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41

How to Attain Enlightenment

Spiritual Enlightenment

Meditation For Enlightenment

Can enlightenment be attained?  Is there something that can be done to bring it about or are you altogether at the mercy of chance and luck?  Do you simply set the stage and wait, or can you be more proactive? In fact, can you be proactive to the point of actually bringing it about?  I think the answer is probably going to surprise some of you.  The answer is both.

I know I have myself mentioned that mostly enlightenment experiences are not in your hands and that they are a gift for living a particular way, with certain energy, awareness and intelligence, but, in this article I want to speak of what you can actually do to bring about enlightenment, first hand, consciously.

This type of enlightenment I refer to as “Direct Enlightenment”, versus the enlightenment that takes place unannounced and mostly on it’s own, which I refer to as “Indirect Enlightenment”.  Examples of indirect enlightenment are the openings that take place when you are deep in meditation, silently watching your breath, or are practicing some pranayama, koan, mindfulness or other such technique. 

Attain Enlightenment

Direct enlightenment though is when you consciously bring about the explosion of insight and the ensuing state of enlightenment follows.  Let me explain by giving you an example of my own experience with this approach.

An Enlightened Day – Spontaneous Living

This event took place at my parents home many years back, but the enormity of the experience makes it an unforgettable part of my life.  Here is how it transpired.

I was alone upstairs in the guest room (which has since become the computer room after the internet took over our lives :-), contemplating what J. Krishnamurti spoke of with regard to ideals and that our actions are based on these “shoulds”.  In other words, we act based on what we feel we should do, in the hopes of achieving something by such action.  For example, “I should watch my thoughts”, that will help me attain enlightenment, or “I should let go”, “I should be aware”, etc. etc.  If you examine your thoughts carefully, you will see that you are constantly operating under the authority of “shoulds”, chasing goals.  Here is more about what that means.

To be operating under the authority of “shoulds”, means to always be caught in psychological time and caught in the process of becoming.  It is really important to understand this very clearly.  When we act according to what we “should” be doing, we are acting with a goal state in mind.  Like the example above, when we say “I should watch my thoughts,” I have the future state of being enlightened in mind and am hoping to achieve that.  So I am currently not enlightened, but by “watching my thoughts”, I will become enlightened.  This process of “becoming” is infused into every aspect of your life.  I am violent, I will become non-violent, I am selfish, I will become unselfish, etc.  The battle between “what is” and “what should be” rages incessantly.

As I was contemplating this topic, it occurred to me that this process was actually underway at this very moment in my mind and I could observe it “live” right then and see it action.  So I closed my eyes, put my head down and decided that I would like to see this in actuality, instead of just intellectually.  I was absolutely determined to make this happen right then and there.  The demand was urgent, uncompromising and intense.

I focused all my energy on watching the fact that shoulds mean I am caught in the process of becoming.  I looked very very carefully at this happening in real time.   The mind, in pursuit of a goal, determining what should be done next, repeatedly.  I examined and perceived this fact in every movement of the mind.  This is when the explosion took place.  The mind realized that any movement on its part was just the continuation of more of the same.  That all it could do was present another goal and thus perpetuate the endless cycle of becoming.  The clear and complete perception of this fact obliterated the entire process.  Becoming ceased.

I felt a tremendous release take place in the stomach, as all tension evaporated and the actuality of happiness took it’s place.  It is then that I realized that the tension was always there and that we have taken it to be the “normal” state, when in fact it is actually constant stress and suffering.  The mind completely stopped presenting any “shoulds”, and all action became spontaneous responses to the moment.  It was unbelievable. 

I recall heading downstairs, pure happiness in my belly, mind free of any trace of becoming, but nonetheless fully functional and outwardly completely normal.  I interacted with my parents and even worked on problem solving with my father who was working on fixing some electronic device.  The mind functioned perfectly fine, it’s just there was no inward attempt to pursue any future state whatsoever.  This state of pure spontaneous living, free of all ideals and the actuality of happiness continued throughout the day.

Direct Enlightenment:

This is an example of direct enlightenment and what sets it apart from indirect enlightenment are the following three aspects…

1. You apply yourself intensely with the aim of enlightenment.

2. You bring about the explosion of insight via the application of acute intelligence and swift awareness.

3. The enlightenment state descends directly as a result of the insight which shatters the time bound, desire driven thinking process.

The process I described above eventually matured into what I call now the Silent Mind Meditation Technique and I describe the technique in the following article, Silent Mind Meditations.  In that article you will also find a more through analysis on what I was explaining above with regard to “shoulds” and the process of becoming as well.

Frankly I have not met many people who can do this type of meditation and bring about this cessation of the mind or dissolution of the ordinary time bound, goal oriented thinking process, but, from all the meditation techniques on this website, if there was one I would want you to grasp this would be it.  This technique is not easy, but it is the one that puts enlightenment in your hands.

 

42

No Mind No Thoughts Simplicity Meditation Technique

No Mind Meditation Technique

Insights from Advanced Meditation

Continuing with the series on Insights During Advanced Meditation Practice, I would like to provide the quote below that I noted after such a session.

No Mind, No Thoughts, Simplicity Meditation

Nothing is required of you.  This is the most important point to understand.  You need to do nothing, and not even that.

Simplicity is the absence of the cognitive mind.  We are constantly moving around in the complexity of the mind.  Simplicity is the rejection of this whole dimension.

As soon as we lapse, we are again lost in cognition, chasing after something, doing something which we think will get us somewhere.  Simplicity is staying out of this whole thing.

It is very clear how love, laughter, truth, simplicity exist and come into reality –  when the cognitive dimension is rejected.

The sitting began with work on single-pointed attention and then turning attention to the thinking mind.

One’s motto has to be to keep going!

No Mind No Thoughts

Analysis of No Mind Meditation:

As I have mentioned before in this series, the type of meditation I practice is along the lines of Insight Meditation and Gyan Yoga.  It is closely aligned with the techniques of J. Krishnamurti and I have explained this technique in some detail in chapter 12 of the Silent Mind Meditation Program – The Silent Mind Meditaiton Technique.

As you can see above, I start with Zazen – Zen Buddhist Meditation (Single Pointed Attention to the Breath) and then, once the mind/thoughts slows down, I turn my full energy and attention to comprehending the thinking mind via direct perception, from moment to moment.  This combination has been my method for some time now and I have found it to be very effective in bringing about the explosion of insight and a shift in awareness beyond the ego-centric mind.

The point I want to emphasize here, is that one has to “step out” of the entire cognitive stream.  In other words, as long as you are reacting and moving within the network of thoughts, you will continue to be lost in “the chase”.  Close observation is not an effort to bring about the end of this chase, close observation IS the end of the chase.

A very effective way for understanding what is being pointed out here is by asking the question, “Am I inside or outside my thought?”.  If you have “bought in” to what the thought is offering, you will find yourself lost and chasing, and as you as you become aware that you have “bought in” to the thought, in that moment you will be outside, in observation.  Watching and rejecting in this fashion, intently, is meditation.

One final thought I want to share with you has to do with the last line of the quote above.  You have to be willing to stick to it with regard to meditation and spiritual growth.  One week of meditation is not going to make you the Buddha.  So integrate this practice into your daily life, practice quietly and consistently and enjoy it’s enormous rewards.

For those looking to start a meditation practice.  Here are some nice free courses and techniques.

Learn to Meditate | Beginner’s Meditation Class

Free Online Guided Meditation Technique E-book

43

Insight Meditation Tips – The Power of Urgency

Insight Meditation Tips

The Power of Urgency

Without a doubt, abiding passion is a cornerstone of a successful, longterm meditation practice, but not far behind in the list of requirements is the need for urgency as well.  It is almost as if the abiding passion creates the atmosphere for meditation to be practiced and then urgency, provides the necessary catalyst for insight to explode.

I have been sharing the insights that take place during my meditation session in the series “Insights from Advanced Meditation Practice”, and below is another such insight which I noted after a deep meditation session.  The particular technique I practice, for those interested, is along the lines of Insight Meditation (Gyan Yoga or Zen Meditation) and I have gone into it in some detail in the following article Silent Mind Meditation Technique.

Insight Meditation Tips

Here is the insight I noted regarding the requirement of urgency on the path to enlightenment.

Insight Meditation Tips – The Need for Urgency

We are dying.  That is a fact.  Slowly, despite what the New Age pundits preach, we are physically deteriorating.  It is the way of that which is physical.  We must feel this urgency.  We must be almost desperate – and yet be composed.

As a human we are capable of encountering the True nature of things, and this opportunity is very much precious.  It ought to be optimized for the true discovery of things real.   Do whatever is necessary to break free from complacency-  there is no time for laziness.

It is best not to get into situations that distract us, than to get in and then try to get out.  At the end one has to not worry about survival, one has to only worry about applying oneself totally to the discovery of one’s True nature.

Consider yourself on death row and the only escape is meditation.

Analysis of Urgency During Insight Meditation

All the great masters of meditation recognize this need for urgency.  It is what allows for the total commitment to awaken.  This total commitment then gives them the necessary energy needed to penetrate the dualistic mind and see the Oneness, which is the True Reality that lies beyond.  The key to this urgency is to realize that the clock is ticking.

Many traditions use various means to spur this sense of urgency onwards.  In some schools of yoga, human birth is considered an immeasurably rare opportunity and the students are constantly reminded of that by the teachers to keep them focused.  In Buddhism, one of the realizations which led the Buddha to pursue meditation was the fact of age, illness and death.  In similar fashion, other masters such as Gurdjieff & Krishnamurti, remind us of the paramount importance of applying ourselves passionately towards our freedom right now.

Scattered throughout this blog are such reminders and below is my favorite zen quote pointing out the importance of our  meditation practice and how urgent the situation is…

Let me respectfully remind you, life & death are of supreme importance.  Time passes swiftly and opportunity is lost.  Each of us must strive to awaken.  Awaken!  Take heed, do not squander your lives.

For those new to meditation, you may be interested in the Free Online Classes here on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga.  Here is the link to the Free Online Beginner’s Meditation Class.

44

3 Simple Tips to Invite Enlightenment

3 Practical Tips for Enlightenment Experiences

Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

The vast majority of humans go through life without ever experiencing Reality beyond what the ordinary dualistic mind projects.  Bound tightly by the ego-centric mind, they live their entire life stuck in mediocrity, mostly struggling for this or that, while experiencing a few fleeting joys.  One of the things that I hope to accomplish on this website, is awaken in you a passion for the Supreme, for the highest, and to that end, I think having an enlightenment experience or two can go a long way.

Enlightenment experiences are glimpses of that aspect of life and your being, which are beyond time, space and self.  These enlightenment experiences come in infinite variety, and in addition to giving you deep insight into the True Nature of Reality, they also inspire you to live life at your highest potential. 

Simple Tips to Invite Enlightenment

Seeing the Truth of Singularity makes you question the nature of duality and thought, while experiencing the utter freedom of these states, makes you question the value of your attachments.  So how can we go about facilitating these experiences?

Enlightenment experiences are not subject to your will.  In the article Understanding Non-Duality, Hinduism, Buddhism & Enlightenment, we went into how enlightenment experiences occur when there is a shift of awareness beyond the ego-centric mind, and defined life as an opportunity for setting the stage for such shifts to take place.  In this article I want to explore this idea further.

Mastery of Meditation is of course full of tools, techniques and tips to help you create a vessel into which infinity can descend.  Some of the best tools for creating such a vessel are without a doubt, Meditation, Pranayama and Yoga.  But, in this article I want to share with you some simple everyday tips, which I have noticed through personal experience help create situations that are conducive to enlightenment experiences occurring.

3 Simple Tips to Invite Enlightenment Experiences:


1. Napping:

Yup that is correct, you read it fine – napping.  I have noticed time and again, that when I end up napping during the day, the phase between wakefulness and sleep invariably opens the doors to infinity.

It does not matter where I nap.  On the bus to New York, on the sofa, in bed, does not matter.  This has been true for a very long time for me.  I actually don’t chase enlightenment experiences, so I have not used napping consciously to help bring them about, therfore these naps are always due to a lack of sleep for whatever reason.  Having said that, I am well aware that as I drift off, if I maintain my awareness, I am in for a treat.  So usually when I nap, I remain alert as sleep comes and see what magic takes place.

I want to mention here that I have had the same experience with simple nighttime sleep as well.  Although, the probability of a shift in awareness is less than napping, I have noticed that the phase when the ordinary wakeful mind is diminished and sleep is yet to come, is a very conducive time to penetrate veil of the dualistic mind. 

In addition, if you can develop a habit of meditating prior to sleep, this transitory phase and overnight sleep itself can become a very spiritual, precious and cherished time for you.

2. Long Nature Walks:

In the article 10 Things to do Everyday for Enlightened Living, item number 4 was “Spend Time in Nature”.  Taking long walks in natural surroundings, or spending time in the beauty of nature, I have also found to be very helpful in developing and finding spirituality.

These walks, if possible, should be taken alone and if they are taken with company, then should not be full of conversation and chatter.  Instead, just walk with simple awareness of the surroundings.  Take in everything and be sensitive to the moment.  Just watching life and being with life.  You will find enumerable emotional, mental and physical benefits from this simple activity, and of course, if you are lucky, you will be showered with blessings from beyond.

3. Read Enlightened Material:

I have found the direct words from enlightened masters to be automatic triggers for uplifting your awareness and giving you direct insight.  Here one has to be a little careful though, as reading endlessly can also just be an escape from life and also, it can be hard to be sure, if the author is really an evolved being or not.  Having said that, good books certainly carry spiritual vibrations and their content is without a doubt, one of the most inspiring sources for spiritual growth.

Authors whose work I have read and subsequentially found myself immersed in the boundless are masters such as J. Krishnamurti, Osho and Nisargadatta Maharaj, to name a few.  At the very minimum, such books I have found to be very helpful in “keeping my eye on the ball” so to speak.   There can be times when I don’t read for many many months, but then, if I find I am in need for spiritual realignment, I will pick up a good book and use it give me the right perspective again.

Of course, in today’s day and age, perhaps good spiritual blogs also carry high vibrations and can be helpful to inspire and uplift you ;-).

Summary:

So there you have it.  For enlightenment, take a long walk, sit under a big tree and fall asleep reading a good book :-D.  Well not quite, but I couldn’t resist.  I hope the above practical tips give you the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Ultimate Reality and are useful to you in your journey back to the Source. 

If you have some tips for inviting the Wonder and penetrating the mundane, please share them with us as well.  I am sure it will be beneficial to all.

45

Role of Money, Pleasure & Career in Spirituality

Money & Materialism on the Spiritual Path

Financial Security on the Spiritual Path

It is easy to get entangled in the endless pleasures of materialism.  The propaganda machine of commercialism is a finely tuned, highly developed and very effective system for getting you to believe that to be happy you must buy, buy, buy and have more, more, more.  Lately, even I was feeling it’s tentacles reaching closer and closer to me.  So what did I do… I did what any courageous, highly evolved, intelligent person would do… I ran away :-D.

Yes literally.  I did.  This past weekend, we packed our bags and headed off to the mountain regions of Vernon New Jersey and hid from the octopus of society.  I can tell you it was a huge blessing, and it helped me to hear once again the music of my heart and therefore, get back on the path which leads to the Great Silence.

Role of Money

In the article, It’s Wonderful, but Dangerous to Your Meditation Practice, I wrote about the risk that a vacation can pose to the consistency of a burgeoning meditation practice, but here I want to point out that a timely vacation, taken in the right spirit, can also be a valuable tool to help you clear your head and regain your inspiration.  Which is how I now feel after our getaway and here is a little about my trip.

Our room provided a great view and as I sat, staring out at the quiet, rolling hills I could feel the tentacles of the man made world starting to recede.  The more time I spent breathing in the cool, fresh mountain air, the more I felt myself being rejuvenated and purified, till soon I started to feel the freedom that the circling hawk was certainly enjoying as he soared high above the valley, riding invisible winds under a cloudless blue sky.

Below I want to share some of the clarity regarding materialism that this excursion into nature helped bring forth.

Money, Pleasure & Career in Spirituality


1. Role of Money:

In the article, Money Money Money Mantra and the Path to Enlightenment, I emphasized that the best use of money in life, was to help you buy leisure, which is essential for the self-study required for spiritual evolution.   Whether money helps you be free of a daily monotonous job, or it helps you buy household help, or it helps you acquire technology to save you time, as long as it’s buying you time, it’s being well spent, assuming of course, that the time it buys you is being well spent :-).

Of course, if you have sacrificed all your leisure in order to chase more and more money, you need to take a vacation.

2. Material Pleasure:

I am not against material pleasures.  The key with material pleasures and material acquisitions, is your detachment to them.  If you can be just as happy and completely undisturbed when you lose your BMW convertible, then it means you are not attached to it and therefore, are not enslaved by it.  This applies to all forms of pleasure you may be extracting from your possessions, including the intangible ones related to boosting your ego and self image.  Go ahead and enjoy material goods, but don’t end up dependent and attached to them in any way. 

This of course brings up other complex issues, such as living lavishly and excessively, while others may not even have the bare essentials, and this is a personal lifestyle choice which deserves your conscious attention and reflection.

3. Work & Security:

Here is one of the hardest and most difficult aspects of spiritual living.  In the article, 4 Vital Keys for Developing Mastery in Anything, key number 4 was “Don’t Worry About Survival”.  This is a highly debated and controversial concept.  When I was in graduate school, my professor in Eastern Philosophy was a huge fan of J. Krishnamurti.  The only point of his, which she struggled with was this concept of don’t worry about survival, life will take care of you somehow, just go after your passions.  She said, he was rich most are not, perhaps, just perhaps he was being impractical.

This indeed is a hard one.  For those of us with families and children, it is even harder :-).  But at the end I have concluded that the Bible got it right, when it said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven, and all else shall be added onto you.”  Of course, this does not mean you can just sit around pray and not act, but it does mean that you should not obsess and be driven exclusively by security and finances.  Just the words, “I will not worry about income and money,” lifts a mountain off your chest.

Summary:

Since having returned yesterday, I now find myself full of joy and happiness, relaxed with my life and simply enjoying the ease of being.  So if you find yourself, on crossroads, or stressed by the pressures of the rat race, I strongly recommend a trip out into the wild, for reflection and introspection.  In fact, I recommend time in nature everyday to keep you connected and balanced, as part of the 10 Things to do Daily for Enlightened Living.  The one excuse you are not allowed to make in life is, “I didn’t know what I was doing”.  If you don’t know what the hell you are doing, who does?

46

Kundalini Awakening Symptoms

Symptoms of Kundalini Awakening 

Real Life Experiences & Descriptions of Kundalini Rising

Are you going through a kundalini awakening episode or experience?  Let’s find out… 

Kundalini awakening symptoms are truly a very intriguing subject.  Really there is no correct answer to the question, “What are the symptoms of Kundalini Rising?”, as thankfully, each of us is absolutely unique and thus, on a unique trajectory on the path to Kundalini Awakening.  That said, there are some common kundalini experiences that are often reported, which I would like to share with you in this article.

Although we can draw up endless lists of symptoms from third party accounts, I would like to instead make this series about kundalini symptoms that you or I have actually experienced.  In this article, I will give a recent account from one of my students about what she experienced shortly after class, and then I will add my own kundalini experiences and observations as well. 

In the comments section, I encourage you to add any kundalini awakening experiences or symptoms you have felt, so others can better understand what they might be going through.  Here is the recent email I received from my student, Aida:

Aida’s Experience of Kundalini Awakening:

I am a student of the “Gentle Kundalini Class”. I just finished taking a series of exercise specifically for the spine.
 
As I left the class I felt energized as I usually feel after each class, but this time it was a little different, I was feeling extra aware of my surrounding. Like a light turned on. My back was so straight. It lasted all day.
 
If I could go to class every morning I would go. It makes my day start right in every way. And there are times when I am not feeling like going to class and I push myself to go and do not regret it.
 
Thank you for being my teacher.
Aida D. 

For those interested, here is a link to the Spinal Warmup Kundalini Yoga Kriya we did in class that day.  Thank you Aida, for sharing your personal experiences with us.

This particular experience of kundalini is very interesting and significant.  This is because it is the common experience of advanced meditation and of kundalini yoga.  In the article, Powerful Kundalini Yoga Battles Profound Zen Meditation, I described my own such experience with kundalini awakening, but not from doing kundalini yoga, but instead from doing Silent Mind Meditation!

Aida’s experience points at the two things that all yoga and meditation boils down to.  Energy and Awareness. 

My favorite description of Kundalini Yoga is, “The Yoga of Awareness,” and as you see from her account, she felt more aware, as the energy of kundalini had risen up her spine.  In meditation, it is the same.  The demand for intense awareness, in order to comprehend the thought process via direct perception, leads to energy (kundalini) rising up and elongating the spine.  Awareness then follows.

Jiddu Krishnamurti describes this experience of kundlaini energy flowing up the spine as “The rush of water filling up and thus causing a pipe to stand erect.”

When we insist that the spine be straight during meditation, it is simply to facilitate this awakening and thus, to assist in being more aware.  I have experienced kundalini rising and puling up with such force, during meditation, that it sometimes make me feel as if I am going to be launched right off the ground or as if it’s going to pull my head off and up into the sky.

Kundalini Awakening in Meditation

Symptoms of Kundalini Awakening:

I am going to describe some of the physical symptoms my students or I have felt due to kundalini awakening.  I know there are many emotional and mental symptoms as well, and you are welcome to share those with us in the comments section below.  I am grouping the experiences into 3 categories, common, uncommon and rare, according to what I have observed.

Common Kundalini Awakening Symptoms:

  • Tingling in the body and brain region.  Also sometimes described as ants walking, tickling energy or flushes of energy.  The brain being flushed with energy is quite pleasant :-).
  • Heat or cold in the system, or running along various channels and chakra centers.
  • Fluttering or twitching of muscles.
  • Pinching or burning in various regions of the body or brain.

Uncommon Kundalini Awakening Symptoms:

  • Pressure in the Third Eye Region (Ajna Chakra).  This is pressure, tingling or other sensation in the center of the forehead.  Can go on for years (14 years and counting so far for me).  Caution: If the pressure, due to certain practices, intensifies to uncomfortable levels you feel are “immense”, you should cease that practice and consult a competent kundalini yoga teacher.
  • Sudden bursts of energy anywhere in the body.  These are almost always short lived, from a few seconds to a few minutes.
  • Spontaneous yoga asans or kundalini yoga movements.  They may come on spontaneously, or they may take over, as if on auto-pilot when one is practicing  Kundalini Yoga Kriyas or Exercises (For an example see article: Explosive Kundalini Rising in Class Today).
  • Kundalini Shakti rising up and elongating the spine.
  • Incredible feeling of love and desire for your partner (not ordinary lust, alcohol induced or otherwise :-).  Usually comes upon you spontaneously, deep in the night.  Sex feels like it’s the first such experience and the intense feelings of attraction emanate from somewhere beyond yourself.
  • Unfortunately, pain in the lower back, back of the neck and headaches.

Rare Kundalini Awakening Symptoms:

  • Experience of divine light within.  Very intense light, usually pure white and incredibly beautiful.  I call it the Radiation of the Lord.
  • Tremendous vibratory energy (sometimes feels like it’s coming from the inner ears).  Very blissful, but can intensify to the point where it would completely overwhelm your consciousness if you let it.
  • Spontaneous bliss, intensely pleasurable.
  • This one is a bit scary.  Complete paralysis of the body.  Complete immobility and rigidity takes place.  As with the all consuming vibratory energy, it requires some courage to allow.
  • This one is exceedingly rare.  I have experienced it only once in my life, and have only ever read about it being experienced by one other – the master of awareness, G. I. Gurdjieff.  The arms and legs churn like that of a baby.  It happens naturally and cannot be simulated.  It is also intensely pleasurable and quite a remarkable experience.

There are of course a wide range of transcendental experiences, some of which you will find described in the category Spiritual Enlightenment Experiences.  Above, I have provide those that are more commonly associated with kundalini awakening, although many would argue, including Swami Vivekananda, that all enlightenment experiences have to do with kundalini entering the brain region in some capacity.

So if you have experienced some kundalini symptoms as well, please do share them with us below.  I think it will benefit others identify if what they are going through is actually symptoms of the ever mysterious kundalini awakening.

47

The Yogic Mind – The Perfected Mind

Summary:  In Kundalini Yoga the Yogic Mind, is called the fourth spiritual body, and for those of us drawn to meditation, this is the mind we look to have emerge and persist during our meditation practice and beyond.  This mind is also called the Neutral Mind and it’s development leads to enlightenment.

Insights from Advanced Meditation Practice

The Yogic Mind

This series is about insights that occur during advanced stages of Silent Mind Meditation.  These are insights that emerge due to direct perception of that which is taking place within the inner walls of the human mind.  The quote below are the notes put down after such meditation sessions.

The silent mind meditation technique employed belongs to the category of Jyana Yoga or advanced Zen Meditation and is closely related to the work of J. Krishnamurti.

Here is the quote that I noted after such a session of insight meditation:

The Yogic Mind – The Neutral Mind – Quote

There have been suggestions to just say no to struggle, to negate it, there have been suggestions to not-resist struggle etc.  The idea is really to do both simultaneously.  In other words, to neither indulge and also, to not resist.  Just observe, just let it go.

Just as the body first resists to being made to be still, so does the mind resists to not being catered to.   It puts forth what should be done and resists being simply observed.  This impulse to do, to be occupied, to try, is very deeply ingrained and will not easily fall away – or subside.  But we must have the relentless passion to not engage in it, so that it weakens and eventually dissolves.

This is true mastery, to be able to observe the Truth in action and this is worth praying for.

The Yogic Mind – The Neutral Mind – Analysis

The above is the greatest application of the Yogic Mind.  To be wielded as an instrument of keen observation.  The point that I think is very rare to grasp, and is only really understood by those who actually practice meditation seriously, is that we are talking here at the level of individual thoughts.

Most conversations regarding meditation simply speak to attitudes, such as being mindful, kind, calm, etc.  These attitudes are absolutely wonderful and emerge naturally as a result of your spiritual practice, but here we are indicating something much more precise, fundamental and “real time”.  Here, we are speaking of the human capacity to devour each thought completely, prior to the onset of the next thought.

By devour, I mean to comprehend completely.  Such digestion of thoughts requires fantastic observation, so that no aspect of any thought goes unnoticed.  When one comprehends thoughts in such a way, only then is there neither resistance nor indulgence taking place, there is simply insight flowing under the full light of awareness.  Any deviation from this observation is the return to the ordinary mind.

Mediation of this nature is illumination, is awakening.  This is intelligence at work.  If you have understood what has just been described, then you understand what is meant when one says, the beginning is the end.  The Alpha is the Omega.  This is Jyana Yoga and Vedanta, this is Insight Meditation. This mind is the Neutral Mind in action.  This is the Yogic Mind.

48

The Secret to Enlightenment

Summary:  The mind is a shopping mall.  For the mind, it is always Black Friday.  There is always a great sale on within us and we are constantly buying into what is being offered.  You may be able to get out of the machinery of consumerism, but can you get out of the machinery of the mind and find enlightenment?  I will show you how. 

Insights from Advanced Meditation Practice

Enlightenment

Continuing with the insights that explode during advanced meditation practice, today’s entry is about how the mind is a shopping mall, and it is an apt entry given we are entering the heart of the holiday shopping season.  These insights are those which take place during deep stages of meditation, and occur as a direct result of seeing the mind in action.

The meditation technique I employ is my own.  I have described it in great detail in the Silent Mind Meditation Program – The Silent Mind Meditation Technique.  It is an extension of the work of J. Krishnamurti, and belongs in the category of insight meditation, advanced zen meditation, advaita vedanta and Jyana Yoga.  If you are drawn to any of these schools of meditation, then you will want to apply yourself to this technique.

In my opinion the Silent Mind Meditation Technique is one of the most powerful forms of insight meditation. 

Here is the quote that I noted after such a session of deep meditation:

The Secret to Enlightenment – Quote

The key, the secret is not to set any goals.  Goals lead to effort.  The mind is very suggestive and extremely seductive.  It will constantly present juicy goals and one must remain very alert to this and Not Buy In!  This has to be done moment to moment.

The thoughts can lose their potency and become impotent.  Then they are just flying around, but are unable to draw you in.  You will have peace.

Our prison is unfortunately of our own making.  We are asleep to this fact.  We attach to our goals and thus, are endlessly lost in struggle and misery.  The way out is the pathway of awareness.

The Secret to Enlightenment – Analysis

This is possible.  At first when you sit and begin to watch the mind, it has great speed.  It will not be easily examined, specially not in the capacity that is required to break through.  But persist.  If you persist, then during any elongated session, there will come opportunities when thoughts start of lose their momentum and become available for digestion.  This is your chance.

In observing carefully the movement of the mind and thoughts, you will start to see facts, such as the one above, clearly, through and through.  Such acute perception from moment to moment, brings about the necessary transformation in consciousness, as the need for negation becomes apparent.  Let me explain.

In this excerpt, as I see without a shadow of a doubt that engaging a presented goal implies struggle, the seeing brings about a state of being “de-clutched”.  In other words, the mind continues to try and seduce, but being keenly aware of the danger of “buying in”, only observation is adhered to and the suggested goal is spontaneously negated.  Thus, on the onset of any goal oriented thought, negation takes place and just witnessing continues.

What is being given away here, is the secret to meditation.  It is the secret on how to get out of the mess.  It is the secret to enlightenment.  If you want it, it is there for you, if you don’t, it does not matter.

49

How to Discover Your Soul, Atman or Higher Self

Summary: Atman, Soul, Higher Self, Christ Consciousness, Buddha Nature is something you find referenced repeatedly in spiritual texts, but, how do you come to know this True aspect of yourself?  In this article we explore this very interesting question of how to realize and recognize your Divine Nature.

How to Discover Your Soul, Atman or Higher Self

Often times I receive some excellent questions from readers via email and as I set out to answer them (sometimes a few days later than I would have liked :-), I feel that the discussion would be well worth sharing with you all.  So I am starting this new series where I will share the answers I give to some of these terrific questions.

Recently a very evolved and intelligent reader who is far along on the spiritual path asked the following insightful question.  She asked,

Discover Your Soul

Question: “How does one know when one meets one’s Higher Self?”

Her question emerged from certain transcendental experiences she is having and I think this question is of great value.  First, let me just say that the Higher Self being referred to here goes by many names depending on the tradition naming it.  The Buddhist’s call it Buddha Nature or Big Mind, the Hindus – Atman, the Christians – Christ Consciousness, other religions just the Soul, Jiddu Krishnamurti calls it that aspect of your being beyond time and limitation, philosopher’s call it Higher Consciousness, some just call it Love, others True Divine Nature, Sat Nam, One Mind, Universal Consciousness, Self, I AM etc, etc.  Sometimes, like idiots, us human beings start to fight just because we have different names for the same thing!  In any case, I am referring to this higher aspect of a human being in this article.

Answer:  “How does one know when one meets one’s Higher Self?”

In The Apocalyse Post written for my friend Albert’s Blog Meme, I gave the following description of the Higher Self or Atman.  The secret to encountering and recognizing this aspect of your being is to recognize or encounter any one of these attributes.  In other words, the Soul is discovered when its attributes are discovered within, and as you realize one aspect of your Higher Self, in time you will realize all the rest as well.

Attributes of the Atman (Soul) or Higher Self:

  • You are Infinite, Eternal and Timeless.  Never do you take birth, nor do you ever die.
  • You are the ever silent witness to the drama of existence.
  • Everything occurs in you.  You are the substratum.  The apparent world appears and disappears in your consciousness.
  • You are blissful and complete – lacking nothing.
  • You are divine love and compassion.
  • You are the highest intelligence.
  • You are an organic extension of the Lord.  You and the Lord are One.

So encountering the Higher Self, is the encounter of any of these attributes of the Higher Self.  If you are feeling Great Bliss, Great Silence, Great Love, Great Oneness or lucky enough to experience the Actuality of Divinity, it means you are encountering your True Divine Nature – Your Buddha Nature – Your Christ Consciousness.  The Soul is shinning through and consequentially acting through “you”.  You are welcome to call it experiencing the Lord, as your Divine Nature (Atman) and the Lord (Brahman) are one and same.  Me and My Father are One.

Having said that, the wonderful thing about enlightenment is that it’s not a fixed point.  It has infinite variety and you may experience it as no one has before.  So although the above is a guideline, it certainly is not law.  You may experience your Higher Self in ways that perhaps it only wants you to and that is why this journey is such an adventure.  It is about infinity, the deeper you go, the more infinity you find.

50

Insights From Advanced Zen Meditation Practice – The Mind is Useless

Summary: In this part of the insights from advanced Zen Meditation practice the futility with regard to trying solve the problem of desire with the instrument of the mind is discussed.  The mind and logic have inherent short comings which essentially render them useless when it comes to the question of freedom and enlightenment.

This series is the insights that take place during the practice of advanced Insight or Zen Meditation, or my version of this type of meditation, which is the Silent Mind Meditation Technique.  In part 1 of this series Insights From Advanced Zen Meditation Practice – The Fact of Greed I gave some background regarding this practice and you can head over there to read about it.  Briefly, I am providing the unedited and raw insights that I write into my meditation journal at the end of my Silent Mind Meditation sessions.  Here is another one of those quotes which I think you might find interesting and useful.

Advanced Zen Meditation Practice

Quote – The Mind is Useless

Your meddling ways will have to mend.  Logic will eventually fail you, as the nature of our mind is to assert everything in the positive, in other words, everything is subject to the machinery of desire.  Thus anything you do, including the attempt to do nothing, is the extension of the current direction – effort.

The opposites are fictitious.  There is no non-greed, non-effort, non-desire, non-meddling, non-trying, non-thinking, non-hope, non-activity, non-should, there is just the cunning mind, filled with ambition trying to achieve something.  So, take it easy – there is nothing good you can do.  You can only make things worse or, at best, keep them the same.”

Commentary on The Mind is Useless

This quote is along the lines of the idea of good and bad put forth by J. Krishnamurti.  You will find that idea discussed in the article Jiddu Krishnamurti on the Flowering of Goodness.  The essence of what I am trying to say is that the mind cannot help you with regard to your current state of endless seeking and dissatisfaction.  It, being caught in this trap of desire, only ends up asserting another goal, which then becomes the object of further desire.  This is regardless of weather the goal is framed by logic as a negative or not (desirelessness, efortlessness, selflessness etc).  All become objects to pursue, thus propagating exactly that which they are looking to negate (i.e. chasing desirelessness is just another desire).

Observe this fact keenly in real time, that is meditation, that is intelligence and that will bring about its own action.