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Group: NDhighlights Message: 4759 From: Jerry Katz Date: 2012-11-14
Subject: #4759 - Wednesday, November 14, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
#4759 - Wednesday, November 14, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
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Galen Sharp is not the newest nondualist on the block, although he may appear to be so to those who have recently discovered these teachings. I've known about him for many years as he was one of the few people endorsed by sentient.org, which p
ublished the first list of nonduality teachers on the internet. His work comes out of a lengthy correspondence with Wei Wu Wei back in the 70s. He has a new book out, What Am I? A Study in Non-Volitional Living:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0987380613/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0987380613&linkCode=as2&tag=nondualitysal-20
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Here is an excerpt from What Am I? by Galen Sharp

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Introduction

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“Thirty years ago we thought that we were heading towards an ultimate reality of a mechanical kind.  Today there is a wide measure of agreement, which on

the physical side of science, approaches almost to unanimity, that the stream of knowledge is heading towards a non-mechanical reality; the universe begins to look more like a great thought than a great machine.  Matter is derived from consci­ous­ness, not consciousness from matter.” (emphasis added)

– Sir James Jeans

(Physics and Beyond by Werner Heisenberg).

Are you ready for an intriguing adventure into some new and virtually unexplored territory?В  As you can see from the title, this is a different kind of book about some very different ideas.В  It explores a variВ­ety of subjects such as science, philosophy, quantum physics and even some of the ancient masters in quest of a higher way of knowing the world and ourselves.В  And through the eleven Reality MeditaВ­tions you will be able to examine your own mental mechanisms and find out how they really work, examine who and what you really are, and discover why you are here.

If you are a bit of a non-conformist this book may appeal to that.В  And if you like paradoxes and mysteries it will fascinate you also.В  In any case you will need a sense of wonder as well as a sense of adВ­venture.В  For the point is not just to be different or mysterious, but to actually open our perception to a higher dimension.В  This is not just a figure of speech or merely a new metaphor for something convenВ­tional, but an actual realm existing at this moment along with the world we now observe.В  This New Reality is, of course, not new in itself.В  It has been spoken of and sought for thousands of years.В  It is, however new to most people.В 

Once you become aware of this higher reality you will also recognize others who have arrived beВ­fore you.В  This is not some kind of elitist or superior group, though many have sought it unsuccessfully for that reason.В  Those who live in this reality may not even appear as anyone different to the general population, but you will know them.В  And, by the same token, you may attract some new friends.

My own transformation began when I started asking the same questions we explore in this book.  I discovered that what I called reality was formed from a world model I was taught when I was young, and it wasnÂ’t real at all.  I also discovered that it was the reason behind my lack of fulfillment and all of my unhappiness and frustration.  As you find this out for yourself and contemplate the Reality Medita­tions you will also begin to see the world differently and your mind will begin to operate in a new way – whole, unconditioned and spontaneous, the way it was meant to operate. 

However, you must see this for yourself.В  You must look for yourself and discover it for yourself.В  No one can do this for you.В 

But that is what makes it an adventure

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The Two Illusions Obscuring Your Liberation

1. The illusion of individuality.

В В В  And, from the illusion of individuality arises;

2. В The illusion of volition.В 

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Your True Being is “all” of the One Pure Universal Consciousness which is directly known right here, right now.  Investigate either illusion and it will ultimately lead you to the other.  Therein lies the way to liberation and rest. Why include rest? You rest from effort.  Because the sense of effort comes from the illusion of volition.  For instance, when you have to do something it may feel hard or difficult to do.  When this sense of effort disappears, you rest.

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How Could They Be Illusions When They Seem So Real?

Individuality and volition seem to be unarguable, but you may discover a great secret if you temporarily drop your learned assumptions and open-mindedly examine what actually is here and now.В  These illusions are caused by the way thought works.В  The thought process works by comparing and discriminating among the spontaneous living flow of percepts in consciousness, and by making symbols to represent similar groups of perceptions.В 

We call these symbols “names,” “things” and “concepts.”  A name then comes to mean an object, a “thing-in-itself.”  Take, for instance, the idea of a tree.  The flow of percepts within consciousness which we call a tree was an actual here-and-now experience, but the concept, the thought, the label “tree” is just a symbol, not the actual, present, living flow of percepts. It is a dead label, a vague mental image in memory.

What we conceive as “the world” is not really many separate things-in-themselves, but actually the present living flow of percepts in consciousness.  From the moment we are born we hear the sounds that people use to represent what they are perceiving, the sound-symbols we call words.  We have come to confuse these words with the actuality.  At about eighteen months into our life we begin to get the “hang” of making these sound-symbols ourselves.  And we soon get around to making a mental symbol for what is happening “here,” where we perceive everything.  This is how the body-mind point-of-view becomes a “me.”  Psychologists believe that this is a good thing, that we need a self-concept.  That would be okay if we didnÂ’t take it too far and identify with it as what we are, if we didnÂ’t accept that pitiful, limited, shifting, helpless, imaginary self-concept for our entire being.  (But then, of course, psychologists would be out of a job.) 

The trouble is, we donÂ’t do this all by ourselves.  We are constantly told in various ways that we are a “me,” an individual, a separate thing-in-itself.  The world model we learn supports this belief.

This leads to the illusion that there really is an objective “me” which is acting and being acted upon.  This is the illusion of volition, and from this comes a new kind of pain.  In the beginning there was only physical pain, which is helpful and even necessary to keep the body safe and working.  That is a natural pain.[1]  But now arises psychological pain, mental pain, to keep the conceptual “me” safe.  This is an unnatural pain caused by the illusion of a “me” and the illusion that this “me” has volition.  This is the illusion of “me” as an individual, objective, actor and doer.  However, this “me” is only a concept, a name, a thought.  A thought canÂ’t think or act, so how could it have volition? 

But this illusion, this perceptual mistake, does affect the thought process simply by being a basic concept in the belief system and world-view.  Because the “volitional me” is such a basic concept it causes the development of a host of mental conditioned reflexes and actions required to save, protect and fulfill that “me.”

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Why “Spirituality” Hasn’t Liberated Us

All the systems of self-improvement we will find, whether philosophical or religious, assume we must add to, fix up, save and improve this individual, volitional self.  YouÂ’ve tried them and they donÂ’t work or you wouldnÂ’t be reading this book.  This is because you were trying to fix the conceptual self which only exists in imagination and can no more do anything than your shadow can.  This is like trying to “put new wine into old wine skins.”  These kinds of teachings can only make things worse in the long run because they affirm the pseudo-self which is the problem to begin with.

These self-improvement schemes unhes­itatingly accept this concept of a “volitional me” as real and put the burden of volition on the “me” to use their rules and principles to live right and to be successful.  That is why they donÂ’t liberate us.  Because the “me” is itself only a thought it canÂ’t think, let alone make decisions or act, either rightly or wrongly.  This leads to feelings of helplessness, guilt and condemnation, because thoughts and actions simply follow the strongest urges or are inhibited by the strongest fears.  But since the strongest needs have grown around securing, protecting and fulfilling the “me,” thatÂ’s what we do instead of following our altruistic, spiritual concepts.  No wonder “living right” was so hard, so impossible.  We may know what we should do, but the power to do it is another matter.  WeÂ’ll discover more concerning this mystery in a later chapter.

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Is There An Easy Way To Not Be Taken In By “Self- Improvement” Teachings?

The term “self-improvement” says it all.  Any system, religious or philosophical that assumes that we are improving, motivating, freeing or saving our individual self,  instead of simply seeing it as an illusion, is bound to make things worse instead of better.  In short, beware of anything that assumes an individual self and volition – a self that needs to be fixed up or improved or “saved.”  There is nothing to improve or to save.  That pseudo-self is the life you must lose in order to find your true life.  

We may enjoy the emotion and the positive feelings and the personal acceptance by the group to begin with, but the ultimate effect of following these systems will be to actually increase our bondage and leave us feeling more self-absorbed and even more helpless.

Awakening is more often than not blocked by pseudo-self, volition-based spiritual teachings which constantly point us in the wrong direction.  It doesnÂ’t seem to take much to misdirect us, whether this is just because of the way the thought mechanism works or whether there are other, more malicious forces at work.


[1]. Even natural pain would not be as “painful” if we didn’t identify with the body as what-we-are.


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To meet cheerfully whatever life brings is all the austerity you need. ~В Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
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Find out more and order What Am I? here:
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Group: NDhighlights Message: 4740 From: Gloria Lee Date: 2012-10-26
Subject: #4740 - Thursday, October 25, 2012 - Editor: Gloria Lee

#4740 -В Thursday, October 25, 2012 - Editor: Gloria Lee
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"Give yourself completely to the act of listening.
Beyond the sounds there is something greater,
a sacredness that cannot be understood through thought."
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~ Eckhart Tolle

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The quieter you become, the more you can hear.
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~ Ram Dass
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photo by Alan Larus
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The Soul of Mantra - New LA Yoga article based on verse 145 of the vijnana
bhairava tantra:
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Initiation through hearing Sanskrit in song seems to be powerful and lasting. The
Beatles included the phrase Jai guru deva OM in their song “Across the
Universe,”released in 1969. The Beatles were one of the most successful acts in
the history of popular music, and the song was broadcast all over the world on
radio stations from 1969 onward. For many, it was the first time they had ever
heard a word of Sanskrit. Beatles fans listened to their records over and over
with rapt attention, relishing every word and chord change, and so apparently,
millions of people received a kind of Shaktipat, a transmission of spiritual
energy, through the song. I started teaching meditation around this time, and
many people came for instruction because of having heard “Across the Universe.”
It was clear they had already meditated, deeply, many times, while listening to
the song. It was an honor to sit in their presence, and it was as if they had been
initiated by the song and I was just giving them some coaching on how to
meditate. Since then, all over the world, IÂ’ve met many people who started
meditating because of “Across the Universe” and are still at it. What amazing
impact that song created.В 
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The Beatles learned to meditate in 1967 and went to India for a retreat, so they
were writing from intimate experience with the practice. The backstory for the
song was that Lennon was lying in bed with his wife, who was “going on and on”
about something that really irritated him. He got up and went downstairs, and
the words she had been saying kept resonating in his head, like lyrics, and over
time “it turned into sort of a cosmic song rather than an irritated song.” Lennon
said that the four words of Sanskrit, Jai guru deva OM, just dropped into his
mind as the bridge to the chorus, and he felt that “Across the Universe”
contained perhaps the best lyrics he had ever written. The sound of the human
voice, even a complaining human voice, merged in JohnÂ’s awareness into the
eternal song of OM. This is one of the secrets of mantra and meditation – the
gift of peace and delight right here in the midst of it all. If you dive deeply into
any sound, external or within, it will take you into the hum of the universe.В 
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Across the Universe, by the Beatles. Written and sung by John Lennon.

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Q: My yoga teacher told me not to meditate with pets because they steal your
spiritual energy. But whenever I start meditating, my pets sense it and scratch
at the door to get in. What should I do?
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A: In the age of ignorance, many monks were jealous of cows, and of the jewelry
bestowed on royal elephants. So they invented such nonsense. Now we know that
animals are as holy as angels, and it is au spicious to meditate with them.
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Don't the gods have pets? The holy spirit descends on Jesus in the form of a
Dove. Durgha rides a lion. Shiva meditates with a pet serpent around his neck.
Krishna leans on a moonlit calf to play his sacred flute. Without their pets, the
gods would become arrogant. So would we.
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The golden fur of a poodle is sacred. It transmutes heavenly energy from your
crown, through your fingers, into the earth. Animals keep our hearts open and
healthy (even though some cats are Republicans).
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If you don't meditate with at least three pets curled up beside you, how will you
ever know the meaning of Sat-Sang?
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These are the words of Freddy-Ji; they come straight from the belly button.
~ Fred LaMotte
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The Radiance Sutras
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One day The Goddess sang to her lover Bhairava,
Beloved and radiant Lord of the space before birth,
Revealer of essence,
Slayer of the ignorance that binds us,
You, who in play have created this universe
and permeated all forms in it with never-ending truth.
I have been wondering . . .
I have been listening to the songs of creation,
I have heard the sacred sutras being sung,
and yet still I am curious.
What is this delight-filled universe
into which we find ourselves born?
What is this mysterious awareness shimmering
everywhere within it?
What are these instinctive energies
that undulate through our bodies,
moving us into action?
And this “matter” out of which our forms are made -
What are these dancing particles of condensed radiance,
Are they an illusionist's projection?
What is this power we call Life,
appearing as the play of flesh and breath?
How may I know this mystery and enter it more deeply?
Beloved, my attention is ensnared by a myriad of forms,
the innumerable individual entities everywhere.
Lead me into the wholeness beyond all these parts.
You, who hold the mysteries in your hand -
of will, knowledge and action,
Reveal to me the path of illumined knowing.
Lead me into joyous union
with the life of the universe.
Teach me that I may know it fully,
realize it deeply,
and breathe in the truth of it.
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translation by Lorin Roche
more verses: posted by Roxanne Chapdelaine on Facebook
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The Radiance Sutras is a fresh translation of an ancient Tantra Yoga text, the
Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, a love song between Devi and Bhairava, (Shakti and
Shiva) in which they sing the classic tantra, chakra, kundalini, mantra, mudra
practices, and many more.
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4741 From: Mark Date: 2012-10-28
Subject: #4741 - Saturday, October 27, 2012
Archived issues of the NDHighlights are available online: http://nonduality.com/hlhome.htm

Nonduality Highlights Issue #4741, Saturday, October 27, 2012




Once upon a time there was a merchant named Abdul Malik. He was known as the Good Man of Khorasan, because from his immense fortune he used to give to charity and hold feasts for the poor. But one day it occurred to him that he was simply giving away some of what he had; and that the pleasure which he obtained through his generosity was far in excess of what it really cost him to sacrifice what was after all such a small proportion of his wealth. As soon as this thought entered his mind, he decided to give away every penny for the good of mankind. And he did so.

No sooner had he divested himself of all his possessions, resigned to face whatever events life might have in store for him, Abdul Malik saw, during his meditation-hour, a strange figure seem to rise from the floor of his room. A man was taking shape before his very eyes, dressed in the patchwork robe of the mysterious dervish. "O Abdul Malik, generous man of Khorasan!" intoned the apparition. "I am your real self, which has now become almost real to you because you have done something really charitable measured against which your previous record of goodness is as nothing. Because of this, and because you were able to part with your fortune without feeling personal satisfaction, I am rewarding you from the real source of reward.

"In the future, I will appear before you in this way every day. You will strike me and I will turn into gold. You will be able to take from this golden image as much as you may wish. Do not fear that you will harm me, because whatever you take will be replaced from the source of all endowments."

So saying, he disappeared.

The very next morning a friend named Bay-Akal was sitting with Abdul Malik when the dervish specter began to manifest itself. Abdul Malik struck it with a stick, and the figure fell to the ground, transformed into gold. He took part of it for himself and gave some of the gold to his guest.

Now Bay-Akal, not knowing what had gone before, started to think how he could perform a similar wonder. He knew that dervishes had strange powers and concluded that it was necessary only to beat them to obtain gold.

So he arranged for a feast to be held to which every dervish who heard of it could come and eat his fill. When they had all eaten well, Bay-Akal took up an iron bar and thrashed every dervish within reach until they lay battered and broken on the ground. Those dervishes who were unharmed seized Bay-Akal and took him to the judge. They stated their case and produced the wounded dervishes as evidence. Bay-Akal related what had happened at Abdul Malik's house and explained his reasons for trying to reproduce the trick.

Abdul Malik was called, and on the way to the court his golden self whispered to him what to say.

"May it please the court," he said, "this man seems to me to be insane, or to be trying to cover up some penchant for assaulting people without cause. I do know him, but his story does not correspond with my own experiences in my house."

Bay-Akal was therefore placed for a time in a lunatic asylum, until he became more calm. The dervishes recovered almost at once, through some science known to themselves. And nobody believed that such an astonishing thing as a man who becomes a golden statue--and daily at that--could ever take place.

For many another year, until he was gathered to his forefathers, Abdul Malik continued to break the image which was himself, and to distribute its treasure, which was himself, to those whom he could not help in any other way than materially.

- as collected by Idries Shah, posted to SufiMystic

Story-Water

A story is like the water
you heat for your bath.

It takes messages between the fire
and your skin. It lets them meet,
and it cleans you!

Very few can sit down
in the middle of the fire itself
like a salamander or Abraham.
We need intermediaries.

A feeling of fullness comes,
but usually it takes some bread
to bring it.

Beauty surrounds us,
but usually we need to be walking
in a garden to know it.

The body itself is a screen
to shield and partially reveal
the light that's blazing
inside your presence.

Water, stories, the body,
all the things we do, are mediums
that hide and show what's hidden.

Study them,
and enjoy this being washed
with a secret we sometimes know,
and then not.

- Rumi, Mathnawi V: 228-236, version by Coleman Barks from The Essential Rumi, posted to Sunlight

Jerry is the manager of a restaurant in America. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would always reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" Many of the waiters at his restaurant quit their jobs when he changed jobs; they would follow him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was always there, telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! No one can be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, I have two choices today. I can choose to be in a good mood or I can choose to be in a bad mood. I always choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I always choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I always choose the positive side of life."

"But it's not always that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," Jerry said, "Life is all about choices When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. It's your choice how you live your life."

Several years later, I heard that Jerry accidentally did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business: he left the back door of his restaurant open one morning and was robbed by three armed men. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to the hospital. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Want to see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, after they shot me, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared?" I asked.

Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the Emergency Room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything." 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Please operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'.

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude.

I learned from him that everyday you have the choice to either enjoy your life or to hate it. The only thing that is truly yours - that no one can control or take from you - is your attitude, so if you can take care of that, everything else in life becomes much easier.

- posted to DailyDharma, from website: Buddhist Quotes
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4742 From: Mark Date: 2012-10-28
Subject: #4741 - Sunday, October 28, 2012
Archived issues of the NDHighlights are available online: http://nonduality.com/hlhome.htm

Nonduality Highlights Issue #4741, Sunday, October 28, 2012




What is normal may be felt in the silent mind. When thought is spent, the individual is no longer a separate entity but gets merged in the silent Consciousness as its intrinsic essence.

- Ramesh S. Balsekar from A Net of Jewels, posted to AlongTheWay

Inasmuch as it is necessary for the knowing aspect of life, or the soul, to return at length to its original state of being, even so it is necessary for it to experience first of all the life it created for the very reason that it might know.

- From The Teachings Of Hazrat Inayat Khan, posted to SufiMystic

Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the shadow

Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow

Between the desire
And the spasm
Between the potency
and the existence
Between the essence
And the descent
Falls the Shadow

T.S. Elliot from The Hollow Men, posted to The_Now2

In John, Chapter 1, it says:
"The light shines in the darkness
and the darkness apprehends it not."

And the light is? ... consciousness.
How much conciousness can I tolerate?
... it depends on how much I surrender myself to it.
I know it will tolerate me.

It's only me that can't tolerate my perceived mistakes,
my perceived errors, my perceived failures.
I say 'perceived', because they are only perceptions.
All is perfect, including my innumerable mistakes.
I had to fall countless times as I can learn to walk,
but I didn't give myself a severe haranguing every time.

And the 'me' is?
... an idea of who I am,
and that will always fall far short of my fullness.

The shadow, comparative darkness,
lurks in my recesses. It's afraid of the light.
It has to be gently persuaded to let go
of its clinging to that place of false security
under the bushel where the light can't shine.

... "Hey, my fearful, internal, shadowy little boy,"
I say to him,
"All is well, fear not, there's a beautiful satsang here,
a community of friends who lovingly embrace you,
let it nurture your light and dispel that hollow shadow
"Faith is letting that light shine in your internal darkness
with a feeling of confidence that all will be well

"And it will be."

From the light I come, to the light I return.

Love,
John

- posted to The_Now2

People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child - our own two eyes. All is a miracle.

~Thich Nhat Hanh, posted to The_Now2
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4743 From: Gloria Lee Date: 2012-10-30
Subject: #4743 - Monday, October 29, 2012 - Editor: Gloria Lee

#4743 -В Monday, October 29, 2012 - Editor: Gloria Lee
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Love is bringing everyone by the ear to a place where reason cannot go.В 
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~ Rumi
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The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world.
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~ Dr. Paul Farmer
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WALT WHITMAN
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Each of us inevitable,
Each of us limitless --
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Each of us with his or her
right upon the earth,
Each of us allow'd
the eternal purports
of the earth,
Each of us here
as divinely as any is here.
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~ Walt Whitman
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(Leaves of Grass)
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via Louise Christian on Facebook
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"There is an almost sensual longing for communion with others who have a large
vision. The immense fulfillment of the friendship between those engaged in
furthering the evolution of consciousness has a quaility impossible to describe."
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~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
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via Emilie Unkrich on Facebook
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"Appearances never cease to be their original radiance.
Unformed, form never had a substance to be grasped.
The world is a continuum of meditation in the still
stainless heart of no-mind."
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~ Saraha, 'Dohakosha,' 8th C.
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via Fred LaMotte on Facebook
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All finite things reveal infinitude:
The mountain with its singular bright shade
Like the blue shine on freshly frozen snow,
The after-light upon ice-burdened pines;
Odor of basswood upon a mountain slope,
A scene beloved of bees;
Silence of water above a sunken tree:
The pure serene of memory of one man,--
A ripple widening from a single stone
Winding around the waters of the world.
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~Theodore Roethke
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Group: NDhighlights Message: 4744 From: Jerry Katz Date: 2012-10-30
Subject: #4744 - Tuesday, October 30, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
#4744 - Tuesday, October 30, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
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Video excerpts from this past weekend's Science and Nonduality Conference:
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This is a good time to sign up for next year's SAND:
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Tone of the conference
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I enjoyed a few things about the conference this year. I always try to be aware of the overall tone or feel in order to gauge the directions of nonduality. Maybe what I perceive only reflects my own interests for nonduality, but whatever, here's what I picked up. I felt that the strong sense of community we felt last year was a culmination from previous years and that this year the sense of communityВ shifted its focus from being forВ the sake of the communityВ itself to being for the sake of society and the world.
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In other words, it was as though people realized, "Okay, we're together and that's a great feeling. Now let's do something to help clean up some of the world messes." That sensibility has been present in all the SANDs, but I felt it was focused with a greater maturity this year. "Maturity" or "mature" was the word used by John Prendergast when we were discussing the feel of this year's SAND.
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Join or start a nondualityВ meetup group
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When I talked to people, my main themesВ were aboutВ joining or starting meetups wherever people live. A meetup is two or more people getting together to talk about nondual consciousness. I would typically suggest that people explore the website http://meetup.com, which makes it easy to find members and plan meetings.
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I made a point of considering that showing videos of famous people need not be a big part of such meetups and that in fact they could stifle the growth of nondual community where one lives. It's important that a local nonduality meetup group be made up of local people. That demand connects nondual understanding with the geography, with the earth, so that a deeply rooted nondual community may form.
В 
Right away I think of the Shambhala Buddhism community headquartered in Nova Scotia. Pema Chodron is the most famous person from that group. Shambhala is a significant contributor to the economic and cultural scene in Nova Scotia. But how deeply are they rooted here? I don't know, because they upped and left Boulder, Colorado in the late 80s at the command of their leader. What if the current leadership calls for another move to another distant location? The roots of Shambhala aren't deeply set in Nova Scotia.
В 
I don't think you can have deeply set roots for nondual community when a mass of people who form thatВ  community could leave overnight.В Deep roots come fromВ ordinary people who are likely to stay because of ties to job, friends, family, and the land and culture.
В 
That was my theme and message. Start or attend a nonduality meetup where you live and keep it local. Showing a video of a famous teacher ignores the soil of one's own community and the people growing out of it. We have formed community out of nondual gatherings online. Now we are forming nondual gatherings out of our local communities. That's the shift.
В 
And I know some of you wonder what to do or talk about if you start your own nonduality meetup group. My suggestion is, don't worry about it. The people who attend want to talk. Just make sure you keep the discussion on the level of pointers to what always is. And know what's important in each meeting. If you start each meeting with a few minutes of silence, it is obvious that that's what's important. At our meetings I often say that there's nowhere else to go after the opening meditation and that just the being together is enough. Francis Lucille said essentially the same this weekend at SAND when he said, "Satsang is being together in beingness, not talking." Yet, yes, we talk. But keeping those values of beingness and silence, and always pointing to what is beyond the dualities, one can hold an intimate nonduality meetup. To hold a successful nonduality satsang or meetup, you don't have to be a famous sage nor do you have to show a video of one.
В 
Nonduality and society
В 
The other theme I talked to people about is related. It is the bringing of nondual consciousness to every element of society. That movement depends upon the preparing the soil of local community for the arising of deeply rooted nondual gatherings. In that regard, I talked to David Loy, Highlights reader Ray Gravineau (spelling?), and Julie Shearman. You know David as author of the book Nonduality and others. He's a brilliant speaker and organizer of nondual teachings. Ray is a retired money manager who insists that in order to see societal change, economistsВ must absorb the teachings of nonduality. And Julie is an organization/project manager who understands how organizations communicate and who came to SAND with her husband Jonathan (who many of you probably know) from Australia. These are people seriously interested inВ seeing the color of nondual consciousness seep into theВ structures of our civilization. David even mentioned holding a conference on nonduality and society. At the very least we could hold a session on the topic at a future SAND.
В 
A conversation I couldn't get going
В 
I'm interested in a conversation on nonduality and psychiatry but I couldn't find any traction in that discussion. It could be a future session at SAND. Although that brings up another topic that the organizers Maurizio and Zaya might consider. SAND needs to keep stretching and growing. I know that's easier said than done. And my understanding is that there are going to be small SAND meetings that address specific themes. However, I don't want to see the conference get too comfortable with itself.
В 
Maurizio and Zaya are the mind and heart of SAND and their house burned down in the midst of planning this year's conference. Yet the light of their love and spirit was never diminished. Did it grow stronger? Yes. Nothing can stop expansion of nondual consciousness.
В 
A look back at turnings in the nonduality movement
В 
Just for a momentВ I want to lookВ back at key turnings in modern nonduality,В because they might recapitulate your own journey through nonduality and help you see where it is going. In the beginning, the late 90s, it was a breakthrough just to form a small internet email list dedicated to nonduality itself without circling around a specific teacher or tradition, while respecting all speakers and traditions. Even at that level my interest was the people in the group rather than bowing down to a famous sage, although we did that too. But primarily we recognized that ordinary people could speak with authority about nonduality. That recognition would take nonduality out of the ashrams and out of the university departments of philosophy and religious studies and put the word nonduality right into the streets, right onto the sidewalks, right in the middle of the kitchen tables.
В 
In 2003, blogging reached a peak of popularity and saw the word nonduality used almost too casually. I would sometimes quoteВ those overly casual usages in the Highlights in order to show how the word nonduality was becoming the mainstream. In 2006, I believe it was, at a nonduality conference in Boulder, Colorado, IВ briefly spoke to the group urging people to use the word nonduality in their daily conversation. The point was that the word nonduality alone is powerful. Simply knowing the word could elicit a looking up of the word, and a looking up of the word opens a big and brave new world. The word can change lives.
В 
About a year later I helped organize the first Science and Nonduality Conference and spoke about a "nonduality movement." I think people cringed at that suggestion as much as some cringed at the recommendation that we use the word nonduality in our conversations. However, this bears on something else I noted at the most recent SAND this past weekend. People are now talking about a movement in nondual consciousness as though it is clear and obvious. I don't have proof that that's the case, but people no longer cringe when you talk about a nonduality movement. I guess because they see the teaching spreading in such a way that it could be called a movement.
В 
And now in the last few years we have seen nondualityВ become known through Facebook. And in-person meetups are another important phase of the nonduality movement. All that I've described here, from the first nonduality email forums to the calls for a conference on nonduality and society are part of the modern nonduality movement. That movement started in North American in the late 1800s withВ The Sacred Books of the East, Swami Vivekananda, and others, and it has continued unhalted ever since.
В 
Where is the nonduality movement going? In my view it's going to further color real life local communities and then society and then everything else. The significance of the nonduality movement is that in the future we will live from poetry rather than anxiety.
В 
I met and spoke to many wonderful people at SAND. I'll be featuring some in upcoming issues. And don't forget SAND Europe 2013 in Doorn, The Netherlands:
В 
-Jerry
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4745 From: Jerry Katz Date: 2012-10-31
Subject: #4745 - Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
#4745 - Wednesday, October 31, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
В 
В 
В 
В 
В 
I made a horrible, Halloweenish misspelling in my previous issue, so I'm re-submitting the paragraph with the correct spelling in bold:
В 
"The other theme I talked to people about is related. It is the bringing of nondual consciousness to every element of society. That movement depends upon the preparing the soil of local community for the arising of deeply rooted nondual gatherings. In that regard, I talked to David Loy, Highlights reader Ray Gribeauval, and Julie Shearman. You know David as author of the book Nonduality and others. He's a brilliant speaker and organizer of nondual teachings. Ray is a retired money manager who insists that in order to see societal change, economistsВ must absorb the teachings of nonduality. And Julie is an organization/project manager who understands how organizations communicate and who came to SAND with her husband Jonathan (who many of you probably know) from Australia. These are people seriously interested inВ seeing the color of nondual consciousness seep into theВ structures of our civilization. David even mentioned holding a conference on nonduality and society. At the very least we could hold a session on the topic at a future SAND.
В 
~ ~ ~
В 
Looking forward to hearing more about this, Ray.
В 
В 
В 
В 
Nonduality meets the arts community in Manila, and although the description of the concept of nondualism could be better, what matters is that the word is being used and all anyone has to do is google it and ... it'll google them.

Nondualism

В 

Blot Art Studio will hold a group exhibit titled “Nondualism” on Wednesday, October 31 at 6pm. This exhibit is curated by Wesley Villanueva and will feature artists, a mix of upcoming and experienced artists. 



В 

В 

These artists are Benedict Abigan, Bobby Balingit, BK Calucin, Eleanor Giron, Veronica Laurel, Joee Mejias, Wayan Narra, AB Paredes, and Rommel Pidazo. The exhibit is composed of painters, book-artist, film maker, sculptors, and mixed-media artists, giving different interpretations and introducing new mediums that surpass the common genre of art.В 

We live in a world of dual illusions, a right and wrong, black and white. Nondualism is a concept that shatters the fragile shell of duality, taking the two different perceived things and looking at them as one and the same. This group exhibit challenges artists from different fields and medium to explore the neither nor idea that can free a personÂ’s perception of things and the world we live in. 

Blot Art Studio will not only feature visual arts but will also be featuring musical artists in the opening night such as Bobby Balingit at Ang Planeta ng Ngiti, Skies of Ember, Monochrome, Anhura, and The Sleepyheads. This event is supported by PULP Magazine as the official media sponsor.В 

Guests will have a chance to win WolfÂ’s Lair Tattoo Gift Certificates.
Schedule/Venue
Blot Art Studio
Kalayaan Ave.

9726 Pililia St. cor. Kalayaan Ave., Brgy. Valenzuela
Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Wednesday October 31, 2012 - Wednesday November 21, 2012
В 
В 
В 
Gabriel Rosenstock
В 
Dear Hatto,

Thanks for latest. You ask where I stand. I don't know if I stand at all. I am Gabriel, a wingГѓВ©d creature. Recently I watched a classic video of Segovia, the guitarist, playing in the Alhambra in the 70s. He talked about 'destiny' all the time. This was his destiny, to play the guitar. Forging his will was merely the shaping of his musical destiny, becoming the master player which his instincts inspired him to be.

My thinking (such as it is) is too fluid, too poetic, to actually come to the full stop which is implied in a stand. Freedom? Remember when the Americans refused to eat French fries and called them 'Freedom fries'? They give us such cause to laugh (and to weep), do they not, God love them!В  When it comes to freedom and the question of free will, I fall back on the insights which are covered by the Sanskrit term 'vasanas'. You and I are born with these 'vasanas', these qualities which colour our personality and give a peculiar flavour to our sensibility, our temperament, our tastes and inclinations, our great gifts and our weaknesses, our talents and latent abilities and so on. We follow these instincts as best we can. Much as I might admire the innate qualities of another, I will not follow the path of a molecular scientist or mountain climber. Nor will I follow your path, philosopher-poet. The path we walk is our path, none other. And I love straying from the path.
I suppose I am attracted to the vacum state described here by Osho:

http://www.messagefrommasters.com/Psychic-World/Destiny-Free-Will.htm

Why am I this way, why is one of my brothers this way and two other brothers are not (as far as I know)?. It's because of the vasanas!В  We can't blame everything on the weather!

Internet definition of vasana:

[vasana], karmic residues, unconscious propensities, disposition, habit energy, thought, habit formation, habit thought dormant, potential tendency, habitual pattern, habitual propensity, habitual tendency, impression, imprint, inclination, inherent tendency, inveterate tendency, karmic impression, karmic imprint, karmic propensities, imprints, predispositions; karmic traces, latency, latent predisposition, latent tendency, mental imprint, negative psychic imprint, potency, potential tendency, potentiality, predisposition, propensity, propensities, sediment of impressions. Tibetan synonym: nus pa, habitual patterning.

Best,
Gabriel
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4746 From: Gloria Lee Date: 2012-11-02
Subject: #4746 - Thursday, November 1, 2012 - Editor: Gloria Lee


#4746 -В Thursday, November 1, 2012 - Editor: Gloria Lee
В 
В 
Sixty-six times have these eyes beheld
the changing scenes of autumn
I have said enough about moonlight,
Ask no more.
Only listen to the voice of pines and cedars
when no wind stirs.
В 
~Ryonen
В 
В 
В 
В 
Meet your own self.В  Be with your own self,
listen to it, obey it, cherish it, keep it in
mind ceaselessly.В  You need no other guide.В 
As long as your urge for truth affects your
daily life, all is wellВ  withВ  you.В  Live your
life without hurting anybody.В  Harmlessness
is a most powerful form of Yoga and it will
take you speedily to your goal.В  This is what
I call nisarga yoga, the Natural yoga.В  It is
the art of living in peace and harmony, in
friendliness and love.В  The fruit of it is
happiness, uncaused and endless.
В 
~Nisargadatta Maharaj
В 
via Along The Way
В 
В 
В 
Self is what you are, You are That
Fathomlessness in which experience and concepts appear.
Self is the Moment which has no coming or going.
It is the Heart, Atman, Emptiness.
It shines to Itself, by Itself, in Itself.
Self is what gives breath to life,
you need not search for It, It is Here.
You are That through which you would search.
You are what you are looking for!
And That is all it is.
Only Self is.
В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В В 
~Papaji
В 
via Along The Way
В 
В 
В 
The most important part of the practice is for the question to remain alive and
for your whole body and mind to become a question. In Zen they say that you
have to ask with the pores of your skin and the marrow of your bones. A Zen
saying points out: Great questioning, great awakening; little questioning, little
awakening; no questioning, no awakening.
В 
~Martine Batchelor
В 
В 
В 
В 
В 
photo by Peter Shefler
В 
В 
В 
Every time I open my eyes
I invite the world to take shape
And every time the world takes shape
I'm invited to open my eyes
And see the world raw and naked
В 
Holding out its hand
Calling me into it's self
Where I am taken into the Transparency of things
and find myself transparent then
Standing on the edge looking down
And in to the dark silent pool
in which the world is cradled
And I am cradled there, held with all things
And hold all things in myself
Myself, not a thing in the world but This -here-Seeing
In which the world opens, inviting and offering itself
В 
And every time it is seen- It dies
And in dying, holds out its hand again
Asking to be taken in
And every time I take it in
I too die
And in dying -am known
As This Here - Seeing
В 
~Rupert Spira
В 
В 
В 
В 
Ram DassВ  Fierce GraceВ  Full Movie (2001)
В 
В 
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4747 From: Jerry Katz Date: 2012-11-02
Subject: #4747 - Friday, November 2, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
#4747 - Friday,В November 2, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
В 
В 
В 
В 
В 
Some notes from Francis Lucille's talk at the Science and Nonduality Conference this past weekend:
В 
Satsang is being together in beingness; not talking
В 
I recommend satsang more than talk. When there is no talk who cares about advaita?
В 
If you are happy, living in harmony, constantly experiencing peace and happiness, you are on the right track.
В 
If a practice is boring get the hell out of it.
В 
Follow your heart's desire -- happiness -- from moment to moment.
В 
Happiness is true nature experiencing itself.
В 
It's normal to surround yourself with beautiful spiritual friends.
В 
В 
В 
В 

Leaving the Science and Nonduality Conference in San Rafael, I took a cab to the airport in San Francisco. The cab driver asked me what nonduality was. Being aware of the conference, he said he had looked up nonduality in the dictionary but couldnÂ’t find the word. I told him it wasnÂ’t in the dictionary and said that it means we are all one in some way.

He then quoted a few lines of a poem. I asked if it was Rumi as it was very pure. He said he wrote it. “What happened to you,” I asked. For, clearly, there was a story behind those words.

He was a Muslim who had an enlightenment experience some years ago. “I saw something,” he said. Afterward, he was steered toward Sufism. He enjoyed telling me about his experiences and knowledge and we had the kind of open conversation that usually arises when two people have some understanding of this nonduality stuff. 

“There is only one. It is all Allah.” “Yes,” I said. He said he prays five times a day but it is mainly the first prayer in the morning, when his head touches the ground, that he knows who he really is. “When you know that all this is Allah,” he said, “there is only prayer. That is what prayer is,” he said, “seeing that all is Allah.” We agreed that different religions have different names for what some call Allah. Only sanity passed our lips.

The cost of the ride came to $125 on his meter but he said to only pay him 100. I gave him 120. He got out of the car and we hugged, drunk on the wine of nonduality.

-Jerry

http://www.facebook.com/jerry.katz.50/posts/549641335061856?notif_t=feed_comment

В 

В 

I enjoyed seeing many people at SAND. Highlights contributor Rashani had a table set up. I've seen lots of her art online but you really have to see it in person to appreciate it. Rashani does many things. As an emcee of the conference I had the privilege of introducing her as a singer of traditional Hawaiian song. The introduction read,

"Rashani was a song-gatherer for 25 years and sings in several different languages. She has offered concerts, councils, and retreats throughout the world since the early 1980s, bringing an indegenous flavor of nonduality into everything she shares. Rashani is the founder of a unique retreat center on the Big Island of Hawaii and is a prolific artist, carpenter, and gardener."

Enter Rashani's world at

http://rashani.com/

A resident of Rashani's:

В 

В 
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4748 From: Mark Date: 2012-11-04
Subject: #4741 - Saturday, November 3, 2012
Archived issues of the NDHighlights are available online: http://nonduality.com/hlhome.htm

Nonduality Highlights Issue #4741, Saturday, November 3, 2012




How you meet what you see is determined by who you think you are and the level of wisdom that you have gained, how deep your understanding dwells inside the Self of Being.

- Mooji from Writing on Water, posted to AlongTheWay

There is some kiss we want
with our whole lives,
the touch of Spirit on the body.

Seawater begs the pearl
to break its shell.

And the lily, how passionately
it needs some wild Darling!

At night, I open the window
and ask the moon to come
and press its face against mine.
Breathe into me.

Close the language-door,
and open the love-window.

The moon won't use the door,
only the window.

- Rumi, Ghazal 1888, from the Diwan-e Shams, in a poetic version by Coleman Barks from Like This, posted to Sunlight

We often think we need to find someone or some thing to fill us, to complete us, so we can feel whole. But the truth is that there is no 'other' being or thing that can do that for us because we are already whole. We are perfect just as we are. Let's not put a burden on a spouse, or child, or friend to play a part in our lives to make us feel better about ourselves. Instead let's learn to love ourselves, to see our own perfection, our own wholeness, right now, right here, just the way we are.

- Karma Tsering Chodron, posted to DailyDharma

Meet your own self. Be with your own self, listen to it, obey it, cherish it, keep it in mind ceaselessly. You need no other guide. As long as your urge for truth affects your daily life, all is well with you. Live your life without hurting anybody. Harmlessness is a most powerful form of Yoga and it will take you speedily to your goal. This is what I call nisarga yoga, the Natural yoga. It is the art of living in peace and harmony, in friendliness and love. The fruit of it is happiness, uncaused and endless.

- Nisargadatta Maharaj, posted to AlongTheWay

Essence isn't a small thing, essence is an immense thing. The essence of you is everything you ever see, taste, touch, and experience. Everywhere you go, every step you take, every breath you take is actually happening by the essence, of the essence, in the essence, and to the essence. All the rest is noise and chatter.

- Adyashanti
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4749 From: Mark Date: 2012-11-05
Subject: #4749 - Sunday, November 4, 2012
Archived issues of the NDHighlights are available online: http://nonduality.com/hlhome.htm

Nonduality Highlights Issue #4749, Sunday, November 4, 2012




Bone

1.

Understand, I am always trying to figure out
what the soul is,
and where hidden,
and what shape
and so, last week,
when I found on the beach
the ear bone
of a pilot whale that may have died
hundreds of years ago, I thought
maybe I was close
to discovering something
for the ear bone

2.

is the portion that lasts longest
in any of us, man or whale; shaped
like a squat spoon
with a pink scoop where
once, in the lively swimmer's head,
it joined its two sisters
in the house of hearing,
it was only
two inches long
and thought: the soul
might be like this
so hard, so necessary

3.

yet almost nothing.
Beside me
the gray sea
was opening and shutting its wave-doors,
unfolding over and over
its time-ridiculing roar;
I looked but I couldn't see anything
through its dark-knit glare;
yet don't we all know, the golden sand
is there at the bottom,
though our eyes have never seen it,
nor can our hands ever catch it

4.

lest we would sift it down
into fractions, and facts
certainties
and what the soul is, also
I believe I will never quite know.
Though I play at the edges of knowing,
truly I know
our part is not knowing,
but looking, and touching, and loving,
which is the way I walked on,
softly,
through the pale-pink morning light.

- Mary Oliver, from Why I Wake Early

A Thousand Mornings

All night my heart makes its way
however it can over the rough ground
of uncertainties, but only until night
meets and then is overwhelmed by
morning, the light deepening, the
wind easing and just waiting, as I
too wait (and when have I ever been
disappointed?) for redbird to sing.

- Mary Oliver from A Thousand Mornings



The Lightest Touch

Good poetry begins with
the lightest touch,
a breeze arriving from nowhere,
a whispered healing arrival,
a word in your ear,
a settling into things,
then like a hand in the dark
it arrests the whole body,
steeling you for revelation.

In the silence that follows
a great line
you can feel Lazarus
deep inside
even the laziest, most deathly afraid
part of you,
lift up his hands and walk toward the light.

- David Whyte from Everything is Waiting for You



On Self-Knowledge

Your hearts know in silence the secrets of the days and the nights.
But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart's knowledge.
You would know in words that which you have always known in thought.
You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams.

And it is well you should.
The hidden well-spring of your soul must needs rise and run murmuring to the sea;
And the treasure of your infinite depths would be revealed to your eyes.
But let there be no scales to weigh your unknown treasure;
And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line.
For self is a sea boundless and measureless.

Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth." Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking upon my path."
For the soul walks upon all paths.
The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed.
The soul unfolds itself like a lotus of countless petals.

- Kahlil Gibran
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4750 From: Gloria Lee Date: 2012-11-06
Subject: #4750 - Monday, November 5, 2012 - Editor: Gloria Lee

#4750 -В Monday, November 5, 2012 - Editor: Gloria Lee
В 
В 
В 
I am the sum of all the landscapes I have explored, all the living memories of
animals that sail inside of me and the people that I love.
В 
--Gregory Colbert
В 
В 
В 
В 
The music of nature is everywhere if your ears know how to listen, but if you do
not believe there is music, you will not hear it.
В 
--Gregory Colbert
В 
В 
Under the ocean there is bliss—it is this, it is this, it is this.
В 
--Gregory Colbert
В 
В 
I have just returned to the Namibian desert. What if through interspecies
collaboration we could explore our shared imagination? We are accustomed to
seeing stories through the eyes of human beings. That is why, in many of these
images, the human eyes continue to be closed and the animals' eyes are open. It is
the animals that gaze out at the world and tell us their stories.
В 
--Gregory Colbert
В 
В 
В 
People sometimes ask if I am fearful when I am in such close proximity to
animals. I can only say that the only way that IÂ’ve been ripped open is by having
to leave behind elephant friends, orangutans, cheetahs, caracals, manta rays, or
whales. But I would do every hello and goodbye over again as long as it meant
that I would have a chance to share their stories. Animals help me to remember
all the dreams I thought I had forgotten and remind us to dream as though we
will live forever while living as though we shall die today.
В 
--Gregory Colbert
В 
В 
В 
В 
В 
If you are on Facebook staring at your computer screen with apathy and
boredom, the cure for indifference might be to awaken your wild curiosity for
how the natural world works. Mother nature does not have a happy ending
because hers is a never-ending story. However, the human species may decide to
end its own story on earth prematurely by continuing to make the same choices
that it has been making since the industrial revolution. These choices are based
on an economic model that depends on infinite resources and unlimited economic
growth. That is a fairy tale. If we continue to believe these things we will suffer
the consequences. We cannot change the laws of physics and it is a fact that
there are now seven billion people crowded on this planet consuming resources at
an unsustainable rate. Let us say goodbye to those who encourage us to live in
delusion. Let us say goodbye to creating more environmental conferences where
businessmen and politicians read speeches they did not write so they can agree
yet again on maintaining the status quo. It is time to ask harder questions. We
need a paradigm shift.
В 
--Gregory Colbert
В 
В 
Artist
Welcome to the official artist page of the filmmaker and photographer Gregory Colbert.
You can link to the bookstore at: http://www.ashesandsnow.com/en/bookstore/
В 
В 
В 
В 
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4751 From: Jerry Katz Date: 2012-11-06
Subject: #4751 - Tuesday, November 6, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
#4751 - Tuesday, November 6, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
В 
В 
В 
В 
В 
I've posted a second audio interview with Unmani here:
В 
В 
The interview was done a year ago for a book that never manifested, and is posted with Unmani's knowledge.
В 
If you're interested, check out Unmani's online Skype retreat:
В 
В 
В 
В 
В 
Scott Kiloby in Providence, RI Dec. 3-9, 2012
В 
В 
Registration, scholarship, or other questions, please e-mail Bart at scottkilobytalks@...
В 
Venues:
В 
Monday Evening, Dec. 3, 7-9 PM: Rhode Island College Adams Library -Fortes Room
600 Mt Pleasant Ave, Providence, RI 02908
Google Maps Link
В 
Wednesday Evening, Dec. 5, 7-9 PM: Walker Center, 144 Hancock St., Newton, MA 02466
Google Maps Link
В 
Friday-Sunday, Dec. 7-9: The Providence Institute, 18 Imperial Place -6A, Providence, RI 02903 Google Maps Link
В 
Times & Ticket Prices:
Monday: 7:00-9:00 pm - FREE and Open to the Public
Wednesday: 7:00-9:00 pm - $20-25 (sliding scale- pay as you can afford)
Friday: 7:00-9:00 pm - $20-25 (sliding scale- pay as you can afford)
Saturday: 10:00am-5:00pm - $70 (in Advance) / $80 (at-the-door)
Sunday: 10:00am-1:00pm - $30 (in Advance) / $40 (at-the-door)
В 
Contact: For questions about the venue and locale, please contact Julianne Eanniello
julenlo@... 860-463-5576
В 
В 
В 
В 
Excerpts from an article that further brings nonduality -- the word and the teaching -- into the mainstream:
В 
The Marriage of Sense and Soul: Waking Up at SAND12
В 
by Mark Matousek

"We realized that we are at a dawn of a new spirituality, which is beyond the religious traditions, beyond dogma or any certain belief system," continues Zaya Benazzo, a Bulgarian-born engineer and environmental scientist who co-founded SAND [Science and Nonduality Conference]В with her husband. "This new paradigm emerging in spirituality is grounded in cutting-edge science and consistent with the ancient wisdom of non-duality."
В 
...
В 
... SAND may be at the cutting edge of a revolution of consciousness in the coming century. Philosopher Ken Wilber, considered the godfather of the non-dual movement (and whose books Bill Clinton used to read on vacation), calls this imminent convergence "the marriage of sense and soul." Unlike traditional religion, which asks followers to take things on faith and bend to ideology and authority, non-duality is purely experiential, addressing the mystic awareness that we are all born with.
В 
...
В 
В 
According to the folks at SAND, this non-sectarian, non-dual approach to awakening is the way of a more enlightened future free of religious quarreling and focused on human brotherhood, liberation, and the relief of suffering on this planet.
В 
"Mystics describe their experience in many ways," says Maurizio Benazzo, who was brought up in Italy and worked as an actor, model and filmmaker (Short Cut to Nirvana) before embarking on the SAND adventure. "They speak of non-dual awareness as loving, open, and lacking any sense of separation. More than a feeling, the experience also conveys a deep and liberating insight into the truth of life, death, self and world. To see the turnings from the perspective of these non-dual insights is the beginning of a fuller, freer, happier life."
В 
"Non-duality gives us a deeper understanding and experience of the interconnectedness of life," Zaya says in agreement. "We can no longer live as independent individuals driven by our egocentric concepts. We are all connected, with the stars, with one another, with all the species within and around us. We are a link in an evolutionary process that includes all, from the smallest particles to the largest galaxies. This process is the timeless dance of the cosmos that has been described by mystics of all traditions, the mechanisms of which now start to be explored by modern science. The non-dual approach will help us, as individuals and as a species, go beyond the myth of separation and be more in tune with life itself while having a momentary glimpse of the eternal dance."
В 
Most of us long to join this dance. After breakfast, the Jungian stops to chat with an astrophysicist in the hotel lobby. They are joined by a priest and a Reiki master. A writer-poet approaches a Zen abbot to talk about the presidential race. For a moment, this feels like a taste of the future. We can only hope.
В 
~ ~ ~
В 
Read the complete article here:
В 
В 
В 
В 
В 
В 
Finally, I guess I should say something about the U.S. Presidential election being held today. I don't think it matters who wins in this election. They're both running from an avalanche of change that no one can stop, and it doesn't matter who runs a little faster or who holds back more of the crashing ice.
В 
В 
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4752 From: Jerry Katz Date: 2012-11-07
Subject: #4752 - Wednesday, November 7, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
#4752 - Wednesday, November 7, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
В 
В 
В 
В 
В 
Beautiful interview with Robert Rabbin conducted by Chris Hebard. Good to hear from Chris again. And Robert. Robert was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. It had spread to his spine and pelvis but he seems to be free of cancer now and looks great. He talks about the changes that accompanied that shift.
В 
The topics include
В 
·    Robert's Spiritual Journey
·    Awakening: Who am I?
·    Meeting Swami Muktananda
·    The Path of Inquiry and Listening
·    The 5 Principles of Authentic Living
·    Accessing Creative Consciousness
·    Manifesting Inner Realization
·    The Meaning of "Being Present"
·    Stage 4 Lung Cancer
·    Terror of Extinction
·    Journeys to Oblivion
·    Awareness Without Objects
·    Dissolution of Time
·    Integrity of Being
·    Reality Beyond Language
·    The Primacy of Inner Awareness
·    The Embodiment of Insight
·    Â… and much more!
В 
В 
В 
В 
В 
Scott MacInnis
В 
We are gathered here today to speak about living our highest truth.
В 
We are not talking about our individual, or personal truth, but rather the undeniable
truth of our being. The truth that when you rest in true being, and I rest in true being,
there is only one of us.
В 
It seems we cultivate this understanding of Oneness in the hopes that it will transform
our daily lives. For we all want to live in peace, we all want to be happy, it seems as
though we all long to be free. Although The truth shall set you free, the words are only
pointers. This truth is not just an understanding, itÂ’s a way of being. It must be lived to be of value.
В 
So many paths lead us to the understanding of oneness, and yet in our daily lives we
appear to be separate. Separate from each other, separate from the world, separate
from creation. So how do we live with this Divine paradox, where there is only the One
appearing as many?
В 
The method we will be exploring today is very simple. It is to live our daily lives in
continuous remembrance of this divine unity, of this highest truth, And let true being
shine forth, as it has always done. No longer obscured by the clouds false knowing.
No one to search, no one to suffer, no one to pray.
В 
~ ~ ~
В 
The aboveВ was the introduction to the Monday, November 5, 2012, Nonduality Satsang, in Halifax, Nova Scotia:
В 
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4753 From: Gloria Lee Date: 2012-11-09
Subject: #4753 - Thursday, November 8, 2012 - Editor: Gloria Lee

#4753 -В Thursday, November 8, 2012 - Editor: Gloria Lee
В 
В 
В 
Awakening Clarity nowВ features the first chapter of John Wheeler's firstВ book,
with thisВ introduction by publisherВ Julian Noyce.
В 
"Unusually for a teacher who has quite a substantial following, John has alwaysВ 
kept up a full time career. His sharing of the teaching arises from a generosityВ 
of spirit. I personally know he has spent many hours in email correspondence orВ 
talking on the Г‚вЂ˜phone with genuine questioners and also face to face at theВ 
low-key meetings he holds in Santa Cruz. His uncluttered and focused guidanceВ 
has been credited with concluding the search for many people. My wife,В 
Catherine, keeps up a presence on Facebook and tells me his name is oftenВ 
mentioned. He has the ability to keep the questioner focused and looking in theВ 
right direction. Alongside this, he is also a talented singer/songwriter and theВ 
editor of Г‚вЂ˜SailorÂ’ BobÂ’s two books!"В 
В 
В 
From: Awakening to the Natural State; Chap.1 - Meeting Г‚вЂ˜SailorÂ’ Bob Adamson
В 
В 
I had been on the spiritual path from my teenage years. For about thirty years
I had been involved in various paths and practices, including Christianity,
Theosophy, the teachings of J. Krishnamurti (I went to his talks in Ojai in the
1980s), Buddhism, Hinduism, and yoga. There were other paths and teachers also,
too numerous to mention here. In my mid-twenties, I was introduced to Ramana
Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj (through books on their lives and teachings).
Something about those great Indian teachers of non-dual spirituality seemed
solid and unshakable. I found myself returning to their teachings over the years,
even though I canÂ’t say I fully (or even partially) understood or experienced
what they were talking about.
В 
Along the way, I did the circuit of many of the contemporary teachers involved
in non-dual spirituality. There was undoubtedly a benefit, but I was not fully
satisfied for some reason. Either it was my confusion or something was not fully
clear in the teachings being presented. Most likely the former! For some reason
my destiny was to meet Г‚вЂ˜SailorÂ’ Bob Adamson, one of Nisargadatta MaharajÂ’s
Western students.
В 
What I found was that there was only so much I could get from books and
meditating on my own. The growth was there, but it was often slow, and I was not
getting much direct experience. I vaguely felt that I was progressing, but if I
honestly looked at my experience, I did not fully understand what the teachers
were pointing to. Most importantly, my day-to-day life was not free of
suffering. I knew the seeking was not over; something was missing. Had I not met
Bob Adamson, the seeking might have gone on for decades, or at least until I met
someone with a real understanding. Who knows who that might have been or when,
but, barring that, I am pretty sure the seeking – and suffering – would have
continued for a long time.
В 
At one point, I met some Ramana Maharshi followers who had been on the path
of self-inquiry for twenty or thirty years (and still working at it, I might add!).
I was nowhere near their level of devotion, so it was pretty much out the picture
that that approach would work for me. As I look at this now, it is not so much
RamanaÂ’s teaching that is at fault, but the mindÂ’s inevitable tendency to turn any
teaching into a practice. Practices, as I eventually learned, usually are
interminable. This is because they are often based on false premises.
В 
Intuitively, I felt that it was important for me to meet someone who had
realized their true nature, someone whom I could trust, someone whom I could
talk with in order to share my doubts and concerns. However, I was unsure which
teachers were authentic; none seemed to resonate fully. I used to read
Nisargadatta MaharajÂ’s dialogues frequently. I could not understand his teaching
fully, given all the Hindu verbiage and translation issues (he originally spoke in
Marathi), but I felt intuitively that he was a free being. Many spiritual seekers,
through reading his words, can sense the genuineness of his realization, even if
they do not always experience everything he talks about. I used to wonder if
there was anyone still living who had met Nisargadatta Maharaj and had really
got the experience of self-knowledge. After all those years of searching, I
eventually stumbled across Bob Adamson. Something resonated strongly. Even
when I read the pages on his website, there was a strong feeling of Г‚вЂ˜maybe this is
itÂ’.
В 
Just prior to discovering Bob Adamson, I had a vivid dream of Nisargadatta
Maharaj, in which he was encouraging me not to give up the search for spiritual
understanding. Shortly afterwards, I learned about Bob Adamson. Not wanting
to miss the chance of meeting an authentic teacher (having missed the chance to
see Nisargadatta Maharaj while he was alive), I decided to visit Bob in person in
Australia. You can imagine my motivation (or perhaps desperation!) in going to
Australia on the chance that he might be able to clarify my doubts and questions.
В 
There is also a link to a video interview, and more links to John Wheeler's sites.
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4754 From: Jerry Katz Date: 2012-11-09
Subject: #4754 - Friday, November 9, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
#4754 - Friday, November 9, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
В 
В 
В 
В 
This is Remembrance Day weekend in Canada, Veterans Day in the U.S. Such days are held in countries across the world on November 11, or at different dates.В Read about Remembrance Day around the world here:
В 
В 
I thought I'd remember a veteran or two of the nonduality scene in the last 15 years. One of the great contributors was the website sentient.org, which started in the early 90s as a bulletin board, if anyone remembers those.В They preceded the popularity of the internet (although the internet was around at that time, it wasn't easy to use). Remember bulletin boards here:
В 
В 
When the owner of sentient.org, Peter, died a few years ago, the domain name was purchased and the original website was taken down. However, you can still visit the old website via the Wayback Machine. Take a look:
В 

В 

Scott Morrison

To be sure, we all have a great deal to learn from each other. However, the process of subtle arrogance and self deception in the spiritual arena is perhaps the most damaging of all illusions. I am a Buddhist, or a Yogi, or a Pagan, or a student of the Fourth Way or the Kaballah or some other mystical or ecclectic school, and I imagine that Christians are at least somewhat deluded. Or I am a Christian, perhaps a Catholic or an Evangelical, or a Course in Miracles student, or a Muslim, or a Jew, and maintain some pretense that my version of “God” or “Love” is somehow more accurate than “theirs.” But in fact, when we think “Jesus said so-and-so,” or “The Buddha taught thus-and-such,” we might ask ourselves, “How would I know, and why am I repeating this?” If we face it sincerely, it is hard to avoid the discovery that all we are doing is trying to justify our own opinions and their connected feelings, perhaps seeking to be tied in with some powerful authority figure(s) which is fortified by our own conditioning. So we each have our private and group stories about things, and continue to surreptitiously elevate ourselves and put each other down.

But in fact, there is no private liberation or salvation. (Where is the “one separate” from the rest, to be saved, except in some mental fiction?) Of utmost importance, finally, is putting an end to this devious and hurtful process of “spiritual ego,” of imagining there’s some kind of competition, and that there’s someone who has to defend his or her particular spiritual turf against others. If you stop using your transient body or your thoughts or feelings as points of reference, it will be obvious that there is no “someone” and there are no “others.” That whole thing is a paranoid fantasy, a pathological delusion, in this case in the name of whatever religion to which we happen to subscribe. So let’s call a spade a spade: God, the Absolute, does not belong to anyone, nor to any particular group.
(So why pay homage to a limited god?)

Furthermore, Enlightenment, Self Realization, does not belong to anyone either. (In fact, everything belongs to Enlightenment. So why pay homage to a limited enlightenment?) Although it may occur in virtually any context - Buddhist, Christian, Yogic, Sufi, Hindu, Fourth Way, Muslim, Taoist, Jewish, Wiccan, 12-Step work, shamanistic, agnostic, scientific and so on, Spiritual Awakening, the Realization of Emptiness, the Tao, cannot be owned. How could That which is infinite be possessed by any religion, tradition, path, lineage, teacher, or hierarchy, all of which are limited? Is God a Christian, or a Jew, or a Muslim? Is Enlightenment controlled by Buddhists or Yogis or Hindus? How could That which is formless be made to conform toВ anyВ set of assumptions about liberation, past or future? (If you still find yourself resisting that possibility, you might ask yourself how you would know, one way or the other, and what motives are tied up in thinking about it in any specified way, for or against. Why maintain beliefs or disbeliefs at all?) Is truth a really a matter of subjective opinion? Is not truth, if that word means anything at all, an ongoing process of careful observation and uncompromised, undefended honesty?

It’s time we stop pretending, subtly or overtly, that our particular group is superior in some way. That’s a hidden way of saying, “I’m superior,” (and therefore not inferior). Let’s bring our woundedness, our childhood fears and hurts of inferiority, covered over by the pretense of individual or collective superiority, to a total and absolute halt. Completely. Now. If we need to weep, then let’s weep together. And let those tears of shame be tears of relief, tears of joy, in finally putting down this burden of trying to defend and justify what we have imagined ourselves to be. What doesn’t exist doesn’t need to be defended. It never did.

Particularly in recent years, many of us have had very powerful awakenings, but these experiences, in and of themselves, do not mean that much unless we allow ourselves to be transformed, completely, by what we have discovered. If we try to use them to validate our religious and peer identities and opinions, with our various secret and subtle motives and perceptions so shaped, we corrupt our awakening, and are already entangled in delusion. (And when we make ourselves or our group or our path or the teacher weÂ’ve identified ourselves with special, we make ourselves separate.) The most any spiritual institution can do is to support and celebrate what is already real and true without reservation.

Full awareness, peace, freedom, clarity and joy can, and do, only exist now. If any of us still find ourselves suffering from the symptoms of ignorance, divisiveness or competition, that is to say, fear, envy, anger, sorrow, frustration, disappointment, jealosy, self-loathing, guilt, depression, loneliness, despair, or confusion, it is because we are still negotiating with God, still negotiating with Truth, still negotiating with Love, still negotiating with Freedom, still negotiating with Serenity. The pain is none other than the agony of lying to ourselves about what we want more than anything else. It is like finally finding the lover we have always longed for, but holding back in terror of losing that love.

Why put this moment off? That which you seek is That which you already are, and always have been - you are not separate, you cannot be separate from the Absolute, from Infinite Consciousness Itself. If you dare to stop pretending that you and your life are based on some mental version of things that arises out of memory, you will find out beyond any doubt! This is not some kind of wishful thinking or grandiose mental trick. Rather, with total and unflinching sincerity, with no psychological defense or self deception whatsoever, search your heart and find out what you permanently are, what youÂ’ve been all along. Find out if there has ever been a separate “Other.” If you discover there never has been an other, is there one now? Could there ever be? Why pretend anymore?

If you dare to give your heart, your soul, your mind, your body, and your life, unconditionally, to what you discover to be true, you will know an infinitely deep and abiding peace that has never been even a breath away. This bliss, this tranquility depends on nothing, and It is not capable of ending. Furthermore, it doesnÂ’t make a bit of difference what youÂ’ve ever doneÂ… or not done. You can put an end to the battle. Yes, thatÂ’s correct, just walk right out of the war, right now. All you have to do is surrender, absolutely and completely, not to me, not to some authority figure, or some organization or institution, but surrender only to your own deepest Purity.

God and your own Unbounded Love are not different. If you truly give yourself up completely, it will shock your whole system. It will suddenly dawn on you,

“Oh my God, what a fool I’ve been! What was I thinking?”

Then the absolute insanity of giving yourself to anything else will become apparent. Why wait? Why put off your own complete and total liberation? In your innermost and outermost places, in every single moment, Love waits for you everywhere. Is there really something else you would rather do? Is it possible that the thing that you fear the most, the thing that you avoid the most, is what you truly desire the most? It cannot abandon you. Even if you choose to ignore It, betray It and walk away, It is always closer than your next breath. Suspend all opinion and debate, and find out for yourself.

В 
В 
В 

Henry Kono: As a young man Henry studied with the founder of aikido constantly asking himself the question "What is o'sensei looking at"?В 
He laughed when he noticed the answer.

freedom is when you have no choice
you simply move as you must without thought or decision
В В 

traditionally the hara or center is said to be two inches below the belly button
this is a misunderstanding
the center is wherever the attention is placed
everything the entire universe revolves and arises from this true centerВ В 

attention is the natural result of the idea of a self falling away
attention happens spontaneously and easily

wherever you place your attention
leave it there and do not let it wander
the rest will follow naturallyВ В 

time and space disappear in the movementВ 
there is no doer only the movementВ В 

when you are attackedВ 
get out of the way

В 
В 
В 
Editor's note:В Apparently Peter himself, the founder of sentient.org,В composed the following:

True Awakening

“Many people have the Great Vehicle Root Nature, but there are also many people who lie. Having cultivated without success, such people claim to have the way. Though they have not certified the fruit, they claim to be certified sages.” –Bodhidharma

Quite often this little site receives email from someone writing to say that they are enlightened. The letters usually run something like this: “After years of hard work I found my master and awoke in her presence. I am now filled with light and joy. Everything shines. I am done with worry and pain. That is over forever. I do not know what I will do next, but finally I understand. It is all so funny. Now I am done.”

We are always filled with joy to hear that someone is happier than they were. Yet it is our own small experience that true awakening may be rather different than the release and emotional catharsis so many describe. And different too from mere understanding. This lovely poem by Hafiz, translated and transliterated by Daniel Ladinsky speaks beautifully to this:


Ten Thousand Idiots

It is always a danger
to aspirants
on the
Path
When they begin
To believe and
Act
As if the ten thousand idiots
Who so long ruled
And lived
Inside
Have all packed their bags
And skipped town
Or
Died

Nothing needs to happen. Happening is a trick of the light - ephemera only. Love is never ending, filling and overflowing forever. Why try to impede its flow with the concept that you are Г‚вЂ˜awakeÂ’, or need to be. If Truth can be attained, it can also be lost. Surely that which can be gained or lost is mere ephemera? True awakening, therefore cannot be about gaining new ideas, concepts, understandings, states, perceptions, epiphanies. Perhaps instead it is an unsophisticated state of affairs - a simplicity where nothing more needs to be added. True awakening is what occurs automatically every morning before you arise. But we choose to ignore it, foregoing freedom in the obfuscating belief that there is something more to be attained.

В 

В 

Very few people know anything about Peter. My own communications with him were sparse. He didn't say much to me back in the days when I was starting nonduality.com and saw his site as a model for mine in some ways. (I wanted a brand of nonduality that was freer, more communicative,В and more welcoming. More nondual, essentially. Okay, more cluttered and crazy,В too.)

Whereas sentient.org wasВ inspired byВ Ramana Maharshi and was selective regarding who was included on the list of awakened people, mine would be inspired by life itself and include almost everyone who spoke inВ a self-realized way. Mine was, and still is, a "big tent" approach to nonduality, as someone (Greg Goode?) once termed it.

However, Vicki Woodyard writes about her interactions with Peter in her very fine book, Life With A Hole In It: That's How the Light Gets In:

http://www.amazon.com/LIFE-HOLE-Thats-Wisdom-Awakened/dp/1609102770/ref=la_B0045534S6_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352466432&sr=1-2

~ ~ ~

I hope you all have a peaceful Remembrance Day weekend.

-Jerry

В 
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4755 From: Mark Date: 2012-11-11
Subject: #4755 - Saturday, November 10, 2012
Archived issues of the NDHighlights are available online: http://nonduality.com/hlhome.htm

Nonduality Highlights Issue #4755, Saturday, November 10, 2012




In order to rise
From its own ashes
A phoenix
First
Must
Burn.

- Octavia E. Butler, from Parable of the Talents



Once in a city in the Farthest West there lived a girl called Fatima. She was the daughter of a prosperous spinner. One day her father said to her: "Come, daughter; we are going on a journey, for I have business in the islands of the Middle Sea. Perhaps you may find some handsome youth in a good situation whom you could take as a husband."

They set off and traveled from island to island, the father doing his trading while Fatima dreamt of the husband who might soon be hers. One day, however, they were on the way to Crete when a storm blew up, and the ship was wrecked. Fatima, only half- conscious, was cast up on the seashore near Alexandria. Her father was dead, and she was utterly destitute.

She could only remember dimly her life until then, for her experience of the shipwreck, and her exposure in the sea, had utterly exhausted her.

While she was wandering on the sands, a family of cloth-makers found her. Although they were poor, they took her into their humble home and taught her their craft. Thus it was that she made a second life for herself, and within a year or two she was happy and reconciled to her lot. But one day, when she was on the seashore for some reason, a band of slave-traders landed and carried her along with other captives, away with them.

Although she bitterly lamented her lot, Fatima found no sympathy from the slavers, who took her to Istanbul and sold her as a slave. Her world collapsed for the second time. Now it chanced that there were few buyers at the market. One of them was a man who was looking for slaves to work in his wood-yard, where he made masts for ships. When he saw the dejection of the unfortunate Fatima, he decided to buy her, thinking that in this way, at least, he might be able to give her a slightly better life than if she were bought by someone else.

He took Fatima to his home, intending to make her a serving-maid for his wife. When he arrived at the house, however, he found that he had lost all his money in a cargo which had been captured by pirates. He could not afford workers, so he, Fatima and his wife were left alone to work at the heavy labor of making masts. Fatima, grateful to her employer for rescuing her, worked so hard and so well that he gave her her freedom, and she became his trusted helper. Thus it was that she became comparatively happy in her third career.

One day he said to her: "Fatima, I want you to go with a cargo of ships' masts to Java, as my agent, and be sure you sell them at a profit."

She set off, but when the ship was off the coast of China a typhoon wrecked it, and Fatima found herself again cast up on the seashore of a strange land. Once again she wept bitterly, for she felt that nothing in her life was working in accordance with expectation. Whenever things seemed to be going well, something came and destroyed all her hopes.

"Why is it," she cried out, for the third time, "that whenever I try to do something it comes to grief? Why should so many unfortunate things happen to me?" But there was no answer. So she picked herself up from the sand, and started to walk inland. Now it so happened that nobody in China had heard of Fatima, or knew anything about her troubles. But there was a legend that a certain stranger, a woman, would one day arrive there, and that she would be able to make a tent for the Emperor. And, since there was as yet nobody in China who could make tents, everyone looked upon the fulfilment of this prediction with the liveliest anticipation. In order to make sure that this stranger, when she arrived, would not be missed, successive Emperors of China had followed the custom of sending heralds, once a year, to all the towns and villages of the land, asking for any foreign woman to be produced at Court. When Fatima stumbled into a town by the Chinese seashore, it was one such occasion. The people spoke to her through an interpreter, and explained that she would have to go to see the Emperor. "Lady," said the Emperor, when Fatima was brought before him, "can you make a tent?"

"I think so," said Fatima.

She asked for rope, but there was none to be had. So, remembering her time as a spinner, she collected Flax and made ropes. Then she asked for stout cloth, but the Chinese had none of the kind she needed. So, drawing on her experience with the weavers of Alexandria, she made some stout tent-cloth. Then she found that she needed tent-poles, but there were none in China. So Fatima, remembering how she had been trained by the wood-fashioner of Istanbul, cunningly made stout tent-poles. When these were ready, she racked her brains for the memory of all the tents she had seen in her travels: and lo, a tent was made.

When this wonder was revealed to the Emperor of China, he offered Fatima the fulfilment of any wish she cared to name. She chose to settle in China, where she married a handsome prince, and where she remained in happiness, surrounded by her children, until the end of her days.

It was through these adventures that Fatima realized that what had appeared to be an unpleasant experience at the time, turned out to be an essential part of the making of her ultimate happiness.

- as collected by Idries Shah, posted to SufiMystic

Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.

Malcolm Forbes, posted to SufiMystic

Beware:
Ignorance
Protects itself.
Ignorance
Promotes suspicion.
Suspicion
Engenders fear.
Fear quails,
Irrational and blind,
Or fear looms,
Defiant and closed.
Blind, closed,
Suspicious, afraid,
Ignorance
Protects itself,
And protected,
Ignorance grows.

- Octavia E. Butler, from Parable of the Talents



Indeed we ARE that which we are looking for, when our seeking ceases... What then prevents us from seeing this simple truth? Nothing but the misconception that 'we' can do something about it.

- Ramesh Balsekar

How can you face light without Being blinded?
How can one arrest the secret Of secrets
Without being dumbfounded And perplexed?
How can one undergo Transformation
Without being SHATTERED?

~Bastami, posted to DailyDharma
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4756 From: Mark Date: 2012-11-12
Subject: #4756 - Sunday, November 11, 2012
Archived issues of the NDHighlights are available online: http://nonduality.com/hlhome.htm

Nonduality Highlights Issue #4756, Sunday, November 11, 2012




What if we never get what we want?

What if we can't? What if it isn't possible? What if wanting isn't "natural"? What if the purpose of the agony of desire, is to grow beyond it? What if, it could be ended what would your life look like without it? What if, when we get what we think we want, there is a mechanism that prevents satisfaction from being stable or enduring?

So many things come to my mind; if we didn't "want" would there be anything like addiction? If we didn't desire would there be anything like jealousy? Envy? Heartache? Disappointment? Emotional dependency? Approval seeking? Suffering? Or on the lighter side if "wanting" were not behind us pushing with all its might, would we need goals? Passion? Purpose? Drive? Or Ambition? And what would life look like without them? Is it too scary to even contemplate, or take a sideways peek at?

As the demands of learning something I am not naturally good at has ebbed, and I am not stretched so gawd awful thin, I find a very interesting experience which I could not have anticipated, for all the tea in China – as they say – to have come, from the many months of solitude.

I feel little or no desire, toward anything at all.

You may not have the capacity to experience the sheer wonder of surprise, which that fact engenders in me. Unlike a good many people, I have met over my nearly six decades – who reported they "didn't know what they wanted", I have ALWAYS known exactly, precisely, specifically, what I wanted or at least that is what my conditioned mind told me was true and I wanted it fervently, and with great anguishing desire.

But now, I notice, that I do what is required of me and even what is expected of me, with no resistance and no argument. I never look farther ahead than the task precisely before me, and even as I strive to figure out air conditioning equipment, and sit in rooms with over zealous and over competitive people I merely do whatever is closest at hand.

I don't "want" anything from my job, not even a paycheck. It is more like I understand that unless and until, I have taken the action that results in a response, that a check will not be deposited into my account, and thus, I take the actions and watch for the results. I have no other involvement in the job, I do it with precision and commitment, mainly because I have an agreement in place to which I am obligated. (My boss describes me as the most "dedicated" of our new group), I assume that is because every time he sees me, I have made significant strides in understanding and organization, but I am in no way emotionally involved.

At Tuesday's meeting, sitting across from me was one of the youngest and most earnest among us, who was talking to an older gentleman who is not doing well. The older one said he thought his problem was he just couldn't get his "head right", and the younger said "man, I know what your talking about but now, my head is right".

The older said, "how so?" The younger said, "working for this company, man". His zeal, fervor, and the gleam in his glassy eyes caused me to chortle, I couldn't help it and I swear, I meant no disrespect. In sales team circles, it could be said that he has "drunk the kool aid, man."

I chortled, not at his expense, but rather at the recognition of the young, (myself included), who are taught to believe that the outer circumstances of life, if manifested just right, if believed in just so, if worked toward with dedication, if cared about deeply, will one day as sure as the moon follows the sun produce happiness and ever lasting satisfaction. I chortled at seeing the younger me, in him. And right behind that, I felt sorrow for the utterly inevitable let down, he will sooner or later face.

Anyone over the age of 35, who has the will and the courage to tell themselves the truth, knows that the outer realms cannot assuage the deep yearning we feel for wholeness and completeness. Which is why, so many, are in so much pain, as they round the bend toward middle age.

It's not, just that the dream will not come true, or if it does it will not provide the connection we hoped and longed for, it's that the outer realms are not real in any effective way, at least not to the part of us yearning to return home.

Many years ago, my Teacher had an exercise that he would often do, attempting to explain the difference between the Real and the illusory. He would place a very strong spotlight on a thick chain and hook suspended from the ceiling, which then broadcast a very clear shadow hook and chain upon the wall. Then he would take a metal bucket and attempt to hang it from the shadow hook and of course, no matter how many times he would stoop and retrieve that metal bucket from rolling at his feet, and return it to it's position upon the shadow hook, it would not, and could not, be hung upon its projected hook.

Here is the lesson; every time, without exception, that we are looking to our future for some hoped for goal to be realized, some longed for outcome to be ours, we are projecting And just like my teacher's metal bucket, once we attain or "manifest" our much-desired goal our bucket will not hold and it will role away from us, lifeless and useless at our feet. The deeply stubborn among us, will turn away from the lesson that The Loving One is trying to teach and pick a new goal and begin again, ignoring the truth that the weighted metal bucket, cannot and will not, hold to our shadow fantasies. a shadow hook upon the wall and sadly, the only thing becoming successfully "hooked" is our mind and our sanity.

And in this way a life ticks by in the shadow realms, lost to itself, and using the drama of believing, and willing, and visioning, and hoping, and praying, and convincing others, that the grass is greener somewhere over there, and that all that must be done is traveling just a bit farther, just a little bit longer, just a little bit due North.

Here embedded in this believing, is the absurdity that made me chortle when the younger man held to the notion that he had found the one true outer place, where his mind could finally rest.

All the days of our lives we are like Dorothy in OZ, with our newly pinned curls, gingham dress, and sparkly red shoes we click them together at the heel and wish and hope and pray for a return home, to Kansas.

Discovering that there is no Wizard, just an old man behind the curtain pulling levers and puffing smoke, is only the barest beginning of the long road home. It is equally necessary to give up the hope that Kansas, the familiar and understandable, holds the key either. It is necessary for full maturation to bloom, for us to pull our expectations all the way back inside, to the point at which we can win for ourselves the recognition that there never has been anything "outside" for us to attain at all.

There is only and ever, the capacity to open ourselves afresh to the current moment, to become willing to be vulnerable to the dying that is required at every moment and in every breath, to honor the sheer implausibility of our existence, and to rest in perfected trust.

You cannot win. Not now, not ever. There is no such thing.

If you can fully embrace that idea, it will release you from the bonds of the conditioned mind and set you free. Free to trust Life, free to feel the truth, free to see the simplicity, free to cherish the moment, free to truly live and finally, to leave the shadow hook in the shadow realms. Once that is accomplished, then the metal bucket becomes a useful tool for carrying water, or building castles in the sand, or holding colorful marbles to play with, or bringing seeds to singing birds, or holding nails to frame an abode or just a simple vessel waiting, empty, and potentially useful, content in its "bucketness" and striving for nothing more than what it is, for reasons unknown and unknowable.

We are not the Author, we are merely the players, some are buckets and others brooms, some cups and others saucers, some low and some high, and how could any of that matter? Even in the slightest?

Now, as my life matures and deepens, I see the necessity of examining my bucket in close and loving watchfulness, the dull gray, the rolled wire handle, the utilitarian value, the commonness, the usefulness, the emptiness, the lack of glory and I am moved beyond words in gratitude and thankfulness, in acceptance and recognition, in harmony and utility, in value and worth, and I say quietly to myself "it is good."

And more it is enough

- Adayre R. Miller, posted to The_Now2
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4757 From: Gloria Lee Date: 2012-11-13
Subject: #4757 - Monday, November 12, 2012 - Editor: Gloria Lee

#4757 -В Monday, November 12, 2012 - Editor: Gloria Lee
В 
В 
В 
Being here is not a difficult thing to accomplish.
It is enough to breathe, and let go of thinking and planning.
Just come back to yourself, concentrate on your breath, and smile.
В 
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
В 
В 
В 
"In the immediate here and now we see the face of the Primordial Buddha
abiding in our heart centre. Identify yourself with him, my spiritual sons.
Whoever denies him, wanting more from somewhere else, is like the man who has
found his elephant but continues to follow its tracks. He may comb the three
dimensions of the microcosmic world systems for an eternity, but he will not find
so much as the name of Buddha other than the one in his heart."
В 
~ Lama Shabkar from The Flight of the Garuda
В 
via Daily Dharma by Amrita Nadi
В 
photo by Peter Shefler
В 
В 
Your True Nature is something never lost to you even in moments of delusion, nor
is it gained at the moment of Enlightenment. It is the Nature of the Suchness. In
it is neither delusion nor right understanding. It fills the Void everywhere and is
intrinsically of the substance of the One Mind. Above, below and around you, All
is spontaneously existing, for there is nowhere which is outside the Buddha Mind.
В 
~ Huang Po
В 
via Advaita (Nonduality, Oneness, One Love) on Facebook
В 
В 
The true Teacher removes all names andВ  forms and concepts.
The preacher adds them like a noose around your neck.
The preacher clings to you like a vulture clings to a fresh corpse.
The true TeacherВ  will teach only to the extent that can
beВ  absorbed and then send the student away.
В 
~ Papaji
В 
via Along The Way
В 
В 
"If you think I am having more fun
Than anyone on this planet
You are absolutely correct.
В 
But Hafiz
В 
Is willing to share all his secrets
About how to befriend Beloved .
В 
Indeed, dear ones,
Hafiz is so very willing
To share all his secrets
About how to know the
Beautiful
One.
В 
I hold the Lion's Paw whenever I dance.
В 
I know the ecstasy of your heart's wings
When they make love against the Sky,
В 
And the sun and moon
Will someday argue over
Who will tuck you in at
Night !"
В 
~ Hafiz
"The Gift"
Version by D. Ladinsky
В 
via Andy Lal on Facebook
Group: NDhighlights Message: 4758 From: Jerry Katz Date: 2012-11-13
Subject: #4758 - Tuesday, November 13, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
#4758 - Tuesday, November 13, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
В 
В 
В 
В 

Highlights reader Lydia sends the following in reference to the site mentioned in my previous issue:

http://web.archive.org/web/20080509085950/http://www.sentient.org/index.html

She writes...

Jerry this simple article rings so true.  Non-duality has become big business fueled by savvy marketing that generates big income for the “star teachers”. I hope that you print this other perspective from the archives of sentient.org. Many thanks for the link. You manage to keep us on our toes.

LydiaВ 

How to Awaken

This is what a friend wrote to us when we asked if there are steps that can lead to awakening:

There are no steps to awakening. There is no practical guide. This is not about studying for a test in school, whereby if you do all the right things you will pass. DonÂ’t waste your time with steps and process. And donÂ’t run from the confusion which remains when you do not know how to proceed. It is the abrogation of this confusion by scripture, holy practise, attractive gurus, and practical steps that so often obfuscates the opportunity for true, deep awakening. If you wish to awaken, whatever you believe that to mean, understand once and for all that awakening is not about achieving something. SoÂ…

  • Realize that awakening only requires your willingness. There is a story: In ancient Greece an old couple lived in a simple cottage. They were very poor; their lives had been hard. One day the Gods visited them. The old couple, bowed down, shaken, apologizing that they had no food, no wine, nothing to give their guests. Except their willingness to be attentive. This old couple, bent low with age, attentive. The Gods treasured their gift and loved them, blessing them with Their breath and Their joy.
  • Realise that awakening does not require finding a guru, a teacher. No one can tell you what is best for you, no matter how beautiful your teacher seems. Or how well the words resonate. It is easy to fall in love with the priests. It is easy to fall in love with faith. Forget the intermediary - give your passion to the breath of God within your own quiet heart. What matters is your own awakening, not that of someone else.
  • Realise that awakening is not about finding answers. An answer is something which satisfies previous conditioning and thought. Freedom does not require answers, it soars unhindered. Forget the questions and their pithy answers. Soar.
  • Realise that you will loose nothing by awakening. You will not lose your lover, your friends, your career, you will not lose your ability to think and reason, you will not lose your ability to do the laundry. You will not lose anything, except your suffering. Drop what you never needed, and be free.
  • Realise that awakening is not about happiness. Happiness, or sadness for that matter, are products of situation. They are temporary. Clutch only that which is permanent and everlasting, be that which never fades and is eternally new. Nothing else matters - let it all go.
  • Realise that awakening is not about sudden deep insight or epiphany that Г‚вЂ˜burns your ego away in the fire of truthÂ’. This is just psychology, despite its appearance of deep transcendent truth. The epiphanies, the Г‚вЂ˜fires of truthÂ’ are just more tricks of the mind. They are what the Buddha called the temptations of angels - much harder to see for what they are than the more obvious temptations of devils. You do not need an epiphany. Satori is by its very nature, transient. Instead, embrace the eternal; and be free.
  • Realise enlightenment is impossible. If you could be unenlightened one moment, and enlightened the next, then enlightenment would be bound by time, would be given substance by its opposite, would be dual, would be some Г‚вЂ˜thingÂ’ to be attained. You do not need to be something more. Forget the need and hope. Awake is what you are, not what you become.
  • Be willing to notice. Look at the stars, the wind, the romp of birds through the sky. Be willing to be free. Forget the sutras, the wise sayings, the path, the seriousness, the pain, the wars, the relationships, the imagined problems. Forget your objections. Hush for a moment; gently, with arms wide and open, notice the absence of anything but Life.
  • Be. Realize that only the ego wants to awaken. And be done with it.

~ ~ ~

The above was composed by an anonymous author and is found at

http://web.archive.org/web/20080517120253/http://www.sentient.org/awakening/how-to-awaken.html
#4759 - Wednesday, November 14, 2012 - Editor: Jerry Katz
 
The Nonduality Highlights http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NDhighlights/
 
 
 
Galen Sharp is not the newest nondualist on the block, although he may appear to be so to those who have recently discovered these teachings. I've known about him for many years as he was one of the few people endorsed by sentient.org, which p
ublished the first list of nonduality teachers on the internet. His work comes out of a lengthy correspondence with Wei Wu Wei back in the 70s. He has a new book out, What Am I? A Study in Non-Volitional Living:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0987380613/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0987380613&linkCode=as2&tag=nondualitysal-20
 

 

Here is an excerpt from What Am I? by Galen Sharp

 

Introduction

 

“Thirty years ago we thought that we were heading towards an ultimate reality of a mechanical kind.  Today there is a wide measure of agreement, which on

the physical side of science, approaches almost to unanimity, that the stream of knowledge is heading towards a non-mechanical reality; the universe begins to look more like a great thought than a great machine.  Matter is derived from consci­ous­ness, not consciousness from matter.” (emphasis added)

– Sir James Jeans

(Physics and Beyond by Werner Heisenberg).

Are you ready for an intriguing adventure into some new and virtually unexplored territory?  As you can see from the title, this is a different kind of book about some very different ideas.  It explores a vari­ety of subjects such as science, philosophy, quantum physics and even some of the ancient masters in quest of a higher way of knowing the world and ourselves.  And through the eleven Reality Medita­tions you will be able to examine your own mental mechanisms and find out how they really work, examine who and what you really are, and discover why you are here.

If you are a bit of a non-conformist this book may appeal to that.  And if you like paradoxes and mysteries it will fascinate you also.  In any case you will need a sense of wonder as well as a sense of ad­venture.  For the point is not just to be different or mysterious, but to actually open our perception to a higher dimension.  This is not just a figure of speech or merely a new metaphor for something conven­tional, but an actual realm existing at this moment along with the world we now observe.  This New Reality is, of course, not new in itself.  It has been spoken of and sought for thousands of years.  It is, however new to most people. 

Once you become aware of this higher reality you will also recognize others who have arrived be­fore you.  This is not some kind of elitist or superior group, though many have sought it unsuccessfully for that reason.  Those who live in this reality may not even appear as anyone different to the general population, but you will know them.  And, by the same token, you may attract some new friends.

My own transformation began when I started asking the same questions we explore in this book.  I discovered that what I called reality was formed from a world model I was taught when I was young, and it wasnÂ’t real at all.  I also discovered that it was the reason behind my lack of fulfillment and all of my unhappiness and frustration.  As you find this out for yourself and contemplate the Reality Medita­tions you will also begin to see the world differently and your mind will begin to operate in a new way – whole, unconditioned and spontaneous, the way it was meant to operate. 

However, you must see this for yourself.  You must look for yourself and discover it for yourself.  No one can do this for you. 

But that is what makes it an adventure

 

The Two Illusions Obscuring Your Liberation

1. The illusion of individuality.

    And, from the illusion of individuality arises;

2.  The illusion of volition. 

 

Your True Being is “all” of the One Pure Universal Consciousness which is directly known right here, right now.  Investigate either illusion and it will ultimately lead you to the other.  Therein lies the way to liberation and rest. Why include rest? You rest from effort.  Because the sense of effort comes from the illusion of volition.  For instance, when you have to do something it may feel hard or difficult to do.  When this sense of effort disappears, you rest.

 

How Could They Be Illusions When They Seem So Real?

Individuality and volition seem to be unarguable, but you may discover a great secret if you temporarily drop your learned assumptions and open-mindedly examine what actually is here and now.  These illusions are caused by the way thought works.  The thought process works by comparing and discriminating among the spontaneous living flow of percepts in consciousness, and by making symbols to represent similar groups of perceptions. 

We call these symbols “names,” “things” and “concepts.”  A name then comes to mean an object, a “thing-in-itself.”  Take, for instance, the idea of a tree.  The flow of percepts within consciousness which we call a tree was an actual here-and-now experience, but the concept, the thought, the label “tree” is just a symbol, not the actual, present, living flow of percepts. It is a dead label, a vague mental image in memory.

What we conceive as “the world” is not really many separate things-in-themselves, but actually the present living flow of percepts in consciousness.  From the moment we are born we hear the sounds that people use to represent what they are perceiving, the sound-symbols we call words.  We have come to confuse these words with the actuality.  At about eighteen months into our life we begin to get the “hang” of making these sound-symbols ourselves.  And we soon get around to making a mental symbol for what is happening “here,” where we perceive everything.  This is how the body-mind point-of-view becomes a “me.”  Psychologists believe that this is a good thing, that we need a self-concept.  That would be okay if we didnÂ’t take it too far and identify with it as what we are, if we didnÂ’t accept that pitiful, limited, shifting, helpless, imaginary self-concept for our entire being.  (But then, of course, psychologists would be out of a job.) 

The trouble is, we donÂ’t do this all by ourselves.  We are constantly told in various ways that we are a “me,” an individual, a separate thing-in-itself.  The world model we learn supports this belief.

This leads to the illusion that there really is an objective “me” which is acting and being acted upon.  This is the illusion of volition, and from this comes a new kind of pain.  In the beginning there was only physical pain, which is helpful and even necessary to keep the body safe and working.  That is a natural pain.[1]  But now arises psychological pain, mental pain, to keep the conceptual “me” safe.  This is an unnatural pain caused by the illusion of a “me” and the illusion that this “me” has volition.  This is the illusion of “me” as an individual, objective, actor and doer.  However, this “me” is only a concept, a name, a thought.  A thought canÂ’t think or act, so how could it have volition? 

But this illusion, this perceptual mistake, does affect the thought process simply by being a basic concept in the belief system and world-view.  Because the “volitional me” is such a basic concept it causes the development of a host of mental conditioned reflexes and actions required to save, protect and fulfill that “me.”

 

Why “Spirituality” Hasn’t Liberated Us

All the systems of self-improvement we will find, whether philosophical or religious, assume we must add to, fix up, save and improve this individual, volitional self.  YouÂ’ve tried them and they donÂ’t work or you wouldnÂ’t be reading this book.  This is because you were trying to fix the conceptual self which only exists in imagination and can no more do anything than your shadow can.  This is like trying to “put new wine into old wine skins.”  These kinds of teachings can only make things worse in the long run because they affirm the pseudo-self which is the problem to begin with.

These self-improvement schemes unhes­itatingly accept this concept of a “volitional me” as real and put the burden of volition on the “me” to use their rules and principles to live right and to be successful.  That is why they donÂ’t liberate us.  Because the “me” is itself only a thought it canÂ’t think, let alone make decisions or act, either rightly or wrongly.  This leads to feelings of helplessness, guilt and condemnation, because thoughts and actions simply follow the strongest urges or are inhibited by the strongest fears.  But since the strongest needs have grown around securing, protecting and fulfilling the “me,” thatÂ’s what we do instead of following our altruistic, spiritual concepts.  No wonder “living right” was so hard, so impossible.  We may know what we should do, but the power to do it is another matter.  WeÂ’ll discover more concerning this mystery in a later chapter.

 

Is There An Easy Way To Not Be Taken In By “Self- Improvement” Teachings?

The term “self-improvement” says it all.  Any system, religious or philosophical that assumes that we are improving, motivating, freeing or saving our individual self,  instead of simply seeing it as an illusion, is bound to make things worse instead of better.  In short, beware of anything that assumes an individual self and volition – a self that needs to be fixed up or improved or “saved.”  There is nothing to improve or to save.  That pseudo-self is the life you must lose in order to find your true life.  

We may enjoy the emotion and the positive feelings and the personal acceptance by the group to begin with, but the ultimate effect of following these systems will be to actually increase our bondage and leave us feeling more self-absorbed and even more helpless.

Awakening is more often than not blocked by pseudo-self, volition-based spiritual teachings which constantly point us in the wrong direction.  It doesnÂ’t seem to take much to misdirect us, whether this is just because of the way the thought mechanism works or whether there are other, more malicious forces at work.


[1]. Even natural pain would not be as “painful” if we didn’t identify with the body as what-we-are.


--

To meet cheerfully whatever life brings is all the austerity you need. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
 
~ ~ ~
 
Find out more and order What Am I? here:
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0987380613/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0987380613&linkCode=as2&tag=nondualitysal-20
 
www.tandavapress.com

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