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#4259 -
The Nonduality Highlights - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NDhighlights
Announcing a new e-book
from the Nonduality.com publishing arm, Nonduality Publications:
A Light Unto Your
Self: Self Discovery Through Investigation of Experience
by Colin Drake.
http://nonduality.com/colindrake.htm#aluys
A Light Unto Your
Self:
Self Discovery Through Investigation of Experience
Colin Drake
Excerpts:
‘By observing mental
states you also become aware of the seven factors of
enlightenment. These are: awareness of awareness, investigation
of the Way, vigour, joy, serenity, concentration and equanimity.’
(The Buddha, Maha Sattipatthana Sutta 14-16)
The first two are
paramount and the last five are outcomes of these. This is what
this book is all about, becoming ‘aware of awareness’
through direct investigation and then continuing with further
‘investigation of the Way’ (the Tao, the nature of
reality). Once one is aware of awareness then one can become
‘A Light Unto Yourself’ by undertaking further
investigations not needing to relying on any ‘teachings’,
although these may be useful for confirming what one has
discovered.
This book is the sequel
to Beyond the Separate Self (hereafter called Beyond)
and is a collection of articles written since this was
published. These are mainly of two types: the first being
replies to questions, comments and criticisms from readers of the
book; and the second being the outcome of my ongoing
investigations.
I carry out these
investigations to deepen my own understanding of the nature of
Reality and then write them down when new insights arise.
This is so that I can re-read them and then continue my
investigation from any of these ‘staging points’ that
have been discovered. Some of these insights are so subtle,
and tenuous, that they are easily buried by day-to-day
living. It’s rather like exploring a trackless
wilderness in stages and adding to the ‘map’ after each
exploration.
However, these additions
are rare and most investigation involves re-covering mapped
ground. Moreover, even this is very useful as one ‘sees’
deeper and discovers nuances that were missed on previous
excursions. This deepening entails becoming more
established in identifying with and as pure awareness …
which is ‘the name of the game’. The continual
‘seeing’ slowly changes one’s psyche and mind-set
from identifying with the body/mind to identifying with the
deeper level of pure awareness.
Another idea to bear in
mind is that the ‘map’ is not a linear path and that
any staging point that has been discovered after one has become
‘aware of awareness’ may be used as the starting point
for further investigation.. Rather like being able to dive
into the ocean from a variety of locations. Now I can use
any of the discoveries that I have made as a springboard from
which to re-commence the exploration. The wonderful thing
is that there is no end to this investigation as what is being
explored is limitless.
As time goes by you too
will make your own discoveries and verbalize your own pathways
into this recognition of pure awareness. I strongly advise
you to record in writing these discoveries and pathways, as the
reading of them before your practice will put you in the right
frame of mind, and inspire you. In the final analysis your
‘pathway in’ will become particular to your own mind,
and writings produced by your mind will always appeal more than
those produced by another mind. Ultimately you have to
become, as the Buddha said, ‘a light unto yourself’.
~ ~ ~
At the following link you
may read the entire introduction, which summarizes each
chapter, as well as order and download the e-book right
away:
http://nonduality.com/colindrake.htm#aluys