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Post by melvin on Sept 22, 2024 13:16:24 GMT -5
I am " is the pure self/Atman. Krishna is the Absolute Truth. So when you say, " I am" and connect it with Krishna make sense. Non-duality's goal is merging with the Absolute Truth and become One, right? By doing so as the " I am " the pure self/Atman becomes the Absolute Truth itself. When I say, " I am " Krishna, the Absolute Truth, I become Krishna. This is the concept of non-dualism, to become one with the Absolute Truth, to become one with Krishna. By chanting the maha mantra I become one with Krishna, the Absolute Truth I understand, kind of. My personal view is that I don't think a chant of any kind can create that 'becoming one', in the moment of the chant, as becoming one happens in a moment of 'NOT-doing', rather than 'doing'. But it might be the case that repeated chanting is still useful in some way to the end 'goal' of becoming one, and if the chant brings you a measure of peace in the short term, then that's surely a good thing, relatively speaking. My experience of the becoming one is that it is like 'slipping into a hole'. In a sense, it pulls me, to the extent that I gently allow it to happen. I can't use force of will to bring it about. In fact, I surrender a sense of will first. About the most I can do to facilitate that, is to become still, and quiet. I imagine chanting might facilitate that stillness/quietness though. I been chanting the maha mantra since it was introduced to me in November 1977. That is roughly 47 years ago. I have read the 64 volumes of Srimad Bhavagatam, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Sri Chaitanya's Teachings edition 1987. Being raised as a Catholic, my family thought I gone crazy for Krishna. Yes, I ate with Krishna, I drink with Krishna, I sleep with Krishna. I even dreamed I was chanting in the crowd, " Hare Krishna." Non-dualism can only say the Absolute Truth is Parambrahman, the Ultimate Reality, the Source, the Essence, the Super Consciousness but will never say Krishna is the Absolute Truth. That's the difference between Non-duality and Bhakti, the formless and the formed. According to Sri Chaitanya, " Simultaneously one yet different". |
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Post by zazeniac on Sept 22, 2024 13:36:11 GMT -5
You misread my post. I'm not pissed off at all. I like your honesty. I empathize which is a no-no among the preppy ND crowd. Solace is an interesting thing. It's something that eludes the ego. Are you saying you empathize with the preepy ND crowd since what I said was a no-no. That's why you reacted that way? I did not know it was a no- no for saying that about using non-dualism, as you said to justify the end. I wrote that without an iota it was a no-no. If I did I would not have said it. I write what flows from my mind at the moment, same as Isaac Azimov. Once he has something in his mind to tell, he immediately writes it down in response what triggered him to write those words, no second thoughts. Though as if his brain was wired to a super computer data base. As I said, the pure self/Atman has nothing to do with how we write since everything we write is all in the mind. The self-realized who knows the Truth is not aggitated with what one says or writes. It's just a play of words. The Absolute Truth is beyond words. You'll figure it out. |
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Post by inavalan on Sept 22, 2024 14:06:27 GMT -5
This seems useful: - If you see someone as basically "insensitive" (or any other negative representation), then what's going to happen is your unconscious mind will send messages to your body to behave in a way which supports that particular association and guess what? . . . . . . You'll get to be right! The question is; "Would you rather be right or would you rather have a relationship that works?" If you'd rather have a relationship which works and works well, hold onto the positive intention, then once again you'll be right. --- "Training Trances ..."
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Practice
Sept 22, 2024 15:05:15 GMT -5
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Post by steven on Sept 22, 2024 15:05:15 GMT -5
Unrelated to that study, it should work to just recite your mantra instead of taking a pill, every time when you feel the need for a pill. The maha mantra is not the same as taking the pill. The former makes you aware of who and what you are. The latter helps remedy the chemical deficiencies that's causing your mind to succumb to anxiety. It may lack a neurotransmitter that causes you to experience anxiety. The maha mantra helps also calm your anxious mind, but can't seemed to regulate and control the apparent psychosomatic effects the anxious mind bestows on the body say, palpitations, feeling of coldness, negative thoughts that go with it. Have you ever experienced mental anxiety, panic attack riding inside a plane during a turbulent weather? My anxiety is like that even when I am in the ground, in the clinic with patients waiting for their turn, their face masks on, coughing. Your mind is thinking what infectious diseases they are harboring that may potentially infect you. Both my wife ( who is my medical secretary ) and I during the pandemic caught covid. There were no vaccines yet. This experience left a permanent imprint on the psyche. That whenever I am in clinic, that experience of mine during the pandemic seemed to stay. The pill, Xanor, do help. With the maha mantra subduing for the time being my anxious psyche. The anti-anxiety pill and chanting the maha mantra does help a lot. The practice of medicine is a profession you just can't let go. I am the succesor to my father's family medicine practine in his clinic when I took over in 2015 when he was at the age of 85 due to pulmonary emphysema. In life you have to balance between earning a living, serving your patients, and nurturing one's spiritual life. It is not just self-realization one is after but the totality of what you are and why you are here in this world. Life's short. You have to make use of every moment. To be happy is one thing. To merge with the Absolute is another thing. To drink and eat good food is one of those things. To join clubs, religious communities is one of these things. To be with your grand children when they pay visits is the dearest thing. Living a life free from discomfort, dis-ease, and pain although is possible, you just can't avoid the great equalizer which are accidents, cancer and sudden death. There's no way of escaping it. While there is still time, love one another as you love thyself. Or find other alternatives, chant the maha mantra or just fall into silence. Have you tried LSD? |
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Post by melvin on Sept 22, 2024 15:26:48 GMT -5
The maha mantra is not the same as taking the pill. The former makes you aware of who and what you are. The latter helps remedy the chemical deficiencies that's causing your mind to succumb to anxiety. It may lack a neurotransmitter that causes you to experience anxiety. The maha mantra helps also calm your anxious mind, but can't seemed to regulate and control the apparent psychosomatic effects the anxious mind bestows on the body say, palpitations, feeling of coldness, negative thoughts that go with it. Have you ever experienced mental anxiety, panic attack riding inside a plane during a turbulent weather? My anxiety is like that even when I am in the ground, in the clinic with patients waiting for their turn, their face masks on, coughing. Your mind is thinking what infectious diseases they are harboring that may potentially infect you. Both my wife ( who is my medical secretary ) and I during the pandemic caught covid. There were no vaccines yet. This experience left a permanent imprint on the psyche. That whenever I am in clinic, that experience of mine during the pandemic seemed to stay. The pill, Xanor, do help. With the maha mantra subduing for the time being my anxious psyche. The anti-anxiety pill and chanting the maha mantra does help a lot. The practice of medicine is a profession you just can't let go. I am the succesor to my father's family medicine practine in his clinic when I took over in 2015 when he was at the age of 85 due to pulmonary emphysema. In life you have to balance between earning a living, serving your patients, and nurturing one's spiritual life. It is not just self-realization one is after but the totality of what you are and why you are here in this world. Life's short. You have to make use of every moment. To be happy is one thing. To merge with the Absolute is another thing. To drink and eat good food is one of those things. To join clubs, religious communities is one of these things. To be with your grand children when they pay visits is the dearest thing. Living a life free from discomfort, dis-ease, and pain although is possible, you just can't avoid the great equalizer which are accidents, cancer and sudden death. There's no way of escaping it. While there is still time, love one another as you love thyself. Or find other alternatives, chant the maha mantra or just fall into silence. Have you tried LSD? Nope, I haven't tried it yet but I've seen one using his electric guitar. |
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Post by stardustpilgrim on Sept 22, 2024 16:34:05 GMT -5
Yes, and yes. The saying to yourself, Mr. Ripman discusses this, that's not it, anything that's not-silent, is not it. But the saying can be a reminder. But you describe it well, anything whatever that arises, observe that, especially the saying to yourself, make sure you observe that, too. At some point you have to see that the actual observing, is, at least in the beginning, very brief, that's the actual moment of a conscious effort. Everything other than that moment is a mechanical effort, relatively useless. The saying to yourself is a mechanical effort, it's a kind of alarm clock. Yes, whatever arises, observe that. Actually for the technique I’m describing I’m specifically saying to NOT give attention to whatever arises, as all that arises is phenomenon. Instead don’t let your attention get drawn to whatever arises, keep turning inward to the observer of ALL that arises…it’s a fairly difficult thing to do because you are continuously having your attention pulled away from the central still silent observer by all sorts of phenomena including the phenomena of the effort of trying to observe the observer. So each time you notice you attention being drawn to phenomena you say to yourself ‘no, observe the observer of this.’ What you are talking about is subtly different. You are talking about residing in that still silent observer and being the witness of all phenomena from that center…that’s also a very good technique, but different. Here I am talking about turning all of you attention TO that still silent observer. In doing so repeatedly enough a kind of feedback loop arises where you are doing BOTH what you are describing and what I’m describing. You are centered in the still silent observer the way you are describing, but the only thing being observed IS the still silent observer, not other phenomena. Two things. Mr. Ripman covers what you describe: Sep 20, 2024 at 2:39am stardustpilgrim said: I spoke about a method of observation of self--of one's thoughts, one's emotion, one's sensations, one's actions--which requires a special effort with attention: a division of attention into two parts. One of these parts is directed towards whatever activity it's engaged in, whether it be a thought or action or whatever, and the other is directed to the experience of a point of awareness of what is going on. And, there is a difference between your attention being taken by some thing, event, person, thought, feeling or action, and giving your attention to some thing, event, person, thought, feeling, action. When your attention is taken, it disappears into the thing. This, is a form of self-remembering. Different practice, different name. (It's a form of self-remembering, but not specifically self-remembering). But it's pretty amazing you ~figured out~ as much as you have. |
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Post by laughter on Sept 23, 2024 10:00:42 GMT -5
"Using nonduality" is a curious expression. Perhaps that's the problem. The using. It implies that it is a means to an end. I don't think it is. It's the opposite. The key is to subvert the "using." But that can't be done directly. Eventually the "using" will swallow you whole. Obviously this mantra chanting is not the right path for you. Not saying that it isn't for others. I find solace chanting the " lamb of God" prayer. I'll chant it for you. I've seen 'non-duality' defined many ways, but I don't recall any of them being defined in such way that it becomes something to be used. I like to play with words and definitions, and at most....in a particular context or conversation, I might say that it's a ' non-approach'. So yeah, Melvin, given your interest in Niz, it might be worth considering Zaz's point here about 'using'. Have you also looked into Ramana? I have a gut feeling that he may have something for you to consider. From one perspective, Niz'z "refuse all thoughts but 'I AM'", and his other advice about that, are a way of "using nonduality". As is the Christian mass and Eucharist, because "Christ", is an encoded form of "not-two". It's also related to the nirvakalpa samadhi that 'satch and Steve used to write about, or even some of the other, less ultimate states of meditation that many of us have written about. Then someone like E' or Reefs or sifty or even ZD will come along and point out the flaw in objectifying Oneness. That's what alot of those nasty evil Neo-Advaitans do as well. Of course, none of these perspectives are "wrong", per se. Niz was once asked by a guy about why he would sometimes chant and dance with the Bhakti's, and from what they wrote of his reply, I think he likely grinned and waived it off as unimportant.  .. Hare Rama dude! |
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Post by justlikeyou on Sept 23, 2024 10:19:12 GMT -5
I've seen 'non-duality' defined many ways, but I don't recall any of them being defined in such way that it becomes something to be used. I like to play with words and definitions, and at most....in a particular context or conversation, I might say that it's a ' non-approach'. So yeah, Melvin, given your interest in Niz, it might be worth considering Zaz's point here about 'using'. Have you also looked into Ramana? I have a gut feeling that he may have something for you to consider. From one perspective, Niz'z "refuse all thoughts but 'I AM'", and his other advice about that, are a way of "using nonduality". As is the Christian mass and Eucharist, because "Christ", is an encoded form of "not-two". It's also related to the nirvakalpa samadhi that 'satch and Steve used to write about, or even some of the other, less ultimate states of meditation that many of us have written about. Then someone like E' or Reefs or sifty or even ZD will come along and point out the flaw in objectifying Oneness. That's what alot of those nasty evil Neo-Advaitans do as well. Of course, none of these perspectives are "wrong", per se. Niz was once asked by a guy about why he would sometimes chant and dance with the Bhakti's, and from what they wrote of his reply, I think he likely grinned and waived it off as unimportant. .. Hare Rama dude! Here is what David Godman said about the Bhaktis: Harriet: "You said ‘rarely spoke’. That means that you must have heard at least a few stories. What did you hear him talk about?" David: "Mostly about his Guru, Siddharameshwar Maharaj, and the effect he had had on his life. I think his love for his Guru and his gratitude to him were always present with him. Nisargadatta Maharaj used to do five bhajans a day simply because his Guru had asked him to. Siddharameshwar Maharaj had passed away in 1936, but Nisargadatta Maharaj was still continuing with these practices more than forty years later." (I think I've read somewhere where Niz said this himself directly. By the way, my story of quitting smoking in 1991 was similar to yours. Cold turkey. Intense withdrawals that disappeared completely and forever on the 7th day. |
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Post by justlikeyou on Sept 23, 2024 10:57:15 GMT -5
From one perspective, Niz'z "refuse all thoughts but 'I AM'", and his other advice about that, are a way of "using nonduality". As is the Christian mass and Eucharist, because "Christ", is an encoded form of "not-two". It's also related to the nirvakalpa samadhi that 'satch and Steve used to write about, or even some of the other, less ultimate states of meditation that many of us have written about. Then someone like E' or Reefs or sifty or even ZD will come along and point out the flaw in objectifying Oneness. That's what alot of those nasty evil Neo-Advaitans do as well. Of course, none of these perspectives are "wrong", per se. Niz was once asked by a guy about why he would sometimes chant and dance with the Bhakti's, and from what they wrote of his reply, I think he likely grinned and waived it off as unimportant. .. Hare Rama dude! Here is what David Godman said about the Bhaktis: Harriet: "You said ‘rarely spoke’. That means that you must have heard at least a few stories. What did you hear him talk about?" David: "Mostly about his Guru, Siddharameshwar Maharaj, and the effect he had had on his life. I think his love for his Guru and his gratitude to him were always present with him. Nisargadatta Maharaj used to do five bhajans a day simply because his Guru had asked him to. Siddharameshwar Maharaj had passed away in 1936, but Nisargadatta Maharaj was still continuing with these practices more than forty years later." (I think I've read somewhere where Niz said this himself directly. By the way, my story of quitting smoking in 1991 was similar to yours. Cold turkey. Intense withdrawals that disappeared completely and forever on the 7th day. David also quotes Niz as saying "‘My Guru asked me to do these five bhajans daily, and he never cancelled his instructions before he passed away. I don’t need to do them any more but I will carry on doing them until the day I die because this is the command of my Guru. I continue to obey his instructions, even though I know these bhajans are pointless, because of the respect and gratitude I feel towards him." |
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Post by andrew on Sept 23, 2024 17:47:48 GMT -5
I understand, kind of. My personal view is that I don't think a chant of any kind can create that 'becoming one', in the moment of the chant, as becoming one happens in a moment of 'NOT-doing', rather than 'doing'. But it might be the case that repeated chanting is still useful in some way to the end 'goal' of becoming one, and if the chant brings you a measure of peace in the short term, then that's surely a good thing, relatively speaking. My experience of the becoming one is that it is like 'slipping into a hole'. In a sense, it pulls me, to the extent that I gently allow it to happen. I can't use force of will to bring it about. In fact, I surrender a sense of will first. About the most I can do to facilitate that, is to become still, and quiet. I imagine chanting might facilitate that stillness/quietness though. When I heard that self enquiry mean't focussing on I am 24/7 it didn't really make much sense to me. I understand however that focus is a way of allowing the ordinary mind states to be transcended. It's a technique isn't it. Like yourself my transcendence came about while doing a run and even running is a meditative state, in a way a natural state of mind where the mind drifts for use of a better word. A focus 24/7 for years on end without a break seems like to much effort haha yeah I wasn't nicknamed 'beanbag' as a teenager because of a penchant for ardent efforting! |
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Practice
Sept 24, 2024 1:55:08 GMT -5
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Post by steven on Sept 24, 2024 1:55:08 GMT -5
Actually for the technique I’m describing I’m specifically saying to NOT give attention to whatever arises, as all that arises is phenomenon. Instead don’t let your attention get drawn to whatever arises, keep turning inward to the observer of ALL that arises…it’s a fairly difficult thing to do because you are continuously having your attention pulled away from the central still silent observer by all sorts of phenomena including the phenomena of the effort of trying to observe the observer. So each time you notice you attention being drawn to phenomena you say to yourself ‘no, observe the observer of this.’ What you are talking about is subtly different. You are talking about residing in that still silent observer and being the witness of all phenomena from that center…that’s also a very good technique, but different. Here I am talking about turning all of you attention TO that still silent observer. In doing so repeatedly enough a kind of feedback loop arises where you are doing BOTH what you are describing and what I’m describing. You are centered in the still silent observer the way you are describing, but the only thing being observed IS the still silent observer, not other phenomena. Two things. Mr. Ripman covers what you describe: Sep 20, 2024 at 2:39am stardustpilgrim said: I spoke about a method of observation of self--of one's thoughts, one's emotion, one's sensations, one's actions--which requires a special effort with attention: a division of attention into two parts. One of these parts is directed towards whatever activity it's engaged in, whether it be a thought or action or whatever, and the other is directed to the experience of a point of awareness of what is going on. And, there is a difference between your attention being taken by some thing, event, person, thought, feeling or action, and giving your attention to some thing, event, person, thought, feeling, action. When your attention is taken, it disappears into the thing. This, is a form of self-remembering. Different practice, different name. (It's a form of self-remembering, but not specifically self-remembering). But it's pretty amazing you ~figured out~ as much as you have. I’m not a big fan of split attention techniques. All the best ones seem to have a few things in common, one of them is a kind of steadfast focus on one thing or experience. So this bifurcating of your attention both on the observer, and phenomenon that arises from the observer seems less productive than doing one or the other at a time. Either do the technique of residing in your still silent center watching all phenomena as it arises, OR turn your full attention toward the observer of the observed. Bifurcating comes with a lot of attention bouncing back and forth too and fro and can be counterproductive to one pointedness. The latter seems to allow an easier and quicker centering into deeper states of meditation more efficiently. |
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Practice
Sept 24, 2024 2:06:01 GMT -5
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Post by steven on Sept 24, 2024 2:06:01 GMT -5
Nope, I haven't tried it yet but I've seen one using his electric guitar. LSD was banned early on for cultural/religious reasons, but a lot of recent research demonstrates its effectiveness in actually curing things like Depression, Addiction, and Anxiety Attacks. It causes a temporary shift in one’s perspective that shows the things that are troubling you to yourself from a new angle, and that’s often enough to ‘turn the volume down’ on those troubling things. Alternatively do some risky potentially life threatening activities that cause a fight or flight response to REAL DANGER, and suddenly the things that are troubling you enough to have anxiety seem smaller and less troublesome. |
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Post by stardustpilgrim on Sept 24, 2024 5:32:30 GMT -5
Two things. Mr. Ripman covers what you describe: Sep 20, 2024 at 2:39am stardustpilgrim said: I spoke about a method of observation of self--of one's thoughts, one's emotion, one's sensations, one's actions--which requires a special effort with attention: a division of attention into two parts. One of these parts is directed towards whatever activity it's engaged in, whether it be a thought or action or whatever, and the other is directed to the experience of a point of awareness of what is going on. And, there is a difference between your attention being taken by some thing, event, person, thought, feeling or action, and giving your attention to some thing, event, person, thought, feeling, action. When your attention is taken, it disappears into the thing. This, is a form of self-remembering. Different practice, different name. (It's a form of self-remembering, but not specifically self-remembering). But it's pretty amazing you ~figured out~ as much as you have. I’m not a big fan of split attention techniques. All the best ones seem to have a few things in common, one of them is a kind of steadfast focus on one thing or experience. So this bifurcating of your attention both on the observer, and phenomenon that arises from the observer seems less productive than doing one or the other at a time. Either do the technique of residing in your still silent center watching all phenomena as it arises, OR turn your full attention toward the observer of the observed. Bifurcating comes with a lot of attention bouncing back and forth too and fro and can be counterproductive to one pointedness. The latter seems to allow an easier and quicker centering into deeper states of meditation more efficiently. Division of attention allows for practice any time any where. For sdp everything is about saving and transforming energy, which is what correct practice accomplishes. When you are not-practicing, you are leaking and wasting energy. For sdp, anything else is superfluous. |
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Post by stardustpilgrim on Sept 24, 2024 5:37:57 GMT -5
Mr. Ripman describes what usually occurs, well. We have 4 functions, thinking, feeling/emotions, muscle-causing-actions, and sensations. He's not talking about silence for the sake of silence. I learned quickly sensations are the easiest thing to observe, this is ZD's ATA-T. In sensations-alone, there is already silence. Next easiest to observe are muscle-causing-actions. Again, no words are necessary, unless you are learning a new action, then you might remind the body what to do, with words. It gets tricky here, because of our 'meta-physiology'. Each center (centers of operation of the 4 mentioned functions) is divided into 3 parts each, a moving part, which works with scattered attention; an emotional part, which works with interested attention; and an intellectual part, with works with directed attention. (So there is a moving part of the muscle-causing-actions 'moving center', an emotional part of the moving center, and an intellectual part of the moving center. Likewise for the thinking-intellectual center, and the emotional center). The intellectual parts of the centers, are silent. Language is stored in the moving part and the emotional part of the intellectual center. The intellectual part of the intellectual center is for discovery and creativity, moving into the unknown. So here's the tricky part, when you observe the 'mind', the intellectual center, conceptual thoughts, it goes silent, the mind goes silent. Correct observation is done with directed attention. So what Mr. Ripman describes, you can observe for only a fraction of a second, in the beginning, the mind, here. Then a thought pops up, and this puts you in either the moving part of the intellectual center or the emotional part of the moving center. So when a thought occurs, then you are no longer observing (the reason described above), your attention is taken by the occurring thoughts. And lastly, the hardest center to observe, the emotional center, emotions. We are most identified with our emotions. we are so identified with our emotions, we don't really recognize our emotions, we-are-them. Also involved here, is the different speeds at which the different centers operate. Here, I need to introduce 3 other centers, the higher intellectual center, the quickest; next, the higher emotional center (mi12) and the sexual center (si12) which work at roughly the same speed. The speed of the instinctive center is next, the operation of the body, the inner working of the organism. The way you can differentiate between the instinctive center (which you use in sensing, in ATA-T) and the moving center, the muscle-causing-actions center, is instincts do not have to be learned. You are born with the heart beating, you don't have to learn to beat your heart. But a baby has to learn to roll over, to crawl, to stand up, to walk, to run, so these activities arise from the moving center, any activity which has to be learned. How quick is the instinctive center? How quickly can you feel a shot of whisky take effect? If you've been under anesthesia, and the doctor says, count backwards from 100, you probably don't get to 97. The next quickest center is the emotional center (have you ever seen anyone get angry?, it can happen instantaneously). But we have negative emotions and positive emotions (mi12), which work at different speeds. The higher emotional center is accessed through the emotional center, this is why negative emotions are so debilitating, they shut us off from higher influences. The next quickest center is the moving center (once you learn to drive a straight drive, the whole process operates quicker than can be described). The thinking-intellectual center is actually the slowest center, thought is very slow in relation to the operation of the instinctive center. Stage magic is based on this principle, the different speeds of the centers, the thinking center is easily fooled...by the moving center of the magician. So we have seven centers in total. But most of the time we are not aware of the two higher centers and generally know nothing of their operation. But everything extraordinary concerning nonduality, can be explained by the operation of the two higher centers, touching these centers. They are fully operating at all times, we just don't normally connect with them. But you see, most importantly, you can't see my POV from your POV. sdp has a different aim concerning all this. My opinion is that some of what you write is accurate, and can even relate to some of it. I could even relate something similar, and detailed, and have in the past. But it's far too mechanistic to apply to witnessing in sense that applies to what I now think of as spiritual meditation, and emotions are actually the easiest movement to observe for anyone who has ever been able to get to a state of emotional neutrality. It's the exact opposite of mechanistic. Mechanistic means stuff just happens. Correct practice, conscious efforts, never just happen. Never. |
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Post by stardustpilgrim on Sept 24, 2024 5:54:26 GMT -5
I understand, kind of. My personal view is that I don't think a chant of any kind can create that 'becoming one', in the moment of the chant, as becoming one happens in a moment of 'NOT-doing', rather than 'doing'. But it might be the case that repeated chanting is still useful in some way to the end 'goal' of becoming one, and if the chant brings you a measure of peace in the short term, then that's surely a good thing, relatively speaking. My experience of the becoming one is that it is like 'slipping into a hole'. In a sense, it pulls me, to the extent that I gently allow it to happen. I can't use force of will to bring it about. In fact, I surrender a sense of will first. About the most I can do to facilitate that, is to become still, and quiet. I imagine chanting might facilitate that stillness/quietness though. I been chanting the maha mantra since it was introduced to me in November 1977. That is roughly 47 years ago. I have read the 64 volumes of Srimad Bhavagatam, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Sri Chaitanya's Teachings edition 1987. Being raised as a Catholic, my family thought I gone crazy for Krishna. Yes, I ate with Krishna, I drink with Krishna, I sleep with Krishna. I even dreamed I was chanting in the crowd, " Hare Krishna." Non-dualism can only say the Absolute Truth is Parambrahman, the Ultimate Reality, the Source, the Essence, the Super Consciousness but will never say Krishna is the Absolute Truth. That's the difference between Non-duality and Bhakti, the formless and the formed. According to Sri Chaitanya, " Simultaneously one yet different". While we've here, chanting a mantra is a mechanical effort. Now, it's possible to simultaneously engage awareness while chanting a mantra. But the two are vastly different, this is what you have to come to understand. And, ordinary awareness just happens. I wake up in the morning, I open my eyes, I'm aware. One can chant a mantra, and the mantra can essentially chant itself. Being aware of chanting a mantra, is different. Being aware of any activity, is different from merely doing the activity. This is not the same as opening one's eyes in the morning and being aware. You have to discover the taste of the difference, this is the real beginning. |
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.. Hare Rama dude!
