To Whom Is This Journal Arising?

To Whom Is This Journal Arising? is a 1 year, 328-page day planner for revealing lasting peace and fulfillment. Drawing from the perennial philosophy that one is not separate from their reality, this interactive journal provides a daily practice to stop suffering and an appendix of 16 exercises to face what you don't want, attract what you do want, and feel better when getting what you want isn't enough.

Better than any object, drug, relationship, or experience?!

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On July 22, 2021, Jessica walked home on clouds from the neighborhood health clinic. She just quit taking kratom (again) and was relieved to get a clean bill of health. But before the appointment began, she was nervous, scared, and worried about her health—afraid she went a little too hard on the “herbal supplement”.

Not only that, she felt empty and exhausted. She knew she had to pull back on the kratom for health reasons, but she knew the search would continue for another substance or state of mind to bring fulfillment.

On a whim, Kelly had checked out Being Aware of Being Aware by Rupert Spira from the library and was reading it the day of Jessica's doctor appointment. Right before Jessica was called back, Kelly had her read an excerpt that shook her to the core, explaining things so clearly in a way Jessica couldn't hear before:

“We have searched for so long in objects, substances, activities, states of mind and relationships for peace and fulfilment. Although the acquisition or experience of any of these brings our search temporarily to an end and, as a result, gives us a brief taste of the peace and fulfilment for which we long, they do not last.

It is only when we ‘give up and turn back’ — only when we cease seeking peace and fulfilment in objective experience and turn the mind in the directionless direction, allowing it to sink deeper and deeper into the heart of awareness from which it has arisen — that we begin to taste the lasting peace and fulfilment for which we have longed all our life.”

Later in Spira's book, he offers a simple and effective technique that "invites the mind to trace its way back from objective experience towards its essential, irreducible nature". All you have to do to turn the mind in an objectless direction is ask the sacred question, “Am I aware?” When you turn your awareness toward itself, and your mind is no longer attached to any object or experience, you experience awareness. When you answer "Yes," to the question “Am I aware?”, you are aware of awareness. For a moment, your mind isn't projected outwardly, it is focused on awareness. Awareness is all you are. It is the source of your being and the only thing that has ever defined you. The more you focus on being aware of awareness, the more you'll realize it's the only thing that ever provides the security and relief you've been seeking all your life.

Learning to live seated in awareness is what this yearly planner is about. And with practice, it really works. The miracles get bigger and better. The peace and happiness get stronger and deeper. Because they were there all along, it was only the clouds of thought covering them up. Life is simple and takes care of itself. There is no more psychological suffering, because when turned in the directionless direction, the mind is dissolved into the infinite.

The daily planner pages are designed to help you stay focused on noticing the presence of awareness while also knocking down your to-do list. And when you can't get to that placeless place where nothing has to change, there is an appendix of separate activities for dealing with your desires based on what you want.

We hope you too find the relief of recognizing life already is the way you want it to be, by taking the pathless path to pure awareness. You're already where you need to be. There are no steps to take. There's no path to follow. When you're aware, you've already arrived. When you make for the center, the periphery takes care of itself.

Why To Whom Is This Journal Arising?

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We created this day planner after practicing Rupert Spira’s “Am I aware?” question, but one of Spira’s primary influences was Sri Ramana Maharshi. Maharshi taught a similar sacred question to dissolve the mind into the infinite: "Who am I?" The title of this journal invites its reader to turn their mind back to its source, which is also the goal of every exercise contained within.

“The mind will subside only by means of the enquiry ‘Who am I?’ The thought ‘Who am I?’, destroying all other thoughts, will itself finally be destroyed like the stick used for stirring the funeral pyre. If other thoughts rise one should, without attempting to complete them, enquire ‘To whom did they rise?’ What does it matter however many thoughts rise? At the very moment that each thought rises, if one vigilantly enquires ‘To whom did this rise?’, it will be known ‘To me’. If one then enquires ‘Who am I?’, the mind will turn back to its source [the Self ] and the thought which had risen will also subside. By repeatedly practising thus, the power of the mind to abide in its source increases.”
—Sri Ramana Maharshi

Journal Structure

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This journal is designed to be used every day as a traditional day planner, with 4 days per spread and entries for the date, the moon phase, a divination reading and to-do list every day. In addition, each day features space for saying yes to what is, asking your intuition for advice, practicing the feeling of your wishes fulfilled, and resting your attention on pure awareness itself. Over time, the mind learns to trust that life takes care of life and that it's safe (and enormously gratifying) to rest your attention on the place preceding attention. You can start the journal any day of the year you want and use it at your own pace—the date fields are blank to fill in as you like.

The Daily Page Flow

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Try as we might to transcend to-do lists, we accept the compulsion to make lists and know they really help us stay focused. Also, if we write down what we want to do, we don't waste energy keeping a list in our minds. We also love tracking the moon phase to notice patterns in energy and mood, and we set the tone for our days with a divination reading (usually from Jessica's deck in the Magickal Library).

But once we put our time-based obligations in order, we stabilize as we are with a quick mind-clearing process. By accepting what is, opening up to intuition and practicing the feeling of gratitude, we ready ourselves to dive into the abyss. The last step in the daily practice is asking, “Am I aware?” which makes the attention turn around to look at itself and come to rest in its source, revealing the perfection of reality when the mind isn't obsessing over problems.

YES
First, you say yes to what is. This practice helps you acknowledge and accept all the things you’re hanging on to and resisting and seeking. “Yes, I’m anxious. Yes, I’m thinking about what’s next. Yes, I’m hungry. Yes, I’m rushing. Yes, I hope work goes well today.” And on and on. Showering what is with neutral attention relaxes your mind because the energy trapped in resisting and seeking is now used up by the neutral noticing.

MY INTUITION SAYS
Next, surrender the illusion of control by asking your intuition for advice instead of relying on the logical mind that only separates and creates problems. Use your non-dominant hand to answer the question, “My intuition says,” and see how wise your true self really is.

THANK YOU
Practice the feeling of gratitude for all that is and all that is coming. Gratitude is a direct companion of presence, so if you practice gratitude first, presence is revealed. The only manifestation spell you ever need is “thank you”, empowering you to see that everything truly is happening in your favor. List what you’re grateful for that you already have, and the things you’re grateful for in advance that you trust are coming. Really feel the enthusiasm that comes with a genuine “Thank you!” and your vibration will be calibrated.

AM I AWARE?
After you stop fighting what is, open yourself up to infinite intelligence, and remind yourself it’s all in your favor with “thank you”, asking “Am I aware?” and feeling the true answer is much more accessible. When you get some space from your thoughts and focus on the simple knowing that You Are Here, life starts flowing. There is no agitation, because your mind is resting. There is no lack, because you see how you are always given the perfect thing at the perfect time. And there is no separation from those you love, because when you are identified as pure awareness, you are identified as the thing we all have in common. We all become one, and we are all in love, loving, loved.

When you are aware that you are aware, the miracles and manifestations you were once seeking come to you like moths to a flame. Ask yourself “Am I aware?” and give yourself the time and space to truly investigate the answer. You know you exist. You are now aware. You are now in the flow. And today is the best day of your life!

What Do You Want?

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Even after you complete your daily planner page, you may still have unfulfilled desires that are causing you suffering. Turn to the appendix What Do You Want? in the back of the book to transmute your seeking and resisting into attracting and allowing. Over the year you will gather a beautiful record of life unfolding perfectly for you. There are five types of supplemental exercises to choose from:

I don't want this. Use this section to make peace with where you are, so that you can prove to yourself that it's all actually happening in your favor.

I want to stop worrying. Overthinking makes you suffer because you want to control but you can’t. Release your worry, and the things you’re worried about will take care of themselves.

I want help. If you feel lost and don’t know what to do, you can always fall back on your inner guidance.

I want something specific. If you practice the feeling of having what you want and release your attachment to outcome, life has no choice but to reflect your consciousness of already having it.

I got what I wanted, but I'm still not happy. If you get too mixed with experience, turn your attention around on itself to recognize your natural state of peace, love, abundance and joy.

If you're tired of looking for fulfillment in objects, relationships, substances and experiences, ask yourself right now, “To whom is this journal arising?” and find the source of all you seek.