Dew from the Nucleus of Self

Penetrate into the ultimate truth of mind,
And we have neither things nor no-things;
Enlightenment and not-enlightenment they are the same;
Neither mind nor thing there is.

Dhritaka the sixth patriarch of Zen expresses his thoughts about non-physical consciousness in this translation. No one is sure exactly what Dhritaka meant when he expressed those thoughts centuries ago, but it is safe to say he was explaining an aspect of self that is functioning in the void of no-thing. This void and the emptiness within it are filled with consciousness units that expand to experience other elements of self.

The belief in religion has in one way or another followed the development of these consciousness units so religion does serve a purpose. Although much of the information about the inner void is distorted by religion some of the messages it reveals touches on aspects of our inner reality. In historic terms the development of religion gives us an interesting picture of the development of human consciousness and the growth of ideas that describe the individual.

The individual physical self is becoming more aware of inner conscious knowledge and that opens new thoughts about the nature of the self. As we do become more aware we recognize that this physical self goes beyond the concepts of one body, one self, one god and one world. The ability to experience other species of consciousness which Dhritaka identifies is as real as this physical world.

The world is moving from the era of religion to the era of the self. The difference is religious beliefs actuality devalue the individual; they emphasize the collective, and they emphasize greater powers than the individual and that emphasize authority. Religious beliefs don’t focus on the individual, except when they are discounting the significance of the individual and emphasizing the significance of the authorities.

The ultimate truth of religion is an interlocking yet free flowing stream of impulses that expands with awareness. The religion of self is constantly expanding as the no-thing expresses impulses that recognize the interaction that exists within basic units of consciousness. Enlightenment and non-enlightenment are the same in consciousness as drops of awareness touch the self with dew from the nucleus of self. Religion becomes a compliment in this multiply self awareness process.