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#3271 - Wednesday, August 27, 2008
- Editor: Jerry Katz
The Nonduality Highlights - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NDhighlights
Nirvana Means Extinction I Am That I Am, Part Two
with Stephen H. Wolinsky
Read more about this video and order at http://www.netinetifilms.com/nirvanameansextinction.htm
A review by Jerry Katz
INTRODUCTION:
This is the second of three DVDs in the I Am That I Am series.
The first one focuses on the teaching of Nisargadatta Maharaj as
understood by Stephen Wolinsky.
In the opening sequence of this DVD we see one after another the
photos of Nisargadatta, Gurdjieff, Alfred Korzybski,
Wittgenstein, Jacques Derrida, and Wolinsky. This tells the
viewer that Wolinsky is bringing together the teachings of the
others. It also suggests that Wolinsky stands on his own as a
teacher and thinker.
The teaching in this video belongs more to Wolinsky than anyone
else. The frames we saw in the first video, featuring quotations
by Nisargadatta Maharaj, now bear quotations from Wolinsky
himself.
However, Nisargadatta lives in this video through the sutra that
he spoke and which infected Wolinsky: "Fluids come together
and the I Am appears." Wolinsky's work is the processing of
that sutra toward emptiness and form, at once, and through such
themes as linguistics, quantum physics, biology, Yoga, Buddhism,
Advaita.
DECONSTRUCTION:
Stephen Wolinsky treats nonduality as deconstruction. Anything
else is a soft nonduality tripping on beingness, the I Am,
consciousness, God, etc. While many teachers set forth a soft
nonduality - you almost have to, and Wolinsky himself does - it
is best kept on a short leash attached to the dog house of
deconstruction. Wolinsky speaks of post-deconstruction, actually,
or deconstruction of the "I," death of the
"I," or extinction.
Death of the I, nirvana as extinction, are the bottom line themes
of this film. Wolinsky brings 2500 years of spiritual tradition
and philosophy to collapse the I. Without the I, Wolinsky notes,
all systems fall apart. There's nothing to transform. That's
where this DVD takes you.
ABSTRACTION AND TRANSDUCTION:
The nervous system abstracts information and transduces it. That
is, there is mostly emptiness. The nervous system omits the
emptiness so a solid world is seen and known. It also transduces
as it abstracts, changing noise to sound, sound to words, words
to meaning.
Wolinsky repeats in different ways that existence is an
abstraction of nothing. Abstraction is a way to organize chaos.
He says, "The I and all language and what it means, occurs
through the abstraction and transduction process. Hence all
language and the truth or falsity of what it claims is a
linguistic metaphoric representation of nothing."
He also says, "Prior to the abstraction and transduction
process, there is no I, me, or mine, and hence no location,
organizing or creative source, or starting point for psychology
or spirituality.
OTHER THEMES WOVEN THROUGHOUT THE FILM:
Yoga: one of most important teachings or realizations is that
there is no doer.
Quantum physics: "The I with its concept of volition and
free will and intention arises through a nuclear exchange,"
says Wolinsky.
Linguistics: "There are no ready made ideas outside of
language." Ferdinand de Saussure.
Buddhism: Nagarjuna's dependent origination says not only is
there no separate self or soul, but everything arises as one
substance, as a fluid motion. Nothing arises independently,
Wolinsky explains.
MEDITATION:
In one of several meditations, Wolinsky asks you to put on a
quantum lens (which sees almost all space and an occasional
particle) to look inward rather than out. He guides you (roughly
quoting): "Get a sense of the I as emptiness. Get a sense of
the witness as condensed emptiness. Notice what occurs if the
witness of the emptiness and the emptiness are made of the same
substance. Witness the emptiness. Condense some emptiness to a
thought such I love myself. Now thin out the thought to
emptiness. Let the emptiness condense and form I hate myself.
Have them both as the same emptiness."
The meditations are deep and persistent. This is how you can
experience nonduality, or go beyond experience.
SANTA FE TALK:
One track is a talk given in Santa Fe. Wolinsky reviews all the
themes of this DVD, repeats some teachings and stories, and
includes insights into the personality of Nisargadatta and how he
was a very direct and not a popular teacher.
I found interesting the material on student-centered vs.
teacher-centered spirituality. The former is concerned about the
students, sending them where they need to be. The latter tries to
build-up the teacher and his organization.
Wolinsky makes the point that this work is about finding out who
you are not, not about healing or making your life better. It's
not about making a better mirage.
QUESTIONS TRACK:
He answers basic questions: Is there God after post
deconstruction? If there is no karma, is there destiny? Is this
teaching nihilism? Who you are if nothing perceivable or
conceivable? Why are we here? What is enlightenment? Who am I?
Wolinsky uses the teachings from the film to answer these
questions, thus is it a useful addition.
THE ULTIMATE DECONSTRUCTION:
There's a potential spoiler here so I won't say much. Wolinsky
asserts that spirituality is about finding out who you are. On
that path, he says, avoid any system that is not willing to
deconstruct itself. Teachers might say the same about students.
CONCLUSION:
If you learn most easily through visual and audio cues, by all
means get these videos from Neti Neti. Or start with one. Or
visit the Neti Neti site and view a sample first.
I don't think there's any question that if you watch one of these
videos, do the enquiries and meditations, and simply listen, that
"who you think you are" - the "I" -- will
thin quite a bit. Wolinsky is very effective. You may even want
to take a workshop with him.
~ ~ ~
Nirvana Means Extinction I Am That I Am, Part Two
with Stephen H. Wolinsky
Read more about this video and order at http://www.netinetifilms.com/nirvanameansextinction.htm