doc benway

For Gerard - Even Aboriginal Australians occasionally wear shoes... These are actually ceremonial slippers worn by shamans on occasion, not terribly functional. But I love the look and they seem comfy!

Explaining non-dual realization to someone who has not had the experience is very much like explaining the color green to someone who was born blind.

Common sense is valuable. I would never go barefoot in an operating room or construction site. I would also never volunteer for Naked and Afraid! I once had several hundred pounds of sheet metal drop on my foot - the steel toes caved in a bit but save my toes. Flexibility is important, not only in the feet and shoes...

You do not need to claim anything, your words betray your depth of insight. _/\__/\__/\_

The conceptual mind can never approach non-dual realization. It can circle and poke and prod and, like bobbing for apples, it just pushes away. Perhaps it is best to dismiss non-duality as bullshit, in that way at least we are not pushing away. Time spent thinking and discussing the topic is far better spent in the garden or on the toilet.

In my view, non-duality is not a philosophy or intellectual assertion. It is certainly impractical and generally unhelpful to contemplate. When experienced directly it carries a depth of certainty that is unshakable, whether or not it is a fundamental truth.

Agreed

Agreed, I was not conflating the experience of clear light with non-duality or non-dual experience. I used that experience to address rene’s question about awareness in the absence of phenomena.

I see it is as the very same you, just described from a shift in perspective. Being water, you are still the drop. Being a drop, you are still water. We over-identify with the drop because that is the truth of inhabiting a bag of skin and specialized sensory antennae which extract a particular view of the world from infinite possibility. We are never other than that infinite possibility but our direct sensory experience of this life is linked to that particular spectrum of sensory input. Failing to embrace the relative perspective and all of the pain, joy, and potential is throwing away the rare and beautiful opportunity of fully inhabiting this human life.

In the practice of sleep yoga, the objective is to enter into sleep in such a way that full awareness is present in deep sleep in the absence of dream. This is referred to as the clear light of sleep - pure awareness resting in the absence of external or internal phenomena. I had the same question during retreat - how could there be awareness or memory of awareness in the absence of phenomena as a frame of reference? How would one know it had occurred? How would a memory be created out of an experience of nothing? My teacher's answer was - practice enough and perhaps you will see for yourself. The truth is that it simply is. Awareness of nothing is not nothing, it is awareness of openness. In Bön dzogchen terminology it is referred to as the inseparability of emptiness and clarity. In the experience of the clear light of sleep there is clear awareness present in boundless openness - life a spark of light floating in infinite space.

In my view, this is only half the story... Nothing happens and everything happens. It is not that nothing happens or nothing exists, it is more that the way things happen and the manner in which they exist is not quite what it appears to be from the relative perspective. It seems to me this refusal to accept the truth of our relative experience, side by side with the truth of absolute perspective, is a form of nihilism. Just my perspective...

The best exercises are running and walking. You can wear shoes and still reap the benefits, you simply need to wear minimalist shoes - zero drop, no arch support, thin and flexible sole. For those suffering from helminthophobia, simply wear minimalist shoes or sandals and remember that while it is a legitimate concern, you're far more likely to be maimed or killed in an automobile than contract worms from walking barefoot. That information probably doesn't stop many of us from driving...

Hi Oak, First, a few thoughts about the word detachment and its connotations. Detachment often implies disconnection, distance, or aloofness. That is not at all what is meant in a spiritual context. In a spiritual context, perhaps the most important characteristics we can cultivate are connectedness, openness, and warmth. These are the polar opposites of what we often associate with detachment. Our fundamental problem is ignorance, not knowing our self at a fundamental level. Not knowing who we are causes us to identify with who we are not. We over-identify with various roles in our life which are determined by relationship - father, daughter, lover, boss, addict, religious or political identity, and so forth. When powerful feelings come up, they are a sign of that over-identification. Whatever identity we attach ourselves to is not who we are, it is simply a set of behavioral, intellectual, and emotional patterns based on circumstances. We are far more than any of those identities but who we truly are is much more subtle and elusive and does not need to be defined for this approach to be effective. So in a spiritual context, detachment refers to dis-identifying with those habitual patterns related to circumstance and relationship. One still feels what one feels. One still can feel pain and fear and love very deeply, perhaps more deeply than when the false set of expectations and identification get in the way. What does change is the feeling that all of this is serious and solid. There can be more of a feeling of allowing things to be as they are, a playfulness, almost like watching a story unfold in a movie or book rather than being stuck in one of the character's bodies. There is a bit of freedom and stability, a confidence, a faith, that goes beyond the transient identification with circumstances. There is some space there, a feeling of openness and unlimited potential that can be very supportive. Here are some practical suggestions - Pay attention whenever a strong feeling or reactive behavior manifests in your life. Notice the stimulus, notice the reaction. This takes time and patience and is supported by mindfulness practice. When you are able to notice the reaction, ask yourself what role(s) in your life you are over-identifying with. Is it the father concerned for his son's well-being? Is it the employee tired of her boss's abuse? Is it the lover frustrated by their partner's behavior? Whatever... At that moment, remind yourself that this identity is just a set of expectations and conditioned behaviors based on our upbringing, our culture, our education, our biology - a set of circumstance associated with a specific relationship. It's not always a simply one to one relationship, there can be combinations of relationships and identities that can be quite complex but they are always there if you look carefully. Recognize that this role is just a limited aspect of the totality of your being. You are far more than that. You don't need to define what it is that you are to see that this limited slice of mis-identification is only a small fragment of your potential. When that insight is there, can you feel a little space? A little room to rest and simply be? Enough openness to allow things to be as they are and still feel OK? Perhaps things feels just a bit less solid and serious and maybe there is room for a feeling of playfulness and trust, even when circumstances are challenging. That is how I work with detachment, at least in part. I hope you find that helpful. Warm regards edited to add - sorry, but I didn't watch the video yet...

Yes These teachings and my experiences are very precious and I'm not inclined to offer them up for examination and denigration. I've shared enough for now. Peace

My recommendation is to start with the wuji posture for several weeks or longer. As the body naturally relaxes and begins to manifest song 鬆 (relaxed structure) the arms will feel lighter and more energetic. Over time they will naturally and effortlessly rise. This is how I was taught to practice - it's very slow and very effective. Zhang zhuang is not based on li (strength). Trying to rush the postures will cause discomfort due to muscle tension. This undermines some of the benefits of practice and can actually slow the process in the long run.

Nicely put, thank you. Releasing is all about the one who likes and dislikes...

You're correct and I appreciate you pointing that out. Looking back I can see how my comments may have invalidated alternatives perspectives. _/\_ edited for clarity (my own)

Right effort is a component of the sutric approach. Releasing all effort is the core principle of dzogchen practice. Both are Buddhist.

I wish you well on your path.

The idea of an immortal, individual being is not consistent with the basic tenets of Buddhism - impermanence and dependent origination. Words like emptiness and clarity are the cornerstone of sutra, tantra, and dzogchen. Buddha nature and wisdom are not acquired, they are innate. The do not arise through effort, rather through releasing effort. Recall that through all of his effort, there was no success. It was when he released all effort that realization occurred.

Describing Tathagatta as eternal or immortal refers to the fundamental characteristics of emptiness and clarity. Emptiness, in particular, has unique characteristics such as boundlessness, indestructibility, changelessness, and so forth. These can be summarized with words like eternal or immortal. In my opinion, interpreting Buddhism as positing "eternal individual life" is a misinterpretation.

Enjoy the rest Lima, nice to know you're still out there somewhere... just watching us...

I combined the two paths for many years and they did integrate well for me. I reached a point where I felt that the martial training and mindset no longer served me and seemed to be compromising my spiritual practice so I abandoned the martial path and have not regretted it for a moment. I recommend you do what is in your heart and don't look back.

I wish you well!

I'm not admin and you can do whatever you want provided you accept the consequences. My recommendation is that you NOT post private messages here. In my opinion, that is unfair to the person who sent the message. If they wanted it public, they would have posted publicly. Rather than ask permission of admin, I would ask permission of the person who sent you the message. Peace