Importance of stillness / meditation

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

“One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men,
and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.” (Bhagavad Gita 4.18)

Aw, that was so nice of Krishna to say about me!

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Aw, that was so nice of Krishna to say about me!

I will point out Krishna used "men" and "he"! Or was that just a touch of misogyny on the part of the translator? LOL!

Of course you know I jest or is it joust?

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

I will point out Krishna used "men" and "he"! Or was that just a touch of misogyny on the part of the translator? LOL!
Of course you know I jest or is it joust?

I am like Krishna - I am above all gender.

'He' is the poet's term for all of Mankind....you jouster.

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

I am like Krishna - I am above all gender.

'He' is the poet's term for all of Mankind....you jouster.

I've always had a strong strand of the jester archetype running through my veins.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

I've always had a strong strand of the jester archetype running through my veins.

You need that in life...
you know most women are drawn to men that make them laugh!

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

I have practiced meditation ---- particularly the stillness --- for many years under the guidance of extraordinary beings.

In stillness, one soars like an eagle beyond the limited separatist ego into the sky of consciousness and "knows without thinking" all that one needs to know. As BigJohn mentioned, that is where the "magic" starts. In stillness, there is a power into which one taps quite naturally .... but it is a transformed one at that point. Having been tutored by extraordinary beings in the nature of the practice, one then realizes that virtually anything is possible when one is firmly established in that non-dual stillness.

Buddha focused his teachings on the methodology but refused to discuss metaphysics. He would "respond" to such questions with the Noble Silence or he would tell questioners to PRACTICE first (going beyond the body, feelings, and mental activity into that which lies beyond) and then see if they had any questions.

Buddha was probably wise not to talk about it.............

But then, I guess it does not matter because most people will not believe you.

Even if you show them a film of you walking across hot coals, they have a way of dismissing what their own eyes have seen.

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

Yes and thanks!

This is that deep inner silence. It revealed Itself to me through practicing resting in awareness, and once "touched" it's impossible to "untouch". https://youtu.be/SSeT9Ewofu4?t=3001

It's always there and available to anyone and everyone and all of the time (after all it's our One true nature - Self), however it's just not recognized by most. With determination and enough practice anyone can rest in It during practice, and the more one practices the more one finds one's self resting in It outside of formal sitting.

One way I work on cultivating that state of being outside of formal meditation practice is the Karma Yoga practice of Work as Witness, where as often as I remember I "sink" into that space and realize I'm not the doer of action, but the Witness.

https://krishna.org/what-is-action-a...t-is-inaction/

“One who sees inaction in action, and action in inaction, is intelligent among men, and he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in all sorts of activities.” (Bhagavad Gita 4.18)

When one does "karma yoga", as you duly noted, one "loses one's self" in the service of others and that is one way to enter the stillness.

Since you quoted the Bhagavad Gita, you are probably aware of the three approaches towards enlightenment mentioned therein: Jnana (self-inquiry), Bhakti (devotion), and Karma Yoga (service). Each is suited to different temperaments.

Although I practice jnana yoga, bhakti and karma yoga are probably best suited to the majority.

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

Buddha was probably wise not to talk about it.............

But then, I guess it does not matter because most people will not believe you.

Even if you show them a film of you walking across hot coals, they have a way of dismissing what their own eyes have seen.

That is one thing (among many) that I like about the Buddha ---he did not engage in metaphysical discussions but simply pointed out the way to become a light unto one's Self and thus know (as opposed to endless discussions and idle speculation).

Having seen extraordinary beings throughout the world and, although initially questioning/dismissing what I saw/heard as possible trickery or exaggeration, I investigated further and finally realized that all things are possible ... literally.

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

When one does "karma yoga", as you duly noted, one "loses one's self" in the service of others and that is one way to enter the stillness.

Since you quoted the Bhagavad Gita, you are probably aware of the three approaches towards enlightenment mentioned therein: Jnana (self-inquiry), Bhakti (devotion), and Karma Yoga (service). Each is suited to different temperaments.

Although I practice jnana yoga, bhakti and karma yoga are probably best suited to the majority.

By temperament and profession (IT consultant) I'm analytical and contemplative. After hitting rock-bottom at the end of 2007 and after a year or so of soul-searching I began mindfulness meditation in earnest but purely for the secular benefits. I also became obsessed with consciousness and consciousness studies, eating up any and all content, both written and video, and across neuroscience, psychology, philosophy of mind and even physics. I suppose in a loose sense that could be considered a type of Jnana Yoga.

Late last year I came across Sadhguru talks on YT and that led me to the Vedanta New York YT channel and ever since I've immersed myself into the Jnana Yoga of Advaita and I compliment that with Raja and also the Work as Witness practice of Karma Yoga. That suits my temperament better than the Work for God practice of Karma Yoga. Bhakti is my weakest suit.

I've read the Bhagavad Gita and Ten Principle Upanishads as well as Ashtavakra Gita and keep all three handy whenever watching Vedanta lectures. I'm also most of the way through "Vivekananda: The Yogas and Other Works". I'm past all the Yoga sections and into transcripts of Swami's small chats with his Western followers. I also started "The Seven Great Untenables", however that was above my pay grade and I put it down and will come back to it in a year or so. Brahman is easy. Maya not so much and especially in the deep and technical debate over Maya between Advaita and Vishishtadvaita outlined in that book.

Anyway it's been a long, strange journey for sure. LOL!

Concerning meditation... At some point in my pursuit of consciousness studies I was watching this video: https://youtu.be/5TeWvf-nfpA?list=PL...ydVp1WpVnPNokg

What struck me was the part where Jon Kabat-Zinn talks about dropping the object of attending and simply rest in awareness. As far as I can determine that was a real game-changer. Got me out of the "Observer Trap".

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

That is one thing (among many) that I like about the Buddha ---he did not engage in metaphysical discussions but simply pointed out the way to become a light unto one's Self and thus know (as opposed to endless discussions and idle speculation).

Having seen extraordinary beings throughout the world and, although initially questioning/dismissing what I saw/heard as possible trickery or exaggeration, I investigated further and finally realized that all things are possible ... literally.

The real world of magick.