RIP Wayne Wirs

[Fa Xin]

Wayne Wirs, a non dual teacher from Buddha at the gas pump fame, has sadly taken his own life this weekend. 

 

He left a note about his suicide on his blog. 

http://waynewirs.com/2017/see-you-soon/

 

in a way he shows what it's really like to have no attachment, no desires. 

 

It also raises a question about nihilism on the non dual path, and can help us question our perspectives.  To have the view there is nothing of consequence, nothing of value; were all just the observer in an illusion called life. What effects this can have on our life. 

 

I encourage you all to read his note, but also please be respectful in your replies and keep in mind his grieving family, friends and students. 

Edited September 4, 2017 by Fa Xin

[gendao]

Hmm, I remember watching some of his videos in the past, talking about "God Wells" below his clavicles...

 

If I had to guess, it sounds like he suffered from lifelong root chakra blockages (like MANY spiritual seekers)... 

Quote

homelessness, penniless

I’m simply not attached to life, so why live a life I don’t want to (homeless, broke, or in deep, physical pain)

I set up some tripwires—red-line events—that should I encounter any one of them, I’d simply check out of this life and start a new one:

1. Running out of money
2. Losing my home (my van, Serenity)
3. Unbearable pain not resolved by a trip to the emergency room

my last go-round with my last kidney stone last year

I slipped on a boulder along a river in Colorado and hurt my back

I suspect the fall caused some damage that my body is compensating for and this has started putting pressure on the sciatic nerve

Sitting, because it puts pressure on the inflamed/damaged/who-knows-what-else sciatic nerve in my right glute (butt cheek) never gets less than a level 6 (usually 7) pain (like sitting on a thick metal rod or spike). Needless to say, this makes driving nearly impossible (I really should have stopped driving about a week ago, but a nomad who can’t drive is, well…)

living in a van; loss of my freedom to wander

no attachments to anything in life. Nothing holding me here.

So broke, homeless, wandering nomad, ungrounded in life here, kidney problems, and sciatic nerve/butt pain, etc...  All classic rootless chakra maladies.

 

[blue eyed snake]

2 hours ago, gendao said:

So broke, homeless, wandering nomad, ungrounded in life here, kidney problems, and sciatic nerve/butt pain, etc...  All classic rootless chakra maladies.

 

 

I do not know the guy, but the original poster asked for respect, and somehow your post does not seem respectful to me.

 

if I was his widow/daughter/son/friend, it would hurt me

[Kar3n]

3 hours ago, blue eyed snake said:

 

 

I do not know the guy, but the original poster asked for respect, and somehow your post does not seem respectful to me.

 

if I was his widow/daughter/son/friend, it would hurt me

It is easy to diagnose the dead. It's the living most people ignore for countless, selfish reasons.

 

May he rest in peace and his family be comforted...

[blue eyed snake]

Having read the whole blog, i find that I understand this guy very well

 

whether awake or not

 

It's a situation many people find themselves in. Hurting so much that life becomes unbearable.  Imho it is the fear of dying that let people cling to life in such a situation, plus, indeed, attachments of several sorts.  Dying is much harder when you have children who still depend on you for instance.

 

plus the attitude of our peculiar western medicine-men who tend to keep you ' alive' as long as they can.

 

But I grieve for his mum and his loved ones, it's always hard to lose a loved one. And this way tends to be the hardest of them all for those that stay behind.

 

 

[Nothingness]

He was a human being more advanced than 99.9% of humans.

He had love in his heart, he was genuine.

It is not a mourning time, but a happy time, for his wish to be free from such a prison-body has fulfilled.

Edited September 4, 2017 by Nothingness

[Fa Xin]

Here's a good interview with him. 

 

[Jeff]

Very sorry to hear about his death. He was a nice guy who was always willing to share. Talked to him for quite a while in his early years on the road in the van. Lost touch with him some where along the way.

[doc benway]

12 hours ago, Fa Xin said:

Wayne Wirs, a non dual teacher from Buddha at the gas pump fame, has sadly taken his own life this weekend. 

 

He left a note about his suicide on his blog. 

http://waynewirs.com/2017/see-you-soon/

 

I feel deep sympathy for Wayne and his poor mother who now has to live and die with the suicide of her child.

 

 

12 hours ago, Fa Xin said:

 

in a way he shows what it's really like to have no attachment, no desires. 

 

I'll respectfully disagree.

There is a flexibility to non-attachment, something very much lacking in Wayne's suicide, the blog, and his "red-line events."

 

 

12 hours ago, Fa Xin said:

 

It also raises a question about nihilism on the non dual path, and can help us question our perspectives.  To have the view there is nothing of consequence, nothing of value; were all just the observer in an illusion called life. What effects this can have on our life. 

 

This is important.

I think a common problem leading to nihilism is isolation.

Wayne led a very isolated life.

Many people who followed him, likely feel isolated.

We need to connect with other people - physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually.

It is a type of nourishment.

We live in community with others, that is a fact, and yet we can be so fully isolated.

And communicating online is no substitute for human connection.

 

 

12 hours ago, Fa Xin said:

 

I encourage you all to read his note, but also please be respectful in your replies and keep in mind his grieving family, friends and students. 

 

I would urge these folks to connect with others, seek out support. 

Spend time with your family and loved ones.

Make new relationships.

Repair old wounds.

Let shit go.

 

Don't follow Wayne's example. 

Live his words in ways that he couldn't, or chose not to.

 

Life is worth the candle in so many ways!

Seeing that and living that is wisdom.

 

I'm sorry if anyone is offended but I feel it needs saying.

 

 

 

[dwai]

4 minutes ago, steve said:

 

I feel deep sympathy for Wayne and his poor mother who now has to live and die with the suicide of her child.

 

 

 

I'll respectfully disagree.

There is a flexibility to non-attachment, something very much lacking in Wayne's suicide, the blog, and his "red-line events."

 

 

 

This is important.

I think a common problem leading to nihilism is isolation.

Wayne led a very isolated life.

Many people who followed him, likely feel isolated.

We need to connect with other people - physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually.

It is a type of nourishment.

We live in community with others, that is a fact, and yet we can be so fully isolated.

And communicating online is no substitute for human connection.

 

 

 

I would urge these folks to connect with others, seek out support. 

Spend time with your family and loved ones.

Make new relationships.

Repair old wounds.

Let shit go.

 

Don't follow Wayne's example. 

Live his words in ways that he couldn't, or chose not to.

 

Life is worth the candle in so many ways!

Seeing that and living that is wisdom.

 

I'm sorry if anyone is offended but I feel it needs saying.

 

 

 

This was done respectfully. 

[Nothingness]

It is obvious that there was still the "I am the experiencer" attachment (eg. I am experiencing this pain, and can't stand it), and he knew it too, that's why he talked about reincarnation. There was also the "I am the doer", as in "if A B C happens to this body, I will leave it".

This means he still considered himself to be "in-the body". This clearly shows the lack of recognition of being infinite-bodiless Awareness.

 

I am remembered of Sri Ramana Maharshi words when he was diagnosed with a tumour, the doctors said: "You must be in immense pain". To which he answered: "I am aware of the pain, but it is not happening to me".

 

Having said that, perhaps he also knew that the best way to 'achieve' this, would be to leave the body and just reincarnate.

Anyway, it was his choice and everyone should respect it. I don't consider it suicide, but more like semi-consciously "leaving the body".

Edited September 4, 2017 by Nothingness

[dwai]

13 hours ago, Fa Xin said:

Wayne Wirs, a non dual teacher from Buddha at the gas pump fame, has sadly taken his own life this weekend. 

 

He left a note about his suicide on his blog. 

http://waynewirs.com/2017/see-you-soon/

 

in a way he shows what it's really like to have no attachment, no desires. 

 

It also raises a question about nihilism on the non dual path, and can help us question our perspectives.  To have the view there is nothing of consequence, nothing of value; were all just the observer in an illusion called life. What effects this can have on our life. 

 

I encourage you all to read his note, but also please be respectful in your replies and keep in mind his grieving family, friends and students. 

The traditional view is that this human life is a gift. It gives us an opportunity to explore what we really are (True Self) more deeply. 

 

I read this on the bat gap Facebook page. I've not seen his video or had even heard of him, but it seems his tenure was up (whether or not he took his own life). Peace be upon him...

 

[gendao]

19 hours ago, blue eyed snake said:

I do not know the guy, but the original poster asked for respect, and somehow your post does not seem respectful to me.

 

if I was his widow/daughter/son/friend, it would hurt me

Well, I don't think it is too far off from this point in the original post - that also questions his underlying mentality:

23 hours ago, Fa Xin said:

It also raises a question about nihilism on the non dual path, and can help us question our perspectives.  To have the view there is nothing of consequence, nothing of value; were all just the observer in an illusion called life. What effects this can have on our life.

I'm not really against death, or even suicide I guess...other than for him, won't he come back with the very same issues to master - and probably even further amplified?  Which I think that may be the "point" of life that he missed?

Quote

From my perspective though, I’m simply not attached to life, so why live a life I don’t want to (homeless, broke, or in deep, physical pain)?

So, over time, I set up some tripwires—red-line events—that should I encounter any one of them, I’d simply check out of this life and start a new one:

Because we come here to learn our personal karmic lessons, not simply "enjoy life?"  And so you will keep coming back, until you do...  Therefore, won't escaping one life before completing your objectives...only lead to an even more painful, repeat history lesson later? 

Quote

Dad once told me that his “death tripwire” was if he ever got to the point he couldn’t go to the bathroom by himself. The other day, I almost passed out—my vision started to go dark—from the pain of sitting on a toilet in a Walmart (toilet seats hit the glute at the exact spot which sets off the 9 level, dental pick to the nerve-type of shock and pain).

I mean, HAD he "mission accomplished" before ejecting...OK fine.  Broke the cycle, got closure, GAME OVER, HIGH SCORE, ENTER YOUR INITIALS!!!

But, clearly he didn't.  He could never even get past root chakra level 1...and so eventually just gave up and pulled the plug.  Spiritual bypassing 101?

 

Don't get me wrong, he seemed like a really cool guy...and I liked his whole serene, contemplative vibe.  It looks like he sincerely shared a lot, and I'd sure rather have a lot more people like him on the planet than others. 

 

Although for his sake, I would have LOVED for him to unblock his root issues...and then be able to live in painless peace before leaving.

 

And probably he would have too.  But that is the common jab against Buddhism by Daoists - that they are too mentally stuck in their heads and not holistically with their whole bodies/lives...  Because that may be interpreted as dualistic/attached and just so "pointless..."

 

But that all's just my 2 cents tossed out on quick drive-by...and I could easily be wrong in all my knee-jerk assumptions here.  So, even I take my own comments with a shaker of salt - as should anyone else reading them!  I do wish the best and respect to Wayne and all his family & friends...

 

From his own blog, it sounds like he was very comfortably pragmatic about death, and probably wouldn't have minded an honest dialogue about his thought process of it?

Edited September 5, 2017 by gendao

[Lost in Translation]

I'm sorry to see Wayne go. I had never heard of him before this thread but he seemed like one of the good ones. I bought his book and am reading it now, just to see who he was and what he had learned. 

[Lost in Translation]

I just finished Wayne’s book Mystical Oneness and the Nine Aspects of Being. It’s an easy read, simple prose without too much jargon. That said, it goes into great detail about Wayne’s waking up process, and walks a fine line between autobiography and instruction manual. If you are comfortable practicing non-doctrinal methods then you may enjoy his writing.

 

I definitely feel like I know the man, which makes me all the more sad. His death was our introduction.

 

RIP brother.