Nondual
HighlightsIssue #18123 Sunday, May 30,
2004Editor: Mark
Editors note: I transcribed this excerpt from a tape of a satsang
with Pamela Wilson. While I deleted a few bits for the sake of
clarity, I've tried my best to remain true to the spirit of the
dialogue. I take full responsibility for any errors I may have
made.
Q. Sometimes I
experience feelings of deep peace and calm. It seems to be
outside the mind. At other times, I experience the mind, the
thoughts, the feelings, the fears. And then in-between that, I
occasionally experience - it’s almost like a sort of voice
that sometimes says “stay with the fears, you know, be with
them, don’t let them overcome you and sometimes it’s
not there and then the fears and what have you come. Where does
that part actually come from?
P: Ah! Yeah... You could say it’s the sat guru; the teacher
within? And one cannot develop it or control it. Luckily. So if
you developed it more, what would be the end result?
Q. Well, it would be a calmer me.
P. How about absence of you? Then it wouldn’t vacillate
between calm and agitation. You really wouldn’t want a calm
"you". It would still give you trouble.
Q. Ow!
P. Effortlessly! (laughter) So sometimes Advaita appears to be
very mystical. It’s actually very practical. You know, it
permeates every area of what we call life, and so the key is in
finding what keeps agitating the system. We usually have our list
of villains, right? So what if your emotional body didn’t
reference to you? What if the emotions that passed through weren’t
yours?
Q. Sometimes, not very often, but... I do experience that.
P. That’s right. So in order to apparently become
identified, we need some tools of identification, right? So that
would be - we’re given an emotional body, or a bundle of
emotions and a bundle of thoughts. So practical thought isn’t
really identified. It doesn’t try to craft a "me"
out of nothing. It’s more just the little noodler. So it’s
nice to just come to peace with the mechanism of identification,
rather than oppose it. Because its job is to create
identification out of nothing, yeah? And yet we keep telling it
"you should fire yourself." So - thinking thought - is
it alright with you that thinking thought is identified? Yeah,
very good. And is it alright that the emotions are identified?
That’s it, okay. So for you to even perceive that, you must
be something that’s prior to it; that’s untouched by
identification, to be aware of it showing up, right? That’s
it. So the fun trick here is to not mind when identification
arises. Because you’ve seen how everything just arises and
falls, right? That’s it. So identification has really
nothing to do with you. It’s part of these things (pats
body), yeah? It’s one of the body’s talents. But you
don’t need to exercise it or oppose it. So we can just set
the whole question of identification or non-identification aside
for a moment. Would that be alright.?
Q. Yes.
P. Yeah. So what’s left then?
Q. Just what is.
P. Just what is, yeah. (pause) And what is has a life of its own,
right? Yeah. So what is - it’s a bit like a river. It has a
life of its own. When we put our hand in to tinker with it, that’s
when it just starts flaring up and spilling out and - chaos. Yes?
So the fun thing is just to watch what is and know that there’s
a natural intelligence that’s directing what is. So then we
don’t have to put our hand in to fix it or alter it or
change it. So in the absence of concern over identification or
non-identification; in the absence of concern over fixing the
play, there’s just deep rest. It’s kind of like all
your hobbies are taken away; the ones that fill the time, yeah?
And then you’re just left with wonder, peace, gardening
(laughter), a few good meals….
Q. Thank you.
P. Mmmmm... thank you...
- Excerpt from Satsang with Pamela Wilson Oct 11, 2001
Self-Knowledge in which both relative knowledge and phenomena
fall off, is alone True Knowledge, because the Self is the Source
of all. To know all except the Knower is but ignorance. The Self
being Absolute Knowledge, it is neither knowing nor not knowing.
It can never be nescience. The Self being one and universal,
knowledge of diversity is but ignorance which too is not apart
from the Self.
- Ramana Maharshi from Thus Spake Ramana
submitted to MillionPaths by Viorica Weissman
Bursting Into Flame
Wood that is fed to the Fire
eventually becomes the Fire
All wood
even Moses' staff
Jesus' cross
Hermes' caduceus and
The Tree of Life
is totally devoured
The same Fire that radiates in the splendor of heaven
rages in the pits of hell
The only difference is:
those in hell refuse to be consumed by the Light.
Sometimes there
would be
a rush of
noisy visitors
and the Silence
of the monastery
would be shattered.
This would upset
the disciples;
not the Master,
who seemed
just as content
with the noise
as with the Silence.
To his protesting disciples
he said one day,
"Silence is not
the absence of sound,
but the absence
of self."
Yoga of Synthesis is suitable for the vast majority of persons.
It is a unique Yoga.
Man is a strange complex mixture of will, feeling and thought. He
is a triune being. He is like a tricycle or a three-wheeled
chariot. He wills to possess the objects of his desires. He has
emotion; and so he feels. He has reason and so he thinks and
ratiocinates. In some the emotional element may preponderate,
while in some others the rational element may dominate. Just as
will, feelings and thought are not distinct and separate, so
also, work, devotion and knowledge are not exclusive of one
another. He must, therefore develop his heart, intellect and
hand. Then alone can he attain perfection. Many aspirants have
lop-sided development. They do not possess an integral
development, as they neglect one or the other of these aspects of
their personality.
One-sided development is not commendable. Religion and Yoga must
educate and develop the whole man - his heart, intellect and
hand. Then only he will have integral development. In the mind
there are three defects, viz., Mala or impurity, Vikshepa or
tossing, and Avarana or veil. The impurities of the mind should
be removed by the practice of Karma Yoga, by selfless service.
The tossing should be removed by worship or Upasana, by Japa and
devotion. The veil should be torn down by the practice of Jnana
Yoga, i.e., by study of Vedantic literature, enquiry,
self-analysis, service to the Guru, and deep meditation. Only
then Self-realization is possible.
If you want to see your face clearly in a mirror, you must remove
the dirt in the mirror, keep it steady, and remove the covering
also. You can see your face clearly in the bottom of a lake only
if the turbidity is removed, if the water that is agitated by the
wind is rendered still, and if the moss that is lying on the
surface is removed. Even so is the case with Self-realization.
Action, emotion and intelligence are the three horses that are
linked to this body-chariot. They should work in perfect harmony
or unison. Then only the chariot will run smoothly. There must be
integral development. You must have the head of Sankara, the
heart of Buddha, and the hand of Janaka.
The Yoga of Synthesis alone will develop the head, heart and
hand, and lead one to perfection. To become harmoniously balanced
in all directions is the ideal of religion and of Yoga. This can
be achieved by the practice of the Yoga of Synthesis. To behold
the one Self in all beings is Jnana, wisdom; to love the Self is
Bhakti, devotion; to serve the Self is Karma, action. When the
Jnana Yogi attains wisdom, he is endowed with devotion and self
less activity. Karma Yoga is for him a spontaneous expression of
his spiritual nature, as he sees the one Self in all. When the
devotee attains perfection in devotion, he is possessed of wisdom
and activity. For him also, Karma Yoga is a spontaneous
expression of his divine nature, as he beholds the one Lord
everywhere. The Karma Yogi attains wisdom and devotion when his
actions are wholly selfless. The three paths are, in fact, one in
which the three different temperaments emphasize one or the other
of its inseparable constituents. Yoga supplies the method by
which the Self can be seen, loved and served.
Hence everyone should have one Yoga as the basic Yoga and combine
other Yogas. You can combine Nishkama Karma Yoga, Hatha Yoga,
Raja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Sankirtan Yoga, etc., with Jnana Yoga as
the basis. This is my Yoga of Synthesis, which will ensure rapid
spiritual progress.
A little practice of Hatha Yoga (Asanas and Pranayamas) will give
you good health. Raja Yoga will steady your mind. Upasana and
Karma Yoga will purify your heart and prepare you for the
practice of Vedanta. Sankirtan will relax your mind and inspire
you. Meditation will take you to liberation.
Such a Yogi has all-round development. The Yoga of Synthesis will
help you to attain God-realization quickly. Upanishads, Gita and
all other scriptures speak of this Yoga. Therefore, O
Mokshapriya, practice this unique Yoga of Synthesis and attain
Self-realization quickly.
Here is my little song of the Yoga of Synthesis, for your daily
practice:
Eat a little, drink a little
Talk a little, sleep a little
Mix a little, move a little
Serve a little, rest a little
Work a little, relax a little
Study a little, worship a little
Do Asana a little, Pranayama a little
Reflect a little, meditate a little
Do Japa a little, do Kirtan a little
Write Mantra a little, have Satsang a little
Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realize
Be good, Do good; Be kind, Be compassionate
Enquire 'Who am I ?', Know the Self and be Free
- Swami Sivananda, submitted to meditationsocietyofamerica by Bob
Rose
The attainment of enlightenment in Buddhism is often
characterized as a flying bird. In order to fly the bird must
have two wings; so it is for the achievement of full
enlightenment: one must have perfected both wisdom and
compassion. Often we think of these two characteristics as being
different. But in actuality, they are merely two aspects of the
same attainment.
Compassion is the active form of wisdom. For if one has attained
wisdom, one sees the innate unsatisfactoriness of things. One
sees how suffering and unhappiness arise and how sentient beings
are caught in this web of samsara, the continuous round of the
arising, maturing and ceasing of existence. And when one sees
others caught in duhkha, in suffering, in unsatisfactory
conditions, one's compassion arises, for one has experienced this
duhkha also, and knows the source of it. The understanding of the
existence of suffering causes the arising of compassion, and the
understanding of its source is the wisdom that must underlie
compassionate action.
Wisdom is cultivated through the practice of meditation and
ethical conduct. Compassion is cultivated with the practice of
the six perfections: dana, selfless giving; ksanti, patience; and
virya, spiritual effort; as well as sila, ethical conduct;
dhyana, meditation; and prajna, intuitive wisdom. The cultivation
of wisdom is the cultivation of compassion, and the cultivation
of compassion is the cultivation of wisdom.
Dana, selfless giving, is the base of all Buddhist practice and
the base of compassion. One can give material goods. One can give
time and energy. One can give security, emotional refuge, or
spiritual guidance. But one must give from a place of no self, as
easily and as naturally as a mother gives milk to her infant. If
the giver thinks, "I am giving to this poor wretch,"
that is poor giving. If one thinks, "I will attain merit
from this giving," that is no giving at all. Dana is giving
which has no giver, no given and no receiver. It is an action
that arises with no separation of subject and object. This
non-separation of giver and receiver is not a metaphor. It is
reality, for Buddhism does not see separate, innate beings of any
kind. Rather, all beings are one and ultimately cannot be
separated into individual personalities or separate existences.
Compassion is all embracing and non-discriminatory. It is given
freely to all beings, just as the rain does not discriminate as
to which plants and beings deserve its benefits. It just falls
and nourishes all life. So, too, compassion arises without any
ego thoughts, without any concepts, to all beings: human, animal,
vegetable. All life forms benefit from it.
Compassion is not sentimental, nor particularly emotional. Since
compassion necessitates an understanding of the source of
suffering and the relief of suffering, wisdom must underlie and
give impetus to any compassionate act. If compassion does not
grow from wisdom, then the action taken may cause much harm.
Since compassion must help to end suffering, the compassionate
being cannot be swayed by pity or by emotional appeals to give
the sufferer something that does not ultimately help to relieve
suffering. A compassionate act does not enable the sufferer to
continue behavior which will only brings more suffering.
Therefore, the wise person sees where the suffering arises, does
what he can to help alleviate the suffering, and does not become
morose or feel guilty when he cannot help.
In Mahayana Buddhism, compassion became idealized and embodied in
the great spiritual heroes: the Bodhisattvas. These Bodhisattvas
are greatly revered, for they exemplify total compassion.
Although fully enlightened, and able to enter into the final
Paranirvana, they remain in the world of samsara, in the realms
of suffering, to help all beings, until all beings attain
Nirvana. At the same time, while the Bodhisattvas work to
liberate all living beings, they do not perceive of themselves as
saviours. Their compassionate acts flow freely from them, without
reservation, without discrimination, for their very nature is
compassion. It is this compassion that the sincere Buddhist tries
to cultivate.
Meditation teacher Larry Rosenberg went to Korea to practice with
Zen Master Seung Sahn. During the journey, he undertook a
pilgrimage to other teachers and temples, and while traveling on
a remote road, he came across a particularly elegant Buddhist
shrine at the base of a mountain. Next to it was a sign,
"Way To The Most Beautiful Buddha In All Of Korea,"
with an arrow pointing to the thousand-step path up the mountain.
Larry decided to climb, hiking up the steps until he reached the
top, The view was breathtaking in every direction. The simple Zen
shrine matched the elegance of the one below. But in place of the
Buddha on the altar there was nothing, only empty space and the
gorgeous green-hilled vista beyond. When he went closer, at the
empty altar was a plaque that read, "If you can't see the
Buddha here, you had better go down and practice some more.
- Jack Kornfield from After The Ecstasy, The
Laundry published by Bantam, posted to
DailyDharma
I may think I feel love
but it is love that feels me
constantly testing the woven fibers
that enclose and protect my heart
with a searing flame
that allows no illusion of separation
and as the insubstantial fabric of my inner fortress
is peeled away by the persistent fire
I desperately try to save some charred remains
by escaping into one more dream of passion
I may think I can find love
but it is love that finds me
meanwhile, love becomes patient and lies in wait
its undying embers gently glowing
and even if I now turn and grasp after the source of warmth
I end up cold and empty-handed
I may think I cam possess love
but it is love that possesses me
and finally, I am consumed
for love has flared into an engulfing flame
that takes everything
and gives nothing in return
I may think love destroys me
but it is love that sets me free
- nirmala from nothing personal: seeing
beyond the illusion of a separate self
Q. Sometimes I
experience feelings of deep peace and calm. It seems to be
outside the mind. At other times, I experience the mind, the
thoughts, the feelings, the fears. And then in-between that, I
occasionally experience - it’s almost like a sort of voice
that sometimes says “stay with the fears, you know, be with
them, don’t let them overcome you and sometimes it’s
not there and then the fears and what have you come. Where does
that part actually come from?
The Practice of
Compassion 