How do I know myself as Consciousness?

[J_A_S_G]

Originally Posted by HITESH SHAH

Non-duality is NOT just denial of duality. But its recognition of non-duality in duality situations.

Exactly! The dream doesn't vanish but is simply recognized for what it is as in one cannot say the dream is unreal because it appears, however one cannot say it's real as it's destroyed by knowledge.

Another way to phrase it is the appearance (name, form & usage) is unreal however the essence is real and all of us are That one nondual essence.

[Goldcup7]

Originally Posted by MikeS80

It might just be me, but if I believed that I am not mind, body, ego etc, or that these things and everything else are an illusion or dream, I will not be on this forum taking part in the illusion and I will not use mind, body, ego etc, and I would not be interested in the illussion and in the other minds, bodies, egos etc that use this forum.

The Non Dual seeker's path is usually a gradual process of letting go of the ego, either through self enquiry, or service or worship of the One (God, Brahman, Guru etc.). We may practise both self enquiry and service to others.

It is from this point that a Non Dual seeker may join such a forum as this, in service and in seeking a greater understanding. The ego goes out into the play of separateness and returns in time to oneness. But in returning it reaches out to the world with love and oneness. Sharing and helping is the nature of the One in the play of the world. As the ego dissolves it becomes less hardened, less cloudy, more transparent, more at peace, more at one with the world. It is then that the ego naturally engages the body in helping others.

Also, when the ego eventually vanishes, and no trace of the belief of being separate is left, then the mind and the human are still active in the world. Through such a human the true nature shines through clearly, unhindered by the ego. It may be the path of that human form to hide itself away from humanity in secret, or it may be the path of that human to share knowledge with humanity. That could certainly involve joining a forum like this and supporting seekers on their way.

[J_A_S_G]

Originally Posted by HITESH SHAH

The intricate experience of non-duality in meditation (as described by various people here on fourm ) helps seeker orient to non-duality very easily .

For me it was Do-nothing meditation.

https://deconstructingyourself.com/d...editation.html

That is, by sitting and intentionally doing nothing for long enough, we eventually starve the ego of its juice, and something very different begins to shine through.

I think that's why after years of this particular practice, Advaita Vedanta resonated when I came across it.

[Starman]

To discuss it is one thing but to actually experience and live it is something else. My former earthly guru was once asked by a student, “when can I stop doing meditation,” and he replied “ when all you see is the light of God in everything, when all you hear is divine music vibrating from everything, when all you taste is divine nectar flowing through your being, that is when you can stop doing quiet meditation.”

I have had experiences like that although once I dive back into this world that experience dissipates. The thing is to take our experience in meditation out into the world and try not to lose it in the process. This world, in my opinion, is about learning how to navigate the ebb and flow of currents. But we can raise our consciousness to a point where we actually see and feel the oneness of being as we deal with everyday life here on earth.

In my opinion planet earth is a training ground; it is a planet of awakening. There are simple things which keep us down, like the kind of foods we may eat and our attitude. But I have no doubt that there are people, human beings, who are walking this earth today seeing and feeling a blanket of spiritual substance which connects all things, the oneness of being viewed on a daily basis while walking this earth in a physical human body.

It is definitely a challenge to the human mind and the way which human societies have been constructed. But with a conducive lifestyle it can be done; yogis have done it, consciously lived in non-duality while their physical body existed in duality. The mind will rebel against such notions and the world which mankind has created will demand our attention, but again, its about navigating the ebb and flow of currents.

[Unseeking Seeker]

Originally Posted by Starman

My former earthly guru was once asked by a student, “when can I stop doing meditation,” and he replied “ when all you see is the light of God in everything, when all you hear is divine music vibrating from everything, when all you taste is divine nectar flowing through your being, that is when you can stop doing quiet meditation.”

Beautifully said indeed

[J_A_S_G]

Originally Posted by Starman

“...when all you see is the light of God in everything, when all you hear is divine music vibrating from everything, when all you taste is divine nectar flowing through your being...”

That's one way I could describe lucid waking.

[Starman]

The human mind tries to describe and place labels on everything, that is how human beings understand things, by placing descriptive labels on them. But things are not the labels or descriptions which we give them. The boxes in our mind which we place things in is where we reside, we live and have our being in our own awareness.

Existing in non-duality is beyond mental comprehension, it can leave a person awestruck beyond description. Words and thoughts do not exist there. It encompasses our entire being and not just what is seen, thought, or felt. The feeling is incredible and transcends three-dimensional descriptions. It is an experience which we all have inside of us at this very moment.

Duality rebels against non-duality, the mind can rob us of the incredible experience which is taking place in the depths of our own heart. The human mind is fixated in duality, compare and contrast, this and that, etc. Duality does give us rungs on a ladder which might be used to climb non-duality. Although all motion is circular, spiral, ending up where it began. This is my experience.

[Redchic12]

Starman……”Although all motion is circular, spiral, ending up where it began. This is my experience.

Can you expand more on this please.

[MikeS80]

Originally Posted by HITESH SHAH

Non-duality is an intricate matter . Describing infinite in finite words always poses a challenge. So i understand your difficulty.

Really? This is what I am talking about. How is separating the finite from the infinite non-duality, when there is no seperation in non-duality, and there are no opposites in non- duality? Seems to me you do not have a problem describing the infinte with the finite word infinite! Sure infinite means the opposite of finite but infinite is still a finite word. Why can not people just admit that they are non-duality bias, oh yeah because bias is of the mind, which they say they are not. Do you see the problem here?

[MikeS80]

Originally Posted by J_A_S_G

In other words you can't conceive nonduality as a lived experience and therefore don't believe it possible. Is that a correct understanding?

If you subscribe to nonduality what do you think it means? Can it be directly experienced or is it only an idea/philosophy?

I conceive nonduality as a lived experience, just fine.

I just do not conceive seperating the finite from the ultimate infinite as a nonduality lived experience. The number one illusion or maya is any seperation of ultimate reality of any kind, shape or form! You may think separating the finite from the infinite is a positive helpfull thing to do for nonduality, but separation is seperation.

For me to experience and to learn somthing, that something requires a solid foundation outside of myself for me to experience and to learn from.

To me, having a mind full of quotes, metaphors, analogies, scriptures, etc, and etc, from gurus or teachers is not experiencing anything, you can learn from them though. learning and experiencing are 2 diifferent things. I say and believe all of this in the context that the finite and the infinite are not seperate from each other, the finite and the infinite are literally, not figuratively one!

Now if you want to live genuinely without any bias, without being mind body etc, more power to you.