The Infinite Power Of True Awareness

[Kirtanman]

"Always maintain awareness in all your activities."
~Spandakarika 3.12

"If you lose awareness, then you are gone. You have destroyed the reality of life. You must, therefore, be aware. If you are fully aware of your thoughts, then you will not see any thoughts there. You can't be partially aware while thinking; this won't accomplish anything. Be fully aware of what you are thinking, and you won't think anything. If you are aware of what is happening next, nothing will happen. If you are aware that you are dying, you won't die. If you are aware that you are going from wakefulness to the dreaming state, you won't go.

On the contrary, by establishing this awareness, you will get entry into God consciousness. This is the greatness of awareness, that if you are always aware in continuation, always one-pointed and residing in the state of God consciousness, you won't think anything.

If, on the other hand, you are unaware, you will miss the reality of your life."
~Swami Lakshmanjoo
Shiva Sutras - The Supreme Awakening
pp.117-118

**

This may seem like a very tall order, so to speak -- but this is exactly where daily deep meditation and spinal breathing --- other practices added as pertinent; self-pacing included as warranted --- in short "daily AYP" -- leads us.

I have been aware of, and have experienced, the power of thought-free awareness for some time -- but today, I read the passage quoted above just before meditation -- and there was an entirely new level of complete awareness in experiencing.

I relaxed into samadhi as usual - and felt the intuition to experiment with Swami Lakshmanjoo's statements, quoted above.

I consciously brought up consideration of a blog post I am planning to write, while holding awareness (something outside of the purview of regular AYP practices; I am not recommending this per se -- I'm just describing the experience and its results).

What I discovered was rather amazing:

Namely -- consciously thinking (in the normal sense of the term -- form-based -- words and images), while maintaining awareness -- seems to be impossible.

Thinking, and true awareness, are literally mutually exclusive, it seems; it's an either-or dynamic.

If anyone else has had, or has the same experience -- or a different one -- I'd love to hear about it, and feel it would be valuable to discuss as a group.

In experiencing tonight, every time thought arose, a bit of the completeness was lost.

As soon as the thinking was released, full awareness was complete -- samadhi was entire again -- as it naturally is -- without effort.

A description I've come up with in the past -- though I don't recall if I've posted it, is:

What I'm calling "samadhi" or "complete awareness" .... feels like awareness/attention being dialed all the way open.

It's as if thinking-focus is tight, vertical, forward and constricted.

Like a clenched fist of attention.

Samadhi (aka awareness, presence, inner silence, Self, etc.), on the other hand (or, more accurately "as the same hand, just relaxed" ) ... feels like "dialing open" ... or, like the clenched fist relaxing into a receptive open hand.

It is relaxed, open/"horizontal" (filling this moment, not focused on past-future, self-other, etc.), centered/"relaxing back" and expanded.

Words can't touch the reality of this; I'm just attempting to offer some hopefully helpful indicators.



Another indicator is a very simple one:

I noticed that continuous awareness feels like a *sense* ... in the same way that there is continuous seeing, naturally and without effort ... continuous hearing, naturally and without effort .... continuous feeling/sense of touch, naturally and without effort ... so continuous awareness is simply natural awareness, experienced naturally and without effort.

To me, it feels like gently holding all (that's in total field of awareness now) gently and from the inside; lightly -- effortlessly -- naturally.

If we're *trying* to have this experience ... we're pushing it away.

Ma Durga, as Her name implies, is indeed "hard to reach".

That's frustrating to the mind ....

.... and literally manna to awareness .... because awareness is the knowing:

the reason Ma Durga is hard to reach .... is that She is ever-always who-what is reachING .... She (each and all of us now, behind the mind; behind-before artificial focus) is the original, sole reachER ... as is Shiva, her beloved; twin aspects of the one reality, ever-shining (as) each and all of us here-now.

And the final key For Now:



Relaxing into effortless, natural already-the-case awareness ... there's the experiencing of the inverse of the dream of the thinking me:

Instead of seeking, there's the gentle overflowing of the fulness of the divine loving we each and all actually are the outpouring of, Now.

Instead of anxiety, there is peace, now.

Instead of fear of losing, or not-getting, or not-having .... there is the joy of being the giving of the Loving, now.

Instead of fear of the dreaming of bondage, there is the joy of living unbound, now.

Instead of artificial focus on remembered conditioning .... there is the natural relaxing into the arising of liberated enlightening reality, now; this that is always already here; this that I always already am; this that we each and all already are now.

Instead of fearing there is nothing ---- there is the knowing I Am everything.

Simply, naturally, joyfully ------- really.

Yet again --- the reality of enlightenment shows --- in the utter freedom beyond imagination ---- that as good and perfect as fulfilled experiencing can be ..... there's always an ever-yet-more-awesome "even more" right around the apparent "corner" .... ever-new joy; fulfillment fulfilling into ever-more-joyous fulfillment.

This is REALLY who and what we each and all are, now.

Would you like to know this in-as Reality?

All you gotta do is *Relax*.



Whole-Heartedly,

Kirtanman

[anaitkes]

Yes I have also experienced this and that same passage from the book also stood out to me.

When the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra speaks of the tideless state of mind, techniques for attaining to the waveless state of mind, it is referring to this whole phenomenon. That is why, immediately upon the conclusion of the techniques, it is said that the mastery of the techniques (which means understanding and developing that tideless state - just as the Siva Sutras speak of expanding the state of Turiya like oil into all states) will make one a "perfect gnostic person" and that he or she will have full realization.

As such, all the practices involve a process of deconditioning the mind of its usual unconscious habitual wanderings (this flow is intercepted by our power of awareness in meditation) and turning it to its own source - consciousness.

Take the following dharana as an example [translation a mixture of Singh's and Lakshmanjoo's]: "Kvacid vastuni vinyasya sanair drstim nivartayet / Taj jnanam cittasahitam devi sunyalayo bhavet / O goddess, if one, after casting one's gaze on some object, withdraws the perception slowly within and eliminates the knowledge of that object along with the mind, one will enter in the voidness of God-consciousness."

I think of this process as a sort of introduction to the Bhairavi Mudra. Lal Ded says that her guru gave her but one instruction, "From without, withdraw your gaze within, and fix it on the Inmost Self." Other techniques in the VB are a sort of variation on the previously quoted verse, yet they begin from the point of already being situated in that state (i.e., the differences between the upayas) where neither perception nor mind veil the witnessing self ... only a sort of turning is required and then for that to be held with intense awareness.

The process is interesting because it is so exact. It is a formula: Fix gaze on one object, eyes unmoving and unblinking  +  'withdraw' that perception within [this can be understood fully with practice]  +  leave aside the knowledge of the object of perception  +  leave aside the mind which is perceiving it (i.e., limited subject)  =  entry or absorption in 'the voidness of God-consciousness' which is the witnessing state of internal subjective thought-free I-consciousness.  

Many things are experienced when practicing such techniques. We come to learn much about ourselves, our minds, because through these techniques, these mystic disciplines, we are becoming more conscious of the inner workings of the mind. Take, as an example, the moments before falling asleep. All of us have our pre-sleep routines, both external and internal. While laying in bed and waiting for sleep we think and wander in thought. Some people worry about the next day or reflect on the day they had. Children enter into their vast imagination. Night after night we do this and the dust starts collecting heavily. These are unconscious processes. By becoming more conscious, by going beyond thought to the I-consciousness itself which is the basis of all our activity and perception, the knot of mind begins unraveling. This is detachment in the truest sense - now the unconscious processes of mind as sees with a light shining upon them, and they immediately dissolve into that light and are resolved. Thus, day by day, if we remain aware, there is the loosening of the habitual and conditioned patterns of mind and the expansion of the witnessing state.

It is truly inspiring to read of someone else practicing from the same tradition. The reason I joined this website, if you saw my introductory thread in the Satsang Cafe, was to hopefully share with others the wonders of the spiritual life, as it is otherwise a solitary journey for me in my life.

[manig]

quote:Originally posted by Kirtanman
"...by establishing this awareness, you will get entry into God consciousness."
~Swami Lakshmanjoo

But to be established in awareness... one needs to be connected with the source of infinite energy.

This is not an easy task.

It needs great effort.  But this very effort one day takes us to the stage of "no-effort"  

INTO A BLINDING DARKNESS GO THEY WHO WORSHIP ACTION ALONE.
INTO AN EVEN GREATER DARKNESS GO THEY WHO WORSHIP MEDITATION.

FOR IT IS OTHER THAN MEDITATION,
IT IS OTHER THAN ACTION.
THIS WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE ENLIGHTENED ONES.

MEDITATION AND ACTION --
HE WHO KNOWS THESE TWO TOGETHER,
THROUGH ACTION LEAVES DEATH BEHIND AND
THROUGH MEDITATION GAINS IMMORTALITY.

INTO A BLINDING DARKNESS GO THEY WHO IDOLIZE THE ABSOLUTE,
INTO AN EVEN GREATER DARKNESS GO THEY WHO DOTE ON THE RELATIVE.

FOR IT IS OTHER THAN THE RELATIVE,
IT IS OTHER THAN THE ABSOLUTE.
THIS WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE ENLIGHTENED ONES.

AUM
PURNAM ADAHA
PURNAM IDAM
PURNAT PURNAMUDACHYATE
PURNASYA PURNAMADAYA
PURNAMEVA VASHISHYATE
- Isha Upanishad

[Kirtanman]

Hi Manig & All,

First; thank you, Manig - beautiful post; I love the Sanskrit quote from the Isha Upanishad, and offer the English translation along with it, below.

quote:Originally posted by manig
But to be established in awareness... one needs to be connected with the source of infinite energy.

This is not an easy task.

Until it is seen that all true effort is simply letting go.

That all difficulty was in the dream of limited mind manufacturing its dream of difficulty.

That ease is original, inherent.

That difficulty is dreamed, artificial.

That Wholeness ...

This Wholeness ...

IS

The Reality we each and all are, now.





AUM
PURNAM ADAHA

AUM
THAT IS THE WHOLE

PURNAM IDAM

THIS IS THE WHOLE

PURNAT PURNAMUDACHYATE

FROM WHOLENESS EMERGES WHOLENESS

PURNASYA PURNAMADAYA

WHOLENESS COMING FROM WHOLENESS

PURNAMEVA VASHISHYATE

WHOLENESS STILL REMAINS


- Isha Upanishad

That's it.

This is it.

And so are we; each and all of us, here, now.

Kashmir Shaivism teaches that there is a single sign indicating bondage:

Apurnammanyata

The feeling: "I am not whole, I am incomplete."

The entire, complete wholly whole resolution to that error is given in the words from the Isha Upanishad, shown above.

How do we know inherent, original wholeness?

AYP, and similar accurate-maps systems/yogas -- dissolve the dream-clouds, so that only the light of the original wholeness I AM, the original wholeness we each and all are now, lovingly shines everywhere as everything now.

Unenlightenment is false.

Enlightenment is real.

Enlightenment is all that's real.



Whole-Heartedly,



Kirtanman

[Kirtanman]

quote:Originally posted by anaitkes

Yes I have also experienced this and that same passage from the book also stood out to me.

Hi Anaitkes,

Thank you for this powerful and profound post.



As you can tell from my posts, I have a deep resonance with Kashmir Shaivism.

One of the reasons for this, is that I experience Kashmir Shaivism (or Advaita Shaiva, as some are now calling it -- a term I find more accurately descriptive) as a "container" for all spiritual traditions; any system or practices fits comfortably within one of the three upayas ... because the upayas span the spectrum from the multiple supports offered within manifested diversity, to the one-pointed support of clarified mind, to the becoming the support of divine awareness ... to becoming the allness of the spectrum, wholly arising ever-freshly here, now.

And so, I practice from multiple traditions -- AYP, the Kabbalah, Gnostic Christian Kabbalah, "own experiencing", various other tantric and alchemic traditions ... yet they are all contained within Advaita Shaiva .... the Oneness Manifesting as Diversity Now.

And Welcome To The Forum, Anaitkes!

It's great to have you here, and I really appreciate your contributions!

Wholeheartedly,



Kirtanman

[Akasha]

Hi K-Man

I got a great deal from this post.--- An inspired one,as always!

I've had a few glasses of wine,and the odd 'Montechristo', at a friend's international backpackers hostel.Just introduced two stunning girls to their room (locals, saturday night- they say they've locked themselves out their flat).I set up an internet cafe at this place  in '05,believe it or not.So i still know the proprietor.You meet so many young  vibrant youthfuul people at this place, every 20 mins or so.It's always been a real eye-opener.

-----

Right OK,

Your post helped me meditate ,on the nature of meditation, during my last DM session.



 

quote:What I discovered was rather amazing:

Namely -- consciously thinking (in the normal sense of the term -- form-based -- words and images), while maintaining awareness -- seems to be impossible.

Thinking, and true awareness, are literally mutually exclusive, it seems; it's an either-or dynamic.

If anyone else has had, or has the same experience -- or a different one -- I'd love to hear about it, and feel it would be valuable to discuss as a group.

You mentioned the mutual exclusivity of thoughts and consciousness,the impossibility of one with the other.
It enabled me to access the inner silence better,during my last session .I've been bearing in mind the idea to not try to hang onto the mantra, As i do remember Yogani saying something to the effect that there being -
No need, or not the intention, to hang on to it'- that being not the point.The gaps are as just as important a the mantra, if not more so.

i alwsy come back to the notion of PBC(Pure Bliss Consciousness) when i endevaour to "see" where i am going.I close the eyes...witness this vast Universe,unperturbed by 'Mind' phenomena,as we think of it,here.It almost seems slightly kaleidoscopic.Little,extremely subtle lights flashing off, all over the shot.PBC.

When i first encountered eastern mystical philosophical thought,partly through your discourse here, i was immmediately aware of the focus on the notion of 'thought'.

I thought to myself:-

1. The phenomena of Mind( as we conceptualise it) is not reducible to thought.

There are other things going on.Feelings, perceptions etc,other subtleties...phenomenon.

'Dialling' open pure consciousness ,the open field of awareness; enabled through focusing the Mind on one object;a vehicle to take us there.



So we have---> Consciousness---Mind---Thought

One is relaxed,the other End is contorted, a distrotion....and a constant source of suffering for many.


And i like this metaphor of the  Mind as conceptual cloud-cover, and open pure awareness,Pure Undistorted Consciousness as the Blue skies,clear,empty of clouds....resting in effortles pure awarenes...Nice.

 

quote:
Always maintain awareness in all your activities."
~Spandakarika 3.12

This one did was particularly helpful as i was thinking practices, that is,outside of practices.Perhaps Buddhists call it mindfulness.One can continue AYP-ing when one has finished formal sadhana,if you like.Last few days this thought was helpful, K-Man.

When we finsih our 20min-1hour 2 xa day presdcripstion or whatever,we can actually continue being aware.It's basically infusing the effects of AYP into life coontuning outside practice.So instead of thinking-right i'm don here, one can rest easy . I have found the' Vijnana Bhairava Tantra ' a pretty profound text,and has helped my understanding of the subtleties of mInd and beyond,and the inspiration behind AYP.

I think we are so lucky to have this digital revolution, as i for one, would be rather lost without it.

The Heart beats strong here ,when i consider where i've ome from and all the other beautiful yogis who have open-sourced their deep wisdom and life-time practice here.

i think  the jist of Laksmanjoo's  excerpt quoted above is don't be conditioned by Thinking memory Mind..And that Samyama, the employment of all the last 3 limbs releases this kind of holding, the power of infinite pure awarenees. infintelly expansive & boundless.

 Anaitkes:-

quote:When the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra speaks of the tideless state of mind, techniques for attaining to the waveless state of mind, it is referring to this whole phenomenon. That is why, immediately upon the conclusion of the techniques, it is said that the mastery of the techniques (which means understanding and developing that tideless state - just as the Siva Sutras speak of expanding the state of Turiya like oil into all states) will make one a "perfect gnostic person" and that he or she will have full realization.[/u]

As such, all the practices involve a process of deconditioning the mind of its usual unconscious habitual wanderings (this flow is intercept

ed by our power of awareness in meditation) and turning it to its own source - consciousness

yes ,words do struggle to explaina lot of this unless you engage with practices. I've been to Kashimr, a beautiful place (93),i was 19yrs old ,alone,, but when i've read over the Bijnana bhariava tantra or even  the gita, it certainly make alot more sense.

 

quote:I have been aware of, and have experienced, the power of thought-free awareness for some time -- but today, I read the passage quoted above just before meditation -- and there was an entirely new level of complete awareness in experiencing.

Your insights are very much appreciated.Every post of yours, i garner a great deal of widsom & insight,K-man.I feel i am learning a great deal more about kashmir shaivism although on a book level, i'm afriad not widely read. Maybe that could work in my favour hopefuly.


Heart is definitely where the AUUUUMMMMMM is.