The Awakening Process

Question 1

Untruth unrealization.

Answer 1

Untruth unrealization is the process of unknowing what is untrue, leaving only the truth in its place. It is the least misleading term for Awakening because one does not realize truth, rather, one undergoes the long self-peeling process of unknowing what is untrue – everything except I Am.

• Jed McKenna -

Question 2

Can we “know” Consciousness directly?

Answer 2

Anyone who wants to take an honest look at their circumstances must deal with the fact that you can’t know Consciousness directly until you unknow everything in the way of it.

Question 3

What is Enlightenment?

Answer 3

Enlightenment is freedom from falsehood.

Awakening is the process of deprogramming.

Enlightenment is the unprogrammed state.

Question 4

What are we pilling out in the process of Untruth unrealization?

Answer 4

One dismantles one’s fictional persona by peeling away the built-up layers of false identity until all that’s left is that which can’t be severed, destroyed or further reduced; truth, I-Am point of awareness.

Question 5

What is preventing us from awakening?

Answer 5

The unchallenged assumptions we hold in our belief system of reality, and, the blind aceptation of the mass mentality, the consensus reality are the main cause of our lack of doubt.

We never look because we never doubt, and we never doubt because we are full of unchallenged assumptions, we accept appearances and ride on the tide of consensus.

Question 6

Is it good to be skeptical about the beliefs we hold?

Answer 6

No amount of skepticism could ever be too extreme. Truth doesn’t need your devotion. It need you to open up your eyes.

Question 7

How to practice Spiritual Autolysis?

Answer 7

All you have to do is sit down and write the truth, and keep writing until you’ve come up with something that is true.

It doesn’t matter where you start. You could start by using Ramana Maharshi’s query, “Who am I?” or “What is me?” and then just work at it. Write and rewrite. Make it cleaner and cut out the excess of ego and follow it wherever it leads until you’re done.

• Jed McKenna -

Question 8

What is the main topic in the Spiritual Autolysis practice?

Answer 8

This is not a diary about self exploration or feelings and insights. It’s not about personal or spiritual evolution. This is about what you know for sure, about what you are that is true.

With this process you tear away layer after layer of untruth masquerading as truth. Writing it out allows you to act as your own teacher, your own critic, your own opponent.

Question 9

What is the question at our very center?

Answer 9

“Who am I?”

Use this inquire relentlessly as a tool for drilling down through all the layers of ego and delusion. “Who am I?” That is the question. That’s the question at our very center. There is only one koan and it’s the same for all of us: What is true?

Question 10

Is Truth realization a deconstruction process?

Answer 10

Truth realization is a deconstruction process. Self-realization isn’t about more, it’s about less. The only construction required for awakening is that which facilitates demolition.

Question 11

Is Awakening a self-development process?

Answer 11

No. Awakening is not a self development journey at all. Neither it is a seeking process. It’s a deconstruction process of all what is un-true. All what is not. Nothing remains stand.

• Jed McKenna -

Question 12

NETI NETI

(not this, not that)

“In the seeing of who you
are not, the reality of who
you are emerges by itself.”

Answer 12

• Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj -

Question 13

What is the first step in the process?

Answer 13

The first step is to go for the truth. Self inquire… what is true about who I am? Tear away layer after layer.

Ask yourself what’s true until you know. Think for yourself. Don’t follow. Stay with the question. Everything is available for direct knowing.

Question 14

How to seek for the truth?

Answer 14

The search for truth is absurd, because it’s a thing which you cannot capture, or give expression to. You have to become less false by illuminating what is not true and let the truth to reveal itself, what remains is the unspeakable truth.

So, instead of seeking for the truth, you illuminate what is not, what belief you are holding to be true.

Question 15

Until you have taken the First Step it’s all academic.

Answer 15

You can play a spiritual role and meditate and renounce and be selfless and earn merit and burn karma year after year, lifetime after lifetime, and still not take that First Step.

The First Step is the true starting point of the whole process. Once the First Step is taken, the rest of the journey is sure to follow. Truth realization doesn’t require anything but purity of intent.

Question 16

The Golden Rule!

Think for yourself.

Answer 16

Think for yourself and figure what’s true.

That’s the golden rule. That’s all you need to know to awaken. Sit down, and ask yourself what’s true until you know.

Question 17

Self reliance.

Answer 17

All you have to do is look for yourself, but the greatest strength of ego is that “looking for yourself” is the last thing anyone really wants to do.

Think for yourself. Look for yourself, directly, without the obstruction and distorting filters of interpreters or middlemen.

Question 18

Can we trust in self reliance?

Answer 18

At the moment, as humankind, we are living our worst case scenario. So don’t rely on the beliefs that we see around as the norm.

Cultivate a skeptic mind and approach. Open your eyes. Look. Nourish your discontent. Start fresh. Think for yourself. Trust in self reliance. You’re completely on your own.

• Jed McKenna -