#1515
- Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - Editor: Joyce (Know_Mystery)
Soaring
- Photo by Alan Larus
Manuel
Hernandez ~ ANetofJewels
Words
can only point at Truth. It is only nonverbal, noumenal
understanding
that can deliver it.
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By
usurping the impersonal subjectivity of the one Absolute
subject as that
of an individual person, the human being commits the
original sin and
therefore comes under bondage. As soon as this mistaken
identity is
realized and the true identity as the one formless and
eternal subject or
witness is established, the bondage disappears and there
is enlightenment.
"This is what you should do: Love the
earth and sun and animals,
despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks,
stand up for the stupid and crazy,
devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants,
argue not
concerning God,
have patience and indulgence toward the people...
reexamine all you have been told in school or church or
in any book,
dismiss what insults your very soul,
and your flesh shall become a great poem."
~Walt Whitman
From
the book, "Walt Whitman: The Complete Poems,"
edited by Francis
Murphy, published by Viking Press.
Marilyn ~ OmniConscious
Huang Po
Some good websites that have info
and excerpts from Huang Po's book
Zen Teaching on the Transmisson of Minds
M.(Ramana Maharshi): Ego is 'I' thought. In its subtle
form it
remains a thought, whereas in its gross aspect it
embraces the
mind, the senses, and the body. They disappear in deep
slumber along with the ego. Still the Self is there;
similarly it will
be in death.
Ego is not an entity
independent of the Self in order that it
must be created or destroyed by itself. It functions as
an
instrument of the Self and periodically ceases to
function. That is
to say, it appears and disappears ; this might be
considered to
be birth and death.
Relative knowledge pertains
to the mind and not to the Self. It
is therefore illusory and not permanent. Take a scientist
for
instance. He formulates a theory that the earth is round
and
goes on to prove it and establish it on an
incontrovertible basis.
When he falls asleep the whole idea vanishes ; his mind
is left a
blank ; what does it matter if the world remains round or
flat
when he is asleep? So you see the futility of all such
relative
knowledge.
One should go beyond such
relative knowledge and abide in
the Self. Real knowledge is such experience and not
apprehension by the mind.
D : Why does not Sri
Bhagavan go about and preach the
Truth to the people at large?
M. : How do you know that I
am not doing it? Does
preaching consist of mounting a platform and haranguing
to the
people around? Preaching is simple communication of
knowledge. It may be done in Silence too.
What do you think of a man
listening to a harangue for an
hour and going away without being impressed by it so as
to
change his life? Compare him with another who sits in a
holy
presence and leaves after some time with his outlook on
life
totally changed. Which is better : To preach loudly
without effect
or to sit silently sending forth intuitive forces to play
on others?
Again how does speech arise? There is abstract knowledge
(unmanifest). From it there rises the ego which gives
rise to
thoughts and words successively. So then :
Words are
therefore the great grandson of the original source.
If words can produce an effect, how much more powerful
should
the preaching through silence be? Judge for yourself.
from Talks With
Sri Ramana Maharshi
Freyja ~
NondualitySalon
Murder of
Innocence
Who's
laughing "at" who anyway? We laugh
"in" delight and joy or at the absurdity of
pain, not 'at' misfortune. It's not about laughing
and feeling pleasure at another's
misfortune. We're all in this together, and i mean,
all.
I do not enjoy seeing someone's joy squashed
at every turn, no matter where it is
perceived to another that joy comes from. I believe in
the displaying of joy as a gift to
the world, without being resented for it. There are those
that like to judge this joy,
search for ulterior motives, etc. and for some reason
they have to hurt this expression
of joy...the kind of joy coming from a benevolent sense
of life....resting in the
innocence of all....but, what do they know? They cant see
it themselves, so that
expression becomes suspect.
It's not like i don't see how this squashing
could also facilitate the return to
innocence....by sacrifice. Is that how we want to do
things? I don't.
But, you see, ultimately, i and everyone
else was born innocent and that is how "I" will
remain forever.
People punish each other, they negate, they
degrade, they ridicule, they insult, they
point out--unable to conceive that it is that person's
best, their best in that moment.
Perhaps the people who degrade....i suppose this is their
best in the moment as well.
People do things because of themselves, it has nothing to
do with another. It does no
good to resent them they way they resent others.....it
just perpetuates the cycle. But, if
there is an evil, then that is it.
Ayn Rand wrote:
"The evil of a cultural atmosphere is
made by all those who share it. Anyone who has
ever felt resentment against the good being the
good, and has given voice to it, is the
murderer of
innocence."
Joy
Snoopy
Tom Hickcox ~ AwarenessTheWayToLove
Taking
Flight: The Self
A woodcarver called Ching had just finished work on a
bell
frame. Everyone who saw it marveled, for it seemed to be
the
work of spirits. When the Duke of Lu saw it, he asked,
"What sort of genius is yours that you could make
such a
thing?"
The
woodcarver replied, "Sire, I am only a simple
workman.
I am no genius. But there is one thing. When I am
going to make a bell frame, I meditate for three days to
calm
my mind. When I have meditated for three days, I think no
more about rewards or emoluments. When I have meditated
for five days, I no longer think of praise or blame,
skillfulness
or awkwardness. When I have meditated for seven days, I
suddenly forget my limbs, my body; no, I forget my very
self. I
lose consciousness of the court and my surroundings. Only
my
skill remains.
In that
state I walk into the forest and examine each tree
until I find one in which I see the bell frame in all its
perfection.
Then my hands got to the task. Having set my self aside,
nature meets nature in the work that is performed through
me. This, no doubt, is the reason why everyone says that
the
finished product is the work of spirits."
Said a
world-famous violinist about his success in playing
Beethoven's
Violin Concerto: "I have splendid music, a splendid
violin and a splendid bow. All I need to do is bring them
together and get out of the way."
godz_will posted
this message at the advaita.org board. i'm serving
it for this group as a lightly battered goffer for the
amusement of
nondual cats.
An excerpt from an
article about Advaita from WIE (Andrew Cohen's
magazine). "While Advaita's profound
inspiration and power to liberate is
undeniable, its worldview has not been without its
critics. Even
though "modern" Advaita seems to emphasize the
indivisible nature of
the world and Brahman, or the Self Absolute, Advaita
philosophy has
traditionally expressed, as noted religious scholar Lance
Nelson
points out, a "deep metaphysical bias against the
world. . . . In the
end, the Advaita tradition fails to present a true
nondualism of
world and Absolute. . . . It is rather an acosmic monism.
It achieves
its nonduality not inclusively, but exclusively.
Empirical reality is
admitted in a provisional way, but in the end it is cast
out of the
Absolute, out of existence. From the highest perspective,
the world
is simply not there [emphases ours]." Once again,
even though modern
proponents of Advaita do not appear to exclude the world
in their
vision of nonduality, in the classical view, the world is
clearly
recognized as being either completely unreal, or only
partially real.
And this is what Advaita has been historically criticized
for.
Precisely because of its emphasis on the ultimate
unreality and
illusory nature of the world and embodied existence, any
teaching of
how to live in the world is entirely absent. More
specifically, the
nondual teaching does not in any way address the ethical
or moral
dimension of human life. And even though modern Advaita
does not seem
to exclude the world in its nondual view, it still is
devoid of any
teaching that addresses the realities of human life.
Interestingly
enough, it appears that historically Advaita did not
address ethical or moral questions because, according to
Nelson, the
highest nondual teachings were "never intended to be
a philosophy for
the general public." In fact, he states that they
were "formulated by
and for a narrow spiritual elite of male brahmins
[members of the
highest, priestly class], primarily sannyasins
[renunciates], who
alone were believed qualified to fully appropriate its
import." This
practically would have meant that the individual to whom
the absolute
teachings were revealed would have already fulfilled the
demanding
moral and ethical qualifications for discipleship. And
even more than
that, Shankara himself states that the qualifications for
discipleship also demanded an extraordinary degree of
detachment from
and transcendence of worldly desires:
The pupil must be dispassionate toward all things
noneternal. . . .
[Having] abandoned the desire for sons, wealth and
worlds, endowed
with self-control [and] compassion, he is a brahmin who
is internally
and externally pure, whose thought is calm, who has
reached
tranquility. . . . [Thus] let him go to a spiritual
teacher who is
learned in the scriptures and established in Brahman.
The Upadesasahasri
The unusual
phenomenon occurring in the postmodern spiritual
marketplace is that now, as never before in history, what
were once
considered the highest esoteric teachings, revealed only
to those who
were prepared and had proven themselves worthy of their
unimaginable
depth and subtlety, are available to anyone who wanders
into a
spiritual bookstore. An important question seems to be:
Are most
seekers genuinely prepared for the psychological upheaval
and world-
shattering shift of perception that penetration into the
Absolute
unleashes? Advaita's emphasis on the illusory nature of
embodied
existence has the potential to give license to human
weakness and
self-indulgence if the individual is not already firmly
grounded in a
fundamentally wholesome relationship to life. The
unwholesome
tendencies characterized by narcissistic, neurotic and
deeply cynical
convictions so common today create a dangerously weak
foundation for
a nondual perspective that transcends all pairs of
opposites,
including right and wrong. While Advaita's great strength
is its
singular, unwavering emphasis on the Absolute dimension
of existence,
its weakness is revealed in the limited scope of its
singularity. And
while any truly absolute view must, by definition,
transcend all
distinctions, the inherent potential of Advaita or non
dualism to
inspire a worldview that is perilously empty of any value
whatsoever
is enormous. Indeed, the potential for escape, rather
than genuine
transcendence, is great in such an absolute teaching. For
to be
embraced, absorbed and utterly consumed by the Absolute
is one thing
but to escape from the inherent complexity of life in
order to avoid
the overwhelming demand that true surrender requires is
another thing
altogether.
.
s_v_c_s ~
iam
All
will come right in the end
Question:
What are the steps of practical training?
Sri
Ramana Maharshi: It depends on the qualifications and
nature of the seeker.
Questioner:
I worship an idol.
Sri
Ramana Maharshi: Go on doing so. It leads to
concentration of
mind. Get one-pointed. All will come right in the
end. People think
that liberation (moksha) is somewhere outside them to
be sought for.
They
are wrong. It is only knowing the Self in you.
Concentrate and
you will realize it. It is your mind that is the
cycle of births and
deaths (samsara).
Choo Meh Wah
~ BuddhistWellnessGroup
Meditation
Corner
One inhalation and the mind wanders, so we
bring it back again - and that itself is a moment of
mindfulness. We are training the mind like a good mother
trains her child. A little child doesn’t know what
it is doing, it just wanders off; and if the mother gets
angry with it and spanks and beats it, the child becomes
terrified and neurotic. A good mother will just leave the
child, keeping an eye on it, and if it wanders she will
bring it back. Having that kind of patience, we’re
not trying to bash away at ourselves, hating ourselves,
hating our breath, hating everybody, getting upset
because we can’t get tranquil with anapanasati.
~ Ajahn
Sumedo~
Water Lily
Photo
by Alan Larus
Doug Fireman ~ TrueVision
& Alan Larus ~ TrueVision
Field
Photo
by Alan Larus
Lost
and Found
I tried to be quiet,
but the stones crunched
under my feet,
and just as I approached...
you jumped into a pool
of molten thought
and disappeared...
leaving nothing but
concentric rings
of what might have
been had I remembered...
Upon
returning
to the forest,
I saw you wearing
your floral crown,
tending to the flower seeds
you had planted
in the ground.
And when
you smiled
at me, I realized...
something
quite profound...
that my grief
for what I lost
transformed to joy
when you were found
Quiet Time for the Mind By Judy Foreman, The Third Age, July 23, 2003
"New
York, USA -- During the last decade, there has been a
growing body of research showing that regular meditation --
the practice of quieting the mind through deep, continued
thought -- can help reverse some of the ill effects of
stress...
Many
doctors and researchers have speculated about the reasons
meditation -- sometimes called the "relaxation
response" -- produces these effects. But a credible
scientific explanation has been elusive until now. Such an
explanation could describe how changes in brain function
produced by altering one's mental focus affect people's moods
and metabolism...
A new
study by U.S. researchers at the University of Wisconsin and
the University of Massachusetts is likely to provide a
significant first step to answering the question of what goes
on in the brain during meditation...
The
researchers sought to test a particular theory: that in
people who are stressed, anxious or depressed, the right
frontal cortex of the brain is often overactive and the left
frontal cortex, relatively underactive. Many such people also
show heightened activation of the amygdala, a key brain
center for processing fear.
By
contrast, people who are usually calm and happy typically
show greater activity in the left frontal cortex, relative to
the right. These folks also pump out less of the stress
hormone cortisol, recover faster from negative events and
have higher levels of natural killer cells, a type of white
blood cell that battles infection and is a measure of immune
system function..."
The
noble art of watching the I AM and Karel Appel
Some thoughts:
There is one art that is above all the other arts. It is
the art of watching, attending the I AM. It is surrender
and inquiry at the same time and results in understanding
and love.
This art
awakens one to the profound simplicity and
singularity of "what is". Watching the I AM
ends the movements of "me" and leads directly
to the jewel of true Identity or "I" in the
Heart.
note:
Karel Appel, the Dutch Abstract Expressionist painter,
said in an interview on Dutch television, he lives in:
"...a world without laws...". He said he:
"...would sit and wait for the inner light to go
on...", before painting a fresh canvas. I felt and
knew without a doubt he was describing the state of pure
I AM from which all creativity emerges. Pure I AM is in a
way at the root of the world and the place before the
emergence of laws; it is the place where all laws
originate from in other words. So I could understand what
he was pointing at when he made the remark about the
"world without laws".
I guess Appel was using the word "laws" for
restrictions caused by sense of doership or conditioned
action. But that's a guess.
Appel also said
he is always painting. Even when talking, walking or
eating. This could be the same as always attending,
watching I AM. Until one abides effortless as pure I AM
and thus goes beyond.
I still have a measly 15"
monitor. But at least it's attached to my
eyeglasses so I can see it while i'm walking around.
J.
Katzundeit
Animation
by Benny
Stephen
(bodhibliss) ~ josephcampbellmythologygroup
& Bill Rishel, Art
The Eyes Have It
According to the Brihad Upanishad:
"The Selfhood in the object attracts the Selfhood in
the observer of the object. The Self pulls the Self. All
love is this much." Every so often i demonstrate this
concept to my junior high school students by asking them
to stand up, pair off, and look closely into each other's
eyes. Of course, this is
met by a chorus of resistance, but i point out that
they're not getting married to each other - heck, only
about half the class happens to be boy/girl pairs anyway.
All they are doing is looking into the eyes of another
living being - could be a dog or cat, happens to be a
primate - and observe ... more clinical than romantic. This calms then
down. I ask them to focus - give them a minute - then ask
what they see.
Some
students may describe the colors they see, or the size of
the pupil, or some other detail but sooner or later
someone says "I see
ME!"
Eye
Art
by Bill Rishel
And that's the
point i make. When i gaze into the eyes of another, i see
my own reflection - a little me. "Pupil"
comes from the Lating "pupilla", meaning
"little doll" - a little doll who looks like me
which leads in to the point that when one takes the time
to really look at another person, to gaze into another
person's eyes (as when we fall in love), what one sees is
one's Self in the Other (which is much of the
attraction).
But
of course, look closely enough - which takes time and
commitment to focus - and one can see one's Self in every
Other. A happy little
analogy.
(Of
course, if i really want to spin their brains, i tell the
students that they are my pupils ...the little dolls... ) "The Self
pulls the Self. All Love is this much." any thoughts?
bodhibliss
Lisbeth
~ Monks_Mystics & Alan Larus ~
HarshaSatsangh
Unity
Photo
by Alan Larus
HuaHuChing
thirty seven
A superior person cares for the well-being of all things.
She does this by accepting
responsibility for the energy
she manifests, both actively and in the subtle realm.
Looking at a tree, she sees not an isolated event but
root, leaves, trunk, water, soil and sun: each event
related to the others, and the "tree" arising
out of
their relatedness.
Looking at herself or another, she
sees the same thing.
Trees and animals, humans and
insects, flowers and birds:
These are active images of the
subtle energies that flow
from the stars throughout the universe. Meeting
and combining with each other and the elements of
the earth, they give rise to all living things.
The superior person understands
this, and understands
that her own energies play a part in it.
Understanding these things, she
respects the earth as
her mother, the heavens as her father, and all living
things as her brothers and sisters.
Caring for them, she knows that she
cares for herself.
Giving to them, she knows that she gives to herself.
At peace with them, she is always at peace with
herself.
~ translated by Brian Walker ~
Panhala
~ Joe Riley
from One
or Two Things
The god of dirt
came up to me many times and said
so many wise and delectable things, I lay
on the grass listening
to his dog voice,
crow voice,
frog voice; now,
he said, and now,
and never once mentioned forever
~ Mary Oliver ~
Joyce ~
"Physiology has denied the
intelligence of the heart-muscle, but subjectivity finds
in that quarter an unmistakeable epic of subtle
discriminations:
The
heart skips a beat, is troubled, suffers pangs, breaks,
is stolen, is given, swells full to bursting with joy.
The
neurons that drive the heart are far older than those in
the brain.
They
began some hundred million years ago to dwell on many
subtle biological problems of kinship, altruism and
sexuality.
That
this groundwork would have been supplanted entirely is
not nature's way, they must rather have been built upon,
brain serving heart and not vice versa.
We
need desperately to remember the functions of our hearts,
to reclaim our inwards, our instincts, to conceive a new
Theory of the Heart... "
Pete, you are right. There is a German
proverb which goes roughly
so: "If a donkey feels itself too well, it betakes
itself on glazed
frost" (Wenn ein Esel sich zu wohl fühlt, begibt er
sich aufs
Glatteis). Ha!
[Dan]
Pass me one of those cream-filled chocolate
glazed one's, Skoggman -- I feel really well!
And scratch me behind my ears, while you're
at it!
[Joyce]
Fresh out of donuts, sorry... Will a pear
from Meister Eckart do in a pinch?
Four Quartets
I said to my soul, be
still, and wait without hope
For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love
For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith
But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.
Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:
So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the
dancing.
