The Language of Paradox in Advaita - Swami Sarvapriyanada

https://asitis.com/4/18.html

One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the tranecendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.

Watch through the point he sits and describes Work as Witness. https://youtu.be/n-SUJ0Vwelk?t=1058

Originally Posted by alanantic

Must protect!"

That's the primordial Limbic System kicking into place - also known as the 'lizard brain'. It's primary function is survival. If the ego is standing guard then there's the perception of vulnerability and/or a lack of self esteem depending on the individual ego and the situation.

Very often 'you' are a backseat driver.

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE 22 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the tranecendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.

[Ewwerrin]

Knowing that I don't know. Law of attraction in action. But to then ask, why do I choose to know that I don't know. What is the meaning of all of this really. What is it that all of it is relative towards. What is it that everything has always been all relative towards.
It has always been all about me, Me and ME.
Me, myself, and I.

[FallingLeaves]

Originally Posted by Ewwerrin

But to then ask, why do I choose to know that I don't know. What is the meaning of all of this really.

there is more constraint in being bound by the chains of what you know... because invariably the more obvious something is, the less free you feel like you are to question it or even dismiss it outright.

which is what this is all about after all. Freedom versus slavery. Life versus death.

And what I just said doesn't mean whatever it is that you think it does.

[alanantic]

"First of all, the non-doer mode does not imply non-action and most certainly doesn't imply "just sitting"."

I'm talking about meditation when you...sit. The goal being, that thoughts come & go without distraction from the ego. That's just my 2 cents. You want more it'll cost ya a nickel. Ha!

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by alanantic

"First of all, the non-doer mode does not imply non-action and most certainly doesn't imply "just sitting"."

I'm talking about meditation when you...sit. The goal being, that thoughts come & go without distraction from the ego. That's just my 2 cents. You want more it'll cost ya a nickel. Ha!

I'm talking about meditation too when you .... either sit or walk or even sleep (conscious sleep). Meditation eventually becomes an integral part of one's WHOLE life.... NOT just when one is sitting.

The Hindu sage Ramana Maharshi once said:

"Setting apart time for meditation is only for the merest spiritual novices. A man who is advancing will begin to enjoy the deeper beatitude whether he is at work or not. While his hands are in society, he keeps his head cool in solitude.”

https://self-realization.blog/2020/0...-renunciation/

I will share a relevant personal experience with you regarding a very simple meditation of the distant past on feelings based on the Buddha's Satipatthana sutra.

I used to have a very strong Sicilian temper that sometimes resulted in my saying or doing things which I could have handled differently ... and more sensitively. I would sit in meditation to reflect on the problematic situation. However, after some time, I realized that my sitting meditation did not give me accurate access to all the relevant information. I decided that it was important to watch the situation ... real-time .. as it was happening. Being familiar with my triggers, I became very aware of those triggers when manifesting in my daily life ... and that would facilitate shifting into a meditative witnessing mode while the triggering event was happening. I was aware of my body, my feelings, the other person's body language, etc. .... a complete picture. The resulting meditative detachment allowed me to observe the developing situation more objectively .... and, interestingly enough, the detachment provided a "space" in which one has the power to act differently. In real-time, I demonstrated to myself that I could act more mindfully and thus the Sicilian temper tantrums were addressed in a here-and-now manner far differently and far more effectively than in a sitting meditation.

My favorite definition of meditation is that "Meditation is the art of shifting attention to subtler and subtler levels of consciousness without losing a grip on those levels left behind". Hence, meditation can happen anytime and anywhere. I have gone into an aware meditative state in the middle of a horrific car accident (resulting in an injury-free happening accompanied by normal blood pressure and normal pulse despite an unfortunate totaled car), riots in India, a life-saving surgery, and so on.

In addition, when pondering certain things that my spiritual mentor had either said or done, I would sit "for a few minutes" to reflect .... and became so absorbed that 8-9 hours would elapse before I came out of that sitting meditation. One can thus meditate while sitting, walking, or even while sleeping (conscious sleep, of course) as noted above.

Now, if you'll provide me with a way to pay you, I'd like the "nickel" version of your thoughts on this subject.

[alanantic]

"Now, if you'll provide me with a way to pay you, I'd like the "nickel" version of your thoughts on this subject. "

Actually, I could use a new liver, but that's asking a bit much. :-P

I do confess I've yet to set aside time to meditate. That was just a simple realization based on "intellectual mumbo jumbo". (I'm sure it's true in the right context...or something.)

I'm just barely starting to understand this stuff...and I started 50 years ago! Being raised a Christian, I didn't have a clue that ego may be an illusion until I read Nisargadatta a few years ago. I did have the "Life is a dream you can be lucid in" experience when I was 4, and then again in my 30s. I WAS a Witness. So I have a vague idea of what you experienced. Right now, I can't get still inside, yet. Working on that.

[Miss Hepburn]

"Setting apart time for meditation is only for the merest spiritual novices. A man who is advancing will begin
to enjoy the deeper beatitude whether he is at work or not. While his hands are in society, he keeps his head cool in solitude.”

I try to help by saying it this way, and I think we have all been there :
When you are in love - could be with your newborn or new puppy -
How easy it is to be in a business meeting, but your heart of hearts is really smiling inside aware of your new love....waiting for you at home.

How easy it is to enjoy that deep beauty, yes.

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE 29 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by alanantic

Being raised a Christian, I didn't have a clue that ego may be an illusion until I read Nisargadatta a few years ago. I did have the "Life is a dream you can be lucid in" experience when I was 4, and then again in my 30s. I WAS a Witness. So I have a vague idea of what you experienced.

Like yourself, I was raised Christian (Roman Catholic) and it was a mind-boggling life-transforming NDE (near death experience) over 50 years ago that shifted my attention eastward towards yoga, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. in order to understand what had happened during the NDE. It became clear with absolute certainty that I was not the body or the ego ... but something far different. (At the time of the NDE, such things were not widely discussed and I had no previous exposure to either NDEs or eastern religions ... just Roman Catholicism. )

In the depths of one's being, there is that special something pointing one in the direction of right understanding, and I'm wondering whether your "life is a dream you can be lucid in" experience when you were 4 was such a pointer. I would love to hear more about that experience as my sense is that, even 50 years later, that experience may still be an excellent pointer in the context of what you have discovered with Nisargadatta.

As for Nisargadatta, I too find his dialogues to be very insightful. I actually have a friend who spent some time in his presence in India. He is truly unforgettable in a very positive way even when he is not speaking.