The ‘Watcher’ is the True Self says Dr. Tan Kheng Khoo

Lead me from dreaming to waking. Lead me from opacity to clarity. Lead me from the complicated to the simple. Lead me from the obscure to the obvious. Lead me from intention to attention. Lead me from what I'm told I am to what I see I am. Lead me from confrontation to wide openness. Lead me to the place I never left, Where there is peace, and peace - The Upanishads

*Interesting guy I found..Dr. Tan Kheng Khoo AM...!!! I GOOD OR WHAT?..this guy talks very close to the the truth..man..I love my job of detecting wise guys on the net..love me,I say,says the mahayogi...!!..kiss:)

This guy talks the truth about Vipasana(the insight meditation of the Buddhists)

if YOu are really advanced..either you'll have common points with his view...or go back to your practice.

Believe me...he is advanced,not not as advanced as me..for I am the only humble mahayogi in the world...that's why I have this blog..to explain you over and over about my greatness ..PUNKS!!

..not really..see?..that was a joke..the true POWER is KNnnnnnnnnOWINnnnnnG and Feelllllllllling that you are the pure spirit inside..like the Shri Mataji said..

THE MASTERY OF YOUR ATTENTION WILL COME WHEN YOU WILL START SEEING THAT IT IS ALL A MYTH THAT UPSETS YOU.JUST THROW IT AWAY..AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE THE ETERNAL LIFE.ONLY THEN YOU WILL FULLY ENJOY YOURSELF BECAUSE YOUR ATTENTION WOULD BE COMPLETELY DRENCHED IN THE BLISS OF YOUR TRUE SELF.-SHRI MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI-

Now love me...for I always love you..

Thus spokenth the mahayogi...the kripto watcher is not only the witness,but the witnessing in YOU..ponder,grasshoppers:)..love to you,and please meditate...before I get angry,that's it..kiss;)

-added by danny-

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By Dr. Tan Kheng Khoo

LOL...so what makes you think the so called Vipasanna is not still a thought form,you demented Tan Kheng Khoo ?....makes you happy?..funny guy...thousands of years they proclaim,,mantras,, wathfulnness.. and when shit hits the fan about... they go to war ...and kill each others...in the name of,,mindfulness..ok..guess Buddhism is the best,but please ...stop the insanity!..for if love is not..nothing matters!...kissi..thus spokenths the mahayogi named Danny from heaven!...and keep your mindfulness and shove it in your ass till you prove you love someone...oki?..good!
 

Insight meditation (Vipassana) is the practice of moment-to moment awareness both in formal sitting as well as meditation in action outside of formal sitting. In sitting meditation we start briefly with breathing as a rising and falling process, after which the main subjects to be dealt with will be the mind and the states of mind. The latter include all the emotional feelings and the states of mind that we are experiencing during the sitting meditation. Whilst dealing with these 2 phenomena, we are not allowed any choice in the matter. We just merely watch the thoughts and states of mind as they arise while we sit. There should not be any attempt at modifying or suppressing the thoughts or states. This choiceless awareness is of paramount importance in the practice. The main object of this practice is to see the ceaseless stream of thoughts and the change of moods and emotions as they arise and fall at that moment. There should be no attempt at interrupting or interfering with this continuous flow. We merely watch the process of change and movement. That is to bring to mind the reality of impermanence of any state, which is invariably changing all the time. And therefore if we were to cling on to anything or state hoping that it will remain the same then we suffer. As we continue to practice Vipassana, we will also realize that there is no abiding essence or self in the three bodies: physical, emotional and mental. This is the Anatta doctrine (Selflessness) of Theverada Buddhism. This practice has to continue when we are out of sitting meditation, when we are doing our daily chores. We can meditate in any position and in every state of activity, but now we have to make a choice between the options that are offered us. Otherwise, we get nowhere. We have to choose to achieve our purpose of action. The accent here is again to be completely mindful and aware of every action. And lastly, we have to be aware of the reactions that arise when our 6 senses meet external objects. These latter two practices will be the theme for the next essay.

The ‘Watcher’ is the True Self

First and foremost, we must separate a ‘watcher’ in our consciousness to observe what is going on in our mind and body. The mind includes states of minds, emotions, feelings and higher spiritual realms. This ‘watcher’ starts off as being part of our consciousness, but as we become more and more silent and still, this ‘watcher’ expands itself to be an omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent but impartial observer. When the practice is intense enough and prolonged enough then we will realize that this ‘watcher’ is really our True Self. In other words, it is the soul or Atman occupying that great expanse of emptiness. And if we can carry this realization with us wherever we go we are self-realized! This is the goal of every mystic. So in order to achieve this aim we must always remember to separate a ‘watcher’. This ‘watcher’ is merely to watch and observe the train of thoughts and emotional feelings as they arise at that moment and not later or before that moment. Later, when we are not in sitting meditation, it should continue to observe and watch our movements so that finally we can control and master our body and mind. But initially, we merely watch and take no action.

States of Mind, Emotions and Feelings

When these states arise, we must know them as they occur. We must not anticipate them or trace them back to their origin, as suggested by some teachers. We must see them and know them at that time of appearance. Do not modify or suppress them. Merely observe them. Look at them head on without flinching. By just watching them, we are practising separation and trying to realize our true self. Some of the states and emotions may be classified as below:

(a) States of mind as depicted in the encephalogram: Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta Waves. These states have been meticulously described in the article on "Progressive Stages of One-Pointed Concentration Meditation (Samatha)". We simply recognise which state we are in without doing anything about it.

(b) Emotional States: Notice how calm or tranquil you are at the beginning of meditation. Or are you irritated or agitated? Is there anger or hatred? What about restlessness and worry? Is there joy or happiness? Is there a feeling of gleeful anticipation towards the meditation? What about drowsiness or sleepiness? All these emotions must be meticulously noted without agitation. There should also be no attempt at changing these emotions. You are merely the observer; otherwise you do not know yourself. All these emotional states are not you. They may remain there for sometime as emotional background or they may slowly wane.

(c) Altered States: These are states like altruistic love, compassion, and forgiveness and at peace with the whole world. These states are normally not characteristic of that person. Thus lies the danger. If these states take over temporarily our normal emotions, and if we were to act contrarily to our normal character, then we would be in deep trouble! For instance, one may suddenly decide to give away all one’s assets to charity, and then find that there is no more to feed oneself and family. What a calamity! Other altered states may include visits to the lower and middle astral, and these may frighten the meditator, although these escapades are most rare. The feeling of divine love may be so overwhelming that the meditator becomes extremely grateful to God or Allah or Buddha that he can then take up that particular religion straight away without reservation. These altered states, of course, do not last. And when they wane, one drops back to normality again. This coming home to the normal world is something of a let down and can be very disappointing to say the least.

(d) "Enlightened" State of At-One with the Universe: In this state you feel as if you are everything you see and feel, and everything outside you is part of you. If you were to focus on somebody, that person is you. The trees, birds and animals are all you. Nothing is exempt. However, this state does not last. It may last for hours or days at the most, but it eventually it will disappear.

(e) Psychedelic states as in drug-induced states. There may be multi-coloured, multi-faceted and multi-dimensional states, never experienced before in one’s life. You could be floating in this dizzy exotic environment with not a care in the world. You feel that you have reached paradise, and you congratulate yourself for arriving in heaven with no effort. But alas, it is uncontrollable, and finally it ends with a big bang, a let down and a very bad hangover as in a trip with drugs.

(f) Makyo: hallucinations and visions. These visions and hallucinations tend to appear when one is in theta wave. The visions may be figures of Virgin Mary, Buddha, Kwan Yin or Jesus, all of which no living person has ever seen. They are not real. One can eradicate them by simply opening one’s eyes or just change the thought. The famous Zen saying: "When you see Buddha, kill him" is absolutely correct. These hallucinatory states may include the meditator flying in the air or diving into solid earth or wheezing to the moon or stars. There may be scenes of olden times or periods, giving a false believe that these are our actual previous lives from our Akashic records. They are not. They are merely hallucinations. Further, one may smell, hear or feel things that are not perceived by others. Lastly, one may experience an NDE (near-death experience) but this is extremely rare.

All the above states and emotional feelings do not come in one continuous period of time. They appear intermittently throughout the session of sitting meditation, or more commonly they do not appear at all. Therefore, throughout the insight meditation we will see and perceive different states as we go deeper and deeper into Vipassana. For instance, we start the meditation feeling angry and irritated, but as the meditation progresses, we become calmer and then end up being tranquil. We know when we are in Alpha or Theta wave. Then after many months of practice, we reached states of divine love, compassion and at peace with the world. As these states turn up we know. Then deeper still, psychedelic states or hallucinations and visions may also appear. Then we merely recognise them as such and then we let them go. Every state, feeling and vision must just be seen and then dropped. There should not be any attempt at holding on to them. They are all transient and impermanent. One may not be able to repeat the same state or vision ever again. One also should not boast about their occurrences. These transitory states of mind are not for real and therefore it is quite useless clinging to these memories. They are like will-o’-the- wisp’ of the air. All these states come without premonition or warning, and they disappear in like fashion. They appear intermittently throughout that process of observing our thoughts. There is no order in their appearances.

The Mind

Assume the same sitting position as in the concentration practice. After going round your body (sensing different parts of the body) as taught in Samatha meditation, you again come to the breath. This time you notice the breathing as an arising and falling phenomenon. Then note the state of the mind. Further, fix your attention at your forehead between the two eyes. This is now your television screen and all the thoughts are now to be placed here. Past, present and future thoughts are to be screened here (Fig.1).

They appear as pictures here, but the mental chatter will occur at the ears. Now again separate a ‘watcher’ who will observe the pictures and listen to the verbal commentary. One cannot concentrate on 2 things at one time. So you have to decide to pay attention either to the pictures or to the mental chatter. The attention must be total and not half-hearted. If you can look at the one picture in full bloom, it will disappear, and momentarily, there will be no thoughts. Soon another train of thoughts will arrive. This time it is even more powerful and you could be caught in its momentum for a length of time. This chain of associated thoughts will continue until suddenly you come to realize that you are in that chain, and there is again another interval of stillness and silence. These intervals of emptiness are initially not recognized, until many weeks of months of meditation have passed. Then when one is able to slow down the thoughts and reduce their number, then these intervals are even easier to detect. It is during Theta wave that one can more easily catch these periods of silence. If an interval of stillness appears, hold on to it. Don’t let it go. Try and lengthened it. Enjoy it. But alas, without experience it will slip away very quickly. Therefore, experience is essential in this practice. You can read as many books as you like; it is of no help whatsoever. It is practical experience that counts. Continuing with this Vipassana practice, there will come a time when you can keep that interval of still and silent emptiness long enough to enjoy the pure awareness. From this expanse of pure awareness, insights will arise. These are from ‘the small little voice’ arising out of the pure awareness. These insights are appropriate to your level of development, no more, no less. Perhaps after many years of practice and truly letting go, spiritual wisdom may then accrue.

The Objects of Mind

What are the thoughts that arrive at your television screen? Do not bring out subjects for contemplation. Just let the thoughts arise on their own. Inevitably, problems of the present will come about. They may be financial problems or situations of the immediate family. There may be some tension with regards to the office personnel. Relationships with sexual overtones feature quite prominently to certain individuals. Then memories of yesterday, last week or last month will turn up. After some time these memories will change to planning for the future. Whether they are of the past, present or future, these pictures must be seen at the center of the forehead, where the screen is. Later on, when all the problems are seen to, random associative thoughts will begin a chain of their own. These chains may gather such a momentum that one is unaware of them and one is caught in them. Then all of a sudden, one is brought back to the present practice, and then a short interval of stillness is brought to one’s consciousness. In this stillness one may note one’s state of mind: are we calm? Still agitated? Is there rapture? And so on. Some external noise will distract one momentarily. Then the thoughts will start to appear again, after another external noise triggers another memory. The above process will repeat itself again and again, but with diligence and practice the thoughts are seen more clearly and can be held for longer periods of time. With experience and prolonged practice, we can have longer and longer periods of stillness and silence. These intervals of no thoughts may be extended to a definite and perceptible length of time. This state of pure awareness is most exhilarating: it is unadulterated bliss! So the discipline here is to repeatedly go into this state of pure awareness which should be extended as long as possible. It is during this still and silent emptiness that insights will appear. What are the insights? It all depends on one’s spiritual development. If one is still worldly and materialistic, then the insights will be of that nature. If one has let go a fair bit then they will be of a higher plane. Sometimes precognition or clairvoyance or telepathy may turn up, but this is not a constant feature. They are more like fluke occurrences. The latter may be transmitted as voices or just plain knowing. These ‘psi’ phenomena are not repeatable.

At the end of the day it is the character transformation that counts. Love, compassion and equanimity should replace our negativities like craving, anger, selfishness, pride and ignorance.

The Three Hearts

Firstly, there is the physical heart, which is just to the left of the sternum. Secondly, there is the emotional heart, which is just below the bottom of the sternum. Whenever one gets a shock or news of disaster it catches one at the hollow pit of the stomach, our second heart. Thirdly, there is this Divine heart. It is also called the soul or Atman. According to Ramana Maharshi, it is the size of the last phalange of the thumb and is situated just to the right of the bottom of the sternum. Now following from the above Vipassana meditation, when we have arrived at S.E.S. (Stillness, Emptiness, and Silence) for quite a long time, we can bring down our attention down to where the seat of the soul is: just to the right of the bottom of the sternum. And stay there as long as we can. This will reinforce our love and compassion for the service of mankind.

The Levels of Consciousness

In insight meditation, the watcher merely observes the thoughts and pictures arising in the superficial consciousness. Then with prolonged practice, the still and silent emptiness is achieved. With further practice, memories of the subconscious may surface (Fig. 2).

The subconscious is defined in this paper as past events in this present life. Many levels of the subconscious may now occasionally erupt triggering the memory bank. The surfacing of any memory is on ‘the need to know basis’ and not on ‘I want to know basis’. These memories are there to unravel the knots in our psyche at that moment. Then as we continue to let go more and more and if our practice is on the right track, then we could be extremely privileged to peep into few of our Akashic Records. The trouble here is that we cannot be certain that it is truly the Akashic and not merely our hallucination. The Akashic is in the realms of the Collective Unconsciousness (of Jung). Of course, in this realm innumerable lifetimes may surface, and therefore many karmic causes may be elicited to explain the difficulties we are in at the present. Delving into past lifetimes in the Collective Unconsciousness may engross us for long periods of time, but at the end we have to let go even of this feat. It is said that Gautama Buddha was able to see every lifetime since his first human incarnation.

Finally, we have to drop down even further to the Universal Consciousness that means into the realm of the Godhead. This supreme feat has only been achieved by a few prophets in the past while they are alive, and Buddha was one of them. It is in this rarefied realm that we realize that every consciousness (vegetation, animal, mineral and human) is interconnected. Nothing is outside this supreme Godhead. It is one without a second. This is the non-dualistic realm of the Unborn, Uncreated and Uncompounded. This is the state of Nirvana!

The Dark Night of the Soul

Not all mystics go through this stage. After many years or lifetimes of purification and practice of meditation, the mystic arrives at this stage of purgation. It is the penultimate stage just before union with the absolute. It is the last struggle before one arrives at Unity or Ultimate State of Consciousness. In the Buddhist Theverada tradition, the last 3 fetters to be relinquished are (1) Ego-conceit, (2) Restlessness of the mind and (3) Ignorance. When these 3 are dropped, he becomes a saint. The eastern traditions do not stress much on the Dark Night. This experience is mainly described by Western mystics. The purgation is composed of utter despair and deprivation. The worst form of mental disease is a breeze compared to this sadness, deprivation and depression of the Dark Night. The mystic path hitherto has been strewn with illuminating experiences, especially if the mystic believes that God has been seen supporting him all along. He has been on this path of illumination up to now. And now he is crossing over to another path, which is ‘Unity with the Absolute’. This is now the final test of total detachment. He has to erase completely the residual ego-conceit and ignorance, and his motto should be ‘I am nothing, I have nothing, I desire nothing’. This is very similar to the last Buddhist fetters of Ego-conceit, Ignorance and Restlessness. The Christian mystic feels as if God who has been nourishing him all this while has suddenly abandoned him. The pain and emptiness is excruciating. The other name for the Dark Night is the Mystic Death. This period of purgation may last a few months or a few years. At the beginning, the pendulum swings from ecstasy to deprivation. As the practice continues, the periods of sadness and depression lengthen until near the end, when there is only the Dark Night and no delight at all. Of course, during these periods of ‘hell’, nobody could be blamed if he were to give up the mystic path altogether. However, if he were to persevere, as most do, the rewards are most exhilarating and exquisite as it is a prize of the spiritual realm and nothing mundane is comparable to it. He is now enlightened and he is united with the Absolute. Although physically he is in this world, he is now not of the world. Everything he touches turns to gold. He has been trying to achieve this state for many lifetimes. And finally he is in this non-dualistic state of Nirvana! The whole world should celebrate for this one individual who has joined the Godhead. He now knows that he has always been there and has never been separate from it!

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To us all towns are one, all men our kin. Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill. Man's pains and pains' relief are from within. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !. - Tamil Poem-

Use 10 fingers to grab the Buddha:)

Lead me from dreaming to waking. Lead me from opacity to clarity. Lead me from the complicated to the simple. Lead me from the obscure to the obvious. Lead me from intention to attention. Lead me from what I'm told I am to what I see I am. Lead me from confrontation to wide openness. Lead me to the place I never left, Where there is peace, and peace - The Upanishads

*note* amazing 10 fingers mudras..very useful for enlightenment,if you have the 10 fingers flexibility..and remember every finger is pointing for the moon,but is not the moon itself,even if you had 20 fingers available..trust me..

Thus spokenth the mahayogi,while flexing his 10 wisdom fingers,in the 3 realms,using only 1 humble eye..the kripto spirit...anyway..lovely video,and beautiful music..enjoy!

-added by danny-

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To us all towns are one, all men our kin. Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill. Man's pains and pains' relief are from within. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !. - Tamil Poem-

You're looking at you now

Lead me from dreaming to waking.

Lead me from opacity to clarity.

Lead me from the complicated to the simple.

Lead me from the obscure to the obvious.

Lead me from intention to attention.

Lead me from what I'm told I am to what I see I am.

Lead me from confrontation to wide openness.
Lead me to the place I never left, Where there is peace, and peace - The Upanishads
*note* lovely video about Allan Watts..quote "A philosophically oriented remix of the late Eastern Philosopher Alan Watts' 1971 special "A Conversation With Myself" combined with visuals from the great art film "Baraka".



Lyrics:
You're breathing
The wind is blowing
The trees are waving
Your nerves are tingling
The individual and the universe
Are inseparable
But the curious thing is
Very few people are aware of it
Everything in nature
Depends on everything else
So it's interconnected
We confuse ourselves as living organisms which are one with this whole universe
With something we call our personality
And what is our personality?
And our fundamental self is not something just inside the skin
It's everything around us with which we connect
When you look out of your eyes
At nature happening out there
You're looking at you
That's the real you-
The you that goes on of itself
Now listen
It's absolutely necessary
That we let go of ourselves- and it can't be done,
Not by anything that we call doing it, acting, willing,
Or even just accepting things
It seems that the human being
Really has a very simple kind of mind
Nature is wiggly
Everything wiggles
And all this wiggliness is too complicated(end quote)

It seems that Allan speaks about the part within which is the foundation of the universe.It is very interesting that most traditions stop there,and they do not see the resonator factor of interdependence which works both ways..in other words,as you let go of yourself,you find yourself..and the one you find isn't pretty...hahahaha..look at the mess you've made of the world.I personally don't consider Allan as realized,but that's just my mahayogi opinion,what do I know?..

Lovely poem,and lovely video,in any case..kisses for Allen,whatever he is now in the afterlife..maybe he's having fun..or maybe not.

Reminds me of a poem I wrote..it goes like this..

As butterflies can ONLY be-

a poem from danny,for you,seekers....

The one you think

The one you feel

Will never,ever want to shrink

And all it wants is a good deal

How can I use my mighty powers

How my desires won't be sorrow

How can I be as entity

Away from pain and cruelty

I say abandon the term ,I,

Then you will feel,and think as sky

Just think of nothing,be yourself

The universe amazing elf

With 2 big eyes and a big nose

You room the galaxies across

Forget the big smile on your face

Dead or alive..you are the grace..

The cosmic joke has been rezolved

Just smile and know this game is old

There is no past,there is no future

There is no me,there is no you

There is this moment's right composure

Of this and that,and white and blue

Awake from this and you are free

As butterflies can only be.

-added by danny-

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To us all towns are one, all men our kin. Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill. Man's pains and pains' relief are from within. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !. - Tamil Poem-

Sahaja yoga ..self realization online

Lead me from dreaming to waking. Lead me from opacity to clarity. Lead me from the complicated to the simple. Lead me from the obscure to the obvious. Lead me from intention to attention. Lead me from what I'm told I am to what I see I am. Lead me from confrontation to wide openness. Lead me to the place I never left, Where there is peace, and peace - The Upanishads

*note*...this is the original self-realization from Mataji Nirmala Devi...I am an old yogi,so I'd have a hard time remembering how I got the original cool breeze in my hands..since I feel it all over..in any case,do this video,and try to understand that shakti moves your attention..the idea is to feel that,,thoughtless stage,,(in the beginning)...in the advanced stages,I'll explain other time.

Be well..kisses from the mahayogi to all..

-added by danny-

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"To us all towns are one, all men our kin. Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill. Man's pains and pains' relief are from within. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !." - Tamil Poem-

Honey I love you:)

Lead me from dreaming to waking.
Lead me from opacity to clarity.
Lead me from the complicated to the simple. Lead me from the obscure to the obvious. Lead me from intention to attention. Lead me from what I'm told I am to what I see I am. Lead me from confrontation to wide openness. Lead me to the place I never left, Where there is peace, and peace - The Upanishads

*note* Abba ,,honey honey song,,..lovely..

Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah-hah, honey honey kripto
Honey honey, nearly kill me, ah-hah, honey honey
I'd heard about you before
I wanted to know some more
And now I know what they mean, you're a love machine kripto
Oh, you make me dizzy...you marvelous kripto!

Honey honey, let me feel it, ah-hah, honey honey
Honey honey, don't conceal it, ah-hah, honey honey kripto:)
The way that you kiss goodnight
(The way that you kiss me goodnight)
The way that you hold me tight
(The way that you're holding me tight)
I feel like I wanna sing when you do your thing

I don't wanna hurt you, baby, I don't wanna see you cry
So stay on the ground, girl, you better not get too high
But I'm gonna stick to you, boy, you'll never get rid of me
There's no other place in this world where I rather would be..that with kripto..

Honey honey, touch me, baby, ah-hah, honey honey..kripto
Honey honey, hold me, baby, ah-hah, honey honey
You look like a movie star
(You look like a movie star..my marvelous kripto)
But I know just who you are
(I know just who you are)
And, honey, to say the least, you're a dog-gone beast

So stay on the ground, girl, you better not get too high
There's no other place in this world where I rather would be

Honey honey, how you thrill me, ah-hah, honey honey
Honey honey, nearly kill me, ah-hah, honey honey
I heard about you before
I wanted to know some more
And now I know what they mean, you're a love machine..my kripto..

ps..the one is awake,but the water is shallow..the one is for you,but you missed it in the gallows..the one is right here,can you grasp his one eye?..if NOT you'will die as many have died..behold..I am kripto ,and I tell you the truth..unless you'll find me...you will NOT find the truth..

THUS spokenths the marvelous mahayogi..the TRUE HONEY...

Kisses to you..honey honey..find the kripto in you next time,honey:)..it's right there in your HEART..and I'll be there for you,FOR ETERNITY..SINGING..honey honey..I know you,and you know kripto...and YOU KNOW YOURSELF...for I am everybody and none..I am the kripto honey,ones in the lifetime you taste it...if you read this blog..

BELIEVE ME......for I am the beloved....and I am you always,protecting you..I am inside..and outside..I am the rain and the sunshine..I am the honey..and I created you...inside you are me..so sing to you(and me) honey honey song,for before you'll know it,both of us will'll be dead..so why not enjoy me now?..honey honey..I LOVE YOU!!!!..always did.

-added by danny-

"To us all towns are one, all men our kin. Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill. Man's pains and pains' relief are from within. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !." - Tamil Poem-

Song of the sun:)

Lead me from dreaming to waking.

Lead me from opacity to clarity.

Lead me from the complicated to the simple.

Lead me from the obscure to the obvious.

Lead me from intention to attention. Lead me from what I'm told I am to what I see I am. Lead me from confrontation to wide openness. Lead me to the place I never left, Where there is peace, and peace - The Upanishads
*note* lovely music from Mike Oldfield quote"Michael Gordon "Mike" Oldfield (born 15 May 1953, Reading, Berkshire) is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature. He is best known for his hit 1973 album Tubular Bells, which broke new ground as an instrumental album and launched Virgin Records, and for his 1983 hit single "Moonlight Shadow". He is also well known for his hit rendition of the Christmas piece, "In Dulci Jubilo".
-added by danny-.
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"To us all towns are one, all men our kin. Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill. Man's pains and pains' relief are from within. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !." - Tamil Poem-

Paul El Pulpo Octopus(Octopus vulgaris species)

Lead me from dreaming to waking.

Lead me from opacity to clarity.

Lead me from the complicated to the simple.

Lead me from the obscure to the obvious.

Lead me from intention to attention.

Lead me from what I'm told I am to what I see I am.

Lead me from confrontation to wide openness.
Lead me to the place I never left, Where there is peace, and peace - The Upanishads
*note*Paul the Octopus(Paul El Pulpo in spanish)knew the final outcome of the 2010 world soccer cup...amazing .."Paul (hatched January 2008) is a Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris is the most studied of all octopus species) living in a tank at a Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany, who is used as an animal oracle to predict the results of football matches, usually international matches in which Germany is playing. He came to worldwide attention with his accurate predictions in the 2010 World Cup.

During a divination, Paul is presented with two boxes containing food, each marked with the flag of a national football team in an upcoming match. He chose the box with the flag of the winning team in four of Germany's six Euro 2008 matches, and in all seven of their matches in the 2010 World Cup. He correctly predicted a win for Spain against the Netherlands in the World Cup final on 11 July by eating the mussel in the box with the Spanish flag on it. His predictions have thus been 100% (8/8) correct for the 2010 World Cup and 86% (12/14) correct overall"

Is he better then Nostradamus?..long live the Paul,says the mahayogi!..kisses:)

-added by danny-
............

"To us all towns are one, all men our kin. Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill. Man's pains and pains' relief are from within. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !." - Tamil Poem-

The beauty of the dharma...or the Boat Monk story from Bill Bodri

Lead me from dreaming to waking. Lead me from opacity to clarity. Lead me from the complicated to the simple. Lead me from the obscure to the obvious. Lead me from intention to attention. Lead me from what I'm told I am to what I see I am. Lead me from confrontation to wide openness. Lead me to the place I never left, Where there is peace, and peace - The Upanishads

*note* for some particular reason I needed to read again this story of the,,boat monk,,..lovely indeed...from the bodhisava Bill site...kisses to him.

ps..be aware that you won't be able to comprehend this unless you meditate..this stuff is above the mind level...you must get above the mind and access the source of it...all my posts are for inspiration only,not for ONE second THINK that you can evolve in spirituality by reading the words of others....you must find the treasure within yourself...all of this is just to inspire you...kisses:)

-added by danny-

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The Boat Monk
I love the Zen story of the Boat monk. It expresses the Zen high literary style, and the beauty of the dharma.


Seems that a group of monks attained some degree of the Tao under a famous Zen teacher, Master Yao-shan. One of them was Teh-cheng and his dharma brothers were Yun-men and Tao-wu. Master Teh-cheng knew he didn't have the personality to teach a large number of people or run a monastery, so he told his brothers to send him someone of exceptional talent when they found one rather than open up a teaching center himself.


As is the rule, his job would also be to transmit the dharma to a qualified student if he could find one, but without a teaching center, he had no way to attract a student. Therefore his dharma brothers would have to send someone who had the karmic affinity with Teh-cheng for awakening. So he told them, "You know where I am staying. If you find a student of sharp potential, send him to me so that I may transmit the dharma."


Years later, it just so happened that Teh-cheng's dharma brother Tao-wu was attending a lecture by a famous monk, named Chia-shan, who already had a great following. Chia-shan knew all about the dharma and was extremely eloquent. He could respond to every question with the proper words, and yet he lacked the dharma eye...he lacked any true stage of attainment. Ask him any question and he could respond with the right words ... but without the dharma eye, everything was actually wrong because it could enlighten no one. He knew the words but did not know the real meaning -- he had not achieved it.


His case was like the intellectuals today who study the Bible, Koran, Buddhist sutras, Torah, or any such book or sets of books, know all the perfect words to use so that they sound as if they are in accord with the traditional teachings, and yet everything they say lacks any touch with True Reality. Why? Because those folks have no cultivation attainment themselves. They are dogma literalists rather than enlightened sages. So while they may be intellectually brilliant they are spiritually bereft, and cannot lead anyone to liberation.


That's the state of the world. That's 99.999999999999% of teachers and religious professionals out there.


So while attending the lecture, Master Tao-wu just kept himself quiet and concealed, but he snickered when Chia-shan answered a question correctly ... in order to attract attention. After it was over, Chia-shan respectfully approached master Tao-wu and asked what mistake he had made that his elder had done so.


Tao-wu replied, "You answered correctly, it's just that you've never been taught by a good teacher. I never explain things. If you want to learn, you must go to visit the boatman's place at the city of Hau-ting (where the Boatman Monk Teh-cheng was staying)."


Now because he really was interested in self-improvement, Chia-shan set off right away. This, in itself, shows he was of extraordinary character and not too full of himself. Chia-shan was right in theory, but did not have a real experience of the dharma, yet didn't know it. He thought he was right, but also suspected that he was wrong, that he was missing something though everything he said was correct and according to the scriptures. Amazingly, he was willing to take advice and was anxious to find the answer despite already being established and having a great reputation, so off he went.


Would you do that?


Now at the location, the dharma brother Teh-cheng had settled into a job ferrying people across a river, and had done so for several decades waiting for a good student. No one knew of his high stage of attainment. When the young monk arrived, with one look he knew that he had been cultivating and had some ability, but needed to be awakened to a true direct experience of the dharma. He needed a real, direct experience of the Tao. He knew all the right words, the sutras, the dharma and so forth, but he was clinging to all these explanations and his conceptualizations. He had become an intellectual master rather than reality master. He could not let go of them to realize no-self, no-ego, emptiness. Therefore he had not attained the Tao.


Upon meeting young master Chia-shan, who knew all the correct words but had no direct taste of reality, Teh-cheng opened up the conversation by asking, "What temple do you dwell in, oh virtuous one?"


Chia-shan answered with words that point to the Tao, though of course he did not have that stage of attainment: "I do not dwell in a temple. Dwelling is not like it."


Why did he say this? Because the original nature is not a state, and if you dwell or abide in any state it is NOT the Tao. Chia-shan was saying he understood the Tao by answering in such a way because a regular monk would simply have mentioned the name of his city or monastery.


The boatman then asked, "It is not like what?"


Chia-shan once again correctly answered the correct intellectual response, "It is not the phenomena before our eyes."


Because Chia-shan kept answering correctly, but without without possessing the true dharma experience himself, it was like someone who would respond with the right scriptural retort from the Bible ... though everything said was everything right and you could not find any fault with it, you could tell they were wrong. I'm sure you've had that experience because it is hard to explain.


A little bit disgusted at these canned responses, the Boat monk Teh-Cheng then asked, "Where did you learn all this (way of answering)?"


Chia-shan answered, "It is not something that the eyes or ears can reach," meaning it ultimately comes from the Tao. This time Chia-shan replied in such a way that you could take it as a smirk, with the hidden meaning being, "I know this and you don't? Who are you that you don't know these things?"


With that response, the Boatman monk then uttered a famous line, "A fitting sentence can be a stake that tethers a donkey for 10,000 aeons."


In other words, if you just cling to scripture, or intellectualization, or the words of this or that holy text without arriving at a genuine experience of the true meaning, if you don't experience the original nature, you will tie yourself up in ignorance (non-enlightenment) for aeons and never become free. Why? Because you cling to the intellect, in which case you are wrong. Words will not save you, scripture will not save you. Only cultivation practice and realization will save you!


How many people follow this pattern today? They quote the Torah and cling to it, all the while being correct in words, but WRONG. They cling to the Bible, reciting verses and sentences correctly, and yet they lack any attainment or any means for getting anywhere. They cling to the Koran, the Buddhist sutras, Taoist works and they are all wrong. They never fathom the meaning of the texts. They never reach enlightenment or samadhi or any genuine stage of attainment. They can talk about things all they want, but these are just intellectuals rather than spiritual leaders, people who know a lot about religious things but cannot lead you to the Tao. This is all you find today in churches, temples, mosques and monasteries. No one has the enlightenment eye, or even an inkling that it exists ... and they are even oblivious on how to get there.


"A fitting sentence can be a stake that tethers a donkey for 10,000 aeons" -- Master Teh-cheng was saying that Chia-shan was clinging to the dharma and relying on verbal tricks, and that this was stupid. It would get you absolutely nowhere on the path of true spiritual practice and striving and progress. It was just mental games, verbal tricks and memorization. REAL accomplishment comes from the cultivation practice of letting go and detaching from the realm of mentation to get to the substrate underneath it and EVERTHING.


"A fitting sentence can be a stake that tethers a donkey for 10,000 aeons" ... Chia-shan was stunned at this reply.


Zen master Teh-cheng then said, "The fishing line is hanging down a thousand feet, and the intent is deep in the pond. You're just three inches away from the hook. Why don't you say something?"


He was saying, "You've done so much meditation work your life and are so close you're ready to reach it. Why not say something expressing your original nature?"


Chia-shan was standing there, his mind emptied a bit because of the shock, and was just about to say something intellectual again when the Boat monk hit him with his oar and knocked him into the water.


Wham!


Chia-shan had just been ready to open his mouth again and say something that was in the scriptures when the Boat monk knocked the daylights out of him and he flew into the water.


As soon as Chia-shan's head popped up above the water again, the Boat monk once again shouted, "Speak! Speak!" and just as Chia-shan was about to open his mouth again, Wham! ... the Boat monk hit him again.


Now if you've had any sudden taste of emptiness where everything empties out (a religious experience), you can understand what happened next. Here's a man with a belly full of learning and it's all suddenly knocked out of him. He's been thrown into the water, he's worried for his life, and all his false thoughts have been whacked away.


That's the method the Boat monk used with Chia-shan.


Chia-shan could talk about anything in the dharma ... Consciousness only, the three Buddha bodies, skandhas, True Thusness, prajna wisdom, EVERYTHING. He understand all this but couldn't let go of it, so the Boat monk knocked him into the water to help him let go of everything he was clinging to. Even so, when asked to speak, Chia-shan was ready to spit out the dead scriptural words again, so Teh-cheng hit him again. When for the third time his head rose above the water, this time his mind had emptied out and he and become enlightened, so Chia-shan quickly nodded his head three times in quick succession to show Teh-cheng he had got it and he didn't need to be hit again.


Of course you cannot just hit someone to enlighten them. Don't think it's so easy. Chia-shan not only KNEW the dharma intellectually, but had spent his life meditating and had achieved some degree of emptiness, but just couldn't let go of his intellectualizations to see the path, to see the whole thing. He was close because of his previous attainments in meditation, but still clinging. He already had achieved a deep basis of cultivation beyond just studying, because of prolonged meditation work, and that basis is why Tao-wu sent him to the Boat monk. He was prepared....don't think someone can just whack you or slap you and you get it. Without countless years of meditation work, that would just get you a lawsuit today.


Master Teh-cheng was able to transmit the dharma only because Chia-shan had already spent years mixing practice with study. Master Teh-cheng was able, through the expedient means of whacking him, to help Master Chia-shan let go of everything and see the Path, see the Tao, realize self-enlightenment. If Master Chia-shan had not been a meditator, however, none of this would have been possible. So don't think that just studying scriptures and sutras -- of any kind -- will do it. You have to do the meditation work, open up your chi channels, chakras and so forth. You have to cultivate samadhi, but none of that is the Tao. It's just a preparation because those are all still illusory realms and false stations. They are not ultimate or supreme. They are there to help you clear out in a progressive sense, but when you reach enlightenment there are no stages -- you just let go of everything in one fell swoop. That's why it's called breaking through the conception skandha.


Upon being hit with the oar when in the water, Chia-shan GOT IT. His years of preparation and study, together with the Boatman's excellent skillful means, enabled him to let go, empty out and see the Tao. If you know the theory, that's why the story is so beautiful, so wonderful. But then, while still in the water, Chia-shan asked, "If you throw away the hook and line, what is your intent, teacher?"


In other words, Chia-shan then had doubts and asked about functioning. He was asking, "What about the methods for making an effort in the realm of existence if everything is empty... What do you do about them?"


Master Teh-cheng replied, "The fishing line hangs in the water, floating to set the meaning of existence and non-existence." In other words, don't talk of emptiness and don't talk of existence. Neither is right, and thus you don't cling to either and you can do what you want independently. You are free and liberated. Cause and effect still operates amidst phenomena, but you do not cling to them or the process. You realize the inherent fundamental emptiness of phenomena but you do not cling to it either. You are independent and free.


Master Chia-shan then said, "Words carry the mystery but they have no road. The tongue speaks without speaking." In other words, speaking is the same as non-speaking, emptiness and existence are equivalent to one another.


Master Teh-cheng was VERY happy at hearing this because then he knew Chia-shan had got it. He knew that Chia-shan had finally realized the Truth and was speaking from experience rather than from some scripture he had memorized and studied. So Teh-cheng then said, "After having fished through all these rivers [having piloted this ferry day after day for decades wanting to carry someone over to the other side], I have finally encountered a golden carp [enlightened person].


Chia-shan covered his ears at hearing this, and master Teh-shan said in response, "That's right, that's right!"


Then he told Chia-shan, "From now on you must leave no tracks where you hide yourself. But you must not hide yourself where there are no tracks."


He expressed in a high literary style many meanings: that Chia-shan must continually cultivate that state of no-thought/emptiness he had just achieved wherein there are no tracks. Furthermore, he must go somewhere where no one knew who he was, and leave his fame behind, and thus go into hiding in order to finish his cultivation. He also said that Chia-shan must not remain clinging to emptiness either, for that was also wrong.


The Boat monk then continued, "I was with Zen master Yao-shan for 30 years and I only took away this which you have just experienced/realized. Nothing more. You have just attained it. This is the meaning of all the teachings and nothing more. It's nothing else either than experientially realizing this. In the future you should not live in towns or villages but go deep into the mountains, find one or two people to continue the teaching and do not let it be cut off."


Chia-shan was out of the water by this time, and since the dharma had been transmitted, he started off to return home. The whole thing happened just this quickly, the dharma had been passed, and there was nothing more to be done. But for a moment Master Chia-shan doubted that was all and so he turned around, wandering if there was something else he was missing, if it all came to just this?


Upon seeing this, Zen master Teh-cheng shouted back to him, holding up an oar and saying, "Did you think there was something else?" Then he capsized the boat and disappeared under the water to show there was nothing else. You see, if you cling to all the pageantry of Tibetan Buddhism, you are wrong. It's just an expedient method created to help you REALIZE THIS. If you cling to the Torah or Bible, you are wrong. It's just to help you lay a foundation so you can experientially realize this. Nothing in the universe is absolute. The wind, the rocks, the flowers are all singing the dharma to help you awaken.


The meaning of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism, Confucianism, yoga, alchemy and all the religions is to realize our fundamental nature. All the ceremonies, scriptures, prayers, and practices are to enable you to experientially realize THIS. That's the purpose of all the scriptures.


What else did you think it was about? Some ceremony or special belief?


Now you finally know. Cultivate!
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"To us all towns are one, all men our kin. Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill. Man's pains and pains' relief are from within. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !." - Tamil Poem-

Don't be a Hater :)

Lead me from dreaming to waking.
Lead me from opacity to clarity.
Lead me from the complicated to the simple.
Lead me from the obscure to the obvious.
Lead me from intention to attention.
Lead me from what I'm told I am to what I see I am. Lead me from confrontation to wide openness. Lead me to the place I never left, Where there is peace, and peace - The Upanishads

*note..don't be a hater..be a lover...thus spokenth the mahayogi:)..kisses
-added by danny-
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Sugar Sugar Kripto:) - The funniest movie is here. Find it

Funny Kripto - Watch today’s top amazing videos here

The Mighty Face of Kripto:) - The best home videos are here

"To us all towns are one, all men our kin. Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill. Man's pains and pains' relief are from within. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !." - Tamil Poem-

Maradona's defeat:)

Lead me from dreaming to waking.
Lead me from opacity to clarity.
Lead me from the complicated to the simple.
Lead me from the obscure to the obvious.
Lead me from intention to attention. Lead me from what I'm told I am to what I see I am. Lead me from confrontation to wide openness. Lead me to the place I never left, Where there is peace, and peace - The Upanishads

*note* Marvelous soccer game..Argentina against Germany on world soccer cup...South Africa,July 03 2010.....it's 4-0 for Germany right now....believe it or not.

The grace and beauty against the practical...the mad butterfly against the horse..both have the same essence.

Remember this is a very important lesson..ponder about it..Maradona ...love can get you only so far..because in the end..you ARE what you do,not what you love..ponder..grasshoppers.

I have given you the secret of the universe itself.

Thus spokenth the mahayogi!..kisses:)

-added by danny-

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"To us all towns are one, all men our kin. Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill. Man's pains and pains' relief are from within. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !." - Tamil Poem-

Purification and Healing

Lead me from dreaming to waking.

Lead me from opacity to clarity.

Lead me from the complicated to the simple.

Lead me from the obscure to the obvious.

Lead me from intention to attention.

Lead me from what I'm told I am to what I see I am. Lead me from confrontation to wide openness. Lead me to the place I never left, Where there is peace, and peace - The Upanishads

*note* one more post from Aziz Kristof (from the http://kriptodanny.blogspot.com/2010/06/aziz-kristofone-wise-man.html post)

This time from his fresh new name..he calls himself Anadi(why that?..he is still from Poland..you know any polacks named Anadi?..anyway..)

Nice insights of the nature of reality,worthy of reading(but a polack is always a polish..too bad for him..I liked his former name as Kristof...what's the matter with him? he don't like the polack sousages anymore and calls himself indian now?..ridiculous)

-added by danny-

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Purification and Healing


The human personality is no more than the totality of its past experi­ences. It actually cannot move into the present — it can only circulate within the prison of its own history. That which blocks the positive movement of personality is the presence of negative impressions, emotional wounds, energetic blocks and psychological dysfunction. For most human beings it is essential to go through the processes of cleansing and healing in order to come closer to the experience of love, joy and peace. Indeed, even without spiritual awakening, the personality has the potential to reach a certain, if limited, degree of balance and harmony.


Awakening represents a positive movement towards a higher state of being and understanding; purification is the liberating cleansing of the mind. Although the processes of purification and healing are indivisible from our evolution, for a person who has not yet entered the inner path they occur only within the sphere of per­sonality. However, for someone who has already reached a level of inner awakening, purification and healing, while still associated with the personality, take place within the realm of the soul. It is essential to understand that even with inner awakening, expansion beyond the mind is not sufficient to reach complete emancipation. Until the mind has become pure and the heart is healed, the burdens of our past will not allow the soul to achieve true freedom.
the weight of the past


The past manifests in our present as the force that shapes our thoughts, emotions and perceptions. Despite our unchanging essence, as dynamic beings endlessly engaged in the process of becoming, we are the result of both the individual and collective unfoldment of time. The concept of freedom from the past should not be viewed in a simplistic way, for the evolution of intelligence is rooted in all the past stages of its progressive understanding. Our present is created not only by our individual past, but also by the past of the whole of humanity and all other species inhabiting the planet. We are all interconnected. The notion that one can and should entirely discon­nect from the past is a fallacy. The past should not be rejected, but outgrown and transcended, so that the power of the now can fully manifest the truth of the present.


Freedom from the past on the personal level refers mainly to those elements of our past that are not aligned with our present — all that pulls us away from the now with the dead weight of limited ideas, conditioned behaviors, negative emotions and memories. Everyone carries a heavy load from the past that cannot easily be dropped. Only by awakening the soul can one initiate the process of releasing oneself from this burdensome yoke and dissolve all that stands in the way of the creativity, wisdom and freedom of the now.
subconscious tendencies


All of our past impressions, as well as the information of our past actions, thoughts and emotional responses, are permanently stored beneath the level of the conscious mind in the unconscious. The subconscious mind is like a computer endlessly processing the mate­rial that enters our consciousness from the unconscious in order to protect our delicate inner balance and sanity. However, the subcon­scious mind is not able to process incoming negative experiences and thought forms to the extent that they are fully transformed and healed. Consequently, over time, countless unresolved thoughts, emotions, and impressions form energetic nodes that lock parts of our psyche into the negative past. This is the common origin of psy­chological difficulties, neuroses, and even mental illness.


A human being has countless subconscious tendencies that disturb his peace and ability to function in a positive way. Some of the most deep-seated are fear, anger, attachment, greed, envy, pride, self-centeredness, arrogance, self-pity, insecurity, lack of self-worth and self-victimization. We call these subconscious tendencies nega­tive because they are not in harmony with the peace, kindness, and balance that are both natural and essential to our well-being.


Because it actually rules the life of the personality, we must bring more consciousness and understanding into the subconscious in order to understand how it operates. By using a very sensitive type of mindfulness we can get in touch with this subtle area and become aware of various psychological patterns and habitual behav­iors. We can also begin to see how our subconscious tendencies are connected either to an imbalance in our relationship with the world or to ourselves.
working with the subconscious mind


Work with the subconscious can only begin under the condition that we become conscious and present to our true self. Prior to the awak­ening of consciousness, we cannot deal with our subconscious reality constructively, for we have no integral identity upon which to base the inner work. There is simply no space within the subconscious reality for intelligence to counteract the automatic and unconscious functioning of the mind. The mind cannot be transformed by the mind, only by the one who exists beyond it.


We can divide the work with the subconscious into three basic stages: first, we go beyond the mind by awakening pure awareness and the inner state; next, we embrace and transform the mind from the position of the soul; and finally, we surrender the purified mind so it can merge with our higher self.


It is not our intention to delve too deeply into the psychologi­cal intricacies of the mind, but rather to portray a general picture of the essential work with the subconscious. The following nine steps represent the basic process of how to relate to and transform the mind. This model as a whole is relevant only for those who have the potential to awaken awareness. For others, practice should be limited to work with mindfulness and non-identification.


1. Awakening to I am


2. Non-identification with mind


3. Awareness of mind


4. Awareness of emotions


5. Acceptance


6. Understanding


7. Embracing negativity


8. Intention to change


9. Surrender


Awakening to I am: Since we cannot effectively work with the mind unless we are able to step out of it, we must first awaken to our real center. In order for this awakening to occur, we need not yet be concerned with the transformation or pacification of the mind. Such is the liberating power of self-knowledge and sudden awakening. The mind, with all its countless problems, can indeed be bypassed through the internalization of consciousness. Through the awaken­ing to I am, one can move to a place within oneself that is unaffected by the coming and going of thoughts. The I am that we refer to here relates primarily to pure awareness, although in a larger sense it con­notes the entire inner state and the soul.


Non-identification with mind: Although after the awakening of I am one can dwell in a reality beyond thought, the bonds of our identi­fication with the mind still have to be severed. The mind has many different ways of holding our attention and keeping us confined to its territory. This explains the confusion of many seekers who cannot understand why, in spite of their initial awakening, they remain so strongly identified with their mental self. This situation is natural, however, because regardless of whether or not we are awakened, the mind is an integral part of our multidimensional reality.


The mind does not exist in opposition to our true self. Creating distance from the mind is simply a necessary intervention that makes the process of reclaiming our true autonomy possible. By exercising non-identification with the mind we learn how to regain control over our compulsive attraction to thoughts. Non-identification allows us to transcend the split between the freedom of I am and our defense­lessness against the pull of the subconscious, thus empowering the soul’s independence from the mind.


Awareness of mind: Although through non-identification we can move away from the mind, its negativity remains unresolved. Therefore, the work that follows non-identification initiates a movement of turning back towards the mind in order to face its reality directly.


Awareness of mind is a directionless seeing of arising thoughts. We do not judge the mind’s content, nor attempt to analyze or understand it. We just watch the mind with a choiceless yet attentive awareness. This transitional phase of our work between disidentifi­cation and understanding is essential to bring more consciousness into the mind and develop the quality of detached observation. By practicing awareness of mind we learn how to maintain distance from thought and gradually begin to understand the nature of our mental reality.


Awareness of emotions: Many meditators experience that it is much easier to distance themselves from their mind than their feelings. This is natural, for every human being is more identified with emo­tion than thought. Since our experience of reality is primarily based on feelings, the emotional body is existentially much closer to us than the mind. Unless they are linked with feelings, thoughts are emotion­ally neutral and therefore easier to observe.


Practicing awareness of emotions is similar to practicing aware­ness of mind. However, in awareness of emotions one has to be more sensitive, and often more firm, in order to maintain a space of non-identification. What makes the work with emotions more difficult is the fact that to be aware of them does not necessarily make them dis­appear. A thought cannot sustain itself longer than a moment if we do not fuel it with our attention, but deep emotions, such as sadness, have a continuity that is independent of our conscious involvement. Emotions are present on the energetic level and, unless shallow, cannot be dissolved through observation. In our practice we should maintain a calm, uninvolved consciousness within the presence of emotions. At times, deep breathing combined with surrender to the inner state can discharge and relax disturbing emotions, creating a space within which the weight of our being can become more pro­nounced than the emotional body thereby supplanting our habitual identification with arising emotions.


Acceptance: The next step in our work with the mind is acceptance. In this practice we begin to see the mind as it is without any particular desire to change it. We do not take the mind too seriously, but relate to it with gentleness and a sense of curiosity. We let the mind be as it is, and in this act we relax. The moment we relax, the grip of the mind loosens, for without our involvement it has no one to control. Acceptance is not psychological abnegation or indifference. It is a pro­found affirmation of the mind as an indivisible part of who we are.


One of the pitfalls in the work with the mind is aiming for perfection. Psychological sanity is not based on having a flawless mind, but on being at ease with its imperfections. In truth, the mind can never reach perfection. What it can achieve is relative harmony, purity and wisdom. In the very act of accepting the mind, we can actually transform a large portion of its unconscious energy into an open space of well-being.


Embracing negativity: The acceptance we apply to deal with nega­tivity is characterized by an absence of struggle. The mind has to be seen as a part of our existence that needs not only to be accepted, but also embraced with love and forgiveness. It is not the enemy, but an aspect of our identity that has been corrupted by the dust of nega­tive impressions gathered along our journey through time. We tend to view the mind horizontally as something that exists in front of the observer, but to embrace the mind is to see it as contained within the soul’s body. By embracing the mind with the light of I am, one creates an environment of non-violent transformation and healing.


Understanding: Having embraced its negativity, the next positive movement towards the mind is our attempt to understand it. That which we do not understand will naturally rule us. For example, if we do not recognize that the root of our envy is our own sense of deficiency, there is no real way to transform it. The role of under­standing is to illuminate the mind with a non-judgmental conscious­ness that sees through and beyond the causal forces that create our thoughts and subconscious tendencies.


The term ‘understanding’ as it is used here should not be seen to suggest an excessively psychological approach that is overly self-analytical and introspective. We can easily become mired if we delve too deeply into the complexities of the mind. Rather, we require a gentle yet penetrating understanding that will help us to gain clarity about the mind’s nature and mechanisms, as well as the psychologi­cal roots of our thoughts and emotions.


Intention to change: Cultivating the intention to change is the next step in the transformation of the negative tendencies of the mind. Non-identification and awareness of mind, accepting and embracing the mind’s negativity, and seeking to understand the mind, are all strategies that gradually saturate it with the higher consciousness of the soul. It is upon this foundation that we can finally begin to align the mind with the soul’s intelligence. Our sincere intention to change is the ground of our real transformation.


Most often we cannot do anything about our disturbing state of mind. When all other relative means prove insufficient, we find our deepest power in the strength of our intention. The intention to change is more than an honorable wish or intellectual gesture we make while moving on with the rest of our lives; it is an act by which we can actually alter the past.


Surrender: Transcendence of the mind does not occur through negation, control or repression, but through transformation and surrender. Only a mind that has reached a high level of maturity, wisdom and purity can be renounced. Surrender of the mind, unlike non-identification, is a vertical release that signifies our true absorp­tion in reality. It is the final stage in the intricate process of moving beyond the mind.
cutting through ego-image


Cutting through the lower tendencies of the ego is an essential part of the spiritual path and a critical step in the process of purification. The core of all negative ego tendencies is an obsessive attachment to one’s own image that is based on self-concern and a total fixation on how one is seen by others. Suffering a permanent inferiority com­plex, the ego constantly checks itself and fashions its performance for the eyes of other people to try and confirm its self-worth. The less it trusts itself, the more it tries to prove itself.


As we have already pointed out, preoccupation with ego-image can even slink into high levels of spiritual realization. An example is a seeker who competes with others on the path in an effort to surpass their states of attainment; he feeds his pride and craving for recogni­tion from his spiritual environment rather than nourishing his inner self. The way the ego operates is truly embarrassing. Its exceedingly immature inclinations are so deeply rooted in the human psyche that their removal presents a lifetime challenge.


To deal with the addiction to one’s ego-image appropriately, one must apply discriminative wisdom and bring real understanding into the workings of the mind. Without humility, honesty and purity, one cannot drop egomania. Going beyond the ego-image is primarily a function of our spiritual awakening, and indeed a flowering of true understanding.
the purification of the mind


Although our lower tendencies are undeniably the cause of our suffer­ing and ignorance, not all negative reactions — for instance, justified anger or fear — are expressions of an impure mind. Many such auto­matic emotional responses are in fact perfectly natural. One actually cannot function in the complex reality of the earth-plane without ‘nega­tive’ emotions, for they very often safeguard our survival and reflect the need of the moment. However, negative emotions that originate from our lower nature and express our basic impurity do not serve the necessity of the now, as they are entirely conditioned by our past ignorance.


How does the mind become cleansed? Because of its unknown nature, purification is often believed to be a function of grace. This is true provided we take grace to be an organic process intrinsic to evolution rather than a miraculous event. Purification occurs natu­rally, in accordance with our evolutionary timing, karma, destiny and blueprint. Grace is eternally present in the heart of the soul, and progressively manifests as we mature to the point of transformation. As the amount of light increases in our being, all that is not of the light gradually dissolves.


So while our cooperation is the most critical condition for puri­fication, it does not in itself result in complete purification. Rather, it is a preparation for higher energies and consciousness to enter our being. What supports our cleansing the most is having an open heart that can bridge our human psyche with the plane of the soul and serve as a portal to the grace of the divine. Since our unconscious has been formed by countless previous births, only higher intelligence, the aspect of universal consciousness that links our evolutionary now with our future self, can transform the totality of our past. The force of universal intelligence, which is based on the wisdom and grace of the creator, naturally responds to the sincerity of our intention to seek purity and freedom, and manifests the necessary assistance.
healing the heart


Healing is another aspect of purification. Whereas cleansing is a transformative process that occurs in the mind, healing is experi­enced solely in the heart. Over the course of the infinite past, we have accumulated an enormous burden of suffering and traumatic experiences that manifest as emotional wounds in our subtle bodies. Because life on earth is an existential struggle on all levels, the experi­ence of emotional hurt is universal. However, it is not the experience of pain itself, but our inability to heal and transform it that scars us.


Instead of learning from our lessons, we ignorantly presume that we are victims of circumstance or blame the merciless nature of life for our misery. When we feel that we have been treated unfairly by others we respond with self-pity and resentment. The experi­ence of being hurt renders us fearful, vulnerable and helpless. Our healthy relationship with ourselves is compromised and our positive perception of life dims. We develop anger, animosity, distrust and bitterness towards the world and others, and damage our primal connection with the reality of love, tenderness, beauty and openness.


Because unhealed emotions stand in the way of our positive expansion, it is essential to let go of past wounds and courageously face our unresolved issues. As much as possible we need to bring all that blocks our positive experience of life to the threshold of the conscious mind. To do this, we must be introspective, conscious and sensitive. When we become more aware of what needs to be healed, we can consciously initiate healing in the heart. The function of the mind is only to recognize what needs to be healed and direct aware­ness to those areas. Ultimately, the heart heals itself. Its incredible capacity for self-healing is activated the moment we embrace the denied aspects of our past self with the light of love, consciousness and understanding.
spiritual awakening: the foundation of transformation


As we have made clear in our discussion about the subconscious mind, the transformation of personality cannot be achieved through psychological means alone. Therapeutic models can help us become conscious of what needs to be changed, but do not actually provide the means to make any changes. On the whole, psychological thera­pies are based on the false assumption that we can be transformed by manipulating the subconscious, or by becoming more conscious of the unconscious. They fail because they give too much power to the past. By overemphasizing our personal history, they perpetuate our dependence on it rather than freeing us from it. For example, by delving too deeply into childhood issues we can actually reactivate memories that are no longer relevant to our present identity. If we put too much energy into the past we resurrect it and make it stron­ger and more real than the present.


It is certainly important to address past issues, but only produc­tive if we are empowered by the now. The strength and autonomy we derive from abiding in the inner state enable us to face our inher­ent tendencies in a new way. In truth, we are both dependent on the past and independent from it. Psychological therapies believe in the former, traditions of enlightenment in the latter. Only by combining these two viewpoints can we gain a balanced perspective on our human evolution. We must see that by sensitively incorporating psychological work into our expansion beyond the mind, we can create a positive, holistic base for our growth into awakening and completion.


The more deeply we enter the realm of awakening, the more power we can generate for the transformation of our personality. It is indeed the inner self that governs transformation. The light of the soul gradually envelops the shadow of personality, transmuting and merging it into her wholeness. The same energy that created the mind eventually returns to the integral consciousness of our original I am.


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"To us all towns are one, all men our kin. Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill. Man's pains and pains' relief are from within. Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !." - Tamil Poem-