A new article by our moderator Longchen:
http://www.dreamdatum.com/new-phase.html
It's been a while since I wrote the last article of this series. There are some new changes to my state of being. I will attempt to document them here.
Essentially, at this stage, I am beginning to experience the benefits of Enlightenment. It is a new phase but it is not the end. In fact, this phase simply marks the beginning of establishing non-duality into more tricky areas of life. It is just the beginning and many more challenges lie ahead.
Life as we know it, is extremely complex and varied in its manifestations. The 'Sense of self' overrides non-dual recognition most of the time and very very easily. It is an unconscious and automatic way of relating and dealing with life's complexities.
Initially, we establish non-dual awareness in the easier areas of life. This is mainly in the solitary based activities. They include activities such as walking, eating, seeing and sitting. During these non-dual moments, there is only the act of doing the activities without the feeling of volition. There is a luminous and spacious quality to them.
In this new phase, one is better able to 'maintain' non-dual awareness in other types of activities. The nondual recognition can be felt better amidst more complex activities. Life experience begins to take on a new way of seeing. It feels like life experience merely is, without seeing it through the sense of self. This is not an accurate translation but is the closest that I can think of. Viewing life through a 'sense of self' is different from that of experience via non-dual mode.
In dualistic experience, we tend to 'zoom' into what we see or percieve (with our senses) and immediately label certain portion of perceptions (including thought imageries) as 'objects' or 'subjects of attention'. In another word, we think that what we percieved as objects and 'point of attention' are self-existing objects, concepts or entities. The sense of self then arises to try to modify what is being 'labelled'. This creates the tension that is being felt at the bodily level, giving rise to the experience of discomfort. Once we have come to this point, non-duality will not be felt in real-time.
One point that I have observed: Non-dual awareness is more easily felt in an open space environment than in a enclosed one. This should not be the case, but it is. By right, there shouldn't be a difference at all as non-duality is the basis of reality. However, our mind is so used to cogniting dualistically that dualistic labelling is occuring in an unknowing manner. In an open space environment, the mind is aligned to the spacious nature of Non-dual Presence. In an enclosed environment, our mind will unknowingly and subconsciously labelling the features of that environment. We will tend to subconsciously label the walls and objects that are seen by the sight vision. This cause the mind to 'forget' the non-dual nature. However, in this phase of spiritual development, this subconscious habit of labelling is also lossing its grip, thus resulting in non duality being able to be experienced even within an enclosed environment.
Also, additionally, the 'sense of self' or egoic mind is beginning to lose its power to condition. There is the experience of rising and falling wave in one's consciousness. When a tension arise, the self-recognition of the tension allows it to fall away on its own accord. At times, when all bodily tensions fall away, there is no sense of being a physical form. This rising and falling wave sensation is different from using the mind to reason itself out of a predicament. When we use the mind to reason, it is characterised by the need to know an answer or find a solution. The desire in wanting to know the answer or finding a solution is itself a dualistic project of the mind onto a potential future scenario. There is no equanimity in that state.
In this new phase, one is also able to enter into a state of deep rest while fully awake. This includes stationary sitting and standing positions. The mind can come to a most blissful rest. This is one of the benefit of Enlightenment. The bliss is not something that a pre-enlightened mind can experience on a recurring basis.
One important point to note: We tend to think that Enlightenment is an attainment. This is not entirely true. Enlightenment is simply a concept. It is a non-attainment. The egoic mind or sense of self can only understanding way of relating and achieving in terms of striving. However, the state of non-dual awareness cannot be recognised in the striving. That is why Enlightenment cannot be achieved by striving. Therefore it is a non-attainment. Ironically, non-attainment is such a struggle to achieve.
OK, that all I can think of and write about this topic. I will revise and improve this article where the need arises.
For your necessary ponderance. Thank you for reading.
Want to add something here.
I think the description that i have written about 'rising and falling waves' sensation is not self-liberation yet. Just in case someone think it is.
There is a duration/time gap between rising and falling, although it is happening in an automatic manner...without the additional interferences of 'self'.
I am not there yet, but i feel that during self-liberation the duration should not be there. That is, rising and falling should be instantaneous without a rising part followed by the falling part. Perhaps there shouldn't even be a rising and falling. I dunno, i am just guessing here.
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:A new article by our moderator Longchen:
http://www.dreamdatum.com/new-phase.html
A new phase
It's been a while since I wrote the last article of this series. There are some new changes to my state of being. I will attempt to document them here.
Essentially, at this stage, I am beginning to experience the benefits of Enlightenment. It is a new phase but it is not the end. In fact, this phase simply marks the beginning of establishing non-duality into more tricky areas of life. It is just the beginning and many more challenges lie ahead.
Life as we know it, is extremely complex and varied in its manifestations. The 'Sense of self' overrides non-dual recognition most of the time and very very easily. It is an unconscious and automatic way of relating and dealing with life's complexities.
Initially, we establish non-dual awareness in the easier areas of life. This is mainly in the solitary based activities. They include activities such as walking, eating, seeing and sitting. During these non-dual moments, there is only the act of doing the activities without the feeling of volition. There is a luminous and spacious quality to them.
In this new phase, one is better able to 'maintain' non-dual awareness in other types of activities. The nondual recognition can be felt better amidst more complex activities. Life experience begins to take on a new way of seeing. It feels like life experience merely is, without seeing it through the sense of self. This is not an accurate translation but is the closest that I can think of. Viewing life through a 'sense of self' is different from that of experience via non-dual mode.
In dualistic experience, we tend to 'zoom' into what we see or percieve (with our senses) and immediately label certain portion of perceptions (including thought imageries) as 'objects' or 'subjects of attention'. In another word, we think that what we percieved as objects and 'point of attention' are self-existing objects, concepts or entities. The sense of self then arises to try to modify what is being 'labelled'. This creates the tension that is being felt at the bodily level, giving rise to the experience of discomfort. Once we have come to this point, non-duality will not be felt in real-time.
One point that I have observed: Non-dual awareness is more easily felt in an open space environment than in a enclosed one. This should not be the case, but it is. By right, there shouldn't be a difference at all as non-duality is the basis of reality. However, our mind is so used to cogniting dualistically that dualistic labelling is occuring in an unknowing manner. In an open space environment, the mind is aligned to the spacious nature of Non-dual Presence. In an enclosed environment, our mind will unknowingly and subconsciously labelling the features of that environment. We will tend to subconsciously label the walls and objects that are seen by the sight vision. This cause the mind to 'forget' the non-dual nature. However, in this phase of spiritual development, this subconscious habit of labelling is also lossing its grip, thus resulting in non duality being able to be experienced even within an enclosed environment.
Also, additionally, the 'sense of self' or egoic mind is beginning to lose its power to condition. There is the experience of rising and falling wave in one's consciousness. When a tension arise, the self-recognition of the tension allows it to fall away on its own accord. At times, when all bodily tensions fall away, there is no sense of being a physical form. This rising and falling wave sensation is different from using the mind to reason itself out of a predicament. When we use the mind to reason, it is characterised by the need to know an answer or find a solution. The desire in wanting to know the answer or finding a solution is itself a dualistic project of the mind onto a potential future scenario. There is no equanimity in that state.
In this new phase, one is also able to enter into a state of deep rest while fully awake. This includes stationary sitting and standing positions. The mind can come to a most blissful rest. This is one of the benefit of Enlightenment. The bliss is not something that a pre-enlightened mind can experience on a recurring basis.
One important point to note: We tend to think that Enlightenment is an attainment. This is not entirely true. Enlightenment is simply a concept. It is a non-attainment. The egoic mind or sense of self can only understanding way of relating and achieving in terms of striving. However, the state of non-dual awareness cannot be recognised in the striving. That is why Enlightenment cannot be achieved by striving. Therefore it is a non-attainment. Ironically, non-attainment is such a struggle to achieve.
OK, that all I can think of and write about this topic. I will revise and improve this article where the need arises.
For your necessary ponderance. Thank you for reading.
Yes Longchen,
It has been quite some time. Just to share with you some of my views.
When non-dual insight arises initially, practitioner has found the ‘pathless path’ and is more capable of entering non-dual presence in daily movement naturally and effortlessly. When non-dual presence is initially experienced beyond ‘sitting’ almost naturally and effortlessly, a ‘false impression’ will arise in practitioner that there is no need to ‘meditate’. We should not mistake this as the non-meditation state. This is partly due to a common misconception that if a person is able to experience non-dual presence while in movement, he should logically be able to sustain non-dual presence in ‘sitting’. In actual case, it is just the reverse; sitting becomes more of a problem.
Before the ‘arrival of the wave like sensation’ my experience is that we will not be able to ‘sit’ in great contentment in non-dual presence. It is a ‘transparent-numb-like feeling accompanied with a wave-like sensation’ due to thorough dropping like the practice of the second door. Practitioner no more engage in mental reasoning to explain anything. There is a clear understanding it is futile to reason anything as it does not help more than creating more unrest. We enter into great rest when there is complete willingness to drop even that ‘conscious’ portion. Whether there is consciousness or no-consciousness is of no more importance. The urge to remain subsides.
But bear in mind this ‘wave-like momentum’ is still subject to wearing out. We should keep from engaging in negative activities or involve in negative conditions and continue to build on the thoroughness of dropping to complement this non-dual luminous presence. I have bad experiences. We must continue to sit and drop thoroughly.
From my experience, to go further working on the below 3 points will help:
1. To go further at this juncture, it is important to continue to drop, drop, drop and drop. But this dropping will only produce its magical effect with the arising of non-dual insight, that there is no-self, the entire idea of self is learnt.
2. Not to engage in negative activities and conditions. Work diligently in seclusion to build up the strength.
3. Next we need to build enough ‘merits’. This is important but mostly not understood due to our inherent/dualistic mind; a mind that is ‘bond’ seeing things in terms of entities cannot understand that how by creating ‘merit’ can help in the progress of our non-dual luminous presence. It is not within the framework of dualistic and inherent mind to understand. It is not in understanding; it is in the actual workings.
Just my 2 cents. Hope it makes sense! :)
Originally posted by longchen:Want to add something here.
I think the description that i have written about 'rising and falling waves' sensation is not self-liberation yet. Just in case someone think it is.
There is a duration/time gap between rising and falling, although it is happening in an automatic manner...without the additional interferences of 'self'.
I am not there yet, but i feel that during self-liberation the duration should not be there. That is, rising and falling should be instantaneous without a rising part followed by the falling part. Perhaps there shouldn't even be a rising and falling. I dunno, i am just guessing here.
Hi Longhcen,
The wave like experience is a momentum of its own due to thorough dropping. It is a 'sign' that the willingness to let go has sunk sufficiently deep in our inmost consciousness but it is not a sign of of deepening of 'non-dual insight'.
But that break-through of dropping is the result of non-dual insight. We normally cannot let go.
Further deepening of non-dual insight that relates to 'self-liberation' (not necessary the way dzogchen sees it as I am not a dzogchen practitioner) may lie in the understanding of all 'already is'. All is luminously clear and empty; self-liberates without a trace. Previous thoughts liberates, current thought liberates. Every propensity itself liberates when conditions are. New tendency acquired and liberates when condition ripes. It is rather the 'ever picking up of new imprints', but that does not deny or obscure its luminous-empty nature.
My 2 cents. :)
Hi Thusness,
Thanks so much for the help and advices. I am really appreciative.
After i have quitted my regular job 2 months ago, i actually increased my daily meditation hours. Perhaps, this longer period of meditation actually helps.
Also what you said about not engaging in negative activities, this is so true. I noticed that i have to abhere to the precepts or else the karmic consequences manifest very fast! Somehow, it is like an invisible guideline. I have these negativities happening to me more than one time for me to see that abstaining from negativities is a requirement.
Once again, thanks so much. I will keep the 3 points in mind.
:)
Originally posted by Thusness:Hi Longhcen,
The wave like experience is a momentum of its own due to thorough dropping. It is a 'sign' that the willingness to let go has sunk sufficiently deep in our inmost consciousness but it is not a sign of of deepening of 'non-dual insight'.
But that break-through of dropping is the result of non-dual insight. We normally cannot let go.
Further deepening of non-dual insight that relates to 'self-liberation' (not necessary the way dzogchen sees it as I am not a dzogchen practitioner) may lie in the understanding of all 'already is'. All is luminously clear and empty; self-liberates without a trace. Previous thoughts liberates, current thought liberates. Every propensity itself liberates when conditions are. New tendency acquired and liberates when condition ripes. It is rather the 'ever picking up of new imprints', but that does not deny or obscure its luminous-empty nature.
My 2 cents. :)
I see... Thanks, Thusness. :)
Originally posted by longchen:Hi Thusness,
Thanks so much for the help and advices. I am really appreciative.
After i have quitted my regular job 2 months ago, i actually increased my daily meditation hours. Perhaps, this longer period of meditation actually helps.
Also what you said about not engaging in negative activities, this is so true. I noticed that i have to abhere to the precepts or else the karmic consequences manifest very fast! Somehow, it is like an invisible guideline. I have these negativities happening to me more than one time for me to see that abstaining from negativities is a requirement.
Once again, thanks so much. I will keep the 3 points in mind.
:)
Yes and that is precisely what I meant -- invisible guidelines. They are no mere coincidence. To experience the truth, allow the workings to do the talking, no conceptualization needed.
One additional point:
'Unnaturalness' is mostly due to suppression. It is the natural tendency of a conditioned mind to mistake 'suppression' as the 'solution'. We should not 'think' of 'this or that'...all these are arbitary thoughts and does not help.
Once we overcome this misconception and let allow the latent deep to manifest, we will have new insight into 'naturalness'. Let allow the latent deep to manifest and dissolve in non-dual presence with the wave like sensation. But this practice of allowing must be accompanied with the strengthening of the 'wave momentum' by being luminously non-dual. Strengthen and release and see them as one. When there is no suppression of the propensities and the dissolving is in action, new 'insight' of the meaning of 'naturalness' will arise. Happy Journey! :)
Originally posted by Thusness:
Yes and that is precisely what I meant -- invisible guidelines. They are no mere coincidence. To experience the truth, allow the workings to do the talking, no conceptualization needed.
One additional point:
'Unnaturalness' is mostly due to suppression. It is the natural tendency of a conditioned mind to mistake 'suppression' as the 'solution'. We should not 'think' of 'this or that'...all these are arbitary thoughts and does not help.
Once we overcome this misconception and let allow the latent deep to manifest, we will have new insight into 'naturalness'. Let allow the latent deep to manifest and dissolve in non-dual presence with the wave like sensation. But this practice of allowing must be accompanied with the strengthening of the 'wave momentum' by being luminously non-dual. Strengthen and release and see them as one. When there is no suppression of the propensities and the dissolving is in action, new 'insight' of the meaning of 'naturalness' will arise. Happy Journey! :)
Thanks, Thusness.
More uncharted domains to explore. :)
http://www.dreamdatum.com/non-solidity.html
Another new article by Longchen: The non-solidity of existence
This article describes a spiritual insight. It may be quite hard to understand. The things that we experience are registered by all the sense organs. The eye sight registers vision, the ears register sound, the body registers sensations. These perception, sensations and experiences are not happening in some places. They are the experience of the arising of certain conditions. There is no solidity and physicality in the actual experience.
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What we experienced is not universal and common to all. Here's an example to illustrate that: We know that as human beings, we see in term of colours. Some animals are however colour-blind, thus they see differently from us. But none of us, is really seeing the truth nature directly. The senses of different species of sentient beings experience things differently. So who is seeing the real image of an object? None. Likewise, the various planes of existence are due to different conditions arising. In certain types of meditation, one is said to be able to access these planes of existence. This is because they are not specific locations. They are mental states and are thus non-localised. In these meditations, our consciousness changes and 'aligned' more with these other states or planes of existence. All the planes of existence are simultaneously manifesting, but because our senses are human-based conditioned arisings, we only see the human world and other beings that shared 'similar' resonating arising conditions. But nevertheless, the other planes of existences are not elsewhere in some other places. |
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What we think of as places are really just consciousness and there is no solidity whatsoever. Even our touch sense is just that. The touch sense gives an impression of feeling something that is physical and three-dimensional. But there is really no solid self-existing object there. Instead, it is simply the sensation that gives the impression of physical solidity and form. OK, that all I can think of and write about this topic. I will revise and improve this article where the need arises. For your necessary ponderance. Thank you for reading. |
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I might have a new insight...but will need time to confirm...