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emc
2072 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 19 2010 : 12:57:28 PM
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I have been tired of the whole enchilada for quite a while now (read a couple of years) and it's still status quo here.
I attended a meeting today with Great Freedom. It was fascinating to recognize a lot of the benefits people described as a consequence of "resting as awareness", by coming aware, being in stillness/as stillness.
- A new ability to handle stressful situations.
- Turning "problems" into wonderful loving moments when dropping the resistance.
- Happier and more loving relationships.
- Ability to just be, in spite of lots of thoughts and emotions.
- Laughing and smiling a lot without a cause.
- Having small miracles happen all around in life
- Healing/serving others
- Access to clarity and profound wisdom
etc etc
It makes me sad and bewildered that I can experience a lot of these things too and have done for years, to a degree others would say it must be due to having cultivated a lot of stillness... Yet, I never feel any "rest" in it, and certainly not any sense of "awakeness" or "clarity".
How is it possible
The two major traits of stillness - peace and clarity - is not here, but all the other qualities and by-products of it?
Greatful for your input! |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2010 : 1:38:01 PM
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Not sure if this will help, but it is coming up to say... ask for clarity and let it go. Don't give it a form. Don't expect a result. Like we meditate without looking for an outcome... ask and let go in stillness. That is the only thing that has helped me when I have been in a place where I needed answers/clarity... I suffered.. then I asked for clarity and let it go (like samyama). Once there is clarity, peace will follow. I have not done formal samyama in a while (other than the weekend healing samyama), for me samyama is a part of every day life... it is all about letting go... the more you let go , the more it just pours in.
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rkishan
USA
102 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2010 : 1:54:01 PM
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Frustration is common; we expect results. Patience is the key. Yogani says this practice is like a marathon. Even that may be an understatement. Many other teachers have said that change comes slowly when we work with discipline for a very long period of time. Some teachers say that it takes life times for some changes to happen. The problem is our inner need to hurry, and to be in that stage NOW. We seek that "rest" with a restless feverish need. And it evades us. This very seeking of "rest" puts us in a restless state.
I recently started to learn swimming. When I saw the experienced swimmers doing laps, I wanted to do the same. Relaxed, nice strokes, progressing beautifully from one end to other. But, when I tried, my strokes were restless, fast, it did not take me too far, though much energy was wasted. When I gave up the desires to swim like this or that and just be on the water, relaxed and did what I could do, I automatically went into a relaxed state. Then the strokes happened naturally, I got the rhythm. |
Edited by - rkishan on Sep 19 2010 3:44:20 PM |
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2010 : 4:26:55 PM
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Hi emc,
Do you do the AYP sitting practices twice a day consistently?
All I can say for myself is consistent twice a day practice, and daily inquiry has really changed the way the world is experienced. If this is being done in my opinion it is just a matter of time before someone notices the difference.
"Clarity" is one that I have been doing in samyama for years now as well. Maybe that helps too, hard to say which practice produces what but the whole of practices does certainly change perspective over time. |
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msd
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2010 : 5:19:28 PM
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I have always loved this quote from the yogi, Sri Aurobindo:
Heaven in its rapture dreams of a perfect earth;
Earth in its sorrow dreams of a perfect heaven;
They are both kept from oneness by enchanted fears.
Shanti, Rkishan, and Anthem have provided some wonderful feedback. I think the key word in this discussion may be equanimity. True equanimity is a balanced opening to all aspects of life. It is an engagement in the whole of life with composure and balance of mind, including dealing with aspects of clarity/non-clarity, peace/non-peace. It almost makes you chuckle to think of it this way. The near-enemies of finding or not finding a particular result are ways of separating ourselves from life out of fear. True spirituality is an opening, a seeing of the world with a deeper vision that is less self-centered for each of us, and a vision that sees through dualistic views, for example, I have achieved peace, I have not achieved peace. So what's the solution? More sitting in stillness and then kinda chuckling about what we have obtained and what we have not obtained. In a nutshell, don't worry too much. Also, I think you frustration is truly part of the "cloud of unknowing" that makes its way into our practice. Personally, I think it is a very good sign for you. Once again, look in the mirror, chuckle and then move on. |
Edited by - msd on Sep 19 2010 5:37:35 PM |
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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2010 : 12:05:03 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by emc
...
It makes me sad and bewildered that I can experience a lot of these things too and have done for years, to a degree others would say it must be due to having cultivated a lot of stillness... Yet, I never feel any "rest" in it, and certainly not any sense of "awakeness" or "clarity".
How is it possible
The two major traits of stillness - peace and clarity - is not here, but all the other qualities and by-products of it?
Greatful for your input!
Hi emc :)
Don't be sad! Be happy! You have many gifts.
If you would like to experience 'awakeness, peace and clarity' try this: Try intense present moment awareness, as per Eckhart Tolle.
This works for me and I'm getting better at. It differs from 'resting in awareness'. Resting in awareness does not work for me. There is a component of effort or willpower that must come into play.
Do this: Forget the past. Forget the future. Be here right now. Make a real effort. Really crank up your attention. Try so hard you quit breathing for an instance. Really try to be aware of every single and all details in the present moment. Use your will. You will feel a connection to somewhere below your navel. Freeze your sight. Look straight ahead. Don't move. Look as if your life depended on it. Freeze your mind. Don't allow any thoughts to be created. Use your will. Try really really hard to hold it.
When I do that it feels like time slows down or even stops for a moment. My visual field becomes luminous. There is a definate peace and clarity there. It also feels like a clear watery substance extrudes from my body and clears the area just in front of me. Perhaps this is a method of producing a 'satori' moment. I don't know what to call it exactly, but it definately has peace, clarity and awakeness. It also has beauty and love in it. It makes the 'normal' world seem like a foggy dream.
Yes, I would love to rest in that state or make it permanent but I haven't figured that part out yet. But just a taste every now and then whets my appetite for more.. I'm very happy to have discovered how to do that. I hope that works for you too.
Good luck.
:)
TI
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Edited by - Tibetan_Ice on Sep 20 2010 07:27:34 AM |
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manigma
India
1065 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2010 : 02:20:35 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by emc
Yet, I never feel any "rest" in it, and certainly not any sense of "awakeness" or "clarity".
How can you?
To study the way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things. To be enlightened by all things is to remove the barriers between one's self and others. Then there is no trace of enlightenment, though enlightenment itself continues into one's daily life endlessly.
The first time we seek the law, we are far away from the border of it. But soon after the law has been correctly transmitted to us, we are enlightened persons. - Master Dogen
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....D=7740#70331
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Holy
796 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2010 : 10:17:50 AM
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@emc
resting as awareness is surely one of the best methods. But it has some "heavy side-effects" too. Can your body survive the bliss? =P "Mine" could not. It got very weak, no thoughts, only bliss. It needed to rest after those bliss-levels in even more bliss to get enough energy to get up and do work until after some time it needed many hours per day after waking up to get out of the bed because of not ending tiring bliss. So what to do? Grace brought "me" back to "take control" with illusionly causes to start "another way" for the project of making this body a functional temple of bliss =P
Every other kind of sytem without the perma-pure-awareness component may seem to be not doing what you would like too fast, but those systems prepare the body to be able to sustain and translate such levels of awareness that really grow very fast with awareness-based approaches.
On the one hand it seems to take much longer this way, but ond the other hand: hey, your body will be able to move too =P Perhaps the cheat got me once again, but "I" trust in this seeing ppl like yogani, all the kriya yogis, tantric buddhists and co that it is possible.
Perhaps it is good to do a sidewalk like that to see that it really exists, but later on you need something that works over the longterm sustainable. At least if you still have to do something in this world ( the cheat goes on..). |
Edited by - Holy on Sep 20 2010 10:38:51 AM |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Sep 25 2010 : 08:33:05 AM
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Hi emc
quote:
Posted - Sep 19 2010 : 12:57:28 PM
I have been tired of the whole enchilada for quite a while now (read a couple of years) and it's still status quo here.
I attended a meeting today with Great Freedom. It was fascinating to recognize a lot of the benefits people described as a consequence of "resting as awareness", by coming aware, being in stillness/as stillness.
- A new ability to handle stressful situations.
- Turning "problems" into wonderful loving moments when dropping the resistance.
- Happier and more loving relationships.
- Ability to just be, in spite of lots of thoughts and emotions.
- Laughing and smiling a lot without a cause.
- Having small miracles happen all around in life
- Healing/serving others
- Access to clarity and profound wisdom
etc etc
It makes me sad and bewildered that I can experience a lot of these things too and have done for years, to a degree others would say it must be due to having cultivated a lot of stillness... Yet, I never feel any "rest" in it, and certainly not any sense of "awakeness" or "clarity".
How is it possible
The two major traits of stillness - peace and clarity - is not here, but all the other qualities and by-products of it?
Greatful for your input!
Have you ever established for yourself whether your nature is that of a bhakta or a jnana?
In my experience the Great Freedom practice is more of a jnana perspective......in other words the dual relationship between ourselves and the divine is not used as a vehicle to awakening. There is no relationship......one jumps straight into presence.
Have a look at what your natural inclination is.
I found it in the way I relate to most things in life. Where my passion is - was where the key to this was "hidden".
I ventured between the two at different times in my life. But as the openings continued it became more and more evident what my basic nature was. And in listening to that; constructing my own balanced practice out of that unfolding (it includes AYP but also other practices) - I ended up seeing what my deepest nature was like in this respect.
I am a bhakta.
It is not so much the duality here....but the relational aspect of it....that makes way for a deeper letting go and hence more peace and clarity here.
When one is so much love........finding an unending and infinite receiver of all of it makes a huge difference. If none such receiver is found inside - pray for one to be shown to you. It will come to you in many different ways then. There will be no unclarity about that.
It is a paradox - but it is perfectly natural and possible to be in a dual relationship with oneself - and at the same time know oneself to be one presence everywhere.
I have no idea if this is of any help to you. It was to me - so am sharing it with you.
All the best my friend
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emc
2072 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2010 : 4:21:23 PM
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Thank you so much for your replies, everybody! I let them sink in. |
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sagebrush
USA
292 Posts |
Posted - Sep 28 2010 : 5:03:06 PM
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I started to read and taking it in..and then it is overwhelmingly upsetting for me.....and that passes too,
so emotions have to settle so I can read more and let it in.
time for the meeting webelos. |
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BuddhiHermit
United Kingdom
84 Posts |
Posted - Oct 23 2010 : 08:32:35 AM
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Ahh, EMC,
It seems you are experiencing a need to progress.
And it seems you are still "doing" resting in awareness.
You may find it helpful to add another dimension to your practice, by integrating your heart-based experiences and do both. As love grows in a new direction, that brings peace, and the ability to "rest" in things.
Time.
Namaste |
Edited by - BuddhiHermit on Oct 23 2010 08:47:13 AM |
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - Oct 23 2010 : 2:47:43 PM
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Hi emc,
I think buddhihermit and katrine really nailed it in their well-written posts!
The reality is that things in the material world take time. Our bodies need time to grow into complete peace and clarity and unity.
It's really no different than a baby growing to an adolescent, or an adolescent growing to an adult. It will come!
Katrine,
I just wanted to say that I found your distinction between being more bahkti or more jnana very interesting.
You said you are more bahkti... i really tend to switch between the two depending on the "seasons" of the day/week/month.
Do you think this is static? That is, are people more naturally a bahkti type or jnana type? I would argue that it changes throughout a lifetime (or a day ) just as the flavor of consciousness changes... like psychic weather or you could say seasons of consciousness. |
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emc
2072 Posts |
Posted - Oct 24 2010 : 3:28:22 PM
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Hm. So the way Great freedom is putting it is... not quite so simple?
"What is a short moment of awareness? To know the answer to that question - stop thinking, just for a moment. What is left? A sensation of awakeness and clarity is left. This is what the clarity of awareness is. Clarity and awareness is equivalent."
I can't understand why they call that awakeness (or perhaps alertness) and clarity. It's neither where I sit, and the reasons for that are probably what you all suggested, and more.
Whether I have thoughts or not in my field of awareness - it's certainly a quite muddy feeling...  |
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - Oct 24 2010 : 3:56:30 PM
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emc, in my opinion the clarity and awareness you are referring to are products of a purified nervous system.
i remember back a few years ago, when i'd have a zillion jolts of electricity running through my body 24/7 (doing some work) and i could feel the bliss and the silence sometimes... but it was incomplete. i just wasn't pure enough to feel the clarity and the peace all the time. it always felt like something was missing then.
a few years later (and a lot of purification later) that clarity and peace is totally natural and comes easily.
so what i'm saying is that the clarity, peace and awareness only really come with a purified nervous system. this can probably happen with or without the fireworks (as i'm guessing some people are and some people aren't prone to experiencing those) |
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How is it possible?
