The Spell of Karmic Propensities
The following article is a
summary (by me) of some of the conversations Thusness had with me
on the topic of Karmic Propensities/Karmic Momentum/Deep
Conditionings and how it blinds us and completely affects the way
we see phenomena.
Karmic Propensities is what blinded us from seeing the ultimate
reality. Our entire mind is affected by karmic propensities such
that our entire system of enquiry, even when we want to inquire on
reality, we cannot know beyond "Who", "When", "What", "Where". Our
mind is always thinking dualistically, in terms of subject and
object (an I and a Not-I/an Observer apart from the Object of
Observation, which cannot be found in reality). It is a momentum
that cannot be located, yet it can be directly felt and
experienced, and the momentum arises every moment and affect the
entire way we see things. When we are affected by momentum the mind
cannot know the ultimate reality (Emptiness).
Because our momentum is at work, we will always assume a
subject-object duality. That is, there is a Self, an Agent, and
observer, doer, thinker of thoughts. A self that persists in time
in a connected way... experiencing things... It blinds us into
seeing self and objective world as 'entities', as 'things' with
inherent existence, as a separate and permanent 'me'.
So when momentum is in action, we cannot help but react with our
karmic patterns. If we were to ask, "If you lost your shoe, are you
still you?" or "If u lost ur hands, do u still exist?". It almost
seems certain to say "Yes, of course I am still I." because we
always assumed there is a truly existing "Self" experiencing
changes. This momentum can continue even after experiences of
transcendental Presence, and distorting the experience. Dharma Dan
calls this the "fundamental knot of perception". (See: The
Non-Duality Models of Enlightenment by Dharma Dan)
Because it is our habit energy that made us think that way, we are
so used to thinking in terms of subject object duality that it has
become so deeply part of us, deeply imprinted into our
consciousness.
If we were to eliminate this bond, then we can begin to realise,
there is no "Self". In reality, there is only Self1, Self2, Self3,
moment to moment our mental and karmic factors arise spontaneously
but not in a connected way. We are not a permanent self, we are
momentary selves and nothing stays, everything is ever
flowing.
Without seeing things as 'entities', we can begin to realise the
nature of Dependent Co-Arising, Conditionality, Interdependence,
etc, i.e Emptiness. The nature is always so, but our karmic
propensities obscure us from seeing the truth, distorting the way
we see things, enquire things, and perceive things. It is this bond
that bonds us life after life in Samsara.
To eliminate the bond we have to feel it, feel the power of the
bond, experience it. To eliminate the bond is a matter of insights,
the insight into our true nature, the insight into self-liberation,
etc. Not only must we eliminate the bond, we must be able to see
how "Propensities" blinds us, and that is through naked
awareness.
How can naked awareness lead to the insight of our
"Propensities"?
Space, time, life, death, in and out are all deeply held
impressions. We are seldom aware of the deeply held until we are
able to rest adequately in naked awareness. The nakedness creates
the big contrast that provides us the condition for the arising of
the insight of the 'deeply held'. The insight into the full power
of our propensities and resting in naked awareness are both
equally crucial in our understanding of our non-dual (no
subject-object duality, no separate permanently existing self) and
non-local (emptiness of locality) nature.
To consciousness 'propensities' (deep conditioning or imprints) are
all that matters. It is the only 'force' that blinds, bonds and
prevents a liberating experience. Once formed it remains latent and
only surface when conditions are riped for fruition. We are unable
to get rid of it by will. Therefore to know consciousness, it is
also to know the impact of deep conditioning, how it is formed and
how it subsides. There is really no 'why', it is just how
consciousness works.
If we drop our body, we experience astral body.
If we drop our thoughts, we experience I AM.
If we drop I, we experience non-duality.
Every major dropping results in a totally new experiential reality.
Perhaps that is why Lao Tze teaches us to eliminate until none to
experience Tao.
To drop the bondage/deep conditionings, the mind MUST realise that
another way of 'knowing' is possible; an effortless, total sensing
and experience of wholeness. Next the experiences of the joy, bliss
and clarity of wholeness. Without the insight into the possiblity
and the experience of the positive factors, the mind will not
release itself from holding.
Even open pure and innocent inquiry is a deep conditioning. Makes
the mind chatters incessantly. Every what, when, where and why by
itself is a distancing from start. Freeing itself from such mode of
inquiry aka 'knowing', the mind rests. The joy of this resting must
be experienced for the 'willingness' to arise. 
P.S. there are different types of meditative
bliss/joy/rapture.
Like samatha meditation, each jhana state represents a stage of
bliss associated with certain level of concentration; the bliss
experienced from insight into our nature differs.
The happiness and pleasure experience by a dualistic mind is
different from that experienced by a practitioner. I AMness is a
higher form of happiness as compared to a dualistic mind that
continuously chatters. It is a level of bliss associated with a
state of transcendence a state of bliss resulting from the
experience of formlessness, odorless, colorless, attributeless and
thoughtlessness.
No-self or non-dual is higher form of bliss resulted from the
direct experience of Oneness and no-separation. It is related to
the dropping of the I. When non-dual is free from perceptions,
that bliss is a form transcendence-oneness. It is what Thusness
called transparency of non-duality.
