A 19 year old guy from Poland wrote in my facebook dharma group about his realization. It is rare that someone as young as him penetrates so deeply. :)
..........
Jackson,
what was meant iny my post by "we simply don't find any basis"? it
meant that no "nothing", no "space", no "thing", no "it", no "who", no
"spiritual beingness", no "Self", no "The Awareness", no "Source", no
"Mirror", no "non-dual Knower" is found apart from ignorance
"Nibbana is, but not the man that enters it,"
~ Visuddhimagga XIX
That
aware space you mention so much, Jackson, I have recognized (I've
pursued direct path of self-enquiry). I've reached direct realization of
"what is your original face" as shapeless, self-cognizing radiance.
Self-knowing space-like presence.
That
realization of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss when there is no distance
between "me" and Existence-Consciousness-Bliss took place. When one
realizes there is no "ME and Existence-Consciousness Bliss", but only
self-knowing Existence-Consciousness-Bliss it is effortless,
unfabricated, non-conceptual and immediate experience. That intimacy and
taste of existence cannot be forgotten. It is like "kiss from beloved" u
have mentioned but not exactly; I speak about situation in which there
is no more "ME" and "Beloved" but only Beloved remains. Kiss so powerful
that "me" dissolved and I noticed that "Kisser and kissed" is one.
I've
also experienced sinking into nothingness like Nisargadatta Maharaj
points out as attempt to integrate the fact that there are perdiods
where not even Existence-Consciousness-Bliss is experienced.
I've
misinterpreted Dzogchen, Mahamudra and Buddhism in overall. Remaining
in "natural state" seemed me to just remain in nirvikalpa samadhi,
absorbed into non-conceptual thought. When I write "non-conceptual
thought" I mean I AM/Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. This is "stage 1" in
Thusness' ladder of "seven stages". http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2007/03/thusnesss-six-stages-of-experience.html
Then
I came across Thusness' and Soh's blog. It showed me that
Existence-Consciousness-Bliss is golden chains. Further contemplation
resulted in fluctuation between experience of "One Mind" and "No Mind";
fluctuating between substantial and insubstantial non-duality. http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2011/08/substantial-and-insubstantial-non.html
Jackson,
you generally speak a lot about what is called by Thusness' and Soh as
"One Mind" => for example quote of one of recent posts of yours "The
Knower and the seeing and hearing are non-dual, yet not the same. The
clouds in the sky are non-dual, yet not the same. The reflections in a
mirror are non-dual regarding the mirror, yet are not the same.". I have
experienced this substantial non-duality directly. This is stage 4 in
above mentioned ladder.
Problem
behind "substantial non-duality" is that there is powerful attachemnt
to though realm. "One Mind" I mentioned above is last resort to hold to
this framework.
"The world is illusory;
Brahman alone is real;
Brahman is the world. "
You
need to directly discern and understand why realization that is
expressed by this stanza is from the very beginning based on attachment
to certain cognitive mistake. Otherwise there is absolutely no
possibility of understanding Buddhadharma. Countless yogic practices
were developed to enhance intensity of experntial realization of this
stanza. I've realized directly first two sentences which is
Self-Realization and then experienced directly meaning of third
sentence. It is "One Mind"/stage 4 in Thusness' ladder. I've directly
experienced that Mind/Presence is mirror that is non-dual with phenomena
but yet independent of them. So I directly realized meaning behind this
pointer.
But
I have also experienced no-mind and realized difference directly. In
"No Mind" there is no more "mirror" that is "non-dual with senses".
That
mirror is recognized to be just one of the senses; particular
manifestation in though realm; non-conceptual thought. So that above
statement about brahman is just based on delusion and attachment to this
non-conceptual thought and reifiying as "mirror", "Self", "non-dual
Knower", "Mind", "Awareness" etc
"In actuality, that non-conceptual thought is not any more special than a passing sight, a passing scent!"
But
anatta isn't experience of "no mind" in which
self/Self/"awareness"/"mind" is forgotten and only non-dual senses
remain without center or reference point. Realization/insight isn't peak
experience.
So what is anatta and how does anatta apply to non-conceptual thought/I AM/Existence-Consciousness-Bliss/Brahman?
Through
contemplation on right view and anatta it was recognized that "Divine
Being" too, as it was discerned directly, is simply self-luminous
activity without any trace of agent, doer behind it. In other words,
non-dual shapeless presence is just non-dual experience in thought
realm.
It
is not "more important" than non-dual sound, non-dual scenery, non-dual
thoughts, non-dual tastes, non-dual odours, non-dual sensations.
It is not "mirror" that is "non-dual" with senses; it itself is just experience in one of the senses.
I
recognized that it is "always so". There is no agent, no linking basis,
no source, no "The awareness", no "self" no "Self", no "the
Intelligence" that is BEHIND self-knowing phenomena.
"Existence-Consciousness-Bliss" is included in phenomena, for it's
position of mirror and non-dual knower is just because of wrong view and
framework that is based on cognitive mistake and assumption.
I understood why Soh used word like "phenomena-ing" instead of "phenomena".
If
someone would like to grasp "nothingness" as last resort to be able to
conceive "I", "me", "Source" and "The Awareness". Well, formless
samadhis are also just self-luminous activity without any agent, source,
self, Self, Intelligence behind it whatsoever. Only lack of realization
and insight into anatta results in reification like Nisargadatta did.
There
is neither "the awareness" nor "Spiritual Intelligence" behind non-dual
self-luminous activities (non-conceptual thought that is reified as
Brahman/Self I also include in this). "Awareness" and "Spiritual
Intelligence" are just label on these self-luminous activities without
agent. "Mind" is just label for this self-luminous arising and passing.
Just like "weather" is label for various activities without doer behind
them.
Two stanzas about Anatta by Thusness' are leading to two equally important aspects of anatta;
"There is thinking, no thinker
There is hearing, no hearer
There is seeing, no seer
In thinking, just thoughts
In hearing, just sounds
In seeing, just forms, shapes and colors."
http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2009/03/on-anatta-emptiness-and-spontaneous.html
Realization
of just one without the other is incomplete. Anatta is only understood
and realized when there is discernment and recognition of what both of
these point to.
""He
perceives Unbinding as Unbinding.[7] Perceiving Unbinding as Unbinding,
he conceives things about Unbinding, he conceives things in Unbinding,
he conceives things coming out of Unbinding, he conceives Unbinding as
'mine,' he delights in Unbinding. Why is that? Because he has not
comprehended it, I tell you."
So
using this quotation as example"He has not comprehended it" can take
place when one realizes second stanza but doesn't realize what is exact
meaning behind first one...
(...)
"He
directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing Unbinding as
Unbinding, he does not conceive things about Unbinding, does not
conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive things coming out of
Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as 'mine,' does not delight in
Unbinding. Why is that? Because, with the ending of delusion, he is
devoid of delusion, I tell you."
In
realization of meaning of both of above Thusness' stanzas on anatta,
there is no more place for "Source", reified "Spiritual Intelligence".
There is no place for any phenomenon or nonumenon behind self-luminous
non-dual activity.
First-fold emptiness simply means that there is nothing behind non-dual
phenomena-ing.All views that are contained in above statements by
Buddha are simply recognized for what they are; delusions that have lack
of the insight into anatta as their cause.
Moreover, posing a question in a way you do, was directly refuted by Buddha; http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/phagguna-sutta-to-phagguna.html read this Jax.
Buddha
isn't stressing this simply because of his whim, but simply in
realization of anatta it is clearly seen why exactly these questions are
flawed from the very beginning.
No god, no Brahma, may be called,
The maker of this wheel of life,
Empty phenomena roll on,
Dependent on conditions all."
Visuddhimagga XIX.
"Infinite
Consciousness", "Infinite Space", "Nothingness", "Neither perception
nor non-perception" are included in "empty phenomena roll on".
Speaking
about "Non-dual Knower" show lack of true understanding and realization
into anatta. Why? Because it is still disease of conceiving. Attachment
to see reality based on subject, object, agent, doer, source,
manifestation, self, Self.
In
other words, by speaking that there is no agent behind self-luminous
activity I also include experience of self-cognizing
Existence-Consciousness-Bliss (which is called "I AM" in Thusness "seven
stages", due to my former conditioning I use similiar terminology.
But
what exactly is realization of anatta? Using two stanzas by Thusness'
realization is direct insight that it is "always already so". To apply
this to my own spiritual seearch it means that from the very beginning
of my journey there was no agent, no linking basis, no source, no "the
awareness" no reified "non-dual knower" or imagined "spiritual
intelligence" behind this. It applies to my delusion of personhood, to
my delusion of reifications of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, to my
delusions of sinking into nothingness, to my delusions of substantial
non-duality ("One-Mind/stage 4 in Thusness "seven stages").
That is why anatta is one of "three marks of existence". It isn't stage or experience. It is always already so.
AN 10.60 Girim�nanda Sutta:
"Now
what, Ānanda, is the recognition of selflessness? Here, Ānanda, a monk,
gone to the wilderness, to the root of a tree, or to an empty place,
discriminates thus: ‘The eye is not-self, forms are not-self; the ear is
not-self, sounds are not-self; the nose is not-self, odors are
not-self; the tongue is not-self, flavors are not-self; the body is
not-self, tactual objects are not-self; the mind is not-self, phenomena
are not-self.’ Thus he abides contemplating selflessness with regard to
the six internal and external sensory spheres. This, Ānanda, is called
the recognition of selflessness."
Thus, we came back to Bahiya Sutta:
‘The
seen will be merely the seen, the heard will be merely the heard, the
sensed will be merely the sensed, the known will be merely the known.’
This is how you should train, B�hiya.
When,
B�hiya, for you the seen will be merely the seen, the heard will be
merely the heard, the sensed will be merely the sensed, the known will
be merely the known, then B�hiya, you will not be that. When, B�hiya,
you are not that, then B�hiya, you will not be there. When, B�hiya, you
are not there, then B�hiya, you will be neither here nor beyond nor
between-the-two. Just this is the end of unsatisfactoriness."
:)
Thanks for sharing....
To be able to realise this at such a young age allows him the possibility to make good use of this life for spiritual cultivation. Good conditions !
Indeed... He's now become very dedicated to spiritual life... there was a time he meditated 6 hours per day (but that was before I AM realization) and now wondering whether or not to renounce... hope he finds what he wants and attain Buddhahood for benefit of all beings.
He had another experience yesterday where he realized the imputation of body and experienced the [effortless] dissolution of body a.k.a. mind-body drop off*. Told him he is experiencing point 1 and 2 in http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com.au/2007/05/different-degrees-of-non-duality.html
He also told me he experienced a vision of me in meditation and gratitude, the day before his anatta insight arose. It's not the first time someone told me they experienced a vision of me in meditation... and I do not think it is mere psychological. I told him his connection is deep.
*Mind-body dissolution in samadhi occurs but is temporary, however for Piotr, it is the result of insight and thus becomes a natural state.
Homage to Three Jewels!
7:35am
J
I just sent this to John, but you may reply as well:
"Trying to bridge an apparent gap. Are you saying that everything is arising as its own self-knowing and that there is no "knowing or awareness" outside of the arising? There is not a Buddha, but rather a flow of Buddha Wisdom? Likewise there is not a samsaric person but rather only a flow afflicted thoughts, emotions and beliefs? Luminous perceptions are not being "perceived" but rather are themselves their own knowing? Is this your perspective? Thanks! "
7:42am
J
The intelligence IS what's happening... Not a Source behind or within?
Today
12:43pm
AEN
yes!
all are imputation - buddha, samsaric person, awareness, even mind, body, objects, world, etc
like piotr wrote to me he had an experience of further deconstruction one day after his realization of anatta into what i call "mind body drop"
12:45pm
AEN
he said "10:55pm
Piotr
yesterday some heat
penetrated the body
and had experience
of something like, "dissolution of body"
but can't describe this clearly, since I mean sensations of body; I see that "body"
is imputation like weather
on sensations
if we use "mind" for I AM, thoughts, emotions, memories
thet "mind" too is like weather
that weather analogy is rly helpful
if six consciousnesses are seen as imputation, then
basically no "body" and "mind"
remains at all
lol
esepcially if we don't imagine some super consciosuness behind skandhas
so "sentient beings" is too like "weather"
11:04pm
AEN
i believe u have read this? http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com.au/2007/05/different-degrees-of-non-duality.html
11:04pm
Piotr
no
11:07pm
AEN
now u're experiencing 1. and 2."