“You must be shapeless, formless, like water.” – Bruce Lee
According to Webster’s Dictionary: Formless Means:
1: Having no regular form or shape
2: Lacking order or arrangement
3: Having no physical existence
The paradox of this article is that, it’s going to try to explain the formless dimension to the best of its ability, but in the end the only thing these words can do is point you into the direction of the formless.
We will get to why we can only point, but not pinpoint, the formless dimension further on.
For you practical souls out there why on earth would you ever want to experience the formless?
Well it’s simple really, and it’s to experience heaven on earth. In other terms you can call it absolute peace, nirvana, ecstasy, bliss, serenity, tranquility, or whatever term you can think of which means absolute freedom from suffering.
Why does the human race go to see psychologists and psychiatrists?
It’s normally because we are suffering and have a great deal of emotional pain in the mind, and we would like someone to sort that out for us by diving into our mind and finding out about our thinking patterns, so we can change them to feel better.
There is one large fundamental challenge with psychologists and that is they are trying to fix things from the surface level—the world of form, when in fact the only real thing way out of suffering is by being aware of the formless dimension.
Back to the definition we go and it says “No physical existence.”
Well, wait a minute?
We are physical humans because I can feel the form of my body, and all the other physical entities in this world, so how exactly could I experience a nonphysical existence?
The first thing we must take a look at is what are examples of forms, and structure, shape, order and arrangements?
There is one fundamental entity that creates all forms and many branches from that. The first fundamental form is your mind.
#1. Your Mind
You are human, I am human and because of that we have been born with a human mind.
A mind, in its most commonly used definition, is a bundle of thoughts, or what we use to think. Thinking is what allows us to make our way around in this world of form.
Your mind is a form that you use to get around in this world of form; it is the very thing that shapes this world into the form you can see.
#2. Thoughts
Thoughts are branches of your mind and because they are branches of your mind, they are also forms. Thoughts take form in your mind.
#3. Beliefs
Beliefs are thoughts that you pinpoint to understand reality, whether that be speculative or an absolute knowing, but they are also form.
#4. Perception
Perception is the way that our minds interpret information. Information is the dialogue that is entering our mind and information is of the world; and therefore it too is a form.
#5. Identity
Normally we think this is how my personality is and we think of personality as a self-image or a self-perception.
This is how we can determine a distinct difference between “me” and him or her.
#6. Body
The body is our vehicle that we use to make our way around this world physically. It too is a form, a tool that we use in the world of form.
#7. Race
If the body is a form, then that too must mean that all racial color is a form as well.
#8. Gender
Gender is something that we dictate based on the body. Again, because it’s considered based on the body, it too is a form.
#9. Culture & Ethnicity
Generally noted culture and ethnicity are determined by what part of the world of form you grew up in, by what you eat or drink, how you’re taught, your perception…etc.
#10. Labels
The way the human race has made its way around the world is by labeling things so we can communicate better. We see a tree and call it a tree. We see the ocean and call it the ocean.
These are ways in which the human race can understand the world in which we live and communicate.
#11. Words
The only reason that you can read these words is because, at some point in history, man developed language. You could essentially call words and communication labels.
#12. Situations & Circumstances
Situations are created from the mind to locate where you currently are within time. Speaking of time…
#13. Time
Past & Future.
Time is a measurement from birth to death. The only reason we humans need time is for a measurement.
It is how we digest where we were, to where we are and to where we hope to be in the future.
So what is the common denominator between all these forms?
It’s that they are man-made; they are of this world. We know the world by its shape— it’s a sphere.
We know physical form by our perception. We know structure by rules, regulations, laws, stipulations, requirements, and guidelines within society.
And for form and structures, we can PINPOINT those using other forms and structures called words.
This takes us to science: According to Webster’s
Science is…
“The intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.”
99.9% of all scientific study is to study the world of form and structure.
So why is the psychology continuing to evolve even though there are still hundreds of millions of people on the earth that still suffer?
This comes down to something that no scientific study can nor will ever be able to explain: the formless dimension—formless meaning without shape, without structure, form or physical existence.
If you take a look at the forms above, you will see mind, thought, belief and perception. None of these can nor will ever be able to pinpoint the formless dimension.
Think about the most significant formless entity that there is. It’s space.
You can’t actually comprehend what space is, but you know it’s there because when you fill a tire up the tire expands and takes up space.
The only reason we know what space is is because no physical object could exist without it.
But we can’t actually comprehend space with the mind. We can only know what it is by the physical object that space makes possible.
When you use the words, the mind, thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions to find out what is ABSOLUTE REALITY, it’s like trying to bottle up space. This is why this article can only point you in the direction of the formless.
These words still bottle up reality, because they can’t give you the truest essence of reality.
When you are stuck in a false reality or illusion, then you can only use the mind, use words and thoughts to eventually release them into the direct awareness of truth.
So words, although they can’t pinpoint the formless dimension, still have a necessary “use’,” when it comes to guidance to the incomprehensible realm.
Space is unlimited beyond the mind’s point of view.
What psychologists can only do when they speak with you is to rearrange your thoughts in your mind and put them in a different order, but that ultimately will not give you what you truly want which is ultimate peace.
This is still keeping you trapped in the world of form, which is only putting a band -aid on a broken leg.
What we all want and strive for is internal freedom. It’s a deep level of peace through all of life experiences and sometimes even overwhelming joy, when you go deep enough into it.
The truth is only something that you can be aware of through the body, deep in your being.
We all “think” of ourselves as physical specimens in a physical bodies.
The first thing you must feel is that what “I” really am is not physical. What “I” really am is formless.
Remember I said that thoughts lead to beliefs. Well it’s your belief that what “I” really am is the mind, and that illusion is why you continue to feel unfulfilled.
What I really am is NOT a form. Well, if what “I” really am is not a form, that means, based on the forms above— I am NOT the mind, not the thoughts, the beliefs, perceptions, identities, the body, race, gender, culture, ethnicity, labels, words, situations and time.
I am none of these, which I believed myself to be for so long.
For those who are not aware of this, it will be a whole lot for your mind, and that’s all right.
Firstly, you may suffer because you’re losing your false identity. Don’t worry for this is ultimately to find that internal peace your heart desires.
Secondly, this is not for you to believe, as I said before beliefs are form, this is for you to feel through your inner body energy.
I’m sorry to destroy those illusions for those of you who own a billion-dollar company, whether that be a professional sports team, a billion-dollar marketing firm, if you’re Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffet, Jay Z, Michael Jordan, etc.
Until you are you willing to lose this false idea of who you are, you will not find that inner absolute fulfillment.
What we are trying to do is find ourselves in the world, in the forms, in the structures, but the illusion is in the forms themselves.
It’s that we believe we are form, and if we think we found our self or our freedom in form, we will suffer again and again.
Believing that time exists absolutely is the major creator of suffering. There is an extremely thin line between mind, thought and time.
Not something that the mind would be able to see or comprehend.
The only thing that has created time is man. Time is man-made, as it’s a measurement between birth and death.
Humans are survival creatures; minds are survival entities. The reason why this is, is because we have a mind. It is the mind that wants to guarantee its own survival.
Why is this?
Take a look at space, it is infinity.
What is infinity in time?
Eternity.
The mind looks at time as past, then present, then future.
But did you know that the mind makes the present into a thought?
When you are aware of the present moment, or conscious presence, it is not a thought.
What is past?
It is memory.
What is future?
It is anticipation or projection.
The reason that past and future don’t exist in absolute reality is that you can never directly experience them.
The present moment is the only thing that you can directly experience, but when the experience turns into awareness, it becomes the conscious presence.
Even when you think about the past, it’s still happening in the present moment, even when you think about the future, you’re still thinking about it in the present moment.
The present moment is not based on time. Time is not present, time is either past or future, but not present.
Everyone ‘thinks” that eternity is infinite present moments, when it IS the present moment.
Since you can never experience the past or the future, then the present moment can only be eternal.
And what did we say about eternity?
The human mind cannot grasp, understand or comprehend eternity, thus it cannot comprehend conscious presence.
This is why experiencing the present moment can only happen without the mind, without the thought.
Thinking and experiencing the present moment are diametrically opposites.
The moment you think about the moment, you’re in the mind not in the present moment.
The present moment is also formless because it is not something you use the mind for, you think about, you believe in or you analyze.
In being aware of the present moment—or conscious presence—there is no identity, or the need to have an idea of who you are which means no self-image or personality.
In the formless present moment, there is no such thing as race, gender, culture and ethnicity, no labels to hold onto, and there is no such thing as a past or a future.
When the conscious presence hits you as your read, these words will be turned to ashes.
Take it from Chogyam Trungpa for those of you who are insecure about the future.
“The bad news is you’re falling through the air, nothing to hang onto, no parachute. The good news is there’s no ground.” – Chogyam Trungpa
Nothing to hang onto, nothing to understand, to grasp, to pinpoint, no security which is simply to keep your identity, NO GROUND TO STAND ON.
The great news is, though, in order to be aware of the absolute bliss and peace that is with you right now you don’t have to have to hold onto any of those.
This doesn’t mean you won’t continue using the mind, thought, body and time. Of course, we will use form in the world of form.
The point is losing the illusions of the world of form will give us complete freedom.
We keep trying to find ourselves in the future because the past was not fulfilling.
Do you see the hamster wheel here?
We keep running in circles trying to be fulfilled in illusions.
We keep thinking that money, fame, fortune, careers, big savings and form will ultimately fulfill us, and it can’t.
Remembering what you are, which is the formless conscious presence, is the only fulfillment.
When your mind finally takes a break from thinking so much, to stopping completely and feeling the essence of the true formless dimension of conscious presence and (not just taking a quick glance and going back into your mind) going into the empty presence, eventually you will be overtaken by it and see the true overwhelming ecstasy of being.
