Meditation after anatta/no-self
Something I wrote to someone (slightly edited). She realized anatta/no-self and recently started a meditation regimen, and asked for advise. If you have some advise or anything to share, please to do so.
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Sounds good :) How do you meditate nowadays? A proper posture is very helpful for meditative composure (see: http://www.wwzc.org/book/posture-zazen). This thread is also good, this conversation with Thusness - http://sgforums.com/forums/1728/topics/440368?page=1
Those who did not realize anatta will practice dualistically - via dissociation, or trying to stay or abide in a substantial/purest/background state of awareness/Self. There will be a 'something' to get back to, to abide in, to hold on to, etc.
But since you realized anatta, the above dualistic practices are naturally not suitable - it is only suitable for those who did not realize anatta, so they have no choice and their practice is still geared to being a dualistic mirror or awareness or watcher. After realization of anatta, practice becomes an effortless authentication - effortless because there is simply meeting everything directly as it arises in its suchness without any attempt to re-confirm, seek, abide, or hold on to some purest state. There is no more referencing back to a previous non-dual experience reified into an ultimate background, source, substratum, or substantial Self. There is no such clinging at all, only a natural non-dual opening to the non-dual and non-inherent luminosity of/as everything without any dualistic action or doing. It is not done with a kind of goal-aiming or goal-seeking attitude, like as if we are doing something very serious hoping to get into some higher or altered state of experience. Rather, we can think of it as like a clenched fist that is gently, and naturally, relaxing its grip, opening and releasing the butterfly which flies freely in freedom - likewise we naturally release all of our holdings - thoughts, mind, body, contractions, sense of self/Self, etc into moment to moment direct sensate clarity/experience of all six sense doors. There is just relaxing into the natural state, into the spontaneity of what presently manifests in its deep non-dual clarity. No contrivance, attempt to control, manipulate, seek, alter, do, act, modify what manifests. Of course action can arise (so there is no meditation/post-meditation difference essentially) - but in acting it is just the action, again presenting itself naturally as clarity in action, naturally, and spontaneously (without any observer or doer).
You should therefore practice nondual opening in a relaxed manner... opening to everything, and being mindful or having direct awareness/perception of everything non-dually, touch the clarity of all manifestation directly. You will have better understanding of why the Buddha taught the four foundations of mindfulness - like mahasatipatthana sutta (see: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.22.0.than.html ). He did not teach people to dissociate, become a watcher, remain or abide in a background/substantial/purest Awareness, etc. Instead he always talk about mindfulness of sensations, of manifestation, only the manifestation and nothing about a self or a background like in Advaita. Why? In seeing only the seen, in hearing only the heard, as he said ( http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.sg/2010/10/my-commentary-on-bahiya-sutta.html ). Likewise in Mahasatipatthana sutta, you find the Buddha’s repeated expression in the sutta of "observing the body in the body," "observing the feelings in the feelings," "observing the mind in the mind," "observing the objects of mind in the objects of mind." Why are the words, body, feelings, mind, and objects of mind repeated? Why ‘observe the … IN THE ….’? It means you are living and experiencing IN and AS the sensations, and not observing the sensations in and as an observer/watcher.
And as what Thusness told me,
"Thusness’s practice advise for me at the moment is to practice “total opening for whatever arises. Once the taste and the view seamlessly integrate, practice specific concentration, then slowly understand how consciousness works.” When asked about specific concentration, he just advised me to continue the “non-dual opening” for the moment, until the view is fully integrated into moment to moment of experience, then I should start practicing concentration.
To me, non-dual opening must lead to the “transcendence” of all sense of self/Self into ‘no heat or cold’ (see glossary), which is to say, fully manifested as the immediate moment of manifestation or as this flow of action. No resorting or tracing back to a source/Self whatsoever.
p.s. update: Thusness just informed me that ‘the place where there is no heat or cold’ must be a permanent state for my practice."
The Buddha is very clear that all sensations are without self in any form whatsoever - whether as an observer, or a container, or something inhabiting forms like a soul in a body. He rejected all kinds of self-view and taught that the direct path to liberation is the practice of mindfulness as taught in Mahasatipatthana sutta. His entire path of practice is in sync with his view and realization. He did not talk about Self, he talked about the aggregates, the elements, the sensations and manifestation and their nature - empty of self, impermanent (dissolving, releasing, disjoint), unsatisfactory (ungraspable and passing - nothing is satisfying). He taught that by contemplating as such, you can gain release, liberation.
Therefore by now with your insights, you should be quite clear that the very basic teachings of Buddha are the most profound.
As Thusness said,
8/26/2012 1:17 AM: John: Do not always think of shortest path, highest and most direct teaching, teaching that tell us to be non-conceptual and free from views and realized our (luminous) Essence directly -- all these can be misleading and extreme... bear this in mind.
By now u should realized the importance of the basic (teachings of the Buddha), of going through step by step. This is having undoubted faith in teaching of returning to the basics from deepening realization and experience.
8/26/2012 1:19 AM: AEN: Oic...
8/26/2012 1:19 AM: AEN: Yea
8/26/2012 1:19 AM: AEN: I find great clarity in for example the pali discourses of buddha
8/26/2012 1:20 AM: AEN: Those essential teachings of dharma seal, d.o., satipatthana etc
8/26/2012 1:25 AM: John: When u realized from maturing ur realization and deepening ur experience, the basic practice becomes natural and effortless. How could it b otherwise for Buddha only taught what he realized.
8/26/2012 1:28 AM: AEN: I see...
p.s. these books may be helpful for your practice:
Clarifying the Natural State: A Principal Guidance Manual for Mahamudra by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal
Basic Teachings of the Buddha by Glen Wallis
Essentials of Mahamudra: Looking Directly at the Mind by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
really nice, thanks!!
Great article there. Thank you for the post.
I go for this Meditation course in Singapore: www.soulcentre.org/medtiation.htm
It has been the best investment so far. I feel so relaxed and free from everything :)
@AEN……
//practice specific concentration, then slowly understand how consciousness works.” When asked about specific concentration, he just advised me to continue the “non-dual opening” for the moment, until the view is fully integrated into moment to moment of experience, then I should start practicing concentration.//
In carrying out the practice of Mindfulness of moment to moment experiences, one is required to have a concentrated, aware, and alert mind, kept consciously and continuously observing the sensations or the subjects that arises through the senses or mind.
Don’t quite get what you meant by “start practicing concentration only after view is fully integrated into moment to moment of experience”?
In non-dual opening, there is no specific object of concentration, as everything coming up is itself non-dually experienced. You can even do this while engaging in daily activities.
In "specific concentration", there is a specific object of concentration such as breath, etc.
Which means non-dual opening is like vipassana right? Just clearly seeing what arises.
Yes but non-dual opening is only possible after certain insights.
Vipassana may be experienced dualistically or non-dually depending on the person's insights. Even if one has nondual experience, without realization it will be passing very quickly and one doesn't know how to 'get back'. Even if one is very mindful and aware, dualistic sense is still there.
But one who realizes anatta sees the purpose of vipassana and is naturally and effortlessly opening non-dually.