An Advaita forum focusing on Realisation, enlightenment, non-duality, Real Love, peace, freedom, Your original nature, abiding naturally, the Oneness, the Noneness, and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.
Now available on DVD or downloadable computer file:
seven hours of satsang with floyd guiding seekers through all seven steps (in their exact order) to Realization. See details at the end of this post.
seven hours of satsang with floyd guiding seekers through all seven steps (in their exact order) to Realization. See details at the end of this post.
FROM A SITE VISITOR: [A request that two topics be discussed] Please write about the inner guru. Maharaj talked about "inner energies waking up". The way it is here, these inner energies awoke during the spiritual seeker phase but persist like a homing device long after the seeker persona is observed and discarded. I wonder what it was like for "Floyd." I have seen it as some relative symptoms or experiences.
Also: when simply being still, abiding in awareness, there is the sense that the awareness IS, independent of breathing, and that if the breathing were to cease, this awareness would persist.
Also: when simply being still, abiding in awareness, there is the sense that the awareness IS, independent of breathing, and that if the breathing were to cease, this awareness would persist.
F.: In spite of the fact that (a) the inner guru has been discussed for thousands of years in the Far East and in spite of the fact that (b) the inner guru became the subject matter of an entire science which developed first among the ancient Greeks and which has been recently revived, there is little understanding in regards to what is being referenced and to what is not.
You have touched partly on the facts in raising the first topic and have raised a second subject that is most definitely related to the first. To understand what the inner guru is and is not, let this be understood before all else:
First, dispel all perceptions about there being a teacher or a guru and all notions about there being an outer teacher and outer guru as well as an inner teacher or inner guru. There is no teacher and there is no guru, only in its stead the pure, unblocked consciousness that is speaking (or not).
Strictly, speaking, therefore, there is also no inner “teacher,” but there is a function during the manifestation and during "the journey" along "the path" which does involve some relative symptoms or experiences that can be addressed with what is called the “inner guru.” These discussions will offer far more detail than provided in any past postings, being level appropriate for some site regulars.
Secondly, some who think they have transcended notions about a personal teacher or a personal guru nevertheless assign some personal or near-personal or person-like identification to an “inner guru.”
The term used in the e-mail—“inner energy”—has some validity when speaking of the inner guru, but not “homing device.” Understanding the difference can be a part of the total understanding of what is referred to at times as “the inner guru.” At the outset, see what can be understood by dispelling the “homing device” analogy:
In some cases, a homing device guides something to its objective, whereas with spontaneous living there is no objective. Possessing an objective would require something that can possess and a “mind” that could be used to define the objective. Neither a fish nor a deer nor a bird can possess anything, and among humans as well, “The Possessor” is just another false identity.
Next, neither a fish nor a deer nor a bird has a mind so they can "have" no objectives—no defined goals to reach—and neither do the Realized that are similarly mindless.
In other cases, a homing device can involve something external to set forth a beam–such as a radio beam which can indicate a course for an airplane to follow. That construct leads many among the non-Realized to believe that there is something that people can lock onto and be guided by.
(That notion sets the stage for the false belief in an external deity or deities that offer such service or for the false belief that some internal device has been set up supernaturally and can be used for detecting external guidance or tapping into some parent-like wisdom and strength offered by some external, supernatural power or powers).
So that analogy falls short of providing the understanding of what that inner guru is and is not. What, therefore, is that inner guru—known in some venues as the “inner resource” and in other venues by other names?
To find the answer, look for what is natural. Are the deer and birds and fish served by as inner guide, or does whatever happens with them happen spontaneously and automatically?
Do they have to learn that some things are harmful and thereby avoid them, or do they instinctively “know”? Must they search for “the way,” or is the way to function just happening automatically? What about an acorn? Does it need to be taught how to produce a forest, or does the production of the forest happen in the absence of a knower, a teacher, or a guide?
What is within the acorn that allows the forest to eventually come about? Merely a manifestation of pure, conscious-energy…that inner energy that functions without impediment in all forms except those called “humans.”
And even humans have an occasional glimpse of the manner in which “noetic functioning” happens ("noetic" after the Greek word for "intuitive knowing"). Just as an acorn does not have to be taught anything; similarly, does a human have to be taught how to masturbate, procreate, breath, or stop breathing? No. With the acorn and with humans, all of that is happening spontaneously without any call for instruction.
Why then do persons require a teacher (and an inner guru for a time) though acorns and birds and deer and fish do not? Because acorns and birds and deer and fish are never programmed, conditioned, domesticated, and acculturated. Because acorns and birds and deer and fish are never told lies that result in a type of living that is marked by the unnatural and by supernatural (magical) thinking.
Because acorns and birds and deer and fish are never told lies that must be unlearned before natural functioning can happen. Nothing else on the planet except persons will require a guide or a teacher to clear away the rubbish that blocks the consciousness and to remove the contaminants that prevent abiding naturally...as the true nature.
So for a time, a teacher or guru is required if Realization is to happen, and for a time, an inner guru must be accessed if Full Realization and then natural functioning are to happen. In the end, though, there will be no need for either to be consciously sought.
Ponder that, if You will, and see if some different perspectives about what the inner guru is (and is not) happen to manifest. Too, see if it becomes clearer why the role of the inner guru has a restricted function during what you accurately identified as the "spiritual seeker phase" and why it really does involve the addressing of some relative symptoms or experiences. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
You have touched partly on the facts in raising the first topic and have raised a second subject that is most definitely related to the first. To understand what the inner guru is and is not, let this be understood before all else:
First, dispel all perceptions about there being a teacher or a guru and all notions about there being an outer teacher and outer guru as well as an inner teacher or inner guru. There is no teacher and there is no guru, only in its stead the pure, unblocked consciousness that is speaking (or not).
Strictly, speaking, therefore, there is also no inner “teacher,” but there is a function during the manifestation and during "the journey" along "the path" which does involve some relative symptoms or experiences that can be addressed with what is called the “inner guru.” These discussions will offer far more detail than provided in any past postings, being level appropriate for some site regulars.
Secondly, some who think they have transcended notions about a personal teacher or a personal guru nevertheless assign some personal or near-personal or person-like identification to an “inner guru.”
The term used in the e-mail—“inner energy”—has some validity when speaking of the inner guru, but not “homing device.” Understanding the difference can be a part of the total understanding of what is referred to at times as “the inner guru.” At the outset, see what can be understood by dispelling the “homing device” analogy:
In some cases, a homing device guides something to its objective, whereas with spontaneous living there is no objective. Possessing an objective would require something that can possess and a “mind” that could be used to define the objective. Neither a fish nor a deer nor a bird can possess anything, and among humans as well, “The Possessor” is just another false identity.
Next, neither a fish nor a deer nor a bird has a mind so they can "have" no objectives—no defined goals to reach—and neither do the Realized that are similarly mindless.
In other cases, a homing device can involve something external to set forth a beam–such as a radio beam which can indicate a course for an airplane to follow. That construct leads many among the non-Realized to believe that there is something that people can lock onto and be guided by.
(That notion sets the stage for the false belief in an external deity or deities that offer such service or for the false belief that some internal device has been set up supernaturally and can be used for detecting external guidance or tapping into some parent-like wisdom and strength offered by some external, supernatural power or powers).
So that analogy falls short of providing the understanding of what that inner guru is and is not. What, therefore, is that inner guru—known in some venues as the “inner resource” and in other venues by other names?
To find the answer, look for what is natural. Are the deer and birds and fish served by as inner guide, or does whatever happens with them happen spontaneously and automatically?
Do they have to learn that some things are harmful and thereby avoid them, or do they instinctively “know”? Must they search for “the way,” or is the way to function just happening automatically? What about an acorn? Does it need to be taught how to produce a forest, or does the production of the forest happen in the absence of a knower, a teacher, or a guide?
What is within the acorn that allows the forest to eventually come about? Merely a manifestation of pure, conscious-energy…that inner energy that functions without impediment in all forms except those called “humans.”
And even humans have an occasional glimpse of the manner in which “noetic functioning” happens ("noetic" after the Greek word for "intuitive knowing"). Just as an acorn does not have to be taught anything; similarly, does a human have to be taught how to masturbate, procreate, breath, or stop breathing? No. With the acorn and with humans, all of that is happening spontaneously without any call for instruction.
Why then do persons require a teacher (and an inner guru for a time) though acorns and birds and deer and fish do not? Because acorns and birds and deer and fish are never programmed, conditioned, domesticated, and acculturated. Because acorns and birds and deer and fish are never told lies that result in a type of living that is marked by the unnatural and by supernatural (magical) thinking.
Because acorns and birds and deer and fish are never told lies that must be unlearned before natural functioning can happen. Nothing else on the planet except persons will require a guide or a teacher to clear away the rubbish that blocks the consciousness and to remove the contaminants that prevent abiding naturally...as the true nature.
So for a time, a teacher or guru is required if Realization is to happen, and for a time, an inner guru must be accessed if Full Realization and then natural functioning are to happen. In the end, though, there will be no need for either to be consciously sought.
Ponder that, if You will, and see if some different perspectives about what the inner guru is (and is not) happen to manifest. Too, see if it becomes clearer why the role of the inner guru has a restricted function during what you accurately identified as the "spiritual seeker phase" and why it really does involve the addressing of some relative symptoms or experiences. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
SIX WAYS THAT SEEKERS HAVE REALIZED:
1. BY WATCHING the 4-Disk Video (DVD) Set, or the same retreat available as a downloadable file. Either will provide an entire seven-hour retreat / series of satsang sessions showing three seekers being guided through all seven steps by Floyd and can provide viewers with an “experiential,” step-by-step series of satsang meetings that will move the viewers from identification with the I to abidance as the Absolute and then to abidance as That Which Is beyond
Some seekers are already using the computer file version and the DVD sets for meetings in groups in homes, playing the retreat, pausing for discussion, etc.
To find out more or to purchase the DVD set or the downloadable computer file version of the retreat, click:
DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
Option “A” is for the downloadable file version, Option “B” is used to order the DVD set for delivery inside the U.S., Option “C” for international orders.
For the download, Paypal will send me a notice that payment has been received and then I will send by e-mail the downloading instruction, password, etc.
[It is recommend that you watch the video with pen and paper in hand. Write whatever you need clarified. You'll see that there are constant reviews and you might find an answer later in the seven-hour presentation. Then, after you watch it all, there will be a common ground for discussion. Purchase of the DVD’s or the file will include the right to clarifications and answers to your specific questions via e-mail.]
2. BY READING these books in this exact order:
IT'S ALL BULLSHIT (And Why Knowing It Sets You Free)
SPIRITUAL SOBRIETY (Recovering What Religions Lost)
[Those two prepare the seeker to question it all]
THE MEDITATION GUIDES
[Provide a broad overview of the understanding]
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DIE?
[Begins to free the seeker of body identification and the desire for body continuity]
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS "PEACE OF MIND" (There Is Only Peace if You're Out of Your Mind)
[Shows the seeker how to be free of the subconscious motivators of the false content of the “mind”]
LIBERATION
[Shows the seeker how to be free of the subconscious motivators of personas]
THE ESSENCE OF THE TEACHINGS
[Provides the final preparation for the seeker to be directed along the “path”]
FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)
[Directs the seeker along the “path”]
CONSCIOUSNESS/AWARENESS: The Nature of Reality Beyond Self-Realization (Peace Every Day When Abiding as The Absolute)
[Allows the seeker to understand the functioning of the totality, the manifestation, and what is involved with the un-manifestation]
FROM THE ABSOLUTE TO THE NOTHINGNESS
[Provides the seeker the wisdom to understand the Noneness as well as the Oneness]
Purchase an e-Book now and begin reading it in minutes (except with e-checks that can take 7-10 days). Trusting our clients as we do, all e-Books are provided to you in printable form.
SAVE IF YOU BUY ALL ELEVEN AT ONCE:
(You may order the books one at a time or you may use the following link to acquire the entire 11-e-Book set on sale for $99 if ordered at one time with the “Buy Now” button below. For this option, there will be no download links provided; once the near-instant notice of payment is received from PayPal, your e-Books will be sent to you as e-mail attachments. All are printable for your convenience.)
1. BY WATCHING the 4-Disk Video (DVD) Set, or the same retreat available as a downloadable file. Either will provide an entire seven-hour retreat / series of satsang sessions showing three seekers being guided through all seven steps by Floyd and can provide viewers with an “experiential,” step-by-step series of satsang meetings that will move the viewers from identification with the I to abidance as the Absolute and then to abidance as That Which Is beyond
Some seekers are already using the computer file version and the DVD sets for meetings in groups in homes, playing the retreat, pausing for discussion, etc.
To find out more or to purchase the DVD set or the downloadable computer file version of the retreat, click:
DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
Option “A” is for the downloadable file version, Option “B” is used to order the DVD set for delivery inside the U.S., Option “C” for international orders.
For the download, Paypal will send me a notice that payment has been received and then I will send by e-mail the downloading instruction, password, etc.
[It is recommend that you watch the video with pen and paper in hand. Write whatever you need clarified. You'll see that there are constant reviews and you might find an answer later in the seven-hour presentation. Then, after you watch it all, there will be a common ground for discussion. Purchase of the DVD’s or the file will include the right to clarifications and answers to your specific questions via e-mail.]
2. BY READING these books in this exact order:
IT'S ALL BULLSHIT (And Why Knowing It Sets You Free)
SPIRITUAL SOBRIETY (Recovering What Religions Lost)
[Those two prepare the seeker to question it all]
THE MEDITATION GUIDES
[Provide a broad overview of the understanding]
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DIE?
[Begins to free the seeker of body identification and the desire for body continuity]
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS "PEACE OF MIND" (There Is Only Peace if You're Out of Your Mind)
[Shows the seeker how to be free of the subconscious motivators of the false content of the “mind”]
LIBERATION
[Shows the seeker how to be free of the subconscious motivators of personas]
THE ESSENCE OF THE TEACHINGS
[Provides the final preparation for the seeker to be directed along the “path”]
FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)
[Directs the seeker along the “path”]
CONSCIOUSNESS/AWARENESS: The Nature of Reality Beyond Self-Realization (Peace Every Day When Abiding as The Absolute)
[Allows the seeker to understand the functioning of the totality, the manifestation, and what is involved with the un-manifestation]
FROM THE ABSOLUTE TO THE NOTHINGNESS
[Provides the seeker the wisdom to understand the Noneness as well as the Oneness]
Purchase an e-Book now and begin reading it in minutes (except with e-checks that can take 7-10 days). Trusting our clients as we do, all e-Books are provided to you in printable form.
SAVE IF YOU BUY ALL ELEVEN AT ONCE:
(You may order the books one at a time or you may use the following link to acquire the entire 11-e-Book set on sale for $99 if ordered at one time with the “Buy Now” button below. For this option, there will be no download links provided; once the near-instant notice of payment is received from PayPal, your e-Books will be sent to you as e-mail attachments. All are printable for your convenience.)
You may visit The Official Website of Floyd Henderson for information on each book.
3. BY ENROLLING in the Online Advaita Classes
For information, visit Information on the Advaita Classes on the Internet
To enroll visit Enroll in the Advaita Internet Course
4. BY ATTENDING an Advaitin retreat for satsang with floyd and being guided through all seven steps. For details of the retreats offered, please visit the retreat information site.
5. BY ARRANGING satsang by telephone in the U.S. or by Skype internationally:
Use the Contact link for details or for information on making arrangements for a session
6. BY ARRANGING for floyd to travel to your location and meet with you or your group. Use the contact link above to discuss details.
SUBMITTING ADVAITA VEDANTA POETRY FOR PUBLICATION
Visit
Submitting Advaita Vedanta Poetry for Publication
3. BY ENROLLING in the Online Advaita Classes
For information, visit Information on the Advaita Classes on the Internet
To enroll visit Enroll in the Advaita Internet Course
4. BY ATTENDING an Advaitin retreat for satsang with floyd and being guided through all seven steps. For details of the retreats offered, please visit the retreat information site.
5. BY ARRANGING satsang by telephone in the U.S. or by Skype internationally:
Use the Contact link for details or for information on making arrangements for a session
6. BY ARRANGING for floyd to travel to your location and meet with you or your group. Use the contact link above to discuss details.
SUBMITTING ADVAITA VEDANTA POETRY FOR PUBLICATION
Visit
Submitting Advaita Vedanta Poetry for Publication
