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Jnana Yoga/Self-Inquiry - Advaita (Non-Duality)

Formlessness in enquiry

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bhumikosha

Canada
3 Posts

Posted - Mar 09 2018 : 08:06:58 AM

Hey guys, so I have recently started self-inquiry and found it fascinating how it could relate to my mindfulness practice. Through self-inquiry I have come to notice this "consciousness of existence" that is formless but there are sensations in the body that seek to associate with it (it may be its manifestation). Unfortunately i am new to this I and I would like to know, should I keep focusing on this awareness like a concentration object? How should I further the enquiry from that? Is that consciousness a door towards the self? Your answers would be very much appreciated by a beginner on the path of Jnana Yoga.

With Love,
Bhumi

BlueRaincoat

United Kingdom
1634 Posts

Posted - Mar 09 2018 : 10:59:26 AM

hi bhumikosha

Do you have a meditation practice? When you said "mindfulness practice" did you mean meditation?
Self-enquiry without a sound basis in meditation is a bit like the proverbial giant with feet of clay.

Lessons 322 to 325 could be useful reading for understanding the relationship between self-enquiry and the Witness (called Inner Silence in AYP) which is developed through meditation.

I would recommend reading the lessons on this website from the beginning if you can. You will see where Kundalini fits in as well (since you asked the question in your other topic) and what to do about the sensations arising in the body during practice.

All the best

Edited by - BlueRaincoat on Mar 09 2018 11:06:13 AM

bhumikosha

Canada
3 Posts

Posted - Mar 09 2018 : 2:19:10 PM

I had vipassana as my main practice bother body scanning and noting. I also did zen shinakntaza. The things is I actually have a a sense of the witness consciousnesss, but what do I do with it to advance?

Edited by - bhumikosha on Mar 09 2018 2:26:13 PM

BlueRaincoat

United Kingdom
1634 Posts

Posted - Mar 09 2018 : 4:40:45 PM

OK, I get a clearer picture now. So you have been practising Buddhism.

The answer I can give you may be of limited value to you. We are all yogis here, practising a system of yoga called AYP.

My answer to your question is: You don't 'do' anything with the Witness. It has its way of permeating through our life and we simply let it happen. What you need to do is continue with your sitting practices. The sitting practices have brought you this far, they should take you through the next stages.

I believe this to be the principle applicable to all serious spiritual disciplines, but I am not a Buddhist myself. In AYP we have a progression of practices. Meditation is the foundation. From there to self enquiry there are about a dozen other practices, all building on each other. So you see, we don't sit and ask "what do I do with the level of Witness I got so far?" There is always another level and we can only reach it by continuing our practice.

What does "continuing the practice" mean for you? If you want to stay with Buddhism, I guess you need an advanced Buddhist to answer that question.

Good luck with your search and godspeed on your path.

Edited by - BlueRaincoat on Mar 09 2018 4:48:12 PM

lateralus

USA
55 Posts

Posted - Mar 09 2018 : 9:07:51 PM

I agree with BlueRaincoat. Especially with this statement

quote:
You don't 'do' anything with the Witness.

Yogani hit the mark with making a strong foundation of inner silence (the witness),through meditation,a prerequisite for proper (relational) self inquiry. I highly recommend reading the Self Inquiry book. It is one I refer to often and has saved me a number of times from the "pitfalls of the mind",which can be easy to do. Especially with inquiry.

From lesson 321

quote:
Without the witness,our sense of self will be externalized in thoughts,feelings,the body,and our environment. We will not be in a healthy relationship with who we are or with what is going on in our life. We will find that there is a big difference between practicing self-inquiry with the witness (relational) versus practicing self-inquiry without the witness (non-relational).

Edited by - lateralus on Mar 09 2018 10:03:25 PM

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