We are lost in a fantasy of separation in which I am “in here” while the world I see—the ten thousand things—is “out there.” It is from that confusion that one awakens. ~ Robert Saltzman
Stillness Speaks is pleased to offer this excerpt from Robert Saltzman’s new book The Ten Thousand Things which takes a unique and pragmatic look at awakening, free will, self-determination, destiny, choice, and who we really are. Robert has graciously provided a PDF of his book’s third chapter, Awakening Never Ends, which is free to download. This post provides an overview for this exciting chapter. Be sure to read the entire downloaded chapter to get the full impact of Robert’s experience and wisdom. All quoted material (italics) in this post is from the chapter.
Robert was recently interviewed by Rick Archer of Buddha at the Gas Pump … on Sat July 8th 10AM MDT.
The chapter opens with a question to Robert: as an apparently awake person who is willing to answer questions, what would you say is the most important question to ask?
Saltzman’s response….
The “I” who is replying to questions here is not a “person” at all, which is really only a legal and social designation, but an undeniable, unrestrained flow of perceptions, feelings, and thoughts. That flow is not happening to me. That flow is me. In the eyes of the world Robert may be a person, but to myself I am not a person, but a happening, a stream of consciousness over which I have no control.
We are all like that, but not all of us know it. Most of us were put into a trance state long ago, beginning in early childhood—a kind of stupor in which the emptiness, impermanence, and co-dependency of “myself” goes unseen.
We are lost in a fantasy of separation in which I am “in here” while the world I see—the ten thousand things—is “out there.” It is from that confusion that one awakens.
Robert describes his personal “awakening, for which he claims no responsibility…
I did nothing to awaken. An older friend had been pointing out to me various ways in which I was wrapped up in egotism, so that may have loosened the lacings a bit, but awakening came as an out-and-out surprise—a profound shock actually. I was not expecting it, and awakening from the trance of personhood was nothing I did willfully or ever could have done. It was not even anything I could have imagined.
Quite suddenly there was a shift of focus. It was seen that the endless stream of consciousness I had been calling “myself,” was not a myself at all and never had been, but constant motion, an endless stream of feelings, thoughts, memories, originating I knew not where, beyond judgment, and beyond regulation.
Saltzman admits to feeling stunned….
Words cannot describe how radical and revolutionary that vision really felt. The totality of beliefs and opinions that had seemed so important, so essential, so worth defending, lost significance entirely—a bunch of nonsense that could matter only to the “person” I had considered myself to be. Those beliefs and opinions had been my mooring. Being without them was like falling through empty space where everything is always changing, including myself, regardless of what myself believes or disbelieves, wants or doesn’t want, likes or doesn’t like. As Kurt Vonnegut observed in Cat’s Cradle, “Likes and dislikes have nothing to do with it.”
Saltzman turns briefly to scientific inquiry and, though he admits its usefulness, scientific investigation hasn’t come close to revealing the unimaginable immensity….
We find ourselves alive as apparent features of an unimaginable immensity. No one knows the boundaries or even if there are any. No one knows how all this got here, or if it was always here. Astronomers, cosmologists, mathematicians, and other experts enjoy powerful tools of investigation these days. They theorize and opine, slicing what they call “reality” finer and finer, but they have no final answers. Only the self-deluded have final answers.
We imagine we are the same person throughout our lives. But are we really? Saltzman responds…
When I am shown words I wrote in the past, it feels to me as if someone else had written them. Yes, a “person” called Robert once typed those words or wrote them with a pen, but that writing doesn’t feel like mine. Those words were a kind of self-expression at the time of their writing, but that myself is not around any longer to express itself or anything else. Certainly I’d write something different now. I don’t know what I would write. I would find that out only as it was being written. From that perspective, it feels strange to be asked for advice about how to awaken, because awakening never ends.
Like everything else, “myself” is always changing, and so the understandings of this moment may be outshone in the next by a clearer vision, or may even appear to have been only a misunderstanding.
Saltzman gives an example of his own contradictions, ideas and understandings that have formed and reformed over the years, as an example of how he (and all of us) continually evolve. He closes with a Zen story….
Two monks happen to meet in the road. In the customary mode of Zen combat, the first asks, “Where are you, brother?”
“Oh me? I’m in the place where nothing ever changes.”
“But I thought everything was always changing.”
“Yes, that never changes either.”
So, in case you are still wanting my advice about the “most important question to ask” that’s it, and you ask it not of me, but of yourself: “Where are you, brother?”
*******
Robert was recently interviewed by Rick Archer of Buddha at the Gas Pump … on Sat July 8th 10AM MDT. Also Robert has two short videos available which are well worth a watch, Awakening and You and Here Now.
Dr. Robert Saltzman is an artist/photographer, and retired psychotherapist who lives and works in Todos Santos, Baja California. You can find out more about Dr Saltzman on his website.
Images (edited and logo added): Featured and 1) Face by kellepics 2) Boy Buddha by lioness88 3) Mystical Portrait by AngelinaUloma 4) Fantasy Twins by kellepics 5) Crystal ball by GoranH. All images are CC0 1.0 Public Domain from Pixabay.com.
Thank you so much for presenting this chapter and the link to the interview. I have been reading in the wisdom traditions for years. After reading this chapter I bought the book and read it through from cover to cover in one afternoon without stopping, This is one of the most exciting books I have ever read in this field. Once I began with Chapter 1 I could not stop reading. The writer has a way of talking about awakening that is clear and immediately understandable and that challenges beliefs and forces the reader to investigate for themselves. I agree with the introduction that called this a breakthrough book. I am on my second reading and I am sure that this is a book I will always have on the shelf to be taken down from time to time and read again. So thanks again for bringing this to my attention.
Ron,
You are most welcome … we are grateful to offer this service and present luminaries, like Robert … and others from various traditions.
You already have the book … but in case you are interested, here’s our post on the first chapter from Robert’s book.
Robert will see your comment soon and may drop by with a comment 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Sanjiv
Hello, Ron– Thanks very much for your comment and for being a reader of The Ten Thousand Things. I am so happy to hear that you have found my words meaningful.
Be well,
Robert
Dear Robert, I really did find your words meaningful. More than meaningful really. Since I began reading it I feel a kind of revolution taking place in my way of seeing. And speaking of seeing I forgot to mention how great your photographs are. I am a photographer myself and so have the background to appreciate how wonderful they really are and how much they add to the book.
I am a fan. Thanks again.
Hi Robert, I’ve just come across you in Buddha at the GasPump, and as a scientist and long-time seeker of truth (via TM, de Caussade, and more recently Ramana and Nisargadatta) was very interested to hear your views. So I immediately ordered your book Ten Thousand Things from Amazon.co.uk, I’m English and live in UK, but I got a reply back this morning saying they couldn’t fulfill the order as requested (no reason) even though the book was listed. Disappointment!
You mentioned to Rick Archer the book is being serialised on Stillness Speaks. I’ve seen chapters 1 and 3 – they’re excellent and have whetted my appetite further. Will the others appear soon?
Best wishes
Hardy Ford
Hi Hardy,
Sorry to hear that you can’t get the book in UK … below’s the answer to your question re book chapters on Stillness Speaks. Robert may come in add his comments when he has a chance … plus he may have some ideas about how to get it.
We are publishing select chapters from the book as a way to introduce it and spread/share Robert’s wisdom. A total of 5 chapters are planned. The post re the next chapter (#6) is almost ready and will be published in a few days. I’ll post a comment here to ping you.
We are so glad to hear that our posts on Robert’s book are serving their purpose … and giving you access to more of his views while the purchase matter is resolved.
Thanks for dropping by.
Regards
Sanjiv
Dear Hardy Ford–
I am happy to hear that you found something of interest in the interview on batgap. My book goes into much greater depth than was possible in that interview, and I am sure you will enjoy reading it.
I do not know why Amazon.uk could not fill your order for The Ten Thousand Things. I assume you wanted to purchase the hard copy. There is, however, also an ebook available–the Kindle edition–and that can be read on any device. Please try to purchase a copy of the Kindle edition, and then please inform me here if that worked for you or not.
Update: I just tried to order the book from Amazon.uk and apparently it is now available. I did not complete the purchase, but I did get as far as the payment page, so perhaps you should try again.
Thanks and be well.
Thanks Sanjiv & Robert for your quick and helpful responses.
I’ve revisited amazon.co.uk and I think the problem of non-delivery concerned the fact that I’d requested first-class delivery – which they couldn’t fulfil. It was the paperback, the hardback isn’t listed. I’ve now gone for the ebook and it’s downloaded successfully.
Robert, can I just say how much the few words I’ve so far read of yours, the opening chapters of T4 and responses you made to a Marilyn some time ago but which I’ve just come across, speak so clearly and directly to me. You and I are the same generation and have some similarities in background, that helps as well as your close understanding of the literature I’ve been using for inspiration, and most importantly the clarity of what you have to say. So thank you!
Sincerest best wishes
You are most welcome Hardy.
Glad the book purchase is resolved … it is a great book and it’s wonderful to know that it’s “speaking” to you – as it is to many others!
I’ll alert Robert re this latest comment and he’ll come in if/as appropriate.
Again thanks for dropping by.
Sanjiv
Thanks for the update, Hardy. I am so glad to hear that my work speaks to you.
The “paperback” is actually a lovely art book printed on high quality stock with a high quality cover too. Everyone who has one loves it. There is no hardbound edition.
Wishing you all the best,
Robert