In the AtR group https://www.facebook.com/groups/AwakeningToReality/permalink/4911472082227516/?__cft__[0]=AZVycLqK9QyLOhF_W5ZwjTd9fAl2wa4Vnwyd-hIuv-t_EIkif6Saes8tVWOC-zbk9_Ff0Djm3ISuACVFX3EbyYANp4KNCqnvMNLpWHnO2gXphCe6P7DCr-cJn0DDS2sez5dKrUglhXIMeIqdXLD4cgMqBIIWMb_K3vVCwAYwp1s3u9cY09ncqUqUVwnPNAxrcOs&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R some people commented about Robert Saltzman, about 'not knowing', some people think Robert Saltzman only talked about non-doership and not further insights, etc.


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    Robert Saltzman does talk a lot on non doership. Although, his insight is more than just non-doership. I have read his stuff and listened to some of his talks before, in one of his talks (or was it a facebook post) he did say that he personally went through the I AM/Eternal Witness phase as an initial kensho, before that too collapsed. His final realization is non-dual anatta, it is anatta. But so much into two-fold emptiness.
    John Tan commented before on Robert Saltzman and the 'not knowing' part.
    In response to some of the Robert Saltzman images I sent him (which were sent to me by Hale Oh):

    (Click to view)
     




     
     
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    John Tan responded to the above:
    I think it is very well articulated. However that is only into the first step and taste of anatta.
    After this initial anatta insight and no-mind experience, practitioners must also understand how the language that breaks experiences into subject/action/object paradigm creates confusions abt:
    1. The idea of coming, going, arising, ceasing in relation entity and characteristics. If there is no entities, what do all these mean?
    2. What is meant by "physical"? We r so used to and being so deeply hypnotized into seeing a world that is "objective"...and if we deconstruct the "objective and physical world", does it means pure subjectivity?
    So what is DO? To me, we cannot really understand DO and emptiness without deeply looking into questions...

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    Hale Oh then sent me these which I sent JT:

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    John Tan then replied:
    [9:18 AM, 1/20/2020] John Tan: No time to read yet
    [9:24 AM, 1/20/2020] John Tan: Quite ok.
    [9:43 AM, 1/20/2020] John Tan: Not exactly what I m looking for. This "aliveness", "vibrancy", without essence and self understood from essenceless-ness view...when we say materialism or oneness, pure subjectivity or objectivity, that is essence view. If it is not negating both ends with Neti Neti but by DO, then what does it mean and how does it relates to the nature of experience?
    [9:50 AM, 1/20/2020] John Tan: When the mind stop subscribing from essence view, how is one to orientate oneself and "knowing" is replace by what? Not knowing? Don't have to know? Knowing by way of "what"?
    [10:06 AM, 1/20/2020] John Tan: There is a big difference between "not knowing" and "cannot b classified as such".
    [10:34 AM, 1/20/2020] John Tan: What does the four logical arguments of the middle way do try to achieve? A state of not knowing?
    [12:51 PM, 1/21/2020] Soh Wei Yu: No.. recognition of the nature of phenomena/appearance as free from extremes like reflections

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    Yes, like JT said, part of what I was trying to say to
    Broasca Om
    is that 'not knowing' feels to me like the "dumb" cousin of 'knowing that which is beyond conceptual elaboration', or 'the view free from ontological extremes'.
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    We're not going through profound and complex philosophical analysis and deconstruction to end up with 'not knowing'. That also was one of my criticisms concerning the little I read from Peter Brown.
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      André
      writes, "I'm talking about knowing the nature of phenomena, not non-conceptual concentration."
      Are you trying to mean that you, that anyone, can know the nature of phenomena? What would such nature be?

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      Isn't that the whole point of this inquiry? Natureless nature is one way of put it.

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      Malcolm:
      The idea that things have natures is refuted by Nāgārjuna in the MMK, etc., Bhavaviveka, Candrakīrti, etc., in short by all Madhyamakas.
      A "non-inherent nature" is a contradiction in terms.
      The error of mundane, conventionally-valid perception is to believe that entities have natures, when in fact they do not, being phenomena that arise from conditions. It is quite easy to show a worldly person the contradiction in their thinking. Wetness and water are not two different things; therefore wetness is not the nature of water. Heat and fire are not two different things, therefore, heat is not the nature of fire, etc. For example, one can ask them, "Does wetness depend on water, or water on wetness?" If they claim wetness depends on water, ask them, where is there water that exists without wetness? If they claim the opposite, that water depends on wetness, ask them, where is there wetness that exists without water? If there is no wetness without water nor water without wetness, they can easily be shown that wetness is not a nature of water, but merely a name for the same entity under discussion. Thus, the assertion that wetness is the nature of water cannot survive analysis. The assertion of all other natures can be eliminated in the same way.
      ...
      Then not only are you ignorant of the English language, but you are ignorant of Candrakīrti where, in the Prasannapāda, he states that the only nature is the natureless nature, emptiness.
      Then, if it is asked what is this dharmatā of phenomena, it is the essence of phenomena. If it is ask what is an essence, it is a nature [or an inherent existence, rang bzhin]. If it is asked what is an inherent existence [or nature], it is emptiness. If it is asked what is emptiness, it is naturelessness [or absence of inherent existence]. If it is asked what is the absence of inherent existence [or naturelessness], it is suchness [tathāta]. If it is asked what is suchness, it is the essence of suchness that is unchanging and permanent, that is, because it is not fabricated it does not arise in all aspects and because it is not dependent, it is called the nature [or inherent existence] of fire, etc."
      Labels: Ācārya Malcolm Smith, Emptiness, Madhyamaka |
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  • Yuan Yin Lao Ren left behind tens of thousands of sarira (colorful relics - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Aar%C4%ABra)
     
    Another Chinese teacher clearly expressing anatta.
    John Tan, “Yes very good. But difficult to translate 境”
    Excerpt:
    良由真心如鏡光,一切色、聲、香、味、觸、法,皆如鏡中所現之影。凡夫愚昧無知,背鏡光而取影,造業受報,生死不了;二乘聖人,雖不著塵境,但又背鏡影而住光,以有所住,又成法妄,只了分段生死,不了變易生死;一乘學者,悟透佛法、世法,不即鏡影,亦不離鏡影。以一切影像皆是鏡光所成,鏡即是影,影即是鏡;離鏡無影,離影無鏡,既不可背鏡住影,亦無須離影求鏡。既深知影鏡皆無所住,當能心無愛憎之情,境無取捨之住。
    故學者不必怕妄,但深契一乘玄旨,於境無取無捨,無喜無瞋,則妄自除矣。
    .....
    第七句:「問心何來?因境而起。」
    「心本無生因境有!」這是毘舍浮佛的名言?我人之心—即思想本來沒有因對境而生起影像,執著不捨,才生起妄想,這就是心。這個心是根—心、塵—境集合而生起的,所以叫作「集起為心」,它是六塵落謝的影子,純屬虛幻,無有實體。佛經中所說的「一切唯心造」和「三界唯心,萬法唯識」的「心」字就是指這個由客觀外境反映而生起的虛幻影像心,所以它也是外境,也是客體,而且也不離物質,不可把它看作主觀的心!當作主宰世界的真神而寶貝它。我們做功夫,既要不著森羅萬象的外境!更要把這幻影妄心銷盡。所謂內而身心,外而世界一起銷殞,妙明真心,方才現前。反是,把這虛幻心當作主觀實體!真性就被掩沒不見了。因之!我們所說「一切唯心造」的「心」字!是把它視作被消滅的客觀對象來處理的!並非說它是萬物的主宰者,這要請廣大學佛者搞清楚,不要誤會才好!
    第八句:「境亦不有!同屬幻影!」
    經云:「心不自心,因境故心;境不自境,因心故境。」這就把心與境,境與心的相因相成的關係說得一清二楚。心既因境而有,境亦不能離心獨立,因境係因緣生!無有自體。比如鏡影!雖有萬別千差之相,如無鏡光,影不能現;境亦如是,無心境無成,即或有美景佳境,無心領受鑒賞,有亦同無。以境不自境,不自謂為美妙勝境也。心與境既相對而生,離一即無,則境與心,皆非真實,同屬虛幻之影明矣。或許有人要說,娑婆世界所有景物,皆我人共業所招的業果,假而非真,謂為幻影,可以說得;至於西方極樂世界,乃阿彌陀佛多生歷劫精勤修行,為廣大眾生造福,積累功德,緣熟果滿所感之真境,似不可謂為幻影。
    關於這一點,確應好好討論一下。因為現在修淨土的人很多,如不把淨土真相搞清楚,不明白淨土究竟是怎麼一回事,修行起來不易得力,更談不到深證念佛三昧,上品往生了。
    首先就相來說,娑婆是業障眾生造業所招的五濁惡果,而極樂是彌陀願滿德圓所感的清淨世界,故一是穢濁醜惡,一是美妙莊嚴,大有區別。但土從心生,離心無土,離土無心;心即土,土即心。故經云:「欲淨其土,先淨其心!」「隨其心淨,即佛土淨!」是教我人識得淨土為何物,好下手用功證取,以免徒取外相,流入歧途。
    既然土外無心,心外無土,心土不相分離,而一真法界—真心—又在聖不增,在凡不減,則極樂淨土係從淨妙真心中流出,而娑婆穢土離清淨佛性亦何可得?以是,極樂雖淨,娑婆雖穢,同是真心中顯現之影像,猶如鏡光中顯現之影,雖有形式之殊,淨穢之別,但皆如水中之月,了不可得,絕不可因極樂為淨月影而妄謂可得也。
    次就真假來說,『金剛經』謂:「凡所有相,皆是虛妄!」以相如上文所說皆鏡中之影了不可得,故假而非真,絕不因淨、穢、美、醜而分真假,所以極樂國土,雖盡善盡美,亦是虛妄之相。進一步來說,說真道假,皆是我等凡夫執相立名,妄加分別之過。以所謂真假,乃相對而有,離一即不可得,故皆假名。真假既相對而有,則說真之時,假即在其中矣;說假之時,真亦在其中矣。諺云:「假作真時真亦假。」於無真假處妄作真假,寧非庸人自擾?
    復次,鏡必顯影故,有真心不無假相,無相無從顯示真心,故『彌陀經』宣示極樂莊嚴;影不離鏡故,有假相不無真心,無真心無從成其假相,故『金剛經』顯示妙體,一法不立。性相既不相離,密切有如水之與波,故見相即見性,無有一物可當情,故謂全假即真;見性不廢相,圓成差別妙用,故謂全真即假。真假假真,全是我人妄心作祟,實則靈妙真心,一物不立,有何真假之可言哉?
    故如說極樂世界是真,則娑婆世界亦真;如謂娑婆係假,則極樂亦假。故淨穢二土皆從一真法界中流出,絕不可因在纏凡夫,迷昧真心,造業受報,而否定其靈性,謂所現穢土業相,非從佛性真心中宣流也。
    再說極樂世界,有四土九品之別。最下層凡聖同居土,雖有種種莊嚴妙相,但方便有餘土與實報莊嚴土,則土愈高而相愈清淡妙微,至最高常寂光淨土,則更淨妙微明而一相不立。雖一相不立,亦不出上述三土之外。故執相修行者,只得下品往生,空相見性者,始能往生上品。以是真修淨土者,既不執相,亦不廢相,只一切放下,端身正坐,誠心敬意,執持名號,以呼吸為數珠,晝夜六時,綿綿密密念去,久久不懈,自得念佛三昧。到那時,不等命終生西,已早預上品蓮位矣。
    book853.com
    淺釋_『悟心銘』淺釋 元音老人著
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    2008, John Tan:
    (12:34 AM) Thusness: 元音老人
    (12:38 AM) Thusness: Too bad. He is the level of practitioner I m looking for.
    (12:38 AM) Thusness: But dead liao.
     
    (12:48 AM) Thusness: One that broke the stage 5 and understand 6 but no philosophical concepts
    (12:48 AM) Thusness: Direct experience
     
    (12:50 AM) Thusness: he is the sort of practitioner I seek for.
    (12:50 AM) Thusness: Self liberation

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34We are born anew only when we accept this actual world which is so miserable, imperfect, and rotten as the most perfect, irreplaceable, and infinite one.

...
It was onthe fifth night of the intensive training session in December, when I was 25 years old, that I sat in a graveyard behind the temple, uttering "Muh, Muh, Muh," in a very loud voice. As I was engaged in the whole-hearted utterance of "Muh", I discovered that heaven and earth became "Muh" altogether. When I uttered "Muh" I discovered that the whole universe became "Muh". When I uttered "Uhh", the whole universe became "Uhh". All things became settled in that experience. As you are, so is the universe. The whole universe responds to your act. When you go to the bathroom, you have the universe of the bathroom. You have no other universe than this. There is no origin and no occasion for the creation of a new universe other than this place and this occasion. Between heaven and earth there is only this event. We stand at the origin of the creation of the universe. There is nothing less and nothing more than this.
...
The realization of life is nothing more than the realization of death. Doing something with all your heart and forgetting yourself in it is the ultimate truth.
...
Zazen, running, conversation, reading, considering (and taking responsibility for) the problems of the world, having dinner or taking a bath... whatever you are doing now -that is the daily reality for you: do not try to escape it.Each thing we are doing or facing now is our true reality, our true encounter. This is exactly the point. Whatever you are doing now, do it. Just do it. Don't avoid it. If you escape from this, you are always escaping towards some future, from the cradle to the grave.
...
When you have lunch, you should just have lunch. Otherwise you are not living in this world.
...
The fixed state is one where there is no new death, no new birth, in other words, just "habit". As long as one is alive, one should be continually dying and being born in every encounter, so that the enlightened life flows forever. Every sitting is the realization of a new world which one is seeing for the very first time
...
We often say, "See you again soon", or, "I practise zazen twice a day". But is it the same zazen? Can we repeat anything a second time? Will you be the same "You" tomorrow or next year? Unconsciously we believe that our lives are full of repetitions, but in fact nothing is ever the same: it is impossible to repeat anything. Each time, out of necessity, our practice is utterly new and different.
...
63Whatever I may do -such as Zen, yoga, or living my daily life -I do whole-heartedly, by throwing myself away and letting life take its natural course completely. But if my manner becomes habitual or self-righteous, then anything I do will be wrong. It will be good for nothing.This advice is helpful to remind us always to make a fresh start, no matter how many years we have been practising. This is one of the fundamental admonitions we should keep in mind each day,whether we are at the top of the mountain or the bottom of the sea.
...
83I am always being supported by you, by air, by water, by the sunlight, by people who live all over the world, by clothes, by soil, by the earth, stars, time, and space. In the end, the whole cosmos is allowing me to exist. You are also being supported by everything else in the universe. Therefore, we cannot consider ourselves to be separate; we cannot exist independently of any other thing.
...
Zen is something to be practised in our daily life as air is breathed by anyone at any time. Zen is nothing but the total living of this encounter at each moment by throwing away our preconceived ideas and our plans. In other words, the ego disappears and one is enlivened here, doing totally only one thing at this very moment, with no relation to the self-consciousness of the mind. This can be done and is done by anyone who is willing to do it unconditionally. This is the deepest root and foundation of human life: it has nothing to do with following a religious sect.
...
The direct experience of THIS is exactly experienced in me (us) beyond both THIS IS IT and THIS IS NOT! Each Now, THIS should be experienced anew beyond both the habitual, fixed “THIS is IT” and the indispensable negating “THIS is NOT!”. THIS beyond THIS and NOT!
JUST THIS in our daily world is too boring, so nothing special. Everywhere we naturally have THIS, wherever we are, wherever we go . We are usually not even conscious of it at all. We are already in the ocean of THIS without fail, without paying attention. Therefore, everything is habitually going on, even THIS. Once we (cosmos) are ignited by the fire of THIS awareness by/with THIS experience, suddenly the whole Univerself (you, me, our families, all living beings) are
awakening/actualizing/embodying/opening/flowering/laughing as THIS active/mindful/awakening NOW.
As this experience, the new universe is born breath-by-breath in the midst of our muddy world reality. This is our One_Experience. Our daily chaotic busy way need not be boring (and blind) if we discover THIS New habit-less awakening of Now-universe even in the midst of our messy city lives. Depending on ourselves, our sensitivity, each of our daily encounters is ever-habitual, ever-boring, OR This encounter is awakening, wondrous, opening, unknown, New-Life-being-born, New–cosmos.
“All is one, one is all”, my master’s master replied to me once, and his words are only understood when we are JUST THIS.“ When we are JUST THIS” means we discover/experience THIS and also we are discovered/experienced by THIS inseparably at the same time (as one Univerself-function).
THIS is ever-deepening Life as each Now is being born so fresh at/by unknown concrete encounters, for example, This_One_breathing_awareness, being called by someone, meeting with a street cat, or.... We do not need anything else at all!
(Hōgen Yamahata)
- Zen Master Hogen (I sat at a Soto Zen center of his lineage regularly when I was studying in Brisbane)

 While trying to find the excerpt on John Tan's breakthrough this year on subtle cognitive obscurations, found some random quotes on what is crucial after anatta:
Tagging Anurag Jain
 due to his anatta breakthrough yesterday.

(John Tan commented on Anurag's messages to me: Quite good. However realization and experiences still need to refine with view.  First there must b thorough experience and realization that there is no need to sink back to any source at all, that unknowing falling back is a karmic tendency that will be clearly seen as a hindrance to full openness and total effortlessness.

Second, one must understand that the very idea of "essence" is learnt. The mind was led to a hypnotic belief that makes it see, understand and analyse in certain way -- the inherent and dualistic way.

Third, post cessation of conceptualities (the 3 points I told)?)

[15/3/20, 7:28:58 PM] John Tan: Yes seems so.  When u have that insight, it has to b an experiential insight...such insight cannot be theoretical as experiences turned foreground...in this breakthrough.  Awareness disappears as a mental constructs into the vividness of sounds, colors, smells, thoughts...etc.  still one needs to look deeply into mmk  [Mūlamadhyamakakārikā] to see how to deconstruct mental constructs and conventions of cause, effect, arising, existence, non-existence ...etc.  In order to understand these ongoing vivid appearances free from the conventional extremes...not just non-conceptuality.
....
[1/1/18, 1:53:12 AM] John Tan: Mr. J is exactly what I meant by not seeing dependent arising in anatta.
[1/1/18, 1:53:15 AM] John Tan: Lol
[1/1/18, 1:56:36 AM] Soh: Lol
[1/1/18, 1:56:41 AM] Soh: I don’t think he sees anatta at all
[1/1/18, 1:56:48 AM] Soh: He is trapped in a background mirror
[1/1/18, 1:56:55 AM] John Tan: Yes
[1/1/18, 1:57:30 AM] John Tan: like phase 4 insights unable to breakthrough at all.  Fully advaita.
[1/1/18, 1:57:32 AM] John Tan: Lol
[1/1/18, 1:58:05 AM] John Tan: Stian and Andre r very good.
[1/1/18, 2:01:29 AM] Soh: Lol
[1/1/18, 2:01:35 AM] Soh: Ic.. Stian and Andre just posted?
[1/1/18, 2:01:51 AM] John Tan: Actually what is the actual taste of their understanding is more crucial.
[1/1/18, 2:02:00 AM] John Tan: Yeah
[1/1/18, 2:27:44 AM] Soh: Oic.. did they talk about actual taste?
[1/1/18, 2:27:58 AM] Soh: I think Mr. J is hindered by the teachers of his tradition
[1/1/18, 2:28:00 AM] John Tan: No
[1/1/18, 2:28:01 AM] Soh: Lol
[1/1/18, 2:28:42 AM] John Tan: I seriously dunno how dzogchen interpreted this way can pass the gate ... Lol
[1/1/18, 2:29:42 AM] John Tan: Anyway that is imo not the essence of the teaching.  Not dzogchen or madyamaka.
[1/1/18, 2:32:34 AM] Soh: Yeah but the masters he quoted, all the authoritative figures seem to be stuck at stage 4 without exceptions
[Update by Soh: The Arcaya Malcolm Smith teachings on Dzogchen that John Tan and I attended this year are great and in line with anatta and emptiness and highly recommended, so if anyone is interested they should attend the next round of teachings - www.zangthal.com. He understands the I AM and substantialist phases, in fact I AM is taught as an initial rigpa [with a different terminology], but it is distinguished from no-self and emptiness insight.]
[1/1/18, 2:32:36 AM] Soh: Lol
[1/1/18, 2:33:05 AM] John Tan: Those he quoted.
[1/1/18, 2:33:09 AM] John Tan: Lol
[1/1/18, 2:33:22 AM] John Tan: I m sure there r others. [Soh: another two Dzogchen teachers clear about anatta and living in India is Yogi Prabodha Jnana and Abhaya Devi Yogini - http://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2020/12/a-mirroring-mirror-is-redundant.html ]
[1/1/18, 2:35:25 AM] John Tan: The background has not been full exhausted, there is no genuine experiential insight of anatta.  
[If] Dependent arising [is] not realized, [that is] also not genuine insight of anatta.
.....
[19/6/20, 2:17:18 PM] John Tan: Having insight of anatta is one thing, having insight of DO is another.
[19/6/20, 2:18:13 PM] John Tan: Having deconstruction doesn't mean DO.  Advaita practitioner deconstruct self, but y they did not c DO? That is the question.
[19/6/20, 2:19:25 PM] John Tan: Now, in Tibetan practice, conceptualization is as if the root of all evils but is it?  U have to have ur own insights and experiences to authenticate the truth of it.
[19/6/20, 2:21:46 PM] John Tan: Y is view important when u need deconstruction?  So understand the purpose of deconstruction and understand the view when u have direct insight of anatta to help u.
[19/6/20, 2:28:37 PM] Soh: Advaita subsume everything into one. So their deconstruction leads to collapsing into undifferentiated oneness which has the characteristics of permanence and Self
Whereas buddhism deconstructs Self and sees self and all phenomena like chariot.. so it collapses oneness into multiplicity and then the nature of multiplicity is revealed to be dependent origination and non arising, neither one or many, etc
[19/6/20, 2:29:56 PM] John Tan: Subsuming into one, y?
[19/6/20, 2:31:53 PM] John Tan: If deconstruction frees one from conceptualizing, how is it that there's subsuming?
[19/6/20, 2:39:59 PM] Soh: Because after I AM the I AM appears like ultimate reality. So it does not occur to them that the view of subjectivity can be seen through via insight
[19/6/20, 2:41:02 PM] Soh: They do not even see subjectivity as a view
[19/6/20, 2:41:06 PM] Soh: To then its the absolute
[19/6/20, 2:41:11 PM] Soh: Them*
[19/6/20, 2:43:19 PM] John Tan: Therefore this not seeing is the root of ignorance.  So don't see mind or not mind doesn't imply insight.
[19/6/20, 2:43:37 PM] Soh: Ic..
[19/6/20, 2:44:39 PM] Soh: But for me all observable phenomena are awareness and there is no awareness besides observable phenomena, this is from direct insight
[19/6/20, 2:48:00 PM] John Tan: When one over emphasizes non conceptualization as the ultimate goal, he is letting karmic blind spots sway his understanding.
[19/6/20, 2:48:23 PM] Soh: Oic..
[19/6/20, 2:52:24 PM] John Tan: So as I have said many times, despite having experiences turned effortlessly non-dual and non conceptual post anatta, I m not into no view.  Rather I m into direct authenication of right view.
[19/6/20, 2:54:48 PM] Soh: Ic..
[19/6/20, 2:58:40 PM] John Tan: This however is not promoting conceptualization  over non- conceptual experience.  They support each other.
[19/6/20, 3:00:11 PM] John Tan: Why do I ask u what is the purpose of deconstruction?  U need to know what exactly does deconstruction achieve.  U have deconstructed mind, body and divisions...so what is this decosntruction about and what is the purpose?
[19/6/20, 3:02:32 PM] Soh: Experience presence without boundary and artificial separation or fragmentation
[19/6/20, 3:08:22 PM] John Tan: Yes.  To access directly presence without intermediary.  Having direct access does not mean wisdom and insight will arise.  But when u r able to to access the state of non-dual presence, u r able to authenticate the view so that u insight may arise.
[19/6/20, 3:09:26 PM] Soh: Ic..
[19/6/20, 3:12:00 PM] John Tan: So the view, the experience and the realization.
.....
[16/12/16, 12:52:51 AM] John Tan: For Ren Cheng, u should tell them abt right view.
[16/12/16, 12:54:29 AM] John Tan: When u hit a bell, how did the sound arise? Where did it go?
[16/12/16, 12:54:58 AM] John Tan: Is there arising or can u say there is arising?
[16/12/16, 12:55:25 AM] John Tan: This is crucial and key to understanding of emptiness and releasing.
[16/12/16, 12:56:36 AM] John Tan: Why whatever arises in dependence due to conditions cannot b said to arise Nor cease? And that is the middle path.
[16/12/16, 12:57:43 AM] John Tan: Neither arises, Nor not arises.
Neither ceases, Nor not ceases.
Neither existence Nor non existence.
Neither affirmation Nor negation.
[16/12/16, 12:58:20 AM] John Tan: And these must b understood the right way with right view.
[16/12/16, 12:58:36 AM] John Tan: Not for beautiful language
[16/12/16, 12:59:24 AM] John Tan: If consciousness ceases this moment can u say it ceases?
[16/12/16, 12:59:57 AM] John Tan: If this thought ceases can u say it ceases?
[16/12/16, 1:00:05 AM] Soh: No, nothing arose or cease like a city mirage on horizon
[16/12/16, 1:00:32 AM] John Tan: But y it cannot b said to cease?
[16/12/16, 1:00:58 AM] John Tan: I have told u many times u must understand from DO and not just emptiness.
[16/12/16, 1:01:32 AM] John Tan: Because whatever arises do not arise by itself.
[16/12/16, 1:02:04 AM] Soh: Ic..
[16/12/16, 1:02:18 AM] John Tan: Now what did Buddha say?  If there is karma and conditions, can phenomena not manifest?
[16/12/16, 1:03:34 AM] John Tan: If this mind moment ceases, can next mind not arise if conditions r there?
[16/12/16, 1:04:08 AM] Soh: No, mind moment will arise on conditions
[16/12/16, 1:04:35 AM] John Tan: So there is no real cessation
[16/12/16, 1:04:57 AM] John Tan: Yet this mind moment is not the same as next mind moment
[16/12/16, 1:05:16 AM] John Tan: And they cannot b said to b different either
[16/12/16, 1:05:34 AM] John Tan: It cannot b said to have not ceased
[16/12/16, 1:05:48 AM] John Tan: And cannot b said to have ceased.
[16/12/16, 1:06:21 AM] John Tan: As such whatever arises in dependence is non-arisen.
[16/12/16, 1:06:57 AM] John Tan: Then u talk abt the direct experience of mind...
[16/12/16, 1:07:17 AM] John Tan: Of the six entries and exits
[16/12/16, 1:07:39 AM] John Tan: Experience and view
[16/12/16, 1:07:44 AM] John Tan: Get it?
[16/12/16, 1:08:03 AM] Soh: Oic..
[16/12/16, 1:08:46 AM] Soh: So if Nai min call I talk about non arising and d.o. Then about mind in six entries?
[16/12/16, 1:09:15 AM] John Tan: U must first separate direct experience from view
[16/12/16, 1:09:29 AM] John Tan: Talk abt non-dual experience
[16/12/16, 1:09:41 AM] John Tan: How it can b distorted with view
[16/12/16, 1:10:45 AM] John Tan: And from anatta u realise right explanation of the experience should b DO, emptiness and non-arisen.  Not from Essence view.
[16/12/16, 1:10:59 AM] John Tan: And middle path is understood that way.
[16/12/16, 1:11:47 AM] John Tan: There is not creation but not no creation. Middle path is dependent origination.
[16/12/16, 1:12:20 AM] Soh: Oic..
[16/12/16, 1:13:04 AM] John Tan: Because we r so accustomed to essence view, we cannot get use to dependent origination.  We want to use essence view to understand DO.
[16/12/16, 1:14:09 AM] Soh: Ic..
[17/12/16, 8:18:22 AM] John Tan: Have u heard of the forumer krodha in Reddit?
[17/12/16, 8:21:08 AM] Soh: Yes why
[17/12/16, 8:21:10 AM] Soh: He is Kyle
[17/12/16, 8:21:11 AM] Soh: Lol
[17/12/16, 8:21:20 AM] John Tan: Lol
[17/12/16, 8:21:24 AM] John Tan: No wonder
[17/12/16, 8:21:43 AM] John Tan: Seldom do I see such clear view
[17/12/16, 8:22:21 AM] Soh: I see..
[17/12/16, 8:25:11 AM] John Tan: But it is also important to note that arisen is often confused with appearance.  There is ongoing appearance, the nature of appearance is non-arisen.
[17/12/16, 8:32:51 AM] Soh: Ic..
[17/12/16, 9:30:30 AM] John Tan: Also emphasis must b on conditions, that is DO.
[17/12/16, 9:47:17 AM] Soh: Oic..
[17/12/16, 9:48:43 AM] John Tan: That is seldom do we see explanations y becoz of DO, the nature of mind/phenomena is empty and non-arisen.
[17/12/16, 9:50:56 AM] Soh: Ic..
[17/12/16, 9:51:14 AM] John Tan: Or r the articles abt it?
[17/12/16, 9:55:30 AM] Soh: I don't see much about it
[17/12/16, 9:55:41 AM] Soh: Maybe gelug talks about it
[17/12/16, 9:56:34 AM] John Tan: Mmk talks abt it and is everywhere but I can't understand y it is not emphasized that way.
[17/12/16, 9:57:29 AM] John Tan: Many r only interested in one truth, highest.  Emptiness and non-arisen of phenomena.  That is a pity.
[17/12/16, 9:59:21 AM] John Tan: If we do understand emptiness and non-arisen nature of mind and phenomena from the perspective of DO, it is not the right understanding imo.
[17/12/16, 10:02:50 AM] Soh: Oic..
[17/12/16, 11:19:59 PM] John Tan: https://youtu.be/4O2JK_94g3Y
[18/12/16, 8:43:36 AM] John Tan: I mean If we do not understand emptiness and non-arisen nature of mind and phenomena from the perspective of DO, it is not the right understanding imo.
.........
[11/6/20, 12:27:56 AM] John Tan: Without concepts, experience is naturally present and luminous is not exactly true imo.  
We can stop conceptualization or even have many episodes of substained non-conceptual  non-dual or no mind experiences, still intellectual obscurations of seeing entities, entity possessing characteristics, cause and effect, agent and movement...etc continue to haunt us.  Non-analytical cessation is temporary.
So the freedom from conceptualization cannot simply b a stopping of "conceptualization", a clear insight that sees through the emptiness of conventional constructs must arise.
Although the insight results in non-conceptuality, it also recognizes the cause of obstructedness is ignorance that obscures and blinds, not designations and constructs.
When contemplating DO (though conceptual), not only does the sense of self not arise, it replaces self view.  Non-conceptual resting is too a means to an end.  The end is not a non-conceptual luminous state but the complete uprooting of ignorance.
Therefore when dogen rolls the boat in total exertion, there r concepts, designations and conventions but there is no sense of self, no sense of boundaries, no sense of obstructedness between the sky, the boat, the oar and the sea...all inter-penetrate beyond their conventional boundaries into the act of rolling.
...
[24/5/20, 5:04:47 PM] John Tan: But I think need to be very careful not to assume that non-dual of subject/object naturally implies freedom from intellectual obscurations of internal/external, mind/matter.
[24/5/20, 5:07:17 PM] Soh: Oic..
[24/5/20, 5:07:56 PM] Soh: https://cdn.amaravati.org/.../The_Island_-_Ajahn_Amaro...
[24/5/20, 5:08:08 PM] Soh: I also got the hardcopy of this
[24/5/20, 5:08:12 PM] John Tan: Uploaded from scribd
[24/5/20, 5:27:33 PM] Soh: U know yesterday i was listening to ven hui lu
[24/5/20, 5:27:47 PM] Soh: He say early buddhism establish mind phenomena duality
[24/5/20, 5:28:07 PM] Soh: He say its an expedient or something Which is different from mind only level of mahayana realisation
[24/5/20, 5:28:18 PM] Soh: Yet some of these theravadin authors are quite clear
[24/5/20, 5:28:37 PM] Soh: But its true most theravadin teachers fall into establishing duality like dhiramano’s teachers
[24/5/20, 5:29:16 PM] Soh: Even padmasambhava though hinayana is dualistic lol
[24/5/20, 5:29:22 PM] Soh: Thought*
[24/5/20, 5:29:39 PM] John Tan: Yes no self and seeing through background, may not necessarily lead to dissolving of physicality obscuration, even then there r different level of clearing.
[24/5/20, 5:29:53 PM] Soh: Oic..
[24/5/20, 5:31:08 PM] John Tan: But no self will almost definitely result in pce. There is no duality between self and aggregates, but aggregates and external world may still remain...
[24/5/20, 5:32:06 PM] John Tan: The relationships between aggregates and external world r like another level of self.
[24/5/20, 5:33:00 PM] John Tan: The intellectual obscuration of duality of internal/external, mind/matter will not b resolved that easily.
...
[21/5/20, 11:29:06 PM] John Tan: I prefer u to spend time genuinely refining ur understanding...u must keep authenticating ur insight with ur actual experience
[21/5/20, 11:29:25 PM] John Tan: It is not so easy to clear one from intellectual obscuration
[21/5/20, 11:30:53 PM] John Tan: Got time spend on helping me search for chariot analogy that says relationship defined that way is arya's view...
>...
06       Nov `10, 9:30AM
Originally posted by simpo_:
Yah...
Non-duality is more obvious when it is experienced.
No-self is a more subtle insight. There is a subtle 'switch'. It is this subtle switch that allows for the arising and passing away as the 'self' is not blocking the arising from passing away.
I hope  i am getting it right... 🙂 Hope for Thusness' input and advise.
Yes Simpo,
That is what I understand too.  There are subtle differences between Advaita non-duality and buddhist's anatta both in terms of realization and experience.
When contemplating on the subject of 'no-self', the mind of the practitioner is directed towards the transient phenomena and upon the ripening of conditions, the mind suddenly sees the illusionary division of subject-object duality; with the maturing of this realization, experience becomes seamlessly whole. There is no hearer in hearing or perceiver in perceiving, just simply a sense of perception.   In terms of this experience, they are similar.
However although the blinding bond of 'duality' is dissolved, the tendency to see things 'inherently' isn't. The practitioners continue to resort back to a Self despite after the clear seeing of this truth and rest their understanding of 'no-self based on Self'.  This is substantialist non-duality.  There is an ultimate essence and abiding in Self is still the way towards liberation and there is also the temptation to treat this experience as a sort of pseudo finality.
Buddhism on the other hand sees this experience and realization as the first step in the 8 fold path -- right view.  It means right view of anatta is fully authenticated with this non-dual experience but Buddhist’s non-dual is non-abiding, groundless and essence-less.  There is no resorting back to an ultimate essence and the entire idea of liberation is based on seeing clearly the anatta, non-substantiality, essence-less empty nature of whatever arises, including Awareness or Self.  Experience is luminously non-dual yet empty.
Therefore in Buddhism, besides the experience, right view is very important.  Upon the clearing seeing of ‘no division’, it is advisable to penetrate further into the impermanent nature of phenomena both at the micro and macro level of experience.   In terms of practice, there is no letting go to an ultimate ground or great void  but the letting go is due to the thorough insight of the ‘empty nature’ of all arising -- Reality is perpetually ‘letting go’.
So in addition to the non-dual seamless experience, there must also be the clear experience of perpetual letting go of non-holding to whatever arises.  Therefore when AEN told me non-dual presence, the NDNCDIMOP or being lock up permanently in PCEs of the AF as the key solution to eliminate emotion, pride and anger…the 10 fetters, I told him not yet, not because I am stubbornly attached to Buddha's teaching but because that is my realization and experience. 🙂
The journey towards 'no-self' is analogous to peeling an onion.  Practitioner goes through the process of peeling from dissolving of personality and identity to non-conceptuality to non-duality to realization of the lack of ownership to clear seeing of 'no agent behind transient phenomena to the empty nature of whatever arises.  As we peel, the 'willingness' to let go certain aspects of 'self'/Self' grow and with more 'willingness' to let go, we come closer to seeing the true face of freedom.
Deeper clinging to a Self is not washed away with the non-dual insight.  There must be further integration of the ‘non-dual’ experience into this arising and passing away, this impermanent nature, to dissolve the illusionary sense of self, anger, emotion, pride even the non-dual presence that we treasure so much; let whatever arises goes, be it during the waking, dreaming or deep sleep state.  There will then come a time where a practitioner realizes the same ‘taste’ of the 3 states as there is no holding of the non-dual presence and all experiences turn natural, effortless and self-liberating.
Just my 2 cents. 🙂
Edited by Thusness 06 Nov `10, 3:09PM
12 Sep       `10, 12:44PM
Hi Simpo and AEN,
Yet we cannot get carried away by all these blissful experiences.  Blissfulness is the result of luminosity whereas liberation is due to prajna wisdom.   🙂
To AEN,
For intense luminosity in the foreground, you will not only have vivid experience of ‘brilliant aliveness’, ‘you’ must also completely disappear.  It is an experience of being totally ‘transparent’ and without boundaries.  These experiences are quite obvious, u will not miss it.  However the body-mind will not rest in great content due to an experience of intense luminosity.  Contrary it can make a practitioner more attach to a non-dual ultimate luminous state.
For the mind to rest, it must have an experience of ‘great dissolve’ that whatever arises perpetually self liberates.  It is not about phenomena dissolving into some great void but it is the empty nature of whatever arises that self-liberates.   It is the direct experience of groundlessness and non –abiding due to direct insight of the empty nature of phenomena and that includes the non-dual luminous essence.
Therefore In addition to bringing this ‘taste’ to the foreground, u must also ‘realize’ the difference between wrong and right view.  There is also a difference in saying “Different forms of Aliveness” and “There is just breath, sound, scenery...magical display that is utterly unfindable, ungraspable and without essence- empty.”
In the former case, realize how the mind is manifesting a subtle tendency of attempting to ‘pin’ and locate something that inherently exists. The mind feels uneasy and needs to seek for something due to its existing paradigm.   It is not simply a matter of expression for communication sake but a habit that runs deep because it lacks a ‘view’ that is able to cater for reality that is dynamic, ungraspable, non-local , center-less and interdependent.
After direct realization of the non-dual essence and empty nature, the mind can then have a direct glimpse of what is meant by being ‘natural’, otherwise there will always be a ‘sense of contrivance’.
My 2 cents and have fun with ur army life. 🙂
Edited by Thusness 12 Sep `10, 12:56PM
......
[30/11/17, 12:32:48 AM] John Tan: Joan [Tollifson] is sincere
[30/11/17, 12:33:13 AM] John Tan: U know what is her issue?
[30/11/17, 12:33:34 AM] John Tan: So is her master
[30/11/17, 12:33:43 AM] Soh: Toni [Packer]?
[30/11/17, 12:33:54 AM] Soh: I’m not sure
[30/11/17, 12:34:46 AM] John Tan: The problem is she can't breakthrough
[30/11/17, 12:35:38 AM] John Tan: Means awareness teaching and living in clear presence of here and now
[30/11/17, 12:35:53 AM] Soh: She is not clear of anatta yet?
[30/11/17, 12:35:55 AM] Soh: How about Toni
[30/11/17, 12:35:59 AM] John Tan: No
[30/11/17, 12:36:27 AM] John Tan: There is a limit to insights and vipassana
[30/11/17, 12:37:13 AM] John Tan: Unless u r able to do away with self thoroughly, it is difficult to breakthrough
[30/11/17, 12:37:23 AM] John Tan: U will need concentration
[30/11/17, 12:37:33 AM] John Tan: Or energy practices
[30/11/17, 12:38:07 AM] John Tan: Those experiences will complement what she needs
[30/11/17, 12:38:33 AM] John Tan: Otherwise she must forgo self in every aspect
[30/11/17, 12:38:48 AM] John Tan: Which is even harder...lol
[30/11/17, 12:41:48 AM] Soh: Oic..
[30/11/17, 12:41:56 AM] Soh: So joan and Toni unable to breakthrough self?
[30/11/17, 12:48:17 AM] Soh: U mean unable to breakthrough “awareness”
[30/11/17, 7:01:29 AM] John Tan: They hv insights into anatta.  But actualization of selflessness is a different matter.
[Soh: The first realization or insight of selflessness happens at stream entry or first bhumi, the full actualization of selflessness can be at arahant or eighth bhumi, or if you're talking about twofold obscurations that would be at Buddhahood. To be clear, neither John Tan nor I are claiming to be Buddhas, and we are certainly not saying Toni Packer etc is at some lower stage than us.]
......
“John Tan: Yes you should learn slowly and safely… no need to rush… half a year you will see the effect. My sensations are very powerful now… I want to focus on this technique of mine for a fewmonths... Anatta is very strong nowadays... Wonder why… lol
In addition to insights, the body has some serious obstruction that prevents full blown experience of no-self. When the intensity of sensation is strong, the transparency + insights of Anatta become very powerful and obvious… the natural intensity of sensations helps one to lose all sense of self too...
Soh: Intensity of sensations come from energy practice?
John Tan: Yes” - John Tan, 2013
“[3/12/15, 9:03:06 PM] John Tan: Actually when you practice yoga, if you got the 慧根 (faculty of wisdom)... you will realise the purpose of the asanas to prepare the body to fully open up itself. It is quite ironical because you practice to be natural, tender and flexible...but if you practice, you will realise. The body is tense, rigid and it can't relax and open up itself...it is similar to a mind full of proliferated views and dualistic tendencies going through the 7 phases of insights to open up.”
You can't truly open your mind without opening your body. When the insights open the eye that enable you to experience directly, you must be able to directly feel and experience the supporting conditions that help to lead one to openness. And the body also requires certain mind state to complement your body to open up... your breath and posture and mind... All contribute and play a role... Have you felt your body so clean, cleansed, unobstructed and pure before?
- John Tan, 2019
......
Arcaya Malcolm also pointed out that to attain Rainbow Body [Buddhahood] in Dzogchen in this lifetime, one should practice yantra yoga for controlling vayus.
I wrote, "Yantra  yoga is also integral to dzogchen practice. Malcolm taught that in  order to attain rainbow body in this life, one has to do yantra yoga and  control vayu (vayu is wind/energy/qi/prana).
Malcolm  recommends that people practice yantra yoga. He taught that people of  great capacity progress more quickly, people of lesser capacity more  slowly, but this is a function of vayu in the body, which is why most  people who achieve rainbow body in this lifetime, like Uncle Tokden,  Norbu Rinpoche’s uncle, they are also great yogis of yantra yoga.  Because they have control over their vayu. And we do need to have  control over our vayu. We practice yantra yoga as subsidiary practices  which help and assist our realization. But if we don’t practice yantra  yoga it’s also ok, as it states in the rigpa rangshar tantra, most yogis  of Dzogchen achieve liberation in the bardo of dharmata, not rainbow  body, but if you’re very diligent and you gain great control over the  vayu in your body, then you can have the possibility of rainbow body in  this lifetime."


Lastly, although this post talks about view, it is important to spend quality time to the non-conceptual taste of anatta. The meditative equipoise.
However, there should be a balance.
“When you are luminous and transparent, don't think of dependent origination or emptiness, that is [the contemplative practice for] post-equipoise. When hearing sound, like the sound of flowing water and chirping bird, it is as if you are there. It should be non-conceptual, no sense of body or me, transparent, as if the sensations stand out. You must always have some quality time into this state of anatta. Means you cannot keep losing yourself in verbal thoughts, you got to have quality hours dedicated to relaxation and experience fully without self, without reservation." - John Tan, 2018
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Soh
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I told a few people a few months ago that I expected Anurag Jain to make this breakthrough in a few months time.
Sometimes there is just an intuition.
Like... once there was this guy in Dharma Connection many years ago. He was at the I AM phase and spoke quite standard stuff expected at the I AM phase. But that night he joined the group, I had a dream of clarity, the moment I saw his face I knew his conditions for breaking through to non-dual and anatta is there and realization is imminent. Because of this dream, for the next three days I focused on pointing this out to him, fully expecting him to make that breakthrough any time. Third day he realised it. Fastest record so far... 😂
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 · 58m · Edited


Also Anurag Jain


Have to be careful of nihilism.


http://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2020/07/difference-between-neo-advaita-nihilism.html - important points here


Also nagarjuna explains why emptiness does not mean “non existence” here: 


http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2014/06/how-experiential-realization-helps-in_22.html


Likewise: http://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2013/05/non-action_25.html