Re The Cloud of Unknowing and the incidental, unprompted discovery of the self inquiry process (described around 12:00) note that this surreptitious discovery of the lack of existence of the self referential "I" is what Eckhart Tolle describes as his awakening moment when despondently suicidal in this bedroom. Loch Kelly's beginning of the path was similar when he was in college leaving the library after the death of his father. As described in interviews as well as at the beginning of "Shift Into Freedom" Henry Shukman also describes it somewhat in his recent podcast interview with Tim Ferriss. Adyashanti describes something also somewhat akin to this in his interview with Sam Harris on Harris' waking up app. "I just can't do this anymore" he says and then there was a resignation and he had his first huge Kundalini experience and then one of my favorite quotes of all time from Adyashanti. "After that, I wouldn't have known how to tell you what it was, but I just knew that I was what I was looking for."
pretty much. This guy has so much knowledge of so many different traditions and has reconciled them all. It's a similar thing for me, but my knowledge is much more limited. The amount of study and dedication this man has for the exploration of the depths is incomprehensible to me. I can give a rough synopsis of the core teaching within a few different traditions, this man has studied the history of 10 000. it's like this, right. I can play a little bit of blues guitar, I can finger pick, strum a banjo and sing a bit. I know a little music theory, enough to form basic ideas, compose simple things and improvise. This man is like someone who has studied every music genre, can freely improvise like a jazz musician, compose classical symphonies, etc. Though I'm sure he would agree, that knowledge isn't the point and it isn't necessary in order to be able to play some music, the music being the point. The intellect and knowledge isn't a requirement but it's damn impressive, not sure that I've seen someone speak about it with such an integrated, holistic view with such an appreciation for history and different traditions. it's frightening to me, actually, and I'm grateful that I don't possess so much knowledge. Sometimes I wish I knew less than I do as it is, there's a real wisdom in the simple approaches of the common folk as well as those that ply the intellectual depths. It is continuously astounding to me that such different specimens exist somehow. we all have such gifts, within our individual perspectives, all describing, or trying to, parts of the elephant in the room. This dude though, he can describe what's happening to the elephant on a cellular level and what it had for breakfast, lol.
Arising and passing away and the T S Elliot line reminded me of Nisargadatta Maharaj’s “give yourself completely to the task of the present moment, which is the dying now to the now. For living is dying. Without death life cannot be”
Thank you. I took notes on this one. I have found that through mindfulness I can now take advantage of a sleepy practice. Last timeI failed to notice "gone" when I nodded off to sleep, but it turned out that I began to come back to Samadhi in a few seconds...as I had been keeping still and was very relaxed, I had no perceptible "feel" in my body/limbs emotions, my eyes were still closed, and I had managed to release from the reflex to instantly jolt awake and self-identify. I faded in stream by stream it seemed...heard sounds, and saw random visual field, then soon "I" was back as a concept. A few times I've been able to avoid "the fear" or "no self freakout" which often breaks the technique (for me). The best thing was that the mindfulness seemed to act out of nowhere, doing exactly the right thing. I recommend all meditators implement mindfulness to some extend in their practice. It pays off sooner or later. :)
My own experience involved an unprompted self inquiry process. I'd taken an interest in tantric-based meditation/mindfulness practices when I met someone with a Vipassanā (goenka) background. During a discussion with them one evening the world seemed to disappear which led to 4 joyous days, and then a sudden stopping experience in which I did not know who was celebrating or what. It led to months of asking "Who am I?" and a burst of creativity; like a weirdo I was drawn to stare at myself in a mirror when I wasn't writing, asking this same question over and over again. It was a peaceful, 'lost' experience as the question had no answer. The experience may have been that much more curious to me since I would come to realize much later that a level of my trauma had involved being brainwashed, and thus had led to believing all sorts of depressing things without even knowing it. Despite finding out such invisible horrors, it was a very healing time except for myself and the Vipassanā individual butting heads about how to tend to this experience [they insisted that I simply meditate and not discuss my experiences, but I disagreed]. There is no interest to ask that question anymore, there is a knowledge of not knowing and accepting that, but it did lead to other forms of inquiry, as if like steps.
When a person takes off their human identity and puts on the archetypal identity of the deity, they get to see how an ego is constructed and deconstructed therefore lessening the grip of the illusion of the separate self.
The nurture positive can work. But it works best if it is together with a practice of taking things apart, such as a mindfulness practice. And a physical, body based, practice, such as Tai Chi or Yoga. Or to say it in different words, just metta meditation is a wonderful thing, but it doesn't cut it. A wider array of practices is needed. I had an Insight/enlightenment (capital I, small e; as in: insight, Insight, enlightenment, Enlightenment, ENLIGHTENMENT) experiment, related to metta meditation. I used metta before this Insight to get around (mostly social) anxiety, for example before giving a talk. The Insight experience happened to me while in a room the size of a 30 student class room. All of a sudden, I felt like I spanned the whole room. It lasted for about 10 minutes. After that I felt relieved. Only now, a year later, do I understand what I was relieved of. The way I would describe it, is that the anxiety circuit had lost its majority vote in my mind to the comforting circuit nurtured by metta meditation. I was relieved of this anxiety, and it was replaced by comfort. This comfort is such, that I now feel at home everywhere. And it has a subtle but profound effect on people around me. There is a sense peace/comfort that I extend naturally, a sort of free warm and loving flow outwards and inwards. My interactions with other people are now much more positive (not only positive of course). Now I also do a mindfulness practice, and some basic Ashtanga Yoga, to reach a more natural mental and physical state of flow.
Wow!! This was the deepest video i have ever seen in my life. To me this shows what being brave is really about. Cant think of a braver man right now. This was for real magical, truly magical. I m sorry but maistream science got nothing that is even close to being so amazing as inlightement.
Shinzen often talks about how amazing it will be once science and spirituality combine - he says it will dramatically accelerate the path to enlightenment.
Dear Shinzen - Over the decades have you had any exposure/engagement with Indian Tantric Yogic traditions in the vein of paths like Siddha Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, Kriya Yoga, etc? Where the focus is around Transmission, Guru, Kundalini, and ultimately spontaneous Kundalini yoga. If yes, I’m curious to know your take. If not, perhaps you know of a reputable Teacher/Guru in this tradition? Thanks in advance 🙏🏻
It will never happen. Suffering is integral to the conditioned experience, its the first noble truth of Buddhism. The good news however is that there is a way out. The third noble truth says that suffering can cease, and the fourth noble truth shows you how (the noble eightfold path).
Dukkha is one of the characteristics of existence. It's the first noble truth. Pain is not a sufficient definition of Dukkha, although pain is subsumed in that term. Even an Arahant (fully enlightened being) suffers. They still have a body, which means they suffer. Suffering only ceases at Parinibanna.
MrGunwitch You and I have differing opinions on the dharma. As you are aware, I am not a traditionalist. I also believe that studies of the brain and physics can tell us a lot about the dharma that subjective experience alone cannot.
Studies of the brain and physics are not without utility, although they are pretty much irrelevant when it comes to attaining liberation. It must be remembered that the Vipallasa's (perversions of perception) are present whenever one has greed, hatred and delusion, which is the reason why Jhana meditation is a necessary condition for enlightenment to occur. Whilst in Jhana, greed hatred and delusion are momentarily overcome, which gives the meditator a chance to see things as they truly are. This is the reason why great scientists, no matter how intelligent, will never gain liberation through the scientific method. However all that said, in my experience, most Theravada Buddhist monasteries have a strong scientific bent, as there as so many monks and nuns who themselves were scientists and doctors prior to ordaining. Ajahn Brahm is a classic example, he was a Cambridge educated Theoretical Physicist prior to ordaining, and is good personal friends with several noble prize winning scientists, who often present talks together with him. Venerable Punnaji is another example, he has doctorates in medicine and psychology, the list goes on and on (Matthieu Ricard is another example, he isn't a Theravada monk, but was a molecular biologist from the Pasteur institute before ordaining). Because Buddhism is interested in 'things as they truly are' which should also be the goal of any scientist, it's a natural progression for scientifically minded people to move on to the dhamma after they get frustrated with the lack of answers and personal fulfilment from science. Not that it's at all germane to this discussion, but I myself have a degree in science and studied physics at university, although that seems like a lifetime ago now!
Hi my name is Laura and i was just wondering if u might be able to tell me what this meens When I close my eyes there is a purple energy like a big circle coming from around my face and gets smaller smaller smaller and keeps starting over so I was wondering what I should focus on from this ?
If this happens during a concentrated form of formal practice, it is possibly nimitta. It's a sign of concentration and one-pointedness. It often accompanies what we call access concentration. Because from access concentration with piti (a physical-mental joy) jhana states may become accessible.
"There are, many ways, to come to ultimate happiness," Really ? Aren't sure if you really mean, ''There are many ways, INDUCING ultimate happiness" ? Otherwise, my friend, if Ultimate Happiness is only one, then while being enlightened of ultimate happiness by multi ways, still the path to illuminate and illumination is only one too. Simply the gospels stating, "I am the way the truth and the life," aren't said in vain, for the religiosity's vanity.
+DiscountGigolo Again, be reminded that what you say is what you were told and nothing is of your own accord. Simply, observe yourself as a programmed entity, repeating other people's mere OPINIONS. Had you over passed the religious nomenclature, life's optimum potential and purpose would be obvious which is transcendent.
16:23 Gone defined
26:40 Transcending the duality of inside and outside
30:10 The deepest experience of non-dual
9:00 and onwards
The Koan that did it for me was "If there is no self, then who is the one that suffers?"
Re The Cloud of Unknowing and the incidental, unprompted discovery of the self inquiry process (described around 12:00) note that this surreptitious discovery of the lack of existence of the self referential "I" is what Eckhart Tolle describes as his awakening moment when despondently suicidal in this bedroom.
Loch Kelly's beginning of the path was similar when he was in college leaving the library after the death of his father. As described in interviews as well as at the beginning of "Shift Into Freedom"
Henry Shukman also describes it somewhat in his recent podcast interview with Tim Ferriss.
Adyashanti describes something also somewhat akin to this in his interview with Sam Harris on Harris' waking up app. "I just can't do this anymore" he says and then there was a resignation and he had his first huge Kundalini experience and then one of my favorite quotes of all time from Adyashanti. "After that, I wouldn't have known how to tell you what it was, but I just knew that I was what I was looking for."
wow the depth is staggering
pretty much. This guy has so much knowledge of so many different traditions and has reconciled them all. It's a similar thing for me, but my knowledge is much more limited. The amount of study and dedication this man has for the exploration of the depths is incomprehensible to me. I can give a rough synopsis of the core teaching within a few different traditions, this man has studied the history of 10 000.
it's like this, right. I can play a little bit of blues guitar, I can finger pick, strum a banjo and sing a bit. I know a little music theory, enough to form basic ideas, compose simple things and improvise. This man is like someone who has studied every music genre, can freely improvise like a jazz musician, compose classical symphonies, etc. Though I'm sure he would agree, that knowledge isn't the point and it isn't necessary in order to be able to play some music, the music being the point. The intellect and knowledge isn't a requirement but it's damn impressive, not sure that I've seen someone speak about it with such an integrated, holistic view with such an appreciation for history and different traditions.
it's frightening to me, actually, and I'm grateful that I don't possess so much knowledge. Sometimes I wish I knew less than I do as it is, there's a real wisdom in the simple approaches of the common folk as well as those that ply the intellectual depths. It is continuously astounding to me that such different specimens exist somehow.
we all have such gifts, within our individual perspectives, all describing, or trying to, parts of the elephant in the room. This dude though, he can describe what's happening to the elephant on a cellular level and what it had for breakfast, lol.
Whoa
Arising and passing away and the T S Elliot line reminded me of Nisargadatta Maharaj’s “give yourself completely to the task of the present moment, which is the dying now to the now. For living is dying. Without death life cannot be”
Thank you. I took notes on this one. I have found that through mindfulness I can now take advantage of a sleepy practice. Last timeI failed to notice "gone" when I nodded off to sleep, but it turned out that I began to come back to Samadhi in a few seconds...as I had been keeping still and was very relaxed, I had no perceptible "feel" in my body/limbs emotions, my eyes were still closed, and I had managed to release from the reflex to instantly jolt awake and self-identify. I faded in stream by stream it seemed...heard sounds, and saw random visual field, then soon "I" was back as a concept. A few times I've been able to avoid "the fear" or "no self freakout" which often breaks the technique (for me). The best thing was that the mindfulness seemed to act out of nowhere, doing exactly the right thing. I recommend all meditators implement mindfulness to some extend in their practice. It pays off sooner or later. :)
Brett Miller Take me with you
My own experience involved an unprompted self inquiry process. I'd taken an interest in tantric-based meditation/mindfulness practices when I met someone with a Vipassanā (goenka) background. During a discussion with them one evening the world seemed to disappear which led to 4 joyous days, and then a sudden stopping experience in which I did not know who was celebrating or what. It led to months of asking "Who am I?" and a burst of creativity; like a weirdo I was drawn to stare at myself in a mirror when I wasn't writing, asking this same question over and over again. It was a peaceful, 'lost' experience as the question had no answer. The experience may have been that much more curious to me since I would come to realize much later that a level of my trauma had involved being brainwashed, and thus had led to believing all sorts of depressing things without even knowing it. Despite finding out such invisible horrors, it was a very healing time except for myself and the Vipassanā individual butting heads about how to tend to this experience [they insisted that I simply meditate and not discuss my experiences, but I disagreed]. There is no interest to ask that question anymore, there is a knowledge of not knowing and accepting that, but it did lead to other forms of inquiry, as if like steps.
When a person takes off their human identity and puts on the archetypal identity of the deity, they get to see how an ego is constructed and deconstructed therefore lessening the grip of the illusion of the separate self.
***** Hello again! :)
i wonder do gods take off their divine identity and put on the archetypal identities of humans to see how an ego is constructed and deconstructed?
The nurture positive can work. But it works best if it is together with a practice of taking things apart, such as a mindfulness practice. And a physical, body based, practice, such as Tai Chi or Yoga. Or to say it in different words, just metta meditation is a wonderful thing, but it doesn't cut it. A wider array of practices is needed.
I had an Insight/enlightenment (capital I, small e; as in: insight, Insight, enlightenment, Enlightenment, ENLIGHTENMENT) experiment, related to metta meditation.
I used metta before this Insight to get around (mostly social) anxiety, for example before giving a talk.
The Insight experience happened to me while in a room the size of a 30 student class room. All of a sudden, I felt like I spanned the whole room. It lasted for about 10 minutes. After that I felt relieved.
Only now, a year later, do I understand what I was relieved of. The way I would describe it, is that the anxiety circuit had lost its majority vote in my mind to the comforting circuit nurtured by metta meditation. I was relieved of this anxiety, and it was replaced by comfort.
This comfort is such, that I now feel at home everywhere. And it has a subtle but profound effect on people around me. There is a sense peace/comfort that I extend naturally, a sort of free warm and loving flow outwards and inwards. My interactions with other people are now much more positive (not only positive of course).
Now I also do a mindfulness practice, and some basic Ashtanga Yoga, to reach a more natural mental and physical state of flow.
AAA - Acknowledge, Appreciate, Allow like, forever...
Fresh New Shinzen!!!!! :)
Oh I love Shinzen❤️
Thank you for uploading!
Advaita says "Everything is a result. Every result has a cause. The result is the cause in another form.
Where does it come from? Where do things go to when they disappear! Wow...This is truly good and bringing lots of clarity.
Any "outside" we experience is as a representation of an assumed positivistic reality in our brain so it exists within anyway.
15:20 "most people are bi", *class laughter*
So enlightened people are non-binary?
Wow!! This was the deepest video i have ever seen in my life. To me this shows what being brave is really about. Cant think of a braver man right now. This was for real magical, truly magical. I m sorry but maistream science got nothing that is even close to being so amazing as inlightement.
Shinzen often talks about how amazing it will be once science and spirituality combine - he says it will dramatically accelerate the path to enlightenment.
Dear Shinzen - Over the decades have you had any exposure/engagement with Indian Tantric Yogic traditions in the vein of paths like Siddha Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, Kriya Yoga, etc? Where the focus is around Transmission, Guru, Kundalini, and ultimately spontaneous Kundalini yoga. If yes, I’m curious to know your take. If not, perhaps you know of a reputable Teacher/Guru in this tradition? Thanks in advance 🙏🏻
I am heroic, but boy am I exhausted and my body aching with fear after ten years of pretty much non-stop anguish. I want the mending of the world.
It will never happen. Suffering is integral to the conditioned experience, its the first noble truth of Buddhism. The good news however is that there is a way out. The third noble truth says that suffering can cease, and the fourth noble truth shows you how (the noble eightfold path).
MrGunwitch
Pain is integral to existence. Suffering - resistance to pain - is not.
Dukkha is one of the characteristics of existence. It's the first noble truth. Pain is not a sufficient definition of Dukkha, although pain is subsumed in that term.
Even an Arahant (fully enlightened being) suffers. They still have a body, which means they suffer. Suffering only ceases at Parinibanna.
MrGunwitch
You and I have differing opinions on the dharma. As you are aware, I am not a traditionalist. I also believe that studies of the brain and physics can tell us a lot about the dharma that subjective experience alone cannot.
Studies of the brain and physics are not without utility, although they are pretty much irrelevant when it comes to attaining liberation. It must be remembered that the Vipallasa's (perversions of perception) are present whenever one has greed, hatred and delusion, which is the reason why Jhana meditation is a necessary condition for enlightenment to occur. Whilst in Jhana, greed hatred and delusion are momentarily overcome, which gives the meditator a chance to see things as they truly are. This is the reason why great scientists, no matter how intelligent, will never gain liberation through the scientific method.
However all that said, in my experience, most Theravada Buddhist monasteries have a strong scientific bent, as there as so many monks and nuns who themselves were scientists and doctors prior to ordaining. Ajahn Brahm is a classic example, he was a Cambridge educated Theoretical Physicist prior to ordaining, and is good personal friends with several noble prize winning scientists, who often present talks together with him.
Venerable Punnaji is another example, he has doctorates in medicine and psychology, the list goes on and on (Matthieu Ricard is another example, he isn't a Theravada monk, but was a molecular biologist from the Pasteur institute before ordaining).
Because Buddhism is interested in 'things as they truly are' which should also be the goal of any scientist, it's a natural progression for scientifically minded people to move on to the dhamma after they get frustrated with the lack of answers and personal fulfilment from science.
Not that it's at all germane to this discussion, but I myself have a degree in science and studied physics at university, although that seems like a lifetime ago now!
What does aaa and uuum mean that he says constantly?
Know thyself. It can be horrifying, perhaps liberating.
Hi my name is Laura and i was just wondering if u might be able to tell me what this meens When I close my eyes there is a purple energy like a big circle coming from around my face and gets smaller smaller smaller and keeps starting over so I was wondering what I should focus on from this ?
If this happens during a concentrated form of formal practice, it is possibly nimitta. It's a sign of concentration and one-pointedness. It often accompanies what we call access concentration. Because from access concentration with piti (a physical-mental joy) jhana states may become accessible.
"Avaita" literally means "not two" it's doesn't mean "one" that is an interpretation. My interpretation would be "Neither multiple nor singular."
if I remember you for anything...its that one saying you like to say..EVERYWHERE you type it👍💜lol
"There are, many ways, to come to ultimate happiness," Really ?
Aren't sure if you really mean, ''There are many ways, INDUCING ultimate happiness" ?
Otherwise, my friend, if Ultimate Happiness is only one, then while being enlightened of ultimate happiness by multi ways, still the path to illuminate and illumination is only one too.
Simply the gospels stating, "I am the way the truth and the life," aren't said in vain, for the religiosity's vanity.
+DiscountGigolo Apparently on the words attributed to Jesus Christ, stating "I am the way the truth and the life," you have no idea.
+DiscountGigolo
Again, be reminded that what you say is what you were told and nothing is of your own accord.
Simply, observe yourself as a programmed entity, repeating other people's mere OPINIONS.
Had you over passed the religious nomenclature, life's optimum potential and purpose would be obvious which is transcendent.
+gourglisou sopa No, it really means ALLOWING the natural potential already available to manifest
Liberation is simply the end of experience. And how can there be a path to what allready is? How? What a joke. Wake up from waking up.
Haha get over it already. That enlightenment.