Joy of Body

[Guest guest]

Norma, where have you been. Ive been posting chapters from Astavakra

Samhita, an ancient Advaita text. But good to ask questions about it as I

think we arent supposed to swollow anything without testing and seeing for

ourselves. And definately, this precious human body is our vehicle carrying

us to freedom. And in Buddhism, obtaining this human birth and then the

opportunity to do any spiritual practice is seen as fortuituous karma. So

then we proceed from there. In Western terms, (from Synthesis 2 based on

the work of Roberto Assagilo)

 

"The fundamental experience of self-consciousness, the discovery of the "I"

is implicit in our human consciousness. Generally this self-consciousness is

"implicit" rather than explicit. It is experienced in a nebulous and

distorted way because it is usually mixed up with the 'contents' of

consciousness.

 

This constant input of influences not only veils the clarity of

consciousness -it also produces spurious identifications of the self with

'contents' of consciousness, rather than with consciousness itself. If we

are to make self-consciousness explicit, clear and vivid, we must first

dis-identify ourselves from the contents of our consciousness. More

specifically, the habitual state for most of us is to be identified with

that which has the greatest pull on our awareness, that which seems, at the

time, to give us the greatest sense of aliveness, to be most real, or most

intense.

 

This identification with a part of ourselves can take many forms. Some

people are identified with their bodies. They function as if they 'were'

their bodies. Other's identify with thoughts, feelings, sensations and so

on. Many are identified with their roles in life. This identification with

only a part of ourselves has serious drawbacks. It prevents us from

realizing the eperience of the Self, the deep sense of identity, of knowing

who we are totally. So, most practices simply aim to help a student

dis-identify with any thing they are clinging to which is a false identity

and thus limiting, (and the cause of suffering)

 

Actually, in Buddhism, the first thing a student will learn is to be clear

about what is body or matter and what is mind (nama and rupa) Mind is what

knows, body is matter assembled out of fire, air, earth and water put

together like a car (vehicle).

 

Sit in a comfortable position, relax the body and take a few deep

breaths. Then make the following affirmantion, slowly and thoughtfully:

 

"I have a body but I am not my body. My body may find itself in

different conditions of health or sickness, it may be rested or tired, but

that has nothing to do with my self, my real "I". I value my body as my

precious instrument of experience and of action in the outer world, but it

is only an instrument. I treat it well, I seek to keep it in good health,

but it is not 'my self'. I have a body, but I am not my body."

 

Actually, if this affirmation doesn't ring true for you - just investigate

-Who am I? am I my body? and so on.....am I my liver? my arm? Am I "in" it?

out of it? both?

 

So- "me" and my body is a fundamental duality - "body" actually exists

within consciousness. There is mind and there is matter. But resolution of

conflicts and issues are resolved in mind, usually by dis-identification. So

- of course, we have a body - but it is our attachment to it that limits us

- I think it was Ramana Maharshi who said something like - "our ridiculous

attachment to the body" which is an illusion and thus limitation.

 

But Im happy to discuss the point with you. It's definately an essential

topic.

 

Joyce

 

 

 

>

> << Nor etc. - because the self is ever unattached and never identitifies

> itself

> with the body. >>

>

> I don't know where these words come from...and that doesn't concern me

> much...but what concerns me...is to mislead anyone here with them inferring

> that the body is not important...for the self....Perhaps my interpretation

> here, is my own...but I would like to say that the body is the vehicle to

> free the self from all of the past which has controlled it and kept duality

> alive......All the issues and conflicts have their chance for being resolved

> within the body...And to deny this, is another ticket into reincarnation...

>

> Norma

[Guest guest]

Aaaaahhhhh .. Joyce ...

 

but you forget several things ...

 

The material that does the thinking is composed of exactly the same

types of cells that make up the body .. and if we forget the body, then

the brain dies.

 

In fact, there is no quicker way to block the mind than block the anus.

 

The other thing I cannot see in your writing .. is the role of the

unconscious .. that part of the reactionary mind which leads

the cognisant mind by about half a second ..

 

Neither can I see anywhere any reference to the fact that in between

Eastern and Western .. the conscious is reversed .. ie in the East, the

Unconscious is outside the body .. whilst in the West .. because of

denial, the Unconscious is located in the cells of the body.

 

Now .. over the last few days, this list has been witnessing a whole

lot of reactions from a number of people. Where do these reactions

come from .. the unconscious "body mind" .. those memories

stored in the cells of the physical material that go to make up

the thinking organ called the brain ..

 

It is the continual recreation of these past memories that make up thought.

 

Just as the Eye can see,

but cannot see itself ..

 

The Mind cannot change itself

so how do you think you can change your mind

 

 

 

Oh ..

and by the way .. after the body is dead, the thought-forms

still exist .. but there is nothing you can do to change them ..

you need a body to do that!

 

 

 

Christopher Wynter

 

 

At 12:10 AM 28/04/01, you wrote:

>Actually, in Buddhism, the first thing a student will learn is to be clear

>about what is body or matter and what is mind (nama and rupa) Mind is what

>knows, body is matter assembled out of fire, air, earth and water put

>together like a car (vehicle).