Bhumi Study Series, Part 7: 11th bhumis

Bhumi Study Series, Part 7

11th bhumis

Bhumi Study Series presents information on many of the contemporary gurus, lamas and spiritual teachers, and their respective spiritual attainments, or bhumis. This study has been conducted by two founding teachers of the Open Heart-method, Kim Katami and Pauliina Katami on the basis of photographs available about the concerned persons. For more info on Open Heart, go to http://www.openheart.fi

Familiarizing yourself with the Open Heart bhumi-system is recommended, in order to understand what this series is about. Read "Stages of Spiritual attainment" and go through Kim Katami's video documentation on the topic to get a better picture of what bhumis are. Studying and understanding bhumis in this manner is a deep subject which requires meditation and analytical skills. One may or may not be able to discern the outcome of this study series without extensive practice experience. On the other hand, the differences are quite easily seen when studied attentively and when the information is offered in context as has been done here, where one may compare between teachers, right next to each other. The study has been divided into several categories. As the Open Heart-bhumi model is universal, it applies regardless of possible differences in methods used by distinctive traditions.

This Bhumi Study Series has been made public in order to bring awareness, lucidity and clarity to the present spiritual culture of the world by explaining and showing what many of our well known teachers have actually been able to attain. There is much confusion about this topic, so we wanted to clarify this matter from our part, for the benefit of all.  

May this study help and serve many in their understanding and study of the path of mind training.

Bhumi Study Series

Bhumi Study Series, Part 1: Before and after awakening, and 2nd-5th bhumisBhumi Study Series, Part 2: 6th bhumis with notes
Bhumi Study Series, Part 3: 7th bhumis
Bhumi Study Series, Part 4: 8th bhumis
Bhumi Study Series, Part 5: 9th bhumis  
Bhumi Study Series, Part 6: 10th bhumis
Bhumi Study Series, Part 7: 11th bhumis 
Bhumi Study Series, Part 8: 12th bhumis
Bhumi Study Series, Part 9: 13th bhumis  
Bhumi Study Series, Part 10: From Zero to Mahasiddha Bhumis
Extra: How to do Bhumi Mapping

11th bhumis

You can find pictures of some of the people below in their lower bhumis from the previous episodes of the Bhumi Study Series.

Intention - Attention - Awareness

Intention - Attention - Awareness

Intention (one-dimensional) - Attention (three-dimensional) - Awareness (zero-dimensional/beyond dimensionality)

I feel these three are a continuum. They are both practices and principles. In intention and attention there is effort (practice) which are absent from awareness. I feel it is the effort which make the two former feel burdensome. That effort begins to feel something extra and needless the more awareness that is not a practice becomes flesh. But because the psychological mess is great and compulsive, is the reason why the principles of intention and attention, the practices, are needed and useful.

Awareness is home. As the Tibetans I've called it rigpa but it is foreign language which brings in the element of "Ooh, something mystical and exalted". But it is actually very natural, extremely natural. It is so natural that at first it feels amazing because we've used to having a messy and confused. 
 
Anyway, I think too much emphasis on "emptiness", "transparency" and "no qualities" can and does actually give artificial colouring to the experience itself. Yes, awareness is empty of self and transparent but it is also brimming with life. Being aware is like living in a jungle, in a rain forest. There is so much life in a rain forest! Alive! As is rigpa. Not dead, not dull, not blank. If we connect with awareness from the head space only, it is clear, transparent and pronouncedly empty of self. But the aspect of aliveness, or love, makes a connection with the rest of the body, especially the heart space, without excluding the head. Head and heart together. Clarity and aliveness joined. Manjushri and Avalokiteshvara having a party together.

Buddhist meditation and surrender

Buddhist meditation and surrender

Vipashyana, or investigative looking, is a form of buddhist meditation. Investigative meditation consists of various types of techniques. Also the target of investigation can vary from the usual elements appearing in the mind to subtle energies to awareness itself. The result of vipashyana practice is to see any appearing phenomena as impermanent and without self-entity.

Traditional vipashyana

This type of meditation is analytical, even calculative, by it's nature. This depends of the way it is applied. The idea is to look and observe one's mind, from the subject-self to many kinds of object-selves. Analytical looking, analytical investigation is reason or logic-based and has a mental flavour to it. It has everything to do with looking and seeing. Looking and seeing in turn are related to the physical area of the head, especially the eyes.

Here, I'd like to present an alternative way to apply vipashyana. This can be applied to any sort of mental, emotional or energetic phenomena. This can also be used in two-part formula that is used in Open Heart-method to produce awakening.

Instruction

When you affirm I-ness or when any type of self-based mental content arises, just surrender.

That's it. I'll explain this a bit.

Surrendering is more than relaxation although they are closely related. Relaxation can be done by the self, or me, but surrendering transcends the self. Transcending the self means entering selfless awareness. In this technique surrendering is done while experiencing self-based reaction. This is not about surrendering to buddhas or gurus but surrendering to fear, anger and pain, while not being identified with it. This is so because awareness or rigpa cannot identify with dualistic confusion. Surrendering cannot be done in an investigative manner from the head space. Surrendering is an all-encompassing experience. And this is the genious of using surrender in order to produce insight. Try and see what happens.

Surrender

A simple analogy of how surrendering feels like.

Imagine taking a shower with clothes on. Having clothes on in shower is something that is usually not done. At first it feels awkward and weird, as it feels foreign to release all self-based control, that can surely hide there with investigative looking, and surrender to pain and discomfort. However, as you are standing under the raining water, there is no point to fight it or resist it. Just release the effort together with all hopes and surrender fully to this new experience.

This is a simple technique but actually contains a lot. I think this is much better than the calculative ways of vipashyana. Just surrender to pain, wherever and however the dualistic delusion arises.

Thank you,

Kim Katami,

19.11.2016