Basic Goodness – The Root of All Religions

 

Basic Goodness –

The Root of All Religions

What is common to all major religions is the element of worship of some higher, more profound or spiritual ideal. Christians, hindus and buddhists all have their objects of prayer, worship and meditation. In this way, practitioners of religion put themselves near to their spiritual idols and gain benefits from doing that. Typically these benefits include the sense of becoming peaceful, sober-minded, patient, tolerant and loving. It is fascinating that regardless of religious orientation, contemplatives of all religions are known by these same marks. From this perspective all paths seem to lead to same or very similar transformation and maturation of the human mind and heart.

What is also fascinating is the similarity of descriptions of inner experience among advanced contemplatives of different religions. They all describe unification with their chosen ideals, and therefore, transcendence of it. Christian mystics describe being unified with God or Christ and buddhist adepts describe realising the buddha within. Hindus and taoists describe the same thing. Isn't it extremely enchanting that based on their accounts, advanced contemplatives seem to go beyond the differences in doctrine but also seem to discover a common bedrock of pure radiance and its many positive expressions, that is beyond all and any of their former spiritual idols? This is transcendence of paths, stages, religious doctrine and idols of worship. The number of contemplatives who talk in this manner is low but nevertheless exists.

I never believed that there would be only one path or one way to existential freedom, that comes through transcendence of particulars. I never believed it because it didn't make sense to me.

All beings have pure and divine nature that cannot be given or taken away but goes undiscovered. That is the very reason why we live our lives in emotional pain and existential confusion, not knowing who we really are. Below the chaos and confusion of thoughts and emotions, there is incredible peace and clarity that is common to all beings. You are basically good! Utterly good! Discover this good in yourself and become an embodiment of it.

In this way, by becoming aware of who we really are, we tap into the common bedrock of all religions that is already in us.

Kim, 18.6.2021

Meaning of Nonduality

Meaning of Nonduality

There is reality and there is fantasy. Nonduality is the absence of fantasy. Hence, one sees, breathes, thinks, lives and embodies the reality. And this reality is full of love... and fresh like wild mint! It is the beating heart, it is radiance of life. It is a word of kindness, it is absence of selfishness. It, nonduality, life without a sense of being a finite entity, is life as it is.

Kim

Three Approaches: Mantra, Mindfulness and Direct Path

Three Approaches:

Mantra, Mindfulness and Direct Path

From online discussion.

Tantric means mantric. It would be better to call it mantric buddhism, instead of tantric. Anyway, mantric means deities. Deities are archetypes. Deities are universal, same for everyone because that's what archetype means. Any buddha will do for a deity, and reveal the basic mind. 

The reason why in Open Heart we have many deities squeezed in together is because the mind is made of many frequencies, like the many keys of a piano. Now, if we only used one deity, let's say Amitabha, for example, it could be compared to stepping down the sustain pedal and playing one note or a combination of few notes. If we kept hitting that or those notes, the rest of the keys would eventually start vibrating and emitting sound, in a gentle indirect way, because of reverberation in the instrument. We could do that, as many do, and have a path that only uses one or two deities, and it would reveal the basic mind but in this way, we don't directly adress all of our baggage.
The logic with the set of deities we have, is that when we directly push all the keys, like a wild jazz player, we cover or better reveal all of the mind, with all the remaining stuff, karmic spots, in it. This is an example how tantric or deity related paths work.

In this type of approach we gain calmness and insight, both axles of buddhist practice, from the deity. If one doesn't understand that the deity is an archetype of one's own basic mind, one is bound to thinking in dualistic terms but that issue should take care of itself in relatively short period of practice, even for stubborn secularists, who everything about this kind of practice. If this knowledge doesn't arise soon after starting tantric exercise with a deity or a guru, there is something wrong with the instructions. The bottom line is that its all devoid of self and nondual in the end, and in the start. Tantric approach is called "other power" approach because seemingly it relies on, well, "other" power but this terminology should not be taken literally because if seen dualistically, it is entirely misleading. In my view, Pure Land buddhism, which is also what we do in Open Heart, is entirely nondual.

"Self power" approach is the alternative to other power approach. In self power, one relies on one's own skills, abilities, wits, effort, view and teachings, to effect insight and illumination. This is mindfulness, basically, and its relentless cultivation. Now, there are many wonderful aspects to this type of training. One learns to sit well, in good posture, learns to calm the mind and gains patience. But the challenge of this approach is that the mind keeps getting distracted. It requires very good health, vitality, determination and a lot of time to do this practice alone, to get the real dharmic benefits (not just a little calming down). It is a hard path but the things one learns, one learns well. If I consider this kind of path, apart from mantric or direct paths, in the light of my analogy above, it takes a long time to get to the piano and get even one note playing. A decade or two goes by easily. That's the downside of it.

There is a third option which is the direct path, also known as dzogchen or advaita. Here one goes to a guru, who points out the basic mind to you, you get it and your doubts are removed. And that's it... unless it isn't. This can be taken as a path as well, but the problem here is that the confused mind is so tangled that you can go to the guru few hundred times, over the span of decades, not get it correctly and make a lot of faulty assumptions about it. The danger in this approach is that if one is too hasty, one can easily assume that one has understood the teaching, has sufficient understanding and is done. This is the tragedy of those who do not really understand the direct path.
Using the piano analogy, the point is that whether the notes play or not, makes no difference. Both silence and sound are the same. Everything is already perfect as they are. No solution or confirmation is needed because there never was a need for either, in the first place.

In Open Heart, we combine all three approaches, with some unique flavours.

>So the deities are purifying karma without us having to face and process the experience, subconsciously?

-No. The deity/deities are the natural state. By cultivating a deity we make the natural state appear and when that happens, our baggage, that is hidden in the nooks and corners of the mind, come to light. Baggage coming to light is no different than in mindfulness approach but with deity practice, they become uncovered faster and sooner, without having to wait for it. That is both the value and challenge of the tantric path. Challenge because it is not pleasant. However, if one has an unshakable motivation to become enlightened as soon as possible, for the sake of all beings, it will be much easier. If this motivation is not there, it will hurt like hell and be very unpleasant. For this reason, compassion is crucial.

I have some criticism towards the mindfulness path. It is my observation that one can end up spiritual bypassing because of all the calmness and also that this approach, as a standalone practice, takes way longer than mantric approach. But then, if calmness is enough, it is not a problem. Another issue is what you say is the lack of understanding of the practice. Here's the thing. If the natural state is not prioritised and recognised in every day practice, it is like trying to make a puzzle, seeing only one piece at a time. It is close to impossible to finish a puzzle like that. Because direct path prioritizes the natural state, one gets glimpses of all the pieces of the puzzle at once, and these glimpses keep coming at a steady rate. Which one do you reckon finishes the puzzle sooner? These approaches are very different in the way they work. Having said that, I think that combining all three approaches creates a good and efficient combination.

>What do you mean by ‘cultivating a deity’? Is it just doing the mantra with devotion? Is the idea that it releases subconscious sankaras that are then observed and dissolved or what is the action of purification?

- Deities are practiced through mantra, mudra, and visualisation, mainly mantra. Yes, that's the idea.

>Having said that, I have found the introduction of awareness of the natural state incredibly useful in vipassana practice and it adds a very important dimension that most vipassana schools seem to miss. But I still work with emotional states using pure awareness practice and feeling into the body. The awakening has really transformed and energised this process though, big time.

- That's right, a big difference with both factors.

Awakening Statistics

Awakening Statistics

• People who awakened in this guidance: 98/100
• Percentage of people who attained awakening in this guidance: 98%

Since April 2014, when I started giving Guidances to Awakening, I have kept statistics which have been visible at the Open Heart-website. My purpose was to gather data from the first 100 cases (4/2014-10/2017) to see how well or poorly the technique, The Two-Part Formula, and the instructions would do. In the beginning I didn't know how the success rate would turn out and whether the percentage of success would be very low, high or something in between. Here are some facts and my thoughts about the statistics from the first 100 cases.

Why compile statistics?

An important reason behind compiling this data was that to me it got old that reliable data about how well or poorly a practice or a system does, is extremely scarce. If you start thinking about it, the field of spirituality is the only one to do so among all other possible fields of human endeavour and expertise. If data about functionable and beneficial applications was not available in science, education or culture, it would be seen suspicious and unacceptable. It is not common to find statistic data regarding awakenings or other levels of attainment (which has also been done in this blog here) but I personally think it should be a standard.

Doing this would illuminate a lot of corners. The most obvious concern is of course whether practitioners of a system do or do not wake up at all. And if they do, the next logical questions are how, within what time range, with how much effort and time put into the practice and how much help was needed from a teacher or a guide. This is simple logical reasoning, isn't it.

Guidances given by myself or other teachers

The statistics include the first 100 guidances that were given by myself or a couple of other Open Heart-teachers. The number of cases done by other teachers were 9 in number which included 7 succesful cases and 2 unsuccesful ones. At their first try (also the teacher's) two persons didn't get awakened through the guidance. After participants had failed to get awakened, I offered to do the guidance with these people for second time through which both cases succeeded. In the beginning, in all arts there are failures until the art is mastered enough for keeping the standards where they should be. This is a natural part of the learning process.

During my first 10-15 guidances I had two cases who didn't awaken. These failures happened due to my lack of expertise in giving guidance with the Two-Part Formula (2PF). Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to do the guidance with them for second time.

Even though the 2PF hits precisely at the core of the selfing mechanism, it requires skillfulness from the guide to both give helpful pointers as well as to intuit what the person needs. Just as peoples personalities differ, guidances differ quite a lot. An advice that worked for one person might not work for another, even though they are using the same technique as the basis for their processing.

Through doing these 100 guidances I've noticed that my way of doing it has changed and developed along the way. I have always put a lot of emphasis on the preparation of the person involved and as a general rule I always require 1-2 weeks of preparation, going through the materials and doing the 2PF on their own, before the guidance begins. One reason for this is that if the preparation is not well done, then the teacher has to work needlessly hard and repeat the same points over and over, from one guidance to another. A more important reason of the preparation is that the responsibility of the process is and always should be on the seeker as it his problem that the guidance seeks to solve, not the teacher's. The person involved needs to understand his responsibility and make the commitment. There were a couple of cases who started the process too casually but who understood the importance and value of the opportunity once it was pointed out to them. The teacher is there only to give pointers, and even though they are crucial, the work has to be done by the person in question.

Three kinds of cases

12 cases of the total awakened without any one-on-one attention from teacher. These people include cases who joined public lectures (30-60 min in duration) given about awakening and the technique (where technique was taught to them) and people who studied the online materials (dialogues found from Awake-ebook and Open Heart-blog) and did the 2PF on their own. All these people contacted me to ask what had happened to them or whether they had awakened. I verified their awakenings, as in all cases, through reading their verbal descriptions and by analysing their photographs.

Some people, perhaps about 15% of the total (15/100), needed very little help from the teacher. When learning about it, these ”easy cases” realised the usefulness of the technique and did the heavy lifting by themselves without much help from the teacher. In these cases the guidances lasted from few hours (the shortest was two emails changed within 6 hours) to few days. The average duration of all guidances was 4-5 days of emailing. The longest guidances, less than 10 cases, lasted for 4-5 weeks, where a break of two weeks was held in the middle.

In overall

In the beginning I didn't expect the success rate to turn out as high as 98%. As I also was identified with some of the many mistaken views about awakening out there (that have been extensively discussed in my blog and The Lion-Faced Guru Podcast), I became convinced of the effectivity of the Two Part-Formula and the guidance only after 30-40 cases.

Various aspects of awakening has been covered in my talks, writings and other materials so I will keep this short but I'd like to mention one thing. Resistance and cynicality towards Guidance to Awakening and the 2PF has been extensive, in many forms. While witnessing the peak of people's delusion disappear first hand over and over again, I have come to see this foolish critique as an indication of a very low level of understanding about awakening in our present spiritual culture, whether hindu, buddhist or otherwise. To date, I have not received a single disappointed email from anyone who took guidance or were verified awakened by me, obviously because (one of) their problems was solved for good.

It has become apparent to me that most old traditions who are the main proponents of the whole theme of awakening (!), often actually know very little about it. I have discussed problems related to this here: A Look at Awakening and The Two-Part Formula.

I am genuinely woeful for having to say this as it always upsets people who have invested in the old traditions but I have to speak my mind. I'd like to remind that in my own case it took 8½ years of 8 hours daily sitting, following old ways and views with full dedication, until I woke up. Awakening certainly doesn't replace long-standing practice but I, like many, was a victim of false views of what awakening is, how it fits in the big picture and how it is achieved. I hope it need not be so for future generations.

Thank you to all those who took this teaching seriously, worked hard and burst their bubble of self. Great!

Thank you also to many dharma friends and teacher colleagues who have given their support to my work and Open Heart.

Finally, thank you to Guru Rinpoche, Yeshe Tsogyal and the whole Mahasiddha Family. Jai Guru!

- Kim Katami, 20.10.2017

Open Heart, www.openheart.fi

Pointers to Awakening

Pointers to Awakening

Bits and pieces from various dialogues.

• You just have to keep marinating in both modes, selfless and self-based, one at a time. The idea of the self-affirmation mode is to meet it, experience it, be aware of it, be aware of how the I feels like, what it is and how it exists. It is simply looking, seeing, feeling, perceiving, tasting how the "me" feels like. You know, just being aware of it, from the selfless space. Zoom into the I-sensations and zoom out, zoom in, zoom out. Just looking at it, not blankly, but with interest like a scientist investigates an organism under a microscope. See what is this "I" that I've thought myself to be. I am saying "What is this "I"?" This means that the I/self is being objectified. The subject self is being objectified so that it can be seen as an object in the space of awareness. It is very simple, nothing complex. It's just that this study has to be done carefully and fully through, util there is no more doubt or unclarity. There is nothing solid or permanent about the "I". It's just sensations and impressions, stuff. What is found from the center of the strongest I-sensation after affirmation? Is there anything there? Look straight into the bull's eye. This is complete instruction. Just continue.

• The thing is that selfless awareness cognises itself. There is no me, I, self or anyone there. OK. This selfless awareness is in connection with the body and mind. Through the body and mind it can feel and act. But for action it doesn't need an "I". In essence we are selfless awareness, brimming with life and aliveness, expressing itself through this vehicle of human body. Awakening is a glimpse to that but it can take a good while to actually get to this experience 100%, so that it is uninterrupted.
  
  
• No hurry. Being in a hurry is a great evil. Hopes and desires are useless as well. This formula will do it's thing when you keep applying it. Twist the steel wire, make these questions clear to yourself by studying what you experience. 
• Sometimes people don't notice a special event of awakening, they just realise that "Oh, it's a bit different now. Simple. Easy". See how it is, apply the formula.
• While using the first selfless mode, it assures that there is clarity of mind, at moments it might get quite dark and uncomfortable. This happens because the formula digs into the core of self-delusion which is a dark place. But no problemo, just be aware of whatever comes along. One small moment and observation at a time.
• Good. The tension in the head, perceiving of that, is crucial. "Me" or "I" sits behind the eyes, inside the head, looking out through the eyes and hearing out through the ears. Be aware of that, and doing just this you objectify your "I". As this is done (or conventionally put: when you do this, although it is not really "you" who does this) revelations about the nature of this self start coming.
• Don't try too much. An observation can be made just in few seconds. Small moments, small observations. It's sort of like taking down a pyramid one stone at a time. A mature craftsman does things one things at a time, not all at once.
• For an awakened person, saying the "I" or "me" doesn't do anything, energies don't get stirred up, and particularly the tension inside the head behind the eyes. That simply does not arise no matter how hard you summon the self. Do this: Relax thoroughly, marinate in the selfless space with time, without hurry. Then as your mind is clear like the surface of a still mountain pond, introduce the affirmation. Do this carefully, in detail, to find out whether this tension comes up or not. If it doesn't you might be awakened already.
• You will never get awakened. "You" will not. The awakened state is already here and there and everywhere. There is no place where wakefulness is not, except in the mnd that goes around in circles. Are you getting my point? In one sense you are your history and persona but in other sense you are not. We get fooled by appearances. You-are-awareness-without-location... "You" exist only on the level of thought. "You" are a thought! A thought! Hahaha... Isn't that funny!? Listening... no location, unbounded awareness... Seeing... so free, so direct, so immanent, so intimate! Yes?
• Stop trying to "get it". Become a fool instead. What we are doing is not highly intelligent or sophisticated. We cannot figure out our being, because being is not thinking. OK?
• I think that you are quite used to, or have become a bit attached to sitting practice. I am like that too. But both, recognition of the selfless state as well as self-based state can be done any time. It is smal observation of a split second or few seconds that matter. Yes, we use concentration and mindfulness in this processing but it's not like one has to stare one's breath or navel as in common meditation. Do the analysis, observe the modes a bit by bit, moment by moment. 2-3 minutes is a long time when doing this practice correctly, and such a short period can be all that is required. It is a matter of processing, keeping the water on heater for it to become warm and to start boiling. This means digging the subject-self out into open so that it can be seen in a correct way. What is the correct way? "I" doesn't stay and it doesn't have a fixed, firm, solid shape. "I" is just a bundle of stuff, emotions and impressions on top of each other. "I" is deeply imprinted contiuous associations and we *believe* it. We have a fixed belief in this entity. "I can not do this... I can do this! I am poor. I am great!" and what thought-associations have we. But this is just being identified as concepts and thoughts... Are "you" anythign else than a stubborn idea? Look at yourself and find out.
• Reg. "more of selfless space". You are talking about three dimensional space, that between your head and pelvis. Yes, we observe the bodyspace, 3d space, but actually selfless space is zero-dimensional, non-dimensional. Selflessness means non-locational, not located in three dimensional space or time. Thoughts, such as the I-thought on the other hand are very much located in time and space. If you affirm the "I/me", make the self apparent momentarily on purpose and watch the clock, you can observe through, or based, on this illusory self, until after a moment it again disappears. So, through this experiement we can see that the "I" is bound to time and place. And yet we are dealing with a phantom because it always mysteriously disappears when it is sought after.
• We can talk about other stuff later but now we need to take a gun, fix the aim and pull the trigger. Go back to instructions that I have given you in the first message. Then take the Awake-book and read a few dialogues from there. Then shut the door, sit down and do the two part formula. First, relax, relax, relax and recognise the open mind space... See if there is a me there or not. Look ahead and behind, left and right, up and down and the center. Am I here? Check. Then marinate in that like a piece of meat in bbq marinad. Then after the selfless is thoroughly felt through your whole body, muscles and bones, bring in the self by doing the affirmation. Punch it in: "I! I! I! I!"..." Me! Me! Me! Me!"... Some sensations will come up, then don't try to do anything, only watch at the sensations. Don't watch away from these sensations! What is this I-stuff? And where? Be deeply aware of that. Deeply! Alert! Right in the center of the strongest I-sense... Drill, drill, drill. Eventually the sensations will subside. Then start over. 
• There is this thing called "work horse mentality" which means that some people, like you and me (before), when we learn a practice or a new thing we start working with it brutely like an animal, forgetting that we can also use reason and think logically which is the faculty that separates us from animals. I've sometimes seen people with this work horse mentality practice the Two-Part Formula until they overdo it and get stuck. And its always men, never women. So what needs to be corrected is the view and understanding of the practice. First we need to have experiential context for the technique to work properly. That is the space of mind that is selfless, me-less. You relax your body and nerves thoroughly and at some point this spaciousness reveals itself. If relaxation is not enough, jump up and down, shake it off physically, and yell loudly for a few minutes and then suddenly stop moving... And it's there. Impossible to miss it like this.
  Vipashyana means liberation through seeing things as they are, not as how we think or interpret they are. The sense of me-ness is a tight bundle of thoughts, impressions and emotions. The sharpest tip of it, subject-self, you bring up purposefully by doing the affirmation, "I,I,I, me, me, me" and it comes up. And when it does, you locate it, you feel its location, by pointing with a finger if wanted and you try to get a sense of it's shape, colour and feel of it. At this point, you will feel narrowing of vision, tightening of chest, the classic signs of the self-based mode. All this is OK, it should happen. That is what the self and self-delusion is. It feels like shit. So you bring it up, without loosing the spaciousness, locate it and then you compare the two: the space and the knot. See and feel the space.. See and feel the knot in the space... See the different feel of the two... How do they feel together? Feel the edge of the knot. Feel the open space immediately around the knot... From spacious awareness, probing into, inside the knot, right at the heart of it.
  In the beginning of the process, the subject-self may rise as sensations all around the body but eventually everyone ends up with a knot behind the eyes, inside the head. That's how we subconsciously feel, that we are this being or a little man sinde our heads, looking out through the eyes, listening through the ears and living through the body that is down there, below our sense of "I". So, at some point through doing this practice, you end up with the know in the head. This applies to what I have said above. Spaciousness is not located in the body space, nor defined by the body space. It does not have a location, shape, colour or self, me, in it. But the "I", on the other hand, is there inside the head, behind the eyes. Bring your attention there, together with the spaciousness, and repeat, work it out constructively and creatively, not like a work horse. Use muscle, yor body but also have intelligence. "Me" or "I" is jst a belief but stubborn one! Beocming aware of it like this wears off the belief. Eventually the belief, the energy bound in to the knot will release, and there will be an insight, aha... And you will see clearly. This is the outcome of vipashyana meditation getting liberated by the force of samsaric thinking. Simple as that. 
• Awareness is present by itself. It is said to be self-cognizant which means that it cognizes itself, it knows itself, it perceives itself. This means that there is no entity, "me" or "I" to recognise it. In fact, the I, or self, cannot recognise it. Recognition of awareness/buddhanature/rigpa takes place when the self is absent and when there is knowing of that awareness. Recognition of the natural state does not happen in deep sleep because that cognizant, knowing aspect is switched off, although the usual sense of self is absent too. So, this knowingness is the most important thing. Putting one's attention to the space behind the eyes inside the head is the easiest location to get this through experience because the center of cognition is located in between our primary sense organs, namely eyes and ears. That is where it is easiest to recognise the I-less, selfless awareness, or to be exact there the sense of entityness drops off and the selfless cognizance can recognise itself. This might sound complex but actually its the simplest thing. Once you get it, there is nothing more obvious than this.
• Here's a little exercise for you: Look at some external object in front of you. What happens here is that your attention becomes extended to that object, sort of like the energy from your eyeballs extends, reaches out to attend the chosen object. Its like aiming a spotlight on the object. It travels fast, at the speed of light to its destination, so fast that its challenging to discern it but if you get the idea, that's enough. We are very accustomed to doing this. Usually our attention constantly seeks and looks for something outside ourselves. This strikes right at the core of the way how samsaric mind works, looking for happiness from outside of us with the miserable outcome of always getting disappointed and more bound to the sense of self. But, the beam of attention can be aimed back at its source, instead of it running around in external things. Where is the source of the attention? Its behind the eyes. So do this: Instead of actively looking, actively attending that object in front of you, imagine that the beam of attention returns to the source behind the eyeballs. Then let it rest there. How is it? How does it feel? What is the condition of your "I" when you do this? How does doing this affect the mind made of thoughts and ideas? When you learn to return your attention to the space behind your eyes, and its not at all difficult to learn that, you can relax the attentiveness, relax that sharpness, relax the looking and hearing with attention. What happens with that release? We land on plain awareness, the selfless mind that is wide awake. Utter clarity, immaculate purity that is alive. Do this exercise, as many times as necessary to get to your own conclusion. 
• Thoughts are no problem as long as we know the nature of them. Verbal inquiry about the object is fine if it helps us to understand the nature of what we are studying. Thoughts are not the enemy, you know. When it comes to the I-thought which is what we are dealing here it is the distancing from it that causes spiritual bypassing, bypassing it again and again. The outcome of this is duality between the I-less and I-based. However, if you do the 2PF properly the charge from the I becomes emptined like a ballon is emptied of air. So you need to engage with the "I" and probe into it, go into the heart of it and light a match, figuratively speaking. What is there at the center of it?  

  
  

  - When you read my instructions, let them speak to you, let them sink through your body and mind, not only mentally reading or repeating my words and then try ing to figure it out in your head. Use your body made of flesh and bones. Do the practice with your body.

  
  

  - This is vipashyana practice. It means investigation of the mind, investigating the knots that cause us to regard ourselves as separate entities, or beings. It is essential to understand that no one can "get rid of the I-feeling" like discarding clothes off. The only way to come to satisfaction is through looking into, investigating and making observations. That is the only way. So stop all that wishful thinking and gigantic expectations because they do not help. When I say to get serious about the process I mean becoming one-pointed and committed about it, you know, cutting everything else and making it a priority. I certainly don't mean loosing calmness or becoming highly emotional.

  
  
   
  Guidance to Awakening: http://www.en.openheart.fi/101
  How to Become Awakened: http://www.en.openheart.fi/113

Modes of Intention, Attention and Awareness

Modes of Intention, Attention

and Awareness

See also in this blog: Practical Note on Intention and Awareness.

Two modes of the natural state

• Child Awareness* (rigpa, zero dimensional)
• Mother Awareness** (rigpa, zero dimensional), Child Awareness united with Mother Awareness

*Child Awareness: State of pure awareness related only with one's personal bodymind. When tapped in full equals with the Open Heart-definition of a fully attained arhat, perfection of bhumis 1-6. Subtly dualistic.

**Mother Awareness: State of pure awareness related with one's personal and the larger energy body, extending beyond one's personal aura. When tapped in full equals with the Open Heart-definition of a buddha, perfection of bhumis 1-10. Nondualistic.

Two modes of mindfulness that disregards the natural state

1. Intention or concentration without Awareness* as the base
2. Attention (three-dimensional) without Awareness** as the base
   *neither Child or Mother Awareness

*Training in one-pointed concentration where an object is used as a support to one's shamatha meditation that simultaneously disregards three-dimensional space and the natural state or awareness. Dualistic.

**Training in effort-based attention applied to three-dimensional space such as in space gazing which disregards the natural state or awareness. Dualistic.

Two modes of mindfulness that takes the smaller natural state into account

3. Intention or concentration with Child Awareness as the base
4. Attention (three-dimensional) with Child Awareness as the base

*Training in one-pointed concentration where an object is used as a support to one's shamatha meditation that simultaneously does not disregard three-dimensional space or the natural state, that is, awareness. Subtly dualistic.

**Training in effort-based attention applied to three-dimensional space such as in space gazing which does not disregard or exclude the natural state, that is, awareness. Subtly dualistic.

Two modes of mindfulness that takes the full natural state into account

5. Intention or concentration with Mother Awareness* as the base
6. Attention (three-dimensional) with Mother Awareness** as the base

*Application of one-pointed concentration from within the fullness of the natural state, or Mother Awareness. Nondualistic.

*Application of three-dimensional attention from within the fullnes of the natural state, or Mother Awareness. Nondualistic.

See also this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg6Xd40a0n4

Amma, The Hugging Saint Explained

Amma, The Hugging Saint

Explained

"The power of Love is infinite. In true Love, one goes beyond the body, mind and all fears. Love is the breath of the soul. It is our life force. Pure, innocent Love makes everything possible. When your heart is filled with the pure energy of Love, even the most impossible task becomes as easy as picking up a flower. The more Love you give, the more divinity is expressed within you. Just as water from a perennial spring never dries up no matter how much water we draw from it, the more Love we give, the more it increases. Life and Love are not two. Pure Love can accomplish anything. Love is the ambrosia of life. If there is True Love, nothing else is needed." - Amma, the Hugging Saint

About this text 

This text is my personal explanation about Amma, the Hugging Saint, based on my experiences with her. The text contains both appreciation and criticism towards her. I have tried to express my criticism in a constructive way for the common benefit of all readers.  

Despite of my criticism, I have a lot of respect and appreciation to Amma. I wish to thank and bow to her in deep respect.

Note: The term "awakening" in this text has been used to describe a specific event on the spiritual path. Here awakening refers to the first irreversible spiritual insight. After this attainment, there are several other stages. See links below this text for sources on this.

Association

I met Amma for the first time in 2003. Since then I have met her many times in darshan (about several dozen times), have joined her programs in Finland and Germany, and have spent 2½ months altogether in her ashram in Kerala India, on two separate occasions in 2009 and 2015. I've spent roughly 100-200 hours in her physical presence during this time, have heard her giving speeches, giving darshans (hugs), blessing food and seen her meditating. I've also received a mantra from her back in 2006 and have learned IAM-meditation taught by her organisation. I have also ordered a couple of pujas (fire rituals) from her organisation's services to help me solve some specific problems a few years ago.



To me Ammachi has sort of been like a spiritual aunt who has been there to guide and support me, along with my own parents (masters) that I've worked with during the last decade and many lives before this one. I've received many blessings from her and seen visions of her and other masters together in meditation. I have also asked her questions in person during darshan. I have at times wondered if I should follow her as my guru and even though I sometimes really wanted to, it never happened. I felt that she always welcomed me to meet her but encouraged me to follow my own path and karmic links with other masters and their teachings instead. My association with her has lasted for over 12 years, pretty much the same time I have pursued the spiritual path.

Amma's status and her actions

Ammachi is the only spiritual master, or a mahasiddha, that I have physically met. And I have met quite a few teachers and masters from many traditions. To me she is a living buddha who has no arising of feeling and no cessation of perception. I have spent quite a bit of time with other mahasiddhas in non-physical form, practicing tantric guru yoga with them, so I feel I have a pretty clear idea what makes or what doesn't make one a living buddha. 

Amma's actions speak for themselves. Last November in 2015 she sat down giving hugs continuously for 26 hours. This was reported at the Facebook group of her ashram. An ordinary person or even a very experienced yogi would not be able to do this because the energetic charge would be too great to handle. Meeting, hugging and conversing with perhaps a few thousand people one-by-one during one day is extra-ordinary. This is something that she does on regular basis all over the world. To me this is a clear sign of her being a master. This is completely different than speaking to large crowds which is what many popular gurus do. Also charity work, even of great scale, would not solely indicate the mastership of a teacher. But charity work on vast scale is something that Amma has initiated in addition to her meeting over 35 million people one by one. This is something that hasn't been achieved by ordinary people or by charlatans. 

There are many miraculous stories of Amma but since I have personally never seen her do any supernatural miracles I do not wish to narrate these here. On the other hand, I have never seen anyone leave her arms looking as fearful or confused as they came, so again to me this, transforming the minds of people in just a few short seconds, is a greater miracle than demonstrating siddhis, special powers.

Criticism

One of the things I have critisized about hindu gurus and their teachings in general, is that usually their verbal teachings are vague and non-specific. Hindu gurus speak about "enlightenment", "awakening", "samadhi" and many such things but do not clarify these things in a way that would be understandable for their followers and the world society. This is also the case with Amma's verbal teachings.


"Dharma" or nondual spirituality has many definitions but if we are talking about what "spirituality" actually is, there is no other way to define it than as experience-based nondualism. Nondualism means seeing through the dualistic delusion of one's sense of self. This takes place in the mind.

It has been said that Amma's mission is in reinstating moral values, in addition to being an example of selflessness and love herself. I do not know if Amma would agree to this definition of her mission but in case she would, it should be questioned whether her mission of reinstating moral values is actually the sort of nondualistic spirituality and enlightenment that she often talks about. Being honest, sincere, kind and loving is of course better than being deceitful and hateful. Also doing good actions and charity is much better than doing bad things or just thinking of oneself over others. However, one can do good actions and be sort of loving while being deluded by one's sense of self. These things get easily mixed up.

It is the sense of self in the mind of man which creates dualistic positioning between "me and them" or between "me and my guru". As  teachings of Amma do not clarify this point and do not clearly point to the self-delusion imprinted in the mind of her many followers, which would help this illusion to vaporize, her followers stay bound by this dualistic chain. Considering how devoted many are to her, this is very unfortunate, I feel. Because of this simple flaw, people can never really understand her. As people stay fixed in the idea that they exist as separate entities, they can never really "get" Amma, who is without a self. 

I once asked Ammachi in person, that in case me and my family moved to her ashram, could I as my volunteer work, guide people to awaken from their self-delusion through self-inquiry (skt. atma vichara). "We don't do such practices here" was her reply. I didn't know what to expect but still after time this seems strange to me. 

It has been said by her that her devotees are "rusty steel" meaning perhaps something along the lines that they are not ready or fit to see through their self-delusion and should stick with the very basics. It has also been said by buddhist lamas that all people are not ready for emptiness teachings which in other words means seeing through the illusion of self. I agree with this to the extent that I don't think everyone is fit to awaken. But many are. So mostly I disagree on this point.

Seeing through the illusion of self and becoming awakened are the very basics of nondual spirituality. How could awakening possibly be something wrong, dangerous or undesired because the selfless nature is our true nature?

Based on my experience as a direct pointing teacher, I'd say that there are many people out there who are ready and fit for aiming directly at the central spoke of self-delusion. It makes no sense to decline this instruction from people, whether they are Amma's followers or others. The same problem is found in vajrayana buddhism. I have heard Amma speak of the "mistaken identity" and "awakening" but regarding this point, her direct pointing instructions are so scattered among long talks of Indian folklore, hindu classics and jokes that it is close to impossible for people to apply them in practice and actually get awakened.


Amma teaches tantric practices, like mantras, breathing practices and visualisation. These practices aim specifically for purification of mind. This is often called "gradual enlightenment". These practices are not meant to generate awakening  and only rarely and by chance they generate "sudden awakening". The great majority of people who do mind purification practices, don't get awakened because the practices are not designed to do that. The problem with this is that it is not possible to finish purification of the mind (gradual enlightenment) without sudden awakening. This is because the mind and it's mechanisms are the same with all men. This is a flaw in Amma's teachings, as well as most other hindu gurus. This problem is found in most hindu teachings and to an extent also in tantric buddhism which is very unfortunate.
 
So, with Amma, it is a strange mixture. The greatest master I've ever (physically) met surrounded by a huge mass of followers who constantly cultivate the selfless state of awareness through devotional practice but do not have the simplest instructions in consciously recognising their natural state. For this reason people keep seeking. It is the self or "me" who seeks so the situation is problematic.

I admit my inability to understand this. I can only assume that she knows what she is doing but at the same time I cannot help seeing these fundamental flaws in her teaching, as anyone with some understaning of jnana yoga or buddhist vipashyana meditation would. Fortunately, it has also been told by many people that Amma has somehow guided them to more fitting teachers and teachings.

Years with Amma

In Amma's presence, it is common for people to say things like, "Her energy is huge!", "I am embraced by her love!", "She is my Mother!" or something like that. People are very impressed by her. And I was too because I've kept going back to see her. I've heard buddhist practitioners tell about the same wow-factor of their own lamas.

This wow-factor happens both because of the powerful spiritual energy of the teacher but mainly because of the messy-ness of the mind (which translates to the energy body) of the person himself. It is because of the karmic grooves installed in the mind of a person why the presence of a particular teacher or a guru is felt to be powerful. The guru's energy of utmost spiritual clarity keeps meeting with the karmic knots while creating powerful sensations. Guru Yoga was like that for me for several years. But this changes when karmic patterns become purified. When one works with a guru for years the experience of his or her presence changes and neutralises because your own mind changes, becomes clearer.
 
For some time now, Amma's darshans have not had that powerful/energy/love/wow!-effect to me anymore. Instead what happens is that if one is in connection with a master like Amma or some other, the change happens in the clarity of the conscious experience and not in the energies of the bodymind. This is the change between the higher bhumis or grounds which are momentarily experienced because of the uplifting effect of the master's presence.

All in all

All in all, despite of the problems that I see in Amma's teaching, I have great respect for her.  In this time there is no other physical guru whose work is as vast, as Amma's. She has offered her arms to a huge number of people and has helped them, encouraging those who are sick, abused, abandoned and so on. She surely embodies love and clarity that we all can draw inspiration from.


Thank you for reading,

- Kim Katami, 4/2016.

Open Heart
www.openheart.fi

Links and sources 

• Guidance to Awakening: http://www.en.openheart.fi/101
• Here is how to become awakened: http://www.en.openheart.fi/113
• Awake! - freee ebook: http://www.en.openheart.fi/114
• Bhumi Study Series, Part 3, Hindu gurus, including Amma: http://openheartopenheart.blogspot.fi/2016/02/bhumi-study-series-part-3-hindu-gurus.html
• Stages of spiritual attainment: http://openheartopenheart.blogspot.fi/2016/02/stages-of-spiritual-attainment.html 
  

Advaita Enlightenment And Dzogchen Enlightenment

Advaita Enlightenment And

Dzogchen Enlightenment

The next story, told by Sam Harris, demonstrates how the view and experience of enlightenment differ between two teachers: Papaji (H.W.L. Poonja, a well known advaita vedanta guru, disciple of Ramana Maharishi) and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, a well known Tibetan vajrayana buddhism and dzogchen master.

I have linked two demonstrative videos where the mentioned teachers meditate. From them one can see how different their states are. The other one being quite confused and unclear and the other one being matured, clear and open.

- Kim Katami, 14.2.2016.

From Sam Harris' book Waking up, ch. 4:

”Poonja-ji’s influence on me was profound, especially because it came as a corrective to all the strenuous and unsatisfying efforts I had been making in meditation up to that point. But the dangers inherent in his approach soon became obvious. The all-or-nothing quality of Poonjaji’s teaching obliged him to acknowledge the full enlightenment of any person who was grandiose or manic enough to claim it. Thus, I repeatedly witnessed fellow students declare their complete and undying freedom, all the while appearing quite ordinary—or worse. In certain cases, these people had clearly had some sort of breakthrough, but Poonja-ji’s insistence upon the finality of every legitimate insight led many of them to delude themselves about their spiritual attainments. Some left India and became gurus. From what I could tell, Poonja-ji gave everyone his blessing to spread his teachings in this way. He once suggested that I do it, and yet it was clear to me that I was not qualified to be anyone’s guru. Nearly twenty years have passed, and I’m still not. Of course, from Poonja-ji’s point of view, this is an illusion. And yet there simply is a difference between a person like myself, who is generally distracted by thought, and one who isn’t and cannot be. I don’t know where to place Poonja-ji on this continuum of wisdom, but he appeared to be a lot farther along than his students. Whether Poonja-ji was capable of seeing the difference between himself and other people, I do not know. But his insistence that no difference existed began to seem either dogmatic or delusional.

On one occasion, events conspired to perfectly illuminate the flaw in Poonja-ji’s teaching. A small group of experienced practitioners (among us several teachers of meditation) had organized a trip to India and Nepal to spend ten days with Poonja-ji in Lucknow, followed by ten days in Kathmandu, to receive teachings on the Tibetan Buddhist practice of Dzogchen. As it happened, during our time in Lucknow, a woman from Switzerland became “enlightened” in Poonja-ji’s presence. For the better part of a week, she was celebrated as something akin to the next Buddha. Poonja-ji repeatedly put her forward as evidence of how fully the truth could be realized without making any effort at all in meditation, and we had the pleasure of seeing this woman sit beside Poonja-ji on a raised platform expounding upon how blissful it now was in her corner of the universe. She was, in fact, radiantly happy, and it was by no means clear that Poonja-ji had made a mistake in recognizing her. She would say things like “There is nothing but consciousness, and there is no difference between it and reality itself.” Coming from such a nice, guileless person, there was little reason to doubt the profundity of her experience.

When it came time for our group to leave India for Nepal, this woman asked if she could join us. Because she was such good company, we encouraged her to come along. A few of us were also curious to see how her realization would appear in another context. And so it came to pass that a woman whose enlightenment had just been confirmed by one of the greatest living exponents of Advaita Vedanta was in the room when we received our first teachings from Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, who was generally thought to be one of the greatest living Dzogchen masters. Of all the Buddhist teachings, those of Dzogchen most closely resemble the teachings of Advaita. The two traditions seek to provoke the same insight into the nonduality of consciousness, but, generally speaking, only Dzogchen makes it absolutely clear that one must practice this insight to the point of stability and that one can do so without succumbing to the dualistic striving that haunts most other paths.

At a certain point in our discussions with Tulku Urgyen, our Swiss prodigy declared her boundless freedom in terms similar to those she had used to such great effect with Poonja-ji. After a few highly amusing exchanges, during which we watched Tulku Urgyen struggle to understand what our translator was telling him, he gave a short laugh and looked the woman over with renewed interest.

“How long has it been since you were last lost in thought?” he asked.
“I haven’t had any thoughts for over a week,” the woman replied.
Tulku Urgyen smiled.
“A week?”
“Yes.”
“No thoughts?”
“No, my mind is completely still. It’s just pure consciousness.”
“That’s very interesting. Okay, so this is what is going to happen now: We are all going to wait for you to have your next thought. There’s no hurry. We are all very patient people. We are just going to sit here and wait. Please tell us when you notice a thought arise in your mind.”

It is difficult to convey what a brilliant and subtle intervention this was. It may have been the most inspired moment of teaching I have ever witnessed. After a few moments, a look of doubt appeared on our friend’s face.

“Okay... Wait a minute... Oh... That could have been a thought there... Okay...”

Over the next thirty seconds, we watched this woman’s enlightenment completely unravel. It became clear that she had been merely thinking about how expansive her experience of consciousness had become—how it was perfectly free of thought, immaculate, just like space—without noticing that she was thinking incessantly. She had been telling herself the story of her enlightenment—and she had been getting away with it because she happened to be an extraordinarily happy person for whom everything was going very well for the time being.

This was the danger of nondual teachings of the sort that Poonja-ji was handing out to all comers. It was easy to delude oneself into thinking that one had achieved a permanent breakthrough, especially because he insisted that all breakthroughs must be permanent. What the Dzogchen teachings make clear, however, is that thinking about what is beyond thought is still thinking, and a glimpse of selflessness is generally only the beginning of a process that must reach fruition. Being able to stand perfectly free of the feeling of self is the start of one’s spiritual journey, not its end.”

Links

1. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche meditates-video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5BA7v7HPXE&list=PLqTm9fV9DGhs_5dnFU0bh8S8ZKaSof_px&index=16
2. Papaji meditates-video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1T2KhLPUsM

Advaita-valaistuminen ja Dzogchen-valaistuminen

Advaita-valaistuminen ja

Dzogchen-valaistuminen

Seuraava Sam Harrisin kertoma tarina kertoo erinomaisesn selkeästi kuinka merkittävästi tunnetun advaita vedanta gurun ja Ramana Maharishin oppilaan, Papajin (H.W.L Poonja) ja tunnetun tiibetiläisen dzogchenmestarin Tulku Urgyen Rinpochen näkemykset ja kokemukset valaistumisesta eroavat toisistaan.

On tosiasia, että se minkä olen itse määrittänyt termillä ”herääminen” on osa huomattavan laajaa mielen puhdistamisen kokonaisuutta, jota myös henkisen kehityksen poluksi kutsutaan.

Olen linkittänyt alle kaksi demonstratiivista videota joilla em. opettajat meditoivat. Niistä voi nähdä kuinka erilaisessa mielenmaisemassa he ovat, toinen tunkkaisen sekavassa, toinen selkeässä ja avarassa.

Olen linkittänyt myös tekemäni bhumi-analyysin, joka esittää täsmällisen kehitysasteen jolla sekä Papaji, että Tulku Urgyen olivat.

- Kim Katami, 14.2.2016.

Open Heart,

www.openheart.fi

Sitaatti Sam Harrisin kirjasta ”Herääminen. Opas uskonnottomaan henkisyyteen” s. 158-161, alkuteos Waking up.

”Poonjaji (Papaji) vaikutti minuun syvällisesti erityisesti, koska hänen käsityksensä olivat vastapainoa siihenastisille, uuvuttaville ja epätyydyttäville ponnisteluilleni meditaation parissa. Mutta hänen menetelmänsä sisältyvät vaarat kävivät pian ilmi. Poonjajin kaikki tai ei mitään-opetustyyli velvoitti hänet tunnustamaan valaistuneeksi jokaisen, joka oli kyllin mahtaileva tai kiihkomielinen julistaaksen sitä olevansa. Niinpä todistin toistuvasti, kuinka kanssaopiskelijani julistivat saavuttaneensa täydellisen ja ikuisen vapauden, vaikka mikään heissä ei poikennut tavallisesta – tai jos poikkesi, niin huonoon suuntaan. Joissakin tapauksissa nämä ihmiset olivat selvästi tehneet jonkinlaisen läpimurron, mutta koska Poonjaji piti itsepintaisesti kiinni siitä, että oivallus on todellinen vain, jos se on lopullinen, se sai monet pettämään itseään henkisten saavutusten suhteen. Jotkut lähtivät Intiasta ja ryhtyivät guruiksi. Tietääkseni heillä kaikilla oli Poonjajin siunaus levittää hänen oppejaan. Kerran hän ehdotti sitä minullekin, vaikka minulle itselleni oli selvää, että minusta ei ollut kenenkään guruksi. Lähes kaksikymmentä vuotta myöhemmin minusta ei edelleenkään ole siihen. Poonjajin näkökulmasta tämä on tietenkin harhaa. Mutta on yksinkertaisesti eri asia olla minunkaltaiseni ihminen, joka tavallisesti ajautuu ajatusten vietäväksi, kuin joku, jolle niin ei käy ja jolle se ei ylipäätään ole edes mahdollista. En tiedä, mihin Poonjaji sijoittuu tällä viisauden jatkumolla, mutta hän vaikutti olevan paljon oppilaitaan pidemmällä. En tiedä, pystyikö Poonjaji näkemään itsensä ja muiden välisen eron. Hänen hellittämätön näkemyksensä, jonka mukaan mitään eroa ei ole, alkoi kuitenkin vaikuttaa dogmaattiselta ja harhaiselta.

Erään tapahtumasarjan seurauksena Poonjajin opetusten epäkohdat nousivat selvästi esiin. Pieni ryhmä kokeneita meditaation harjoittajia (joukossamme oli monta meditaatio-opettajaa) oli järjestänyt matkan Intiaan ja Nepaliin. Tarkoituksena oli viettää kymmenen päivää Lucknow'ssa Poonjajin luona ja sen jälkeen opiskella Kathmandussa kymmenen päivää tiibetinbuddhalaista dzogchenharjoitusta. Kuinka ollakaan, Lucknow'ssa ollessamme eräs sveitsiläinen nainen ”valaistui” Poonjajin läsnäollessa. Suurimman osan viikkoa naista juhlittiin kuin uutta Buddhaa. Poonjaji esitti toistuvasti naisen olevan todiste siitä, että totuuden täydellinen oivaltaminen on mahdollista, vaikka ei meditoisi lainkaan, ja meillä oli ilo nähdä naisen istuvan Poonjajin vierellä korokkeella ja kuulla hänen selittävän, kuinka autuasta hänen olonsa maailmankaikkeudessa nyt olikaan. Hän todella säteili iloa, eikä mikään viitannut siihen, että Poonjaji olisi erehtynyt tunnustaessaan hänet. Naisella oli tapana sanoa sellaisia kuin ”Ei ole muuta kuin tietoisuus, eikä sen ja todellisuuden välillä ole mitään eroa.” Hän oli erittäin mukava ja vilpitön ihminen, eikä hänen kokemuksensa syvyyttä ollut siksi syytä epäillä.

Kun tuli aika meidän ryhmämme lähteä Intiasta Nepaliin, nainen kysyi, saisiko hän tulla mukaamme. Hän oli hyvää seuraa, joten kehotimme häntä lähtemään matkaamme. Jotkut meistä olivat myös uteliaita näkemään, miten hänen valaistumisensa ilmenisi toisenlaisessa ympäristössä. Ja niin nainen, jonka valaistumisen oli vastikään vahvistanut yksi merkittävimmistä advaita vedantan elossa olevista edustajista, istui samassa huoneessa, jossa saimme ensimmäiset opetuksemme Tulku Urgyen Rinpochelta, jota pidettiin yleisesti yhtenä merkittävimmistä elossa olevista dzogchenmestareista.

Kaikista buddhalaisista opeista dzogchenin opit muistuttavat eniten advaitan oppeja. Molemmissa perinteissä pyritään samaan oivallukseen, näkemään tietoisuuden ei-dualistinen luonne, mutta yleensä vain dzogchen tekee ehdottoman selväksi, että tämä oivallus vaatii harjoittamista, kunnes se muuttuu pysyväksi eikä ihminen enää joudu antamaan periksi dualistisille pyrkimyksille, jotka ovat useimpien muiden polkujen vaivana.

Eräässä vaiheessa Tulku Urgyenin kanssa käymäämme keskustelua sveitsiläinen ihmenaisemme puhkesi julistamaan ääretöntä vapauden tilaansa käyttäen samoja ilmauksia, joilla oli niin suuri vaikutus Poonjajihin. Saimme seurata paria hupaisaa sananvaihtoa, joiden aikana Tulku Urgyen yritti ymmärtää, mitä tulkkimme hänelle kertoi. Lopulta hän naurahti lyhyesti ja katsoi naista entistä kiinnostuneemmin.

”Koska viimeksi ajatukset valtasivat sinut?” hän kysyi.

”Minulla ei ole ollut ainuttakaan ajatusta yli viikkoon”, nainen vastasi.

Tulku Urgyen hymyili.

”Viikkoon?”

”Niin.”

”Ei lainkaan ajatuksia?”

”Ei, mieleni on täysin rauhallinen. On vain puhdas tietoisuus.”

”Erittäin mielenkiintoista. Nyt tehdään niin, että me kaikki odotamme, että sinulle tulee ajatus. Ei ole mitään kiirettä. Me kaikki olemme hyvin kärsivällisiä ihmisiä. Me vain istumme tässä ja odotamme. Kerrotko sitten, kun huomaat mielessäsi ajatuksen.”

Tämän väliintulon nerokkuutta ja hienovaraisuutta on vaikea pukea sanoiksi. Se saattoi hyvin olla kaikkein innostavin opetustilanne, missä olen koskaan ollut.

Hetken kuluttua ystävämme kasvoille ilmestyi epäilevä ilme.

”Okei... Hetkinen... Öh... Tuo oli ehkä ajatus... Okei...”

Seuraavan puolen minuutin aikana näimme, kuinka naisen valaistuminen haihtui kuin tuhka tuuleen. Oli selvää, että hän oli vain ajatellut, kuinka avara hänen tietoisuudestaan oli tullut, että siinä ei ollut ajatuksen ajatusta, että se oli täydellisen puhdas, kuin avaruus, huomaamatta ajattelevansa lakkaamatta. Hän oli kertonut itselleen valaistuneensa ja uskonut siihen, koska hän sattui olemaan epätavallisen iloinen ihminen, jonka elämässä kaikki oli tuolloin erittäin hyvällä tolalla.

Tällainen oli vaara, joka piili Poonjajin luokseen tuleville jakamissa ei-dualistisissa opetuksissa. Itseään oli helppo pettää ja ajatella saavuttaneensa pysyvän läpimurron, varsinkin koska Poonjaji piti itsepintaisesti kiinni siitä, että kaikkien läpimurtojen on väistämättä oltava pysyviä. Dzogchen-opetukset tekevät selväksi, että sen ajattelu, mikä on ajattelun tuolla puolen, on yhä ajattelua, ja välähdys minättömyydestä on yleensä vain alku prosessille, joka tulee vielä loppuun saakka. Täydellinen irrottautuminen minuudesta on vasta henkisen matkan alku, ei sen päätepiste.”

Linkkejä

1. Tulku Urgyen, bhumi-analyysi: http://openheartopenheart.blogspot.fi/2016/02/bhumi-study-series-part-2-tibetan-lamas.html
   
   
2. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche meditates-video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5BA7v7HPXE&list=PLqTm9fV9DGhs_5dnFU0bh8S8ZKaSof_px&index=16
   
   
3. Papaji, H.W.L Poonja, bhumi-analyysi: http://openheartopenheart.blogspot.fi/2016/02/bhumi-study-series-part-3-hindu-gurus.html
   
   
4. Papaji meditates-video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1T2KhLPUsM