Imagine the void : Consciousness without objects

[Guest guest]

The void, I am talking about is “ Pure Consciousness”; some call it

"consciousness without objects", Nisargadatta calls it "awareness without

consciousness". It is also called, “mind of black-near-attainment” and “abyss of

nothingness, also “samadhi”, “suspension” and “divine darkness”.

 

Imagine you are in a totally dark room, totally soundproof. Or imagine that your

sight and sound senses are totally dead.

Then imagine that your senses of taste and smell too stop working.

Then your sense of touch, both internally and externally disappear.

 

Now your world has disappeared. You cannot feel your body, so that too is only a

memory. All that you can do is think, remember and imagine.

 

Now imagine that your memory too goes. I suspect at this stage thoughts and

feelings too would disappear as thoughts are based on memory. In case thoughts

still remain imagine that your ability to think and imagine and feel too

disappears. Maybe you are now in a total coma.

 

So what remains? For those who have not experienced this … only the void

remains. Awareness without consciousness, or consciousness without objects.

 

A state where all duality has ceased. No happiness, nor unhappiness. No fear,

nor bliss. No time and no space. No I or you or anybody. No comparisons of any

sort. No movement of any sort. No concepts, no beliefs, and no God. Etc. etc.

 

[You might ask, where is this awareness during deep sleep? Believe me it is

there, it is just that upon waking the mind has no memory of it. Perhaps in the

memory; subtle, unchanging events are not registered. However many have managed

to remember it. The trick is spiritual exercises just before going to sleep! For

me it was holding on to the sense of presence while breathing into the hara … à

la … Kristoff]

 

 

[The peace is experienced later when you come back to ordinary consciousness. …

To put it more accurately, bliss/love is experienced when you are there on all

levels. Aware of the ordinary consciousness, aware of being the witness and

aware of being the pure awareness in the background.]

 

You can arrive at the above by imagination and logic. So perhaps I have just

proved that our ground zero is nondual. There even time and space do not exist.

 

Gnosis or Enlightenment is the integration and stabilization of this. See

specially Joel’s writing below.

 

With Love

Jan Sultan

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Here are some sayings of Nisargadatta, relevant to what I have said above.

[All these quotes and much more available in the files section here:

SufiMystic/

 

“It is only when you are satiated with the changeable and long for the

unchangeable that you are ready for the turning round and stepping into what can

be described, when seen from the level of the mind, as emptiness and darkness.

For the mind craves for content and variety, while reality is, to the mind,

contentless and invariable.”

 

"There can be no experience beyond consciousness. Yet there is the experience of

just being. There is a state beyond consciousness, which is not unconscious.

Some call it super-consciousness, or pure consciousness, or supreme

consciousness. It is pure awareness free from the subject-object nexus.

Consciousness is intermittent, full of gaps. Yet there is the continuity of

identity. What is this sense of identity due to, if not to something beyond

consciousness?"

 

"There is the body. Inside the body appears to be an observer, and outside a

world under observation. The observer and his observation as well as the world

observed appear and disappear together. Beyond it all, there is void. This void

is one for all."

 

"By its very nature, the mind is outward turned; it always tends to seek for the

source of things among the things themselves; to be told to look for the source

within, is, in a way, the beginning of a new life. Awareness takes the place of

consciousness; in consciousness there is the "I", who is conscious, while

awareness is undivided; awareness is aware of itself. The "I am" is a thought,

while awareness is not a thought; there is no "I am aware" in awareness.

Consciousness is an attribute while awareness is not; one can be aware of being

conscious, but not conscious of awareness. God is the totality of consciousness,

but awareness is beyond all - being as well as not-being."

 

"Awareness is primordial; it is the original state, beginningless, endless,

uncaused, unsupported, without parts, without change. Consciousness is on

contact, a reflection against a surface, a state of duality. There can be no

consciousness without awareness, but there can be awareness without

consciousness, as in deep sleep. Awareness is absolute, consciousness is

relative to its content; consciousness is always of something. Consciousness is

partial and changeful, awareness is total, changeless, calm and silent. And it

is the common matrix of every experience. Since it is awareness that makes

consciousness possible, there is awareness in every state of consciousness.

Therefore, the very consciousness of being conscious is already a movement in

awareness. Interest in your stream of consciousness takes you to awareness. It

is not a new state. It is at once recognized as the original, basic experience,

which is life itself, and also love and joy."

 

"Awareness with an object we call witnessing. When there is also

self-identification with the object, caused by desire or fear, such a state is

called a person. In reality there is only one state; when distorted by

self-identification it is called a person, when coloured with the sense of

being, it is the witness; when colourless and limitless, it is called the

Supreme."

 

"Discard all you are not and go ever deeper. Just as a man digging a well

discards what is not water, until he reaches the water-bearing strata, so must

you discard what is not your own, till nothing is left which you can disown. You

will find that what is left is nothing which the mind can hook on to. You are

not even a human being. You just are - a point of awareness, co-extensive with

time and space and beyond both, the ultimate cause, itself uncaused. If you ask

me "Who are you?", my answer would be: "Nothing in particular. Yet, I am.

 

“You must have a firm conviction that you are not the body,

and not even the consciousness in the beingness.

Experiment upon yourself.

When one subsides in one’s true identity,

Nothing matters, because nothing is.

When ‘I’ subsides, it’s all awareness.”

 

“Mahakash is the infinite space.

The infinite space is dark.

It is as dark as when you close your eyes.

In that physical space all the universe arises and sets and is destroyed.”

 

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Here is something from, “Through deaths gate” by Joel

[http://www.integralscience.org/css/death.html ]

 

STAGE SEVEN:

In the seventh stage, attachments and desires will vanish. Now your mind will be

empty of all phenomena of any kind, and so appear to be a dark void or

nothingness, like "an autumn sky without any light whatsoever." This, the

Tibetans call the mind of black-near-attainment, which, in our terms, is

literally Consciousness-without-an- object. It is here at this stage that the

"golden opportunity" for Gnostic Awakening will present itself because (as we

have already seen) if you can Recognize that Consciousness-without-an-object is

actually the "fundamental clear light" of your own mind, then you will have

discovered what you really are--Consciousness, Itself. (Since there is nothing

else in this state besides Consciousness, Itself, what else could you be?) It is

this discovery of your True Identity that Awakens you to the eighth stage which

constitutes full Enlightenment.

 

STAGE EIGHT:

This stage is called variously by the Tibetans the attainment-clear light, the

clear light of bliss, or the fundamental clear light of the nature of the mind.

Actually, it is not properly speaking a 'stage' at all, but simply a

continuation of the mind of black-near-attainment, only now Recognized to be

Consciousness, Itself. And while this Consciousness remains momentarily empty of

all phenomena, It is not a mere "nothingness" (in the sense of a vacuity).

Rather, It is Realized to be simultaneously the Actual Fullness (or Ultimate

Reality) which contains within Itself every possible manifestation, and that

Primordial Awareness (like a "clear light") which both projects and perceives

these manifestations as apparent 'worlds' and 'beings'.

 

This is the Realization or Gnosis which "sets you free" from suffering and death

forever because It makes absolutely clear that all your experiences of being a

limited, transitory entity, 'I', or 'self' (which could be subject to birth,

suffering, and death) have been, from the very beginning, a delusion. Put

differently, you will see that every 'thing' is simply a form of your True Self,

or that Consciousness which is, Itself, intrinsically free of all things.

 

WHY GNOSIS IS EASIER TO ATTAIN AT THE MOMENT OF DEATH

 

Of course, it is not necessary to wait for physical death to attain Gnosis.

Actually, one may have a Gnostic Awakening at any time. This potential exists

not only because Consciousness is always and everywhere the fundamental ground

of all our experience, but also (and more precisely) because the whole cycle of

birth and death (including a momentary glimpse of pure Consciousness) is

repeated with the arising and passing of any phenomenon whatsoever. Thus,

according to Bokar Rinpoche:

 

This process of absorption...does not occur only at [physical] death, it also

happens in an extremely subtle manner when we fall asleep or when a thought is

removed from our mind.

 

Other traditions attest to this fact as well. Listen, for example, to the modern

Hindu mystic, Ramana Maharshi:

 

The ego in its purity [i.e., the Atman or Divine Self] is experienced in the

intervals between two states or between two thoughts...Its true nature is known

when it is out of contact with objects or thoughts. You should realize this

interval as the abiding, unchangeable Reality, your true Being...

 

Likewise, the fourteenth century Kabbalist, Rabbi Joseph ben Shalom of

Barcelona, taught that:

 

in every transformation of reality, in every change of form, or every time the

stature of a thing is altered, the abyss of nothingness is crossed and for a

fleeting mystical moment becomes visible.

 

The reason it is difficult to notice this abyss of nothingness is that, first of

all, its appearance is exceedingly brief. Secondly, our attention is conditioned

to focus only on things, but the abyss of nothingness is not a 'thing'.

Consequently, our attention habitually ignores this no-thing as it compulsively

searches out the next phenomenon to arise. If, however, we can train our

attention (via meditation) to remain stable and clear, then all that is required

to "point to" this abyss of nothingness is an ordinary gesture of the most

mundane kind. This is why Zen students, for example, who have been ripened

through practice, can attain Enlightenment simply by seeing a candle being blown

out or hearing a bird cry. In the "intervals" just before and after the arising

and passing of these phenomena, Consciousness- without-an-object stands for a

split second unveiled in all Its nakedness.

 

But there are other moments in the course of our lives in which

Consciousness-without-an-object reveals itself in a more dramatic fashion and

for longer periods of time. One of these (as Bokar Rinpoche already mentioned)

occurs every twenty-four hours during the transition from the waking state to

sleep. Here it is not merely a single sound or sight that "dies" but the entire

waking world! Accordingly, an ancient Hindu text has Shiva advising his consort,

Devi, to observe carefully that moment:

 

when sleep has not yet come and external wakefulness vanishes, [for] at this

point BEING is REVEALED.

 

But, again, these instructions are hard to follow because as most of us fall

asleep our minds are completely absorbed in reviewing past events, making future

plans, or spinning fantasies, and these mental activities so preoccupy our

attention that we fail to recognize Consciousness-without-an-object when it

appears. Instead, we experience it as a kind of "black out"--a state of total

unconsciousness, when, in fact, it is Pure Consciousness!

 

Finally, Consciousness-without-an-object can be experienced by practicing

certain meditative techniques which lead to states of samadhi (as they are

called in the East) or suspension (as they are called in the West.) Dionysius

the Areopagite, one of the most influential of Christian mystics, gives this

version of the practice:

 

in the diligent exercise of mystical contemplation, leave behind the senses and

the operations of the intellect, and all things sensible and intellectual, and

all things in the world of being and non-being, that thou mayest arise by

unknowing toward the union...with Him who transcends all being and all

knowledge. For by the unceasing and absolute renunciation of thyself and all

things thou mayest be borne on high, through pure and entire self-abnegation,

into the super essential Radiance of the Divine Darkness.

 

There are, however, two problems with this approach. First, attaining states of

samadhi usually requires a concerted effort made over a long period of time.

Consequently, this technique is usually too difficult to perfect for seekers

living a householder's life. The second problem is that states of samadhi almost

always generate an overwhelming sense of bliss. As a result, seekers who attain

these states without having thoroughly practiced selflessness are in great

danger of mistaking this bliss for a genuine Gnostic Awakening. When this

happens, not only do they miss the point of the practice (which is not to bask

in bliss but to attain Gnosis), but they fall into one of the worst delusions of

all: they imagine they have been liberated, when they have not.

 

The point is that, although opportunities for Realization arise in many

different situations, attaining it "in this life" is (as you no doubt know) not

so easy. The primary obstacle is that we are constantly distracted by

innumerable self-centered thoughts, feelings, sensations, desires, aversions,

attachments, etc.--all of which seem rooted in Nature, herself. And this is

precisely why death presents such a "golden opportunity" for attaining what was

so hard to attain in life. As the death process unfolds, everything will be

reversed. Nature (as the Tibetans say) will actually be cooperating with your

practice by progressively removing each and every distraction from your mind,

until finally there will be nothing left but Consciousness, Itself. All you

really have to do is wait for this Pure Consciousness to appear, and then

Recognize it for what it is. Death will take care of the rest!

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more from same source:

THE FRUIT OF PRACTICING EFFORTLESS CONTEMPLATION

 

By practicing effortless contemplation you will develop a Realization that the

self is (as the Buddhists say) "empty of any inherent existence." Thus, while

objects continue to appear in Consciousness, the delusion that they are being

experienced by some 'one' will temporarily subside. This state of profound

selflessness, or Consciousness-without-a-subject, is often a prelude to Full

Awakening. What is missing is the complementary Realization that not only does

the 'self' lack any inherent existence, but so do objects. Consequently, as long

as objects still seem to exist in their own right, there is no Gnosis. However,

if you can remain in a state of Consciousness-without-a-subject as you pass

through Death's Gate, then, when Consciousness-without-an-object finally dawns

in the seventh stage, you will Realize that the now vanished objects were,

themselves, only imaginary projections of this objectless Consciousness.

Furthermore, you will Realize that your own Consciousness-without-a- subject is,

in fact, indistinguishable from (and thus identical to)

Consciousness-without-an-object. In other words, you will directly and

simultaneously apprehend not only the True Nature of your 'self', but also the

True Nature of all 'objects' and all 'worlds'--which is to say,

Consciousness-without-an-object-and- without-a-subject. This is Enlightenment,

the end of the path.

 

CONCLUSION

As was already said, effortless contemplation is the most difficult of all death

practices and therefore should only be relied upon at the time of actual death

by advanced practitioners. However, even if you are only an intermediate or

beginning practitioner, it is a good idea to have some familiarity with it. The

reason is that the crisis of death may, itself, spontaneously generate

effortless contemplation. If this happens there is a danger that you will not

recognize what is occurring because effortless contemplation does not feel like

a practice at all. Consequently, you may think "this is too easy to be right"

and try to resume your death prayer or practice of self-sacrifice. However, if

the state of effortless contemplation you find yourself in is genuine, this

would be a serious mistake.

 

But how can you tell if it is genuine? Ask yourself if you are thoroughly

detached from, yet at the same time, totally identified with everything that is

happening? In spite of pain, fear, and any other difficulties, do you

nevertheless feel an unshakable peace permeating the entire field of

Consciousness? Most importantly, are you Perfectly Happy? If so, stop worrying

about whether or not you are practicing correctly. Drop any images you may have

about what Gnosis is supposed to be and just allow the Grace of this Happiness

to carry you where it will; for truly you are now beyond all striving and

non-striving, and there is literally nothing more for 'you' to do.

[Guest guest]

Jan, some of what you say is true. But partial truths can be misleading.

 

I can comment more on deep sleep and Samadhi later.

 

While Nirvikalpa Samadhi reveals the Self, it typically does not

(instantly) root out latent tendencies.

 

Which means that study of scriptures, continued reflection, inquiry,

meditation may be helpful.

 

It might be a good idea to reflect on and learn the broader context of

Samadhis.

 

Kunju Swami had a glimpse of the Self in the presence of Bhagavan.

 

Bhagavan still advised him to read the scriptures, do Japa, meditate,

inquire, etc.

 

Has anyone gone out and recruited you to come here on the Advaitin list

and lecture that the study of scriptures is not needed.

 

No one has.

 

Since the orientation of the list involves study of Sri Shankra's

Advaita philosophy in a traditional way, you should reflect on how your

comments support that.

 

Love to all

Harsha

 

 

--

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Respected sir,

 

thank you very much.

 

Partial truths are indeed misleading as I see in my friends lives.

 

Especially about advaitha.

 

Yours in Sri Samkara Bhagavatpujyapada's love,

 

Chilukuri Bhuvaneswar

 

On Wed, 22 Oct 2003 Harsha wrote :

>Jan, some of what you say is true. But partial truths can be misleading.

>

>I can comment more on deep sleep and Samadhi later.

>

>While Nirvikalpa Samadhi reveals the Self, it typically does not

>(instantly) root out latent tendencies.

>

>Which means that study of scriptures, continued reflection, inquiry,

>meditation may be helpful.

>

>It might be a good idea to reflect on and learn the broader context of

>Samadhis.

>

>Kunju Swami had a glimpse of the Self in the presence of Bhagavan.

>

>Bhagavan still advised him to read the scriptures, do Japa, meditate,

>inquire, etc.

>

>Has anyone gone out and recruited you to come here on the Advaitin list

>and lecture that the study of scriptures is not needed.

>

>No one has.

>

>Since the orientation of the list involves study of Sri Shankra's

>Advaita philosophy in a traditional way, you should reflect on how your

>comments support that.

>

>Love to all

>Harsha

>

>

>--

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>Discussion of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of nonseparablity of Atman

and Brahman.

>Advaitin List Archives available at: http://www.eScribe.com/culture/advaitin/

>To Post a message send an email to : advaitin

>Messages Archived at: advaitin/messages

>

>

>

>Your use of is subject to

>

>

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

 

I think Sadanadaji has the right attitude on the scriptures. We

should take them as the testimony of realized rishis and as a working

hypothesis for ourselves. I think that what some people object to in

worshipping the scriptures is when such worship in any way resembles

a blind, robotic faith, or worse yet, any kind of fanaticism.

Without naming names, we have even today frightening examples of what

fanaticism is like, and how absurd and dangerous it can be. This is

especially true now that computers enable us to read news stories

from around the world for free! There is no dearth of insanity out

there.

 

I know some young Hindus who have strayed from their religion because

they felt it was being forced down their throats. This happens in

all religions. Nobody with any brains and self-respect likes this.

It is essential to maintain true tolerance, which is to say that we

are always free to accept or reject any scriptures. This is a very

personal decision, and acceptance of the scriptures is without

spiritual meaning and validity unless it is done in total freedom.

(The problem, of course, is that parents have certain ideas of how to

'program' their children! And what kind of monsters would they turn

into without ANY programming?!!)

 

Regarding Jan's long discussion of objectless awareness, I found it

quite interesting. I urge devoted Advaitins to at least consider

instances in other spiritual traditions which resemble the wisdom of

Advaita. In my opinion, it can only help our sadhana to adopt a

scientific and dispassionate attitude towards related paths, just as

a botanist examines different plants and learns something about

plants in general. We should expect the Truth to manifest in

slightly different mutations, each expressing some perspective on an

underlying essence. It can only help to adopt this wise attitude,

which does not preclude focusing seriously on one particular path on

a day to day basis.

 

Finally, I would like to point out how Jan's examples indicate how

easily the 'Pure Consciousness' of Advaita can resemble the 'Void' of

other traditions, which is also called Nirvikalpa Samadhi in the

Advaita tradition itself, as Harsha points out. We should at least

be intrigued by this and retain an open mind.

 

I strongly feel that it is essential to believe that the same laws of

consciousness are at play everywhere. This is the only way to be

'scientific' and to discover the One Reality. Any dogmatic approach

is merely a construct of the imagination. However, different

traditions may find a different conceptual framework to interpret the

underlying processes of consciousness. It can only be an illuminating

experience to try to discern the common thread.

 

Please note that Einstein made his momentous discoveries by

'fanatically' (!) believing that the laws of physics are the same for

all observers, just as the laws of consciousness are the same for all

sentient beings. This 'blind faith' (!!) of Einstein was so powerful

that it enabled him to overcome all our usual preconceptions

regarding *appearances* (i.e. time and space), which led to his

scientific earthquake. The is the essence of his Relativity Theory,

and the lessons for Advaitins are obvious.

 

Hari Om!

Benjamin

[Guest guest]

Benjamin Root wrote:

> Finally, I would like to point out how Jan's examples indicate how

> easily the 'Pure Consciousness' of Advaita can resemble the 'Void' of

> other traditions, which is also called Nirvikalpa Samadhi in the

> Advaita tradition itself, as Harsha points out. We should at least

> be intrigued by this and retain an open mind.

>

Dear Benjamin:

 

Honestly, I find that moderators and most members of this list are very

generous and do have an open mind.

 

The request to be intrigued by everything posted is a bit too much though.

 

Love,

Harsha

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