Enlightenment - A direct, succinct account of what occurs...

[Shadowman]

Posted by Merkaba360 (here)
" Rumi does provide a clue, The Self is the I that is left once all illusory attachments/identifications have been given up, the brain/mind/thoughts/ clothes/body etc. That I, unlike the thinking I/ego, is not a mental construct, it is entirely beyond the mind."

Here again. This isn't much of a clue. lol We've heard these things a 1000 times, but why should anybody care about chasing something so vague. Don't get me wrong, im pulled toward it as all of us are. But seriously, I swear that I need to be enlightened just so somebody can finally explain this better. Of course, its beyond words, but surely much more can be said to give a better idea.

Its BEYOND EVERYTHING. So, why would one want to turn off this holographic light show illusion and hang out in this mysterious reality? IS there anything to do? lol Is it beyond feeling? Is there any kind of transmission or communication of some kind? Or does the REAL reality suck without its opposite projected illusion. Are both needed? arent they essentially the same thing? That is the state of God? If enlightened beings are in the REAL world with "God", they sure dont seem very omniscient from earths point of view. Why cant enlightened beings connect to that pool of omniscience and download any answer.

I realize some of these questions probably are just distortions, but where do i find more on this ever elusive Real world im missing out on. lol

Hi Merkaba,

Try the links in the opening post, or the books recommended, to gain insight on the nature of Absolute Awareness. It has nothing to do with a world, an idea, or any form whatsoever.

When you are ready, choose a spiritual practice. Better to be IT, rather than to attempt to perceive IT or understand IT, neither of which are possible anyway.

Most of your questions have already been answered in one way or another in this thread to others.

It isn't about gaining knowledge of the Self, or whatever term you prefer, it's about dis-identifying with appearances/illusions, the most persuasive of which is the "I" that is seeking answers relative to it's "needs" .

In truth, you already are IT. And IT is beyond space, time, form and conception. Just don't try to "get there" with the mind. The closest that dualistic language can come to explaining IT has already been stated

as "God is Love". But using words is like trying to show someone the ocean, one thimble full at a time, they'll be dead long before they "see" the ocean.

https://encyclopediaofbuddhism.org/w...poisoned_arrow

Explore the metaphors contained in the thread, but if you really want direct spiritual awakening - practice!


In Lak'ech
SM

[O Donna]

Posted by Shadowman (here)
It isn't about gaining knowledge of the Self, or whatever term you prefer, it's about dis-identifying with appearances/illusions, the most persuasive of which is the "I" that is seeking answers relative to it's "needs" .

Point to 'I', a stretch

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks”
- Hamlet

Perseverance is persistent insistence.
- Manuela George-Izunwa

In a sense, I am a metaphor

Meta-four

Four: in ancient symbolism:

It represents stability, the body, and the illusion of time – the 4th dimension.

[greybeard]

I come here for the first post of Tim from time to time.
The Truth coming from Nasargadatta --Ramana and others is identical.
David Carse Is my current listening daily.
Many thanks to Tim who is the flute that the Divine music/Truth flows through

Chris

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=aR_C2NNB-wI

[guenonsbitch]

Posted by Godiam (here)

Nothing Real Can Be Threatened,
Nothing Unreal Exists!
Therein Lies The Peace Of GOD!!

From A Course In Miracles!

HUGS...........Godiam

I haven’t been on Project Avalon in a few months, as I have a 7 month old baby who takes lots of time. BUT I started A Course in Miracles a month ago and it’s helped me make sense of my unity consciousness experience I had two years ago. I came to the forum to see what PA members say about the Course, but I can never figure out how to use the search here, so I just clicked on spirituality, clicked this thread, and of course the first reply mentions the Course!! The syncs have been out of control this last month. Can’t wait to shed this ego fully and return to source with all of creation ❤️

[greybeard]

To "my" mind, this is one of the most important threads in Avalon.
What more can be said?
Chris

[Shadowman]

Hi all. Here is a cool magic trick;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIZyMvRnwhA

The ego (fake I/eye) produces an illusion much more powerful than the one above.

It creates a duality which includes both "you" and the "world". Both of which are a magic trick/Maya.

The fall from grace/paradise/Eden/Absolute Awareness metaphorically occurred when Adam and Eve
ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (ie thereby identifying with relative awareness) or the mind
(Sanskrit Manas - that which measures and compares). Then the ego, which is actually an object, masquerades
as the subject so that I am body/mind APPEARS to obscure/usurp the Absolute I AM

Not to worry - there is a solution for the delusion - simply awaken from the dream/hypnotic state.

Ironically in light of the above effect, where you had to outwardly watch the eye constantly to produce the illusion - to awaken
from the dream you simply consistently turn your attention inwardly to the inner "I" or I AM/Absolute Awareness to realize the Truth
of who you are. What have you got to lose by trying?...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXi38hV9zvQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFz_2eeTkVU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOEF1aOCLaE


So who are you really? Can you say it? What "See's" all, but cannot be seen;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kkMDsUFkcA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o72zAklatXc


If not listen to Wu Hsin or Ramana. They have a few clues...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odcY...QSjObm&index=3

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...wXK9S077EA7TnE

And if you still remain a sinner (From the original Greek for sin "Hamartia" - to miss the point ie that no-one notices), there is always
great music to make the dream tolerable...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUScBNNVjkc

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/L68INFdHIUs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn8F_u0vBNI

maybe i
lost my mind
no one noticed
no one noticed


But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

[Shadowman]

For those who like their whiskey straight, pure spirit, no mixers (or rituals, postures, fees or mumbo jumbo )...

ASHTAVAKRA: THE PUREST EXPRESSION OF TRUTH

"Ashtavakra says it can happen right now. There is no need to delay even a single moment. There
is no reason to leave it for tomorrow, no need to postpone it. This happening does not occur in the
future, it happens now or never. When it happens it happens right now, because there is no time
except now. Where is the future? When it comes, it comes as now.

So those who have become enlightened, have become enlightened in the now. Do not leave it for
some other time – that is the cunning of the mind. The mind argues: ”How can it happen so fast?
Get ready first.”

People come to meet me and they say, ”We will take sannyas. We’ll take it some day.” Some day!
They will never take it. If it is put off, it is put off forever. ”Some day” never comes. If you are going
to take it, take it now. There is no other time than now. Life is now, liberation is now. Ignorance is
now, knowing is now. Sleep is now, awakening can happen now. Why some day?

It is difficult for the mind, the mind says, you will have to make preparations. The mind argues, ”How
can anything happen without preparations? When a person wants a certificate from the university, it
takes years. For a doctorate it takes twenty to twenty-five years. Working year after year finally one
attains his doctorate. How can it happen right now?”

Ashtavakra knows this. If you want to have a store, you can’t open it right now. You will have to
collect everything, arrange things, bring the goods, construct the store, attract customers, send out
advertising – it will take years! In this world nothing happens right now. It happens in orderly steps,
and this is good. Ashtavakra knows this, I know it too. But there is one phenomenon in this world
which takes place right now. It is godliness. Godliness is not your shop, nor your examination hall,
not your university. Godliness does not happen in steps, it has already happened. It is merely a
question of opening your eyes. The sun has already emerged. The sun is not waiting for your eyes,
saying that until your eyes open he won’t come out. The sun is already out. Light is spread all
over. His music is resounding day and night. The sound of ”AUM” is vibrating in all directions. The
unstruck music is echoing everywhere. Open your ears! Open your eyes!

How much time does it take to open your eyes? It takes even less time to attain godliness. It takes
a moment for the eyelid to blink. The Hindi word for moment means the time it takes to blink an eye.
But it does not take even that much time to attain godliness.

”... you are the witness of the whole universe. Know this and be happy.” Be happy right now.
Ashtavakra’s religion is not by installments. It is cash in hand, hard cash.
”Oh expansive one, religion and atheism, happiness and misery, all are of the mind, they are not for
you. You are not the doer nor the enjoyer. You have always been liberated.”
Enlightenment is our inherent nature. Wisdom is our inner nature. Godliness is our way of being. It
is our center. It is the fragrance of our life, our being.

Ashtavakra says, ”Oh expansive one, oh bringer of joy, oh luxurious magnificence, religion and
atheism, happiness and misery, all are of the mind. These are all waves of thought.” You have done
evil or good, committed sin or done good deeds, built a temple or given alms – all this is of the mind.

”You are not the doer nor the enjoyer. You have always been liberated.”
You are eternally free, you have always been free.
Liberation is not a happening which we have to work for.
Liberation has already happened in our being.

The whole existence is made of freedom. Every particle of it, every pore of it is made of liberation.
Freedom is the material from which the whole existence is produced. Freedom is its very nature.
This declaration – just understand it and the transformation takes place. There is nothing to do
except understand it. If it descends into you, if you listen with your whole mind, it is enough.
I would like to say ”Enough for today.” Make a total effort to understand Ashtavakra. In Ashtavakra
there is no place for doing. So don’t think some method which you can do is going to emerge.

Ashtavakra does not suggest anything to do. Listen in repose. Nothing is going to happen by doing.
So don’t bring a scratch pad or book to take notes in when a sutra comes. Don’t write it down to do
later. Doing doesn’t work here. Listen with no concern for the future. Just listen. Just sit quietly with
me and listen. Listen to me in relaxation. Just listening... listening, you can become enlightened.
This is why Mahavir said that a shravaka is a seeker who can be enlightened just by listening! A
shravaka means one who becomes liberated just by listening. A sadhu means one who cannot
become liberated by listening. He is a little less intelligent – he has to practice something. The
shadow of the whip is not enough for him. This horse belongs to a slightly lower class: the whip
cracks, then it moves a little. Or beat it and it moves a little.

The shadow is enough.
Listen – the shadow of the whip will become apparent.

With Ashtavakra one thing has to be remembered: There is nothing to do. You can listen joyfully. You
don’t have to extract anything from it to try out later. Whatever happens will happen from listening.
Right listening is the key.

”This very moment you will be happy, at peace and free of bondage.”

Be liberated right now. Be enlightened this very moment. Nobody is stopping you, nothing is
preventing you. There is no need to budge an inch. Be enlightened right where you are, because
you are free already. Awaken and be enlightened.

”Unattached and without form, you are the witness of the whole universe. Know this and be happy.”
Be happy. There is no need to wait a single moment. It is a leap, a quantum leap. With Ashtavakra
there are no steps. It is not a gradual evolution but sudden. It can happen this very moment."

- Osho p22 The Mahageeta


For Reading...

https://ia903105.us.archive.org/18/i...%20Vol%201.pdf

https://www.holybooks.com/wp-content...Gita-ebook.pdf


For Watching...

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4nikQanBSVw

For Listening...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXmZ...sqZ4CXZrW9XSH4

[Shadowman]

It is worth adding Sarvapriyananda's warning about The Ashtavakra Gita. Some hearing it may conclude that as they are already That (in the Absolute sense), nothing needs to be done (in the relative sense) other than continue in their egoic state and await the Grace of the Self to Awaken them. As was pointed out earlier in this thread to a Duck (or was she a Goose, lol?) as long as it appears or seems that you are a body/mind entity existing within a physical universe, you would be wise to continue your Spiritual Practice/Sadhana until the actual Absolute Truth is Self Evident and without the least trace of a doubt.


Swami Sarvapriyananda warns that the Ashtavakra Gita is an incredibly powerful and "dangerous" text that can be easily misunderstood by immature minds. While it contains the highest, direct, and most radical teachings of Advaita Vedanta (non-duality), it is intended for advanced seekers, not beginners. Key warnings and points made by Swami Sarvapriyananda include:

• Danger of Misinterpretation: Because the text asserts that the self is already free and that the world is non-existent, a beginner might mistakenly believe they can ignore moral, ethical, and spiritual discipline, leading to spiritual arrogance or "immeasurable harm".
• Not for Beginners: It is for those who are already prepared—those who have purified their minds and are mature enough to understand the "dangerous" truth that the ego is a myth.
• Misunderstanding "Already Free": The text insists that "you are already that" (free/enlightened), but premature application of this philosophy without spiritual practice (sadhana) can lead to a misunderstanding of one's actual state.
• The Power of the Truth: It is likened to a "sharp razor" or a powerful medicine, meant to destroy the ego completely, which is a process that requires maturity.
• Don't Rush into It: While it is a beautiful work on non-dual meditation, it should not be rushed into before establishing a solid spiritual foundation. 

He advises that, despite the radical non-duality taught in the Gita, one should never give up the structure of spiritual life or disregard the importance of discipline until true, abiding self-realization is achieved. 


Here is a link to one of his talk's on The Ashtavakra Gita where his warning starts around the 28 min mark;

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=_vUdsUMNnzE

and here is a humorous talk given by a controversial figure on the same subject worth watching (I nearly spat out my beer I laughed so hard ;-). The fun starts around the 7 min mark;

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=IHaRmaLrhGA

Adi Da Samraj wrote The Scapegoat Book, a brilliant free rendering of what may well be our planet’s most profound traditional spiritual text, the Ashtavakra Gita. Here is a link for those who may wish to delve further into that unpublished text and the games the ego plays to maintain it's stranglehold, especially when it's tyranny becomes threatened by a direct practice such as vichara;

https://dharmacafe.com/spiritual-her...e%20Ashtavakra

For those that would like a detailed explanation of vichara, here is a link to a free pdf download of Happiness and the Art of Being by Michael James which is an excellent resource. Chapter 10, The Practice of the Art of Being covers many important aspects of the practice, as well as addressing common misunderstandings;

https://www.sriramanateachings.org/H...t_of_Being.pdf