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Notes

Surrender

The practice of accepting the present moment as it is, without resisting or trying to change it. It is about letting go of mental resistance and embracing reality, allowing for inner peace and freedom. By surrendering, one transcends the ego's need for control. - No resistance to a situation - No resistance to an emotion/feeling - No resistance to a thought - No grasping/clutching/reaching - Inner stillness

Transmutation

Transmutation involves transforming negative emotions and mental states into higher states of consciousness. By fully experiencing emotions like anger, sadness, or fear without attaching to them, one can channel their energy into the present moment. This process elevates consciousness, leading to healing and spiritual growth. - Transmute negativity into gold (alchemy) - Awareness of negativity creates an opportunity for transmutation

Inner Body

The inner body is the concept of feeling the aliveness within, a state of awareness directed toward one's physical sensations. Focusing on the inner body helps anchor the mind in the present and dissolves identification with thoughts. It serves as a bridge to connect with the deeper, formless essence of being.

Form Identification

Form identification is the attachment to physical and mental forms, such as the body, thoughts, or possessions, as part of one's identity. In The Power of Now, it is considered a source of suffering because it obscures one's true nature. Letting go of form identification allows for the realization of one's formless essence.

Silence and Space - The Source

Silence and space are described as gateways to experiencing the deeper, underlying reality that exists beyond thought. They represent the stillness from which all forms arise and are intimately connected to the source of all life. By connecting with silence and space, one experiences the presence that underlies everything. - Sound comes out of silence and returns back to silence - Things come out of no-thing and return back to no-thing - Forms come out of the formless - God is the pervasive formless energy source from which all comes out of and to which all returns

Form and Formless/Manifested and Unmanifested

This concept explores the relationship between the physical, manifested world (form) and the unmanifested, formless essence that permeates all life. While forms are temporary and subject to change, the formless is eternal and unchanging. True awareness involves recognizing the balance and connection between both.

The Watcher

The watcher is the state of conscious awareness that observes thoughts, emotions, and experiences without becoming attached to them. It is the presence behind the mind, allowing one to recognize that they are not their thoughts or feelings. Cultivating the watcher helps break free from the mind's grip and live more fully in the present moment.