tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.comments2024-02-12T19:44:43.493+11:00The Nondual CafeDean Paradisohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898106701950641326noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-27190533143187109232021-11-13T01:49:51.309+11:002021-11-13T01:49:51.309+11:00What is his need to talk to people/appearances whi...What is his need to talk to people/appearances which in any way are never going to benifit?. Saying that there is no story is also a part of the story..Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01692133744516429576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-85893110043660665592021-04-18T00:13:06.976+10:002021-04-18T00:13:06.976+10:00Very interesting. Talking about what is before wor...Very interesting. Talking about what is before words is always going to cause difficulties. The problems of nomenclature do need to be addressed but words only point towards things and often point to more than one thing, as you point out, so its a tricky business. The Chan masters seem to get around this (in the recorded sayings) by constantly critiqueing each others' statements. D T Suzuki says that this apparent criticism is really a form of support but one in which the student is consistently urged not to pay too much attention to the actual words and to instead understand the spirit in which they were said. This seems to be their way of letting the meaning of words remain only loosely determined, leaving masters and monks able to express themselves freely according to the situation without resorting to a set of pre-determined doctrines or definitions. Oily oil.Tall Tale Liamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12375527375445800824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-52999006891138032782020-09-01T04:45:39.272+10:002020-09-01T04:45:39.272+10:00I personally do not find "awareness aware of ...I personally do not find "awareness aware of awareness" to be dualistic. Perhaps it's the grammatical structure of "subject-verb-object" that gives the impression of duality. But, if you instead think of it as "subject1-verb-subject1" or "noun1-verb-noun1" that helps. <br /><br />I also like "awareness attending to awareness". And better still "awareness resting in awareness" -- which implies awareness resting in itself. Just gotta keep in mind (without thinking about it and thereby resting in thought : ) that "awareness" is not an "it" or a "self". Rather, it is the Totality -- since Thou Art That. And once you understand that, then put aside that understanding (since it is a thought) and return to "awareness resting in awareness". <br /><br />I am also very much aided by the insight that AWA is more of a feeling than a thought. For me, AWA is much more like a very tiny version of the "buzz" feeling that is lent by any given altered state. But don't go down that garden path ... seeking a bigger buzz hoping for deeper AWA. For, as we all know, it doesn't work that way, since substances are counter-productive, save for LSD : ) but I'm not in a position/proclivity to walk around micro-dosed all the time. <br /><br />I'm not real crazy about "self-inquiry" per se, and asking "Who am I?" since, for me, those smack too much of thought. So, in the same way that I understand that AWA is Totality and then put that thought aside to return to AWA, I understand that the answer to the self-inquiry question of "Who am I?" is AWA. And so after answering the question, I then put that thought aside and return to AWA. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-49765683993835985102020-05-07T07:09:26.390+10:002020-05-07T07:09:26.390+10:00Thank you! Very incisive summary of issues that bo...Thank you! Very incisive summary of issues that bother me too.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06841081216138521578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-2530165242111919922019-07-28T14:24:17.352+10:002019-07-28T14:24:17.352+10:00Great review of Gurdjieff's system. I have alw...Great review of Gurdjieff's system. I have always held that getting hung up in 1 and 2 is the mistake because once one enter's 3 :1 & 2 are second nature. My site is Gurdjieff Demystified.oldiesbutdilleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15022329824747240437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-71941715159105365472019-06-13T07:04:28.872+10:002019-06-13T07:04:28.872+10:00so Muktananda had it wrong then.............:-)so Muktananda had it wrong then.............:-)Chartramblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15677866929286934404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-37794827226197347832019-04-02T08:42:05.885+11:002019-04-02T08:42:05.885+11:00Very well summarised. This was more or less my exp...Very well summarised. This was more or less my experience of the 4th wayAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06430350853925481709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-12072897234837023572018-07-12T14:02:27.696+10:002018-07-12T14:02:27.696+10:00I believe that releasing his fear of death would h...I believe that releasing his fear of death would have happened when he had his 'awakening' experience, due to self-enquiry, and finding out the nature of his (our) true identity. Although he doesn't talk too much about 'what' that identity is, since he was talking in the 50s with people who had little knowledge of Eastern philosophy, Self, etc. <br />On realizing his true nature and not-the-body (but the undisturbed awareness), it's likely the fear of death and illness fell away as a result. It seems the rest of his time was spent in trying to formulate a method which could allow people to release and just relax in the openness of pure awareness (ie the Sedona Method), though it tended to get more and more complicated as time went by and students lacked the ability to see the 'forest for the trees' :)Dean Paradisohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03898106701950641326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-76139338542847034642018-07-12T13:56:45.730+10:002018-07-12T13:56:45.730+10:00if you are not familiar with Steve Norquist... htt...if you are not familiar with Steve Norquist... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPoK3RegPuU Lenny in Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18335766025968069620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-88166170583301467962018-07-12T13:56:40.855+10:002018-07-12T13:56:40.855+10:00Thanks for the comment, Dill. I do think a lot of ...Thanks for the comment, Dill. I do think a lot of LL's work centres around unmasking beliefs and the energetic thrust (feelings) that these beliefs have, hence the releasing w/c, wa, etc.<br />And I can see that one of LL's motivating factors was his search for external love and approval which he discovered was one of his root sources of misery. He does make a few comments on one tape about 'squaring everything with love' and to just 'love, love, love', and while these are helpful tips, they're probably beyond the capacity of most self-centred people to actually implement (without serious practice). His self-inquiry (and unmasking beliefs) approach would suit more intellectual types, and the love approach would suit more 'heart' types it seems. Dean Paradisohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03898106701950641326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-65469259964027377862018-07-12T13:52:15.262+10:002018-07-12T13:52:15.262+10:00Yes, unfortunately AF's opinions about Buddhis...Yes, unfortunately AF's opinions about Buddhism seem to be taken from second hand readings or fringe type descriptions about what Buddhism actually entails. If Richard et al actually took the time to read the original Theravada / Pali scriptures which are closer to the mark on what the Buddha actually said, then they would find a lack of any theorizing about post-lives, immortality and self-centred searches. While Richard may actually be 'awakened', it's quite apparent he's also carrying around a large load of unprocessed garbage in the form of latent beliefs which his followers eat up devotedly. The enquiry 'How Am I Experiencing This Moment of Being Alive' actually unmasks these concepts in the moment, but it seems not many AF'ers actually use the enquiry to its full. Best.. Dean Paradisohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03898106701950641326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-20606844349215243952018-07-12T13:48:50.320+10:002018-07-12T13:48:50.320+10:00Thanks for the comments, Keith. I know that some s...Thanks for the comments, Keith. I know that some students of Nisargadatta (and Ranjit Maharaj) find that Sri Ramakent is a great teacher and resource. For myself, I didn't feel an attraction to him, but it's different for everyone. It would be well worth visiting one of his tours to the US (unfort he doesn't visit Australia). Best.. Dean Paradisohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03898106701950641326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-7124072626589220372018-07-12T13:46:01.409+10:002018-07-12T13:46:01.409+10:00Thanks for that comment. I really like John Sherma...Thanks for that comment. I really like John Sherman's method of 'looking' as well, which, as he says is a simplified form of self-inquiry. I'm not totally convinced that just one look 'is enough', however, John's instructions for looking are spot on.Dean Paradisohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03898106701950641326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-90327411593479035632018-06-27T02:06:06.044+10:002018-06-27T02:06:06.044+10:00Excellent post. I practice what John Sherman calls...Excellent post. I practice what John Sherman calls "the looking" , which is done in a completely non -spiritual or religious format, and done with the point of ending psychological suffering and fear we all seem to inhabit at the moment of birth. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15877018514361965976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-42293478104092958972018-05-09T15:20:41.004+10:002018-05-09T15:20:41.004+10:00I found that by putting "Tuesday Talk Ramakan...I found that by putting "Tuesday Talk Ramakant" in the youtube search you get the talks. The lineage of Nisargadatta and Ramakant Maharaj don't charge anything. When I tried to donate it wasn't accepted. After all how or why would I charge myself for telling myself about myself? Keithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15799349535843406753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-38262360616323579022018-05-09T14:57:27.899+10:002018-05-09T14:57:27.899+10:00I just dit (oops, I mean sit but I like to leave t...I just dit (oops, I mean sit but I like to leave the mistakes because, how can I dit?) every day and let the mind notice the limitations of thought as it tries to impose it's ideas of identity and value on itself. It is an open never ending attempt to close perceptions into assumed to be real and defined something or other. I also do mantra throughout the day as "commanded"(just kidding), no suggested, by my teacher. He says the mantra works like an antivirus. I see it as replacing thoughts with nothing in particular because I mostly don't notice the meaning of the words. This seems to have a "cumulative effect" on the usual sense OF being. What I call any sense of difference from my usual sense of being can only be noticed in what seems to be time oriented sense and in retrospect. Now I can put it to "my" mind, how can I have a different sense of being when now there is always some sense of being? By letting this kind of open inquiry take it's course, the attempts of thought to close in on particular identities and values gets undermined. "Thought's own" attempt to validate "being" as known in a particular way (it's own closed way)isn't allowed to be proud but instead remains open. I realize sometimes that this inquiry is a never ending search but at least it's an open, not closed search. This, along with reading stuff by Nisargadatta and Rupert Spira and others, like stumbling onto this blog, there is a gradual deepening or emerging of a sense of Real Being that can't be known as anything in particular yet absolutely is undeniable. The truth of what I am and everything is is getting it's own evidence that I and everything is Nothing In Particular. Nisargadatta has said this "about" himself. But there's no "about" about it. Kind of like pure self evidence. Ramakant Maharaj calls it Selfless Self. By the way he is planning to be in the Baltimore, D.C. area in September for a while and to see and hear him and meet with him is free. If you read his book "Selfless Self" ahead of time (or at least a good portion of it), it is extremely likely you can receive the Mantra which is of great importance to me. You'll also get to meet one of Ramakant's foremost students who I consider brilliant,John Richards. We have weekly on line meetings that get posted to youtube which you might be able to find. I participate but haven't gone back to find them myself but maybe by searching youtube and Ramakant discussions you might find them. I didn't know I was going to be mentioning this when I started this post. Back to what I was saying, even if I/we/you observe any perception it's become evident to me that I can't find anything that is strictly particular. Every border and or feature of anything is sharing it's "self". Absolutely nothing is ONLY. I see now that only "nothing in particular" is love, truth, beauty and freedom. I wanted to share this because I love being nothing in particular. In fact I did a search for "nonduality nothing in particular" and it brought me here. More or less power to ya. Seeya. Keithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15799349535843406753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-67597122103043272882018-04-28T03:03:52.329+10:002018-04-28T03:03:52.329+10:00Relieved to see that I am not the only one taken a...Relieved to see that I am not the only one taken aback by AF's apparent rejection of Buddhism. I particularity riled at the AF mis-representation of Buddhism as a self-centered "quest to secure one’s immortality in some spurious After-Life."Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15194917333295932570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-34249958568611939422018-03-13T02:28:42.625+11:002018-03-13T02:28:42.625+11:00You said:
"A discovery for me- was that Leste...You said:<br />"A discovery for me- was that Lester actually seemed to attain Self-Realization from self-inquiry and inquiry on the nature of love (and performing heart-type practices which would be similar to Metta meditation) .. NOT using his Sedona Method." <br /><br />Hi Dean,an update....I have disected what LL did with another friend...and we have concluded that LL was driven for a want of love. He believed he was unloveable! He saw love as the true source of survival......Based on what we discovered, the main release he really did was to DECONTRUCT FALSE BELIEFS!! Yes w/a, w/c and w/s is all there but its a building block! What creates the false belief is a suppressed emotion!...One must analyze and invalidate ones beliefs, as one does this the emotions are released as they have nothing to attach to....wish this would have been taught....I really hope you comment!!! ThanksAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05460212930957530850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-77701135274327644412017-08-30T10:02:08.959+10:002017-08-30T10:02:08.959+10:00Dean P I have many of his audios and have listened...Dean P I have many of his audios and have listened to the earlier ones as much as I can. <br />Hi PDF is the answer. Did you know Hale went ballistic at Larry when he released that PDF b/c he did not want the "public" to get a hold of it?<br />I have bought all 3 courses...Hale/Crane/Seretan...Hale's is by far most complicated....but the other 2 are still disconnected from its users. I have personally heard Crane rip into people asking him a simple question. I just revisited the book Happiness is Free" by Hale and its just gibberish pure pseudo spiritual crap.<br /><br />I do have one question...how did Lester release his fear of death? Any information would be extremely valuable.<br /><br />Thanks Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05460212930957530850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-63239305846441016592017-08-29T14:48:32.196+10:002017-08-29T14:48:32.196+10:00Thanks very much for the insights, Dill Mann. It w...Thanks very much for the insights, Dill Mann. It was also my experience that the root cause was the wanting/needing 'love' and external seeking from that. That part is left out of most SM courses, but it seems that it was integral in Lester's experience of awakening. The only reason I've looked into this is because I went through Lester's talks very slowly and thoroughly, starting with his recordings and talks prior to 1970 even. It's all in the original recordings.Dean Paradisohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03898106701950641326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-42790603272804497762017-08-29T03:49:15.476+10:002017-08-29T03:49:15.476+10:00You said "was that Lester actually seemed to ...You said "was that Lester actually seemed to attain Self-Realization from self-inquiry and inquiry on the nature of love .. NOT using his Sedona Method" <br /><br />For the last 5 years I have tried to dissect SM to see what I was doing wrong, why I was not releasing as fast as LL kept saying I would...I didnt understand what I was doing wrong.<br /><br />Last year a friend and myself dove into discovering what LL really discovered and I give credit to him for discovering Lester's secret:<br />1) LL stopped trying to change or rewrite the past<br />2) LL looked at and let go of wanting love and lacking love<br />3) He corrected all past wounds with directed love<br />4) He saw love as the ultimate wanting ...not w/s w/c or w/a<br />5) He let go of fear of death.<br /><br />So far you are the only person I have seen address this about SM and how what LL did to go free was not same as the SM for 1975 on.<br />Thanks<br /> Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03983099049638919783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-2907945871200327952017-08-24T12:57:29.627+10:002017-08-24T12:57:29.627+10:00Dean, Great piece. A friend of mine and myself hav...Dean, Great piece. A friend of mine and myself have been involved in SM for last 5 years.<br />We were perplexed with how LL went free vs SM post 1975. There is a bug difference b/w the 2.<br /><br />My friend had an ephiany and realized the wants are WRONG. W/c w/a & w/c...LL went free b/c he stopped trying to change past,past feelings and things he had no control over. He let go of wanting love. He then became tediously loving....that is where the secret lies. Not what came after 75....I have been releasing on all wanting love feelings and the wanting love...and the releases have been more profound than anything I have done before...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05460212930957530850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-15878074225086170412017-01-10T13:42:46.278+11:002017-01-10T13:42:46.278+11:00Thanks for the comment. It's true, that has al...Thanks for the comment. It's true, that has always been a confusing point for me as well when reading through Gurdjieff's material, and his instistance, for example, in Beelzebub, to 'create' or 'coat' a higher being body. The method he proposes in Beelzebub mainly concerns 'conscious labour and intentional suffering' and bearing the manfiestations of others, which he calls 'a big thing'. The idea that man starts out with 'no soul' (but needs to create one) is prevalent throughout most Fourth Way material.<br />As you point out, in contrast, the Nondualist position is generally that the personality/'I' self (ego) is an illusory thought-construct that has no permanent or real existence, and that the Self as Absolute exists only (in all and as all, including the play of phenomena).<br />The only way to marry these two ideas into harmony would be to take the view that Gurdjieff's idea of needing to 'create a higher-being-body' serves as 1) a motivation to actually practice and move one out of his/her state of sleep, and 2) stabilise one's orientation in/as the Self (not the false "I"). In effect, there is no 'creation' going on, but a rediscovery and stabilising of one's being in/as being-consciousness-bliss or the real Self. This stabilising and gathering could be seen as 'creating' a higher-being-body, but not in the sense of creating something new out of nothing (which would be the tempting, but unfortunate conclusion that most Gurdjieff students would be aiming at, and still falls under the bondage of duality-- there now being a separate albeit "higher" individual floating around that is autonomous from the whole).Dean Paradisohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03898106701950641326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-14432387783935895552017-01-07T03:51:58.205+11:002017-01-07T03:51:58.205+11:00i have always been confused as to gurdjieff's ...i have always been confused as to gurdjieff's higher being bodies vs non-dualist "there is no Self to have a "higher-being-body"Lenny in Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18335766025968069620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2962818812490239064.post-6525562366210606032016-07-21T16:19:48.460+10:002016-07-21T16:19:48.460+10:00Thanks! Glad it was of some use (written a few yea...Thanks! Glad it was of some use (written a few years back). Rupert Spira is an excellent, living, contemporary teacher. I would place him more in the (1) direct path category, since he almost always starts with immediate awareness, and then makes use of other means if necessary. He's coming from a similar background has his teachers Jean Klein and Francis Lucille, which are also great teachers albeit focused on direct, immediate apprehension of awareness, rather than progressive stages.Dean Paradisohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03898106701950641326noreply@blogger.com