Self-realization and wishful thinking...

[Guest guest]

Happy Friday Satsanghers!

 

 

On occasion, a well-intentioned Satsangher will post seeking wisdom

regarding the nature of mystical/spiritual Realization. Often as not, the

poster will be treated to a perspective which claims 'there's nothing to do!

You're already there. Just accept that you are Enlightened, that you are

'liberated' and you will become That. Becoming That, you will see that you

were There all the time."

 

Who does not wish to be told that absolute freedom, joy, bliss, etc., can be

so easily attained? Perspectives making the above claims, while sincere,

are misguided and in fact, may accomplish more harm than good.

 

Recently, we enjoyed a brief flurry of exchanges regarding the question of

'turya' or the fourth state of consciousness. It was intimated by some

posters that the question of a fourth state, or indeed, of any 'state' of

consciousness, was essentially unimportant. All that one need do is realize

that one is already there! Just accept that you are already there and

you'll actually be there! There are no 'states' of consciousness, some

posters claim, just look around you and accept "the fact" that you are not

this and this and this, and you'll see your "true" self.

 

Again, nothing could be more misguided and misinformed.

 

Enlightenment cannot be experienced by mere 'negation.' Why? Because

Enlightenment requires a complete transformation of consciousness. THE

CHARACTER OF THIS 'COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION' OF CONSCIOUSNESS IS SUCH THAT

THE AWAKENED PERSON RECOGNIZES THAT WHILE EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED, NOTHING

HAS CHANGED.

 

What does this mean? Being 'Awake' is a substantively different experience

of consciousness. The experience of time and space are completely

transformed. The awakened person experiences, in the midst of the flow of

temporal events, utter and complete timelessness. This 'non-temporality'

becomes part of the structure of experienced consciousness. Experiencing

'no-duration' means that in the structure of one's consciousness, there is

the awareness that time does not move at all. The experience of duration

includes a quality of recognizing that all the 'time' that one has every

experienced has occurred in a single, motionless instant. One is able to

bring to mind any memory, any image from one's past and recognize a quality

of that experience that is EXACTLY the same--and realize that temporal

experience includes both duration and non-duration.

 

This is not the content of ordinary consciousness. Non-awakened

consciousness experiences only the flow of time and not the absolute

awareness of non-duration.

 

The experience of spatiality also transforms with Awakening. The

non-awakened consciousness experiences all movement as motion from one place

to another. You get up to go to the bathroom and your awareness is moving

from one room to another. You leave your home and get into your car to go

to work and your awareness is of a linear journey from this place to that

place to another place. The awakened consciousness, however, experiences

spatiality very differently. Every place where the awakened person stands

is apprehended as being exactly the same location where one has always been

throughout all of one's spatial experience. All locations, no matter how

distant or foreign, are experienced as precisely the same place. A

'familiarity' inheres in the experience of spatiality. The nature of this

'familiarity' is the experience of never moving--of being always in one

familiar place that is absolutely the same. Thus the awakened consciousness

both comprehends the datum of being in another location--as always

before--and, additionally recognizes a quality of spatiality that is

'non-spatial' or non-different, if you will.

 

The restructuring of awakened consciousness includes further

characteristics. Because the enlightened consciousness perceives all

time--past and future-- as exactly the same as the present, that

consciousness behaves altogether differently from the person who experiences

the flow of time.

 

Persons who experience life in the context of a linear, time and space-bound

consciousness, form and define self-identity by forming attachments to all

the events that occur within this context and behave by virtue of that

experience. The awakened consciousness is not bound by a strictly linear

and narrative spatio-temporal reference for events that occur. The

awakened consciousness releases all attachments to past events and ceases to

identify with these experiences. The reason this occurs is because the

structure of ongoing awareness has transformed. When this happens,

attachments naturally fall away. The 'emotion/feeling' based mechanism for

behaving is exchanged and a new dynamicity for behaving arises. The nature

of awakened behavior arises from a complete union with the present moment.

Behavior changes from its former narrative-based performance to an

increasingly immediate and spontaneous 'Moment' based behavior.

 

An example: I am waiting tables. A customer criticizes me for being too

slow and delivering a cold meal. A common reaction is to feel defensive or

angry or resentful. The nonawakened personality will react to this

situation by virtue of the accumulated tensions from previous experiences.

He or she might internalize the tension, or lash out at the customer, or

even choose to return kindness for injury. But no matter the behavior, the

tension of experiences accumulates when the personality is under the sole

dominion of the narrative, cumulative form of consciousness. The structural

result of awakening consciousness is the experience of nondifferentiated

time and space. The effect of this transformation of consciousness is the

release of accumulated tensions. The awakened personality no longer

experiences or behaves as before awakening. Rather, no matter the actual

character of the awakened waiter's response, that response will arise and

disappear instantly. This means that her actions in a given set of

circumstances will not be conditioned or determined by a personality that

behaves as a result of accumulated tensions or emotional attachments,

prejudices and so forth. Neither will the behavior arrive from an experiene

of consciousness determined by existential concerns determined by

attachments to the narrative flow of time from the past and into the future.

 

None of these 'transformations' of consciousness signal more than

'recognizing consciousness for precisely what it is.' Nothing is added to

or subtracted from the nature of consciousness as such. However, the event

of awakening to 'what always already is' only occurs as one transforms one's

experience of consciousness. Thus, awakening or enlightenment, must always

be BOTH a transformative journey AND a recognition that through

transformation one recognizes that consciousness is exactly as it always

was. The necessary paradox is that the latter cannot occur without the

former.

 

The experience of 'turya', or the fourth state of consciousness is this very

transformation. Although turya is always present in all states of

consciousness, one can only transform consciousness through meditation and

sadhana until gradually the positive qualities of turya permanently

condition and illumine the experience of consciousness. This is a

STRUCTURAL transformation of consciousness because the event of conditioning

and illuminence, the restructuring of consciousness to recognize what was

not previously recognized, automatically retools and reorients the context

of BEHAVIOR.

 

One can indeed experience glimpses of the absolute, immutable 'transcendent'

aspect of consciousness. However, these glimpses can never be sufficient in

and of themselves to accomplish enlightenment. More often than not, the

hopeful recipient of such an experience, builds a wall of attachment around

the experience and consequently, prohibits the possibility for real

spiritual growth. This amounts to little more than 'enlightenment by

wishful thinking.'

 

Persons who suggest that no practices or transformation need occur to

'become enlightened or self-realized' are peddling little more than

snake-oil. All the major mystical/spiritual traditions present spiritual

attainment as a journey of transformation leading toward a new, structurally

reintegrated personality. Such traditions include all the branches of

Buddhism, the Sufi orders, Christian mysticism and most Hindu traditions.

It is virtually impossible to name a single great Teacher, Sage or Saint,

who did not journey toward enlightenment and experience as a result, a

completely new structure of Experience. Teachers who advocate no practice

or sadhana at all in order to experience Awakening are in the extreme

minority.

 

Work and discipline are always a hard sell. Aspirants do not wish to hear

the sacrifices and the surrendering that must occur on the path of

Self-Realization. Westerners in particular, are influenced by Christian

traditions based on the simple acceptance of Jesus as the Savior for

salvation. Americans often come to eastern spirituality unaware of the

quality of commitment and effort involved in spiritual transformation and

enlightenment.

 

The reward for effort and transformation is very great. In time, work

becomes pleasure, and pleasure becomes Self-Realization. Gautama Buddha,

Abhinavagupta, Ramana Maharshi and the Dalai Lama--among many others--have

lit the torch for us to follow. Let us walk in their footsteps--as our own

circumstances allow and engender--and work together toward the only peace

this planet can effectively experience: the transformation of behavior and

the performance of enlightenment.

 

 

Madhya