seven layers of bliss

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I was re-watching the matrix and I fell into aspecific sortof emptiness.

 

at my peak ofmeditation, I felt a connectedness with my immediate surrondings, in my chest, and it was bliss. this went on for like a few weeks (I really don'tremember...) and then gradually residedinto, eventually, nothing.

 

I had never forgetten this emptiness...and I still attempt to re-achieve it. however, I have elarned that there are necessary ways of going about it.

 

generally, what I have been doing isa sort of 'reaching out' from my chest center to envelopemy surroundingsand 'dis-identify' with my body. this 'reaching out' would usually begin with a pleasure in the chest area, but would eventually be drained of all pleasure, until I was left with a dark, or uncomfortable, 'emptiness'of the chest area. (I had imagined.. is this because I lack jing?? I don't know why my emptiness practice would progress this way!...)

 

There is a book, of which I am VERY fond, and HIGHLY recommend: "Tantra: the path of ecstasy" by georg feuerstein.within it is a small bit I will relay here...

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... abhinava gupta speaks of the followuing seven levels of bliss:

 

1 nija-ananda, or innate bliss, consists of the realization of the self as being totally seperate from the objective reality and is due to the yogins concentration on the subjective side of emptiness at the heart.

 

2 nirananda, or trans-b;iss, arises when the yogin focuses on external reality. it results from the ascent of the life-force tpp the psychoenergetic center at the crown of the head.

 

3. para-ananda, or supreme bliss, is the realization of the self as containing within its infinite compass of all objects, which are grasped individually. ir is caused by the descent of the life force in the form of apana from the crown center too thhe heart.

 

4. brahma-ananda, or brahmic bliss, is similiar to suppreme bliss but here objects are grasped as a totality. this state is caused when the lifeforce assumes its samana form at the heart.

 

5. maha-ananda, or great bliss, con

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(continued...)

 

 

...consists in therealization of the self transcending all objective forms asa result of the ascent of the life force as udana in the central channel.

 

6. cid-ananda, or concsious bliss, is the realization of the self as subject, object, and means of cognition and comes about with the converion of the udana life force into its vyana aspect.

 

7. jagad-ananda, world bliss, is the realizaion of the self as including absolutely everything within and without. this i sthe most ocmplete enlightenment.

 

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Now, I think I cn practice residing in the emptiness as explained by (4). do I think this is a result from some sort of alchemy, as implied by the last sentence in each description? I don't think so.. I don't even know what udana is yet.do I think that each of the 7-'layers' of bliss come right after the other, in sequential order? quite possibly, now that I look at it! do I know for sure, though? ..no.

 

It is incredible I have forgotten this lesson... howimportant it is-- the contemplation of emptiness! how many of us remember that there are actually different ways to experience bliss??? Sure, I had it in the temrinology of 'the secret of the golden flower', that describes 'littleoblivion' and 'big oblivion'... little oblivion being what probably what most beginers of zen or emptiness do.. try to stop the mind with the mind, dwelling IN the mind. This is clearly impossible.. let me assure you, with many wasted hours in such 'trance'! itwas when I fina lly learned to stop the mind in these different manner that I discovered what I called 'big oblivion'. (though I think these descriptions of emptiness are much better...!)

 

as for the alchemical sentences at the end, I would like to understand that. I am thinking that they do not CAUSE the described emptiness... but are rather a CONSEQUENCE? (if they really mean anything at all...?)

 

anyways, I hope you guys appreciate this lesson as much as I do!!!!!!!!! ) =) =) =)