JnanaMe

[Guest guest]

Greg Goode <goode

 

>

>"All the different paths...?" Why must I undress to recognize that I am

>fully clothed? Can't I just look around myself, recognize that everything

>everywhere everywhen is me and recognize that I am transcendentally,

>vibrantly, immanently, absolutely alive and that I am the creator of this

>all out of my own Universal Consciousness? Can I not be both Shiva and

>Shakti--each equally real and equally Me? Isn't this a very healthy,

>all-inclusive, non-exclusive Realization? Am I truly guilty of experiencing

>a blasphemous Enlightenment?

 

Madhya,

 

One must be very careful when making statements in or about the first

person, it *can* lead to attachment to certain ideas/ideals. There's a

difference between the "I" or "me" as body/mind, and the "I" or "me"

as

Consciousness.

 

 

Greg, I can certainly appreciate what you are saying. That perspective is

widely, (but not universally) held. However, there is a very real, very

important reason for my expressing myself in just this way!

 

What is "I-Consciousness?" Abhinavagupta says: "The entire world gleams as

the wondrous delight of pure I-consciousness. Indeed I know not what the

sound 'world' is supposed to refer to." Jaideva Singh says: "...the world

no longer appears as mere 'earth, earthy', but as 'apparrelled in celestial

light', as an expression, and play of the Universal Consciousness, and the

aspirant feels himself also as nothing but that consciousness. Then the

world is no longer something to be shunned, but an eternal delight. Then

does one truly acquire...pure I-consciousness in which the world does not

stand over against the I in opposition but is the expression of that I

itself."

 

Now, the question arises: What is 'I-consciousness'? Singh further

explains:

 

"The Shaiva... does not conceive of the Supreme as a logomachist but as an

Artist. Just as an artist cannot contain his delight within himself, but

pours it out into a song, a picture or a poem, even so the Supreme Artist

pours out the delightful wonder of His splendour into manifestation or

creation."

 

So, what is the pure essence of I-ness? Self-consciousness--the awareness

of myself as ME. This 'me-ness' is the very essence of the possibility of

consciousness's self-consciousness. Now, 'me' means the undifferentiated

awareness of the quality of uniqueness, 'personal-ness', indeed,

individuality. When one experiences 'pure I-consciousness', one experiences

the entire Universe as h/her OWN UNIQUE CREATIVE BEING. Self-recognition,

then, means recognizing that the actual awareness of myself as a unique,

individual person is absolutely the same as my own Universal Personality.

All beings ARE because they 'belong' to themself. This very quality of

'belonging to myself' that all beings, human or otherwise experience, is the

Universal Me-ness of Self-recognition.

 

Light, we are informed, is both wave and particle. Universal consciousness

is universal self-awareness. Awareness is always awareness of one's very

own self--one's own universal uniqueness.

 

In very practical, experiential terms, the kinetic aspect of Universal

Consciousness is known as Sakti. The Pure Awareness aspect of Me-ness is

called Shiva. But these are not two. The whole raison d'etre of Kundalini

Yoga is the recognition (constant experiencing) of my Self as pure, dynamic

energy--and the recognition that Pure Energy and Pure Awareness of my own

Energy is One Experience. This is what is meant by Divine Maithuna.

 

This means that all consciousness is Pure Self-consciousness of Myself as

Universal Me.

 

Madhya

[Guest guest]

Madhya Nandi wrote:

>

> What is "I-Consciousness?" Abhinavagupta says: "The entire world gleams as

> the wondrous delight of pure I-consciousness. Indeed I know not what the

> sound 'world' is supposed to refer to." Jaideva Singh says: "...the world

> no longer appears as mere 'earth, earthy', but as 'apparrelled in celestial

> light', as an expression, and play of the Universal Consciousness, and the

> aspirant feels himself also as nothing but that consciousness. Then the

> world is no longer something to be shunned, but an eternal delight. Then

> does one truly acquire...pure I-consciousness in which the world does not

> stand over against the I in opposition but is the expression of that I

> itself."

 

Jelke: Sounds like Ramana Maharshi to me: 'ALL is the Self'. 'There is

no 'other'.

> So, what is the pure essence of I-ness? Self-consciousness--the awareness

> of myself as ME. This 'me-ness' is the very essence of the possibility of

> consciousness's self-consciousness. Now, 'me' means the undifferentiated

> awareness of the quality of uniqueness, 'personal-ness', indeed,

> individuality. When one experiences 'pure I-consciousness', one experiences

> the entire Universe as h/her OWN UNIQUE CREATIVE BEING. Self-recognition,

> then, means recognizing that the actual awareness of myself as a unique,

> individual person is absolutely the same as my own Universal Personality.

 

Jelke: Yes, Atman = Brahman.

>

> In very practical, experiential terms, the kinetic aspect of Universal

> Consciousness is known as Sakti. The Pure Awareness aspect of Me-ness is

> called Shiva. But these are not two.

 

Jelke: True: the wave is water just as the ocean.

> This means that all consciousness is Pure Self-consciousness of Myself as

> Universal Me.

 

Jelke: Yes (am I ever agreeable tonight or what?!) The problem is that

on some levels, animal as well as human, this is not 'known'(sorry, that

stupid word again!), not 'seen'. I.o.w. there arises this belief in

'otherness' in 'the other'. And all the problems therefrom.

 

Regards,

Jelke.

 

> Madhya

>

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[Guest guest]

At 04:45 PM 6/10/99 -0700, Madhya Nandi wrote:

 

Madhya wrote:

>Greg, I can certainly appreciate what you are saying. That perspective is

>widely, (but not universally) held. However, there is a very real, very

>important reason for my expressing myself in just this way!

>

>What is "I-Consciousness?" Abhinavagupta says: "The entire world gleams as

>the wondrous delight of pure I-consciousness."

 

....

 

Back to Madhya:

>So, what is the pure essence of I-ness? Self-consciousness--the awareness

>of myself as ME. This 'me-ness' is the very essence of the possibility of

>consciousness's self-consciousness. Now, 'me' means the undifferentiated

>awareness of the quality of uniqueness, 'personal-ness', indeed,

>individuality. When one experiences 'pure I-consciousness', one experiences

>the entire Universe as h/her OWN UNIQUE CREATIVE BEING.

 

So, what would be the difference between these two statements:

 

1. "I as the entire world shine in the wondrous delight

of pure I-consciousness"

 

and

 

2. "I have a headache."

 

This is a sincere question - language usage and meaning is an issue in all

non-dual paths I've seen, don't know how Kashmir Shaivism handles it.

 

--Greg