Thusness, early 2007:
Since appearance is all there is and appearance is really the
source, what gives rise to the diversities of appearances?
Sweetness of sugar isnt the blueness color of the sky. Same
applies to AMness
all are equally pure, no one state is purer than the
other, only condition differs. Conditions are factors that give
appearances their forms. In Buddhism, pristine awareness and
conditions are inseparable.
Although there is non-dual in Adviata and no-self in Buddhism,
Adviata rest in an Ultimate Background (making it dualistic
), whereas Buddhism eliminates the
background completely and rest in the emptiness nature of
phenomena; arising and ceasing is where pristine awareness is. In
Buddhism, there is no eternality, only timeless continuity
(timeless as in vividness in present moment but change and continue
like a wave pattern). There is no changing thing, only change.
..........
The Now has no identity, no image and no sameness. Not a
background and is not a container for things to manifest. When free
of concepts, free of the bondage and the need for a background, the
that, the it, the arising and subsiding phenomena is the
presence.
There is no changing thing, there is only change. Things are
cognized.
The ever becoming has no end and does not begin. No one particular
moment is all of it and yet, no moment isnt it. Neither is there
an All to this stream as All has no meaning in an endless
stream of becoming.
Look, see and point to the mountain, listen to the drumbeats of
footsteps, hear the chirping birds; without overlaying symbols,
free of concepts, delimited not by a body, not affect by the
imprints of senses, undefined by languages, all is and are the
Pristine Awareness.
Yet the entire beauty, richness, fabric and texture of this so
lucidly clear and real, does not remain even for a moment,
instantaneously it is gone. Embrace "this instantaneously gone" and
embrace let arise, this is its nature, simply so.
...........
The sensation of Isness 'as it is' is a feeling of clarity. It
is an expression that the mind is not adding or subtracting
anything from that clarity. But in most cases, Isness is to some
extend very much mixed up with thoughts (dualistic). There are
varying degree of clarity to this experience of Isness.
There will come a time where the mind/body just dropped completely.
There is absolutely no sensation of a background and a body. Then
the vividness and clarity is only just the 'things' as the layering
that divides disappear.
If the mind/body drop-experience is stabilized, all experiences
become shifted to the experience of awareness as 'Forms'. Seeing it
as the 'Things', as everything. Experiencing Awareness is the same
as experiencing the crystal clarity of 'things'. As long as there
is 'things', existence, awareness IS. Awareness, IS and 'Things'
are One. If this experience is stabilized, there is really no need
to find 'where' it emanates from since everywhere merely IS. If the
center is truly gone, emanation is right at the 'sound' heard,
there and then. So we felt a center, a place, what we are
feeling is an impression that is thought-bound. It is really the
feeling of the idea in a more subtle form rather than awareness
in its nakedness.
Next when the mind is free of definitions and symbols, it loses all
its 'quantitative' characteristics. Eternality for example, is not
an endless duration from past to future; instead it is right in/at
this instant; how deep, beautiful, real and clear it is in this
instantaneous moment. All attributes (Realness, Luminosity, Unborn,
Uncreated...etc) of Awareness are manifested instantly. How much we
know about our pristine Awareness is determined by the quality of
this moment of experience. In Buddhism it is what can be
experienced in a speck of dust and all these have to do with the
thoroughness of dropping the 'Self', every aspect of the 'Self' (as
a container, as body, as habitual momentum). Do not place any limit
on the experience of 'Isness', there is no depth to it...
...........
IMO and from a spiritual practice point of view, any form of
holdings is pain.
Many times attachments are not obvious and we never realized how
strong our attachments are until we are hit by crisis. This is what
I experienced during financial crisis in 1997. Before that I
thought I was not that attached to $$$ but when threaten by
bankruptcy all sort of thoughts arised, including very evil ones.
To live in present moment from a practice perspective is to be in
naked awareness, where awareness is completely clear, non-dual and
unmolested. It is not seeking anything and awareness rest in its
orginality. Puting this mind state into daily activities is known
as non-action and does not carry karma and this is the difficult
part. This is different from those '1 second manager' sort of
concepts that train one to be effective and efficient in achieving
goals.
With regards to ur exams and utube example, it is a matter of being
focus that requires u to 'jing and ding' in order to concentrate.
In this case both are still attachment. If u study with ur best
effort yet not affected by the the outcome, you are non-attached.
...........
'Now' is an impression. 'Here' is an impression. The 'place
where it emanates' is also an impression. If we attempt to find a
'where', we are reacting to our dualistic momentum. This will
create a 'split' and the sense of self will arise.
Isness is the vivid and crystal clarity of a moment of phenomenal
manifestation. It is awareness as 'things' and awareness as
'forms'. All of what awareness is, is the phenomenal manifestation
right there and then and it subsides instantaneously. If the 'sense
of self' as a background, as body and as momentum hasn't dissolved
thoroughly, there will be vagueness in the experience of Isness and
the timelessness of an instant will not be appreciated.