Non-duality and Conflicts in the World by Peter Dziuban - Part 1

Non-duality and Conflicts in the World - Part 1

by Peter Dziuban

[From Peter Dziuban's forthcoming Online e-Book: "Timeless Infinity"] 

Vijay:  I'd like to discuss more of what Awareness "means" when it comes to "world affairs" because it seems this is a topic that doesn't come up much in Non-duality.


Peter:  Yes, it would be good to take a real close look at them. Exactly what are "world affairs"? What, really, is that which appears as international relations, environmental problems, financial/poverty issues, natural disasters, terrorism, and all the rest.  Exactly, specifically where are they going on?

And what has Awareness to do with all this?

First, let it be clear that the "stance" or "perspective" being spoken of here is that of pure Awareness—which is the real, only stance existent, because only Awareness is aware, present, alive to begin with!

So…right here, now...what is Awareness to Its own pure Aware-ing?

This does not mean thinking about Awareness or intellectually agreeing, "Yes, Awareness is aware-ing." It is THIS very Awareness, un-thinkingly alive as the silent Presence It is. Awareness is clear, calm, still, as It "experiences" Its silent aware-ing—rather than thinking about Itself. Because words are being used here, it is easy to identify only with words and thoughts about Awareness. So just stop reading a moment and be or "taste" this silent clear Presence here, now. This now is not another who has "turned to" Awareness—this is Awareness Itself—for only It "knows how" to be aware here, now.

Start or abide Here and be or "feel" this alive ease or Presence while continuing to read.

Now, look directly for evidence regarding Awareness and these "apparent world affairs"—as has been discussed here before.  Can Awareness be said to have a boundary or limit—a point where It goes only so far and some greater state, one outside of Awareness begins? No. Many things appear to be outside or beyond the body now sitting at this computer screen—but nothing is beyond Awareness.  Stop a moment and see this for yourself, as Awareness.

What about what appears as the entire so-called world or planet? Is any of it, even in its apparent form, separate from or outside of Awareness—having its own independent presence? No. If not for Awareness, there couldn't even be said to be a world or planet, or any of the affairs thereon.

Much has been done here in previous posts to show the "transparency" of what appear as all things, or so-called objects. The entire would-be physical world (planet) of separate objects has been deconstructed to show it would be, at most, merely "mental" or thought. There is another example of this in Chap 13 of Consciousness Is All, free on the website on the Reading Room page.

What this means right here, now, is that, what appear as all objects—ranging from the so-called object earth, to land masses or countries, to bodies in those countries—every last one of these so-called "objects" really would be just "mental" or so much  thought, similar to dream-like mental images. Some of the body-objects (which aren't really objects) appear as mental images which are labeled normal citizens, some are labeled as government leaders, some as terrorists.

Now look at these images very closely. Can any evidence be found for separate "minds" or awarenesses inside those images? Are there separate minds there that can disagree with each other, act selfishly or greedily, or hate each other? The images may appear to be animated and have sounds coming out of their mouths called "talk"—but are there really separate awarenesses there? No. At most, they appear to be like images on a movie screen which have no awareness inside them.

Where, really, is the only Awareness, Presence, Power, that is present for what appears as this entire picture? It is THIS very Awareness aware right here. There is absolutely no evidence for another awareness anywhere. This, again, is NOT referring to a so-called personal awareness of a Peter-body, or a Vijay or any other body.  It is bodiless, boundless Awareness.

When it seems Awareness is ignored, and there is identification as one so-called "body," it is easy to assume: "Oh, those world problems are going on `way over there' far away from this body-me, in a distant foreign country.  Fortunately, those problems don't directly affect me (this one body), and besides, there is nothing that I (this one body) can do about them anyway."

First, look at this assumption that there is a place known as "way over there" where there could be problems going on.

It's one thing to start from the five senses and human thinking and say, "Oh, there's no separation, all is One"—all the while mistakenly assuming there still is physical distance, and that everything is somehow connected across that distance.

It is quite different to be pure Awareness, and be crystal clear that there is no such thing as physical distance!

From CIA p. 133:

               The act of sensing and the "thing" sensed are one. No thing exists separate from the sensations of      it—and no sensations exist separate from what is sensed. In other words, there aren't sensations of  a thing—only sensations as that thing. This appears to be true for all items in finite human experience!

               What it means is, there isn't the finite sensing mind and any item, or any form of experience apart     from the mind. It all is the mind; it is one. It means the finite "sense-mind" doesn't ever think about    a condition—the mind is the condition. The mind doesn't visit or think in terms of places; the mind  literally is the places. It doesn't sense all the planets and things in the stellar universe. The mind is all the things; it is the universe.

               The traditional misconception always has been that sense data is "taken in" from a thing "out       there" that is separate. There never is a separate object or thing out there from which to take sense data. Rather, it always would be the finite "sense-mind" experiencing itself—which it calls a  body and universe of separate things.


From CIA p. 159:

               The fact that there are only sensations, only "mind stuff"—and no separate physical objects from      which sensations come—proves there is no physical space. Why? To take up space, things would   need to be separate objects—for only objects would occupy three-dimensional space, not passing  sensations experienced in a dream.  As there are no physical objects, thus no physical space, anywhere, but just dream-like thought, then there is no physical distance or depth anywhere.


You already may see what's coming next. What about the assumption that there is a long background or "history" of world problems and international relations that have been going on so long they are un-resolvable? Who says so?  Is history-less Awareness accepting any such thing? Where is One's stance—as ignore-ant dream-thought, or as Awareness? Where is Awareness taking Its "stance" as the only ONE aware? Can Awareness be ignore-ant of Its very Presence?

(To be Continued ..... Part 2)

Baseball and Non-duality

Thanks to all our Members and the readers, we will be celebrating the completion of five remarkable years of this Blog today.

I do not know how far the Blogger Stats can be relied on.  If we go by those numbers, the readership for this Blog comes from eighty countries and the monthly pageviews exceed 2000.  (Members who are more knowledgeable may correct me, but I suspect the count by the Blogger may include the web crawlers of spamsters).

A few of our Posts are reproduced by other blogs and occasionally some get translated into Spanish, Polish etc. languages.  I found one Web site rating this Blog high amongst Non-duality blogs.  We are grateful to all of them.

The most popular Post so far at our site has been the one on Annette Nibley with over  3107 page views to date.  The second most popular article was on Ardhanareeswar with 2846 pageviews.

On this happy occasion it gives me immense pleasure to write about my good friend  Gale McCray who has a charismatic personality and an ever shining smile on his lips.  I know no other person who might have met and dialogued with as many Non-dual teachers as Gale has.  He is a happy volunteer at many Non-dual gatherings like SAND, immersing himself in Non-dual wisdom of all shades.  
Gale is an avid fan of baseball game and he intertwines entertainingly the game with Non-dual teaching.  Jerry Katz interviewed him and Charlie Hayes last Wednesday  on the Nonduality Talk Radio. Here is the link to the audio record of their lively conversation. 

No matter where we are or what we do, every action done as an offering to that attributeless, formless and eternal Beingness-Knowingness-Infiniteness is the ultimate in Non-dual living.  It is this simple message that we learn from Gale's unassuming and modest life.  Thank you Gale.

Contemplative Meditation (nididhyAsana)

Contemplative Meditation (nididhyAsana) 

by Vijay Pargaonkar

[Vijay Pargaonkar moved to the USA as a teenager over four decades ago. Nevertheless, he did not give up his deep interest in the ancient Indian philosophical thought. He practiced TM and followed the teachings of Ramana and Nisargadatta for a few years. He then shifted to Advaita by taking up a systematic study of dasbodh of Swami Ramdas, pancadasi of Swami Vidyaranya and the Upanishads.

Vijay Pargaonkar is an electrical engineer by profession and lives in Wisconsin, USA. I am grateful to him for his write up on nididhyAsana for publication at our Blog. He can be reached at pargaonkar2003@yahoo.com -- ramesam.]

Contemplative Meditation (nididhyAsana) 

by Vijay Pargaonkar 

 [nididhyAsana is the contemplative meditation stage in the traditional advaita teaching. It is the third and final phase after shravaNa (learning the Non-dual message) and manana (reflecting on the message until

all the doubts are resolved). nididhyAsana is an umbrella term. It stands for all such methods that are helpful in ingesting the teaching of Oneness of the Seer – seen and in having an unbroken thought on brahman, thus facilitating the abidance as brahman.]

I used to believe: I am a karta (doer/ agent for action), bhokta (experiencer), pramAta (knower) and the jagat (the external world) is real.  After practicing sAdhana – chatushThaya and intense shravaNa and manana and guidance from a few knowledgeable people, I have realized the following:  

 ü jagat is a series of vRitti-s (thought-waves) arising and fading as mind one frame at a time. Each frame seemingly has an object(s) and a subject “i.”  While the objects keep on changing, the subject “i” apparently remains the same assuming different roles as karta, bhokta, pramAta etc.

ü The objects are mere names and forms just for the sake of ID-ing and their substratum is the sat brahman. Also the subject “i” confined to my body-mind does not truly exist. The Witness (sAkshi) of both “i” and the objects is the Real “I”, which is the one Consciousness in all.

ü What I have been taking to be ‘me’ thus far has been in fact a mis-identification of myself with the limited body-mind.  In truth, I am the witnessing Consciousness (sAkshI caitanya) and the substratum for the jagat (Including the ‘me’). So the real ‘me’ (aham) and brahman are the same – aham brahma asmi.

ü Now that aham brahmAsmi realization is ingrained in me, I do not have a sense of a separate “i” or “me”. I understand that there is no separate “me” as an entity anywhere. That means that there is no ‘ego’ existing as an independent entity. So "I" never thinks in terms of “I am ‘this’ or ‘that’.”  However, "I" in its infinite freedom may take the form of "i" as a modulation of Itself.

ü Now that I know there is brahman and brahman only and no-thing else, there is really speaking no ‘separate’ jIva sitting there seeking to get freedom or liberation (mukti). All the jIva-s that appear to be there are already brahman! So there is no question of the jIva-s waiting for the mAyAsabalita brahma (i.e. brahman associated with mAyA) to dissolve at the end of pralaya (dissolution of the world). mAyA sabalita brahma, Ishwara and so on are mere stories postulated by people who in the first place needed an Ishwara as the Creator of the world because of their belief in creation.

ü Now I am free from the wrong notion that I am a doer and an enjoyer. With this my sorrows and happiness(es) have come to an end because there is no more an entity which classifies things / events in terms of polar pairs of opposites and judges them as acceptables and rejectables with reference to the likes and dislikes of an imaginary ‘ego.’

Having realized the above, there are occasional instances when the belief “I am karta/bhokta” and the “world is real” temporarily pop up.  This is when nididhyAsana is needed.

I use a three step prakriya (exercise) to get back on track of unbroken contemplation on brahman (akhanDAkAra vRitti):

1.    I, as a separate self, am not karta/bhokta/pramAta.

2.    "I" am no “thing” but merely a witness of all things.

3.   "I" (I) am not different from what is witnessed. Or I am everything that IS.

This three step prakriya removes the temporary feeling of “me” as a separate being and frees me from the notion that I am a doer and enjoyer.

The most important caveat here is: The above three-step 'aide-memoir' should not stay merely as statements at a verbal level.

It often so happens that an intellectual understanding of advaita message takes place, but the feelings of separation continue at the level of bodily sensations and perceptions. To get rid of them at the body level is the HARDEST part. This is the reason why many practitioners say that they read all the Upanishad-s; they understood the advaita teaching yet complain that they are unable to "realize" One brahman. Or incessantly linger with hope for “Grace” to work a miracle sometime in future forgetting that the “Grace” is right now right here with them.

So a seeker has to be vigilant about the sense of separation rising up or hiding in different nooks and corners of the body. When such 'sensations and perceptions' of separation arise, one should just observe them indifferently, unconcernedly. One should not have any agenda with them - either to control or suppress or modify. Mere observation eventually orphans them. But any agenda to do something with them to get rid of etc. will only strengthen them and will go to perpetuate those feelings.

I also use the following as meditation to stabilize in aham BrahmAsmi:

I am conscious. I do not need any proof for this.

I do not have to specially "do" anything to understand that I am conscious.

I have to exist to be able to know that I am conscious. I do not require any proof for this also.

The “I”, the “knowing” and the “existing” are NOT three different things. It is the one and same "me" only.

If this 'me' thinks that its knowing capacity is limited and is confined to the body-mind and all things exist outside 'me', it leads to suffering. When it understands that knowingness and beingness are one and the same without the difference of inside and outside, that is itself bliss. This means the 'sufferer' ends.  Though 'suffering' per se may not end, the claim of ‘ownership’ for suffering dissolves.

Further, the following meditational prakriya helps to calm down the ego (ahamkAra) attenuating the strong ripples or vRitti-s  of a separate self in mind.  (In this meditation, the separate sense of ‘ego’ is viewed as a reflection (a virtual image) of brahman, the True “I”):

ü  The very first AbhAsa (thought-wave, a ripple) arising in brahman is Ishwara. Prior to this Ishwara thought-wave at t(0), its All One homogeneous, undimensional “whatever-That-Is”.

Unless this Ishwara-perturbation happens, there is no reflection even.

"I" am causal to this wave which is not different from Me. This is My phase as Ishwara.

ü  At the Ishwara level, the cidAbhAsa (reflected image) is no problem. It appears as if (iva) brahman is looking at His reflection in still waters.

ü  Subsequent ripples generate hiraNyagarbha (prajApati, the Creator brahma). 

"I" am causal to this wave which is not different from Me. This is My phase as hiraNyagarbha.
       
 Multiplicity is engendered with a sense of 'me - not me' distinction - the genesis of ego (ahamkAra) takes place.

ü  Coeval with the ego comes the 'jagat', i.e. more fragmented "objects" with independent IDs (with individuated names and forms).

ü  Along with ahamkAra and jagat come likes and dislikes and rAga-dveSha dualities. These qualities congeal chidAbhAsa and propel it to take action (karma) being judgmental in terms of “acceptables” and “rejectables” for self-perpetuation. This is the beginning of the cycle of life and death (samsAra).

"I" am causal to this wave which is not different from Me. This is My phase as virAT.

ü  Now brahman à Ishwara à hiranyagarbha à virAT à ahamkAra are all thus "phases" of brahman only happening within brahman. The 'ego' (ahamkara) phase/modulation of brahman has to dis-cover the extra layers of ripples to know that it is itself brahman.

ü  yoga aims at stilling the ripples and see the simulacrum of brahman in the stilled waters (nirvikalpa samAdhi).

ü  The process of Realization that the Totality of ‘Whatever-that-IS’ (without fragmentation and labels) is, Itself, brahman even with all the levels of the ripples being in place is jnAna mArga (The Path of Knowledge).

Acknowledgments: This write up is a summary of my extensive discussions with Dr. Vemuri Ramesam who steered me through several subtle and a few fundamental misunderstandings regarding various concepts, terminologies and definitions used in Advaita Vedanta.  I am thankful to him for his patience and kindness. I also thank the reviewers of the draft version of this article for their suggestions.

My Experiments On Sensory Deprivation By John LeKay

My Experiments On Sensory Deprivation 

By John LeKay

(Excerpted from the author's Book: “A Glass of God” (Under Publication))

[John was kind to post his article at this Blog on "Sensory Deprivation Tank And Induced Samadhi" in July 2011. But within a few months, he had withdrawn the write up as he suspected that it could lead some of the readers to unwanted experiences and even dangerous situations if the experiments were carried out under unsupervised conditions. 

Chris Hebard (Stillness Speaks) made the significant observation that the discoveries made by John were rarely available in the literature to a Seeker.   The popularity of his article can be gauged from the fact that it received over 1200 hits to date. Readers keep visiting this Post  even today. So I requested John for a revised version of the article.  He has been kind to share here a few Excerpts on this subject from his forthcoming Book, "A Glass of God."  

I very much suggest that our esteemed readers interested in studying the effects of sensory deprivation to please do get in touch with John (at this e-mail) before embarking on any trials with the Desensitization Chambers on their own.

I express my sincere thanks to John and hope the readers will be benefited by the studies made by him -- ramesam]

My Experiments On Sensory Deprivation 

By John LeKay

[Caution:  

Kindly Note that any Experiments with Desensitization Chambers should not be  attempted  unless one is a very experienced meditator and is carrying them out under the guidance of an experienced teacher.  

The technique using a sensory deprivation tank described here Should Not be practiced for more than an hour at a time.]  

Sometime in 1988 I read a book written by Dr. John C. Lilly about the experiments he conducted on sensory deprivation. Not long after that I purchased a sensory deprivation tank for myself. At the time I had been conducting experiments on the practice of deep meditation and the state of samadhi, so this made perfect sense to me.

John Lekay

The sensory deprivation tank is designed to isolate the mind and body from all known forms of external stimulation: tactile, auditory, visual, and olfactory stimulants. The blackened out soundproof chamber eliminates touch and pressure on the body. Floating horizontally in 800 lbs. of Epsom salts and water solution negates the effects of gravity and pressure. The salt solution temperature and the outside body temperature are both 94.5 degrees, thus eliminating any need to adjust to the salt-water solution. As a result of total deprivation, one is induced into a deep meditative state of consciousness.  

What I immediately discovered was that it was possible to deprive the visual sense totally by extinguishing light, but it was impossible to do a similar thing with hearing. Even when one is placed in a completely soundproofed chamber with no external sounds, one will still experience auditory sensations such as one’s own breathing movements, as well as occasional rumblings of the stomach. In addition, the skin could itch from the Epsom salt solution or have a burning sensation if one had just shaved or had a cut or irritation.

I remember my first experience of opening the door to the white tomb-like box filled with two feet of water. I sat in the water and closed the door, laid back and began to float. After a few minutes, I could see white flickering dots appear in my mind’s eye. As I began to relax, pictures and images appeared as if I was watching a movie. These were my thoughts passing by, coming and going, some in color, some in black and white. I did not attempt to interrupt the flow and just allowed anything to enter my mind. While doing this I had flashbacks from various times in my life, some going back to my earliest childhood memories and beyond.

During the 80s and early 90s I spent countless hours in the samadhi tank. At this point, I was able to immediately put myself into deep states of meditation in which all physical sensations completely disappeared. I felt like a naked astronaut floating in infinite space. It felt like being pulled into a magnetic field and into a hole filled with light. The experience was immensely blissful and, in fact, became quite addictive. I wanted to repeat the practice as often as possible because when I first dissolved into this light, all sense of boundaries and time seemed to disappear and a peace and white light and bliss filled my entire body. It felt as if my muscles and bones were disintegrating from the internal massage of the white light, and the sound of my breath was all that remained. It felt as if I was in my mother’s womb again, and then this disappeared as well.

Sensory Deprivation Tank

Once, I suddenly realized that I had been in the tank for six hours. I cracked open the door to the tank and that light that flooded in was nearly blinding. I looked around my art studio (where the tank was situated) and was struck by the vibrancy and intensity of the colors of my paintings and artworks. Everything appeared to be energized with life. Even the sounds of my footsteps seemed louder than usual. It was like walking out of a movie theater after a matinee on a bright summer’s day, although magnified a hundred times over. Getting acquainted with gravity after floating for so many hours in silence and pitch-black darkness can be disorienting.

Afterwards, I began to think about the similarities between the womb and the tomb; about how, in some ways, birth and death are the entrance points to rebirth and transformation. In reality, they are one and the same; it’s just a matter of perspective.

At times, it felt as if my skin and the usual sense of me were being stripped away. At first this was beautiful, but then it shifted. It left me feeling very vulnerable and unsettled because my defenses were gone. At the same time I became much more uninhibited and felt a cold detached depersonalization that led to some confusion.

The aftereffects of the sensory deprivation experiments left me in a rather unpleasant state in which remnants of my unconscious shadow began to the surface. It was as if the shadow self had been amplified in some horrible way and all of the contents of the unconscious were being thrown at me at once. Everything felt absolutely futile and meaningless. I would look out at the world and it all felt empty, cold, and useless; quite a contrast to the beautiful high I had felt while in the tank. All roads seemed to lead to either nowhere or to an abyss of some kind. Inside the tank had been blissful and at times absolutely amazing and beyond words, but that blissful state would inevitably change after a few days once I am back in my dismal day-to-day reality of the time.

The polarities could be shocking and quite extreme. Once while in the sensory deprivation tank, I went into a black vortex that opened up into light, and it felt as if I were being pulled and absorbed into it. I disappeared for several hours. When I came out, it felt as if my flesh had been ripped off and my mind left completely exposed. I felt more like an apparition, like an ethereal form of energy with no physical body. There was a disconnect that lasted a week or so. I one day remember walking around Soho in Manhattan and feeling like I was already dead, as if I were outside myself, watching myself walk down the street. I felt very detached, like watching a character in a film. It was one of the strangest feelings I can ever remember, because I felt like I was looking in from the outside. I remember experiencing that everything was connected; however, a subconscious internal conflict remained that would not allow the integration. 

This is one reason I wouldn’t recommend sensory deprivation for more than an hour at a time, unless you are an experienced meditator or you have the guidance of a teacher.

Wishing All Our Readers
Seasons Greetings and
Best Wishes For a Happy And Prosperous
New Year

Relishing The Experiencing Of The World Moment By Moment

Relishing The Experiencing Of The World Moment By Moment

By Mario Burgos

[Mario Burgos is a young man of thirty but speaks with the wisdom of a sage. Though he did not have a background of any specific system of spirituality, he has been pursuing Self-inquiry by exploring the nature of senses and perception, using Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). He currently holds a job in the Investments sector. I am grateful to Mario for kindly sharing his experiences and findings from NLP at this Blog.

Mario lives with his wife Lourdes Davila in Punta del Este, Uruguay, and will be happy to answer any questions.  He can be reached at: e-mail – mburgos.uy@gmail.com -- ramesam

In Spanish: Mario Burgos es un joven de 30 años, pero que habla con la sabiduría de un sabio. Aunque no proviene del ámbito espiritual, ha estado trabajando en el auto-conocimiento, explorando la naturaleza de los sentidos y el proceso perceptivo, usando herramientas de Programación Neuro Lingüística. Actualmente, Mario vive con su esposa en Punta del Este – Uruguay, dónde trabaja en el sector de inversiones. Estoy muy agradecido por su gentileza en compartir su experiencia en este Blog. 

Mario estará encantado en responder preguntas, para lo cual puede ser contactado en el siguiente e-mail: mburgos.uy@gmail.com]

Relishing The Experiencing Of The World Moment By Moment

By Mario Burgos

I am not a teacher. I keep asking questions and perceive life in a different but simple way. I am not pretending to be nothing and nor I am trying to convince anyone about anything. My native language is Spanish and I apologize if what I express here is not adequately clear.

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is the study of the structure of subjective experience, of how we think and experience the world, with a special emphasis on the process of perception through senses.  NLP considers the human individual as a whole body-mind system and it has applications in many areas, as a tool

Punta del Este

for changing patterns of behavior.  However,  I consider that the real value of NLP is not in changing patterns. Trying to change the patterns could in fact be a distraction.  Instead, I suggest that we can submerge in a deep exploration of the limitless subjective experience without trying to change anything, because the exploration itself is the most interesting and fascinating action of self-discovery. Unexpected changes do come about effortlessly just as an effect of intense perception.

At the moment, Laura Martinez, who has been my teacher of NLP, and myself are investigating about the nature of subjective experience, in order to develop a deep and interesting approach to open our perception and explore the subjective experience without any method, beliefs or content.

Smelling the “Second by Second” Field:

I see that Energy is active here, and that is the “Field of Existence.”  I´m not speaking about theoretical concepts. But it is about the activity that goes on second by second.  Each second, the energy is renewing, emerging totally new, being born afresh.  Everything is changing each moment. The chair seems to be static but is constantly shaking, vibrating. Matter is being created in this moment, in this very second, and also in the next second, now, here, there, always .  The energy I’m referring to, is not separate from you. It includes your body, your mental activity. Every moment, life is appearing.  An extraordinary energy is flowing from the inside of all atoms.

If we consider the statement that “The absolute existence is acting in all time and space” to be true, it would obviously mean that it has to be happening also at THIS VERY SECOND HERE. 

The above understanding has tremendous implications. It is not an idea as a thought in the mind. It is also not being poetic and writing beautiful sentences. I literally mean that every second the reality is being created totally anew. All the energy of the whole existence is acting right now with tremendous speed and intensity, generating and regenerating again and again, always anew. It is present as the energy of the Existence.  This sounds to our mind like science fiction, maybe lyrical, idealistic. We deny this radical worldview.

But we can “smell” this field, we can taste it and feel that something is happening here.  The Great Mystery of Life is here. What is the source of this extraordinary movement of life that is always emerging from nowhere? What is this “nowhere field”? The dynamic process of life didn´t appear some day in the past and then kept moving. It is a movement emerging every second, and before any second.  All the atoms in your body, earth and universe are being born afresh and anew. You can feel this energy flowing.

What is the actual implication of saying that in each second, and in every second, in the moment you are reading this article,  “the reality” is appearing and disappearing ?

We can´t change anything in this immediate second. It´s not possible, there´s no time to conceive, to formulate a thought. As ‘whatever is’ makes its appearance, there´s no space for an outside thought in this field. After all, a thought needs time to develop, and therefore will be separated from this moment. It can´t be fresh and alive in the current field of existence.  Besides, if you are suffering or feeling unhappiness in this second, it´s not a problem, the very next second all the existence is regenerated, new and alive. Always afresh.  Infinite energy is available again, and again.

The only Action that is possible in this second is “the immediate seeing”. And that seeing is always happening, some part of you is seeing, even when you dream, in the presence of the dream, there is seeing. Can you remember a moment in your life when seeing did not happen? And you can also look in Nature. Look at a spider, if you try to reach the spider, it will be very sensitive, alert and it will move. Plants and flowers are also alert, they look for the light.  All Nature is Seeing, Sensitive, Alert. So the art of immediate seeing in the second by second field, it´s not a new ability you have to learn, it´s already there. Can you just let the seeing happen without you interfering? 

Forget  the “Now Philosophy Concept”

When I first started to notice this, I felt very light and free. I was not carrying weight in the “second by second field”. I was calm enthusiastic, and talked about this with some close friends. They were all “understanding” what I was saying and told me “Yes, I Understand. This is Living in the Now like Eckhart Tolle and New Age philosophy”.  But I am not making an intellectual inquiry. I am not stirring up any emotional surge. I am plainly looking into the Existence Field.  When you see this, you feel it in your guts, it´s an obvious revelation.

Forget the “Now Concept”. It has been repeated so much, that even when I write these lines, it feels loaded and boring.

Like experiencing Sex - it´s not watching a movie or reading about it. Sex can´t be the concept of sex. Sex is lived in the existence field. When you feel hungry, you know it on the existential field, and eat. It´s not a strange and unknown field, it´s obvious!

The gap in everyday life

I have been living this experiencing particularly since a few weeks.  I am too clouded yet by the ME. But when I look in retrospective, it seems that a few months ago, I used to feel heavy and tense and my living was mechanical as if on “automatic pilot”.   

It´s very clear that some months ago, the days used to start and end with nothing happening in-between. Time flies away quickly living on automatic pilot.

Now, I am Present here, peaceful, enthusiastic, a lot happens every day and I know that the sun will keep shining, always new, second by second.

(In Spanish) 

Saboreando la experiencia, momento a momento

Programación Neuro Lingüística (PNL), es el estudio de la estructura de la experiencia subjetiva, cómo pensamos y experimentamos el mundo, con especial énfasis en el proceso de la percepción a través de los sentidos. PNL considera al individuo como una totalidad (Sistema Mente – Cuerpo) y tiene aplicaciones en áreas muy diversas como herramienta para cambiar patrones de comportamiento. Sin embargo, considero que el verdadero valor de PNL no radica en cambiar patrones, sino en facilitar una profunda exploración de la experiencia, sin contenidos.  De esta manera, los cambios suceden sin intención ni esfuerzo, como consecuencia de un profundo cambio perceptivo.

Actualmente, junto a  la Psi. Laura Martínez, estamos desarrollando una profunda y fascinante investigación acerca de la naturaleza de la experiencia subjetiva,  que facilita la apertura de la percepción  a través de un enfoque muy fresco, basado en la exploración empírica, sin contenidos.

Percibiendo El Campo del Segundo

La realidad puede parecer estática, pero está vibrando, sacudiéndose, segundo a segundo. Cada momento, cada segundo, todo está cambiando. La energía se renueva, las células del cuerpo se renuevan.  Todos los segundos,  interactuamos con una enorme corriente de “energía-información”, una corriente imparable de millones de estímulos que llega a nuestro cerebro a través de los sentidos.  La materia no es estática, tiembla. El cerebro, es un verbo, no para de procesar. Cada momento, la vida aparece. Una energía extraordinaria emerge desde el interior de todos los átomos.

Si consideramos verdadera la afirmación de que “La existencia absoluta, está presente en todo espacio y en todo tiempo”, obviamente implica que en este mismo segundo y en todos los segundos, por más simples que puedan parecer,  hay una enorme energía manifestándose.

No parece sencillo entender racionalmente este inmenso proceso energético, perceptivo, pero podemos olerlo, saborearlo,  experimentarlo. El gran misterio de la existencia, está presente en este segundo, es “ESTO”. 

¿Cuál es la fuente de este extraordinario movimiento que llamamos VIDA? ¿Cuál es la fuente de este proceso imparable que emerge, emerge y emerge cada segundo,  por siempre y desde siempre? ¿Alguna vez se ha detenido? ¿Puede detenerse?   La vida no apareció un día hace millones de años y luego siguió moviéndose, sino que emerge cada segundo, ahora mismo. La  vida nace, nace y nace, cada segundo, cada nano-segundo.  Es un movimiento emergente.  La física nos dice que todos los átomos de nuestro cuerpo, del planeta, no son los mismos que hace un momento atrás.  Todo es nuevo. Toda la energía de la existencia está disponible.

No podemos cambiar nada por nuestra voluntad en este segundo inmediato.  No hay tiempo para formular un pensamiento. No es posible formular nada en un segundo. No hay espacio para los problemas en el campo del segundo, y si los hay, sabemos que el próximo segundo, inmediatamente, toda la energía de la existencia estará disponible nuevamente. Todo ha cambiado, todos los átomos, el mundo será diferente.  Sin embargo, los hábitos mentales parecieran extenderse en el tiempo. Esto es parte de nuestra ignorancia. Incluso podemos llegar a percibir que si muriéramos hoy,  nuestros problemas seguirán existiendo.  ¿No es esto ilógico? ¿No será parte de un error en el procesamiento de datos?

La única acción posible

La única acción que es posible realizar en el campo del segundo, es la “percepción inmediata”.  La mirada inmediata.  Y esa percepción, ese darse cuenta de lo que está sucediendo, siempre está presente. Incluso cuando soñamos, en el presente del sueño, no dejamos de percibir. Algo está viendo, escuchando, sintiendo.  ¿Puedes recordar un momento de tu vida en el que no hubiera percepción? ¿Dónde está esa parte que percibe?  Y si observamos la naturaleza,  podemos notar que si nos acercamos a un insecto, una araña, esta responde inmediatamente, nos está midiendo, hay gran sensibilidad. Y las plantas, están alerta, crecen buscando la luz. Toda la naturaleza está alerta, es muy sensible, pura percepción inmediata.

El arte de la observación, de la percepción inmediata, no es algo que tengamos que aprender,  sino que ya está sucediendo “a pesar” de nosotros, a pesar de todo “el contenido” con el cual nos distraemos, nos deslumbramos.  No hay que hacer un esfuerzo para desarrollar el arte de la observación inmediata, sino todo lo contrario, porque todo esfuerzo entorpece, nos aleja del campo del segundo. La observación inmediata emerge, cuando nosotros no interferimos. Ya está sucediendo, siempre.

Olvidemos  los conceptos “New Age”

Cuando esta percepción, comenzó a ser evidente, me sentí muy libre de todo peso. Ya no tenía sentido cargar tanto peso en el “Campo del Segundo”.  Sentí un gran entusiasmo, no exaltado,  muy sereno, y hablé con algunos amigos cercanos sobre ello. Muchos me dijeron “Claro, esto que experimentas es  “el aquí y el ahora”, como del que habla Eckhart Tolle y la filosofía new age en general”. Pero aunque respeto a Tolle, reconozco que “el campo del segundo”, no es un concepto, no se puede comprender intelectualmente, no hay concepto correcto o incorrecto, sino que solamente se puede acceder a él a través de la experiencia. A través de la percepción inmediata. La información que surge allí, no es conocimiento, sino Reconocimiento. No hay lugar para la duda, lo que allí reconocemos, es pura certeza.

The Wisdom Tree - A Film On Non-Duality

The Wisdom Tree - A Film On Non-Duality

The Wisdom Tree is an intriguing and inspiring lyrical poem expressed in a film medium and executed with a neat breath-taking finesse. It depicts the mind-blowing modern day advances in Science, Art and Philosophy, that are not only erasing the rigid walls of separation amongst them as distinct fields but also pointing out to a compelling convergence of these diverse strands with the ancient Indian and Eastern mystic thought processes which highlight the Oneness of All things.

The young Director, Sunil Shah, succeeds in projecting the Non-dual message in a very convincing and captivating manner through a story woven around the lives of three ordinary people – a scientist, a medico, and an FBI agent – and the travails they had to face in a world of jealousy, competition and criminality, a mindless rat-race that is at once gripping and also exasperating. Adding spice to the story in a cinematic way is the determined investigation by the dedicated trio into a mysterious car accident and a potential danger to the human species itself. The picture is supported by a melodious musical score, striking visual effects and competent technical values.

The 2 hours and 12 minute drama is the result of over five years of research and study by Sunil Shah in writing the story and a further three years in the making of the film. And most befittingly, the movie is being premiered on 25 Oct 2013 during the Science and Non-Duality (SAND) Conference this month in San Jose, California, USA.

Sunil was born and brought up in Mumbai, the most cosmopolitan city of India. He is a Computer Software expert by training with about a couple of decades of working experience in corporate America and has a few patents in computer algorithms to his credit. He, thus, combines within himself the Indian tradition and a knowledge of the Western technology. Yet he has a deep interest in various art forms and the Eastern Mysticism. His passion in making this film is his zeal to communicate the philosophical implications and the mystic significance of the exciting advances in modern science (Quantum Physics, Neuroscience, Math etc.) to the public at large. And one can undoubtedly say that the outcome is a thrilling and deeply thought-provoking experience to all, the technical-literati as well as the lay individual.

Sunil and his wife Renu Vohra (one of the Producers of the film) live near San Francisco, California, USA. He can be reached at: sunil at thewisdomtreefilm dot com

A 4:26 min Trailer of the Film can be seen at: The Wisdom Tree Film - Trailer 

The Story in Brief:

For several years, Steve Hamilton, a self-conflicted quantum physicist has struggled to uphold and prove a ground breaking theory that had ended his mother's career when she proposed it years ago! Now, Steve's research too is in jeopardy when a mysterious car accident leaves him in the throes of death! A chain of events brings Steve together with compassionate but unwavering neuroscientist Dr. Trisha Rao and anguished FBI Agent Mike Parker, as they all get drawn in to an intensifying mystery. However, not in their wildest dreams could they have foreseen what lay ahead!

Before long they're engulfed in clues snowballing from science, art, music, mysticism; and oddly, through a bizarre set of coincidences, from their own past, present, and even future! As they struggle to interpret a multitude of hard-to-comprehend events, every answer evokes a set of new questions. Caught in the maze, the tranquil Trisha not only steers them through a longwinded ever-deepening mystery, but also helps Steve and Mike overcome their deep-rooted fears and guilt. However, this transformative spiritual journey also brings about a realization that the incident with Steve was merely the tip of an iceberg — the more worrisome, imminent danger lay in that the people of this planet are imperiled! In this story of personal redemption, if they can unravel the enigma, not only may they guide — and, thus save — the human race, but they may also chance upon the most profound and far-reaching discoveries ever!

About The Film:

This slow-paced, contemplative sci-fi, in a New Age mystery, is a journey spanning intriguing artworks attuned to ethereal music. A haunting background score, coupled with carefully sketched cinematography and subtle sound design, add novel dimensions. The film heavily relies on — and attempts to bind — theories and doctrines, as well as hypotheses, from science and math, music, art, philosophy, mysticism, spirituality and intra-disciplinary possibilities, to create an engaging whole.

(Yogavasishta compares the reality of the visible world to 
an external wall painting that is washed away by repeated rains)

The World is a Dream in The NOW

The World is a Dream in The NOW

By Fred Campbell

[Fred’s like any ‘guy-next-door.’  But his friendly and unassuming simplicity hides a wisdom that is the ardent pursuit for many a seeker.  He has a remarkable story to share.  I was fortunate to get to know him at a Non-duality group which meets every Sunday at a private home in Bellevue, WA, USA.

Even as a young man, Fred was deeply philosophical. Hardly did he cross his twenties, when some strange “experiences” gripped him and changed his worldview. Though he studied architecture and finance at the University of Washington, he discovered that his heart was not in either of these urban-oriented vocations.  He was drawn to living close to nature and working for the betterment of humanity. So he chose a line of work that facilitated his spiritual quest in finding a meaning to his uncommon “experiences.” He was very hesitant to start with, but has finally consented to recount at this Blog his Non-dual experiences (if we can call them to be “experiences”) that can’t be, as he says, really captured in words. I am grateful to him for this lovely and affectionate gesture.

Fred lives with his wife in Seattle, WA, USA. He can be contacted by e-mail at wxdir@yahoo.com – ramesam.]

The World is a Dream in The NOW

By Fred Campbell

"It is not true that Infinity will be Infinite only when would-be finite experience fades away. There is only the Infinite Being I Am -- and where I Infinitely Am, there is no finite experience to fade away. To assume matter must be laid off or risen above, would be to start with matter, not the Awareness I Am. The Pure Awareness I Am can't lay off materiality, for I have none, Now – Peter Dziuban

First, the background in brief:  I felt disenchanted with the pedantic character of the Educational system soon after my graduation. Deeply attracted by the natural elements, I moved to the rural woods for several years. I lived a simple "back to the earth" life in the 70's, with my focus on becoming increasingly self reliant.  I actively participated in those days in numerous counter cultural activities – anti-war, civil rights, gender equality and environmental awareness. After spending life in this way for many years, I entered the traditional working world, accepting a job with an agency that promoted housing for disadvantaged people. I worked in this field for over three and half decades.  Much of my effort was focused during this time on providing and preserving affordable housing, with an emphasis on energy efficiency and promoting research into alternative energy systems and housing/health issues.

My philosophical and spiritual quest kept pace all through my educational and professional career. Beginning in the 70's, I explored a variety of so called new age modalities, including progressive psychology approaches and Eastern spirituality that had become relatively new to the West.  In the 80's and 90's, I spent time with a local group and various retreats around the teachings of J. Krishnamurti.  Those groups were focused on a dialogue approach. My interest in the increasing confluence of science and spirituality led me to helping start a local Institute for Noetic Sciences (IONS) group. Over time, I studied a great number of Non-dual teachings, including those of Eckhart Tolle, Wei Wu Wei, Jean Klein, Rupert Spira, and others.

When I was 21, a strange sense came over me. While preparing for dinner with my family, long before I had any exposure to any spiritual teachings, somehow it struck me that all experience is in this ‘moment,’ not a moment in time but the only moment ... “NOW.”

It seemed that experience is very much like a dream, where the dreamer finds activities and objects within the dream to be very real. A whole believable history spontaneously presents itself. Something appears to come out of nothing. Even so called "memory" appears in the now, providing meaning-making interpretation of what appears to be happening now. In the sleeping dream, there is a very real sense of being chased by the tiger, even though the apparent reality of the dream proves to be nonsense when awake.

Similarly, it seemed to me this waking state, with its apparent history and meaning, may only be spontaneous appearance manifesting as a dream.

I described this sense to a few people, some of whom looked at me as if I were crazy. Years later, when attending Krishnamurti dialogue groups in Seattle and California, I again described this sense. And again, even among folks interested in so called Non-dual teachings, it clearly did not resonate. For over 30 years, I had never met anyone who found this experience or sense to be valid or even interesting.

Ten years ago I met a long-time teacher of the Course in Miracles at a silent retreat put on by a couple of local Non-dual teachers. When we were able to break our silence, I described to her this sense. To my surprise she told me the Course describes reality in a similar way. Later I learned this sense I had decades earlier was consistent with some advaita teachings.

This odd sense of reality continues to show up to date. When it does, it seems clear this moment, the only moment, is in fact the so-called "big bang" of the original universe. A whole universe of apparent objects, space and time presents itself together with meaning-making conceptual notions, including the sense of "me" ever fresh and new. It's as if arising within the ever present timeless now, holographic-like experiencing takes place, bringing an impression of time and space dimensions. Even that's not quite right because in timeless presence there is nothing that "takes place". It's simply here/now.

Memory, embedded in this presence and not of the "past", is no more "real" than all the believable "causes" that apparently led that tiger to chase me in the sleeping dream.  

If in fact all appears here/now, how could there be birth or death? After all, they’re both events in time. How could there be change or, for that matter, any experiencing where there’s something experienced? This doesn’t suggest there is nothing real about our claimed experience; just that its reality is not what we typically believe. It suggests that our perceived experience appears within the timeless presence of NOW and, therefore, has no independent objectivity. The dream is conceptual meaning (thought) apparently expanding the ever present now to encompass a universe of time and objects.

So, does any of this have any significance regarding day-to-day living? Or is it just so much conceptual gibberish?

Seems to me it is simply intellectual conjecture if limited to considerations of the mind. It may, however, touch on something beyond mind. It may give pause to habitual identification with that to which mind brings meaning. In the midst of seemingly very palpable experiences, there may be a concurrent sensing or knowing of the timeless essence in which this apparent time-bound experiencer and its experiences appear.

Some may dispute whether the experience I've described is in fact consistent with the essence of Non-duality. No matter, for, the point for me is simple. This sense of reality noted here, together with deepening understanding of Non-duality, brings home a distinct sense that this life, this apparent reality (as described by the mind), is not at all as it appears to be. It seems increasingly clear that, as Rupert Spira points out so well, the substance of our experience, this knowing or aware-ing, is not only the ONE reality but also the only "thing" experienced. And it all appears here/now ... neither in time nor space.