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You are not your body. You are That which is aware of your body. What is it, right now, that knows that your body and thoughts are present? Remain with the pause that is caused from that question. See that within the pause there is a hushed, knowing, un-altering presence of peace and spaciousness.
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Being Here Now is merely seeing that that is already the case. There is no movement or "shifting" into that position, as many teachers will have you believe. That expression is just another word for Presence.
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It's the immediacy and obviousness of awareness that throws many seekers. But there is no difficulty involved in this understanding. Yes, awareness is subtle, but not overwhelmingly so. You don't need to concentrate for X-number of minutes or hours on some abstract, advaitic term or concept. Just an easy recognition of an inherent tranquility and expansiveness is all that is needed.
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There is practically no psychological suffering here. Physical ailments sure: Lower back pain, chronic insomnia, teeth/gum issues, and various other middling matters. But my psychological makeup--thoughts, emotions, personality, etc--are seen for what they are: Temporary appearances in a true and unconditioned Self.
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Self-knowledge isn't something that you must "enter" or "re-enter." For when do you ever stop being awareness itself?
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Start with what you are: Knowingness. Don't let the word throw you or attempt to overly conceptualize the issue. For if you look closely, you'll see that what you are simply knowingness. You aren't this body, mind, and consciousness. You are that which Knows that your physicality, thoughts, or states of alertness are appearing. Just stay with the fact of this pointer until it is clear, if you have a natural interest to do so. See that there is indeed an unchanging presence of clarified Knowingness within you and as you at this very moment.
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Your natural state is your natural state. It's there whether you sit comfortably in an easy chair or uncomfortably in some contorted position on the floor, while taking deep breaths and holding your palms and fingers in the OM position. You don't move into that state by moving into those positions! Truly folks, do you really think that any of that stuff matters?
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Awareness is what you are. You never move away from that. You're the witness to all appearances and to the movement of life. Your thoughts, feelings, sensations, physicalness, and consciousness are all a part of that movement. And anything that changes is an appearance; therefore, it cannot even begin to be who and what you are. So what is it, right now, that is not changing? There is something, at this very moment, that isn't altering in the least. What is it? What is that something? Spend some time with this question. Just sit with it, if you are drawn to do. And you just may see the answer for yourself--an answer that has always, always been radiantly present.
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News & Info
Fully Present is now available at the excellent Powell's Bookstore, in Portland, Oregon.
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Fiona Robertson interviews Rodney on Nic Higham's NONDUALITY NETWORK!
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And click HERE to purchase Fully Present at Barnes & Noble.
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And go HERE for the press release for Fully Present.
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For Tami Brady's review of Fully Present in TCM Reviews, 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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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.
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.
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