Narratives that thrive on the fear of external enemies share the same fundamental flaw: they are constructed on the false premise that life can be divided, that it can be at war with itself.

The one who sees war everywhere is, first of all, at war with himself. What we perceive is a reflection of our beliefs.

By contrast, the one who sees and recognizes that the whole of existence is held together by a principle of unity and harmony will find his experience anchored to that understanding, no matter where he looks.

In the world of form, the enjoyment of one always comes at the price of the suffering of another.

Yet, as many sages throughout history have pointed out, that world is not the real world. It is but an appearance, an illusion, without independent existence apart from the mind.

True reality consists of infinitely more than the perceived world. And in that discovery, they said, lies true liberation.

"In the seen, there is only the seen. In the heard, only the heard. In the sensed, only the sensed. In the cognized, only the cognized."
Buddha, Bahiya Sutta (Udāna 1.10)

What is perception? What is doing it? And who or what is it that is perceiving? Can you know? Sensory organs don’t truly perceive anything by themselves. Eyes can’t see. Tongue can’t taste. Fingers can’t touch. Nose can’t smell. Ears can’t hear. So what is it that ultimately perceives the experience you are having right now?

“The mind creates the abyss, the heart crosses it” Nisargadatta Maharaj

You are perfect. You need absolutely nothing. You are perfect just as you are. And this moment is perfect and complete just as it is.

If that statement feels off, it’s probably because you’re not entirely clear on who or what the “you” I’m referring to actually is. Let’s look into it.

We’re so focused on the doing, on how to negotiate with life on our own terms—which basically means getting more of what we want and less of what we don’t want.

But what does that say about our understanding of who we are and what life is? This posture, which oftentimes hides behind the cover of morality, isn’t as innocent as it seems. It denotes a subtly corrupted perspective on life and on how we relate to it. 

We see life as potentially good or bad to us. So we must believe we are somehow separate from it. But are we, really?

If humanity is afflicted by one disease above all, it is this: to have lost touch with the sacred.

By sacred, I do not mean anything religious or esoteric. The sacred I speak of has nothing to do with belief or superstition. And it cannot be learned through worshiping modern-day deities either—science, logic, or materialism.

It is much simpler and more natural than anything thought can conceive. Children know it. The whole of creation knows it, for all existence is nothing but an expression of it.

We often downplay or dismiss sensations as mere instruments of the body—a part of human machinery, existing solely to serve us. We perceive the senses as instruments of the self, yet the self—just like the world—arises and vanishes within the senses. Senses are not windows to reality; they are reality itself. Senses are not vehicles to fulfillment; they are the fullness, the wholeness, the completeness we seek.

We are not born into the universe; the universe is born within us. It comes into being through us and has no independent existence apart from us. This is not a belief nor an opinion that can be accepted or rejected, but a simple fact to be observed and recognized, pregnant with myriads of wonderful implications.

What we perceive as “the known” is a mental image—a construct of thought designed to help us navigate life with a semblance of certainty. Yet this construct is merely a map, a working hypothesis for practicality. The problem arises when we mistake the map for the terrain it seeks to describe. Confusing reality with our ideas about it leads to frustration, misunderstanding, and conflict.

Some fruits grow fast, while some need longer maturation periods. There are all sorts of sizes, shapes, colors, textures and flavors in Nature. All have their place and their reason to be.

We land on Earth, not knowing how or why. We start by giving names to everything, trying to make sense of it all. We believe we understand the difference between this and that, we separate the good from the bad. We start telling stories about ourselves and others and before long, we believe we’ve got it all figured out...

Whatever can be seen or described is not what you are. What you can discover is only what it is not. The only way to approach the essence of your being is by gently peeling away all the images, appearances, and preconceptions that veil its pure presence.

Big and small, now and then, here and there, good and bad. All opposites exist because of each other and come to life within the light of perception. Perception itself transcends duality; it is free, untouched by the play of opposites.

In reality, you were never born, and you never will die. In fact, there isn’t even a “you” to begin with. What you are is not a separate body-mind organism. What you truly are entirely transcends concept and exists completely beyond space and time.

We wait to be told who we are by people who don’t know who they are themselves, so that everyone can pretend they know what they’re doing here. The truth is surprisingly simple—no one truly knows anything. Not because we aren’t clever enough or still on the way, but because we misunderstand what knowing really means.

The very idea of specialness is a misinterpretation of the facts: no one truly stands alone; we are all integral parts of something far greater than ourselves. On the other hand, recognizing your uniqueness acknowledges the undeniable truth that what you are, what you do, and what you create is absolutely unique and irreplaceable. Far from being in conflict with anything or anyone, it's a pure expression of universal creativity.

There is no final truth to be found anywhere. There are no absolutely valid frames of reference for anything. All are flawed, as they are based on the false premise that there is such a thing as an observer who knows itself and therefore can know the world. 

Have you ever noticed that the person you take yourself to be—the one you've known your entire life, is, in fact, entirely made up of images, thoughts, and memories, none of which are truly alive, here and now?

We can’t wait for things to go our way to allow happiness into our lives. We need to start with gratitude first. To begin with, gratitude for all the things we never see, so busy are we pursuing the big things that we never get:

Gratitude for being able to take another breath, for being able to see yet another sunset, for having a moment with a loved one.

Art should not be measured by trends, popularity, or market value. True art isn't about objects, masterpieces, or even the artist. These things are distractions from what truly matters: you. Art should be about your perspective on life, your feelings about being alive, and the balance of harmony and chaos that you perceive.