The imposter, the ego's tricks, and the Awareness b4 thought
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The Imposter (The False Self/'Ego')
http://www.albigen.com/uarelove/most_rapid/contents.aspx
(excerpts from chapter 1 of 'the most direct and rapid means to eternal bliss')
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EGO: ego is the thought I.
The ego is the I-thought.
“I am happy”, “I am sad”, “I did this”, “I did that”. There are so many sentences that are thought of with the word I in them. That thought “I” in each of those sentences is the ego.
The ego is the idea of a separate, individual identity.
The ego identifies with the body and with thought, and calls the body and thought “I”.
The ego is thought.
The ego is thinking..
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You know that thoughts are not part of your true nature because you had to learn them.
That is why you cannot speak, write and think fluently in languages, because you have not learned, or brought in those languages from the outside.
You can observe that same process in an infant.
You can see that an infant is aware before it learns any language.
You can observe the child growing older and learning a language.
You can observe when the child learns the word I and when the child begins to say the word “I”.
Being able to see how the imposter arose in you and how the imposter arises in every human infant and child are very important tools.
The reason they are very important tools is because you do not have to rely totally upon those who have ended the imposter and who have awakened from the human dream to tell you that the ego is something acquired and not natural and is an imposter.
You can observe this for yourself..
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Thought pretends to be the Self.
Thought is not the Self.
Thought is an imposter.
Thought believes that it is a real entity and that it is a real self.
Thought is not a real entity and thought is not a self.
Living from thought instead of living from Awareness is the cause of all human suffering.
The imposter is the cause of all human problems, sorrow and suffering..
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Because the ego believes it is a real entity, the ego is afraid of ending.
The ego controls all thinking.
Because the ego is afraid of ending and controls all thinking, the ego directs thought in ways that will preserve its imaginary self so that its imaginary self is not brought to an end.
The purpose of the teachings in this book is to bring the imposter to an end so that what remains is only the true Self whose nature is: infinite-eternal-awareness-bliss-love.
When the imposter ends, all suffering and sorrow also end.
Thinking that thinking or thought is your self is a delusion, a dream-like illusion.
Thinking that you are a body living in a world is a delusion, a dream-like illusion.
Thought has created those delusions.
All sorrow, suffering and delusions have one single root.
The single root is thought.
The root of thought is the I thought.
The root of thought is the thought I.
Thought is not part of your true nature. Thought is something you learned.
Do not let something you acquired pretend to be your self..
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In humans the virus is called the ego or the I thought.
The I thought (ego) is an imposter pretending to be the Self.
The ego is the cause of all human sorrow and suffering.
The ego is the cause of all disease, death, war, fear, anger and violence.
Human beings have made almost no inward progress for thousands of years toward ending suffering, sorrow, war, fear, anger, violence and lying.
Thousands of years ago humans had suffering, sorrow, war, fear, anger, violence and lying.
Today humans have suffering, sorrow, war, fear, anger, violence and lying.
What has kept humans in the same pool of inward unsolved problems?
The ego (the imposter) has kept humans in the same pool of inward unsolved problems.
Inward problems cannot be solved by looking outward.
Inward problems can only be solved by looking inward.
The ego knows that if the attention is turned inward, the ego will be found to be a myth, an imposter, an illusion.
Therefore, due to the ego’s fear of ending, the ego keeps the attention directed outward.
Even when there is an attempt to turn the attention inward, usually due to not understanding the meaning of looking inward, people are still looking outward.
Humans are slaves to an imposter “self”.
Exposing the strategies of that imposter “self”, how to put an end to those strategies, how to bring the imposter “self” to an end, thus ending all suffering and sorrow and remaining in the true Self whose nature is infinite-eternal-awareness-love-bliss are the primary purposes of this book. -
excerpts from chapter 2 -- THE IMPOSTOR'S TRICKS
The ego controls all thinking.
The ego can create an argument against anything.
Therefore, reserve all arguments against what is being presented here until you have read the book at least three times.
Otherwise, the ego will generate arguments against any anti-ego presentation, thus blocking what is being presented.
See the vicious circle:
The ego in its attempts to block the ego from being exposed for the imposter that it is, and to block the realization that the ego is the cause of all human sorrow and suffering, creates arguments against what is being revealed in this book.
Because the ego sets the standards for the debate, the ego always wins the debate.
The way to break that vicious circle is to delay all arguments against what is being presented here until you have read the book very slowly at least three times.
When the ego forms an argument against what is being presented in this book, see the argument as an ego preservation strategy and ignore it, delaying all argument until the presentation is complete.
Having the motivation to understand, instead of to argue, will help to produce an insight into what is being presented here.
Put the arguments on hold until you have read the book at least three times.
By that time you may be so skilled at recognizing the ego’s preservation strategies, you may decide to delay the arguments forever....
The ego has been deceiving humans for as long as there have been humans.
Be aware of when the ego is trying to deceive you.
The ego controls all thinking, therefore, various combinations of thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and opinions are the ego’s primary tools to preserve the ego’s imaginary “self” and to prevent you from discovering your true Self....Because most humans spend their entire lifetime looking outward at thoughts, the body, the world, people, places, things, etc., most humans have never even once observed their own awareness, not even for one second, in their entire lifetime.
What is important are not concepts, beliefs or conclusions. What is important is Direct Experience.
Be aware of your thoughts, ideas, beliefs and opinions and see how they are serving the ego....
If one million people study a spiritual teaching and only one of those people ends the ego illusion, why did the other nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine miss the opportunity?
The reason the other nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine missed the opportunity is because of the ego’s fear of ending.
Due to the ego’s fear of ending, the ego creates strategies to preserve its imaginary self.
Distorting the teachings is one of the many strategies the ego has to preserve its imaginary self.
That applies to the teachings in the book you are now reading and to other spiritual teachings.
Right from the beginning, the ego’s preservation strategies have to be dealt with, otherwise the ego would block out what is being presented here in this book.
Then, instead of being an extraordinary journey, this would be just one more failed attempt.
The ego’s preservation strategies can be brought to an end and we will look at how to do that in this book.
Usually any mention of exposing the ego’s preservation strategies makes the ego run the other way.
To be willing to look at the ego’s preservation strategies is a sign of spiritual maturity.
Most people are not willing to look at the ego’s preservation strategies.
Reading a book that reveals some of the ego’s preservation strategies does not make one immune to them.
One of the ego’s preservation strategies is the thought “This does not apply to me”.
The ego is very tricky and deceptive in all humans. The ego is a liar in all humans. The ego lies to its imaginary self.
Therefore, when something is pointed out in this book and you think “This does not apply to me”, take a second look.
Maybe it does apply to you and the ego is blocking that fact out, as a preservation strategy.
Challenge the thought “This does not apply to me”.
The thought “This does not apply to me” may be an ego preservation strategy.
One of the differences between the one out of a million who awakens and the nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine who do not, is the ability to stay focused on an essential point until it becomes an insight and a tool that you can use.
The fact that the intellect understands what is written here is not enough.
The book you are now reading is filled with the insights that lay the foundation to be the one who awakens and not one of the nine hundred ninety nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine who miss.
Dwell on what is written in every sentence in every chapter until an insight is awakened that becomes a tool you can use.
To awaken insight, don’t read what is written like you were reading a newspaper or a book of trivia, and don’t read for the purpose of gathering information.
To awaken insight, read as though you were reading instructions about how to fly that are vital so that you do not crash.
Slowly reflect on each line.
That is why the sentences are often separated with a space between them, to encourage you to slowly reflect on them and not to be in a hurry to get to the next sentence.
Continue to read and re-read long after the intellect has understood the meaning of the words.
Reading very, very slowly is insight reading.
Read very, very slowly.
The ego is like an inchworm that lets go of one thought only when it has grabbed hold of the next thought.
Therefore, when re-reading every chapter over and over, don’t be in a hurry to proceed to the next sentence.
It is important to understand the difference between insight and intellectual understanding.
Never confuse intellectual understanding with insight.
Intellectual understanding, which is to understand the words, is good as a first step.
However, after one has understood the words, if one then goes on to another concept before the insight has been awakened, the words will become obstacles and hindrances to ending the ego instead of tools that end the ego.
Intellectual “understanding”, an intellectual appetite and an intellectual approach to “spirituality” are what characterize the nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine who miss.
Insight is what characterizes the one in a million who brings the ego to its final end.
Most people study “spiritual” teachings because they enjoy the concepts.
The ego is fundamentally dishonest in humans and has the ability to hide what it is doing from its imaginary “self”.
Therefore, most people may not allow themselves to see that they are studying “spiritual” teachings because they enjoy the concepts.
The desire to go quickly to the next concept and to gather more and more information and to read more and more spiritual books and to think about what has been read and to discuss what has been read and thought about are symptoms of the intellectual appetite and are symptoms of intellectual “spirituality”.
Approaching the study of spiritual teachings intellectually, as just described (73) is an approach that the nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine who miss use.
There are no opinions, philosophies or beliefs being presented in this book.
The report of Direct Experience and a practical guide to Direct Experience is what is being presented in this book.
What is being pointed towards in this book are not ideas.
What is being pointed towards in this book is the awareness that is prior to thought and how to directly experience that awareness.
The ego likes to scatter attention.
Scattering attention is one of the ego’s preservation strategies.
Thinking is scattering the attention.
To bring the attention to a single point and to dwell on that single point for a very long time is the way to awaken insight.
Insight is not thinking and insight is not belief.
Insight is: a permanent new perspective.
To find one powerful quote, not a quote that the ego that wishes to preserve itself selects, and to stay with that quote until insight awakens is the kind of approach the one in a million who brings the ego to its final end uses.
One might stay with a single quote for one day or one week or much longer than one week. Those who use this approach are rare.
Keeping the attention directed outward is one of the ego’s fundamental tricks.
Creating unnecessary activities is one way the ego keeps attention directed outward and is another of the ego’s tricks.
Dropping all unnecessary activities, to create the maximum amount of time for spiritual practice, is an essential key to bringing the ego to its final end.
Pretending a journey through thought is an authentic spiritual journey is also one of the ego’s tricks.
The ego has as many tricks to draw upon as there are concepts, ideas, beliefs and opinions.
Choosing belief instead of Direct Experience is one of the ego’s tricks.
Wasting time is one of the ego’s tricks.
Spending time in entertainment that could have been spent in spiritual practice is one of the ego’s tricks.
Almost all thoughts are just the ego’s tricks.
Reflect on one sentence for a very long time before reading the next sentence.
Reflecting means looking.
Reflecting does not mean thinking and reflecting does not mean arguing.
Stay with each sentence until you have an insight into it.
The previous sentence (99) describes a key approach that the one in a million who succeeds in living in infinite-eternal-awareness-love-bliss uses.
There are a few key principles to be understood and a little reading may be required for that.
However, to go on and on reading spiritual books is an ego preservation strategy, another of the ego’s tricks.
Most reading, discussing and thinking about spiritual teachings is an ego trick.
The ego keeps thoughts about spiritual concepts going to avoid the practice that leads to the ego’s final end.
The ego keeps people lost in an endless maze of concepts.
Spiritual concepts do not lead to freedom.
Only practice leads to freedom.
However, it must be the most rapid and direct practice and not a practice created by or distorted by the ego. -
still reading the book... will update more.
The author still has not realised non-duality, more like the eternal witness level of experience. But it contains some very practical and valuable advice.
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Thanks for the interesting article. It really contain many useful insights.
Just a sharing...
The author say that thought is a problem. It may not be entirely accurate.
IMO, when visual vision and thought imagery arise, there is a tendency to compartmentalise certain sections as entities, focus or objects. Next, there is a desire to modify that section. For example, in the visual sense, from the environment you are engaging a conversation with someone. The mind desires to change the 'person' into what it imagines will be the desired outcome. Example, you want to make the person think the way you think and so on so forth. The mind fails to see that this is 'hit and miss' and that the changes is really not dependent on the desire to modify the subject. Rather, it has got to do with the 'person' own willing or not.
So... to me, thought is the not the problem. Instead, the desire to modify and change 'what is' is the cause of suffering.
Also, when we say that we are not the thoughts or the body, unconsciously we have separated 'phemonena' from a 'untouchable' portion of ourself.
The difference at the non-duality stage is that, no attempt is made... Sensations are left as they are...
At the I AM/eternal witness stage, there is a seeking for the place beyond thoughts.
Also, at the I AM/eternal witness, no-suffering is preferred over suffering. There is no understanding that there is really NO blissful place that is beyond pain. When there is pain, there is nothing beyond it too.
So at the I AM/eternal witness stage, attempts may be employed by the mind to get rid of the pain... to go a place beyond the pain. The understanding that 'sensation and pain' is inseparable from Presence/Buddha Nature is not there yet.
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More importantly is the question of why is there a separation in the first place. Why practitioners of all ages see thoughts, sensation...the transience, the impermanence as not our Buddha Nature itself. Even when told, explained and experienced, how is it that it is not known. Understanding the power that blinds IMO is equally important. :)
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Originally posted by Thusness:
More importantly is the question of why is there a separation in the first place. Why practitioners of all ages see thoughts, sensation...the transience, the impermanence as not our Buddha Nature itself. Even when told, explained and experienced, how is it that it is not known. Understanding the power that blinds IMO is equally important. :)
Yah... feeling and understanding the power is very important.
Thanks, Thusness.
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Excerpts from
Chapter 3 -
THE IMPOSTOR'S TOOLS:
THOUGHT, THINKING, AND BELIEFS.
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Thought is not a means to discover the absolute Truth.
The ego has convinced almost all humans and almost all spiritual aspirants that thought is a means to know the absolute Truth.
There are those people who think they already know that thought is not a means to know the absolute Truth.
Almost all of those people are still trying to use thought as a means to know the absolute Truth.
That means that they do not really know that thought is not a means to know the absolute Truth.
They have confused knowing-insight-awareness with conceptual “knowing”..
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For those few individuals who are seriously intent on liberation, it is essential to stop using thought as a means to know the absolute Truth.
It is also essential to stop believing your own thoughts.
Understanding the nature of beliefs can help one to see that thought is not a means to know the absolute Truth.
Seeing that thought is not a means to know the absolute Truth is the way to stop using thought as a means to know the absolute Truth.
There is a method you can try that reveals that thought is not a means to know the absolute Truth.
We can call it the “How Do You Know Method”.
Here are the instructions for the How Do You Know Method:
Look at any belief you have.
Ask of that belief “How do I know absolutely for sure that is true?”.
The mind will give an answer.
To the answer the mind gives ask “How do I know absolutely for sure that is true?”.
Every time the mind gives an answer, question the answer, by repeating the question “How do I know absolutely for sure that is true?”.
You must be willing to question every answer the mind gives for the process to work.
If you are willing to question every answer the mind gives to the question “How do I know absolutely for sure that is true?”, the inquiry will always end in “I don’t know absolutely for sure that is true”.
The How Do You Know Method is an excellent way to see the difference between believing and knowing.
The How Do You Know Method is also an excellent way to see that thought is not a means to know the absolute Truth.
After questioning a few hundred beliefs, it should be quite clear that thought is not a means to know the absolute Truth.
Thought is like a great pretense or house of cards.
One idea is supported by another idea.
The How Do You Know Method is a way to see that when you trace each idea back, you find that there is actually no real foundation at all.
There is another way to see that thought is not a way to know the absolute Truth, understand the nature of belief and concepts, see how belief is formed and how the ego creates ideas that will serve to preserve its imaginary self.
We can call this the “Arguing Both Sides Method”.
The Arguing Both Sides Method is to look at some belief you have, maybe one of the current issues of the day.
Write an argument for the side of the belief you are on.
In other words, take a belief you have and write up all the proofs, arguments, evidence and reasons you have for that belief.
Next, pretend that you have the opposite belief and write up all the proofs, arguments, evidence and reasons you have for that opposite belief.
The purpose of the Arguing Both Sides Method is to demonstrate that thought can create reasons, evidence and support for any belief.
Seeing that thought can create evidence and reasons to support any belief is a very powerful key.
The Arguing Both Sides Method is another way of showing that thought is really baseless.
The Arguing Both Sides Method also demonstrates that thought forms conclusions based on motive.
Evidence is not the primary factor that determines what conclusions and beliefs will be formed.
Motivation is the primary factor in the forming of beliefs.
Evidence will be gathered to support the motive.
Whatever the ego wants to believe, the ego will gather all the so-called evidence and reasons to support what the ego wants to believe.
The ego’s primary motive is to preserve its imaginary self.
Therefore, the ego directs thought to create concepts that will help to preserve the ego’s imaginary self..
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One of the tricks that the ego uses most commonly with spiritual aspirants is to confuse intellectual “spirituality” with authentic spirituality.
Most people only have an intellectual interest in spiritual concepts and do not wish to end the ego.
Most people are just enjoying learning about the concepts.
There are some people who realize that their interest is only intellectual.
There are other people who believe that they have an interest in ending the ego, who do not really have an interest in ending the ego.
Almost all of the people who are on a spiritual path that claims to have as its aim the ending of the ego illusion, have very little desire to actually end the ego.
The way to end all of the ego’s preservation strategies is to increase the desire for liberation..
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One of the tricks that the ego uses most commonly with spiritual aspirants is to confuse intellectual “spirituality” with authentic spirituality.
Most people only have an intellectual interest in spiritual concepts and do not wish to end the ego.
Most people are just enjoying learning about the concepts.
There are some people who realize that their interest is only intellectual.
There are other people who believe that they have an interest in ending the ego, who do not really have an interest in ending the ego.
Almost all of the people who are on a spiritual path that claims to have as its aim the ending of the ego illusion, have very little desire to actually end the ego.
The way to end all of the ego’s preservation strategies is to increase the desire for liberation.
There are a few very condensed Direct Path teachings that can be a great help on the Direct Path.
You will find those Direct Path teachings in the book you are now reading.
However, to go on and on reading books and discussing spiritual teachings is an ego preservation strategy to keep you in the realm of thought instead of practice.
All of the time you spend reading and discussing could be better spent in practice.
Practice leads to liberation.
Endless reading and discussing leads to illusion.
The ego creates arguments against the Direct Path as a preservation strategy.
The ego calls indirect paths direct paths as an ego preservation strategy.
Instead of spending all one’s spare time in spiritual practice, the ego finds endless ways to spend one’s spare time such as television, entertainment, reading, discussing, thinking, etc. and that is one of the ego’s primary preservation strategies.
If you were to drop all of your unnecessary activities, you would have much more time for spiritual practice.
One ego preservation strategy (imposter trick) is creating arguments against what is written here instead of open mindedly considering the possibility that what is being revealed in this book is pointing towards the truth that the ego usually never allows people to see.
Another ego preservation strategy (trick the imposter uses) is deciding in advance that one of the methods will not work, without ever giving the method a sincere try.
See how the ego is directing every thought you think to create a way to preserve its imaginary self.
In other words, ask of every thought, idea, concept, belief, etc. “Does this thought, idea, concept or belief help the ego illusion to continue?”.
When you form a belief, you are no closer to discovering the absolute Truth than before you formed the belief.
When you form a belief, you have created an obstacle to discovering the absolute Truth.
If you were honest, your view would be “I don’t know”.
If you really wanted Truth you would insist on Direct Experience.
If you really wanted Truth, you would never accept a belief. A belief is only a group of symbols. All words are symbols.
The extremely intense desire for liberation is the key to ending the ego’s tricks and the book you are now reading contains step-by-step instructions in how to awaken the extremely intense desire for liberation.
This book is also for the purpose of exposing the strategies the ego uses to preserve its imaginary self.
Reading this book is a good first step.
Repeated reading, over and over, reflecting on each sentence is very important.
The motivation while reading is very important also.
The correct motivations are (86 - 89):
Extremely intense Self-honesty.
An extremely intense desire to know the Truth.
A willingness to let go of all the ideas you have accumulated in the past.
An extremely intense longing to be free of sorrow and to live in joy.
If the extremely intense desire for liberation is awakened in you, the Clarity, Honesty, Insight, Integrity and Earnestness that the extremely intense desire for liberation brings, will not allow the desire for liberation to become weak again.
If the desire for liberation becomes weak, it means that the extremely intense desire for liberation has not yet been awakened in you.
When the extremely intense desire for Freedom is awakened, Clarity, Sincerity, Earnestness, Insight and Discernment are also awakened and then you can see what is essential and what is not essential.
The end of the ego is the end of all suffering and all sorrow for all eternity.
The end of the ego is infinite-eternal-awareness-love-bliss.
Realize that ending the ego is the only truly worthwhile event that can happen in a human life.
Take a look at your actions moment by moment to see if they conform to the realization that ending the ego is the only truly valuable thing that can happen in a human life.
The ego projects thoughts and fantasies and the ego interprets.
One way to stop this distortion is to ask “Is this thought I am having about what I am reading, really in the words I am reading, or have I added a thought that is not there in the words I am reading?”.
Another way to stop the distortion is to ask “Have I added a concept or interpretation to what I am reading?”.
Most people project much thinking unto the teachings that they read.
Their thinking has very little to do with the teachings they have read. -
all sound so good ..but honestly i dun see what benefit it bring ppl to understand Buddhism
Whats the basis of motivation here ?
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Hi Longchen and Thusness,
Thanks for your comments and corrections.
The author also uses doubt/skepticism of thoughts to bring back one to the only 'real' -- consicousness. But in the process may be separating thoughts and experiences from consciousness (the I AM level).
This is exactly what Ken Wilber said about Descartes in this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa4WtuR0wbY (Descartes: Reviving the West's Greatest Modern Vedantist)
He also pointed out that Descartes is one of the the most misunderstood philosopher, he actually uses doubt to point back to one's Being as the only undoubtable. But that the only point he could be faulted is that he did not push through to the non-dual side of the equation.
If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things. Rene DescartesYou know I really 'feel' that message of Chapter 3 yesterday while meditating... I could actually feel that, all thoughts are not absolutely right or wrong and are equally illusory, can be 'doubted', and come and go against the only 'Real' unmoving formless background awareness that is completely alive. That only Consciousness is 'real'. Real in the sense that it IS, an undeniable Presence.
I could not perceive the 'oneness' or 'nondual' nature though. I just stayed with that Awareness and doubted (let go) everything else.
Maybe you guys can comment on that?
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Originally posted by bohiruci:
all sound so good ..but honestly i dun see what benefit it bring ppl to understand Buddhism
Whats the basis of motivation here ?
To share the message that developes:
(updated from above cos the book is more complete)
The correct motivations are (86 - 89):
Extremely intense Self-honesty.
An extremely intense desire to directly experience the infinite-eternal-absolute Truth.
A willingness to let go of all the ideas you have accumulated in the past.
An extremely intense longing to be free of sorrow and to live in eternal-joy. -
this is all good ,but
Youyuan is an archaic word .You mean to tell me always sui yuan and dun need to eat when the whole world is christian and u standing here doing self-realisation ?
whats your definition of Mahayana Buddhism ?
If you havent open your mouth to introduce subtlely teachings of Buddhism ,I guess you are RESPONSIBLE for their future wisdom
If you have tried but fail then give urself a pat ...its their karma and not yours
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Originally posted by bohiruci:
this is all good ,but
Youyuan is an archaic word .You mean to tell me always sui yuan and dun need to eat when the whole world is christian and u standing here doing self-realisation ?
whats your definition of Mahayana Buddhism ?
If you havent open your mouth to introduce subtlely teachings of Buddhism ,I guess you are RESPONSIBLE for their future wisdom
If you have tried but fail then give urself a pat ...its their karma and not yours
Hi, please don't bring MSN conversations into this topic... because it's off-topic. If you wish to discuss, please start another thread.
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Originally posted by longchen:
Thanks for the interesting article. It really contain many useful insights.
Just a sharing...
The author say that thought is a problem. It may not be entirely accurate.
IMO, when visual vision and thought imagery arise, there is a tendency to compartmentalise certain sections as entities, focus or objects. Next, there is a desire to modify that section. For example, in the visual sense, from the environment you are engaging a conversation with someone. The mind desires to change the 'person' into what it imagines will be the desired outcome. Example, you want to make the person think the way you think and so on so forth. The mind fails to see that this is 'hit and miss' and that the changes is really not dependent on the desire to modify the subject. Rather, it has got to do with the 'person' own willing or not.
So... to me, thought is the not the problem. Instead, the desire to modify and change 'what is' is the cause of suffering.
Also, when we say that we are not the thoughts or the body, unconsciously we have separated 'phemonena' from a 'untouchable' portion of ourself.
The difference at the non-duality stage is that, no attempt is made... Sensations are left as they are...
At the I AM/eternal witness stage, there is a seeking for the place beyond thoughts.
Also, at the I AM/eternal witness, no-suffering is preferred over suffering. There is no understanding that there is really NO blissful place that is beyond pain. When there is pain, there is nothing beyond it too.
So at the I AM/eternal witness stage, attempts may be employed by the mind to get rid of the pain... to go a place beyond the pain. The understanding that 'sensation and pain' is inseparable from Presence/Buddha Nature is not there yet.
Hi Longchen, I think this youtube video mentions what you said precisely also...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQMhKJ_nPMk
vishrant talks during satsang about the down side of self inquiryHis website: http://www.vishrant.com.au/And what he said I think, is also exactly the same problem as the author of the book. The author recommends 'Awareness Watching Awareness', to simple observe/BE the Awareness while turning the attention away from pain, from thoughts, from all experience. Nevertheless, I still practice that at my current stage... especially when meditation when I can easily drop the pain, thoughts, etc. In meditation, I can just allow Awareness to turn onto Itself alone. I believe this practice is known as �闻闻自性 in Buddhism. My forum signature, a quote from Shurangama Sutra for many months now goes,
“All you who listen here should turn inward your
faculty of hearing to hear your own nature. This is how
enlightenment is won.”But I'm wondering if we should practice this in daily life, because turning away from pain, from experience is a kind of denial? Awareness is also not separated from everything else.
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Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
You know I really 'feel' that message of Chapter 3 yesterday while meditating... I could actually feel that, all thoughts are not absolutely right or wrong and are equally illusory, can be 'doubted', and come and go against the only 'Real' unmoving formless background awareness that is completely alive. That only Consciousness is 'real'. Real in the sense that it IS, an undeniable Presence.
I could not perceive the 'oneness' or 'nondual' nature though. I just stayed with that Awareness and doubted (let go) everything else.
Maybe you guys can comment on that?
Just a sharing...
I think this is an experience of detachment from thought's conditioning power. That's why, you can feel that there are no absolute right or wrong. Yet, at the same time, because of the loosened conditioning, the presence will be felt.
However, i don't think this is an experience of 'no-thought' yet.... not that we need to strive for it. In an experience of 'no thought' and 'no sense impressions', the Presence will be felt as all-pervading. It is not vast, but all pervading. There is a difference here. Vast denotes great distance. All-pervading denotes infinity... no border... no center.
Further insight of this infinity may allow you to understanding why space, location and distance are merely impressions.
Just a sharing. Read with discernment please.. thanks.
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Originally posted by longchen:
Just a sharing...
I think this is an experience of detachment from thought's conditioning power. That's why, you can feel that there are no absolute right or wrong. Yet, at the same time, because of the loosened conditioning, the presence will be felt.
However, i don't think this is an experience of 'no-thought' yet.... not that we need to strive for it. In an experience of 'no thought' and 'no sense impressions', the Presence will be felt as all-pervading. It is not vast, but all pervading. There is a difference here. Vast denotes great distance. All-pervading denotes infinity... no border... no center.
Further insight of this infinity may allow you to understanding why space, location and distance are merely impressions.
Just a sharing. Read with discernment please.. thanks.
I see... thanks for the clarifications :)
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AEN, your posting is too...long. It is good if people can finish it.
I tried the "how do you know" method and the "both side arguing" method.
But there are some questions that has very clear right and wrong answer.
ok, let me give an example.
"I know absolutely for sure that practicing dharma and liberate from samsara is what we should do"
Let's see if anyone can refute it. :) -
Originally posted by Display Name:
AEN, your posting is too...long. It is good if people can finish it.
I tried the "how do you know" method and the "both side arguing" method.
But there are some questions that has very clear right and wrong answer.
ok, let me give an example.
"I know absolutely for sure that practicing dharma and liberate from samsara is what we should do"
Let's see if anyone can refute it. :)"But if the nature of Dharma is constantly changing, then there may never be liberation."
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Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:
"But if the nature of Dharma is constantly changing, then there may never be liberation."
The nature of dharma is not constantly changing. The nature of dharma is that there is no nature, no essence, i.e. the nature of dharma is empty.
Liberation is the realisation of this and thus ending all dualistic experience causing sufferings. The world seen as it is non-dualistically is itself Nirvana.
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Originally posted by Display Name:
AEN, your posting is too...long. It is good if people can finish it.
I tried the "how do you know" method and the "both side arguing" method.
But there are some questions that has very clear right and wrong answer.
ok, let me give an example.
"I know absolutely for sure that practicing dharma and liberate from samsara is what we should do"
Let's see if anyone can refute it. :)Even that is an assumption, a belief! Because how do you know, unless it is an intuitive-insight-awareness? What is Nirvana anyway? For beginners who are not yet liberated, they only take it on assumption and belief. They merely hear the words from others, it is not their experience.
But it is nevertheless a good assumption to make. A good belief. Because for practical purposes in life, we have to have beliefs. Even science is included, we invest a lot of faith in science, because there is no certainty. But Buddhism and Science are examples of reasonable faith, because it can be tested in experience. Nevertheless, before you SEE it, it is still a belief. But when practicing, it is good to question all beliefs, because to hold onto a belief and be satisfied with the belief and think that it is knowledge, is to miss the Truth. We simply cannot approach Reality (in the ultimate sense) through a belief system, a thought system, or a rational logical system of analysis.
Also, once there is an awakening, a quantum shift in perception, such spiritual beliefs are deemed irrelevant.
But prior to awakening, we can have beliefs as long as they do not become a hindrance to knowing truth. To say 'I Believe' is still ok, but to confuse 'I Believe' with 'I Know' is a form of arrogance. And we must also differentiate beliefs from knowledge, and as I wrote in another forum,
Buddhism is an experiential journey to the final end of suffering, the supreme bliss of liberation and the ultimate wisdom of reality.
Belief, thought, and all the things we learnt from others and then vomit out as 'intellectual understanding' cannot help us approach Reality. The worst thing is to think 'I Know'. Because belief and thought cannot truly 'Know' reality.
Reality must be approach by an intuitive awareness, a form of 'touch'. Reality is in the pure rawness of this moment of manifestation. That is why we practice mindfulness, being naked in awareness. Drop the 'I Know' and just let reality Manifest.
True Dharma and its nature is exhibited every moment in every experience. Penetrate This, break the solidity until there is no holding, simply Thus. Then let this insight sink deep into our consciousness and burn away our bonds. That's all.
Buddhism is beyond religion, beyond belief. It's What's Real.As Thusness said before, in http://buddhism.sgforums.com/forums/1728/topics/273281
Interesting topic and I think I will skew a little to talk about science and faith since AEN was discussing a related thread yesterday.
Faith is necessary because there is no certainty in knowledge. Even in exact science, no certainty is to be found. Of course certainty versus probable knowledge is a topic relating to Epistemology (the theory on Knowledge) but still, it is pivotal towards understanding why the need for faith at all. How science has led to the common misunderstanding that faith is not necessary is amazing but it is mostly due to the predictive nature of these scientific theories derived from thorough experimentation. This is, however, mainly due to the fact that the pool of data made available for the derivation of these theories does not go beyond our man-size world. As we know, Newtonian physics or classical science works well for a man-size world but not quite well in the macro and micro universe. Our ordinary experiences do not permit us to experience something having the mass of a star or traveling at half-speed of light, we presume that the entire universe must obey the laws of the man-size world. But when we are exposed to things not so ordinary, like traveling at a speed much faster then our ordinary experience of ‘speed’, we are lost because phenomena just don’t behave the way we expected it to be. The idea that time travel slower when they are approaching the speed of light and halt at speed of light is mind boggling. Similarly when scientists begin to deal with the universe of the outer space – the macro universe, they are dealing with much more massive objects than the man-size world, a billion times more. The idea that space curves and time halt at the speed of light came as a shocked to the classical scientists. This applies true when we deal with the micro universe of the quantum world. The world of the electrons does not comply with Newtonian nor Einstein theory. This includes the spooky non-local behavior of particles that AEN brought up in another thread. When Heisenberg introduced the ‘uncertainty’ principle, it is so weird that even Einstein rejected it and thus, Einstein famous remark -- “God does not play dice”. But “God does not play dice” is a belief system! I can’t remember where I read it but I could clearly recalled that even Stephen Hawking used phrases like “official dogma”, “deep emotional attachment to determinism” to describe scientists like Einstein. Stephen Hawking even went further to say that Einstein was doubly wrong when he said “God does not play dice”.
I will not dwell too deeply into it but the purpose is simply to illustrate that our knowledge is nothing certain nor absolute. Science is itself a belief system for us to better understand the phenomenon existence. It is its certainty in predictability within a prescribed environment that convinces us that faith is not necessary. It creates the impression of certainty and made a probable knowledge appears absolute but in actual case, science itself is a belief system and a great deal of faith (maybe good and rational faith in this case) is vested in science unknowingly.
My 2 cents.and
Sort of off-topic but just to point out that faith plays a vital role in our life and we are always investing faith in people, theories, concepts and belief systems unknowingly. Human is not just a rational being; to understand ourselves, we must also examine our emotional, mythical and psychological makeup.
To touch on what is ‘true’ and ‘right’ free of our belief systems is a philosophical question that I do not wish to get into. Coming into contact with Buddhism is more of coincidental. My deepening of faith in Buddha’s words came only as a result of practice. It is experiential and subjective. It is sort of ‘I know because I experience it.’
BUT.....
There is one thing right now, one thing that you cannot doubt.
It is your Buddha-Nature. It is your own consciousness.
It is not a theory, if you don't believe, check it out yourself.
(p.s. the author of the book above, is at the 'I AM' or 'Witness' level as Ken Wilber puts it. But it's still half the story. But to contact the Witness is an initial awakening of our Buddha-Nature, but its non-dual and empty [an insight further than nondual] nature is not comprehended.)
http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2007/05/some-writings-on-non-duality-by-ken.html
There are many things that I can doubt, but I cannot doubt my own consciousness in this moment. My consciousness IS, and even if I tried to doubt it, it would be my consciousness doubting. I can imagine that my senses are being presented with a fake reality – say, a completely virtual reality or digital reality, which looks real but is merely a series of extremely realist images. But even then, I cannot doubt the consciousness that is doing the watching…
The very undeniability of my present awareness, the undeniability of my consciousness, immediately delivers to me a certainty of existence in this moment, a certainty of Being in the now-ness of this moment. I cannot doubt consciousness and Being in this moment, for it is the ground of all knowing, all seeing, all existing…
Who am I? Ask that question over and over again, deeply. Who am I? What is it in me that is conscious of everything?
If you think that you know Spirit, or if you think you don’t, Spirit is actually that which is thinking both of those thoughts. So you can doubt the objects of consciousness, but you can never believably doubt the doubter, never really doubt the Witness of the entire display. Therefore, rest in the Witness, whether it is thinking that it knows God or not, and that witnessing, that undeniable immediacy of now-consciousness, is itself God, Spirit, Buddha-mind. The certainty lies in the pure self-felt Consciousness to which objects appear, not in the objects themselves. You will never, never, never see God, because God is the Seer, not any finite, mortal, bounded object that can be seen…
This pure I AM state is not hard to achieve but impossible to escape, because it is ever present and can never really be doubted. You can never run from Spirit, because Spirit is the Runner. To put it very bluntly, Spirit is not hard to find but impossible to avoid: it is that which is looking at this page right now. Can’t you feel That One? Why on earth do you keep looking for God when God is actually the Looker?
Simply ask, Who am I? Who am I? Who am I?
I am aware of my feelings, so I am not my feelings – Who am I? I am aware of my thoughts, so I am not my thoughts – Who am I? Clouds float by in the sky, thoughts float by in the mind, feelings float by in the body – and I am none of those because I can Witness them all.
Moreover, I can doubt that clouds exist, I can doubt that feelings exist, I can doubt that objects of thought exist – but I cannot doubt that the Witness exists in this moment, because the Witness would still be there to witness the doubt.
I am not objects in nature, not feelings in the body, not thoughts in the mind, for I can Witness them all. I am that Witness – a vast, spacious, empty, clear, pure, transparent Openness that impartially notices all that arises, as a mirror spontaneously reflects all its objects…
You can already feel some of this Great Liberation in that, as you rest in the ease of witnessing this moment, you already feel that you are free from the suffocating constriction of mere objects, mere feelings, mere thoughts – they all come and go, but you are that vast, free, empty, open Witness of them all, untouched by their torments and tortures.
This is actually the profound discovery of… the pure divine Self, the formless Witness, causal nothingness, the vast Emptiness in which the entire world arises, stays a bit, and passes. And you are That. You are not the body, not the ego, not nature, not thoughts, not this, not that – you are a vast Emptiness, Freedom, Release, and Liberation.
With this discovery… you are halfway home. You have disidentified from any and all finite objects; you rest as infinite Consciousness. You are free, open, empty, clear, radiant, released, liberated, exalted, drenched in a blissful emptiness that exists prior to space, prior to time, prior to tears and terror, prior to pain and mortality and suffering and death. You have found the great Unborn, the vast Abyss, the unqualifiable Ground of all that is, and all that was, and all that ever shall be.
But why is that only halfway home? Because as you rest in the infinite ease of consciousness, spontaneously aware of all that is arising, there will soon enough come the great catastrophe of Freedom and Fullness: the Witness itself will disappear entirely, and instead of witnessing the sky, you are the sky; instead of touching the earth, you are the earth; instead of hearing the thunder, you are the thunder. You and the entire Kosmos because One Taste – you can drink the Pacific Ocean in a single gulp, hold Mt. Everest in the palm of your hand; supernovas swirl in your heart and the solar system replaces your head…
You are One Taste, the empty mirror that is one with any and all objects that arise in its embrace, a mindlessly vast translucent expanse: infinite, eternal, radiant beyond release. And you… are… That…
So the primary Cartesian dualism – which is simply the dualism between… in here and out there, subject and object, the empty Witness and all things witnessed – is finally undone and overcome in nondual One Taste. Once you actually and fully contact the Witness, then – and only then – can it be transcended into radical Nonduality, and halfway home becomes fully home, here in the ever-present wonder of what is…
And so how do you know that you have finally and really overcome the Cartesian dualism? Very simple: if you really overcome the Cartesian dualism, then you no longer feel that you are on this side of your face looking at the world out there. There is only the world, and you are all of that; you actually feel that you are one with everything that is arising moment to moment. You are not merely on this side of your face looking out there. “In here” and “out there” have become One Taste with a shuddering obviousness and certainty so profound it feels like a five-ton rock just dropped on your head. It is, shall we say, a feeling hard to miss.
At that point, which is actually your ever-present condition, there is no exclusive identity with this particular organism, no constriction of consciousness to the head, a constriction that makes it seem that “you” are in the head looking at the rest of the world out there; there is no binding of attention to the personal bodymind: instead, consciousness is one with all that is arising – a vast, open, transparent, radiant, infinitely Free and infinitely Full expanse that embraces the entire Kosmos, so that every single subject and every single object are erotically united in the Great Embrace of One Taste. You disappear from merely being behind your eyes, and you become the All, you directly and actually feel that your basic identity is everything that is arising moment to moment (just as previously you felt that your identity was with this finite, partial, separate, mortal coil of flesh you call a body). Inside and outside have become One Taste. I tell you, it can happen just like that!
(Source: Boomeritis, Sidebar E: “The Genius Descartes Gets a Postmodern Drubbing: Integral Historiography in a Postmodern Age”. More to be found in The Simple Feeling of Being, a collection of Ken Wilber’s inspirational, mystical and instructional passages drawn from his publications, based on his experiences.) -
I want to add something regarding the method this author (Michael Langford) is teaching (Awareness Watching Awareness). This practice is also taught in Buddhism and in the sutras, and is a valid practice, but at most will lead to the I AM level of experience. It is a glimpse, an initial realisation of our Buddha-nature. But it does not come with the understanding of luminosity as Anatta/No-Self and Emptiness. Therefore as Longchen told me, those doing one pointed meditation will have to switch to Insight-practice (Vipassana/Vipashyana) after their initial awakening of Presence that occurs by absorption, in order to uncover deeper insights into the non-dual and empty nature.
Generally speaking, my friend Thusness would usually recommend insight-practice from the start. But to a few persons, depending on conditions, he would recommend self-inquiry or methods that leads to a quick glimpse of Presence. This has its danger as the experience may be misunderstood. But it is a faster means to have an initial glimpse.
As Thusness said 2 years ago,
The AMness can be said to be a form of absorption where the object of concentration is the Self. It can be a question "Who am I" that leads one to the experience of the subject-object becoming one. Till a point the practitioner simply experiences a pure sense of existence. However such mode of experience has no understanding of its luminous clarity and its nature as anatta. The key point about mindful awareness is there is no keeping of the mind on anything and by not resting on anything, it fuses into everything; therefore it cannot be concentrated; rather it is to relax into nothingness empty of self, empty of any artifical doing so that the natural luminosity can take its own course. There is no focusing, there is only allowing the mirror bright clarity to shine with it natural radiance. In essence there is no one there, only the phenomenon arisng and ceasing telling their stories. -
A continuation of the sharing:
Excerpts from
Chapter 4 - THE DESIRE FOR LIBERATION
Awakening the extremely intense desire for Liberation is the most important first step that can be taken towards being liberated here and now in this lifetime.
The extremely intense desire for liberation is (3 - 7):
The extremely intense desire for the realization of the absolute Truth.
The extremely intense longing for the ending of sorrow and the experience of Eternal-Love-Joy.
The extremely intense desire to experience who or what you really are at your core and to live eternally as your true Self.
The extremely intense desire for freedom from all illusion and delusion and freedom from the ego that is the source of all illusion and delusion.
The extremely intense desire to awaken from the human nightmare.
The extremely intense desire for liberation is the foundation of all true spirituality.
Of all of the factors that determine whether you will or will not be free, the intensity or lack of intensity of your desire for liberation is the most essential factor.
Therefore, whatever you can do to most effectively increase your desire for liberation should be done..
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.
All obstacles that appear in your journey to freedom are caused by too little desire for freedom.
Even a little increase in your desire for freedom is helpful.
As your desire for freedom grows in intensity the ego creates fewer obstacles.
When your desire for freedom becomes very intense, your desire for freedom demands that you take no detours.
When your desire for freedom becomes very intense, for the first time you can see what is essential for freedom and what is not essential.
When the desire for freedom is weak, the ego will not allow you to see the ego’s preservation strategies.
When the desire for freedom is stronger, you can begin to see the ego’s preservation strategies.
When the desire for freedom becomes even stronger, the desire for freedom itself will bring you everything you need to succeed in your quest for liberation including the answer to all your questions, finding the Direct Path teachings, the solution to all obstacles, etc.
You will also be able to see how, before the awakening of the extremely intense desire for liberation, the ego was selecting spiritual teachings that would help to preserve it.
When the desire for freedom becomes even more intense, you can see all of the ego’s preservation strategies.
When the extremely intense desire for liberation is awakened, you will marvel at how it was possible that you did not see the ego’s preservation strategies before.
When the extremely intense desire for liberation is awakened, you will be able to see how the ego distorted even the Direct Path teachings..
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.
When the extremely intense desire for liberation is awakened, you will see the endless maze of concepts the ego has created to trap your attention.
When the desire for freedom becomes even more intense, the ego will no longer create preservation strategies.
The extremely intense desire for the Direct Experience of the absolute Truth will guide you to your inner Teacher.
The extremely intense desire for Truth will guide you to the practice that gives the Direct Experience of eternal life.
The intensity of the desire for the realization of the Truth is the key.
Increasing your desire for the absolute Truth is the most important step.
Increasing the desire for freedom must be the first step.
Without an increase in your desire for freedom, all of your attempts at awakening will fail to produce eternal experience.
Without an increase in your desire for freedom, the ego will distort all your spiritual studies, including what you read in the book you are now reading.
Without an increase in your desire for freedom, the ego will never allow you to see the Truth.
Another great key is self-honesty.
Self-honesty will help in all aspects of the quest for liberation.
Self-honesty will help you to increase your desire for liberation.
Self-honesty means to be as honest as you can be.
Self-honesty means to be 100% honest with your self, all of the time.
Catch your ego using preservation strategies.
See your ego creating arguments that lead you away from the Direct Path.
What if your desire for liberation were to double from its present level?
If your desire for liberation were to double from its present level, that would be a huge help.
If your desire for liberation were to double from its present level, immediately you would begin to see what you have never been able to see before.
What if your desire for liberation were a million times greater and more intense than it is now?
Really, even if your desire for liberation doubles or triples, great changes will occur in what the ego allows you to see.
When your desire for liberation increases greatly, every moment of your life will be dedicated to your liberation.
That great intense desire for liberation itself will demand that you do not waste even one moment of time, and it will demand that you stop the ego lies, and that you drop that which is not essential.
The wonderful thing is, it is that same extreme desire for liberation that brings you the knowledge of what is essential and what is not essential and allows you to see for the first time in your life.
Before the extremely intense desire for freedom arises, you think you can see, but you are really blind.
After the extremely intense desire for freedom arises, all is made clear and you have no doubts!
After the extremely intense desire for freedom arises, for the first time you can see!
If the extremely intense desire for liberation does not arise in you (58 - 62):
None of the words in this book will be of any benefit to you.
The ego will interpret what is written here in the book you are now reading.
The ego will create arguments against what is written here.
Instead of seeing what you read literally, without any interpretation, the ego will begin to interpret.
The ego will change the teachings into something that preserves the ego instead of something that brings the ego to its final end.
Therefore, the key to everything is to awaken the extremely intense desire for liberation and to make that desire for freedom grow everyday..
.
.
If the desire for freedom is not great enough in you, the ego will always find a way to occupy your time with something other than spiritual practice.
Thus the key to bringing the ego to an end is the intensity of the desire for freedom.
Eagerness for liberation must be equal to the eagerness someone who is being held underwater has for trying to rise to the surface.
Reflect on #71 above..
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.
Eagerness is another word for the desire for freedom.
How great, how intense is the desire of someone being held underwater trying to rise to the surface.
He would like to rise to the surface, but he is being held underwater.
See how intense his desire is to rise to the surface.
Every second his desire to rise to the surface is becoming more and more intense.
After one minute, how the intensity of his desire has increased.
After two minutes underwater, the desire for oxygen and therefore his desire to rise to the surface, is ten times greater.
After three minutes underwater, his desire to rise to the surface is one hundred times greater.
After four minutes underwater, his desire to rise to the surface is one thousand times greater.
How great, how intense is his desire?
That is how intense your desire for liberation must become, if you are going to succeed in your quest for Eternal Freedom.
If the extremely intense desire for freedom is not there, you can always find a way to avoid spiritual practice.
If the extremely intense desire for Freedom is not present, there is almost no limit to the ego’s capacity to distort..
.
.
What if your present desire for freedom were to become a million times more intense than it is now? (110 - 114):
Then there would not be time for all these games, detours and distractions.
Then you would stop listening to teachers who are supposedly liberated but who are not liberated.
Then you would not pretend thinking about spirituality is Spirituality.
Then you would not pretend an intellectual journey is a spiritual journey.
Then the only means you would accept would be the most direct means.
Then you would be just like the man who is being kept underwater trying to rise up for air (116 - 127):
He does not have time for discussion.
He does not have time for games.
He does not have time for false teachers.
He does not have time for methods that are not the most rapid and direct means.
He does not have time for endless reading.
He does not have time for television.
He does not have time for projecting an imagined meaning unto the teachings.
He does not have time for entertainment.
He does not have time for pretending to want to be free.
He does not have time for any dishonesty with himself.
He does not have time for pretending he has risen to the surface.
He does not have time for any debate or argument.
What he has time for is only to focus all of his attention on rising to the surface.
That is why the entire key lies in the intensity of the desire for freedom.
The only problem an aspirant ever has is too weak a desire for liberation.
An extremely intense desire for liberation will solve all the other problems. -
IMO, once one has sufficient direct experience of what the author calls infinite-eternal-awareness-bliss-love -- our true nature, the entire outward seeking momentum will be overturned. Not that it will no longer arise forever, but that it will not be as strong as before.
One should reach that level, and that is the awakening of the intense desire for liberation.
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Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
Eagerness is another word for the desire for freedom.
How great, how intense is the desire of someone being held underwater trying to rise to the surface.
He would like to rise to the surface, but he is being held underwater.
See how intense his desire is to rise to the surface.
Every second his desire to rise to the surface is becoming more and more intense.
After one minute, how the intensity of his desire has increased.
After two minutes underwater, the desire for oxygen and therefore his desire to rise to the surface, is ten times greater.
After three minutes underwater, his desire to rise to the surface is one hundred times greater.
After four minutes underwater, his desire to rise to the surface is one thousand times greater.
How great, how intense is his desire?
That is how intense your desire for liberation must become, if you are going to succeed in your quest for Eternal Freedom.
If the extremely intense desire for freedom is not there, you can always find a way to avoid spiritual practice.
If the extremely intense desire for Freedom is not present, there is almost no limit to the ego’s capacity to distort.As my local dharma teacher once said, æ—¶ æ—¶“ 与 ä½› å�Œ 在” 如 å�Œ 呼 å�¸ 一 æ ·ï¼Œ è¦� æ´» ç�€ å°± ä¸� 能 离 å¼€ 空 气， è¦� 解 脱 自 在， å…‰ 明 觉 照， å°± ä¸� 能 离 å¼€“ 觉”
-
Chapter 5 -
HOW TO AWAKEN THE EXTREMELY INTENSE
DESIRE FOR LIBERATIONThe primary means to awaken the extremely intense desire for liberation is to carefully examine two choices everyday until the extremely intense desire for liberation awakens.
Choice A is to choose to end the ego by dropping all unnecessary activities, to create the maximum amount of time everyday to practice the most direct and rapid means to eternal bliss.
The most direct and rapid means to eternal bliss, here and now in this lifetime, is the Awareness Watching Awareness Method described in Chapter Seven.
Choice A is Infinite-Eternal-Awareness-Love-Bliss with no sorrow and no suffering.
Choice A is Eternal Life.
Choice A is to live as your true Self for all eternity.
Choice A is absolutely perfect joy.
The above (2 - 7) is a summary of Choice A..
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Choice B is being identified with a body subject to suffering, sorrow, disease, death, violence, fear, anger, etc.
Choice B is to allow an imposter called the ego to pretend to be yourself and to control you.
Choice B is to allow an imposter called the ego, that has created all the wars, diseases, death, sorrow, suffering and evil that every human has ever experienced, to continue.
Choice B is to have a temporary and therefore futile life that leads only to death.
In order to better examine Choice B, you can make a list of all the forms that human sorrow and suffering take.
You can write on that list thousands of wars, thousands of diseases, thousands of forms of violence and every other form human sorrow and suffering takes that you can think of. Usually humans look only at a small part of the ocean of human sorrow and suffering. The purpose of the list is to look at the entire ocean of human sorrow and suffering all at once. The purpose of the list is to look at the entire negative side of human life all at one time. (In the future there will be a sample list on The Freedom Religion website.)
You need only read the suffering list once.
After that, the summary found in Chapter Five should be enough.
Read Chapter Five everyday, comparing the summary of Choice A and the summary of Choice B, until the extremely intense desire for liberation awakens in you.
Read Chapter Five everyday comparing the summary of Choice A and the summary of Choice B until you have made Choice A.
How will you know that the extremely intense desire for liberation has been awakened?
When you drop all unnecessary activities everyday, and use all of that free time created to actually practice everyday the most rapid and direct means to eternal bliss, you will know that the extremely intense desire for liberation has been awakened.
How will you know that you have made Choice A?
When you drop all unnecessary activities everyday, and use all of the free time thus created to actually practice everyday the most rapid and direct means to eternal bliss, you will know you have made Choice A.
The Awakening of the extremely intense desire for liberation, which can also be called “really making Choice A” is (25 - 55):
It is like a sign stating “NO MORE” that is a million miles high.
NO MORE to all of the human evils of the past.
NO MORE to all of the horrors the ego has created.
It is like a silent shout saying NO MORE so loud, that if it were given a voice it would shatter the eardrums of every human on earth.
It is a demand for Truth.
It is the absolute demand for absolute Truth.
It is the absolute demand for the final end of all human opinions.
It is the absolute demand for absolute goodness.
It is the absolute demand for the final end of the imposter who is called the ego.
It is the absolute demand for the Direct Experience of the true Self.
It is like an infinitely strong grip that grabs hold of Truth with a grip so strong, no power can weaken that grip.
It is like an infinitely strong grip that grabs hold of the true Self with a grip so strong, nothing is powerful enough to weaken that grip.
The extremely intense desire for liberation is like an infinitely strong grip that grabs hold of the absolute goodness that has never known falsehood with a grip so strong nothing can weaken that grip.
It is like an absolutely immovable “NO” saying no to the trillions of human lies spoken in the past and the billions of human lies being thought of each day.
It is an absolute “NO” to the trillions of horrors humans have created in the past and the billions of horrors humans are creating everyday.
It is an absolute demand for the end of all sorrow and suffering.
It is an absolute demand for perfect infinite-eternal-love-joy.
It is an absolute demand that the source of all suffering, violence and evil, which is the imposter called ego, come to a final end.
It is an absolute devotion to the true Self that is the background of awareness.
That absolute devotion takes the form of turning the attention away from the world, the body, thought, etc. and towards awareness watching awareness.
The extremely intense desire for liberation is a demand for Truth that never compromises.
It is a demand for the end of thought.
It is a demand for the Direct Experience of the absolute Truth.
When the extremely intense desire for freedom arises, these demands are directed inwards, not towards others.
When the extremely intense desire for freedom arises, one never again bows before any egotistical human.
When the extremely intense desire for freedom arises, all obstacles are swept away.
It is absolute dedication and devotion to absolute Truth.
It is absolute dedication and devotion to knowing the true Self in Direct Experience.
After the extremely intense desire for liberation is awakened, every moment of one’s life is dedicated to awakening from the human dream.
When the extremely intense desire for liberation is awakened, all of the ego’s lies and games are seen for what they are and all of the ego’s lies and games come to an end.
When the extremely intense desire for liberation is awakened, the nightmare the ego has created is no longer tolerated.
The ego is the source of all evil.
The ego is insane. This is true for all humans.
To produce so many trillions of horrors, the ego has to be evil and insane.
Something in you longs for an end to the imposter’s dream.
Something in you longs for infinite Love.
Something in you longs for the end of all suffering and sorrow.
Something in you longs for eternal-joy-love.
It is possible to end the ego’s dream and to discover the true Self which is free of all suffering and sorrow and whose nature is infinite-eternal-love-joy.
It is possible now in this lifetime, while this body is living.
Co-operate with your Heart.
Stop listening to your ego.
If you turn your attention away from thought and towards awareness watching awareness and sustain that look for many hours everyday, eventually the ego dream will end and the true Self will be known.
Then all suffering and sorrow ends and what remains is the eternal perfection of awareness-love-bliss.
Make Choice A.
Make your choice absolute and absolutely immovable.
Make your choice absolutely solid and final.
Your true Self, the background of awareness that is looking through your eyes now, deserves your attention.
For your entire life, you have been ignoring your true Self.
Your true Self, the background of awareness, deserves your love & attention.
Demand sanity.
The human dream is insane.
Demand sanity by waking up from the human dream into the reality of your own awareness.
Make Choice A by dropping all unnecessary activities to create more time for spiritual practice.
Make Choice A by dropping all distractions, detours and entertainment to create more time everyday for spiritual practice.
Make Choice A by making sure your spiritual practice is the most rapid and direct means to eternal bliss.
The suffering and sorrow that life brings is also a means to awaken the extremely intense desire for liberation.
Reading Chapter Five everyday is a much easier and more rapid means to awaken the extremely intense desire for liberation. -
Chapter 6 will be skipped because it is about the story of how the author came to discover the Awareness Watching Awareness method. It is quite gd read, so if you want to read can go http://www.albigen.com/uarelove/most_rapid/chapter06.aspx
Chapter 7, can read on your own also. It's the
THE AWARENESS WATCHING AWARENESS
METHOD PRACTICE INSTRUCTIONShttp://www.albigen.com/uarelove/most_rapid/chapter07.aspx
There are 24 variations in description of the same thing, I'll just copy 3.
The author recommends practicing 2 hours a day on the following instructions.
Description A: Shut your eyes. Notice your awareness. Observe that awareness. Turn your attention away from the world, body and thought and towards awareness watching awareness. If you notice you are thinking, turn your attention away from thought and back towards awareness watching awareness.
Description B: Look out at the room and notice your awareness looking out through your eyes. Now shut your eyes and notice that same awareness is still there that a moment ago was looking outward at the room. Observe that awareness. If you seem to be having a lot of thoughts, ignore them and turn your attention away from the thoughts and towards awareness observing awareness.
Description C: Shut your eyes. Notice that you are conscious. Watch that consciousness. Every time you notice a thought, turn your attention away from the thought and continue watching your consciousness. Do not watch your thoughts. Watch your consciousness. Consciousness watching consciousness. Consciousness conscious of consciousness.There are also many other methods I did not mention here, the 'Abandon Release Method', 'The Eternal Method', 'The Infinite Space Method', 'The Loving-All Method' and 'The Reminders', in the further chapters.
Thusness told me to practice dropping, I think is also quite similar (in some ways) to the Abandon Release Method. However there are also subtle differences, in what Thusness instructed me, due to certain conditions I had.
I think I'll stop sharing here, the rest if readers are interested can read further.
