Moving the eyes from the front of the face to behind the head.

"Moving the eyes
 from the front of the face
 to behind the head
 allows for the clear perception
 that one is not separate
 from the manifestation,
 but rather a part of it.
The space that fills the small pot
 is the same
 as the space that fills the large pot."

 - Lost Writings of Wu Hsin


(Thanks to the headless people for finding this pointer.)

Seeker and sought. Seeking and finding.

It doesn't get much more direct or simple than this:

"If the sought is the seeker, then the seeker must be the sought, and the seeking must be the finding, and the finding the seeking."

(Wei Wu Wei, "Bewildering Bits and Painful Pieces. III")

If this pointer is really taken on-board, understood and followed to completion, then there seems not much more to be done.

I

One if the most useful exercises in Crowley's works may be in Liber III- the simple advice to censure or shock oneself, via some means, on each and every use of the first person pronoun ie "I".

The 'Actual Freedom' pointer- HAIETMOBA.

Several years ago, I stumbled upon the Actual Freedom website, though due to the difficulty in navigating it, gave up and went on my way.

Then by chance, someone pointed me to the site, and having more time, I thoroughly digested its contents and started making use of its key pointer and practice: "How am I experiencing this moment of being alive?"

Actually, the folk at AF consider this pointer not to be the Actual Freedom method itself, but instead a tool to be used to attain a state of 'happiness and harmlessness'.

Having test-driven this pointer for several weeks as a constant inquiry throughout my waking hours, I'm happy to report it is a wonderful and efficacious pointer. On the other hand, the AFT website, and folk involved in turning this pointer into some sort of 'cult', make for a dog's breakfast, and thus the AF practice remains unappealing for some.

Here's my take on the AF practice, and above pointer.

The Good

+ This pointer works. Results guaranteed. Run it constantly and repeatedly throughout your waking hours. It will have either of two effects: 1) Bringing you back to I-am-ness, aliveness, beingness, and aware of consciousness only; 2) Bringing you back to the present moment, and primarily acute sensory mindfulness.
+ A natural side effect of the above is present moment awareness
+ Another side effect is that of immediate disidentification with discursive thought and the thinking mind
+ The pointer (or inquiry) can be done anywhere, anytime, and actually suits activity based practice
+ It can be run as a sole focus for a sitting session. It is highly adaptable.


The Bad

? A major part of the official AF method is attaining the state of 'happiness and harmlessness'. While this is certainly laudable, IMO, aiming at a goal to achieve such as this, detracts from the work of the pointer in accepting whatever experience appears at this moment. My experience right now may be anything other than happy or harmless. It also sets up a 'something' for the ego to wish for and a reason to continue its self-imposed existence. "consistently enjoying and appreciating this moment of being alive is what the actualism method is.." (AFT)
IMO the above is a natural by-product of the pointer being done correctly, rather than a method to perform or goal to attain. Just perform the pointer, all else should follow.

? Another major part of the AF method, apart from the pointer, is in examining one's feelings right now, and if one is not 'happy and harmless', then one is advised to dig down and search out the source of one's unhappiness in the moment, where it arose in the past, rationalise it's "silliness", and move back into being.

"If ‘I’ am not feeling good then ‘I’ have something to look at to find out why. What has happened, between the last time ‘I’ felt
good and now? When did ‘I’ feel good last? Five minutes ago? .. " (AFT)

Although this may be helpful for one's initial practice, and for analytically minded folk, IMO, this ultimately becomes an obstacle to the initial pointer 'HAIETMOBA'. The whole point of moving into present moment beingness is negated by once more taking up analytical thought, stories, thinking, past etc. I disregarded this secondary practice in my own test-drive, with better results.

? A massive amount is written on the site about PCEs (Pure Consciousness Experience) vs (Altered State of Consciousness) experiences. Some followers have written flowery descriptions of their PCE, while others who have attained 'AF' get to certify whether or not followers have really 'had one' yet.

"The more one enjoys and appreciates being just here right now – to the point of excellence being the norm – the greater the likelihood of a PCE happening ... a grim and/or glum person has no chance whatsoever of allowing the magical event,.. " (AFT)

This overemphasis on having a PCE on every second page of the site, again proves to be yet another goal trap which is irresistible for the ego to strive for (and/or dream up), and hence why most bona-fide spiritual paths suggest totally disregarding all and every experience along the way.


The Ugly

- The AFT (Actual Freedom) site is a little 'enter at your own risk'. A simple pointer device ballooned into an "-ism", theology, personality cult, 'who's attained freedom and who hasn't' website, and source of some of the most ridiculous claims and writings on Eastern mysticism, Buddhism, and spirituality in general.

- The website is generally hard to navigate. It seems to have an 80's design of links, pages of transcript text, essentials mixed with non essentials, and not much of a clear explanation of the practice up front.

- The founder(s) are under the delusion that they are the first to have attained a state of 'freedom' or 'beyond enlightenment' in the history of humankind. Previous sages, masters, etc. never got there, got half way only, or are snake oil.
" In other words I traversed territory which no enlightened being has ever navigated.." (AFT)

- The website contains some of the most bizarre misunderstandings related to 'enlightenment', Buddhism, and Eastern teachings available online. "Enlightenment" is deemed as a sort of dissociated state, and one which should be transcended. Buddhism (based on a couple of obscure Theravada sutras) is (incorrectly) deemed as an ascetic practice aimed at dissociation with life.
e.g. "Those multitudinous scriptures consistently point to a total withdrawal from this sensate physical world. Mr. Gotama the Sakyan’s advice is for a total disassociation of self from the world of people, things and events." (AFT)

(Buddhism doesn't even posit a "self", let alone advise on one's total dissociation with the sensate world. In fact, Mindfulness 101 involved direct contact with the sensate experience.)

----

In summary, HAIETMOBA is an excellent pointer/device and delivers the goods. The pointer, in fact, becomes the teacher (in exactly the same was as self-inquiry does), and can be relied on solely. The 'discoverers' of this pointer should be applauded and thanked for bringing it into the world in a large way.

However, take the remaining 80% of AF with a grain of salt, and discard as necessary.

Having been around for several years now, there is much written online about this method and pointer which is certainly helpful.

DP

"Who am I?"

Self-inquiry: it is like not being at all identified with the body/mind, but being an all pervasive witness to it. 

It's not being identified with the "I am" either (which is a first step only), just being a neutral witness to the body/mind.

Not the "me inside as a person" feeling, but just a witness to all the body/mind, after the "me" gets knocked out quickly and sharply via "Who am I?"

The whole simple point of the practice is just to quickly and easily stun the "me" phantom identification into silence, so that the true witness of it all is made clearly manifest.

Obviously, this needs to be tested and done silently with eyes closed in a quiet place, repeatedly over time. Later, it can be done anywhere anytime, as the need arises. The need being that of getting lost in 'me' identification and separate identity mode once more (our default state from age three).

D.

A perfect summation of the stages on the path to Self-realization.

"The ‘mumukshu, is in kindergarten, spiritually inclined, but identifying with the body-mind. The ‘sadhaka’ is one who has dis-identified with the body-mind. A 'siddha’ is one who has stabilized in the knowledge ‘I am’, and in the process, has transcended it. In this journey you very well know where you are."

Consciousness and the Absolute - The final talks of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, Edited by Jean Dunn.

Of course, this doesn't explain HOW to get there, but it is one of the best (simple, concise) explanations of the stages on the path.

Concerning the "how" to get there, apart from the much quotes aspect of "Grace" (or divine providence or ripening), the easiest 'way' that I can see (from here) would have to be in learning to objectify things or appearances and knowing that one is not that. There are various ways in which to do this. As a hopelessly identified personality, I found vipassana noting practices (e.g. Mahasi) to be very effective. Advaita teachers and even greats such as Nisargadatta usually make a quantum leap here in expecting that people are capable of clearly objectifying objects and oneself included (as an object) with generalised attention only. Direct pointers, such as moving one's perception from the eyes to behind the head, can also work for some.

Starting with the body and mind objects, one clearly understands that one is not the seen object(s), then moving on to objectifying the "I am" beingness, one ultimately sees that one is not the "I am" or beingness. This is Nisargadatta's "prior to consciousness" or "prior to beingness" or "what were you before you entered the womb?". This necessarily leads to simply Knowledge (or Being-Consciousness-Bliss) only.

Unfortunately, the process can't be speeded up or jumped. It is not conceptual (another trap most spiritual & nondual dilettantes fall into). Having a mental understanding that I am not 'my hand' if fine, but if I still feel connected and a part of my body, then I'm still identified as it. One seems to have to remain at a certain stage until that understanding that one is "not that" arises of its own accord. Making strenuous effort is definitely helpful in the beginning up until and including abiding in the "I am" only. In more advanced stages though, this effort itself becomes an obstacle, only helping to fortify one's idea of a self-willing and self-autonomous "me" as the doer. When this ("I am" or one's perceived totality) is ultimately seen and transcended, there's nothing more to do.

DP
3/3/14 

Summit Of Mount Freedom: By Michael Langford

(I feel compelled to post this hidden gem: ->)

 

Summit Of Mount Freedom: By Michael Langford

September 22, 2010 
 
Once upon a time in the land of fictional characters created to illustrate certain valuable lessons, there lived a woman named Liberated Sage.

Liberated Sage was one of the few people in the world who had successfully climbed to the summit of the thirty thousand foot mountain called Mount Freedom.  She liked the summit so much she decided to stay there and live on the summit permanently.

Liberated Sage had read all of the books that had been written about how to climb Mount Freedom and she had read almost all of the books written about mountain climbing in general.

Because she had successfully climbed to the summit of Mount Freedom and because she lived there on the summit permanently she knew which books were accurate and which books would be most helpful to those few who actually wanted to climb Mount Freedom and not just read about it.

Liberated Sage knew that the most accurate and helpful book about how to climb Mount Freedom was a book titled:

“You Actually Have To Climb To Reach The Summit Of Mount Freedom.”

Some people sent emails to Liberated Sage to give her advice on many topics.  Those who had never climbed to the summit of Mount Freedom sent her advice about how to climb to the summit of Mount Freedom.  Those who did not know how to live permanently on the summit of Mount Freedom sent her advice about how to live permanently on the summit of Mount Freedom.

There were three people who sent Liberated Sage emails to inform her that she was wrong about which book was the best, most helpful and most accurate book about how to climb Mount Freedom.

The first person was Mr. Scholar.  The second person was Mr. Translator.  The third person was Mr. Arrogant Advisor.

All three of these people, Mr. Scholar, Mr. Translator and Mr. Arrogant Advisor agreed that the best book on the subject of how to climb Mount Freedom was the book titled:

“How To Climb Mount Freedom While Sitting On Your Couch Watching Television”

The subtitle of that book was:

“The Couch Potato’s Guide To Climbing Mount Freedom”

Mr. Scholar, Mr. Translator, and Mr. Arrogant Advisor had never climbed higher than one thousand feet on Mount Freedom.  Because of their experiences climbing those one thousand feet, all three of them thought they had enough experience to be qualified to correct Ms Liberated Sage.

One of the many things that Liberated Sage knew that Mr. Scholar, Mr. Translator, and Mr. Arrogant Advisor did not know was that the obstacles and challenges that one faces after one thousand feet on thirty thousand foot Mount Freedom are not the same as the obstacles that one faces in the first thousand feet.  And more importantly Liberated Sage knew what the route was all the way up to the summit, not just the route of the first thousand feet.  After one thousand feet the route took many twists and turns and had hundreds of different obstacles.

Some of the mountain climbing books had been translated from Japanese into English.  Liberated Sage was not fluent in Japanese.  Mr. Translator was fluent in Japanese and therefore Mr. Translator thought that he was far more qualified to determine which books were more accurate and helpful for would-be mountain climbers.  Mr. Translator was not correct in that assumption.  Suppose that a map of your neighborhood is translated from Japanese into English.  You do not need to know even one word of Japanese to know if the English translation is an accurate description of your neighborhood because you are familiar with your neighborhood.

There were thousands of well worn paths that led part of the way up Mount Freedom.  The reason they were well worn paths is because people were afraid to actually go all the way to the summit of Mount Freedom, so they chose paths that did not lead to the summit of Mount Freedom. The paths that led only part of the way to the summit of Mount Freedom had a reputation for leading all the way to the top of Mount Freedom. Although the people who were using the well worn paths on the surface of their mind believed they were on a path that led all the way to the summit of Mount Freedom, deep down at another level of consciousness they knew that they were on a path that did not lead to the summit of Mount Freedom.

Being one of only a few people who had ever successfully made the climb all the way to the Summit of Mount Freedom, Liberated Sage knew the path that leads all the way to the summit from direct experience.  Thus when a book had errors that described the path inaccurately, Liberated Sage could see those errors.  Liberated Sage never stated that the translators had translated incorrectly from a technical translation standpoint. She only stated that the English translation contained information that did not accurately describe the path up the mountain and that would not be helpful to those very few who were planning to actually climb to the summit of Mount Freedom.

Because Mr. Translator, Mr. Scholar and Mr. Arrogant Advisor had never climbed above one thousand feet, they had no real basis for determining what the path is like up to the summit.  What they had was a lot of concepts and theories that they had read about.  Mount Freedom is thirty thousand feet tall and Mr. Translator, Mr. Scholar, and Mr. Arrogant Advisor were missing twenty nine thousand feet of vital first hand information about the path that leads to the summit of Mount Freedom.  However, Mr. Translator, Mr. Scholar and Mr. Arrogant Advisor believed that they had all the correct information for three reasons:

1.  Because they were equating what they had read and thought about with actual experience, when in fact reading and thinking about climbing is not at all the same as climbing.

2.  They were terrified to go above one thousand feet so they substituted talking, reading, writing and thinking about climbing for actually climbing.  They had no real intention of ever going above one thousand feet.

3.  Like most people they had very little self-honesty.  Self-honesty begins by actually discovering how one has not been honest with oneself.

On the other hand, since Liberated Sage had successfully climbed all the way to the summit of Mount Freedom, Liberated Sage did have a real basis for knowing that path, including the many obstacles.

Liberated Sage saw that sometimes the books would say turn right at a certain point when what was really needed was to turn left.  In fact turning right would have put the climber into a deep hole that few climbers ever come back out of.  Sometimes the books would say that a certain area was hard stable rock when Liberated Sage knew that it was thin flaky rock (almost as flaky as some of the climbers).  So in order to help those few who intended to actually climb Mount Freedom, Liberated Sage wrote her own book titled:

“Reading, Thinking, Or Talking About Climbing To The Summit Of Mount Freedom Is Very Different From Actually Climbing To The Summit Of Mount Freedom.”