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OLD HAG

Hello, dears: (sadhana louise, that
was old woman's
expressions first!):

Charlotte Joko Beck in Everyday Zen:

"Suzuki Roshi said: 'Renunciation is
not giving up the
things of this world, but accepting
that they go away.'

Everything is impermanent, sooner or
later everything goes
away.
Renunciation is a state of
nonattachment, acceptance of this
going away.
Impermanence is, in fact, just another name for
perfection....Still the last thing we like is our own
impermanence. We don't really see life at all. Our
attention is elsewhere. We are engaged in an unending
battle with our fears about ourselves and our existence. If
we want to see life we must be attentive to it. But we're
not interested in doing that; we're only interested in the
battle to preserve ourselves for ever. ...
the clash between what we want and the way it really is."

Later she says:
"Intelligent practice always deals with just one thing: the
fear at the base of human existence, the fear that I am
not. And of course I am not, but the last thing I want to
know is that. I am impermanence itself in a rapidly
changing human form that appears solid. I fear to see what
I am: an ever-changing energy field."

And oh boy, this fear jumps up all the time, often
presenting as judgments, ones disguised as
altruistic/well-meaning, are usually most fearful, little
red thing on left bony shoulder whispering..."for you see,
old woman, if you judge another, that is a very good idea,
then you think you are a separate being, and wooeee...you
have your own thoughts, your own body, your own personality,
your own self, and it's very different from that "other"
person who is doing all those things that you, "delightful"
old hag (red thing (apologies to any leftists on list)
loves to flatter) would "never" do.

Oh, my, why can't everyone else in the world be like me!!
Do i hear Henry Higgins? lalala...Why can't a woman be more
like a man? Why can't a Baptist be more like a NonDualer?
(that's a personal one for old gypsy here.hoho).

It is so hard for me to remember sometimes, that each
diverse personality is my own diversity...there ain't no
boundaries...and each time i start to scream and holler like
there is really an "other' out there, i am making that red
guy jump up and down with joy...it is his job, ya know, to
keep throwing ego dust on any clear vision....sputter,
sputter...

But, but, but...if i can't substantiate that "other" out
there...then, "i" might not....be. Yep, you old decrepit
bag, you ain't!!! You never was, you ain't now, and you
will never be. So give up!!! thinking you are.
Go brew a thousand pots of tea for a thousand visitors to
the pile, but know, they ain't' either. Every thing ain't.
No thing ain't either...or is that or??? ,^))

And the magic...the sweet, sweet magic of knowing that, of
having it seep deep within any remaining marrow in rickety
bones, is....freedom!
Lordy, lordy, i am free again...and again...and again..ad
infinitum freedom!

i am impermanent, i am everchanging, i am boundariless, i am
every one, and no one, i just ain't. But, oh girl, you
droolin' old fool, remember that acceptance comes with a
high price tag, the letting go of all the shows, all the
protests, all the hates and all the loves, all the leanings
toward and all the shovings away, letting go of any itsy
bitsy subtle naming of an "other"...and finding out again,
and again and again, lord, lordy, there was never anything
to let go of in the first place!

Yes, magic.
And i am rambling. Sorry.

i just am very happy tonight.
and i love you all, course that means i am a big ego-maniac
- that's for sure!!!

hohoho ,^))
oh i just am so damn happy.
and nothing happened.

__________________________________________________________________ __________________
JERRY KATZ

Non-dual artist, if I may call him so, Anthony Padgett's
"The Golden Gate Canvas", an art-event held at Jerusalem's
Golden Gate at the Milennium, is presented at
http://www.theism.co.uk (click on the yin yang symbol)

Considering Anthony's art, and Fukuoka's nondual farming,
http://www.seedballs.com/2seedpa.html and Robert Rabbin's
book on the workplace as reviewed in The Daily Nondual
Nugget on the home page of http://www.nonduality.com I find
I am witnessing a world falling toward the nondual, with the
most highly charged falling first in little sprinkles of
activity, soon to be followed by masses of movement toward
the center of attraction, toward the nondual, the only real
black hole.

Excerpt from Fukuoka's One Straw Revolution (via Andrew
Macnab)

"I was finally released from the hospital, but I could not
pull myself out of my depression. In what had I placed my
confidence until then? I had been unconcerned and content,
but what was the nature of that complasensy? I was in an
agony of doubt about the nature of life and death. I could
not sleep, could not apply myself to my work. In nightly
wanderings above the bluff and beside the harbor, I could
find no relief.
One night as I wandered, I collapsed in exhaustion on a hill
overlooking the harbor, finally dozing against the trunk of
a large tree I lay there, neither asleep or awake, until
dawn. I can still remember that it was the morning of the
15th of May.
In a daze I watched the harbor grow light, seeing the
sunrise and yet somehow not seeing it. As the breeze blew
up from below the bluff, the morning mist suddenly
disappeared. Just at that moment a night heron appeared,
gave a sharp cry, and flew away into the distance. I could
hear the flapping of its wings. In an instant all my doubts
and the gloomy mist of my confusion vanished. Everything I
had held in firm conviction, everything upon which I had
ordinarily relied was swept away with the wind. I felt that
I understood just one thing. Without my thinking about
them, words came from my mouth: "In this world there is
nothing at all..." I felt that I understood nothing.
I could see that all the concepts to which I had been
clinging, the very notion of existence itself, were empty
fabrications. My spirit became light and clear. I was
dancing wildly for joy. I could hear the small birds
chirping in the trees, and see the distant waves glistening
in the rising sun. The leaves danced green and sparkling.
I felt that this was truly heaven on earth. Everything that
had possessed me, all my agonies, disappeared like dreams
and illusions, and something one might call "true nature"
stood revealed.
I think it could safely be said that from the experience of
that morning my life changed completely."
__________________________________________________________________
INCIDENTALISM (via Phil Burton)

Incidentalism is not a discovery, an invention or a style of
art.
Incidentalism is an attitude towards art, expression and
enlightenment. It is a practice based upon observations and
its aims are to maximize the enlightenment of its
practitioners and to maximize the resonance of human
expressions. It is our hope that in doing these things that
our greater understanding of our lives will alow us to live
more satisfied and authentic lives in a more satisfactory,
just, and authentic environment.

Incidentalism is rooted in the idea that art is not an
object, but rather art happens in the incident. Art happens
when the actions of artists bring expressions into a state
where they can be perceived and thereby can enlighten, art
is in the moment of expression. It is not our purpose to
use art as a tool to demonstrate our own skill and/or
knowledge, rather to use art as an apparatus to provoke the
incident to incite expressions that are beyond our own
preconceptions. The incidentalist's goal is to express that
which is beyond their skill and or knowledge, not to educate
through their work but be enlightened by it and allow these
enlightening expressions to resonate unhindered.

"We" are The Incidentalists. We do not include or exclude
anyone from being such. It is up to you whether or not to
include yourself in our open ended "We" as is convenient for
your experience, change your mind whenever you like.

The Principals:

1. The Principal of Open Expression
-----------------------------------

All Expressions are at the same time Original and
Derivative.
Therefor we hold all attempts to claim ownership or
exclusive authorship of an Expression to be the essential
FRAUD. Any and all attempts to control intellectual
property are THEFT. Words, Colours, Shapes, Movements,
Sounds and all other forms of expressions can not be owned
and can not be inherently good or bad. We accept that
enlightenment and the resonance of expressions to be the
only legitimate reward expected from the act of art.
Stealing ideas by way of the enforced ownership of
expressions and direct material gain from the problematic
concept of "exclusive authorship" is opposed along with all
other societal constructs that thwart the authentic
resonance of expressions such as censorship and unnaturally
small circles of editorial prerogative in our public spaces
and media.

2. The Principal of the Recipe
------------------------------

Incidentalist art results from a 'recipe.' The recipe is
carefully prepared by the Incidentalist, in the preparation
of the recipe the Incidentalist draws upon the sum of their
knowledge and experience to construct an incident where all
factors the incidentalist wants to control are skillfully
planed in order to maximize the potential for enlightenment
and the resonance of the associated expressions.


3. The Principal of Enlightenment
---------------------------------

You can not be enlightened by that which you have already
conceived, therefore the Incidentalist always seeks to
introduce uncontrollable or unpredictable factors into the
incident of art, even as simply as leaving certain things
unplanned and out of the recipe. If the outcome of an
incident can be imagined by the Incidentalist, then whatever
potential for enlightenment that exists from that action has
already been perceived in the imagining.

In preparing a recipe, the Incidentalist must take great
care in not restricting the potential outcome with over
planning, because it is the unplanned, un-preconceived
component of the recipe that allows for the greatest
potential enlightenment. When the incidentalist has enough
experience and confidence, a recipe can be as minimal as a
hunch and a wild idea. While the incidentalist must not
avoid planing, especially when their experience tells them
that such neglect will have predictable results, the
incidentalist must always keep in mind that the unplanned
has much more capacity for potent expression than the
planed, because it can reveal the un-preconceived and
thereby enlighten.
_____________________________________________________________________
DAN BERKOW

If nonduality already is the case, then when we talk about
making an effort or not making an effort, we are speaking
from the perspective of our own rationale, from a someone
who exists apart from nonduality and who wants to experience
"it". This rationale developed from the perspective of one
wanting to experience "nonduality" seems distinct from
"nonduality's nonrationale" (it has no rationale that I can
see) in which there is no separate one who could have a mind
to still, nor any separate mind to be stilled. Another word
sometimes used for "nonduality's nonrationale" is Grace.
Grace be with us, in us, and through us.
____________________________________________________________________

I know the idiots's warehouse is always full.

I know each of us
Could run back and forth from there
All day long.
And show everyone our vast collection.
Though tonite, Hafiz,
Retire from the madness for an hour,
Gather with some loyal friends
Or sit alone
And Sing beautiful songs
To God.
--Hafiz


JOHN LA GROU:

Here's something that just came in from the DeMello site.

"I wish to see God."

"You are looking at him right now," said the Master.

"Then why do I not see him?"

"Why does the eye not see itself?" said the Master.

Later the Master explained: "As well ask a knife to cut
itself or a tooth to bite itself as ask that God reveal
himself."

Anthony de Mello, S.J.

I have a capacity in my soul for taking in God entirely. I
am as sure as I live that nothing is so near to me as God.
God is nearer to me than I am to myself; my existence
depends on the nearness and the presence of God. --Meister
Eckhart (1260?-1327?)
__________________________________________________________________

I am called Carol. I am soooo glad to find this group.
I had been slogging through the Usenet, gleaning what small
pieces of truth I could find. Unfortunately, the Punch and
Judy shows (personal ego-fests) seem to be pervasive there,
no matter what the topic.
They were occasionally amusing ( check out “a strict
Vegetarian diet a.k.a. (my appellation) “I am the
serenest!!! on alt.meditation.
However, this group seems to be genuinely seeking, as am I.
I’m more a listener that a talker, but I thought that I
should introduce myself.

-------------------------------------
---------------------------------------

Why am I seeking? Because I choose to believe that all life
has energy, that energy is eternal and that my soul is a
part of that life. Part of the seeking is duty, part is an
hunger for harmony and balance and the rest is because when
I am properly centered, the joy/peace/song is my idea of
perfection. What am I seeking? Judy, I am trained as an
accountant. The purpose of an accountant is to bring weave
many disparate (and sometimes chaotic) financial threads
into useful order, and to chart a path to the future, so
that the future is better than today. Also to bring
balance/order to a small part of the universe. I
hope/expect to do the same thing with my soul's
spirituality.
--Carol
____________________________________________________________________

This sweet nothing personally universal universally personal

I don't hear it hiss and strike, "You ain't got it."
Unbound heart sings silent whispers, "I am you."

-Xan

___________________________________________________________________

LARRY: I think the "personal" part is recognizing personal
feelings as "not me". Usually these feelings are painful or
highly valued and it's hard to get outside them.
Persistance and understanding are good principles in this
regard. Are there any books that specifically address this
issue? Deeper study would definitely be interesting; but
who has time for "interesting"?:)

XAN: ...the best book I have found about this issue of
personal emotions in regard to awakening to Self is Relaxing
Into Clear Seeing by Arjuna Nick Ardagh.

It is not only interesting but useful, with clearly
expressed understanding of self enquiry and effective
processes one can use.

Here's his web site:

<A HREF="http://www.livingessence.com/">LEF Front Page</A>
www.livingessence.com
___________________________________________________________________

PHIL BURTON

http://mysite.xtra.co.nz/~elysharealpage/

I don't know whether or not this has been referenced before
on NDS. The site is by one Elysha whom I have enjoyed
meeting today. Earlier we had a one-on-one satsang on ICQ.
He is from New Zealand. The page is spare but cuts to the
chase rather directly.

CHRISTIANA: Elysha is relatively new to the Internet. We
met a little over a month ago. I do not think he 'holds'
Satsang.. but shares with whomever shows up. I have not
seen a reference here before. I find his resonance clear,
from the Heart, in this moment.. and his tonal aligns me
there.
____________________________________________________________________

NORA

Here's a nondual nugget i heard on the Art Bell show last
night--seems especially appropriate for the Year 2000!
(tho the show was a repeat from 1997)

Caller: i know the secret of the Universe!
Art Bell: oh? what is it?
Caller: 2 plus zero AB: ?????
Caller: that means the duality of the universe is being
annihilated into nothingness

BTW here is the chorus to a cute song art occasionally
plays:

"Please, lord, if i'm abducted, don't let it be by Grays
Strange little guys with the big black eyes from a galaxy
far away I've heard the horror stories:taken in the middle
of the night Laid out on a table like a Christmas tree: I
know i'd die of fright!"

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