Essential presence is the ontological ground of all phenomena. It is their ultimate substance. It is the true nature of plants, animals, rocks, atoms, elementary particles, energy, light, oceans, planets, galaxies, whatever universes exist, and so on, and the true nature of all thoughts, feelings, sensations, images, and all processes involving any of these objects. Nothing is outside the compass of true nature. – The Inner Journey Home, ch. 16
First we make a distinction between true nature and reality. True nature is the inner nature of ourselves and everything. It is formless, and it is the basis of all forms. As an analogy, consider water: The basic elementary compound of H2o can manifest as ice, snow, rain, steam, or fog. To recognize that the essence of all of these is water is to see beyond the different manifestations or forms in order to recognize their common nature. – Spacecruiser Inquiry: True Guidance for the Inner Journey, ch. 3
Seeing the role of true nature in illuminating the dire situation we find ourselves in impacts our heart and our soul, and it transforms our relationship to true nature and everything that expresses it. The more we recognize and encounter true nature, the more the heart is touched. True nature touches the heart in a way that nothing else does. When we realize how exquisite true nature is, we become stunned. How can it be? How can there be such a thing? How can there be such an energy, such a power, that is compassionate and strong at the same time, that is precise and loving at the same time, that is the nature of everything and creating everything at the same time? We experience an immense sense of awe and wonder. We can’t help but love true nature for what it is because of its magnificence, its beauty, its liberating power, its loving generosity, its loving light. It is like a luminosity whose action is pure love and pure goodness. The more it touches us, the more we feel real and satisfied, and the more meaningful our life becomes. – The Alchemy of Freedom: The Philosophers’ Stone and the Secrets of Existence, Ch. 5
True nature, the fundamental nature of what we are—and of everything—is what matters most when it comes to spiritual transformation. It is the single most important element for liberation. The more we understand it, the more we realize that it is not simply the most important element; in fact, it is the only element because it is inherent to all the other elements that are necessary along the way. True nature, when we experientially and sufficiently understand it, is every single thing—every event, every place, all and everything. And all and everything does not have to be sublime; it can be ordinary and still it is true nature. – The Alchemy of Freedom: The Philosophers’ Stone and the Secrets of Existence, Introduction