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#1895 - Thursday, August 19, 2004 - Editor: Jerry
Featured is Part 6 of the review/summary of The Sacred Mirror: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy, edited by John J. Prendergast, Peter Fenner, and Sheila Krystal. Information about this book is available at http://www.paragonhouse.com/catalog/product_info.php?authors_id=218&products_id=315
There is also a letter from the Being One list featuring Jan Barendrecht and someone identified as P.
Finally I continue the In Nonduality Salon series, which features posts from the early days of the Nonduality Salon list, which were never before Highlighted.
Chapter 6
Double Vision: Duality and Nonduality in Human Experience by John Welwood
John Welwood, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in San Francisco. He is the editor of The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology and has written several books published by Shambhala and HarperCollins.
~ ~ ~
The theme of this chapter is stated in the following passage:
"Being fully human means
honoring both these truths -- immanence, or fully engaging with
our humanness, and
transcendence, or liberation -- equally. If we try to deny our
vulnerability, we lose
touch with our heart; if we fail to realize our
indestructibility, we lose access to
enlightened mind. To be fully human means standing willingly and
consciously in both
dimensions."
I'm going to offer my summary of this chapter as a series of
quotations, rather than try
to transform them into my own words. I have the feeling this
chapter could be pivotal to
the entire book and putting it into my own words will have to
wait until the book as a
whole is reviewed. To remind the reader, I'm writing
summary/reviews of each chapter from
this book as I read them. I haven't read the whole book yet!
~ ~ ~
"On the human plane, our lives evolve and unfold through the
relative play of duality --
otherwise known as relationship. Indeed the central, defining
feature of the human realm
is relationship -- the network of interactions with others that
suports our life from the
cradle to the grave."
"The human realm serves as a bridge linking samsara -- the
experience of separateness --
and nirvana -- non-separateness. That is why being human is a
living paradox, and also a
field in which a vast range of feeling -- from unbearable sorrow
to unthinkable joy -- is
possible."
"Nondual teachings that mainly emphasize the illusory
quality of human experience can,
unfortunately, serve as just another dehumanizing force in a
world where our basic
humanity is already under siege at every turn. What is needed in
these difficult times
instead is a liberation spirituality that helps people recognize
nondual presence as a
basis for fully inhabiting their humanity, rather than as a
rationale for disengaging
from it. We need a spiritual vision that values and includes the
central playing-field
where our humanity expressis itself -- relationship."
"To fully inhabit the human realm ... is to live in
dialogue, in (Martin) Buber's view."
"It's essential characteristic is meeting and honoring the
otherness of the other -- as
sacred other -- which allows a mutual alchemy to take
place."
"To be yourself in Buber's sense means to find the deepest
laws of your being, to let
your life find and carve out its true path, and to bring forth
your innate gifts and
qualities in time, through your interchange with life in all its
aspects."
"The conditioned ego, identified with roles and identities
formed in the past, is
incapable of true relationship. Similarly, in timeless, nondual
awareness, there is also
no relationship; there is only direct knowing, silent presence
without involvement in the
polarity of self and other. So to be fully engaged in
relationship, we have to step into
and inhabit our human form -- the person."
"How fully the suchness of you shines through -- in your
face, your speech, your actions,
your particular quality of presence, your expressions of love --
is partly grace, but
also partly a result of how much you have worked on polishing
your vessel so that it
becomes transparent to the pure being that is its ground."
"Individuation is the forging of a transparent vessel -- the
authentic person who brings
through what is beyond the person in a uniquely personal way. We
can thus distinguish
absolute true nature -- universal beingness, which is the same in
everyone -- from
individuated true nature -- how each person expresses absolute
true nature through a
unique path and a unique offering. Individuation is the process
of bringing the absolute
into human form -- the "form" of our person, animated
by our capacity for personal,
interrelational presence, embodied in the world."
"A purely immanent approach, such as Buber's, does not
recognize the important role that
transcendence -- the capacity to step beyond the personal,
dialogical realm into the
nondual, suprapersonal presence -- can play in human development.
We need a more
comprehensive view that recognizes the nonduality of the
transcendent and immanent,
absolute and relative, emptiness and form."
"Swami Prajnanpad ... provides an interesting example of
what such a balanced nondual
view might sound like in modern times. He builds a liberation
teaching based not on
transcending duality, but on attending more closely to the
difference between self and
other."
Swami Prajnanpad quotations:
"The feeling of being not separate emerges in the heart only
by accepting what is
different."
"All things are different from one another. This one is
simply this, nothing but itself,
complete in itself, established in its own glory, unique. This is
brahman, the Absolute."
"To judge is to compare; but everything being distinct an
singular, there is never
anything to compare. Everything is incomparable, unique, and
absolute."
Back to Weller quotations:
"Letting the relative be as it is ... reveals the
absolute."
"...the absolute -- in the form of you and your experience
-- is naturally revealing and
actualizing itself in and through where you are at each moment.
This understanding also
provides a nondual framework for working with emotions and
psychological blockages... .
The heart of this approach ... is what I call 'unconditional
presence' -- learning to be
present with your experience just as it is. ... This fosters a
natural unfolding in the
direction of truth, compassion, and liberation."
Spiritual bypassing: "When people try to bypass, or
prematurely transcend, their current
psychological condition by trying to live up to some noble
spiritual ideal (such as
nondual perspectivie) this does violence to where they are. And
it strengthens the
spiritual superego, the inner voice that tells them they should
be something other than
they are, thereby reinforcing their disconnection from
themselves."
"To avoid spiritual bypassing, transcendent truth needs to
be grounded in a willingness
to wade in and immerse ourselves in the stormy waves of
immanence. We need to broaden the
terms of the equation that offers only a choice between samsaric,
dualistic mind and
enlightened, nondual awareness. We need to include a third,
intermediate term in the
equation -- the relational play of human experience, where
evolution takes place as
heaven manifests on earth, infinity infuses finitude, and
eterneity embodies itself in
time."
"Opening to the full play of human experience allows for the
possibility of a sudden
dawning of wakefulness... . This is a sudden dropping away of
dualistic fixation,
allowing a direct and often abrupt entry into nondual
presence."
"Our alienation and neurosis itself, then, when fully met,
are the seeds of wisdom. ...
Only entering into (our human shortcomings and imperfections) and
suffering them
consciously allows us to exhaust their momentum, move through
them, and be done with
them."
"This experience (of alienation, neurosis, imperfection) is
not solid, fixed, or definite
in the way it first appeared to be. As it starts to flow, unfold,
ripen, or release, it
reveals its true nature as the play of orginal wakefulness,
embodied in human form."
Relationship as evolutionary task:
"The hard truth is that spiritual realizations often do not
heal our deep wounding in the
area of love, or translate readily into skillful communication or
interpersonal
understanding. ... Most modern spiritual practitioners ...
continue to act out
unconscious relational patterns developed in chilhood."
"(Swami Prajnanpad) saw marriage as a particularly powerful
litmus test of one's
development, because in it one is 'fully exposed...All one's
peculiarities, all of one's
so-called weaknesses are there in their naked form. This is why
it is the testing
ground.'"
Swami Prajnanpad: "Unless you are tested on the ground where
you are fully exposed, all
those outward achievements are false. This is the point, and you
have to grasp it
completely."
"(Human relationship) is a great wilderness in which
humanity has hardly begun to find
its way. Developing more conscious relationships is an important
next frontier in human
evolution. And this will require a capacity to marry nondual
realization -- which
dissolves fixation on the separate self -- with careful attention
to personal relational
patterns that block or distort the free flow of loving
presence."
~ ~ ~
The Sacred Mirror: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy, edited by John J. Prendergast, Peter Fenner, and Sheila Krystal.
Information about this book is available at http://www.paragonhouse.com/catalog/product_info.php?authors_id=218&products_id=315
P. and Jan Barendrecht
from Being One list:
P. wrote:
>after reading some books on advaita i am left with a ceasless
>irritation that does not seem to go away, advaita states that
there
>is nothing to do and nothing to get rid of and nothing to
improve
>since everything is included in the vastness!!! although all
this
>rings true i am still left with the questionon how to live
life?
Jan:
That there is nothing to do merely indicates there isn't an
entity
relating to events that could be labeled "doer". Humans
didn't think
that way always, events like thunderstorms, earthquakes etc. have
been
attributed to invisible gods, spirits (of the deceased) etc. and
there's
no way to show one view is correct and the other incorrect with
the same
ease as showing that boiling water produces bubbles.
P: >everything is as it should be. but if i take this priciple
to heart
>then everything is okay. if i and everyone else were to live
this
>way we would all live in ashrams just being. there would be
no
>technology, there would be no self improvement, there would
continue
>to be murder, anger, hatred, starvation, disease, etc...
since this
>is all part of the vastness. and if this is all true then why
should
>people believe in a work ethic to improve their standard of
living,
>why should the well off try to help the poor, why is there
war, why
>are there new medicines developed to help the sick etc...?
since it
>is all part of the vastness.
Jan:
Observing how the root of human greed is present in a squirrel,
in
autumn collecting and storing (too much) food for winter, is
quite
insightful. Linked with the observation of playfulness and
curiosity
present in most animals, no questions regarding human behavior
remain.
P: >even in terms of the personal self why should one ever
investigate
>oneself? being left in the dark is also part of the vastness!
why
>then should there be psychotherapy? we should let all people
suffer
>in their ignorance and fear since these emotions are also
part of
>the vastness? and of course there is no "I"
anyways, so why be
>concerned?
Jan:
Darkness only shows, after an impression of light. Regarding
suffering,
there's quite enough already and much more than the world's
therapists
can ever hope to lessen. Do i have to mention the climate that's
running
away, the ongoing pollution like the spread of DU enriched dust
or
mercury from coal burning power plants? Seen from a satellite,
hurricanes look like works of art - the same spiral forms showing
in
galaxies. An event like a supernova can destroy an entire galaxy
but
seen from a great distance, a work of art as well. But for the
life
forms subjected to the event, it might be life threatening in
more than
one way - the sense of "I" implies a frame of mind
interpreting events
as "happening to ME" and responding accordingly.
P: >but then i ask myself isnīt this searching and living
life in order
>to improve things also part of the vastness? isnīt trying to
improve
>oneself and oneīs environment also part of the vastness?
arenīt the
>desires for self satisfaction and altruism and self
cultivation also
>part of the vastness? if everything is accepted as part of
the
>vastness which includes all the dasdardly acts that humans
inflict
>on one another and themselves, then why not this desire to
improve
>things and oneself?
Jan:
Vastness too is a concept that instantly shrinks to zero upon
entering
deep dreamless sleep. Regarding habitat, man succeeded to destroy
most
of the planet already and the damage is likely to be severe
enough to
terminate life - as presently known on the planet.
P: >i feel i am falling into a depression! i admit that my
life and my
>ideas steer my life and that alot of these ideas are based on
fear.
>for instance i do not have to work as hard as i do, i do not
have to
>educate myself, i do not have the possessions that i do, i do
not
>have to try to undersand myself, etc... for according to
advaita
>this is all self deception. there is no "I"! there
is no doer! there
>is nothing to be done and nowhere to go! even the spiritual
search
>is a deception because there is no one to search.
J: It has been said, man's present condition rarely allows
understanding
the frame of mind of the authors of works like the Upanishads:
the
cultural difference between the culture birthing the Upanishads
and the
present one is unbridgeable.
The issue is the frame of mind where possession, sense of
"I", doership
etc. is conceptual in the same sense that calling a hurricane
"Nikita"
won't change its course nor its force.
P: >the question is
>then where to go and what to do? if all my ideas are taken
away from
>me what should i do? i cannot wait for this realization to
come
>before starting to live my life. it may never happen. the
only
>answer is for me to continue to live in my self deception!
Jan:
The phrase "there is nothing to realize"decoded for the
present culture
should read, "without the conditioning of culture
(upbringing and
education included) the notion there is something to realize
cannot take
hold of the mind".
P: >but this
>seems unbearable! in a way i wish i never came into contact
with
>this. i am left helpless! and yet now i am at this point!
what
>should i do if there is no one to do? and would anything i do
be an
>addition to the deception?"
Jan:
The deception has been in upbringing, education, alienation from
nature.
Most wild animals know rather well, in case of an accident, the
game is
over. Wild animals are relaxed yet alert - stress lowers
awareness which
can be lethal. Modern man is stressed to the limit and has no
other
enemy (predator) than himself.
P: >even though i am emotionally distraught because of this
and know
>that listening to this is the deception of listening to the
mind, i
>still feel this, and this feeling is unbearable! i feel i
need help
>and a spiritual friend to help me in this dilemna! i am
sending this
>letter of to people who i hope can help and posting this as a
>general question to any who think that they can possibly help
me
>even though i know the question itself and the possible help
i might
>get is also part of the illusion of separateness.
Jan:
The Buddha once remarked "be a lamp onto yourself"
which in the present
culture is interpreted, everyone his/her "own" website,
spiritual forum,
and whatever more that makes a difference. The ancient way yogis
were
living (alone, mostly meditating in a cave) isn't a solitary life
but
repairs the alienation from nature - eventually resulting in a
frame of
mind infertile to notions like separation, doership,
"I", self and
no-self. A disease of (false) notions, still running when there
should
be quietude, can't be cured by pouring in more notions, the
stilled mind
is free from notions unless a situation requires some for
communication.
Calling a hurricane "Mao" only adds more noise to the
already loud event
and the hurricane won't listen anyway.
In Nonduality Salon
The Highlights of posts from the early days of the Nonduality Salon list, before the Highlights began.
Rick Katz
"Where's Jerry been for the last 40 years?"
looking at micro-biological reactions
thru microscopes of third eye
incarnations floating wistfully along
carefully balanced
and hanging tightly and
letting go
above cosmic precipices
smoking cigars and cigarettes and
chewing the essence of
eternal questions
asked in dark corridors few choose to walk down
and fewer would understand the answers
asked by avatars for their own amusement
between roller coaster joyrides and laughing
laughing laughing at (other) souls and laughing
at himself
Jerry copies down the sayings
of the wise and
finds the wise asking him for
his answers and
then says
I don't know.
Rick
~ ~ ~
Gene Poole
Hi Rick. I like this. It sounds quite familiar.
Years ago, I was an attendee at a conference of educators. I
actually won
an award for saying, "I don't know" at an appropriate
time during the
proceedings.
"Not knowing" does not alter Being
Not-knowing is the doorway to seeing
Knowing can be the comforting breast
Upon which we suckle, ignoring the rest
Of the Universe Being as Big Set of One
Universal OneBeing... our Being is fun
Not-knowing is ticket to gate of Unknown
Not-knowing is asking that all shall be shown
Filling a void that cannot be filled,
Upon overflowing is the grace-bucket spilled
Emptiness-hunger is the state of not-knowing
Fullfillment is perfect hunger ongoing
---
==Gene Poole==
~ ~ ~
Jerry Katz
I wasn't trying to get a reaction when I said, "I don't
know," in
response to the rhetorical question, "Where have you been
these last 40
years, Jerry?". I was just saying that I don't adhere to any
knowledge.
Well, I don't. I'm pretty good at taking a few books off my shelf
and
finding what's relevant, and putting it down on paper. But
there's
nothing ultimate about any of it. I don't remember any of it
after it's
been written. It would only serve to nudge another toward greater
understanding. There was never anything more than that intended,
and I
don't know if any of us wish to do anything more than that.
Perhaps it's
the most and least we can do.
Truth is beyond books and words. It already exists. That is to be
known.
~ ~ ~
Name change
I would like to change the name of this list to
Nonduality Salon. I feel
it will help to identify us as a real presence, as a gathering.
It
confers a sense of location, purpose, and quality of
communication, and
a sense of being an alternative to religion and traditional
Guru/Ashram
activities, even while absolutely embracing them.
Over the next 20 years, I feel, self-realization will be guided
mainly
by such nonduality salons. I -- timeless and empty -- humorously
proclaim this the first Nonduality Salon, and welcome the
courageous
ones who are this Nonduality Salon. For as the Nondualism List,
we are
quite harmless. As a Nonduality Salon, we may be perceived as a
threat.
If I hear to no objection to the newly proposed name, I will make
the
change in the next 2 or 3 days.
Best to all,
Jerry
~ ~ ~
Quoting
The gift of quoting, I have seen, is this: It requires you
turn to
yourself, not the problems or situation of another. It is
isolating and
even a little cold, to be handed a quote, no matter how warm and
comforting it may be. But it throws you to yourself. It keeps you
alone.
In my opinion, that's not always easy, but it's the only way to
see
what's what. Solitude is necessary. There is both solitude and
socializing on these lists, so there is some balance.
--Jerry
~ ~ ~
mic
day friends,
The other night I drove down from my mountain home over to the
coast
at Byron, Australia's most easterly point, to join some friends
for
a satsangh gathering. Its a journey to get there, so I dont go
very
often. Just sitting there, soaking into this communal
being, dissolving into
the everpresence, was at once a very powerful and effortless
experience. I felt the falling away of all story and sorrow, and
found myself drowning in this peace. I left with this primordial
stillness in my heart, this jewel, and the world ... this great
shakti-business... lay at my feet, naked and beautiful.
I feel very thankful and humbled to share in this nonduality
salon.
For I understood that this gathering similarly offers a jewel,
the
resplendence of Self, the simple radience of Truth. And however
much
we stumble towards expressing This, the very attempt at doing so
brings much light into the world, reflecting this "endlessly
turning
and burning diamond".
Rumi captures this with these delicious words...
"I lost my world, my fame, my mind. The Sun appeared and
all the
shadows ran I ran after them but vanished as I ran Light ran
after me
and hunted me down."
So I am a happy man in the world to be dropping in to the
nonduality
salon, this great cyber cathedral of silence and laughter. And I
for
one will be swinging from the chandeliers like a madman singing
....the joy ..the joy ...the joy !
with love, mic
~ ~ ~
Jerry
Hey, Samuel, there's a project for you! It's a real project, I
think, to
name -- using poetic structure of some sort -- literally scores
or
hundreds of religions! It would make a point, and you don't have
to do
it all at once. It's there if you want to do it! It becomes
pretty
overwhelming, though, when you consider the same approach can be
taken
to races, skin tones, nationalities, etc. Suddenly you're Walt
"Samuel"
Whitman, singing the joys of our varied backgrounds, natures,
bodies,and
all of it followed by one long, eternal, anonymous, ever-mingling
confession of what is True and True and True and True.
Dirk Haueter
Have you ever thought that this is how the who thing got
started. The
absolute unchanging undifferentiated intelligence (True)
reflecting on
itself (True) and in that apparent gap between True and True the
whole
enchilada.
There is a story my teacher use to tell from one of the
Upanishads. Its
about a disciple sitting with his master and the master to
illustrate a
point says, "Get a fruit from that bunyan tree." A
bunyan is a big huge tree
and the fruit is of a size (here I am holding my hands apart for
you to see
the size). So the disciple gets the fruit. The master says,
"Break it. Now
what do you see?"
Disciple: "Many Seeds."
Master: "Fine, pick up a seed and break it. What do you
see?"
Disciple: "Hollowness."
Master: "It is from that hollowness that the whole tree has
come up."
Here we are enjoying the gap in True and True and True and True.
Looking,
trying hard to find myself I find no thing. Whenever I look
closely at
something I find it has that same substance. All the world is
held in that
embrace of True.
Namaste,
Dirk