Guest guest Posted October 11, 2002 Report Share Posted October 11, 2002 Faqir Chand MEETS THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD FROM: Chapter Nine OF INNER VISIONS AND RUNNING TRAINS By David C. Lane, Ph.D One of the most remarkable aspects about the Tibetan Book of the Dead (or, more accurately speaking, The Bardo Thotrol, also known as Bardo Thodol) [1] is the principle that whatever one perceives during the dying process is ultimately illusory. Experiences of seeing inne r light, hearing wondrous melodies, and feeling sensations of being out of the body, according to The Bardo Thotrol, are but momentary reflections of one's own psychological condition. As such, they are not to be valued in and of themselves, since they cannot by their nature reveal the ultimate truth, but only -- even if magnificently -- obscure it. The reason for this is simple, if profound: whatever one sees in the dying process is a projection from one's own self. (----) Surprisingly, one of the more lucid insights on the philosophy of the Tibetan Book of the Dead comes from a Hindu mystic, named Baba Faqir Chand who apparently was not familiar with the original Tibetan text or its English translation. Although Faqir was not conversant with the Bardo Thotrol, he was nevertheless steeped in its philosophy as taught to him by his guru, Shiv Brat Lal of Gopiganj. Faqir Chand, like his lama counterparts, spent much of his life in meditation, attempting to consciously go through the dying process in order to prepare himself for his final exit. (---) What strikes the reader almost immediately after reading both the Bardo Thotrol and The Unknowing Sage is the remarkable similarity between both texts. (--) [5] It was not until the end of World War One, though, that Faqir received his first glimpse of Enlightenment. For prior to this time (1919), Faqir accepted whatever inner sights and sounds he beheld in meditation as true and objective. (---) Bardo Thotrol: "That all phenomena are transitory, are illusionary, are unreal, and non-existent save in the sangsaric mind perceiving them. . . That in reality there are no such beings anywhere as gods, or demons, or spirits, or sentient creatures -- all alike being phenomena dependent upon a cause.. That this cause is a yearning or a thirsting after sensation, after the unstable sangsaric existence." [9] Eventually, Faqir dismissed his visionary encounters as nothing but subtle obstructions of maya. It was at this point that Faqir's meditation took a new turn: instead of enjoying the bliss of inner sights and sounds, Faqir turned his attention to the source from which these manifestations arose. (-- In this new chapter in Faqir's spiritual quest, he began to develop a dispassion for anything which arose in his meditation -- be it delightful or wrathful. Instead Faqir began to query, "Who is it that sees the light? Who is it that hears the sound?" In other words, what is it that experiences this world and worlds beyond it? No doubt, Faqir reasoned, it is consciousness. But what is that? wondered Faqir. The answer would haunt Faqir for the rest of his life, for he realized that no matter what spiritual practices he may do he would never know. It was simply incomprehensible, a mystery without limitation. To Faqir the haunting aspect about this discovery was that no human being (not even avatars, saints, or gurus), he surmised, could possibly know. Indeed, it was this very unknowability which constituted man's enlightenment, or so Faqir intuited. Argues Faqir: "I do not proclaim that whatever I say is correct or final. Whatever I say is the conclusion of my experience of life. Nature is unfathomable. No one has known it. A small germ in a body cannot know the whole body. Similarly (a) human being is like a small germ in a vast Creation. How can he claim to have known the entire creation? Those who say that they have known are wrong. No one can describe or even know the entire creation. Up to a certain extent to which man's mind has access, one can say something. But nobody can tell about the entire universe. It is indescribable." Paradoxically buoyed by this intuition, Faqir began to immerse himself more and more into the clear void light, forgetting himself and his quest in the process. Although Faqir's extraordinary excursions took place while he was still alive, and not in a near-death state, his experiences reinforce the general philosophy of the Bardo Thotrol about liberation. "O Son of noble family, (name), listen. Now the pure luminosity of the dharmata is shining before you; recognize it. O son of noble family, at this moment your state of mind is by nature pure emptiness, it does not possess any nature whatever, neither substance or quality such as colour, but it is pure emptiness; this is the dharmata. . . This mind of yours is inseparable luminosity and emptiness in the form of a great mass of light, it has no birth or death, therefore it is the Buddha of Immortal Light. To recognize this is all that is necessary." What exactly this emptiness or luminosity is cannot, by definition, be described. In the Tibetan Book of the Dead the emphasis is on recognizing one's true nature, that which is no-thing in particular but rather the field in which all things arise -- itself being visionless, though producing visions; itself being structureless, though exhibiting structure; itself being non-existent, though producing existence. The clear void light is absolutely paradoxical, since the "I" cannot grasp it, nor can the mind by its subject/object dualism conceive it. Ken Wilber, a well regarded transpersonal theorist and practicing Zen Buddhist, describes it this way: "The Absolute is both the highest state of being and the ground of being; it both the goal of evolution and the ground of evolution, the highest stage of development and the reality or suchness of all stages of development; the highest of all conditions and the Condition of all conditions; the highest rung in the ladder and the wood out of which the ladder is made. Anything less than that paradox generates either pantheistic reductionism, on the one hand, or wild and radical transcendentalism on the other. . . . " See also Dark Luminosity read the whole article: http://www.angelfire.com/realm/bodhisattva/chand2.html karta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2002 Report Share Posted October 11, 2002 Dear Karta, Thank you for the posting. It certainly is interesting to see the parallels between this material and Ramana's teachings of Self- inquiry and Advaita Vedanta. In you posting in says: "Instead Faqir began to query, "Who is it that sees the light? Who is it that hears the sound?" In other words, what is it that experiences this world and worlds beyond it? " So here is another discovery of Self-inquiry. The ancient Taoists also had a practice they called "Turning around the light," again, inquiry by another name. Further it says: "This mind of yours is inseparable luminosity and emptiness in the form of a great mass of light, it has no birth or death, therefore it is the Buddha of Immortal Light. To recognize this is all that is necessary." This seems the same as the basic Advaita teaching: All there is is Brahman. The world is unreal. All the world is Brahman. Different words, different tradition, same teaching. We are Not two, Richard RamanaMaharshi, "satkartar5" <mi_nok> wrote: > Faqir Chand MEETS THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD > FROM: > Chapter Nine > OF > INNER VISIONS AND RUNNING TRAINS > > By David C. Lane, Ph.D > One of the most remarkable aspects about > the Tibetan Book of the Dead (or, more accurately speaking, The Bardo Thotrol, > also known as Bardo Thodol) [1] is the principle that whatever one perceives > during the dying process is ultimately illusory. Experiences of seeing inne > r light, hearing wondrous melodies, and feeling sensations of being out of the > body, according to The Bardo Thotrol, > are but momentary reflections of > one's own psychological condition. > > As > such, they are not to be valued in and > of themselves, since they cannot by > their nature reveal the ultimate > truth, but only -- even if > magnificently -- obscure it. > > The reason for this is simple, if > profound: whatever one sees in the > dying process is a projection from > one's own self. > (----) > Surprisingly, one of the more lucid > insights on the philosophy of the > Tibetan Book of the Dead comes from a > Hindu mystic, named Baba Faqir Chand who apparently was not familiar with the original Tibetan text or its English translation. > > Although Faqir was not conversant with > the Bardo Thotrol, he was nevertheless steeped in its philosophy as taught to > him by his guru, Shiv Brat Lal of > Gopiganj. Faqir Chand, like his lama counterparts, spent much of his life in meditation, attempting to consciously > go through the dying process in order > to prepare himself for his final exit. > > (---) > What strikes the reader almost > immediately after reading both the Bardo > Thotrol and The Unknowing Sage is the remarkable similarity between both > texts. > > (--) > [5] It was not until the end of World > War One, though, that Faqir received > his first glimpse of Enlightenment. For prior to this time (1919), Faqir > accepted whatever inner sights and > sounds he beheld in meditation as true > and objective. > > (---) > Bardo Thotrol: "That all phenomena are transitory, are illusionary, are unreal, > and non-existent save in the sangsaric > mind perceiving them. . . That in > reality there are no such beings > anywhere as gods, or demons, or spirits, > or sentient creatures -- all alike > being phenomena dependent upon a cause.. > > That this cause is a yearning or a > thirsting after sensation, after the unstable sangsaric existence." [9] > > Eventually, Faqir dismissed his visionary > encounters as nothing but subtle obstructions of maya. It was at this > point that Faqir's meditation took a new turn: instead of enjoying the bliss of > inner sights and sounds, Faqir turned > his attention to the source from which these manifestations arose. > (-- > In this new chapter in Faqir's spiritual > quest, he began to develop a dispassion > for anything which arose in his > meditation -- be it delightful or > wrathful. > > Instead Faqir began to query, "Who is it > that sees the light? Who is it that > hears the sound?" In other words, what > is it that experiences this world and worlds beyond it? > > No doubt, Faqir reasoned, it is consciousness. But what is that? > wondered Faqir. The answer would haunt > Faqir for the rest of his life, for he > realized that no matter what spiritual practices he may do he would never know. > > It was simply incomprehensible, a > mystery without limitation. To Faqir > the haunting aspect about this > discovery was that no human being (not > even avatars, saints, or gurus), he surmised, could possibly know. Indeed, > it was this very unknowability which constituted man's enlightenment, or so > Faqir intuited. Argues Faqir: > > "I do not proclaim that whatever I say > is correct or final. Whatever I say > is the conclusion of my experience of > life. Nature is unfathomable. No one > has known it. A small germ in a body > cannot know the whole body. Similarly > (a) human being is like a small germ > in a vast Creation. How can he claim > to have known the entire creation? > > Those who say that they have known are wrong. No one can describe or even know > the entire creation. Up to a certain > extent to which man's mind has access, > one can say something. But nobody can > tell about the entire universe. It is > indescribable." > > Paradoxically buoyed by this intuition, Faqir began to immerse himself more and > more into the clear void light, > forgetting himself and his quest in the > process. Although Faqir's extraordinary excursions took place while he was still > alive, and not in a near-death state, > his experiences reinforce the general philosophy of the Bardo Thotrol about liberation. > > "O Son of noble family, (name), listen. > > Now the pure luminosity of the dharmata > is shining before you; recognize it. > O son of noble family, at this moment > your state of mind is by nature pure emptiness, it does not possess any > nature whatever, neither substance or quality such as colour, but it is pure > emptiness; this is the dharmata. . . > > This mind of yours is inseparable > luminosity and emptiness in the form > of a great mass of light, it has no > birth or death, therefore it is the > Buddha of Immortal Light. > > To recognize this is all that is > necessary." > > What exactly this emptiness or > luminosity is cannot, by definition, > be described. In the Tibetan Book of > the Dead the emphasis is on > recognizing one's true nature, that > which is no-thing in particular but > rather the field in which all things > arise -- itself being visionless, > though producing visions; itself > being structureless, though exhibiting structure; itself being non- existent, > though producing existence. > > The clear void light is absolutely paradoxical, since the "I" cannot grasp > it, nor can the mind by its > subject/object dualism conceive it. > > Ken Wilber, a well regarded > transpersonal theorist and practicing > Zen Buddhist, describes it this way: > > "The Absolute is both the highest > state of being and the ground of being; > it both the goal of evolution and > the ground of evolution, the highest > stage of development and the reality > or suchness of all stages of > development; the highest of all > conditions and the Condition of all conditions; the highest rung in the > ladder and the wood out of which the > ladder is made. > > Anything less than that paradox > generates either pantheistic > reductionism, on the one hand, or > wild and radical transcendentalism > on the other. . . . " See also Dark > Luminosity > > read the whole article: > http://www.angelfire.com/realm/bodhisattva/chand2.html > > karta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 12, 2002 Report Share Posted October 12, 2002 RamanaMaharshi, "Richard Clarke" <r_clarke@i...> wrote: > Dear Karta, > > Thank you for the posting. It certainly is interesting to see the > parallels between this material and Ramana's teachings of Self- > inquiry and Advaita Vedanta. > > In you posting in says: > > "Instead Faqir began to query, "Who is it > that sees the light? Who is it that > hears the sound?" In other words, what > is it that experiences this world and worlds beyond it? > " > > So here is another discovery of Self-inquiry. The ancient Taoists > also had a practice they called "Turning around the light," again, > inquiry by another name. > > Further it says: > > "This mind of yours is inseparable > luminosity and emptiness in the form > of a great mass of light, it has no > birth or death, therefore it is the > Buddha of Immortal Light. > > To recognize this is all that is > necessary." > > This seems the same as the basic Advaita teaching: > > All there is is Brahman. > The world is unreal. > All the world is Brahman. > > Different words, different tradition, same teaching. > > We are Not two, > Richard ----- i am gald you like it Richard thanks.. looks like all road leads to Sri Ramana ~on mano bhagavate sri ramanayana~ karta > > RamanaMaharshi, "satkartar5" <mi_nok> wrote: > > Faqir Chand MEETS THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD > > FROM: > > Chapter Nine > > OF > > INNER VISIONS AND RUNNING TRAINS > > > > By David C. Lane, Ph.D > > One of the most remarkable aspects about > > the Tibetan Book of the Dead (or, more accurately speaking, The > Bardo Thotrol, > > also known as Bardo Thodol) [1] is the principle that whatever one > perceives > > during the dying process is ultimately illusory. Experiences of > seeing inne > > r light, hearing wondrous melodies, and feeling sensations of being > out of the > > body, according to The Bardo Thotrol, > > are but momentary reflections of > > one's own psychological condition. > > > > As > > such, they are not to be valued in and > > of themselves, since they cannot by > > their nature reveal the ultimate > > truth, but only -- even if > > magnificently -- obscure it. > > > > The reason for this is simple, if > > profound: whatever one sees in the > > dying process is a projection from > > one's own self. > > (----) > > Surprisingly, one of the more lucid > > insights on the philosophy of the > > Tibetan Book of the Dead comes from a > > Hindu mystic, named Baba Faqir Chand who apparently was not > familiar with the original Tibetan text or its English translation. > > > > Although Faqir was not conversant with > > the Bardo Thotrol, he was nevertheless steeped in its philosophy > as taught to > > him by his guru, Shiv Brat Lal of > > Gopiganj. Faqir Chand, like his lama counterparts, spent much of > his life in meditation, attempting to consciously > > go through the dying process in order > > to prepare himself for his final exit. > > > > (---) > > What strikes the reader almost > > immediately after reading both the Bardo > > Thotrol and The Unknowing Sage is the remarkable similarity > between both > > texts. > > > > (--) > > [5] It was not until the end of World > > War One, though, that Faqir received > > his first glimpse of Enlightenment. For prior to this time (1919), > Faqir > > accepted whatever inner sights and > > sounds he beheld in meditation as true > > and objective. > > > > (---) > > Bardo Thotrol: "That all phenomena are transitory, are illusionary, > are unreal, > > and non-existent save in the sangsaric > > mind perceiving them. . . That in > > reality there are no such beings > > anywhere as gods, or demons, or spirits, > > or sentient creatures -- all alike > > being phenomena dependent upon a cause.. > > > > That this cause is a yearning or a > > thirsting after sensation, after the unstable sangsaric existence." > [9] > > > > Eventually, Faqir dismissed his visionary > > encounters as nothing but subtle obstructions of maya. It was at > this > > point that Faqir's meditation took a new turn: instead of enjoying > the bliss of > > inner sights and sounds, Faqir turned > > his attention to the source from which these manifestations arose. > > (-- > > In this new chapter in Faqir's spiritual > > quest, he began to develop a dispassion > > for anything which arose in his > > meditation -- be it delightful or > > wrathful. > > > > Instead Faqir began to query, "Who is it > > that sees the light? Who is it that > > hears the sound?" In other words, what > > is it that experiences this world and worlds beyond it? > > > > No doubt, Faqir reasoned, it is consciousness. But what is that? > > wondered Faqir. The answer would haunt > > Faqir for the rest of his life, for he > > realized that no matter what spiritual practices he may do he > would never know. > > > > It was simply incomprehensible, a > > mystery without limitation. To Faqir > > the haunting aspect about this > > discovery was that no human being (not > > even avatars, saints, or gurus), he surmised, could possibly know. > Indeed, > > it was this very unknowability which constituted man's > enlightenment, or so > > Faqir intuited. Argues Faqir: > > > > "I do not proclaim that whatever I say > > is correct or final. Whatever I say > > is the conclusion of my experience of > > life. Nature is unfathomable. No one > > has known it. A small germ in a body > > cannot know the whole body. Similarly > > (a) human being is like a small germ > > in a vast Creation. How can he claim > > to have known the entire creation? > > > > Those who say that they have known are wrong. No one can describe > or even know > > the entire creation. Up to a certain > > extent to which man's mind has access, > > one can say something. But nobody can > > tell about the entire universe. It is > > indescribable." > > > > Paradoxically buoyed by this intuition, Faqir began to immerse > himself more and > > more into the clear void light, > > forgetting himself and his quest in the > > process. Although Faqir's extraordinary excursions took place > while he was still > > alive, and not in a near-death state, > > his experiences reinforce the general philosophy of the Bardo > Thotrol about liberation. > > > > "O Son of noble family, (name), listen. > > > > Now the pure luminosity of the dharmata > > is shining before you; recognize it. > > O son of noble family, at this moment > > your state of mind is by nature pure emptiness, it does not > possess any > > nature whatever, neither substance or quality such as colour, but > it is pure > > emptiness; this is the dharmata. . . > > > > This mind of yours is inseparable > > luminosity and emptiness in the form > > of a great mass of light, it has no > > birth or death, therefore it is the > > Buddha of Immortal Light. > > > > To recognize this is all that is > > necessary." > > > > What exactly this emptiness or > > luminosity is cannot, by definition, > > be described. In the Tibetan Book of > > the Dead the emphasis is on > > recognizing one's true nature, that > > which is no-thing in particular but > > rather the field in which all things > > arise -- itself being visionless, > > though producing visions; itself > > being structureless, though exhibiting structure; itself being non- > existent, > > though producing existence. > > > > The clear void light is absolutely paradoxical, since the "I" > cannot grasp > > it, nor can the mind by its > > subject/object dualism conceive it. > > > > Ken Wilber, a well regarded > > transpersonal theorist and practicing > > Zen Buddhist, describes it this way: > > > > "The Absolute is both the highest > > state of being and the ground of being; > > it both the goal of evolution and > > the ground of evolution, the highest > > stage of development and the reality > > or suchness of all stages of > > development; the highest of all > > conditions and the Condition of all conditions; the highest rung in > the > > ladder and the wood out of which the > > ladder is made. > > > > Anything less than that paradox > > generates either pantheistic > > reductionism, on the one hand, or > > wild and radical transcendentalism > > on the other. . . . " See also Dark > > Luminosity > > > > read the whole article: > > http://www.angelfire.com/realm/bodhisattva/chand2.html > > > > karta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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