dwai

I find that “pure awareness” (as in unmodified by senses) is many things to many people at various stages of their spiritual quest. Most are oblivious to it. To some it is the scary unknown unknowable. To some others it is the most intimate as their own Self, to some others still it is the tranquil sky of clear knowing, and to others yet it is the Lord of all creation who resides in their innermost sanctum sanctorum.

Interestingly enough, Jung was influenced by Indian wisdom traditions — https://www.idrlabs.com/articles/2014/11/how-indian-philosophy-influenced-jung/

One of my routines is to do some supine qigong. Almost very night, circulate the Qi and then bring it back into the LDT. It really helps to go into deep meditation afterwards. Some of the best meditation I’ve had is in the corpse pose.

If it is considered an "individual self" then I consider it reification. As Atman/Brahman it is not so.

Just by what I’ve seen of his behavior, I question his realization as a practitioner — but then, I’m a nobody

Hilarious. Isn’t he the guy who apologized for being a tuchus to people with whom he disagreed in a very public post on dharmawheel?

Ooh…love it 😜 Nothing better than a good anti-imperialist, Hindu-loving Buddhist 😁 P.S. Even HH The Dalai Lama is one

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_function_collapse

LIK, let me try to explain — Emptiness is the inherent lack of self-nature (svabhāva shunya) in all phenomena. In other words, all phenomena are ephemeral - they don’t last. Since they don’t last, they are empty of self-nature that would allow them to last forever. It (shunyatā) is a technical term in Buddhism, used in a very specific way, to mean a very specific thing. It also means “no-thing-ness” — in that if we try to find the “stuff” that phenomena are made up off, we cannot find any thing that is inherently causative for the existence of those phenomena. One would be given to say, “well of course we know what things are made up of — matter”. And then the question would arise, what is matter made up of? Molecules, atoms, subatomic particles and on and on we go…until we find that it is all essentially dependent on the observer to collapse a wave… In the Mahanirvana Tantra (not Buddhist), Lord Shiva says — “I can pack all the matter in the universe into a space smaller than a single mustard seed!” Science seems to agree — matter seems to be primarily empty space. Clarity means the unsullied nature of awareness — the “clear light” of awareness. This is which makes it possible for all phenomena to arise and dissolve. In this article, clarity is being used for the technical term “prajña”.

Can you give some examples? I’ve not seen/heard his political views.

I think Rinpoche meant it in that way. At least that’s how I understood it.

Silence is golden

Because it is @steve I pay attention. maybe context is important?

Sometimes it's better to not stir the pot - be advised.

I thought this is apropos because I noticed that some (many) people misunderstand emptiness.

Half-baked Buddhists/daoists think Buddhism/Daoism negates Atman/Brahman. Half-baked Hindus think Buddhism/Daoism espouses nihilism.

Each or any of these will lead to the opening of the heart. Let's take the case of service to others. So long as you do it from a "self" involved perspective, it is really not service in the true sense per se. To serve others without any expectation of reward or praise, will automatically lead to love/opening of the heart. Because your limited sense of self will have expanded to all those whom your serve. So service leads to expansion of the self to involve others. Opening the heart will deepen the ability to surrender. Detachment -- this comes from the wisdom of recognizing the real from the unreal/ephemeral. Pleasures come and go. Pains come and go. To become detached from these experiences, neither shun, nor chase after them will lead to a dropping of the sense of "I, me, and mine". This will in turn lead to the ability to serve others selflessly, which will again lead to a genuine opening of the spiritual heart. It will also facilitate surrender. Surrender -- When we can detach, we can also surrender. In fact, one of the best ways to detach IS to surrender. Surrender can deepen detachment. Detachment can deepen our ability to serve in a selfless manner. Don't overthink it. If a Higher Power comes easier to you and works for you -- by all means, surrender to that. There are as many paths as there are people (literally). Don't be beholden to the path laid out by anyone if it doesn't resonate with you, just because they can talk up a good talk. I feel you're at a point where you can sense what works for you and what doesn't. So trust your instinct and have faith in your practice.

Saw a beautiful message from Sri Sri Ravishankar recently (paraphrasing here) — if you are on the spiritual path and still are unhappy, then you are missing one or more of the following — surrender (surrender the ego’s desires to God/dao/Self). detachment (from chasing after pleasure/aversion to pain) service (dedicating our work to the benefit of others). This “unhappiness” is a result of lack of fulfillment. Fulfillment can never by attained by acquisition, but rather by relinquishment.

My 2 cents worth - I’ve not come across breath holding in qigong — more slow, smooth and long breathing. 9 cycles over 5 mins or longer. though there are times when breath stops on its own, or physical breathing gives way to internal breathing (and physical breath may not be happening at that time). I’ve seen and practiced significant breath holding in pranayama. Depending on level of maturity of practice, breath holding can be for long periods of time. This is typically after the inhale (antara Kumbhaka). Breath holding after exhale(bahya kumbhaka) is much shorter, though it often happens to me that physically breath stops during meditation or after specific sets of pranayama. My observations with pranayama is that it does raise the vibrational frequency of prana, and the permeation of prana deep into the tissues (depending on the type of pranayama). It also increases the efficacy/potency of qigong in my case. I don’t mix the two — I have separate time windows when do these practices. Is there a general rule of thumb wrt these practices - yes. Follow the statutory warnings associated with the respective systems - they’ve been put in place based on empirical evidence. But not all rules are applicable to all individuals.

Whatever we can see, taste, feel, smell and hear... is only within, not out there. obsessive compulsions seek outward, let go and dive inward. And then, falling inward, so many things arise... not to latch on to them is the exercise. until the "letting go" happens with ease... sweet freedom, sweet release.

For work, life is driven by calendars and todo lists. I wouldn’t remember to even start half my tasks without these. In personal life, I take 40 mins in the morning for Kriya and meditation. And practice taijiquan/meditation in the evening/night as the mood strikes. I usually combine standing meditation with activities where I don’t need to move (such as watching something on TV/YouTube lectures or other videos). Rest of the time is family time.

I look at it as a matter of “identifixation”. Usually, our identity fixation has been with the ephemeral layers for so long, that the silent canvas is unknown — that’s why so much seeking, etc happens. Once that background has been found/recognized, it becomes apparent both “experientially” (as in no-thing-ness), and consequently intellectually, that this background cannot be separated anymore than space can be separated. What is unique/different are the minds (even the most rarified and transparent ones). The background is not the minds. It is what the minds are made up of.

There are no other silent canvases. Only One. Anything that comes and goes is not real. Joy/bliss is not a euphoric experience of the mind, but rather is that fulfillment that is the Silent canvas. there is a difference between being numb and being equanimous. What you’re describing is being numb. Equanimity requires a dropping of grasping and rejecting. Silent illumination/canvas IS the higher truth. One must let go of one’s concepts and ideas about this and just be.

That was step 2 With more marination in the silent canvas, you will realize that you’ve always been that silent canvas, irrespective of what’s painted on it. Identify with the paintings and you’re subject to pain, pleasure. Resist pain and crave pleasure and you’re suffering. Just be the silent canvas and enjoy all the paintings going on upon you. (that’s step 1)

I get that. I’m on a similar path too. Old ways/patterns fall away. Suddenly people who’ve known us for a long time, expecting certain kinds of behavior/reactions etc from us, don’t find those anymore. It’s like they don’t know us anymore. And we know them at a far deeper level than they themselves are aware. So they are unable to relate to that person they thought they knew. “I thought I knew you, but you’re not that person at all!” It is one possibly natural outcome of awakening and it is disconcerting. That’s why proper community was recommended in the traditional systems (sangha). It is easier for monks I feel. For us householders, it can sometimes feel like a rollercoaster which doesn’t stop. But the thing is, we aren’t really on the roller coaster. We ARE the roller coaster… One might feel that they’re straddling two boats. Each going the other way. But really, we are the water on which both (all) boats travel. Don’t think like the person who was riding the boats. Recognize that you that on which all boats float. 🙏🏾