The Presumption of Relatedness

There are two aspects of the ego that are essential to tease out in spiritual awakening. There is ego as an identity, and then there is the functioning of ego in how it presumes being in relationship to separate objects in existence, whether with others, nature, or God. Adyashanti offers important distinctions on the ego’s discriminating functionality. He also reveals how to completely close the gap of separation, while simultaneously—and paradoxically—maintaining a unique expression in everyday human life. 

Topics Include: 

• The Egoic Presumption of Relatedness 
• The Paradox of Setting & Dissolving Boundaries 
• Ego as Identity vs. Ego as Function 
• When You and God As Objects Disappear 
• Via Negativa 
• Divine Ignorance 
• A Foot in the Absolute and Relative 
• The Divinity of Ordinary Human Life 
• No Spiritual Hierarchy 

Quotes: 

“The drive for intimacy is largely compelled by the drive to close the gap that self-consciousness creates. Simultaneously, there’s the equal and opposite instinct that comes with a presumption of relatedness, the ego presuming that it is “other” in relationship to everything. It’s also simultaneously having to push things away in order to establish itself.”  

“There’s a difference between ego as identity and ego as function.”   

“There’s this turning inside where we start to question the very standpoint from which relatedness occurs—the sense of me and my thinking, me and my feeling, me and God, me and whatever.” “There’s a great difference between experiencing life through union with God and experiencing life as God.” 

“A turning can happen at the seat of your consciousness when you’re no longer looking at life, you’re looking from life. You’re no longer looking at God, you’re looking from or with the eyes of God.”

Please Note: This recording was originally published in the download set: Silent Retreat Vol. 69: Asilomar Dec 2018 ~ Talks.

Recorded at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California on December 5, 2018.
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