New Age Teachings and I AM Presence

 
 

James Bird

Yetistaergdoay iatfainr coSnl3:13re PMSdn 
I run into many people who keep talking about vibrations and raising your vibrations/frequency. And then they talk about awakening. At times they also ask about my experience and I don't have the slightest clue how to relate to them and definitely want to do it in a kind and excepting way (especially since I have no idea about it; even if it seems odd to me.)
So are there any teachers out there that are generally in line with ATR, Buddhism, or AV that also talk about this in an informative manner? Either something I can maybe spend a bit of time learning about it or could point people to see maybe they might get a sense of how that fits into something like the ATR stages?
To clarify I'm speaking about people who speak about vibrations in a way like these new-age 'teachers':

 

 

 


[12/5/19, 11:52:38 PM] John Tan: If someday u met someone that can point out to u something further either in the energy practice, samadhi, meditations...etc, u will missed the opportunities.
[12/5/19, 11:53:19 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..
[12/5/19, 11:54:21 PM] John Tan: In addition to seeing the limitations, u must also see the area where u can learn...not to shut things off this way.  Do not let the phases of insights blind u from seeing things.  If so it becomes counter productive.
[13/5/19, 12:00:56 AM] Soh Wei Yu: Ic..
[13/5/19, 12:11:14 AM] John Tan: Also not to limit experiences by framing it into the phases strictly.  Limiting it this way is also limiting how u see and experience ur life. That is precisely the essence of consciousness empty and luminous.  Only difference is whether it is realized or simply conceptual.
[13/5/19, 12:15:15 AM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..
[13/5/19, 12:21:04 AM] John Tan: I read new age and YouTube, some r very good and enlightening.
[13/5/19, 12:21:32 AM] John Tan: I look into yoga and energy practice to understand and open my understanding.
[13/5/19, 12:22:07 AM] John Tan: There r always things to b learnt.
[13/5/19, 12:22:26 AM] Soh Wei Yu: Ic..
[13/5/19, 12:25:09 AM] John Tan: Also important is to know ur limitations...know what is limiting oneself.  Like when u r watching endgame in cinema, absorbed into boundlessness, vivid open and free...y so?
[13/5/19, 12:25:39 AM] John Tan: Compare to this moment, what is the difference?
[13/5/19, 10:25:46 AM] Soh Wei Yu: Hmm.. when engaging in thought then the attention is on thought rather than boundless vivid open, but even when thinking it’s anatta I don’t feel unfree because of thinking.. thinking is not exactly problem and do lessen
[13/5/19, 10:26:06 AM] Soh Wei Yu: But when meditating then thoughts quieten and the intensity of total exertion and luminosity becomes even stronger
[13/5/19, 10:26:33 AM] Soh Wei Yu: My flu doesn’t seem to affect my anatta and total exertion but seems to feel more tired and weak sensation.. can sleep longer
[13/5/19, 10:26:47 AM] John Tan: Hm...u need to learn how to release also.  Did u do that in the past?
[13/5/19, 10:27:03 AM] John Tan: That practice is good but don't practice at night


[13/5/19, 12:52:25 PM] Soh Wei Yu: In the past I also experience calmness and bliss even when I was v young
[13/5/19, 12:52:44 PM] John Tan: I mean the exerted to a thought
[13/5/19, 12:53:35 PM] John Tan: U must discipline urself and practice yoga from yoga to complement ur practice.
[13/5/19, 12:53:40 PM] John Tan: It is imp
[13/5/19, 12:53:53 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..
[13/5/19, 12:54:02 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Total exertion of thought maybe more recent
[13/5/19, 12:54:09 PM] John Tan: And have a balance set of asanas to open up different parts of ur body
[13/5/19, 12:54:19 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Ic..
[13/5/19, 12:54:34 PM] Soh Wei Yu: I just do the yoga sets in yoga center or sometimes YouTube..
[13/5/19, 12:54:47 PM] John Tan: It is crucial when u r young but slowly and gradually.  Don't injured urself like I do🤣🤣🤣
[13/5/19, 12:54:54 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic lol
[13/5/19, 12:55:27 PM] John Tan: Continue for 10 years u r only 38...ur radiance and clarity will much stronger than now.
[13/5/19, 12:55:49 PM] John Tan: U will not notice the effect for first few years. 



.....

2004 conversation with Sim Pern Chong (Also See: A Compilation of Simpo's Writings)

.--------------------------------------------------------------------.
| Session Start: Sunday, December 05, 2004                           |
| Participants:  AEN, Thusness                                             
.--------------------------------------------------------------------.
[11:09:54 PM] AEN: [23:05] AEN: john, from what i've
              seen so far, i'm quite certain that Longchen is a new
              age practitioner
              [23:05] AEN: u noe, new-age?
              [23:05] AEN:
              http://buddhism.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thre
              ad_id=105828
              [23:05] AEN: his focus is on light-body
              ascension...
              [23:05] AEN: i dont tink new-age is a religion,
              its like a cult :./
              [23:05] AEN: :/
              [23:06] AEN: and in that topic, he posted a url
              containing an article from a cult master/buddhist
              heretic
              [23:06] AEN: i tink i have to inform him and
              remove the topic
[11:11:21 PM] Thusness: yes
[11:11:42 PM] Thusness: He will walk his path.
[11:11:55 PM] AEN: in ur opinion what is his light-body
              ascension all about
[11:12:35 PM] Thusness: He has an initial glimpse of Reality.   
[11:12:46 PM] AEN: oic
[11:15:19 PM] Thusness: most founder of new age religion has
              certain experience of Reality.  However when reality
              descends and gets intepreted at the intellect level, it
              gets distorted somehow.
[11:15:38 PM] AEN: oh... u knew about the new age religion?
[11:15:49 PM] Thusness: yes.
[11:15:55 PM] AEN: u learn about it before?
[11:15:56 PM] AEN: haha
[11:16:02 PM] Thusness: nope. :)
[11:16:12 PM] Thusness: but many exchanges when I was young.
[11:16:31 PM] Thusness: more than 15 yrs back I visited most cults
              in Singapore. :)
[11:16:35 PM] AEN: ooh
[11:16:36 PM] AEN: like?
[11:17:29 PM] Thusness: Eckankar, Bahai's faith, yin-yang sect,
              I-Kuan, BK, children of God and some satanic sects..
[11:17:37 PM] Thusness: hari krisna..etc
[11:17:48 PM] AEN: wahhh
[11:17:54 PM] AEN: so many!
[11:17:58 PM] AEN: satanic? LOL
[11:18:02 PM] Thusness: :)
[11:18:29 PM] AEN: but i heard some new age cult are
              dangerous, they commit suicide cos they receive
              communications from dunnu wat.. that they are ready to
              ascend
[11:18:54 PM] Thusness: In the West it is more intense.
[11:19:05 PM] AEN: oic...
[11:19:24 PM] AEN: so,
[11:19:30 PM] Thusness: Do not belittle what he experiences.  Pure
              sense of existence is most sacred.
[11:19:30 PM] AEN: do u know whats light body ascension?
[11:19:36 PM] AEN: icic...

[11:21:18 PM] Thusness: It is difficult to develop penetrating
              insight into the different layers of consciousness.  To
              go beyond the "I AM" is rare. :)
[11:21:38 PM] AEN: oic...
[11:21:43 PM] AEN: then what is beyond the "i am"
[11:22:38 PM] AEN: "Ok, Ok all planes of existences are
              impermanent. I know. Plane of existences are created
              realm, of course they will not last forever.
              
              But your Presence is already eternal... the Presence
              exist in the eternal now. There is nowhere to go.
              Nirvana is not going anywhere, do you understand,
              brother? What we need is only to clear all the karmic
              tendencies accumulated over all the lives.
              
              When i say upper dimension having no death... I am
              refering to the fact that death is not important at that
              level. Not that that realm will last forever. "
[11:23:23 PM] Thusness: :)
[11:23:54 PM] Thusness: u r exchanging messages with him now?
[11:24:02 PM] AEN: through PM
[11:24:08 PM] AEN: recevied it quite some time ago
[11:24:17 PM] Thusness: PM?
[11:24:21 PM] AEN: private msg
[11:24:25 PM] Thusness: ic. :)
[11:25:10 PM] Thusness: It's a lonely journey.  I told u it will
              be a struggle for him.
[11:25:23 PM] AEN: icic
[11:25:42 PM] Thusness: becoz he will not easily submit himself
              now to a master. :)
[11:25:45 PM] AEN: but u noe, he has this common belief of
              new agers, they say something about year 2012
[11:26:04 PM] AEN: and then hundreds of years later ppl will
              what, go to 5th dimension?
[11:26:04 PM] AEN: lol
[11:26:36 PM] AEN: oh yes.. another thing is he communicates
              with Mother Earth, the earth's consciousness
[11:26:45 PM] Thusness: when one attempts to break the layer of
              consciousness, they will have all sort of images.
[11:26:56 PM] AEN: what layer of consciousness
[11:28:27 PM] Thusness: The True Buddha Nature is the Pure
              Presence, however when the mind attempts to grasp its
              essence after its initial experience, it creatively
              creates the "I AM".
[11:28:56 PM] AEN: oh....
[11:28:58 PM] AEN: icic..
[11:29:07 PM] Thusness: an Entity having all the properties of
              Thusness yet still stubbornly attached to the "I'.
[11:29:10 PM] AEN: then what is all sort of images about
[11:29:15 PM] AEN: wat are they
[11:30:01 PM] Thusness: It is the tricks of the monkey mind
              unwillingness to let go yet trying to recapture the Pure
              Presence experience.
[11:30:22 PM] AEN: oic...
[11:30:31 PM] Thusness: as such when it turns inwards to break
              layer by layer of it's own boundaries.
[11:30:45 PM] Thusness: it will have all hurdles to clear.
[11:31:27 PM] AEN: icic...
[11:31:31 PM] Thusness: It is too subtle to differentiate the I AM
              from Thusness. :)
[11:32:05 PM] Thusness: eliminate the I from "I AM", AMness has no
              meaning without "I".  Isness itself is sufficient. :)
[11:32:17 PM] AEN: icic....
[11:33:09 PM] Thusness: True Presence must be experienced not only
              in the ghost within.  It is in the air, the tick of the
              click..etc
[11:33:59 PM] Thusness: My short message in the forum has defined
              the path he will travel.
[11:34:19 PM] AEN: defined??
[11:34:51 PM] Thusness: anyway it will take many years. :)
[11:35:10 PM] AEN: take many years for?
[11:35:14 PM] Thusness: It will be interesting how he got his
              initial experience.
[11:35:20 PM] Thusness: to turn back.
[11:35:24 PM] AEN: oic...
[11:35:39 PM] AEN: he says he aims to attain the light body
              Ascension
[11:35:47 PM] AEN: and he says he cant do it this life, maybe
              1 more or 2 more lifetimes
[11:36:03 PM] AEN: but what is it??
[11:36:10 PM] Thusness: when did he tell u?
[11:36:16 PM] AEN: i'll copy over
[11:37:44 PM] AEN: Hi Xabir,
              
              Thanks... bro.
              
              But the messages a bit disjointed, leh...
              
              I am curious about John's understanding.
              
              Ok... I will tell you. I don't want to post this on your
              forum... because the path I am following not exactly
              very Buddhist.
[11:37:52 PM] AEN: The method as taught by my Enlightened
              teacher/friend is this....
              
              I got into a meditative state. .. Images will be shown
              to me. This images have meanings and message. My life
              will have some experiences that are related to the
              visions. The visions are transmissions from Presence.
              Presence is intelligent 'brightness', like the sun ...
[11:38:02 PM] AEN: In addition to this kind of transmission,
              the transmissions can also come at any time. If I have a
              question, the answer may come, but I must not go into
              mental thinking/analysing...but rely on relaxed
              'intuitive knowing'. Also, for very elaborate
              transmissions, they occur in my dreams. Therefore I am
              keeping a dream journal to write down the messages.
[11:38:12 PM] AEN: The experiences are not easy. One by one,
              the karmic tendencies will surface. All the karmic
              tendencies must be understood, if not they will always
              remain within the subconscious and unconscious. Some
              time, my body goes into aching as the samcara/karmic
              tendencies surface. But they will clear away and is
              often that I will stabilse at a greater awareness after
              that.
[11:38:18 PM] AEN: My undertanding now is that, there is a
              link between Presence and Mind. The link seems to be
              like this:
              
              Pure awareness>>> impulse/feeling without definition >>>
              Concepts, thoughts, langauge >>> emotions (if there is
              judging involved).
[11:38:25 PM] AEN: So to clear the karmic tendencies cleanly,
              it cannot be cleared at 'thoughts, concept' level, it
              have to be understood at 'no-thinking/impulse' level.
              
              My intuition say that I have many more years to go...
              Actually my goal is not 'final cessation'.... my goal is
              light body ascension. I will not achieve it in this life
              time, perhaps one or 2 more...
[11:38:30 PM] AEN: regards
              
              simpo
[11:41:00 PM] Thusness: can i know when he wrote this?
[11:41:28 PM] AEN:  04 December 2004
              09:13 AM
[11:42:49 PM] AEN: he's simpo from another forum
[11:43:58 PM] Thusness: hmm.....there might be a change in his
              thought pattern. :)
[11:44:05 PM] Thusness: now i mean.
[11:44:16 PM] Thusness: anyway, still not much danger so far. :)
[11:44:23 PM] AEN: oic...
[11:44:33 PM] AEN: hmm.....there might be a change in his
              thought pattern.  --> have been or yet been
[11:45:39 PM] Thusness: have been recently.
[11:46:01 PM] Thusness: from the time he wrote till now.
[11:47:07 PM] AEN: oic...
[11:47:35 PM] AEN: then
[11:48:09 PM] AEN: he wrote me another mail... well it isnt
              much about his experience he stated in the forum... but,
              wld u believe in wat he said? who is this "mother earth"
              anyway?:
[11:48:27 PM] AEN: Hi Xabir,
              
              Last week, I receive a transmission from the
              consciousness of the Earth Mother.
              
              She seems to be saying that the planet is undergoing
              physical changes now and this is only the beginning.
              Expect to see many natural disaster happening around the
              world...
              
              I will continue to send you the psychic informations if
              they are of importance.
              
              I will not post them on your forum. Also the
              transmission warns me that the psychic ability must only
              be used for important stuffs.
              
              simpo



(Comments by Soh: Sim Pern Chong had a vision back then, something related to water and ocean I think? Was a prelude to the 2004 Tsunami weeks later. 

The next time Sim Pern Chong contacted Gaia consciousness in 2020, he was informed of the apocalyptic fallout of global warming in visions, which he only understood after that meditation when the visions were very easily translated into verbal sentences.

From my notes last year after meeting Mr. Sim: "mother gaia this year gave sim pern chong a vision when he contacted her... a series of visions... a human, then racing (?), then ... finished. when out of meditation he interpreted and realised it means 'human race is finished'. he was disturbed by this message and in the coming months he contacted gaia again, it said "human must work together with nature" and two days later david attenborough released video with the exact same tagline "human must .... with nature". the previous time he contacted mother gaia in 2004, he foresaw the tsunami? he saw this covid disaster 10+ years ago, he saw in meditation that one day due to some disaster all airplanes will stop and no cars on the street."

See more:

On "Supernatural Powers" or Siddhis, and Past Lives
)


[12:00:07 AM] AEN: so wat do u tink
[12:00:07 AM] AEN: haha
[12:01:43 AM] Thusness: it is not exactly nonsense. :)
[12:02:33 AM] AEN: ok then how about this... when i asked him
              what earth mother is:
[12:02:33 AM] AEN: The Earth is alive... her consciousness is
              the Earth Mother also call Gaia.
              
              If you do not know, the earth is transforming into a 5th
              dimensional world. That is why, there is so much chao
              all over the world. Accordingly, the year 2012 is a
              critical turning point. That does not mean that Earth
              will become 5th dimensional in the year 2012, but it
              means a new form of civilisation will begin then. The
              ascension to 5th dimension, I think will take hundreds
              of years.[12:04:11 AM] Thusness: u heard of Dharma Gaia?
[12:04:18 AM] AEN: nope what is that
[12:05:09 AM] Thusness: is what he said to u.
[12:05:19 AM] AEN: u mean it's actually taught by the
              buddha?
[12:05:20 AM] Thusness: ecological aspect of buddhism.
[12:05:25 AM] AEN: then is dharma gaia a person or what?
[12:05:25 AM] Thusness: nope
[12:05:31 AM] AEN: then who is it taught by
[12:06:07 AM] Thusness: but a concept of applying buddhism. in
              ecology.
[12:06:12 AM] AEN: oic
[12:06:19 AM] Thusness: The mystical part, he added. :)
[12:06:29 AM] AEN: oic
[12:06:36 AM] AEN: then how about the 5th dimension thing?
[12:07:23 AM] Thusness: some from his images from meditation, some
              from his friends. :)
[12:08:03 AM] AEN: oh.... icic
[12:08:08 AM] AEN: but is the 5th dimension true?
[12:09:39 AM] Thusness: i have no idea.
[12:10:02 AM] Thusness: I have not spoken to mother gaia. :P
[12:10:06 AM] AEN: oic
[12:10:07 AM] AEN: hahaha
[12:10:13 AM] AEN: so u tink mother gaia is a spirit?
[12:10:20 AM] Thusness: I know that his experience of Presence is
              true. :)
[12:10:29 AM] AEN: oic...
[12:10:31 AM] Thusness: it is a collective consciousness
[12:10:59 AM] AEN: collective consciousnes... can explain to
              me?
[12:11:40 AM] Thusness: cannot. :P  Confused u and not so
              important for buddhist progress.
[12:11:58 AM] AEN: oic... btw what time u sleep? am i
              bothering u? :P
[12:12:09 AM] Thusness: nope...at one.
[12:12:12 AM] AEN: icic
[12:12:13 AM] AEN: kk
[12:12:33 AM] AEN: hey thanks for explaining to me all these
[12:13:15 AM] Thusness: wc
[01:02:49 AM] Thusness: How does science define time?
[01:13:03 AM] AEN: dont know
[01:13:05 AM] AEN: forgot
[01:13:10 AM] AEN: :P
[01:13:12 AM] AEN: y?
[01:17:36 AM] Thusness: It is a good topic for u to ponder. :)
[01:17:51 AM] AEN: oic...
[01:19:00 AM] Thusness: Anyway I read the message (about his
              experience) he sent to u wrongly.  I thought it was 4
              Nov, that was 30 days back.  
[01:19:16 AM] AEN: ohh
[01:19:21 AM] AEN: then what does that mean
[01:19:24 AM] AEN: lol
[01:22:02 AM] Thusness: He should spend some time into buddhism.
              :)
[01:22:19 AM] AEN: oic
[01:22:21 AM] AEN: hahaha
[01:22:23 AM] AEN: ok..
[01:22:56 AM] Thusness: but ..hm....let it be first. :)
[01:23:15 AM] Thusness: accepting isn't easy for now.
[01:23:39 AM] AEN: icic...
[01:24:21 AM] Thusness: Probably another msg, I don't get use to
              writing nowadays.
[01:24:31 AM] AEN: on the forum?
[01:24:48 AM] Thusness: yeah...another day.
[01:24:56 AM] AEN: icic
[01:24:57 AM] AEN: ok
[01:25:45 AM] Thusness: i got to go now. Nite. :)
[01:25:48 AM] AEN: ok
[01:25:49 AM] AEN: gd nite

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Liberation Requires Anatta Realization

 
“Soh Wei Yu

Lewis Stevens

"Does the realization of groundlessness lead inevitably to liberation,..... Or perhaps liberation becomes superfluous with the realization that there is no one to be liberated!"

Soh:

It does lead to liberation.

Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche:

 

"Why is it that all sentient beings think that there is a self? The self is not conceived of because it exists. In fact, although it does not exist, there is merely a conception that it exists because of an erroneous mind that is deluded and mistaken about its existence. This is similar to perceiving a rope to be a snake or like seeing a young lady [as real] in a dream.

 

It might be thought that if there is a self, then it is reasonable to be bound to samsara by afflictions and to become liberated when cutting through that bondage. However, if there were no self, who then becomes liberated? Therefore, it would be unreasonable to strive to liberate the self!

 

It is not the case that one strives to liberate an existent self. For instance, if you are frightened when mistaking a rope for a snake, you will feel relieved when you see that there is no snake. Similarly, by conceiving of a self where there is no self, you accumulate afflictions and karma and thereby continuously experience suffering in samsara. When realizing the lack of self through authentic insight, karma and afflictions will cease to be and you will be liberated. Therefore, what is called “liberation” is merely the cessation of a mistake in your mind-stream or the cessation of your deluded mind. There is no liberation of an existent self. If there were a self, then ego-clinging could never be turned away, and if this ego-clinging is not relinquished, then karma and afflictions do not cease. Thus, due to being attached to the self, you continuously enter samsara. —A FEAST ON THE NECTAR OF THE SUPREME VEHICLE, 102–3"

 

Duckworth, Douglas; Mipam, Jamgon. Jamgon Mipam: His Life and Teachings (p. 145). Shambhala. Kindle Edition.

Soh Wei Yu

It is good and important to point out the aspect of clarity first, self-enquiry for realizing the I AM.

But without the anatta realization there can be no liberation.


2006:

(5:25 PM) John: For one that truly experience anatta and emptiness, he will know that there is no other way towards liberation. Dualistic view is itself suffering. There is no escape and

cannot be compromised. so though ET [Soh: Eckhart Tolle, who is at the I AM stage] talked about the silence, there is the experience but there is no liberation. There is constant struggle. do not be deceived.  though what he said about the experience is quite true.

(5:27 PM) AEN: non-effort can only come from longchen's sort of 'non doer' understanding am i right

(5:27 PM) AEN: oic why no liberation?

(5:27 PM) John: one cannot experience that blissful liberated experience in a dualistic mode.

(5:28 PM) John: yes....longchen is beginning to understand more... just beginning...

(5:28 PM) AEN: oic

(5:28 PM) AEN: eckhart tolle in dualistic mode?

(5:28 PM) John: there are just certain experiences that cannot be described in words.

(5:28 PM) AEN: oic

(5:29 PM) John: it is like what ken wilber say about the non-duality experience and absolutely no witness without the layer of separation... how is this possible. it is 'seeing', awaking of wisdom, awakening of anatta and emptiness nature.  no other way can lead us to liberation.

(5:30 PM) AEN: icic..

(5:30 PM) John: i mean maintaining it like every moment. I mean the description of ken wilber is there. but the depth of the experience...i got to read the simple feeling of being.

(5:31 PM) John: however by the title, i think he is still not there.  (comments by Soh: it became clearer later that Ken Wilber is at Thusness Stage 4 and have not reached Stage 5 clarity of anatta realization)

(5:31 PM) AEN: o icic

(5:31 PM) John: lol

(5:31 PM) AEN: the title? u mean the simple feeling of being. wrong?

(5:31 PM) John: i have to read first lah. the title cannot reflect out one that is fully authenticated in suchness.  nevertheless, none i have read can correctly describe it so far.

(5:33 PM) AEN: oic.. so how to correctly describe it

(5:33 PM) John: the next thing to look out is the stability.

(5:33 PM) AEN: oic

(5:34 PM) John: i think ken wilber has engaged too much in theoretical conceptualization after the experience of non-dual. Seems to retrogress....hehe

(5:34 PM) AEN: hahaha icic

(5:35 PM) John: must practice hard. ”

 

“He [XYZ Rinpoche] focused more on awareness as background. Without realizing the nature of mind and phenomena, karma continues to be generated.

 

When there is a background, one can't liberate actually but generates subtle karma IMO. Only through realizing the nature of mind and phenomena one can self liberates (karma).” – John Tan, 2018

 

“There is thinking, no thinker
There is hearing, no hearer
There is seeing, no seer

 

In thinking, just thoughts
In hearing, just sounds
In seeing, just forms, shapes and colors.”


.....


Depending on the conditions of an individual, it may not be obvious that it is “always thought watching thought rather than a watcher watching thought.” or "the watcher is that thought." Because this is the key insight and a step that cannot afford to be wrong along the path of liberation, I cannot help but with some disrespectful tone say,

For those masters that taught,
“Let thoughts arise and subside,
See the background mirror as perfect and be unaffected.”
With all due respect, they have just “blah” something nice but deluded.

Rather,

See that there is no one behind thoughts.
First, one thought then another thought.
With deepening insight it will later be revealed,
Always just this, One Thought!
Non-arising, luminous yet empty!


-        John Tan, 2009, the two stanzas of anatta in On Anatta (No-Self), Emptiness, Maha and Ordinariness, and Spontaneous Perfection

 

“The most direct and succinct explanation of anatta is that there is no actual seer of sights, no actual hearer of sound, etc., there is no actual internal point of reference, or subject, that is apprehending alleged referents, or objects.” – Kyle Dixon, 2020 https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comments/in52dv/new_here_can_someone_explain_the_concept_of/

“krodha

2 days ago · edited 2 days ago

Is it to say that all the things I use to identify myself are untrue? All my likes and dislikes? My personality traits? My beliefs?

Kyle Dixon: It is more so that there is ultimately no separate self as an entity which possesses those traits. The self is a mere construct which is only those traits, and so on. In actuality however, those traits do not truly construct an entity. The entity or self is inferred, and we use that inference as a tool for engaging with and navigating experience, but we mistake that inference to be a referent, meaning we become entrenched in the nexus of conditions and come to view the self as an inherently real entity.

The actual meaning of selflessness in these teachings revolves around the non-conceptual, direct realization that there in fact is no inherent self, or any self at all for that matter. This results from recognizing that there is no thinker of thought, no separate feeler of feelings, no seer of sights, no hearer of sound, and so on.

Here is Sera Khandro, a prominent 19th/20th century practitioner discussing the self:

A literal definition of the term “individual” is as follows: The two obscurations, along with habitual patterns, fill an individual’s stream of being; and the contaminated aggregation of attachment forms the foundation for the individual. What is called “the self” is the consciousness predisposed to assume the existence of a self: during the periods of waking life, dream, transitional states [bardos] between lifetimes, or in a future life, a self merely appears when none exists. That consciousness is what is called “an individual self.” Immediately thereafter, subsequent knowing and discursive thought give clarity to the consciousness predisposed to cling to an “I” where there is none, and a sense of self where none exists, and make them stable and solid.

…


What does Buddhism mean when they say there is no self

Kyle Dixon: Selflessness means there is ultimately no actual subject, which means there is no actual internal reference point that is apprehending sensory phenomena.

In describing this simply it means through your practice you will hopefully, eventually, awaken to recognize that there is no actual seer of sights, no hearer of sounds, and so on. The feeling of an internal seer or hearer, etc., is a useful but false construct that is created and fortified by various causes and conditions.

We suffer when we cling to this construct and think it is actually real. Recognition of the actual nature of that construct is liberating and freeing.” – Kyle Dixon, 2021

“Once I was a Body.

Later I became a Name.

Soon after I am merely I.

Then, there never was an I.

Now,

what else besides those words forming on the screen!” - John Tan, 2006
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All Things Have One Nature, That Is, No Nature

Friends

John Tan and I like this excerpt. 
 
John Tan:
“I really like this article from Jay Garfield expressing "emptiness of emptiness" as:
 
1. The everydayness of everyday.
 
2. Penetrating to the depth of being, we find ourselves back to the surface of things.
 
3. There is nothing after all beneath these deceptive surfaces.
 
Also concisely and precisely expressed the key insight of anatta in ATR.”
 
“That is what I always thought is the key insight of Tsongkhapa also. Like the phases of insights in ATR through contemplating no-self (a negation), one directly and non-dually tastes the vivid appearances.”
 
The excerpt:
 
“Now, since all things are empty, all things lack any ultimate nature, and this is a characterization of what things are like from the ultimate perspective. Thus, ultimately, things are empty. But emptiness is, by definition, the lack of any essence or ultimate nature. Nature, or essence, is just what empty things are empty of. Hence, ultimately, things must lack emptiness. To be ultimately empty is, ultimately, to lack emptiness. In other words, emptiness is the nature of all things; by virtue of this they have no nature, not even emptiness. As Nagarjuna puts it in his autocommentary to the Vigrahavyavartanı, quoting lines from the Astasahasrika-prajnaparamita-sutra: ‘‘All things have one nature, that is, no nature.’’
 
Nagarjuna’s enterprise is one of fundamental ontology, and the conclusion he comes to is that fundamental ontology is impossible. But that is a fundamentally ontological conclusion—and that is the paradox. There is no way that things are ultimately, not even that way. The Indo-Tibetan tradition, following the Vimalakırtinirdesa-sutra, hence repeatedly advises one to learn to ‘‘tolerate the groundlessness of things.’’ The emptiness of emptiness is the fact that not even emptiness exists ultimately, that it is also dependent, conventional, nominal, and, in the end, that it is just the everydayness of the everyday. Penetrating to the depths of being, we find ourselves back on the surface of things, and so discover that there is nothing, after all, beneath these deceptive surfaces. Moreover, what is deceptive about them is simply the fact that we take there to be ontological depths lurking just beneath.”
 
Jay Garfield & Graham Priest, in "Nagarjuna and the limits of thought" 

 
 
[4:43 pm, 26/09/2021] Soh Wei Yu: Oh nice didnt know you posted
[4:45 pm, 26/09/2021] John Tan: Yes so well expressed. How can I not post it.🤣
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