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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 13 2016 : 11:52:37 AM
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I bought this book as a Christmas gift for myself. It's a good addition to my book collection. I really like him as a person and what he has to offer. Got to know him through some you-tube videos. Anyone read this book?
In Touch- John J. Prendergast PhD |
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2016 : 11:47:42 AM
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Hi Sunyata 
Yes, I LOVE this book!! It's a rare gem, one that gets into embodiment of realization. The author is a student of Adyashanti (among others). Adya excels at the "post-awakening" bit, imho. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the book as you go along.
Hope you're well.
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Edited by - kami on Jan 16 2016 09:13:23 AM |
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2016 : 12:50:13 PM
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Hi Kami,
I'm doing well. How have you been? We miss you here. I'm drawn to Adya as well and most of his students. I'm interested in embodiment these days. I don't see progress in spiritual practices without the embodiment. It all becomes another form of exercise/trick that one masters without living it.
The first day I received the book, I finished half of it in excitement.I need to do a slow read. This is a book that I can refer to again and again.
His practical explanation of the chakra systems is very nice. Residing in the body is another favorite~ which has been happening automatically here through the past year.
My interaction in the world from the state of being is seen/happening all the time. Residing in the being and dispelling the charge of my responses to certain circumstances, situations is being noticed and released. Along with this the boundaries are dissolving. This book is complimentary to what's going on these day.
I would love to hear your input? You are very eloquent. May be I can get an inspiration and add more.
Sunyata |
Edited by - sunyata on Jan 15 2016 1:12:26 PM |
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2016 : 09:36:22 AM
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That is so beautiful, Sunyata! You are superbly eloquent yourself. I love to read your posts; they drip with sweet authenticity.
I'm well too. The Divine Mother drew me into her silent folds for a while. 
Embodiment, at least how I see it, is Outpouring of Divine Love as Yogani puts it. All too often, awakening becomes "heady" while the old contracted patterns of the body-mind go unnoticed and unquestioned. Have you noticed that embodiment is actually a paradox? It is not goal-oriented. There is nowhere to get. Embodied awareness doesn't look any particular way. It doesn't act a particular way. It is an intimate communion that nobody else is privy to. It is like the ocean knowing the wave as itself and that it has never been any other way.
Importantly, it is the one thing we can't will or make happen. It occurs with relaxation/surrender of all effort. At this point, we see clearly that effort itself is a barrier to the embodiment of awareness. Even inquiry is a subtle barrier to this opening. Ramana Maharishi summed it up when he said in Tamil, "Summa iru," which translates to "Be quiet." When the movement of effort is surrendered, the movement to own anything also dissolves. The body-mind begins to become transparent and ephemeral. Once when I asked my tantra guru to initiate me into another new practice, he asked gently, "Do you really want another practice? Just be." It didn't make sense then!
You might also like an excellent book by Billy Doyle, "Yoga in the Kashmir Tradition." This author was a student of Jean Klein (one of my favorites), who in turn was a disciple of Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon and the guru of Francis Lucille. This book is a delicious exploration of nondual yoga.
Much love.
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Dogboy
USA
2294 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2016 : 11:23:14 AM
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quote:
Embodiment, at least how I see it, is Outpouring of Divine Love as Yogani puts it. All too often, awakening becomes "heady" while the old contracted patterns of the body-mind go unnoticed and unquestioned. Have you noticed that embodiment is actually a paradox? It is not goal-oriented. There is nowhere to get. Embodied awareness doesn't look any particular way. It doesn't act a particular way. It is an intimate communion that nobody else is privy to. It is like the ocean knowing the wave as itself and that it has never been any other way.
Importantly, it is the one thing we can't will or make happen. It occurs with relaxation/surrender of all effort. At this point, we see clearly that effort itself is a barrier to the embodiment of awareness. Even inquiry is a subtle barrier to this opening. Ramana Maharishi summed it up when he said in Tamil, "Summa iru," which translates to "Be quiet." When the movement of effort is surrendered, the movement to own anything also dissolves. The body-mind begins to become transparent and ephemeral. Once when I asked my tantra guru to initiate me into another new practice, he asked gently, "Do you really want another practice? Just be."
I am deep in this realization now and it has strengthened each and every practice.  |
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Charliedog
1625 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2016 : 12:04:05 PM
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quote:
You might also like an excellent book by Billy Doyle, "Yoga in the Kashmir Tradition." This author was a student of Jean Klein (one of my favorites), who in turn was a disciple of Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon and the guru of Francis Lucille. This book is a delicious exploration of nondual yoga.
Really love the Kashmir Yoga tradition, one of my favorites too. I did a TT in this, from a direct disciple of Jean Klein, and teach some asana and meditation lessons in Kashmir style. Don't do it, let it happen, effortless.... |
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2016 : 12:36:34 PM
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quote:
That is so beautiful, Sunyata! You are superbly eloquent yourself. I love to read your posts; they drip with sweet authenticity.
I'm well too. The Divine Mother drew me into her silent folds for a while.
Embodiment, at least how I see it, is Outpouring of Divine Love as Yogani puts it. All too often, awakening becomes "heady" while the old contracted patterns of the body-mind go unnoticed and unquestioned. Have you noticed that embodiment is actually a paradox? It is not goal-oriented. There is nowhere to get. Embodied awareness doesn't look any particular way. It doesn't act a particular way. It is an intimate communion that nobody else is privy to. It is like the ocean knowing the wave as itself and that it has never been any other way.
Importantly, it is the one thing we can't will or make happen. It occurs with relaxation/surrender of all effort. At this point, we see clearly that effort itself is a barrier to the embodiment of awareness. Even inquiry is a subtle barrier to this opening. Ramana Maharishi summed it up when he said in Tamil, "Summa iru," which translates to "Be quiet." When the movement of effort is surrendered, the movement to own anything also dissolves. The body-mind begins to become transparent and ephemeral. Once when I asked my tantra guru to initiate me into another new practice, he asked gently, "Do you really want another practice? Just be." It didn't make sense then!
You might also like an excellent book by Billy Doyle, "Yoga in the Kashmir Tradition." This author was a student of Jean Klein (one of my favorites), who in turn was a disciple of Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon and the guru of Francis Lucille. This book is a delicious exploration of nondual yoga.
Much love.
Dear Kami,
This post is exactly what I mean by epitome of eloquence. We both seem to resonate with the same teachers. I haven’t had a chance to meet any teachers in person but would love to. I don’t expect to gain anything new from them but would love to share the silence together and celebrate Life. I’m lucky to be able to be in the presence of normal embodied human beings.
You are right spirituality is such a paradox. There is nothing to say but to just to "Be". And the being starts moving. Too many words to describe the simplicity. But I continue to write with my broken English as something in me moves to do that. May be this is what Yogani calls Divine Outpouring. Practices, Embodiment, Surrender are all words. Everything has a subtle component to it. Even the want to be embodied is the ego. I don’t do formal practices anymore, partly because I’m self pacing and honestly I don’t see the need for this body mind at this point. Life has become a spiritual practice and it's busy these days. When I want an intimate moment with Silence, I'll close my eyes for few minutes. It's here all the time every minute. It’s only being and the movement of the being.
Not saying that practices are not important but after some point they fall off. That’s the reason I call the divine the biggest prankster.
I’ll try to get a hold of the book. Come back and share more. Lets share and laugh at the paradox together and celebrate Life.
P.S. Having said all this- Had Yogani practiced and resided in being and not moved to share and start AYP. We would not be able come together. So it's being and movement of the being. Thank You to Yogani for the 100th time and infinity.  
Sunyata
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Edited by - sunyata on Jan 16 2016 1:38:38 PM |
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2016 : 5:13:45 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Dogboy
I am deep in this realization now and it has strengthened each and every practice.
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2016 : 5:14:33 PM
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quote:
Really love the Kashmir Yoga tradition, one of my favorites too. I did a TT in this, from a direct disciple of Jean Klein, and teach some asana and meditation lessons in Kashmir style. Don't do it, let it happen, effortless....
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2016 : 5:22:27 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by sunyata
P.S. Having said all this- Had Yogani practiced and resided in being and not moved to share and start AYP. We would not be able come together. So it's being and movement of the being. Thank You to Yogani for the 100th time and infinity.
This is another big paradox, right? Yogani calls it "Stillness in Action" which is doing without doing, or the outward flow of embodiment (Divine Outpouring Love). It is astonishing to see how spontaneity and creativity flow through our body-minds when "we" get out of the way..
So grateful for this and for you. |
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2016 : 6:35:53 PM
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quote:
This is another big paradox, right? Yogani calls it "Stillness in Action" which is doing without doing, or the outward flow of embodiment (Divine Outpouring Love). It is astonishing to see how spontaneity and creativity flow through our body-minds when "we" get out of the way..
So grateful for this and for you.
You have been reaching so many people with your stillness in action. It's such an honor to be sharing this with you.
My other favorite chapter in the book is“Shadows as Portals”. We often come to spirituality either through the discovery of bliss, satori. Often Spiritual path is equated to bliss. Those who have come to this path through major openings -rapturous orgasmic bliss, experiencing the absolute start identifying with it.
Then we start becoming bliss chaser/bliss junkies. Is this practice going to give me more bliss or is it the other technique? If only I didn’t overload and had to self pace, I would be able to feel that again. May be I’m not doing the technique correctly? What if I could practice all the time without self pacing, it would be easier?
We forget the human side of existence. I’m sure no one would willingly come to spiritual practices if they knew everything needs to be looked at, even the parts we prefer not to.
Another side after major opening- after satori subsides and when suffering /stories about us comes flooding in. It becomes overwhelming and we try to get away from it with every defense technique. We start not paying attention to them because it’s not what spiritual people do .Spirituality is all about Love, acceptance and Bliss. Or we recognize it and make excuses for people and situations.
At these moments we fail to realize – Freedom comes when we face the shadows. It’s when we look at the shadows right in the eye, what remains is peace and bliss. Inner silence provides the strength. When we stop chasing bliss and peace and say yes to everything and like you said when “we” get out of the way, everything falls in place.
The realization that fearing the shadow or dancing around the shadow or meditating it away does not end it.Peace comes when we let everything arise as it is in awareness with no excuses, no addition, no analysis. It is indeed the portal to freedom.
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Edited by - sunyata on Jan 16 2016 11:07:39 PM |
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In Touch- John J. Prendergast PhD
