Showing posts with label Ken Wilber. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ken Wilber. Show all posts

Shared with my mother:

肯·威尔伯只描述了如何证悟“我是”和“一心”,但没有描述无我。不过,作为一个开始,这样参并证悟“我是”和非二元也是重要的。

Ken Wilber 新书chatgpt翻译:

15 醒悟

概述

首先,我想说说我们将要做的事情,这是接近醒悟基本过程的一种方式。我想你会发现这很有趣,因为我们将关注于两种最高的意识状态:第四状态(目睹者或纯觉性)和超越第四状态(终极非二元一味意识,或简单地说是如如)。我们还将探索伴随这两种状态的直接感受——换句话说,觉悟的感觉,或者觉悟状态的实际感觉是什么样的。

例如,通过目睹者,你已经从一个小的、有限的、被看到的自我(通常被称为自我)转变为一个广阔、无限、永在的目睹者,纯粹的见者(不是任何被见到的东西),纯粹的觉性本身(不是觉性的任何内容)——这以一种极端的自由或深刻的解脱和解放为标志。目睹者可以真实地报告:“我看见那座山,但我不是那座山。我有感觉,但我不是那些感觉。我有情感,但我不是那些情感。我有思想,但我不是那些思想。”目睹者不是任何可以被观察或看到的东西;它是纯粹的见者。它不是觉性的任何内容;它是觉性本身。因此,它完全自由于任何内容的束缚性质——它是“非此非彼”(neti neti),即“不是这个,不是那个”。当你去寻找这个真我(“我不是这个,我不是那个”)时,你不会通过看到某个东西找到它——如果你看到任何东西,那只是更多的对象,更多的内容,更多的东西。无论你看到什么都没关系;你只是没有与它认同。相反,你会开始感受到一种广阔的自由,从这一切中解脱出来,一种广阔的开放和空间,不是作为一个对象,而是作为一种氛围。作为所有对象的目睹者,它是完全自由于所有对象的——这被称为大解脱。大解脱本质上是自由于所有苦(dukkha),即所有痛苦,并且完全自由于持续存在的焦虑、抑郁和恐惧。它不再是生命的受害者;它是生命的目睹者,本质上是完全自由的。这种广阔的自由感是你可以在识别出你自己内在的真实目睹者时直接发现的,就在这一刻。

现在,这种无限自由的感觉有很多种;它是一种解脱的感觉,一种狂喜的释放的感觉,一种深刻的喜悦的感觉,一种深深的幸福感,许多传统用一个词来总结:喜乐(bliss)。所以目睹者存在于一种极端的自由中,其感觉就是喜乐。在梵文中,喜乐被称为“安那达”(ananda);而安那达是灵性的核心隐喻。几乎所有的传统都非常谨慎地区分“终极灵性”,关于它,按照那伽尔朱那(Nagarjuna)的说法,字面上没有什么可以准确描述的,和“有特质的灵性”,关于它可以在隐喻意义上说一些东西。终极灵性有时被称为“无质梵”(nirguna Brahman),其中“无质”意味着“完全不可描述的”。换句话说,它是一种真正的空性(空于所有的思想和所有的事物)。相比之下,“有质梵”(saguna Brahman)意味着“具有隐喻特质的灵性”,或者这些特质仅在隐喻意义上是真实的。我现在所说的一切关于灵性的内容,不用说,适用于“有质梵”。

你只能直接理解“无质梵”,如果你自己有直接的醒悟,我将在本节后面讨论。有质梵在印度传统中被定义为“存在-意识-喜乐”(satchitananda):存在(sat)意味着“存在”;意识(chit)意味着“觉性”;喜乐(ananda)意味着“喜乐”。存在-意识-喜乐:醒悟的隐喻核心。就像目睹者是永远存在的现实(它现在就完全存在,不管我们是否意识到),它的自由和喜乐同样是永远存在的,完全存在于此刻——不管我们是否认识到它们。因此,当我们做一些有助于我们认识到我们真实自我及其极端自由感的练习时,我们尤其会寻找这种永远存在的喜乐——毕竟,这种喜乐提醒我们我们真实自我的永远存在的临在,这是一种我们可以直接体验的东西,就在这里,就在现在。简单来说:目睹者的极端自由被感觉为喜乐——这就是我们将重点关注的主要内容之一。

随着我们继续探索这些最高的状态,我们将从第四状态(turiya)转向超越第四状态(turiyatita),据说这是最高和终极的意识状态。这第五种状态(之所以这样命名是因为它跟随第四状态之后)与其说是一个目睹者,不如说是一种纯粹的无分割临在或一味(One Taste)。在这里,我不再目睹山,我就是山。我不再看到星星,我就是星星。我不再看云,我就是云。我不再感觉大地,我就是大地。那种站在后面目睹世界的自我感溶解成与整个世界的纯粹合一——我就是那。这种状态中仍然有一种自由的感觉,但更多的是一种充盈感。没有什么东西在外面或与我分离。只有我,但这不是一个“我”,这只是此——这一刻的如如,如如,就是这样,没有内在和外在,没有过去和未来,只有此。自由总是从某些东西中解脱出来的感觉(即使是做某事的自由也取决于从任何束缚中的解脱)。对于目睹者来说,它的极端自由是一种从整个显现界解脱出来的自由,从所有轮回中解脱出来的快乐自由,从所有的痛苦、焦虑、抑郁、折磨和恐惧中解脱出来的自由。它从这些中解脱出来,因为它不是这些——它是“非此非彼”,“不是这个,不是那个”。但一味的充盈不是与所有显现分离的——相反,它与所有显现根本上是一体的(因此,一味——或纯粹的非二元)。这是一种自由,但这是一种来自于与一切完全合一的自由。

因为一味与所有正在显现的东西是一体的——一种终极的合一意识——没有什么在它之外可以限制它、威胁它、伤害它或折磨它。一味的感觉来自于这种超丰盈的充盈感。所以,这种极端充盈的感觉不仅仅是喜乐,而是一种爱(Love)。(当然,在终极状态中,二者都是存在的。)爱本身就是与某物合一的感觉,这种合一的辐射温暖就是我们所说的“爱”。在这种情况下,它是一种无限和终极的爱,因为它与整个宇宙合一,一味与所有正在显现的东西。我实际上与整个宇宙——一种宇宙意识——非二元合一,完全融入这一刻的如如之中。我不体验这一刻;我就是这一刻的全部,在它所有的辐射爱中。

对这两种最高状态——纯粹的目睹者和一味——的认识同时也是对极端自由和深刻充盈的认识,这些直接被感觉为真正的喜乐和包容一切的爱。这种爱与喜乐(或充满喜乐的爱)是我们每一个时刻的实际质地,反映了我们的最深处和永远存在的本性。在本书的这一部分,我们将寻找纯粹的目睹者和非二元的一味及其极端自由和纯粹充盈,被感觉为持续的喜乐和包罗万象的爱。从这一章开始并延续到下一章(第16章),我将介绍这两种最高的意识状态(第四状态和超越第四状态),并给出一些指引,帮助你认识到它们在你内心的永远存在的临在。然后,在第17章,我将处理觉悟的感觉(喜乐和爱),并给出一些指引,帮助你认识到它们在你内心的永远存在的临在。作为我们醒悟之旅的最后部分,我们将探索一种性灵整合的密宗。密宗本身有很多内容,但最主要的是,它是一种利用性爱中自然产生的喜乐和爱的感觉作为通向终极灵性本身的路径的方法。我们已经看到,喜乐和爱是真正的灵性觉密宗本身有很多内容,但最主要的是,它是一种利用性爱中自然产生的喜乐和爱的感觉作为通向终极灵性本身的路径的方法。我们已经看到,喜乐和爱是真正的灵性觉醒的两种最根本的感受音调。密宗是一种直接利用性爱的有限、暂时的喜乐和爱,来记住、唤起和增强我们自己本真本性中永远存在的无限喜乐和爱。简而言之,性可以被用作醒悟的手段——每次你性爱时,你将直接沉浸在神圣灵性本身,面对你的最深和最真实的自我和如如。

在第18和19章关于整合性密宗中,我将介绍一些具体的练习和实践,来实现这一点——这很可能会改变你对性爱的看法。

### 醒悟的历史遗忘

醒悟无疑是现代世界所遗忘、忽视或完全否认的最深刻的整体性领域之一。它在很大程度上被现代性所否定。为什么会这样呢?我们已经看到,精神智慧(这是成长过程中的间接“描述性知识”)和精神体验(这是醒悟过程中的直接“熟悉性知识”)之间有一个重要的区别。特别是在西方,当人类从琥珀传统神话阶段成长为更具理性现代阶段(“理性时代”)时,前沿精英越来越对理性科学可以产生的那种知识印象深刻,同时他们也越来越倾向于反对仅仅是神话宗教的灾难性负面影响。事实上,现代欧洲(从1700年开始)刚刚经历了几十年的真正野蛮的宗教战争——“我的神比你的神好”——而现代性本身则认为“上帝已死”。(琥珀神话的神确实在作为任何前沿观点时已经死亡。)

随着橙色理性科学观的持续势头,宗教世界观中的大量神话教条逐渐失去地位。在这个过程中,一个世纪或两个世纪后,大多数前沿思想家都将他们的信任放在理性科学上,而不是神话宗教上。今天,现代西方的官方文化哲学仍然是科学唯物主义(我们在前一章中追溯了这种情况的历史兴起)。然而,当现代性完全抛弃宗教时,它完全混淆了成长过程中的精神智慧和醒悟过程中的精神体验。

在各种宗教系统中,这始终是一个棘手的区分。世界上大多数主要宗教的创始人本身经历了一定程度的深刻醒悟,但你不能说他们的追随者也是如此。特定宗教本身的主要目标通常被认为是与其创始人类似的一种意识状态,许多宗教实践旨在达到这些更高的状态。虽然有些人达到了这些更高的醒悟状态,但大多数人没有。然而,所有人,无一例外,都在成长过程中达到了某种阶段(主要是神话阶段),因此拥有某种程度的精神智慧。

在中世纪,最常见的精神智慧水平确实是琥珀神话,因此这是定义当时基督教各种信条(例如,尼西亚信经和使徒信经,其核心为琥珀神话字面和种族中心主义)的典型教条。基督教还包含了一些较少的数字,那些练习冥想或沉思或类似《不知之云》的东西,旨在达到真正的醒悟(通常是涅槃状态,这确实是一种非此非彼的否定性神秘主义)。这些人通常是僧侣,而在这些僧侣中,一小部分人实际上会有真正的醒悟。

对于大多数人口来说,他们的精神智慧是神话字面的。很少有人在当时理解精神智慧和精神体验之间的区别。一方面,成长阶段尚未被发现。另一方面,有真正醒悟的人口百分比相当少。结果是,总体上没有一致的界线划分精神在成长过程中的表现和在醒悟过程中的表现——对于未经训练的眼睛来说,它们都显得“宗教”。

大多数人所说的他们相信基督教神的方式都是某种神话字面的信仰。因此,当科学抛弃宗教时,它抛弃了所有宗教。它抛弃了琥珀神话的宗教,但也抛弃了任何醒悟的精神。上帝死了,完全死了。这就是为什么西方世界忘记了醒悟。所以我想复活醒悟,并强烈推荐给你。

### 目睹者与一味

人们经常难以区分,或至少记住,目睹觉性和一味觉性之间的区别。目睹觉性和一味觉性之间的区别仅在于你与万有之画的总体关系的不同。在前者(目睹者)中,你站在总体之外,简单地将其作为对象目睹,而目睹者本身(作为绝对主观性,纯见者或真实自我)完全自由于任何对象(非此非彼)。在后者(一味)中,你更进一步,将目睹者溶解到总体之画本身,因此消除了任何与正在显现的事物分离的感觉——纯粹的一味觉性。

对于这两者,总体之画是现在在你觉性中显现的所有事物和事件的总和——没有回避,没有否认,没有抗拒(无论你是目睹所有这些还是与所有这些合一)。所以在这两种情况下,最基本的第一步是实际上安住于你所能意识到的最全面的总性体验中。简单地体验你所经历的一切;什么都不回避。从安住在一个完全包容的目睹觉性中开始,体会万有之画的总体。这一总体包括此刻在你体验中显现的每一件事物和事件、感受和冲动、情感和欲望——万有之画(对于你而言的整个世界)。

一个有用的关键是注意到,在每种情况下,我们的正常或典型觉性都被一种根本性的回避驱动着,一种原始的恐惧,一种收缩。在每一刻,都有一些我们不想面对的东西——某个想法、思想、感知、冲动、感受、事物或事件。因此,我们转身、避开、走开——这种根本性的回避是人类所有痛苦的根源。它会引发一连串的反应,创造出一个又一个二元对立,一个又一个碎片化,一个又一个破裂——而破裂的同义词就是痛苦。

这种原始回避最常见的表现之一是一种模糊但非常明显的紧张感,一种自我收缩,一种体验中的紧绷感。这不是对所有体验的完全觉性,而是对其中某些部分的狭窄关注、聚焦、收缩。但请注意,即使有这种自我收缩的紧张感,你也可以觉察到它——觉察到这种自我收缩的觉性本身是自由的。你的觉性不与这种收缩认同;它是它的目睹者。在那纯粹的觉性中,一切都在轻松、完全、彻底地显现。那觉性可以包括自我收缩,如果它在这一刻连同一切其他事物一起显现,那么原始觉性自发地、轻松地、自然地觉察到这一切——鸟儿在歌唱,汽车在鸣笛,人们在聊天,云朵在飘过,所有这一切都在觉性本身的广阔、开放的清明中显现。

所以所有真正正念训练的关键,无论是目睹者还是一味,都是识别一种永远存在的、原始的目睹觉性,这种觉性不被回避所困,而是总是让一切事物(每一件事物、每一个事件和时刻)在觉性中显现并自发地展现自己。这个一切事物正是万有之画的总体。就像所有的画一样,当下所有的品质都是画的全部表现所必需的。我们需要高低起伏、光明和黑暗、山和谷、善和恶、快乐和痛苦、幸福和悲伤,才能让这些品质中的任何一个得以显现。如果我们消灭了所有的恶,只追求善,消灭了所有的痛苦,只追求快乐,消灭了所有的悲伤,只追求幸福,这将是一个只有起没有伏,只有进没有退,只有左没有右的世界。

当伟大的传统一致地说,觉悟是“超越对立的双边”时,他们指的是对立的双边——所有的对立。灵性不仅仅是善;它超越了善与恶。它不仅仅是快乐;它超越了快乐与痛苦。灵性也不仅仅是光明、喜乐、解脱、释放、救赎,或任何只有在其对立面下才能理解的概念(记住那伽尔朱那关于空性的观点)。灵性是基督教神秘主义者所说的对立统一体(coincidentia oppositorum),“对立的统一”或“对立的合一”。实现这一点并不是陷入只追求任何对立面的那一半,因为这会把宇宙撕裂成两半,让我们试图消灭其中的一半。(阿兰·沃茨写了一本非常精彩的书《神的两只手》,神总有一只左手和一只右手,它们总是一起存在,明白了吗?)

因此,目睹者和一味的第一步就是从安住在万有之画的总体中开始。关键是让镜像心(Mirror-Mind)觉性发挥作用,不要有任何收缩、回避、转移视线或转身——体验所有的体验;让所有的体验完全显现,就像它们现在这样,并让它们完全穿过你,没有任何收缩和否认。面对一切,什么也不回避。如果你发现自己回避某些东西或收缩,那也没关系——只需觉察到那种回避;让它自然地存在,并让它在觉性中显现,就像它本来那样。你不想否认任何东西,但如果你这样做了,那也没关系,只需觉察到那种否认。你不想转移视线,但如果你这样做了,那也没关系,也要觉察到那一点。你不会做错这件事的。而且你不会做错,因为你的觉性总有一部分已经在正确地做这件事了。因此,只需注意什么已经在你的觉性中显现,并注意这种觉性本身是一个全包容的镜像心:它自然而然、轻松地注意或目睹每一个时刻正在发生的事情。只需注意这种当下的觉性,这种纯粹的目睹,然后安住在那种状态中。

### 这种练习的两个步骤

第一步是目睹者和一味练习中相同的(即简单地目睹一切)。你可以通过看到——作为练习的第二步——你应该在总体之画的关系中采取什么样的关系来区分这两种练习。总体之画,再次强调,是在任何当前时刻显现的所有现象的总体——你当前体验的总体(包括现在显现的任何过去的想法和任何未来的想法——让它们按照自己的意愿显现)。

如果你试图通过毫不认同地目睹每一个显现的现象来完全觉知这一总体之画,那么那些现象将作为对象显现在目睹者面前,而目睹者本身将完全自由于所有的对象。你将成为一个真实的主体,绝对的主观性,这些对象都将在你“面前”显现。如果这是你正在做的,那么你正在进行一种“第四状态”(turiya)练习(目睹练习),使用镜像心觉性来完全目睹总体之画。

如果,另一方面,你更进一步,将目睹者溶解到总体之画的所有显现中,那么你不再目睹总体之画,而是成为总体之画。你不再站在后面目睹任何显现的事物,你与它完全合一——你就是它,你在一味中。这种觉悟成熟时,它代表了一种最终的觉悟,超越了一切二元对立,成为完全觉醒的非二元如如。你不再觉得自己是一个与一切事物不同的独立自我,而是实际感觉到自己与一切事物合一——一种宇宙意识。

一位禅师精彩地描述了这种状态:“当我听到钟声响起时,没有钟也没有我,只有钟声。”在大多数情况下,你仍然希望完全进入目睹者状态,然后再认识到一味,因为通过完全成为目睹者并与总体之画中的所有对象脱离认同——“我不是这个,不是那个”——你完全剥离了对任何显现中的任何事物或事件的任何执着、任何固着、任何认同。由于你与每一个事物脱离了认同——“我不是这个,不是那个”——你可以更容易地成为所有事物的合一——“我是这个,我是那个——我与绝对一切合一。”

如果你仍然对任何特定的事物或事件有隐藏的认同,这种先前的隐藏认同将阻止你与所有事物完全而平等的认同。你想从只认同一组特定的项目或项目组(包括你将其变成一个假装的主体,称之为你的“自我”的一堆对象——这是任何成长阶段的典型自我状态)到不与任何事物或事件认同,这发生在你完全自由地作为空的目睹者站立时。从此,你可以进入与绝对每一个事物完全合一的状态。练习实际上是从某物(自我)到无物(目睹者),再到万物(一味)。从某物到无物,再到万物。

### 指引

大体来说,有两种基本的活动可以将你的觉性引导到更高和最高的意识状态。这些可以称为“练习”和“认知”。在一种练习类型的冥想中,你进行某些练习,试图将你的觉性从一个不在更高状态的点移动到一个在更高状态的点。练习的结果是一个成就,一个成就,你已经将你的觉性从一个较低的状态移动到一个较高的状态。这可能是最常见的冥想类型,它确实有效。它对于进入更高状态是有效的,但不是进入最高状态的有效方法。你可以进入更高的状态,因为它们是相对的;它们不是终极状态。它们不是最高状态,因为最高状态是绝对和终极的,这意味着它们是永恒或无时间的,这意味着它们是永远存在的,这意味着它们在此时此地完全成立,没有任何方式可以进入它们,获得它们,或实现它们。最高状态是一直存在的——不可能进入它们,因为没有一个点它们不在。它们是终极的,绝对的,无所不包的,包罗万象的,包括一切的,无生的(没有在时间中开始),无灭的(在时间中没有结束),总是已经存在,并且完全永远存在。

这些状态在其真实本质上不像状态,更像是永远存在的条件。马斯洛称它们为“平台体验”,它们本质上是永久的,而不是“巅峰体验”,它们是暂时的。相对状态不同于其他相对状态,当一种状态出现时,其他状态被排除——你不能同时醉酒和清醒;你不能同时直和嗨;你不能同时处于深度无梦状态和梦境状态;等等。相对状态交替出现;它们轮流。但终极状态不同于其他状态;它们是所有状态下的常量背景现实。这对目睹者也是如此,当所有状态来去时,它总是完全存在且不变的。目睹者不会来或去,它不断地目睹所有状态的来去。(当你意识到或认知到目睹者时,你也会注意到它一直存在,即使你没有认知到它。)

同样适用于一味,它不会来或去,它不会与状态交替;它存在于所有状态下,完全包含和包罗万象所有状态。这就是为什么目睹者/第四状态和一味/超越第四状态总是被列为两大主要终极意识状态的原因。相反,粗、细、因这三者是相对状态;它们在时间中来去,持续一段时间然后转变,但没有一种是永远存在的、无时间的、或终极的。所以对于这些终极状态,需要的行动不是练习,而是简单的认知或实现——即老师指出这种最高状态,通常通过简单地谈论它,直到你认知到已经存在的某些东西。当你认知到这种一直存在的状态时,你也会意识到它确实一直存在,完全存在并完全运作,但你只是没有注意到它。因此,你实际上没有进入这个状态——你一直在其中——你只是认知或实现了一个总是已经存在的事实。(正如我们刚才所说的,当你“进入”目睹者状态时,你会注意到它一直存在,并且你只是在自己中认知到它。)

禅宗著名地称之为你的“本来面目”,这是“在你父母生之前你所拥有的面孔”。这并不是说它存在于你父母出生之前的某个时间点,而是说它根本没有进入时间的流动;它完全超越了时间。

为了理解这意味着什么,从放松到目睹觉性开始,简单地目睹当下的时刻。注意这个当下的时刻是如何出现,存在一两秒钟,然后消失成为过去,同时一个新的当下的时刻出现,进入你的觉性,旧的时刻变成记忆。新的时刻持续一两秒钟,然后它也消失成为过去,一个新的时刻又出现。这种运动是恒定的,它不断进行。

基督教神秘主义者称之为“流动的当下”(nunc fluens),或“消逝的当下”。但注意到目睹者本身。注意到觉性对这个消逝的当下的觉知,一个不断从当下转变为过去的消逝的当下。纯粹的目睹者本身没有变化;它只是一个恒定的存在点,一个纯粹的、不动的觉知点,一个真正恒定的镜像心。它只是观察这个消逝的当下的出现、停留一会儿、消失;出现、停留一会儿、消失。目睹者保持完全不动,一个纯粹的、永无止境的存在或无时间的当下——丹尼尔·P·布朗称之为“无边界、不变的觉知”。

基督教神秘主义者称这种不变的当下为“静止的当下”(nunc stans),或“静止的当下”,或“无时间的现在”。根据他们的说法,真正的当下,永恒的当下,神圣的当下,是这种静止的当下,而不是流动的当下——nunc stans,而不是nunc fluens。它完全存在于这种永不消失的当下。这种无时间的现在不出现也不消失——它是一个永远存在、不变的、纯粹的当下。流动的当下、未来的思想和过去的记忆都在这种永不消失的当下出现。正如薛定谔所说,“现在是唯一没有尽头的东西。”目睹者总是在这种无时间的现在中觉知一切。

通常,如果你被给了一个正念练习,你会被告知将注意力集中在当下的时刻,而完全不注意过去或未来的事件。这被称为“仅仅觉知立即的现在”。但这只会让你达到流动的当下;它不会让你达到真正的静止的当下——而那静止的当下并不难达到,而是不可避免的。为了看到这一点——以及看到目睹者总是完全存在于无时间的现在(你的“本来面目”)中——我会请你重复我们在讨论永恒的意义时所做的实验,将其视为一个永远存在的、无时间的现在。想一想你相信存在于过去的某个事件。尽可能清晰、生动地描绘这个过去的事件。注意到你实际上意识到的只是一个记忆,而这个记忆只存在于这个当下的时刻。当那个事件实际发生时,当它真的存在时,它本身也是一个当下的时刻。在任何情况下,你实际上意识到的只是当下的时刻。

同样,想一想你认为会在未来存在的某个事物。注意到那只是一个思想,而那个思想只存在于这个当下的时刻。如果它真的变成一个真实的事件,它将在一个当下的时刻发生。换句话说,你实际上意识到的唯一时间是当下的时刻,而那个当下的时刻并不难达到,而是不可避免的。这总是已经存在的;它是绝对的永远存在(或永恒的)。所以目睹者——因为它只处理真实——总是完全存在于这个当下的时刻,流动的当下在这种不变的、永远存在的、无时间的现在的空间中移动。

觉性内容存在于时间中;觉性本身不存在。觉性本身在一个不断存在、永远存在、无时间的现在中运作。这一切都在发生,无论你是否意识到。但希望通过这样的指出,你将开始认识到这种永远存在的、无时间的现在,它不排除过去和未来,而是完全包容它们,不是一个狭窄的、不断变化的当下觉知,而是一个广阔的、包罗万象的觉性。这是你的本来面目。它存在于你父母出生之前,因为它超越时间。

另一个说法是它超越时间,因为它确实是永恒的——只要我们记住永恒不意味着在时间中永远持续;它意味着一个没有时间的点,完全存在于无时间的现在。我们看到维特根斯坦绝对精准地指出了几乎所有神秘主义者一致同意的事情:“如果我们将永恒理解为不是无止境的时间持续,而是一个无时间的时刻,那么永生属于那些活在当下的人。”将永远不会有一个未来的时间比现在更当下。永远不会。如果明天出现了一个事件,但它现在不在,它是严格的时间性,不是永恒的。这就是为什么商羯罗,阿德瓦伊达吠檀多的主要创始人说,自我实现无法获得,因为如果它可以获得,那它将在时间中开始,因此是时间性的,不是永恒的——因此不是一个真正的自我实现。

其极简性是我们可以如此容易错过它、未注意到它、未实现它的原因之一。这种极简性的一个例子是你自己的我是感(I AMness)(这是你现在的目睹者在你内心)。我们看到这正是基督所谈论的,当他说:“在亚伯拉罕之前,我是。”这种我是感就像目睹者一样,总是存在,但由于其极简性,我们几乎总是错过其深度,因为我们几乎立即将其认同于更复杂的东西。然后它不再只是一个纯粹和即时的我是感,只是它本身,而是我是什么或我是谁——我是医生、律师、学生或演员;我是如此高,我重多少,我上哪个学校,我在哪个工作——如此等等。我们从未意识到那纯粹和即时的我是感,它只是存在的简单感觉。

### 觉醒到我是感

这种存在的简单感觉在你进行梦瑜伽时尤其明显,在那里你将学会在各种梦境中保持觉知或保持清醒。你在清醒状态开始时认同成百上千的东西——尤其是来自粗或物质状态的东西——例如,你的职业;你的财富;你的粗欲望、想要和愿望;你的车;你的房子。在清醒状态中,你的我是感与所有这些粗物体的关系认同在一起,因此你没有意识到那纯粹的存在感觉——你总是我是这个或我是那个,其中“这个”和“那个”是主要是粗或物质对象的网络。你从未意识到那纯粹的我是感。

然后你进入梦境状态,但由于你的冥想练习(是的,这是一种练习),你保持清醒,意识到自己在做梦——也就是说,你清醒梦。这时你不再认同任何粗物体,因为它们都消失了(没有自然,没有盖亚,没有物质现实)。你现在意识到梦境状态中的细物体:光明图像、冲动和生动的愿景。你——你的我是感(你的目睹者)现在认同各种细物体和图像,并迷失在对它们的觉知中。再次,你没有意识到那纯粹存在的极简性——你的真实自我。你依然认同某种分离的自我感,虽然现在是细微的自我感。

然后你进入深度无梦状态——因状态——其极限是一个纯粹、无形、无显现的虚空,一个无限的深渊。然而,由于你的冥想梦瑜伽练习,你在这种状态中保持隐约的觉知(有大量使用脑电图(EEG)研究睡眠期间的大脑活动的研究表明,这些状态确实可能——即在深度无梦状态中保持觉知绝对可能)。然而现在,在这种无梦状态中,没有任何物体可以认同——那里确实什么也没有。但你仍然意识到;你注意到你仍然意识到的唯一事情是唯一存在的事情,那就是那种持续的我是感,因为它总是存在,已经存在,并且在所有状态中完全存在,包括深度无梦状态。这里,在因状态的极限——那里没有任何东西可以认同,没有任何东西可以混淆你的我是感——你可能突然认识到这种始终存在的我是感,只是它本身。

你已经认识到了超越因果的纯净第四状态(Turiya),即纯粹的目睹者状态或纯粹的“我是”状态。因此,你会意识到,在日常生活中你所称为自己的所有事物,其实并不是真正的自我,而只是一些存在于时间中的粗糙、微细或因果的对象,它们是相对的,来来去去,因此是有限的、凡俗的、固有痛苦的。这根本不是你真正的自我。你是无限的、永恒的、广阔的、无边的存在之基(Ground of Being),是无生(Unborn)和不死(Undying)的。

每个人都有一定程度的这种永恒的“我是”感,因为,比如——正如拉玛那·马哈希自己经常指出的那样——即使他们入睡,放下他们的粗糙自我,经过做梦和深度无梦状态,他们仍然会在早上醒来并说:“我睡得很好!”他们知道他们内在有某种东西不会改变。当你认识到这种永恒的“我是”感时,你也会认识到这是你一直以来所拥有的同样的存在感。从你能够记得的最早的时间起(即你的个体时间开始的地方),你一直都是这种基本的“我是”感——你从未记得有一个你不是你的时候。这种基本的目睹者一直是你当前觉知的知觉方面,即你意识的“谁”,存在于恒常的现在,但你从未认识到它,因为你几乎立即将其与在过渡现在中被认识的某物——某个对象、某种特质、某个特征(你的自我)——认同了,因此你总是错过了这种单纯的存在感,并迷失在分离的事物和事件的世界中,受苦和折磨,陷入幻觉和贫困之中。

粗糙的(清醒)、微细的(做梦)和因果的(深度睡眠)状态都是相对的状态。它们都存在于时间的流动中,即过渡的现在;它们都有开始、停留一段时间然后消失;它们都可以通过某种类型的冥想实践(如梦瑜伽)来实践、达到和实现。因此,它们都可以是某种实践类型的对象。第四状态——Turiya,目睹者或“我是”感——和第五状态——Turiyatita,真如或一味——都是绝对或终极状态:它们是无时间、永在的、已经完全实现的;它们是无限的、全包容的和全包揽的。它们永远完全存在并在无时间的现在中完全运作,因此它们不能被进入、达到或实现;它们只能被认知或实现。

无时间的现在或恒常的现在轻松且完全地包容了过去、现在和未来——它允许所有过去的思想、所有现在的思想和所有未来的思想在永恒的现在中完全涌现,因此它是真正的全包容和全遍在的。不同于过渡的现在,它排除了过去和未来的思想,恒常的现在完全包容了所有这些并允许它们按自己的意愿涌现——它们都同等地在无时间的现在中涌现并被其完全包容。(这就是为什么基督教神秘主义者认为只有恒常的现在是真实、真正和神圣的现在,而过渡的现在是时间的和虚幻世界的核心。)所以这是一种“非实践”的认知。这不是进入一种你以前没有通过实践带来的状态,而是对一种一直存在但你未曾完全注意到的状态的简单和即时的认知。

这里有一个轻微的悖论,即可以说虽然这种状态一直存在,但对它的注意或认知并没有,因此在某种意义上存在某种开始、进入或实现。从某种角度来看这是正确的。这就是为什么禅宗会说出悖论性的言论,如:“如果道中有任何纪律(或实践),那么完成该纪律就标志着道的毁灭。但如果没有纪律,人就会变得愚蠢。”说得很好。但几乎在每种情况下,认知本身伴随着意识到不仅这种状态一直存在,你也总是知道它。这就是禅宗的“无门之门”——在这扇门的这一边(通向觉悟的门),看起来确实有一扇门。但当你通过它并回头看时,你根本看不到任何门——没有门,从来也没有门。欢迎来到教学的悖论:你需要一个悟境来意识到你不需要悟境!

这些悖论最终出现,正如我们已经看到的那样,因为我们被迫使用只在其对立面中才有意义的概念来讨论这些问题,所以我们使用片段来尝试解释整体。因此,在我们探索一些指示实际实现的指点——我们将在下一章中直接看到这一点之前——最接近现实的方法是将这种悖论的两面都视为同样真实。无论你如何分解这种差异,请不要在根本问题上犯错误:你最终试图实现的是一种现在完全存在且在任何意义上都不能被达到或实现的状态。如果一切存在的根本现在没有完全存在,那么你就会简单地停止存在。尽可能清楚地意识到这一点。般若波罗蜜多心经——大乘佛教的基本经文——反复强调,如果你能明白觉悟本身是绝对无法达到的,那么你将完全觉悟。这是他们使用的词——无法达到。而觉悟确实是无法达到的——它不能被达到——因为它已经完全存在;你不可能比达到觉悟更多,就像你不可能比获得肺部或脚部更多。

那么什么是指点?你来到老师面前,天真地看着他们的眼睛,坚持说你没有觉悟但真的想觉悟。一位真正的老师——看到你说你没有脚,他们能帮助你获得脚吗——不会给你那些将帮助你假装获得脚的练习;相反,他们会开始踩你的脚,直到你大叫:“好吧,我看到了!是的,我一直都有!”这种“踩踏”构成了对真正“无门之门”的指点。我们将在这里做的就是这种踩踏。多年来,有数十个——可能数百个——指点对我产生了深远的影响,使我一直知道的东西变得完全明显。让我告诉你两个对我意义重大指点。一个非常简单,是来自拉玛那·马哈希的一句话:“那在深度无梦睡眠中不存在的东西是不真实的。”这对我来说是极其困扰的,因为到那时我已经练习禅宗冥想近十年,并有几次被确认的见性或悟境体验。它简单地指出了一种一直存在的“我是”感,这不是与其他状态不同的相对状态,或在时间中来来去去的状态。相反,它是在所有状态中都存在的某种东西,一种对所有状态完全觉知的恒常镜像心(Mirror Mind),它不是随着任何状态而来去,而是一种对所有状态的恒常见证。这是一种恒常的意识,就时间状态而言,这意味着它在全天24小时都存在——包括在深度无梦的睡眠中。拉玛那的话指出了一些一直存在的东西,至少在某种程度上,我在那之前没有完全意识到。

另一个指点与我在大圆满法中的根本上师有关(通常被认为是佛陀教法的最高教义)。在冬季闭关期间,他有时会把门打开,学生们可以随时进来问问题。如果你安静的话,你可以经常坐在角落里听。有一件事反复发生。学生们会进来说各种各样的“我终于看到了!我简直不敢相信!大约一个小时前,我坐在那里冥想,突然我与一切合一,我消失了,成为了全体。为什么我以前没有看到这一点?!”他总是会说:“这在时间中有一个开始吗?”学生会回答:“是的,正如我所说,大约一个小时前。”他会回答:“这很好。但我希望你能回来,当你能向我展示没有时间开始的东西时。当你看到那时,回来。”他希望他们认识到那一直存在的东西,始终是如此——一种没有时间开始的东西,而是始终是现在。而这种觉悟的心百分之百在你的意识中,就在这里、现在。不是什么90%,也不是95%——而是100%。你永远无法达到那一点。所以开始在你自己的觉知中环顾四周,就像它现在正在涌现一样,时刻存在——准备好惊讶吧。而我会使用一些指点来帮助你做到这一点。

我们将在接下来的几章中努力认识到我们正在努力识别的基本概念是目睹者和一味(第四和第五状态,即无法达到只能识别的两个终极状态),它们的主要特征分别是自由和圆满,以及它们各自的主要感受,即分别是喜悦和爱。目睹者的自由感觉是喜悦,一味的圆满感觉是爱。它们的核心现在就存在,无论你是否知道——如果你不知道,当我们进入整体性性喜塔那时,我会特别踩踏那些脚。我们将只是谈论这些事情,围绕相同的要点进行一些小的变化,重复中心主题一两次,直到你在自己的觉知中识别这些终极的常在状态。

### 指点目睹者和一味

让我们首先回顾一下这两个主要状态,目睹和一味。识别其中任何一个(或两个)状态是你对自己内在终极的直接介绍,因此也是你自己实现、觉醒、开悟、觉醒的介绍。

#### 目睹者,第一轮

我们说过,让觉知意识到一切存在的总绘画的现象总和,如果你试图独立并目睹所有这些现象——目睹你所有的当前体验而不回避任何东西——那么这些现象将全部以对象的形式出现,而目睹者本身则是纯粹的主体或绝对的主观性。作为目睹者,一种无边无际、恒常的觉知,你将处于无时间的现在,恒常的现在,所有的体验、事物和事件将“在你面前”出现,作为过渡的现在,你将完全、轻松、平等地意识到这一切。

所有现象将以对象的形式出现在目睹者面前,而作为目睹者,你并未认同任何一个——换句话说,你真正地从它们中解脱出来,解脱了所有的现象——这是伟大的解脱。完全目睹总绘画的过程中,你会发现原始的自由、彻底的释放、无限的放下。如果目睹者能够说话,它可能会说:“我看到山,但我不是山;我自由于它。我有感觉,但我不是那些感觉;我自由于它们。我有情感,但我不是那些情感;我自由于它们。我有思想,但我不是那些思想;我自由于它们。”因此,这确实是伟大的解脱,作为彻底的解脱。这是完全自由于所有轮回的涅槃。

假设我问你,“你是谁?”拿一张纸,写下你的答案。你可能会包括这样的内容:我的名字是某某;我这么高,体重多少;我获得了某某学位;我赚多少钱;我住在某某地址的房子里;我有一个名叫某某的伴侣;我喜欢这些类型的电影;我读这些类型的书;我喜欢玩电子游戏;我有几只宠物,包括两只狗;我的爱好是某某;我喜欢这种食物,等等。然而,请注意,当你思考所有这些特征时,你正在把它们看作对象——它们都是觉知的对象——没有一个是真正的主体或你的真正自我。那些对象,换句话说,正是你不是什么的。它们都是假象的自我或假象的主体;没有一个是真正的主体。它们都是可以被看到的东西;它们不是真正的观察者,不是你的真正自我。你所认为的每一个真正的自我——你写在纸上的那些——正是你不是什么。你的真正自我是“非此非彼”——从所有对象中彻底解脱。它是一个纯粹的主体或绝对的主观性。继续这种彻底的不认同,直到你真正认识到你内心深处的基本而深刻的自由。这种觉悟是任何灵性觉悟和启蒙的成熟形式的核心,也是你对真正的终极状态,即Turiya的介绍。

这种练习特别适用于负面、恐怖或极其不适的状态。简单地练习直接目睹它们,理解“我完全意识到这种痛苦、焦虑或抑郁的状态;我有这种状态,但我不是这种状态”——并真正理解“因此我从中解脱了。”现在,如果你意识到你的身体,你立刻知道你不是你的身体(你把它看作一个对象,所以它不是你真正的主体)。同样,如果你意识到你的心(或思想),同样显然你不是你的心(它只是更多的思想,完全看到的对象,所以它不是你真正的主体)。“我有身体和心,但我不是我的身体和心。”你应该感受到一种真正的释放、一种放下、一种开放、一种清理、一种自由——以及一种类型的幸福或快乐,因为你解脱了。真正的自我是纯粹的观察者,它自己永远不能被看到。所以,当你去寻找这个真正的自我时,你不会看到它。无论什么在出现都无所谓;只需让它出现,意识到“我不是这个,不是那个。”作为每一刻的真正目睹者安住,只是放松在纯粹的现在,而不认同任何正在出现的东西,让一切都消失。你所意识到的一切只是广阔的自由、深深的释放、彻底的放下。

而不是认同某些孤立的自我形象、自我概念或自我的收缩,你是一个完全觉知的氛围,纯粹的觉知,像一面镜子一样,毫不费力地反映每一件事物和事件,但不认同或粘附任何一个。你是一个纯粹的镜像心,简单而轻松地觉知一切,并且没有认同任何一个内容,而是简单地安住在一种无限和完全解脱的自由中,完全超越所有的自我收缩的折磨、痛苦和恐惧——这是你的小我非常熟悉的折磨,而目睹者从中彻底解脱了。而且,不是说各种折磨完全停止出现;而是“谁在乎它们是否出现?”——它们只是更多的临时对象,来来去去,像其他一切一样被目睹。有些东西可能更痛苦,但它们对你影响更小。整个客观世界在出现,而你从中解脱,包括你可以内观的所有对象——思想、欲望、需要、动机、目标、图像和概念。所有这些内在对象,就像你看到的所有外在对象,正是你不是什么。没有一个是真正的主体。取代与某些思想、事物和图像的认同——与某种自我的认同——的是一种广阔的开放、空性、空间和彻底的自由。当你认识到你真的是“非此非彼”,整个自我收缩、自我形象的感觉让位于一种彻底和完全的自由,解脱,无拘无束。这是你本来的面目,在你父母出生之前的面目,在宇宙本身诞生之前的面目,在时间的洪流进入存在之前的面目,摆脱了其噩梦和折磨。

我不再是生活的受害者;我是生活的见证者。这个真正的自我是你基本的“我是”感。这个“我是”感就像目睹者一样,是一种恒常的、无时间的现实。当基督说,“在亚伯拉罕之前,我是”,他直观地认识到这种基本和无时间的Turiya。你也可以说和基督完全一样的话——你自己的“我是”感具有同样的无时间性和真正的永恒性。想想一周前的这个时候你在做什么。你可能记不得任何细节,但有一件事是确定的:那时有“我是”感。想想一个月前的这个时候你在做什么——即使你记不得任何细节,你知道那时有“我是”感——而且它是你现在拥有的同样的“我是”感,因为“我是”感,作为纯粹的观察者,没有任何可以随时间改变的特质或特性。它没有任何在时间中移动的东西。所以想想一年前——同样的“我是”感绝对存在。十年前呢?一百年前呢?一千年前呢?有同样的无时间、恒常的“我是”感,它没有进入时间流,因此存在于你父母出生之前,这个太阳系诞生之前,大爆炸之前,时间流本身之前。厄尔温·薛定谔讲了一个美丽的故事,他说,许多世纪前,一个人坐在你现在坐的同一个地方;像你一样,这个人怀着渴望的心情看着太阳落下;像你一样,他从女人的身上出生,经历了痛苦;像你一样,他有愿望、目标和欲望;像你一样,他有梦想和愿景,并且强烈地渴望。然后是一个令人惊叹的结论:“这是别人吗?这不是你自己吗?”不可思议。在那个人纯粹的“我是”感中,他们就是你现在的“我是”感(“这不是你自己吗?”)。传统观点在这里是一致的:所有的“我是”感只有一个——一个自我,一个灵魂,一个现实。或者,正如薛定谔美丽地表达的那样,“意识是一个单数,它的复数是未知的。”

这就是为什么,当你深深地认识到你自己的“我是”感时,你意识到你永远不会死——你确实是无时间和永恒的(而且你知道你内心深处的部分不会死,对吗?——这是对永恒的接近实现)。这并不意味着你的身体不会死。这意味着有一个更深的部分与你的时间流完全无关——这个部分是无生的(它从未进入时间流),也是不死的(因此它也永远不会离开时间流)。作为唯一的“我是”感,你存在于所有有情众生中,通过他们的眼睛看着你创造的世界。在上和下,你是唯一的一个。正是在这种唯一性中,你的无限自由闪耀。

因为目睹者完全自由于所有对象——不依附于任何过渡现在中的事物——它本身是真正的空性(空于所有思想和所有事物)。这也意味着真正的自我永远无法成为对象——真正的观察者永远不能被看到——它比喻地是禅师柴山所说的“绝对主观性”——这是一个“大主体”或“大我”,超越任何小主体或小我,更不用说超越所有对象了。这是“我-我”,永远无法被知觉的知者;无法被认知的认知喜悦;永恒存在的“我是”感,无法被客体化或成为具体的身份。因此,它永远不能被束缚或限制,是真正、深刻、永远自由的——正如你在你自己最深的核心中一样。无论你是否认识到,这一直都是如此。

### 一味,第一轮

注意到这个真正的自我,作为第四状态(Turiya),并不完全是终极的非二元现实(那是最终的第五状态)。这个真正的自我是非常真实的;它是无时间和永恒的;它是终极的和不可争议的——但(悖论地)它还不完全是最终极的。如果我们把自我定义为任何一种与某种“他者”区分开来的感觉(而所有自我都这样做),那么这个真正的自我不可能是一个彻底的非二元终极状态,因为终极状态不是分裂成自我与他者,或主体(甚至是绝对主体)与对象的。这就是为什么,对目睹者来说,整个世界确实显现为“他者”——它显现在“前面”。这就是为什么目睹者确实是一个绝对的主观性——它最终是一个主观的或自我状态,而不是一个统一或非二元状态。这正是丹尼尔·布朗称这个第四状态为“无边、恒常的觉知”的原因,他也认为它是倒数第二个状态(它是他的五个主要状态中的第四个),他称这个状态的幻觉部分为“个体性”。换句话说,Turiya引入了二元条件的开端,即主体对对象(或个体性,这伴随着整体论理论中的单数对复数的二元性,给出了四个象限,这实际是二元性的开端,如果被视为独立于终极灵性的,那就是幻觉的开端)。

所以这个真正的自我是二元领域中最高的现实,也是通向终极非二元领域的最后屏障。它是最高的指示,也是最后的障碍。这就是为什么,即使你建立在一个深刻和恒常的目睹状态中,你仍然需要再走一步(非常小的一步)来实现你最真实和最深刻的现实。我们看到,目睹者和一味都完全意识到一切存在的总绘画(因此它们在最终分析中都被正确地称为“终极状态”,所以不要让这部分困扰你)。目睹者成功地从总绘画中退后一步,以完美的平衡和均等的悬停镜像心觉知见证一切,对所有存在保持完全的喜悦,沉浸在其彻底的释放和自由中,保持在一种彻底的空性或广阔的空间中(本身是一个纯粹的涅槃,完全自由于所有轮回)。

目睹者正在见证整个世界作为对象,而它自己的空性是每一刻的认知方面,那是“看”、“注视”或“知道”每一个现象的方面,从而将它们转换为“在前面”的对象,而目睹者在其自身的空性中从它们中解脱。

进入第五状态一味的必要最后一步是继续见证所有的总绘画,保持作为不受扰乱的观察者,注视每一件事,然后完全放松这个观察者到所有正在被见证的事物中。因此,你从仅仅注视山变为简单地成为山;你不再看见云,你是云;你不再感觉地球,你是地球;你不再看见太阳,你是太阳。这种非二元的合一意味着作为观察者或目睹者的感觉实际上与正在被注视的感觉完全相同。换句话说,如果你现在感受观察者或注视者的感觉,那么直接聚焦在你正在看着的东西上——它可能是一棵树,一辆车,一栋建筑,一块电脑屏幕——它们原来是相同的感觉。突然间,“外面”和“里面”都消失成“只有这个”——这个单一的现在的经验,即真如或如此,一味。

实际上,有一种非常简单的方法可以完全实现这种非二元的合一状态。根据道格拉斯·哈丁的简单练习,我经常称这种一味觉知为“无头”状态。哈丁自己描述这种无头状态是一个非常有效的指示,让你进入一味觉知。正如哈丁自己所说,注意此刻你“不能真正看到你的头”——不是直接的。如果你专注于你头部的位置,你会发现你实际上看到的只是两个肉状物体,那是你的鼻子。但是就你整个头部而言,它根本不存在;你看不到它。实际上你是“无头”的。

### 指点说明

在看向世界的同时,选择一个你能清楚看到的物体——一座山、一栋建筑、一辆车、一棵树、你面前的书。现在就试试——选择一个物体并直接看它。在看这个物体时,专注于你的头部区域。你会注意到,与其说你看到一个头只是坐在你的肩膀上,你实际上看到的是物体本身——例如,那座建筑——直接在那里,在你的肩膀上,正好在你认为你的头部的位置。建筑物不是“在外面”,在你脸的另一边;它实际上在“这里”,在你脸的这一边——建筑物实际上在你体内涌现。它在你认为你的头的位置出现。实际上,你现在看到的一切都在你认为你的头的位置涌现——根本没有分离。如果这个见解实现了,那么你会意识到,无论你在看什么,它都不是在“外面”,它实际上在“里面”,在你脸的这一边——那个物体实际上在你认为你头的位置涌现——没有任何分离。如果你感受到这一点,你会意识到,无论你在看什么,根本没有“在这里”和“在外面”的区别。你所体验到的一切,整个宇宙都在你体内涌现。

这就是一味觉知的一种简单且明显的指引。通过看到我们没有头——整个世界实际上在“这里”涌现,在你认为你的头的位置——我们插入一个深刻的现实,其中没有主体与对象的二元性,世界不再被愚蠢地分裂成一种看到的状态和一种被看到的状态。它只是一个单一的整体,连续涌现,没有分离但有特征。如果你感受到你的“自我”(“位于”你的头部)然后感受到这个“整体”,它们实际上是相同的感觉(一个大蓝色煎饼掉在你的头上)——因此你不再见证世界,而是你是世界。整个宇宙在你体内涌现,没有“在内”和“你”——只有这个,只有如此,如此或如此,正如它在涌现的那样,正是在你认为你的头的位置。

当丹尼尔·布朗所说的“个体性”消失时——因为它已经与一切合而为一——你就处于真正的“一味”状态,最高和最终的状态。个体性的消失就是我说的“你头部的位置”。个体自我的感觉是第四状态,并将你排除在第五状态之外。它是纯粹的非二元状态的最后障碍,因为你认同了你的眼睛后面的空间,并认为你从那里看向外部世界,想象那是你个体自我的所在(你的“个体性”)。但是当整个天空变成一个大蓝色煎饼并掉在你头上时,突然间“在这里”再也没有个体性的位置(因为根本没有“在这里”)。你个体性存在的位置——你的头部——现在已经不再是一个独立的事物,因此你的个体性也消失了。它溶解成与天空(以及一切)的合一,留下的只有第五状态的一味——一个宇宙意识或终极的合一意识。你与所感知的一切合一——这是一个真正的一味体验。欢迎回家!!!

### 目睹者,第二轮

为了提供一些不同的指点说明,让我们回到开始并采用不同的方法来理解这两个终极状态。我们从安住在我们自己纯粹的目睹觉知开始,这不是觉知的任何内容。它是一个绝对的主观性,不是一个对象或一个小主体。它是不能被具体看到的东西;它只是一个广阔、纯净、开放、空洞的见证或空间,一个每一刻中一切涌现的开端或清明。这意味着我也安住在无时间的现在,即永恒的当下;这不是即时的、流动的现在,它不同于过去和未来,因此只是流逝的片刻,而是无时间的现在,认识到所有过去的记忆和所有未来的思想都在这个现在时刻中完全发生。因此,这个现在时刻的边界爆发,包容了所有时间——所有过去、所有流动的现在和所有未来都在这个无时间的现在中发生和流动。

作为永恒的当下,我见证流动的现在。流动的现在是不断移动的;永恒的当下并不移动。因此,我与任何可以看到、感觉到或感知到的事物脱离认同——安住在我自己的纯粹“我是”感中,在我是任何具体的东西之前,我只是简单的“我是”感。我是纯粹、自由、开放、空间、清晰和空洞的见证觉知,我觉知到一切存在的总绘画——同时完全自由于一切。

在这个阶段,我想强调总绘画的全包容性。我们要意识到一切,不回避任何东西。我们的练习应该专注于不允许最微小的回避、收缩、抓取或转向。如果其中任何一个发生,那么很好,注意到它们。不要回避任何体验。面对一切,不回避任何东西。体验你所有的体验。让一切自由地显现,就如它们本来的样子。这不需要任何努力——相反,这是一个完全无努力的行为。记住,你不会做错。

然后,正如我们已经提到的,你可以追随两条不同的路径(即你可以继续见证,或你可以进入一味;我们首先继续见证,然后再进入一味)。这里,我要强调的是,作为一面镜像心觉知总绘画,你是从所有体验中退后一步,允许所有体验自由涌现。站在所有体验之外,你只是见证它。你不是推它、拉它、回避它、渴望它、抓取它、评判它或认同它。(再说一次,如果其中任何一个出现了,那也没关系,你只是见证它们。)

你现在已经完全认识到这种“我是”感——你轻松地意识到简单的存在感觉。换句话说,你现在有一种清晰的自我感觉——而那种简单的“我是”感就是完整的“我是”感;就是这样,你已经回家了。只需保持这种“我是”觉知,以一种持续的、时刻不间断的方式,安住在永恒的当下。这意味着见证一切存在的总绘画,作为“不是我”的东西,因为我的“我是”感不认同于其中的任何东西——“我有感觉,但我不是那些感觉;我自由于它们。我有思想,但我不是那些思想;我自由于它们。”

所有存在的总绘画的现象不仅仅是“现象”,而是实际的“对象”。它们显现在目睹者面前,而目睹者本身被感知为一个真正的主体,一个真正的自我,一个绝对的主观性,一个纯粹的“我-我”。“我-我”是Sri Ramana Maharshi的术语,指一个人的本来面目、真正的本性、真正的自我——他用这个术语是因为作为目睹者,纯粹的“我”现在觉知到小“我”或自我。你现在可以自我觉知——也就是说,你可以看到自我,小“我”,因为它不是本来的观察者,真正的自我;它只是另一个可以看到的对象。真正的自我是纯粹的主体,它看到所有对象,包括小的自我或“我”,因此它被体验为一个纯粹的“我”在见证小的自我或虚假的“我”。它是一个“我-我”——一个纯粹的“我是”感意识到小的自我-“我”,它本身被感觉为一种彻底的空旷、自由、广阔、空间和透明的开放。

### 一味,第二轮

如果你特别在进行Turiya(第四状态)的认知,那么只需继续练习那个见证状态,安住在永恒的当下。如果你决定进入Turiyatita或一味的认知,你将希望看到总绘画不是在你前面或外面显现,而是在你内,在你的觉知中,在你的存在中——“在你脸的这一边,在你头部的位置”。然后你不是在见证绘画;你是绘画。它的整体在你内,以这个单一、统一的现在时刻涌现——它不是在你外面作为对象,而是在你内作为觉知。你不在这个房间里;这个房间在你内——这个房间在你的觉知中涌现。而这也意味着你不再是主体(即便是大写的S)。你不是主体或自我;你是简单的真如,一个一味的统一体验。天空变成了一个大蓝色煎饼,并掉在你头上,现在完全与你合一,坐在你认为你头的位置。这在你内,你完全包容“在内”和“在外”作为一味。

这种一味觉知将有助于停止获得的从每种感觉中退后并悬浮其上的习惯,而是认识到包围每种感觉的更深背景,因此世界不会愚蠢地存在两次——一次是作为给予的,然后再一次是当你“在这里”看着它时,所以你感觉到有两个世界。它只涌现一次,在一个单一的体验中,而你就是那——一个单一的真如、如此或是。

有一个很容易实现这种一味觉知的方法,如果你在阅读这本书或在电脑屏幕上阅读,请在阅读时练习无头状态。当你在阅读时,认识到你实际上没有头;相反,阅读材料实际上在这里,在你认为你的头的位置涌现,而你实际上与材料本身合一,它实际上在一个单一的空间涌现,而你完全是那个空间(这确实是一个非常真实的一味体验)。然后练习在那个统一的无头一味状态中阅读。这可能需要一点时间和练习,我们习惯了用我们的头来阅读。但坚持下去,这是一个非常惊人的体验。

这种合一的感觉在听音乐时也很容易实现。试试看。播放你最喜欢的歌曲之一,比如在收音机上。闭上眼睛。注意到音乐最初听起来像是“在外面”从收音机传来的。然后注意到你也可以听到音乐好像是“在这里”,从你自己大脑的深处传来的。然后思考你所学到的关于合一体验的所有内容,并将其直接应用到音乐的声音上。首先溶解你与音乐之间的距离——简单地溶解到音乐的流中,抹去你和音乐声音之间的任何差异,听它就好像它只是一个单一的、无所不在的音乐流,推开你作为一个独立自我的感觉,并完全与流合一。没有两种体验——从收音机传来的音乐声音和你听到它。只有一个体验——你是一个单一的音乐流。

正如同禅师所说:“当我听到钟声响起时,没有钟也没有我,只有铃声。”在这种状态下,做一个快速的实验。让这种一味的觉知扩展到无限。也就是说,让你的觉知变得越来越大,从你所在的位置开始,扩展到包含整个星球,然后是整个太阳系(太阳、月亮和行星),然后是整个银河系,里面有数十亿的恒星,然后再扩展到包含所有的星系,总共的星系。你的觉知在扩展,超越了它们并拥抱它们。

然后让你的觉知完全扩展到无限——让它扩展到一个没有尽头的地方,而你的觉知甚至能够意识到那个没有尽头的地方——那是无穷的尽头。简单地将你的觉知抛向最远处,到宇宙的尽头。注意,在某个时刻,觉知的外向运动会停止,会到达一个看似无限的终点。为什么它会停止?它怎么知道要停止?它怎么知道它达到了无限?答案是因为它已经在那里了。你知道达到了无限,因为你的觉知已经是绝对的无限。它已经在无限了,因此它只是认识到自己。

这只是一个简单的可视化技巧,可能会引起共鸣,但它也代表了一个真实的现实——那就是你自己的本初觉知,你自己的纯粹意识,总是已经绝对的无限和永恒。没有什么在它之外。这是你的最高身份,而这个无限的、永恒的现实就是你与灵性的合一。

当你练习简单的无头状态,你会连接到这种根本的大心,不仅是你与树或音乐之间的合一,也包含整个宇宙。超新星在你的大脑中爆炸;星星是你大脑中的闪亮神经元;情人们在你心中升起;全世界的有情众生在你的纯粹意识中;你自己的存在感是无限的极限,这就是你的最高身份。那时,感觉就像所有的一切都在你自己的存在中涌现。整个宇宙在你内涌现,然后“在内”本身消失,只有所有的这一切,自然地涌现,自我显现,自我解脱,你直接触摸并轻松拥抱每一个在这个世界和所有世界中涌现的每一件事,现在和永远(因为它总是在每一个当下)。

而整个宇宙完全消失,你仍然是你,纯粹的存在本质,一切都未曾发生。这是一个巨大的整体。作为永恒的一个完全无时间的现在,100%的这一永恒完全存在于每一个时间点。作为无限的一个完全无空间的这里,100%的这一无限完全存在于每一个空间点。这里现在的存在是一个古老的格言,但它直接指出你是一个无限,包容并拥抱所有有限空间的生产,“无限爱上了空间的生产”;而作为一个永恒,包容并拥抱所有时间的生产,“永恒爱上了时间的生产”。这是你最高身份的惊人整体。

### 觉悟的感受

这一章的中心点是虽然觉悟没有主体或客体,没有感觉者或被感觉的东西,但它确实有感觉,非二元的感觉。换句话说,不仅有觉悟的觉知,还有觉悟的感觉。我们将探索这些觉悟的感觉。我主要会使用极乐和爱,但任何大致同义的词都可以(例如,快乐和同情,或幸福和关怀)。你不仅可以通过自己的觉知通向觉悟,也可以通过自己的感觉通向觉悟。

### 超越小的极乐

从一个孤立的、有限的、收缩的自我中解脱出来,会开启一个纯粹的目睹觉知的极乐、遍及一切的快乐、深深的幸福或只是一个深刻的、似乎无限的幸福。但请注意,这不是一个只是来去无常的分离情感,而是一个绝对的、全包的极乐。它没有对立面,而是遍及一切。它不是一个相对的、暂时的状态,而是一个终极状态的一个方面,一个无时间的或永恒的状态。它是一个大写的B的极乐,超越小的极乐及其对立面痛苦,它在两者之间来来去去。这个大的极乐是一个终极状态的感觉,它不来不去,而是字面上永恒存在。这个极乐是纯粹觉知自由的感觉,就像觉知自由一样,它本身是永恒存在的,无生无灭。

简单地说,这个极乐是目睹者自由的感觉。就像目睹者的自由在见证所有涌现的事物时完全存在,这个极乐也同样完全存在于每一个体验中,因为所有这些体验都是已经自由的。

这种极乐不仅仅是普通的极乐,而是一种深深的、全包的快乐,一种似乎无限的幸福,它是根本觉知本身的一个方面。认识到这种极乐,意味着你深刻理解即使痛苦出现,它也出现在一个不再是痛苦而是纯粹见证痛苦的觉知中。痛苦不再是你,它是你的。你已经与它脱离认同;它是一个你已经变成对象的主观体验。当所有主观体验都变成对象后,剩下的就是绝对的主观性——因此你沐浴在一个根本的自由中,浸透在一个真正的释放和极乐的快乐中。

因此,当我安住在目睹者中时,我安住在自由中,这种自由的感觉就是极乐——因为所有的自由都会带来快乐。经历过这种体验的人说它是一种“可以感觉到在身体的每一个细胞中的极乐”。Maslow美丽地描述了这一点:“一个人可以几乎随意地学会以这种统一的方式看待。这就变成了一种见证,一种欣赏,可以称之为一种宁静的认知极乐。”我非常喜欢“见证,宁静的认知极乐”这个短语——这正是它,认知见证者的宁静极乐。它如此巧妙地结合了两个基本成分——认知见证者及其极乐。

记住,这来自于Maslow的实证研究,所以我们知道这种“认知极乐”有实证研究的基础。当我安住在空的、开放的见证者中——广阔的空间,不是这个,不是那个——因为没有什么可以束缚我,并且所有的自由本质上都是快乐的/极乐的,我安住在一个无边的极乐空间中。因此,当我意识到那棵树时,那棵树直接涌现在广阔、开放的空间中,这是认知极乐本身。极乐看见了那棵树。极乐感觉到狗。极乐思考这个思想。极乐看到那辆车。那是见证者的纹理——一个根本的自由带来的深深的快乐,一种无限的放手和释放,一种真正的认知极乐。

在东方,常常将终极现实定义为“萨特·奇特·阿南达”,意思是存在(Sat)、觉知(Chit)和极乐(Ananda)。存在和觉知都是纯粹的空(或不可定义的),因此这种空性产生了一种非常微妙的感觉,这就是极乐或永恒的极乐感。由于这涉及到一种无限和永恒的感觉,它是一种不同于所有相对感觉的感觉。它是一种确实无限和永恒的感觉,一种宁静的认知极乐,永远存在,因此总是存在。

如果我仍然认同于某个对象或某个小我的感觉,我将被这种有限的认同束缚在这个显现世界中的痛苦、苦难或原罪中。因此,任何积极的感觉(如极乐)都会在某种程度上受到这种痛苦的影响,因此永远不会是一个纯粹的积极感觉(如极乐)。但是如果我真正深刻地成为一个纯粹的“我是”感,并且完全不是这个,不是那个——不是任何这个或那个——那么从苦难的囚牢中解脱出来的狂喜通过我的存在,并且一种不断背景的极乐感贯穿我的状态。

这种大极乐不是在时间中存在的小极乐,它来、停留一段时间,然后消失,并且与痛苦、悲伤和折磨交替出现,而是一种永远存在的极乐,它是永远存在的见证者的纹理。无论你是见证什么痛苦、痛苦、恐惧或焦虑,不仅它不会使你感到恐惧,而且它的核心会有一种持续存在的背景大极乐,一种深深的快乐,它是见证者本身的内衬。

因此,当你认知到见证者是永远存在的,那么作为见证者,你只需要环顾四周,你会发现——不是作为一个对象,而是作为一种氛围——一种深深的自由的感觉,愉悦的释放,深刻的幸福。所以是极乐在见(或认知)那棵树——是极乐的见证在见证世界。这是真正的“我是”感的纹理,它一直存在于所有的永恒中——萨特·奇特·阿南达(Satchitananda)——存在-觉知-极乐。

### 大爱之全满

如果极乐是见证者的根本自由的感觉,那么大爱就是一味的根本全满的感觉。这种大写的爱超越了普通的爱及其对立面恨;它没有对立面,而是完全包容一切。

作为永恒存在的,它完全存在于小的爱和其对立面的恨之中。这种大爱包容并拥抱,或者说真正爱并接受所有的相对情感,无论是正面还是负面。虽然所有其他的感觉和情感,无论是负面还是正面,都在流动的现在中以自己的戏剧性起伏奔涌,这个永恒存在的爱的背景在永恒的现在中稳固不变。这就是宇宙的合一真正的感觉。

简而言之,这种爱是一味的全满的感觉。当你与整个世界合一,在一个持续的拥抱和整体中,你会感觉到一种不断背景的、完全的爱,大写的爱。再一次,这是一种无限的感觉——你不是因为爱某个特定的人或事物而感觉到这种爱,而是因为你爱所有的一切。

这种对一切的大爱(作为整体的爱),随着其对一切的拥抱和合一感,是超越所有的原始回避,进入一种纯粹的、非二元的整体。这种整体被感受到是一种纯粹的爱,直接来自你的心,在一种辐射的合一或纯粹的合一中与一切涌现的事物合一,而一切涌现的事物总是以一种无边的全满、一个未破的整体,一个真正的纯爱的表现形式在一味中涌现。

极乐和大爱是觉醒到无限和永恒的固有部分。即使你在看一棵简单的树,那棵树的感觉会引发并提醒你一种永远存在的极乐,这种极乐永远不会来去消失,而是每一个体验的内在衬里,因为你总是自由的。当你连接到永远存在的见证者的感觉基调,并认识到它作为一个不断背景的极乐或深刻的幸福,你也会看到这种大极乐一直都在存在,以前它只是微弱地显现,作为你在这个世界上忍受痛苦的一线希望,一个小小的闪光,现在你可以直接和充分地实现它,然后它的永远存在的本性变得像见证者本身一样显而易见,“一个宁静的认知极乐。”在你最深的部分,你总是自由的,并且将永远是自由的,愉悦地释放,奇妙地解脱。这种自由通过你的每一个细胞,如一种深深的、持久的、极乐的快乐,因为你确实总是从一切中自由的,这就是为什么什么都没有发生。

在看那棵树的同一个体验中,当你深入到它的核心合一时,从你的心中涌现出一种无限和全包的大爱,充满了对所有众生的无限关怀、善意和根本的拥抱,它们都是你自己最深的本性或一味的纹理。这确实是为一切留出空间。如果你进入一种“无头”的状态,其中整个宇宙,作为一个无限的整体或全满,正在你内涌现,这个全满的感觉就是这种无限的、永远存在的背景大爱。因此,正如极乐是见证者自由的感觉,这种爱是一味的全满的感觉。

越多地认识到这种一味总是已经存在,越多地如果你仔细观察,会发现这种无限的爱也是一种永远存在的感觉,所有更小的感觉都在时间中流转。它完全爱并拥抱每一个它们作为一种一味的全满的纹理——从现在的这一刻到下一刻,再到下一刻。所以在所有传统判断的经验背后,它们可能相对来说是真实或虚假的,好的或坏的,高尚的或令人厌恶的,正确的或错误的,最终没有什么在整个世界上你不深深地和完全地爱。

这种极乐和爱,是终极自由和全满的感觉,是你每一个感知、冲动、感觉和体验的内在衬里。随着你练习让见证觉知被认知和注意到你自己的永远存在的无头一味,开始让这种深深的幸福或核心极乐,这种纯粹的爱或完全拥抱,显现出来。把它想象成一种爱的极乐或极乐的爱——这并不重要——它们都是从永恒的现在深处辐射出来的。

再一次,这种极乐的爱不是一种在时间中存在的个体感觉或情感,它们来、停留一会儿,然后消失,而是一种不断的、真正永恒存在的背景感觉,在每一个表面感觉下或与之共存,或作为它们。

这种极乐的爱是永恒的现在的核心,因为这种大写的极乐和大写的爱——这种极乐的爱和爱的极乐——不是像爱与恨或极乐与痛苦这样的典型情感,它们在时间中存在,来、停留一会儿,然后消失,而是终极见证者的永恒自由和非二元一味的永恒全满的品质。

所以你会开始感觉到,在你所有的其他感觉之下,如果它们仍然存在,一种不断的背景感觉,贯穿你的整个身体从头到脚的一种极乐的爱,并从你的深处辐射出来,拥抱整个世界。从现在开始,你所感觉到的任何东西,都是见证者的极乐和一味的爱的基本组合。两者同时发生,因为一味及其爱超越并包含了见证者及其极乐。

(对于那些对Adi Da有印象的人,记住他选择作为他的灵性名字的词汇是他认为最能代表终极现实的:Love-Ananda,或者说爱-极乐。)

随着见证者的认知渐渐让位于一味,并不再作为一个独立的现实出现,它的极乐也渐渐融合为一种全包的大爱。见证者的快乐或深深的幸福感是因为见证者从整个显现世界中彻底自由。但随着一味的出现,从整个世界中完全自由变成了与整个世界的根本合一。从turiya到turiyatita的转变在某种意义上是一个急剧的转变——禅宗说“桶底破了”。这种觉知有一个底部的感觉——即在觉知中有一个固体底部,任何感觉有一个主体或见证者,任何感觉有一个独立的自我在这里看着外面的世界——作为防止更真实的合一或非二元的主要二元对立。

当见证者不再作为一个独立的现实出现,并通过无头状态与整个世界合一时,它回归到它一直以来的内在方面,这就是觉知的认知或知晓维度。

同样,当这种情况发生时,见证者的快乐感觉融入了一味的全包爱——因此是一种极乐的爱或爱的极乐,任何持续的时刻都是这种感觉。见证者从一切中自由的极乐感觉确实与一切的合一爱融合。

见证者在世界之外站立,自由地见证整个世界在其前方涌现的感觉,与整个世界的根本合一感觉融合,世界现在不是在其前面涌现,而是在其内涌现。特别是当你进入一个无头的统一状态时,仍然有见证觉知的感觉,但它完全与整个世界合一,整个世界在其内涌现(就在你认为你的头的位置)。不再有主体或甚至一个绝对的主观性在一切之外站立;只有一个非二元的真如或如此,主体和客体完全合一,因此“外面的”世界在你自己的觉知中完全涌现(就在你认为你头的位置)。

仍然有一种极乐的自由感,但这种极乐的自由伸展并拥抱,给每一个涌现的事物一个巨大的爱的亲吻。内外都让位于一个单一的无头一味——那是一种极乐的爱和爱的极乐,自由与全满以其全部存在相拥。你不再从世界中自由,你是与世界完全合一,无论那个世界是什么——粗的、细的、因的、第四状态、第五状态,还是所有的。

如果你在将见证者与一味结合方面有困难——即同时练习极乐和爱——我将在第十九章的“极乐与爱的终极合一”部分提供一些指导。在那部分,你将学习先进入无头的合一状态——在这种状态下,“外面的”所有对象直接被感知为“在这里”,就在你认为你头的位置,以至于“外面”和“里面”直接被感知为一体,一个单一的体验,“仅此而已”。然后把你感觉到的树木“在这里”,就在你头的位置,与一个全包的爱的感觉认同起来,以至于整个世界被感知为在这个无头的、统一的爱中涌现。

简单地感觉你的无头状态完全与一个全包的爱的觉知合一。感觉这种无头状态的统一是一种对你所觉知的一切的全包爱。在这种非二元的、统一的、无头状态下,你的见证将融入并成为这种一味的状态,因此见证者的极乐也成为这种无头的爱的一个部分。因此,当你看向世界时,通过一种极乐的爱觉知来看。这就是说,你开始感觉到你自己的无头一味所产生的爱完全被极乐所渗透——一个真正的极乐的爱无头一味。

Someone on reddit just described to me his journey from the I AM realization to the dissolution of the witness (the *DISSOLVING* away of the sense of Awareness being a formless and infinite Eternal Witness underlying everything or like a canvas residing behind everything, once thought to be ultimate at the I AM phase) and dissolving into everything. I told him that is not yet anatta insight, but "nondual".

Dissolution of witness can be into an overarching awareness like One Mind, or even when One Mind dissolves into the mere luminous sceneries, taste, touch, sensations, it is still as a form of peak experience of No Mind rather than realization of Anatta. I will also add a brief note about what is post anatta at the very bottom of this post.
15/4/13 12:41:53 AM: John Tan: In this case (One Mind) all is being consumed/subsumed into the source
15/4/13 12:42:45 AM: John Tan: Sound is consciousness is not one mind but no mind
15/4/13 12:44:02 AM: John Tan: When the hearer is gone and there is only sound, that sound is precisely consciousness
15/4/13 12:45:15 AM: John Tan: That is the experience of no-mind
15/4/13 12:50:31 AM: John Tan: No mind is like the mirror becomes transparent and there is just that
15/4/13 12:51:22 AM: John Tan: But the view is the reflection and the mirror is not the same
15/4/13 12:52:09 AM: John Tan: Like sky is not the flowing cloud
John TanFriday, November 22, 2013 at 8:25am UTC+08
But this is also good so that the point that a practitioner may hv clear experience of no mind but a view of one mind..
John TanFriday, November 22, 2013 at 8:26am UTC+08
Thus view, experience and realization
15/4/13 12:53:28 AM: John Tan: Anatta is a realization that there isn't a consciousness besides sound, scenery...etc
15/4/13 12:56:15 AM: John Tan: U c through reification of that agent and get in touch with the base manifestation where the label rely upon
15/4/13 12:57:02 AM: John Tan: So sound is the actual consciousness is referring to
15/4/13 12:57:36 AM: John Tan: There is no consciousness other than that
15/4/13 1:01:13 AM: John Tan: When they see through reification, then phenomena has a different meaning
15/4/13 1:02:04 AM: John Tan: Seeing everything as awareness is not one mind
15/4/13 1:02:52 AM: John Tan: Seeing everything as the same unchanging mind is the problem
15/4/13 1:04:09 AM: John Tan: When u c through reification, u realized "awareness" is just a label point to these manifestations
15/4/13 1:04:32 AM: John Tan: So there is nothing wrong saying that
15/4/13 1:05:24 AM: John Tan: Only when we treat awareness to b of true existence then we r deluded because there isn't any
15/4/13 1:11:14 AM: Soh Wei Yu: I see..
15/4/13 1:11:36 AM: John Tan: In hearing, there is only sound
15/4/13 1:11:57 AM: John Tan: Hearing implies the presence of sound
....
Session Start: Sunday, 29 May, 2011
(7:17 PM) Thusness: anatta is often not correctly understood
it is common that one progress from experience of non-dual to no-mind instead of direct realization into anatta
(7:19 PM) Thusness: many focus on the experience
and there is a lack of clarity to penetrate the differences
so u must be clear of the various phases of insights first and not mistake one for the other
at the same time, refine your experience
these few days...have deeper sleep and exercise more
balance your body energies
The conversation with the redditor:
Soh:
Also on dissolution of witness, a convo with thusness in 2008 (i only realised anatta in late 2010):
(10:34 PM) AEN: ken wilber say the witness must completely disappear into everything
(10:58 PM) Thusness: what ken wilber said is good. 🙂
(10:59 PM) Thusness: That it whether it is realised as a stage or as an insight that has no entry or exit point. 🙂
(10:59 PM) AEN: ken wilber said tat?
(11:00 PM) Thusness: u said "ken wilber say the witness must completely disappear into everything"
(11:00 PM) AEN: ya i mean wat u mean by That it whether it is realised as a stage or as an insight that has no entry or exit point. 🙂
(11:00 PM) Thusness: yes
(11:00 PM) Thusness: what X said is not what ken wilber said.
(11:01 PM) Thusness: it [what X said] is witnessing
(11:01 PM) Thusness: what ken wilber is the dissolving of that witnessing
(11:01 PM) Thusness: what i said is that the dissolving is also an illusion. That is by itself a dualistic view though the experience is there.
(11:02 PM) Thusness: ken wilber said there is a dissolving
(11:03 PM) Thusness: means he actually feel that there is a dissolving
(11:03 PM) Thusness: although he experiences the non-dual, the insight is still not there.
(11:03 PM) AEN: Because at some point, as you inquire into the Witness, and rest in the Witness, the sense of being a Witness “in here” completely vanishes itself, and the Witness turns out to be everything that is witnessed. The causal gives way to the Nondual, and formless mysticism gives way to nondual mysticism. “Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form.”
(11:03 PM) AEN: oic
(11:04 PM) AEN:
Kw: Across the board, the sense of being any sort of Seer or Witness or Self vanishes altogether. You don’t look at the sky, you are the sky. You can taste the sky. It’s not out there. As Zen would say, you can drink the Pacific Ocean in a single gulp, you can swallow the Kosmos whole – precisely because awareness is no longer split into a seeing subject in here and a seen object out there. There is just pure seeing. Consciousness and its display are not-two. (etc)
(11:04 PM) AEN: insight that means anatta?
(11:05 PM) Thusness: insight requires us to have clarity or our nature...that there is no self at all from begining....all is because of dualistic and inherent views...
(11:05 PM) Thusness: i will talk about that later
Mr H:
"This has been my experience as well: "as you inquire into the Witness, and rest in the Witness, the sense of being a Witness “in here” completely vanishes itself, and the Witness turns out to be everything that is witnessed."
Funny enough. I was thinking about this conceptually yesterday and this is exactly how I phrased it: "precisely because awareness is no longer split into a seeing subject in here and a seen object out there."
Your timing is always impeccable. Lol.
Also my feeling self seems to have re-emerged or re-asserted itself. It's very interesting. For example. When I use to see certain people that conjure an image in me when I was in immediacy. I felt nothing and there was no internal activation of image/emotional affect. Now I'm getting emotional innervations again.
I don't even feel a need to push though because I know it's not about forcing anything. I AM is always there and I AM is the one "true" experience."
Soh:
ken wilber only managed to describe from I AM then into the collapse of the witness into nondual awareness, but stays at the level of one mind. it is not yet the anatta realization
xabir Snoovatar
he isn't clear about anatta, and certaintly not clear about anatta as a dharma seal (he sees dissolution of witness as something akin to a stage). on anatta as dharma seal, what i explained here:
...
3) No-Self in terms of what I call realization of Anatta
But then there is b), where one realizes that not only is it the case that all forms are merely modulations of consciousness, in actual fact 'Awareness' or 'Consciousness' is truly and only Everything -- in other words, there is no 'Awareness' or 'Consciousness' besides the very luminous manifestation of the aggregates, whatever is seen, heard, sensed, touched, cognized, smelled...
Anatta is not merely a freeing of personality sort of experience; rather, there is an insight into the complete lack of a self/agent, a doer, a thinker, a watcher, etc, cannot be found apart from the moment to moment flow of manifestation. Non-duality is thoroughly seen to be always already so: here is effortlessness in the non-dual and one realizes that in seeing there is always just scenery (no seer or even seeing besides the colors) and in hearing, always just sounds (never a hearer or even a hearing besides the sounds). A very important point here is that Anatta/No-Self is a Dharma Seal, it is the nature of Reality all the time -- and not merely as a state free from personality, ego or the ‘small self’ or a stage to attain. This means that it does not depend on the level of achievement of a practitioner to experience anatta but Reality has always been Anatta and what is important here is the intuitive insight into it as the nature, characteristic, of phenomenon (dharma seal).
To illustrate further due to the importance of this seal, I would like to borrow a quote from the Bahiya Sutta (http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/…/ajahn-amaro-on-non…)
‘in the seeing, there is just the seen, no seer’, ‘in the hearing, there is just the heard, no hearer’…
If a practitioner were to feel that he has gone beyond the experiences from ‘I hear sound’ to a stage of ‘becoming sound’ or takes that ‘there is just mere sound’, then this experience is again distorted. For in actual case, there is and always is only sound when hearing; never was there a hearer to begin with. Nothing attained for it is always so. This is the main difference between a momentary peak experience (lasting minutes or at most an hour) of non-duality, and a permanent quantum shift of perception that makes that peak experience become a permanent mode of perception.
This is the seal of no-self and can be realized and experienced in all moments; not just a mere concept.
In summary, after the realization of anatta of b), and even a), non-dual no longer becomes a passing peak experience that comes and goes, as the entire paradigm of consciousness, knot of perception, mental proliferation -- the continuous activity of projecting a 'self' or 'subject/object dichotomy' is severed at a more fundamental level as the delusional framework through which one perceives the world is undermined. What I can say is that for me personally, for the past 9+ years after realizing anatta, I have not experienced the slightest sense of subject/object duality or agency at all, not even the slightest trace. That is gone for good and is not merely a peak experience here....
also ken wilber's view falls into substantialist nondualism, thusness stage 4. not yet thusness stage 5. it is also the one mind as distinguished from no mind or anatta realization as explained https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/.../differentiating-i...
also i recommend this article which discusses at length the difference between thusness stage 4 and stage 5:
2008:
(11:46 PM) Thusness: Does ken (Ken Wilber) talk about anatta
(11:46 PM) AEN: no
(11:47 PM) Thusness: Or Advaita sort of understanding
(11:47 PM) AEN: advaita (Ken Wilber is at Thusness Stage 4 http://www.awakeningtoreality.com/.../thusnesss-six... )
(11:47 PM) Thusness: Then y u kept asking me.
(11:47 PM) Thusness: What is anatta?
(11:48 PM) AEN: ya but wat i mean is nondual experience is not as in stage 2 type of passing experience, but as everpresent reality?
(11:48 PM) AEN: anatta is no agent and dependent origination?
(11:48 PM) Thusness: Didn't I tell u understanding non-dual experience as verb. (Soh: refer to my article The Wind is Blowing, Blowing is the Wind)
(11:48 PM) AEN: icic
(11:49 PM) Thusness: Not an entity that is independent and unchanging?
(11:49 PM) AEN: but ken wilber say "You are that, and there is no you – just this entire luminous display spontaneously arising moment to moment. The separate self is nowhere to be found."
(11:50 PM) AEN: *oic
(11:50 PM) Thusness: Non-dual experience is there is clarity of no separation (As in Thusness Stage 4)
(11:51 PM) Thusness: Stage 2 is there is merging
(11:51 PM) Thusness: As if I dissolved and merge..
(11:51 PM) AEN: icic..
(11:52 PM) Thusness: There r two, dual
(11:52 PM) AEN: oic..
(11:52 PM) Thusness: Non-dual is there never was a separation
(11:52 PM) Thusness: No split
(11:53 PM) AEN: icic..
(11:53 PM) Thusness: There is no separate I.
(11:53 PM) AEN: oic..
(11:53 PM) Thusness: But this awareness is still very much constant, permanent and unchanging
(11:54 PM) AEN: icic..
(11:54 PM) Thusness: Anatta goes further and understand exactly what is non-dual experience
(11:55 PM) Thusness: This is a break-through in insight
(11:55 PM) AEN: oic..
(11:55 PM) AEN: its about discerning it as DO?
(11:55 PM) Thusness: There is thinking, no thinker
(11:55 PM) AEN: icic
(11:55 PM) Thusness: Seen no seer
(11:56 PM) Thusness: Sound no hearer
(11:56 PM) AEN: oic
(11:56 PM) Thusness: Understood becoming no being
(11:56 PM) AEN: icic..
(11:57 PM) Thusness: Understand that object@
(11:57 PM) AEN: wat u mean
(11:59 PM) Thusness: Object/subject is the result of compartmentizing 'verb'
(11:59 PM) Thusness: Action
(11:59 PM) AEN: icic..
(11:59 PM) Thusness: Thinking becomes thinker and thoughts
(11:59 PM) Thusness: That is anatta
(12:00 AM) Thusness: It is the direct experience that there is no thinker, just thoughts
(12:01 AM) Thusness: In seeing, always only the seen.
(12:01 AM) AEN: is this wat u mean by nondual yet permanent (for ken wilber):
You are not the one who experiences liberation; you are the clearing, the opening, the emptiness, in which any experience comes and goes, like reflections on the mirror. And you are the mirror, the mirror mind, and not any experienced reflection. But you are not apart from the reflections, standing back and watching. You are everything that is arising moment to moment. You can swallow the whole cosmos in one gulp, it is so small, and you can taste the sky without moving an inch.
(12:01 AM) AEN: icic..
(12:03 AM) Thusness: Yes what I called desync of view and non-dual experience
(12:04 AM) Thusness: When insight arises, there is no desync
(12:04 AM) AEN: oic..
(12:05 AM) Thusness: Non-dual experience is clearly understood because there never was one.
(12:05 AM) Thusness: It is always only manifestation
(12:06 AM) AEN: there never was what?
(12:06 AM) Thusness: DO is the operation mechanism of the Transience
(12:06 AM) Thusness: A self
(12:06 AM) AEN: icic..
(12:10 AM) Thusness: It is very difficult to have such clarity
(12:11 AM) Thusness: Only Buddha has it
(12:11 AM) AEN: oic..
(12:12 AM) Thusness: Even buddhist practitioners have so much mis-conceptions
(12:12 AM) Thusness: They can't see how consistent and precise the teaching is
(12:13 AM) AEN: icic..
(12:14 AM) AEN: btw this is not yet nondual experience rite, more like I AM?:
(12:14 AM) AEN: "the world moves forward as it is..... but instead of seeing the diversity as the ulitmate the One underneath it all is rested in..... Like the ocean reality or maya is simply the surface waves of moving consciousness.... shakti which manifests the underlying Ocean of Consciousness into a limited visible form..... But what is beneath and around and within that form is simply the same consciousness which comprises the Whole of the Ocean.... But in the calm of the depths you know the vastness instead of the limited......"
(12:16 AM) Thusness: Yes
(12:16 AM) AEN: icic
(12:17 AM) Thusness: Under the influence of the 'bond' without knowing it
(12:17 AM) AEN: oic..
(12:17 AM) Thusness: Stage 1 to 6 cannot be skipped
(12:17 AM) AEN: wat do u mean
(12:18 AM) Thusness: Best experienced that way.
(12:18 AM) AEN: oic
(12:18 AM) Thusness: A practitioner cannot skip stages
(12:18 AM) AEN: but buddhist path skips some rite
(12:18 AM) AEN: like dharma dan never go through 'i am'
(12:18 AM) Thusness: Yes
(12:19 AM) Thusness: the depth of clarity will not be there
(12:19 AM) Thusness: Like grimnexus see 4 same as 5.
(12:20 AM) Thusness: But a person that undergone knows clearly.
(12:21 AM) AEN: oic
(12:21 AM) AEN: ya he tot its the same
(12:21 AM) AEN: btw grimnexus at stage 4 rite
(12:21 AM) Thusness: Like ken and Ajahn amaro, seems the same but even Ajahn Amaro thought it is the same.
(12:21 AM) AEN: long time nv see him online liao, he like never came online for many months
(12:21 AM) AEN: oic
(12:21 AM) Thusness: Why u worry so much abt others ppl stage?
(12:22 AM) AEN: lol
(12:23 AM) Thusness: Rather pray hard that u will not be misled and go through countless lives of rebirth again
(12:23 AM) AEN: oic..
(12:23 AM) Thusness: What u must have is to correctly discern
(12:24 AM) AEN: icic..
(12:25 AM) Thusness: If u want to hv clarity of the essence of the six phases, discern and understand correctly.
(12:25 AM) Thusness: What if I m no more around?
(12:25 AM) AEN: oic..
(12:26 AM) Thusness: If Ajahn Amaro cannot know the diff, much less is others
(12:26 AM) AEN: icic..
(12:26 AM) AEN: dharma dan leh
(12:26 AM) Thusness: Rather ask urself have u correctly understood then abt others
(12:27 AM) AEN: icic..
(12:27 AM) Thusness: How I know?
(12:27 AM) AEN: oic
(12:27 AM) Thusness: U kept asking abt others, I worry more abt u.
(12:27 AM) AEN: icic..
(12:28 AM) Thusness: If u know, u will be able to know r they there.
(12:28 AM) AEN: oic..
(12:29 AM) Thusness: Like ken and Ajahn Amaro clearly have same experience but different understanding
(12:29 AM) Thusness: David loy treat them the same too.
(12:29 AM) Thusness: Not realizing the differences
(12:30 AM) AEN: icic..
(12:30 AM) Thusness: So have the right understanding
(12:31 AM) Thusness: One is abiding, the other is non-abiding
(12:32 AM) AEN: icic..
(12:32 AM) Thusness: One is still efforting, the other is effortless
(12:32 AM) AEN: oic..
(12:33 AM) Thusness: One is Brahman, the other is DO
(12:34 AM) Thusness: One is mirror, the other is pure manifestation
(12:34 AM) AEN: icic..
(12:36 AM) Thusness: 'Self' is grasped unknowingly because it is independent, changeless
(12:36 AM) Thusness: Therefore they can't treasure the Transience
(12:37 AM) Thusness: They can't c conditions
(12:37 AM) AEN: oic..
(12:37 AM) Thusness: The Transience and conditions are most sacred
(12:38 AM) Thusness: How can Self c this?
(12:38 AM) AEN: icic..
(12:39 AM) Thusness: But one must know the emptiness nature of Transience, unfindable and ungraspable
(12:39 AM) Thusness: And rises when condition is
(12:40 AM) AEN: oic..
(12:40 AM) Thusness: When we say attributes, we r referring to the empty nature of awareness
(12:41 AM) AEN: wat u mean
(12:41 AM) Thusness: But awareness is full of colors
(12:41 AM) AEN: u mean attributelessness?
(12:41 AM) AEN: icic
(12:41 AM) Thusness: Like 'redness' of a flower
(12:42 AM) AEN: icic..
(12:42 AM) Thusness: But to advaitins, it is absence
(12:42 AM) Thusness: Nothing to do with awareness
(12:43 AM) AEN: u mean they see awareness as formless?
(12:43 AM) Thusness: yes
(12:43 AM) AEN: icic
(12:44 AM) Thusness: Means absence of attributes as colorless, formless
(12:44 AM) Thusness: But what buddhism is referring is its emptiness nature
(12:45 AM) Thusness: Not that there is a real formless entity
(12:45 AM) AEN: oic..
(12:45 AM) Thusness: Awareness is appearances appearing when condition is
(12:46 AM) AEN: icic..
(12:46 AM) Thusness: awareness is not free of thoughts
(12:46 AM) Thusness: To advaitins, it is.
(12:47 AM) Thusness: To buddhist practitioner, thought is awareness
(12:48 AM) Thusness: One thought arises
(12:48 AM) Thusness: Next one
(12:48 AM) Thusness: Like what Ajahn Amaro said
(12:48 AM) Thusness: There is no worry abt no thought, no conceptuality
(12:49 AM) Thusness: All will be experienced in their most vivid forms
(12:49 AM) Thusness: I got to go now.
(12:49 AM) AEN: oic..
(12:49 AM) AEN: ok gd nite
(12:49 AM) Thusness: Nite
....
15/4/13 12:53:28 AM: John Tan: Anatta is a realization that there isn't a consciousness besides sound, scenery...etc
15/4/13 12:56:15 AM: John Tan: U c through reification of that agent and get in touch with the base manifestation where the label rely upon
15/4/13 12:57:02 AM: John Tan: So sound is the actual consciousness is referring to
15/4/13 12:57:36 AM: John Tan: There is no consciousness other than that
15/4/13 1:01:13 AM: John Tan: When they see through reification, then phenomena has a different meaning
15/4/13 1:02:04 AM: John Tan: Seeing everything as awareness is not one mind
15/4/13 1:02:52 AM: John Tan: Seeing everything as the same unchanging mind is the problem
15/4/13 1:04:09 AM: John Tan: When u c through reification, u realized "awareness" is just a label point to these manifestations
15/4/13 1:04:32 AM: John Tan: So there is nothing wrong saying that
15/4/13 1:05:24 AM: John Tan: Only when we treat awareness to b of true existence then we r deluded because there isn't any
15/4/13 1:11:14 AM: Soh Wei Yu: I see..
15/4/13 1:11:36 AM: John Tan: In hearing, there is only sound
15/4/13 1:11:57 AM: John Tan: Hearing implies the presence of sound
14/5/13 9:39:15 PM: John Tan: One mind is different
14/5/13 9:40:04 PM: John Tan: One mind as I told u is the witness is gone but subsume into an overarching Awareness
14/5/13 9:40:31 PM: Soh Wei Yu: Is there a distinct phase of one mind in your seven stages?
14/5/13 9:40:48 PM: John Tan: Phase 4
14/5/13 9:41:23 PM: Soh Wei Yu: But u said phase 4 u already realised anatta and experience no mind?
14/5/13 9:41:51 PM: Soh Wei Yu: So does that mean the insight already arise by tendency to sink back to one mind is still there
14/5/13 9:42:03 PM: Soh Wei Yu: But
14/5/13 9:42:17 PM: John Tan: All such gray area is put onto phase 4 insight when view isn't completely clear
14/5/13 9:42:44 PM: John Tan: There is no way to describe the grey scale
14/5/13 9:43:24 PM: John Tan: Even in anatta there r so many different degree of refinements
14/5/13 9:43:34 PM: Soh Wei Yu: I see
14/5/13 9:43:59 PM: John Tan: But it is not practical to talk abt all
14/5/13 9:44:44 PM: Soh Wei Yu: Oic.. U mean not describable
14/5/13 9:45:32 PM: John Tan: No...not that it is not describable but not practical to describe
14/5/13 9:46:48 PM: John Tan: Like AF is part of the deviation looking into purely physical flesh and blood of pure experience ... Some went into details some does not
14/5/13 9:47:51 PM: Soh Wei Yu: What do u mean by went into details
14/5/13 9:48:54 PM: John Tan: It is like I M, there r all those experiences u undergone but I do not say they r diff phases
14/4/13 7:35:01 PM: John Tan: When u say "weather", does weather exist?
14/4/13 7:35:20 PM: Soh Wei Yu: No
14/4/13 7:35:42 PM: Soh Wei Yu: It's a convention imputed on a seamless activity
14/4/13 7:35:54 PM: Soh Wei Yu: Existence and non existence don't apply
14/4/13 7:36:02 PM: John Tan: What is the basis where this label rely on
14/4/13 7:36:16 PM: Soh Wei Yu: Rain clouds wind etc
14/4/13 7:36:25 PM: John Tan: Don't talk prasanga
14/4/13 7:36:36 PM: John Tan: Directly see
14/4/13 7:38:11 PM: John Tan: Rain too is a label
14/4/13 7:39:10 PM: John Tan: But in direct experience, there is no issue but when probed, u realized how one is confused abt the reification from language
14/4/13 7:39:52 PM: John Tan: And from there life/death/creation/cessation arise
14/4/13 7:40:06 PM: John Tan: And whole lots of attachment
14/4/13 7:40:25 PM: John Tan: But it does not mean there is no basis...get it?
14/4/13 7:40:45 PM: Soh Wei Yu: The basis is just the experience right
14/4/13 7:41:15 PM: John Tan: Yes which is plain and simple
14/4/13 7:41:50 PM: John Tan: When we say the weather is windy
14/4/13 7:42:04 PM: John Tan: Feel the wind, the blowing...
14/4/13 7:43:04 PM: John Tan: But when we look at language and mistaken verb for nouns there r big issues
14/4/13 7:43:22 PM: John Tan: So before we talk abt this and that
14/4/13 7:43:40 PM: John Tan: Understand what consciousness is and awareness is
14/4/13 7:43:45 PM: John Tan: Get it?
14/4/13 7:44:40 PM: John Tan: When we say weather, feel the sunshine, the wind, the rain
14/4/13 7:44:58 PM: John Tan: U do not search for weather
14/4/13 7:45:04 PM: John Tan: Get it?
14/4/13 7:45:57 PM: John Tan: Similarly, when we say awareness, look into scenery, sound, tactile sensations, scents and thoughts
......................
"So what is one mind, what is no mind and what is original mind in this context? One mind is post non-dual but subsuming leaving trace. No mind is just one mind except that there is evenness till the last trace is gone. Like what explains in the text. Uji...all is time therefore no time. When you go from dual to non dual or one mind to no mind, those are stages and experiences... If u got the condition to get pointed out that originally there never was a mind, there are no stages to climb... that is original mind. This requires insights and wisdom." - John Tan, 2020
(Note by Soh: the original mind spoken here does not mean some unborn metaphysical primordial mind such as the I AM, but the originally, already-is nature of mind -- empty of itself -- "originally there never was a mind", empty of all self/Self)
.....
Soh:
xabir Snoovatar
stage 5 anatta insight in particular requires this insight:
No nouns are necessary to initiate verbs
Xabir = Soh
User avatar
level 1
Fishskull3
· 9 hr. ago
Everything isn’t made of awareness, it quite literally is awareness itself. In your direct experience there isn’t anything inside looking out at something. the very thing that you presently think is the “seen” is the ongoing activity of the “seer” or awareness.
3level 2
xabir
· just now
I like your answer. Also, I would like to add, awareness is none other than the ongoing activity. It is not the case that awareness is an unchanging substance modulating as everything. 'Awareness' is just like a word like 'weather', a mere name denoting the ongoing dynamic activities of raining wetting sun shining wind blowing lightning strike and so on and on. 'Awareness' has no intrinsic existence of its own than moment to moment manifestation, even if at that moment it is just a mere sense of formless Existence, that too is another 'foreground' non-dual manifestation and not an unchanging background.
Just like there is no lightning besides flash (lightning is flashing -- lightning is just another name for flash and is not the agent behind flash), no wind besides blowing, no water besides flowing, no nouns or agents are needed to initiate verbs. There never was an agent, a seer, or even a seeing, besides colors, never an agent, a hearer, or even a hearing, besides sound. Anatta.
Some excerpts from the 2nd most famous Buddhist masters (right after the Dalai Lama) of our time, the Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh :
some other quotations which Thusness/PasserBy liked from the book --"When we say I know the wind is blowing, we don't think that there is something blowing something else. "Wind' goes with 'blowing'. If there is no blowing, there is no wind. It is the same with knowing. Mind is the knower; the knower is mind. We are talking about knowing in relation to the wind. 'To know' is to know something. Knowing is inseparable from the wind. Wind and knowing are one. We can say, 'Wind,' and that is enough. The presence of wind indicates the presence of knowing, and the presence of the action of blowing'.""..The most universal verb is the verb 'to be'': I am, you are, the mountain is, a river is. The verb 'to be' does not express the dynamic living state of the universe. To express that we must say 'become.' These two verbs can also be used as nouns: 'being", "becoming". But being what? Becoming what? 'Becoming' means 'evolving ceaselessly', and is as universal as the verb "to be." It is not possible to express the "being" of a phenomenon and its "becoming" as if the two were independent. In the case of wind, blowing is the being and the becoming....""In any phenomena, whether psychological, physiological, or physical, there is dynamic movement, life. We can say that this movement, this life, is the universal manifestation, the most commonly recognized action of knowing. We must not regard 'knowing' as something from the outside which comes to breathe life into the universe. It is the life of the universe itself. The dance and the dancer are one."
----------------
Comments by Thusness/PasserBy: "...as a verb, as action, there can be no concept, only experience. Non-dual anatta (no-self) is the experience of subject/Object as verb, as action. There is no mind, only mental activities... ...Source as the passing phenomena... and how non-dual appearance is understood from Dependent Origination perspective."
.............
Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh:"When we say it's raining, we mean that raining is taking place. You don't need someone up above to perform the raining. It's not that there is the rain, and there is the one who causes the rain to fall. In fact, when you say the rain is falling, it's very funny, because if it weren't falling, it wouldn't be rain. In our way of speaking, we're used to having a subject and a verb. That's why we need the word "it" when we say, "it rains." "It" is the subject, the one who makes the rain possible. But, looking deeply, we don't need a "rainer," we just need the rain. Raining and the rain are the same. The formations of birds and the birds are the same -- there's no "self," no boss involved. There's a mental formation called vitarka, "initial thought."
When we use the verb "to think" in English, we need a subject of the verb: I think, you think, he thinks. But, really, you don't need a subject for a thought to be produced. Thinking without a thinker -- it's absolutely possible. To think is to think about something. To perceive is to perceive something. The perceiver and the perceived object that is perceived are one.When Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am," his point was that if I think, there must be an "I" for thinking to be possible. When he made the declaration "I think," he believed that he could demonstrate that the "I" exists. We have the strong habit or believing in a self. But, observing very deeply, we can see that a thought does not need a thinker to be possible. There is no thinker behind the thinking -- there is just the thinking; that's enough. Now, if Mr. Descartes were here, we might ask him, "Monsieur Descartes, you say, 'You think, therefore you are.' But what are you? You are your thinking. Thinking -- that's enough. Thinking manifests without the need of a self behind it."Thinking without a thinker. Feeling without a feeler. What is our anger without our 'self'? This is the object of our meditation. All the fifty-one mental formations take place and manifest without a self behind them arranging for this to appear, and then for that to appear. Our mind consciousness is in the habit of basing itself on the idea of self, on manas.
But we can meditate to be more aware of our store consciousness, where we keep the seeds of all those mental formations that are not currently manifesting in our mind. When we meditate, we practice looking deeply in order to bring light and clarity into our way of seeing things. When the vision of no-self is obtained, our delusion is removed. This is what we call transformation. In the Buddhist tradition, transformation is possible with deep understanding. The moment the vision of no-self is there, manas, the elusive notion of 'I am,' disintegrates, and we find ourselves enjoying, in this very moment, freedom and happiness."
1
Labels: Anatta |
P.s. I mentioned that I will briefly mention about what's after anatta. Although most of my sharings are only up to anatta because I think it's pointless to discuss the deeper insights with someone that still has not broken through I AM and one mind into anatta (and very few have even reached anatta), still it is important after anatta not to stagnant in "in the seen just the seen, no seer" and no agent, but to penetrate further into dependent origination and emptiness/non-arising of all phenomena.
What I share here that I wrote recently doesn't do justice to the profundity of D.O. but is a start:
If what appears does not have any nature and lacks an agent, how does it appear at all?
By dependencies.. like net of indra, one node reflected in all nodes
Each and all factors are the conditions for this illusory and essenceless appearance
Precisely because of its dependencies it is essenceless, precisely because the appearance is essenceless, they originate in dependence.
Each of those conditions are also essenceless and dependent on all other conditions like net of indra
The appearance are ones radiance clarity, and all other conditions like the sense faculty, object, and innumerable conditions exerting as the empty and luminous appearance
If appearance are not empty they would not originate in dependence but have inherent self nature
So when you see something like the room the room is not truly there by itself but depends on the bodily position you stand in the room the room lighting the space and air and your eyes opening and so on exerting that empty luminous appearance of room in a given moment
Its both empty like a reflection and a total exertion of all conditions and mind radiance as one of the conditions. Nothing could exist by itself like one node in net of indra would not appear without being linked to all nodes
......
Also, I like what John Tan wrote in 2009,
Zen Patriarch Bodhidharma on the Inseparability of Awareness and Conditions
The following blog entry is from a post made in my forum on 9th October 2008. It is about seeing awareness as manifestation instead of a mirror reflecting, and seeing the inseparability of awareness and conditions. This is also related to a previous blog entry Dependent Arising of Consciousness which contains a related text by Arya Nagarjuna.
---------------
Passerby/Thusness saw some inadequateness in one of the Zen Patriarch Bodhidharma translations, and translated himself a certain passage and commented on my forum:
Original Chinese text from Bodhidharma's Bloodstream Sermon (血脉论): 若智慧明了,此心号名法性,亦名解脱。生死不拘,一切法拘它不得,是名大自在王如来;亦名不思议,亦名圣体,亦名长生不死,亦名大仙。名虽不同,体即是一。圣人种种分别,皆不离自心。心量广大,应用无穷,应眼见色,应耳闻声,应鼻嗅香,应舌知味,乃至施为运动,皆是自心。
(I myself translated certain parts to fill in the gap): With the illumination of wisdom (prajna), mind is known as Dharma Nature, mind is known as Liberation. Neither life nor death can restrain this mind, no dharmas (phenomenon) can. It’s also called the King of Great Freedom Tathagata, the Incomprehensible, the Holy Essence, the Immortality, the Great Immortal. Its names vary but its essence is one. Sages vary, but none are separate from his own mind. The mind’s capacity is limitless, and its conditional functions are inexhaustible. With the condition of eyes, forms are seen, With the condition of ears, sounds are heard, With the condition of nose, smells are smelled, With the condition of tongue, tastes are tasted, every movement or states are all one's Mind.
Comments by Passerby/Thusness:
若智慧明了,此心号名法性,亦名解脱。
A better way to translate this should be:
With the illumination of wisdom (prajna), mind is known as Dharma Nature, mind is known as Liberation.
Comments: It is important to know that mind is itself liberation. That is why knowing the nature of our mind is the way of liberation. If Liberation is not experienced, then the clarity is still not there. There is no true understanding of what mind is.
Liberation is this Pristine Awareness itself in its natural state. That is why understanding this Pristine Awareness is the direct path towards liberation. If we cannot see that the 5 aggregates are themselves our Buddha Nature, then we will not understand there is nothing to shunt from the transience. Thought liberates, sound liberates, tastes liberates. The transience liberates. If we do not see that, then we are taking a gradual path. It is also not advisable to speak too much about spontaneous arising or self liberation. It can be quite misleading.
----------------
应眼见色,应耳闻声,应鼻嗅香,应舌知味,乃至施为运动,皆是自心。
A better way to translate should be:
With the condition of the eye, forms are seen, With the condition of ears, sounds are heard, With the condition of nose, smells are smelled, With the condition of tongue, tastes are tasted, every movement or states are all one's Mind.
Thusness/Passerby's comments:
Here there are 2 important points to take note. First is that Buddha Nature is the transience. Second it is more of '应'. Means with the condition of the eye, forms arise. With ears, sound arises.
Awareness is not like a mirror reflecting but rather a manifestation. Luminosity is an arising luminous manifestation rather than a mirror reflecting. The center here is being replaced with Dependent Origination, the experience however is non-dual.
One must learn how to see Appearances as Awareness and all others as conditions. Example, sound is awareness. The person, the stick, the bell, hitting, air, ears...are conditions. One should learn to see in this way. All problems arise because we cannot experience Awareness this way.
Conventionally we experience in the form of subject and object interaction taking place in a space-time continuum. This is just an assumption. Experientially it is not so. One should learn to experience awareness as the manifestation. There is no subject, there is only and always manifestation, all else are conditions of arising. All these are just provisional explanations for one to understand.
Further comments:
What's seen is Awareness. What's heard is Awareness. All experiences are non-dual in nature. However this non-dual luminosity cannot be understood apart from the ‘causes and conditions’ of arising. Therefore do not see ‘yin’ as Awareness interacting with external conditions. If you see it as so, then it still falls in the category of mirror-reflecting. Rather see it as an instantaneous manifestation where nothing is excluded. As if the universe is giving its very best for this moment to arise. A moment is complete and non-dual. Vividly manifest and thoroughly gone leaving no traces.
Other comments:
Phrase like “everything arises from Emptiness and subsides back to Emptiness” is equally misleading. By doing so, we have made ‘Emptiness’ into a metaphysical essence; similarly not to make the same mistake for “causes and conditions”, not to objectify it into a metaphysical essence. All are provisional terms to point to our insubstantial, essence-less and interdependent nature.
Labels: Anatta, Dependent Origination, Zen, Zen Patriarch Bodhidharma |



….

More quotes by Soh:

Ken wilber holds wrong view. He still clings to a delusory identity of awareness as unchanging



2007:


(3:55 PM) Thusness:    it is not to deny the existence of the luminosity

(3:55 PM) Thusness:    the knowingness

(3:55 PM) Thusness:    but rather to have the correct view of what consciousness is.

(3:56 PM) Thusness:    like non-dual

(3:56 PM) Thusness:    i said there is no witness apart from the manifestation, the witness is really the manifestation

(3:56 PM) Thusness:    this is the first part

(3:56 PM) Thusness:    since the witness is the manifestation, how is it so?

(3:57 PM) Thusness:    how is the one is really the many?

(3:57 PM) AEN:    conditions?

(3:57 PM) Thusness:    saying that the one is the many is already wrong.

(3:57 PM) Thusness:    this is using conventional way of expression.

(3:57 PM) Thusness:    for in reality, there is no such thing of the 'one'

(3:57 PM) Thusness:    and the many

(3:58 PM) Thusness:    there is only arising and ceasing due to emptiness nature

(3:58 PM) Thusness:    and the arising and ceasing itself is the clarity.

(3:58 PM) Thusness:    there is no clarity apart from the phenomena

(4:00 PM) Thusness:    if we experience non-dual like ken wilber and talk about the atman.

(4:00 PM) Thusness:    though the experience is true, the understanding is wrong.

(4:00 PM) Thusness:    this is similar to "I AM".

(4:00 PM) Thusness:    except that it is higher form of experience.

(4:00 PM) Thusness:    it is non-dual.



So although experience is nondual there is no real breakthrough needed for liberation



Better look into zen master dogen



As John Tan said in 2007 about Dogen, “Dogen is a great Zen master that has penetrated deeply into a very deep level of anatman.”, “Read about Dogen… he is truly a great Zen master… ...[Dogen is] one of the very few Zen Masters that truly knows.”, “Whenever we read the most basic teachings of Buddha, it is most profound. Don't ever say we understand it. Especially when it comes to Dependent Origination, which is the most profound truth in Buddhism*. Never say that we understand it or have experienced it. Even after a few years of experience in non-duality, we can't understand it. The one great Zen master that came closest to it is Dogen, that sees temporality as buddha nature, that see transients as living truth of dharma and the full manifestation of buddha nature.” 


"When you ride in a boat and watch the shore, you might assume that the shore is moving. But when you keep your eyes closely on the boat, you can see that the boat moves. Similarly, if you examine many things with a confused mind, you might suppose that your mind and nature are permanent. But when you practice intimately and return to where you are, it will be clear that there is nothing that has unchanging self.


- Dogen"




“Buddha-nature

For Dōgen, Buddha-nature or Busshō (佛性) is the nature of reality and all Being. In the Shōbōgenzō, Dōgen writes that "whole-being is the Buddha-nature" and that even inanimate objects (rocks, sand, water) are an expression of Buddha-nature. He rejected any view that saw Buddha-nature as a permanent, substantial inner self or ground. Dōgen held that Buddha-nature was "vast emptiness", "the world of becoming" and that "impermanence is in itself Buddha-nature".[39] According to Dōgen: 

Therefore, the very impermanency of grass and tree, thicket and forest is the Buddha nature. The very impermanency of men and things, body and mind, is the Buddha nature. Nature and lands, mountains and rivers, are impermanent because they are the Buddha nature. Supreme and complete enlightenment, because it is impermanent, is the Buddha nature.[40]”

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C5%8Dgen 




"To say that the mind is rattled and the nature is composed is the view of other ways; to say that the nature is clear and deep and the form shifts and moves is the view of other ways. The study of the mind and study of the nature on the way of the buddha are not like this. The practice of the mind and practice of the nature on the way of the buddha are not equivalent to the other ways. The clarification of the mind and the clarification of the nature on the way of the buddha, the other ways have no share in."

(Dogen: Talking of the Mind, Talking of the Nature)


Dzogchen teacher Acarya Malcolm Smith: 

Excellent case in point.




….




http://books.google.com.sg/books?id=H6A674nlkVEC&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21



From Bendowa, by Zen Master Dogen



Question Ten:



Some have said: Do not concern yourself about birth-and-death. There is a way to promptly rid yourself of birth-and-death. It is by grasping the reason for the eternal immutability of the 'mind-nature.' The gist of it is this: although once the body is born it proceeds inevitably to death, the mind-nature never perishes. Once you can realize that the mind-nature, which does not transmigrate in birth-and-death, exists in your own body, you make it your fundamental nature. Hence the body, being only a temporary form, dies here and is reborn there without end, yet the mind is immutable, unchanging throughout past, present, and future. To know this is to be free from birth-and-death. By realizing this truth, you put a final end to the transmigratory cycle in which you have been turning. When your body dies, you enter the ocean of the original nature. When you return to your origin in this ocean, you become endowed with the wondrous virtue of the Buddha-patriarchs. But even if you are able to grasp this in your present life, because your present physical existence embodies erroneous karma from prior lives, you are not the same as the sages.



"Those who fail to grasp this truth are destined to turn forever in the cycle of birth-and-death. What is necessary, then, is simply to know without delay the meaning of the mind-nature's immutability. What can you expect to gain from idling your entire life away in purposeless sitting?"



What do you think of this statement? Is it essentially in accord with the Way of the Buddhas and patriarchs?







Answer 10:



You have just expounded the view of the Senika heresy. It is certainly not the Buddha Dharma.



According to this heresy, there is in the body a spiritual intelligence. As occasions arise this intelligence readily discriminates likes and dislikes and pros and cons, feels pain and irritation, and experiences suffering and pleasure - it is all owing to this spiritual intelligence. But when the body perishes, this spiritual intelligence separates from the body and is reborn in another place. While it seems to perish here, it has life elsewhere, and thus is immutable and imperishable. Such is the standpoint of the Senika heresy.



But to learn this view and try to pass it off as the Buddha Dharma is more foolish than clutching a piece of broken roof tile supposing it to be a golden jewel. Nothing could compare with such a foolish, lamentable delusion. Hui-chung of the T'ang dynasty warned strongly against it. Is it not senseless to take this false view - that the mind abides and the form perishes - and equate it to the wondrous Dharma of the Buddhas; to think, while thus creating the fundamental cause of birth-and-death, that you are freed from birth-and-death? How deplorable! Just know it for a false, non-Buddhist view, and do not lend a ear to it.



I am compelled by the nature of the matter, and more by a sense of compassion, to try to deliver you from this false view. You must know that the Buddha Dharma preaches as a matter of course that body and mind are one and the same, that the essence and the form are not two. This is understood both in India and in China, so there can be no doubt about it. Need I add that the Buddhist doctrine of immutability teaches that all things are immutable, without any differentiation between body and mind. The Buddhist teaching of mutability states that all things are mutable, without any differentiation between essence and form. In view of this, how can anyone state that the body perishes and the mind abides? It would be contrary to the true Dharma.



Beyond this, you must also come to fully realize that birth-and-death is in and of itself nirvana. Buddhism never speaks of nirvana apart from birth-and-death. Indeed, when someone thinks that the mind, apart from the body, is immutable, not only does he mistake it for Buddha-wisdom, which is free from birth-and-death, but the very mind that makes such a discrimination is not immutable, is in fact even then turning in birth-and-death. A hopeless situation, is it not?



You should ponder this deeply: since the Buddha Dharma has always maintained the oneness of body and mind, why, if the body is born and perishes, would the mind alone, separated from the body, not be born and die as well? If at one time body and mind were one, and at another time not one, the preaching of the Buddha would be empty and untrue. Moreover, in thinking that birth-and-death is something we should turn from, you make the mistake of rejecting the Buddha Dharma itself. You must guard against such thinking.



Understand that what Buddhists call the Buddhist doctrine of the mind-nature, the great and universal aspect encompassing all phenomena, embraces the entire universe, without differentiating between essence and form, or concerning itself with birth or death. There is nothing - enlightenment and nirvana included - that is not the mind-nature. All dharmas, the "myriad forms dense and close" of the universe - are alike in being this one Mind. All are included without exception. All those dharmas, which serves as "gates" or entrances to the Way, are the same as one Mind. For a Buddhist to preach that there is no disparity between these dharma-gates indicates that he understands the mind-nature.



In this one Dharma [one Mind], how could there be any differentiate between body and mind, any separation of birth-and-death and nirvana? We are all originally children of the Buddha, we should not listen to madmen who spout non-Buddhist views.