Enlightenment

Enlightenment via Letting Go Meditation

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How to Let Go

Enlightenment Experiences via Insight Meditation

I was originally going to provide a very nice and simple yoga set to help with eye problems, but then my morning meditation session propelled an enlightenment state, sharing which I felt would be of great benefit to all of you.  So the Yoga for Eyes set will have to wait till next week, while I provide you the details behind the meditation which opened my inner eyes instead :-).

There are many different insights which can explode during silent meditation that launch one into an enlightened state, and I have shared many of these in the ongoing series Insights from Advanced Meditation Practice.  I have also explained in some detail how one can set the stage for such insights to occur in Chapter 12 of the Silent Mind Meditation Program, The Silent Mind Meditation Technique.  Today’s meditation caused such as explosion, although it did not quite follow the sequence laid out in the Silent Mind meditation technique.

As I sat and watched the mind and thoughts carefully, as usual, many observations about the nature of the thinking process began taking place.  But the explosion that created the dramatic shift in awareness, was a relatively new insight that occurred this time.

Enlightenment

In inquiring into the reality of thoughts and the constant process of becoming, it suddenly began to be clear that although thoughts were taking place, since I was not choosing the thoughts, I was not choosing my “reality”, or what to do/think next.  In fact it became startlingly clear that since thoughts dictated the content of my “reality”, and I did not choose my thoughts, I therefore cannot choose my reality.

There was no way to really determine what my next thoughts were going to be exactly, this led to the realization that things were happening on their own.  In other words, certain thoughts would come up, based on them, certain activity were engaged in by the “me” of the thoughts, and then other thoughts would come up and the cycle would on and on.  It was as if everything was on auto-pilot and I was not really doing anything at all.

Well if this was the case, what is it that I can do?  What is going to be done is going to be determined by the thoughts that arise, so what is it that I can do?  That’s when the insight exploded and I was thrown back onto the Witness Consciousness.

All I can do is let go and watch!  Everything is just happening, I am not really in control of it.  It is determined by the thoughts that arise, I can only watch.

This let to a great freedom, as a profound letting go took place.  A deep, silent, blissful watching emerged and I resided as that.

One thing I would like to mention here, is that seeing clearly, through and through, is the key for insight to take place.  Analysis, reasoning, etc doesn’t bring it about.  You have to learn to look, which is another way of saying, you have to learn the Art of Meditation.

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18 replies
  2. Anmol Mehta
    Anmol Mehta says:

    Hey Gia,

    Much appreciation for your contribution and adding to the discussion here. Very interesting insight as well into the nature of thinking and it’s relationship to Reality.

    Namaste,
    Anmol

    Reply
  3. gia combs-ramirez
    gia combs-ramirez says:

    I’ve always said, that the mind is like the last person on the block to know what is really going on. By the time a “thought” (which is a reflection of what is going on with us energetically) reaches consciousness, that original action has already moved through all levels of the multidimensional aspect of our being. I keep trying to figure out how many of my thoughts are truly original…not too many actually.
    from my field to yours…..appreciation,
    gia

    Reply
  6. Anmol Mehta
    Anmol Mehta says:

    Hey Luke,

    Love your approach to the thoughts that arise. I agree it’s important to be kind to the ego and the mind, even though it creates the distraction which keeps awareness bound to time and duality.

    Thanks for sharing your personal experiences with us as well.

    Cheers,
    Anmol

    Reply
  8. Anmol Mehta
    Anmol Mehta says:

    Hey Tom,

    Glad you enjoyed this post. It is truly a remarkable insight to have, and yes it throws you back onto those aspects of your self that lie hidden.

    Always look forward to your thoughts on thoughts :-D.

    Cheers,
    Anmol

    Reply
  9. luke
    luke says:

    Great post!

    I started out of desperation to question where do these thoughts come from? I don’t believe I will them into form as some are unpleasant and quite frankly rude :) (to dual notioned being such as myself ),

    The same thing then occurred to me, they arise from nowhere and return to nowhere. The very thing I obsessed on yesterday is forgotten and passed today.

    Now I when I become aware of my thoughts a lot of the time to amuse myself – I say to them ‘Thank you for participating and do remember we love & accept you, please do drop by again and have a nice day’ :)

    Reply
  10. karthik
    karthik says:

    Hey anmol:
    Nice post. As I read the comments, I noticed Tom mentioning about Ramana Maharshi. I saw in my book shelf that I had the book called “Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi”. As I was reading a few pages, I came across a paragraph that’s exactly relevant to your post here. I thought I had post the paragraph (Pg 281) here for the benefit of all:

    “Meditation is your true nature now. You call it meditation, because there are other thoughts distracting you. When these thoughts are dispelled; you remain alone, i.e., in the state of meditation free from thoughts; and that is your real nature which you are now attempting to gain by keeping away other thoughts. Such keeping away of other thoughts is now called meditation. When the practice becomes firm, the real nature shows itself as the true meditation.
    Other thoughts arise forcibly when you attempt meditation.
    Yes, all kinds of thoughts arise in meditation. It is but right. What lies hidden in you is brought out. Unless they rise up how can they be destroyed? They therefore rise spontaneously in order to be extinguished in due course, thus to strengthen the mind”

    Reply
  11. Tom Stine | Living from Consciousness
    Tom Stine | Living from Consciousness says:

    Perfect, Anmol. That’s the wisdom that has been coming to us over and over again from some of the purest spiritual lights. People like Ramana Maharshi have been saying this, but it is hard for us to get it, isn’t it? I fought this realization tooth and nail, and then finally had to accept that I have no control over my thoughts. None. They arise. Where do they arise from? I don’t know even that. They arise.

    The only thing to do, as you say, is to witness them. Further, who is it that is witnessing? When that question “answers” inside, then you know. Not from thought, not from thinking about it. The veil parts and you get a glimpse of what you are.

    Cool post. I think I will try to follow-up on it over at my blog in a few days. Thanks for sharing this with us

    Reply
  14. Look Deeper Within...
    Look Deeper Within... says:

    Hey Anmol,

    Nice Post!

    It’s amazing what we can do (or cease to do) when we have the experience of stepping beyond day to day thought.

    I am still looking forward to yoga for the eyes…;^)

    keep smiling,

    ben

    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. Love Mind Body Spirit » Meditation Training Program Congratulations, Important Updates and Successful Launch says:
    March 13,2010 at 2:30 am

    […] Enlightenment via Letting Go Meditation […]

    Reply
  2. Meditation, prayer and enlightenment « Passion and dalliance says:
    February 18,2010 at 10:54 am

    […] Meditation, prayer and enlightenment By calumog Today I am thinking about the ‘problem’ of enlightenment for christians. Because I firmly believe meditation leads to enlightenment and that, in meditative or mystical non-dual time-space, as it were, notions of prayer or faith cease to be distinct I have to ask what can christians do, or what is there in christian tradition to help. I suppose there are a number of ideas about what constitutes meditation. For me this description comes very close. One is, as much as possible,  a witness of consciousness. With practice and experience in this some truly remarkable experiences will occur. The other thing to be mindful of is reaction – thoughts normally produce a reaction of some kind. It is important to allow the reaction also to arise and leave.  I liken it to being on a train watching the scenery go by. The things come into view and recede. Seems like a simple enough thing. As one delves into meditative practice thoughts or thought constructs that have never been noticed before will emerge. And some of these can be very old indeed. One can have been living with certain patterns for years on end, perhaps since childhood – a very quiet, powerful voice in the background.  Letting these go can be profoundly liberating and therapeutic. At a deeper level we enter into a paradoxical region. As the threads between the objects are broken because we mange or witness our reaction – moving away from the thought habit of cause and effect the dualities dissolve and we can begin to see a sort of radical holism where notions like inner and outer are not distinct. That things are free to be other than to be in relation to each other. ‘Innerness’ is just innerness, it doesn’t depend on the existence of ‘outerness’ and so on. This may well be the region of Blake’s ‘genius’. Certainly it is poetic. We like poetry becuase it often confounds expectation of the realationship between things – creating new forms of meaning that have a dramatic compulsion. It seems pretty obvious to me that if we are serious about investigating God then we cannot do it with the tools that we are so used to using every day – our usual way of thinking about things. That is not to say our usual way of thinking about things is a limitation, it isn’t. It’s a limitation when it comes to spiritual progress, or enlightenment or however we want to refer to these things. Literally we have to be poetic geniuses – watching the firework display of forms rising and combining free of cause and effect. And we have to carry on with the discipline of witnessing even if we are visited by the Holy Spirit in the process, which I imagine would be a shattering experience.  In other words keep a cool head, don’t be getting all excited because something new has happened. Avoid the ‘whoopee doos’ as my friend Hannah calls them. Seeking transcendent experience is a mistake. If it arises let it arise and let it subside. Anyway 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul says ‘and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ’. In other words, as I read it, Paul is advocating a very thoroughgoing mindfulness here – every thought. He is apparently permanently in meditative state. And this is actually possible though it takes a while to be able to do it. Not only that it is quite important to be able to take one’s meditative practice into daily life – all day because that is much more real than retreating. It’s not a conflict of retreating versus immersion in the everyday. I was talking to a good friend recently who was describing some very difficult feelings to do with having come out of a retreat situation and was feeling disconnected. So we spoke for a while about this idea of being able to practice whilst in the middle of our ordinary lives with their stresses. I said I thought it was possible but that the rhythm would be different. There would be a longer wavelength, as it were, of the insightful sub-process. The peaks and troughs would be longer and shallower but at least she would be more or less permanently ‘connected’ and not having to deal with the homesickness for [insert correct word here – spirit, love, God, I don’t know]. Of course I would call it the homesickness for God but this was not a christian retreat we were discussing. With practice and time one begins to be able to move a little in the witnessing apprehending and somewhat evaluating the arising thoughts. Some are just idle or worthless or distracting or bad or self aggrandising etc. One can hasten their expiration a little, opening up the space between them and the next. So in that sense the dross is a blessing! We are starting to pilot the thing, we’re not just sitting on the train but actually driving it, picking up speed. And this is I think what Paul was saying, as usual from a very high perspective of intense spiritual accomplishment. But it is a path that is open to any one of us. Take a little time to begin with to watch the thoughts come and go. Begin to notice the deep and old thoughts arising. Watch your reaction. Avoid clinging to excitement. Begin to extend this practice into daily life. […]

    Reply
  3. Passion and dalliance says:
    February 18,2010 at 10:50 am

    […] By calumog Today I am thinking about the ‘problem’ of enlightenment for christians. Because I firmly believe meditation leads to enlightenment and that, in meditative or mystical non-dual time-space, as it were, notions of prayer or faith cease to be distinct I have to ask what can christians do, or what is there in christian tradition to help. I suppose there are a number of ideas about what constitutes meditation. For me this description comes very close. One is, as much as possible,  a witness of consciousness. With practice and experience in this some truly remarkable experiences will occur. The other thing to be mindful of is reaction – thoughts normally produce a reaction of some kind. It is important to allow the reaction also to arise and leave.  I liken it to being on a train watching the scenery go by. The things come into view and recede. Seems like a simple enough thing. As one delves into meditative practice thoughts or thought constructs that have never been noticed before will emerge. And some of these can be very old indeed. One can have been living with certain patterns for years on end, perhaps since childhood – a very quiet, powerful voice in the background.  Letting these go can be profoundly liberating and therapeutic. At a deeper level we enter into a paradoxical region. As the threads between the objects are broken because we mange or witness our reaction – moving away from the thought habit of cause and effect the dualities dissolve and we can begin to see a sort of radical holism where notions like inner and outer are not distinct. That things are free to be other than to be in relation to each other. ‘Innerness’ is just innerness, it doesn’t depend on the existence of ‘outerness’ and so on. This may well be the region of Blake’s ‘genius’. Certainly it is poetic. We like poetry becuase it often confounds expectation of the realationship between things – creating new forms of meaning that have a dramatic compulsion. It seems pretty obvious to me that if we are serious about investigating God then we cannot do it with the tools that we are so used to using every day – our usual way of thinking about things. That is not to say our usual way of thinking about things is a limitation, it isn’t. It’s a limitation when it comes to spiritual progress, or enlightenment or however we want to refer to these things. Literally we have to be poetic geniuses – watching the firework display of forms rising and combining free of cause and effect. And we have to carry on with the discipline of witnessing even if we are visited by the Holy Spirit in the process, which I imagine would be a shattering experience.  In other words keep a cool head, don’t be getting all excited because something new has happened. Avoid the ‘whoopee doos’ as my friend Hannah calls them. Seeking transcendent experience is a mistake. If it arises let it arise and let it subside. Anyway 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul says ‘and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ’. In other words, as I read it, Paul is advocating a very thoroughgoing mindfulness here – every thought. He is apparently permanently in meditative state. And this is actually possible though it takes a while to be able to do it. Not only that it is quite important to be able to take one’s meditative practice into daily life – all day because that is much more real than retreating. It’s not a conflict of retreating versus immersion in the everyday. I was talking to a good friend recently who was describing some very difficult feelings to do with having come out of a retreat situation and was feeling disconnected. So we spoke for a while about this idea of being able to practice whilst in the middle of our ordinary lives with their stresses. I said I thought it was possible but that the rhythm would be different. There would be a longer wavelength, as it were, of the insightful sub-process. The peaks and troughs would be longer and shallower but at least she would be more or less permanently ‘connected’ and not having to deal with the homesickness for [insert correct word here – spirit, love, God, I don’t know]. Of course I would call it the homesickness for God but this was not a christian retreat we were discussing. With practice and time one begins to be able to move a little in the witnessing apprehending and somewhat evaluating the arising thoughts. Some are just idle or worthless or distracting or bad or self aggrandising etc. One can hasten their expiration a little, opening up the space between them and the next. So in that sense the dross is a blessing! We are starting to pilot the thing, we’re not just sitting on the train but actually driving it, picking up speed. And this is I think what Paul was saying, as usual from a very high perspective of intense spiritual accomplishment. But it is a path that is open to any one of us. Take a little time to begin with to watch the thoughts come and go. Begin to notice the deep and old thoughts arising. Watch your reaction. Avoid clinging to excitement. Begin to extend this practice into daily life. […]

    Reply

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