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Thursday April 19th


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Understand what is required to live and worship Me at the Place of Miracles.
Those who add to, subtract from, or modify My words, will most certainly be
banished from the good things at the Place of Miracles, as I Am the Only True
Spiritual Master for this Millenium. All others speak lies. Only I speak the
Truth. Therefore obey only Me in all that you think, say and do and never
doubt that I created all things of goodness and beauty in the Universe.

jerry katz


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Joyce Short:



Hi Ho...

In the Buddhist terms of reference we have "consciousness" or mind or citta.
Consciousness is taken up for study first because the focus of the Buddhist
analysis of reality is experience, and consciousness is the principle
element in experience, it is that which constitutes the knowing or awareness
of an object. Citta comes from the root citi, to cognize, to know.
Consciousness is an agent which cognizes an object, is that by means of
which the accompanying mental factors or events cognize the object and as an
activity is nothing other than the process of cognizing the object. There is
only matter and mind (nama and rupa - all the aggregates)

BUT, consciousness is not an agent or instrument possessing actual being in
itself apart from cognizing any object. The definitions in terms of agent
and instrument are proposed to refute the wrong view of those who hold that
a permanent self or ego is the agent and instrument of cognition. So this
citta, or mind, or consciousness, is nothing other than the act of
cognizing, and that act is necessarily impermanent, marked by rise and fall.
(coming and going)

While consciousness has a single characteristic of cognizing or knowing an
object, a characteristic that remains the same in all diverse
manifestations, it can be distinguished into a variety of types. What we
usually think of as mind or consciousness are really a series of cittas,
momentary acts of consciousness, occurring in such a rapid succession that
we cannot distinguish the discrete occassions, which are of diverse types.
So in the Buddhist Abhidhamma, the types of consciousness are distinguished
and also woven into a cosmos, a unified and closely interwoven whole.

Clinging or identifying with any objects in consciousness as belonging to
any "I" is suffering (separation). Also the explanation of constant death
and rebirth, moment to moment of this "I". Freedom is the cessation of
clinging to any of it. no "I" no object. All phenomena are the product of
mind and as such are impermanent, no-self and suffering when clinging is
present. The "I" will arise with its object and then disappear again. It is
an interesting object for contemplation.

So then one has to look into what "emptiness" is. And the intrinsic nature
of being, the intrinsic nature of all phenomena which is already present,
the clear light. In delusion, when involved with consciousness and its
mental events, we fail to recognize the intrinsic clarity of being which is
uncreated, unborn and thus we fall into delusion (me, mine, self, other
etc).

The Sufi's call this intrinsic awareness the clear light of intelligence
beyond all boundaries. Same expression as in Tibetan Dzogchen.

"Here your mind stretches beyond its individual boundaries to encompass the
thinking of the Universe. It is a state where you recover the experiences of
levels where consciousness is absorbed into its ground, which is
intelligence. Sufis call this unveiling the light of Divine Intelligence
that has been covered over by the veils of delusion. It corresponds with
the last words of Buddha, "I have overcome determinism." In other words, it
is the ultimate, absolute freedom from all things that have locked you into
a rut - your thinking (cognizng) self-image, actions, opinions, separateness
- and that block your seeing your participation with the totality of the
universe". From "Awakening" - Pir Vilayat Khan

Zap -at this point - awakening, lightening strikes,the vajra of the
Tibetans. To this point practice can be willed, insight slowly gained, but
there seems to be a point when "grace" or non-willing insight, also called
"path consciousness" final insight into nirvana/freedom arises. All sentient
beings freed.

As Rumi sez

"Honor those who try to rid themselves of lying, who empty the self and have
only clear being. I, you, he, she, we, in the garden of mystic lovers these
are not true distinctions. Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger
pull of what you really love."

The fire is finally freed when no more fuel is added on to it. And one finds
this out for oneself by really looking.


Cheers,

Joyce

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'You' can't get there from here because 'you' are the
thought/movement away from here that creates separation.

When 'you' are no-t there is here.


Love,
James


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Either free-will or determinism imply the
existence of time that moves
directionally.

Time moving directionally is
a by-product of conceptualization
and sense perception,
and conceptualization/perception is
the activity of time-formation.

Given "all-at-once" nothing can be
said "really" -- for anything said
is as much "all-at-once" as anything
about which a comment is made.

Dan


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Hi Missy --

Expect to get posts that
jump to conclusions and
make sure to let you know that
someone else knows more
about you than you do --
also, expect to get reactions
to the images that the reader
projected - which may have
nothing to do with your perception ...

Then, you won't be disappointed ;-)

Love,
Dan


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Conversation heard in an Army bar back in the 70's, imagine some high 5's
and hand-slapping...

"What it IS??!"

"It you!

--Greg

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