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dream interpretation: and it will change but based on the image from the garments this morning-here is what I have come up with..... amy winehouse-valerie why not re post the olive oil poem? I really would like to see it. Awakening from the dream archives

Much less limitations, not no limitations. I am talking about the realization that EVERYTHING is illusory... of course the realization is also empty and illusory (and empty = illusory, so because there is nothing at all - not even nirvana - that is not empty, everything including nirvana or even if there is anything 'higher than nirvana' must be illusory), but at least now you are no longer deluded. For example, the realization that the dream is a dream occurs in the dream setting, but from then on you are no longer deluded that the dream is real. yes I talked about it in my first post - most people live their lives with self-view and sense of self, but a very vague one. They experience alienation between themselves and the world, but they do not know what that 'self' is. But even though they haven't ascertained self or no self, nonetheless they cling to a sense of self which manifest as a form of contraction and alienation and separation - they feel a me inside experiencing things outside. This is why if they experience PCE or NDNCDIMOP - nondual nonconceptual direct immediate mode of perception, suddenly there's a huge contrast - a big WOW moment - when say, seeing a tree or a sunset or something amazing in nature (usually) but it could be anything. In that moment, the sense of self dissolves and there is just the amazing clarity and aliveness of the moment, the sight, the trees, the sound, without a sense of an inside observer separate from an outside world. Not understanding the experience or rather not realizing anatta as a dharma seal or nature of reality, they may later reflect upon it and say "oh my self dissolved into nothingness for a moment" or "I became the tree for a moment" even though these statements are not exactly true (there never was a real self to begin with, only the sense, the illusion of it). Me too, everyone too (or most people I'm sure). Agree. True. No - you totally do not understand anatta at all. Anatta is not a way of experiencing life. It is discovering there is no self at all to begin with - it is an illusion to begin with. If you realize anatta, you will understand why everyone is living a lie and an illusion, and now finally you are freed from that illusion. Anatta is NOT an experience... not a PCE or a NDNCDIMOP, however PCE and NDNCDIMOP becomes effortless and even perpetual after realization of anatta. However many people have PCE and NDNCDIMOP with NO realization of anatta whatsoever - as a matter of fact PCE and NDNCDIMOP are so common than Richard thinks every person in the world has experienced it some point in their life - usually in their childhood and is forgotten, but can remember it if they look into it deeply enough (he claims that every person he has spoken to at length can remember an instance in life usually in childhood when they experienced the PCE/NDNCDIMOP). Anatta realization however, is far different from any of those experience... it is a realization that always already, there has never been a seer seeing the seen - that is a FALSE delusional framework of reality, that always already, in seeing always just the sene, seeing is JUST the experience of sight without seer... etc. You may say - realization is also an experience isn't it? My answer is yes, but it is not an experience of 'the absence of sense of self' (a common temporary peak experience), but the experience of 'realizing that there is no self - never was, never will, from the beginning!' It is the experience of 'realizing a fundamental TRUTH' by seeing through a delusion, forever, and realizing no-self and shunyata. But unfortunately, you don't understand what I'm talking about, otherwise I wouldn't have needed to repeat. It is not just a mode of cognition such as the NDNCDIMOP or non-dual non-conceptual direct immediate mode of perception - it must have realization, and merely accessing a mode of cognition say a state absent of sense of self, is not the same as realization. For example as I explained above, NDNCDIMOP is a mode of perception and is extremely common such that everyone or almost everyone has had it before, however Anatta is a (permanent) REALIZATION about a truth, and is truly rare.

That's a good Off-Topic....Consciousness does not exist time. Definitely not something for the General Forums. The statement is absolutely true. Consciousness does not exist in time. The implications for ego,...overwhelming. There is no present in time,...there is no (real) consciousness in time. Of course,...ego thinks, therefore it is. But isn't thinking always and irrefutably in the past.> Ever heard of anyone thinking, seeing, tasting, touching, smelling, hearing...in the present? No! To get such a dialogue going,...what does Buddhism say about it? And the true mind? 　 The Bodhisattva of Compassion Kuan Yin (Avalokitesvara) dialogue with Buddha on realizing the Way Things Are, and the True Mind, as told in the Shurangama Sutra: "The sea of enlightenment in its nature is perfect and clear. Complete, distinct Bodhi is its miraculous source. But when basic brightness shone so that objects appeared, With objects' existence, the nature's brilliance faded. Confusion about falseness brings about emptiness. Relying on emptiness, worlds coming into being. Thoughts settle, forming countries. Consciousness becomes beings. The emptiness created within great enlightenment, Is like a single bubble in all the sea. Beings subject to outflows and lands like fine dust motes, All emerge out of empty space. Just as the bubble bursts, so too, space never existed. How much the less the three states of being! Returning to the source, the nature is not two. Many are the entrances through expedients; The sagely nature permeates them all. Whether compliant or adverse, all situations are expedient. Those who initially resolve to enter Samadhi, Progress slow or fast according to the method selected. Forms are defiled objects created from thought. They cannot be discerned by the essence of mind. How can something not clearly discernible Be used to gain perfect penetration? In sounds, language is intermingled. But the meaning in a word, a name, a phrase, In such that no single one can included them all. How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? Awareness of smells comes through contact with them. Apart from them, one does not know that they exist. Since sensation of them is not constant, How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? Flavors are not to us fundamental by nature. They only exist when there is something to taste. Since this sensation is not perpetual, How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? Touch becomes clear only when something is touched. Without an object there can be no contact. Since contact and separation fluctuate, How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? Dharmas are know as internal defiling dust. Reckoned as defiling dust, they are certainly sense objects. Involvement of subject and object cannot be pervasive; How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? Although seeing itself is lucid and penetrating, Clearly discerning in front, it cannot discern behind. Ever reaching only half the four directions, How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? The nose's breath penetrates in and out. But in the rests between there is no air. These interruptions render it inconsistent. How can that be used perfect penetration? The tongue is not an organ without a function; Flavors form the source of its sensation. When flavors cease, it knows nothing at all. How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? It is the same for the body as for objects of touch. Neither can be regarded as a perfect awareness. With defined and limited invisible divisions, How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? Mental knowledge is a mass of deliberating. What it perceives is never profound insight. Unable to get beyond reflection and thought, How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? The seeing-consciousness combines three aspects. Probe its origin: it has no appearance. Since its very substance is variable, How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? The essence of hearing penetrates the ten directions, For those who have already developed great causes, Those of initial resolve cannot enter this way. How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? Reflecting on the nose is a provisional method. It only serves to gather in and settle the mind. Once settled, the mind is simply still. How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? Those of former accomplishment enlightened by Speaking Dharma through the medium of language, But since words and phrases are not free of outflows, How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? Refraining from transgressions only controls the body. For one lacking a body, there is nothing to restrain. Since its source is not all-pervasive, How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? Spiritual penetrations are based on past causes. What connection have they with distinguishing dharmas? Conditioned thought is not apart from things. How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? One may contemplate the nature of earth, But it is firm and solid, not penetrable. Whatever is conditioned is not the sagely nature. How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? One may contemplate the nature of water, But such mental reflection is not the true and real. This state of suchness is not an enlightened view. How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? One may contemplate the nature of fire, But admitting dislike is not true renunciation. This expedient cannot be one for beginners. How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? One may contemplate the nature of wind, But movement and stillness are not non-dual. Duality cannot bring highest enlightenment. How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? One may contemplate the nature of emptiness . But its aspect is murky and dull, lacking awareness. Whatever is unaware is different from Bodhi. How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? One may contemplate the nature of consciousness; Yet one is regarding a consciousness that is not eternal. Even the thought of it is empty and false. How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? All activities are impermanent; So, too, mindfulness has its origin in arising and ceasing. Since at any given time the factors propelling cause and effect differ, How can that be used to reach perfect penetration? I now inform the Bhagavan, The Buddha appearing in the Saha world: In this land the true substance of teaching Resides in hearing the sounds purely. If one wants to attain Samadhi, Hearing is the best way to enter. Apart from suffering, liberation is found. How excellent is he who contemplates the world's sounds! Throughout eons as numerous as Ganges' sands. He enters Buddhalands as many as fine dust motes. Obtaining great power of self-mastery, He bestows fearlessness on living beings. Wonderful is the sound of Contemplator of the World's Sounds, A pure sound, like the ocean's roar. He saves the world and brings peace to all within it. He has transcended the world, and his attainment is eternal. I now evaluate, Tathagata, What the Contemplator of Sounds has just explained: Consider someone in a quiet place, who, When drums are rolled throughout the ten directions, Can hear at once the sounds from all ten locations. That is actual true perfection. The eyes cannot see through solid forms. The mouth and the nose are much the same. The body registers awareness only through contact. The mind, tangled in thoughts, lacks clear connections. Sounds can be heard even through solid walls. The ears can listen to things both near and far. None of the other five organs can match this. It, then, is penetrating true and real. The nature of sounds is based in motion and stillness. One hears according to whether there is sound. With no sound, there is said to be no hearing. But this does not mean that the hearing-nature is gone. In the absence of sound, the nature is not ended; Nor does it arise in the presence of sound. Entirely beyond arising and ceasing. It is, then, truly eternal. Ever-present, even in dream-thinking, It does not disappear when conditions and thought are gone. Enlightened, this contemplation transcends cognition, Reaching beyond both the body and the mind. Now, in the Saha world, the theory of sounds Has been proclaimed and understood. Yet beings are confused about the source of hearing. They follow sounds and so turn and flow. Ananda's power to remember was exceptional; Yet he fell prey to a deviant plot. Was it not from heeding sounds that he was nearly lost? By turning back the flow, one will be above falseness. Ananda, listen attentively: I rely upon the Buddha's mighty power, In describing to you the Vajra King, A Samadhi inconceivable that is like an illusion. It is the true mother of all Buddhas. You may hear the secret Dharma-doors Of Buddhas as numerous as atoms of universe, But without first renouncing desire and outflows, You may amass learning, and still make mistakes. You exploit learning to uphold the Buddhahood of the Buddhas. Why don't you try to hear your own hearing? Hearing does not arise spontaneously; It gets its name due to sounds. But when hearing returns and is free of sound, What does one call that which is set free? As soon as one sense-organ returns to the source, All the six are liberated. Sight and hearing are like an illusory covering. The triple realm, a vision of flowers in space. When hearing reverts, the covering of the sense-organs is gone. The defiling dust gives way to pure and perfect insight. With ultimate purity, the light is penetrating. A stillness shines and includes within it all of emptiness . Looking at the world from this point of view, Everything that happens is just like a dream. Matangi's daughter, too, is part of the dream. Who was able, then, to physically detain you? Consider a shadow puppeteer at work, Making the dolls seem as real as people. Although one sees them move about freely, They are really governed by a set of strings. Cease operating the controls and they become still. The entire illusion was never really there. The six sense-organs are also thus. At first there was one essential brightness. Which split into a six-fold combination. If but one part ceases and returns, All six functions will stop as well. Responding to a thought, defiling objects vanish, Becoming pure and wonderful perfect brightness . If there is residual defilement, one must still study. When the brightness is ultimate, one becomes a Tathagata. Ananda, and everyone in the great assembly, Turn around your mechanism for hearing. Return the hearing to hear your own nature The nature will become the supreme Way. That is what perfect penetration really means. That is the gateway entered by Buddhas as many as dust motes. That is the one path leading to Nirvana. Tathagatas of the past perfected this method. Bodhisattvas now merge with this total brightness. People of the future who study and practice Will also rely on this Dharma. Through this method I, too, have been certified. Contemplator of the World's Sounds Bodhisattva was not the only one. The Buddha, the Bhagavan, Inquired of me which expedient, Would save those in the final eon Who seek to escape the mundane world, And perfect the mind of Nirvana: The best way is to contemplate the sounds of the world. All the other kinds of expedients Require the stateliness and sacrosanctity of the Buddha. In some cases they bring immediate transcendence, But they are not the customary means of practice, Spoken for those of shallow and deep roots alike. I bow to the Tathagatas and the Tripitaka And to those inconceivable Ones with no outflows, Trusting they will aid those in the future, So that no one will doubt this method. It is an expedient easy to master; an appropriate teaching for Ananda And for those floundering in the final age. They should use the ear organ to cultivate A perfect penetration surpassing all others That is the way to the true mind."

"Awareness of life happening is not 'Being life'. Predictably the state of awareness (Buddhist mindfulness) is easily forgotten or mislaid, or it can be overwhelmed by dream thinking or any powerful emotional situation, for instance. The glass box shatters and the place you seemed to be in seems lost again. The dream seeker either starts self enquiring again, for another boost, or it is realised that awareness is just another refuge from within the dream of separation. All of this is simply the expression of Being." ( Tony Parsons) That kinda works for me for 'awareness' and its discontents.

Unfortunately like it or not, Buddhism deals with universal truths. Whether you see those truths, that totally depends. But just because you don't see it doesn't mean its not true. Don't worry we won't start a religious war... Buddha is not a god demanding unswerving faith (he benefits nothing out of it - its all for our own sake - he does not ask for worship) and there is no Buddhist scriptures that can act as a basis for Jihad. Buddhism has had no religious war started by its doctrines (there are wars started by Buddhists since Buddhists as any other type of persons are succeptible to afflictions, craving, anger, etc, but not religious wars). When I said universal truths, I mean truths that pertain to the nature of reality and the human condition. The four noble truths are truths pertaining to the nature of reality and the human condition. They are universal. The truths of impermanence, suffering, non-self... these are universal truths. The truth of emptiness is a universal truth. So I say Buddhadharma is universal - because dharma pertains to universal truths. The truth of suffering (birth, aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair), cause of suffering (craving and ignorance), end of suffering (nirvana) and way to end suffering (noble eightfold path) is universal. When I say 'end suffering' I don't mean like temporarily ending a dog's craving for food by giving him dog food, I mean complete, permanent end of any mental suffering and afflictions and furthermore the end of afflictive births in the cycle of samsara. You see, if only you were to see things as Buddha see, plus you have the three knowledges that Buddha had: rebirth, karma, and 4 noble truths, then you will be able to see things in the big picture and see why taking up Dharma practice is the best thing to do. As my Taiwanese teacher who could remember innumerable past lives and have [in this life] visited realms of heaven and hell and provided clear descriptions of them (well ok if you don't believe it - but lets just presume its true for a moment since this is what the Buddha reports to be true as well) have said - if you knew your past lives, you will totally get sick and tired of all the rebirths. But most of us can't remember past lives or that much past lives anyway - so this is something that can only be taken by faith - and if you have faith in Buddha, it can be a good motivating force to practice the dharma. Of course just by the suffering of this life alone some people will find enough reasons to seek for liberation, but it is far different from seeing things from the 'big picture'. And as the Buddha himself have said, SN 15.13 PTS: S ii 187 CDB i 658 Timsa Sutta: Thirty translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu © 2009–2011 Now on that occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in Rajagaha, in the Bamboo Grove. Then thirty monks from Pava — all wilderness dwellers, all alms-goers, all triple-robe wearers, all still with fetters — went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. Then the thought occurred to the Blessed One, "These thirty monks from Pava... are all still with fetters. What if I were to teach them the Dhamma in such a way that in this very sitting their minds, through lack of clinging, would be released from fermentations?" So he addressed the monks: "Monks." "Yes, lord," the monks responded. The Blessed One said, "From an inconceivable beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on. What do you think, monks? Which is greater, the blood you have shed from having your heads cut off while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time, or the water in the four great oceans?" "As we understand the Dhamma taught to us by the Blessed One, this is the greater: the blood we have shed from having our heads cut off while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time, not the water in the four great oceans." "Excellent, monks. Excellent. It is excellent that you thus understand the Dhamma taught by me. "This is the greater: the blood you have shed from having your heads cut off while transmigrating & wandering this long, long time, not the water in the four great oceans. "The blood you have shed when, being cows, you had your cow-heads cut off: Long has this been greater than the water in the four great oceans. "The blood you have shed when, being water buffaloes, you had your water buffalo-heads cut off... when, being rams, you had your ram-heads cut off... when, being goats, you had your goat-heads cut off... when, being deer, you had your deer-heads cut off... when, being chickens, you had your chicken-heads cut off... when, being pigs, you had your pig-heads cut off: Long has this been greater than the water in the four great oceans. "The blood you have shed when, arrested as thieves plundering villages, you had your heads cut off... when, arrested as highway thieves, you had your heads cut off... when, arrested as adulterers, you had your heads cut off: Long has this been greater than the water in the four great oceans. "Why is that? From an inconceivable beginning comes transmigration. A beginning point is not evident, though beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving are transmigrating & wandering on. Long have you thus experienced stress, experienced pain, experienced loss, swelling the cemeteries — enough to become disenchanted with all fabrications, enough to become dispassionate, enough to be released." That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed One's words. And while this explanation was being given, the minds of the thirty monks from Pava — through lack of clinging — were released from fermentations. This is why I say dharma is universal. The truth of suffering is universal. And the most sensible thing after considering the big picture, is to end suffering ASAP, without delay. If you have not known the big picture, you may not have enough reasons why the Buddhist cause is the most sensible or best thing to do. And if you have not gone through the insights and experiences I had, you will not see why liberation is only possible through the twofold emptiness, which is why Buddhism is unique and perculiar. No, I mean the subjective individual experience for the person is undeniable - not absolute (as in truly substantially existing), simply undeniably appearing as mere experience - experience of unicorns is undeniable, even if it is mere delusion. The visual distortions by someone taking hallucinogenic drugs are undeniably appearing - even though completely illusory, empty. And such experiences are not universal because they are just an experience arising due to a particular set of conditions. Your dream experience at night is personal - I can't see it unless I have psychic powers. In any case, I don't share your dream experience. But your dream experience is undeniable for you (and you only). But when I say the Nature of experience, that is universal. The nature of experience is not about one experience, it is the nature of all experience, all phenomena, five aggregates - be it mind or matter. The truth of emptiness applies equally to you or me - there is no way that it only applies to me and not someone else. If they do investigation, they too will realize emptiness. There is no such thing as a person (as long as he has conditions like human life, right teaching and teacher, etc) who cannot realize emptiness because emptiness is the nature of phenomenon. Similarly there is no person in the world who can say they are 'unaware' or without any form of awareness. Luminosity is the basic essence of mind, of all experiences, and to be able to even respond or be aware of my communicating with them would already necessitate luminosity. Emptiness is likewise. The union of luminosity and emptiness is universal. It is the nature of reality. Since you are familiar with luminosity you should know that those people who aren't into spiritual will probably not know what 'awareness' or 'luminosity' is when you talk to them - at best a vague idea or concept about it but not direct knowledge or realization of it. Yet just because they don't know what awareness/luminosity is, doesn't mean its not there right? Precisely because luminosity is already present, that it can be discovered. It is not there only because of discovery (it is not merely an experience that pertains to an enlightened state - both enlightened and unenlightened have luminous minds) - it is already there, which is why it can be discovered. So anyway, if you have realized luminosity, but due to existing framework you see luminosity as inherent, independent, unchanging, Self, then luminosity becomes an object of clinging. But through investigation you realized anatta, then that clinging or reification of luminosity as a Self is removed. This investigation into the nature of reality giving rise to insight is what liberates you. The nature of reality is universal and only needs to be seen through investigation and contemplation. There is a clear progression of things: for example, A, B, C are universal truths. Lets say A is luminosity, B is anatta, C is shunyata. If you realize A, thats great because A is an undeniable fact - you can't deny luminosity or awareness right? It is a profound, transformational, blissful realization. Similarly you can't deny B or C so if you realize A, you should also realize B or C which refines your view. These are all universal truths that can and should be realized for total liberation. All our experiences are illusory. But to believe that in that illusory experience there is a real self and an object, that is delusional. When I say "one is living with illusion, one is not" I mean one is living with deluded views, one is not living in deluded views and ignorance. There is no ignorance for someone who has awakened. It doesn't mean however that they have something real and sentient beings have something illusory - even Buddhahood and Nirvana is empty and illusory. But a Buddha is no longer in ignorance about it. Not being in ignorance, a Buddha or an arhant does not cling, does not suffer. Prajnaparamita Sutra: "Subhūti said, "0 dear gods, if there were something that was more superior even than Nirvāṇa, I would still say that it is like a dream and a magical delusion. 0 dear gods, there is not the slightest difference between Nirvāṇa and dreams and magical delusions."411 I do not have metaphysical filter for life. Somehow you don't understand that theres a difference between delusion and illusory. All things are illusory - from hell to Buddhahood and Nirvana. But you can either be deluded about it, or awakened. Awakening is permanent. Once awaken you do not have more delusion. Even a simple exercise to observe the three characteristics of phenomena is a powerful investigation, well lets not talk about 3 char... just 1 will do: impermanence. Observing impermanence is a basic Buddhist meditation. Through that one may realize that all experiences are impermanent. This is not indoctrination - its something you can see - impermanence is a universal fact of all phenomena, that they are constantly arising and subsiding, they don't stay. In Vipassana terms people can start to see everything as similar to 'the vibrations of atoms' - nothing is solid. Indoctrination is to instill an unexamined concept. When it is examined and seen as it is, it is no longer indoctrination. Similarly, all investigation and exercise must be done through contemplation and observation in naked awareness. I can understand "all things are impermanent", it does make sense to me yeah, but unless I meditate, I'll never wake up to it. The theory is there, the realization and experience is lacking. So like a scientist, you can have your theory, but it must be proven or seen through tests. You need to device a reproducible test that can showcase how your theory works. This is totally not true... haha I find it amusing you would think so. I don't know how to convince you anymore if you truly think that I think I'm gifted. You just have to take my word for it... or not. Either way I am not too concerned about people's opinions about me (as I will explain). I am not interested in false humility and if I thought I was some great lama last life, I would have said it. I am not interested in false humility - if I were, I would have said something like "oh... I am not enlightened at all, I am just a lousy learner who hasn't gained anything from dharma" but I have so far been very open about my experiences with dharma (not out of pride but out of genuine sincerity to share it with others, to inspire others and perhaps provide some pointers for others). I have no memories of being a great lama last life. But I do have memories of being a student of some great lama. I must say, I am not a proud person, but I am not a humble person either. The question of pride/humility just does not arise because I simply am not concerned with self image (in fact have no clinging to self image nor any sense of self/Self whatsoever). As I told someone, I wouldn't care less if someone else thinks I'm a fraud or a fool or a madman, or that I'm enlightened, great, whatever (even though if he shows misconception of me I would probably attempt to rectify the misconception but I wouldn't really care or be attached to it). I am only interested in facts and truth, not what someone else thinks about me, or what I think about myself - their opinions are their own matters. I am also not really concerned if you believe in what I just said. I am just sharing my experience for the joy of it. (just found a sutta which describes how I would react: "38. "If for that (reason)[40] others revile, abuse, scold and insult the Perfect One, on that account, O monks, the Perfect One will not feel annoyance, nor dejection, nor displeasure in his heart. And if for that (reason) others respect, revere, honor and venerate the Perfect One, on that account the Perfect One will not feel delight, nor joy, nor elation in his heart. If for that (reason) others respect, revere, honor and venerate the Perfect One, He will think: 'It is towards this (mind-body aggregate) which was formerly[41] fully comprehended, that they perform such acts.'[42]") The whole story about my birth is just one of those 'interesting facts' and there is no explanations for it - I mean how the hell will we know what happened in between my last life and this life (until I can remember it that is). It is the least important of things yet its just one of those curious unexplainable things. Honestly, sometimes, I wonder why is it that such an ordinary person like me get to see all these and why so many other brilliant minded, sincere people can't? And the answer is not "oh because I'm special and I'm an incarnate of a special being" (which I do not think I am) but "it is truly unfortunate that the true dharma is not being propagated well enough to the masses, had it been so, it would have been like the Buddha's times where thousands or tens of thousands of his students get liberated". Not implying I could do a better job anyway... I am not skillful in teaching (and I'm not a teacher). Anyway my point in my previous post is that I probably had given rise to an aspiration to attain Buddhahood in my previous lifetime which had an impact on this birth - I'm sure lots of people have such aspirations. I don't mean to say "I'm a special Bodhisattva who chose to come here". You are making things overcomplicated perhaps due to my failure to communicate properly. Not in Buddhism, and not in my experience. In my experience, nothing transforms from one thing to another. Nothing becomes something else. And likewise there is no 'Awareness becoming this experience' (substantialist nondualism). There is just A is A, B is B, etc... In my experience and insight, firewood does not turn into ashes. And sorry I had to quote someone again because this expresses my experience very well: Firewood becomes ash, and it does not become firewood again. Yet, do not suppose that the ash is future and the firewood past. You should understand that firewood abides in the phenomenal expression of firewood, which fully includes past and future and is independent of past and future. Ash abides in the phenomenal expression of ash, which fully includes future and past. Just as firewood does not become firewood again after it is ash, you do not return to birth after death. This being so, it is an established way in buddha-dharma to deny that birth turns into death. Accordingly, birth is understood as no-birth. It is an unshakable teaching in Buddha's discourse that death does not turn into birth. Accordingly, death is understood as no-death. Birth is an expression complete this moment. Death is an expression complete this moment. They are like winter and spring. You do not call winter the beginning of spring, nor summer the end of spring. ~ Zen Master Dogen, http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2009/03/genjo-koan-actualizing-fundamental.html Plus the Buddha teaches (and it has been my experience) that remainderless cessation is possible: "Now from the remainder-less fading and cessation of that very ignorance comes the cessation of fabrications. From the cessation of fabrications comes the cessation of consciousness. From the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name-and-form. From the cessation of name-and-form comes the cessation of the six sense media. From the cessation of the six sense media comes the cessation of contact. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling. From the cessation of feeling comes the cessation of craving. From the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging/sustenance. From the cessation of clinging/sustenance comes the cessation of becoming. From the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth. From the cessation of birth, then aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair all cease. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of stress and suffering." By the way I should say, cessation of self-view (attained in stream entry) is not the same as the complete cessation of ignorance (attained in arhantship). As an analogy: pouring out the contents of a jug still leaves a residual smell in the jug. This is also my experience, but shall not elaborate now. This is very true and this is what I mean by latent views and tendencies.

Ah right, hmm.... Well from what I know of the planets, that makes little sense to me. I guess you are trying to show some dynamic what should be going on, but to me it seems pretty random at this point. I may not be familiar enough with all the nomenclature you use nor the planets themselves as placeholders. Testing testing... Well okay, I guess I see certain patterns now. Though I have forgotten what you where trying to say that I misunderstood. Ah okay, perhaps, it makes sense that Mercury/Hod generates a shadow, as it is a big driver for action. The Geburah <-> Netzach connection is interesting, and I guess I can see that. Yeah. Well sure on a superficial manifestation level, one could sort similarities and such. But when we have concepts like Sefirot that show the structures they jump out of. It doesn't really matter to me what forms the cultural zeitgeist is spewing out at any given time. People fake for all sorts of reason, usually because of status. Once something becomes important in a group, because it is "higher", then you can bet that half the members are trying to figure out ways to take shortcuts to the esteemed position. Personally I don't care much for groups like that, whenever the hierarchy gets too high and one have to jump through hoops, I'm usually looking for the exits. Sort of like the cat in animal farm, when the pigs take over. I come back if things calm down though. The dream of your mother makes sense, knowing what you have been up to. Your ego seem fairly strong from this side of the internet. Might be so. Well I always assume people don't, as it is a rule of thumb that is right in a majority of cases. Even when they don't admit it also. Yeah pretty much. Okay, well yeah if one wants to drag in stuff like genes or collective unconscious, then obviously there is no end to it in the personal conscious and personal unconscious. Yet I don't really bother to pester myself with such concepts in this discussion of wholeness. It is enough I think to be whole on ones own playground first. To be one with everything, although arguably a higher and nobler ideal by some standards. Strikes me as something that is beyond the spirit of our time. Well you are welcome to your opinion. Yeah, I guess I'm just tired of certain dynamics, and when I see similar patterns I just fire from the hip. Compared to a lot of people who have an air of "enlightened BS" you are kind of okay. Not that counts as a bridge in my eyes though. There is always something new to take hold off to figure out. It just depend how much time one has to sacrifice for it. Time waits for no one!

sheng zhen> OK, thank you very much. I nearly had none lucid dream but when I'll can practice well meditation again, maybe it will be better. Occasionaly, I do false akawenings. Once I had 3 or 4 falses ones in succession. I remember a (nonlucid) dream where I met one of my totem animal (or guide(?), there was a kind of husky-like wolfhound. We were in iced lake, I believe. I (or maybe he) approached. I believed that I talked him and he told me that I could put my arm round him which I done. Some days or weeks later, waiting a train, I saw a dog nearly exactly like the other one but unhappily I didn't ask to its "owner"... The dog of my dream (I didn't find particular differences with the other one (maybe the darkness of the colours,...) had blue eyes and had brown and white hair, I believe. I believe that there was another colour but I don't remember. Would you (or anyone) do what it is or could be as crossbreading? One other time, I did a lucid dream where I communicate with a kind of morphing animal which told me many coherent things but I didn't remember them after the dream unhappily. I believe that it was in this dream that I rode a cow.

oh well, dont worry. Keep working on your lucid dreaming, its more than enough But just to answer your last statement before we give this thread over to taoist dream practice again...there are no questions you cant answer in dream yoga because it is not "you" who answer them, it is the dream character. The dream character has another experience and another viewpoint than you do concerning the dream. It is not easy to understand this without firsthand experience of the dreamyoga prosess. But with experience these realizations come marching in! PM me if you still have questions regarding dream yoga. Ill be happy to answer them.

Ben Koontz> OK, thanks but it is not as "easy" that it was some years ago... Most time I try meditation, I fall asleep or I begin thinking many things. When the mental begins to be calm, I also fall asleep... Before I relaxed then meditated but now I cannot just relax... In general, I don't remember my dreams and have continously the mind full of thoughts particularly during the day but also in night (but I also have some problems with the astral plane, it's too complex to explain). sheng zhen> After the questions, it doesn't seem. What are you doing when you answered them? You're right but the problem is that's no "definite" technique, it's more taking habits of living in most part. Thank you, seadog. Jakara> Maybe but I'd prefer practice taoist dream yoga. Tibetan one is much "hermetical" and I feel myself more attracted towards tao's dream yoga (and perhaps other ways's ones) and in fact, I find dream yogas much more interesting that "only" lucid dreaming techniques or books (particularly from psychologists... (even if I find the psychology, I don't think it's a real "tool" to abord situations and problems). After Florence Ghibellini (http:/florence.ghibellini.free.fr for those who understand french... ), one of the people who makes most lucid dreams in Europe (or in the world (after studies in laboratories) if not the "lucidiest" dreamer, it's impossible to maintain meditation in dreams. When we try stopping actions, scenarii and movement in dreams, do some meditation, there's always an obstacle to try stopping us to do it or the dream itself disappears... There are reports of her lucid dreams and experiences at this subject on the same website (http://florence.ghibellini.free.fr/revelucidej/floindex.html). Yes but for most people they can't do anything in their lucid dreams (or not at the beginning, at least) and if they are too lucid they can't change it because it's not "real" from the point of view of the day mind (the "lucid" part). Yes and apparently we can "live" much more than only two weeks but many years. Someone would do a dream where 100 years passed... Did you encounter in a dream or in the diurn life? Not in my case... I already tried it.

I love the clash of perception that is going on in this thread between @Nungali and @Desmonddf Personally I find myself at a different level than both of them, and I can recognize aspects from both that are relatable. Different good or different bad, becomes of course a moral problem that is not easily solved. As we are speaking of things that are not easily pulled apart by such cheap dualistic notions. When one encounters demons and angels one will of course be deep in the work already. Yet the shadow cannot be dispelled just by effort alone, because to turn towards the shadow does not remove it. And when the sun itself move, the shadow isn't countered, it is merely moved to another location. Of course, the main problem I see here is one of talking past each other. Being so merged in ones own manifestation of will that everyone else's is taken as false and useless. Pointing to the flagrant shadows of the others, while completely denying ones own. I don't care how long anyone has practiced, if they have no shadow, then they are indeed dead. And would very much qualify as representatives of the phenomena of this thread, as beings without a soul. I agree that the soul shrinks in such a position, but it is not entirely lost. If is more like in hibernation, a vague dream of something more. I agree on creative output, yet there is more than one level of creative output, it is only when one can unify all 4 elements in oneself that one is truly creative. That is the point when one starts to knock on the gates of Kether, and when one gets in all sorts of trouble because one is not ready for divinity. As even the cooperation of the 4 elements is not enough to represent the totality of the self. This is when the collective unconscious come into the picture, as we find that in the mass of humanity, we are still nothing, and our contribution often are like grains of sand. Though someone who manages to gather the elements have a good chance of becoming a notable player. But even becoming an icon of history is not the same as touching divinity, though it is a lot closer than most get. Because even icons of history will fade away long before the archetypes and other primal forces fade. Which is why pride can be such a dangerous vice, (though it is hardly the only vice) because it tempts one with things that although noble in a way, still don't really help one on ones spiritual journey. If it did, both Napoleon and Caesar would have been paragons of spirituality, because of the mark they made on history and hence peoples ability to remember them long after. Sure they made their will known, and hence was on a path of individuation in that sense, but so is most people in some way or another, even though they might be trapped in bad circumstance. They still bang their head against the wall every day, because they know they should try to make something important happen. So yeah, just me processing this from my own frame, which in some ways I know will conflict with others. It is just an inevitable fact, and I have to accept that what I have to say will not be understood, at least not in the sense I wanted it to be understood, because people will adapt it to their frame, and hence give critique and praise based on that, and not based on what I set out to convey in essence. Though now and then one gets pretty close, but even then it is just a superficial chemistry, that on closer inspection will break down.

Greetings.. Pondering the 'dream' of a butterfly? wasted time, it was a dream.. you wake to the verifiable continuum of existence.. Life asks for your full presence and attention, not fantasy imaginings of passing dreams.. if the dream was an actual experience with the unified consciousness, its message will not involve imagining or speculation, it will apply directly to the continuum of existence.. The whole dream within a dream and butterflies that can't decide what they are thingy, has posed more obstacles to pure Clarity tham is barely imaginable.. the inclination to diminish the value of Life in favor of imaginary conjurings or poetic musings is not a result of Clarity.. Be well..

Understand, I'll slip quietly away from the noisy crowd when I see the pale stars rising, blooming, over the oaks. I'll pursue solitary pathways through the pale twilit meadows with only this one dream: You come too. Rainer Maria Rilke Is not impermanence the very fragrance of our days? Rainer Maria Rilke

Well said ! In a simple hierarchy of the self , using the elemental model we can utilise fire, water, air, earth as 4 'bodies' . Fire is the spirit and individuation. Wand Water is the emotions, intuitions, dreams, unconscious. Cup Air is 'mind' , the consciousness, the rational faculties, reason and logic, the intellect , etc. Dagger Earth is the physical body and its systems , the output, the material plane . Disk We get inspiration from spirit , we see how that ' feels' , we might even 'sleep on it' , then we evaluate if it makes sense and how it can be achieved , then we put it into practice, or make it . Without a vision or inspiration things dont move forward, if we dont feel for it or 'have our heart in it' it usually burns out, if we dont run it through the balanced intellect we could end up doing crazy or harmful shit and if we dont put it into practice all the above was just a pipe dream. Mind is really third in the hierarchy , but many people do not understand their spirit, misunderstand or cannot regulate or balance their emotions so mind rises to fill the void , which usually isnt trained , its running amok . " Therefore, as hath already been said, Establish thyself firmly in the equilibrium of forces, in the centre of the Cross of the Elements."

Oh yes! I had an 'ability' in my club to learn patterns a lot faster than the others. One asked me how once and I said I practice in my dreams ... then they all looked at me skeptical and like I was a ' a weirdo' or bullshitter <shrug> . It doesnt work if it is a vague imagining or it is just 'going through it in your head ... one must 'imagine' one is in the body and in relationship to a particular environment. I found it interesting that the one I had trouble to do in the dream state had a uniques and unusual motion to it; left, right, straight ahead , left (which so far is fairly typical) then a 3/4 turn and backwards moving diagonally through the original pattern ... every time I got to that point I became disorientated and came out of the lucid state. I eventually was able to do it. I took a break for a while from training and recently returned. All the patterns are coming back ( 14 empty handed 12 with various weapons) but I had totally forgotten that one I had difficulty with even existed. Why bother to try to read a card in the next room? IMO the value of this has nothing to do with that sort of thing. It may all be 'psychological' ... but so may everything else ? When young I had trouble with bullying in my dreams. I eventually learnt how to deal with dream bullies and then bullying stopped happening in my life. Also deep internal states can effect things like outward body movement, composure and demeanor ... and others detect that , unconsciously or not. And I may as well add (as I often do) that my personal shamanic belief system is that we are all a dream of a giant rainbow serpent curled up asleep underground dreaming within ' water from the heavens ' .

There is the idea of a Personal Legend. This thing we know as children. Then we forget, or a "mysterious force" convinces us that it is impossible. We grow up, listening to our families, friends, society. We stuff our dreams deep down inside, as they are impractical. Instead we go to college, or get a job, or marry and start a family. We grow old and we die, our dreams unfulfilled, our Personal Legend abandoned. I was envious of people who had this thing called a dream. I felt as if I was somehow missing something, incomplete because I did not have one, as far as I could recall. At my age the time for going after a dream, pursuing a Personal Legend, seemed to be coming to a close. I started reading the graphic novel adaptation of, "The Alchemist", and tonight I sat back and reflected. Seriously thought about my childhood, what I must have known as a child. I came to the conclusion there are three things that have stuck in my mind. I don't know how else to describe them: 1. To design and build structures or places, emphasis on building. 2. To play the guitar. 3. To go to the Big Sur area in California. As a child I played with legos. I think I mostly made buildings, but I do not remember clearly. This just feels right. It fits with my later building of structures around the place we used to live. Then, as a young man, I pursued various level editors, learning 3DS Max, and building things for video games. But these were counterfeits. I think the true legend is architecture. and the Taliesin Institute (the Frank Lloyd Wright school of architecture) specifically, as my starting point, unless an opportunity comes to just start building and designing things. I tried to learn the guitar. It was either not the right time or not the right teachers. I was teaching myself through DVDs and internet lessons. I think I need personal instruction, and a guitar. I sold the one I had. I don't know why the Big Sur area. It has stuck in my mind ever since reading about it in, "Spiritual Places." I have no specific place to go in mind (although there are numerous spiritual centers in the area I may visit.) Only a vision that may be connected, of an old man living in an old trailer near some red cliff faces not far from the ocean. That I have to see this person. Just the Big Sur area itself sticks in my mind, not this vision, but the two may be related. I am asking for help. Specifically I need the resources to go to the Big Sur, I think I am to start there, then I need the resources to go to the Taliesin Institute. Finally I need a guitar, something like I had before with more space between the frets than normal (a longer neck) as well as a teacher who is willing to teach me how to play it. Prayers, sending of energy, Treatments, mailing me items or donating money as you are compelled, these are what I am asking for. Funds can be sent via Amazon Payments to: dreamblissflows[at]gmail[dot]com. Replace the [at] and [dot] with the proper symbols. You may also contact me there for my mailing address. I also need someone who can either live here full time or be on call full time as a back up driver for my family and a helper for my grandmother. My dad would like to pursue his dream of hiking the PCT this year or the next, and if he leaves they will need another person here to take his place while he is gone. Normally that would be me, but I may also be gone. So prayer for the truest person for this position is also needed. I am leaving either this year or the next. I have made no plans yet. I have asked the Source for guidance and direction. I will not force things. I will flow, that is, I will be using grace, in my pursuit of what I believe to be my Personal Legend. Even if it is not, it should, by the very act of moving, that energy of going after it, draw me to it, or it to me. Only one thing I know for certain... Staying here is to stagnate and die inside. I choose to live life, in the present moment, to its fullest, not live the appearance of life, like a zombie, going from work to home, doing what society tells me I should be doing. It is time to follow my heart, not my head, or the voices of others. Thank you for your prayers and support!

There have been so many beliefs I had to let go of from my former Christian faith. Some of these, such as the concept of sin, have been a relief. As I progressed along my spiritual path I found other beliefs that empowered me, such as the concept that my thoughts create my reality. In other words, the world I experience is a reflection of my thoughts. But now I am faced with the possibility that this belief too, may be wrong. As a Christian it was all about God. If it's God's will. In God's time. It was such a relief to be out from under the thumb of some all-powerful eternal entity outside myself, who seemed to have the same ego-driven impulses as the human race He created. Judgment, punishment, allowing Job to be tormented. And Heaven was not the perfect place I was brought up to believe it was. How could it be, if Lucifer and 1/3 of the angels fell from it? Where could sin come from in a perfect place? Why would I want to spend eternity in one place anyway? I mean I no longer have a physical body. So I don't need to eat, I don't need money, I can go wherever I want. A grand adventure awaits me! These realizations helped me work through the threat of eternal damnation, something I had to struggle with when I renounced my faith. I turned my back on that belief, and all other organized religions. I decided instead to learn from the teachings of each religion whatever I needed to learn. After all I went through all that, and my experience with the tulpa I believe I created and had to disconnect myself from, I thought my struggle was over. I was actually feeling peaceful, serene, calm. Anger and depression no longer had the hold on me they once had. I was able to smile and laugh more often, when before I smiled and laughed rarely. This concept that I create my reality with my thoughts opened up the world for me. It did not matter to me that I did not have the power on a physical level to challenge or change the things in the world that bothered me. I knew I could change my thinking about them, stop investing belief energy into the reality these happenings proposed, and thereby remove all power from them. I could, just by addressing how I thought about things, change the world. At the same time I could come to what I now called the Source, a general-purpose name for what I used to call God that I adopted, about anything and everything. The Source, unlike God, had no ego. I simply could not bother it with my requests as it is eternally and perfectly loving and creative. All I had to figure out is how to access that power to manifest the things I wanted in my life and the world. How to properly ask for things, or pray. Kinda like figuring out what plug would fit this socket. If I could do that, I could do anything I wanted and be anything I wanted. But then I started reading things that told me that the creation part was finished. Everything was pretty much set in stone. I could not heal myself or others. I could only Treat them, by not focusing on the person or the dis-ease but on the nature of God. It was God that did all the work. At this level of my spiritual growth I could accept God and Source as different names for the same thing. God is not at all, in my mind, what He was when I was a Christian. Now God is more of an It, an energy, as I started. So when I use God from this point on, outside of the reference to my former faith, I am still referring to this new concept I have of this entity, which I also call Source. Anyhow up to this point Jesus, as detailed in the New Testament, became a sort of a role model for me. Now that I was no longer a Christian there was more freedom in studying the Bible. With other things I had read I could see this book differently now. I could see Jesus as a man who figured out how to plug in. I thought if Jesus could do it, so could I. We are both children of God afterall. We are both connected to or one with God. I am still struggling with this oneness thing. This essentially made me feel that I could live a life without limitation. All my life I had been limited by my circumstances, beliefs, thoughts. I had never been a powerful or wealthy person. All of a sudden it seemed as if I could experience what that would be like, to have the power in me to heal, transport myself anywhere in the world, fly, take control of my dreams, astral project and explore the energetic realms of the afterlife. I thought I could do anything. I was flying high, then the plane stalled. Now once again I was being told I was wrong. My beliefs were wrong. I can not control things. I can not create my reality. My thoughts do not create my reality. I do not do the miracles. There is nothing I can do. The world is set in stone, creation is finished. Even though what I, and the rest of humanity, call reality is not how things really are, how things really are can't be changed, so what would be the point in knowing the Truth of reality? I guess I though if I knew the Truth, I would then know how to do the things I wanted to do, or how to become what I wanted to be. Essentially everything now is hopeless. My life has no purpose. I have no idea what my dream may be. Even if I were to see reality as it really is, I can't change anything. Reality is set, my course is set, I have the illusion of free will, of the ability to do anything I put my mind to, but these are as illusory as what I think of as reality itself. On top of that there seems to be no way to really know the Truth. Everyone has different definitions, who knows which one is right? I have to hear my parents constantly saying that the world is coming to an end, the second coming a big part of the Christian faith. I also read in text after text that the purpose of my life is to serve, which I know is a pile of bullshit. So that just adds to the depression energy I feel. All day, every day. It is no wonder that I finally got sick in my physical body. It is a reflection of my inner state, in serious dis-ease, I am sure. So now I have to ask, if everything is set in stone, then what is the reason to keep going? I can only come up with one. Illusory or not, there is a big world out there, and the Big Sur has stuck in my mind, so I guess I am going to have to ignore reason, free my intuition, step out in faith, with no guarantees I will even have a place to sleep, clothes on my body, or food in my belly, and go. I will have to lay my son on the alter, so-to-speak, the comforts of living here. I am blessed with a roof over my head, clothes and food. But I am starving spiritually, and if all my life were to be was living here, I would kill my physical body right now and free myself without hesitation. I need to let this go, get rid of unreasonable reason, and act solely on intuition. I know this is a major area in my life I must address. But how do I deal with this desire to have some measure of control or power, which I have never had, my whole life? I will have even less when I am hiking or biking down the coast. No safety, no security. No assurance that even if my inner landscape is at peace, and I am thinking nothing but loving thoughts, that I will even survive on the way down there, or if I get down there, once I am there. I mean if my thoughts do not create my reality, I certainly can't create a realty of getting along with everyone I meet, can I? If things are set in stone, if fate or destiny or karma rule, then I am powerless to insure a pleasant experience for myself. If I can't think good thoughts about what will happen, and the people I will meet, and expect that to be the reflection I see out in the world, then I am at the mercy of the whims of some design already set in place. The script is written, so-to-speak. I only think I can ad-lib. Once again I am left without answers, without even the faith I once had that if I just thought correctly about my circumstances and the people I meet, that I would be safe. I know I need to deal with the things driving my need for control, power and magic. I will use the word magic to describe acts that most people do not do. Walking through walls, teleportation, flying, healing. Maybe miracles is a better word. But I have always thought of this as magic. That this world is plain and dull without magic. Without wonder, a sense of wonder, without amazing things. Not that life in its many forms on this planet is not amazing. But a beautiful bird that can fly is nothing to a human who is flying, with no wings, devices or anything other than simply having figured out how to supersede the concept of the law of gravity. I need to figure out the roots of these desires and address them. But I am tried of this letting go. I am weary of it. Every time it has hurt and taken me a long time to recover, and I still have not recovered fully. I am hurt and tired. I don't believe oneness with God is any more of a desirable future than Heaven or reincarnation. I question the things I have been reading. I wonder what the Truth really is. I wonder if things have to be so hard. If I have to go through all this shit just to finally, someday, when I am 90 years old and have little time left physically to enjoy it, be able to do the things I have always wanted to do and be the person I want to be. I am not even sure who that is. Someone who is doing whatever they love to do, that thing they loose track of time doing, that thing they get lost in. I guess I want to live that life, and I want to live a life without limitations. I am tired of limitations, restrictions and rules. I want to live an unlimited life, doing what I love doing. If I am going to have a dream that is it. If this is an impossible dream to attain in a reasonable amount of physical time I guess I had better just kill myself and be done with it. There would literally be no point in living if I can't have that life. Or at the very least a life where I am doing what I love to do, and I have figured out how to access, channel or work with the Source to keep my own physical body healthy and manifest needed things. I guess now I want to see what others think. If you have a point of view I would appreciate it if you expounded on it. I remember in a previous thread that someone said my thoughts do not create my reality. They never explained why they said that. I seek understanding here, and if it is available, confirmation. I seek the Truth, whatever that is and however painful it may be. The true Truth too, not the Truth according to your religion. The Truth that has been proven to be experientially true by someone with many years experience on their own spiritual path. I am feeling a little lost and directionless right now. I have hacked my way through the dense jungle of various spiritual teachings and am now standing here, unsure of where I should go next. Please point me in the right direction if you can.

I think I had some kind of dissociative experience without taking anything that could cause that. I had an annoying experience that made me angry and then tired, so I didn't feel like doing anything. I just wanted to take a nap, so I lied down on the bed, on the side, head on one arm. I fell asleep and woke up later and turned around to the other side. Apparently I went back to sleep quickly. I have to mention that I tend to experience more active dreaming after a 'wakeup phase', when going back to sleep after having been awake for a minute. I had some of the usual confused, mixed images you tend to get in dreams. Stuff that doesn't fit together properly. At some point, I'm mot exactly sure what happened first, but eventually I opened my eyes and saw the pillow my head was lying on, just like waking up, but the problem was that all my bodily sensations weren't there, but in the confusing dream world. Like, I went from the living room to the staircase and noticed I had forgotten to turn the water off in the shower I assumed I had taken earlier. But the shower was in the staircase, so as I said, the usual dream stuff. I then tried to turn off the water in the shower, which took several attempts, using proper force to turn the knobs, and I could feel my hands on the knobs and the water on my skin and my wet hair, and at the same time I kept opening my eyes and saw my room, the pillow. I then tried to get up or wake up or whatever, to get back into that world, but I couldn't feel it. My bodily sensations (when I say this I guess I mean mostly my touch) were now fading from the dream world, but still nowhere to be found in this world. Somewhen during that part, there was a few seconds where a slight ringing in my ears got louder when I wasn't sure which of the two worlds was real or if any of the two was real, since I couldn't get my sense of touch into the eyesight world and the eyesight in the touch world was getting very vague and sporadic. Well, it's more like a mindsight in the dreamworld. The usual imagery you get in dreams that doesn't seem to be entering through the eyes. I tried to focus more on the eyesight world, though (probably fueled by that part of me that is anchored in this reality), and it was difficult. Now eyesight world was there all the time and dream world only a faint remnant in the background, and my touch was somewhere in-between both worlds, because I started to move my arm and couldn't feel the pillow or anything. I kept moving my arms, I started to find some solid matter. Eventually it felt like I could turn around with some effort, my body still very much paralyzed, and my hands touched something that I think must have been the table next to the bed, and that more and more anchored me, but this was still not eyesight world. Only through these efforts at grabbing onto something, the 'lost part' of me moved closer to eyesight world, and eventually, and only at a certain moment, not before that in any way, I could actually begin to move and turn around and get up - that which I had done according to my sense of touch a moment ago. This process was kind of a vague transition. I can't remember the actual moment where I could move my body again, but I remember eventually being able to. I was fully awake now and could move again normally.

“Before I sought enlightenment, the mountains were mountains and the rivers were rivers. While I sought enlightenment, the mountains were not mountains and the rivers were not rivers. After I attained enlightenment, the mountains were mountains and the rivers were rivers.” - Zen Proverb It's all happening right here. Anything that teaches that there's somewhere to go or something to achieve is just trying to teach another method of control, ultimately. There is obviously a difference between pre and post, not in the objects but in the awareness. It's not true to say we were better off as babies because they are born empty. There's something about returning to innocence after seeing the mountains were not mountains, that is different... more lucid. We are living in a dream. Don't get too hung up on the word "enlightened". Let's just talk about the essence... The thing is... you don't gain anything by achieving this. Inner peace, supreme wisdom, ending of suffering, love... none of these are the point of enlightenment. There is nothing out there to grasp onto. There is no point. It arises and dissolves, and that's it. Everything is like that. This is a dream. One minute you're in love, the next you're dying in the dirt... no matter what happens, you're always "it". You're always there. No trying necessary, but if you feel like trying you're still "it" anyway. I have been struggling with how to bring this into my human level experience. If everything is pointless, if there is ultimate freedom, if there is no inherent meaning or structure, then how do I live? Seems that... the answer is that I am this, and not this, simultaneously. You build a sand castle and the ocean washes it away. Did the sand castle have a point? If you know the candle light is fire then the meal was cooked along time ago. We are living in one big post hoc fallacy -- that because you've always been here, you came from something. Can you please point to this "you"? But this reality, this life, is gnawing. It goes on and on. The awareness never ends. It's a kind of helplessness that has no real solution because nobody is doing it. I find myself going to Vajra Buddhist ceremonies, getting "empowerments" - emptiness empowering emptiness - what do we think we're really doing here? There's nothing in here for karma to attach to. There's nowhere to store merit in a vessel that is already empty. I already hung up the phone, but the phone keeps ringing. And when I answer the phone, the call has already ended. Yet I keep answering. Why? There's nothing happening here. I could do anything I wanted, or do nothing, and it wouldn't matter. Sometimes when I see people earnestly seeking so much, I want to tell them to just focus on the material world. If someone offers you money or enlightenment, take the money. At least money can create temporary experiences and joy. Ultimately it doesn't matter either way. Nothing is wrong. I suppose it does free up a lot of energy to not worry about things that don't exist. Like what it means to you personally if you can't pay your bills. Worst case scenario is you lose everything and die. But now you know -- it was never yours anyway. Just some things moving through my awareness... no point really.

Yeah I wonder if my higher self broke my computer a year ago by making me careless. At the time I was doing fruitless exercises to see if they impacted some issue with my hip. When what was really needed was someone actually forcing some of the joints in place. So when my computer died from my carelessness I was forced to stop the useless standing meditation. Or at least I had to stop the journaling of it on this site, the rest came to a halt not long after. It seems I need to pay more attention to Hod and Geburah then I guess. I have read a bit more on them now including Netzach. I think I understand about right where I need to relegate certain Jungian principles to make the puzzle unravel now. Of course I will probably discover new layers all the time on this, but to really be able to use a system, one need to set it in context with the rest of one's knowledge, else it just becomes this weird anomaly that don't contribute anything useful at all. I'm unsure how high my conscious control actually stretch up into the tree though. I need to sit down and ponder it in relation to familiar landmarks. I'm not the kind of guy who wants to be as high as possible in something for the sake of it. Rather I view this as a map, I can either try to find my actual location, or I can find a map of where I want to be, and ignore the fact that I'm not on that map myself. With a map that includes where I'm at, I have can actually navigate the terrain, but with an ideal map of somewhere else, I'm merely allowed to dream.

a dream character is telling me that a dream tree exists, LOL... that's funny! you should know from all your Nietzsche readings that our whole 'world' is just a projection, a creation, a dream. there is no such thing as 'tree' nor does 'exist' even make sense when you take away identity from form. 'tree' exists only relatively, imagine you're asleep dreaming.. everything you perceive is seemingly real and concrete.. but if you wake up to the dream and realize that its all just your projection... do ideas such as 'tree' and 'exist' and 'you' even make sense anymore? isn't it quite silly then to say 'you exist, trust me' to a dream character?

Mostly a Tenzin Wangyal thing but also a Bön thing. Tenzin is a very progressive teacher and no longer a monastic. He gave up requiring or even offering samaya vows of his students many years ago. He also has been teaching tantric practices from the Mother Tantra without requiring students to walk the entire tantric path, practices like dream and sleep yoga, tsa lung, tummo, bardo, phowa, 5 elements, and chöd. There has been some degree of relaxation of requirements for these practices in Bön in general as well. I believe it is because there is a feeling that the world is desperately in need of these practices. I also suspect there is a recognition that the translation of tantric practices and the guru-student relationship to the West is problematic and the teaching of the full tantric path to non-monastics in the complexity of Western society is very challenging. The intention is to disseminate them as widely as possible both to keep the practices alive but also to offer them for the sake of anyone who has the karmic connection and access. For example, the most senior lama of the order recently published a book detailing the tantric practices of tsa lung and tummo. Lots of books are out there as well as online teaching opportunities. The Bön also emphasize the Dzogchen path for similar reasons and the samaya requirements are different in Dzogchen. In Dzogchen, our obligation is to the source itself, our Nature - not to a teacher who is simply an ornament of the base. At least that's my rudimentary understanding and interpretation of what's going on.

I've had many flying dreams (lucid as well as non-lucid) but this was different. Flying dreams are when I take-off from a dead stop and and whizzing around at high speeds. Sometimes in the middle of the flight I used to get scared and start free-falling until I was able to muster up enough presence of mind to resume my flight again. Those are as you described. This one is weird because it reminds me of something my first teacher would tell us about Prof Cheng Man Ching having said. First we fight with gravity to stay upright and move. Then with time taiji feels like swimming in water. Eventually it feels like swimming in air... Half lion half wolf? Chimera? Wow...wish there was an easy way for us to tap into and understand what the dream states actually mean...though I know it's moot in many cases. Like Taomeow said...with me too, some have been just dreams, some lucid (where I was in control but unable to break out of the dream matrix) and in others some teachers would visit and their teachings made lasting effect in my life...

What you write really resonates with me. I've been working on dream recall with the idea of becoming increasingly lucid. As I get better w/ recall I find I can't sleep! I get better and then my regular life starts to suffer as I'm over tired. I've gotten to the point where I remember 3 dreams, but I'm dead tired. In my case I may be doing 2 things wrong. First I'm messing with REM sleep, waking up in the middle of dreams in order to have clearer recall. Second, my pre sleep programming is causing anxiety that keeps me from sleep. I think the answer is to give up on early dream recall and lucidity during the first few 90 minute REM cycles and concentrate on the magic hour, the last 90 minutes of the sleep cycle. Wake up early preferably through self command or quiet alarm. Get up focused, back to sleep. Hopefully I've already gotten 5 or 6 hours. This is focused practice. Maybe done in another location, sleeping in a different slightly uncomfortable position. Special care taken on waking, to write up my dreams. One method of remembering my dreams has been instead of groping to remember on waking to retell myself the story from a different point of view, like a third person was telling me the dream. I call it Restory to Remember with the idea that I'm pulling it out of short term memory into long term. I've gotten a few good nights of sleep. I think my new strategy will be to do less work and preparation at night. Have my ipod nano near my pillow and softly awaken me 90 minutes before I'd usually get up, 5:30ish. Go downstairs, focus, tell myself what I want to accomplish, have the dream journal nearby. Get back to sleep.

Its rather long. Also the pictures are missing but the picture titles remain , there were a heap of explanatory diagrams and pics. Also, I would like to again take the opportunity to thank Michael Sternbach , I lost my article and only had one copy that I had sent Michael via PM, he was able to get it back to me so now I have it back . It would probably be lost for ever otherwise . I dont have the time to go through it now and correct all the pasting changes ... like better spacing and stuff . Here is a rough version . SYSTEMS AND MAPS OF NUMBER In some traditions numbers are not just symbols that tell us how many of a particular thing there are but can be seen as divine emanations. In simpler form it goes something like this; 1. The original primal unity. Some call it God - at the stage of God before creation. Others call it pure Self or pure Being. In cosmology it represents the singularity before the ‘Big Bang’. In geometry, it is represented by the ‘point’. (In the Thelemic system {which uses Ancient Egyptian Gods and symbols as metaphors} this is symbolised by the point or disc i.e. the Sun or Hadit.) 2. There doesn’t seem to be much of a definition so far, as definition has not come into being. Concepts like self or even God require some level of awareness of the self or being, that is, it is postulated that being or self will have self-awareness. This concept or awareness of the self or being is a little different from the idea of self on its own. The idea of self, on its own, ‘implies’ awareness of self, one has within it the potential for two, duality, i.e. the self itself and the contemplation of or awareness of self. Now we have two concepts; the self and the self’s idea of itself. Subjective and (to an extent) objective. To contemplate the self requires one to ‘step outside’ of the self and ‘look back’ at the self. In geometry this is symbolised by ‘the line’. [This ‘dimension’ is perhaps the basis of the components of matter and energy; In the 1980s, a new mathematical model of theoretical physics called string theory emerged. It showed how all the particles, and all of the forms of energy in the universe, could be constructed by hypothetical one-dimensional "strings", infinitesimal building-blocks that have only the dimension of length, but not height nor width. (In the Thelemic system this process is seen as a moving point, and symbolised by the winged disc) 1. As one implies two, two implies three. Via the process in 2 a new view is formed, a ‘new’ view of the self as gained by contemplation or awareness of the self. [Or the vibration of the ‘string’ forms a ‘particle’ or ‘energy field’.] Something has been gained, even if it is ‘just’ internal experience. In geometry this is symbolised by the concept of ‘surface’. It is also represented by the triangle. The triangle represents structure, order and form, definition and rigidity. It represents either; Singularity further explained by its polarities or a mediating ‘middle path’ between two polarities. With 3 ‘space’ has been created; up/down, left/right, forwards/backwards. Now we begin to see how maps of 3 can be useful; The three Gunas – rajas, satvas and tamas, the three alchemical principles – sulphur, salt and mercury, The Holy Trinity – Father, Son, Holy Spirit, the three primary colours – red blue yellow and many other things like; Yin, Yang, Tao, even in electricity – positive, negative and current or temperature, moisture, light or Mother Father Child (to cut through all the mythic terminology). (In Thelema the ‘product’ of Hadit and Nuit {who represents zero or the circle – whose radius is infinate as Hadit represents the point or centre of the circle, which is located everywhere} is Ra Hoor Khuit; motion or ‘force’. Ra Hoor Khuit But with three we are still in the realm of idea, or the ideal world. It is a little beyond our normal comprehension and experience (which is why people have always used symbols, like maps or hieroglyphs or gods). On the Tree of Life of the Qabbalah this ‘Supernal Triad’ lies above the ‘Abyss’. Energies ‘travelling’ into manifestation pass through the third Sphere, Binah and become formulated, solidified, restricted and directed to become further manifest in the fourth realm. Alternatively, energies travelling ‘up’ the Tree, towards duality, unity and beyond, become liberated from form and restriction and Binah becomes a realm of liberation. [in the realm of physics this is the 3-D world of matter.] 1. As two implied three, three implies four. The energies manifesting in four take on the ‘principles of four’ and are able to operate in a word of ‘double duality’ (2 x 2). Although many systems use the map of 4 it has its roots in 3 and extensions to 5. In four we have the map of the 4 elements; fire, water, air, earth, the four suits of the Tarot, the four worlds of the Qabbalah and many more which we will look at below. Four brings the concept of space from the 3 (up-down, left-right, forwards-backwards) which define space. The 4 is the result, ‘space’ itself. In physics it represents the concept of time. 2. Five moves more into the world of action. One analogy is the pyramid; the four sides can be extended up into the point. We can get the idea of motion and action. It can also relate to the pentagram; the four elements and spirit. Some traditions have 5 elements, either including ‘spirit’ as an element or adding an element such as wood or metal. In physics this is the idea of motion.] 3. Six solidifies the manifestation of the second triangle. It can be represented as the hexagram; two superimposed triangles, one pointing up, the other down. It can represent the four elements and spirit, with spirit in its duality of active and passive, or the four elements, their origin in spirit and their connection to ‘earth’. [ “Height, width, and length constitute three-dimensional space, and time gives a total of four observable dimensions; however, string theories initially supported the possibility of ten dimensions – the remaining six of which we cannot detect directly. This was later increased to 11 dimensions based on various interpretations of the ten dimensional theory that led to five partial theories ... Super-gravity theory also played a significant part in establishing the necessity of the 11th dimension.” (Wikipeadia). The relationship of this model to the Qabbalistic model of 10 spheres of Creation (with an 11th and ‘hidden’ sphere – Daath, situated in the ‘Abyss’) and its manifestation through the 5 elements is an interesting correlation but beyond the scope of this article at present.] Since this article relates mostly to the map of four I won’t go further with the numbers. One thing to point out is, so far, I have been quiet lineal. There are concepts that relate to reflection (or refraction), that is, the Supernal Triad on the Tree of Life reflects through (or on the waters of) the Abyss and makes another downward pointing triangle (the first triangle implies a second, as 1 implies 2) and of course this requires a third triangle, and all three come together in the manifest realm, to make the 10th sphere of the Tree of Life. But there is also the idea (of lineal manifestation) within this system of the Lightning Flash, where the energy travels from 1 – 10. This might seem all good so far but what about zero? The above system seems to be rather ‘patriarchal' and relating to cultures who have a singularity genesis. We adopted the concept of zero mathematically from the Islamic world but it can also be seen in Qabbalah in the worlds of pre-existence; Ain, Ain Soph and Ain Soph Ur (and again we can see how the Supernal Triad is a reflection from the triad of ‘negative existence’). Adding the concept of zero we can see how that implies the number one. I am sure physicists can explain how the ‘Big Bang’ came from nothing better than I can, but a simple mathematical equation will suffice here; if we consider the manifest world is duality and things appear in polarities, opposite pairs, we have + ‘side’ of one thing and – ‘side’ of another, if they are equal values , ‘n’, then we have +n + -n = 0 , therefore, 0 = -n + +n. [ “String theory’s concept of supersymmetry is a fancy way of saying that each particle has a related particle called a superpartner. Keeping track of the names of these superpartners can be tricky, so here are the rules in a nutshell. • The superpartner of a fermion begins with an “s,” so the superpartner of an “electron” is the “selectron” and the superpartner of the “quark” is the “squark.” • The superpartner of a boson ends in “–ino,” so the superpartner of a “photon” is the “photino” and of the “graviton” is the “gravitino.” Use the following table to see some examples of the superpartner names. Some Superpartner Names Standard Particle Superpartner Higgs boson Higgsino Neutrino Sneutrino Lepton Slepton Z boson Zino W boson Wino Gluon Gluino Muon Smuon Top quark Stop squark.” – Wikipedia article on String Theory.] Now, looking at any ‘n’, + or –, we can understand it further by converting it to the world of duality that we operate in. So we have + and – of +n and + and – of –n. In the elemental world this is shown as a division into active and passive. Active elements are Fire and Air; passive elements are Water and Earth. So, looking at maps of four the obvious place to start seems to be the four elements. But why do we need maps anyway? For the Hermeticist all things are interrelated but some vibrate within specific energy fields. It can be handy for comprehension of interrelationships to draw the line somewhere, so we develop maps of 1 - singularity, 2 - duality, 3 - trinities (as mentioned above), 4 - Elements, 7 - planets, 10 – spheres (Qabbalah), 12 – signs (astrology), 22 paths (Qabbalah), 64 Hexagrams (I Ching). The Principles The DEACON: “Mysterious Energy, triform , mysterious Matter, in fourfold and sevenfold division, the interplay of which things weave the dance of the Veil of Life upon the Face of the Spirit.” [From ‘The Collects’; The Mass of the Gnostic Catholic Church.] The important concept is the connection and interrelationship between things and not viewing things as separate from each other or ourselves as separate from the things around us. One versed in this philosophy will not just see a ‘thing’ but all things related to it will come to mind so one can understand the ‘one thing’ more holistically and how it relates to the self and the self relates to many things, the things within or outside of a ’field’ or relationship. It is a way of increasing our knowledge and understanding of ourselves, others and environment, that hopefully leads to wisdom in our actions. (See above article on Hermetics.) This is probably easiest understood by the relationship to the four elements and the psyche and it is my view that for correct operation they should be in a particular order of manifestation. The four elements are Fire, Water, Air and Earth. They respond to; fire, the Self - inspiration, intuition, individuality and connection to spirit, the True Will; water, the emotional body - the unconscious, the dream world, feelings, empathy, understanding, etc.; air, the intellectual and rational body, logic, thought, ‘mind’, etc. and lastly, earth, the physical body. The balance is important, consider this; we have a ‘Eureka’ moment (Some say great writing, music, creation, performance by a ‘Master’ comes from the otherworld. In moments like these we can become aware that it is more than ourselves creating, sometimes it is as though ‘we’ have little to do with the process, we are just a ‘channel’), we are ‘inspired’ with an ‘idea’, we make it our ‘own’ and begin to go about bringing it into manifestation. The fire is then tempered by water; next we should see how we feel about it, does it sit right, do we have emotive issues to sort out about it? Some say, “sleep on it first”, what is that but ‘putting it through the unconscious’? Next, with air, we should analyse it, see if it is possible, the how and where and why, think it through and make a logical plan. Lastly earth; we need to DO something about it - put the plan into action and bring it to manifestation, otherwise we are uninspired or unoriginal, we are doing something we don’t feel right about, or we haven’t used our intellect and logic, leading to inspirational ideas that can make one feel good but can leave one sitting out in a field for days waiting for aliens to come and dissolve all of our difficulties. And lastly, what is the use of any of it unless we DO something about it and ‘earth’ the current – we would be caught up in a ‘pipe-dream’. The order of manifestation and hierarchy in the psyche is as important as balance. The difficulty with the standard modern mind set is that many of us don’t really understand our individuality, individuation, ‘True Will’ or spirit. Mostly our emotions are confused and run rampant. So what is left but mind, supposedly third place in the hierarchy, to fill the gap? Mind - this is one of our major problems, as well as a major asset. How can we not deny mind yet use it as an asset while moderate its difficult nature? We need to get mind in its place, it should be third in the hierarchy. One cannot force it, it will rebel. Here is a story to explain. One day, a factory worker (‘mind’) went to work, when he got there he found management had not arrived. Not even the foreman was present. He became concerned and started racing around, giving orders, taking orders on the phone, directing other workers and at the same time trying to take his place to do his normal job on the production line. Of course, chaos ensued, he did a bad job of everything and the things produced were faulty or imperfect, and at times the whole production line came to a grinding halt. Someone tried to tell him that he was in the wrong place, “Get out of the office. Stop telling everyone what to do! Just do your own job.” But of course he could not and would not. Some tried to pull him away but he fought back. He was concerned that production would cease and there was no one to reasonably convince him otherwise. Eventually the owner and the foreman arrived and said, “Thank you for working so hard, here are the others, they are competent and will go back to their job and do it properly, but we can’t do it without the valuable work you do in your department, so now you can go back to that and do your job even better.” And that was the only thing that convinced him to get out of the office, stop telling everyone else what to do, and do his job efficiently – with appreciation for his role. As I go on looking at many maps of four, I will list them in this above order so we can see their relationship to other maps and themselves within this idea of a hierarchical order. Colour There are 3 ‘primary’ colours; red, blue, yellow. There are 4 ‘natural’ colours; red, blue, yellow green : fire, water, air, earth. We have 3 sets of colour receptors; black and white, blue and yellow and red and green. These three combine to give hundreds of possible hues like purple and magenta. Within the eye the retina has two types of light sensitive cells called rods and cones. Cones absorb red blue and yellow but do not work well in detecting colour in low light. Rods have ‘sacrificed’ colour reception to work as ‘night vision’ and detect black and white. Signals travel from the retina along the optic nerves to the visual cortex for sorting and sending to the three relevant parts of the brain to analyse the signals in respect to three qualities; movement, colour, distance. These three parts of the brain send their processed information back to the visual cortex where it integrates the information. Light – singularity, passes through two types of receptors to make three dimensions of colour, in a duality (or polarity) black / white, blue / yellow, red green, to process through the visual cortex to three parts of the brain and back again to make it possible to observe the four ‘natural colours’ and their combinations. The four psychological truths. 1. Stick to reality – Review the internal map. We all make our own internal map of how we make sense of the external environment. The external environment can change, sometimes greatly or very fast. We need to review our maps to make sure they serve us with the outside reality or we follow an old or irrelevant system to what we need to know, do or should be learning. (Fire. This is a form of projection as in extend Ki {see below}, but one has to make sure their projected reality, or understanding of reality is in tune with outward reality.) 2. Delay gratification. Sublimation of desire (water - feelings). Hold off a bit, instant gratification sets up an unhealthy programme that can lead to addictive behaviours. In experiments children were given a choice; have all the sweets on that plate soon or have the one sweet on that other plate now. The children that could not wait exhibited more psychological dysfunction than the others. 3. Withholding truth. (Air, mind, communication.) Modification of our own truth in communication to the level that the other is able to handle. Not to do this can cause trouble with the self and socially. (E.g. It might not be appropriate, YET, to tell little Johnny that there is no Santa, even though it is a ‘truth’.) 4. Combine and balance the above. The 3 Gunas. This Vedic principle is an example of the primary triangle. In Samkhya philosophy, there are three major Gunas that serve as the fundamental operating principles or 'tendencies' of prakṛti (universal nature) which are called: sattva guṇa, rajas guṇa, and tamas guṇa. The three primary Gunas are generally accepted to be associated with creation (rajas), preservation (sattva), and destruction (tamas). Beyond these forces or their influence or balanced within them lies a ‘supernal consciousness, depending on the tradition; Brahma, Krishna, etc. “The World deluded by these Three Gunas does not know Me: Who is beyond these Gunas and imperishable.” Who is this ‘Me’? Here we have another three implying a fourth, this time , ‘above’ (as opposed to ‘below’, a pendant or result, i.e. 4, balance all three above or bring into manifestation, bring together back to a unity that has grown from the process of splitting the one into two / three). A good example is the dialogue from the first part of The Rite of Jupiter (a series of planetary / mythic dramatic rituals). There are three central characters representing the Gunas and a central character; Centrum in Centri Trigono (C.I.C.T.) – the one in the centre of the triangle. “The Temple represents the Wheel of Fortune of the Tarot. At its axle is the Altar on which sits C.I.C.T. On the rim, S. at East spoke, H. at North-West, T. at South-West.” Here are the three principles. The Gunas with the “me who is beyond these Gunas” in the middle, on the Great Wheel. At one stage the ‘self beyond the Gunas’ addresses the ‘others’; C.I.C.T. “Feeling, and thought, and ecstasy Are but the cerements of Me. Thrown off like planets from the Sun Ye are but satellites of the One. But should your revolution stop Ye would inevitably drop Headlong within the central Soul, And all the parts become the Whole. Sloth and activity and peace,” (as the three ‘gunas are referred to here) “When will ye learn that ye must cease? TYPHON. How should I cease from lethargy? HERMANUBIS. How should I quench activity? SPHINX. How should I give up ecstasy? C.I.C.T. What shines upon your foreheads? S.H.T. (together). The Eye within the Triangle. C.I.C.T. What burns upon your breasts? S.H.T. (together). The Rosy Cross. C.I.C.T. Brethren of the Rosy Cross! Aspirants to the Silver Star! Not until these are ended can ye come to the centre of the wheel.” Later, the ‘Gunas’ argue, C.I.C.T. admonished them; C.I.C.T. “Irreconcilable, my children, how shall ye partake of the Banquet of Jupiter, or come to the centre of the wheel? For this is the secret of Jupiter, that He who created you is in each of you, yet apart from all; before Him ye are equal, revolving in Time and in Space; but he is unmoved and within.” Although it appears as a map of three it is describing a process of four (or 3 ‘implies’ 4 – as in the example above). One example is a three sided pyramid that creates an apex or a three sided pyramid and its base. Models of three often include a fourth principle (originating) above or within the triangle (the eye within the triangle symbol) or extending ‘below’ to show an ‘outcome’, e.g. all three elements combine to make earth. The 4 worlds of Qabbalah. In Qabbalah (a form of Jewish mysticism) the Tree of Life has four divisions; Atziluth, Archetypal World – Fire. The term Atzilut is usually translated as "Emanation" - the first emanation out of God's unique and pure Essence, and is therefore the "World" closest to Divinity. This Substance corresponds to Philosophic Fire, ‘living light’. This is the primal spiritual Substance from which all other matter evolves. Briah, Creative World – Water. Briah translates as "Creation". The function of Briah is to define specific Form and function which begin to occur at this stage. Yetrizah, Formative World – Air. This is the stage where analysis is applied to matter, and where these qualities are synthesised and formed into archetypal compositions with a view towards various specific applications. Assiah, Material World – Earth. Assiah is the actual physical universe in which all things live and carry out their functions. Divisions for the Soul. The Hermetic Qabbalah also has similar divisions for the soul; the four parts of the soul; 1. Yecidah ("single one") relates to the ultimate unity of the soul in God, as manifest by pure faith, absolute devotion and the continuous readiness to sacrifice one's life for God. 2. Ruach ("spirit") relates to the emotions. 3. Neschamah ("inner soul") relates to the mind and intelligence. 4. Nephesch (Animal soul – ‘creature’ -- the lower soul) relates to behaviour and action. The 4 DNA letters GACT. The genome of an organism is inscribed in DNA, or, in the case of some viruses, RNA. The portion of the genome that codes for a protein or an RNA is called a gene. Those genes that code for proteins are composed of tri-nucleotide units called codons, each coding for a single amino acid. Each nucleotide sub-unit consists of a phosphate, a deoxyribose sugar, and one of the four nitrogenous nucleobases; the purine bases adenine (A) and guanine (G), the pyrimidine bases cytosine © and thymine (T). Four Systems in the Body. FIRE WATER AIR EARTH If we add a ‘fifth element’ – spirit we can include ‘mind’. The Four principles of Divine Living (from Buddhism). Loving kindness, Compassion, Equanimity (balanced mind) and Appreciative Joy (or Sympathetic Joy). The 4 principles of Aikido. Briefly, Aikido is known as a non-violent/confrontational martial art that generally uses gentle and fluid movements to contain or control energies that come into one’s sphere of operation. It can work on any level, spiritual, emotional, intellectual or physical. The four principles of Aikido are; 1, project Ki. 2, concentrate on your one point. 3, ‘empty’ your mind. 4, keep weight underside. 1. Project Ki. Ki or Chi is the visualisation of life force coming out from you, through the hands mostly (e.g., someone grabs your wrist, first response should be, project Ki out through your fingers) but also other parts of the body, including the eyes (one can notice a distinct ‘sparkle’ in the eyes when another does this), this is the internal life force and fire. This is generated by absorbing the Ki from the ‘infinite’ (or time and space being curved it may be ‘one’s’ own Ki returning?) into the Hara (the centre just below the navel). 2. Keeping the one point; visualise the universal Ki concentrating and flowing into the Hara, visualise your Hara as black hole at the centre of the universe. This is absorption and relates to water. 3. No mind. Have ‘no mind’, just don’t think about it, keep the mind blank, and calm, like a clear blue sky - air. If you can’t, only think about the things that directly relate to what you are doing. 4. Keep weight underside. Earth - body and balance is held by keeping weight underside, i.e. visualise one’s weight as concentrating on any part of the body that is underside, bottom edge of arms (when extended) bottom of feet, inside of thighs (if feet apart) even under the chin, nose, brows and ear lobes. Of course, it all changes as one moves. I know from personal experience if one can master all these and bring them together one can achieve seemingly abnormal feats (throwing three attackers at once with little effort, not being able to be lifted off the ground, not being overcome by three gripping a staff you grip with one hand, not being able to have your arm bent, and even, as personally demonstrated to me by a teacher, not being able to be pushed over by 20 people all behind each other, all pushing, while the other squats on the balls of the feet, etc.) The 4 Male Archetypes. In ‘King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine’ by Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette an extensive use of the 3 / 4 model is utilised. They divide the male psyche into four components; King, Warrior, Magician and Lover. [by now you should be able to match each to its element.] Each of these is explained with a triangle model and shown in duality. In the ‘mature psyche’ the warrior triangle has warrior at top and sadist and masochist either side of the base; the king has tyrant and weakling; the lover has addict and impotent and the magician has detached manipulator and denying ‘innocent one’. Within each triangle is another showing the immature self. Unsuccessful development shows attachment to either polarity of the underlying principles. Within the warrior triangle is another with hero at its apex with bully and coward underneath. Within the king the divine child is at the apex with the high chair tyrant and the weakling prince. Within the lover the apex is the oedipal child with the mamma’s boy and the dreamer. Within the magician the apex is the precocious child with the know-it-all trickster and the dummy. We develop according to four factors; what we ‘bring’ with us in this incarnation, genetic material from parents and ancestors, environmental and social influences and individual choices we make (for whatever reasons). This system also uses another astrological division of 4; the ascendant, the mid-heaven, the descendant and the I.C. (midnight position). Four inner ‘planets’ make up the nature of our selves (considered to be the earth and Moon); Mars, Sun, Mercury and Venus and four outer planets represent processes that affect us; Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn. [And now Pluto has been ‘conveniently’ removed from the planetary list.] The 8 Circuits of Exo-psychology. (Four for the left brain and four for the right brain.) (Left Brain) 1. The oral bio survival circuit. This circuit is concerned with nourishment, physical safety, comfort and survival, suckling, cuddling etc. (Earth) 2. The emotional–territorial circuit. This circuit is imprinted in the toddler stage. It is concerned with domination and submission, territoriality, etc. (Water) 3. The symbolic or neurosemantic–dexterity circuit. This circuit is imprinted by human symbol systems. It is concerned with language, handling the environment, invention, calculation, prediction, building a mental "map" of the universe, physical dexterity, etc. (Air). 4. The domestic or socio-sexual circuit. This fourth circuit is imprinted by the first orgasm-mating experiences and tribal "morals". It is concerned with sexual pleasure. (Fire) (Right Brain) And their ‘higher octaves’; 5 - the neurosomatic circuit (water), 6 - the neuroelectric or metaprogramming circuit (fire), 7 - the neurogenetic or morphogenetic circuit (earth) and 8, the psychoatomic or quantum non-local circuit – ‘Overmind’ (air). The 3 Emergency Drives of Psychology. Fear, anger and excitement (The 4th being the actual responses to the drives.) Anger – fire; flushed, muscle tensing, feeling like one wants to explode, let off steam, heated in an argument, hot under the collar, boil with rage, etc. Fear – water; cold, trembling, frozen with fear, etc. Excitement – air (and its opposite; sleep - earth). The Three Psychic Divisions of Freud and the Four of Jung. Id, ego and super-ego are the three parts of the psychic apparatus defined in Sigmund Freud's structural model of the psyche; they are the three theoretical constructs in terms of whose activity and interaction mental life is described. According to this model of the psyche, the id is the set of uncoordinated instinctual trends; the ego is the organized, realistic part; and the super-ego plays the critical and moralizing role. Jung's concepts of the unconscious differed. Jung saw Freud's theory of the unconscious as incomplete and unnecessarily negative. According to Jung, Freud conceived the unconscious solely as a repository of repressed emotions and desires. Jung agreed with Freud's model of the unconscious, what Jung called the "personal unconscious", but he also proposed the existence of a second, far deeper form of the unconscious underlying the personal one. This was the collective unconscious, where the archetypes themselves resided, represented in mythology by a lake or other body of water, and in some cases a jug or other container. [Jung's work on himself and his patients convinced him that life has a spiritual purpose beyond material goals. Our main task, he believed, is to discover and fulfil our deep innate potential. Based on his study of Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Taoism, and other traditions, Jung believed that this journey of transformation, which he called individuation, is at the mystical heart of all religions. It is a journey to meet the self and at the same time to meet the Divine. Unlike Sigmund Freud, Jung thought spiritual experience was essential to our well-being.] Jung identified four major archetypes, but also believed that there was no limit to the number that may exist. The self is an archetype that represents the unification of the unconsciousness and consciousness of an individual. The creation of the self occurs through a process known as individuation, in which the various aspects of personality are integrated. The shadow is an archetype that consists of the sex and life instincts. The shadow exists as part of the unconscious mind and is composed of repressed ideas, weaknesses, desires, instincts and shortcomings. This archetype is often described as the darker side of the psyche, representing wildness, chaos and the unknown. Jung suggested that the shadow can appear in dreams or visions and may take a variety of forms. It might appear as a snake, a monster, a demon, a dragon or some other dark, wild or exotic figure. The Anima or Animus. The anima is a feminine image in the male psyche and the animus is a male image in the female psyche. The anima/animus represents the "true self" rather than the image we present to others and serves as the primary source of communication with the collective unconscious. The combination of the anima and animus is known as the syzygy, or the divine couple. The syzygy represents completion, unification and wholeness. The Persona is how we present ourselves to the world. The persona represents all of the different social masks that we wear among different groups and situations. It acts to shield the ego from negative images. According to Jung, the persona may appear in dreams and take a number of different forms. Vegetative life. A plant needs four elements plus the ‘fifth element’ to grow; ‘Spirit’– light. Fire – temperature. Water – moisture. Air – CO2 and O2. Earth – ‘growing medium’. Most consist of 5 basic components; seed, fruit (or seed container), flowers (or their equivalent), leaves and stems and roots. Primary nutrients for good plant growth; N, P & K. Further to this we can construct another triangle of nutrients with N, P & K at one point, secondary nutrients at another ( Ca, S & Mg) and micro-nutrients ( B, Cl, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mo & Se) at the third. Four principles for agricultural consideration; cosmic forces, earthly forces, location and type of plant. In Astrology. These four elements are often applied to personality to describe temperament. ‘Fire people’ are often spontaneous and impulsive. The Fire signs: (a map of three) Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. ‘Water People’ with are often feeling types and are very sensitive with deep imaginative and emotional traits. Water signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. ‘Air people’ are often quick and animated. They tend to intellectualize. The Air signs: Libra, Aquarius, Gemini. ‘Earth people’ can be quiet and slow but they apply themselves with endurance. The Earth signs: Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo The map of 3 is also described in another way in astrology. Each of the four elements occurs in three states or qualities, respectively named the cardinal, fixed and mutable. Water is a good example (the substance, not the element), when it is a liquid this would be the cardinal state, when ice, fixed and as a gas, mutable. The placement of planets in cardinal, fixed or mutable signs also reveals basic traits of the personality. People with an emphasis on cardinal signs can be leaders and initiators. Cardinal signs: Aries, Libra, Cancer, Capricorn People with an emphasis on the fixed signs can organise pre-established things for efficiency. They tend to work within the system and are preservers. Fixed signs: Leo, Aquarius, Scorpio, Taurus People with an emphasis on the mutable signs like to seek change and renewal. They like to find new systems. Mutable signs: Sagittarius, Gemini, Pisces, Virgo. The Four Forces in Physics. 1. The Strong Force - This force binds neutrons and protons together in the cores of atoms. Fire. 2. Weak Force – Radio-active decay. This causes the conversion of a neutron to a proton, an electron and an antineutrino (and other particles). Water – a medium for dissolution and coagulation. 3. Electromagnetic - This acts between electrically charged particles. Electricity, magnetism, and light are all produced by this force and it also has infinite range. Air, particularly its astrological rulership of Mercury which in turn rules things such as electricity and light. 4. Gravity - This force acts between all mass in the universe and it has infinite range. Earth - ‘substance’, mass. Modern physics attempts to explain every observed physical phenomenon by these fundamental interactions. Perhaps this gives us some understandings of the interaction within the world of the first three elements and as we see the fourth, Earth, is apart or a pendant to the others? Also considering that gravitation is the only interaction that acts on all particles having mass; has an infinite range, like electromagnetism but unlike strong and weak interaction; cannot be absorbed, transformed, or shielded against; always attracts and never repels. [The modern quantum mechanical view of the fundamental forces other than gravity ( 4. and Earth) is that particles of matter do not directly interact with each other, but rather carry a charge, and exchange virtual particles (or information) which are the interaction carriers or force mediators. This reminds me of the subtleties of the transference of coded DNA information (via the RNA) into the arrangements of enzymes (so their natural ‘tendencies’ fold and form into the required structure of the ‘building block’ required to make cellular components … which in turn build ‘cellular micro-machines’ to carry out functions within the cell). Some theories beyond the Standard Model include a hypothetical fifth force, and the search for such a force is an ongoing line of experimental research in physics. Another reason to look for new forces is the recent discovery that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, giving rise to a need to explain phenomena such as dark matter. Some have called this Quintessence. In physics, quintessence has been proposed by some physicists to be a fifth fundamental force. Quintessence differs in that it is a dynamic equation that changes over time, unlike the cosmological constant which always stays constant throughout time. It is suggested that quintessence can be either attractive or repulsive, it is thought that quintessence became repulsive about 10 billion years ago (the universe is approximately 14 billion years old). Some special cases of quintessence are phantom energy, which has a non-standard form of kinetic energy. From Wikipedia; “Quintessence is dynamic, and generally has a density and equation of state that varies with time. By contrast, a Cosmological Constant is static, with a fixed energy density …” We could postulate this fifth state is the relation of the ‘element’ spirit and its relationship to the four elements. This is shown in Western Hermetics as the attribution of the FIVE elements to the pentagram, with spirit being the top point. In this system ‘spirit’ is seen as active or passive; that force that creates the elemental differentiation or that force that maintains elemental essence and identity – the spirit of the element itself. In 2004, when scientists fit the evolution of dark energy with the cosmological data, they found that the equation of state had possibly crossed the cosmological constant boundary from above to below. Also we see that a form of the pentagram is shown as ‘averse’ or upside down. Now ‘spirit’ is ‘below’. To have it all together we approach the hexagram, that which is above and that which is below. This is the basic premise of Hermetics and its basic document; The Emerald Tablet. Quintessence (from Wikipedia): “The name comes from the classical elements of the ancient Greeks. The aether, a pure "fifth element" (quinta essentia in Latin), was thought to fill the Universe beyond Earth. This seemed fitting to modern scientists, since quintessence was the fifth known contribution to the overall mass-energy content of the Universe.” This has been a basic introduction to some of the concepts behind ‘psychological maps’ or ‘models of realities’ using number. We can see how the natural world uses divisions of four (which is generated, by esoteric number theory from triplicity, which in turn is generated from duality, unity and originally, no-thing). The reason we study such maps or schema is, not to confuse the map with the territory but a way of helping to understand and hence, in some cases, predict the territory. A person exploring their own psyche without a map is as lost as an explorer in a strange country. He will eventually be able to make up a map from his experience but most of his time will be used up in that. The idea of spiritual, religious, psychological or cosmological maps is that they show us forces inherent in nature and allow us to figure out territory we may be unfamiliar with by applying natural principles or laws. Any laws, principles, ‘discoveries’ or systems we follow that are not based on or attuned with a process in nature come from an unrealistic human ‘head trip’ that has not been balanced by the other four ‘worlds’. A prominent Paracelsian physician, astrologer, mathematician, cosmologist and Qabalist, Robert Fludd was the first person to discuss the circulation of the blood and also produced the influential diagram used in the study of perception, consciousness and psychology in his Utriusque cosmi maioris scilicet et minoris (1619). Rosicrucian Schema. The true symbol of the Rose and Cross - the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

Have you ever had a dream where you were in your own bed and it seemed so real, yet you discovered it was fake. Then things became scary because you did not fully accept the fakeness as it was equally real as the real world you've come to know. Some call it an oobe experience, since the dream is in your own bedroom. Others call it a lucid dream where you're on the edge of becoming lucid. The scary uncertainty of reality is what lies in between all realms, the gateway. it is the void and source of these worlds, the potential. You can create your reality by accesing these uncertainties, use the gateway as a portal to travel where you wish. You accept that your location is fake, you open the gate of uncertainty, expect to walk in where you want to and you'll arive there. Sounds metaphysical, but its not. In lucid dreams you can use doors to function as portals. What seems like metaphysical now, is real physics of the dream realm. This uncertainty is not that though. The. Uncertainty of reality is accesable in all realities. Dreaming or awake. The thing is, in dreams it is very hard to accept that everything is fake and when you do, you wake up and forget how you did it and what the fake world was like. When you have enough lucid dreams, you realize that lucid dreams can be as real as your waking reality. Then you try to accept that your waking reality is fake, to acces the gateway of uncertainty. This is even more difficult. Your ego can make up 100 years worth of ideas and thoughts that proove that e erything is real. Once you do wake up to the fake nature of reality, it feels enlightening. You become everything and nothing at the same time. You can be a pencil and you can be a chair, yet stuck in my body I was on the verge of waking up. Afraid to let go of my body. I remember the experience like it happened yesterday.