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Nihilism. What is it? How does one fall into this trap? What is the way forward?
I’ve been meditating for 12 years. 4 years ago I went to a 10-day silent retreat where I experienced cessation. I didn’t know what cessation or dependent origination was until after the experience. I just told Bhante that I had a profound experience and explained it to him.
These past four years have been a slow unwinding and relaxing of physical and mental habits and digging into the Suttas. I experience bliss in common tasks, like walking the dog, as phenomena touch my consciousness, but not all the time. What I haven’t been able to shake is this feeling that nothing matters now. I’ve experienced the nothing that I am. The suffering inherent in Impermanence is clear. So, what is this body-mind complex doing here everyday? What motivation is there to create? Work? Should that motivation be there? It all seems kinda dumb and useless.
Sim Pern Chong and 1 other
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  • Soh Wei Yu
    Admin
    Realize your own brilliant luminous essence, then you will not fall into nihilism.
    What Buddha calls the Luminous Mind.
    The Transient Universe has a Heart
    Also see: What All Religions Have in Common: Light
    Vipassana Must Go With Luminous Manifestation
    The Unbounded Field of Awareness
    Fully Experience All-Is-Mind by Realizing No-Mind and Conditionality
    Exertion that is neither self-imposed nor imposed by others
    Actual Freedom and the Immediate Radiance in the Transience
    Dogen on the Heart of Tiles:
    If we belittle tiles as being lumps of clay, we will also belittle people as being lumps of clay. If people have a Heart, then tiles too will have a Heart.
    Shobogenzo, Kokyo, Hubert Nearman
    I mentioned earlier that I will write something about dull nondual experience and realising the Presence or the Heart.
    There is something tremendously alive, intelligent, a quality of pure Presence and that is nothing inert but intensely luminous (not in the sutric definition of purity and emptiness) but in the sense that the intensity of our cognizant mind evokes the sense of powerful radiance and illumination but without any separation between an illuminator and the illuminated, with absolutely no agent/perceiver/doer involved. It can evoke the sense of a radiance that is so intense that it completely outshines all visual darkness of night and brightness of the sun. This Presence is mystically alive, wondrous and magnificent, “more real than real”, and the complete opposite of an inert or merely some dull state of non conceptuality and absorption.
    This outshining of Presence-Awareness is not about some hidden invisible background existing behind manifestation (which will be perceived this way at the I AM stage) but is vividly manifest or “Presencing” (Presencing is a better word than Presence as it is not a static background or entity and none other than the dynamic stuff of transience) as the very “realness” or “vividness” of any appearance/display, color, sound, scent, touch, taste, thought, as if everything comes alive and there is something very wonderful and beautiful about it. The brilliant light of Presence-Awareness is none other than the body-mind-universe which when deconstructed and freed from self/Self/physicality is experienced as spheres of vivid light, colors, sounds, and sensations.
    This luminosity is also not merely a heightened state of clarity as I explained:
    “Someone asked me about luminosity. I said it is not simply a state of heightened clarity or mindfulness, but like touching the very heart of your being, your reality, your very essence without a shadow of doubt. It is a radiant, shining core of Presence-Awareness, or Existence itself. It is the More Real than Real. It can be from a question of "Who am I?" followed by a sudden realization. And then with further insights you touch the very life, the very heart, of everything. Everything comes alive. First as the innermost 'You', then later when the centerpoint is dropped (seen through -- there is no 'The Center') every 'point' is equally so, every point is A 'center', in every encounter, form, sound and activity.”
    There is a wide variety of methods to bring oneself to an abrupt stoppage of concepts and a face to face encounter of Pure Presence. All sorts of ways actually, some are safer and some are a bit more risky. For example Thusness, I, Ramana Maharshi, Ch'an Master Hsu Yun and many others have awakened through self-enquiry and we are exponents of the method of self-enquiry. Sim Pern Chong awakened to the I AM through breath meditation. Some get awakened through a mere pointing out by a teacher. Some awakened through yogic, tantric, kundalini paths. Ram Dass, David Carse and others have had their initial realization of the Heart-essence through the use of psychedelic drugs like magic mushrooms, ayahuasca, 5-MEO-DMT, LSD, and so on. (I am not advocating the use of drugs here, just stating that some people have used them with such results) There are many other methods and koans I did not mention.
    And yet, many have awakened through a simple shout by a Zen Master or a Dzogchen Master. A sudden unexpected KATZ! or a PHAT! of a Zen and Dzogchen master brings one into the immediate thoughtless face-to-face encounter of the luminous heart-essence. At that moment, you just shift out from all that nonsense and garbage in your head into just that instance of being blanked out into Presence. It is not an inert trance but an alert, alive and yet thoughtless state of Presence. Try it!
    But whatever method one uses to introduce that initial glimpse and taste of Presence, it is always through the deepening of insight into non-dual anatta that brings that taste to effortless uncontrivance and full-blown maturity in all encounters and manifestations.
    So when one has access to a state of nondual, one should ask whether it is dull and inert or suffused with a powerful sense of Presence. After anatta this Presence is no longer seen as a background but vividly shining forth as the manifold dynamic and seamlessly interconnected display, and the play of dharma and dependent origination is something which is alive, not just inert and mechanistic as someone wrote. All the qualities of I AM - infinite like space, powerful Presence, Luminosity, Clarity, Vitality and Intelligence are effortlessly experienced without contrivance, and furthermore no longer seen as something hidden behind but fully manifested from moment to moment activity and the sense of cosmic Impersonality which was once experienced as being lived through a reified cosmic intelligence is now experienced as the total exertion where a single activity is the exertion of the Whole - an activity that is seamlessly connected and coordinated with the entire Whole, a spontaneous exertion of the Whole of seamless dependencies. In other words all the taste of Presence similar to the I AM, including all the four aspects of I AM and the experience of anatta as requisites are fully present in the experience of Maha suchness, which is an experience of greatness beyond measure, where even a single breath feels cosmic and limitless.
    "The purpose of anatta is to have full blown experience of the heart -- boundlessly, completely, non-dually and non-locally. Re-read what I wrote to Jax.
    In every situations, in all conditions, in all events. It is to eliminate unnecessary contrivity so that our essence can be expressed without obscuration.
    Jax wants to point to the heart but is unable to express in a non-dual way... for in duality, the essence cannot be realized. All dualistic interpretation are mind made. You know the smile of Mahākāśyapa? Can you touch the heart of that smile even 2500 yrs later?
    One must lose all mind and body by feeling with entire mind and body this essence which is 心 (Mind). Yet 心 (Mind) too is 不可得 (ungraspable/unobtainable).. The purpose is not to deny 心 (Mind) but rather not to place any limitations or duality so that 心 (Mind) can fully manifest.
    Therefore without understanding 缘 (conditions),is to limit 心 (Mind). without understanding 缘 (conditions),is to place limitation in its manifestations. You must fully experience 心 (Mind) by realizing 无心 (No-Mind) and fully embrace the wisdom of 不可得 (ungraspable/unobtainable)." - John Tan/Thusness, 2014
    Labels: Anatta, Luminosity |
    The Transient Universe has a Heart
    AWAKENINGTOREALITY.COM
    The Transient Universe has a Heart
    The Transient Universe has a Heart
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  • Mr. DL
    I know exactly what you mean, ive also lost a lot of my ambitions, competitiveness in work, career, investments. I know it seems nihilistic but i think the trick is to work now on the 4 bramaviharas, and try to bring them more into daily life. This should bring more (right livelihood) or perhaps service to others. I think finding that balance can often bring one to a life that matters, because karma matters, and helping others is just the same as helping your non self.
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  • Soh Wei Yu
    Admin
    "So, what is this body-mind complex doing here everyday? What motivation is there to create? Work? Should that motivation be there? "
    After the luminosity matures into anatta, I believe this becomes sort of less of a problem. There can be detachment, non attachment, no grasping.. but not a depressive sort of meaninglessness. There is total engagement and non attachment in post anatta actualization, a transcendence joy, bliss, and nondual and empty presence permeates and manifests in everything and all activities, aliveness is everywhere, as what John Tan calls "one mighty spirited and alive action". All actions are actualized, anatta, total exertion, even in mundane activities. As John Tan told me, he is no longer attached to conventional life (in any way) and seems to suggest he only works for responsibilities.
    However he also said,
    “When anatta matures, one is fully and completely integrated into whatever arises till there is no difference and no distinction.
    When sound arises, fully and completely embraced with sound yet non-attached. Similarly, in life we must be fully engaged yet non-attached” - John Tan/Thusness
    “Actually there is no forcing. All the 4 aspects in I AMness are fully expressed in anatta as I told you. If aliveness is everywhere, how is one not to engage… it is a natural [tendency] to explore in [various] arena[s] and enjoy in business, family, spiritual practices... I [am] involve[d] in Finance, business, society, nature, spirituality, yoga...🤣🤣🤣. I don't find it efforting… You just don't have to boast about this and that and be non-dual and open.” - John Tan/Thusness, 2019
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  • Soh Wei Yu
    Admin
    I also addressed a similar question in this article that I wrote, you can go through it: http://www.awakeningtoreality.com/.../different-degress...
    Different Degress of No-Self: Non-Doership, Non-dual, Anatta, Total Exertion and Dealing with Pitfalls
    AWAKENINGTOREALITY.COM
    Different Degress of No-Self: Non-Doership, Non-dual, Anatta, Total Exertion and Dealing with Pitfalls
    Different Degress of No-Self: Non-Doership, Non-dual, Anatta, Total Exertion and Dealing with Pitfalls
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Soh

 Soh Wei Yu

Admin

I haven't read the website but I trust that Nafis will be able to make a reasonably good judgement (although based on the limited info available online).

But in general, just learn what you can but don't get restricted to it if you find it does not present the ultimate view. But it does not mean you should abandon any teachers or teachings that did not present the ultimate view, because if it helps, it helps. Like... I always recommend people, friends, families to start with The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, the New York Times Bestseller that sold many millions of copies worldwide and he was catapulted to further fame through Oprah Winfrey etc.

Why do I recommend TPON by Eckhart?

1) It is simple to read, can be very inspirational in the way he expresses, life transformative. AtR Guide may not be suitable for everyone, may be too lengthy/scary/indepth/etc or just not as inspiring, may be suitable for a more niche group of people. That said, of course, I do highly recommend AtR Guide (either the abridged one or the longer one -- whichever you can read) to anyone who is willing to go through them, I believe it will be of much benefit.

2) Its insights is restricted to I AM only and not the further insights like nondual or anatta or emptiness, but it is enough for many to work on for a while.

3) It has enough emphasis on meditative practices and shamatha training (mixed with Presence/I AM), because Eckhart Tolle has enough experience with deep meditative samadhi unlike many Neo-Advaitins which neglected this aspect. His experience is quite thorough, up to I AM and the depth and intensity of it, and even nondual as an experience but not as an insight. As John Tan say, developing these mental factors (like the seven factors of enlightenment - tranquility, samadhi, bliss, clarity, so on and so forth) are important, and those who don't emphasize this can be dangerous or misleading especially if they lead people towards altered states of consciousness without proper grounding (like in deep calmness, some shamatha training, etc. And John Tan has said that some shamatha is also important). Eckhart Tolle is considered quite safe and leads people in the right direction as a beginner (maybe not in terms of going towards the ultimate view and realization of emptiness, but towards the initial realization of Pure Presence and also training and developing meditative experience).

John Tan agrees with me on all these points. That being said, people should be instilled with right view at the start even if it is intellectual IMO, although it is not good to be too intellectual. You can have an intellectual view like I did about the different phases of insights, about anatta and emptiness and dependent origination even before I had the I AM realization. You don't need to go too indepth into them or be overly intellectual (which can form another kind of hindrance and distraction from pure innocent experiential/contemplative inquiry) but at least know the right view so that you will not be misled or think you have reached finality after you arrive at I AM, etc, and you know where to go next. But at the same time you can practice self enquiry, etc, to realize the I AM first. (I understood anatta intellectually since 2006/2007 but practiced self enquiry from 2008 to 2010 and realized I AM in February 2010, then Anatta in Oct 2010 and Emptiness in following years) Intellectual right view of anatta and emptiness shortened the time for me to progress from I AM to anatta into a span of maybe 8 months, where most people I know get stucked at I AM for several years or decades and most likely lifetimes (i.e. never go beyond I AM phase in this life) without the right pointers. The intellectual/conceptual obsession with knowledge did hinder or slow down the time it took me to realize I AM somewhat, although I still did it in 2 years of self enquiry, and maybe 6-7 years after first starting to learn about dharma at the age of 13. Anyway there should be a balance between right view (even if it is conceptual at first) and experiential and meditative inquiry and practices.


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Soh Wei Yu

Admin

John Tan on Eckhart: http://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2021/10/the-power-of-now-by-eckhart-tolle.html

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: the Audiobook on Youtube

AWAKENINGTOREALITY.COM

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: the Audiobook on Youtube

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle: the Audiobook on Youtube

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