A 19 year old guy from Poland wrote in my facebook dharma group
about his realization. It is rare that someone as young as him
penetrates so deeply. :)
..........
Jackson, what was meant iny my post by
"we simply don't find any basis"? it meant that no "nothing", no
"space", no "thing", no "it", no "who", no "spiritual beingness",
no "Self", no "The Awareness", no "Source", no "Mirror", no
"non-dual Knower" is found apart from ignorance
"Nibbana is, but not the man that enters it,"
~ Visuddhimagga XIX
That aware space you mention so much, Jackson, I have
recognized (I've pursued direct path of self-enquiry). I've reached
direct realization of "what is your original face" as shapeless,
self-cognizing radiance. Self-knowing space-like
presence.
That realization of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss when there
is no distance between "me" and Existence-Consciousness-Bliss took
place. When one realizes there is no "ME and
Existence-Consciousness Bliss", but only self-knowing
Existence-Consciousness-Bliss it is effortless, unfabricated,
non-conceptual and immediate experience. That intimacy and taste of
existence cannot be forgotten. It is like "kiss from beloved" u
have mentioned but not exactly; I speak about situation in which
there is no more "ME" and "Beloved" but only Beloved remains. Kiss
so powerful that "me" dissolved and I noticed that "Kisser and
kissed" is one.
I've also experienced sinking into nothingness like
Nisargadatta Maharaj points out as attempt to integrate the fact
that there are perdiods where not even
Existence-Consciousness-Bliss is experienced.
I've misinterpreted Dzogchen, Mahamudra and Buddhism in
overall. Remaining in "natural state" seemed me to just remain in
nirvikalpa samadhi, absorbed into non-conceptual thought. When I
write "non-conceptual thought" I mean I
AM/Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. This is "stage 1" in Thusness'
ladder of "seven stages".
http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2007/03/thusnesss-six-stages-of-experience.html
Then I came across Thusness' and Soh's blog. It showed me
that Existence-Consciousness-Bliss is golden chains. Further
contemplation resulted in fluctuation between experience of "One
Mind" and "No Mind"; fluctuating between substantial and
insubstantial non-duality.
http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2011/08/substantial-and-insubstantial-non.html
Jackson, you generally speak a lot about what is called by
Thusness' and Soh as "One Mind" => for example quote of one of
recent posts of yours "The Knower and the seeing and hearing are
non-dual, yet not the same. The clouds in the sky are non-dual, yet
not the same. The reflections in a mirror are non-dual regarding
the mirror, yet are not the same.". I have experienced this
substantial non-duality directly. This is stage 4 in above
mentioned ladder.
Problem behind "substantial non-duality" is that there is
powerful attachemnt to though realm. "One Mind" I mentioned above
is last resort to hold to this framework.
"The world is illusory;
Brahman alone is real;
Brahman is the world. "
You need to directly discern and understand why realization
that is expressed by this stanza is from the very beginning based
on attachment to certain cognitive mistake. Otherwise there is
absolutely no possibility of understanding Buddhadharma. Countless
yogic practices were developed to enhance intensity of experntial
realization of this stanza. I've realized directly first two
sentences which is Self-Realization and then experienced directly
meaning of third sentence. It is "One Mind"/stage 4 in Thusness'
ladder. I've directly experienced that Mind/Presence is mirror that
is non-dual with phenomena but yet independent of them. So I
directly realized meaning behind this pointer.
But I have also experienced no-mind and realized difference
directly. In "No Mind" there is no more "mirror" that is "non-dual
with senses".
That mirror is recognized to be just one of the senses;
particular manifestation in though realm; non-conceptual thought.
So that above statement about brahman is just based on delusion and
attachment to this non-conceptual thought and reifiying as
"mirror", "Self", "non-dual Knower", "Mind", "Awareness"
etc
"In actuality, that non-conceptual thought is not any more
special than a passing sight, a passing scent!"
But anatta isn't experience of "no mind" in which
self/Self/"awareness"/"mind" is forgotten and only non-dual senses
remain without center or reference point. Realization/insight isn't
peak experience.
So what
is anatta and how does anatta apply to non-conceptual thought/I
AM/Existence-Consciousness-Bliss/Brahman?
Through contemplation on right view and anatta it was
recognized that "Divine Being" too, as it was discerned directly,
is simply self-luminous activity
without any trace of agent, doer behind it. In other words,
non-dual shapeless presence is just non-dual experience in thought
realm.
It is not "more important" than non-dual sound, non-dual
scenery, non-dual thoughts, non-dual tastes, non-dual odours,
non-dual sensations.
It is not "mirror" that is "non-dual" with senses; it itself
is just experience in one of the senses.
I recognized that it is "always so". There is no agent, no
linking basis, no source, no "The awareness", no "self" no "Self",
no "the Intelligence" that is BEHIND self-knowing phenomena.
"Existence-Consciousness-Bliss" is included in phenomena, for it's
position of mirror and non-dual knower is just because of wrong
view and framework that is based on cognitive mistake and
assumption.
I understood why Soh used word like "phenomena-ing" instead
of "phenomena".
If someone would like to grasp "nothingness" as last resort
to be able to conceive "I", "me", "Source" and "The Awareness".
Well, formless samadhis are also just self-luminous activity
without any agent, source, self, Self, Intelligence behind it
whatsoever. Only lack of realization and insight into anatta
results in reification like Nisargadatta did.
There is neither "the awareness" nor "Spiritual Intelligence"
behind non-dual self-luminous activities (non-conceptual thought
that is reified as Brahman/Self I also include in this).
"Awareness" and "Spiritual Intelligence" are just label on these
self-luminous activities without agent. "Mind" is just label for
this self-luminous arising and passing. Just like "weather" is
label for various activities without doer behind them.
Two stanzas about Anatta by Thusness' are leading to two
equally important aspects of anatta;
"There is thinking, no thinker
There is hearing, no hearer
There is seeing, no seer
In thinking, just thoughts
In hearing, just sounds
In seeing, just forms, shapes and colors."
http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2009/03/on-anatta-emptiness-and-spontaneous.html
Realization of just one without the other is incomplete.
Anatta is only understood and realized when there is discernment
and recognition of what both of these point to.
""He perceives Unbinding as Unbinding.[7] Perceiving
Unbinding as Unbinding, he conceives things about Unbinding, he
conceives things in Unbinding, he conceives things coming out of
Unbinding, he conceives Unbinding as 'mine,' he delights in
Unbinding. Why is that? Because he has not comprehended it, I tell
you."
So using this quotation as example"He has not comprehended
it" can take place when one realizes second stanza but doesn't
realize what is exact meaning behind first one...
(...)
"He directly knows Unbinding as Unbinding. Directly knowing
Unbinding as Unbinding, he does not conceive things about
Unbinding, does not conceive things in Unbinding, does not conceive
things coming out of Unbinding, does not conceive Unbinding as
'mine,' does not delight in Unbinding. Why is that? Because, with
the ending of delusion, he is devoid of delusion, I tell
you."
In realization of meaning of both of above Thusness' stanzas
on anatta, there is no more place for "Source", reified "Spiritual
Intelligence". There is no place for any phenomenon or nonumenon
behind self-luminous non-dual activity.
First-fold emptiness simply means that there is nothing
behind non-dual phenomena-ing.All views that are contained in above
statements by Buddha are simply recognized for what they are;
delusions that have lack of the insight into anatta as their
cause.
Moreover, posing a question in a way you do, was directly
refuted by Buddha;
http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/phagguna-sutta-to-phagguna.html
read this Jax.
Buddha isn't stressing this simply because of his whim, but
simply in realization of anatta it is clearly seen why exactly
these questions are flawed from the very beginning.
No god, no Brahma, may be called,
The maker of this wheel of life,
Empty phenomena roll on,
Dependent on conditions all."
Visuddhimagga XIX.
"Infinite Consciousness", "Infinite Space", "Nothingness",
"Neither perception nor non-perception" are included in "empty
phenomena roll on".
Speaking about "Non-dual Knower" show lack of true
understanding and realization into anatta. Why? Because it is still
disease of conceiving. Attachment to see reality based on subject,
object, agent, doer, source, manifestation, self,
Self.
In other words, by speaking that there is no agent behind
self-luminous activity I also include experience of self-cognizing
Existence-Consciousness-Bliss (which is called "I AM" in Thusness
"seven stages", due to my former conditioning I use similiar
terminology.
But what exactly is realization of anatta? Using two stanzas
by Thusness' realization is direct insight that it is "always
already so". To apply this to my own spiritual seearch it means
that from the very beginning of my journey there was no agent, no
linking basis, no source, no "the awareness" no reified "non-dual
knower" or imagined "spiritual intelligence" behind this. It
applies to my delusion of personhood, to my delusion of
reifications of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, to my delusions of
sinking into nothingness, to my delusions of substantial
non-duality ("One-Mind/stage 4 in Thusness "seven
stages").
That is why anatta is one of "three marks of existence". It
isn't stage or experience. It is always already so.
AN 10.60 Girimānanda Sutta:
"Now what, Ānanda, is the recognition of selflessness? Here,
Ānanda, a monk, gone to the wilderness, to the root of a tree, or
to an empty place, discriminates thus: ‘The eye is not-self, forms
are not-self; the ear is not-self, sounds are not-self; the nose is
not-self, odors are not-self; the tongue is not-self, flavors are
not-self; the body is not-self, tactual objects are not-self; the
mind is not-self, phenomena are not-self.’ Thus he abides
contemplating selflessness with regard to the six internal and
external sensory spheres. This, Ānanda, is called the recognition
of selflessness."
Thus, we came back to Bahiya Sutta:
‘The seen will be merely the seen, the heard will be merely
the heard, the sensed will be merely the sensed, the known will be
merely the known.’ This is how you should train,
Bāhiya.
When, Bāhiya, for you the seen will be merely the seen, the
heard will be merely the heard, the sensed will be merely the
sensed, the known will be merely the known, then Bāhiya, you will
not be that. When, Bāhiya, you are not that, then Bāhiya, you will
not be there. When, Bāhiya, you are not there, then Bāhiya, you
will be neither here nor beyond nor between-the-two. Just this is
the end of unsatisfactoriness."
:)