News Report with Erich Schiffmann

Can I start with two familiar analogies that you may or may not have heard before? I want to just keep them short, but they're sort of integral to what I want to get into. The first one is the dolphin story. I told this story last year, and I think I told it the year before. But it's one of the stories that people write me about, and they say, wow, yes, I know what you mean, and it was so easy to understand.

It's nice to have, or it's helpful to have easy go away, go home with ideas. So this is the dolphin story, just like briefly, just so you can get the idea of it. Ten or 20, 30 years ago. Feels like lifetimes ago. I was teaching a teacher training in Santa Barbara, a 10-day training.

I finished it, and I was happy, and I was driving home. I'd go down Pacific Coast Highway, and especially through Point Magoo and Port Wainimi, like right beyond there. It's sort of my favorite road, just about anywhere. There's other nice roads, but this is my local favorite, the one I get to drive on whenever possible. And for some reason, there's hardly ever any traffic in this one part where it's curvy and it's going down the coast.

If you've never done Pacific Coast Highway, do it soon. The mountain is coming down. From the left, I was going south, I live in Santa Monica, so I was going home. The mountains come right down to the water, the road just hugs the coast. And I was zooming along, curving, driving home, having fun, and the ocean was beautiful.

One of the spectacular California blue ocean, gold and silver light sky days. And I had a friend with me in the passenger seat, and we were driving. And right then, a dolphin jumped up out of the water, and I said, hey, look, there's a dolphin. And she turned and looked, but by the time she looked, the dolphin was under the water. She didn't see the dolphin.

And in that moment, when she wasn't seeing the dolphin, I wasn't seeing the dolphin either. Okay, significant point on this. But I'd seen the dolphin a moment ago. I knew that there was more going on than I was currently seeing. Kept driving down the road, hoping that the dolphin would jump up again.

And sure enough, a few moments later, I said, hey, look, a dolphin. And it was probably a porpoise. You know what I mean? But I like saying dolphin. And again, by the time she looked, it was under water.

She didn't see it again. But I'd seen it twice now. I was more convinced than ever that there was more going on than I was currently seeing. And I was driving along, you know, with a hopeful expectation that maybe it would jump up again. And sure enough, yep, look, look, look, look.

And it was about 10 times before she finally saw the dolphin. And then she said, oh, you weren't just kidding me the whole time. I like this analogy because for me, this is how spiritual insights have been. I'll have a dolphin moment of clarity, like an insight about something, like a clear knowing. And I'll be, yeah, of course.

And then, fwomp. Back to my normal self. But then I'll have another dolphin insight, clarity about something, yes, of course. God is love. Love is real.

And then, fwomp. But the more it happens, the more you start trusting your insights, okay? So that's one analogy. The other analogy is when we bought the house that we now live in, we had it renovated before we moved in. And I wanted to have a steam shower.

I'd always thought that if I ever owned a house, I'd put a steam shower in it. I like steam. It's cleansing. And it doesn't burn like the sun or whatever. I like the steam.

The steam room, it's like a shower, but it's an enclosed room, and it's got a little silver button, and I push the button, and the steam shoots out, and it fills the room. And you can turn on the shower or open the door, and the steam will dissipate, but okay. And I had it built, and we put in shelves where I could put the shampoo, the conditioner, the soap. First time I used it, I'd sort of forgotten that you push the button, and it shoots out the steam, and the room gets totally foggy, and I couldn't see anything. Luckily, I had thought to put the shampoo on this shelf, the conditioner on this shelf, the soap on this shelf, so that even though I couldn't see it, I could sort of feel my way forward, okay?

I can then either open the door, let the steam dissipate or turn on the shower, or just after a few minutes, the steam dissipates anyway. And what was there the whole time, and this is the point of the synology, what was there the whole time, I can now see, and it's like, oh, there's the shampoo, there's the conditioner, there's the soap. Okay, so the point is, the dolphin insight clarity that's just insinuating itself into my mind, more and more and more and more, is the fact that right now, we are in the middle of the ultimate, we're in the middle of ultimate reality right now. There's nothing else happening, really. We're not in a temporary world, we're not just doing time until we can get out of here.

We're in the middle of ultimate reality, we're in the middle of the kingdom of heaven, we're in the middle of the kingdom of harmony, we're in the middle of nirvana, whatever the words are that describe the ultimate of what you think could be happening, we're in the middle of the ultimate right now, but we're not quite seeing it clearly. Our current level of ignorance is causing a mist, and it's blurring our perception of the awesome reality that's the only thing that's going on actually. Okay, so that's the big insight, we're in the middle of the ultimate reality already, always have been, always will be, there's nothing else going on, period, period, period. Okay, now years ago, when I was first getting into all of this, I read somebody's, I was reading somebody's book, and he was giving advice on how to meditate, and the advice was something like, meditate on the infinite. I thought, yeah, well, it felt right, it felt significant, it felt like I was on the scent of something, but it didn't quite connect with me.

Gradually, though, the word infinite is making more and more sense, okay, now, the way I used to think of infinite was one, plus one, plus one, plus one, plus one, plus one, plus one, plus, you know, like plus one forever, would be infinite. But actually, the word infinite means not finite, infinite is the not finite context in which all the finite forms are happening. Now, if there is such a thing as the infinite, and I'm suggesting that there is, then it's like there's nothing other than infinity, there's the infinite only, there's no such thing as anti-infinity, and if there's infinity only, then it's like there's nothing other than infinity to be in conflict with. The feeling tone of infinity, therefore, is calm, the feeling tone of infinity is peace, the feeling tone of infinity is at-ease-ness, conscious at-ease-ness, the feeling tone of infinity is calm, now, if the feeling tone of infinity is calm, then yeah, that's the potential experience of every one of us, the insight on all of this is that I only exist, you only exist because the all, the infinite, is in infinite self-expression. Everything that exists is the specific identification of the infinite, is the infinite in being itself as that specific thing.

The feeling tone of each specific thing, therefore, potentially in your experience, is the feeling tone of unconflicted being, calm, the ease of being, and this is the thing I want to get into because, and this is hard to get into, I feel it's delicate, try to hear this without freaking, without getting mad at me, without feeling guilty, without feeling shameful about the truth of this, if it's true, the feeling tone of infinity is calm, okay, therefore, any form of disease, any form of dis-ease, is the evidence of a conflicted mind. This is not the thing I like to hear when I'm sick, but it's the thing that is the hopeful answer to disease, I'm really like vibing on this idea, disease is the evidence of a conflicted mind, hear that without guilt, without shame, without feeling bummed, but sort of like, oh wow, dolphin clarity, disease is the evidence of a conflicted mind, and therefore, the solution, the way to heal the disease is to consciously slide to the best of your ability, into the feeling of calm, over and over and over and over to the best of your ability, meditate and slide into the feeling tone of infinity, unconflicted being, slide into the feeling of calm, and then desire healing, now right in that moment when you desire healing, all these little justifications about why you're suffering from whatever you're suffering from will come up into your mind, oh I broke my leg, it's gonna take six weeks for it to heal, oh I've had this disease for ten years, it's gonna take at least ten years to get better if ever, you know, desire healing, be aware of the little justifications that come into your mind about why you're having what you're having, and then learn to put the pause in your commentary, learn to like zip it mentally, learn to like shut up, learn to like not energize your current level of steamy ignorance, learn to put it in pause mode, in order to slide into the feeling of peace so that the gyroscope of you starts getting increasingly congruent with the feeling tone of unconflicted, calm, infinite being, okay, now I think this is extremely interesting, I'm almost the age that my father was when he died, he had a blood clot in his leg, he didn't know it, he rubbed it, it set the blood clot loose, the blood clot went through his lungs, he had a pulmonary embolism, he died in his sleep, and I'm thinking, well, I'm almost the age dad was, maybe I'll get a blood clot like dad, it's genetic, you know, my brother's got a blood clot, oh, it's genetic, you know, maybe I'll get one, it's genetic, you know, maybe I'll die of a heart attack like my grandmother, it's genetic, you know, and yeah, there's a truth to genetics, but increasingly it's like the dolphin insight on this is like try not to buy into limited perception based on the mists of ignorance, there's a truth to genetics, but push it deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper until you start getting the sense that, wow, my real DNA, the thing that I'm actually really susceptible to is not based on my father, it's not based on my grandmother, it's not based on my heritage here, my real DNA is G-O-D, it's like, oh, well, clarity, eh, swamp. But I had a moment of clarity, it's not quite the same as before, I don't quite believe what I used to believe about what my destined, crummy future is gonna be, what I'm gonna die of, have more moments of dolphin clarity of, oh, wow, my real DNA is G-O-D, my real DNA is G-O-D, wow, wow, wow, my real DNA, my real DNA is G-O-D, and increasingly the insight is that G-O-D, God, is love, and therefore, wow, so am I, actually, therefore, so are you, actually, yeah, no, yeah, no, yeah, no, yeah, this has been going on for years. But again, increasingly, it's like, oh, wow, no, this is making more sense, this is making, this is what's making ultimate sense for me, your real DNA is G-O-D, and therefore, it's sort of like, increasingly, just start busting yourself about what you find yourself decreeing about your future experience, you're saying stuff to yourself with smart, good reasons that seem to justify it, but again, put a comma in your commentary, put a comma in your commentary, relax, feel the truth of what you are, because again, what you are is only what it is because the all is being itself is you, you didn't make you, you're only here because the all is being you, therefore, be aware of what you're saying to yourself, put the comma in there, zip it mentally, exhale, and relax, and just have a clearer and clearer experience of the energy that constitutes you actually, and again, especially when you start feeling, oh, wow, the energy is love, really, then wow, you find yourself, even though I find myself disbelieving it, it's still like, oh, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, and you find yourself hanging out with it a little longer, and then your health begins to improve. Okay, now there's a nice affirmation that I was meaning to teach to my group yesterday, that just flows along these lines, that I would recommend memorizing, I memorized it, it's sort of long, but instead of saying other stuff to yourself, put it in pause mode, try saying this, be aware of what you're saying to yourself, put the comma in there, exhale, slide into the feeling of calm as much as you're able, and then say to yourself, I authorize my body to release, it's sort of like I authorize the mist to dissipate, I authorize my body to release whatever's not necessary to its perfect functioning, I authorize my body to release my current level of ignorance, I authorize my body to release whatever's not necessary to its perfect functioning, comma, and I withdraw any prior conscious or unconscious authorization to the contrary, it's cool, it washes the slate clean, it helps you wash out your current level of ignorance, I withdraw, I authorize my body to release whatever's not necessary to its perfect functioning, and I withdraw any prior conscious or unconscious authorization to the contrary, practice saying that, practice sliding into the feeling of calm and say it, I authorize my nose to release whatever's not necessary to its perfect functioning, I authorize my back to release whatever's not necessary to its perfect functioning, you're not actually healing a disease is sort of the insight, the disease is just the evidence of a conflicted mind, it's not a thing in itself, you're sliding into the feeling of calm, and you're authorizing yourself to release your current level of ignorance so that the ultimate of what's been true the whole time begins to become evident in your experience, this is cool, this is so cool, but you gotta do it because you'll be saying things to yourself that you think are just accurate, of course I'm feeling this way, I'm 65, of course I'm feeling this way, I'm 75, of course I'm doing this, I'm a blonde of course, and it'll seem like you're being accurate, and from a certain current level of ignorance it'll be accurate, okay so that's one thing, the other thing I wanted to say, and I talk about this a lot, and I talk about it because I'm trying to learn about it still, practice love more, just sort of like keep it easy, just practice love more, practice love on things that are easy for you to love, I was watching the sunset tonight from my porch, awesome, and at first it was like oh beautiful sunset, wasn't that great, and I loved it, but then it was like oh wow, you know just like just a little bit more, oh wow, wow, wow, and what was there the whole time started to become more illuminated, it was still beautiful, but it started getting more beautiful, started looking more dimensional, I have a dog, I love him, except he's a she.

I love her, and I pet her, I used to talk about my cat, but he passed on a few months ago, monster was the easiest thing in the world for me to love, now Bella's the easiest thing in the world for me to love, and things that are easy for you to love, you know like pet your kitty, your doggy, your baby, you know do whatever, whatever is easy for you to love, love it a little bit more than you normally would, it's sort of like the ongoing practice, where you have no hesitation about loving them, just do it a little more, it's not hard, it's cool, she likes it, she gets more malleable, I like it, you know and like the experience becomes more as awesome as it already was, it just starts, the ultimate reality of it starts becoming more apparent, love things where it's easy, when you're eating the sandwich that you like and you're enjoying it, just like savor it with a little more appreciation, watching the sunset, if you see someone's face, just like enjoy it a little bit more, it's not a come on, it's just like a wow, beauty, beauty, beauty, do that where it's easy, do it where it's easy, you start to get the hang of it, and then it's easier to do in places where it's hard, but the really interesting definition of love that I like is that love is the willingness to recognize that which is real about something, love is the willingness to recognize that which is real, and it's interesting if you're not willing to recognize that which is real, just start watching yourself, what are you doing, you know, if you're not willing to recognize that which is real, you're indulging in judgment, you're insisting on an unreal assessment, you're energizing your current level of ignorance, just going to blur your experience to the ultimate reality, and yeah, you can do that, we do it, but you live the consequences, love is the willingness to recognize that which is real, practice looking at people, it's fun, it's easy to do it when you're watching TV, it's easy, like look at a bottle, look at a stop sign, things that don't scare you, with the willingness to recognize that which is real about it, just sort of wash your mind clean and be attentive in the new now, being attentive to something with the willingness to recognize that which is real is how you enact love, ding, ding, ding, and so in order to be a loving person you don't have to walk around, you know, like loving everybody, like it's a big wipe out, but just sort of like be willing to recognize that which is true, when you're doing something, you're doing something, just be increasingly attentive to what you are doing, put your usual assessments in pause mode, and have a clearer, and just watch how you start having a clearer assessment of the people you're with, the world you're in, I don't know, I find myself getting increasingly optimistic about life, increasingly like wowed by the event, like wow, wow, like just, but you know, like not like ungrounded wow, but it starts feeling like increasingly grounded wow, love is the willingness to recognize that which is real, be increasingly willing to look at something without your usual stuff going on, and that's usually talked about as get quiet in your mind, get silent in your mind, and the easiest words are shut up, because that again just washes your mind clean, and you'll find that when you're quiet in your mind you're still attentive with the curiosity to see that which is real, it's fun, it's fun, a way to get yourself to do this therefore, just as an easy homework to go home with, look at somebody and just in your mind say I see you, I see you, I see you, I see you, it's interesting, like I'll be doing this homework and like there's just like many many moments where I won't want to do it, I don't want to see that person, he's been a pain in the ass, you know what I mean? But again, hey, if you're not willing to see that which is real, you're perpetuating the suffering for yourself and others, be willing to recognize that which is real, that's how you embody love, and increasingly, this is sort of what's cool about this, as you start to recognize that which is real, as you begin to see people as they are increasingly, you'll sort of know that this is beginning to work for you, because you'll look at somebody and you'll recognize them, or you'll have this weird feeling of, have we met before? There's some recognition happening, essentially, and this is the doctrine of recognition, mind is seeing itself everywhere, God is looking out through you and seeing itself everywhere, and therefore starts looking like a brother or a sister. You're a brother or a sister with someone when you're sourced by the same source, when you have the same parents, and increasingly it's like, oh wow, we're all sourced by the same source, there's nothing else going on. We are family, we are brothers and sisters, oh, oh, oh, oh, even an international villain is a brother, and needs to be recognized as such.

So your real DNA is G-O-D, God is love, wow, I mean all growing up I was reading all this stuff and God is love, and it was like, well, so cool, what does that have to do with me? And then it's like, oh, of course, God, the way I'm using the word, God means being, it means supreme being, not a supreme being that you'll meet after death, but supreme being which is being everything that's being, the infinite in infinite display is God manifest. You are the specific self-expression of God, looking out at God's infinite self-expression, whoa, whoa, and therefore if God is love, then, whoo, that's what you want. You are, that's what anybody is, that's what we need to be feeling truly, and the trick is not to bluff yourself into it, but sort of learn to shut up. Don't energize your current level of ignorance, learn to shut up, stay with your actual now experience, and if it's true, you'll start feeling the love that constitutes you.

At first it'll feel like you're being loved by the universe, and then it just starts feeling like, oh, wow, that is the energy that constitutes you and has been the whole time, is the only actual energy, whoa, whoa, nah, whoa, yeah, yeah, yeah, and then start busting yourself when you find yourself doubting it again. Not that you have to brainwash yourself, but learn to like shut up, wash your brain of what you normally think, zip it, feel the truth of the new now, and then be willing to recognize the truth of whatever you find in your experience. Now it's interesting being here at the crib. It's about anyone you see in Ojai this weekend, everybody's a yogi, you know what I mean? Anyone you look at, you can know that they're a yogi, everyone's a yogi anyway, everyone's a brother or a sister anyway, but more than usual, practice looking at people knowing that they're a yogi, knowing that they're a son or a daughter of the all, knowing that they're a brother or a sister for you.

Have insight into that, watch when you poo-poo it, watch when you're not willing to like acknowledge it. Trust yourself unwilling to acknowledge it, put the calm in your commentary, exhale, relax. And once again, pay attention to the actual new now. You will find yourself having insight, you will find yourself being guided about what to say in the moments that you're in. And again, it's that whole thing, learning to trust yourself to do and be what the energy's guiding you to do.

Your real DNA is G-O-D, love is the willingness to recognize that which is real. I authorize my body to release whatever's not necessary. We're in the middle of the ultimate already. We're not in a temporary world. If it's all God, wow, we should be having a lot more fun looking through the mist to the reality that's got to be there.

Have the insight that it's all God and that if you're not seeing it, just be willing to like fluff it out a little more, like fan the fog away. If there's anything in your experience, it could only be there because the all is being itself as that thing. They may not know it and therefore they're acting like an idiotic ego. But hey, if they're there, they could only be there because the all is being them. And we can either be reinforcing each other that, oh yeah, we're living with a bunch of idiots on a stupid planet, or we can start waking up to, wow, we're in the middle of the ultimate reality only, really.

Let's sort of like wash our minds clean a little bit and a little bit and a little bit and be willing to recognize that which is true and just sort of hang on to the I see you sentence. And if you're brave, say, I love you just in your mind even. With the understanding again, though, that love is the willingness to recognize that which is real, it doesn't mean you've got to get married to the person. I see you and I love you. And if you wince when you say I love you or when you even just think I love you, I don't even know you but feeling love for you, if you wince at the I love you part, just quickly translate what it, re-translate what it means, oh, it simply means the willingness to recognize that which is real.

Yeah, I'm willing to do that. I love you, I love you. But I see it was easier to get your foot in the door with this. Anyway, I'm very happy to be at the crib again. I'm really appreciative that everyone is here this weekend.

This is a special thing. It's fun to watch how it's grown over these years and how it's just like growing. You know, like it's the perfume is spreading. I see you and I love you, I see you and I love you. Okay, so then...