Mind returning to it's source - The Heart

[dwai]

So per the Advaita tradition, the associative step along with jnana (knowledge) acquisition (reading the classic texts) is atma vichara (or meditating on the Self).

 

The process became clear to me after many months of inquiring "who am I?". The mind first started dropping into the Lower Dan Tien, where the eye of the spiraling dan tien (swadhisthana) was empty. So I continued this way for a few weeks, until the mind started falling into the middle dan tien (heart). Here I would sense more energetic activity but there mind becomes still as it rests there.

 

Again after a few weeks of that, my mind started going to the dan tien above the Crown point - aka Guru Chakra. It started resting there. Again mind becomes still when it rests there.

 

Through the practice, wherein I practice Tai chi, Mantra meditation, mindfulness etc all with the mind resting in either the heart or the guru chakra, the underlying witness became more and more apparent, such that it is usually "present" all the time, even while doing something that requires total "mental" concentration. 

 

Recently, I had an incident which triggered a new condition. I was feeling extremely "hot" (in the middle of the chicago winter) one night. I had a long practice that day...several times, both tai chi and seated meditation. I was feeling uncomfortable with the energy built up, so I sat down to meditate around midnight. I must've meditated for 30-40 minutes and then I got up and walked around to let the energy and blood circulation flow properly in the lower body (as the heart center was flush with energy sensation by then). 

 

As I lay down to sleep (around 1 am), I observed my body going to sleep gradually as they lost sensation. Only sensation was in my heart. I wasn't sure what was happening, so I got up several times and then eventually stood and drained my energy with some standing meditation (dao gong). Eventually i felt the energy move down to the lower dan tien and I was able to sleep.

 

But since then, the awareness has remained in the heart area. Last night, as I lay down to sleep, I felt clearly, my body going to sleep and then my mind too slipping back into the heart center. And as soon as I focussed on it slipping back into the heart, it woke up and was fearful. It was a bizarre situation, where my awareness was perfectly calm and observing all this happening , and the mind was over-reacting with fear. It took some doing to ignore the mind's fear and finally fall asleep.

 

Anyone has any thoughts on this?

Edited January 27, 2017 by dwai

[Jeff]

Polarity shift or you could say expansion and opening on your female energy body side.

 

As Abhinavagupta would now say regarding this shift...

 

"The whole universe is set in your essence within the ocean, within the Heart, in the life-span. Let us win your honeyed wave that is brought to the face of the waters as they flow together."

[dwai]

Polarity shift or you could say expansion and opening on your female energy body side.

 

As Abhinavagupta would now say regarding this shift...

 

"The whole universe is set in your essence within the ocean, within the Heart, in the life-span. Let us win your honeyed wave that is brought to the face of the waters as they flow together."

 

I'm not sure I understood. Please elaborate?

[Jeff]

I'm not sure I understood. Please elaborate?

Sure, from the TTC chapter 10...

 

Opening and closing the gates of heaven,

Can you play the role of woman?

 

From Chapter 6...

 

The valley spirit never dies;

It is the woman, primal mother.

Her gateway is the root of heaven and earth.

It is like a veil barely seen.

Use it; it will never fail.

 

You have found the veil barely (truly rarely) found. My suggestion is that use it. Ignore the fear of your (local) mind.

[dwai]

Sure, from the TTC chapter 10...

 

Opening and closing the gates of heaven,

Can you play the role of woman?

 

From Chapter 6...

 

The valley spirit never dies;

It is the woman, primal mother.

Her gateway is the root of heaven and earth.

It is like a veil barely seen.

Use it; it will never fail.

 

You have found the veil barely (truly rarely) found. My suggestion is that use it. Ignore the fear of your (local) mind.

 

Thanks for elaborating. I'm going to see how things unfold over the next few days...

[Jeff]

Thanks for elaborating. I'm going to see how things unfold over the next few days...

Sure. Happy to also go into greater details if you like and not just post texts. You may be interested in reading this recent post of mine to as it kind of relates. The gateway fits with verse 28. You already know the strength of man, now comes the woman's heart part. The rest of the steps are included in the verse...

 

http://www.thedaobums.com/topic/42949-path-of-an-immortal-ttc-verse-28/

[dwai]

Sure. Happy to also go into greater details if you like and not just post texts. You may be interested in reading this recent post of mine to as it kind of relates. The gateway fits with verse 28. You already know the strength of man, now comes the woman's heart part. The rest of the steps are included in the verse...

 

http://www.thedaobums.com/topic/42949-path-of-an-immortal-ttc-verse-28/

 

Please do share if it's not too much trouble for you.

[Jeff]

Please do share if it's not too much trouble for you.

Sure, but I realize that it is a little challenging as we don't really have a good starting point. But, here goes...

 

You are very clear and strong energetically. Or like the verse says, know the strength of a male. But, at higher layers of consciousness (beyond the human body), we are both male and female (or neither). This both male and female is really about energetic polarity of transmission and reception (the two that emerge from the one), but at human levels it is historicallly seen as male and female bodies. These two sides of the coin are also sometimes seen as mental clarity and energy. Those who experience things more as mind clarity tend to be more transmission/male side, with energy being more heart/female.This is also why Shiva is clear space and Shakti energy, as they are representive of sort of the ultimate polarity.

 

Hence, a man who is "mind based" need to open his female energy side which is "heart based" and then integrate them at the human body level. Finding the female side for a man (and the male side for a woman) is the "gate" to the soul/light body/higher stuff.

 

Additionally, your "opposite energy body side" is also like a mapping to the world around you. As you integrate and balance the two sides, you move from seeing it to being it. Or like the TTC 28 describes as the next step, you become... "Be the stream of the universe! " which leads to the "golden child".

 

In a way, it is kind of like you expand the range of engergetic polarities such that you have both male and female sides that allow you to get pregnant by yourself and give birth to a new "you". This new you is integrated with the heart and mind as one, or you could say perfect clarity of mind with all the energy flowing.

 

Hope that helps and is not more confusing...

[dwai]

Sure, but I realize that it is a little challenging as we don't really have a good starting point. But, here goes...

 

You are very clear and strong energetically. Or like the verse says, know the strength of a male. But, at higher layers of consciousness (beyond the human body), we are both male and female (or neither). This both male and female is really about energetic polarity of transmission and reception (the two that emerge from the one), but at human levels it is historicallly seen as male and female bodies. These two sides of the coin are also sometimes seen as mental clarity and energy. Those who experience things more as mind clarity tend to be more transmission/male side, with energy being more heart/female.This is also why Shiva is clear space and Shakti energy, as they are representive of sort of the ultimate polarity.

 

Hence, a man who is "mind based" need to open his female energy side which is "heart based" and then integrate them at the human body level. Finding the female side for a man (and the male side for a woman) is the "gate" to the soul/light body/higher stuff.

 

Additionally, your "opposite energy body side" is also like a mapping to the world around you. As you integrate and balance the two sides, you move from seeing it to being it. Or like the TTC 28 describes as the next step, you become... "Be the stream of the universe! " which leads to the "golden child".

 

In a way, it is kind of like you expand the range of engergetic polarities such that you have both male and female sides that allow you to get pregnant by yourself and give birth to a new "you". This new you is integrated with the heart and mind as one, or you could say perfect clarity of mind with all the energy flowing.

 

Hope that helps and is not more confusing...

 

That makes sense. In fact in my meditations I often see two women...one looks like she's part of my family but I've never seen her in my life (prior to the meditations). I sense great love and benevolence from her. The other is a short-haired tantrik female, whose eyes are piercing and like laser beams. She too seems benevolent.

 

Finally, when my mind settles in the Guru chakra, I see a female body...mainly a right arm with a golden ornament that is like a tape that wraps up from her wrist to the lower forearm.

[3bob]

Please pardon me but..

#1. Jeff unless you are an empowered swami of a Saivite order and under the direction of its Satguru I'd say you really need to change your game since you have taken things out of bounds...#2. btw. your interpretations of Kashmir Saivism are not publically kosher and only apply to yourself;  thus such can not to be given out as anything else since you do not have the authority to do so unless #1 applies per the Kashmir school.

 

are we having fun yet?

Edited January 28, 2017 by 3bob

[Jeff]

That makes sense. In fact in my meditations I often see two women...one looks like she's part of my family but I've never seen her in my life (prior to the meditations). I sense great love and benevolence from her. The other is a short-haired tantrik female, whose eyes are piercing and like laser beams. She too seems benevolent.

 

Finally, when my mind settles in the Guru chakra, I see a female body...mainly a right arm with a golden ornament that is like a tape that wraps up from her wrist to the lower forearm.

Very cool and exactly what I mean, that "seeing" is like the first phase (or male side seeing it). As you more expand (or merge) into the female side, it grows into "being".

[Jeff]

Please pardon me but..

#1. Jeff unless you are an empowered swami of a Saivite order and under the direction of its Satguru I'd say you really need to change your game since you have taken things out of bounds...#2. btw. your interpretations of Kashmir Saivism are not publically kosher and only apply to yourself;  thus such can not to be given out as anything else since you do not have the authority to do so unless #1 applies per the Kashmir school.

 

are we having fun yet?

Ok, 3bob... As always... All of my sharing and interpretations are based upon my personal experience. All readers are hereby warned that I am speaking only on my own authority. But, if you are calling in all your Satguru's on me, it might be better to pick a different thread as this one is really mostly Tao Te Ching stuff..

[3bob]

 they aren't mine and don't need to be called by anyone, they already know   and thanks for the warning.

Edited January 28, 2017 by 3bob

[dwai]

[3bob]

ok, so you did. 

[Drifting_Through_Infinity]

What meditation method do you use to achieve such results?

[dwai]

What meditation method do you use to achieve such results?

I think becoming aware of the witness is the first step. That can be done by doing any repetitive task for an extended period of time...

[TheWhiteRabbit]

I think becoming aware of the witness is the first step. That can be done by doing any repetitive task for an extended period of time...

 

I would willingly defer to YaMu on this subject, if he has something to add on it.

The mind is a tool, but the spiritual center of the spirit is the heart not the mind.

It is my understanding that through this part of development the mind fights for control and becomes fearful because it does not have control itself.

As I have learned the mind is an important tool.  If we were to only do what feels right as humans we would have destroyed ourselves long ago in a nuclear holocaust.  The mind serves to teach us order while in physical form.  Most of this comes from the fact that order exists in its many and varied forms, especially in balance and order within the body.  Order is the opposite of Entropy and decline.  Life cannot exist without order.  This is why the mind exists as a tool.

 

The general consensus among humanity is that the mind is the seat of order among everything and many debates have been had about this.

It is my understanding that you had an experience similar to "shifting" where you experienced an awareness of the heart center.  Immediately after this your mind became fearful because it realized it was not in control.  This is actually a quite common experience and happens among people who become very spiritually developed.  YaMu is a great teacher and can help guide you on this, because he has a lot of experience on helping develop this.

 

Additionally, my experience is that since you have really opened the heart center.  You may additionally become aware of the need to protect your ability to "trust" people.  You may encounter people who become deceitful, but rather than become untrusting of people, it becomes a tricky thing because you will need to fortify yourself.  You can do this by minimizing your interactions with those if possible and learning to not get drawn into their predicaments.  This is because those types of interactions also close off chi or energy... However you want to call it.  But, I am many years into this.  It can seem like something silly or benign to someone who begins this kind of thing.  But, it was one of the great plateaus of my development.  Once I learned how to not close myself off and protect myself... It lead me on to greater and greater things.

 

Dawei also has some methods too.  Focusing on people's actions as their own actions and remembering that also helps.

 

It is just that getting drawn into the false realities and fantasies people create can close off energy especially the heart.  So, it is really a matter of becoming aware of how your interactions on a day to day basis affect you.  If you feel pressure, it is usually an unease of mind or energy that has led to these feelings.  Eventually for me, the price was that my ex-wife was deceptive and such.  I did not listen to what people told me about her.  It led to eventually leaving the situation and I felt better.  Spirituality of any kind is a long path of development.  I used to think everyone should be told everything, then kept everything to myself... Eventually, I decided to just tell people the minimum of what they need to know.  I think this is probably the "meaty minimum" and should by the same token allow you to search out or do enough of your own research to suppliment it.

 

Good Luck and Good Health to you,

Grant

 

Edit: Just to add, I am not sure if YaMu appointed another person to post on the topic here on the forum.  I will contact Brian and see if there is anything he wants to add.

Edited February 8, 2017 by TheWhiteRabbit

[dwai]

I would willingly defer to YaMu on this subject, if he has something to add on it.

The mind is a tool, but the spiritual center of the spirit is the heart not the mind.

It is my understanding that through this part of development the mind fights for control and becomes fearful because it does not have control itself.

As I have learned the mind is an important tool.  If we were to only do what feels right as humans we would have destroyed ourselves long ago in a nuclear holocaust.  The mind serves to teach us order while in physical form.  Most of this comes from the fact that order exists in its many and varied forms, especially in balance and order within the body.  Order is the opposite of Entropy and decline.  Life cannot exist without order.  This is why the mind exists as a tool.

 

The general consensus among humanity is that the mind is the seat of order among everything and many debates have been had about this.

It is my understanding that you had an experience similar to "shifting" where you experienced an awareness of the heart center.  Immediately after this your mind became fearful because it realized it was not in control.  This is actually a quite common experience and happens among people who become very spiritually developed.  YaMu is a great teacher and can help guide you on this, because he has a lot of experience on helping develop this.

 

Additionally, my experience is that since you have really opened the heart center.  You may additionally become aware of the need to protect your ability to "trust" people.  You may encounter people who become deceitful, but rather than become untrusting of people, it becomes a tricky thing because you will need to fortify yourself.  You can do this by minimizing your interactions with those if possible and learning to not get drawn into their predicaments.  This is because those types of interactions also close off chi or energy... However you want to call it.  But, I am many years into this.  It can seem like something silly or benign to someone who begins this kind of thing.  But, it was one of the great plateaus of my development.  Once I learned how to not close myself off and protect myself... It lead me on to greater and greater things.

 

Dawei also has some methods too.  Focusing on people's actions as their own actions and remembering that also helps.

 

It is just that getting drawn into the false realities and fantasies people create can close off energy especially the heart.  So, it is really a matter of becoming aware of how your interactions on a day to day basis affect you.  If you feel pressure, it is usually an unease of mind or energy that has led to these feelings.  Eventually for me, the price was that my ex-wife was deceptive and such.  I did not listen to what people told me about her.  It led to eventually leaving the situation and I felt better.  Spirituality of any kind is a long path of development.  I used to think everyone should be told everything, then kept everything to myself... Eventually, I decided to just tell people the minimum of what they need to know.  I think this is probably the "meaty minimum" and should by the same token allow you to search out or do enough of your own research to suppliment it.

 

Good Luck and Good Health to you,

Grant

 

Edit: Just to add, I am not sure if YaMu appointed another person to post on the topic here on the forum.  I will contact Brian and see if there is anything he wants to add.

 

Thanks for the advise and sharing your thoughts Grant. I'd love to hear with YaMu, Brian et al have to add on this topic

 

About "trust" and "heart open" - first time my heart opened (as an adult) was when I was 18-19 yrs old and I fell in love. It was a very interesting period because, as you pointed out, there were many who took advantage of my trusting nature (i've been a very non-judgemental person all my life, and always took at their face value...instead of assessing their intentions).

 

My heart remained open pretty much until we lost our first child (around 3 months into the pregnancy) and there was a lot of negativity, acrimony and pain associated with that event. 

I'd already gotten to a point where "death" didn't scare me much as I lost my father when I was 21, and then subsequently my most beloved grand parents a decade later.

 

So since 2006 (since the heart closing), my daughter was born in 2007...but progressively I noticed my heart closing/hardening (conditionally open for a few, like my daughter). I started to become very "cold" in a way, but I was also doing quite a bit of tai chi and nei gong at this time. I feel that this was causing me to detach more and more, making me "cold" in a way. 

 

This is how it was until my recent practices (and my master's blessings) gradually opened the heart up again...

 

But this time it's different because I am aware of the fact that the heart "IS" open and yet I am able to stay detached, with a more "neutral" kind of love (for all in general). But it's hard as life's trials and tribulations definitely make the process of keeping the heart open and clean more difficult than it should be.

[Jonesboy]

I think when people talk about the heart we are talking about different levels of depth.

 

First is the heart opening and when one has a big one there is no doubt it is amazing. I know when mine opened I was filled with so much joy and love that it was overflowing. I have written post about "Are you Happy" because the joy from that opening is something that has never left me.

 

The heart when it opens is also that which allows for one to start feeling energy within themselves and from others. It is the most important chakra to open if you ask me. When one is able to feel energy from others we often here them talking about bad energy or low vibrational energy from others. What they are often experiencing is the shared issues from others. The other person has an obstruction and because they share it the energy you could say is getting stuck, heavy or doesn't feel good. It is an opportunity to work within oneself not to distance themselves from others... I will admit sometimes it can be to much and distance isn't always a bad thing. It is those moments when people talk about how the guru is everything, all around me.. it is that energy that doesn't feel good that is telling what we need to work on. If you don't share the issue the energy just flows through us, non attaching and blissful.

 

A deeper meaning of the Heart is often missed because we are focused within ourselves and our body, still trapped by objects and things. Abhinavagupta explains what the true meaning of the heart is in The Heart of Siva.

 

 

 

The Heart, says Abhinavagupta, is the very Self of Siva, of Bhairava,

 

and of the Devi, the Goddess who is inseparable from Siva. Indeed,

 

the Heart is the site of their union (yamala), of their embrace (samghatta).

 

This abode is pure consciousness (caitanya) as well as unlimited bliss

 

(ananda). As consciousness the Heart is the unbounded, infinite light

 

(prakasa) as well as the freedom (svatantrya) and spontaneity (vimarsa)

 

of that light to appear in a multitude and variety of forms. The Heart,

 

says Abhinavagupta, is the sacred fire-pit of Bhairava.1

 

The Heart is the Ultimate (anuttara) which is both utterly transcendent

 

to (visvottirna) and yet totally immanent in (visvamaya) all created things.

 

It is the ultimate essence (sara).

[Brian]

Thanks for the advise and sharing your thoughts Grant. I'd love to hear with YaMu, Brian et al have to add on this topic

 

About "trust" and "heart open" - first time my heart opened (as an adult) was when I was 18-19 yrs old and I fell in love. It was a very interesting period because, as you pointed out, there were many who took advantage of my trusting nature (i've been a very non-judgemental person all my life, and always took at their face value...instead of assessing their intentions).

 

My heart remained open pretty much until we lost our first child (around 3 months into the pregnancy) and there was a lot of negativity, acrimony and pain associated with that event. 

I'd already gotten to a point where "death" didn't scare me much as I lost my father when I was 21, and then subsequently my most beloved grand parents a decade later.

 

So since 2006 (since the heart closing), my daughter was born in 2007...but progressively I noticed my heart closing/hardening (conditionally open for a few, like my daughter). I started to become very "cold" in a way, but I was also doing quite a bit of tai chi and nei gong at this time. I feel that this was causing me to detach more and more, making me "cold" in a way. 

 

This is how it was until my recent practices (and my master's blessings) gradually opened the heart up again...

 

But this time it's different because I am aware of the fact that the heart "IS" open and yet I am able to stay detached, with a more "neutral" kind of love (for all in general). But it's hard as life's trials and tribulations definitely make the process of keeping the heart open and clean more difficult than it should be.

I am not speaking for Ya Mu and I certainly don't claim to be an authority on any of this (especially not on a topic in the Hindu Discussion sub-forum!) but I suppose I can share my personal perspective based on my own experience.

 

What you describe is familiar to me, dwai.

 

When we form attachments -- regardless of whether we are conscious of them, regardless of whether they might be situationally appropriate -- an energetic connection is formed. That connection point is at heart or heart-mind and it introduces both a distortion and a conduit. The distortion is effectively a blemish and the conduit allows flow from higher potential to lower potential but also allows a backflow. An accumulation of such connections, or a particularly unhealthy connection, has a damaging effect on our energy-bodies and, by extension, on our physical and mental bodies as well. We may sense this in various manifestations ("heavy heart" or "weary heart" or "jaded heart" for example) and we may develop physical symptoms which are linked to this draining and distorting and polluting influence.

 

A natural reaction might be to armor one's self against attachments and commitments and relationships because we recognize at some level the harmful effects they can have. I have learned that this is counterproductive, however, because we diminish our capacity in the process and lessen our ability to deal with both the connections and their undesirable impacts. This is somewhat analogous to using immunosuppressors to treat a chronic disease -- it may lessen the appearance of symptoms but it doesn't address the underlying problem and it generally weakens the immune system, leaving us more susceptible to future ailments. A better approach (and one which is getting increased attention in areas like oncology) is to enhance and strengthen the body's immune system so that it can better address the current issue and be better prepared for future issues.

 

We do exactly this on an energetic level, too.

 

As we increase our vibrational frequency and polish away blemishes, occlusions and distortions, we become more perceptive of and better able to deal with our own attachments. Boosting our energetic immune system, if you will pardon the metaphor, (and this is really more along the lines of removing those influences which diminish our natural immune system than artificially enhancing it) better equips us to open our hearts -- especially for those of us who have armored our hearts. Personally, I know that years of neglect caused my heart to atrophy (energetically speaking, that is -- my heart muscle is OK). As a result, it has taken years of cultivation to restore that gate to health so that it can open properly. This cultivation has focused on finding stillness and on allowing energy to flow naturally, letting that flow naturally dislodge, dissolve and wash away blockages, filters and impurities. Still got miles to go, mind you, but I look back and see that I have effortlessly covered a surprising distance.

 

Something I discovered a little over a year ago (and some may remember my kinda bizarre questions around that time) is the profound relationship between the energy gates above the crown and the one often thought of as "heart." As the higher-level gates start to become active and open, they envelop the heart. The individual energy centers begin to merge into an all-inclusive one, which then expands as an ever-growing sphere with a brilliant pole running through it (at least, that's how it appears to me now). This is a transformative experience and, for me, it has been a disorienting one.

 

Since Grant mentioned "shifting" above, I'll share a thought on that as well. Part of the cultivation process typically involves calming the mind and finding stillness. When one learns to do this, one finds that perspective on reality alters. In Stillness-Movement, we sometimes call this "shifting." This is not the destination, however, and thinking it is the objective is a velvet-lined trap. We walk in the mundane world in this life but learning to walk with one foot in that shifted state and one foot in dualistic reality not only helps us avoid stepping in front of a bus but it allows us to see dualistic reality from that shifted perspective. Many strange and wonderful things begin to happen around us at that point but one of them is the ability to perceive and be selective about those attachments. Using intent to establish and sever connections and using those connections to affect manifest reality is a powerful tool -- when that power is tempered by knowledge and that knowledge is tempered by wisdom.

 

Just my two cents so take it for what it's worth.

Brian

Edited February 9, 2017 by Brian

[awaken]

Sure, from the TTC chapter 10...

Opening and closing the gates of heaven,

Can you play the role of woman?

From Chapter 6...

The valley spirit never dies;

It is the woman, primal mother.

Her gateway is the root of heaven and earth.

It is like a veil barely seen.

Use it; it will never fail.

You have found the veil barely (truly rarely) found. My suggestion is that use it. Ignore the fear of your (local) mind.

第十章

 

天門開闔，能為雌乎﹖

 

I think 天門，the gate of heaven, is Xiuan Guan.

 

雌，is 金母，golden female, the first imortal, and it is also a 谷神，valley Shen, valley spirit.

 

DDJ wrote a lot about dan dao.

[awaken]

So per the Advaita tradition, the associative step along with jnana (knowledge) acquisition (reading the classic texts) is atma vichara (or meditating on the Self).

 

The process became clear to me after many months of inquiring "who am I?". The mind first started dropping into the Lower Dan Tien, where the eye of the spiraling dan tien (swadhisthana) was empty. So I continued this way for a few weeks, until the mind started falling into the middle dan tien (heart). Here I would sense more energetic activity but there mind becomes still as it rests there.

 

Again after a few weeks of that, my mind started going to the dan tien above the Crown point - aka Guru Chakra. It started resting there. Again mind becomes still when it rests there.

 

Through the practice, wherein I practice Tai chi, Mantra meditation, mindfulness etc all with the mind resting in either the heart or the guru chakra, the underlying witness became more and more apparent, such that it is usually "present" all the time, even while doing something that requires total "mental" concentration.

 

Recently, I had an incident which triggered a new condition. I was feeling extremely "hot" (in the middle of the chicago winter) one night. I had a long practice that day...several times, both tai chi and seated meditation. I was feeling uncomfortable with the energy built up, so I sat down to meditate around midnight. I must've meditated for 30-40 minutes and then I got up and walked around to let the energy and blood circulation flow properly in the lower body (as the heart center was flush with energy sensation by then).

 

As I lay down to sleep (around 1 am), I observed my body going to sleep gradually as they lost sensation. Only sensation was in my heart. I wasn't sure what was happening, so I got up several times and then eventually stood and drained my energy with some standing meditation (dao gong). Eventually i felt the energy move down to the lower dan tien and I was able to sleep.

 

But since then, the awareness has remained in the heart area. Last night, as I lay down to sleep, I felt clearly, my body going to sleep and then my mind too slipping back into the heart center. And as soon as I focussed on it slipping back into the heart, it woke up and was fearful. It was a bizarre situation, where my awareness was perfectly calm and observing all this happening , and the mind was over-reacting with fear. It took some doing to ignore the mind's fear and finally fall asleep.

 

Anyone has any thoughts on this?

Ha, it is very obviously.

 

Your Qi are entering your heart.

 

The heart is the last process of Qi.

 

After Qi get into the heart, we get into the world of Shen.

 

練氣化神

Practice the Qi into Shen

 

I have this situation for many years.

 

Please don't resist.

 

Let it happen.

 

Even fall asleep, it is ok.

 

When you sleep, you will feel your body sleep, but your Shen awake.

 

That is 識神隱，元神現

 

Shi Shen disappear, yuan Shen appear

Edited February 9, 2017 by awaken

[dwai]

I am not speaking for Ya Mu and I certainly don't claim to be an authority on any of this (especially not on a topic in the Hindu Discussion sub-forum!) but I suppose I can share my personal perspective based on my own experience.

 

What you describe is familiar to me, dwai.

 

When we form attachments -- regardless of whether we are conscious of them, regardless of whether they might be situationally appropriate -- an energetic connection is formed. That connection point is at heart or heart-mind and it introduces both a distortion and a conduit. The distortion is effectively a blemish and the conduit allows flow from higher potential to lower potential but also allows a backflow. An accumulation of such connections, or a particularly unhealthy connection, has a damaging effect on our energy-bodies and, by extension, on our physical and mental bodies as well. We may sense this in various manifestations ("heavy heart" or "weary heart" or "jaded heart" for example) and we may develop physical symptoms which are linked to this draining and distorting and polluting influence.

 

A natural reaction might be to armor one's self against attachments and commitments and relationships because we recognize at some level the harmful effects they can have. I have learned that this is counterproductive, however, because we diminish our capacity in the process and lessen our ability to deal with both the connections and their undesirable impacts. This is somewhat analogous to using immunosuppressors to treat a chronic disease -- it may lessen the appearance of symptoms but it doesn't address the underlying problem and it generally weakens the immune system, leaving us more susceptible to future ailments. A better approach (and one which is getting increased attention in areas like oncology) is to enhance and strengthen the body's immune system so that it can better address the current issue and be better prepared for future issues.

 

We do exactly this on an energetic level, too.

 

As we increase our vibrational frequency and polish away blemishes, occlusions and distortions, we become more perceptive of and better able to deal with our own attachments. Boosting our energetic immune system, if you will pardon the metaphor, (and this is really more along the lines of removing those influences which diminish our natural immune system than artificially enhancing it) better equips us to open our hearts -- especially for those of us who have armored our hearts. Personally, I know that years of neglect caused my heart to atrophy (energetically speaking, that is -- my heart muscle is OK). As a result, it has taken years of cultivation to restore that gate to health so that it can open properly. This cultivation has focused on finding stillness and on allowing energy to flow naturally, letting that flow naturally dislodge, dissolve and wash away blockages, filters and impurities. Still got miles to go, mind you, but I look back and see that I have effortlessly covered a surprising distance.

 

Something I discovered a little over a year ago (and some may remember my kinda bizarre questions around that time) is the profound relationship between the energy gates above the crown and the one often thought of as "heart." As the higher-level gates start to become active and open, they envelop the heart. The individual energy centers begin to merge into an all-inclusive one, which then expands as an ever-growing sphere with a brilliant pole running through it (at least, that's how it appears to me now). This is a transformative experience and, for me, it has been a disorienting one.

 

Since Grant mentioned "shifting" above, I'll share a thought on that as well. Part of the cultivation process typically involves calming the mind and finding stillness. When one learns to do this, one finds that perspective on reality alters. In Stillness-Movement, we sometimes call this "shifting." This is not the destination, however, and thinking it is the objective is a velvet-lined trap. We walk in the mundane world in this life but learning to walk with one foot in that shifted state and one foot in dualistic reality not only helps us avoid stepping in front of a bus but it allows us to see dualistic reality from that shifted perspective. Many strange and wonderful things begin to happen around us at that point but one of them is the ability to perceive and be selective about those attachments. Using intent to establish and sever connections and using those connections to affect manifest reality is a powerful tool -- when that power is tempered by knowledge and that knowledge is tempered by wisdom.

 

Just my two cents so take it for what it's worth.

Brian

 

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. I just want to highlight a few points you made that have resonated with my personal experiences too (of course I resonate with what you and Grant wrote quite profoundly at this point)...

 

First, I sense/"see" that pole (zhong ding(?)) from the Dan Tien above the Crown point down to the lower dan tien. 

Second, what you are stating about being in both the shifted as well as dualistic state is called Sahaja Samadhi or Sahaja Savikalpa Samadhi (being in the dualistic world but in meditative absorption at the same time). it is different from what is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi (where there is absolutely nothing...we become the void completely).

[Brian]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. I just want to highlight a few points you made that have resonated with my personal experiences too (of course I resonate with what you and Grant wrote quite profoundly at this point)...

 

First, I sense/"see" that pole (zhong ding(?)) from the Dan Tien above the Crown point down to the lower dan tien. 

Second, what you are stating about being in both the shifted as well as dualistic state is called Sahaja Samadhi or Sahaja Savikalpa Samadhi (being in the dualistic world but in meditative absorption at the same time). it is different from what is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi (where there is absolutely nothing...we become the void completely).

In my experience, we can rest in the void completely and then choose to step back a half-step. I suspect this is much less common than entering Sahaja Samadhi and stopping there. In Stillness-Movement, we seek to reach Nirvikalpa Samadhi and then come back a little -- if I am understanding the terminology. I might be misunderstanding or splitting hairs, though.

 

Thank you for introducing me to this new term! I had not previously encountered the concept of Sahaja Savikalpa Samadhi. That sounds like exactly the state the Stillness-Movement practitioner seeks to reside in during daily activities, but we go deeper during cultivation or when our situations & surroundings permit. It seems to be more of a continuum than binary (trinary?) states -- I can adjust my balance between the mundane and shifted states (including the in-between condition) as seems appropriate rather than having to toggle between them.

Edited February 9, 2017 by Brian