living truth: “… The ultimate is always in the background. Then, to awaken yourself in this silent oneness is a spontaneous event … your real nature is timeless. Time and space are expressions of the ultimate, live in it, have their reality in the ultimate. When there is wonder or astonishment…there are many opportunities in the day to feel your non-dual, timeless nature …” ~ Jean Klein
Despite the sheer simplicity of recognizing That which is our True Nature it remains elusive for most … so this post addresses a common question inevitably encountered by many during their self realization journey.
Silence, Oneness, spontaneity, and wonder offer some of the clues to recognizing, or realizing, our True Nature. The what and how of these clues, of course, depends on the teachers and the traditions.
Jean Klein – a teacher of non duality – shared insights, from his direct experience, during his lifetime – via various gatherings. Fortunately, transcripts of such gatherings are available in the form of various books – typically these contain Q&As between Jean and the audience – sometimes preceded by a brief talk.
We began substantive previews of Jean’s books with his classic Book of Listening … in a 5-part series.
Today, we continue this exploration via excerpts from his book Living Truth – a collection of Q&As from his April 1988 seminar …
… Part 1 provided his answers to two questions pertinent to the topic:
You speak often of glimpses of reality. In the last couple of days I’ve had such glimpses. Is there nothing I can do to extend those times?
Do you think it is necessary to cut back on daily activities to be more available to that deeper silence or stillness?
And this Part 2 is his brief talk before the Q&As in the April 21st session … where he delves into the nature of self-awareness and consciousness : that our true nature cannot be objectified or understood as a subject-object relationship … and that what’s key is open, unconditioned listening and embracing a state of not knowing … this “openness” is a way of life where relationships are pure and unbounded …
This post is part of a multi-part series offering a substantive preview of Living Truth via chapters excerpts …
{All italicized text below including Jean’s opening quote is from Jean’s book and is published here with the publisher New Sarum Press’ generous permission. Scroll to the bottom for a free downloadable Table of Contents.}
For the foreseeable future some (maybe even all or a majority) of our posts will be shorter than usual.
Living Truth Q&A: Jean Klein
What we are looking for is our nearest. The question is the answer, because the answer was before the question. Otherwise there could never be a question. Any other answer would be only an object. We are the ultimate subject. What we profoundly are can never be an object. Understanding this immediately produces a re- orchestration of energy. Looking for something, achieving something, grasping for something, living in end-gaining, becoming – all this eccentric energy comes to a stop. It is not a process of will; it is a natural giving up. In the stillness which follows, we are completely available.
Allow whatever desires to come, to come, because you can never go to it, it can only come to you. We can never go to it because there is no way to go to it and nobody to go there. It is the instantaneous awakening of our totality which is neither outside nor inside, neither introversion nor extroversion.
It is not a state because in a state you go in and you come out. It is the light, permanent light, eternal light, which is behind all perception. This openness is our real nature where there is nobody open and nothing is open. There is only openness. It can never be named, because it is without any quality. That is why it is the ultimate negative state.
We are so accustomed in our life to functioning in subject-object relationship on the level of the mind. It is mainly the personal entity which we believe we are which hinders us from being available. Speaking simply, one should be free from being somebody. In the state of openness there is no place for somebody, for an I-concept. The question “Who am I?” is the answer. There is no other answer. It is the living answer.
All that is positive is an object, but what you are fundamentally can never be an object. It is objectless, nameless and without any qualification. It is the ultimate negative state, and in its freedom, all is possible. It is ultimate creativity. The ultimate negativity is beyond positive and negative. Because what you are fundamentally is without any quality and is timeless and spaceless, it would seem perfectly clear that no technique, no system, no so-called progression can bring you to what you are fundamentally. All this is a going away from it. The ultimate understanding is an insight that you are your totality, that there is not a knower of it, that the totality is its own knowing, that it is not in subject-object relationship. Generally, we make an object of it. Most so-called meditation is in subject-object relationship.
“… In the moment of wonderment, there is no subject-object relationship, no perceiver. You are completely attuned to beauty; there is oneness …”
It is through listening, through unconditioned listening free from memory, free from any expectation, that you come to this insight. You must first have the insight, a glimpse. Then live with what brought you to the threshold of this glimpse. There will be a moment when you no longer need to do all this preparation. The understanding that your real nature is never an object, never an assertion, brings you automatically to openness, to not knowing.
Knowledge of truth exists only through not knowing. This not knowing is openness, and openness is truth. Openness is not a psychological state but a way of living where there is beauty in relationship, because there is no more relationship, there is only Relation.
So live with the understanding which brought you to this glimpse. Do not touch it or manipulate it or in any way try to make it clear on the intellectual level. Do not touch it, otherwise you take all the perfume from it. As we said, you can never produce the glimpse by will. You can only remember the elements which brought you to the threshold of this glimpse. There is nobody who has a glimpse, but your whole body-mind is struck by it, and it leaves a residue in the body-mind. Live with this residue, live in innocence, without any desire to change it, provoke it or recreate it.
Stay tuned for more … Jean Klein’s teachings from Living Truth …
All italicized text above (except otherwise noted) is from Living Truth by Jean Klein and is published here with the publisher New Sarum Press‘ generous permission.
And click here for a FREE downloadable copy of the Table of Contents, graciously and generously made available by the publisher New Sarum Press.
And, may Jean Klein’s wisdom … serve you … in your everyday life … and …
May you remain safe and healthy.
Images (edited & Logo added): 1 & Featured) Aquarius star constellation, Night sky, Cluster of stars, Deep space, Zodiac constellation, Water Bearer, Water Carrier by allexxandar, 2) The Book of Listening cover image from New Sarum Press, 3) Beautiful summer sunrise in the mountain village by jojjik, 4) Godafoss (Akureyri) waterfall at sunny day, spectacular landscape of Iceland iconic place with blue cloudy sky, long exposure. Skjalfandafljot river, Norurland, North of Iceland by lugrin. All except 2) purchased from 123rtf and/or depositphotos. All are for use only on our website/social channels (these images are not permitted to be shared separate from this post),
