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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 11 2009 : 4:08:00 PM
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Moderator note: This topic has been split off from here:
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....ID=6503#6503
quote:
Originally posted by Christi
Several people have asked me how to do some of the simple Buddhist practices that I have mentioned in the forum.
...
Enjoy.
Christi
Hi Christi :)
Have you ever read:
"Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond"
A Meditator’s Handbook
Ajahn Brahm, Author
?
:)
TI |
Edited by - AYPforum on Oct 14 2009 05:27:26 AM |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4429 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2009 : 04:23:13 AM
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quote:
Hi Christi :)
Have you ever read:
"Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond"
A Meditator’s Handbook
Ajahn Brahm, Author
Hi TI,
No, I haven't read it, but I have practiced in the same tradition as Ajahn Brahm for many years.
I imagine it is a very good book.
Christi |
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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2009 : 2:03:05 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Christi
Hi TI,
No, I haven't read it, but I have practiced in the same tradition as Ajahn Brahm for many years.
I imagine it is a very good book.
Christi
Hi Christi,
Yes, it is all about breath meditation, nimittas and jhana. I'm reading it for the third time. Do you see nimittas? Have you gone into jhanas?
:)
TI |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4429 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2009 : 2:51:40 PM
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Hi TI,
quote:
Hi Christi,
Yes, it is all about breath meditation, nimittas and jhana. I'm reading it for the third time. Do you see nimittas? Have you gone into jhanas?
:)
TI
Yes to both. |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4429 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2009 : 4:09:45 PM
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Hi TI,
p.s.
I would go along with the general advice given about both nimittas and the jhana states, that they can be a distraction, and it is good not to get too attached to them. Ultimately, spiritual practice is about dissolution to pure bliss consciousness. One of the signs (nimittas) of pure bliss consciousness is Divine love. These days this is the only nimitta I am really interested in. It is the only one which isn't scenery along the way.
Christi |
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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2009 : 10:12:20 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Christi
Hi TI,
p.s.
I would go along with the general advice given about both nimittas and the jhana states, that they can be a distraction, and it is good not to get too attached to them. Ultimately, spiritual practice is about dissolution to pure bliss consciousness. One of the signs (nimittas) of pure bliss consciousness is Divine love. These days this is the only nimitta I am really interested in. It is the only one which isn't scenery along the way.
Christi
Hi Christi,
I'm not sure how to take that. Isn't there is a difference between scenery and nimittas? According to the "Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond" book, the whole purpose of watching the breath is that the breath eventually disolves, leaving the beautiful all by itself. That is, the breathing stops and that is when the nimittas appear. (or, as in my case, the breathing stops for a short time and the nimitta appears for a short time. ) The book describes all the different kinds of nimittas, short ones, shy ones, low quality ones etc. It recommends methods to shine up the nimitta until you have a glorious stable nimitta. Then, you merge with it or focus soley on it until it explodes, propelling you into a jhana. A jhana is also known as samadhi. The book says that you have to reach jhanas/samadhi in order to empower your mind, and then with that empowered mind you can gain the knowledge that leads to enlightement.
So it would seem to me that nimittas are a part of the procedure. Nimittas are the door knob on the way to enlightement, how can you ignore them as scenery? Is it because kundalini activates enough energy as well? I've noticed a few times, with the ayp deep meditation, that after the meditation I was in such a state that I could see through a table... the whole table top was moving and looked like a field of atoms. Is that the effect? Is it possible that you can just ignore the nimitta, not do anything except keep letting go and it will all happen by itself anyway? Now you have me thinking.. :)
TI
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2009 : 08:43:05 AM
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Hi TI
Thanks for bringing in Ajahn Brahm 
I am not familiar with the terms "nimittas" and "jhanas"......so you will have to excuse the lack of background.....
But your post was a reminder of the way the concept of "understanding" has changed over the years here....
quote:
The book says that you have to reach jhanas/samadhi in order to empower your mind, and then with that empowered mind you can gain the knowledge that leads to enlightement.
The way it is experienced here...it is not knowledge ...as separate from ...and as such a precursor to (or leading to) what is called enlightenment....it is not this that again and again brings the taste of the silence that is the love that is what we are in essence. Here - an empowered mind...is a mind that is empty of that which "owns" any object...knowledge or anything else.....and as such completely objectless in and of itself..... . it is an opening...the same way the calm heart is the opening that is the love....
Here...the power..... and the love..... is felt to be synonymous.
So this.....is the only understanding I am left with....the wordless fact of this opening.....everything else has been - and still is - an unlearning.
quote:
I'm not sure how to take that. Isn't there is a difference between scenery and nimittas?
Anything that appears....no matter how beautiful or profound.....is not what I am in essence. The more beautiful....the "higher" the frequences of that which appears...then the easier attachment to those appearances will develop ....and as such....there is preoccupation...instead of resting as the opening (I do not know it....but intuit that this goes also for that which appears in the heavenly realms).
But outside practices...then enjoying these beautiful....soul nourishing..appearances is very...inspiring....
An inspired heart is also in aspiration......and aspiration is also the power of love that is the silence....
So asking: To whom do the signs appear?............
and then stay quiet.....to not answer it...........this may not bring any knowledge.......but it is instead a direct....a wordless ...deeper and deeper taste...... of the love......and at least here......nothing at all....not even the love itself (if grasped at...one is contracting "away" from it)...can be "held onto".....for this to be felt as the essence..now...and now again......
quote:
Is it possible that you can just ignore the nimitta, not do anything except keep letting go and it will all happen by itself anyway?
Ignoring nimitta is not necessary either.....one can welcome it.........as one welcomes anything else.....but favour simply staying open...
All things must go....even the "doing" of letting go......no "door knob" is needed for dissolution. It is not the door that opens......it is the silent spaciousness that simply dissolves it.
This is why it is so crucial.....when in deep meditation.... to let the silence do its silent work......by not being attached to any scenery.
All the best TI
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Christi
United Kingdom
4429 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2009 : 09:05:39 AM
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Hi TI,
Sorry for any confusion caused. In AYP the term "scenery" is used for things that come up, whilst you are on your way somewhere, but are not the primary goal. That doesn't mean they are not important, or part of the overall enlightenment process. In some cases they are, and in others they aren't. So if you are doing the AYP Deep Meditation, and you suddenly feel a huge surge of energy awaken from your pelvic region and begin pouring out of the top of your head, that would be treated as scenery. You would notice that you had become destracted (if you had been) by something which is not the meditation object and gently come back to the mantra.
I don't know what Ajhan Brahm is teaching as I have never met him, and have not read his book, but it sounds like he is teaching the use of breathing meditation to gain access to the fine material realms, and is then switching his meditation object to the lights that can be seen in those realms. So I would say that is a different practice, different from what we are discussing here. If you are doing that practice, then the nimittas are no longer scenery, they are your primary object of meditation, and that's fine.
Personally, I do a similar thing to Ajahan Brahm, in that I change my meditation object once dissolution of the breath happens. Personally I use the light of awareness itself as an object. Strictly speaking the light of awareness cannot be an object of awareness, as it is the subject of awareness. Or, more strickly speaking, you could say it is beyond both subject and object, as it simultaneously contains all things, and shines within all things.
So this is the process of breathing meditation as I see it: At first, the breath is used as a way of stilling the mind. By repeatedly bringing the mind to silence, peace is experienced. Peace gradually expands into bliss and the mind is brought repeatedly into Samadhi. In the silent bliss of Samadhi, discrimination becomes simple between what is real and what is not real. The shining light of awareness is seen as our own true nature, everywhere. This light of awareness is satchitananda (existance, consciousness, bliss).
So in this process (the process that I practice, rather than that which Ajahn Brahm practices), the jhana states (Samadhis) and the lights of the fine material realms are involved. But they are not the ultimate destination which is the realization of our own true nature. This is why I would say to treat them as scenery along the way, as a reminder that there is more to enlightenment than divine lights, or heavenly realms, however intoxicating they may seem.
I should also mention that I don't practice breathing meditation as a stand alone practice. I have always practiced it as part of an integrated system of Yoga. At the moment (and for the last 4 years), I integrate it with the full range of AYP practices.... pranayama, khumbaka, deep meditation, samyama, bhandas, mudras, self-inquiry practices etc.
Christi |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2009 : 09:30:11 AM
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Hi TI
I was not aware that you are not practicing AYP Deep Meditation. So I second Christi in that it is a different matter if your object of meditation is the nimitta itself....just as in this topic the breath is the primary object of meditation and not the AYP mantra...
Sorry about the mix-up regarding the practice 
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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2009 : 5:37:53 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Christi
Hi TI,
Sorry for any confusion caused. In AYP the term "scenery" is used for things that come up, whilst you are on your way somewhere, but are not the primary goal. That doesn't mean they are not important, or part of the overall enlightenment process. In some cases they are, and in others they aren't. So if you are doing the AYP Deep Meditation, and you suddenly feel a huge surge of energy awaken from your pelvic region and begin pouring out of the top of your head, that would be treated as scenery. You would notice that you had become destracted (if you had been) by something which is not the meditation object and gently come back to the mantra.
I don't know what Ajhan Brahm is teaching as I have never met him, and have not read his book, but it sounds like he is teaching the use of breathing meditation to gain access to the fine material realms, and is then switching his meditation object to the lights that can be seen in those realms. So I would say that is a different practice, different from what we are discussing here. If you are doing that practice, then the nimittas are no longer scenery, they are your primary object of meditation, and that's fine.
Personally, I do a similar thing to Ajahan Brahm, in that I change my meditation object once dissolution of the breath happens. Personally I use the light of awareness itself as an object. Strictly speaking the light of awareness cannot be an object of awareness, as it is the subject of awareness. Or, more strickly speaking, you could say it is beyond both subject and object, as it simultaneously contains all things, and shines within all things.
So this is the process of breathing meditation as I see it: At first, the breath is used as a way of stilling the mind. By repeatedly bringing the mind to silence, peace is experienced. Peace gradually expands into bliss and the mind is brought repeatedly into Samadhi. In the silent bliss of Samadhi, discrimination becomes simple between what is real and what is not real. The shining light of awareness is seen as our own true nature, everywhere. This light of awareness is satchitananda (existance, consciousness, bliss).
So in this process (the process that I practice, rather than that which Ajahn Brahm practices), the jhana states (Samadhis) and the lights of the fine material realms are involved. But they are not the ultimate destination which is the realization of our own true nature. This is why I would say to treat them as scenery along the way, as a reminder that there is more to enlightenment than divine lights, or heavenly realms, however intoxicating they may seem.
I should also mention that I don't practice breathing meditation as a stand alone practice. I have always practiced it as part of an integrated system of Yoga. At the moment (and for the last 4 years), I integrate it with the full range of AYP practices.... pranayama, khumbaka, deep meditation, samyama, bhandas, mudras, self-inquiry practices etc.
Christi
Hi Christi,
Thank you for explaining that. I think that perhaps what Ajahn Brahm is saying is that the nimitta is a reflection of the still mind, and that that light of awareness is a nimitta. There is no mention of those lights being from the higher planes. Ajahn says that nimittas are very simple and pure, they are a reflection of the mind, the mind is viewing the mind. The nimittas that I have been seeing are way different from higher plane lights or visions. They are very simple and so beautiful. And yes, seeing the higher planes could be called scenery; the colors are not as bright as a nimitta and they are so vast that you could spend lifetimes exploring them.
You know I just found this link about AB's meditation and he has a whole explanation of nimittas, about how they are the source bliss consciousness and sources of immense mental power, power that you can use to check out your previous lives and understand your karma. Lately I'm thinking that Adyashanti must have learned from Ajahn, because the first thing Adya did after his enlightenment, was check out his previous lives (like Ajahn talks about doing after merging with a nimitta).
I would say that Ajahn Brahm is saying that you focus on the breath until it dissolves and then body dissolves and body senses stop. When the body dissolves and when there are no senses registering because they have stopped, the mind stops too and you can see a reflection of the mind as pure bliss consciousness, or a nimitta. Prolonged submersion in such a state produces tremendous mind power, which, after you come out of the meditation, you can use. I believe Buddha was permanently in that state and tied into the source. :)
I think that what I am doing by sensing the inner body, letting go and relaxing, is producing the same result. I'm stopping the body, shutting off the senses and stilling the mind. That is when the nimittas show up, and kundalini surges too which are distracting..
Anyway, here is the link to a one hour talk from Ajahn Brahm.
http://www.bswa.org/modules/mydownl...tleA&show=20
The selection is called "Buddhist Meditation The Way to Wisdom".
It is a great talk and I would recommend listening to the whole talk, but the talk about the nimittas start on 40:47..
Perhaps we are really talking about the same thing after all?
:)
Thanks for you communications Christi, they are really helping me a lot:)
TI |
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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2009 : 6:33:43 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Katrine
Hi TI
I was not aware that you are not practicing AYP Deep Meditation. So I second Christi in that it is a different matter if your object of meditation is the nimitta itself....just as in this topic the breath is the primary object of meditation and not the AYP mantra...
Sorry about the mix-up regarding the practice
Hi Katrine,
You were so sweet to take the time to respond. No need to apologize. Thank you :)
I have tremendous respect for your abilities, perceptions and posts and it is kind of an honour to be talking to you. :)
Yes, I kind of quit mantra repetition because lately I find that it really puts a lot of pressure in my head, and I can't handle the massive amount of visions that I see through the third eye. That's scenery, and too much of it...
Just to clarify, the nimitta is not my object of meditation, it is rather what has been happening to me during my meditations. I mean my main purpose during meditation now is to sit and just to let go, become the watcher, feel my inner body, let go, be silent, just feel. I become a cloud of 'magnetic' bliss and it feels so wonderful. My hands, my brow, my feet, all of me becomes a field of magnetic bliss.
When I let go like this, I feel kundalini waves rise up from the perineum and I see lights and a big white light above. But I do not try to focus on them. (those aren't nimittas, I call those scenery!). I ignore them and go back to sensing the inner body and letting go.
Suddenly the most beautiful color appears right in front of my face, like spilled paint. The first one I saw was gold in color. Next time red, then blue, then green. The color itself is so beautiful that I fall in love with it. (Sound positively ridiculous that I would fall in love with paint, but if you saw them you'd love them too). That is why I'm interested in nimittas once again.
But, I think the nimitta is waiting for everyone who does breath meditation. The breath has the power to calm the body and carry awareness past the dream state to the point where the senses will all shut off. The nimittas appear for me when my breath is out and stopped for a while, when I totally let go and relax at the bottom of a breath.
If you are interested in knowing about nimittas, you could listen to that link I posted on my previous reply to Christi. The mp3 is called "Buddhist Meditation - The Way To Wisdom". I would very interested to hear what you'd have to say about that talk.
:)
TI
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Konchok Ösel Dorje
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - Oct 14 2009 : 08:54:39 AM
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http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipi...29.than.html
Kosala Sutta
TI, Don't get too concerned about these lights. They are a manifestation of your true nature, but they are a phase. Proceed through and release these from your attention. Again, these are manifestations, phenomena. They are a pure phenomena, but phenomena nonetheless. Enlightenment is beyond all phenomena. Beyond, because you must continue through by letting go. Basically don't care about them, they don't matter. And that goes for all phenomena. |
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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
Posted - Oct 14 2009 : 1:36:24 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Konchok Ösel Dorje
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipi...29.than.html
Kosala Sutta
TI, Don't get too concerned about these lights. They are a manifestation of your true nature, but they are a phase. Proceed through and release these from your attention. Again, these are manifestations, phenomena. They are a pure phenomena, but phenomena nonetheless. Enlightenment is beyond all phenomena. Beyond, because you must continue through by letting go. Basically don't care about them, they don't matter. And that goes for all phenomena.
Hi Konchok Ösel Dorje :)
Thank you so much for that link. I have been searching for such a text of Buddha's teachings for a very long time. Years, in fact. It is so wonderful to have this elaborate detailed resource.
I have been practising the "Sensing the Inner Body" routine as outlined by Eckhart Tolle for a few months now, and now I believe it can be called a "Mindfulness Immersed in the Body" practice. I believe Christi has mentioned that "Sensing the Inner Body" is a powerful Buddhist practice. I was contemplating asking him what it was called. Now I don't have to. :)
The other point of interest for me is the "Ten Powers" that basically covers the siddhis or superpowers that may (or will) manifest. It is nice to have them documented in one place.
It has explained so much for me. Here is the link:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipi...19.than.html
I understand that I must remain detached and keep letting go. I have understood your advice and will keep this in mind until I can let go of letting go. :)
Thank you so much!
:) :) :)
TI |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4429 Posts |
Posted - Oct 14 2009 : 6:55:11 PM
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Hi TI,
quote:
Perhaps we are really talking about the same thing after all?
The light of awareness, also called the light of your true nature, is not something which appears, or dissapears. It is something which is always there, shining. It is the space in which everything happens, within which everything arises and pases away. You could not enter it, or explode it. When you enter the jhana states, it is there before you enter, during and after you come out of that state. If a light appears in meditation as a nimitta, the light of your true nature is what is aware of it, supports it and is what it disolves into.
The light of your true nature is unbounded, deathless and without cause. By resting in this light, you will experience a state of bliss 24 hours a day, 7 days a week... the first stage of enlightenment.
That's what I mean by the light of awareness.
Christi |
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Konchok Ösel Dorje
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - Oct 14 2009 : 7:24:50 PM
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| Awareness is always about something. When awareness has no content, when it is not about anything, it's not awareness. It is an innate but dormant capacity. It is the ordinary state of the mind, but also the highest stage of meditation. |
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Kirtanman
USA
1651 Posts |
Posted - Oct 14 2009 : 8:33:39 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Konchok Ösel Dorje
Awareness is always about something. When awareness has no content, when it is not about anything, it's not awareness. It is an innate but dormant capacity. It is the ordinary state of the mind, but also the highest stage of meditation.
Hi Konchok,
The following comments are not said to debate in any way, but to clarify terms, and hopefully help to avoid confusion (as in: we don't disagree, I've just seen the word "awareness" used differently than you outline above, and just want to mention this, to help avoid confusion for us all).
Ultimately, words only indicate -- and don't really matter -- I'm just pointing out that some use "awareness" as a term for ordinary mind, and use the word "consciousness" as you're using awareness; either way works ... I'm just hoping my comments help us all get/remain on the same page with what's being said.
And this "caveat" is of course especially true if you're using these terms as they're used in the Buddhist traditions under discussion.
My comments are for those of us who may be more familiar with awareness used the "other way" -- and thus highlighting that what you're saying, and what Nisargadatta says, are not different, with regard to consciousness / awareness / original mind.
Rather, that the word "awareness" is used in a different place/context by different people/teachers (as in: the Sanskrit/Pali/Tibetan is clear and unequivocal; the translations into, and conventional usage of English terms can vary quite a bit, though.)
Among certain Advaitic schools and teachers (Nisargadatta, Kashmir Shaivism, etc.) ... the term Awareneness is used to represent the pure light of consciousness, whereas the word consciousness is used for the reflective and reflexive "about something".
As Nisargadatta says, "Consciousness is always conscious of something."
Or, as Abhinavagupta illustrates:
A diamond is made of the same light as awareness, but it not, of itself, aware; a cow is aware, but not conscious (it is not aware that it is aware), where humans are conscious --- aware that they are aware.
As awakening unfolds, awareness kind of "reintegrates" into the whole, non-dual view of all arising in awareness, but without it being "of" something, because there is no longer a limited, separate "I-thought" to be "aware of" ... awareness is known as self, in totality.
Wholeheartedly,
Kirtanman |
Edited by - Kirtanman on Oct 14 2009 9:37:07 PM |
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Konchok Ösel Dorje
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - Oct 14 2009 : 9:51:12 PM
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It's very tempting to pinpoint awareness and consciousness as distinct. It's also tempting to pinpoint distinct energetic aspects of awareness.
How masters in other languages have used the words doesn't matter any more. Translations are no longer necessary.
An enlightenment is not something practiced and accomplished. (Yes we must cut through and/or purify our mindstreams)... What I'm referring to is that our *ordinary* mind is awakened already.
We must overcome our brain/nerve bias. Don't be so sure that a diamond is not aware. It just might not be aware in the time zone you are. Plants are aware. The entire physical cosmos is aware.
Intelligence is all pervasive, everywhere. This mind is a very simple one, utterly simple. Without any elaboration. It just does what it does without any effort at all.
Ordinary. Unelaborated. Simple. |
Edited by - Konchok Ösel Dorje on Oct 14 2009 10:06:46 PM |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2009 : 5:32:40 PM
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Hi TI
Thank you for sharing so openly
quote:
I have tremendous respect for your abilities, perceptions and posts and it is kind of an honour to be talking to you. :)
That is very sweet of you TI....I feel very very ordinary you see...so it sounds like you are talking about somebody else .....and that is both a tremendous relief but also often a state of not knowing any ability at all......knowing less than ever in fact...........so I am definitely honoured to be talking to you too :) In fact...the ability to talk at all is such a wonder....
The only ability I hope will always stay....is the ability to acknowledge the fact that none of it....not one single iota of that which inspires.....and comes through.....is owned by anyone in particular....this individual included. All of it is due to that without which nothing would be at all..........
And reading your posts it is obvious that you feel the same....devotion towards that which is true and compassionate and clear and beautiful. Satyam....Shivam....Sundaram......a melody for those words came about a year ago....so am singing them out loud right now.....
quote:
(Sound positively ridiculous that I would fall in love with paint, but if you saw them you'd love them too). That is why I'm interested in nimittas once again.
Yes.....it reminds me of what I saw as pulsing...3 D (or is it 6 D :)...alive colours that "looked at me".....it was like the colour itself was awake......so yes...I have no problem seeing that you could fall in love with it :)
Started listening to the talk you mentioned: "Buddhist Meditation - The Way To Wisdom".
I will come back to it...when now for it is here. (Too much packing, throwing away and such right now). I listened to maybe 2 thirds of it .....and I liked it a lot....his voice..Ajahn Brahm...carries the shine.....I could hear the light in.....
All he said had resonance here.....it seems he speaks of the mind as if he equates it with awareness......The names doesn't really matter....because it is obvious here that a still mind is the same as the opening. And the opening is aware of itself.
And then....then there is love.....and I know nothing about love TI.....all I know is that I love it. It is a HIMher ....even though it is genderless...dunno why that is..it matters not. Anyway....this love....although you cannot tell from my posts...it shuts me up more and more....even when I am talking. And Ajahn Brahm.....I am interested in hearing the love in his voice too......it is there, but the hearing of the shine is more evident than the hearing of the love. That has nothing to do with Ajahn Brahm....and everything to do with me. So.....I keep practising....keep loving.....keep dying (life leaves no other choice...there are no escapes here right now).....When the Shine came full force the first time...it was in love....so when I looked at it....I "saw" love. So the Shine and the Love is the same. It is the depth of....the profoundity of it...that varies....to our ....perceptive abilities.
Will maybe come back and tell you what the last part of that recording felt like :)
Must sleep now
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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2009 : 9:53:21 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Katrine
Yes.....it reminds me of what I saw as pulsing...3 D (or is it 6 D :)...alive colours that "looked at me".....it was like the colour itself was awake......so yes...I have no problem seeing that you could fall in love with it :)
Hi Katrine :)
Yes, the colour, the nimitta is a reflection of your mind, so it follows that one would love one's self. And it follows that the colour would be awake for we are awake. This is very profound for me. Hadn't thought of that before. Thank you very much!
It is amazing to me that such visions can arise from 'sensing the body', letting the mind go and just feeling. Whole new dimension. Sort of like falling in love with your inner being. Oooh oooh. Big tingles now..
Thank you for your insights. I really appreciate it. I look forward to your insight when you have finished the nimittas section of the AB's talk.
:)
TI |
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Kirtanman
USA
1651 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2009 : 10:17:02 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Konchok Ösel Dorje
It's very tempting to pinpoint awareness and consciousness as distinct. It's also tempting to pinpoint distinct energetic aspects of awareness.
How masters in other languages have used the words doesn't matter any more. Translations are no longer necessary.
An enlightenment is not something practiced and accomplished. (Yes we must cut through and/or purify our mindstreams)... What I'm referring to is that our *ordinary* mind is awakened already.
We must overcome our brain/nerve bias. Don't be so sure that a diamond is not aware. It just might not be aware in the time zone you are. Plants are aware. The entire physical cosmos is aware.
Intelligence is all pervasive, everywhere. This mind is a very simple one, utterly simple. Without any elaboration. It just does what it does without any effort at all.
Ordinary. Unelaborated. Simple.
Beautiful.
Thank You.
Nothing to add.
No comments.
Simply: Thank You.
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Oct 16 2009 : 03:41:34 AM
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quote:
It is amazing to me that such visions can arise from 'sensing the body', letting the mind go and just feeling. Whole new dimension. Sort of like falling in love with your inner being.
Yes
I never saw much visions....so here the challenge was always to not be too preoccupied with the ecstacy
However....slowly over the years.....when the Shine became visible....it also carried with it more and more of that awakenness. It is only later that I have come to see the fact that very few visions normally appears during meditation as a blessing. Sinking deep..and letting go with the mantra.....even though no nimittas were known.....slowly everything between sitting times was known to be aware. So here....looking at the wall of a house....looking at a car.....looking at a pebble....looking at space...everything looked at now "looks at me"....the way that colour was perceived the first time (it happened while running a fever during pneumonia)....
Our being......is not an object. It is deeper than that. And yet...it is the reason for every object....it permeates every object. The body included.....so yes...it is amazing The smallest ordinary little thing in daily life is the manifestation of it.....
But here...it is the silence that gets all the focus....it is this that I am...it is this that I am in love with.....and all the rest, all the expressions of it....is such a surprise and a wonder to be enjoyed.....while all the time loving that which I cannot see....
Being quiet.... slowly uncovers it
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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
Posted - Oct 16 2009 : 4:02:15 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Katrine
...
Being quiet.... slowly uncovers it
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Christi
United Kingdom
4429 Posts |
Posted - Oct 16 2009 : 6:06:40 PM
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Hi TI,
Just listened to the discourse by Ajahn Brahm that you linked to and really enjoyed it. Thanks for that. |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4429 Posts |
Posted - Oct 16 2009 : 6:18:11 PM
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Hi all,
Someone wrote me asking what a nimitta is, so for the benefit of anyone else who isn't familiar with Pali:
Nimitta is a Pali word which means sign or characteristic. In the suttas (Buddhist scriptures) the Buddha talks about jhana-nimittas. Jhanas are states of absorption (higher samadhi states), and the jhana-nimittas are signs or characteristics of these states of mental absorption. Different kinds of characteristics accompany different jhana states, and some of these characteristics are lights. Examples of other nimittas could include the absence of something such as mental and physical pain, or the presence of something such as bliss.
Christi |
Edited by - Christi on Oct 16 2009 6:25:23 PM |
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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
Posted - Oct 16 2009 : 11:13:39 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Christi
Hi TI,
Just listened to the discourse by Ajahn Brahm that you linked to and really enjoyed it. Thanks for that.
Hi Christi :)
Glad you enjoyed it.
I guess I need signposts along the way. Tonight I'm happy that I've recognized that I'm entering states of samadhi, that I can recognize what a state of samadhi is, that others will experience the same phenomenon and that the mystery has been unveiled.
You know, in some of his other talks he claims that seeing nimittas are 1) A sign that the body has dissolved and that the five senses have been shut off, and 2) That seeing a nimitta is exactly what happens to you when you die.
He sure is a happy monk, eh?
I appreciate the fact that you took the time to listen to the talk.
Thanks!
:)
TI |
Edited by - Tibetan_Ice on Oct 16 2009 11:22:05 PM |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4429 Posts |
Posted - Oct 17 2009 : 8:02:50 PM
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Hi TI,
quote:
He sure is a happy monk, eh?
Definately one happy monk. |
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Jhanas and nimittas in Buddhist meditation
