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Tuesday, December 12


MICHAEL D. JOHNSON

...when you have gone through hell and come out of it with no physical
burns, you will then realize hell is only in your imagination, just a
bunch of concepts. It isn't any more real than heaven is. Hell is just
thoughts which create unwanted feelings/emotions. The resistance of
thoughts which are discerned as bad or wrong "is" what create the hell
in the first place. The erroneous conditioned view that to be spiritual
means to be loving, patient and kind...all the time, is, at least for
me, the worst hell I can ever have. Just as I AM...IS...and will always
be. Depression is a state of mind produced by not wanting to feel what
is here now. It is saying to myself, I don't like this feeling so I
will depress it or I will get involved in some activity, i.e.,
addiction, so I don't have to think about it. Depression is thinking
that who and what I AM now, is who and what I will always be. Emotions
tell me this is so...logic says no way. One must be willing to be dark
as well as light in order to be whole, total, which is what nonduality
is about...the totality of the reality. Being realized doesn't mean
being "perfect", it means being whole and total. You can sugar coat it
as much as you want, but if you are not willing to be real you will not
realize the truth and the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the
truth will set you free...no thing less than that.

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ANDY LESMANA SASTRAHADIJAYA

Personally, Sandeep's question--"How does this nondualism apply to
everyday life?" was in a way my question, too when I first joined this
list. I am still asking myself (too shy to ask you!) how I can practise
this wonderful nondualism in my life. Being an adult who has been so
heavily conditioned with diabolical dualism since my childhood, I find
it difficult to really understand what you guys talking about in your
posts, let alone practise it. It is as if you were all using calculus,
whereas what I know is just a simple arithmetics. Despite this utter
confusion, I can feel the vibration of loves among us, which keeps me
from saying "bye" as Tim (Omkara) does. What is funny is that when I
talked about it "offline" with my wife a couple days ago, she said that
I might have gone nuts and made fun of me of this nonduality stuff. Am
I really going nuts? Please help this miserable creature called Andy.
Thank you!

Best regards/Andy

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PIETER SCHOONHEIM SAMARA

Dear "hearers" abiding in the single "I",

While the write up attributed to Thomas (as a gospel) may have
parallels to non-dualist thinking, the reading of the Testament
inspired by Christ spontaneously awakes That which outshines all
thought and images.

The sentence (often forgotten) that continues through 11:21, starts
with Luke 11:20. When read in its entirety, it explains very clearly
that the Kingdom "within" is an objectiveless state, just as in the
First and Second Commandments of the Father "I AM" to Moses, which
commanded that there can be no images before the "I AM" nor the use of
the name "I AM" in relation to thoughts and impressions - Commandments,
which when adhered to, leave one abiding suddenly in the Singularity of
the Heart (as in Ecclesiastes 10: 2).

Such weak and incomplete phrases as found in Thomas imply a
misdirection that with a still mind one will come to various states and
inner (mystical) experiences which are then taken for the Truth, and
not the very powerful all-absorbing Teaching in the Christ inspired New
Testament relating to abiding in the single "I" such as Luke 11:34,
"The light of the body is the eye: Therefore, when thine eye (the seer)
is single, your whole body will be filled with light...." which states
that when one "abides" ("abide in Me" - Jn 15:4) as the seer (subject
"I") singly, there is the enlightenment of the whole body, also called
the Transfiguration. In the Gospels He inspired to be included together
in the New Testament (as in John I:3), the entire Teaching, both in the
Life and the Words resonates with the single non-dual Truth, and not an
iota of any other view.

Very clear instructions of how to come to abide in the Truth of the
single Seer - "Light that Lights each one born into the world" (John
1:9) are given, such as non-judgment (Mat Ch 7: 1-2; Luke 6: 37-42;
John 8: 6-11), non-attachment (Mat 6: 40), non-anxiety (Mat 6: 25-34;
Luke 12: 22-32), perpetual forgiveness (Luke 17: 4; Mat 19: 21-22; Mark
11:25), compassion (Mat 25: 34-40), humility (Mat 18: 4), and so on,
which all relate to the (non-dual) experiencing of the discarding of
attention to the world ("Take no thought for your life." Mat 6: 25).
And, the requirement to "hear" which references the awakening of the
True Man - the Real Self is repeated throughout, with powerful
statements that are often in the form of commandments giving no ground
(room to maneuver).

The stance He permits allows for no delays, no second chance, no outs,
no remedy, no alternatives to the tribulations of the world. His way to
God the Father (the "I AM" of the Old Testament) is full of beatitudes
and purity (Mat 5: 2-11), blessedness and love (Mat 6: 38-48). But
those that oppose the Spirit "will never be forgiven" (Luke 12: 10, Mat
12: 32; Mark 3: 29) and "will be thrown into the outer darkness, where
there is great suffering and gnashing of teeth." (Mat 8: 12;14: 50; 22:
13; 24: 51)

The only other places one can find such powerful statements that cause
a resonance in the Hrdayam (where we point when we say I) and automatic
Dissolusion of attention to the images in the mind is in the Ribhu Gita
Ch 26 and the Avadhut Gita, where the meaning of the automatic practice
of "abiding" and the view of the world of the One abiding in the Father
is expressed in a way that "hearing" can also begin to manifest while
reading other Gitas or Vedanta texts.

In any other culture, Christ would be called the "Vajra Siddhi Guru"
abiding in the Heart, as in the mantra "Om Ah Hung Vajra Siddhi Guru
Hum" where the "Vajra Siddhi" is the Sudden Flashing Forth of the
Primordial Realization (the state of the Transfiguration) and "Hum" is
the abiding in the Hrdayam, which is the gate or door, where Christ
says he stands (Luke 12:34) through which is the experience of the "I"
as the all pervasive "I AM THAT I AM" (Ex. 3:14) of the Father.

This is also outlined in http://www.nonduality.com/pieter.htm

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JAN BARENDRECHT

As a rule, one isn't aware that interpretation is taking place and
unless aware of it, perception will be inextricably mixed with
interpretation. Mona Lisa is just smiling - no one knows the reason for
her smile - enlightenment? It is whispered that during that era,
constipation was a serious problem... The little poem has the flavor of
devotion.. But to whom? Or is it just a poetic description of ......
That is the question, unless...

Thy touch is warm, a gentle breeze
Thy breath does color evening's sky
Thou art a sheer delight

Thy whisper is a tempting tease
Although thee can't be seen
Thou warmest me this very night

Please don't depart
But stay a while
Thy leaving always breaks my heart

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TIM (OMKARA)

Dear List,

Here's a quote from Papaji:

"When mind is pure you will see Self in all Beings. Purify the mind by
removing all concepts, especially the concept of purity. Then Self
reveals itself to the Empty mind which is Consciousness."

Does anyone (else) feel the above statement is especially obtuse,
convoluted and really makes no sense?

The question arises: Who is Papaji speaking to? Obviously, "the mind."
The mind is composed of concepts. So Papaji is asking a bundle of
concepts to remove all concepts?!?

The kind of statement above by Papaji represents what I would call
"dualism in practice," which is pretty roundly condemned by any sage
worth their salt. In other words, "I" am supposed to "purify my mind"
by "removing all concepts." Yet this "I" is itself thought and
concepts, and the "I" cannot remove anything.

Also, what's this B.S. about "purifying the mind by removing the
concept of purity?" Is this supposed to be some sort of "Gee, I'm cool
because I can speak in paradox that makes no sense either 'dually' or
'nondually'" thing?

So what's up with the above quotation? It's confusing, nonsensical,
obfuscating and meaningless both as a "beginning teaching" and as an
"advanced teaching" (apologies to Papaji's fans and followers, but he
really should be more careful).

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DAWN CHILD AND TERRY

dawn child:

To be green in America today is to adopt and adhere to religious,
social and political values that are held by a tragically small
percentage of the voting public, less than five percent. Being green
means to be compassionate stewards rather than greedy exploiters of our
world's environment and resources. Being green means to be
compassionate neighbors of the under-privileged poor at home and
abroad. Being green means to value international concerns and issues
higher than merely domestic ones. The reason that "being green" is
controversial is because the core values of what it means to be green
confront the material success and dominance of U.S. capitalism in the
world market with its callous exploitation of our world environment and
third world peoples. Now is the time to begin to listen to your
conscience. Now is the time to begin to be compassionate individuals
and citizens. Now is the time for Americans and America to arise and
become the good steward of that with which we have been entrusted, our
mother earth. Now is the time to begin "being green".

terry:

While I don't necessarily agree with the science that non-scientist
Greens use to bolster their opinions (both global warming and ozone
depletion are natural phenomena and the effects of humans on these
natural processes may be overestimated), I wholeheartedly agree with
the conclusions, especially in regard to *core values*. As Dawn Child
says, these values are 'controversial' because americans (canadians
likewise) tend to rationalize their indulgences. We are using up
resources at an unsustainable rate, that is certainly clear - the loss
of phosphates into the deep ocean by modern agriculture is even more
critical a problem than oil, and we burn in one day the energy it took
nature a thousand years to lay down. They are also controversial
because no one likes bad news, and we all have enough to worry about,
so why worry. The First Noble Truth is the gateway to awareness: Life
involves suffering. We have problems. We have to deal with them, for
the sake of future generations, for the sake of doing what is right.
Applying the first noble truth to 'real life' is to begin to realize
the problems facing the human race. What can we do about it? What Dawn
Child does, what I do: express your views publicly. Be heard. When I
sit at the break table at work, when current events are brought up I
will talk about the 'green' side of issues, about the cruelty of the
prison system, the unfairness of the world economy. This may not make
me popular, but it is the right thing to do. Until enough people become
convinced that we need to and can make sacrifices, nothing will be
done. I remember the Viet Nam war, the slow raising of public opinion
over a period of years to finally come down against it and force an end
to it. In the early years of the war, the anti-war people were voices
crying in the wilderness. Eventually a large majority was against it.
This is all I ask, from people who are willing to be convinced that we
have to do something positive about the 'big' problems, the loss of
species, the wastage and damage to the environment of unrestrained
energy use. Just express the unpopular opinion when you here people
saying what you know is false; speak up for your beliefs when you have
the chance, even if it makes you less popular. Eventually the right
will prevail, because truth ultimately cannot be denied. We can only
hope we don't run straight into a brick wall, and prepare for shortages
(both on supply and demand sides) before they become tragic occurences.

My 2 cents, and thanks to my fellow green,

aloha, terry

MATTHEW FILES

"Now is the time to begin to listen to your conscience. Now is the time
to begin to be compassionate individuals and citizens."
-------------especially developing compassion towards those who we view
as being materialstic, capitalist,callous exploiters of the world, and
proponents of U.S. dominance, eh Terry. I mean shit it's easy as pie to
have compassion for the underdogs of the world. But try turning on
those "love lights" for the ones you have the most contempt for, the
ones you percieve (and it is just a perception) that are destroying our
precious little planet.

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