dwai

In Kevala Advaita Vedanta, both the Jivātman and paramātman arise and subside in awareness. This awareness is parābrahman. There can be neither duality, nor non-duality. In fact, there never were these separate entities, and their existence was merely a result of avidya.

I don't think there is a circular logic here. There is nothing apart from Awareness. No "thing" has independent existence. Why? Because they don't exist without a consciousness to experience them. Objects can exist in both space and time or only time. If the object exists in space and time, it is considered a physical object. If it exists in time only, it is considered a mental object. But really, all objects are mental objects, as space and time a result of the movements of the mind. The Seer, seeing and seen are all non-separate. In mundane existence, we don't know that the Seer and seen are non-separate, and therefore ascribe "reality" to the seen, and the seer. The seeing is just a process. When we dig a little deeper, we find that the seen appears in the seer, and doesn't have an independent existence. Dig a bit farther, we see that the personality who we mistake as being the seer, is also an appearance, a process in something else. That we call the "Witness". Eventually, it becomes apparent that the seer, seen and seeing are non-separate, as they all rise and subside in Awareness.

I'm with you on this. There is no seen without a seer. And as you well know, there can be Awareness without objects, or Pure Consciousness. So, the necessity of object and subject mutually co-arising is moot, imho. What rise and fall are the objects in Consciousness.

Amma is powerful for sure. I felt her presence hours before she actually hugged me. It was an amazing experience. My personal preference has been that too. Not because deities don't exist, but because I felt...why would a deity "talk back to puny little me?". It so turns out, in my experience, that they are always with us and love us unconditionally. Because they are not separate from us in the grand scheme of things. You could say that they are a super-set of the limited body-mind entities that we think we are. Yet many of these Avatars and Immortals also professed to interact with deities. For that matter, an avatar, by definition of it's original source, is the incarnation of a deity in human form.

Let me share an experience with Guru Nanak. I don't work with deities as often as I should probably, being a dyed in wool Advaitin rascal . One night, I was meditating in my bedroom, sitting on a chair by the window. I felt a presence in the space above me (in those days I still discerned between inner and outer space). It felt like someone was visiting me at the 12th chakra (4 chakras above the 8th). I looked to see who it was. And I saw Guru Nanak. I had encountered him a few times earlier in my "space explorations", but thought nothing of it. Well, he decided there was something to share with me. So, I felt him entering into my space through the 12th chakra, down through the crown point into my heart. My body broke into a sweat and my heart starting racing. It was a tremendous and most powerful surge of energy flowing through my body. At first, my mind shirked, as I felt I was being "invaded". But Guru Nanak indicated to me that I should relax and not resist. As soon as I did that, all the troublesome symptoms subsided and I entered a deep silence, and amazing clarity.

Let’s discuss this here.

That is stretching the analogy beyond my meager mental capacities

When we try to find out what the ego is, there is nothing to be found. Just like trying find out “who am I?” only to find emptiness and silence.

The Ego is like that unwanted guest, who bosses around until it's identity is inquired into...then it just disappears

That’s why we need to study under the guidance of someone who does. This is by far some of the most technical stuff I’ve come across...

Shiva is not associated with Jing and Shakti is not associated with Shen. Shiva is pure Consciousness. Shakti is the creative power of consciousness. Jing, Qi, Shen all fall under shakti. You should read the Shiva Sutras and Matrikachakra for a proper understanding of what visarga entails. Disclaimer - I think their argument against Vedanta is straw-man, but let's overlook that aspect for now Adding more about visarga itself --

It does settle back in the background again. I had a similar experience (and still do some nights) when the tones are so loud that I am aware even in deep sleep. No mind but just aware

What's the point of coming here if you only "walk" (which is more or less a medium for "talking")? However, some of us do "walk" as well. Perhaps you can show us by "talking and walking" at the same time?

It is easy enough to get access to all sorts of esoteric documents in today's world. We can read thousands of pages of texts about various spiritual concepts and phenomena. However, none of those will help us unless we truly experience what is being talked about. Especially in empirical systems like yoga, daoist alchemy, Advaita Vedanta etc. It is easy to read and imagine certain things happening to you. One may even build up elaborate stories about how this or that practice produces one or another empirical sensations, feelings, etc. However, when the real thing happens, all those stories fly out of the proverbial window. Another problem with reading someone else's description of an experience (or experiences) is that they are often colored with the need to embellish the phenomena experienced, so as to make it stand out in contrast with one's mundane reality. But in most cases, the real thing is indescribable. One cannot express it. It is at the same time the most mystifying as well as the most mundane. Like this "awakening" concept. People read about it and conceptualize it as some sort of mystical, magical state to experience. Yet, when it happens, the reaction is most likely going to be a simple acknowledge about it. The most mystifying thing about this is perhaps the simplicity and obviousness of it. Experiences may or may not precede it. These experiences can be pretty "out there". But the experiences are not awakening. When boat moves through water, it produces waves and ripples. The experiences that everyone tends to describe are like those waves and ripples and not the real thing, they are epiphenomena.

Welcome and please do share more about your path

In temple style we do single forms, we don’t usually focus on the “long dance”. But when we do, we focus on flowing with the same feeling, make it one Long single flow instead of a stitching together of several single forms into a long “dance”. Fast and and slow, etc are not the point. What’s important is to remain present always. Every moment is “now-o-clock”...

beats me...

Awakening to me means realizing that one is neither the body nor the mind, but the awareness where it all occurs Others might have other explanations.

The energy flows all the time. If you experience it you will know. It’s not a one time deal. Once kundalini awakens and rises to the crown a great sensitivity arises and great awareness. Along with it also a constant bliss (which exists with all of us always) gets unhidden. This bliss is there even if the body is in pain. You have a lot of questions and doubts because you don’t seem to practice much, but only rely on theory. It would be interesting to find out about the practices you follow on a regular basis.

To me Kundalini is the creative force of consciousness. It is that which enables cellular division and multiplication from a single cell to an organism. After the organism is grown, it becomes dormant and resides in the base of the spine. One cannot increase or decrease it. It is complete as it is. all this is of course from a dualistic point of view only, for people who have not seen through the illusion of duality. Once duality is dropped, that it is just movement in awareness - which is energy.

My master was a hard style kungfu guy who did leopard and snake style for many years. After starting taiji he gave up the Li and hard approach. He is one of the most powerful taiji people I’ve seen or met yet.