Is moving away from human-centric society necessary to reconnect with truth?

Seeking a retreat implies that a felt connection to truth is more easily accessed in certain environments. The absolute, however, has no preference for a secluded wilderness over a bustling metropolis. The fundamental substance of all phenomena, whether a concrete sidewalk, a digital screen, or an ancient tree, is the exact same infinite awareness. A specific physical location is not required for a localized subject to experience a conscious connection with reality.

Peace is the essential condition of awareness, yet this peace is not the opposite of chaos. The peace of consciousness is the unconditioned background in which both quiet and turbulent experiences arise. To claim that a peaceful setting brings a person into a closer relationship with the absolute introduces a spatial and conditional duality. A quiet forest and a noisy street are made of the exact same knowing presence. A chaotic situation does not sever a subject’s connection to awareness; rather, the chaos is constructed entirely out of awareness. Because consciousness is omnipresent, a shift in proximity is impossible. An observer cannot be closer to or further from the reality that constitutes the observer.

A serene environment can practically assist a highly conditioned mind in noticing this inherent connection. When external stimuli decrease, the finite mind finds less material to grasp, making the reality of awareness more obvious. A still lake reflects the sky more clearly than a windswept lake, yet the water remains entirely water in both states. The peace of awareness is not an emotional state requiring protection from noise. The peace of awareness is the unconditioned reality in which noise appears.

Therefore, the preference for a quiet setting is a concession to the mind’s habits, not an ontological requirement. A purely non-dual approach involves remaining open to whatever is presently appearing, recognizing the fundamental reality present in every conceivable form. When a subject truly apprehends an object, the apparent boundary between the knower and the known reveals itself as a perceptual illusion. Reality simply recognizes itself, untouched by changing conditions. ●