dwai

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Everything posted by dwai

  1. I don't see this as being different from AV at all. The Shiva sutras have 4 methods, of which one is not discussed (the method less method). If you read the Sambhavopaya or Shaktopaya, there is not much difference between them and AV. There is nothing destroyed or lost in Brahman. Rather, there is the recognition of one's true nature being Brahman instead of jiva. As shankara says "Brahman is real. Jiva is none other than Brahman". What you are quoting from is the ańvopaya, which is the last resort and hence meant for (if methods 1, 2 or 3 don't work). If I take the quote on Turiya from the Sambhavopaya, i get -- Or even this

  2. Getting our Meditation off the mat

    dwai replied to thelerner's topic in General Discussion

    Beautiful! It reminds of a story about Bodhidharma and some students who went to meet him. One day Bodhidharma was sitting in his cave when two students came to him. They wanted to learn chan/dhyana (zen). Bodhidharma gestured them to sit in front of him. One of his disciples served them tea. Bodhidharma quietly drank the tea. The two seekers were impatient and getting annoyed at having to wait in silence, hardly paid any attention to their tea. After Bodhidharma was done with his tea, the two showered questions on him - "Teacher...please show us zen...we didn't come all this way to drink tea!" To that, Bodhidharma replied "When I drink tea, I drink tea. I don't do( or think of) anything else. That is Zen!"

  3. Getting our Meditation off the mat

    dwai replied to thelerner's topic in General Discussion

    This topic reminds me of a discussion of the nature of the ever-present samādhi in our experience. It shines forth in the gap between thoughts. This "constant mediation" concept is basically (imho) the practice of abiding as the underlying awareness in all activities. A thread relevant to this topic is here --

  4. Being stable in the Self-knowledge

    dwai replied to dwai's topic in Hindu Discussion

    Jiva or Atman?

  5. Being stable in the Self-knowledge

    dwai replied to dwai's topic in Hindu Discussion

    To whom?
  6. To you too BTW, if anyone is interested in knowing why Turiya is called the 4th (but that is just a misnomer), read here --
  7. I read the article and I don't agree with it ..it is juvenile at best.
  8. But that myth you call a myth is not a myth at all. Once one realizes one's true nature as Turiya, the myth that "retaining conscious awareness in sleep (either dream or deep sleep states) is a myth" gets busted...
  9. I also wrote that the realization that one is already Turiya seems to be hidden by the focus of the mind on objects external and internal. The classic example given is that a necklace, a finger ring and an earring are all made of gold. So long as they are perceived as being apart from gold, gold can be considered a "separate" thing. However, when the realization occurs that these objects (necklace, finger ring and ear ring) are nothing apart from the Gold, it becomes clear that they always were made of Gold. Similarly, waking, dreaming and deep sleep seem like disconnected states from this purported fourth (Turiya). But upon realization it becomes clear that they are nothing apart from Turiya.
  10. *deleted*
  11. No, we can say that they wrote what they did for the ignorant and unawakened to become awakened.
  12. It is awareness. The Light in which objects are known
  13. But the incredible beauty of the scenario is in its simplicity ... Again, Turiya is not a state. It is called a state by those who haven't had what one can call "awakening" yet. So from the perspective of the lay person, Turiya is a "4th state". But from the perspective of the jñāni, it is not a state but "reality". The other three states come and go in it. When one realizes one's true nature (as Turiya), then the prapanća stops becoming a source of suffering. All such things that can be observed, have a name and form are objects of awareness/consciousness. Turiya is simply that which gives the ability to know. Even the chakras, and local mind, universal mind, etc are all modifications of this Pure Awareness. So irrespective of how many galaxies one can traverse and how many deities one can merge with, it cannot be possible without what is called "Turiya". Conscious, sub-conscious etc are all modifications of this Pure Awareness.
  14. A lot of mythology and assumptions get passed off as authoritative guidelines. The OP actually starts off very well. However, turiya is not something one reaches or attains. It is always there and everyone already has access to it. Only the mind focuses on this and that, so it seems to be obscured. That IS the Awareness without objects, consciousness without any modifications.
  15. Awareness, without objects.
  16. The awareness that is witnessing a dream and the dream universe is also the awareness that is experiencing the waking universe. That same awareness is unbroken and continues even in deep sleep. There is no cessation of consciousness in deep sleep, only an absence of objects. The only difference between deep sleep and the awareness of an awakened one is that in "unawake" individual, during the deep sleep, awareness is blanketed in tamas (or as they call it nescience, or blankness of ignorance). For the spiritual awakened, there is no tāmasic covering, so the awareness without objects is known to be awareness without objects in deep sleep. While being able to be lucid in a dream state is not a sign of awakening, for the awakened, there is the recognition that waking, dream and deep sleep are states that rise and fall (in it, to it). Also, Turiya is not really the "fourth state", it is unbroken and unwavering awareness in which the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep rise and fall.

  17. Being stable in the Self-knowledge

    dwai replied to dwai's topic in Hindu Discussion

    And yet, the jiva continues to suffer so long as identification as atman is not done. Does the jiva ever get liberation?

  18. Being stable in the Self-knowledge

    dwai replied to dwai's topic in Hindu Discussion

    When cosmic cycle ends, another will start.
  19. https://www.medhajournal.com/close-encounters-of-the-fourth-kind/

  20. Lineages- old and new

    dwai replied to Spotless's topic in Systems and Teachers of

    I'd like to add that awakening as it is, is not an extraordinary occurrence. It is just abiding as our true nature, at the dissolution of identifications with this and that. Personalities don't awaken. Awareness recognizes its original nature when identification with/as the personality drops. Awareness however is always awareness, just that the localized limited personality/identity seems to be in the way. That is the strange paradox that always befuddled my mind and intellect prior to dawning of the realization in a flash -- "How can Awareness not know it's own nature if it is always present"? The fact is, awareness is always aware, just that the focus was on this, that, and personality identification.

  21. Lineages- old and new

    dwai replied to Spotless's topic in Systems and Teachers of

    I've spent some time listening to Tolle and can clearly tell that he is speaking from the perspective of "awake-ness". I've not listened to the others much, but I do like Mooji. For me one question posed by Papaji (in a YouTube video) brought things into perspective - "Without thinking, in a fraction of a second, tell me who you are"...that was a turning point in the process of self-inquiry for me. Wow...yes Amma...what can I even say about her? I met her only once, spent one evening in her presence and it was magnificent. The love was like sunlight...warming me up and illuminating!

  22. Lineages- old and new

    dwai replied to Spotless's topic in Systems and Teachers of

    I can relate to this. The result was that I just laughed when I realized what it was that I was searching for...it was sitting right "under my nose" (so to speak)! I find that over-cleverness and over-romanticizing these teachings is natural for most seekers. When the seeking ends, it becomes clear that the answers were always direct and clear and no parables or riddles were meant at all. It is just that the mind and intellect in its habit of cleverness tried to make the simple teaching into an intellectual exercise. I see this with many of my master's students (who also go to other teachers for supplemental teachings) even today. Many even quit saying that he doesn't know how to teach. But his words were always direct and coming from a place of direct experience. All we had to do is drop the mentation and the teaching spontaneously manifested within (and in our experience).

  23. Lineages- old and new

    dwai replied to Spotless's topic in Systems and Teachers of

    Best approach might be to quietly be. The sun doesn't go to people to illuminate. An awakened one will enlighten just by being.

  24. Lineages- old and new

    dwai replied to Spotless's topic in Systems and Teachers of

    imho there are two aspects to awakening. One is the direct experience beyond the mind (Aparoksha jnana or Paurusha Jnana). The other is the assimilation of said awakening in an intellectual/mental framework (paroksha jnana or bauddha jnana). One without the other is incomplete. Lineages come into play here. They might first lead to Direct experience via psychosomatic/energetic work and subsequently the "how, what where's" become apparent by studying/introspecting/meditating (e.g. Daoism, Kashmir Shaivism, Vajrachara). The other approach is also possible with presentation of the framework first through which one seeks understanding and clarity, progressively peeling away the onion until they are left with the core/kernel (e.g. Advaita Vedanta, Zen Buddhism etc). IMHO, it possible for someone who has awakened to cross lineages (drop or adopt one or another)? I think many awakened masters do exactly that. Ramana Maharshi is an example. He spontaneously awakened and then through the period that he held a body, he taught via various means (Advaita vedanta, Shaiva siddhantas, Tantra, etc).

  25. Buddhist Practices vs Taoist Practices

    dwai replied to 2ndchance's topic in General Discussion

    I’d say it’s not the “‘mind” but rather pure consciousness. Mind implies a steam of thoughts/objects.