Interviews Clara Llum
Interviews Clara Llum
Interviews Clara Llum
Clara Llum is a spiritual teacher who found herself going through a process of spontaneous enquiry
very early in her life, revealing the Self as the Unlimited One back in the 1970’s. Since then she has
explored most eastern traditions, become familiar with many approaches to awakening to Truth, and
begun delivering Satsang in 1986.
Ariel: The stereotypical image of an "enlightened person" often includes a person sitting
still, being quiet and unmoved. And yet that doesn't seem to be the whole picture. It
seems that not only is there a sense of stillness, there is also a flow of Life and Love that
wants to flow through us.
What are some of the deepest misunderstandings or ideas about "what enlightenment is
like" that you've had to let go of thus far on your path?
Clara: OK, before the reply, let me say 2 things. One is thanks for joining this initiative
to have this pair of mutual interviews. The other thing is just to send an aspiration to the
universe that this meeting may be for the benefit of many beings.
Said this, the question...
Ariel: :)
Clara: Yes, there are many misunderstandings about enlightenment.
The first one is that it is an event or experience, [idea] which derives from the premise
that "I am not complete and I need something I don't have".
The second is more subtle, is equating enlightenment with deep insight, which is a
byproduct but not it.
So, in order to remove those misunderstandings, sometimes I said in the past:
1
'enlightenment' is not enlightenment, non-enlightenment is enlightenment. But this is
also too paradoxical for most people.
Ariel: haha, yes
Clara: Enlightenment is a word that does not work much. I would say is more like
"enlighten-ing" in the sense that is about what is already happen-ing, in the present.
Enlighten-ment emphasizes it is a thing, a some-thing, an item, an enlightenment is far
from being any thing, is more an ongoing recognition that is happenING.
WHAT IS ENLIGHTENMENT
Ariel: How is this different from the belief that "I am self-present awareness of being. I
am All That Is. I am everything and nothing." or whatever other concept can be chosen?
Clara: Someone can repeat these words without having recognized his or her actual
intrinsic awareness.
Ariel: Why is it that we so often overlook being and focus on the flashy stuff?
2. like the taste of one drop of sea water is the same than the taste of the whole sea.
Clara: People don't know better, [they] have not been pointed out their true nature. And
also because the true nature is so plain that people can't believe it is the seed of the
infinite universes.
Ariel: Yeah, that's a big one. It doesn't seem like awareness or being really do anything
special. They just sit here. They just are.
Clara: Yes, but it [true nature, awareness, beingness] happens to be the shapeless,
formless, boundless container of all that arises, appears, flows and dissolves.
In Tibetan Dzogchen this "natural mind" is said to have three aspects: emptiness
(impolute) , clarity (cognitive) and all-productive (creative).
Ariel: It's interesting that emptiness is also creative.
Clara: It is because it's empty, precisely, otherwise all is finished, static.
It's because all is illusory that all [this infinite number of] realities keep flowing.
Ariel: I remember you mentioning on Twitter that if you're seeing reality, it's because
thought is arising or something to that effect.
Clara: I don't remember what I said... maybe "if you deal with reality, you deal with
your mind".
Ariel: Ah yes, I think that was it.
Clara: Yes, this all is just thoughts.
All around, just thoughts, imagination, feverish dreaming.And I said, "if you deal with
your mind, you deal with reality", meaning that your mind is the key: your awareness of
being. Here we could use uppercase, Mind and Reality, same.
First the world around invites you to examine your mind, then examining your mind you
find the power that creates all.
Ariel: Is this power the law of attraction?
Clara: No need to attract anything, thinking is seeing.
When you dream and think of a car, do you attract the car, or it's just there?
There are no laws of any kind in a dream. Thought is sovereign, and the substance of all
that is.
There's no matter separated from thought, not two substances, so [there isn't] a force of
attraction required to mediate.
It's all the realm of Maya, I-Maya-nation, imagination, only this.
Ariel: haha, I-Maya-nation, i like that :)
Clara: :-)
The I is the key.
Ariel: How so.
Clara: The I, your Self, is the only reality, the power itself. Only that by no recognizing
it, by mistaking our Self for a limited entity, we delegate the power on Maya, the fabric
of imagination, run by our fears, hopes, ideals, concepts, and so on.
We become the unconscious victims of our own imagination running wild and bewildered
by believing the world is real.
And we suffer as if we were that individual. So the I has to realize it-Self. Regain our
freedom.
CONVENTIONAL PRACTICES
Ariel: With respect to realizing the Self, is there value to choosing better feeling
thoughts instead of letting our imagination run wild?
Clara: These practices are just preliminary. You can get a peace and auspicious
circumstances that then propitiate the real work, which is approaching our own
awareness of being, meditating and establishing on it. The conventional paths of spiritual
traditions and religions help to pacify the mind so it's conducive to self-investigation.
Ariel: Yes, that makes sense :)
Clara: These yogas lead to Jnana-yoga: self-investigation, Self-abidance.
Jnana yoga as a synonym of Vedanta or other nondual teachings and approaches.
Ariel: Pacifying the mind can certainly help. Is it necessary to full out stop the mind?
Clara: No, that's artificial.
Thoughts flow and [that] it's part of the creative aspect of our mind.But pacifying is
essential, it's called sattva, the quality of purity, according to Hindu psychology.
Only a peaceful mind can look clearly and investigate reality.
And systems like Ayurveda promote that gain of clarity and peacefulness.
Ariel: So for someone who wants to wake up, if you were to offer them the single most
important golden nugget of advice, what would you suggest?
Clara: Be aware that you are. Be aware that you are aware, right now.
At any given moment, rest in that simplicity of being yourself, free from labels or
concepts of "myself".
The very beingness, the very awareness is the constant "you", the true you, faceless,
formless, empty, cognizant, all containing, all inclusive.
Be aware of being... Aware of being aware.
Meditate, stay with this awareness that you are and that is you.
Worship it, dive in it, make of it your home, and all will unfold.
Self-present awareness - awareness that is present in itself.
Watch your watchfulness, be conscious of being conscious right now...
Aware-ing is happening. See it, know it, be with it, that's all.
The mirror looks in the mirror, infinite space and light.
All enlightenment comes naturally from this.
All wisdom. all peace, all realization.
Ariel: :) That is wonderful.
Clara: :-) Thanks
Ariel: Thank you so much Clara.
Clara: Thanks to you Ariel.
Ariel: You have such a beautiful way of sharing and I really enjoyed this conversation
with you.
Clara: I enjoyed your invitation to express very much too. I know is for the good of
many beings that may see a door to Reality.
Everyone is invited to listen to more Satsangs online, free, tinyurl.com/satsang or visit
clarallum.com
Ariel: If you're on Twitter, you can follow Clara at @lux1008
Gracias, Clara :)
Clara: Yes, little tweets here and there.
Much love to you Ariel and to your audience.
Ariel: Namaste <3
Clara: Namaste!