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beetsmyth
USA
104 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 19 2013 : 5:56:45 PM
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Early in my path, I would come across individuals at talks, retreats, meetings, of various backgrounds/paths who I could see had a very Expanded Awareness, beyond the physical head, like a Halo.
On two occasions, just being near these individuals, their own expanded Awareness seemed to have ignited and expanded mine, to which after I would go sometime 2-3 weeks without sleeping with MASSIVE amounts of energy.
Other times, it was my Awareness that was expanded and would ignite others around me, even leading some to glimpse the Absolute (No-I state).
Unfortunately I've been at work, working massive hours/7-days a week, and have completely neglected my spirituality for the last few months and am on the way just now, with my current break, to re-establish That expanded Awareness.
Are there any paths, masters, individuals who Initiate you into That, the way I have described? Through grace of a master it's instant. Going about it myself, I've spent sometimes 6-12 months to re-establish that and in Zen circles they say it could take 15-25 years.
Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if there is a retreat or someone out there that re-establishes this for you as a Graceful gift. |
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mr_anderson
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2013 : 8:37:53 PM
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Hi Beetsmyth,
My personal view on this issue is that you can't ride a Guru's coat tails to enlightenment. Regular spiritual practices, a commitment to Truth, and on-going purification and transformation of character over time will result in a sustainable abiding realization.
Having said that, I do believe in the grace of a master as having a small role to play, and there are two Gurus who I can recommend.
Deepakbhai, whose Gnan Vidhi bestows self-realization on the seeker in 2 hours (you have to understand that by self-realization they mean the initial awakening, not final enlightenment). I believe if you are looking for something that contains an immensely powerful energy to enhance your progress, Gnan Vidhi is a great option. Furthermore Deepakbhai bestows this entirely free, all Gnan Vidhi events and related retreats (and even the food at these events and retreats) is completely free of charge. With western Gurus often charging large fees for their retreats, this makes it more accessible for all. If you can, take the opportunity to get physical contact with Deepakbhai, there is usually the chance to touch his feet at the end of Gnan Vidhi. First timers also are prioritized and you will be able to be seated in the front row. A friend of mine from AYP and many others I know have been permanently changed by their experiences at Gnan Vidhi. For Jan Essman, it caused the 'final enlightenment', here is a recount of his experience:
All my life I have been a seeker, getting this guru's or that guru's blessing, meditating for hours a day, etc. like so many of us have. But I never made it. I experienced immense bliss, had wonderfull experiences of exalted states, but I never got detached from Jan except in glimpses or short periods, and since what is transient is not real, I maintain I never made it at all. After 30 years of hard work, I had given up. Then a friend of mine emailed me a link to www.dadashri.org and asked if I knew this guru. I did not, but was immediately captivated by Dadashri's picture and the shakti (spiritual energy) i sensed he had. In fact I quickly became obsessed. I simply had to receive gnan vidhi as soon as possible. Remember I knew nothing about this and had never heard of it before. It was simply the shakti pulling me, and pulling really strong, stronger than I have ever felt before. Since i could not meet him in person, I could meet his successor, Dheepakbhai, and discovered the earliest chance was in Singapore. I live in Denmark, so this was a really long trip. Never the less off we went, my friend and I.
I must say, I have never in any spiritual community been so well received before. The kindness and attention was unlimited. Since the meetings were in gujarati, we could of course not understand a word, but we got our own personal translator, who, by the way, looked well after us the entire stay. There was about 150 Indians who understood gujarati, and then the two of us from Denmark. But we never felt outside, on the contrary people just wanted us to feel at ease and at home. We were even invited for dinner at a nice Indian familys home.
We were explained Deepakbhai has the special power to manifest higher states in us through his voice and all we had to do during the gnan vidhi was to repeat, loudly, the phrases he said. Most of these phrases were in gujarati, so I did not understand their meaning and had a hard time repeating them correctly. But for our sake he also said the important phrases in english.
I soon felt an intense hot energy pouring into the top of my head and felt the crown chakra open wide. Then my brain felt as if it was boiling. It was like a million bubbles bursting inside my brain. A surge of energy rose in me and I was filled with joy. So much so I could not help laughing and missed repeating more phrases. It became clear to me, that I was being given what i have longed for: a realization of my pure self and a clear distinction between Jan and my being. This opening of the crown chakra persists undiminished today, so does the clear distinction.
Following this I saw emptyness in everything, which of course is nothing but pure spirit, pure self, shuddhatma. I was amazed at how people could be nothingness, yet act and speak. This clear vision grew all the next day and continued to amaze me. I still am amazed, since this perception of nothingness has never entirely left me, though it may be more or less present. It is Self-realization both on the inner and outer level. The nothingness is slowly changing to joy.
When I closed my eyes to meditate, I did not do any practise. I simply and quickly slid into pure self and joy welled up. This continues today.
I am infinitely gratefull to Dadashri for having brought this to the world and to Deepakbhai for having given it to me.
I suggest reading experiences of the various seekers here (the Western seekers reports were more helpful for me, in language that I am more used to): http://www.dadabhagwan.org/gnan-vid...experiences/
When I was on retreat with Rupert Spira, I had a massive non-dual awakening, combined with very powerful kundalini activity in the head area, which I believe resulted in some sort of permanent change/reduction in identification with the body-mind. Rupert has a strong transmission.
Love and best wishes to you on your search! 
Josh |
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beetsmyth
USA
104 Posts |
Posted - Jul 19 2013 : 10:46:24 PM
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Hey Josh,
Thanks for the info. Actually I went to a deepakbhai session and left out of there with nothing....but my buddy was livid for the the next two weeks until finally coming back to normal......
I've been in all sorts of spiritual highs for a decade now and also have a permanent Now, Timelessness, stillness, silence, peace, unmovability......unfortunately I took a tough long hours job to support my family and help my mother, and have lost a lot of the permanent states I worked so hard for years earlier....
although much is also the work of grace itself. I posted this because before, activating and expanding and entering into the center of awareness was sooooo easy and would light up around masters...but know its so dull and no matter how I approach it, like I used to with muscle memory and what not .....nothing happens like before....so it feels like I'm working through cobwebs on things that would previously occur within 10-15 mins. At least know I have a decent amount of time off, few months, to work on things again.
Heard of Spira before but never checked him out. Does he tour the states? From what I recall, he was from Europe somewhere. Also there are a lot of bogus neo-advaita people who just say, "there's nothing you can do and no one to do it." and everybody just sits there blank faced and no one gets it and no one experiences that state that the person is referring to....
But someone who is legit in it, can pass it on to another. I did it a few times too when I was deep in that that state of no 'I'. Sat with one fellow for 3 hours, explaining, answering questions, speaking from that place, then BOOM!!!!! He entered into no self with an explosion of light and energy.
Some states can be lost though, I am a witness to that. Its the reason I posted on here if there is a legit Awareness Activator Transferer out there. |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2013 : 01:20:10 AM
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Hello,
in the states I'd recommend Francis Lucille... He's Rupert Spira's teacher. Meeting with ammachi would be great also since she tours the states every year. Also I feel that Adyashanti is very recommendable.
Love,
Ananda |
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mr_anderson
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2013 : 08:11:44 AM
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Hi Beetsmyth,
I know that "there's nothing to do and nobody to do it" neo-advaita rubbish. Of course in the right context, inquiring into whether or not there is a doer, is a valid spiritual practice that can bring about results. I.e. one realizes no doer, and there's a reduction in identified awareness.
However for a teacher to simply make a blanket statement, without a proper context, what happens? The student's mind simply identifies with the position "there's nobody to do and nothing to do it". This isn't freedom from identification, it's just a nihilistic belief structure. I personally believe teachers who are just preaching that an intellectual understanding of their words is all that's required are probably as deluded as the students they are misleading.
It's safe to say that Rupert is absolutely not a neo-advaita teacher. One of the best parts of his retreats are "Yoga of Non-Duality" where one does Asanas, but in the context of exploring the body as simply an appearance in consciousness, made out of pure consciousness.
Secondly, his work is a living inquiry, exploring reality via guided meditations on the levels of percepts (sensations, visual images, sounds and so on), thoughts and emotions, and seeing for yourself if they are anything other than pure awareness.
Once one has realized the truth, he advocates repeatedly inquiring into phenomena that arise, until one has abiding realization. He considers the 'sense of a separate self' and an 'objective physical world' (as opposed to all being pure awareness) to be like a deeply ingrained habit of thinking and feeling in the body-mind: so one must be vigilant to ensure this bad habit is seen and dissolved through meditative inquiry.
Rupert regularly tours the states, making several trips per year all over the east and west coasts.
Love,
Josh |
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beetsmyth
USA
104 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2013 : 12:46:41 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by mr_anderson
Hi Beetsmyth,
I know that "there's nothing to do and nobody to do it" neo-advaita rubbish. Of course in the right context, inquiring into whether or not there is a doer, is a valid spiritual practice that can bring about results. I.e. one realizes no doer, and there's a reduction in identified awareness.
Oh yeah I agree it's a legit practice. My first experience as witness was reading/wrestling with a Zen Koan and the result was shifting into witness state and seeing the Doer as something alien to my self....and then experiencing the No-I state prior to even Awareness....
quote:
However for a teacher to simply make a blanket statement, without a proper context, what happens? The student's mind simply identifies with the position "there's nobody to do and nothing to do it". This isn't freedom from identification, it's just a nihilistic belief structure. I personally believe teachers who are just preaching that an intellectual understanding of their words is all that's required are probably as deluded as the students they are misleading.
The thing is, I've used certain koans, pointers, with others and it helped them to experience themselves as Awareness ..but I was also as expanded Awareness speaking from that POV...so I think when the words are charged with the direct experience and you are in proximity to that person ...it can happen. But yeah there is a current trend of Neo-Advaita as an intellectual understanding ...not an experience....if it is an experience.....it becomes just the head based Awareness and not the Source of Awareness/Being/Thought... The trend will die
quote:
Once one has realized the truth, he advocates repeatedly inquiring into phenomena that arise, until one has abiding realization. He considers the 'sense of a separate self' and an 'objective physical world' (as opposed to all being pure awareness) to be like a deeply ingrained habit of thinking and feeling in the body-mind: so one must be vigilant to ensure this bad habit is seen and dissolved through meditative inquiry.
This what you just said .....is what it's all about. I had that ...was abiding as that, most of the old thought processes where being cleansed ...but then took a 7-day a week 12 hours a day gig, and just got wrapped up in old patterns and cob webs...
I will check him though for sure. Another guy who's on point is Anadi(Aziz Kristoff), but only does retreats in India/Israel.....so that requires passport, money, getting a month off work, etc ....
...but he's one of the only guys that talks about Head based Awareness realization, the Source of Awareness in the Heart, and Absolute Beingness in the belly ...having all three aspects realized permanently leads to Enlightenment completion ....and he activates Awareness in You then its up to you to abide in to make permanent.
Good talks though!!! High grade stuff. |
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Awareness Initiation.....(Level: EXPANDED!!!)
