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Soh
Also see: U.G. Krishnamurti: The Mystique of Enlightenment (U.G. describes mind-body drop well)
    It is true that when no-self is actualized and when the body is deconstructed, a practitioner naturally experiences the mind-body drop. This means any sense or image of a body and a mind completely dissolves along with any senses of 'entrapment' or 'boundaries' at all.
    But do note that this is not a stage of meditative achievement. It is the result of wisdom-insight into the delusional constructions the conceives of a substantial body and a mind. In other words it is a form of self-view and view of a physical body being dissolved via prajna wisdom. Our notion of a solid body with fixed shape, boundaries, and substance deconstructs when we examine it and see that there is only flickering sensations without a center or boundary.
    After which, mind-body drop becomes natural and effortless, not a stage to be attained in meditation and lost outside meditation.
    And because this is so, *mind body drop is an experience in daily life*. It is not separated from your mind, body, and daily life. It does not mean your body and mind ceases - it is your deluded image of an inherently existing self, body and mind is being released, so your daily life is experienced in a liberated manner.
    Therefore it is erroneous to think of "mind-body drop" as a stage of achievement separated from this very experience of body-mind-world. It is only that this body-mind-world is seen as empty of anything graspable, transparent, and boundless. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.
    More importantly, by that stage, you realize that "Awareness" itself is an imputation on the entire flow of manifestation - "Awareness" itself does not exist separately apart from each momentary mind moment, whether it is a sense of formless presence in deep sleep, or the shapes and forms of each waking moment. In other words, Awareness is also empty of being an independent, separate self.
    Since this is the case, it is seen at this stage that the very notion of "true absolute Awareness" vs "phenomena" is a false, dualistic paradigm in the first place. There is only the one suchness of form and essence - in so far as each experience, each form, is both luminous clarity (Awareness) in essence and empty of self in nature. This is the nature of mind.
    - Soh Wei Yu
    Comments
    • Soh Wei Yu This mind-body drop must later be transformed into Dharma Body, which is Maha total exertion, as I wrote in https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/.../dharma-body_7...

      2009:

      (4:48 PM) Thusness: for ven jue xing, it is the mind body drop and the crystal transparency of our Buddha mind.
      (4:49 PM) Thusness: how old is she?
      and what happen to her?

      (4:53 PM) Thusness: to progress into another phase, it is important to do exercise...hehe
      a healthy body for a healthy mind
      (4:53 PM) Thusness: after maturing of anatta insight, it is even more important.
      one cannot neglect that.
      (4:54 PM) Thusness: the body must also be able to support the realisation :P
      (4:55 PM) AEN: otherwise like wat u said that time too intense or something?
      (4:55 PM) Thusness: yes
      (4:56 PM) Thusness: after maturing of insight anatta and emptiness, sitting meditation becomes not that important but engagement becomes more important
      like practicing the 6 paramitas
      (4:57 PM) Thusness: but still need to sit.
      (4:58 PM) Thusness: that is similar to 'dong zhong xiu' (practice amidst movement)
      the experience becomes maha sort of experience.
      (4:59 PM) Thusness: means her experience of mind body drop is being transform into crystal transparency into maha
      (4:59 PM) Thusness: but it does mean that which state is higher or what...
      (5:00 PM) Thusness: that will be like Zen Master Bernie
    Dharma Body
    Soh Wei Yu By the way André A. Pais when have I wrote the OP? I can't remember...

  • Soh Wei Yu Oh, found it. I wrote it on Jun 4, 2013, 9:28:00 PM. About three months before I wrote Dharma Body article
  • Reply
  • 9w
  • Edited


  • Darryl Snaychuk How very Vedanta sounding! <3 span="">

    • DS: The "experience of the mind-body drop" is indeed "the result of wisdom-insight into the delusional constructions that conceives of a substantial body and a mind"
      2
  • Soh Wei Yu The Advaita teacher Rupert Spira also described the insight of mind-body drop in his early book, 'The Transparency of Things', although more from the One Mind perspective (his insights has since matured even further)

    Rupert:

    "Taking our stand as this ever-present Consciousness, we can look again at our experience and see that we never actually experience the mind, the body or the world in the way that we usually conceive them.

    The mind consists of this current thought or image, whatever it is we are thinking or imagining in this moment. There is no container called the mind in which all our memories, hopes, fears and desires are stored. Whenever a memory, hope, fear or desire appears, it appears as a current thought.

    The idea that there is a mind which contains memories, hopes, fears and desires, is itself simply a thought that appears from time to time like any other thought, in Consciousness.

    There is no mind. The existence of a mind is simply an idea, a concept. It is a useful concept but it is not a fact. It is not an experience.

    Likewise we do not experience the body in the way we normally conceive it. In fact there is no body. There is a series of sensations and perceptions appearing in Consciousness. And from time to time there is a thought or in image of a ‘body, ’ which is considered to be the sum total of all these sensations and perceptions.

    However this thought appears in Consciousness in exactly the same way as the sensations and perceptions to which it refers, appear. This apparent body has no more substance than a thought. In fact that it was it is, an idea.

    If we stick closely to the actual experience of our bodily sensations, we see that they are shapeless and contourless. We may experience a visual perception of the skin and from several perceptions conceive a well-defined border which contains all other bodily sensations. However, this conception does not describe the reality of our experience.

    The visual perception of the surface of the body is one perception. A bodily sensation is another perception. When one of these perceptions is present the other is not. If they are both present, they are one perception, one experience.

    One perception cannot appear within another. All perceptions appear within Consciousness. We do not experience a sensation inside the body. The body is the experience of a sensation.

    We do not experience a sensation within a well-defined contour of skin. We experience a sensation within Consciousness and we experience a visual perception within Consciousness.

    We can explore this further by imagining what it would be like to draw our actual experience of the body at any given moment, on a piece of paper. Would it look anything like the body we normally conceive? Would it not be a collection of minute, amorphous abstract marks, floating on the page, without a shape or a border?

    Is not the actual experience of the body a collection of minute, amorphous, tingling sensations free-floating in the space of Consciousness?

    The continuity and coherence that we normally ascribe to the body, belong to Consciousness.

    In fact our true body is Consciousness. It is Consciousness that houses all the sensations that we normally refer to as ‘the body.’

    Our true body is open, transparent, weightless and limitless. It is inherently empty and yet contains all things within itself. That is why such an empty body is also inherently loving. It is the embrace of all things."
  • DS: Experience is shapes of knowledge which have no physical weight.
  • Geovani Geo Soh, but he is clearly positing a Consciusness.
    "It is Consciousness that houses all the sensations that we normally refer to as ‘the body.’"

    "Is not the actual experience of the body a collection of minute, amorphous, tingling sensations free-floating in the space of Consciousness?"

    " We experience a sensation within Consciousness and we experience a visual perception within Consciousness."
    etc....
  • Soh Wei Yu Geovani Geo like I said, Rupert is describing from One Mind phase + deconstruction of mind/body, not anatta
  • Geovani Geo Yes, one mind
  • Soh Wei Yu How the phases play out may not be completely same and linear for each person. Some deconstruct mind/body in One Mind, in my case it was not long after anatta realization. So my opening post was a little misleading in saying that "More importantly, by that stage, you realize that "Awareness" itself is an imputation on the entire flow of manifestation" -- that need not be the case.

    https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/.../advice-for...

    Advice for Taiyaki

    Last year, a forummer from the NewBuddhist forum (Albert Hong a.k.a. Taiyaki) penetrated within a year the realization of I AM to non dual and anatta. He is an avid reader of this blog.

    Thusness wrote the following pointers for him:

    "There are several points that maybe of help to Taiyaki:

    1. First there must be a deep conviction that arising does not need an essence. That view of subjective essence is simply a convenient view.

    2. First emptying of self/Self does not necessarily lead to illusion-like experience of reality. It does however allows experience to become vivid, luminous, direct and non-dual.

    3. First emptying may also lead a practitioner to be attached to an 'objective' world or turns physical. The 'dualistic' tendency will resurface after a period of few months so it is advisable to monitor one's progress for a few months.

    4. Second emptying of phenomena will turn experience illusion-like but take note of how emptying of phenomena is simply extending the same "emptiness view" of Self/self.

    5. From these experiences and realizations, contemplate what is meant by "thing", what is meant by mere construct and imputation.

    6. "Mind and body drop" are simply dissolving of mind and body constructs. If one day the experience of anatta turns a practitioner to the attachment of an 'objective and actual' world, deconstruct "physical".

    7. There is a relationship between "mental constructs", energy, luminosity and weight. A practitioner will experience a release of energies, freedom, clarity and feel light and weightless deconstructing 'mental constructs'.

    8. Also understand how the maha experience of interpenetration and non-obstruction is related to deconstructions of inherent view.

    9. No body, no mind, no dependent origination, no nothing, no something, no birth, no death. Profoundly deconstructed and emptied! Just vivid shimmering appearances as Primordial Suchness in one whole seamless unobstructed-interpenetration."




    -----------


    Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Space-Like Emptiness and Illusion-Like Dependent O...": 

    Being clothed in this dense material form,this body-brain-nervous system,ones perception is severely enslaved/limited ..... 

    Obviously,after death,for some period of time,not being subjected to limited body-brain perception/experience,

    ones view and perception will b greatly expanded ....Many things which couldnt be seen while in this body,with all its fight-flight response(biochemical ,hormonal caused) will bcome clearer...

    And there will be a period of life review,when one sees the life just lived ,and with it comes variety of consciousness(contenment,regret,sorrow etc...) ...

    My Q is .. wats yr view(whether theoretical or if even better,personal experiences) of getting this "expanded mind/consciousness" while still in this body ? Its so hard to get in waking state ...How to hypnotize oneself(if possible) to get "out-of -body- consciousness" ? 

    And no,im not talking abt no-self,nondual or anything like dat..but really abt reaching a "bodiless" (if can put it dat way) expanded perception,where the grip of self-preservation,selfishness,resentment ,worldly desires etc.. is lessen and a better perspective(eg.. dat we r simply a passerby in this temporal earth life etc...) is attained ....And such perception is obviously different frm belief , for belief is blind...but this is 'closer to reality' view.... 



    Soh has left a new comment on your post "Space-Like Emptiness and Illusion-Like Dependent O...": 

    Out of body experience does not liberate. It is very common, a high percentage of people will experience it some time in their life even if they did not engage in spiritual practices. It does not help other than maybe shift one's perspective a little bit.

    Body-mind drop helps. The complete dissolution of body-consciousness can happen by two ways:

    1) Deep samadhi
    2) Deep realization.

    You need to get to Stage 4 and 5 and deconstruct mind-body for the dissolving of body-consciousness to be permanent. This is described by teachers like Rupert Spira and U.G. Krishnamurti (https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2018/10/ug-krishnamurti-mystique-of.html)

    You will not experience it permanently through meditation alone. 


    Zen Master Dogen and many other teachers, including my Taiwanese Mahayana teacher, as well as Thusness, often emphasizes "mind body drop". So this is an important phase. You will experience it eventually if you have the correct insights and practice. 

    One can experience mind-body drop as a stage in samadhi but it will be temporary without deep nondual realization.
Soh
[22/4/18, 8:40:51 PM] John Tan: Lately I kept seeing articles and conversations relating to "nothingness" wonder y.
[22/4/18, 8:41:13 PM] John Tan: The mysterious gate of taoism.
[22/4/18, 8:42:32 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic.. maybe u should write something about it.. lol
[22/4/18, 8:44:36 PM] John Tan: Lol...Taoist valley spirit is the opposite of clarity...it attempts to express the depth "source" of life.
[22/4/18, 8:47:18 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic.. sounds like Christianity? Was reading some Christian mystic website I think based on Father Thomas keating. They are aware of I AM and witnessing but states that the goal of Christian contemplation is beyond that, is the source of that and will and doing
[22/4/18, 8:47:21 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Or something like that
[22/4/18, 8:47:45 PM] John Tan: Nothingness
[22/4/18, 8:47:59 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..
[22/4/18, 8:48:08 PM] John Tan: Even nisargadatta
[22/4/18, 8:49:22 PM] John Tan: There is nothing to contemplate as it cannot be approached through a known mind.
[22/4/18, 8:49:45 PM] Soh Wei Yu: They call it contemplative prayer
[22/4/18, 8:49:56 PM] Soh Wei Yu: More like prayer.. or meditation.. dunno what is it. Maybe surrendering
[22/4/18, 8:50:08 PM] John Tan: Yes
[22/4/18, 8:50:23 PM] John Tan: The tao is the way
[22/4/18, 8:51:00 PM] John Tan: The way of always in Union with the "source"
[22/4/18, 8:51:12 PM] John Tan: Or even yoga
[22/4/18, 8:51:39 PM] John Tan: One has to be aware of this dimension but nothing to seek.
[22/4/18, 8:52:18 PM] John Tan: It is rather only in daily encounter and manifestation
[22/4/18, 8:55:01 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Union with source is like divine happening?
[22/4/18, 8:55:08 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Not my will but the source
[22/4/18, 8:56:12 PM] John Tan: Yes but we cannot approach the  "unfathomable depth" through "knowing".  only moment to moment gnosis in seeing, feeling, thinking, tasting, hearing and smelling.
[22/4/18, 8:57:31 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Knowing as in intellect?
[22/4/18, 8:58:51 PM] John Tan: Yes intellect.  The way to understanding the nature of aliveness and clarity is to fully "live" and "express".
[22/4/18, 8:59:00 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Ic..
[22/4/18, 9:00:01 PM] John Tan: Taoism is unique in this sense in expressing this dark illumination
[22/4/18, 9:03:33 PM] Soh Wei Yu: How is it unique?
[22/4/18, 9:09:19 PM] John Tan: it is not really interested in presence
[22/4/18, 9:10:25 PM] John Tan: But what is behind presence...when in deep sleep, where is awareness?
[22/4/18, 9:11:00 PM] John Tan: So the valley spirit is often described as dark
[22/4/18, 9:14:16 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Oic..
[22/4/18, 9:15:56 PM] John Tan: How is this different from anatta?
[22/4/18, 9:24:31 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Anatta does not see something behind presence but source is none other than manifestation
[22/4/18, 9:25:10 PM] John Tan: What does source is none other manifestation mean to u?
[22/4/18, 9:26:42 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Means when hearing sound, I don’t see it arising out of a nothingness but sound springs from right where it is fully aliveness and full expression of life
[22/4/18, 9:27:59 PM] John Tan: First u must differentiate between experiential insight that there is nothing behind and directly experiencing presence as the 6 entries and exits.
[22/4/18, 9:28:35 PM] John Tan: From seeing through conventions and how the mind mistaken.
[22/4/18, 9:30:10 PM] John Tan: How the mind mistakes and reify conventions.  How the mind attempt to fix and fit and explain in a "known" pattern according to it's existing paradigm.
[22/4/18, 9:31:28 PM] John Tan: What r the difference?  And only when these 2 insights arise, practitioner can clearly understand and experience.
[22/4/18, 9:34:31 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Insight that there is nothing behind is realising anatta, directly experience presence is all six senses is just pce (pure consciousness experience, as in http://www.actualfreedom.com.au/library/topics/pce.htm)
 
 
 
 
Good video by A H Almaas:
 

 

Soh
https://www.nalandatranslation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/heart-sutra.pdf

THE SUTRA OF THE HEART OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGE

Thus have I heard. Once the Blessed One was dwelling in Råjagôiha at Vulture Peak

mountain, together with a great gathering of the saðgha of monks and a great gathering of

the saðgha of bodhisattvas. At that time the Blessed One entered the samådhi that expresses

the dharma called “profound illumination,” and at the same time noble Avalokiteshvara,

the bodhisattva mahåsattva, while

practicing the profound prajñåpåramitå, saw in this way:

he saw the five skandhas to be empty of nature.

Then, through the power of the Buddha, venerable Shåriputra said to noble Avaloki-

teshvara, the bodhisattva mahåsattva, “How should a son or daughter of noble family train,

who wishes to practice the profound prajñåpåramitå?”

Addressed in this way, noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahåsattva, said to

venerable Shåriputra, “O Shåriputra, a son or daughter

of noble family who wishes to

practice the profound prajñåpåramitå should see

in this way: seeing the five skandhas to

be empty of nature. Form is emptiness; emptiness also is form. Emptiness is no other than

form; form is no other than emptiness. In the same way, feeling, perception, formation, and

consciousness are emptiness. Thus, Shåriputra, all dharmas are emptiness. There are no

characteristics. There is no birth and no cessation.

There is no impurity and no purity. There

is no decrease and no increase. Therefore, Shåriputra, in emptiness, there is no form, no

feeling, no perception, no formation, no consciousness; no

eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue,

no body, no mind; no appearance, no sound, no

smell, no taste, no touch, no dharmas; no

eye dhåtu up to no mind dhåtu, no dhåtu of dharmas, no mind consciousness dhåtu; no

ignorance, no end of ignorance up to no old age and death, no end of old age and death; no

suffering, no origin of suffering, no cessation of suffering, no path, no wisdom, no

attainment, and no nonattainment. Therefore, Shåriputra, since the bodhisattvas have no

attainment, they abide by means of prajñåpåramitå. Since there is no obscuration of mind,

there is no fear. They transcend falsity and attain complete nirvåïa. All the buddhas of the

three times, by means of prajñåpåramitå, fully awaken to unsurpassable, true, complete

enlightenment. Therefore, the great mantra of prajñåpåramitå, the mantra of great insight,

the unsurpassed mantra, the unequaled mantra, the mantra that calms all suffering, should

be known as truth, since there is no deception. The prajñåpåramitå mantra is said in this

way:

OÎ GATE GATE PÅRAGATE PÅRASAÎGATE BODHI SVÅHÅ

Thus, Shåriputra, the bodhisattva mahåsattva should train in the profound prajñå-

påramitå.”

Then the Blessed One arose from that samådhi and praised noble Avalokiteshvara, the

bodhisattva mahåsattva, saying, “Good, good, O son of noble family; thus it is, O son of

noble family, thus it is. One should practice

the profound prajñåpåramitå just as you have

taught and all the tathågatas will rejoice.”

When the Blessed One had said this, venerable Shåriputra and noble Avalokiteshvara,

the bodhisattva mahåsattva, that whole asse

mbly and the world with its gods, humans,

asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.



Lotsåwa bhikúhu Rinchen De translated this text into Tibetan with the Indian païçita Vimalamitra.

It was edited by the great editor—lotsåwas Gelo,

Namkha, and others. This Tibetan text was copied

from the fresco in Gegye Chemaling at the glorious Samye vihåra. It has been translated into English

by the Nålandå Translation Committee, with reference to several Sanskrit editions.

© 1975, 1980 by the Nålandå Translation Committee. All rights reserved.

Available on our website for personal use.
Soh

A note by Soh

Soh: The problem is that most vipassana teachers are missing the anatta insight and the way they teach doesn’t directly lead to insight.

Their anatta understanding is still inferential, even if they have peak experiences of some aspects of no-self. It is not the same as what we call the realisation of anatman.

https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2018/12/vipassana-must-go-with-luminous.html

It will be good that when doing vipassana, at the same time you contemplate experientially the two stanzas of anatta or Bahiya Sutta, that will lead to the anatman breakthrough.

https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2009/03/on-anatta-emptiness-and-spontaneous.html

https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2010/10/my-commentary-on-bahiya-sutta.html

https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2008/01/ajahn-amaro-on-non-duality-and.html


Conversation — 2005~2007

Ck: John, how do I practice vipassana in daily life?

Thusness: Just observe every sensation until one day you are able to experience “emptiness as form.” Then it becomes effortless. Truth is, you cannot imagine the bliss when one clearly experiences that. But there is no point to overstress anything. :)

Ck: "Just observe every sensation"... give me an example?

Thusness: When you breathe, you don't have to care what is the right way of breathing, whether you breathe hard or soft, smooth or fine... just experience as much clarity as you can. Just that experience... regardless of what it is like. Same for all other experiences.

Ck: What about sound? How is it?

Thusness: When you hear, just the sound... the totality of the sound. There is no “how” but just to do away with all arbitrary thoughts. Hear the sound as clearly as you can be.

Ck: Then what about thoughts? Thoughts are very sticky.

Thusness: Thoughts seldom arise if the practice is correct. If they arise, then not to chase after their meaning. Not to answer yourself what it means, not to dwell in “what”... then you will resort to just the moment of awareness.

Ck: When I try to be just openly aware, I notice that I jump from sense to sense. Like one moment hearing, then touch, etc.

Thusness: That is okay. Our nature is so.

Ck: What’s the right way to do it?

Thusness: Don't think that you should concentrate. Your only duty is to sense with as much clarity as possible.

Ck: And for all the sensations, I don't dwell in the “what”?

Thusness: Your mind is looking for a way, a method, but what is needed is only the clarity. However, because our mind is so molded and affected by our habitual propensities, it becomes difficult to do what is direct and simple. Just stop asking “how,” “what,” “why,” and submerge into the moment. And experience. I prefer you to describe, not to ask how, what, why, when, where, and who. Only this is necessary.

Ck: Okay.

Thusness: If you practice immediately, you will understand. If you entertain who, what, where, when, and how, you create more propensities and dull your own luminosity.

Ck: I shuffle between self-inquiry, observing sensations and thoughts, being aware... it’s okay right?

Thusness: Yes.

Ck: Means once I start work I'll have even more propensities...

Thusness: That is when you do not understand what awareness is, but it is true to a certain extent. :)

Thusness: Tell me what you think is awareness? In your own words. Just say.

AEN: Just the knowingness, the sensation or thoughts etc.

Thusness: Look at the skin of your hands.

AEN: Okay.

Thusness: Looks real?

AEN: Yeah.

Thusness: Touch it... feel it as much as you can. Can you not think of a background?

AEN: Yeah.

Thusness: And know that, that is awareness?

AEN: Yeah.

Thusness: That is all.

John: So far what do you understand about awareness?

AEN: Hmm like you say... awareness is never lost.

John: What is awareness right now? When you say thought arises, is thought awareness?

AEN: Thought is not awareness, but there is awareness of thought.

John: So what is thought? And where is awareness? Same like taste, is the taste awareness?

AEN: I think you can’t define awareness to a “thing.”

John: So is taste or thought a thing? :) You practice meditation now right?

AEN: Never practiced for quite some time. Taste or thought is not a thing.

John: So do you think awareness is a party behind thinking thought or experiencing taste? :)

AEN: No.

John: Taste is not a thing, then what is it?

AEN: Just the awareness.

John: Experience this awareness with totality. :)

Thusness: What is the role of insight meditation? Why bare attention? Why naked awareness? When insight meditation is taught and Buddha said “when hearing just the sound”... this and that... what Buddha wanted is to experience directly what awareness is—the arising, the ceasing, the clarity, the non-dual nature. In Dependent Origination.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: Not to note it with thought or place any conclusion on any experience. “This is impermanence” is not about noting and placing any conclusion about a phenomenon arising. But experience impermanence directly, not in words.

AEN: I see... yeah.

Thusness: Be impermanence and know what it is really... See what clarity is, not what it should be. It is luminous and yet empty... experience it directly... it is so.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: Break the solidity until there is no holding, simply thus. Don't watch... there is no watcher... there is just momentary manifestation and that is already luminosity and emptiness.

AEN: But in conventional saying we often say watching. Easier to understand.

Thusness: Yeah but I am not talking about conventional or ultimate. If it is just a form of expression there is nothing wrong with it. But the fact is we are really experiencing it as if there is a watcher... that is the problem.


Conversation — 2007

Thusness: Lately I have been experiencing more vividly “Emptiness as form.” Insight meditation (vipassanā) like what Buddha taught is very important. When seeing, just the seen. When hearing, just the heard.

AEN: I see. Isn't this non-duality?

Thusness: Yeah… but the depth of clarity. It is difficult for me to tell you. Just train yourself into that.. if you didn’t, your life will be wasted. Even with all the things I tell you. :) After non-duality, you must experience until at least this level, “Emptiness as form.”

AEN: By the way, emptiness as form is not form as emptiness? It's like the Dharma Dan Heart Sutra model? First is form as form, then emptiness is emptiness, then form is emptiness, then emptiness is form?

Thusness: Just the manifestation until tremendous clarity. No need… just non-dual and the depth of non-duality.


John Tan, 2006

Reply part 1:

Is Absorption not aware of other things? This is difficult to say. Although many articles and books about mindfulness seem to suggest that it is so, this is not necessarily true when we progress towards the more subtle experience. Clarity can come a time where it is so clear that it is an absorption, it is a sort of Insight-Absorption but it is different from absorption derived from concentration. It is clarity absorption where it touches the heart of ‘things’, that is itself. For example being taste itself, it is absorbed yet completely clear. This is truly blissful and beyond description. I have not come across any book touching this yet and I hope Toni's new book can write something about it. :)

Reply part 2:

The AMness can be said to be a form of absorption where the object of concentration is the Self. It can be a question “Who am I” that leads one to the experience of the subject-object becoming one. Till a point the practitioner simply experiences a pure sense of existence. However such mode of experience has no understanding of its luminous clarity and its nature as anatta. The key point about mindful awareness is there is no keeping of the mind on anything and by not resting on anything, it fuses into everything; therefore it cannot be concentrated; rather it is to relax into nothingness empty of self, empty of any artificial doing so that the natural luminosity can take its own course. There is no focusing, there is only allowing the mirror bright clarity to shine with its natural radiance. In essence there is no one there, only the phenomenon arising and ceasing telling their stories.


Conversation — 13 April 2009

AEN: s4bnw: Let's do some inference. The direct path provides a direct way of realising our buddha nature, which is in effect, directly helping one to progress faster, spiritually-wise compared to those who take the gradual path, which means they take more time and more round-about way to see buddha nature, isn't it?

Thusness: Yes. In general yes. It also depends on a practitioner’s dedication. Buddha said before if one can be fully vipassanic for 7 days, one can reach full enlightenment right? If a person can have that sort of crystal clarity like "I AMness" in all arising sensations for day and night 7 days, I believe he will reach enlightenment.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: Like I hear sound, till it becomes "I AMness", crystal clarity... till it burns away all labels, all divisions, just crystal clear SOUND. If all whatever arises can have that sort of clarity, pristineness, then I can't imagine... if the concentration is that great. :) Actually it is crystal clarity and effortlessness. To me it can only be done when a practitioner already penetrates the deepest nature of non-dual awareness. That is why he knows why and how deep within him. It is this non-dual clarity.

AEN: I see. By the way, then gradual path is what? You mean what you said is direct path?

Thusness: Gradual. Then it is the same. Like do vipassana till one is able to do that.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: Realisation is only one knows the how and why... but that is already quite a deep realisation. After stabilizing non-dual then one knows why. Why Buddha taught vipassana. That crystal clear mirror presence yet empty.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: Actually if we can have the fullest and effortless experience of this non-dual mirror presence, then nothing matters. Whether DO [dependent origination] or Brahman, it is the same.

AEN: What do you mean?

Thusness: Means at the greatest clarity and completely effortless experience of our non-dual mirror presence, there is no difference. At that point, there are no concepts, labelling, self, views... it is just complete oneness and reality. So no difference.

AEN: But non-dual is not yet emptiness insight right?

Thusness: Emptiness or DO [dependent origination] are also rafts... if one can completely dissolve the last trace without any views, then there is no difference. Just simply naked awareness, that is sufficient. However we don't know what is naked awareness. We have only a very very vague idea of what non-dual awareness is.

Thusness: For those that experience Eternal Witness, they thought they know... but in truth, only a glimpse... therefore one undergoes non-dual, anatta, emptiness and then spontaneous perfection. If we can fully experience non-dual mirror like Awareness in full effortlessness, then we have to be empty, centerless and traceless. Otherwise there is no true effortlessness and spontaneity. Most likely it will be a contrived experience.

AEN: You mean through concentration?

Thusness: Without understanding of DO [dependent origination] and emptiness. Because our existing dualistic and inherent views is the cause of that contrivance.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: What s4bnw said is quite true. Don't argue for nothing. Direct path is not for everyone and you have not faced the problem yet.


Conversation — 2007

Thusness: At the more refined level of non-dual experience, when the sense of self is gone to a great level, there is absolutely nothing but only everything... what does that mean? Many though said so but is still not there even he is already at the level of non-dual.

AEN: Not where?

Thusness: He must feel completely nothing and only the ‘concreteness’, ‘solidness’, realness... must feel the ‘solidness’ and that is things.... that is awareness.

AEN: I see. Thusness says: "many though said so but is still not there even he is already at the level of non dual." --> huh not where?

Thusness: There are different levels of non-dual experience. Feeling crystal clarity and 'no one there' is the same as only the solidness, hardness, sound, vividness, realness. That 'sense of self' must be completely gone. :) You must remember this.

AEN: I see... this is like mindfulness right.

Thusness: So now you know why Buddha taught mindfulness? And why Advaita didn't. :) This is important. It is the direct way. You see, the teaching and the practice is in line.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: So non-dual as in no-self. Into impermanence and just the manifestation and DO and authenticate this with insight meditation. However it is taught wrongly. :P

AEN: I see.

Thusness: But when one experiences deeper and understands better, why Buddha taught and said those things will become clear. You will realise that Advaita always talks about the Self. But when a person that is enlightened, he doesn't like to use this word. Self is a by-product. It is the production of thought.

Thusness: Even if you call it Brahman, it is still sinking back to a source. But when one gets clearer and clearer, and knows more about manifestation. There is only arising and ceasing of phenomenon according to conditions. That is dharmakaya. It is understood in crystal clarity.

Thusness: Just understand that there is no self until it sinks to the inmost consciousness. And know the different layers of consciousness but do not think that it is different type of consciousness.


John Tan, 2007:

“It is extremely difficult to express what is ‘Isness’. Isness is awareness as forms. It is a pure sense of presence yet encompassing the ‘transparent concreteness’ of forms. There is a crystal clear sensation of awareness manifesting as the manifold of phenomenal existence. If we are vague in the experiencing of this ‘transparent concreteness’ of Isness, it is always due to that ‘sense of self’ creating the sense of division… ...you must stress the ‘form’ part of awareness. It is the ‘forms’, it is the ‘things’.”

 


John Tan, January 2010:
If we ask “Who am I”, does the question already condition the experience from beginning? If we look for a 'who' and enter into the realm of pure, it naturally becomes a pure subject. Is the subject that important in the realm of pure? Similarly when we say 'here and now', has the mind already pre-assumed the existence of space and time?

If for a moment we are able to free ourselves from of all sort of definitions and labellings, feel the bare sensations without words, feel 'aliveness', feel 'existence' then search with our entire being its 'location'. Have the same sort of 'awakeness' for 'location' as we have for “I AM”. Is impermanence a movement from here to there?

If we penetrate deeply, it will reveal that there is nothing here, nothing now, nothing self, yet, there is vivid appearance. There is only always vivid appearance which is the very living presence that dependently originates whenever condition is. And what that dependently originates does not arise, does not cease, does not come, does not go.

We may then have an intuitive glimpse that direct path and vipassana are intimately related. :)


Someone asked:

“A quick question about Thusness Vipassana.

It's about clarity right?

Like when I focus on sound, I can see that mind sort of created a visual to describe sound and ‘color’ it, but even without the mind there is clear knowing. The sound without mind's coloring is borderless.”

Soh replied:

You must experience the intensity of luminosity:

Soh, 2011:

“Good insight. Stability of experience has a predictable relationship with the unfolding and deepening of insights. For example how seamless and effortless can non-dual experience be, if in the back of one's mind, subtle views of duality and inherency and tendencies continue to surface and affect our moment to moment experience - for example conjuring an unchanging source or mind that results in a perpetual tendency to sink back and referencing experience back to a source.

For example even after it is seen that everything is a manifestation of awareness or mind, there might still be subtle tendencies to reference back to a source, awareness or mind and therefore the transience is not appreciated in full. Nondual is experienced but one sinks back into substantial nonduality - there is always a referencing back to a base, an "awareness" that is nevertheless inseparable from all phenomena.

If one arises the insight that our ideas of an unchanging source, awareness or mind is just another thought - that there is simply thought after thought, sight after sight, sound after sound, and there isn't an inherent or unchanging "awareness", "mind", "source". Non-dual becomes implicit and effortless when there is the realisation that what awareness, seeing, hearing really is, is just the seen... The heard... The transience... The transience itself rolls and knows, no knower or other "awareness" can be found. Like there is no river apart from flowing, no wind apart from blowing, each noun implies its verb... Similarly awareness is simply the process of knowing not separated from the known. Scenery sees, music hears. Because there is nothing unchanging, independent, ultimate apart from the transience, there is no more sinking back to a source and instead there is full comfort resting as the transience itself.

Lastly do continue practicing the intensity of luminosity... When looking at tennis ball just sense the tennis ball fully.... Without thinking of a source, background, observer, self. Just the tennis ball as a luminous light. When breathing... Just the breathe... When seeing scenery, just sights, shapes and colours - intensely luminous and vivid without an agent or observer. When hearing music... Sound of bird chirping, the crickets… Just that - chirp chirp. A zen master noted upon his awakening... When I am hearing the bell ringing, there is no I and no bell... Just the ringing. The direct experiencing of no-mind and intensity of luminosity.. This is the purpose of the practice of the four foundations of mindfulness that is taught by the Buddha.”

And you must give rise to insight of anatta: Vipassana Must Go With Luminous Manifestation

Therefore contemplating on the two stanzas of anatta (see: On Anatta (No-Self), Emptiness, Maha and Ordinariness, and Spontaneous Perfection) and Bahiya Sutta (see: The Buddha on Non-Duality) is important as part of vipassana contemplation to guide the mind to penetrate view of self/Self and realise anatta.