The space of awareness

[Gem]

Hello and welcome.

Have you ever listened to the ocean waves, or a flowing stream, and felt content? The mind aware, but without registering mentally; without remarking it as beautiful, soothing or serene, yet all the while conscious of its quieting effect, of the inner peace such sound emanates as a conscious experience which leaves nothing disturbed?



If entranced, as I mentioned, with the sound of waves or water, and your phone or a car alarm suddenly sounds off, this will appear starkly, and that shows how in our quietude there is a great sensitivity. One could literally hear a pin drop in otherwise silent surrounds.

In such quiet, disturbances in the metta vibe are stark just like a car alarm or a phone. The disturbances are crude things completely unlike nuanced flows of ocean currents and streams... and in the flow of consciousness, the intent to disrupt, alert, or otherwise elicit a reaction is utterly in contrast to the stream which flows without intent.

I once sat waiting on a remote rail platform, and closed my eyes to the glare of the sun - I remember it was extremely hot that day. I started to notice very slight sounds such as an occasional far off car, and in my noticing I realised how quiet it is in here, how alert and sensitive this mind is to the barely audible distant car. It occurred to me that all my practice to make the mind quiet was somewhat futile, because the space of awareness is quiet by nature, and not made quiet by my efforts to make it so.

The oceans and streams can be as they are - we have no impulsion to disturb or disrupt them, we have no more intent toward them as they do do toward us. The ocean and stream, although producing a quietening affect, don't try to make us quieter - and perhaps they affect us thus because they are not trying to do anything.

[naturesflow]

Oh I needed this today. Thankyou.

[Shivani Devi]

Originally Posted by naturesflow

Oh I needed this today. Thankyou.

I also needed to read your signature today (although I do try in order to be able to speak from my heart and not my head).

As for the topic, yes I have been aware of this. The more intense the dharana becomes, the more sensitive I am to other stimuli. 'Tis why I cannot meditate in a class or a group...I'll just be getting into my brow chakra, somebody coughs and I jump through the roof...annoying what? lol

[naturesflow]

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

I also needed to read your signature today (although I do try in order to be able to speak from my heart and not my head).

As for the topic, yes I have been aware of this. The more intense the dharana becomes, the more sensitive I am to other stimuli. 'Tis why I cannot meditate in a class or a group...I'll just be getting into my brow chakra, somebody coughs and I jump through the roof...annoying what? lol

Speaking from the heart and listening to the heart speak is what I do to gain deeper wisdom both for myself and to express myself more consciously aware.

I have a breath technique where by I place my hands on my heart, breath deep into the loving presence of that space in myself, then on the out breath, breath that love outward with arms extended outwards, feel that love extend to the world, all beings, all life, the universe/cosmos, stay with that moment and feel yourself in that expansion of love, then on the inward breath, breath into your heart and bring your arms back to the heart space,feel and listen. The wisdom of your heart/speak for you will come forward in your needs at the time.

Your meditation issue would prove a good challenge for me. I find myself learning deeper lessons in mindful presence amidst sudden startles or other chaos around me..

[sky]

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

I also needed to read your signature today (although I do try in order to be able to speak from my heart and not my head).

As for the topic, yes I have been aware of this. The more intense the dharana becomes, the more sensitive I am to other stimuli. 'Tis why I cannot meditate in a class or a group...I'll just be getting into my brow chakra, somebody coughs and I jump through the roof...annoying what? lol

I would also ' jump through the roof ' at one time but after a bit of practise I can just ignore the noise and stay where I am, I can meditate in any enviroment now, quiet or chaotic. The noise obviously is still there but kept in the background.

[sky]

Originally Posted by Gem

Hello and welcome.

Have you ever listened to the ocean waves, or a flowing stream, and felt content? The mind aware, but without registering mentally; without remarking it as beautiful, soothing or serene, yet all the while conscious of its quieting effect, of the inner peace such sound emanates as a conscious experience which leaves nothing disturbed?





If entranced, as I mentioned, with the sound of waves or water, and your phone or a car alarm suddenly sounds off, this will appear starkly, and that shows how in our quietude there is a great sensitivity. One could literally hear a pin drop in otherwise silent surrounds.

In such quiet, disturbances in the metta vibe are stark just like a car alarm or a phone. The disturbances are crude things completely unlike nuanced flows of ocean currents and streams... and in the flow of consciousness, the intent to disrupt, alert, or otherwise elicit a reaction is utterly in contrast to the stream which flows without intent.

I once sat waiting on a remote rail platform, and closed my eyes to the glare of the sun - I remember it was extremely hot that day. I started to notice very slight sounds such as an occasional far off car, and in my noticing I realised how quiet it is in here, how alert and sensitive this mind is to the barely audible distant car. It occurred to me that all my practice to make the mind quiet was somewhat futile, because the space of awareness is quiet by nature, and not made quiet by my efforts to make it so.

The oceans and streams can be as they are - we have no impulsion to disturb or disrupt them, we have no more intent toward them as they do do toward us. The ocean and stream, although producing a quietening affect, don't try to make us quieter - and perhaps they affect us thus because they are not trying to do anything.

Yes the sounds of nature are just sounds of nature, they do what they do asking for nothing in return. They are there playing their own music regardless, the symphony of nature.... beautiful.

[Gem]

How does a river flow? It doesn't. It is already flowing and has no need of doing.

Once I was walking, and at first I was the one walking along, but then suddenly I had stopped doing it. I was still aware of myself walking, and everything else, but I entered a space where I realised, I don't walk and I don't stop walking. Walking isn't something I do any more than I do the consequential breeze I feel on my face. In the space there was no one doing anything. It is just allowed to happen in the way that it is 'already happening'. I'm free to just be here while I walk along.

That day when I was walking, my only sense of it was how inevitable it is. It seemed impossible to make it otherwise. I had the impression I had no choice, so the mind was like 'lets see - try to stop'. I might have stopped but I didn't, But I wasn't actually choosing. It was like... I couldn't touch it and it couldn't touch me. I was as space is; it can't move things nor stop things from moving. That is the way it seemed.

[Gem]

Some years ago as I was walking the dog, just daydreaming along, everything suddenly started to look 'different'. It was as though the trees and the grass were watching. It all shimmered as I looked at it, and it looked back at me.

[Heart]

Originally Posted by Gem

Some years ago as I was walking the dog, just daydreaming along, everything suddenly started to look 'different'. It was as though the trees and the grass were watching. It all shimmered as I looked at it, and it looked back at me.

You experienced the transparent nature of reality, there is no such thing as a solid form just the energy behind it, when you looked at "it" you are seeing a reflection of yourself smiling back

I too experienced this, very cool to hear another went through this

[Gem]

Originally Posted by heart

You experienced the transparent nature of reality, there is no such thing as a solid form just the energy behind it, when you looked at "it" you are seeing a reflection of yourself smiling back

I too experienced this, very cool to hear another went through this

Yes, it is cool, because prior I was under the impression that the world was there to be seen, and after that I perceived the world as seeing, and not as something seeing - just seeing.