~ Jagad Guru Chris Butler (Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa)

We've got some pictures here of a grandfather of one of the people here. Okay? So basically this is when he was a baby, okay? Then this is when he was a young man, then this is when he was a whatever, middle age, or something, right? Middle age man. And then, what do you call this already? Getting old, right? Right? Old man already, right? See there's very great differences especially if you look for example, you go from this, you go to this one, the baby, to this one. you know, anyway, then here's a picture of just before he uh, his departure there. But it's such a radical difference there.

So the question is how can you be the body? If you were the body eight years ago, then you would not exist today because the body you had eight years ago does not exist today. Do you understand this? It's a very simple thing and yet it's very hard to grasp because you know it's such a gradual change of our body. We don't, you know, it's hard to hold on to. If you were your body eight years ago, you would not exist today because the body you had eight years ago doesn't exist today. Okay? So the only conclusion we can come to from this is that a person is not the body.

Let's get a grasp here first before we go any further, of what we are talking about-self-awareness. Say to yourself, "I am aware that I exist", be aware. Just for a moment, say to yourself at home, and here, you are aware that you exist, ok? The self, self-awareness. There's a self and then the self's awareness of his own existence. That's what we're referring to here, that even if we were to conclude that all these other machines are empty in this room, and it's just me, I'm still aware that I exist.

Here's the TV set, okay, and here's your brain. Okay, here's your eye. So figure I'm staying at home with you on your couch, next to you, we're taking it sideways here. We got a side shot of your head, your brain there, your eye, and the TV set. And this is supposed to be me right in here right, alright? What happens? The physiological or, physiology of sight, the mechanics of sight doesn't really explain anything about the seer, about the self, about you. It doesn't really explain much.

Let me describe here. Basically all that happens with sight or the mechanics of sight, as modern science knows it, is the following: light somehow comes off of the television or whatever it is you're seeing, in this case the television, okay? And it stimulates the retina, which is here, okay. So somehow light stimulates, goes through here, stimulates the retina, and when it stimulates the retina, this causes a type of chemical reaction...

If you believe that the body or some part of the body is you, that the body is the self or some part of the brain is the self is you, then you cannot explain perception because there is no material self. There is no material perceiver. They cannot find the perceiver.

Even if someone were able to explain the technicalities of how certain forms, are seen as those forms, they still would not be able to answer the question, "Who is looking at that information?" You've got that information coming, whether it's in the form of electrical impulses, or whatever. You've got that coming, but where is the seer who is sitting there watching it? Where is that material seer if a person is material? Which is what most people believe they are...

All perception takes place in the mind and the person is viewing that information as it appears on the mind.

So no matter whether it is extra sensory perception which is what you're describing here, whereas somebody can see by, you know, having something under their arm or whatever. Or you know, whatever other means of extra sensory perception there is. All perception really takes place in the mind. Extra sensory perception or when you look at something in your eye, or with your eye, you're not really seeing it with your eye. Your eye is not seeing anything. The eye is not the seer. Nor is it even appearing on the eye, the eyeball. But somehow information goes to the mind and that information which is appearing on the mind is then perceived by the self.