Guest guest Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 A spiritual practice recommended by many such as Nisargadatta is one of constant " witnessing " , as in: M: Discover all you are not. Body, feelings, thoughts, ideas, time, space, being and not-being, this or that -- nothing concrete or abstract you can point out to is you. A mere verbal statement will not do -- you may repeat a formula endlessly without any result whatsoever. You must watch yourself continuously -- particularly your mind -- moment by moment, missing nothing. This witnessing is essential for the separation of the self from the not-self. Q: The witnessing -- is it not my real nature? M: For witnessing, there must be something else to witness. We are still in duality! Q: What about witnessing the witness? Awareness of awareness? M: Putting words together will not take you far. Go within and discover what you are not. Nothing else matters. The beauty of witnessing as a practice is how it brings home the fact that all happens by itself. In " witnessing " there is no effort to *do* anything, just to witness whatever unfolds. When this practice is actually carried out it is observed that the many " doings " , the many activities and behaviors, continue to arise and fall away of their own. A conscious effort by a " doer " behind the scenes is not necessary. To see this is very freeing. For it is the beginning of realization that all unfolds as of its own within Emptiness. All is mere appearance within the sphere of awareness. To hear that idea is one thing. But to undertake witnessing and actually " taste " the spontaneous arising and falling away of behavior is quite another. And that is freedom in its most fundamental sense. To see that there is no doer, that there never has been a doer. Talk about non-action, non-doing can be a bit misleading. It can seem to be saying that it is best to " practice non-action " . But the practice of witnessing shows that non-action, non-doing is ever and always the case. The difference is not in *ceasing* to do, to act, but in *realizing* that there never has been any doing or action. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 " pliantheart " <illusyn wrote: > > > A spiritual practice recommended by many such as Nisargadatta > is one of constant " witnessing " , as in: > > M: Discover all you are not. Body, feelings, thoughts, ideas, > time, space, being and not-being, this or that -- nothing > concrete or abstract you can point out to is you. A mere verbal > statement will not do -- you may repeat a formula endlessly > without any result whatsoever. You must watch yourself > continuously -- particularly your mind -- moment by moment, > missing nothing. This witnessing is essential for the > separation of the self from the not-self. > > Q: The witnessing -- is it not my real nature? > > M: For witnessing, there must be something else to witness. We > are still in duality! > > Q: What about witnessing the witness? Awareness of awareness? > > M: Putting words together will not take you far. Go within and > discover what you are not. Nothing else matters. > > > The beauty of witnessing as a practice is how it brings home > the fact that all happens by itself. In " witnessing " there is > no effort to *do* anything, just to witness whatever unfolds. > When this practice is actually carried out it is observed that > the many " doings " , the many activities and behaviors, continue > to arise and fall away of their own. A conscious effort by a > " doer " behind the scenes is not necessary. > > To see this is very freeing. For it is the beginning of realization > that all unfolds as of its own within Emptiness. All is mere > appearance within the sphere of awareness. > > To hear that idea is one thing. But to undertake witnessing and > actually " taste " the spontaneous arising and falling away of > behavior is quite another. > > And that is freedom in its most fundamental sense. To see that > there is no doer, that there never has been a doer. > > Talk about non-action, non-doing can be a bit misleading. It can > seem to be saying that it is best to " practice non-action " . But > the practice of witnessing shows that non-action, non-doing is > ever and always the case. The difference is not in *ceasing* to > do, to act, but in *realizing* that there never has been any doing > or action. > > Bill That was great to read and I don't disagree with it, but to me " being the doing " , the mindless action itself, takes me as close to the Tao as I am able to go for now. Stu > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 26, 2006 Report Share Posted May 26, 2006 Nisargadatta , " stuartkfmn " <stuartkfmn wrote: > > > > " pliantheart " <illusyn@> wrote: > > > > > > A spiritual practice recommended by many such as Nisargadatta > > is one of constant " witnessing " , as in: > > > > M: Discover all you are not. Body, feelings, thoughts, ideas, > > time, space, being and not-being, this or that -- nothing > > concrete or abstract you can point out to is you. A mere verbal > > statement will not do -- you may repeat a formula endlessly > > without any result whatsoever. You must watch yourself > > continuously -- particularly your mind -- moment by moment, > > missing nothing. This witnessing is essential for the > > separation of the self from the not-self. > > > > Q: The witnessing -- is it not my real nature? > > > > M: For witnessing, there must be something else to witness. We > > are still in duality! > > > > Q: What about witnessing the witness? Awareness of awareness? > > > > M: Putting words together will not take you far. Go within and > > discover what you are not. Nothing else matters. > > > > > > The beauty of witnessing as a practice is how it brings home > > the fact that all happens by itself. In " witnessing " there is > > no effort to *do* anything, just to witness whatever unfolds. > > When this practice is actually carried out it is observed that > > the many " doings " , the many activities and behaviors, continue > > to arise and fall away of their own. A conscious effort by a > > " doer " behind the scenes is not necessary. > > > > To see this is very freeing. For it is the beginning of realization > > that all unfolds as of its own within Emptiness. All is mere > > appearance within the sphere of awareness. > > > > To hear that idea is one thing. But to undertake witnessing and > > actually " taste " the spontaneous arising and falling away of > > behavior is quite another. > > > > And that is freedom in its most fundamental sense. To see that > > there is no doer, that there never has been a doer. > > > > Talk about non-action, non-doing can be a bit misleading. It can > > seem to be saying that it is best to " practice non-action " . But > > the practice of witnessing shows that non-action, non-doing is > > ever and always the case. The difference is not in *ceasing* to > > do, to act, but in *realizing* that there never has been any doing > > or action. > > > > Bill > > That was great to read and I don't disagree with it, but to me " being > the doing " , the mindless action itself, takes me as close to the Tao > as I am able to go for now. > > Stu perhaps that is as close as it gets! the Tao isn't anything particular one can get " close to " . the Tao is only the absence of anything particular that is structuring experience. If the director of a play, for example, doesn't try to control every little thing, but instead opens up to everyone being involved in making it all work, which is to trust the inherent wholeness and integrity of life, then that perhaps is dancing with the Tao. What Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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