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Wednesday, May 23

a new kind of graduate education

Applications are now being accepted for Fall admission to the graduate
program in Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness at the California
Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. The California
Institute of Integral Studies is a fully accredited graduate school
committed to the integration of mind, body, and spirit, offering M.A.
and Ph.D. degrees.

A growing consensus of scientists, scholars, and visionaries now
recognizes that the Earth Community is facing a challenge unparalleled
in the past sixty-five million years. Ecological destruction and other
crises of modernity call for a fundamental reinvention of our
civilization, including a transformation of both the structures of our
institutions and the orientations of our own consciousness.

The Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness (PCC) Program has been
designed to shape the intellectual, moral, and spiritual leadership
necessary for meeting this unprecedented challenge. Drawing upon some
of the most powerful ideas and impulses of our philosophical,
scientific, and religious traditions, the PCC faculty have constructed
an intensive multidisciplinary course of study that will accelerate the
journey into your particular leadership role within this great work.

The PCC Program supports those called to this great work in three
distinct but related areas:

(1) by offering new perspectives and paradigms, including the emerging
new cosmology as well as cultural, psychospiritual, and eco-social
accounts of who we are, where we've come from, and where we might be
heading:

(2) by training students to think and see in terms of world views, and
to assess their relative merits through a deeper grasp of cultural
history and contemporary critiques;

(3) by modeling a new way of thinking and being that resists the
paradigm of fragmentation and reductionism that continues to reign
within the dominant culture.

Specific fields of inquiry include interdisciplinary cosmology, depth
psychology, evolutionary science, cultural history, religious studies,
metaphysics, history of ideas, evolution of consciousness, archetypal
studies, esoteric thought, mythology, transpersonal theory, new
paradigm studies, ecology, feminism, and the changing relationship
between science and spirituality.

Another way forward is possible. Transformation of the entire human
project is possible. The PCC Program is dedicated to this crucial
evolutionary task.

Faculty include Stanislav Grof, Susan Griffin, Sean Kelly, Joanna Macy,
Robert McDermott, Charlene Spretnak, Brian Swimme, Richard Tarnas, and
David Ulansey.

For further information visit the Philosophy, Cosmology, and
Consciousness web site at:

http://pcc.ciis.edu

If you support the mission of the PCC Program please forward this
message as widely as possible and link to the PCC website. Help spread
the word!

_____________________________________________________________________

Jan Barendrecht

I do not care one iota whether for the "higher" or the "lower" mind.
That is what "Silence" is about: empty of thoughts and notions.

...

what is possible on a mailing list but exchange a few stories and
"experiences"? It isn't a medium to convey "Silence" :)

And as a gentleman of leisure, that means *LEISURE* in more than one way.
I hope that is clear enough.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Harsha

In Self-Knowledge, the distinction between "practice" and "non
practice" disappears entirely. The Vedas declare that All This Is God -
Consciousness (Self).

Love to all
Harsha

___________________________________________________________________________

Alan Kuntz

I have yet to meet the fist individual to even give up petty ideas -
let alone a family-man give up (all the fruits of) family-life.
--Jan

Guess you have never been a family man or perhaps I just don;t
understand what is meant by ' all fruits of a family man' The fruits of
a family man are nothing special other than a lot of work and a sense
of really truly being alone and having very little will to love from
some place some where near selfless..anyone here want to talk about a
bunch of kids and a wife for twenty years and a coming to ones
nothingness,a sense of nothing special but a lot of hard
work..conscious intentional stupid suffering..Give me a holler..I don't
believe there is any one out here in cyber space who can give you a
nonduality contemplative....close to Objective consciousness and true
conscience perspective to use some of the big kahuna words of the 4 th
way systems language then good ole Alan Kuntz himself..

I say 4 kids and 20 years married ,a bad job,a divorce and smoking
bugler cause I cant afford a good pack of smokes,no job,a tent and some
good weather and internet cafe.You want to talk about a family-man give
up (all the fruits of) family-life from the perspective of some one who
has been a twice daily meditator and has sat through a lot of dung heap
4th way meetings and monastery sittings and zen Buddhist sangha groups
..some one who has travelled across the globe cause he has been struck
down with venus intoxication and actually digs it..you want to talk
about involution rather than evolution and the naked ape,mental
masturbation and svanaka and you know its cool and very alright..you
want to talk about Octaves and the ego hang up about trying to getto
the next one,next level..you want to talk about Grace..You want to talk
about family,my kids and why they think Im some sort of God and how I
have no idea why ,or talk about your kids and why they think you are
Gods or Godesses or turds and have no idea why? Hey Give me a chat..Im
Alan yes sir ree..Moderator of contemplativeclectic..the almost dead
and silent list..Come and chat if you care..I will check you out
between my tent and mountain abode and a local once week end internet
cafe where I can contemplate the beauty and cafeine of a triple Latte
and take in and try to digest the legs that walk by..La Haim,Alan

"Lying Kills Essence" Ouspensky
"Curiosity is a disease"
I raise the mirror of my life Up to my face:sixty
years with a swing I smash the reflection-The world as
usual,all in its place
Taigen Sofu

___________________________________________________________________________

Mira

You are invited to join Perceptions of Life, an new open community
dedicated to the direct and personal expressions in poetry and prose of
those who wish to share their understanding of Life. Life itself is
only one, and it includes all our traditions, all our paths and all our
unique individualities. Life comes with many different experiences and
everyone explores this lifespan in a different way. To bring these
experiences and insights together in artistic and verbal expression for
others to read, is a way to share the beauty of Life through the
written word. People of all traditions and backgrounds are welcomed to
join and encouraged to post their own stories, poetry and comments.
Conversations and discussions are welcomed in the light of mutual
respect and support. Quotes and transcripts should be accompanied by
proper acknowledgements, and copyrights to original work are always
retained by the author. Although the group is unmoderated, members are
kindly requested to observe these principles.

The hidden undercurrent that underlies all of Life, is the inspiration
to touch one another through words filled with clarity and
companionship.

My inspiration to start this group came from the affluent wisdom
speaking through the poetry of contemporary authors like Mark
Christopher Valentine, Ken Phelan, Mace Mealer, Mary Bianco, Hans
Apelgren and others. You are most welcome to join this group.

With kind regards,

Mirror

Moderator, Perceptions Of Life

To learn more about the PerceptionsOfLife group, please visit
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PerceptionsOfLife

___________________________________________________________________________

Hobbes

> > Is a black swan an albino?
>
>considering the fact that albino means lack of pigment in the body, no.
>(different syndromes are also associated as to how the recessive genes
>are combined)

Lack of pigment is black. We say it is a colour but it is not. Black,
or void darkness if you must argue, consumes and does not reflect
light. That is why it appears because it is exactly what is not there.

And from that came light.

How Raven Stole The Light...
hint: not by taking it
nor by taking it
or giving it back.

First the light as a absolute, brighter than ten suns, 50 moons,
whatever... then, as the frequency was absorbed by 'creation' it
dropped allowing those with senses at various frequencies to witness,
see, hear, and feel what is contained within the bandwidth of light. As
in, where did all the water go? Well, at one time there was a lot of
water and very little people and animals and now we have many people
and many animals all of which contain about 70% water...

The earth,
like any other planetary rock
aimless moving in the soup, is a seed.
Truth of her nature is it's sperm.
Consider this egg fertalized.

In a two dimensional world a plug keeps this side from that... like a
patch... in a three dimensional universe an earth or a sun or a moon is
a like a plug... like a bubble held at the end of a black hole... and
'in' that bubble we exist... when you die you move towards the center
which is the sky above your head... if you could span the whole sky you
would find yourself on the other side of the earth... but,
unfortunately, the deeper you go in... the further you get away... as
for getting out, there is no way out...if you can get your mind around
that....

The sun and moon spin around on the inside as we all, fall into the
next black hole to become once again... our self.

Now, for what I do that seems like nothing actually takes massive
energy to keep the channel open.. what channel?... Broad Band with
absolute bandwidth ensuring that all things are passed through at least
once... what energy? Karma not mine... YOURS and I can stop taking your
shit at any time.

Now, consider, you can drain me but you can not kill me nor eliminate
me from the process... I bottom out at tolerance which is proportional
to the unnecessary external stresses willingly and willfully 'applied'
to my being.

The aim then, for me, is not to give you anything but the absolute and
truth thus condeming you or blessing you according to your own will.

The Tao mind is a distant unutttered sigh of a ghost that draws the
silent spirit but to no ultimate realization of the source.

The Zen body stands at the absolute edge of ultimate explosive action
and, like a hair trigger, only seeks the fool that wishes to test it's
weight.

--Eagleraven

__________________________________________________________________________

Marcia Paul


tmnabata@home.com wrote:
The quote says "it can not." You say, "the mind is the last to know." I
understand that, but you implied that we could see with the whole of
ourselves, and I asked how. Can you explain that? Just curious.

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

I can't explain it, no.

But I will try anyway. :-)

The whole of myself is three-centered; body, emotions, mind. To see
with the whole of myself, my awaresness enfolds those three functions.
Gurdjieff had the parable of the carriage, horse, driver where the
carriage was the body, the horse the emotions and the mind the driver.
The passenger rides in the carriage and speaks to the driver through
the inner voice. The driver uses the reigns (attention) to communicate
with the horse (emotions) who pulls the carriage. The carriage has a
self-greasing attribute which only works over rough roads.

Seeing with the whole of myself is three-centered. Life moves through
me as impressions. If I am awake in all three centers, I see with the
whole of me. Each center has a different intelligence and a different
language.

_________________________________________________________________

Gene Poole


Tony wrote:
"I'll put my question again! Do you see non duality as we all being
part of the universal energy or Praneaswara as Maharaj would say, or do
you aver that this all didn't happen? I just get the impression from
you erroneously or not, that you 'believe' in Sakti.

As I said because of some intellectual inability to write like some of
you guys perhaps it is also a mental disability and I misread you.

Whatever happens in the lower mind is just avidya whether it cleverly
written or not. Like polishing the horn of a unicorn.

Om Namah Sivaya...Tony."

Gene replies:

If what you say above is true, what is left?

What value is there in speaking of it, and to whom
would one speak of it?

Do you imply, or mean, that it is possible to express
other than what is in 'the lower mind'?

If one sees other than what the lower mind shows,
is there a motive to share what is seen?

Is it possible to present evidence of anything other
than what the lower mind reveals, even if it is actually revealed?

[shift]

If the Universe (whatever it is) is not static,
there are exchanges of energy taking place
within the Universe. Possibly, some of these
exchanges of energy manifest as conversation
within the Universe.

Seemingly disparate aspects of the Universe
continually share or exchange energy; see
thermodynamics as an example. Closer to home,
all conversation _devolves_ from awareness.

That is to say... that all products of awareness
are essentially degenerate, and that any attempt
to get 'ahead of the expression' is doomed to
failure. Yes, perception and understanding can
be seen to precede expression, but can expression
ever get ahead of perception?

For this and other reasons, it behooves one to
enjoy degeneracy, and to halt the compulsion
to establish hierarchies of relative degeneracy,
or establishing a basis of values which give relative
moral approval to one over the other.

There is no line between higher and lower; as
you say, it is all 'like polishing the horn of a Unicorn'.

To attempt to establish, or to follow established
hierarchies of relative moral values, creates the
very field of stress which we know as our private
sufferings. To let the whole thing go, to let it
behave and be as it will, allows a very special and
privileged view of what is; what is will reveal itself,
to anyone who stops trying to make it into other
than what it is.

What is also revealed, is this:

Our status as human Beings is perfect for us
as human Beings; by letting go of the impulse
to arrange hierarchies of relative moral values,
the fit between the extant apparent Universe
and the individual is revealed to be perfect;

Not only that, but this:

I am revealed as the organ of perception
and expression of what is,

But I will never be able to fulfill that natural
role, as long as I impose my own, memory
and value-based judgement upon what is.

I am living inside of something that I cannot
see as long as I attempt to see it as anything
other than what it is;

If I face the unknown without judgement
or expectation, I see what is, which reveals
itself to me, as I am able to accept it as being;

What I see may or may not match any of the
classical descriptions; it may appear as a
cartoon duck, or as a giant clock.

To allow what is to massage one,
is to become intimately acquainted
with the nature of what is, as what is
chooses to reveal itself to you, as you
are now being;

If you are being without doing,
what is may show you what is doing.

It is possible to establish a personal
relationship with what is, and it appears
that allowing what is to take the lead,
to take the hand that is offered, to
give up the sly hope and motive that
there will be some advantage gained,
may be a necessary aspect of allowing
such a relationship to begin to occur.

All of these things can be discussed
and described in myriad ways, but
the basics do not seem to change;

"To attain mastery, is to allow oneself
to be mastered".

A master who knows that there is
no doer, manifests mastery by
allowing the actual doer to do.

The thought or idea that anything
can be done is truly the province
of the "lower mind", and typically
life is the story of that drama of
trial, error, and suffering.

Emanations which imply that doing
can be done, impart a false positive
value to predatory aggression; such
emanations are properly termed
"temptation".

_________________________________________________________________________

Soul Searchin' Blues

(Lari White)

Yeah, I got one foot on the highway
One foot on that old dirt road back home
I got one foot on the highway
One's on that old dirt road back home
And I know either road I travel
I got to go it all alone

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

Dear List: Just a thought. A newspaper headline: "Right: private
Left: public". As I get further into non-dual thought, I sense that
it is less "one thing" as opposed to two things, but all things, and
in many cases, a balance between "two things". Would non-dual
activism be achieving a proper balance between private and public
rights and obligations? In contrast to the blues number just posted,
suggesting "going it alone". Bye for now. Terry N.

__________________________________________________________________

Jody Radzik

> I don't seem to be able to express as well as some, but how
> 'I' see it is that what I see doesn't exist and that all is
> Nirguna Brahman. This paradoxically is an non existant appearance
> on a non existant illusory mind.
>
> It never happened, I am not even writing this.hahahah ONS Tony.

This kind of nondualspeak is worthless and more harmful to one's
arriving at an experiential understanding than one might think.

What "Tony" is "seeing" is an idea about Nirguna Brahman that has been
generated by his mind. He hopes that this view will eventually come to
fruition as an actual realization, but in fact it has the opposite
effect as the view has replaced the actual experience and will remain
lodged as a hindrance until Tony decides to abandon it.

Those who know themselves as Brahman remain quite aware of the
multiplicity that is inherent in Maya. Even while they might see that
it is all Brahman, it doesn't all look like the same "thing" at all.

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