You are Awareness Disguised as a Person

Have you ever heard the saying that you are not a human being having a spiritual experience but a spiritual being having a human experience (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin)? I heard this years ago and thought, “that’s a lovely sentiment,” but I never really thought much about it. A spiritual being having a human experience. Hmmmm. This implies that the spiritual part is the REAL part and the human part is merely a passing phase. Once I really began to unpack this idea, I basically blew my own mind.

I’ve heard it said that your body is your only real possession (the implication being that you should take care of it and treat it with kindness). Or “your body is your temple.” But think about it. If you own your body — if your body is a temple external to you —  who is YOU? Who is the essence of you? Because clearly it’s NOT your body, or as Kathryn Budig refers to it, your “meat suit.” You are something else. Not of the physical. You exist in some other space, a place where you are the only you who has ever existed. Nobody else has ever had your thoughts, your experiences, your emotions, your reactions. Nobody ever will. You are eternal. As Deepak Chopra says, “You are unique in the cosmic stream. You can cannot be replaced.” And you are definitely NOT your body. Another “plugged in” awesome dude James Van Praagh also reminds us: “We are infinite beings with unlimited potential who inhabit a physical body on the earth to learn lessons about creating love.” We inhabit this body. We are not defined by this body.

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Recently, I was listening to an Eckhart Tolle interview (full disclosure: he was talking to Oprah on Super Soul Sunday which I LOVE. Sue me.) and he said something that struck me so profoundly that I rushed to write it down in my journal so I wouldn’t ever forget it: “You are awareness disguised as a person.”

Whoa.

You are awareness.  Awareness. What does this mean exactly? As I spent some time seriously thinking about it, I realized that being aware really means being present in the moment. Living in the now. Paying attention to what is in front of you. Not living in the past. Not future-tripping. But purely living moment-to-moment. THIS IS REALLY HARD TO DO. Really. The ego (your fearful thoughts) tends to pull negative past experiences into the present moment and allows them to be/feel real over & over (and over, etc.,). The ego also tells you that you have control over the future. But guess what I’ve figured out? No one can control the future because it doesn’t exist! Thankfully, I’ve also realized that eventually you can master this “live in the now” outlook & the notion of time suddenly becomes irrelevant.  Because you’re enjoying the moment & have complete faith in the future.

“What’s done is done. What is over is over. We are meant to move forward, to progress. Everything natural and beautiful and true and living was designed to constantly be renewing itself, progressing, living living living and then dying — going on to the next step of its cycle. When we clench old things in our hands we prevent new things from holding hands with us. New experiences, new things to learn, new relationships, new things that we don’t even know exist yet.” (Brave Girls Club)

To make your brain hurt a little, consider this: we can’t NOT think. Because then we’re thinking about not thinking. Descartes famously said, “I think, therefore I am.” I exist because I can be present. Along the same lines, Hegel theorized, “Matter is thought that has fallen into a state of self-otherness.” You are disguised as a person. So, matter (your body) is the projection of your thoughts but is not you. Not the essence of who you are. It’s a delusion that we’re mere human beings! Dr. Wayne Dyer reminds us that we are not our bodies — these “meat suits” — but rather we are the divine intelligence within. You are eternal. Your image will fade, but you are infinite. You’re just here temporarily, so think of your body as an instrument, not an ornament. Your disguise.

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Neale Donald Walsch & Jean Houston gave a lecture recently and dropped some wicked truth bombs that speak to this lesson as well: Pay attention to the agenda of your soul — it’s not a job, but a state of being. You are the universe in miniature. Find the joy. Be forever curious. You are needed in this world & you can make a difference.

You take care of the future by living in the present. The universe is holding its breath, waiting for you to take your place. So always say yes to the present moment. The closer you are to your soul, the more you abide in and embody its limitless capabilities. Feast on the moment. The only time that matters is right now. You are exactly where you need to be.

Sat nam.