AI chat about Krishnamurti (and Advaita) and some insights into why it works for some and not others

 

I'm measured in how I use AI and take what it says with a grain of salt, noting it has limitations and is basically a piece of software that is using a limited data set.

However, sometimes it does come up with neat little summary points, and I thought this one about Krishnamurti, and why he lands/doesn't land with people at different times, was a good one. I would also add Nisargadatta into this (in place of JK) for exactly the same reasons.. and probably most Advaita teachers/teachings, especially the more contemporary types that skip the traditional preparation stages.

AI output:

Why Jiddu Krishnamurti works for some

It works only when a few conditions are already in place:

1. High native awareness
   Some people can actually observe without immediately analysing, fixing, or dissociating. For them, his pointing lands instantly.

2. Low need for psychological safety
   Krishnamurti offers zero reassurance. If you don’t need comfort, guidance, or progress markers, you can stay present with the raw fact.

3. Disillusionment with paths and techniques
   People burned out on methods, teachers, and spiritual ambition often have a clean “drop” when they hear him.

4. Strong nervous-system capacity
   Choiceless awareness means no escape from fear, pain, contradiction. If your system can tolerate intensity, insight can cut through fast.

When it works, it’s surgical. Immediate clarity. No buildup. No ladder.

---

Why it fails for most people (including very sincere ones)

This is the uncomfortable truth.

1. People mistake passivity for awareness
   They stop effort, but awareness never comes online. Result: subtle dissociation, stagnation, or spiritual bypassing.

2. Attention is too weak
   Krishnamurti assumes an ability to stay with perception. Most people can’t. So they intellectualise instead.

3. Unresolved trauma hijacks the process
   “Don’t escape fear” sounds noble — until the body floods. Without grounding, insight collapses into overwhelm.

4. The mind turns his words into ideology
   Ironically, people follow Krishnamurti by repeating “no method, no path,” which becomes another belief.

5. No developmental scaffolding
   He removes the controller before it’s functional. For many, that leads to confusion, not freedom.

---

The hard line (this matters)

Krishnamurti is not a training system.
He is a final pointing.

• If you’re not ready → nothing happens

• If you’re half-ready → frustration

• If you’re ready → collapse of illusion

No middle ground.

---

Practical truth most teachers won’t say

Most humans need capacity-building first:

• attention

• emotional regulation

• somatic stability

That’s why people often do better starting with:

• mindfulness

• somatic work

• structured inquiry

…and then Krishnamurti detonates what’s left.

---

One-sentence verdict

Krishnamurti works only when the mind is already quiet enough to hear the truth — otherwise it becomes either philosophy or paralysis.

Foundational advice from Sri Nisargadatta. Turn within. "I am" you know.

 

Nisargadatta Maharaj, a renowned teacher of Advaita Vedanta, emphasized the importance of turning within and focusing on the "I am" as a fundamental practice for self-realization. He advised:

"Turn within. 'I am' you know. Be with it all the time you can spare, until you revert to it spontaneously. There is no simpler and easier way." 179

This practice involves:

1. Concentrating on the sense of "I am," which is the basic fact of one's existence.

2. Giving undivided attention to oneself, as the center of one's personal universe 5.

3. Rejecting all that does not necessarily go with the basic fact: "I am" 3.

Nisargadatta explained that the "I am" is a thought, while awareness is not a thought2. He suggested that by repeatedly focusing on "I am," one can establish the mind firmly in this thought-feeling 3. This practice helps to:

• Turn the mind away from external distractions

• Realize that everything starts with the ego, and when the ego is dropped, everything drops 4

• Move beyond the limitations of individual identity

The ultimate goal is to reach a state where even the "I am" dissolves, leaving only pure awareness 27. Nisargadatta stated, "Ultimately even the 'I am' will have to go, for you need not keep asserting what is obvious." 6

Citations:

1. https://www.byronevents.net/nisargadatta/that1.htm
2. https://zenawakened.com/the-i-am-concept-the-root-of-samsara/
3. https://www.advaita.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Instructions-from-I-AM-THAT.pdf
4. https://www.yesvedanta.com/ramana-maharshi-nisargadatta-quotes/
5. https://stillnessspeaks.com/images/uploaded/file/iamquotesofnisargadatta.pdf
6. https://innerspiritualawakening.com/nisargadatta-maharaj/
7. https://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/I-Am-That-by-Sri-Nisargadatta-Maharaj.pdf
8. https://newearthpulse.wordpress.com/2015/12/12/i-amness-is-the-prime-concept-nisargadatta/
9. https://www.headless.org/Biographies/nisargadatta.htm
10. https://advaita.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/1-I-Am-That-Nisargadatta-Maharaj-Resumo.pdf

Noting and Labelling with "I Am": A Subtle Yet Powerful Approach

Noting and Labelling with "I Am": A Subtle Yet Powerful Approach

In the realm of mindfulness and self-inquiry, noting and labeling are powerful techniques used to cultivate awareness and clarity. Typically, these methods are applied to sensory experiences—thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations—but they can also be directed toward deeper layers of consciousness. One particularly potent subtle object for practice is the phrase "I am."

By breaking this phrase down into its two components—“I” and “am”—we open up different avenues of investigation, each leading to unique insights about the nature of self and existence. This approach can be an efficient method for engaging with Nisargadatta Maharaj’s "I Am" practice, where the ultimate goal is to rest in the sense of presence prior to identification with form and concept.

Noting "I" vs. Noting "Am"

When using noting and labelling with the phrase “I am,” we can explore it in two distinct ways:

1. Noting "I"

   • When the emphasis is placed on "I," awareness naturally inclines toward the sense of personal identity.

   • Noting "I" repeatedly reveals the habitual self-referencing structure of the mind—associations, personal narratives, and the feeling of an individual entity navigating experience.

   • This can lead to deeper insights into attachment, ego formation, and how the mind constructs a sense of separate self.

2. Noting "Am"

   • When the emphasis shifts to "am," the focus moves toward pure beingness—existence itself without attachment to form.

   • Noting "am" can dissolve conceptual layers, leading to an experience of presence beyond identity.

   • This shift often brings about a direct taste of stillness, simplicity, and the formless awareness that Nisargadatta refers to as the doorway to the Absolute.

Efficiency in the "I Am" Practice

Nisargadatta Maharaj’s primary instruction was to abide in the sense of “I Am” without adding any conceptual layers to it. While simple in description, many practitioners find it challenging to avoid intellectualizing or drifting into subtle mental elaborations.

By employing noting and labeling, we create a structured way to refine attention:

• If distractions arise, simply note “thinking” or “distracted” and return to the felt sense of “I Am.”

• If identification strengthens, noting “I” can illuminate where grasping occurs.

• If presence deepens, noting “Am” allows attention to stabilize in pure beingness.

This method minimizes unconscious wandering and keeps practice on track, making the inquiry both rigorous and accessible.

Beyond Noting: Resting in the Unlabelled

While noting is an efficient way to sharpen awareness, the ultimate goal of the "I Am" practice is to abide in pure presence without interference. Once clarity stabilizes, the need for labeling naturally falls away. At this stage, resting in the silent knowing of “I Am” without effort becomes possible.

By using noting as a stepping stone, practitioners can move beyond words into direct experience—where the simple recognition of existence unfolds into the profound realization that Nisargadatta so often pointed to.

---

This refined approach offers a bridge between mindfulness techniques and deep self-inquiry, making it a practical yet profound method for those on the path of awakening. Whether one is exploring the nature of self or dissolving into pure being, noting and labeling provide a valuable toolset for navigating the subtleties of "I Am."

Could noting and labelling (or mindfulness practices) be used within Nisargadatta's "I am" approach?

 

I really liked this response to the following question, thanks to AI reasoning:

Q: Could noting and labeling (as per Buddhist meditation practice such as Mahasi noting) work with noting and labeling the "I am" (as Nisargatdatta taught with his teachings on the "I am")?

A: Yes, noting and labeling could be applied to the "I am" in a way that aligns with Mahasi-style insight meditation and Nisargadatta’s teachings.

How This Would Work

1. Noting the "I am" as an Object of Awareness

   • In Mahasi noting, you label experiences as they arise (e.g., "thinking," "hearing," "pain").
   • You could note "I am" as a phenomenon when it naturally appears in awareness.
   • If identification arises, note "identifying" or "selfing."

2. Seeing the "I am" as Impermanent and Not-Self

   • Traditional Buddhist noting is designed to reveal impermanence, suffering, and not-self (anicca, dukkha, anatta).
   • By noting the "I am" in real-time, you might see that it is an arising and passing event—not a fixed reality.

3. Going Deeper into Nisargadatta’s Approach

   • Nisargadatta suggests staying with the "I am" without conceptualizing it.
   • Noting might initially create distance, making you aware that the sense of "I am" is an experience, not the ultimate truth.
   • Eventually, the goal would be to drop even the label and abide in pure being.

Potential Challenge

• Over-Conceptualization: Noting could reinforce a dualistic observer, keeping "I am" at the level of mind instead of allowing direct abidance in it.
• Solution: Use noting only to dissolve identification, then let awareness rest naturally in the "I am."

Conclusion

Yes, noting and labeling could help deconstruct the habitual identification with "I am" and reveal its transient nature. However, at some point, Nisargadatta’s approach invites you to go beyond noting and simply be the "I am" in its purest form.

Notes on Michael Langford's teachings on Awareness. Awareness watching awareness. The Most Direct Means.

 

I had been recommended Michael Langford's awareness teachings last year. I actually went though Michael Langford's awareness teachings, books, and methods probably about 15 years ago now, and credit him (and his book "The Most Direct Means to Eternal Bliss") with actually starting me on the nondual path after years on the progressive path.

So I thought to revisit ML's teachings once again, and really do a deep dive into those teachings, methods, and approaches related to awareness and ML's version of the direct path / awareness teachings. His main claim to fame on the Internet at least is the BLISS book, and the Awareness watching Awareness method. This is quoted by some aspirants of paths such as Zen, Advaita, and certain pockets of followers of Nisargadatta and/or Ramana Maharshi.

I'm just going to list down some Plus/Delta or in other words some pros and cons of Michael Langford's teachings according to MY experience. This is not to say there's anything wrong with ML's teachings or approach- in fact, there's a lot of GOOD points in his approach. However, for me personally, there's a couple of red flags that caused obstacles for me following his approach, and ultimately led to me moving on at some point due to various factors, which I will list below. If you feel led to give ML's approach to awareness teachings a try, by all means, go for it, and most of the resources are online for free (to ML's credit).

Pros

• Emphasis on practice, practical means, direct practical instructions in an easy to follow manner. Not at all interested in philosophy or theoretical distractions.
• Clean, concise, easy to understand language
• Repetitive ideas and instructions that lend themselves to hammering home the point that ML is making, such as the importance of practice over thinking, and the importance of having a burning desire for liberation
• Overall, a tried and tested approach to attaining I AM awareness, or the identification with awareness and disidentification with the false self or ego
• Good starting point for getting into the awareness and nondual teachings. Many pointers and references for classic teachers such as NM and RM etc., that can be used by the aspirant to go away and study or take up
• Author's own experience is used. ML isn't afraid of detailing his own experiences and failures and successes
• Great analysis of the ego, false self, and the strategies and tricks that the ego uses to maintain its own validity and illusory existence

Despite the issues that I personally had with ML's approach, I would still advise one so interested or attracted to this approach to "have a go" at the Awareness watching awareness method, read "The Most Direct Means to Eternal Bliss" and possibly some other books by Michael Langford and related. If anything, just for the experience of how challenging it can be to do nothing except attempt to 'watch awareness' for minutes, hours, days on end. There is a concessional practice given, which involves letting go of effort, and thought. There is also an emotional acceptance practice detailed called The Loving-All Method, which is worth a look and test run.

Random meeting and teaching with Mark West (Nisargadatta) @ QVB 17-5-24

 Random meeting and teaching with Mark West (Nisargadatta) @ QVB 17-5-24

I had one of those random encounters yesterday with Mark West (a direct student of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj in the 1970s, who resides in Sydney). I consider Mark to be one of my teachers, and I attended some one-on-one teachings around 2015 or so at his residence in Kings Cross, Sydney. During that time, I had been able to enable some sort of energetic connection with both Mark, and also the whole lineage of Sri Nisargadatta, which become very devotional and yielded a lot of 'results' on the spiritual plane in general and with progress on the "I am" understanding and experience.

Since then, and perhaps from the first time I met Mark (also randomly) around 2013-2014, I had randomly experienced seeing or meeting Mark spontaneously around the Sydney CBD, where I worked in Town Hall precinct, and in other spots around the Sydney CBD. Sometimes we just have those unusual connections with others and for the time being, or during our lives, we seem to meet that person over and over in a completely unplanned and spontaneous way. A similar thing used to happen with a Tai Chi teacher that I had in the 1990s, Peter Yu, who was a master of Yang and Chen tai chi systems, and whom I trained with in the 90s learning Yang style tai chi. I would randomly see or find Peter walking around the city, and we would have brief chats outside training. This kept occurring until his death in the 2000s, where unfortunately I was not present or aware of this, and just stopped seeing Peter around until I did find out that he had left this plane.

Back to Mark West..

I hadn't seen Mark for several years, though I did seem him very briefly from afar this year or last year, but didn't approach him at that time, since I was busy and he was a bit far off.

I had been having the recurring feeling though that I SHOULD strike up conversation with him, as he looks to be getting on now, as he's in his late 70s, and doesn't look the best health wise. He's lost a fair bit of weight, and seems to have aged considerably due to health issues-- which he later told me he was having. Besides, having the blessing of a connection with someone who has a DIRECT lineage or connection with one of the Advaita "greats" isn't something you find every day.. so I did want to pursue my connection and relation with Mark. I endevaoured to strike up some convo if and when I next bumped into him.

Lo and behold, yesterday I was walking down QVB walk, under George Street, on the way over to my mail box, and I see Mark West walking slowly in front of me, down the escalators, carrying some old bags, an umbrella, and shuffling along. I followed him for a bit, and then when next to him said "Hi Mark.. how are you going, Mr West?"

Right away he was friendly, and asked "How do I know you?", I said "We did some one-on-one teachings a few years ago at your place.. I'm Dean.".. "Ah yes, I remember now..", he said, then he literally launched off into Nonduality speak and delivered a full blown conversation and teaching on nonduality, awareness, consciousness etc., while walking in the busy underground arcade.

We ended up near Pitt Street mall, and I broke in, asking where he was headed, and he said up near George Street CBA.. so I steered him up that way, and I offered to get him a coffee while we continue the 'teaching' conversation, which he agreed. We ended up at the cafe in QVB, near the Northern end, and sat there for a good hour to hour and a half. 

He took out an old worn copy of Sailor Bob Adamson's "Beyond Words, Beyond Mind", which is likely out of print now. He spoke a bit of Nisargadatta, which he can still quote from memory.. and also emphasised a convo he had where he mentioned to Maharaj that "Maharaj had failed because he (Mark) still didn't have the realization..", to which Maharaj replied words to the effect of 'Don't worry about his, Mark, I have planted the seed, and it WILL sprout in due course'. Mark then mentioned to me that the same thing had been done, ie Mark had planted the seed and this would sprout in due course if it hadn't done so already. We spoke of different topics:

- Nisargadatta Maharaj and his approach

- Emptiness in the Mahayana Buddhist teachings

- Douglas Harding's pointers to awareness and self

And then he read a large chunk from Sailor Bob Adamson's book, which is quite compact and points to the nature of awareness, consciousness and presence as the underlying reality of self.

After this, he read a few pages from "Nan Yar", which he also had in his old bag there, and especially around the theme of desire for happiness, and the having to let go of all teachings, books and texts eventually as the main aim is realization of the self, rather than book learning.

I understood at this time (rather than back in 2015 or so), that the whole point of this meeting, and these teaching sessions or nondual pointing sessions, was to actually imbibe the energy of the teaching/teacher, and let the pointing do it's work during that time, so as to establish some sort of abidence in/as pure awareness or as one's nature -- rather than worrying about the content of the delivery or what was actually being said. Let's face it, having heard or read material related to Advaita Vedanta, Mahayana Buddhism, the three greats of Advaita in the 20th Century (ie Nisargadatta, Ramana Maharshi, Atmananda), or nonduality in general.. over a period of years or decades, then generally you've heard pretty much every single pointer, concept, or teaching device already. It's not the content or any new content or pointing that will bring about an understanding or realisation of Self, but rather time spent contemplating and USING that content to undo obstructions or blocks to knowledge of Self (or Not-self).

The meeting ended with me having to get back to 'the office', and Mark having to get back to where he was headed in the city. We did exchange details again, since Mark's website was no longer around now (as he is retired and didn't have the time or money to maintain it.. besides, Mark was never a highly publicised teacher with a following, unlike contemporaries such as Sailor Bob, that have always had a solid following and need for material-- which Mark has reservations about, in terms of dependence on a guru or messenger for years on end.. but that's another story).

I'll let things run their course for now, as I've not made any immediate arrangements to meet again, but will be open to the prompting or possibility of doing this in the months ahead.

---

(Gleanings from Nisargadatta - Mark West (notes from meetings with Nisargadatta in the 1970s)

The idea of 'enlightenment'.

A quote from Sri Nisargadatta ('I Am That'):


"The idea of enlightenment is of utmost importance. Just to know that
there is such possibility, changes one's entire outlook. It acts like a
burning match in a heap of saw dust. All the great teachers did nothing
else. A spark of truth can burn up a mountain of lies. The opposite is
also true. The sun of truth remains hidden behind the cloud of
self-identification with the body."

----

Some spiritual teachers seek to destroy the image or false idea of 'enlightenment', and thus give the antidote of 'non-existent enlightenment'. That is to say, they negate the possibility and existence of enlightenment, and explain it as a non-event, a concept and something that does not exist.

This can serve for those who have conceptual images of enlightenment that pertain to an individual attaining something extra on top of what the individual already is.

Unfortunately, non-existent enlightenment also becomes a belief, in that the individual then takes it that there is nothing other than the self-identified state of being an individual, and 'suffering' is a part of life etc. Nihilism and other philosophies often follow. Other solutions to this problem are then inadvertently sought after.

In contrast, Sri Nisargadatta explains that the idea of 'enlightenment' is very important. For the self-identified individual, this idea becomes a beacon of light in that it provides a 'way out'  from suffering, limitation, and the mess that one inevitably finds oneself in as an individual in the world. Seeking may then happen, or not, but a shift occurs with the introduction of this idea. Of course, further down the track, this idea will need to be dropped, as it will become an obstacle in itself. But initially, this idea must be taken up, as the first step or first instant of a new direction away from the same beaten path that the conditioned individual has held for time immemorial.

As the individual comes to know itself as an image, and identified consciousness becomes purified from the habit of identifying with external objects and confusion, then it can be seen that there is nothing to attain apart from What is obviously apparent and existent, and has been so for all eternity. Until then, the idea of 'enlightenment' has an important place in the world of the individual for those who identify as an individual.

The Gnani (Jnani) Chapter 15 - I Am That by Sri Nisargadatta. Quotes and commentary.

Maharaj: All is His doing, no doubt. What is it to me, since I want nothing? What can God give me, or take away from me? What is mine is mine and was mine even when God was not. Of course, it is a very tiny little thing, a speck — the sense ‘I am’, the fact of being. This is my own place, nobody gave it to me. The earth is mine; what grows on it is God’s.

God or Ishwara is equated with a principle that exists within the world, phenomena and affects the individual. As such, it appears within the “I am” or self-aware consciousness, wakefulness. This “I am” was not given, but appeared spontaneously when we were around the age of two. Prior to this, there was no self-awareness, no God, no world etc.

M: Without you is there a world? You know all about the world, but about yourself you know nothing. You yourself are the tools of your work, you have no other tools. Why don’t you take care of the tools before you think of the work?

Since the world depends on our self of being, “I am” for its existence, the advice is given to examine and understand one’s own self first. The “I am” here is referred to as the instrument used to perform any work. Understanding the instrument is necessary before attempting to carry out any work. How is this done? By taking the time to notice it, live with it, abide in it, and understand it completely. By understanding it and living with it, ultimately it is seen through as not our true identity. This is an initial step from the object-identified state.

M: Within the prison of your world appears a man who tells you that the world of painful contradictions, which you have created, is neither continuous nor permanent and is based on a misapprehension. He pleads with you to get out of it, by the same way by which you got into it. You got into it by forgetting what you are and you will get out of it by knowing yourself as you are.

M: The gnani is the supreme and also the witness. He is both being and awareness. In relation to consciousness he is awareness. In relation to the universe he is pure being.

The Jnani or Self-realized state is always prior to any manifestation and stands as the primary principle. From the point of view of the world, that state is consciousness or “I am”. From the point of view of consciousness, wakefulness or “I am”, that state is the Absolute or all-inclusive awareness.

Practicing the Presence of God. I AM.

There is a wonderful little practice called "Practicing the Presence of God", as described in an old little booklet by Brother Laurence. 

The practice at first looks dualistic. There is the devotee and there is an external God. The devotee is instructed to think of, talk to, and feel the presence of God all through the day and while in activities.
It is much like bhakti yoga, making a connection with a deity; conceptual at best.

However, the practice works its magic by training the mind to focus on a higher concept (or singular concept) versus distracting thoughts. Further, some feelings of devotion and love are cultivated in the practice towards something other than one's egoic self.

On further investigation, it can be experienced that "practicing the presence of God" becomes more of a "practicing the presence.." or just practicing and feeling presence only. What could this presence be, except that of the "I AM", or beingness. This was pointed out by Nisargadatta. Ramana also pointed out that the Biblical phrase "I am that I Am" was of the highest import.

After a while, practicing the presence becomes an excellent path to abiding as the I AM. Initially, the I AM seems to be either a foreign concept or external to oneself, or else, appears as a localised feeling of body-consciousness. After a while, it is experienced as a much larger, all encompassing field of beingness, which also engulfs the minute individual or egoic self. Further, it comes devotional and loving, and fulfills the injunction to be "affectionate towards this I AM".

Practicing the presence of God -> Practicing the presence of "I Am" = Practicing presence.

Consciousness from Nama-Rupa and Nama-Rupa from Consciousness - with links in Buddhism, Advaita

Consciousness from Nama-Rupa and Nama-Rupa from Consciousness - with links in Buddhism, Advaita

 

"This must be well grasped: the world hangs on the thread of consciousness:
no consciousness, no world." – Nisargadatta

 

“Enlightenment means nothing more than to be rid of conceptual thinking.
What remains is the noumenal 'I', pure subjectivity without the slightest
touch of objectivity or temporality. But instead of simply being this, we
mistakenly try to get it as an object of experience.” – Ramesh Balsekar

 

“"The thought occurred to me, 'I have attained this path to Awakening, i.e., from the cessation of name-&-form comes the cessation of consciousness, from the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name-&-form..’” – Nagara Sutta (Buddha)

 

I have recently been going back to “I”-ness in my contemplations and explorations. This was prompted by some talks I had been listening to. Some random things then fell into place today, related to these topics- “I”, consciousness, name-form, mind-body etc.

Sometimes, it’s as if the teachings are waiting for the exact right time to assert themselves in our apparent journey. Some have called this the workings of the Inner Teacher.

One thing that really jumped out today, which I had not seen in years of reading the Buddhist Pali suttas, was a Sutta detailing the Links of Dependent Origination in a unique kind of way. The way it was presented, tallies perfectly with how some modern teachers, such as Nisargadatta, present their model of consciousness to/from mind-body. This model can be of use conceptually in helping to disidentify consciousness from the primary attachment of the conceptual body-mind. In reality, the body-mind (materiality-mentality) is nothing other than consciousness (according to Advaita), however, as a conceptual label and perceived external object, it has been included with consciousness to form the “I” thought-feeling complex.

The Pali suttas usually talk about the 12 links in Dependent Origination in the following flow: Ignorance – Formations – Consciousness – Name/Form – 6 Sense Media – Contact – Feeling tone – Craving – Clinging/Habitual Tendency – Becoming/Sustenance – Birth – Death/Aging/Stress.

However, in the Nagara Sutta (SN 12.65) the following can be found:

"Then the thought occurred to me, 'Aging & death exist when what exists? From what as a requisite condition is there aging & death?' From my appropriate attention there came the breakthrough of discernment: 'Aging & death exist when birth exists. From birth as a requisite condition comes aging & death.' Then the thought occurred to me, 'Birth exists when what exists? From what as a requisite condition comes birth?' From my appropriate attention there came the breakthrough of discernment: 'Birth exists when becoming exists. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth... 'Name-&-form exists when what exists? From what as a requisite condition is there name-&-form?' From my appropriate attention there came the breakthrough of discernment: 'Name-&-form exists when consciousness exists. From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form.' Then the thought occurred to me, 'Consciousness exists when what exists? From what as a requisite condition comes consciousness?' From my appropriate attention there came the breakthrough of discernment: 'Consciousness exists when name-&-form exists. From name-&-form as a requisite condition comes consciousness.'



"Then the thought occurred to me, 'This consciousness turns back at name-&-form, and goes no farther. It is to this extent that there is birth, aging, death, falling away, & re-arising, i.e., from name-&-form as a requisite condition comes consciousness, from consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form. From name-&-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media... Thus is the origination of this entire mass of stress. Origination, origination.' Vision arose, clear knowing arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before.”

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.065.than.html



It is very interesting that the Sutta ends the links with consciousness not going further back, and turning around back into Name-Form.



From one point of view, this almost mirrors Nisargadatta’s unique teaching on consciousness. Nisargadatta has a similar view on consciousness, which is actually closer to the Buddhist meaning of consciousness, than the usual Advaita meaning of consciousness (which equates with awareness and thus Brahman, Absolute etc.). Nisargadatta’s view of consciousness is that it is infinite in its ability to manifest, but ultimately temporary and conditional (depending on the body, prana, prakruti for its manifestation or appearance). It also requires a subject to be present by definition, and thus allow for its own self-recognition.



In this regard, Nisargadatta’s view of consciousness is that it must depend on Name/Form in the form of sattva guna, and the material body. Paradoxically, the material body, prana and Name/Form can only be known when consciousness is present. Thus the description in the Nagara Sutta also acknowledges that consciousness arises in dependence on Name/Form and that Name/Form arises in dependence on consciousness.



This is an important point to ponder over, since this bi-directional acknowledgement must be encountered during any thorough investigation into consciousness, or the “I-am”ness. This is normally done in self-inquiry (in Advaita), or during vipassana or insight practices (in Buddhism). Just settling on one outcome, such as consciousness arising from the body or past formations, or alternatively the body/Name-Form arising from consciousness is only finding half of the story.

A meeting with Mark West.

Wed 1-11-17.


I had a wonderful one-to-one meeting today with Mark West. Mark is an unassuming jnani (sage), well versed in aspects of the Advaita nondual teachings, and who quietly lives in the chaotic inner city area of Sydney.


Mark spent a good number of years in India, first as a sanyasi with Muktananda at Ganeshpuri, and later with Sri Nisargadatta in Bombay. Mark left India to return to Australia in the late 70s, and the final flowering and realization of that time spent with sages in India, then happened over the course of a decade. Mark is the author of the book "Gleanings From Nisargadatta", which details his notes and transcripts from his meetings with Nisargadatta in the late 70s.


Mark has a unique, fresh and spontaneous style of pointing (and satsang). Topics ranged from the approach that Nisargadatta took with his different disciples, to approaches from other nondual teachers such as Douglas Harding (Headless Way). There was some exploration and inquiry done, in the moment, with this direct, immediate presence.


It's a great blessing to have someone like Mark available to earnest seekers, considering Mark is one of the few living disciples of Nisargadatta (and others) still currently around. Mark's style of teaching/satsang is unique, and he has certainly gained his own understanding and way of presenting the message. One also gains a sense of the deep conviction that he has in terms of Who and What we really are.


DP.

Love and Self-love.

I recently read a post by a spiritual teacher of nonduality, related to the topic of love, especially that of romantic love and yearning of the heart. This teacher maintains that the search for love happens regardless of tradition, and there is value in exploring feelings, emotions, and psychologies behind this search for love. This teacher also prides themselves on having around 40 years’ experience in the field of Zen, Advaita, and other teachings.

 

While I find the above approach reasonable, I also find that it is so easy to get carried away with the topic of "love". It lends itself into over-analysis into the emotions, psychology, and reasons for why we act as we do. It is like taking the simple message of nonduality and then building a massive super-structure on top that somehow explains the spontaneity of things.

 

Nisargadatta completely deals with the topic of love, by taking it to be Self-love. Love of the "I am"-ness, which starts from the moment we awake in the morning, and goes on until we get to deep sleep at night. In fact, this self-love begins as a child, and comes upon us spontaneously itself. It grows with concepts and ideas, added by those around us. It seeks to experience, know, expand and "be". It is behind all movement towards supposed external objects and "love interests", despite externalities being merely projections of our internal world and beliefs.

 

Rather than attempting to explain how all this works, and how we should be dealing with emotions and feelings due to this love-yearning, why not get to the root of the matter? The "Moola-maya" or root-illusion, being that we are, in fact, this "I am", that needs to seek and perpetuate itself. If I take up a plant by the roots, is there any more need to keep pruning the branches?

Attention to living feeling thinking

"You live, you feel, you think. By giving attention to your living, feeling and thinking, you free yourself from them and go beyond them. Your personality dissolves and only the witness remains. Then you go beyond the witness. Do not ask how it happens. Just search within yourself."

Nisargadatta

This is a result of abiding in the I-am, instead of being absorbed in living, feeling and thinking objects.

Life will bring you another teacher if needed..

'Me' and 'mine'.

Q: I am very much attached to my family and possessions. How can I conquer this attachment? 

M: This attachment is born along with the sense of 'me' and 'mine'. Find the true meaning of these words and you will be free of all bondage.

(Nisargadatta)

Personal and impersonal - the 'I am' (Nisargadatta)

"The impersonal is real; the personal appears and disappears. 'I am' is the impersonal Being. 'I am this' is the person. The person is relative and the pure Being – fundamental."

Nisargadatta 

~ I Am That

Make it yours..

"Remember, wonder, ponder, live with it, love it, grow into it, grow with it, make it your own – the word of your Guru, outer or inner. Put in all and you will get all. I was doing it. All my time I was giving to my Guru and to what he told me."

Nisargadatta, 'I Am That'.

The "I am" focus.

A lot of people spend years trying to figure out what the "I am" focus is all about. Nisargadatta mentions he spent three years or so focusing on it, and was liberated. Others have talked about it, via self-inquiry, Gurdjieff work, and even through Zen kian use.

It's really nothing more than going back to the idea of focusing on one's apparent personal sense of self, consciousness, wakefulness etc. Just the sense of being awake that happens every morning as opposed to deep sleep or unconsciousness. It's like focusing on the TV screen rather than the images, assuming we were a TV set. 

The practice is very simple. Sticking with it for days, weeks, months and years is the hard part, and VERY few have the tenacity to do so- hence Nisargadatta's insistence that only a few in a hundred thousand (later revised to a few in a million) would really understand it and arrive.

Non-doership as an idea only.

David Carse (Perfect Brilliant Stillness) comments on the idea of nondoership, and notes that in some cases, such as Balsekar's pointing, this idea is given an overly central role- but that this isn't the whole story!

It is easy to walk around believing that there is no self, and no doer. However, DC nails it, in that this is just one facet of the liberation experience, and can't be the main course.

True awakening, when it occurs effortlessly, does away with ALL beliefs and notions, including nondoership. More has to occur besides the intellectual understanding that there is no doer or volitional self. Usually much abiding as the "I Am" takes place, in some cases for years (as with Nis himself) before stabilising happens and the permanent shift into just what-is takes place.


The 'disclaimer' in all of this, however, is that the above will either happen or not. If, ultimately, there really is nobody at the wheel, then shifts, understandings, practices, abidings, and apparent liberation will either occur, if and when, or not. The fact that YOU are reading this now, has occurred simply because it has occurred.. there is zero evidence to show that any agent forced 'you' here, or it was done through your own volitional effort (regardless of the after-thought ".. but I found this page" that may pop-up after the event took place).

Conditioned consciousness.

A few notes on 'conditioned consciousness' or "I am".

"Your existence is like a light when a matchstick is struck. There is nothing before and nothing after." - Nisargadatta

Knowing oneself as the 'conditioned consciousness' or ʺI amʺ (which is our waking consciousness, and which will pass on death, or which is dormant in deep sleep) is the first step.

From there, it can be seen that the whole knowingness of anything (sights, smells, taste, touch, sound, thought) is actually just the conditioned consciousness or beingness. Just the sense of beingness or consciousness which seems to wake up in the morning.

The focus is thus removed from apparent objects to the knowingness (albeit conditioned knowingness) of the objects. This is sometimes called 'the witness'. The first step of dis-identification has taken place.

From that point of abidance and familiarity (if done repeatedly), which is all the 'individual' can ever do, understanding is complete. Capacity is complete. From there, all talk of future states, enlightenment, change, progression, becoming etc. are seen are pure thought stuff or fantasy.

Eventually, this conditioned consciousness itself collapses (or is seen for what it is), and the unconditioned consciousness is apperceived or intuited as one's actual identity.

This unconditioned consciousness (or Absolute-Nothing) is unaware of itself (or anything for that matter), and of course, cannot be conceived or perceived in any way, shape or form. Yet its existence is certain, since without it, nothing else (including conditioned consciousness or ʺI am-nessʺ) has any 'space' or capacity to exist (just as for a table to exist, there needs to be some space available first).

Things are really very simple, when taken in the appropriate order. Maya is seen through right away, when a step is taken outside of the whole show (which includes the individual). Once this habituated seeing takes place, unquestionable conviction arises. Doubt, seeking further validation from teachings, teachers, scriptures, and questioning itself, all become meaningless.