An Advaita Vedanta philosophy site, focusing on Realization, enlightenment, nisarga yoga, non-duality (nonduality), your original nature, dwelling as your natural state, and the teachings of Maharaj.
Announcing the closing of the Non-Duality Bookstore as the focus in the future will be on providing books electronically. See at the end of this post an offer to receive at lower-than-eBook prices the last of the paper books remaining in stock at 50% off with free shipping in the U.S. and half-price shipping internationally.
Also, see details below for starting your own “Advaita Study Home Group”
FROM A SITE VISITOR: Floyd please listen to this tape of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (followed by a link to a site that includes a tape with all of the noise of Ketwadi Street. I pass.) I think where he lived in Bombay may be one of the noisiest chaotic sounding places there is.
I feel its different for each self-realized person, If you know there is no separate self to be in the presence of noise and chaos and there is a natural allowing what is, to be as it is, than to be in the city or in a cave would seem to be according to a persons preferences.
I used to listen to flute music and sitar because I thought it was spiritual, now I listen to heavy metal and there is far more clarity than when I was doing what I thought was proper for a spiritual person to do.
My question, is there really any common traits of the realized?? Or are these traits only applied to a persona? You are realized and like peace and quite, But other realized people I know enjoy a very different atmosphere, they prefer skyscrapers to trees. Regards, W.D.
FROM ANOTHER SITE VISITOR: Recently someone touched on the subject of why some are thrown out of satsang sessions (or in this case tossed off the site). I wonder that more are not.
F.: The format that is used when offering the Advaita understanding is to accept questions, expose faulty thinking, and then offer pointers that re-direct an earnest seeker to the next step on the “path.” As noted yesterday, sometimes the seeker accepts the pointers and move farther along the “path,” and sometimes not; sometimes that seeker might not be moved along but others are...via the response.
It is rather interesting that of all the teachings to be challenged, it is the worth (and naturalness) of “peace” and “quiet” that has been rejected. That alone should show the writer who thinks he is well along the “path”—or who possibly thinks he has completed the “journey” in toto—that he has actually not even begun.
[To continue now from yesterday] Next, to see the way that high-level sounds and racket and clamor are used by the non-Realized to try to drown out the ever-present noise of their rattling “minds,” consider:
a woman said that when she arises each morning at 8 A.M., she goes into the living room and she turns on the television even though she does not watch it until the noon news telecast. Why? She explained, “I always like to have some background noise going on.” Indeed, the non-Realized think they must have background noise going on. The ego hates the silence.
The ego loves freedom of speech and noise-making, and it hates the freedom of silence. Ego and its accompanying egotism will load up a trunk with speakers and drive about with music blaring while exposing all within the vicinity to the deafening noise;
the ego and its accompanying egotism will seek out meetings where it can verbalize what it takes to be its weighty pronouncements, driven to be heard and to impress (even though such meetings are a complete bastardization of the original program of which he claims to be a member);
the ego and its accompanying egotism will prefer a Sunday passed inside a noisy building with singing and shouting and speaking and listening to loud music over a peaceful walk through a quiet wood; and the ego and its accompanying egotism will prefer to give a speech rather than to listen to a speech.
It is the ego and its accompanying egotism that spreads the “Blah-Blah-Blah Germs” that infect all within the environs with the “Interruption of Serenity Sickness” and is then damn proud of having passed on its dis-ease to everyone around it.
In nature, noise is anathema to all living things, humans now being the only exception. To ask this speck that is writing a series on “maintaining the peace and quiet” to click on a link and listen to some noise in Bombay/Mumbai is, well, abnormal…unnatural.
Further, any seeker with even the slightest information about Maharaj is well aware of the noise level on Ketwadi Street. To suggest, however, that such noise was Maharaj’s preference—or that noise was just fine with Maharaj or even “OK”—is as baseless a conclusion as the statement that the street is one of "the noisiest chaotic sounding places there is."
I have heard the sounds of Ketwadi Street and I have worked in a steel fabrication shop. There is no comparison, but the only purpose for noting that is to expose the ego’s habit of making exaggerated claims with no scientific or factual basis.
That is the stuff of a non-Realized person who really want persons to believe what he believes…to “convince someone to “change his mind.” Was the expectation to hear, “You know, I see now that you’re right. From now on, I’ll never again allow the peace and quiet to happen. It’s either heavy metal music or pot banging for me also for the rest of the manifestation.”
Or was the real motive to assert, “I listen to chaotic music, and I’m Fully Realized, so what you’re saying about the Realized enjoying the peace and quiet must be wrong”? What a wasted exercise to try to influence the Realized to believe a different belief and “change his mind.” Why? The Realized have no beliefs at all, so they are not about to adopt beliefs held by the non-Realized;
and as far as the Realized changing their mind, that is also impossible since the Realized have no mind to change. Such is the way it is when abiding as the original, no-concept, non-dual, no-mind state and overlaying that on the Am-ness.
Again, what a superfluous exercise by the ego and its accompanying egotism. Now, it should be seen what an exercise of ego and egotism really looks like. Now it should be seen why the non-Realized will be irrational and illogical as long as they continue to be driven by the fiction-filled “mind.”
In the 27 April 2009 post, this was offered: Often, after morning sessions, he [Maharaj] enjoyed a ride thorough the countryside with friends. Why would that pointer be ignored a few days later when presenting a counter-argument that Maharaj was fine with high noise levels?
Because it contradicted a belief held dear by an ego-state which was sensing the message, “I hate the peace and quiet and he’s saying the Realized enjoy both, and that implies that I’m not Realized, so I have to challenge that and the way I’ll argue the point is to show how he’s even contradicting his own teacher who believed that noise was just fine.”
The belief was, “I’m Realized” though all the evidence is to the contrary in terms of logic and in terms of rejecting natural living. But see the way the non-Realized love their beliefs and hate any opposing beliefs.
They filter out any and all evidence which shows their beliefs to be false. Imagine how, with such attachment to their beliefs and such delight in sharing their beliefs, that they must react when it is reported that I have no beliefs and when I invite them to discard all of theirs.
The fact is, Maharaj spent time in the quiet and peaceful forest during the early part of his “journey.” As noted, he asked a friend who owned a car to take him to the peaceful countryside on a near-daily basis as a break from the noise of Ketwadi Street.
So much for the conclusion that the presence of excessive street noise outside M.’s loft proves that the Realized do not favor the peace and quiet in the same way that all non-human, naturally-abiding creatures prefer the peace and quiet.
The noisy street just happened to be where Maharaj lived, and the location was not selected for its high noise level the way the writer above is selecting high noise levels with his music preference. M.’s options were either (A) to stay there, live off the proceeds of one beedi shop, off the food items brought daily by seekers, and then offer the teachings; or
(B) to return to operating a dozen beedi shops as he had in the past in order to afford another place to live that might be in a quieter location. He chose to de-accumulate, to live off the proceeds of one shop, to stay in his flat with its loft, to eat on occasion whatever was offered by visitors, and to offer the teachings.
But there is nothing about those circumstances that testifies to his finding the Ketwadi Street noise level acceptable or preferable; instead, the evidence suggests otherwise since it was his daily retreats into the quiet countryside and away from the noise that he enjoyed.
If a person is seeking something to drown out the "mind" rather than to be rid of the "mind," then these teachings will not be for her/him, and and if a person does not understand that nothing is more peaceful and quiet than the original state—and that these teachings are about abiding as THAT—then these teaching are not for that person. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
I feel its different for each self-realized person, If you know there is no separate self to be in the presence of noise and chaos and there is a natural allowing what is, to be as it is, than to be in the city or in a cave would seem to be according to a persons preferences.
I used to listen to flute music and sitar because I thought it was spiritual, now I listen to heavy metal and there is far more clarity than when I was doing what I thought was proper for a spiritual person to do.
My question, is there really any common traits of the realized?? Or are these traits only applied to a persona? You are realized and like peace and quite, But other realized people I know enjoy a very different atmosphere, they prefer skyscrapers to trees. Regards, W.D.
FROM ANOTHER SITE VISITOR: Recently someone touched on the subject of why some are thrown out of satsang sessions (or in this case tossed off the site). I wonder that more are not.
F.: The format that is used when offering the Advaita understanding is to accept questions, expose faulty thinking, and then offer pointers that re-direct an earnest seeker to the next step on the “path.” As noted yesterday, sometimes the seeker accepts the pointers and move farther along the “path,” and sometimes not; sometimes that seeker might not be moved along but others are...via the response.
It is rather interesting that of all the teachings to be challenged, it is the worth (and naturalness) of “peace” and “quiet” that has been rejected. That alone should show the writer who thinks he is well along the “path”—or who possibly thinks he has completed the “journey” in toto—that he has actually not even begun.
[To continue now from yesterday] Next, to see the way that high-level sounds and racket and clamor are used by the non-Realized to try to drown out the ever-present noise of their rattling “minds,” consider:
a woman said that when she arises each morning at 8 A.M., she goes into the living room and she turns on the television even though she does not watch it until the noon news telecast. Why? She explained, “I always like to have some background noise going on.” Indeed, the non-Realized think they must have background noise going on. The ego hates the silence.
The ego loves freedom of speech and noise-making, and it hates the freedom of silence. Ego and its accompanying egotism will load up a trunk with speakers and drive about with music blaring while exposing all within the vicinity to the deafening noise;
the ego and its accompanying egotism will seek out meetings where it can verbalize what it takes to be its weighty pronouncements, driven to be heard and to impress (even though such meetings are a complete bastardization of the original program of which he claims to be a member);
the ego and its accompanying egotism will prefer a Sunday passed inside a noisy building with singing and shouting and speaking and listening to loud music over a peaceful walk through a quiet wood; and the ego and its accompanying egotism will prefer to give a speech rather than to listen to a speech.
It is the ego and its accompanying egotism that spreads the “Blah-Blah-Blah Germs” that infect all within the environs with the “Interruption of Serenity Sickness” and is then damn proud of having passed on its dis-ease to everyone around it.
In nature, noise is anathema to all living things, humans now being the only exception. To ask this speck that is writing a series on “maintaining the peace and quiet” to click on a link and listen to some noise in Bombay/Mumbai is, well, abnormal…unnatural.
Further, any seeker with even the slightest information about Maharaj is well aware of the noise level on Ketwadi Street. To suggest, however, that such noise was Maharaj’s preference—or that noise was just fine with Maharaj or even “OK”—is as baseless a conclusion as the statement that the street is one of "the noisiest chaotic sounding places there is."
I have heard the sounds of Ketwadi Street and I have worked in a steel fabrication shop. There is no comparison, but the only purpose for noting that is to expose the ego’s habit of making exaggerated claims with no scientific or factual basis.
That is the stuff of a non-Realized person who really want persons to believe what he believes…to “convince someone to “change his mind.” Was the expectation to hear, “You know, I see now that you’re right. From now on, I’ll never again allow the peace and quiet to happen. It’s either heavy metal music or pot banging for me also for the rest of the manifestation.”
Or was the real motive to assert, “I listen to chaotic music, and I’m Fully Realized, so what you’re saying about the Realized enjoying the peace and quiet must be wrong”? What a wasted exercise to try to influence the Realized to believe a different belief and “change his mind.” Why? The Realized have no beliefs at all, so they are not about to adopt beliefs held by the non-Realized;
and as far as the Realized changing their mind, that is also impossible since the Realized have no mind to change. Such is the way it is when abiding as the original, no-concept, non-dual, no-mind state and overlaying that on the Am-ness.
Again, what a superfluous exercise by the ego and its accompanying egotism. Now, it should be seen what an exercise of ego and egotism really looks like. Now it should be seen why the non-Realized will be irrational and illogical as long as they continue to be driven by the fiction-filled “mind.”
In the 27 April 2009 post, this was offered: Often, after morning sessions, he [Maharaj] enjoyed a ride thorough the countryside with friends. Why would that pointer be ignored a few days later when presenting a counter-argument that Maharaj was fine with high noise levels?
Because it contradicted a belief held dear by an ego-state which was sensing the message, “I hate the peace and quiet and he’s saying the Realized enjoy both, and that implies that I’m not Realized, so I have to challenge that and the way I’ll argue the point is to show how he’s even contradicting his own teacher who believed that noise was just fine.”
The belief was, “I’m Realized” though all the evidence is to the contrary in terms of logic and in terms of rejecting natural living. But see the way the non-Realized love their beliefs and hate any opposing beliefs.
They filter out any and all evidence which shows their beliefs to be false. Imagine how, with such attachment to their beliefs and such delight in sharing their beliefs, that they must react when it is reported that I have no beliefs and when I invite them to discard all of theirs.
The fact is, Maharaj spent time in the quiet and peaceful forest during the early part of his “journey.” As noted, he asked a friend who owned a car to take him to the peaceful countryside on a near-daily basis as a break from the noise of Ketwadi Street.
So much for the conclusion that the presence of excessive street noise outside M.’s loft proves that the Realized do not favor the peace and quiet in the same way that all non-human, naturally-abiding creatures prefer the peace and quiet.
The noisy street just happened to be where Maharaj lived, and the location was not selected for its high noise level the way the writer above is selecting high noise levels with his music preference. M.’s options were either (A) to stay there, live off the proceeds of one beedi shop, off the food items brought daily by seekers, and then offer the teachings; or
(B) to return to operating a dozen beedi shops as he had in the past in order to afford another place to live that might be in a quieter location. He chose to de-accumulate, to live off the proceeds of one shop, to stay in his flat with its loft, to eat on occasion whatever was offered by visitors, and to offer the teachings.
But there is nothing about those circumstances that testifies to his finding the Ketwadi Street noise level acceptable or preferable; instead, the evidence suggests otherwise since it was his daily retreats into the quiet countryside and away from the noise that he enjoyed.
If a person is seeking something to drown out the "mind" rather than to be rid of the "mind," then these teachings will not be for her/him, and and if a person does not understand that nothing is more peaceful and quiet than the original state—and that these teachings are about abiding as THAT—then these teaching are not for that person. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
The “path” from identification with the false “I”
to
abidance as the Absolute
has seven steps that must be taken in an exact, reverse order from the way the “coming in” happened. One book is the guide to the step-by-step "journey" to Realization.
Get the Book or eBook
THE FOLLOWING NON-DUALITY BOOKS ARE IN THE STORE IN LIMITED SUPPLY AND WILL BE OFFERED AT 50% OFF WHEN BOUGHT AS A PACKAGE:
While quantities last, the following package deal is being offered: Receive all nine (9) of the paperback books listed below for $88 total with free shipping in the U.S. and ½ price shipping internationally.
NOTE: Only one full set remaining. The offer will become an eight-book set after the next order.
NON-DUALITY BOOK SET:
From the Absolute to the Nothingness
Consciousness/Awareness
From the I to the Absolute (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)
It's All Bullshit (and Why Knowing it Sets You Free)
Self-Transformation Meditation Guide I
Self-Transformation Meditation Guide II
There's No Such Thing as ''Peace of Mind''
Spiritual Sobriety (Recovering What Religions Lost)
The Essence of the Teachings
To order, click
Non-Duality Book Set
then add the package to the shopping cart and follow the checkout procedure to the secure pay site.
You may pay with any major credit card or with Paypal.
Or, OPTION TWO:
THE “ADVAITA STUDY GROUP” PACKAGE
Host an Advaita Study Group in your home.
Enough paperback copies remain in stock to provide the following for you and three other seekers:
4 copies-From the I to the Absolute (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)
4 copies-Consciousness / Awareness
4 copies-From the Absolute to the Nothingness
Take turns reading passages and then discussing the pointers.
All 12 books for $120.00 (equal to $30 each) + free S&H in the U.S.
To order this set, you must use
the Contact link to make arrangements for payment—VISA or MC only—and to provide the address for free U.S. shipping.
ONLY ONE SET OF THESE TWELVE BOOKS IS LEFT IN THE STORE
Finally,
most titles are also available as eBooks
Visit
The Official Website of Floyd Henderson
to
abidance as the Absolute
has seven steps that must be taken in an exact, reverse order from the way the “coming in” happened. One book is the guide to the step-by-step "journey" to Realization.
Get the Book or eBook
THE FOLLOWING NON-DUALITY BOOKS ARE IN THE STORE IN LIMITED SUPPLY AND WILL BE OFFERED AT 50% OFF WHEN BOUGHT AS A PACKAGE:
While quantities last, the following package deal is being offered: Receive all nine (9) of the paperback books listed below for $88 total with free shipping in the U.S. and ½ price shipping internationally.
NOTE: Only one full set remaining. The offer will become an eight-book set after the next order.
NON-DUALITY BOOK SET:
From the Absolute to the Nothingness
Consciousness/Awareness
From the I to the Absolute (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)
It's All Bullshit (and Why Knowing it Sets You Free)
Self-Transformation Meditation Guide I
Self-Transformation Meditation Guide II
There's No Such Thing as ''Peace of Mind''
Spiritual Sobriety (Recovering What Religions Lost)
The Essence of the Teachings
To order, click
Non-Duality Book Set
then add the package to the shopping cart and follow the checkout procedure to the secure pay site.
You may pay with any major credit card or with Paypal.
Or, OPTION TWO:
THE “ADVAITA STUDY GROUP” PACKAGE
Host an Advaita Study Group in your home.
Enough paperback copies remain in stock to provide the following for you and three other seekers:
4 copies-From the I to the Absolute (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)
4 copies-Consciousness / Awareness
4 copies-From the Absolute to the Nothingness
Take turns reading passages and then discussing the pointers.
All 12 books for $120.00 (equal to $30 each) + free S&H in the U.S.
To order this set, you must use
the Contact link to make arrangements for payment—VISA or MC only—and to provide the address for free U.S. shipping.
ONLY ONE SET OF THESE TWELVE BOOKS IS LEFT IN THE STORE
Finally,
most titles are also available as eBooks
Visit
The Official Website of Floyd Henderson
