Just One Look Forum Archives

Nisargadatta and Ramana both said in their retreats that focusing on the 'me' (which lets face it, is exactly the same as what John suggests) heals the mind (also what John says).

Before I go on, I want to say how much I appreciate the way John has simplified it and try's with all his heart to speak of it in a human context so all the other spiritual crap doesn't distort it's simplicity. I (and many before me, I'm sure) would never of understood what Niz or Ramana were referring to had I not of heard it from John a couple of years ago.

I am wondering though, why John do you suggest that only one look is all one needs to become free of the fear whereas Ramana and Niz both said to 'keep at it', 'remain doing it' etc.

Maybe for some of us, the more we look at our selves, our minds will heal quicker like the other two 'teachers' suggested. I am aware though, that their are a few people who didn;t have to look much at all in oreder to become free. One of these people is someone I'm now friends with on facebook who seems very 'enlightened'.

I hope people who read this post may take it on board, because maybe they have only been doing the looking say once a day and for years with no positive outcome. Maybe for the people who complain about the fact it has taken too long, should do it more often rather than just rest with the notion that just the once was enough.... Maybe we don't know. How could we know. I for one, am going to start looking when ever I can, where ever I can because if Ramana and Niz were right in saying the continuous action will heal the mind then why should I to believe John's 'once is enough' theory instead.

I want to feel results sooner rather than later.

Hello George,

First, if you have been following the development of our understanding you must know that both Carla and I found ourselves returning again and again to the sense of our person-ness for years after that first look, and we often speak of that and encourage people to expect that that might happen. It is not clear whether it happens for all, but no harm whatsoever can come from repeating the act whenever it occurs to you to do so.

We also have come to see that repetition to be caused by the first look, and that the movement inward may seem to be sometimes automatic and other times intentional, but the most useful thing to see about it is that it is proof that the first look has happened.

To take just one look is the medicine, what follows is the result which almost always includes return visits. Eventually the specific movement of attention dies out in the recognition that the feel of me is always present, and not very interesting compared with the wonder of existence that is the source of life itself.

You will save yourself a lot of confusion if you will believe me when I tell you that what we are doing here has nothing to do with enlightenment. We are neither for it nor against it. I was given the great good luck to have the time and interest while in prison to learn much about a range of the Upanishadic teachings, and of the giants Ramana Maharshi and Nisargatta Maharaj, and I assure you that they have nothing to say about this simple work.

The looking has nothing to do with the spiritual project. The looking is mere medicine that cures the human psychology by destroying the context of fearfulness and wrongness that has spoiled the minds of most of us, and been the cause of all the misery, aggression, and self-destructive behavior that spoils life.

This is not a quick fix for what ails you. The medicine destroys the disease immediately, but the damage that it has inflicted in the form of neurotic psychological symptoms takes some time to heal. It is well within your means to take charge of that process by practicing self-reliant authority over your attention, and nothing you can do will be more rewarding and result in greater satisfaction than that.

John