The true meaning of I is not in the dream

Magdi Badawy, 01-18-2022

So welcome

first we welcome ourselves as presence

which is the recognition
that everything is effortlessly welcomed

and this welcoming
is our true self

not some decision we make
not some effort we exert
rather it is simply
how these words you hear
this perception you proceed
this sensation you sense

by your very nature
choicelessly

because there is nothing at stake for anyone

like the surface of the pond
is available to the sunshine

you are this availability

everything appears to you
in this moment

moment by moment

like the sunshine appears

like clouds appear

like the wind appears

you are transparent

to whatever appears

whatever appears to you

is not separate from you

like the ripple on the surface of the pond appears
but it’s not separate from the pond

like a sensation appears to
is not separate from you

you being this awareness

so invite yourself to simply rest as awareness

not as any form or any object
not as any person with a history
or a future

but as awareness which is not in time

awareness does not appear
as an object
as a form
as a sensation
as an emotion

it is beyond appearance
and yet no appearance is beyond it

like the pond does not appear
within the ripples on its surface

there is no ripple
which does not appear within the pond

when you’re confuse yourself
to be somebody who’s appearing
as an object in the world as a mind

you’re overlooking your reality as this transparent awareness

so, invite your experience to
be a floating

a floating experience
within the space of awareness

without focusing
on anything in particular

so that your experiences
nourishing dancing floating

and because you’re not focusing on any particular aspect of your experience

it merges
into awareness

because in fact
it has always been
awareness itself

this moment taking on the form
of hearing
sensing
perceiving
feeling

borderless awareness

there is only one I
one self one reality

and this I
is that which hears these words right now

it’s not made out of flesh and bones
it’s not made out of memories and hopes and despairs

which is not male or female

awareness

and this I is not located
inside the body or inside the room
or inside a world

whatever is located inside the room
or outside the world or inside the body
is that which we perceive

which we refer to as mind

the concept of a tree
concept of the lake

the conceptual world
thoughts sensations

they have no existence of their own outside of awareness

the body
meaning bodily sensations and perceptions
appears in the same space
where a thought appears.
a sensation
appears in the same space
as a memory
as an image

if thought appears in the same space
that the oak tree appears in

there is not a separate space
called the world
and a separate space called the mind
and the separate space called the body

the separation
the world
the body
the mind
is a conceptual classification

while in fact our experience
which is always this moment
is not divided
into world body and mind

the division is an afterthought
a conceptual classification

it serves its purpose
it is like dividing the ocean into
the northern sea and the southern sea

or dividing the body
into various parts

or dividing yourself into
me and not me

all these divisions are conceptual
and when we don’t realize
the conceptual aspect of the division
of consciousness into me and not me
then we feel that we are
some form
we share
that we are
within a certain balloon or cocoon
living inside the body
facing an external world
we feel we
exists in time
while time is your dream

a thought appears to you from yesterday
about your grandmother
about when you were a young boy or girl
thoughts appear to you

The impression of time
appears to you

nothing wrong with that
except when you believe yourself
to be inside time
to be the subject of time
or a product of time

time is a concept
when we are hungry we eat
and when we are tired we rest
and when we feel happy we dance
we feel lonely we seek company
when we feel the need for bonding
we reach out to friends lovers

where is time in all of that

now, our society is ruled by time
not by happiness
not by joy,
freedom
celebration
and beauty
and friendliness

it is ruled by time

hurry hurry
because we believe we
exist in time

you’re possessed by time
and worry and concern
and fear

but you do not exist in time
you exist period

time appears in existence
existence does not appear in time

the oak tree in the yard
has no age
it was never born
the entire universe
is contained
in the acorn

where is the acorn contained?

Do not consider yourself to be somebody
do not consider yourself to be a son or a daughter.
Mother a father men and women.

let the body be what it is
do not define yourself
as the body or the mind
do not define yourself period

you’re not worried be not concerned about
feelings and emotions and thoughts