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Ananda
3115 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 15 2009 : 09:37:13 AM
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namaste friends,
i haven't been such a big advaita (non duality) reader for the last 7 to 8 months but 4 days ago i was drawn to this book named "Awareness by Anthony De Mello” who is a Jesuit priest by the way. (http://www.amazon.com/Awareness-Ant...p/0385249373)
I recommend this book heartily for everyone, it will shake the hell out of you and maybe give you some good wake up to reality slaps along the way.
Now the reason why I am posting about this book here and not in the Books, Websites, Audio… forum is because I have never been so much touched by advaitic thought until now and I think the reason for that is due to the practice of deep meditation which has really cultivated inner silence within me as it seems.
putting some of that pure advaitic thought into practice like being aware of the here and now hasn’t been so alive until now i mean i knew the whole deal intellectually and I’ve done a lot of extensive reading on advaita and have putten it into practice 2 to 3 years ago and am still doing so until today to a certain degree but now it's clarity it's here something has changed and is changing still and that something is more real than intellectual...
And the thing is working like in my deep meditation except that the present moment\the now the voice of the people around me everything is the mantra in daily activity and when I flow with my thoughts then I suddenly snap out of it and come back to be in the now like the way we snap out of thoughts and come back to be with the mantra in an automatic way.
and trust me it's pretty clear to the extent where i don't know how to explain it but it's here now and pretty mindfull and everything is more alive and it feels really sweet.
But I hope this practice of awareness won’t lead me into any overloading symptoms since it seems to be working like mantra meditation and in case it does I’ll warn you guys unless someone else has been here before and would like to warn everyone early on.
light and love,
Ananda |
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karl
United Kingdom
1812 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2009 : 2:48:21 PM
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The bit I read seemed odd. 'I would rather have happiness instead of...'. Well, sorry, but you can have happiness right now, that's everyones right. It's not quantative as you can never know just how much happiness you are having.
From the short bit I read it sounds like the 'tough love' approach. Somebody letting you know exactly what is what, in other words 'your asleep and it's time to wake up' equates to 'you got yourself into this mess and now it's you that needs to get out of it. Is that about it?
If it is, then it's common sense. it will work well for some and not for others .You need a measure of humour when intoning this sort of straight talking.......for those in the therapy line a book called 'provocative therapy' by frank farrely covers similar ground in face to face situation (its not for the novice practitioner or keen amateur as the ideas and techniques sound very harsh from an external point of view and need using with a large measure of finesse and fun). |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Mar 16 2009 : 12:45:33 PM
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hi karl,
quote:
it will work well for some and not for others .
agreed on that... it's waking up from the programing we had in the society we live in it's a return back to the basics you may say.
and i am sharing this book because i benefited from it tons as it seems, i don't know why but the awareness i mentioned above seems to be still going on with me today as well.
i am here present and i know that this isn't enlightenment or anywhere near but it's new and interesting as if i woke up from hypnosis or day dreaming and it feels really realy good and alive.
by the way i always like reading your posts even though i might disagree with some of them but still you are offering an interesting angle.
kindest regards,
Ananda
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Mar 16 2009 : 2:43:56 PM
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oh and about the happiness part in your post, you obviously misunderstood it if it's in the chapter "on the proper kind of selfishness."
the book is all about realizing the happiness we already have right now here with us and saying what you said really surprises me bcz i don't know where you have found that.
and by the way this book is all about would you rather be right or enlightened?
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Parallax
USA
348 Posts |
Posted - Mar 16 2009 : 10:36:15 PM
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Hey Ananda,
Thanks for this post. I had heard of Anthony de Mello, but so far had not read any of his stuff. Looked him up on Wikipedia and read some of his quotes...I must say I am intrigued!!
A few de Mello quotes I enjoyed (not necessarily from the Awareness book):
"As you identify less and less with the "me," you will be more at ease with everybody and with everything. Do you know why? Because you are no longer afraid of being hurt or not liked. You no longer desire to impress anyone. Can you imagine the relief when you don't have to impress anybody anymore? Oh, what a relief. Happiness at last! You no longer feel the need or the compulsion to explain things anymore."
"If it is peace you want, seek to change yourself, not other people. It is easier to protect your feet with slippers than to carpet the whole of the earth."
"Spirituality means waking up. Most people, even though they don’t know it, are asleep. They’re born asleep, they live asleep, they marry in their sleep, they breed children in their sleep, they die in their sleep without ever waking up. They never understand the loveliness and the beauty of this thing that we call human existence. You know— all mystics— Catholic, Christian, non-Christian, no matter what their theology, no matter what their religion— are unanimous on one thing: that all is well, all is well. Though everything is a mess, all is well. Strange paradox, to be sure. But, tragically, most people never get to see that all is well because they are asleep. They are having a nightmare."
And last but not least:
"I'm going to write a book someday and the title will be I'm an Ass, You're an Ass. That's the most liberating, wonderful thing in the world, when you openly admit you're an ass. It's wonderful. When people tell me, "You're wrong." I say, "What can you expect of an ass?"
I'm going to pick up a copy of Awareness right after I finish Yogani's Self-Inquiry book...
Thanks Ananda!! |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 01:25:59 AM
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 a great choice of quotations, and in some of them there is an answer to brother karl as well.
god bless you dear Parallax and thk you for the morning laughs and go for it this book is very much worth it.
oh and Yogani's books are all gems of wisdom as well, they are like food to the soul and really after a few months of deep meditation you will see a change while identifying with advaitan thought it will become more alive more real in the now and the past or the future won't nagg us a lot from enjoying our present moment.
namaste brother, and a salute to Anthony for being such a good straight forward ass .
Ananda |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 01:32:13 AM
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quote:“It is a great mystery that though the human heart longs for Truth, in which alone it finds liberation and delight, the first reaction of human beings to Truth is one of hostility and fear!”
talk about ego defense
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Sparkle
Ireland
1457 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 06:49:28 AM
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Thanks brother Ananda for bring up De Mello, here is another quote;
"Let's suppose, for example, there is an enormous wind outside and I want the people in my country to get an idea of what an American gale or hurricane is like. So I capture it in a cigar box and I go back home and say, "Look at this." Naturally, it isn't a gale anymore, is it? Once it's captured. Or if I want you to get the feel of what the flow of a river is like and I bring it to you in a bucket. The moment I put into a bucket it has stopped flowing. The moment you put things into a concept, they stop flowing; they become static, dead. A frozen wave is not a wave. A wave is essentially movement, action; when you freeze it, it is not a wave. Concepts are always frozen. Reality flows."
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 07:23:40 AM
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Hi, interesting thread.
This guy speaks nicely about awakening but does he advocate any practice? Obviously he is passionate about other people waking up but how, does he advice, one can get awakened?
Hope he is not just one of those that just scream at your face: "AWAKE!". Although this is necessary and can definitely fuel one's Bhakti it can also be insufficient. To read a whole book on how I am asleep and I must awaken sounds a bit boring to me as I already know that...Nothing bad with an occasional reminder though, I agree so I might check out this book!  |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 08:13:10 AM
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namaste dear Sparkle,
thk you for the quote and it's always a pleasure to be in the presence of your silence.
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 08:16:29 AM
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I love listening to Father Anthony De Mello.
His talks have so much loving and so much truth.
You can listen to him.. here is a playlist of his talks.
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 08:37:04 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by YogaIsLife
Hi, interesting thread.
This guy speaks nicely about awakening but does he advocate any practice? Obviously he is passionate about other people waking up but how, does he advice, one can get awakened?
Hope he is not just one of those that just scream at your face: "AWAKE!". Although this is necessary and can definitely fuel one's Bhakti it can also be insufficient. To read a whole book on how I am asleep and I must awaken sounds a bit boring to me as I already know that...Nothing bad with an occasional reminder though, I agree so I might check out this book!
Oh yes my friend,
in the mentioned above book he gives more than one technique and includes meditation.
plus he has other books which teach meditation and contemplative prayer....
and he doesn't say that you'll just be awake, no it's not like that but he speaks about awareness (mindfulness) as a main technique for bringing forth true self realization in due time or getting us closer to it.
plus the guy is a jesuit and these guys do a lot of spiritual practices and retreats...
so yes purification is involved and this fellow isn't against it as it seems; he is pro spiritual practices.
and he is a lot into teachings or transmition of knowledge in silence and i've kind of benefited from that bcz truely when you read that book (speaking for myself and for some other people whom i read there testimonials and reviews here and there after i finished the book) a presence is felt a very powerful one which shakes you up and a silent seed seems to be awakening...
you can say that this guy is a lot like Yogani, in putting spiritual practices and deep inner silence into paper.
and if his stuff wasn't special i wouldn't recommend it for others
it's really funny i started reading for this guy a few days ago and here i am playing as an advocate for him.
yet it's worth it, he payed me more than my fair share of Aha....
but just to put a little sign as a reminder, i don't think i would've reacted the same to this book if it hasn't been from the purification i already accomplished from Yogani's AYP.
kindest regards,
Ananda |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 08:41:24 AM
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we cross posted Shanti, thk you very much for the audio will take a look for certain.
but let's just pray his vids will make my connection speed a bit more awakened. |
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 09:11:23 AM
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Thanks Ananda for your kind reply!
Now I am definitely gonna check this guy out! I already seen that the book Awareness is in the library here so it is the next I'll borrow! Thanks!
Thank you also Shanti for the video links. Looks really interesting!
Oh...It's a wonderful life! |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 12:15:03 PM
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you are most welcome brother.
namaste |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 5:02:59 PM
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Hi Ananda
What a treat to come home tonight to find this topic. Anthony De Mello....never heard of him. I love the exerpts on Amazon....I ordered Awareness, The Song of the Bird and The Way to Love....
It is funny....because after years of being very attracted to advaita (still am).....everything seems to be about Jesus Christ here these days.......and then you come here with this Jesuit priest....who is actually talking advaita.......
I love it
Ananda - thank you
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karl
United Kingdom
1812 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 6:58:26 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
by the way i always like reading your posts even though i might disagree with some of them but still you are offering an interesting angle.
kindest regards,
Ananda
Aww stop it 
Well, having read a few more posts maybe it's a case of 'not jusdging a book by the first 8 pages and an Amazon synopsis'
I'm very picky when it comes to reading books as I can devour great armfuls of paper.....I have 3 books on the go at the moment.
The reason I decided to start doing meditation was by way of a sort of 'vision' (I think I would call it that). The vision was responsible for me truly understanding that pride and to some extent ego is what I should try and work towards removing from my life. This is often referred to as the 'truth' and seems to appear with regularity in every religion. This is something easy to think and far harder to do.......to become without pride/ego is automatically a source of pride Such is the Universe though, as in Quantum physics, it is impossible to measure something without directly effecting the measurement by measuring it (if you know what I mean).
Anyway, I happened upon Yogani after looking for a way of reaching that inner truth. It just seemed an amazingly simple and elegant way of inner discovery. I like simple, because simple is definitely how the best things work and is usually a great framework for results in nature.
So, now after posting my auto biography what I am trying to say is that there are a lot of great books and fantastic spiritual leaders. Most say great, but rarely new things things. Yogani was the first book I read that promised nothing at all and did so without any cost. There were no beautiful awareness stories or theories, it was just like 'get down and give me ten push ups' and do it twice a day everyday and you will get what you get. |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 8:01:42 PM
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I am not sure.. but maybe anyone who has read the book can tell for sure.. but the YouTube link I posted above (here it is again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y3Q...0&playnext=1) seems to have all the lines you guys have quoted above, and is called Awareness, so maybe it is the book????
I have been enjoying them.. always loved him.. but now hearing him from where I am now is just amazing. |
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karl
United Kingdom
1812 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 10:59:49 PM
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I did have a good read of his website. It did seem to me to be covering the same material we learned during NLP practitioner training. Thats not to say NLP is exactly new, mostly a collection of ideas bound up in one training session.
Probably worth covering the pre suppositions of NLP if you have not come across them:
Cause and Effect
most people are in effect
Results vs Excuses.
remove the excuses and you get the results
Perception is projection.
this is the internal representation projected onto the external world and runs through all neurons and cells
Responsiblity for results.
Is with the person who wishes to achieve results 100%
Mind body connection.
there is a direct connection between the body and mind, what the body does, the mind will follow-ie looking depressed will result in feeling depressed
Everyone has a unique model of the world
Respect other peoples MOW
The Map is not the territory
People are not their behaviour
All behaviour has a positive intention
The most important imformation about aperson is how they are behaving.
Everyone is doing the best they can with the resources they have available.
There are no unresourceful people -only unresourceful states
Everyone has the resources they need to succeed and achieve the desired outcome.
The person with he most flexible behaviour has the greatest influence on others.
There is no failure only feedback.
Everyone is in charge of their minds and therefore the results.
The meaning of communication is the response you get.
Resistance in a person is a sign of lack of rapport.
I'm not going through exactly what each means, when I was first confronted with them I had adverse reactions to several until I understood the philosophy. These presuppositions are not 'real' or true in any sense, they are simply codes and actions that work.
Taking practitioner training was a really big awakening. This is a tiny fraction of the training. Bare in mind that I'm really a pragmatist and sceptic, or was I regarded training and ideas like this as crazy...........now I'm either a crazy person, or I have come a long way. |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 03:40:57 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Katrine
Hi Ananda
What a treat to come home tonight to find this topic. Anthony De Mello....never heard of him. I love the exerpts on Amazon....I ordered Awareness, The Song of the Bird and The Way to Love....
It is funny....because after years of being very attracted to advaita (still am).....everything seems to be about Jesus Christ here these days.......and then you come here with this Jesuit priest....who is actually talking advaita.......
I love it
Ananda - thank you
you are most welcome sweet katrine, and i read that it is suggested to read awareness first to get started on Anthony's de mello.
plus i am going to get these two other books and maybe the heart of the enlightened as well.
light and love,
Ananda (f) |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 03:50:57 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Shanti
I am not sure.. but maybe anyone who has read the book can tell for sure.. but the YouTube link I posted above (here it is again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y3Q...0&playnext=1) seems to have all the lines you guys have quoted above, and is called Awareness, so maybe it is the book????
I have been enjoying them.. always loved him.. but now hearing him from where I am now is just amazing.
hi Shanti,
i wish i could watch the vids but i really can't.
first the connection is too slowwwwwww and scd my i can't download adobe flash newest version for some god knows what reason.
love,
Ananda |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 03:58:49 AM
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hi karl,
thk you for the up close and personal insights and for the lesson on NlP really there are some similarities.
and you are both crazy and have come a long way, everyone here is or else we wouldn't be here but the ones who are sane are the ones who know that they are crazy.
namaste bro and thks for the laughs,
Ananda |
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Sparkle
Ireland
1457 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 04:15:17 AM
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Thanks Karl, thats very interesting info about NLP
quote:
Posted by Karl:
Cause and Effect
most people are in effect
Results vs Excuses.
remove the excuses and you get the results
Perception is projection.
this is the internal representation projected onto the external world and runs through all neurons and cells
Responsiblity for results.
Is with the person who wishes to achieve results 100%
Mind body connection.
there is a direct connection between the body and mind, what the body does, the mind will follow-ie looking depressed will result in feeling depressed
Everyone has a unique model of the world
Respect other peoples MOW
The Map is not the territory
People are not their behaviour
All behaviour has a positive intention
The most important imformation about aperson is how they are behaving.
Everyone is doing the best they can with the resources they have available.
There are no unresourceful people -only unresourceful states
Everyone has the resources they need to succeed and achieve the desired outcome.
The person with he most flexible behaviour has the greatest influence on others.
There is no failure only feedback.
Everyone is in charge of their minds and therefore the results.
The meaning of communication is the response you get.
Resistance in a person is a sign of lack of rapport
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karl
United Kingdom
1812 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2009 : 07:28:15 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Sparkle
Thanks Karl, thats very interesting info about NLP
quote:
Posted by Karl:
Cause and Effect
most people are in effect
Results vs Excuses.
remove the excuses and you get the results
Perception is projection.
this is the internal representation projected onto the external world and runs through all neurons and cells
Responsiblity for results.
Is with the person who wishes to achieve results 100%
Mind body connection.
there is a direct connection between the body and mind, what the body does, the mind will follow-ie looking depressed will result in feeling depressed
Everyone has a unique model of the world
Respect other peoples MOW
The Map is not the territory
People are not their behaviour
All behaviour has a positive intention
The most important imformation about aperson is how they are behaving.
Everyone is doing the best they can with the resources they have available.
There are no unresourceful people -only unresourceful states
Everyone has the resources they need to succeed and achieve the desired outcome.
The person with he most flexible behaviour has the greatest influence on others.
There is no failure only feedback.
Everyone is in charge of their minds and therefore the results.
The meaning of communication is the response you get.
Resistance in a person is a sign of lack of rapport
It's funny and slightly shocking to read that back in quote form  I suddenly realised how much I have changed in the last few years. From being a self centred egotist to finding pleasure in helping people find their own way. Its like going from a soldier to a priest (metaphorically of course as I am very unlikely ever to be a priest ).
I still get the odd grump, feel a bit sorry for myself, want to thump someone who is annoying me. But these moods last a very short time, usually minutes before I'm laughing at my own crass stupidity ( I always remember a quote from a film 'that's just pride f%%%% with you man'. Thinking about it makes me laugh even more, infact I'm always laughing a the daft things I think and do Well, here come the men in white coats. |
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Holy
796 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2009 : 1:41:39 PM
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Hi Ananda,
to your question about overloading. I tried most combinations. If you don't have a mind challenging work, the combo of sitting practices and being more aware what is happening here and now during the day increases the witness state very fast.
Only doing sitting practices for a longer time of some months or years makes you even more unaware during the whole day. At least for me it was like an excuse not to be aware during the rest of the day except the sitting part. On the other side, just "trying to be more aware", "coming back to this moment in more awareness everytime you find yourself lost in thoughts" alone doesn't work either. It's very hard, friction is high, awarenes is low and increases very slowly. It's like a full time job that seems to feel even harder. In combination, you are on a fst track, but not without heavy overloads, awareness peaks, breathing stops mny times the whole day etc. Perhaps that's the reason why "this" comes very late in Yogani's enlightenment series. After some practices as you yourself say, fingerpointers like that really do something big.
It's also interesting, that many people talk about their years and years of pranayama and meditation and afterwards about a meeting with someone like papaji or ramesh balsekar etc. who give them some perfect hints and bam. The hints come from everywhere when you are near the point of being able to get what is behind the words.
Two days ago, I spoke with my cousin via tlephone who started working in a bank. After her school and university life, now she earns her money and there is not much need to think anymore to do some simple money management. I asked her, how life is for her now. She said, it's the same sh*t like before =P So it never gets better. You do stuff you think you need to do because of this living system, but don't want to do. And yeah, the grave is coming nearer and nearer. So hey, what is it, what's the difference then between sleepwalking and enlightenment? It must be life itself moment for moment. Not the doing on the surface, but watching the movie happening.
My favorites are [url= http://www.here-now-tv.com/index.php?id=110]Samarpan[/url] , [url= http://www.here-now-tv.com/index.php?id=122]Maitreya Ishwara[/url], [url= http://www.here-now-tv.com/index.php?id=127]Gangaji[/url], [url= http://www.here-now-tv.com/index.php?id=172]Papaji[/url]. They are some more, but they mostly don't have any English translation. The vids on the site are mostly belingual with English and German. Watching one or two in weeks or months always gave me some special hint that was perfect for that moment in time. Seems like it's the same with your book. Also books like -the power of now- come like a hammer on your head =) |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 2:13:10 PM
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hi Holy,
thk you for the very interesting post it explains a lot and i don't know if that was your intent but it furthermore gives support to Yogani's theory on relational and non relational self enquiry which are mentioned in the self enquiry book plus the purification needed for someone to really relate to the words of teachers such as good old Papaji who is one of the best and others such as Gangaji who was a student of Papaji i think.
guess one size doesn't fit all, i have been involved with spiritual practices for seven years until now and in pure advaita for three years and advaita teachers did strike a chord and wakened up something within me and expanded my mind when i first started got some hints and pointers from a druze friend who lead into them.
reading Sri krishna Menon and his lebanese student Kamal Joumblat teachings did put me on the right track but after finding AYP and doing the practices it's a whole new deal suddenly being on the path is more real and present plus reading pure advaita know makes more sense.
thk you for the nice pointers i appreciate them, i'll check them out.
namaste,
Ananda |
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