Actual Freedom comparison

An Eternal Now SG

Since I got some free time on my hands now (ok, I know I should be using it to practice instead of creating more controversy and trouble ), I wrote a 20 page long document (containing roughly ten thousand words) comparing Buddhism with Actual Freedom and refuting some of Richard's criticisms of Buddhism.

Note to newbies: I am not against the practices and teachings of Actual Freedom, nor find that its practices and teachings are in essence different or incompatible with Buddhism (and as I wrote, they have very good description of the experience and insight of Buddhist Anatta), and in fact do recommend that interested parties give it a try, and even those who already have a practice of their own may find some of their materials and resources useful and supportive. If you find some of the contents in the Actual Freedom site painful to read, perhaps my document will put the concerns (about whether AF is something incompatible with Buddhism) to rest. Hence do not see my document as being written to 'dissuade' people from learning AF, for in fact, I see that it can positively allow (those of Buddhist persuasion) to put aside their doubts and skepticism about its relevance to Buddhadharma.

Some of the articles in the AF site are of unusually good quality (not many websites in the internet that propound spiritual wisdom have this level of clarity), and I will state which ones you should read in the following post.

Anyway the document I wrote: http://www.box.net/shared/sbyi64jrms

Warning: you may fall asleep reading it if you don't know the context of Actual Freedom teachings. And whether Richard is right or wrong about Buddhism is also not a very important issue anyway, the more important point is that 'you' practice and attain the actual freedom that is taught.

An Eternal Now SG

Links:

Some useful discussions about AF practice are taking place at Dharma Overground

Homepage of Actual Freedom:

Introducing Actual Freedom

An illustrated complete introduction to actual freedom, recommended for all newcomers.

A Brief Personal History

This Moment of Being Alive

Attentiveness and Sensuousness and Apperceptiveness

Richard’s Résumé
(Updated Sept. 2009)

The Third Alternative

Thusness SG

Hi AEN,

You never fail to amaze me when it comes to presenting the 7 phases of insights I gone through and many of your long posts in other threads are equally amazing. You sounded as if I have completed my path, this is far from true so do not over exaggerate my achievement -- fear, negative emotions and desires continue to manifest. That said, after re-reading the document, I must say that it is very well written. Just treat the 7-phases as a guide, not to make it a bible.

As for the PCE u mentioned, if you are refering to pure senate experience without the sense of an agent, it can/will arise by practicing bare attention. And yes imo, effortlessness of such experience only arise when we mature our insight of anatta. You must realize that all along the agent is assumed and learned, it is 'extra'; otherwise experience will be intermittent because practitioner cannot clearly see the cause that is hindering such experience.

With regards to having such experience during dreams, it is also possible. I believe this is similar to chanting. If you chant day in and out, at some point in your dreams, u will naturally chant when something undesirable happen. I think what is important is how fear and negative emotions in dreams gradually subside with the transition from strong vivid clear sensation in the dreams to simply sensations without the sense of self in dreams which is quite similar to the waking state.

Such experience is also possible when sensation is extremely subtle or there is no similar bodily sensations in dreams much like the "I AM" experience. It is mostly related to focusing on 'sound' or a particular 'thought' in dreams. The experience is however more like non-dual than anatta, like merging 2 soap bubbles into one.

Hope that helps.

An Eternal Now SG

Hi AEN,

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the clarification... Can you elaborate this paragraph as I don't quite understand it: "Such experience is also possible when sensation is extremely subtle or there is no similar bodily sensations in dreams much like the "I AM" experience. It is mostly related to focusing on 'sound' or a particular 'thought' in dreams. The experience is however more like non-dual than anatta, like merging 2 soap bubbles into one."

Are you saying that in a state in sleep where no bodily sensations are present, you have to focus on a sound or a thought to experience nondual?

p.s. just updated the document a bit to 9.8k words including your comments and a detailed discussion on the issue of rebirth and soul, and other stuff. at this point, i feel the document is pretty complete :P

Thusness SG

Are you saying that in a state in sleep where no bodily sensations are present, you have to focus on a sound or a thought to experience nondual?

No, I am not referring to deep sleep. It is in dreams where in your dreams your are brought to the attention of 'sound' and you focus on that 'sound'.

An Eternal Now SG

deleted... misunderstood

Thusness SG

I see... are you then suggesting that sometimes the anatta experience is effortlessly experienced in dreams, but when there is 'no similar bodily sensations', some kind of effort is still necessarily to enter a non-dual state? Do you think that anatta can be experienced in that phase of sleep as well?

No. Not effortless. Do not extrapolate more than necessary, I am just telling u it is possible as u mentioned that in your document. It is more like tendencies that resulted from the strength of practice that trigger a practitioner to remember the truth of anatta when dreaming. Lastly, when it is time to sleep, just sleep. IMO, mantaining Presence is a retrogression and not understanding anatta.

An Eternal Now SG

I see... thanks :)