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Nondual Highlights Issue #1928 Tuesday, September 21, 2004 Editor: Mark

- Painting by Mary Bianco

It's not a question of whether or not
we project our reality -

that's a foregone conclusion, although
reminders have served me, and so
I like to return the favor -

the direct inquiry seems to me:

What are we always doing?

When reactivity arises, is
there an image we project of
ourselves that now appears in
need of some defense?

When pleasure arises, is there
an image we project of ourselves
that now appears in need of
preservation?

What sticks, what clings, is where the practice is,
nowhere else, not when we will only be satisfied
with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth, not in myths of personal history, nor in
concepts, beliefs, hopes, fears we swear allegiance to
that simply superimpose more density on an imaginary
knot, the habitual motive to hold to some cranked-out
image, resisting the presence waiting patiently to
reveal itself as the truth of truths,
right here, right now
as you, as this.


- Bob O'Hearn on AdyashantiSatsang

the voice of a saviour
will shortly be heard
as soon as you
clear your hearing

don't drink now
this polluted water
the elixir of life
will soon arrive

if you desire grace
lose your selfish self
till you can taste
the sweet essence

in the blackest
of your moments
wait with no fear

since the water of life
was found by the prophet
in the darkest caverns

- Rumi, Ode (Ghazal) 550 translated by Nader Khalili, posted to Sunlight

lmao

all the universes
are nothing more
then grain of sand
puffs of smoke
ripped to shreds
with one burst
of liberating
laughter


- Yosy Flug on SufiMystic

this dream
can be an open door
out of ALL dreaming
just reverse your outlook
look into the origin
of the character you assume

- cee from her live journal

 

- Painting by Mary Bianco

Sadhu Natanananda:

On one Vyasapurnima day [a festival that is celebrated on the day of the July-August full moon], Ganapati Muni, Kapali Sastri, along with a group of Sanskrit scholars, were walking around the mountain. They stopped off at the ashram to pay their respects to the Maharshi. When they were seated in the old hall they started discussing philosophy in Sanskrit. I was listening to the discussion, and I knew that they were discussing philosophy, but I could not follow the meaning. Because of this my mind began to wander and I became quite agitated, wondering when the day would dawn when I would have the experiences that they were talking about. My longing for these experiences was so intense that I lost all consciousness of the body. I was not sure how long I remained in that state, but suddenly a voice brought back my normal consciousness. All the others had left and only Bhagavn remained in the hall.

"Why are you so dejected?", said the voice. "If you were really unfit to realize the Self in this life, then you could not have come to this place at all. The power that drew you here will make you realize the Self. If not today, it is bound to fulfill its commitment. There is no reason why you should feel dejected."

It was these gracious words that brought me back to life, and peace entered my soul immediately.

- David Godman The Power of The Presence, posted to MillionPaths by Viorica Weissman

> Before realization were you like I am now; i.e. attracted to that presence and pursuing it?

Wayne > Absolutely! Once you taste that presence it’s like a drug; you go after it. It’s great. So you pursue it in accordance with your nature. If you’re a wild man, you pursue it wildly. If you’re more restrained, then perhaps you’ll pursue it in a more dignified, restrained fashion. But pursue it you will.

> Do you know if that helped or hindered the process that eventually led to realization?

Wayne > In my mind it had nothing whatsoever to do with realization. It was an independent event. Al I can say for certain is that in my case the experience of presence and the seeking for that experience of presence preceded the event of realization. But I would stop far, far short of saying that it caused it or hindered it.

> You said that the sense of intention is an aspect of the sense of authorship. Then all the other aspects of it, such as worry, fears, etcetera, must be impersonal happenings as well.

Wayne > Yes. The pointer of the teaching is that all of the occurrences that happen through the organism are ultimately impersonal, meaning they are not personally sourced or personally authored. It is important to understand that there are two aspects of personalization that arise following the occurrence or action. The first aspect is a functional personalization in which the organism relates the occurrence to its physical form. It says, "I felt that. I experienced that." There’s a functional identification with what happens and, thus, what happens becomes personalized as "my" experience.

The second aspect of personalization is where there is a claim of authorship where the ego personalizes the action as being my egoic action or my sourced action. The egoic personalization and the functional personalization are often indistinguishable; they are intertwined and you can’t readily see where one starts and the other stops.

The ultimate understanding is that they all are impersonal happenings. They are happenings that are part of the functioning of Totality. Every thought, every action, every feeling is part of the functioning of Totality - and they are then subsequently personalized.

> Was the presence you were attracted to and pursued before realization the same presence after realization? Or was the elimination of the sense of separateness the only difference?

Wayne > It was a quantum difference, not an "only" difference! It changed the whole ballgame. My point is that before the final understanding and realization there is an experience of presence. After the realization - which is the absence of the separation - the one who would experience the presence is no more. You can only experience something if you are separate from it. Therefore, the experience of presence no longer has any meaning because there is no separation. There is only presence.

- Excerpt from an interview with Wayne Liquorman

More here: http://www.advaita.org/