U R HERE! by Julee Bergstrom

I have an analytical mind. It wants to know how things work, why they work, the logic behind the process. Understanding the how and why of things provides a sense of security and guidance in decisions and actions. But when searching for truth, it can take us only so far.

Thought is a simulator of reality. It is not reality itself. Exclusively referencing thought keeps us confined to an inanimate model of this vibrantly pulsating universe. The names and categories of things refer to what we think we know about them, not to our full experience of them. Words for objects are symbols of symbols—twice removed from their essential being! No wonder we become “lost” in thought—so much is missing.

But to step away from thought is not easy. It is alluring and powerful, creating a convincing reality of sense and feeling. It suggests that “I” am right about whatever I’m thinking. I’ve personally spent years, decades, attempting to work this out, looking for the great epiphany—continually consulting the simulator to discover reality.

It finally dawned on me: What thought could I possibly think or find that would fully reveal truth? How could a simulator convey the actual experience? Only the direct experience of something can truly convey its full essence. Walking on the beach is not the same as viewing a photo of such. Eating an orange is not the same as reading a description of such.

In drawing a simple picture for a friend, a penny clanged for me. Within a big square frame representing a borderless infinity, I placed a small stick figure with a swirl of thought over its head. In the open space, I wrote, “U R HERE!” An arrow pointing to the stick figure’s head read, “U THINK U R HERE!” What thought could possibly be the experience of “U R HERE!”?

This is the journey—to finally realize that no thought can do the business of being who you are. U R HERE! Take a bite of that orange.

Julee Bergstrom is enrolled in The Living Method Continuing Student Program. She lives in the UK.