psychologicalform.Thisistheegoicmind,andthisiswhere
considerable dysfunction sets in. It now looks as if
somethinghadgoneverywrongsomewherealongthelineof
evolution. But even this is part of lila, the divine game.
Finally, the pressure of suffering created by this apparent
dysfunction forces consciousness to disidentify from form
and awakens it from its dream of form: It regains self-
consciousness,butitisatafardeeperlevelthanwhenitlost
it.
This processis explainedbyJesusinhis parableofthe
lostson,wholeaveshisfather'shome,squandershiswealth,
becomes destitute, and is then forced by his suffering to
return home. When hedoes,his father loves himmore than
before. The son's state is the same as it was before, yet not
the same. It has an added dimension of depth. The parable
describes a journey from unconscious perfection, through
apparentimperfectionand"evil"toconsciousperfection.
Can younow see the deeper andwider significanceof
becoming present as the watcher of your mind? Whenever
youwatchthemind,youwithdrawconsciousnessfrommind
forms, whichthenbecomes what wecall the watcher orthe
witness. Consequently, the watcher — pure consciousness
beyond form — becomes stronger, and the mental
formations become weaker. When we talk about watching
the mind we are personalizing an event that is truly of
cosmic significance: through you, consciousness is
awakening out of its dream of identification with form and
withdrawing from form. This foreshadows, but is already
part of,aneventthat is probablystill inthedistantfutureas
faraschronologicaltimeisconcerned.Theeventiscalled—
theendoftheworld.

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