Guest guest Posted June 4, 1999 Report Share Posted June 4, 1999 Your message is essentially correct. However, there are those rare individuals who can simply "open their eyes, and see." My theory is that they were extremely close to realization in their previous lifetime, and this one requires only a slight nudge. But such people are rare. At 03:52 PM 6/4/99 -0700, you wrote: >"Madhya Nandi" <madhya > >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 > > > > > >------ >Looking for a new hobby? Want to make a new friend? > >Come join one of nearly 160,000 e-mail communities at ONElist! > > ----- My ICQ number is 40545220 Visit The Core of the WWW at: http://www.eskimo.com/~fewtch/ND/index.html Music, Poetry, Writings on Nondual Spiritual Topics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 5, 1999 Report Share Posted June 5, 1999 > Tim Gerchmez <fewtch > > > Your message is essentially correct. However, there are those rare > individuals who can simply "open their eyes, and see." My theory is that > they were extremely close to realization in their previous lifetime, and > this one requires only a slight nudge. But such people are rare. [...] Isn't there more to it? There are some who maintain there is nothing to learn, but to unlearn. Many of the practices are tools to remove conditioning. Conditioning is evidenced by trivialities like reading. Who is able to see just scribble instead of the meaning? The most effective tools for unlearning are: 1. going through the process of dying 2. coming at an absolute dead end in one's life 3. the loss of loved ones and everything one cares about. These three categories are the so called eye-openers that often lead to spontaneous (K.) awakening or sudden enlightenment. Another tool is extreme frustration, to the point of "nothing goes anymore". There are some funny Zen-stories about this. What happens to the "average" child? It becomes drilled in order to perform and obey rules, whether these are understood or not. Creativity, inventivity, spontaneity, boundless energy, to name a few properties, are buried by education and upbringing. Not to mention cases where things are worsened by authoritative or abusive behavior of adults. Aren't these "buried qualities of the child" the ones that become apparent in realized ones? The classical way of unlearning is by more and different drilling. This works, it takes a lot of effort so one might wonder if it is effective. According to (old) motivation theory, there are some who will be easily motivated by mere authority. For them, drilling comes natural. Then there are some who are intellectually motivated and they will pick up study. The third category is result-motivated. They work to arrive at results irrespective of what it takes. One might ask, would one's "motivational class" be reflected in one's way to express the inexpressible and the description of "the road thereto" ? Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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