Forwarded: Satsangh with Barry Long, by Roger Isaacs

[Guest guest]

Nice to hear from you Bruce!

 

Oz was fascinating. We spent the 2 weeks a little south of Brisbane on an

undeveloped section of the beach listening to Barry for a couple of hours

per day. I went walking on the beach nearly every day meditating on the

sensation, how delightful. My biggest concern was keeping enough cash on

hand for mangoes.

 

Went north to Cairns for a few days, rain forest trips etc, then spent 5

days in Sydney. I’m more oriented towards nature than cities, but Sydney

was

very interesting.

 

I might even consider going back to Oz to see Barry again. Especially if

he’s at Cabarita Beach again. He’s in his mid 70’s and warns that

although

healthy at present, a 5-6 year struggle with cancer could take him at any

time.

 

I have no doubt that he is realized. But of course the expression of God

filtered through any personality is limited. And he emphasizes as much by

warning that one must become independent of authority as soon as possible

in

many different ways.

 

His approach, his comments, are exceptionally creative. For me he’s an

extraordinary source of inspiration especially in terms of metaphysical

insight. Yet, I do not feel in anyway that visiting him has suppressed or

redirected my own individuality.

 

Our eyes meet briefly many times during the course. And I usually felt an

indescribable quickening of awareness, an upwelling of sensation/energy,

an

expansive leap beyond mental association with limitation. But the same

happened, for example, on unexpectedly seeing the full moon rising over

the

ocean. So I certainly don’t want to place undue attention on Barry.

 

My personal practice continues to evolve. My usual technique of

recognizing

& negating identification with limitation is still required. But more &

more

it seems that all that can be done is to take a small shift into subtler

focus, awareness of the subtle energy of the body, the usual heaviness or

substance of the body is refined into subtle energy, especially coursing

upwards from the chest/solar plexus, sometimes this energy leaves

awareness

completely separated from association with senses / thought. Sense

awareness

& thought may continue but are seen as if from a very great distance, a

distance so great that the observer could NEVER associate itself with

anything external.

 

Mysterious and indescribable! For a while I was thinking: I can enter

this

by putting attention on the solar plexus (as Barry describes in some

book, a

kundalini yoga approach), or by stilling thought directly (a neti-neti

Gyana

Yoga approach) which is superior? Which is best for me? But, alas, such

thinking implies effort or distance to be covered & there is no effort in

Being.

 

words fail....

 

with affection,

Roger

 

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