While I was meditating, suddenly there were sounds of thunder
and the sound of rain pouring was very loud... a spontaneous
inquiry started on "Who is listening to the sounds". As a result of
this inquiry I noticed that Awareness doesn't seem like a localized
witness, but it is more like a field of knowing which is impersonal
and universal. And I am this universal consciousness, and
everything emerges and subsides from this field of awareness.
Literally everything manifests from IT.
The answer to "Who Listens" or "Who Perceives" is this
impersonal non-localized space-like field of awareness, not a dead
physical space but an all-encompassing space with an intrinsically
aware essence, the non-localized Witness which actually is
universal. Consciousness is simultaneously nowhere, everywhere, and
also here and now. I notice that the sense of self dissolves just
by resting in awareness, where previously there was a sense of self
and locality tied to awareness... a sense that there is a Witness
'in here' watching things out there. Now, it is more like I am this
universal consciousness perceiving/manifesting everything, whether
it is thoughts, sounds, visual objects... all popping in and out in
this non-localized all-pervasive awareness. Consciousness is
totally not related to me as an individual or person (and in fact
an individual person as such doesn't truly exist and is only really
thoughts and sensations arising in this field of awareness, nothing
substantial), and whatever we consider as 'me, the individual' is
too cognized by and manifested from this universal non-personal
consciousness, like dust appearing in space. There are no
individual experiencers of life, only individuals experienced by
the Universal Life.
If there is no locality to Awareness (i.e. over here in contrast
to over there), but is all-pervasive and encompassing, then nothing
exists outside of consciousness, but rather everything is an
appearance of, and perceived by, this field of consciousness. I
also noticed that no matter how the mind appears to move, it is
still an appearance of unmoving consciousness, like the fast-moving
scenes in an action movie are still images displayed on an unmoving
screen (i.e. consciousness).
Thusness also discussed with me on this, told me to focus on
this impersonal and universal aspect of consciousness just
described by me, refine the four aspects of I AMness*, then
experience non-dual.
*(from an old post about the 4 aspects)
Thusness told me that at present try not to talk too much
about non-dual (to someone else in another forum) and he also
talked to me about the deepening of the "I AM" in 4 aspects: 1) the
aspect of impersonality, 2) the aspect of the degree of luminosity,
3) the aspect of dissolving the need to re-confirm and abide in I
AMness and understanding why such a need is irrelevant, 4) the
aspect of experiencing effortlessness.
Impersonality will help dissolve the sense of self but it has the
danger of making one attached to a metaphysical essence. It makes a
practitioner feel "God".
The degree of luminosity refers to feeling with entire being, feel
wholely and directly without thoughts. Feeling 'realness' of
whatever one encounters, the tree bark, the sand, etc. (see the
next post)
Dissolving the need to re-confirm is important as whatever is done
is an attempt to distant itself from itself, if there is no way one
can distant from the "I AM", the attempt to abide in it is itself
an illusion.
On the other hand, abiding in presence is a form of meditative
practice, like chanting, and leads to absorption. It can result in
the oceanic experience. But once one focuses on the 4 aspects
mentioned above, one will have that experience too.
Some recent pointers by John Wheeler which Thusness thought was
not bad as it articulates the various phases of I AM to Non
Dual.
http://www.naturalstate.us/index.html
The result of all this is like a snake eating
itself starting at the tail. When the assumed individual
investigates itself, the net result is its own demise. Not that
there is really anything present to be eradicated. But the looking
shows that what was assumed as present is not actually present.
That is the so-called "death" of the ego. It is a euphemism. It is
really the cancellation of what was never there in the first place.
This is generally misunderstood. People get worked up about
overcoming the ego, losing the ego, etc. That is all imaginary.
This is more like looking under the bed and seeing the bogey man
you thought existed is not present. It is an understanding or
seeing, not a process in time. However, it is not merely an
intellectual understanding. Intellectually understanding that the
bogey man is not real is not the same as knowing through direct
cognition the actual truth of the situation. That is why
intellectual understanding about who we are has little power to
cancel the illusion (the assumed identity). Very often, such
knowledge just becomes another adornment for the false ego
perspective and strengthens the assumed identity. Just like the map
is not the terrain, intellectual concepts of reality are not the
non-conceptual reality itself. This reality, your natural state, is
not a limited person or separate individual.
No matter who it is, no one (whether it is Christ, Buddha
or whomever) has gone beyond nothing, no thing. So, right now,
start from the fact that you are no thing and you have gone as far
as any of them.
~"Sailor" Bob
Adamson
When you understand what you are, both knowledge and
ignorance disappear.
~
Nisargadatta Maharaj
Pointers
The Pointers page is generally updated on Monday of
each week.
The "story" is only relevant for the seeming
individual. The belief in the individual is what causes us to seek
within the story for a resolve for the unsatisfied "me". The story
is not the problem! It is the "me" who thinks it is being defined
by it. People tend to deal with effects, such as presumed stories,
conditioning, karma, environment, body/mind functioning, etc. These
never were the actual root of the problem.
The problem is not phenomenal. It does not exist in the
appearances at all. It is the metaphysical assumption at the basis
of the appearance. That is why you cannot find a solution in
appearances. This predicament is traditionally called the endless
loop of suffering. It is a loop with no exit at its own level. But
diving to the root of the wheel, which is the separate "I" notion
or the concept that there is someone present having the limiting
experience, is the way out. Why? Because the root of the problem is
found to be not real, only assumed.
The "I" concept, as a thought generated by the mind,
does not create appearances per se. But it is the root of the
conceptual overlay that seemingly divides what is given. The "I"
notion is the erroneous or fictitious idea of an isolated, separate
entity. But that is not really present. Without belief in that
notion, there are appearances, but they are not conceptually
divided or divorced from the given reality.
To know any experience, there must be a knowing that "I
am". That is just the basic conscious knowing of being present.
That is what first appears out of deep sleep. It is not a personal
"I" or any other notion. Call it impersonal knowing. Subsequently,
the mind begins operating and the separate "I" notion is created in
thought.
Pure awareness, or non-conceptual reality, is non-dual.
Upon or within this arises self-consciousness, which is the pure
sense of "I am", but not yet individualized. Then follows the "I"
concept, or the notion of separate individuality. Lastly,
there appear notions such as I am this or that (body, mind,
personality, etc.).
Without the belief in the "I" and simply being what you
are here and now, there are no problems, no seeking, no suffering,
no doubts, no issues, no development, no deepening, etc. Why?
Because the innate reality has none of those things.
From the perspective of reality, there is NO appearance
to speak of, because the seeming appearance is the appearance of
THAT. It is all THAT.
You know Santa Claus is not real by investigation. You
never found him and there is nothing to find. End of the story. The
"I" entity is the same. Looking for it and finding its absence is
the end of the story.
The point is to see what is what, to see what you
really are as well as the falsity of the concept of limited
individuality. There is no personal reference point "doing" any of
this, just like there is no "I" seeing through your eyes right now,
only seeing. Seeing, understanding or recognizing is not done by an
entity. Yet seeing is happening. There never has been a person or
limited reference point. The point sometimes made that
investigating the "I" notion would only reinforce it is totally
unfounded and erroneous.
All phenomena appear in consciousness. That
consciousness is NOT personal. It is the primordial or first
experience in duality. It is the pure sense of "I am" with no other
content, just knowing "I am" without words, or being
self-consciously aware. But that is still an experience. You are
the space in which even that comes and goes.
Speaking of subsequent experiences "after realization"
is already a concession that one is moving off target. There is no
"after realization". That implies that even after seeing the basic
truth of non-duality (all there is is that), that time,
individuality and duality continue. Needless to say, that is still
viewing things within a dualistic perspective.
