This Taste of Flesh and Bones
by R. Arthur Russell
an excerpt
The title of this book, This Taste of Flesh and Bones, came to me suddenly, while on a busy highway as I drove to my dentist’s office in Toronto. At the time, I wasn’t contemplating a writing project of any kind; but the intuitive metaphor immediately caught my attention because it sums up so much of what I know to be true — that a taste is not the whole meal; and that our experience of personhood is but the shadow of That which we truly are. Our essential nature is infinitely greater than mere flesh and bones. It is vast and gloriously mysterious, beyond the finite mind’s comprehension. However, this knowledge has been eclipsed by the apparent proof of our senses; we’ve forgotten who we are and become lost in the dream of form. Thus, we innocently — and erroneously — assume that the person is the sum total of life. Such is backward; for we are life itself.
The tragic error occurs because we base our definition of reality upon a flawed criterion without realizing we have done so. We assume without knowing we assume. Because we believe that we are flesh and bones only, we, therefore, conclude that whatever we experience via our senses must also be real; and anything intangible, unreal. Through one erroneous belief, we consent to bondage of our senses and seemingly become physical objects — mere phenomena within a phenomenal world. This erroneous perspective can be corrected by contemplating one question: What is the nature of That which is aware of all experience? Even a little investigation can yield fruitful results; for all of us will readily agree that consciousness must be present for objects and experiences to be known. When we clearly understand that whatever is perceived cannot be That which is perceiving, our confusion disappears.
The case of mistaken identity is occurring day in and day out, right in front of our eyes. It is akin to attempted theft of immense proportions; for it is happening to the majority of human beings on a worldwide basis. Each of us has a personal thief that is trying to rob us blind — of our life and present-moment joy. And more often than not the thief succeeds, for one reason only: We don’t know what we don’t know. We’ve become so accustomed to the thief’s presence that we don’t realize it poses a threat. It looks like us and behaves like us; and when it looks in the mirror, we see our own face. It pickpockets our lives in broad daylight; and we — feeling our own hand — are none the wiser. Such seems normal because it is the normal we’ve known. With no reason to doubt our assumptions, we have no reason to reject the status quo. Thus, we confuse illusion for reality and unknowingly perpetuate a collective delusion that goes unnoticed by all but a relative minority of enlightened beings.
Socrates once famously stated that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” but the subject of our essential nature need not be approached in such a grave manner. To rid ourselves of the thief, we need only ask the question “Who am I?” with earnest curiosity. That is enough. If we quiet the mind and calmly persevere in our investigation, deep insights and epiphanies will arise as the light of greater knowledge and understanding. And as a result, the heaviness and burden of our existence will be replaced by the lightness of being. A spiritual awakening is gaining momentum, and we who seek the answer may be a part of it.
* * *
Enlightenment has many synonyms — Awakening, Liberation, Salvation, Moksha, Nirvana, Eden, Camelot, Sartori, Zion, Promised Land — but what does the term actually mean? Enlightenment means to awaken from the delusion — or hypnotic state — of personhood and to recognize (know again) our essential nature as pure being, Awareness. It means to transcend the lower expression of self (the body-mind) and to experience our divinity. To be enlightened also means liberation, because it frees us from attachment — to the world of form; and the thoughts, feelings, sensations, experiences, and cycles of pleasure and pain associated with the body-mind. It is the end of suffering. Although language and the mind cannot define it, enlightenment is often described as Sat-Chit-Ananda in Sanskrit, meaning Being, Consciousness, Bliss. The Truth of our forgotten divinity may be pointed at through the following paraphrased story:
A lioness was once stalking prey and spotted a flock of sheep. As she leaped toward one of the sheep, she gave birth to a cub and immediately died. The flock of sheep raised the cub as one of their own; and before long the cub was grazing, bleating, and behaving like a sheep in every way.
One day, a mature lion came upon the flock and spotted the lion cub behaving like a sheep. He was astounded, for he had never seen such a sight! The flock spotted him and nervously fled, including the lion cub; but the mature lion stealthily followed and waited for an opportunity to present. When the lion cub was sleeping, the mature lion cautiously approached and wakened him. “You’re a lion,” he said. “No,” said the lion cub, “I’m a sheep.” He then bleated twice to prove it.
The mature lion then guided the cub to a lake and told him to look at his reflection. “See,” said the lion, “you look like me.” The lion cub agreed that, indeed, he did look like the lion. “Try roaring,” prompted the lion, who then demonstrated with his own mighty roar. The lion cub lifted his head and made a few feeble attempts, and soon he was smiling and roaring to his true nature.
Existing as a sheep may seem satisfying…for a while. We learn the rules of the flock, say “baa” when we are supposed to, and spend our days grazing upon worldly pleasures. Eventually, however, our self-centered appetite wanes as we realize that no matter how much we graze — upon achievements, consumerism, and relationships — we still feel empty inside. A hunger not of the flesh is gnawing at us from within. The green pastures once so delightful don’t seem as green anymore. Unlike the lion cub, however, we don’t need someone to tell us that life is awry. We just know it. And no matter how much we deny it, we still know it. An intuitive ache of longing for our deeper — long-forgotten — nature informs us. Such is Spirit.
Human beings share so very much in common, in spite of our obvious differences. At some point, every one of us will discover what it feels like to love, to strive, and to succeed or fail. We may also experience the loss of a loved one or the limitations that sometimes arise with age or disease. There will be peaks. There will be valleys. There will be side trips to pleasure and detours to suffering. Each of us is undoubtedly unique; however, underlying all of our apparent differences there is one unifying essence. Certain traditions express it thus: Gold can be fashioned into various shapes — bracelets, rings, and necklaces — but when all is said and done their essence forever remains gold. So, it is with us.
My intention in writing this book is to help seekers recognize our true essence. It is so much grander than physical gold; for it is Divine and, therefore, priceless. Such is our birthright. It is who we are. Contrary to popular misconception — that God is distant and remote — lays the Truth. Our Divine Nature, which is God, is closer than the pulse in our neck. It is that close. Our journey of self-inquiry need not be tortuous, nor consist of endless roads traveled to various ashrams or shrines. It need not involve years of laborious study of the Bible or other Holy Books (although such may enrich our quest). And we don’t have to find a guru or supplicate as though beggars at various altars. Our essential nature is here…now.
For reasons that will become much clearer later, I politely urge seekers to adopt and regularly use the affirmation below that I intuited for your quest. In preparation, find a location where you may be physically and mentally undisturbed, even if for a few minutes only. Sit in a comfortable position, with your spine straight, eyes closed, and body relaxed. Begin by taking three slow breaths, giving them your undivided attention. Then think and feel the affirmation as deeply as possible: I Am now easily and effortlessly reconnecting with God, my true Self. Afterward, open your eyes, and go about your day; knowing that what you affirmed is actually occurring. It is. Have absolute faith. May everyone — apparent saints and sinners, and those who believe they are a mixture of both — know peace and joy but most of all, love.
Now…it is time to roar.
About the Author
R. Arthur Russell has been intrigued by the mysterious nature of our being for as long as he can remember. Although his formal career was as a paramedic, he has always known that writing is his true passion. His previous works include a book about the Law of Attraction entitled Hold That Thought. He is currently writing another book about spirituality.
To buy a copy of Art’s book please visit here: https://amzn.to/35i0s6c You can also read more on his website https://think2wice.me/page/3/
