Causal Relations

[Guest guest]

Harsha writes :

>Well stated overall. But why sit down and close your eyes? Why not

>sit down and close your ears? After all what is so special about

closing

>one's eyes? What is so special about sitting down?

 

I read your introduction on Advaita-L. You've said that you've been

practicing meditation from the age of seven. If so, you must be at a

pretty advanced stage right now. But how did you start doing it? Didn't

you sit down and close your eyes?

 

When one starts meditating, initially even with eyes closed, one

literally keeps looking at the lids from inside. In short the

identification of our individuality with the eye is very strong. This is

because of all the sense organs, the eye is the leader. It's what we

see, rather than what we hear or smell or taste, that profoundly

influences us. The other sense organs actually follow the eye - we hear

or smell or taste or feel, what we see - *in most cases*. The empirical

world is in most part the experience of the eye.

 

When we sit down and close our eyes, our consciousness initially

circulates around the eye and then with more practice finally settles

down. It's then we get an awareness of ourselves.

>By your own logic, sitting down and closing your eyes cannot be the

cause of knowing >yourself.

Please explain how it is so?

>Therefore, How does One Know One's Own Self? The practical indication

of

>this has been given by great sages like Ramana Maharshi.

 

So what does Ramana teach? Self inquiry. Ofcourse he says that we've to

practice it all the time, even in the course of our normal lives. But

it's implied that (and with practice one will realize this) it's only

with traditional meditation that one can get a good grasp of ourselves,

which we can try to hold on to, during our normal lives.

 

If one has not practiced meditation, without closing the eyes, the self

is identified only with the body and the senses. It's only with the

control of the senses, which starts with closing one's eyes, that one

can descend into oneself. Ofcourse with practice, it's not necessary.

 

But it's still the optimal way if one has the option.

 

Atleast this is my opinion. Probably others can also share their views.

[Guest guest]

 

nanda chandran [vpcnk]

Wednesday, January 20, 1999 1:58 PM

advaitin

Causal Relations

 

"nanda chandran" <vpcnk

 

Harsha writes :

>Well stated overall. But why sit down and close your eyes? Why not

>sit down and close your ears? After all what is so special about

closing

>one's eyes? What is so special about sitting down?

 

Nanda: I read your introduction on Advaita-L. You've said that you've been

practicing meditation from the age of seven. If so, you must be at a

pretty advanced stage right now. But how did you start doing it? Didn't

you sit down and close your eyes?

 

When one starts meditating, initially even with eyes closed, one

literally keeps looking at the lids from inside. In short the

identification of our individuality with the eye is very strong. This is

because of all the sense organs, the eye is the leader. It's what we

see, rather than what we hear or smell or taste, that profoundly

influences us. The other sense organs actually follow the eye - we hear

or smell or taste or feel, what we see - *in most cases*. The empirical

world is in most part the experience of the eye.

 

 

Harsha: The empirical world is the experience of the "I". Therefore one

should Look through the eye of the I. This Eye is not physical, and so the

question of closing it or opening is moot.

 

 

 

N: When we sit down and close our eyes, our consciousness initially

circulates around the eye and then with more practice finally settles

down. It's then we get an awareness of ourselves.

 

>By your own logic, sitting down and closing your eyes cannot be the

cause of knowing >yourself.

Please explain how it is so?

>Therefore, How does One Know One's Own Self? The practical indication

of

>this has been given by great sages like Ramana Maharshi.

 

So what does Ramana teach? Self inquiry. Ofcourse he says that we've to

practice it all the time, even in the course of our normal lives. But

it's implied that (and with practice one will realize this) it's only

with traditional meditation that one can get a good grasp of ourselves,

which we can try to hold on to, during our normal lives.

 

If one has not practiced meditation, without closing the eyes, the self

is identified only with the body and the senses. It's only with the

control of the senses, which starts with closing one's eyes, that one

can descend into oneself. Ofcourse with practice, it's not necessary.

 

But it's still the optimal way if one has the option.

 

Atleast this is my opinion. Probably others can also share their views.

 

Harsha: Certainly techniques of meditation and yoga are useful and many

people are inclined to practice them. But there can be no general rules.

The Jnana path does not focus on particular methods as "cause" for the

"effect" of Self-Realization.

 

You are right to suggest that meditative traditions speak of practices and

behavior that are supportive of spiritual aspirations and enlightenment or

Self-Realization. These practices may involve sitting down and closing eyes

and or ears and controlling other senses. Such practices are helpful when

they take place in the context of the seeking of and abidance in the "I AM"

awareness. This indicates the deepest longing of the Soul to be in Communion

with IT Self.