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Wednesday, July 26


DENNIS WAITE

I have been a 'seeker' for the past 30 years or so and have
graduated to the Direct Path school of Advaita practised by
current teachers such as Francis Lucille, Ramesh Balsekar
and Wayne Liquorman. I recently attended a talk by Wayne
and am reading his superb book 'Acceptance of what IS'. I
am currently considering his uncompromising views on the
notions of seekers, paths and reincarnation etc.

The traditional view hammered into me in my early to middle
years, by the School of Economic Science (which purports to
be following Sankara), is that we live very many lives
before being blessed with a human form, in which we have
the unique capability to realise our true nature. We may
have to be re-born many times before we even start to think
of this potential, let alone beginning to pursue it. The
metaphor I used to like to help understand this concept of
reincarnation involves the sun's reflection in a mirror. It
is used by Swami Parthasarathy in his lectures on the Gita.

The sun is the real Self. The glass in the mirror is our
particular nature (Vasanas and subtle aspects of
mind/intellect). The frame of the mirror is our body. Now,
if you remove the glass from the frame, the reflection of
the sun in that framed mirror disappears (the body dies).
If you insert the glass into a new frame, the reflection
re-appears in the new mirror (a new body is born with the
continuing Vasanas). The Sun throughout all of this is, of
course, totally unaffected.

With Direct Path, there is none of this pandering to the
ego, which thinks it wants to become enlightened and likes
to believe it is making some progress towards this end.
There is no path, nor a seeker who could ever become
enlightened. Since we cannot 'do' anything anyway, there is
no free will and everything that happens from birth to
death is beyond our control, laid out in a frozen instant
of eternal present (if we could stand outside of time and
space to view it).

On the death of this body-mind, thoughts and memories
return to the pool of Consciousness to be picked up
possibly in the future by some equally deceived individual
who might then claim that he was this other person in a
previous life.

I was drawn to the simple metaphor of Ramesh, of each of us
as a sandcastle. At the end of our life, God squashes this
with the glee of a child and everything becomes once again
the formless sand that it always was. This is easy for us
to appreciate with our feeble intellect but where does it
leave that traditional model of the aspirant making slow
but steady progress over many lifetimes?

Any observations welcome!

*****

MARK OTTER

I think it makes it universal. That is, the glass is not
"Mark's glass" or "Dennis' glass", but the human race's
glass (even sentient being's glass?). The frame is Mark's
or Dennis', but it serves the pool of glass. This makes
sense in the context of so many tradition's notions that if
Dennis becomes enlightened, it is not just a good thing for
Dennis, but for all sentient beings. There is just the one
sentient being. It also enables one to make sense of the
widespread nature of past life experiences of such
luminaries as Cleopatra. Some say that if there are two or
more claiming to be the reincarnation of Cleopatra, at
least one of them must be lying. I don't see this. We all
can dip into the archetypal pool. I feel when I release
some sorrow or anger that it is no longer entirely
personal. I sure have personal story lines, but they often
blur and become universal. Those are the really cathartic
moments.

I was once reprimanded on another list for suggesting we
forgive Hitler without feeling the pain of his victims. But
that's not true. Of course I have felt the pain. It is
through feeling the pain that the energy of forgiveness can
arise. I probably will get nailed for saying this, but I
have felt the pain of the holocaust. I can only dip in and
take a little at a time, but I have done that and I know
this sacred duty of releasing the crystallized energies. We
can do this, and we must do this to set ourselves free. We
are the energies that we have crystallized. When we get
close to being done with freeing our own personal
story-related pain, we realize that all the pain that is
coagulated around the planet needs to be freed as well. The
Bodhissatva vow is not a trivial undertaking. How much is
any one human being's fair share? That is up to them to
decide. (Well, up to the director of their personal movie,
I suppose. Can we wake up to direct directorship? Only by
accepting some of that universal pain, I believe.) I dunno,
am I mad, or does this make sense?

*****

DAN BERKOW

Dennis, Yes, what you say rings true.

And what you say reminds me of this: Here comes the
dropping of any philosophy and any description of Truth.

Mind seems endlessly framing in terms of "either/or":
either there is free will or not. either this text/teacher
said it right, or that one did. either there is a doer or
no doer exists. either use this metaphor, which is
inaccurate, or this other metaphor, which works better.

The dropping of mind is the dropping of "either/or", the
dropping of any framing of reality in any terms.

Then, say what you want.

(Which of course, you have and I have).

*****

GREG GOODE

The direct path (a phrase coined by Jean Klein's teacher
Krishna Menon) does not offer a better picture to displace
or replace the previously held picture from the progressive
path. It doesn't invalidate or pooh-pooh the progressive
path. Direct-path teachings don't say "This is true and
that isn't," instead they gently and organically account
for and incorporate the progressive-path teachings by
gently dislodging attachments to pictures and other
elements of the progressive-path teachings.

This is a verbally cluttered way of saying what Dan-ji said
by saying "it's not either-or."

__________________________________________________________________

JODY

http://www.users.fast.net/~szimhart/jsbook3.htm#tarlo

Culled from the above link:

"Releasing the Unspeakable Glory of the Absolute."

Right away the alarm bells go off. Why? Because while the
Absolute Itself is unspeakable, it is not glorious. Glory
is a quality, and the Absolute has none.

It is this type of language that leads to the expectations
that hinder the recognition of Self-realization. If one
*expects* the Absolute to be "glorious", one will not
realize the Self, as the expectation of glory will block
the recognition from occurring.

Another culling:

"The illusion to be entertained is that the guru as Andrew
Cohen, son of Luna (or name any enlightened one) is not who
the devotee worships; it is the Absolute Self that has
seized Andrew's being that is being worshipped. Meanwhile,
little Andrew enjoys the entitlements without taking
responsibility-- it is the big Absolute that makes the
demands."

The Absolute does not have any cares about being
worshipped, and It never makes any "demands" at all.

If a person demands worship, that person has his/her head
up their ass, whether or not they are realized/enlightened.
I don't care if they live in the streets or are regarded as
avatars. The Self has *no* expectations and makes *no*
demands. These *always* arise from the personality, and are
indicative of a narcissistic character disorder much more
than any real understanding or wisdom.

_____________________________________________________________________

MICHAEL READ AND DAVE (MANCHINE)

MICHAEL: Thanks for the book review, (Nora). I probably
will not read it myself. I do sincerely hope that you are
right and Andrew Cohen's mother finds some release from her
pain and confusion.

At the risk of being blasted, I'll only offer one more
observation of AC. He is a sincere person who appears to
want to help. Listening to him talk these words were not
heard Love, Grace, Peace, Joy - these words were heard ego,
must, have to, laws, me, mine, mine, mine .... and this is
the only way to do it.

DAVE: What a complicated issue Michael. No blasting here,
first off. There does seem to be that sense that he wants
to help, and maybe that's part of the problem. Helping is
helping for those that want it. It's true, there's a lot of
people that have interest, and one can't help but feel as
though these people would like help. Then there's the
compounded problem of the fact that help means
transitioning through destruction... which people tend to
resist, so it's hard to decide where to draw the line. "Let
Grace decide", seems to be the best answer, and in such a
case, one would introduce the subject to as many people as
possible and then let them decide what to do. Maybe you,
like me, had "relatively easy" transitions, taking our time
until the moment(s) came, others not so easy, fighting and
kicking all the way.

I guess AC decides that if the people keep coming back, he
figures it's best that someone lay it on the line. I'm not
sure how he "got it". But in my case, I tend to want to
help people make it the easier way. So what I might do is
different from what AC does, and what you do is different
from what I do.

MICHAEL: From here this is what I see. Only a 'for what
it's worth' do I offer this. Remember, I am and always will
be just another poor shmuck getting along as best I can.
:-)

When I asked the Great I 'Know not What' what IT was I was
asking for confirmation of my personal truths. I never got
an answer!

When by Grace and Grace alone I just asked What IS? The
answer destroyed me. :-) Not only did the revealation come
that everything I knew was ashes, everything I could figure
out was dust! :-)

The illusion of existance is the gift of Grace.

Is there a way to get There? Is there a magic formula that
reveals all? Is there a meditaion that is above all
meditations? I there a master above all masters? Is there a
rhyme or reason above all reason? Is there a gigantic
fellow on a golden throne who controls our lives?

HA! Throw all those questions away! You'll never figure IT
out!

DAVE: If you think you've got it figured out, then you're
as far as you're going to go. When I first saw I AM, way
too many years ago, I couldn't imagine anything more than
that... one of the big obtacles... then I saw another and
another and another thing... it's like Love. You have one
child and can't imagine loving another as much, then comes
another and another and you love them each as much.

You're ego crumbles, what a revelation! When it really
happens, I AM becomes something totally different, another
transcendance.

Now, as long as the Walmart guy is around somewhere, it's
time to go to another level, with what one learns dealing
with people that want to know about this stuff. Geez, we're
just being born again. When will it ever end?.... When it
begins?

MICHAEL: All Michael can say is this: ask Grace for Grace
and she will give! :-)))))

(uh, these words are not 'for' Nora. I just jumped on the
old soapbox again! Please, excuse me.)

DAVE: How many lbs. of consciousness can this soapbox
handle? What weighs more, empty consciousnes or full
consciousness?

MICHAEL: Thanks again, Nora. Your pure heart is a treasure
beyond measure!

HAHAHAH and HOHOHO!

Peace - Michael

__________________________________________________________________________

TIM HARRIS (from I AM list)

Seeds ...

Grace is knowing that mercy need never be begged for... it
is given.

Wisdom is knowing grace is tolerance with the 'will to
curb' the wild spirits (be like water; highest good is like
water)and not continually provide unwanted corrections that
lead away from the purpose(s) of completion. Get out of
their way with your foolishness! Less interference makes
their life go faster and forges 'more important paths'
other than the 'style' in-which one mows the lawn, chops
wood, or carries water... get it? Find 'ways' to get out of
peoples 'way'...

You know you have found the 'entrance to sacred way' when
half of the world thinks you are a crazy zealot/martyr and
the other half of the world thinks you are
clinically/diabolically insane. LOL!!! From here, it is
easy! It becomes a simple matter of trying to 'make sense'
before one side kills you or the other side locks you up.

What did you expect? Of course 'the sacred way' is unlike
anything 'you' would be willing to 'believe'. That is why
it 'still' evades you. Faith is only the key. Belief is the
lock that keeps you from full realization, actualization,
enlightenment, whatever. One must design a larger key
(knowledge) or a smaller lock (wisdom)(or is it the 'other'
way around?... :o)) or see only 'what is' in a 'moment'
that never moves (here/now is 'no matter' where, when or
who you think you are) but is always changing.

Just as the 'surfer' knows his 'own wave', so too does the
'wise' know his 'own change'.

Mercy is given only to those who know and recognize that
they have been already given a way out. The question is
then whether or not they are 'wise enough' to know that
'mercy given' is the path that leads to the source of
ego... what one chooses to do from there is paramount.

Is it that I have set you free of your debt to me, only to
see you entrap my friend in his own debt?

The master sets the conditions and the direction of the
'force' (will) then waits patiently for the 'wind to
arrive'. This is the root of 'no-action' as it is 'done'
and is not 'to be done'. 'Readiness' is the sharpest
'state' of mind.

Mercy, like 'readiness', is a sword that is not given to
the unjust although they often find it in thier hands. Why
then are we instructed that we must all 'get in line'?...
to perpetuate one, easy cut is what I am told.

If one sets the 'mind' at rest it does not mean 'put it to
sleep'... the mind at rest is a still sword in a state of
'absolute readiness' or 'absolute open focus'.

The aim of meditation is to find a peaceful, clear mind in
which to live one's life.

A 'wise trap' sets it's 'self' and waits for the fools that
'seek' and those that 'wander aimlessly'. The trap is for
these as those that 'know better' already have their fill
of scars as they have walked the same paths many times.

As far as 'time' is concerned, we all live the same
duration of life. Beginning to end.

You can not curse the earth for the 'minds and selfish
wills' of petty men.

Good -- by nature Kind -- by spirit Gentle -- by correction
Truth -- by resolve

'This' exists as 'I exist'. Without existence, there is no
knowing. Without knowing, there is no existence. Thus, if I
cease to exist and 'know not' of it, do I exist as 'this'
exists or am I just being ignored?

A cup sits on a table half full of water. The cup is tipped
and spills its contents. Hmmm... cup is still whole to it's
self, water is still whole to it's self... nothing happened
but change which ceased at the end of the 'motion'.

Am I still I AM without these things? For, is it not the
'possesion' of these things that make me I AM? Without
knowledge, without wisdom, without intellect, without
consciousness am I still I AM? Do these things make
themselves into I AM and I am merely a 'who' of I AM? Or is
it that I do not posses these things 'That I AM?'
____________________________________________________________________

...meditate and have no thought. Let the mind rest quietly
on the Self in the cave of the Spiritual Heart.

--Ramana Maharshi

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