about non duality

[enigma]

I sometimes imagine, though usually wrongly, that the dream metaphor is useful here. In your nightly dreams, all objects and events are made up only of mind stuff. They have no substance or reality apart from the mind that imagines them. They never attain the status of objects but rather remain as appearances only, in consciousness.

What is the difference between the dream rose and the dream tulip? They are both appearances in consciousness, and since consciousness IS what appears in consciousness, they are both consciousness itself. The thought or image of a rose and the thought or image of a tulip are both thoughts/images happening in/as consciousness itself. The form is different. The essence is exactly the same.

Imagining differences into experiential reality is what mind is all about. Without this 'duality machine' there is no experience at all. Anyone can watch the functioning of mind and notice it's sole function is to differentiate; to find differences and therefore create a movement of thought. Forum discussions are a good example. Everyone is looking for disagreement, not necessarily to be disagreeable, but to be creative.

It's not a problem, but the differences are not there until mind imagines them. Even then, they are not actually essentially different, just different in appearance, as appearances. As a simile, a white rose under red light will appear as a red rose, and yet it's the exact same rose that appears blue under blue light. In this case, even the form remains the same, but differences appear.

[BobTheBuilder]

Does colour exist in 'non duality'

[zendancer]

Bob: Color exists if you imagine that it exists. Without imagination nothing (no thing) exists. Look at a red rose, but don't imagine that it is a rose, or a flower, or an object, or a thing, or red-colored, or sweet-smelling, or anything else. Without imagining anything you are experiencing __________.

[Guest]

Bob: Color exists if you imagine that it exists. Without imagination nothing (no thing) exists. Look at a red rose, but don't imagine that it is a rose, or a flower, or an object, or a thing, or red-colored, or sweet-smelling, or anything else. Without imagining anything you are experiencing __________.

nothing exists without imagination, but you said you do not want imagination and you want to get rid of it?, so if nothing exists without imagination - what exists? Nothing? so you want life to be nothing? what kind of life is that? nothing? im confused why would you want nothing?

[robert]

guest, no one is telling you what you should do. this non duality "thing", not two, no self it's not for everybody, in fact, it's probably not for everyone on this site for exactly why you stated. why would you want nothing, exactly. most people want peace, a better paycheck, simplicity ease in living. and they hear about this "thing" called non duality and they hear that it's great and everyone has to be in on the new "thing" don't want to be left out of "it" then they find out what it is and off we go here are the long circular conversations about something that most people are not interested in. but if anything this can help people sit down and decide what they really want.
good luck with your quest.
robert

[zendancer]

Jun 21, 2010 12:13:53 GMT -5 @Guest said:

Bob: Color exists if you imagine that it exists. Without imagination nothing (no thing) exists. Look at a red rose, but don't imagine that it is a rose, or a flower, or an object, or a thing, or red-colored, or sweet-smelling, or anything else. Without imagining anything you are experiencing __________.

nothing exists without imagination, but you said you do not want imagination and you want to get rid of it?, so if nothing exists without imagination - what exists? Nothing? so you want life to be nothing? what kind of life is that? nothing? im confused why would you want nothing?

Guest: To understand what these words are pointing to, look at a rose (or anything else) without imagining what you're looking at. What you silently see, without distinction, is the truth. The truth is beyond name, form, or existence. It is "what is." Notice that when you look without imagining, there are no boundaries.

Most of us look at the world through the filter of our thoughts, so we think-see rather than simply see. In order to see reality rather than our projected ideas ABOUT reality requires some mental silence, especially at first.

If you want to understand, you may have to spend a few hours or a few days looking at a rose in order to see the truth. What you are looking at is neither something (some thing) or nothing (no thing.) It is beyond any idea that can be generated by the mind. Cheers.

[karen]

Jun 21, 2010 12:13:53 GMT -5 @Guest said:

so you want life to be nothing? what kind of life is that? nothing? im confused why would you want nothing?

Just curious, what would our wants have to do with what is actually the case?