This post is about our new friend Rona, keep reading to get to it

Our thinking has gotten out of control and is no longer very skilled at keeping things practical, we get lost in imagination, and then easily become fixated with an aspect of the picture which really isn't the point.

In spirituality there is often all sorts of discussion about where Consciousness stems from - is it created by the body/brain or does it exist prior to, and after, the body/brain? Does God exist or is all of this just mechanics? and so on...

Beyond a certain questioning, these aspects, these questions, really are redundant and irrelevant. And yet we carry on asking them, debating them, waiting for the world to work out the answer, not realizing that it's an irrelevant point.

What's important, what's relevant is: THAT THERE IS Consciousness, and not WHERE it stems from.

It is a recognition of Consciousness as part of who we are in this life that delivers a capacity to ground into ourself and be, at peace. Where our Consciousness comes from is irrelevant, knowing where it comes from won't change a thing. Knowing ourself inclusive of Consciousness, knowing that it's fundamental to what we are, that's what's important, not where it came from.

Now onto Rona, we can similarly get carried away in focussing on where it came from, whether it's a plot to gain control over humanity, whether it's a money making scheme or power struggle, or a biological weapon on the loose? Whether it's all a hoax and doesn't really exist, whether it's no worse than the flu?

All this is irrelevant, what's relevant is that exists. And soon enough people will see for themselves, but the longer it takes for this to happen the worse off we are.

So the point of this post is to keep it practical, to help deal with the problem, and get as many people focussed as quickly as possible... So here goes.

We're very good at interpreting reality based on what's on the surface, and we end up missing the bigger picture because of it. In principle, this is the phenomena which leads to suffering, and spiritual teachings guide us past the surface, and we awaken.

Well, we're doing it here with this virus situation, for those not looking beyond their nose they can't see the virus.

On the other hand, for those delving deep and seeing what's behind the curtain by focussing on the numbers, by seeing into the hospital wards, they get a clear picture, they can see this is coming, hell it's already here. And they can see the solution. We don't need to wait for the solution, it was there a month ago, a week ago, yesterday and today.

What's tragic is that there is an optimal simple solution, that will deliver limited damage, and we're choosing the other devastating option which delivers exponential damage.

We're choosing this inadvertently because the intellect hasn't clicked and is focussing on what's irrelevant.

What's relevant is that it exists and it needs to spread to keep existing. We are, right now, it's couriers.

This little assassin chokes people to death slowly, people we love. And we are driving it around.

It can only kill more people if it's not snuffed out quick. It will bring economies to their knees if it's not snuffed out quick, and that will cause far more pain to a much wider group than just the sick - and we're in denial of this, we want to cover our eyes and ears and say Lalalalala, I can't hear you. And in so doing, we're driving it around to do damage were so desperately hoping to avoid. We want to keep businesses going, because we don't want to imagine a life without income, we think that by carrying on we are saving ourselves, we think that if we stop it will be disastrous. We want to go to the beach, because it's my right and that's what's best for me.

The good news is that there is a way, quite a simple way, it's the most cost effective solution, and it will bypass the heavy pain we WILL endure if we choose the other option.

We as a people just haven't assessed the two approaches yet and so we're, by default, choosing the option of kicking the can down the road thinking that that is the less painful solution - whereas in actuality, it's the equivalent of choosing to amputate a leg instead of choosing to walk in crutches for three weeks at the risk of not being able to enjoy the holiday were on.

So what do we do, we stop it's spread. That's how you deal with what's relevant. It's here and it's spreading.

If everyone (except essential service workers) stayed strictly indoors, within weeks, not months, not many months or years, the spread rate (R) of the virus would drop from 2.5 to 0.5.

If the spread rate is above 1 then the numbers grow exponentially. If the spread rate is at 1 the numbers remain constant, and below 1 the numbers drop exponentially.

This means if the spread rate drops from 2.5 to 0.5 the current exponential spread is reversed and numbers will reduce exponentially and start approaching zero very quickly. At present we still have this window, it's getting smaller every hour.

Once the spread numbers have dropped substantially after a two to three week mass home isolation period, and the sick and their contacts recovered or further isolated, then, we can allow daily life to return to a much more normal pace, with those uninfected able to leaving the house.

With the aid of quick self administered home testing, or other rapid large scale testing capabilities, which will be a game-changer, and are coming, the aim of keeping the spread rate just below 1 is very achievable with minimal disruption.

We need to buy time until the home tests are rolled out (and that could be soon) and in doing this we also bring the numbers down dramatically and prevent the numbers shooting in the other direction.

With this approach we can be back to close to normal within 4 to 6 weeks.

This is the 'knock out' option.

The other option of letting this spread is not worth considering, millions will die in the US alone, instead of thousands with the knock-out option, and the economy will go into a deep recession if not depression.

The half way option, of simple mitigation is nowhere near as cost effective as 'knock-out'. It will cost the economy much more and more lives. There is one stand out solution "knock-out".

There are so many intelligent minds working on this in the background, we just need to buy them time, and we are the ones that can sell it to them.

Government's will eventually enforce "knock-out" option because once you get past the fear and agendas, this is clearly the way. It's just a matter of time for those that understand the numbers already to get in front of law makers and show them graphs and simulations which will get them to see the light.

If you personally wrap your head around why this is the right course of action, you will no longer feel you are being repressed by these decicions, you won't even feel like you are doing it because you 'should', you'll do it voluntarily because you'll know it's the best thing for you.

This is easy to work out for those who can process numbers, the numbers are on the wall.

The virus is spreading based on mathematics, we can introduce our own mathematics, get the spread rate from 2.5 to 0.5 and then stabilise it at just under 1.

Trust that mathematics explains the whole universe. The whole universe is mathematics in movement.

Peace for now
Roger

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There is always the circumstance (flow of life), and then there is one's attitude to the flow of life.

Recognising this distinction is one of the most crucial realisations when it comes to the ending of suffering.

Suffering always only comes into existance on the attitudinal level. Suffering is not found in the circumstance or flow of life itself, it is part of our attitude to the flow of life.

It is the belief in personal doership, and, attachment to outcomes, which is the basis of the attitude towards life which then manifest as an uncomfortableness with oneself, an uncomfortableness with the other, or an uncomfortableness with life, ultimately all an uncomfortableness with oneself. And, that is suffering.

In practical terms, suffering arises in the form of guilt, blame, pride, worry and anxiety, and expectation.

Happiness (peace of mind) is similarly not to be found in the flow of life. It is quietly there as the absence of the attitude of personal doership and attachment.

The above message is not a prescription, it's simply a description. Maybe, based on your own life experience, the description will at some point during the day or week ahead, automatically turn into the recognition and contemplation of the difference between circumstance and the coinciding automatic arising which we can call the 'attitude to circumstance'.

Peace for now

Roger

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Once numbers get big enough it will get enforced anyway, so why not do it yourself and prevent the issue getting there.

Why does this matter?

If twice as many people get the illness twice as many will die, twice as many will be out of action, and caring for the ill will be much more onerous, the world will be affected exponentially more, economically as well.

Complacency is the counter-extreme to fear and panic.

Those minimizing the current virus situation, or theorizing it away are most likely doing it out of the same underlying seed from which panic and fear arises. That's not wisdom.

Both complacency and anxiety are psychological stories which prevent the actuality from being seen. This sort of functioning over-rides our inner groundedness, which can be a godsend at times like these.

It's true that many will not exhibit serious symptoms, but don't let that narrative prevent you from actually seeing the blood on the street.

Every country that has reached a certain point of the contagion has healthcare systems which are physically overwhelmed, with hundreds if not thousands needing admission, unable to be admitted and going untreated and in many cases dying as a result.

This is not business as usual, something serious is up. When people are dying on the streets don't step over them, wonder why.

What is currently being overlooked by us ordinary folks is the exponential growth factor of this issue, what people are looking at is the numbers prior to mass outbreak. Within weeks, under the current mentality, every country that is reporting 200 live cases is likely to have 20,000 reported live cases. And that will only grow unless the mass mentality changes.

The answer is to significantly cut back contact with others - social distancing.

If twice as many people catch the virus twice as many will die, twice as many will require treatment even if it's just home treatment, and the effect on economies and families will be exponentially worse.

Therefore what makes sense is to limit your contact with the outside world as much as possible in order to minimize you being a spreading factor, if everyone does this it absolutely has to have an impact on how quickly and how wildly the virus spreads.

I'm not saying to lock yourself indoors without exception, I'm saying do much, much less interacting with others compared to what you would if you didn't realize that a simple interaction with someone could lead to another person dying.

At the end of the day life only ever turns out one way, accepting this means peace of mind with whatever happens, but that deep understanding doesn't mean that riding a motorcycle without a helmet is clever just because life is destined.

Peace for now
Roger

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The experience of life may well be a subjective reflection of what's taking place in an external and objectively real world, however, can you deny that the experience of life, the image of it, is no more than a singular arising within your Mind?

Take a look at the room you're in right now, or the outdoors you're surrounded by, and in knowing the apparent form and sounds, know you are actually aware of the inside of Mind. The image of the body, the sense of the body, is also part of the experience arising within Mind.

Life is always an experience arising in, and not separate from Mind.

The nature of Mind is Consciousness.

Peace for now
Roger

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Just for a moment, stop and allow awareness of the present/presence to bring you out of thinking.

If you're familiar with this, then that's all, it was just a reminder, no need to read further, Peace for now 🙏
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If on the other hand you'd like some hints on how this can happen, that's what's below.

These quick simple steps might deliver a useful contrast between an active thinking mind and the peace of mind at your core.

1. It's about softening up, allowing things to be as they are and happen on their own, a form of surrender. Be soft, relax, let go.

Remember these are not instructions targeted at a "doer" with the aim of that "doer" achieving or making this happen. Rather, this is just a set of impersonal inputs from life that can become part of your body/mind organism and function automatically and effortlessly without any need of the psychological "doer". Actually, this movement is all about a stepping off the platform where the "doer" (thinking mind) is coloring the presence.

2. As you move through the exercise and notice the imagery, there is no need to label or think about what you are aware of in terms of good or bad, no need to try to change things, no need to judge things, to compare or to think about the past or future.

Simply notice that there is awareness of what is, notice that the present moment is effortlessly registered without the need of thinking it into existence

This is not a text to be understood through reading it but rather by feeling the experience of it.

This being said let's start....

3. Take in the whole present dynamic experience as a whole, rather than focussing on a small part of it.

For just a moment stop everything else and simply bring your attention to what is here and now. The majority of the present momentary experience is made up visual objects and sound objects.

Look forward, soften your gaze and allow your centre of consciousness to drop down into your chest area as though it was being drawn down by gravity, you are not seeing out of your head, be soft. There is no thinking required for this exercise, just allow things to be.

It's important to allow your field of awareness to effortlessly expand so that it envelopes the entire vista as a whole. Be aware of the whole including the indistinct parts which we call peripheral vision.

If you're inside a room, without moving much, notice the entirety of what's in front of you, a wall maybe, curtains, a door, pictures hanging, see it as one image, part of the ceiling also and the floor too.

Then, allow the sounds to be there too. Then any other sensations, feelings, emotions and thoughts.

It's one big creative, multi sensory experience, a single dance in awareness.

4. Notice that the body too is part of the momentary experience, it is a visual object. Allow the body object to be included as part of the whole, it is not the thing seeing the whole, the subject is not an object.

5. Drop the idea or assumption that the seeing or hearing are happening through the body. This is an assumption based on the past experience of life, be here now, be with the experience. Seeing is happening, hearing is happening, but how and from where is not information contained, there is just seeing, hearing, experiencing happening.

Just allow the experience to be, undivided. No separate subject aware of objects, just seeing, being.

6. Nothing of what's here now is outside of the field of awareness, if it were, there wouldn't be the knowing of it. All that arises in each moment is One with, and interdependent with awareness. It is this silent witnessing Awareness that you are.

6. Notice that as your identity shifts, thoughts stop, and so to do your psychological problems, and so does the uncomfortableness contained within that psychological thinking. You find that there is just presence.

In time, as this place becomes more familiar, this presence establishes itself as the background of the moving through your day.

You'll find that the practical activities which are called for in your life will happen automatically, and simultaneously you will remain grounded in this quietude, knowing yourself deeply.

7. This stopping and dropping into the present is available at any time. Hopefully this exercise highlights the all pervasive layer of thinking which has become the background of our life, and shows that there is something more real beneath.

The habit of the thinking mind is strong, we are not in control of it stopping, insisting that it stops now is just more of the same. Sometimes the spontaneous arising of the thought 'to be present with what is' can slice through the thinking mind and lead to presence, other times it just won't.

Where possible, surrender to the thinking mind when it persists, notice that it too is part of the momentary experience.

Over time, one habit slows down and the underlying Self shines through.

Peace for now
Roger

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Everything happens according to the cosmic law.

Is the below just another meaningless piece of trivia?.... I say not, I say the opposite view is the basis of all human suffering.

- When the first domino is pushed the last has already dropped.

- As the white ball is struck, the exact movement of all the balls and their final resting place has been determined.

- When a cough happens the exact movement and final resting place of all the moving parts happens exactly according to the cosmic laws and the makeup of the environment in which it all happens.

- As stimuli come into the brain the movement of electrical impulses through the complex network, and all the various outputs along the way, are all determined by impersonal rules and the makeup of the structure.

These impersonal rules can be called, the cosmic law.

The above are just examples of how everything is just happening, not 'our doing', all driven by impersonal forces and rules. There really is no beginning or end, the examples assume a beginning and an end only for illustrative purposes, to try and demonstrate a principle. However it's important to realize there really isn't a beginning or an end, the white ball being struck is in itself part of the sum of the moving parts that came before.

There is just one big fluid dance of life.

Why is this important? Is it just another meaningless bit of trivia?

I say not, seeing life as personal and "my doing" is the basis of all human suffering.

Seeing life as a happening, all unfolding according to the cosmic laws means the end the belief in personal doership and therefore the end of guilt and shame, blame and hatred, pride and arrogance, worry and anxiety, expectation and attachment to outcomes.

Peace for now
Roger

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You exist prior to any conceptualizing about what is right and what is wrong, about how things should or shouldn't be.

Remember, if there is suffering arising, it is because there has been a forgetting what you truly are.

Suffering is not your nature, it is of the false identity, your true 'essence' doesn't know how to suffer.

Rest there whenever possible.

If suffering is there, know it as an output of the unreal, be uninvolved in it, and know the Real is waiting in the background.

Peace for now
Roger

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We're often reminded, when something doesn't turn out the way we would like, that 'it is what it is'.

This is said because we have such a tendency to want things to be different, and that resistance to life is our suffering.

Various non-dual realizations reveal to us in large part, that circumstance, whether looked at as a momentary spontaneous arising in Consciousness, or whether looked at from the perspective of a material causal unfolding: 'is always, the only way it could be, down to the smallest detail.'

Importantly we must start to include everything we considered "mine" within the scope of this ONE impersonal unfolding. That means seeing the thoughts which "I" have as part and parcel of the One unfolding, seeing the emotions that arise in each moment, the feelings, the reactions, the behaviors, the personality, the preferences and so on, as all intrinsic to the One unfolding.

The 'other' too, and how they function, is all intrinsic to this unfolding.

You see, as we psychologically exclude bits from the One unfolding, we create a separation that really isn't there. And suffering in the form of guilt, blame, pride, worry and expectation is forced to follow.

As this unity becomes more deeply realized, life becomes much less personal. The other is no longer viewed with suspicion, rivalry, competition and enmity.

It's seen that we are all in this together, and it's seen that whatever comes my way is part of my destiny, destiny unfolding. The other, or myself, is just the instrument that life is using to deliver Roger's destiny, which forms a part of the overall destiny of life.

A deep realization also reveals a connection to the core of what we are. This core is also an intrinsic part of this amazingly creative unfolding soup of life.

This connection to our core feeds us with a direct sense that outcomes are far less important than has been established in our system. We feel grounded and recognize that we continue to exist, to Be, unchanged at our core, even when unfortunate circumstance unfolds.

This means attachment to outcome lessens (all a happening in this mystical unfolding of life) and the destiny which is delivered in each moment in the form of the pleasures and pains is then much more acceptable.

This change in how we know ourself at our core, and how we see life, leads to unbroken peace of mind in daily living.

Peace for now
Roger

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Whether I was yesterday or will be tomorrow is hearsay, that 'I Am' now, is undeniable.

If you're interested in Truth, that's a pretty good hint.

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It can be very reassuring to read that the flip flopping process, in and then out of peace of mind, is completely normal in the self discovery process. In fact, it's a positive sign. Frustrating I know, but positive.

It can feel like everything that had been seen is completely lost, like it's all been for nothing, and that you've regressed to where you started.

Don't trust feelings, they don't tell the truth.

This is not what's happened, it's all part of the processing, and in hindsight it will be known as such.

There is great value in the flops. They serve a purpose.

If the space opens up, allow witnessing of the thinking mind thoughts to happen, and see them as thoughts arising in a body mind organism.

You're being lived, it's all under control. Relax.

Peace for now
Roger

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