The Infinity of Always

Like all of time, even the ‘now’ is an evanescent illusion. To merely notice something does not create some self-existent, objective reality called ‘now’. There is neither ‘now’ nor ‘then’, ‘past’ nor future’. For example, a road is already complete from beginning to end. The traveler does not create some special place in space that becomes ‘here’.

Q: If the ‘now’ disappears, then the infinity of Always takes its place. If the ‘now’ is an illusion, then when does one supposedly have existence?

A: Even to think ‘exist’ is to grab at a passing split second in consciousness. The absolute Reality is beyond even existence. To ‘exist’ is again a passing notion. There is a presumption that some independent, objective reality is depicted by that statement. All such statements are merely products of consciousness. Reality is beyond even existence itself. Existence is only possible as an evanescent experience in consciousness within consciousness itself, with no independent beingness or independent reality.

Q: If there is no actual ‘now’ or ‘past’ or ‘present’ and Reality is completely outside of time, then when does the ‘I’ exist?

A: The answer now is obvious; it doesn’t. The absolute Reality is forever, always. Note that the words ‘is’, ‘was’, ‘exists’, and ‘beingness’ are all denotations of time. All these statements are merely mental categories of thought.

Q: Can you please explain more about identity?

A: The ego fears dissolution and therefore resists giving up the illusion of a separate existence in an imaginary ‘here’ and an imaginary ‘now’. It fears it will dissolve into being nothing and, therefore, the conscious awareness will also cease. With examination, it will become clear that one’s reality is not a ‘who’ at all, but instead is an intensely loving Allness, which is realized and known to be much closer and more comforting and fulfilling than the prior sense of ‘I’.

From The Eye of the I p. 287-289