Discovering Your True Self: Free From Form
Have you ever felt a little “off,” like there’s a low hum of tension always running in the background of your life? It’s a subtle feeling, but it’s often there. This feeling comes from something simple: we often get caught up in who we think we are. We identify with our bodies, our thoughts, our jobs, our relationships – all the “forms” that make up our daily lives.
But what if your truest self isn’t any of those things? What if it’s something much deeper, something that exists beyond everything you can see, touch, or even think?
Beyond the Tangible
Imagine for a moment that your deepest self, your pure consciousness, is like a clear, open sky. Now, picture all the “things” in your life – your worries, your opinions, your experiences – as clouds floating through that sky. We often get so focused on the clouds that we forget about the vast, unchanging sky behind them.
Think about it: who were you before you had a name? Before you learned to talk? Before you had any of the roles you play today? There was still “you,” wasn’t there? That “you” is what we’re talking about – a pure space of knowing, free from all the labels and ideas we attach to ourselves.
Shedding the Layers
So, how do we get back to that pure self? It’s not about wishing away your reality or imagining things that aren’t there. It’s about a simple practice of noticing what you are not.
Take a deep breath. Notice any small tensions in your body, any busy thoughts in your mind. Now, gently tell yourself: “I am not this tension. I am not this thought.” It’s like peeling away layers of an onion. Each time you notice something you’ve identified with – a feeling, a memory, a belief – and gently let it go, you drop a little deeper.
This isn’t about getting rid of these things entirely; it’s about realizing that they are separate from your core self. As you keep doing this, something amazing happens. That original, pure essence – that feeling of knowing, of quiet awareness – becomes clearer and clearer. It’s like wiping dirt off a window; the view becomes pristine and beautiful. Your experience becomes super subtle, pure, and free.
Touching the Divine
As you go deeper and deeper into this subtle awareness, you might reach a point where you feel a sense of oneness. It’s like you become the vast container for everything, the whole “holding space” for all of existence. This isn’t about seeing other planets or having superhero powers. It’s an intuitive, direct feeling that you are connecting with the very essence of being, a radiant, subtle space of pure awareness.
This is often where people feel a profound connection to something larger than themselves – a feeling of resonating with God, or the divine. It’s a deeply spiritual experience where you feel completely aligned and at peace.
But the journey can go even further. Even this sense of oneness, of pure awareness, can be seen as something you are still observing. You are still “looking at” that oneness. The ultimate step is to realize that you aren’t just observing it – you are it. You are inseparable from that pure, undivided awareness. This is a profound shift, moving beyond even the idea of being “one with” something, to simply being that infinite, formless reality.
This journey of going “free from form” is a path of purification, of becoming more subtle and aware. It leads you to the amazing discovery that your truest self is that infinite, pure space of knowing, deeply connected to everything, yet wonderfully free.
Quote:
“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.”
— Rumi
“The truest expression of ourselves is not found in what we accumulate, but in what we release.” – Adyashanti
Summary Points:
- True awareness exists beyond thoughts, emotions, and identity.
- Dropping form reveals a sky-like, pure consciousness.
- The process is about letting go—not forcing anything.
- Purification is a return to subtlety and essence.
- Deep contact with this space leads to divine recognition.
- Even the experience of Oneness can be transcended.
Actions You Can Take:
- Practice silent meditation daily, focusing on awareness itself.
- Observe your thoughts and gently tell yourself, “Not this.”
- Journal what you feel when you drop into deeper stillness.
- Read spiritual texts that explore non-dual awareness.
- Let go of labels you place on yourself and others.
- Spend time in nature, noticing the stillness beyond sound.