The 12 Insights by When Swami PremodayaPhoto from Unsplash

 

THE 12 INSIGHTS

When Swami Premodaya founded a spiritual center in 2004, International Centers of Divine Awakening (ICODA), he delivered these 12 spiritual insights – which continue to awaken wisdom and understanding to this day. These insights were the first ever written text Swami Premodaya gave to spiritual aspirants seeking his guidance. Now, nearly 20 years later, there have been thousands of handouts and original materials filled with rich insights, and this one remains one of our favorites.

EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYTHING, AND BELOW, IS EVERYTHING I KNOW. I KNOW ONLY THESE 12 THINGS, AND NOTHING ELSE. They are my personal ‘insights,’ and I offer them to you, with love. My insights are in no way unique—they are nothing new. In slightly different words, they are what my teachers say—and in fact, what all teachers say. But they represent my own Absolute Knowing, paid for with my own experience, and as such, I use them with the authority that only True Knowing can confer. It would not be accurate to say that I ‘came up with’ them. It would be more accurate to say that ‘they express themselves, this time, through me.’ Should they come to you too, I encourage you to let them in—to let them inform every aspect of your life.

THE 12 INSIGHTS

BY SWAMI PREMODAYA

THE SIX DEFINITIONS OF REALITY, LIFE & THE UNIVERSE

  1. Reality is the All. We are typically not in contact with, or facing, Reality. Reality can and should be known, and faced. Reality is God; Reality is Truth; Reality is all there is.
  2. All is one. All of existence is unity. In actuality, we do not even exist! A human being is something like a hologram—a voice speaks, but the voice is not ours—eyes see, but the eyes are not ours—decisions are made, but not by us…etc., etc. Any perception different from this is delusion, plain and simple. The most common metaphor for this is that ‘the wave and the ocean are one.’ The wave is not separate from the ocean. The wave is ‘made of’ ocean. You are the wave. Existence is the ocean.
  3. Life is movement toward Reality, toward higher consciousness (i.e., moving out of misinterpreting hologramism as Reality).
  4. The definition of the Universe is ‘perfection’ (any further definition or elaboration is an obfuscation). Existence deals in perfection only, nothing else. Imperfection is impossible, as only perfection exists. This is literally true, whether apprehended or not.
  5. In existence, nothing is hidden, anywhere, ever. Nor can anything be hidden, ever, in any way. It is not possible, simply because existence is completely open, always. Everyone knows everything, always—consciously or unconsciously—whether they know it or not.
  6. The ‘known’ is a tiny little subset of the ‘unknown,’ and therefore doesn’t count for much. Proportionately, it amounts to almost nothing at all—it is like a grain of sand, compared to a billion trillion universes stacked on end. And YOU, of course, are even far less. You are less than nothing. Do not persist in the massive delusion that you are something—you are nothing at all. Immediately drop all notions of specialness and substantiality. Pan out from space and look down at the earth, and know that you are obviously too small to be anything. Have the right perspective, and know your true proportions. And remember that the ‘known’ is part of the ‘unknown’—contained within it—not the other way round! The ‘unknown’ is not that which is not yet known—it is that which cannot be known, because it is beyond knowing.

THE SIX INSIGHTS REGARDING HUMANITY

  1. Every human being is infinitely, radiantly and indescribably beautiful. We must develop the eyes to see this. Every single human being is an unfathomably unique source of richness, and is irreplaceable. When anyone dies, it represents an incalculable loss to the world. Human beings are made of love and wisdom, entirely. Every human being is a divine expression of complete perfection (whether or not you have the eyes to see it, is irrelevant to the truth of this).
  2. Existence is objective and impersonal. Pain and anguish, even terror and torment, are not plagues visited upon you. You are not the target. ‘Negative’ emotions and experiences are not your enemies. In fact, they are gifts from god, no less than happiness, pleasure and joy. Therefore, appreciate and enjoy all that comes your way, good and bad. Ever-increasing gratitude is the most reliable objective measure of ever-higher consciousness. Everything is a gift—everything. When you are genuinely grateful for pain, sickness, loss, etc., you have reached the highest summit.
  3. The only (so-called) problem is “i/me/mine” and existence wants you to overcome it.
  4. Relationships are permanent and eternal, so beware! (lol). Be aware and purposeful in your relating, especially in who you choose to relate to. Along the same lines, love never dies or ends, but it can become covered, obscured, unclear, or confused. Love is not something you feel—it is something you are, and/or something you do.
  5. Beliefs are cheap (opinions are even cheaper). They are meaningless. Entirely drop all beliefs. Share your being, not your beliefs; share your insights, not your opinions.
  6. The opposite of real honesty (being in ‘Truth’) is not so much about ‘not lying,’ as it is about not distorting in the slightest. It is about being completely accurate—about yourself, about everything. It is not about what’s factual—it’s about what’s really going on.

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