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Soh

 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 - https://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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Also Anurag Jain


Have to be careful of nihilism.


https://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: 


https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2014/06/how-experiential-realization-helps-in_22.html


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


Soh
Merry Christmas. A conversation with a Christian + Zen (Sanbo Kyodan) practitioner.

Also see Eat God, Sleep God, Use God, Sit God


Mr. M
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With your realizations have you realized where fire comes from and where it goes when it goes off? Do you know where the color green of leaves  came from? I think even scientific minds has not notice it.
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Soh Wei Yu
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Realizing source is just Thusness Stage 1. One can get there by asking before birth, who am I? Keep inquiring into the source until one realizes source.
At later phases the paradigm is replaced by penetrating into anatta, emptiness and dependent origination.

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Mr. M
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Soh Wei Yu
the fire is observable.. can you observe anatta .. or can you observe the source?

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Mr. M
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So if you can observe the fire you can also observe its source.

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Soh Wei Yu
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Mr. M
The problem is understanding Source as background. After I AM the understanding of Source is like an infinite background or container or ground of being out of which all phenomena emerge from and subside to while the background remains intact and unchanged and unaffected.
Anatta sees through the illusion of a background so that one constantly tastes, sees, hears, smells, eats, touch Source as the full embodiment of manifestation alone. This is how one can “eat God, sleep God” etc
Then one sees why zen is become one with action is because of the realization that source is not necessary. Otherwise just abiding as Self or Source will do.
“(7:53 PM) Thusness: XX Rinpoche makes a good statement but that is before understanding stage 5 and 6. That is, without the source, nothing happens. However in Buddhism, insight is to see, penetrate and investigate and become thoroughly clear that the idea of a source, an essence is unnecessary. Once you experience and arise the insight of anatta, you begin open to happening without source, without the need of an essence. This is then the beginning of Buddhism.” - John Tan, 2009
Maybe this sounds scary to you due to Christian background, but nothing is lost. Luminosity is not denied. Its nature is just seen as it is.
Source/Consciousness does not exist in and of itself, it is empty of itself and thus found in all manifestation.

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Soh Wei Yu
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Mr. M
At stage 6, one realises that burning fire dependently originates based on conditions and does not originate or truly arise. No where can an origin, destination or place of abiding be found.

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Mr. M
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Soh Wei Yu
so you dont know your original face before your parent were born?

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Soh Wei Yu
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Mr. M
Those are stage 1 stuff. That koan “before birth, who am I” is the koan that led to my stage 1 realisation back in february 2010 after two years of self enquiry.
I am telling you how not to get stuck there and move forward. I realised anatta in october 2010.

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Soh Wei Yu
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If you want to progress to oxherding 9, you must realise anatta. Otherwise you just get stuck at the lower oxherding phases.

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Mr. M
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But you said you cannot see the source so how can you return to the source..

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Soh Wei Yu
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Mr. M
It is not you cannot see the source. It is that the source is empty of itself, and is just the mere phenomena rolling on.
John Tan, 2006:
Yes LongChen, very very well said. What you described is very true about the experience of non-duality and no-self is really referring to the illusionary view of a subject-object split. In actual case, there is no such split and like what you said, there are varying depths and degrees to this experience of non-duality. It will be good to find out more about the 7 factors of enlightenments and five wisdoms in Buddhism.
Sensation is just a word. However when we named it as ‘sensation’, there are whole lots of imprints and definitions that come along with it and that makes seeing it in ‘raw’ difficult. So what is ‘sensation’ in its raw state? It is what we called Presence, our Pristine Awareness. And yes they are all just THAT, that ‘sensation in raw’ and the purpose of why Buddha taught mindfulness will become clear; it is to experience “all is just that”, the One Reality. This has to be experienced intuitively and directly. There is no other way.
Next, we must experience more clearly about its emptiness nature. Awareness is a luminous presence with emptiness as its nature. Its nature is empty in the sense that there is no way you can point to a who, or a place or a moment in time and say “here it is”. It subsides as it arises and never remains. It is symbol-less and therefore we should not rest ourselves in either form or formless. It is neither this nor that and not even an ‘IT’. Simply empty of a ‘self’! A Source that cannot be pinned down is purely an ever manifestation of phenomena that rolls on. Its arising and ceasing is best described in the following:
When there is this, that is.
With the arising of this, that arises.
When this is not, neither is that.
With the cessation of this, that ceases.
(Dependent Origination – DO)
Do not even ask where it comes from and where it goes. To ask is to satisfy our cognitive thirst. In actual case it is no where to be found, only mere arising and ceasing in raw. The profundity of DO has no depth, zoom deeply into it. Sense the entirety of the moment, the manifolds of Presence, the vividness, texture and fabric of the raw, experience earnestly the luminous and emptiness truth of our nature.
The experience of this is the awakening of the mirror-like wisdom. This is important because it is the base that prevents us from falling into lower realm. But contrary to what that is being commonly explained as a clear mirror reflecting the phenomenon which is again dualistic (by now u will not be able to accept such view ), it is a wisdom that transformed totally the wrong view of phenomena as “out there or in here” to all as the manifestation of our pristine awareness due its emptiness nature. It is the experience of Dharmakaya.
(Source: https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2013/12/part-2-of-early-forum-posts-by-thusness_3.html)

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Soh Wei Yu
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You see even though the ninth oxherding picture is titled “returning to the source” it is nothing about a background or formless invisible atman.
Here is the description of 9th oxherding picture again:
Ten Ox-herding Pictures
Stage 9
RETURNING
TO THE SOURCE
Introduction
It is originally pure and clean without a speck of dust clinging.
He observes the flourishing and dying of form while remaining in the silence of no-action.
This is not the same as illusion; what need is there for striving or planning?
The water is blue and the mountains green; he sits and watches phenomena take form and decay.
Verse
Having come back to the origin and returned to the source, you see that you have expended efforts in vain.
What could be superior to becoming blind and deaf in this very moment?
Inside the hermitage, you do not see what is in front of the hermitage.
The water flows of itself and the flowers are naturally red.
How much time and pain it took to come to the eighth stage of "Person and Ox Both Forgotten"! Now you have reached at last the stage where you realize the fact of "Person is empty, so is the dharma," that is, the subject (person) and the object (dharma) are both totally empty. Since this is the fruit of extremely long and hard labor, you tend to stick to this stage and to cherish it endlessly - the last residue of enlightenment. If you succeed in washing it away by constant and persistent sitting, you come to a state of realization that the fact of "Person is empty, so is the dharma" is the essential state of human beings, signifying nothing special at all. Through this realization you return to your original starting point. This is the stage of "Returning to the source," where not a trace of such things as "Buddhism" or "Tathagata" is found anywhere. It is true that "the state after enlightenment is exactly the same as that of before enlightenment." It is the state of mind of "a leisurely person of the Way, who, having finished learning, has nothing more to do."
At this stage you can observe that all the highs and lows and vacillations of this world are, as they are, void of substance and are manifestations of the world of perfect stillness and non-being. Expressed in these terms it sounds as if there were two things - being and non-being. But in fact, being is non-being; the aspect of being is, as it is, non-being itself. There is no distinction between the two at all.
This proposition "Being is non-being" is a crude fact, not a temporary illusion or a dream. At this point you can realize and affirm that it has been entirely unnecessary to be consciously engaged in practicing the way or trying to attain enlightenment. This is a very important point: you start with the first stage of "Searching the Ox," and, spending many years in practice, you come at last to the ninth level of "Returning to the Source," and as a result of this entire process you can say that practice and enlightenment were unnecessary. It is totally wrong to maintain from the very beginning that practice and enlightenment are of no use. Such an attitude is called "inactive zen" [buji-zen] . Today, almost all Zen schools in Japan have degenerated to this "inactive zen." They maintain that just sitting is enough, not appreciating the experience of enlightenment or even ignoring it. On the other hand, you must bear in mind: No matter how strongly you argue that enlightenment is important, if it's nothing more than just propagating a conceptional zen or if you take pride in your experience (if it was an authentic experience), you are only mid-way. There is no other way than to sit and sit and sit, until you can very clearly say that practice and enlightenment were intrinsically unnecessary.
Let's now appreciate the verse by Master Kakuan:
Having come back to the origin and returned to the source,
you see that you have expended efforts in vain.
You are now back to your starting point. How much effort you needed for that! Occasionally you encouraged yourself washing your face with the ice-chilly basin water, or you sank into desperation listening to frogs croaking in the dusk outside, or you kept sitting in defiance of the pains in the legs or of unbearable fatigue. Many times you have felt, "Now, this time I've come to a true experience!" but soon that experience is covered with anxiety and discontent. How many times you have determined to stop doing zazen altogether!.
What could be superior to becoming blind and deaf
in this very moment?
Come to think of it now, why didn't I become like a blind and deaf person right away? "Blind and deaf" here means a state of mind where there is nothing to see and nothing to hear. When you see, there's only the seeing, and the subject that sees doesn't exist. When you hear, there's only the hearing, and the subject that hears doesn't exist. The objects which are seen or heard are, just as they are, without substance. But understanding the logic of this will not do. When this is realized as a fact, you become like a "blind and deaf" person.
Inside the hermitage,
you do not see what is in front of the hermitage.
The late YAMADA Kôun Roshi comments that this line comes from a dialogue between Unmon [864-949] and Master Kempô [dates unknown]: Unmon visited Master Kempô and asked, "Why doesn't a person inside the hermitage know anything outside the hermitage?" To this, Kempô burst out into laughter. The point is why the person inside the hermitage (subject) cannot see the things "in front of the hermitage" (object). That's because there isn't anything in front of the hermitage. You may say that there is only the subject, there being no object at all. Yet, in actual truth, that "subject" doesn't exist either.
The water flows of itself and the flowers are naturally red.
The water runs smoothly, the flowers are colored scarlet. This line seems to imply that there are only the objects and there's no subject at all. However, as a matter of fact, those objects do not exist at all. It's simply that the water is running smoothly, and flowers are scarlet. Everything is just as it is [tada korekore], and everything is void as it is now [arugamama no aritsubure]. The fact that there is no distinction between self and others simply continues without end - "The water flows of itself and the flowers are naturally red.".
- https://terebess.hu/english/oxherding.html
The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures, painted by Tatsuhiko YOKOO, Teisho by KUBOTA Ji'un, Terebess Asia Online (TAO)
TEREBESS.HU
The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures, painted by Tatsuhiko YOKOO, Teisho by KUBOTA Ji'un, Terebess Asia Online (TAO)
The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures, painted by Tatsuhiko YOKOO, Teisho by KUBOTA Ji'un, Terebess Asia Online (TAO)

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Mr. M
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Then you return to the marketplace where everything is doable..
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