Fwd: Manolaya and Self enquiry?

[Guest guest]

, " naga.shrine "

<sandmaenchen3945 wrote:

 

Dear ,

Having read the text on Maharshi's instructions

I was delighted to find that although I have been

pursuing a nominally Buddhist path my actual

practice is exactly that described within these

instructions.

 

I initially used the breath as a meditation object,

following the instructions within the Anapanasati

sutta but after the attainment of first Jhana I found

my object became the `self'. I never vocalised or

articulated the thought " who am I " , rather I

sought for and `felt' the tension the ego creates

within consciousness. This `tension' (when observed)

vanishes - or relaxes out - and each time this

happened I broke through to the next form Jhana.

 

Having traversed the four form Jhanas and

having entered into a state which I equate with

samhadi (or the formless absorptions) I find

myself in the predicament Maharshi mentions

in his instructions. I believe the state I enter is

called Manolaya. All thoughts are stilled and

there is an expansive peaceful awareness which

has no point of reference at all. Of course when

I emerge from it my habitual thoughts return

(though each time a little weaker).

 

Maharshi says that: " even if this temporary

lulling of mind should last a thousand years,

it will never lead to total destruction of thought,

which is what is called liberation from birth and

death. The practitioner must therefore be ever

on the alert and enquire within as to who has

this experience, who realises its pleasantness.

Without this enquiry he will go into a long trance

or deep sleep (yoga nidra). Due to the absence

of a proper guide at this stage of spiritual practice,

many have been deluded and fallen a prey to a

false sense of liberation and only a few have

managed to reach the goal safely " .

 

My problem is the following. I am now unable to

detect any ego-self within meditation and unable

to summon up volition to seek it. The state, itself,

demands that I surrender such activity in order

to abide within it.

 

I found that this quote also matches my current

experience: " When self-enquiry reaches this level

there is an effortless awareness of being in which

individual effort is no longer possible since

the `I' who makes the effort has temporarily

ceased to exist " .

 

So my question is where do I go from here?

How do I continue to 'enquire' when 'effort' seems

no longer possible?

 

Namaste

Sand

 

--- End forwarded message ---