Look here, and here and here for an interesting but (of course) meaningless exchange in the realm of nonduality bloggers and writers. Food for thought, but for who? Or whom?Every concept is a prison, yet exists in complete freedom. There is nothing you can do, nothing to be done, except what is. If thoughts arise, reinforcing themselves, in the form of strong urges to investigate and practice traditional Advaita practices or any other practices that will strip away the ego, those are the urges that arise. There is no goal; the goal is always met, in whatever it is that appears. There is no struggle, although there is often the appearance of one, and this apparent struggle is beautiful, for it is what is. The human condition of being self-aware is not a problem; it is what is. The minor conflicts of seekers and commenters and teachers of enlightenment on the Internet isn't a cause for deep introspection or casual dismissal, although either of these might come up. The epic conflicts of people apparently faced with their imminent destruction, or the destruction of their sacred ideas, is not the proving ground of humanity. Humanity needs no proving ground; humanity has not lost its way, or if it seems to have, the story has simply shifted to the dark moment before the dawn. There is nothing wrong with humanity; there is nothing wrong with "you", however many thoughts come up that say there is something terribly wrong, and those things are this, this, and especially this. Everything is just exactly as it must be, no matter what is looks like, smells like, feels like, sounds like, or how it seems to be judged. Whatever your character does, that is perfect. Whatever you do, it is what must be. And in the story that seems to unfold, immediate presence is usually not expressed in destruction - although there must be destruction and creation both, in duality. This is paradise. There is nothing else.
19 comments:
Sure it is all a big old story and the arguments are meaningless,blah blah blah, but in this case there is really no need to try.
Here is his quote
"A liberated master blessed with the knowledge of past and future lives and the gift of being able to communicate with Kundalini Shakti Herself, is able to assess an individual’s progress and determine what the seeker needs to do to realize their lack of individuality."
Nothing like a good disagreement in regards to the whole process/no process thing, but this isn't it., Fundamentalist religious concepts taken entirely on faith that cannot be argued against spoil the fun. He can knock direct self-inquiry and direct realizations all he wants, but they are letting people see its self-evident, one doesn't have to wait for an authorization code from a master guru of many spiritual lives.
Needed to voice my opinion on this one, though it holds no meaning.
OOOOH! Michfan! You go girl! RrrAoarrrr!
Yes, hmmm, the duality is stunning. And amusing.
Beautiful, again... I only wish I could see it your way.
Mike
It's perfect, it can't be anything else, whatever the flavour. Yours is the story of hanging in there!
hey, no one!
really, really enjoyed kiwi yogi's take on advaita.
he (smartly) re-Cognizes that every apparent individual is on his/her own path, at his/her own apparent level, and is (in all likelihood) able to receive and process that which s/he is ready to understand.
he blends the Reality of nonduality with this, the physical-manifest-material world in order to reach those of us who might not be enlightened.
of Course, en-lightning can strike at any moment of the storm, but i'm glad you included his musings in this post.
in the end/beginning/end, we're ALL at the Same Amuze-ment Park, even if it seems as if we aren't all sharing the same rides.
:) yours, lenman
Very well then. I'll play my part and accept my fate. Hope all is well in GB! I got the job by the way. Yaaay!
Hey Lenny, there's room for us all - how could there not be? And M (is it Mike?) - WELL DONE on getting the job! All well here in GB, both in the pure sense in the spirit of the blog (how could it not be?), and in the sense of the apparently unfolding story: great husband, fantastic kids, holiday around the corner, although it looks like it may be wet camping!
the climax of wet camping (apparently) comes after the tent, and an infinite number of paths can take us tHere. :)
sometimes, the fun happens along the path, in the NowHere. :)
huh?
Len, Dude, don't lose it on us.
can't lose whacha never had...
:)
_____________________
all seriousness aside, your last line "this is paradise" is quite easy for me to grasp, even during those proverbial "worst of times."
i get a sense of what you are saying, behind the words (which are so, so limiting).
complete nonduality can feel empty, sometimes. it's as if nothing matters. if that was really, Really True for us, though, there'd be no reason to write any of this stuff.
so... some thing must matter, at SOME level.
i'm ready and willing (some-times) to play in someone else's band, so long as it's okay for a solo or a jam session, every now and again.
:) -len
And you can't lose what never left.
Hmmm, Lenny, I don't know if I should even talk to you since you're over there on KiwiYogi's blog kissing up to him! You're one of thoses people whom everyone must like, right? Offend no one, friend to all? Big fat people pleaser? I'm joking, please, kiss up to anyone you wish - after all, it's really only oneness, kissing up!
Your comment brings up some pointers. Sure, everything is meaningless, yet fraught with meaning; intrinsic meaning, by virtue of its very existence. And the story of life can be meaningful or meaningless, full or empty; whatever comes up is what comes up; whatever thoughts arise are the thoughts that arise; there is no wrong or right "way to live," or "way to think," including thinking there IS some right way to live or way to think. There IS no reason to write this stuff. Writing is what seems to happen, and it may seem to stop. The goal of helping others is perhaps what you hint at; and although the story of writing words that actually help others may very well unfold, there is no one who needs help; there is no one; just aliveness, writing and helping and being helped. What we are is more than altruism, or selflessness, or sagacity, or compassion. Those are parables that hint at a greater absolute truth, or presence, or whatever it is one cares to label it. And that presence, that absolute reality, is everything, everywhere; there is no escaping from it; you are that.
Lenny, I meant what I said when I was kidding. What little I know of the character Lenny has faith that you are able to laugh at yourself, and take a bit of ribbing.
Love ya.
sure, i can take a little kidding :)
and, of course, all of us can See Beyond "one blog" vs. "another."
kiwi has some real practical takes, actually, and i think he gets it -- that All IS One (and that [here, at this level] there are things like competition).
even in your own blog, where you rate some blogs as "fabulous" and others as "of interest," well, that itself is laced with duality, is it not?
"drinking a cup of coffee" is paying homage to this, the dual, material world -- and the nondualer who refutes that is simply in denial.
sue, pleeeeeeeeeease re-read some of the nondual stuff that sounds sooooo cold and flippantly superior.
over the past 15-20 years, i've seen many, many, many instances of "my spirit is better than your spirit," and it's just another ego-trap along the journey.
of course, we've all got egos (if we're here) so it all makes sense, really. it's REALLY okay.
it's even okay to watch my own ego, coming out to play in this comment :)
:) i like your stuff. i like kiwi's suff. i like that i can like both, even if i don't agree with every word in either. :) it's fun!
:) lenman
No matter what seems to be happening, we are lived. Whatever judgements arise, they are not ours; it is not necessary for them to be claimed, yet there is nothing wrong with claiming. There is a place for coldness and flippancy; it exists. Ego is fine, it is oneness, ego-ing; rating the relative value of various alternatives on offer is oneness, rating alternatives. All the concepts bandied about are simply what they are: concepts. It is only really about what is happening; so so so simple. So apparently elusive.
Thanks Lenny, and I still think you're a terrible people-pleaser!
sorry, no one, but there are no people "out there" to please, and there is no "you" to think the non-thoughts that aren't being thought, and (of course) there is no lenny.
:)
there are no fingers typing on no keyboard. no internet. no connections. only apparent arisings in a vacuum of nothingness, nowhere, never.
:)
It's real and unreal. Way cooler than the hallucinogenics of youth!
the following compliment is not meant to "please."
i've grown, just by reading your posts. it doesn't matter (to me) that you don't exist, or that you are no one.
it's okay if you and i aren't on exactly the Same page, always. it's okay that we choose to nitpick over words like "choice."
i'm living a better life because of no one in particular, and i thank YOU for that. i'll sign out of this post now, and allow you to finish up.
:)
love, len
Being pleased arises.
Hello Suzanne,
I have read your blog from 'start' to 'finish' and was engrossed, thank you for some wonderful writing.
The journey of 'me' has ended and expanse opened up. Happening happens. Your writing enabled me to finally realise that which is always there, thanks.
And thank you for placing a link to my blog on yours,
in light,
Lune x
Hi Lune, no one helping no one to see there is nothing, just what is, as it always "was", as it always "will be." So, for what it's worth, you are welcome!
No prob about the link, I always try to return links. Thank you for the link on "yours" to "mine".
Love, Suzanne (or whoever!)
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