Morning Coffee Ramble with Rick: Past, Future, the NOW and the Nature of Experience

Jan 25, 2023

If you love, crazy, incoherent ramblings, man, this video is for you!

It’s 7am. I’m having coffee. I’ve been pondering these ideas about the past and future, the NOW and the nature of existence and experience. It’s stuff I’ve been thinking about and I wanted to make a recording of it and I’m putting it here. All filmed at an extremely unflattering angle. I’m not sure if it will make sense to anyone but me.

Let me know.

The Peace of Christmas

Dec 20, 2022

In the silence of our being, our true nature is revealed. This silence is the essence of all things we perceive—everything we see, hear, feel, and experience. In this silence, there are no labels, judgments, or concepts. In it, you are not defined by the names you call yourself or the thoughts you think about yourself. Just like the silence itself, you are boundless, limitless, ageless, and timeless.

Celebrating a solitary birth at Christmas misses the deeper meaning. Christmas is less about birth and more about discovery. What we discover may feel new to us, but its true nature is eternal. It has never been born and will never die. It has always been with us, and in fact, it is who we truly are. We cannot be separated from it, because it is the very essence of our being. This is the true message of Christmas.

This holiday season, the greatest gift we can give ourselves is the reminder that peace is not something we must wait for—it is who we are right now. The greatest gift we can give others is the realization that this truth applies to them as well. Over and over, the symbols of Christmas remind us of the joy in discovering our true nature, which is peace. May each of us fully awaken to this truth.

No Way To Know

Sep 12, 2022

I frequently reflect on the inherent limitations of describing spirituality or reality.

While my purpose in writing this blog is often to explore and articulate my thoughts on these topics, the primary intention is to engage in a dialogue with myself. I write to process ideas, consider concepts, and revisit “Aha!” moments that I wish to examine further at a later time.

Nonetheless, I recognize the inherent inefficacy of these attempts. I often liken the endeavor of analyzing or describing reality to a dog attempting to comprehend and describe my actions when I leave for work. My dog has no way of understanding what occurs during my absence, and any attempt she might make to interpret my day will be fragmented and shaped by her limited cognitive capacity. She may imagine I spend the day at a dog park or lounging on a larger couch—ideas that, while appealing, fail to reflect the true nature of my activities. Her understanding is constrained to her perspective as a dog.

Similarly, every spiritual teaching or lecture is fragmented because human comprehension is inherently limited by the constraints of our own minds. It is worth noting that nearly all attempts to convey reality center on the human experience. Rarely, if ever, do we encounter a discourse on reality from the viewpoint of a tree, for example. Yet, while humans are integral to the fabric of reality, we can never fully grasp reality from the perspective of other life forms, such as trees, whose experiences are just as vital.

Even within the human community, each individual’s understanding of reality is shaped by their personal experiences. For instance, a person who is deaf will have a vastly different perception of music than someone with hearing, while someone who lacks sight will experience touch in ways that those with sight cannot fully comprehend. Our capacity to understand reality is further influenced by the language we speak and the cultural context in which we are raised. A person raised in India will likely have a different understanding of consciousness than someone raised in East Tennessee, United States.

It is a fundamental mistake to assume that any of our descriptions or interpretations of reality and spirituality are complete or exhaustive. While I do not believe that attempting to communicate our understanding of reality is inherently futile, I do believe that we must acknowledge that all such attempts are inherently flawed. Each effort is an incomplete and imperfect reflection of a reality that is infinite and beyond full human comprehension.

Personally, I prefer to experience reality without the constraints of words or thoughts, holding the understanding that I can never fully know or grasp what is happening. To reach a point where one believes they fully understand is, in my view, a dangerous place to be. It is wiser, I think, to remain in a state of “unknowing,” where the limits of our understanding are acknowledged and embraced.

Distraction

Jul 27, 2022

Illusions of the world consistently capture more of our attention than the Truth itself. This is an inherent aspect of human nature. Truth is eternal, still, and unchanging, whereas illusion is characterized by movement, drama, and constant change. We are naturally drawn to focus on the mind, which is the source of these illusions. Even when we realize that we are the peaceful stillness that embodies Truth, it remains challenging not to be mesmerized by the ever-shifting content of the mind. It is akin to watching a movie rather than the screen, listening to the notes instead of the rests, or gazing at the stars and planets without considering the vastness of the space in between.

When a wealthy man asked Jesus how he could attain salvation, Jesus instructed him to give away his possessions. Essentially, he was to let go of the objects themselves but this did not mean he would lose the True essence of wealth. The man needed to detach from the illusions of wealth. Material possessions, like money, are transient; coins can melt, wealth can dissipate, and belongings can be lost or stolen. However, True wealth, rooted in the eternal and unchanging, cannot be taken away. Unfortunately, few of us truly recognize the immense value of this kind of wealth.

When we become consumed by the activity of the mind, we lose touch with our true essence, and in doing so, we operate under a form of hypnosis. It is as though we are immersed in a dreamlike state, believing the actors, props, and sets of our mental world are real. We come to identify with them, forgetting that we are not merely a part of this illusion—we are far more than that. Meditation can often assist in redirecting our attention toward Truth, away from the illusions of the mind. Nevertheless, it remains a daily practice to avoid becoming entangled in the captivating, yet ephemeral, contents of the mind.

Random Renaissance Person

Jul 21, 2022

Today, I’m reflecting on the idea of a “Random Renaissance Person.” You’re welcome to ponder this with me.

To clarify, a “Random Renaissance Person” is simply an ordinary individual who could have lived during the Renaissance (or any other historical period if you prefer). Imagine a person from that time—not a king or queen, but a typical, anonymous villager. Try to picture their daily life: their work, family, and the events that shaped them. Think about their experiences—being born, interacting with family, working the land, attending religious services, socializing, perhaps even their first kiss or playing sports. Many people didn’t live long during this period, so maybe they faced illness, injury, or death at a young age. Feel free to create a story for them.

However, since there were no photographs or other means of documentation, we can never know what this person looked like. It’s likely that no paintings or records of their existence have survived. In fact, there’s a good chance that no trace of this individual remains at all. Yet, we know that such people existed—millions of them, just like this one, throughout history.

Imagine that, despite the lack of records, Random Renaissance Person led a life much like our own, experiencing everyday moments and significant events that defined their existence. Whether it was something as simple as seasonal illnesses or as significant as the death of a loved one, these were the events that made up their life, shaping who they were—just as our own experiences shape us today.

Now, consider your own life in the present day. Look around you—whether at home, work, or in your surroundings—and ask yourself: How is your life influenced by the life of Random Renaissance Person? Is there anything in your environment that can be traced back to them or their time?

All the struggles, joys, and milestones of Random Renaissance Person’s life are now completely gone. In fact, their entire existence is lost to time. It’s as if they never lived at all. Their efforts, hopes, and fears are irrelevant to us now. Even if they had descendants who affected the course of history, their personal life, as we understand it, has no impact on our world today.

It’s fascinating to think about—an entire life rendered seemingly irrelevant by the passage of time. It’s easy to think this only happens to those who lived long ago. But have you ever wandered through an antique store and come across old photos of unknown people—perhaps from the 1950s or ‘60s—people engaged in seemingly important life events like graduations, marriages, or family gatherings? Yet, these people are forgotten, their lives unknown, their significance lost.

We often think that our lives are too important to be forgotten, that our experiences and memories will always matter. Surely, our thoughts, opinions, and beliefs are essential—not only to us but to humanity as a whole. We have friends and family who will remember us and keep our legacies alive. We’ll never fade away like those unknown faces, right?

But here’s the thing: the world of form—this world we cling to—is not as significant as we like to believe. It is temporary and fleeting. We try to hold on to our identities, our bodies, and our accomplishments as though they define us. But, just as the life of Random Renaissance Person eventually faded, so will everything we deem important. Our bodies, our possessions, our titles—one day they will all vanish as quickly as smoke.

So, what remains when it’s all gone? Does everything just disappear, returning to the earth? Or could there be something deeper, something permanent, behind the ever-changing surface of life? Is it possible that, even when all appearances change and fade, something timeless remains? Can we really be “here” in one moment and “not here” in another? Is “being” so fleeting and transient?

Is it?

Beyond Appearances

Jul 20, 2022

“Do not judge by outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” – John 7:24 [New American Standard Bible]

In spiritual work, we often need to “translate” appearances into deeper truths. This process can face resistance from the mind, which constantly seeks logic, reason, and tradition. While these are useful in the physical world, the mind isn’t always the best tool for understanding the spiritual realm.

I see spiritual study as the pursuit of understanding the “essence” of reality. Many people may feel uncomfortable with the word “spiritual” because of its religious associations. They may argue that there is no spirit, but most would agree that all life has an essence. At some point, we’ve all sensed that there is more to the world than what meets the eye. For example, we can see and touch a rhinoceros, but we can also imagine one—a rhinoceros that exists only in our mind.

Spiritual translation can be more complex than that, however. Imagine receiving a gift from a four-year-old that looks like a crumpled lump of clay. “It’s you, Daddy!” they say. Though it may seem like nothing more than a lump of clay, you can easily look past its appearance and see the love behind it. This gift represents pure love, and it’s why you keep it for the rest of your life. Seeing the love in something that appears broken or imperfect is kind of what it means to “judge with righteous judgment.” It’s spiritual translation. Appearances, on their own, often fail to capture the true essence of reality.

When you experience something spiritually, don’t be too concerned if your mind starts questioning it. With time, you’ll learn to ignore the mind’s doubts. The mind is focused on appearances, so it isn’t always helpful in spiritual matters. Still, part of translating appearances spiritually is reaching some kind of understanding with the mind. “Yes, I see that it looks this way, mind. I understand your point.” Your mind will insist that a lump of clay is just that—a lump of clay. It will argue that you are only the body you see before you. Yes, it does appear that way, but there’s more to it.

Stay aware that the true nature of any situation is almost always beyond its outward appearance. Just like desert mirages or train tracks that seem to meet at the horizon, appearances can be deceiving. The truth is often hidden behind the surface. The mind will try to convince you that life is made up of separate individuals, objects, thoughts, and events happening at different times and places.

But the simple reality is this: everything is just awareness being aware of itself.