Friend: Dear Magdi,
What, or Who is a Sage?

Thank you

Magdi: Dear Ganesh,
In the absolute sense, the term sage refers to consciousness. Consciousness knowing itself, being itself knowingly. It is consciousness which plays the game of veiling itself from itself. One could say that the sage is knowingly playing the game of hide and seek with itself.
In the relative realm, it seems as if the sage is a person. Being a person is ignorance. Yet, in the phenomenal realm, there are bodies and various forms. But the reality of the phenomenal realm is not phenomenal. A thought does not perceive. Reality is noumenal and one.
Therefore, to refer to a sage as a person, albeit an enlightened person, is false. There are no persons in fact.
Having said that, people relate to each other in mind and via mind. They relate in the realm of form. A person appears to them in the waking dream, and they are drawn to that person. The way they look, the way they walk and talk and above all, they are drawn to the message which they share.
They are drawn to the messenger and to the message.
In time, the understanding about truth ripens, and they recognize the one and only sage, which is impersonal, universal consciousness. Their very self. The one and only self.
Love,
Magdi

Friend: Thank you Magdi. Makes a lot of sense.
Out of curiousity, these questions about the Sage, are about the phenomenal realm. Sorry for the multiple questions. Yes/No/Short answers are fine too!
How does a Sage see and move in the phenonmenal realm?
To him, are objects seen as objects or consciousness (oneself)?
To him, Are people seen as people or oneself?
Does he experience Ups and Downs in life like others do?
Does he experience Pain or Pleasure?
Does a Sage have desires? Goals?
How about likes and dislikes?
The Waking dream is seen as such, by the Sage, but how about sleeping dreams? How about deep sleep? Are these different for the Sage?
In the role of seeking an end to suffering, we are attracted to the Sage. Does the Sage feel helpless when he sees us NOT realizing who we are?
How can the Sage practically help one who is stuck in the phenomenal realm to see through the illusion?

Love
Ganesh

Magdi: Dear Ganesh,
Having shared that there is only one sage, which is universal consciousness, in the relative realm, we could say that
* The sage does not see or move in the phenomenal realm, the phenomenal realm is perceived and moves within the sage.
* Objects are seen as consciousness, the manifestations of the unmanifest.
* The other is perceived as oneself. The sage does not perceive another. He perceives the other as the same reality and never talks to another. The sage is always addressing consciousness and not another.
* Yes, for the sage there are phenomenal ups and downs, but not psychological ones. There are challenges and various situations which may be disagreeable. But these situations do not have a psychological personal aspect to them
* Concerning pain and pleasure, all sages experience pain and pleasure. Falling on your elbow is painful and eating chocolate ice cream is pleasurable.
* Concerning desires, the sage does not have personal desires. The desires of the sage are impersonal and are sourced in truth, love and freedom. This applies to goals as well. Some sages like spicy food and others less spicy.
* Night dreams perceptions and waking dream perceptions do not affect the sage. They are perceived equally. All perceptions refer to their formless reality.
~~~
You ask: “In seeking an end to suffering, we are attracted to the Sage. Does the Sage feel helpless when he sees us NOT realizing who we
are?”
The sage knows everyone as the Self. What is there to realize? Ignorance is simply a game that God is playing.
~~~
Your final question is: “How can the Sage practically help one who is stuck in the phenomenal realm to see through the illusion?”
The sage helps by his/her silent presence, which is the shining light of pure consciousness, as well as through sharing the non-dual path. Rubbing elbows with the sage helps us learn to live as consciousness.

Much love,
Magdi

Friend: Wow. Makes sense. I love the words “The sage is always addressing consciousness and not another.”
Two other points I meant to ask earlier but slipped through, and I’ll ask them anyway now..
How about Fear. When identified with the body, consciousness appears to fear not just physical danger but equally if not more, psychological danger. Does the Sage fear anything?

Lastly about thinking: As people we spend a lot time trapped in mental loops of endless self-referential chatter. One could be peeling an orange, and eating it, but totally unaware. And when engrossed in work/task/sport, we lose sight of ourselves, but there is a subtle doership narrative underneath, I guess. How is it for the Sage in both these cases?

Thank you!

Magdi: Yes, given the body starts to die upon birth, identification with the body does lead to psychological fear. The absence of identification means the absence of such fear.
Mental loops are a sort of escape from presence and an attempt at filling the emptiness which is due to ignorance. These mental loops give rise to a fictitious sense of time, which the sage is no longer subject to.
The sense of personal doership goes hand in hand with the belief in separation. Such a narrative is no longer active upon the establishment in/as your true nature.
Love,
Magdi

Friend: Thank you so much Consciousness, for the clear explanations.