Hi Simpo, what is the 'view' that you were efforting to get into
at that point?
Also, what triggered off the insight into emptiness in the first
place?
Hi Simpo, what is the 'view' that you were efforting to get
into at that point?
I am referring to the 'view' of no-self. Actually, the word view
can be misleading but there is no way to describe it.
Put it another way, before the stabilisation of no-self... it is
hard to see how the 'sense of self' is muddled in the
contents/thoughts. One will have a tendency to apply effort to get
into a particular preferred state. With the stabilisation of
no-self, this effort is correctly understood as 'sense of self'
efforting. Every effort that is being applied causes the arising of
the sense of self. It is like a dog trying to bite its own tail...
going around in loop.
Also, what triggered off the insight into emptiness in the
first place?
There is no way to really trigger an insight into emptiness
apart from deconstructing. But then deconstruction can also lead to
other experiences... Also when the insight comes it will be when
least expected.
Prior to insight into emptiness, there may be a strong
luminosity experience... but one must not get attached to it and
let it go. This may allow the other characteristics (eg emptiness)
to shine through.
There is a distinction between experience and realisation. In
the realisation, there is a knowing. In an experience, there is a
misinterpretation. For example, these experiences can be quite
similar to Kundalini arising... The main difference is that an
experience can be a misinterpretation of what actually
happened.
A misinterpretation of what actually happened will prevent
further and deeper experiences.
For example, if one has an I AM experience and believe that
there is an eternal witness/observer. ... he/she will not be able
to have a non-dual experience. Thus the opportunity to directly
understand/realise non-duality is severed by the misinterpretation
caused by the I AM experience. This same thing applies to the
realisation of emptiness and no-self.
Actually...all experiences are already no-self and empty... It
is because this is so that liberation is possible.