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Wednesday, May 9


JAN BARENDRECHT

The Self doesn't have to realize itself
The mind-body can't realize its transience
But it can change from self to futility <laugh>
And yet seemingly remain vividly alive.

...

Perceived reality is not real at all, is a hypothesis of belief, based
on the past -- being confirmed as reality in a hypnotised state, in
which confirmation that this is reality maintains the hypnosis, and the
hypnosis maintains the reality to be confirmed ....

...

Utterly alone is greatest fear
One that even 'bites' while 'here'
In 'nothingness' the only fish
'Escape' will be the only wish

________________________________________________________________________

GLORIA LEE


The Perfect Way knows no difficulties
Except that it refuses to make preferences;
Only when freed from hate and love,
It reveals itself fully and without disguise;
A tenth of an inch's difference,
And heaven and earth are set apart;
If you wish to see it before your own eyes,
Have no fixed thoughts either for or against it.
-- Sosan Ganchi Zenji (d. 606 C.E.)

...

When I first read the Tibetan Book of the Dead, it really struck me as
remarkable for the insight into mental projection, way ahead in time of
western psychology. As the source of all that was "seen to appear" in
the bardo was said to be one's own mental projection of "unconscious
contents" - it was unreal, and such would trap one back into
reincarnating - thus both the fearful demons and the pleasant heavenly
realms were to be gotten past. Going on to the clear light was urged
repeatedly.

I think most of us get by now that our perceptions color reality and
are just our interpretations of what is happening. The book suggests we
are the ones making it all happen tho..as we are seen to be the source,
as in "being able to face one's stuff and know it as oneself"

.. so how does all this fit in with there is nodoer? When seeing "all
this" ends separation..how can there be any distinction, seeing this
arising in consciousness is "my stuff"...

DAN BERKOW



Nothing has ever separated, really.
Separation isn't the result of action
by something separate.
It's perception, and the perception
isn't of something separate.
So, the separation is the perception,
and the perception isn't separate
from what is perceived.

No doer is involved in any of this
seeming to occur, nor has anything
that seemed to occur separated.

There is, in fact, nothing from which
to separate.

This is the "clear light".

The images that appear in the clear light
aren't separate from that light, nor
are they viewed by someone separate.

It's just that perception gives the impression
of a viewer apart from what is viewed.

As what is viewed is seen as "me",
distance dissolves between viewer/experiencer and
viewed/experience.

The more that what is viewed is seen as
"consciousness", the less there can
be claimed a consciousness apart,
as "viewer/experiencer" ...

Finally (now) clear light is all,
as consciousness dissolves
in clarity, clarity with no objects,
hence no "consciousness"
or "unconsciousness" involved ...

Just "clear light" ...

You ask how, then, can there be distinctions,
meaning, as I take it, the formation of images?

The distinctions clearly <s> are
the clear light itself -- distinctions
don't obscure anything, when it is "seen"
or "apprehended" that it is the clear light
distinguishing itself from itself. As for
how does it do this and why ...
it does it spontaneously, because it
is its nature to ...
Circular reasoning perhaps -- but
all reasoning has a beginning and
end, and the beginningless and
endless ends all things that begin ...

So, the end of reincarnation is now, here.

Reincarnation being a metaphor for
the repetition compulsion, the
sticking with the familiar, the
identification with separation ...

As no-thing is happening, all happenings
are no-thing -- all that is happening
is clear, is clarity, is light within light, and
light beyond light -- no-thing-ness ...

When the book is read, it is only the clear light reading to itself
an image (the book) given to elucidate that
its images are itself giving itself form by
conceiving of form ...

And that itself is not an it, and not having
of a self ...

And of course, this is the message of the book given as
"B'reysheet" or "Genesis" -- and the Gospels
of Jesus, as well.

In a sense, it is the message given in every moment
of perception -- the clear light is within and without
this moment of perception, its forms disclosing its true
nature to itself instantly, formlessly ...

__________________________________________________________________________

OMKARA

Utterly alone, truly a joy,
Remembered even as a little boy...
Nothing or something, no such thing,
Alone, the bells of Heaven ring.

Understanding shines alone and free,
Nobody here, not even 'me'...
The glory of Aloneness sings,
The gong of Joy forever rings.

In 'That' the world is but a blink,
No time to look, no reason to think...
Shining Alone the unspeakable only;
Forever Alone... not a second lonely.

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