{"id":126367,"date":"2021-03-25T19:43:49","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T17:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/ons-verhaal\/"},"modified":"2025-10-05T02:56:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T00:56:32","slug":"our-story","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/en\/our-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Our &#8220;story&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; custom_padding_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;section&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_color=&#8221;rgba(255,255,255,0)&#8221; custom_padding_tablet=&#8221;50px|0|50px|0&#8243; custom_padding_phone=&#8221;&#8221; da_disable_devices=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; transparent_background=&#8221;on&#8221; padding_mobile=&#8221;off&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; da_is_popup=&#8221;off&#8221; da_exit_intent=&#8221;off&#8221; da_has_close=&#8221;on&#8221; da_alt_close=&#8221;off&#8221; da_dark_close=&#8221;off&#8221; da_not_modal=&#8221;on&#8221; da_is_singular=&#8221;off&#8221; da_with_loader=&#8221;off&#8221; da_has_shadow=&#8221;on&#8221;][et_pb_row padding_mobile=&#8221;off&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; max_width=&#8221;780px&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;780px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_post_title meta=&#8221;off&#8221; featured_image=&#8221;off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; title_all_caps=&#8221;off&#8221; background_color=&#8221;rgba(255,255,255,0)&#8221; parallax=&#8221;on&#8221; parallax_effect=&#8221;on&#8221; module_bg_color=&#8221;rgba(255,255,255,0)&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_post_title][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=&#8221;on&#8221; gutter_width=&#8221;1&#8243; padding_mobile=&#8221;off&#8221; make_equal=&#8221;on&#8221; column_padding_mobile=&#8221;on&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; max_width=&#8221;780px&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;780px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#fff2d7&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_css_main_element=&#8221;border: 8px solid #dcb385;&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;DE TEKST 1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3%|3%|3%|3%&#8221; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>The creation of a past<\/h2>\n<p>For every person, the biggest obstacle to inner freedom is their <em>&#8216;story&#8217; <\/em>(or <em>&#8216;narrative&#8217;<\/em>).<br \/>This applies to everyone, from king to pauper.<\/p>\n<p>When studying the essence of <span class=\"tooltips  bubblewidth_550 custom_m_bubble\" style=\"\" title=\"A-dvaita (Not-duality) is the non-dualistic core principle in the &lt;em&gt;Advaita Vedanta&lt;\/em&gt;, the monistic &lt;em&gt;Vedic&lt;\/em&gt; philosophy (\u0905\u0926\u094d\u0935\u0948\u0924 \u0935\u0947\u0926\u093e\u0928\u094d\u0924), the &lt;em&gt;Upanishaden&lt;\/em&gt;. In the West, the &lt;em&gt;Bhagavad Gita&lt;\/em&gt; from the &lt;em&gt;Mahabharata&lt;\/em&gt; epic is particularly known. The practice of this philosophy aims at realizing our true nature (the &lt;em&gt;Atman&lt;\/em&gt;): i.e., ridding oneself of all illusions about ones own nature.\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">advaita<\/span><\/span>, you realize that the \u2018I\u2019 we experience daily is essentially an illusion. Our identity, which we believe in, is not only a colorful collection of selves that seamlessly alternate, but we also believe in the <em>binder<\/em> between all these selves, which together form our individually experienced \u2018I\u2019. However, this is merely an experience within our human psyche. The binder between these many selves, with their ideas, pursuits, and desires, is also the maintainer and enhancer of our psyche and everything this psyche can suffer from. This binder is our \u2018story\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Our <em>story<\/em> starts from birth, as we experience events that write this <em>story<\/em>. Pleasant and unpleasant things. Every experience strong enough becomes part of our personal <em>story<\/em>. Day by day, month by month, year by year, we write our <em>story<\/em> about who we supposedly are, what we supposedly mean, how we should react to other stories, how we should act, feel, and think. A <em>story<\/em> also about &#8216;how we would be&#8217;, &#8216;how the world is&#8217;, and &#8216;how things should be different&#8217;. This <em>story<\/em> \u2013 the sum of everything we learned, experienced, and what we have learned to \u2018want\u2019, and started to believe in \u2013 is what many call the ego. However, this is a broad term that everyone interprets differently.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-123034\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/bookperson-bew.jpg\" alt=\"The book of our life: our narrative\" width=\"225\" height=\"292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/bookperson-bew.jpg 278w, https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/bookperson-bew-231x300.jpg 231w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The term ego is therefore not suitable because it is often used to name aspects that do not belong to the ego but belong to our beautiful human capabilities. Therefore, a term like \u2018<em>story<\/em>\u2019 is better (the fashionable word now is <em>&#8216;narrative&#8217;<\/em>) as it shows how we shaped it ourselves, making it clearer to see that it&#8217;s illusory: a mix of past moments, experiences of them, and imaginations about them. The <em>story<\/em> reinforces all our mini-identities, all the selves that arose within us (those that want something, or not), connecting and empowering them. Our <em>story<\/em> contains all our identifications. This way, an increasingly stronger illusory &#8216;I&#8217; arises, with all the ideas and feelings of separation that come with it.<\/p>\n<p>In the teachings of advaita, we are told that this &#8216;I&#8217; is an illusion. This &#8216;I&#8217; simply exists as an <em>idea<\/em> in our mind. We ourselves \u2018wrote\u2019 this &#8216;I&#8217;, and since we have a psyche, we started to believe in it. We believe that this &#8216;I&#8217; is true. The advaita teachings tell us that only the Self is true. And this Self is the same in everyone. This Self in us can be observed as the neutral <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"Read more about it &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/en\/organs-of-the-mind\/#waarnemer&quot;&gt;here&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><em>Observer<\/em><\/span><\/span>, thanks to the fact that as humans we have a self-reflective mind that can impartially observe. What is <em>not<\/em> the same in everyone is essentially not True. This means that our <em>story<\/em> cannot be true. No matter how beautiful or ugly our <em>story<\/em> has become over the years, it is not true because that individual &#8216;I&#8217; does not exist in the True world of advaita. The True I is Consciousness Itself.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;PULL QUOTE 1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font=&#8221;Spectral|700|on||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#825945&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;22px&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; width=&#8221;80%&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;15px||15px||false|false&#8221; border_width_top=&#8221;1px&#8221; border_color_top=&#8221;rgba(130,89,69,0.5)&#8221; border_width_bottom=&#8221;1px&#8221; border_color_bottom=&#8221;rgba(130,89,69,0.5)&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><em>We cannot be what we perceive for<br \/><\/em>we are That ( <span class=\"tooltips  bubblewidth_550 custom_m_bubble\" style=\"\" title=\"A well-known aphorism that includes Tat is \u201cTat tvam \u00e1si\u201d (\u0924\u0924\u094d \u0924\u094d\u0935\u092e\u094d \u0905\u0938\u093f), meaning That thou art. This comes from the Chandogya Upanishad and denotes the unity of the individual self (\u0100tman) with the universal or ultimate reality (Brahman or Paramatman). It is derived from Tattva (\u0924\u0924\u094d\u0924\u094d\u0935) which means essence, reality, and truth. Tat (that) and tvam (being) together stand for that which is.\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">Tat \u0924\u0924\u094d<\/span><\/span> ) which perceives<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;DE TEKST 2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3%|3%|3%|3%&#8221; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>No one<\/h3>\n<p>The fact that the individual &#8216;I&#8217; does not exist can be experienced at moments when we are thoughtlessly present in the Now. When we purely perceive in the Now, without judgment, such as when experiencing nature, we experience pure egolessness. There&#8217;s only observation, nothing more, by the Self, the Consciousness, observing. As soon as you think \u2018hey, I find this beautiful\u2019, our self-reflective mind adds an \u2018I\u2019 stating \u2018<em>I<\/em> observe and <em>I<\/em> find beautiful\u2019. This results &#8211; after a moment of egolessness &#8211; in a renewed experience of the self and possibly a new piece of <em>story<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>If we&#8217;ve experienced much pain in our life, endured many painful situations in past and present circumstances, our <em>story<\/em> may have become filled with fragments and chapters of pain. By believing in our <em>story<\/em>, with our psyche that constantly adapts to every situation, the pain is felt more intensely. But by starting to experience that we are only <span class=\"tooltips  bubblewidth_550 custom_m_bubble\" style=\"\" title=\"&lt;em&gt;That&lt;\/em&gt; is the translation of &lt;em&gt;Tat&lt;\/em&gt; (\u0924\u0924\u094d), the Sanskrit word for the unmanifested Absolute, the Reality of total existence and thus also the Essence of man.\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">That<\/span><\/span>, which observes &#8211; pure consciousness &#8211; we increasingly understand what it means to be the Self. The Self that is completely devoid of <em>story<\/em>, completely neutral, and completely pure. This doesn&#8217;t mean that we won&#8217;t feel pain or suffer. After all, we are a human individual, a human manifestation of that absolute Self with an emotional world that can also be observed, just as our thought world and body movements can be observed.<\/p>\n<p>We don&#8217;t need to erase our <em>story<\/em>, which is impossible, but we can believe in it less and less. We started believing because <em>no one<\/em> ever told us that we are more than all those <em>selves<\/em> with the connecting <em>story<\/em> that continues to empower them. We increasingly see the <em>story<\/em> for what it is, a constructed illusion. We often realize that when we are in the Now, purely as an observer (like observing a piece of nature mentioned earlier), we don&#8217;t experience a <em>story<\/em>, old pain, whimsical thoughts, any kind of &#8216;I&#8217;, and we are at peace. As soon as our self-reflective mind adds an \u2018I\u2019 to it, thoughts and feelings emerge that somewhat take over the experience of the Now. This can be perceived positively as \u2018how beautiful\u2019, but also negatively as \u2018it&#8217;s a pity this nature is getting ruined\u2019 or similar. The pure Now-experience of a neutral \u2018what is\u2019 gets pulled into our <em>story<\/em>. If there&#8217;s much negativity, it can bring about or evoke feelings of suffering. <span class=\"tooltips  bubblewidth_550 custom_m_bubble\" style=\"\" title=\"About neutral Now-observation: &quot;A timeless realm, an eternal presence in perfect peace, which surpasses all human clocks and calendars. The peace of the Now, amidst the time-bound and time-swinging existence of man... This timeless space is the true heart of time&quot;.&lt;br \/&gt;&lt;em&gt;Hannah Arendt&lt;\/em&gt;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">The neutral Now-observation<\/span><\/span> of the Self disappears, and in its place comes the re-creation of the <em>self-story<\/em> with all the feelings and thoughts that accompany it, thus empowering it again.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-115523 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/achter-persoonlijkheid-e1489078580913.jpg\" alt=\"When we look behind our personality, what do we see?\" width=\"276\" height=\"105\" \/>Getting to know Advaita provides us the possibility to no longer believe in our <em>story<\/em>. That&#8217;s why many Advaita followers say there&#8217;s \u2018no one\u2019 and that every sense of self is a lie (which can become part of their <em>story<\/em> for Advaita dogmatists, as has been shown).<br \/>The philosophy of Advaita teaches us that only Consciousness exists, expressing itself in myriad transient forms and manifestations (physical, subtle, and causal). In that case, our <em>story<\/em> is also an expression of the Self (in the subtle world of the mind), but nothing more than that. Every expression of the Self is temporary (a body, a mind, a feeling, a thought, a <em>story<\/em>) while the Self as its source is eternal and imperishable. This is described rather archaically in the Bhagavad Gita, but many contemporary books have captured this in more modern terms.<\/p>\n<h3>Someone<\/h3>\n<p>Selfknowledge.today assumes that there&#8217;s no problem in seeing ourselves as &#8216;someone&#8217;, because it&#8217;s undeniable that there&#8217;s no second version of ourselves as individuals on earth. We are all unique in-dividuals (undivided), so if we manage to realize the unity of the Self within us, in our mind, we truly become <em>undivided<\/em> without a <em>story<\/em>, without a self-written past to which we often intensely identify in the hope of being &#8216;someone&#8217;. We then truly become a unique individual with a unique <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"Read more about it &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/en\/essence-and-personality\/&quot;&gt;here&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><em>essence and personality<\/em><\/span><\/span>. Our <em>story<\/em> keeps us internally divided and separate from others!<\/p>\n<p>Experiencing the truth of Advaita principles offers moments of intense peace and happiness. Peace and happiness are &#8216;pop-ups&#8217; in our experience during the moments we realize we are <em>not<\/em> what we call &#8216;I&#8217;, yet from that perception of being someone who registers this.<br \/>Returning to our true Self means coming back to the state of judgment-free observation, in which each \u2018past\u2019 loses its power, because in such a judgment-free observation the <em>story<\/em> doesn&#8217;t exist, it can&#8217;t exist. We no longer cling to any interpretation of reality, neither ours nor someone else&#8217;s. This way, we become an <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"&lt;em&gt;Integrity &lt;\/em&gt;etymologically comes from the Latin &lt;em&gt;integer&lt;\/em&gt; which means unbiased, sober, and whole. The term &lt;em&gt;integer&lt;\/em&gt; is used for righteousness or for inviolability of honor. This term comes from &lt;em&gt;intagros: &lt;\/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;untouched (i&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;n &lt;\/em&gt;is negating for the stem &lt;em&gt;tag&lt;\/em&gt;, from &lt;em&gt;tangere&lt;\/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;to touch&lt;\/em&gt;). We are talking about the inner attitude that is also leading in Stoicism: a pure attitude in truly all circumstances, which keeps us internally free &lt;em&gt;in&lt;\/em&gt; all those circumstances, pleasant or not. The question we can always ask ourselves is: what would a wise person do in this situation? Integrity requires striving for complete sincerity, in all cases, in every situation.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Integrity&lt;\/em&gt; brings us to what is truly important in our social lives: collaboration, connection, unity experience, honesty, and promoting happiness for everyone in every situation we find ourselves in. The term &lt;em&gt;integrate&lt;\/em&gt; also comes from this, which means &lt;em&gt;unite, connect&lt;\/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;complete&lt;\/em&gt;.&lt;br \/&gt;Integrity is different from virtue, though the major (seven) virtues play a significant role in being integral. Merely wanting to be virtuous (as, for example, so-called &lt;em&gt;good people - virtue people&lt;\/em&gt; strive for) can lead to non-integral behavior.\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">integrity<\/span><\/span>. Peace arises from no longer &#8220;being busy&#8221; (through thoughts and feelings that &#8220;play&#8221; with before and after Now) with what causes unrest. And the biggest cause of unrest is our <em>story<\/em> in which we believe, the history we have assembled about ourselves, the interpretation of reality.&#8217;<span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"Fill in where &quot;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #5f77b0;&quot;&gt;yourself&lt;\/span&gt;&quot; is, your own name.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;\u201cTo live in this world, you constantly let an orchestra play, right at the forefront. It is a small dance orchestra. It always plays the same song. It plays the evergreen &quot;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #5f77b0;&quot;&gt;yourself&lt;\/span&gt;&quot;, with a lot of choruses that keep coming back. Time and time again the orchestra plays your childhood memories, your PIN code, the voice of your father and mother. The light green verses of the future you hope for. The dark noise that we may assume will become our actual reality. It keeps playing, just like your heartbeat, your entire life.&lt;br \/&gt;But when another sound starts to penetrate, you discover that you have been standing with your back to the actual concert hall all the time. We are in a sort of foyer, where we have a vague notion of the Big Orchestra. And the sound, even if it is just a hint of the sound, is like a whisper in a storm. It is the sound that wipes out all the noise of war. The harmony of the spheres drowns in it. And when you get an idea of that sound, you realize how high the price of the ticket will be. When the door of the concert hall opens, you find that maybe you got it wrong. That &quot;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #5f77b0;&quot;&gt;yourself&lt;\/span&gt;&quot; only exists because your ears have isolated that short chorus from the total sound mass. To maintain &quot;&lt;span style=&quot;color: #5f77b0;&quot;&gt;yourself&lt;\/span&gt;&quot;, we have turned down the input from the other channels to pianissimo. And that is changing now. And then you notice it. If you want to go inside, it can only be with the most expensive concert ticket anyone has ever bought. It costs you the sound of your own system.\u201d&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;From &quot;The Silence and the Girl&quot; by Peter H\u00f8eg\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">the world according to me<\/span><\/span>&#8216;.<\/p>\n<h3>Love and Conscience<\/h3>\n<p>Everyone can experience an essential force that belongs to the Essence of the Self: <em>Love<\/em>.<br \/>Feelings of love arise in our entire human system during those (rare) moments of peaceful observation in the Now, without the &#8216;<em>I-story sauce<\/em>&#8216; overlay. Then it just appears: peaceful love, like an inexplicable and unexplainable pop-up in our individual perception and experience at that moment. You might feel this, for example, when handed a baby. Love suddenly becomes observable and tangible. And love never lies.<br \/>From this power of love, there is also the equally incomprehensible and unexplainable Conscience that can be triggered, given to truly everyone, but may be more or less (or even completely) shielded by the <em>story<\/em> in the psyche (or by spiritual limitations in someone&#8217;s individualized essence). The Conscience always speaks Truth to us, as it&#8217;s the &#8216;alarm&#8217; that love sets off in incorrect situations. Conscience never lies either!<\/p>\n<p>From this Conscience, we can experience injustice in situations, without any personal <em>story<\/em> underlying it. And this injustice might even cause us pain, or make us resist. Love and conscientiousness come from our Ahamkara, our attachment instrument, which equips our human mind as a social being. It&#8217;s focused on natural attachment and connection and therefore reacts strongly to everything that violates this. This very <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"Read more about it &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/en\/organs-of-the-mind\/#ahankara&quot;&gt;here&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><em>Ahamkara<\/em><\/span><\/span> makes us grieve or mourn the loss of loved ones, makes us feel compassion and empathy for the pain of others. It triggers intense emotions within us. All entirely separate from any <em>story<\/em>. Such a pure world of emotions makes us real humans.<br \/><span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"People usually see themselves as part of a kind of &quot;biography&quot;, a story constantly constructed by combining experiences, perceptions, feelings, thoughts, actions, and aligning everything they say with each other (forcing it), to be &quot;someone&quot;. Some people tend to constantly air this &quot;biography&quot; to anyone who will listen, often highlighting personal suffering: an unhealthy repetition and affirmation of their own &lt;em&gt;story&lt;\/em&gt; due to fear and insecurity, making the silent experience of an unbiased Now increasingly difficult.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;For this reason, there is the spiritual exercise &lt;em&gt;&quot;I stop my incessant talking&quot;&lt;\/em&gt;.&lt;br \/&gt;In Self-remembrance, we can show restraint in what we repeatedly want to tell others.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;However, this does not diminish the value of &lt;em&gt;memory&lt;\/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;reminiscence&lt;\/em&gt;. Memories can be precious (including those from childhood) and add an extra dimension to current reality (through association and reliving). We cannot imagine how we would perceive our life if we could not remember earlier situations in our lives. Memories can provide us with deeper insights in the Now and also bring about appreciation or feelings of happiness. As long as we do not identify with them.\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">But when we pull our <em>story<\/em> into it<\/span><\/span>, which usually happens completely automatically because we don&#8217;t notice it, genuine emotions can become intense sentiments, or worse: genuine emotions are overruled by opinions, antipathies, and identities causing separations. Then, conflict can easily arise.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;PULL QUOTE 2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font=&#8221;Spectral|700|on||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#825945&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;22px&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; width=&#8221;80%&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;15px||15px||false|false&#8221; border_width_top=&#8221;1px&#8221; border_color_top=&#8221;rgba(130,89,69,0.5)&#8221; border_width_bottom=&#8221;1px&#8221; border_color_bottom=&#8221;rgba(130,89,69,0.5)&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>Only the surface of the ever clean Now<br \/>offers truly intense and awake experiences<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;DE TEKST 3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3%|3%|3%|3%&#8221; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3>No More Conflicts<\/h3>\n<p>If we no longer believe in our own <em>story<\/em> or that of others, this does not mean that we shouldn&#8217;t have compassion for someone suffering under their <em>story<\/em>. On the contrary<em>.<\/em> It also doesn&#8217;t mean that we shouldn&#8217;t enjoy when someone expresses their beautiful <em>story<\/em> in any way.<br \/>Confirming someone&#8217;s negative <em>story<\/em> with our own experiences is unwise and very counterproductive. Contradicting someone&#8217;s <em>story<\/em> is also not beneficial. Embracing the <em>story<\/em> as something valuable isn&#8217;t helpful either.<br \/>Interpreting someone&#8217;s <em>story<\/em> as something that can&#8217;t possibly be true and therefore always falls short of someone&#8217;s true stature is the only thing we can do, even though almost no one will immediately want to believe you <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"It is challenging to address people directly about this, as in our society, and therefore in education, there is no awareness of absolute truth and spiritual inner developmental possibilities. Children are deprived of this knowledge in their most important developmental years. It is almost impossible to explain to others in a short span what the true stature of a human is, behind the imaginary character they have come to believe in. This can be very confronting. Only regular education on &lt;em&gt;individual consciousness&lt;\/em&gt; (and its development\/expansion) can enlighten people and give them the insight that they have clung to many illusions. This needs to be done carefully - drop by drop - because radical new knowledge can yield two undesirable results: either one may completely reject the new knowledge (with disbelief and aversion as a reaction), or one might eagerly embrace it (with a strong identification with new teachings as a reaction, wanting to quickly get rid of old conditionings and inner issues). &lt;em&gt;Gaining self-knowledge&lt;\/em&gt; is a process over time and has a personal pace that differs per person. Those who become their own life coach under guidance and with training also find their own pace in this process.\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">because no one was taught this<\/span><\/span>. Many conflicts are clashes between <em>stories<\/em>, between illusory concepts or imaginations that are embedded in numerous &#8216;I&#8217;s and to which we attribute value.<\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s truly needed is a revaluation of all those <em>small &#8216;I&#8217;s<\/em> and an unmasking of our <em>story<\/em>, allowing us to distance ourselves from it. Additionally, what&#8217;s needed is an introduction or revaluation of the Eternal non-dual Self, which is our true nature, and from which we&#8217;ve been estranged under thick layers of <em>stories<\/em> we&#8217;ve come to believe from an early age (either because we&#8217;ve constructed them ourselves or because they were imposed on us by others). Then, every inner conflict disappears, and conflicts with others rapidly decrease.<\/p>\n<h3>The Art of Being &#8220;Superficial&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>Why is being &#8220;superficial&#8221; with others so important?<br \/>Because interacting &#8220;superficially&#8221; is independent of any personal <em>story<\/em>. Our experience is &#8220;superficial&#8221; when it takes place on the &#8220;surface&#8221; of the ever-pure Now, without roots in a past <em>story<\/em> of not-now. Rootless, new, neutral, light, free from <em>story<\/em> baggage. A peaceful experience of &#8220;what is&#8221; without more. Our personality naturally flows in full gear in the game of communication and interaction with others. We bring out the best in ourselves, because we know what the best in us <em>is<\/em>! You naturally experience a peaceful love in &#8220;superficial&#8221; togetherness, especially when there is an overriding <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"Read &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/en\/universal-conditions\/#sattva&quot;&gt;here more&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt; about this\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><em>sattvic silence<\/em><\/span><\/span> in our mind. Of course, this isn&#8217;t superficial in the usual sense of the word, but deeply fulfilling and meaningful.<br \/>The art is to maintain this &#8220;superficiality&#8221; when our experience in the moment becomes &#8220;heavy&#8221;, for instance when something from someone&#8217;s <em>story<\/em> addresses us and triggers our own not-yet-understood and abandoned <em>story<\/em>. Or, for example, when our Conscience experiences injustice (which is very different from experiencing injustice from our <em>story<\/em>). The art is to maintain peaceful and playful lightness by purely observing in the Now, devoid of <em>story<\/em>. For instance, when someone wants to impose their <em>story<\/em> on us as the reality. And old issues should always remain in the past, unless you mutually decide to peacefully explore them, thus definitively burying them in the illusory past.<\/p>\n<p>Every time we &#8220;return to ourSelf&#8221;, we detach from our <em>story<\/em>. We also detach from any <em>story<\/em> of others. We no longer believe in both. We arrive at a state of rest where <em>stories<\/em> don&#8217;t matter. It&#8217;s a &#8220;homecoming&#8221;. Coming home to an inner state of neutral observation where there&#8217;s much beauty to experience. And this story-free Now always offers peace, because there&#8217;s no judgment in it. The fact that we often &#8220;fail&#8221; and are subject to feelings and thoughts with all their turmoil is no reason not to continuously adhere to the advaita principle, wherein every duality can dissolve by rediscovering the Self.<\/p>\n<h3>Spiritual Action<\/h3>\n<p>So, keep trying and practicing this, as it&#8217;s a permanent exercise in not believing and engaging in <em>stories<\/em>, especially not our own with all its wishes, needs, desires, and countless wills arising from them. All of these we can <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"Read &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/en\/i-give-up\/&quot;&gt;here&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt; more about this\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><em>surrender and dedicate<\/em><\/span><\/span>. So keep doing this, over and over again, to no longer believe in falsehood, to no longer believe in anything that diminishes you compared to the Self itself. If the Kingdom of God is within us, as Jesus might have said, then that Kingdom within ourselves must be conquered! Or rather: reclaimed, by no longer believing, honoring, pursuing, and certainly not ignoring everything that stands in the way of our kingship.<\/p>\n<p>True spirituality essentially &#8220;throws a wrench into the works&#8221;. This is essentially what the charioteer Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita: &#8220;Arjuna, go for it now! You have your life&#8217;s mission to follow&#8221;. This means we no longer negotiate with the &#8220;family members&#8221; within us, who form the armies trying to keep us from our Destiny. Kick out the merchants (those who negotiate with the truth) from the Temple! Like Frodo, throw the ring of identification back into the volcano&#8217;s fire! Defeat your dragon like <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"Read &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/en\/saint-georges-dragon\/&quot;&gt;here&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt; more about this\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><em>St. George<\/em><\/span><\/span>! This is our mission in life, once we realize that both the material world and our <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"Read &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/en\/articles\/fish-out-of-water\/&quot;&gt;here&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt; more about this\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><em>psyche story<\/em><\/span><\/span>, which often gets us &#8220;soaked&#8221;, don&#8217;t matter. If we realize that only one thing truly matters, for you, for me, for everyone: Being MySelf, with no additions, in full self-expression and bloom.<br \/><span style=\"color: #ffff99;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u201cWhy struggle to open a door between us when the whole wall is an illusion?\u201d ~ Rumi<\/h4>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Tekst worden als een kind&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#faeede&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|20px||20px&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3%|3%|3%|3%&#8221; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; border_width_all=&#8221;3px&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;#dcb385&#8243; use_border_color=&#8221;on&#8221; saved_tabs=&#8221;advanced,css&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h5><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-464 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/verginaster-nieuw-200.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"46\" \/><\/h5>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #542209;\"><strong>Becoming Like a Child Again<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #542209;\">Due to the archaic and convoluted language used over the centuries, many Bible texts have become difficult to understand. However, with some contemplative study, much can be gleaned, considering the wisdom of the Fourth Way and the Vedas.<\/span><\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #542209;\">Once, Jesus placed a child in the midst of his followers and said (in the language of Self-Knowledge Now):<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #542209;\"><em>&#8220;Listen carefully. You must change and become like children. Otherwise, you cannot enter the inner &#8216;Kingdom&#8217; I speak of. You must make your ego as unimportant as it was for you as a child.&#8221;<\/em><br \/>(loosely based on Matthew 18:2-4)<\/span><\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #542209;\">Becoming like a child does not mean becoming childish, but rather observing without bias, as small children do (something they, unfortunately, unlearn all too quickly). Observing without bias means perceiving everything around us (including our own physical and mental state) without conditioning, but fully connecting with our senses, allowing us to experience everything outside as &#8216;new.&#8217; We do this in a feeling perception of ourselves, also known as Self-Remembering.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #542209;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-134315 size-medium alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/kindje-wijst-kl-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/kindje-wijst-kl-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/kindje-wijst-kl.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\u200bWe can refer to memories we still have from before we turned 10 years old. The fragments we can still recall have a certain uncomplicated clarity that can provide insight into how we observed and experienced things in situations with an unbiased Now-awareness back then.<\/span><\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #542209;\">Former doctor Jan Vingerhoets wrote a letter to his granddaughter Na\u00efa, about how he perceives and marvels at that very small child. It illustrates &#8216;becoming like a child again.&#8217; Here is <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #542209;\">an excerpt:<\/span><br \/><\/em><br \/><span style=\"color: #751010;\"><em>&#8220;Two bright blue marbles above the edge of the bed when you wake up. With your little finger, pointing everywhere as I walk with you in my arms through the garden. Then I want to show you all the beauty, but I suddenly realize that it is you who teaches me to truly look and listen properly for the first time.<span class=\"tooltips  bubblewidth_550 custom_m_bubble\" style=\"\" title=\"In the English translation a Dutch wordplay has been lost.&lt;br \/&gt;In Dutch &quot;&lt;strong&gt;point&lt;\/strong&gt; with finger&quot; is &quot;&lt;strong&gt;wijs&lt;\/strong&gt; met vinger&quot;.&lt;br \/&gt;In Dutch &quot;&lt;strong&gt;wis&lt;\/strong&gt;dom&quot; is &quot;&lt;strong&gt;wijs&lt;\/strong&gt;heid&quot;.&lt;br \/&gt;In Dutch &quot;&lt;strong&gt;wijs&quot; &lt;\/strong&gt;is used in this sentence twice, with different meanings.&lt;br \/&gt;So in Durch it actually says &quot;&lt;strong&gt;pointdom&quot;&lt;\/strong&gt; here in stead of &quot;&lt;strong&gt;wisdom&quot;&lt;\/strong&gt;, but that is not an English word.\"><span style=\"color: #294599;\">Through your pointing finger the concept of wisdom suddenly takes on a whole new meaning<\/span><\/span>. <\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: #751010;\"><em>Because you marvel at every twig on a tree, hand me a dried but beautifully curled leaf, showing me that it is actually a small artwork. Together, we marvel at a tiny spider spinning delicate silver threads from left to right. So beautiful, so fragile can connection be. Through you, all my senses open, and I begin to understand that the buzzing of the bees is a response to the soft whispering of the flower petals, only audible to those who can listen completely without bias. Paper-thin butterfly wings whisper previously undiscovered scents to us. Their gentle breeze blows through your golden hair, soft as a sigh of the sun, finally disappearing into a vast emptiness where zigzagging birds jubilantly float weightlessly. I hold my breath: without you, all of this would have passed me by.&#8221;<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n<h5><a href=\"https:\/\/www.blogdoc.nl\/brief-aan-mijn-kleindochter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #294599;\">Read the entire letter to his granddaughter here.<\/span><\/a><\/h5>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider show_divider=&#8221;off&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;DIVIDER 20D20T15M&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.25.0&#8243; height=&#8221;20px&#8221; height_tablet=&#8221;20px&#8221; height_phone=&#8221;15px&#8221; height_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; hide_on_mobile=&#8221;off&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Tekst met kader&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.4&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#faeede&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|20px||20px&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3%|3%|3%|3%&#8221; z_index_tablet=&#8221;500&#8243; border_width_all=&#8221;3px&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;#dcb385&#8243; use_border_color=&#8221;on&#8221; saved_tabs=&#8221;advanced,css&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h5><a id=\"two-beliefs-on-one-pillow\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-464 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/verginaster-nieuw-200.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"46\" \/><\/h5>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #542209;\"><strong>&#8220;Two beliefs on one pillow, the devil sleeps between them&#8221;<\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #542209;\">This is a somewhat older Dutch proverb that holds much truth. It suggests that two religious beliefs within one household can cause problems. This happens when family members try to convince each other of their own religious beliefs, or even impose them as &#8216;the true faith&#8217;. This can lead to endless discussions and possibly even disputes. Eventually, the household might even break apart.<\/span><\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #542209;\">However, this is not only the case with differing religious beliefs. It applies to all different beliefs that people hold on to, especially in situations where interdependence has arisen, like families, political parties, associations, etc. Most beliefs and &#8216;faiths&#8217; are part of our acquired <em>story<\/em>. We cling to them as if they were lifelines, even when they lead to highly undesirable situations and peace becomes hard to find; we hold onto them to stay in our comfort zone, to avoid feeling unsettled. We even bring up various arguments to emphasize our points, to justify our vision, and even use &#8216;wise words from wise people&#8217; (usually in the form of powerful quotes) to gain validation. Whereas these wise words in their original context would resolve disagreements rather than inflame them. And since the &#8216;opposition&#8217; does exactly the same, the situation deteriorates.<\/span><\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #542209;\">Only when we&#8217;ve realized an inner anchor, wherein we can see each <em>story<\/em> for what it truly is \u2013 nothing more than an adopted mindset \u2013 can we become free and remain free from deeply rooted positions. Discord arises when we continue to see each other&#8217;s different &#8216;faith&#8217; (<em>story<\/em> in this context) as something that needs to be corrected. However, peace arises when we view each other&#8217;s different &#8216;faith&#8217; as something that simply is. Our existence isn&#8217;t dependent on our &#8216;faith&#8217; in our mindset to feel good; we don&#8217;t need to convince others to regain our strength, as it&#8217;s popularly phrased nowadays. We can also perceive another&#8217;s &#8216;faith&#8217; as simply being there without having to oppose it. Everyone has the &#8216;right&#8217; to their own &#8216;faith&#8217;. And everyone else has the right to take it seriously or not. As part of our journey to inner freedom, we have the peaceful obligation not to take our own <em>story<\/em> and belief in it too seriously. Only then will<\/span> <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"Read more about it &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/universana.nl\/ons-innerlijk-anker\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;here&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><em>our inner anchor<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span> <span style=\"color: #542209;\">gain its true strength. Only then will we be able to resist injustice and suffering and<\/span> <span class=\"tooltips \" style=\"\" title=\"Read more about it &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/en\/about-peace\/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot;&gt;here&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/strong&gt;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><em>remain in peace<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color: #542209;\">, no matter what happens.<\/span><\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"color: #542209;\">Only then will we also be able to courageously and effectively oppose the current global abuse of power by those who are not conscious but are deceptively powerful and ignorant, who impose their powerful <em>stories<\/em> on us through propaganda and coercion. Because true inner consciousness naturally leads to true societal consciousness.<\/span><\/h5>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider show_divider=&#8221;off&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;DIVIDER 20D20T15M&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.25.0&#8243; height=&#8221;20px&#8221; height_tablet=&#8221;20px&#8221; height_phone=&#8221;15px&#8221; height_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; hide_on_mobile=&#8221;off&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/eenheid-verscheidenheid-1-e1489078738951.jpg&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; use_overlay=&#8221;on&#8221; hover_overlay_color=&#8221;rgba(220,179,133,0.5)&#8221; align_tablet=&#8221;center&#8221; align_phone=&#8221;&#8221; align_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Afbeelding (ONDERKANT MARGE = 0PX, VANWEGE VOLGEND EVENTUEEL TEKSTBLOK)&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;0px|3%|20px|3%&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221; sticky=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_button button_url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/en\/contact\/&#8221; button_text=&#8221;Questions and responses&#8221; button_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;contact knop engels&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.25.1&#8243; custom_button=&#8221;on&#8221; button_text_color=&#8221;#870101&#8243; button_border_color=&#8221;#dcb385&#8243; button_icon_color=&#8221;#dcb385&#8243; button_letter_spacing_hover=&#8221;0&#8243; global_module=&#8221;126323&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; button_text_size__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_border_width__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_border_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_border_radius__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=&#8221;on&#8221; button_letter_spacing__hover=&#8221;0&#8243; button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_bg_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221; button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;off&#8221;][\/et_pb_button][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;DE STER MET COPYRIGHT SVG | geen class gebruikt, de 110px staat in de HTML in dit blok. Zodat ook de preview klopt.&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3%|3%|3%|3%&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-117416 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/verginaster-nieuw-200.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" \/><\/p>\n<h6>\u00a9 Michiel Koperdraat<\/h6>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code admin_label=&#8221;Code&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.22.1&#8243; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->jQuery(document).ready(function( $ ){<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->\/\/ Get page title<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->var pageTitle = $(\"title\").text();<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->\/\/ Change page title on tab switch<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->$(window).blur(function() {<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->$(\"title\").text(\"IS YOUR STORY CORRECT?\");<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->});<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->\/\/ Make normal title come back again<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->$(window).focus(function() {<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->$(\"title\").text(pageTitle);<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->});<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->});<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><\/script>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When we study the essence of advaita, we find that the \u201cI\u201d we experience every day is essentially an illusion. It is not only a colorful collection of selves that we believe in, but we also believe in the binding agent between all these selves, which together make them the &#8216;I&#8217; that we experience as individually. 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