Post by ethereal on May 1, 2010 6:44:08 GMT -5
Hi all,
Been lurking on the forum for awhile but never really felt compelled to post. But I've been recently getting some insights and/or experiences and wanting to confirm them or get some feedback so I can continue progressing
I'm trying to put it into words but I'm having a lot of trouble describing it, lol!
I guess basically I'm starting to recognize this non-experience of something that is there beyond experience. My experience doesn't have to change at all, and the recognition just arises, the recognition of... nothing, I guess? It's like there's nothing there and nothing is happening, and everything seems just like normal. It is just a really subtle shift that I can't even really tell if anything's different. The only thing that suggests that something is different, is because there is energy moving and pressure in the 3rd eye whenever this subtle recognition occurs.
There seems to be some conscious control over this recognition, through the focus of attention. If I don't exert any focus or effort, nothing seems to change and the recognition isn't there.
There is the intuition that this nothingness or emptiness is the reality and what is currently experienced by the mind is based on the emptiness, like as a foundation.
Is this what awareness or emptiness is? Although it seems like a non-experience, is it still an experience happening within the mind? Is this insight the truth or is it another concept to be transcended?
Also, is this recognition the same as the "I am" described in self-enquiry? To me it doesn't feel like "I am", it kind of feels like Beingness or perhaps Reality. Those resonate more for me than "I am", but I'm wondering if they are the same thing or related somehow.
One of my teachers actually commented on how there are many stages of "qualitylessness" and how each of them feels completely qualityless and feels like the ultimate, but later on you transcend it and realize that it's still a quality and there are even deeper stages of "qualitylessness".
For me this seems like maybe the beginning of the beginning of qualitylessness for me, lol! Maybe not even that, as there's still a lot of identification with mind and body and emotions and the sense of self.
Anyway, just wanted to share this and get some feedback, especially how to proceed with practice from here. Should I just keep meditating and contemplating on this recognition and try to stay there as long as possible?
Been lurking on the forum for awhile but never really felt compelled to post. But I've been recently getting some insights and/or experiences and wanting to confirm them or get some feedback so I can continue progressing
I'm trying to put it into words but I'm having a lot of trouble describing it, lol!
I guess basically I'm starting to recognize this non-experience of something that is there beyond experience. My experience doesn't have to change at all, and the recognition just arises, the recognition of... nothing, I guess? It's like there's nothing there and nothing is happening, and everything seems just like normal. It is just a really subtle shift that I can't even really tell if anything's different. The only thing that suggests that something is different, is because there is energy moving and pressure in the 3rd eye whenever this subtle recognition occurs.
There seems to be some conscious control over this recognition, through the focus of attention. If I don't exert any focus or effort, nothing seems to change and the recognition isn't there.
There is the intuition that this nothingness or emptiness is the reality and what is currently experienced by the mind is based on the emptiness, like as a foundation.
Is this what awareness or emptiness is? Although it seems like a non-experience, is it still an experience happening within the mind? Is this insight the truth or is it another concept to be transcended?
Also, is this recognition the same as the "I am" described in self-enquiry? To me it doesn't feel like "I am", it kind of feels like Beingness or perhaps Reality. Those resonate more for me than "I am", but I'm wondering if they are the same thing or related somehow.
One of my teachers actually commented on how there are many stages of "qualitylessness" and how each of them feels completely qualityless and feels like the ultimate, but later on you transcend it and realize that it's still a quality and there are even deeper stages of "qualitylessness".
For me this seems like maybe the beginning of the beginning of qualitylessness for me, lol! Maybe not even that, as there's still a lot of identification with mind and body and emotions and the sense of self.
Anyway, just wanted to share this and get some feedback, especially how to proceed with practice from here. Should I just keep meditating and contemplating on this recognition and try to stay there as long as possible?