"Psychology of awakening"

[Guest guest]

On Thu, 27 Apr 2000 14:07:31 Greg Goode wrote:

>I agree with your agreement with me!

 

Hi Greg,

 

We are in agreement. Yay !

>Agreed! I think the kind of discussion like in the Tricycle article is

>possible only when the concept of realization at play refers to a passing

>experience. That's a kind of experience that still leaves the "me" to take

>stock of the experience. A given "me" can have more than one of these

>experiences.

 

I suspect so too. Until there is no longer

a me to experience.

These experiences are probably

nice trailblazers for the way ahead, though.

Must be encouraging.

 

I think perhaps it was Madhya Nandi who once said that

"there is no limit to the bliss one can experience,

(I paraphrase)

as long as one is not attached to the bliss or the idea

thereof." Perhaps it is so with such temporary

"awakening" experiences as well.

>So like you say, surrender hasn't been full yet. The author

>in question is from the Zen tradition, and is also a psychotherapist. So

>his notion of awakening is sort of psychologically-based. But I think he makes

some very good points.

 

I should go back and read the article in its

entirety. Onelist does something odd and I get mails

from the list in a strange order, so I still haven't

received the original mail.

 

I think this has been discussed on the list before,

but different traditions and also different

individuals seem to have quite disparate views of what

exactly constitutes "awakening" and "enlightenment".

 

Maybe that happens because we try to discuss with the

mind something which is not of the mind and cannot be

encompassed by the mind ?

 

I only know that the temptation to announce oneself

as "enlightenened" and "awakened" can be very strong

and hence some suspicion towards that which is

announcing itself as such can be useful.

As I once remarked to remarked to Jerry.

Stories of awakenings

are a little like the film The Usual Suspects.

When watching, one should not lose track of who

exactly is telling the story.

 

BTW, while I have you here,

thank you very much for the book list.

I found the advaitin sources very interesting.

Are the writings of Shankara still available

and do you have the name of a publisher ?

 

On beforehand, thanks.

 

Love,

 

Amanda.

 

 

 

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