@fugazzi: buddhism is not a theology but we cannot do away with
right view. Having realized or having had glimpses of
non-conceptual Presence is not enough to remove all our false view
of reality causing subtle grasping, clinging and confusion. So one
should not overly focus on experience and overlook the importance
of right view. View, realization and experience are equally
important if you read my other thread. Read my reply to sinweiy
below and you’ll understand.
@sinweiy: there is no changing self. To say there is a changing
self, you are implying reality is a substance that transforms
itself as the myriad things that changes.
This is also non-Buddhist substantialist view, and is Thusness
Stage 4 substantialist non-dualism.
In other words, one sees that there is an inherently existing
One Mind that transforms itself as the myriad things.
This is the view of Kashmir Shaivism (Shiva or pure nondual
consciousness has both an unchanging and dynamic aspect, and since
the world is not other than consciousness, the world is real as
Shiva) and also the three steps of Advaita Vedanta – the world is
illusory, Brahman alone is real, Brahman is the World.
The insight of anatta in Buddhism however is very different.
This insight is elucidated by Zen Master Dogen, firewood abides in
the phenomenal expression of firewood, firewood does not
turn/transform into ashes.
In other words, since all phenomena lack a substantial self,
there is no One Mind transforming itself into the myriad things. It
is not that the scent, the sight, the sound are all the expressions
of One Consciousness (substantial non-dualism). Rathere, in seeing
it is just sight, in hearing just sound, in smelling just the
experience of scent, there is no agent or substratum that links or
produces those phenomenon.
Effectively, the view of inherency with regards to consciousness
is seen through by realization. Through the insight of anatta, one
realizes that 1) the view that a seer is seeing the seen ceases
through realization that in seeing always just the seen, no seer,
so the view of an agent, perceiver, controller permanently ceases,
2) the view that a self, one mind, ground that links, underlies,
gives rise or transforms into the myriad things permanently
ceases.
So now you see why you cannot say there is a “changing self”
since to say a self changes is to imply a substance or reality that
transforms or changes, no different from the more advanced phase of
Hindu schools.
To say that there is a self that is “neither unchanging nor
changes” is equally erroneous, since it implies there is a
substance that can sometimes change and sometimes not change, or
that there is a substance that transforms (changes) yet remains
unchanged, which is basically same as the view elucidated above.
Such a substantialist view is false and seen through with the
insight of anatta.
In the substantialist non-dual phase, it is distinct from the
I AM phase. In the I AM
phase, one discovers oneself as all-pervading pure
presence-existence-consciousness. One sees that as one’s true self
and everybody’s true self. But since it only pertains to non-dual
luminosity in the pure non-conceptual thought realm, one is unable
to see non-dual luminosity in all realms, sensations, manifestation
and perception. In other words, it is just luminosity experienced
as one of the dhatus among the eighteen dhatus or six sense
consciousnesses – pertaining to the mind level.
Because of such realization and experience plus there is view of
subject-object duality and the view of an inherent self, the Pure
Presence is understood both dualistically and inherently.
Therefore, one sees oneself as the pure Eternal Witness or
Watcher behind thoughts and sense perceptions – thoughts come and
go, only the true self or Witness remains unchanged.
Then when one progresses to the substantial non-dual phase, one
breaks the illusion of subject-object duality such that everything
is no longer experienced as apart from oneself. Rather, there is
just one seamless undivided field of consciousness
expressing/transforming itself into the myriad phenomena, without
observer-observed, subject-object split. Effectively the view of
duality is gone but the view of inherency remains since one still
sees an inherent Self or Mind transforming itself as the many. This
is the phase of One Mind or Everything is Mind. This is the peak of
the Hindu traditions – Brahman is the World. Even though non-dual
luminosity is experienced as everything and it is blissful, it
still causes great attachment because one does not understand the
empty nature of awareness, so there is a referencing back to a
source.
In anatta, there is just breathe, scent, sight, not even “One
Naked Awareness”, not even a mirror-awareness that is inseparable
from its reflections. Just the reflections alone IS, there is no
substance serving as the substance, substratum, or reflector of all
phenomena. Phenomena alone is the mirror.
At this point one no longer subsumes the six streams of
consciousness into One Mind but sees No Mind – just the six streams
of consciousness that affirms itself, since one realizes there is
no inherent self. However there is a difference between the
experience of No Mind and the realization of Anatta even though
they are linked – more is elaborated in my other article on view,
realization, experience, etc…
There is no unchanging self, no changing self, no neither
unchanging nor changing self, no both unchanging and changing self.
No self can be pinned down inside or apart from the five aggregates
as a truth, reality, or substance.
Btw mindstream is good – there is no “mind” apart from stream,
just the stream alone is… The continuity happens as a causal
process, not the continuity of any form of self-entity.
