To forget oneself is to not lose oneself, but to truly become oneself. In letting go, you attain without gaining, you arrive without leaving.

So who are you? We aren't who we think we are. Imagine this: There's a giant clear plastic bag. In this bag place all the things that you think you might be. First goes your physical body, then your name, your color, race and religion. The place where you live, your country of allegiance, your sexual orientation and all your clothes. Your beliefs, opinions and your judgments and so on until everything is included. Everything you think you are is contained in this bag. Your mind is even there because it's a very crucial part of who you think you are, throw it in the bag.

Now, let's look at the bag. Visualize it. If there's anything else that you think you are, put it in the bag. Now observe it....

So who is that observing the bag? Who is that observing the totality of what you call your life? That nameless, placeless, timeless observer? It's the one and only real you. You are not the content of your life, you are the observer of it. You contain all that's in the bag, but it's not you. It's merely within you. You are the context of life. The understanding of this truth, is merely an object itself and can be placed in the bag. To experience this truth, that is beyond the bag. To experience that, is to be fully, completely and beautifully alive.

Gassho,
John