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Tuesday, August 22


I discovered NondualitySalon while researching some ethical
issues for a discussion on Delphi Forums. Having read some
of the messages, I was moved to become a member. I'm not
sure I'm as far along the path as some of you, but hope you
will be patient with me. A little background on me.

Back in my 'flower child' days, in my early 20's, I became
part of a Yoga group founded on the teachings of
Paramahansa Yogananda. A year or so later, the group
welcomed a teacher from India named Vasant Paranjpe.
Vasant's master, Parama Sadguru Shri Gajanan Maharaj, had
charged him with disseminating knowledge of The Fivefold
Path of the Vedas. The first aspect of the Fivefold path is
Agnihotra, a process in the science of bioenergy for
purification of the mind, environment and atmosphere.

For the following 4 years then we performed Agnihotra at
sunrise and sunset each day and assisted Vasant with his
work. Following the breakup of my marriage, I quit my job
and sold my material possessions to finance a trip to
India. Taking my 2-year-old daughter with me, I spent 2
months there -- mostly in Aurangabad; with the highlight
being a week-long stay at the ashram, during which time my
daughter and I received the blessing of the Master.

When I returned to the States, I became so focused on
providing for my daughter as a single parent, with no help
from her father, that I forsook daily practice of Agnihotra
and meditation. This is why I responded to Dave's message.
While I never really lost sight of the principles I learned
and they remained the backbone of my
philosophical/spiritual belief system, I no longer
incorporated the techniques in my daily life.

Now that my daughter is grown and on her own, I find myself
being drawn back to the Path. I initiated a search on
Agnihotra on the Internet, called the number listed and, lo
and behold, was answered by a very dear fellow member of
our Yoga group to whom I had not spoken for 22 years. I was
overjoyed!! I'm filling out my order form for the supplies
I need to begin performing Agnihotra again.

Sorry to be so long winded. I look forward to communicating
with others on the Path here in the NondualitySalon.

Peace and Love Be With You!!

--Royal
______________________________________________________________________

if enlightenment arrived exactly two months ago it
certainly could un-arrive.

you are in great company here we love to proclaim our
enlightenment!

here are a few words from Huang Po who died (?) in the year
849

..."Nor should you wish to be a Buddha right now. If a
Buddha arises cut him off instantly. Don't cling to him for
even a single moment, because a thousand locks couldn't
shut him in, nor a hundred thousand feet of rope bind him."

love, cee

--------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________________

Many of us would be happy to know that there's not one part
of our body that's more than ten years old. No matter how
it looks!

Dave/Manchine

__________________________________________________________________________

MARCIA PAUL

I would like to discuss the holotropic breathing process. I
went to two run by Stan Grof. He is good 'on the floor' but
IMO a little dry in the lecture mode. Put me to sleep both
times. :-) Literally to sleep.

I was thinking that the breathing heavily oxygenates the
body and the music touches the emotional center which gets
a person into two centers at once which is one more center
than ordinarily IMO which has the result of throwing the
person into an altered state.

MARK OTTER

I've not yet had the pleasure of seeing Stan in action on
the floor, but I am told he's a whirlwind of compassion. I
have seen him lecture and I agree that his lecturing style
is rather European in nature (the sage on the stage
syndrome). I really like the work and his take on it
though. I don't know what the physiology of the process is
(I've heard that the pH of the blood plays a role, but who
knows?), but I sure have had some interesting experiences
doing the work. (I've breathed about 30 times now, and have
experienced bliss, terror, depression, and a lot of
energy-body things.) I think it is most helpful at
dislodging blocks and allowing us to process old traumas
stored in the body. I think the music offers cover for
vocalizations as well as providing fuel for the breathing
and the emotional landscape. I hope to make holotroic
breathwork a major part of a new career confronting
suffering in the human condition. What were your breathwork
experiences about?

_________________________________________________________________

XAN

What is it to be *awake*? What is it that deepens? What
changes?

All I know is, there was a time when I belived myself to be
a personality with describable characteristics. In
awakening I recognized that as a temporary thing, a
collection of stories, a configuration of energies, riding
on and sustained by eternity undefined.

This temporary entity has portions in it which have become
lighter, translucent, easily seen for what they are. There
are also pockets of denser energy which still give an
appearance of realness, reactivity, when they arise in my
eternal awareness. There are moments when density loosens,
opens and is seen through - then I have a sense of
deepening and expansion of what, fortunately, can change
into what never changes.

I passionately long for being "permanently established" -
pocketless - purely being, through and through. Hence *the
work* of vigilance, of seeing and seeing through, of Grace,
and of this morning's gratitude.

___________________________________________________________________

...I've been seeing lately that it's good to embrace fear.
Pure Life force is in fear. Through embracing fear, one
comes to Pure Life Force. I think nervous laughter, a very
partial embrace, if taken one step further, brings one in
contact with Pure Life Force. That's what I've noticed in
myself.

Jerry

~ I call this willingness to face the uncomfortable,
Inclusion. In my certainty of Pure Life Force everything
previously avoided or denied can be accepted, transformed,
dissolved. That's what I've noticed in myself.

Xan

____________________________________________________________________

JAN BARENDRECHT

During sentient life, responsibility is even inescapable
(in the sense of karma). As long as one feels, one will
feel responsibility. Yet the question "who is responsible
for whom" can be put. Ultimately there is nothing but "you"
and in this sense, one is the "target" of one's "own"
thoughts, feelings and actions - *ALL* of them. So when
aware of this, one will take care but this doesn't
necessarily mean granting all desires of "others".

The definition of transformation could be called the
actualization of the above. When intellectually understood,
what is called "right action" is inescapable and is what
will make one aware of transformation: the "own" and
"other" inner resistances. It is correct to call this "the
power of the Heart".

Transformation concerns the dross regarding "I and you"
whereas (in Rosicrucianism) transfiguration is the
remaining "part" of the process. In this respect,
completion isn't meant to be absolute: it only means that
in a most literal sense, one is awake and can't feel
anything anymore, apart from the indescribable "sense of
IT" which isn't a feeling.

Regarding nature and the universe, when the veil of
physical feeling has been "blown" too, "there is only you",
no sense remains to convey whatever idea of separation but
there is no way to express it...

Of course "on the way" there is a multitude of experiences
and events to get convinced of this so it can be known long
before transfiguration is completed...

____________________________________________________________________

JOHN DUFF

Such as I find myself there is no aim of finality,
deepening or achievement or attainment in sight. "I am" or
"Am not" from a binary interpretation - with differing
levels and degrees of "Am-ness" and "Not-ness" from
practical observation.

"Am-ness" is the aim. Or perhaps a better word is Unity.

However foggily understood this desired (already a mistake
or poor choice of terminology) progression towards Unity is
often thwarted by goals, aims, definitions, preconceived
notions, the stories of others, or my own stories and
fables This list of intellectually manufactured obstacles
goes on.

The nature of my perceptions of Unity has to do with the
absence of these perceptions, self-manufactured or
ready-made, and has to do more with the immediate
experience of something so ever-changing and miraculous
(fear and suffering along with less aversive therapies)
that no concept of finality can ever encompass it. In this
context, perhaps, attainment can be likened to a concept of
finality. This is not offered as an objective determination
in any sense, but as personal, situational observation and
a broad and fuzzy description of a current path.

More simply, when I think I know - I usually don't. When I
think I understand - I've stopped understanding. When I
think I've attained - something else to be shed presents
itself. For me, this is quite Okay and miraculous in and of
itself.

(The word thinking is intended to be interchangeable with
feeling - in the emotional sense - except where explicit
substitution appears stupid. Understanding in this context
is meant to convey intellectual and emotional perceptions
and body awareness at the same time - in harmony.)

____________________________________________________________________

MARK OTTER

Hmmm... so Mary, are you suggesting that I drop my
attachment to the Hinayana Buddhist perspective of a
solitary (and exclusive) path and join the community (the
greater vessel) of Mahayana practice? Yes, perhaps you are
right. This seemed to be the focus of my 2 weeks in New
Mexico (a beautiful land by the way). I realized that my
shamanic journey is to cross the bridge from solitary
existence into community.

DAVE/MANCHINE

Hi Mark,

I find your comments about your New Mexico visit
interesting. Just wanted to touch this thing a little and
see what happened.

At first glance, there may seem to be a conflict in your
quote above, but as we all know, there is a co-existance of
"community" in The One.

From the little I know, generally shamanism has a healing
focus, and as such tends to be "grounded" in mankind, but
NOT WITHOUT a heady sense of "spiritualism". Well that I'm
sure you know.

A good question would be, "what is healing?", in the
shamanistic sense. This and perhaps others, are rhetorical
questions, I realize that after two weeks, 1) the head is
spinning, and 2) it's just begining, but what the hay.

The crossing you talk of, perhaps folds back on itself,
where "solitary" through community transforms into
"united". The dance must be danced, and it will be the
dance of your life, and every step must bring the community
back.

Whaddaya Think?

MARK: Huh? I'm not sure what you are asking. I have been a
solitary being for years and years. Born into alchoholism,
afraid of telephones, not sure what part I might play in
the human drama, I see now that I am on a path of
integration into community. That may be a redundant phrase
all by itself. "With unity..."

MANCHINE: That alone was worth the ticket.

MARK: does the ticket get you into the show?

_____________________________________________________________________

MICHAEL READ

Having faith that there was/is something more, About my
days I went seeking the things I desired.

Some things were obtained and some desires left
unfulfilled, All in all much that was desired was
experienced.

Having faith that there is/was something higher, I dabbled
in philosophy and scripture, meditation and prayer.

Some things were obtained and some desires left
unfulfilled, All in all much that was desired was
experienced.

Seeking enlightenment I set out upon my path, All in all
much that was desired was experienced.

Seeking enlightenment I set out upon my path, Gurus and
teachers and deep meditation and vast experiences.

What I wanted was victory over truth and attainment of
power, To be God's own favored son above and beyond to lead
the way.

Living as a fool in a fool's paradise I had the grasp of it
The sureness of my logic and experience were unassailable.

And life slapped me around and turned me upside down And
gave me more and more and more and it wasn't enough.

Tired, worn down, all alone, ready to die, then I was
ready, The barrier removed, the door was opened, but not by
me.

If I can be said to have done anything of value, It was
this - taking that last faithful and willing step through.

Sweet irony and I was what I sought all along and cried not
having. This cloak of shadows woven about myself to hide
myself from me.

_____________________________________________________________________

I'm very involved in this illusion called 'everything'. My
involvement is my spiritual path, and I'm always on it. I
don't think there's really this life, nor is there death.
That's what I see. Yet somehow I'm involved in the motion
picture show. I'm really involved in it, in the whole
theater experience, including going out for coffee
afterward, which is what these lists are about!

reporting from Nonduality Street, Jerry

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

Hi Jerry,

I think what you say above, is true for every single person
in the world.... the key is that one is aware of it. And
what a difference it makes.

Thanks Dave

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

What I see is that I am in the show, in the audience,
running the projector, selling the tickets, receiving the
income, paying for the show in the first place, directing
the making of the show, blah, blah, blah. How often am I
awake to all this? :-)

Marcia

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

Yes, quite. There is only "awareness" no way to assess "how
often" aware, i.e., awake.

Awareness is the theater, the picture, and the space
between.

This awareness isn't transitory or nontransitory, nor is it
aware or unaware.

How can I speak of it, when it is this moment speaking my
entire being?

Dan
_____________________________________________________________________
I'm astounded by people who want to "know" the universe
when it's hard enough to find your way around Chinatown. -
Woody Allen

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