Correspondence with John Sherman, thanks to Brian Adler and the Yahoo Adyashanti group.

QUESTION:

Is there more to recognize than that the question (whatever it's content in the moment) is itself unnecessary?

Isn't that essentially the same as self-inquiry, as turning (or dropping) attention from the question (the story) to what is prior to that?

Is this sufficient?

JOHN SHERMAN:

There's actually no need to 'recognize' anything. Re-cognition is a phenomenon that comes and goes willy-nilly as a component of the mind.

All that's really necessary is to rid yourself of the lie that you are the mind, the body, the thoughts, the cognitions and recognitions, the life, by repeated turning of attention to the ever-present PRESENCE that you are. Tasting this with no need for recognition or understanding does all the work of destroying all false belief as to what you are. In the absence of any belief about what you are, all sense of a stake in what happens in the life departs, and with it all fear and misery and suffering no matter how much pain and difficulty may remain.

I hope this is clear. Please let me know.

in love,

John

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