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#1201 - Wednesday, September 18, 2002 - Editor: Jerry

Robert S. Wilson
"Room to Think", oil on canvas, 7" x 20", $550
http://www.turquoisetortoise.com/wilson/wilson9.htm

JERRY
from NDS

"the Chinese Ch'an Buddhist tradition (and later in Japan
& Korea), basically, emphasized that the question
doesn't matter so long as it snags you." --takdjc

There's probably a unique question for each person, if
everyone would trust themselves, their own wonder and
confusion, and not be in such a hurry to listen to
someone else. This is why the internet, with all the
stuff that goes down here, is probably best to stay away
from for many people. It makes it impossible to just be
alone. Not alone by way of avoidance, but by way of
entry into one's own inquiry.

JAN SULTAN
from Sufi Mystic

The Master was an advocate both of learning and of
Wisdom.

"Learning," he said when asked, "is gotten by reading
books or listening to lectures."

"And Wisdom?"

"By reading the book that is you."

He added as an afterthought: "Not an easy task at all,
for every minute of the day brings a new edition of the
book!"

One Minute Wisdom - Anthony De Mello Gujarat Sahitya
Prakash © 1985

_______________________________________________________________________

DREW HEMPEL
from NDS

Hi Everyone: H.W.L. Poonja, stated that there were only
a few Fully Realized people alive. But also only these
people can acknowledge each other. But Ramana teaches
that only the SELF is real and that it takes great
effort to unrealize the unreal.

According to Master Nan, Hua-Chi -- most people get to
where I got -- they begin to achieve one-pointed
concentration but when this happens the body's energy
channels open up. The person experiences direct
knowledge and they achieve basic supernatural powers.

What happens, according to Master Nan, is that people
get attached to those powers and thus lose the focus on
the nondual source.

This is what happened to me, but luckily I did heal my
Mom of a serious debilitating condition.

If I had been practicing Self-enquiry at the time then I
think there would have been a better chance I could have
kept the mind directed inward to the Source. Those type
of powers always happen through the Truth.

It's unfortunate that western culture doesn't have a
tradition of training in nondualism. There have been a
few saints who achieved it intuitively but then they had
to create their own descriptions and theology for coming
home.

The question is do we want to focus on the truth or not?
The Tao, the Buddha, God, the Self, the Cosmic Mother
are in all dimensions and are beyond space-time and we
are That (we just don't know it yet).

How to keep progressing? Who is it that is progressing?
The key is to achieve a one-pointed mind and then
no-mind and then to keep going in "internal intention"
or "direct knowledge" -- until the mind-body-universe is
completely returned to the Source that it already is.

GLORIA LEE

H.W.L. Poonja (PAPAJI)

1910 — 1997

You are looking at a photograph of the man who is
probably more responsible than anyone else for the
current wave of interest in Advaita Vedanta in the West.
His admirers call him "Papaji," and he was a devotee of
Sri Ramana Maharshi. There are at least three reasons
for Papaji's remarkable influence. First, he was
incredibly effective at making people wake up. Second,
he emphasized the aspect of Advaita Vedanta that appeals
most to Westerners: the idea that realization is
available immediately without effort. And third, he
authorized thousands of Westerners to teach in his name.
[..]

He moved his family into his father's house, resigned
his commission, and left home to look for a guru. His
search ended when he met Ramana Maharshi, who pointed
out to him that visions of Krishna come and go, but the
seer — the one who sees Krishna — is permanently
present. "God cannot be an object that appears and
disappears," said Sri Ramana, "so find out who the seer
is."

As Poonja later recalled:

For the first time ever I heard, "Find out who the seer
is."

With the master [Sri Ramana], I got the experience. This
experience was already here. When we love God, we think
he is an object. But he is the subject. So you have to
surrender to the subject. The ego is the object.

http://www.realization.org/page/topics/poonja.htm

_____________________________________________________________________________

NINA
from Open Source Spirit

contemplations on: dialogue listening silence

Greetings,

The following pieces are contemplations on a recently
felt dead end that seek (and find) an open end.

Hope you're all doing well...

Nina

*

What if

dialogues

were not

monologues

in disguise

*

What if

the inherent intelligence of all

were assumed

*

What if

instead of lines

dialogues

were circles

or even better

webs

*

What if

webs

are

intelligence

*

What if

webs

are

one way

of understanding

the space

in dialogue

which doesn't assume

the eminance

of one part

over the

whole

*

di-a-logue 1: a written composition in which two or more
characters are represented as conversing 2 a: a
conversation between two or more persons; also : a
similar exchange between a person and something else (as
a computer) b: an exchange of ideas and opinions 3: the
conversational element of literary or dramatic
composition 4: a musical composition for two or more
parts suggestive of conversation

*

Utne Reader, July/August 2002 2 Articles, with excerpts,
below.

1. The Power of Talk - Create Social Change by Starting
a Conversation (Margaret J. Wheatley)

... But true conversation... is a timeless and reliable
way for humans to think together. Before there were
classrooms, meetings, or group facilitators, there were
people sitting around talking. When we think about
beginning a conversation, we can take courage from the
fact that this is a process we all know how to do. We
are reawakening an ancient practice, a way of being
together that all humans intimately understand. ... If
conversation is the natural way that humans think
together, what gets lost when we stop talking? ...
Another surprising but important element of conversation
is a willingness to be disturbed, to allow our beliefs
and ideas to be challenged by what others think. No one
person or perspective can solve our problems. We have to
be willing to let go of our certainty and be confused
for a time. Most of us weren't trained to admit what we
don't know. We haven't been rewarded for being confused,
or for asking questions rather than giving quick
answers. We were taught to sound certain and confident.
But the only way to understand the world in its
complexity is to spend more time in the state of not
knowing. It is very difficult to give up our dertainties
- the positions, beliefs and explanations that lie at
the heart of our personal identities. And I am not
saying that we have to give up what we believe. We only
need to be curious about what others believe, and to
acknowledge that their way of interpreting the world
might be essential to us. ...

2. Deep Listening - the Surprising Pleasure of Not
Talking (from 'Salons - the Joy of Conversation', Jaida
N'Ha Sandra and Jon Spayde)

... Listening is the foundation of conversation. Through
hearing others carefully, we are able to step
imaginatively and empathetically into their shoes, and
to experience the world from an entirely different point
of view, if only for a few moments...listening "between
the lines" as someone speaks, "hearing the feelings and
the intentions as well as the words. It requires
tremendous discipline." ... When you listen deeply to
others, you may find yourself without anything clever or
moving to say when your turn comes around. But this lack
of preparation is a blessing in disguise: it gives you
access to spontaneous and heartfelt words. ... As any
group becomes accustomed to active listening and
unprepared speaking, you'll find everyone's words
growing in feeling, meaning and impact.


*

How many times

have I spoken

something

to someone else

when actually

I

was speaking

to myself

*

http://www.co-intelligence.org/P-listeningcircles.html

*



The following excerpt from

http://quakerscotland.gn.apc.org/glasgow/firsttime.htm

A Quaker Meeting is a way of worship based on silence, a
silence of expectancy in which we seek to come nearer to
God and each other as we share the stillness of the
Meeting. Participants are not expected to say or do
anything other than join in this seeking. Do not be
concerned if the silence seems strange at first. We
rarely experience silence in everyday life so it is not
unusual to be distracted by outside noise or roving
thoughts.

Occasionally a Meeting will pass with no words spoken.
If someone feels compelled by the Spirit to speak, pray
or read, the silence will be broken. Such ministry,
which has not been planned before worship begins, seeks
to enrich the gathered worship. If something is said
that does not seem to make sense try to reach behind the
words to the Spirit which inspired them or allow them to
be absorbed into the silence. Meeting for Worship is not
a debate so it is inappropriate to respond directly to
spoken ministry although it is not unusual for other
ministry to build on what has been said before.

In worship we have our neighbours to right and left,
before and behind, yet the Eternal Presence is over all
and beneath all. Worship does not consist in achieving a
mental state of concentrated isolation from one's
fellows. But in the depth of common worship it is as if
we found our separate lives were all one life, within
whom we live and move and have our being.

Thomas R. Kelly (1938); from Quaker Faith and Practice,
para 2.36, published by Britain Yearly Meeting


*

Listening

is

much harder

than

keeping my mouth shut

*




Silence

opens space

to

revelation

________________________________________________________

GENE POOLE
from NDS

Depression is anger...

without the enthusiasm.

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