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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2011 : 4:41:06 PM
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Hi all,
Samyama is my favorite practice and has brought much into my daily life. However, as the practice becomes more and more subtle, as in the thought turning into a fuzzy feeling, I find that it's easier to "feel" certain core sutras than others. For example, "love" is a no-brainer for me When it comes to some other sutras, they're still on the thought level, even though fuzzy.. I'd like to know how you all understand the other core sutras so I can summon up the *appropriate* emotion/feeling Along the way, I've added many other sutras to my practice (renunciation, surrender, I-thought, who am I, bhakti, etc), but these all mean something to me, so its easy
In particular, what do "radiance", "unity", "abundance" and "akasha" make you feel?
Similarly, for those practicing cosmic samyama: what do the sutras "earth" upto "unbound awareness" mean to you specifically?
Thanks in advance!! If this has been discussed before, I apologize for repeating the same old, same old
kami |
Edited by - kami on Nov 02 2011 10:13:31 PM |
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bewell
1275 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2011 : 6:00:12 PM
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"Abundance" is a sutra I have had some difficulty affirming in the past, but I now have a growing sense that there is indeed an overflowing supply of, no shortage of love, strength, wisdom along with plenty of all of what the other sutras affirm ... That is what "abundance" means from where I sit |
Edited by - bewell on Nov 02 2011 8:35:42 PM |
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whippoorwill
USA
450 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2011 : 6:18:42 PM
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Hi Kami: Most of the sutras are still word thoughts for me, except for these three: Love feels like such wonderful warmth and security. Radiance feels like I'm actually a little sun throwing that warmth out in all directions. Akasha feels like little champaign bubbles rising from the bottom to the tippy top.
"Abundance" is the one I'm most likely to forget.
I'm always surprised by how much energy gets stirred up with samyama -- way more than with spinal breathing or with meditation. The sutras that I do feel, I feel strongly. |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2520 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2011 : 6:30:24 PM
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samayama is my favorite practice too...like the cherry on top of the cake although one should not intellectualize at all ,the sutras bring a quick meaning (quick idea)before falling into stillness ... personally i "understand" them as follows: radiance: the realized yogi radiates inside out.....this is what i notice when i see their pictures,or hear their voice.... unity: One abundance: on all levels from abundance of love to abundance in money...why not? as long as one is earning with honest means... akasha: emptiness
as for cosmic samayama sutras...earth sutra onwards....the "meaning' is much more general for me....i just feel i am transcending the idea of being an individual...a trip to the infinite...also i feel that Awarness is observing it all ....
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2011 : 10:12:57 PM
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Bewell, whipp, maheswari, Thank you all for your responses! I think I "get" abundance now
Maheswari, how do you *feel* unity or Oneness and emptiness?
Related question - does "ego transcendence" seem like a good sutra? Would it complement the "I thought - who am I" sutra? Wonder if "tat tvam asi" or "I am That" would be effective.. Any thoughts?
Thanks again!
Kami |
Edited by - kami on Nov 02 2011 10:14:11 PM |
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JDH
USA
331 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2011 : 11:50:13 PM
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Radiance. Emanating energy. Energy source. Like a star, or a fire, radiating heat and light in all directions.
Abundance. Having so much of the things you want and need - so much that you give those things away... for you know there will always be more at your fingertips.
Akasha. The space between all things. Between the earth and the sun, there is vast empty space. Between our galaxy and the universe at large... even vaster emptier space. Even at the micro level, a single atom is a nucleus with orbiting electrons separated by vast empty space. Everything we see, experience, and are, is so tiny compared to the vast space that surrounds it. Even the densest matter is still dwarfed by the amount of space permeating it. |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2520 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2011 : 02:40:52 AM
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quote: Abundance. Having so much of the things you want and need - so much that you give those things away... for you know there will always be more at your fingertips.
yes JDH this is what i do too..give away...
quote: Maheswari, how do you *feel* unity or Oneness and emptiness?
Related question - does "ego transcendence" seem like a good sutra? Would it complement the "I thought - who am I" sutra? Wonder if "tat tvam asi" or "I am That" would be effective.. Any thoughts?
frankly i dont feel oneness yet..i am still at the level of the mind in that sutra ie knowledge but not experience yet...
as for emptiness...all is empty...modern physics say that every atome of matter is mostly formed of no matter...space...
I thought - who am I..is enough IMHO....for when you realize that the thought is not you,you transcend the ego and rest in That...even if momentary... |
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2011 : 10:47:48 AM
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quote: Originally posted by JDH
Radiance. Emanating energy. Energy source. Like a star, or a fire, radiating heat and light in all directions.
Abundance. Having so much of the things you want and need - so much that you give those things away... for you know there will always be more at your fingertips.
Akasha. The space between all things. Between the earth and the sun, there is vast empty space. Between our galaxy and the universe at large... even vaster emptier space. Even at the micro level, a single atom is a nucleus with orbiting electrons separated by vast empty space. Everything we see, experience, and are, is so tiny compared to the vast space that surrounds it. Even the densest matter is still dwarfed by the amount of space permeating it.
JDH: Thank you! Beautiful, and clarifies the concepts greatly.
quote: Originally posted by maheswari
I thought - who am I..is enough IMHO....for when you realize that the thought is not you,you transcend the ego and rest in That...even if momentary...
Thank you maheswari! Makes total sense
At the recent PA retreat, Jeff and Shanti had described the techique of feeling the energy behind the sutra, i.e., *before* the sutra becomes a thought form and letting it go at that level. Been practicing that; still a bit clunky, but really does stir up the energy to a whole new level Its addicting! To such an extent that I find myself doing that all day with thoughts/emotions without being conscious of it
Samyama is really the icing, the cherry *and* the cake
kami
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chit-ananda51
India
127 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2011 : 1:57:35 PM
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Akasha - I feel it to be luminous emptiness
Unity - this is felt as melting love where the FATHER and I are ONE
Abundance - brings a notion of physical and mental affluence
Radiance - Pure light energy of harmony and glow
I have not used these sutras much though.
For some reason, I feel delighted on using the smiley icons in AYP way better than the smileys I have come across. Wondering if any samyama sutra is at work
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2011 : 3:06:39 PM
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Great topic
Here is what is felt for each sutra for me....
Love: A feeling of melting warmth that fills the body with acceptance and compassion.
Radiance: The above feeling of Love moving beyond the borders of the body.
Unity: A dissolving of the borders so that the Love described above is all that exists.
Health: This is the sutra that "rocks my boat" and I almost always lose consciousness here. So with the use of this sutra there is no actual "feeling." What it represents to me however is the integration of body/mind/spirit into a properly functioning vehicle for human experience.
Strength: Usually I am still "reeling" and trying to get my bearings back after the Health sutra, but usually this sutra brings up feelings of stable centeredness... the ability to withstand any force.
Abundance: I had (conceptual) problems with this sutra in my early AYP days: http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....OPIC_ID=4407 but those have since been resolved. Now the feeling surrounding the Abundance sutra is one of "overflowing fullness."
Wisdom: This sutra doesn't seem to come with any noticeable feelings for me (most likely because I wouldn't recognize wisdom if it bit me in the ass ) but this sutra represents a feeling of "clear and unfiltered perception" for me.
Inner-Sensuality: This one usually sends ecstatic sensations through my body and is sort of a feeling of knowing that everything "out there" is contained "in here."
Akasha: For me, there isn't a lot of sensation/feeling with this one either, but it represents that feeling of being so elated you feel like your feet aren't touching the earth... a feeling of "untouchability" so-to-speak.
Thanks for starting such a neat topic Kami!
Love!
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jeff
USA
971 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2011 : 4:53:02 PM
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Kami,
Glad you are having success on feeling the energy before the thought. After a while, you learn to skip the thought part and just create (or open to) the energy. Energy & silence are two sides of the same coin. So, your playing with it should also help overall with your meditation.
Enjoy the "good vibrations".
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2011 : 11:56:09 AM
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Chitananda, Carson and Jeff,
Thank you for further clarification.
So, this is where I am at the moment: multiple sutras have the same "feel".. For example, "love", "radiance", "unity", "abundance", and even "wisdom" to some extent all have the same feeling of love behind them. In my mind they all seem to be variations on love, apparently. Along the same lines, "health" "strength" and "akasha" have the same feeling of lightness behind them.. For inner sensuality, I try to bring up the same "sense" of what happens in yoni mudra kumbhaka..
I realize this is too much intellectualization of this procedure
Jeff, one thing I'm beginning to observe is when the sutra is let go off before it becomes thought *with* the feeling associated with it, it seems to result in more stillness (rather than before thought form *without* the emotional energy). Does that make sense?
Related question - is there a period of time we wait to see the manifestation of a particular sutra in our daily lives before letting it go and trying another instead? By this, I don't mean the core sutras, but the ones in the appendix of the samyama book. I'm tempted to add one every few months
Thanks again.
Love you all, kami |
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jeff
USA
971 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2011 : 1:17:26 PM
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Kami,
Each of the sutras will have the "feel" that you give them. It is the "intent" that defines it.
I get your "too much intellectualization" of the procedure. Shweta would probably tell you the same thing about me. Samyama is interesting/helpful because it is hanging around the boundary of "My will" vs. "Thy will".
Your "before the thought" feeling more stillness is a very good observation. Entire systems have been based on that "between the thought". You might also want to see if you can "feel" when the energy comes into the process.
On adding additional sutras... Others may have a different suggestion, but I would recommend that you trust your "inner guru". You will know when it is right.
Have a great week.
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Edited by - jeff on Nov 07 2011 1:18:37 PM |
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thezuck
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Feb 28 2012 : 5:14:42 PM
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Interesting to read. Here are the ones that I have consistent experience with....
Radiance - prana expands and my breath suspends
Unity - my physical and spiritual barriers dissolve
Abundance - maybe im materialistic...i like that one! But yes, the universe provides - there is more than enough to go around - whatever that means to you
Inner Sensuality - usually changes what i perceive to be inside vs. outside - fun!
Akasha - my being is filled with air, light and expansion
Samayama rules....
-shane
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