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wakeupneo
USA
171 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 20 2010 : 8:42:16 PM
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I'm currently in a place where I'm a bit torn as far as integrating your practices with existing practices.
My teacher initiated me into 'pure consciousness' using the words "I AM" it dropped me right into the no mind state, the state of reality. The practice has been to consciously and constantly maintaining this state. The method he used is a bit revolutionary. He claims that the zero point of consciousness is in the center of the headspace, during our waking day our attention gets pulled out and into the front of the head (forehead area) as our attention naturally rushes out to meet creation. The practice has been of pulling back one's attention towards the back of the head during day to day activities (to counteract this natural pull out towards creation and toward the forehead) and abiding in the center of the head during meditation.
Diligently practicing this, has lead to a certain level of stabilization in the silence. Thoughts have become much more transparent and even the mechanism of self-referral has greatly subsided. The completely subjective experience of pure consciousness is available to me at all times. My identity is truly shifting into that, via this practice and the energetic transmission.
He has a pretty strong opinion about the front of the head (third eye). His claim is that it is the center of the 'me' or egoic consciousness, also the center of psychic ability and imagination. And that the I AM is energetically and existentially located behind the me in the headspace. He often warms of the dangers of crystallizing the third eye center and claims that it is a harmful practice. Gurdjieff seemed to agree with this idea and also advocated keeping ones attention on the back of the head. This is why many zen school avoid directly working with the third eye as well. Furthermore it seems that opening the third eye creates mystical states which can be one of the biggest trappings on the spiritual path. In zen they call such illusory experiences makyo.
The name of my teacher is Aziz Kristof (Anadi). Perhaps someone is familiar with this philosophy and is integrating it with AYP.
As important as it is to drop everything and completely surrender to to the practice it seems this one aspect is in direct contradiction to the AYP practices. Specifically the cultivation of the third eye centre.
This is what I have been doing...
During my spinal breathing I have just been bring up my attention into the general area of the headspace in which the energy immediately fills my entire head and it feels like I have a big bubble of energy over my head, then I have been letting it down. During the SBP I do Mulabanda. I have NOT been sambhavi and have NOT been imagining the little thread go from the center to the forehead area. This all because I don't want to crystalize this center.
Is this sufficient or is it entirely necessary to focus on and work with this area?
How essential is it to open the third eye and to work with it? Can it be by passed?
Love,
John
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Edited by - wakeupneo on Apr 20 2010 11:15:40 PM |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2010 : 07:17:19 AM
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Hi wakeupneo
Thanks for sharing 
quote:
During my spinal breathing I have just been bring up my attention into the general area of the headspace in which the energy immediately fills my entire head and it feels like I have a big bubble of energy over my head, then I have been letting it down. During the SBP I do Mulabanda. I have NOT been sambhavi and have NOT been imagining the little thread go from the center to the forehead area. This all because I don't want to crystalize this center.
Is this sufficient or is it entirely necessary to focus on and work with this area?
How essential is it to open the third eye and to work with it? Can it be by passed?
The way it is seen here AYP Spinal Breathing Pranayama has 2 major objectives:
1. Cultivation of Ecstatic conductivity (Kundalini) - which together with Inner Silence (cultivated in twice daily Deep Meditation) constitutes the embodied awakened human beeing (it is a never ending marriage of the energy and the silence....flowing outwards as divine love)
2. Leading the energy (Kundalini) along the safest route - that between the root and the brow (root chakra and Ajna/3rd eye) - so as to avoid premature crown openings which can create havoc in the system and eventually maybe lead to difficulties in practising anything at all
AYP are not at all concerned with opening particular chakras. That is not the objective of the practise. It may be a consequence of the practice, but not the objective. The objective is to cultivate inner silence and ecstatic conductivity and then live more and more as the integration that follows from the marriage of the two. Whatever work might be going on inside regarding the chakras is regarded as being "under the hood" and not to be payed particular attention to. The chakras will open by proxy - as long as the practice is balanced and we self-pace when needed.
I am not familiar with the practice you mention, so cannot advise you here. But I can say that bringing the energy straight up the way you are doing your pranayama may lead to a premature crown opening. So be weary of that.
I am sure others will chime in regarding your other questions/thoughts.
All the best
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Clear White Light
USA
229 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2010 : 07:25:19 AM
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Well, all I can say is that I have been developing my third eye center for a long time and I have never encountered any problems from it. The third eye is simply another part of our spiritual anatomy. To me, labeling it as being "bad" or "dangerous" is like calling your left arm dangerous. It's just a part of the biochemical machinery of our body. Excessive activity in ANY chakra could potentially lead to negative consequences. This is not just true about Ajna. If inner silence is not firmly in place, the mind cannot help but to identify with the profound experiences which result from chakra activity/spiritual experience.
To answer your question, no, the third eye can't be left out of the equation. Even if you make no conscious attempt to open it, if you lead a spiritual lifestyle and participate in spiritual practices every day it will inevitably open anyway. All aspects of our energetic body are connected like that. I'm not sure why some people have developed this superstitious approach to the third eye, but it is completely unnecessary. It just creates fear and disinformation. There is no "center" for egotic consciousness, other than the one you create with your own thoughts. |
Edited by - Clear White Light on Apr 21 2010 08:11:32 AM |
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Adi
India
34 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2010 : 09:11:27 AM
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namaskar everyone
there is this story of shiva meditating for very long period when indra the god of sensual pleasures wants to distract him so he sends kaamdev the god of lust to disturb his samadhi, lord shiva eventually gives in and burns kamdev by opening his third eye.
moral of the story even if lust cannot affect your bliss anger can
another story is when shiva wants to confront ganesha and lord vishnu tries to stop him but lord shiva enraged does not listen. |
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wakeupneo
USA
171 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2010 : 09:52:06 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Clear White Light
Well, all I can say is that I have been developing my third eye center for a long time and I have never encountered any problems from it. The third eye is simply another part of our spiritual anatomy. To me, labeling it as being "bad" or "dangerous" is like calling your left arm dangerous. It's just a part of the biochemical machinery of our body. Excessive activity in ANY chakra could potentially lead to negative consequences. This is not just true about Ajna. If inner silence is not firmly in place, the mind cannot help but to identify with the profound experiences which result from chakra activity/spiritual experience.
To answer your question, no, the third eye can't be left out of the equation. Even if you make no conscious attempt to open it, if you lead a spiritual lifestyle and participate in spiritual practices every day it will inevitably open anyway. All aspects of our energetic body are connected like that. I'm not sure why some people have developed this superstitious approach to the third eye, but it is completely unnecessary. It just creates fear and disinformation. There is no "center" for egotic consciousness, other than the one you create with your own thoughts.
The problem is being that it's easy to crystalize energy in the headspace, more so than than any other part of the body. I used to meditate soley on my ajna as a part of my practice for years. Once my attention became subtle enough I was able to notice the crystalized mass that resulted from this, it was smack in the forehead area. But again I'm sure with an integrated approach such as AYP this wouldn't be as much of an issue. |
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Clear White Light
USA
229 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2010 : 10:36:19 AM
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| Some people are more contemplative and imaginative in nature. Consequently, they find it easy to "get stuck" in the third eye area. Some people are extremely emotional in nature. They may find it similarly easy to get stuck in the heart. Proper spinal breathing pranayama should go a long way to clearing up those energetic hot-spots. Getting stuck in the head implies that we need to work harder at bringing the energy back down the central channel. For some reason many people (myself included) find it much easier to bring energy/attention up the body than to bring it back down. Also, you may consider thinking about adding the solar enhancement during deep meditation. By lightly placing awareness on the solar plexus area it will help cut down on excessive energy in the head. |
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regarding the third eye centre
