Contradictions in Adviata ?

[Guest guest]

These Upanishads and other spiritual texts are less meant for discussion and

more meant as a practical outline for practice.

 

All religions talk about these points of neti, neti, acceptance and the

experience of non-dual, unqualified Being.

 

In the practice of Kundalini Yoga, as taught by Yogi Bhajan, (which sees

everything from the approach of practical realization of the ever abiding

truth), the :neti neti" approach is what is called the "negative mind

meditation." This doesn't mean it's negative, but that the mind has a facility

to discard rising content and empty itself. In Buddhist practice this is

mindfulness, where you notice and release. In Kundalini yoga, it is a vital

part of every exercise, kriya and meditation, because the energy is so expansive

and flow so forceful, that the mind has to be directed to remain unattached and

passive, which is what net neti or negative mind meditation is for. You

experience the flows of radiance, remain passive, notice and release, notice and

let go.

 

Then comes "acceptance," which is called the "positive mind meditation." Once

the flows of energy are released, they become expansive, deeper, even more

radiant and pervasive. At this stage, the mind is empty of clinging to the flow

of energy and acceptance is practiced, to just be with the flow of expanding

pervading energy consciousness. Let it be, let it be.

 

As this continues for some time something new happens: A single intelligent

force awakens, pulsing "I as I" and resonates throughout the body, where the

sense of "I" is sucked in and light pours out of everywhere, i.e., time is

dissolved and space becomes infinite. This soundless reverberation acts as a

tuning drone for the whole body (whole meaning inclusive of all the plains and

fields that make up the body). This impalpable pulsation of "atma sphurana" is

the anahat. There is no inside or outside for It. This is called the "neutral

mind meditation," where the Self abides in Itself, and a radical force

automatically discards everything, while pouring forth a force of light from in

and behind the atoms. The neutral mind, located in the heart is the first clear

experience of one's identity as Self, single and pervasive.

 

This is the beginning. In Kundalini Yoga practice which centers around the

teachings of the Sikh gurus, it is called "Sunia," or "hearing" in Christ's

terms, or in Vedanta terms, Sravana. hearing becomes remembrance or

recollection, like coming out of an amnesia. Recollection becomes perfect

abiding.

 

Suddenly the knot of the heart is severed and even the idea of directed

practice, or, as with the neutral mind, a force that automatically practices

you, both vanish, like a mirage.

 

All this to say that these adviata terms are guidelines for practice. To try to

discuss their contradiction is a meaningless use of time and thought. It's like

standing in front of a car and discussing the contradictory terms in an

instruction manual that says that first you have to push the car, and then once

it's rolling, pop the clutch so it will go on it's own. To then conjecture

about the nature of the difference between the moving car as being pushed

(negative mind effort), versus the moving car, once it's in motion on it's own

(positive mind acceptance), when the real issue is that you want to take it for

a spin (neutral mind practicality or reality of experience), makes no sense.

So, we've somehow taken all these texts that are really manuals of practical

instruction of how to get to the non-dual experience, and turned them into

metaphysical and otherwise abstract obtuse discussions having no meaning or

purpose.

 

The realization of the Self is nothing if not ultimately practical, something

you can feel, experience, something that we are.

 

Message: 1 <advaitin>

Thu, 30 Oct 2003 18:31:25 -0800 (PST)

kuntimaddi sadananda <kuntimaddisada

Contradictions in Adviata ? – Think twice or until contradiction in

that very question is resolved.

 

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