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Fear of Facing The Music
Fear of Facing The Music
thing
and
that
the
various
teachings
were
all
pointing
toward
the
non-dual
awareness
that
is
both
the
fabric
of
the
creation
and
That
which
transcends
it
all.
And
most
importantly
that
it
is
this
same
awareness
that
is
one's
own
true
identity,
one's
very
own
Self.
It
wasn't
until
after
over
20
years
of
spiritual
seeking
and
practice,
however,
that
the
teachings
of
Vedanta
and
the
methodology
of
self-inquiry
finally
set
me
free.
The
reason
I
mention
this
is
not
to
impress
you
with
'my'
accomplishment,
but
to
impress
upon
you
the
validity
of
Vedanta
as
a
means
of
knowledge
that
leads
to
liberation.
Whereas
the
various
other
traditions
I
explored
pointed
to
the
truth
and
offered
numerous
practices
I
could
perform
and
through
which
I
could
experience
certain
states
of
euphoria
and/or
expansion,
none
ever
clearly
defined
what
exactly
enlightenment
is
or
mapped
out
a
practical
route
I
could
take
to
'get
there.'
Of
course,
the
truth
is
that
enlightenment
is
not
a
discrete
or
particular
state,
and
you
really
can't
'get
there'
because
you/awareness/the
self
is
nowhere
else
but
right
here.
Where
else
could
it
be
in
a
non-dual
reality?
The
bottom
line
is
that
enlightenment,
or
more
appropriately
knowing
who
you
are
is
not
a
matter
of
experience
but
of
knowledge
or
understanding,
for
as
you
might
have
already
understood
through
your
study
with
Ramji
you
cannot
get
something
you
have
already
got.
To
be
clear,
then,
Vedanta
is
not
a
path
that
leads
you
somewhere
else
or
triggers
some
transcendental
state
in
which
you
need
to
become
permanently
established.
Vedanta
is
simply
a
means
of
knowledge
that
removes
the
ignorance
you
have
about
who
or
what
you
already
are,
which
is
whole
and
complete,
limitless,
action-less,
non-dual
awareness.
Moreover,
there
is
nothing
you
have
to
do
to
become
what
you
are;
you
simply
need
to
understand
what
you
are
and
stand
in
that
knowledge
with
unwavering,
rock-solid
confidence.
Which
brings
us
to
your
concerns
about
the
current
state
of
insecurity,
fear,
and
confusion
you
are
experiencing
upon
having
returned
to
Slovenia.
You
mention
that
'it
is
the
fear
of
facing
the
music.'
I'm
not
sure
exactly
what
you
mean
by
this
statement,
but
I'm
guessing
it
might
have
something
to
do
with
the
basic
issue
of
having
to
deal
with
the
matters
of
daily
life
within
a
context
where
so
few
people
understand
the
nature
of
reality
and
the
truth
of
the
self.
Perhaps
this
type
of
interaction
seems
threatening
in
some
way,
as
if
such
an
ocean
of
ignorance
could
just
swallow
you
up
and
drown
any
degree
of
understanding
you
have
cultivated
through
the
self-
inquiry
you
did
in
India.
On
the
other
hand,
you
say
there
is
a
'fear
of
facing
the
music,
fear
of
just
going
out
and
being
myself,
of
who
I
really
am',
so
perhaps
you
mean
that
you
find
the
world
unreceptive
to
and
out
of
tune
with
the
spiritual
insight
you
have
gained
and
that
because
of
its
ignorance
it
continually
slaps
down
any
attempt
you
make
to
act
in
accordance
with
the
truth
as
you
now
know
it
to
be.
Either
way,
it
is
worth
contemplating
who
it
is
that
is
feeling
insecure,
fearful,
and
confused.
Is
it
you
or
is
it
Sanford
(i.e.
the
body-mind-sense
complex
with
which
you/awareness
are
identifying
at
the
moment)?
The
essential
methodology
of
Vedanta
as
a
means
of
knowledge
is
what
is
called
atma-anatma-viveka,
or
the
discrimination
between
the
real
and
the
apparently
real.
As
you
probably
know
already,
Vedanta
defines
'real'
as
that
which
does
not
change
and
the
'apparently
real'
as
that
which
is
impermanent.
Essentially
what
it
boils
down
to
is
the
fact
that
you/awareness
is
the
only
'thing'
(though
it
is
not
a
thing
or
object)
that
is
real,
and
that
everything,
everything,
EVERYTHING
that
is
perceived
and
experienced
is
only
apparently
real.
This
includes
the
external
world,
the
body,
the
sensations,
the
emotions,
the
thoughts,
the
preferences,
even
the
apparent
emptiness
or
void
of
deep
sleep
or
profound
meditation.
All
these
objects,
whether
gross
or
subtle,
are
only
apparently
real
because
they
are
constantly
changing
at
various
rates
of
speed.
And
all
these
objects
are
appearing
where?
In
you!
You
are
the
awareness
in
which
all
these
objects
appear,
and
moreover
you
are
the
awareness
out
of
which
all
these
objects
are
made.
It
is,
therefore,
you/awareness
upon
which
all
these
objects
depend
for
their
existence.
Though
all
objects
depend
on
you,
however,
you
do
not
depend
on
them.
Whether
they
appear
or
do
not
appear
has
no
bearing
on
your
existence
whatsoever
--
and
of
course
the
'you'
to
which
we
are
referring
here
is
not
the
apparent
person
Sanford
you
commonly
take
yourself
to
be,
but
the
true
you
(i.e.
Awareness).
The
bottom
line,
therefore,
is
that
you
are
forever
and
completely
free
of
all
the
objects
apparently
appearing
around
and
within
Aleksander,
for
even
Aleksander
is
only
a
notion
appearing
within
you/awareness.
That
is
the
kicker.
Ultimately,
the
identification
with
being
the
person
on
your
driver's
license,
passport,
birth
certificate,
whatever,
will
drop
away.
And
once
you
cease
to
identify
with
being
Sanford,
you
will
understand
that
you
have
always
been
free
and
that
no
apparent
object
can
in
any
way
or
to
any
degree
threaten
your
being.
Until
that
understanding
solidifies,
however,
there
is
some
work
to
be
done
by
the
apparent
person
you
take
yourself
to
be.
Bearing
your
true
identity
as
whole
and
complete,
limitless,
action-less,
non-dual
awareness
in
mind
at
all
times
and
applying
it
in
all
situations
in
which
you
find
yourself
identifying
with
the
thoughts
and
emotions
that
suggest
that
you
are
incomplete
and
inadequate
or
that
there
is
something
other
than
you,
something
that
could
threaten
your
well-being,
diminish
you
in
some
way,
or
separate
you
from
yourself
by
some
means
is
one
of
the
fundamental
methods
of
assimilating
self-knowledge.
Having
been
exposed
to
the
teachings
of
Vedanta,
you
now
know
who
you
are.
That
is
not
I
the
issue
with
which
you
are
struggling.
Standing
in
this
knowledge,
however,
requires
vigilant
effort.
It
ain't
a
walk
in
the
park.
It
takes
time
and
patience
and
courage
and
concentration.
You've
simply
got
to
keep
reminding
yourself
of
who
you
really
are
until
one
day
you
are
totally
convinced.
In
conjunction
with
this
method
of
inquiry,
I
strongly
suggest
that
you
get
a
copy
of
Ramji's
book,
"How
to
Attain
Enlightenment,"
and
read
it
over
and
over,
taking
your
time
and
signing
on
to
the
logic
of
each
chapter
as
you
go.
Each
time
you
read
it,
it
will
affect
you
more
profoundly
and
will
be
a
great
aid
to
fully
removing
any
vestige
of
ignorance
that
clouds
your
understanding
of
your
true
identity
as
whole
and
complete,
limitless,
action-less,
non-dual
awareness.
Give
these
suggestions
a
try,
and
please
feel
free
to
get
back
to
me
with
any
further
questions
you
might
have.
All
the
best
to
you,
Ted