overcoming Duality

[MChang]

I am interested in what you believe, but please in your own plain language. Tell me what you think from your understanding without quotes from other works.

This is what I believe. There are many references throughout the world, within religions and philosophies, or Mircea Eliade called the ‘Axis Mundi, or center of the world. For me it is a reference to the energetic center within each of us. I believe it is Nirvana from Hinduism, the yellow middle from Taoism, the Garden of Eden from Christianity, and many other similar references. The question is what is this within us and how do we get there?

It is an experience, a personal journey. The reaching of Nirvana, Salvation, Following ‘The Way or path’ in Taoism etc…

I believe it is shifting one’s consciousness from external things outside to internal things within. We begin this process using meditation. Quiet the mind and listen. I believe all cultures speak of two halves of our consciousness. Male/female, light/dark, yin/yang, heaven/earth, etc… These are pairs and opposites. In the same way the human mind, read animal soul(Taoist term), is brain based and creates a brain based reality, read projected reality. There is another heart based is spirit soul(another Taoist term) and is generates a reality from the heart that is the real world around us, read phenomenal world.

We are all made up of these two halves the animal soul and spirit soul. We can’t experience the world around us from both at the same time and often are not even aware of which we are experiencing the world from in any given moment. When we begin to go within via meditation, we begin to sense the phenomenal world more and more. We see ourselves as we truly are in the world, often not pretty, but this is where true growth begins, and we can change ourselves. Acceptance of self in our imperfections and changing these things we find is the The Way.

In the world of duality there are there energetic systems. Heaven, Earth, Man (Taoism), Father, Son, Holy Ghost(Trinity), lower, middle, and upper chakra groups from eastern philosophies. The energy of Heaven is separate and distinct from the Energy of Earth. They coexist and are all around us, but they don’t interact. The only place they interact is within each of us. We have both within us, this is the source of our dual nature.

We never truly become One being, we can become One being that is creating and maintaining this balance of these two energetic systems with us in any given moment. If you have the energy of heaven and the energy of Earth within you in balance and harmony, this puts you in the Axis Mundi, yellow middle, center, the Garden of Eden…where all things come from.

When we came here the first time, there was not much interference between us and our center. As we have this human experience from the animal soul, we imprint unresolved issues within ourselves. Over lifetimes we no longer sense the spirit soul within us. All this accumulated ‘stuff’ that we are not aware of dictates our choices and how we experience the phenomenal world or not.

The Way back is to identify these things, remove them until they are no longer are a part of you and you can achieve and maintain Center within yourself in any given moment.

That’s what I think. This is the experience I am having this lifetime. I don’t think it ever ends as long as we are in human form, but every day my connection with universe or Source grows stronger because of the work I do on myself.

Thanks for reading.

More at thethreeandntheone.com

Brian

[Miss Hepburn]

Oh...funny I this second posted something in Poetry...here...does this say what you might be looking for?

Ha, the work you do on yourself...you are doing nothing, my friend! Nothing.
And you know it. It's right on the surface, I can tell. Funny, how all of us on this Path sound insane most of the time.

There is an ache.
But, is it in my heart?
No, it is Your heart, Lord.
I am just a witness to You.
All that I am and all that I see...
I am a witness to You...
Any mistake, any triumph...it is all You.
It has always been You...in
The ant, in the bear, in my neighbor, in the stars.
Always You.
Thank You for showing what I think is a me.

[iamthat]

Brian offers an interesting perspective. We may agree with some parts and disagree with other parts, and that is fine. We each construct our own model of the nature of Creation and the nature of a human being, and how the human being fits into Creation. That model serves us and provides a framework for considering new information and experiences. Sometimes new information fits neatly into our existing model, which is all good. Sometimes it does not fit, so then we have to re-evaluate our model and maybe tweak it a bit. My model does not quite match Brian's, and as I said, that is fine.

So Brian says:

The energy of Heaven is separate and distinct from the Energy of Earth. They coexist and are all around us, but they don’t interact. The only place they interact is within each of us. We have both within us, this is the source of our dual nature.

I would suggest that the energy of Heaven (Purusha or Spirit) interacts with the energy of Earth (Prakriti or Matter) throughout Creation. Spirit is everywhere, as is Matter, but we have to get away from the idea of Matter as form and start thinking of Matter as intelligent substance. The interaction of omnipresent Spirit and omnipresent Matter produces omnipresent Consciousness.

Consciousness in the human being can look outwards to form or inwards to formlessness. The nature of form is separation, the nature of formlessness is unity.

Brian also says:

We never truly become One being, we can become One being that is creating and maintaining this balance of these two energetic systems with us in any given moment.

I would suggest that we are One Being. We do not have to become it - we already are it. It comes down to identification. Do we identify with the One Being? Or do we identify with the outward expression of the human energy systems?

Eventually we leave behind the human form and we operate purely in the fields of Consciousness. So let us not get too caught up in ideas of the brain vs the heart. Esotericism suggests that there is a brain within the heart and a heart within the brain.

But thanks to Brian for raising these ideas. And in the end, our philosophical model is just another thought. Whatever our model, if it works for us and we become more centred, more connected, more loving and more compassionate, then we have to be heading in the right direction.

Peace.

[Unseeking Seeker]

Overcoming duality ...
Not theoretically
Practically
Involves fulcrum shift
Of consciousness
In lived reality
A good starting point
May be at the end!
Biscetion
Dissection
Intellectualisation
Is alright for stimulation
But remains
As knowledge is
Vicarious
Uncertain
Debatable
Egoic
And it is the ego ...
Which creates duality
Separateness
If we be
Both judge and jury
Is it not ... perjury?
Don’t think ... feel
Feel as in feeeeel
In non thought presence
In just being
Still
And then
When we realise
When asked to delineate
We either fall silent
Or use symbols
Inadequate

***

[MChang]

Overcoming duality ...
Not theoretically
Practically
Involves fulcrum shift
Of consciousness
In lived reality
A good starting point
May be at the end!
Biscetion
Dissection
Intellectualisation
Is alright for stimulation
But remains
As knowledge is
Vicarious
Uncertain
Debatable
Egoic
And it is the ego ...
Which creates duality
Separateness
If we be
Both judge and jury
Is it not ... perjury?
Don’t think ... feel
Feel as in feeeeel
In non thought presence
In just being
Still
And then
When we realise
When asked to delineate
We either fall silent
Or use symbols
Inadequate

***

sdhaososdfgv
;oaioqgjo
xl;qoqog
sliosdgo
sopoasio
sopfoasgn
sodiaosgn
LPDFIAOSNDGV

!!

[Unseeking Seeker]

Well said! :)

***

[MChang]

Brian offers an interesting perspective. We may agree with some parts and disagree with other parts, and that is fine. We each construct our own model of the nature of Creation and the nature of a human being, and how the human being fits into Creation. That model serves us and provides a framework for considering new information and experiences. Sometimes new information fits neatly into our existing model, which is all good. Sometimes it does not fit, so then we have to re-evaluate our model and maybe tweak it a bit. My model does not quite match Brian's, and as I said, that is fine.

So Brian says:

The energy of Heaven is separate and distinct from the Energy of Earth. They coexist and are all around us, but they don’t interact. The only place they interact is within each of us. We have both within us, this is the source of our dual nature.

I would suggest that the energy of Heaven (Purusha or Spirit) interacts with the energy of Earth (Prakriti or Matter) throughout Creation. Spirit is everywhere, as is Matter, but we have to get away from the idea of Matter as form and start thinking of Matter as intelligent substance. The interaction of omnipresent Spirit and omnipresent Matter produces omnipresent Consciousness.

Consciousness in the human being can look outwards to form or inwards to formlessness. The nature of form is separation, the nature of formlessness is unity.

Brian also says:

We never truly become One being, we can become One being that is creating and maintaining this balance of these two energetic systems with us in any given moment.

I would suggest that we are One Being. We do not have to become it - we already are it. It comes down to identification. Do we identify with the One Being? Or do we identify with the outward expression of the human energy systems?

Eventually we leave behind the human form and we operate purely in the fields of Consciousness. So let us not get too caught up in ideas of the brain vs the heart. Esotericism suggests that there is a brain within the heart and a heart within the brain.

But thanks to Brian for raising these ideas. And in the end, our philosophical model is just another thought. Whatever our model, if it works for us and we become more centred, more connected, more loving and more compassionate, then we have to be heading in the right direction.

Peace.

I Am, thanks for adding to the conversation. My summary & most of the language comes initially from research with Taoism. The dual nature of man, then onto Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, & Buddhism. I began meditating in 1997 in my early 40's. Over time I could sense the shift in consciousness within myself; to see myself and the world around me as it is not as my brain had constructed it to be. Every time I had an awareness a shift in consciousness this is what the Taoist would call a moment of Observation.

"Still if you practice observation with a mind attached to projected reality, you will never be aware of bad feelings in yourself. Only when your mind is utterly detached from projected reality can you observe the phenomenal world and truly understand right and wrong. In fact, you are just like a sobered man. Freshly awakened, he can now see the evil he did while he was drunk, deeds of which he was completely unconscious before." Life of Sima Chengzhen. Sima Chengzhen (AD 647-735) was a renowned Taoist priest of the Tang Dynasty.

Kohn, Livia. The Taoist Experience: An Anthology. State University of New York, 1993. P. 241.[/I]

The more I have these moments the more I strip away and the greater my balance is in the moment. If you take the trigrams from the I Ching and lay them out on a circular grid of eight quadrants, each center line from each trigram which represents the energy of man is it's opposite and equal. They are all pairs of yin/yang. Then you add five agent theory onto the grid and you have a two dimensional representation of the energy of heaven and earth.

Identify the feeling and use the energy of the opposite quadrant to pull yourself back to center. A very useful tool.

More here.

thethreeandtheone.com/articles/oneness-a-discussion-of-what-it-is-to-be-one-within-and-one-with-the-world-around-you

[Miss Hepburn]

Unseeking seeker...I am humbly your biggest fan.

[Unseeking Seeker]

Unseeking seeker...I am humbly your biggest fan.

***

Ah Ms H!

In truth there is no original thought as in a distinct thinker thinking
Only vibrational frequency correspondent to orientation resonating
So the recognition
Is merely of our consciousness’s attention

As at this moment

In other words
We being one
Awareness being one
We recognise
Ourselves!

***

[MChang]

Well said! :)

***

You have a great sense of humor. I am really interested in what you think. Not with poems or quotes, but in your language what you think. Would you allow me this courtesy?

Thanks.

Brian

[Philos_Tone]

I have experienced something oppositional happening in front of my eyes.

I cannot remember it at present. But, it really wow'd me; All I thought of was this Non-Duality forum, etc.

Maybe "waiting" for two opposite things to happen in front of you is a key.

[MChang]

I have experienced something oppositional happening in front of my eyes.

I cannot remember it at present. But, it really wow'd me; All I thought of was this Non-Duality forum, etc.

Maybe "waiting" for two opposite things to happen in front of you is a key.

Seek to identify the two halves with yourself. With thoughts are they coming from your animal soul or spirit soul, are they human brain based or spiritual soul based(pure love)?

Christ was a perfect example. Imagine being nailed to a cross and your response is "Forgive them father they know not what they do." Not human based, anger fear etc..., but love.

Thanks.

Brian

[Philos_Tone]

I want to remember it because I need to analyze it better. I was always told white is the opposite of black.

But, during the last few years I realized that opposites are a bit more serious. For example, the opposite of black is something that is translucent, or even invisible.

We need not be so scared of each other, you see.

[Unseeking Seeker]

You have a great sense of humor. I am really interested in what you think. Not with poems or quotes, but in your language what you think. Would you allow me this courtesy?

Thanks.

Brian


***

Brian,

Actually, I’ve said what was to be said ... clearly. Perhaps not with you but many a time, we merely seek validation of our own beliefs and so we hear but do not listen.

And what are these beliefs or thoughts even? Conditioning ... memory linked perception ... ? If so, what is their authenticity, for if we already knew, why do we ask now?

You talk of heart & brain. Instruments. Go beyond form.

You talk of Jesus at the cross asking God to forgive his transgressors. Then we draw an interpretation of why he said it and so on. Then we debate. To what end? Word or language is a symbol of fragmented thought which bisects from its narrowness. It can never delineate or cognise the truth which is a singularity, a oneness.

Be Jesus. Be Buddha. Yourself. Who is this ‘yourself’? Your consciousness in form resting all instruments externalised and transient as in self serving and consciousness dissolving thus, become awareness absolute, one with oneness.

What does this convey to thought? Nothing. Because it is a transitioning, an actual becoming, blossoming, an ascension of your consciousness (although using words like you, me, he etc is invalid), into all encompassing awareness.

It is not an attainment. It is a state of being.

Be to become. Then no questions or doubts remain. Do not describe your imagination of what the fruit tastes like for doing so makes you no wiser, much less accurate. Eat it to know!

Now, how is this paragraphed description different from poetry? :smile:

***

[Shivani Devi]

Dear Brian,

There are many words, many philosophies, many associations with an "I" on whatever level that takes, from the ego to an all-inclusive and all-pervading Consciousness...and from being the witness, to that which is witnessed, but to me, this is ALL still duality, only some still seek to negate such through association, when the association still exists either way.

If "I" am totally immersed in that, do you think there would be any "I"?

If the drop falls into an ocean, do you think the drop will say "I am the ocean"? or would the drop just simply cease to be AS a drop?

There comes a time (and it came for me a while ago), when the question of "who am I?" became "who wants to know?" (and if I ever met Maharishi, I would have said EXACTLY that) and then, the whole point of introspection would be totally lost on me.

Of course, there's another answer for "who am I?" and that is for me to be totally honest and say "I don't know and don't WANT to know!" and others may say, "don't you want to attain Nirvana?" and I will say "what is there to attain? seriously!" for when the universe "made" me, they broke the mould.

I have no sense of self, with either an upper or lower case "s" and there is no duality because there is no non duality.

Have at it.

[MChang]

***

Brian,

Actually, I’ve said what was to be said ... clearly. Perhaps not with you but many a time, we merely seek validation of our own beliefs and so we hear but do not listen.

And what are these beliefs or thoughts even? Conditioning ... memory linked perception ... ? If so, what is their authenticity, for if we already knew, why do we ask now?

You talk of heart & brain. Instruments. Go beyond form.

You talk of Jesus at the cross asking God to forgive his transgressors. Then we draw an interpretation of why he said it and so on. Then we debate. To what end? Word or language is a symbol of fragmented thought which bisects from its narrowness. It can never delineate or cognise the truth which is a singularity, a oneness.

Be Jesus. Be Buddha. Yourself. Who is this ‘yourself’? Your consciousness in form resting all instruments externalised and transient as in self serving and consciousness dissolving thus, become awareness absolute, one with oneness.

What does this convey to thought? Nothing. Because it is a transitioning, an actual becoming, blossoming, an ascension of your consciousness (although using words like you, me, he etc is invalid), into all encompassing awareness.

It is not an attainment. It is a state of being.

Be to become. Then no questions or doubts remain. Do not describe your imagination of what the fruit tastes like for doing so makes you no wiser, much less accurate. Eat it to know!

Now, how is this paragraphed description different from poetry? :smile:

***

Thanks I appreciate it.

Brian

[MChang]

Dear Brian,

There are many words, many philosophies, many associations with an "I" on whatever level that takes, from the ego to an all-inclusive and all-pervading Consciousness...and from being the witness, to that which is witnessed, but to me, this is ALL still duality, only some still seek to negate such through association, when the association still exists either way.

If "I" am totally immersed in that, do you think there would be any "I"?

If the drop falls into an ocean, do you think the drop will say "I am the ocean"? or would the drop just simply cease to be AS a drop?

There comes a time (and it came for me a while ago), when the question of "who am I?" became "who wants to know?" (and if I ever met Maharishi, I would have said EXACTLY that) and then, the whole point of introspection would be totally lost on me.

Of course, there's another answer for "who am I?" and that is for me to be totally honest and say "I don't know and don't WANT to know!" and others may say, "don't you want to attain Nirvana?" and I will say "what is there to attain? seriously!" for when the universe "made" me, they broke the mould.

I have no sense of self, with either an upper or lower case "s" and there is no duality because there is no non duality.

Have at it.

Thanks. I have no idea where I/me/it is on the continuum. I see the stripping away of the accumulated layers as a necessary path we take on our way back to the origin. If others are in a place in their journey, where they a fully conscious of their thoughts, and where there are no brain center human thought imprinting on their being; then amen. I don't seem to be so fortunate, I am still stuck with my monkey mind and identifying thoughts and the source of those thoughts in any given moment.

Thanks.

Brian

[Unseeking Seeker]

Thanks. I have no idea where I/me/it is on the continuum. I see the stripping away of the accumulated layers as a necessary path we take on our way back to the origin. If others are in a place in their journey, where they a fully conscious of their thoughts, and where there are no brain center human thought imprinting on their being; then amen. I don't seem to be so fortunate, I am still stuck with my monkey mind and identifying thoughts and the source of those thoughts in any given moment.

Thanks.

Brian

***

You are right, others too are right!

Stripping away of layers ... layers of negativity ... meaning thereby, habits in the egoic self serving domain which bind and contract our consciousness is definitely the way ... if stepped up from intellectualism and applied onto ourselves in thought, word & deed day after day until it becomes our revised reflex response and coupled with quiet thought-rested meditation.

Even the slightest consciousness shift brings about the greatest healing & inner transformation.

In fact, continuous contemplative consciousness correction is the ‘analytical thought’ aspect of thought that helps erase negativity, while ‘intuitive-thought’ in as cognising the totality instantly without any effort, there being no thinker or doer, in the usually believed manner, is the meditative aspect.

***

[Moondance]

I am interested in what you believe, but please in your own plain language. Tell me what you think from your understanding without quotes from other works.

This is what I believe. There are many references throughout the world, within religions and philosophies, or Mircea Eliade called the ‘Axis Mundi, or center of the world. For me it is a reference to the energetic center within each of us. I believe it is Nirvana from Hinduism, the yellow middle from Taoism, the Garden of Eden from Christianity, and many other similar references. The question is what is this within us and how do we get there?

It is an experience, a personal journey. The reaching of Nirvana, Salvation, Following ‘The Way or path’ in Taoism etc…

I believe it is shifting one’s consciousness from external things outside to internal things within. We begin this process using meditation. Quiet the mind and listen. I believe all cultures speak of two halves of our consciousness. Male/female, light/dark, yin/yang, heaven/earth, etc… These are pairs and opposites. In the same way the human mind, read animal soul(Taoist term), is brain based and creates a brain based reality, read projected reality. There is another heart based is spirit soul(another Taoist term) and is generates a reality from the heart that is the real world around us, read phenomenal world.

We are all made up of these two halves the animal soul and spirit soul. We can’t experience the world around us from both at the same time and often are not even aware of which we are experiencing the world from in any given moment. When we begin to go within via meditation, we begin to sense the phenomenal world more and more. We see ourselves as we truly are in the world, often not pretty, but this is where true growth begins, and we can change ourselves. Acceptance of self in our imperfections and changing these things we find is the The Way.

In the world of duality there are there energetic systems. Heaven, Earth, Man (Taoism), Father, Son, Holy Ghost(Trinity), lower, middle, and upper chakra groups from eastern philosophies. The energy of Heaven is separate and distinct from the Energy of Earth. They coexist and are all around us, but they don’t interact. The only place they interact is within each of us. We have both within us, this is the source of our dual nature.

We never truly become One being, we can become One being that is creating and maintaining this balance of these two energetic systems with us in any given moment. If you have the energy of heaven and the energy of Earth within you in balance and harmony, this puts you in the Axis Mundi, yellow middle, center, the Garden of Eden…where all things come from.

When we came here the first time, there was not much interference between us and our center. As we have this human experience from the animal soul, we imprint unresolved issues within ourselves. Over lifetimes we no longer sense the spirit soul within us. All this accumulated ‘stuff’ that we are not aware of dictates our choices and how we experience the phenomenal world or not.

The Way back is to identify these things, remove them until they are no longer are a part of you and you can achieve and maintain Center within yourself in any given moment.

That’s what I think. This is the experience I am having this lifetime. I don’t think it ever ends as long as we are in human form, but every day my connection with universe or Source grows stronger because of the work I do on myself.

Thanks for reading.

More at thethreeandntheone.com

Brian

Hello Brian

Thanks for sharing. What you write here is interesting but has little to do with nonduality.

We don’t reach One - there is ONLY One. The issue is with the mistaken perception of separation. There’s nothing to remove or reach or achieve… only to see.

There’s no animal soul and spirit soul, no unresolved stuff over lifetimes, no personal salvation, no Axis Mundi…

There is only the being of what is… Already the case before you lift a finger.

[Shivani Devi]

I just found out there is a difference between duality and plurality...GO ME!

[MChang]

***

You are right, others too are right!

Stripping away of layers ... layers of negativity ... meaning thereby, habits in the egoic self serving domain which bind and contract our consciousness is definitely the way ... if stepped up from intellectualism and applied onto ourselves in thought, word & deed day after day until it becomes our revised reflex response and coupled with quiet thought-rested meditation.

Even the slightest consciousness shift brings about the greatest healing & inner transformation.

In fact, continuous contemplative consciousness correction is the ‘analytical thought’ aspect of thought that helps erase negativity, while ‘intuitive-thought’ in as cognising the totality instantly without any effort, there being no thinker or doer, in the usually believed manner, is the meditative aspect.

***

The layers I speak of are are past life issues we carry with us lifetime to lifetime that are unresolved. I believe and it has been my experience, that we have so much of this accumulated stuff between us and the Source it is difficult to know it is there much less what the right path/choice is for us.

The Mao shan sect of Taoism refers to it as inherited built. What we bring with us into each lifetime.

Thanks.

Brian

[MChang]

Hello Brian

Thanks for sharing. What you write here is interesting but has little to do with nonduality.

We don’t reach One - there is ONLY One. The issue is with the mistaken perception of separation. There’s nothing to remove or reach or achieve… only to see.

There’s no animal soul and spirit soul, no unresolved stuff over lifetimes, no personal salvation, no Axis Mundi…

There is only the being of what is… Already the case before you lift a finger.

My study and experience teaches me differently.

Ever had this experience described here?

"Still if you practice observation with a mind attached to projected reality, you will never be aware of bad feelings in yourself. Only when your mind is utterly detached from projected reality can you observe the phenomenal world and truly understand right and wrong. In fact, you are just like a sobered man. Freshly awakened, he can now see the evil he did while he was drunk, deeds of which he was completely unconscious before." Life of Sima Chengzhen. Sima Chengzhen (AD 647-735) was a renowned Taoist priest of the Tang Dynasty.

Kohn, Livia. The Taoist Experience: An Anthology. State University of New York, 1993. P. 241.[/i]

[Moondance]

My study and experience teaches me differently.

Ever had this experience described here?

"Still if you practice observation with a mind attached to projected reality, you will never be aware of bad feelings in yourself. Only when your mind is utterly detached from projected reality can you observe the phenomenal world and truly understand right and wrong. In fact, you are just like a sobered man. Freshly awakened, he can now see the evil he did while he was drunk, deeds of which he was completely unconscious before." Life of Sima Chengzhen. Sima Chengzhen (AD 647-735) was a renowned Taoist priest of the Tang Dynasty.

Kohn, Livia. The Taoist Experience: An Anthology. State University of New York, 1993. P. 241.[/i]

Yes, I agree, your study and experience teaches you differently.

Nothing wrong with that in itself Brian, but it has little to do with nonduality.

Nonduality is not about becoming or resolving stuff over lifetimes, it’s about the waking up from a mistaken perception.

[MChang]

Yes, I agree, your study and experience teaches you differently.

Nothing wrong with that in itself Brian, but it has little to do with nonduality.

Nonduality is not about becoming or resolving stuff over lifetimes, it’s about the waking up from a mistaken perception.


In spirituality, nondualism, also called non-duality, means "not two" or "one undivided without a second". Nondualism primarily refers to a mature state of consciousness, in which the dichotomy of I-other is "transcended", and awareness is described as "centerless" and "without dichotomies".

[Still_Waters]

I see the stripping away of the accumulated layers as a necessary path we take on our way back to the origin. If others are in a place in their journey, where they a fully conscious of their thoughts, and where there are no brain center human thought imprinting on their being; then amen. I don't seem to be so fortunate, I am still stuck with my monkey mind and identifying thoughts and the source of those thoughts in any given moment.



I agree completely with your statement "I see the stripping away of the accumulated layers as a necessary path we take on our way back to the origin." That is exactly how I have approached life after many circuitous detours. :smile:

As you implied, being "stuck with my monkey mind" is definitely an obstacle and one with which I struggled for many years. There are various techniques from different traditions with which to still the "monkey mind", and my sense is that you are conversant with at least some of those techniques. Once there is a breakthrough and one experiences even a glimpse of the pure thought-free awareness, it is so peaceful that one does not want to disturb it with mundane "monkey mind" thoughts and that facilitates remaining in that state for longer and longer periods of time. One "knows without thinking".

In that "not knowing state" (alternatively "knowing without thinking"), one realizes that ... somehow ... one is tapping into a higher consciousness that guides one unerringly in the best interests of the Totality in a way that defies simplistic intellectual logic. One is thus drawn to the stillness and peace more and more continuously especially since one realizes that, when one surrenders completely to that which lies beyond the "monkey mind", one flows with life in an unbelievable manner as the optimal course of action in the best interests of all just manifests quite naturally. My sense is that this is what is meant by "back to the origin" as one operates quite naturally more and more continuously under that unerring guidance of what many call the "One".

I loved reading your posts. Like yourself, I have practiced under sages from the various traditions, including Taoism, and they all ultimately pointed me in the same direction, which as you duly noted: "I see the stripping away of the accumulated layers as a necessary path we take on our way back to the origin."

P.S. One can still activate the instrument called the mind when one chooses so that one can function as an actor on the stage of life and come out to "play" (so to speak). However, one never loses the metaphorical Ariadne's thread (Greek myth on Theseus an the Minotaur) that connects "back to the origin" from whence we all emerged and to which we all return.

[Moondance]

In spirituality, nondualism, also called non-duality, means "not two" or "one undivided without a second". Nondualism primarily refers to a mature state of consciousness, in which the dichotomy of I-other is "transcended", and awareness is described as "centerless" and "without dichotomies".

Thanks for the quote Brian. I see that this one is from the intro to the Wikipedia entry. And yes, “not two” or “One undivided” is a fine place to start. But let’s be clear, this is not about an intellectual understanding or more spiritual information, it's (for want of a phrase) a felt-sense realisation or shift in perception - a present-actuality gnosis/insight. It’s about the seeing-through of the beliefs and narratives that uphold the delusion of separation (of which the spiritual ones are often the most persistent.)

[MChang]

Thanks for the quote Brian. I see that this one is from the intro to the Wikipedia entry. And yes, “not two” or “One undivided” is a fine place to start. But let’s be clear, this is not about an intellectual understanding or more spiritual information, it's (for want of a phrase) a felt-sense realisation or shift in perception - a present-actuality gnosis/insight. It’s about the seeing-through of the beliefs and narratives that uphold the delusion of separation (of which the spiritual ones are often the most persistent.)

I agree it is about experience. Intellectual knowledge is necessary, but accomplishes nothing. The real work back is visceral and must be felt and experienced via the heart center that is the source of our connection with the spiritual phenomenal world around us. In this human body we are three, Heaven, Earth, Man, Father, Son, Holy Ghost. I completely agree we are already something and we only have to remember what that is, but these layered experiences are in the way. It would be wonderful if I was evolved enough to remember with a thought, but for me personally, there was too much **** in the way I had accumulated over lifetimes. Identifying, healing, and removing these experiences clears the connection I already have and makes it stronger so I can sense what is already there. At the end, and for some moments in the journey I am able to sense the phenomenal world from the whole me, the united three parts of me in balance.

Thanks.

Brian

[Moondance]

I agree it is about experience. Intellectual knowledge is necessary, but accomplishes nothing. The real work back is visceral and must be felt and experienced via the heart center that is the source of our connection with the spiritual phenomenal world around us. In this human body we are three, Heaven, Earth, Man, Father, Son, Holy Ghost. I completely agree we are already something and we only have to remember what that is, but these layered experiences are in the way. It would be wonderful if I was evolved enough to remember with a thought, but for me personally, there was too much **** in the way I had accumulated over lifetimes. Identifying, healing, and removing these experiences clears the connection I already have and makes it stronger so I can sense what is already there. At the end, and for some moments in the journey I am able to sense the phenomenal world from the whole me, the united three parts of me in balance.

Thanks.

Brian

Okay Brian. I don’t resonate with some of the terminology here and I don’t share the belief in any sort of individuated continuity over lifetimes but I appreciate that this is how you see it - thanks for sharing.

[MChang]

I agree completely with your statement "I see the stripping away of the accumulated layers as a necessary path we take on our way back to the origin." That is exactly how I have approached life after many circuitous detours. :smile:

As you implied, being "stuck with my monkey mind" is definitely an obstacle and one with which I struggled for many years. There are various techniques from different traditions with which to still the "monkey mind", and my sense is that you are conversant with at least some of those techniques. Once there is a breakthrough and one experiences even a glimpse of the pure thought-free awareness, it is so peaceful that one does not want to disturb it with mundane "monkey mind" thoughts and that facilitates remaining in that state for longer and longer periods of time. One "knows without thinking".

In that "not knowing state" (alternatively "knowing without thinking"), one realizes that ... somehow ... one is tapping into a higher consciousness that guides one unerringly in the best interests of the Totality in a way that defies simplistic intellectual logic. One is thus drawn to the stillness and peace more and more continuously especially since one realizes that, when one surrenders completely to that which lies beyond the "monkey mind", one flows with life in an unbelievable manner as the optimal course of action in the best interests of all just manifests quite naturally. My sense is that this is what is meant by "back to the origin" as one operates quite naturally more and more continuously under that unerring guidance of what many call the "One".

I loved reading your posts. Like yourself, I have practiced under sages from the various traditions, including Taoism, and they all ultimately pointed me in the same direction, which as you duly noted: "I see the stripping away of the accumulated layers as a necessary path we take on our way back to the origin."

P.S. One can still activate the instrument called the mind when one chooses so that one can function as an actor on the stage of life and come out to "play" (so to speak). However, one never loses the metaphorical Ariadne's thread (Greek myth on Theseus an the Minotaur) that connects "back to the origin" from whence we all emerged and to which we all return.

Very nice. Thanks for taking time. Spoken like a person withe the experience to go with the intellectual understanding of what "is going on" in the phenomenal world.

More at

https://www.thethreeandtheone.com/about

Brian

[MChang]

Okay Brian. I don’t resonate with some of the terminology here and I don’t share the belief in any sort of individuated continuity over lifetimes but I appreciate that this is how you see it - thanks for sharing.

Thanks.

Brian.