning screenwriter, spiritual workshop leader, and author of The Way of the Story: The Craft and Soul of Writing. Her Web site is www.wayofstory.com

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EVENTS: I will be giving a weekend talk on nonduality at OneCircle in Silver Spring, Maryland on February 10-12, 2012. For the flyer, go HERE. I will also be signing books, as well as answering questions. Feel free to contact OneCircle for more information.

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Rodney is also the author of A Vastness All Around: Awakening to Your Natural State, a powerful and elegant collection of essays, discussions, interviews, and powerful pointers. It can be ordered directly from the publisher at Lulu Press.

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For the book's Press Release, click Here.

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Check out Rodney on YouTube talking about "The Fundamental Thing."

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Feel free to read a review of the Kindle Edition of Vastness on Amazon.

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Nonduality Magazine has published a discussion with Rodney about his work and book. The extensive and wide-ranging interview was done by John LeKay, the magazine's editor.

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"I like your approach in A Vastness All Around. The stories, thoughts and vignettes of your life seem wonderful ways to make people stop and pay attention to where they actually are right now, rather than in some imagined past or future. They show that you don't have to be some specially qualified person, preferably with a title and a name in Sanskrit, to pursue the spiritual quest. Your message comes across particularly well in such pieces as 'Sheerness of Being.'"

--Valerie J. Roebuck, Ph.D., Honorary Research Fellow, University of Manchester (England)

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I am now doing phone consultations via Skype! Each conversation will take about an hour, and a $25 donation will be greatly appreciated.

I am also scheduling teaching events at this time. If you would like to arrange something in your area, you may email me at: writerguy (at) fastmail (dot) fm

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This blog is generally updated every Sunday afternoon, Eastern Standard Time.