dwai

Yes. However, that One is the "I AM". "I AM" is not non-dual, it is the gateway between duality and non-duality. "I AM" is also not the True Self. The True Self is beyond that. When we operate with what seems to be unlimited power from that "I AM", it is still in the domain of duality. Again, If the sage has no "independent will", but rather, happenings happen around and with the sage, he is not-doing - there is just presence. If he has and exercises an independent will, he is doing. That is still the domain of duality.

Thanks for the advise and sharing your thoughts Grant. I'd love to hear with YaMu, Brian et al have to add on this topic About "trust" and "heart open" - first time my heart opened (as an adult) was when I was 18-19 yrs old and I fell in love. It was a very interesting period because, as you pointed out, there were many who took advantage of my trusting nature (i've been a very non-judgemental person all my life, and always took at their face value...instead of assessing their intentions). My heart remained open pretty much until we lost our first child (around 3 months into the pregnancy) and there was a lot of negativity, acrimony and pain associated with that event. I'd already gotten to a point where "death" didn't scare me much as I lost my father when I was 21, and then subsequently my most beloved grand parents a decade later. So since 2006 (since the heart closing), my daughter was born in 2007...but progressively I noticed my heart closing/hardening (conditionally open for a few, like my daughter). I started to become very "cold" in a way, but I was also doing quite a bit of tai chi and nei gong at this time. I feel that this was causing me to detach more and more, making me "cold" in a way. This is how it was until my recent practices (and my master's blessings) gradually opened the heart up again... But this time it's different because I am aware of the fact that the heart "IS" open and yet I am able to stay detached, with a more "neutral" kind of love (for all in general). But it's hard as life's trials and tribulations definitely make the process of keeping the heart open and clean more difficult than it should be.

I'd recommend getting in touch with Justin Harris who is based in Fort Worth (longish drive from Austin). He seems quite accomplished in IMA.

There are a lot of lessons still to be learnt. there is a very subtle but clear difference between participation and observation in the context of meditation. When we are observing (like mind is observing), there is a recognition of things like emotions, feelings, experiences etc but no experiencing. When participating, these experiences are happening to us. We can meditate all the time. What we do in our meditation seat can be done all the time. The meditation is to let the mind rest in the witnessing awareness, without attachments. Attachments can be subscription to particular mental positions or rejection of particular mental positions (taking sides). Happiness, bliss and joy are in this non-attachment. When we let the mind rise and venture out of the stillness of the witnessing consciousness, all the "nasty" things happen to us. We should not reject someone's experiences because it doesn't match ours. It's better to take the position "I don't know...let's wait and see". The secret to being "empty", "free", etc etc is very simple and easy. Yet it is very hard to get to because we are conditioned to seek external objects and gratification in them. However, it is easy because it is always there within us. All it needs is a shift in perspective and identification -- from the body and mind to that awareness that is witnessing all that is happening to the body and the mind. Time is inconsequential. There is no point in trying to hurry towards "enlightenment" or any other thing. All things will happen as they are meant to happen - when the time is right. When the mind deviates from the witnessing consciousness, don't fight it. Just bring it back by first finding the witness and then go back to rest in it, lovingly. Trust the masters who have said all this to us over the ages. They knew what they were talking about. But do find the "witnessing consciousness" first, so that all their words suddenly start making sense.

Haha no for me the ego is not "dead". For the most part, my practice is to let the ego just rest in the Witness Consciousness..not interfering with or trying to interrupt the goings on. It's a tricky thing...as there are fluctuations when the ego/mind go off into flights of fancy. But then always there seems to be the awareness that is witnessing these flights (except in certain scenarios where there is temporary loss of that awareness). But the eventual result of this type of practice is going to be the continuing awareness (even through deep sleep)...that's my objective at this point...to be aware all the time. Adding answer to the question about impact on my life - The awareness of phenomenal nature of the mind/ego makes it easier to address issues that would have sent me into doldrums of despair (work related issues, relationship issues and other stresses of the samsarik life). So there are emotions still but the recovery time is quicker. I am able to "let go" more quickly and then the suffering is reduced or gone (directly proportional to how much I am able to let go). I don't experience any supernatural abilities via this practice ... just makes living an easier process imho, as we can avoid conflicts and become naturally averse to taking positions. This also helps in sensing energies etc as being this way is naturally "empty", so perturbations of energy in the phenomenal world become more apparent (still learning this in the context of taijiquan). I think someone like spotless might be a better candidate to share their thoughts in far greater detail.

I experienced the receding of the mind/ego into the heart recently. It was very distinct in that I was completely aware as I was falling asleep. First the body went to sleep and then the mind flowed back into the heart. If I recollect the condition, there was just awareness left, no personification.

Started reading the Tripura Rahasya..thanks for sharing this one

The ones I have met are mostly genuine. My mother's uncle is one such. At close to 100 he still lives on his own, cooks his own meals and does his practices. He doesn't seek students, they find him and learn from him.

Real renunciates are ferocious tigers. They obliterate your limited sense of being

That's exactly what Poonjaji is saying, as I understand what is quoted

Just read this exchange between a teacher and his student relevant to this topic (from the book Wake up and Roar) --

NAdi shodhan

Just go back to the "I" and rest the mind in it - it is ever present (Presence). Don't know about immortality...but this will lead to dropping of the mind and the "I" transforming into the primordial source. But this is a constant practice...to stay in the "I" state (without anything else). How to get to the "I"? Find the witness that is experiencing the world through your senses and mind. For some it seems to be easy. For me it was easy too (just observing the breath), but I didn't know what this was - was too caught up in "methods" and "techniques". So full circle back was after many years...but all part of my karma. Now it is about staying present always. Little by little is is becoming easier.

I experienced similar pressure in the head when I first started doing siddhar yoga. It's not good for you. So whatever you practice, do it at 50% intensity for a few weeks.

http://isha.sadhguru.org/blog/sadhguru/masters-words/what-makes-him-a-guru/ Interesting thoughts here...

Hi, Nirvikalpa doesn't mean nirvikalpa samadhi. Nirvikalpa the word is a compound word made up of "Nih" and "Vikalpa". Vikalpa means to make a mental resolution/thought. Nih is the negation of that. So Nirvikalpa is one that cannot be "thought" (mental processes applied towards). I used to ask people who objected to my presenting The Self as Emptiness. If you have a zero and I have a zero, is your zero somehow more zero than mine (or vice versa)? Zero is absolute

A jivanamukta is one who is liberated while in the body and alive (Free from Jivahood). Etymology - Jiva - Living Being, Mukta - Free. The other option wrt. liberation in this context is to attain videha mukti - ie. liberation upon death. Etymology - Videha - Vi - without, Deha - Body, Mukti - Liberation/freedom. So what is the Liberation? It is freedom from opposites, positions, suffering and re-incarnation. This is the primary goal of dharma. There are no bodhisattvas in Hindu dharma. There are avatars - who are incarnations of God/Brahman who are already fully liberated, but take human form to guide people towards the right direction. Jivanamuktas may or may not choose to help others seek liberation voluntarily. However, since they are free already, their very presence can help others get liberated, if the conditions are satisfied -- i.e. the "others" have ripened karmically (so to speak). Then the jivanamukta's grace (none other than that of Ishvara) will liberate them too.

Brahman is also described in the same way. Brahman is silence. Silence is true knowledge. Brahman is also called "Triguna rahitAm" (free of the three gunas or properties of Rajas, tamas and Sattva). Brahman is also called "dvandvateetam" (beyond duality, so it cannot be given a label or observed as form - hence, empty of phenomenal nature). Brahman is also called "nirvikalpa, nirAkAra" (cannot be imagined and does not have any form) I can go on... The "One" is the "I AM" or "Aham" of Advaita Vedanta. It is not the Atman...it is the gateway between Atman/Brahman and the 10,000 things.

I think those who are participating on this thread are mature enough to recognize the landmines and avoid them...and so I express my respect for them It is not a question of interpretation. Self (Brahman) is Emptiness/Dao. Because it is "empty" and yet full of potentiality. It can be realized logically even...without even going down the experiential path. In order to do that, the question to be answered is - Is existence predicated on matter or consciousness. In metaphysics and theoretical mathematics, there is the concept of Qualia....fundamental units of subjective experience, which exist as information (somehow), and therefore with the creation of everything from nothing (Big Bang), are governing the creation itself. Download PDF Opens in a new window. Article suggestions will be shown in a dialog on return to ScienceDirect. And then this brief discussion between Chopra and Hameroff is very revelatory --

It is not some contrived moral value. It is primordial...a gateway to the Dao. So when it is translated to be "virtue" in a sense it is correct, but not exactly. This is what our system of daoist nei Gong/Dao gong (via temple style tai chi) teaches. Accessing the Te (purifying/removing things that obfuscate it), results in acting according to Dao and not with the limited mind. So it is called "virtue"...but the virtue is because it is how the Dao flows...without obstruction by the limited being...

The Te in the Tao Te Ching is the Self, which is non-different from the Dao. It is wrongly translated as "virtue". And its my personal opinion that the "emptiness" of Buddha is the Same as the Absolute Self or Brahman or Atman. It (Vedantic Atman) is wrongly conflated with the limited self (Jiva) that the Buddha called "Anatta". Ask any Advaita Vedantin and they will tell you. If you say there is no "Self", then all you have to do is ask "Who's saying that?"

Of course their are sentient beings (Jivas). But that is always at the relative level. At the absolute level, there is only the Self (Dao). The concept of "immortal" is misunderstood too imho. Immortals are jeevanmuktas. They are free and therefore free from the cycle of birth and death. They can if they so choose to, leave the relative existence in a puff of smoke. I remember sitting at a dinner table during a seminar with Master Liao, who talked at length about this. He said, how powerful you are in terms of spiritual power and closeness to Dao is evident in how you die. If you die with pain, suffering, etc you are not at as high a level as someone who can simply dematerialize their physical body (rainbow body). He talked about how he was invited to Tibet by the Chinese govt officials to see some of the monks there disappear (rainbow body) with many observers present. Some disappeared without any trace. Others disappeared with loud explosions that left burn marks where they stood. The higher ones were able to disappear without any residual effect. Those who left residues still had some attachments... I don't know if that's much of a yardstick, but just another perspective. Master Liao is as dyed-in-wool a Daoist (and an extremely powerful one at that) as one gets...and yet he was talking about that. Not so much about being a ruler, etc etc.