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: How can you claim that maharaj was realized and at peace when he got mad and ran people out of his house?
FROM ANOTHER SITE VISITOR: How much time do you spend with people? I mean do you blend into society are do you retreat…isolate…whatever?
FROM ANOTHER SITE VISITOR: do you ever feel resentful about people who write you and ask stupid questions or argue with you about their religion or their beliefs? seems like denial if you claim no.
FROM ANOTHER SITE VISITOR: Do you think there were some people that maharaj hated even though he said he lived with wisdom and love? For instant, how could you not hate hitler? do you ever get sick of people who aren’t realized.Is there anything you hate?
F.: In the 30 April 2009 post, the pointer was offered that…
…a "pro-noise" e-mail was received as a counter-argument to the considerations offered recently about the natural tendency to move toward the peace and quiet. Of course, those living unnaturally or supernaturally will be drawn to noise. Furthermore, understand that nothing which is natural and sane and sound can be assumed to be understood by those marching to the beat—to the very loud beat—of the drum that sounds out the cadence to which the non-Realized masses move about during the relative existence.
Moreover, before that discussion continues, never assume that you have heard the most extreme example of self-deception. As long as the Am-ness continues, the chance for more extreme examples is always a possibility. Now, here’s that e-mail:
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 the noise of Ketwadi Street. I'll 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.
OK, W.D. It’s time for a major reality check. Over the years, you have revealed the ways in which you have vacillated between the sometimes-kind Helper and the sometimes-mean Controller. You have vacillated between studying these teachings that deal with the no-concept Reality and then played around in your “spiritual group” and shared loads of concepts.
Worse though (relatively speaking) is what your “mind” has come up with over the last several years that has resulted in tolerance of abuse at times, being abusive at times, and consistently making the most disastrous financial decisions imaginable. As one Advaitin noted 2000 years ago, "A dual-minded man is unstable in all ways."
And now you have put on display once more the distorted thinking that has driven all of that. An honest look at the content of your e-mail might provide one more opportunity for you to realize the way that your beliefs and your thought-life and your self-defeating “mind” are all still generating ideas that are 180-degrees opposite of truth.
As the discussion of the natural movement toward the quiet among the Realized continues, consider: all types of noise, music or otherwise, are used by the non-Realized for one of two purposes, and often both: (1) To try to drown out the noisy “mind” or (2) to try to support ego-states…false identities. In regards to the first, some observations by another Realized Advaitin teacher will be shared.
The way that Dennis Waite addresses this issue differs from the way I will address it tomorrow, but an excerpt from his writings in The Book of One is apropos here. Dennis shared with his readers, in strictly Advaitin terms, some demonstrable shifts that begin to mark the relative existence, post-Realization:
We need to keep good company. There is a special term for this – satsanga (satsa~Nga), meaning association with the good. This relates not only to spiritual rather than animalistic people but fine literature rather than popular fiction, classical rather than rock music, art rather than graffiti etc.; influences to improve and refine the mind rather than stultify and coarsen.
There is a danger of viewing such sentiments as being judgmental; that in stating that classical music is ‘better’ than pop music, we are merely expressing an opinion. This is not so. What is being said is not that classical music is intrinsically good, while pop is somehow ‘bad’ but that much (not all) of the former brings about a predominance of sattva in the attentive mind while most of the latter generates rajas or tamas.
Similarly, ‘good’ literature directs the mind to serious and/or spiritual considerations while most popular fiction merely causes time to pass in a way which, whilst it may stimulate manas, does little to enhance the functioning of buddhi. These things can be seen to happen in practice by anyone open to these ideas; they are not simply matters of opinion.
Until the other aspects of the ‘fourfold qualities’ have been achieved, it is very difficult to remain fixed on the objective. Shankara, in the Bhaja Govindum (V. 9) said: “Through the company of the good, there arises non-attachment; through non-attachment there arises freedom from delusion; when there is freedom from delusion, there is the Immutable Reality; on experiencing the Immutable Reality, there comes the state of ‘liberated-in-life’.” Later (V. 13), he says: “In the three worlds, it is the association with good people alone that can serve as a boat to cross the sea of change (birth and death)” (Ref. 16)
Osho claims that we usually seek out people who are less accomplished than ourselves. We will not marry someone who is more intelligent, for example and we don’t like our friends to be more knowledgeable; the idea being that the ego needs to feel superior. But all of this work is trying to take us in the opposite direction, reducing the dominion of the ego and establishing us in the light of the Self. Thus it is that we should be seeking the company of those wiser than ourselves, whose light is brighter. This reference is from his book ‘The Mustard Seed’ (Ref. 44) and he likens the impulse that we have towards the truth as being the mustard seed that now requires the right soil in which to grow and mature. Satsang is that soil.
Sri Poonja said: “Wicked habits and society will come back to you. They are very strong and so you must be. You are going upstream to the source, they are flowing downstream and will drag you along.”
Maharaj said that science would one day support the Advaita teachings, one of which is to follow the steps that will lead to the silence, to the quiet, to the peace. (He endorsed "…complete inner peace and quiet…," adding, “If you miss it, you miss the entire thing.”)
Tomorrow, I will share the understanding that has come since “floyd” disappeared and since abidance as “THAT, overlaid on the Am-ness,” began. When that happens, there is a spontaneous, automatic, agenda-less, persona-less, mind-less movement toward that which is peaceful and that which is quiet.
There also comes an end to such delusion-based self-deceptions as “I have more clarity when I smoke pot”; “I have more clarity when I drop acid”; “I have more clarity when I listen to heavy metal music”; "I have more clarity when I am drunk"; or “I have more clarity when I put a pot over my head and bang it with a hammer.”
Contrary to the nonsensical conclusions that the "mind" will lead persons to draw, the scientific evidence (which Maharaj spoke of) provides concrete facts that refute each of the claims above. Smoke it, drop it, listen to it, drink it, or bang it, knowing that none of that makes any difference whatsoever to Me. But be not deceived about the actual results of such smoking, dropping, listening, drinking, or banging. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
FROM ANOTHER SITE VISITOR: How much time do you spend with people? I mean do you blend into society are do you retreat…isolate…whatever?
FROM ANOTHER SITE VISITOR: do you ever feel resentful about people who write you and ask stupid questions or argue with you about their religion or their beliefs? seems like denial if you claim no.
FROM ANOTHER SITE VISITOR: Do you think there were some people that maharaj hated even though he said he lived with wisdom and love? For instant, how could you not hate hitler? do you ever get sick of people who aren’t realized.Is there anything you hate?
F.: In the 30 April 2009 post, the pointer was offered that…
…a "pro-noise" e-mail was received as a counter-argument to the considerations offered recently about the natural tendency to move toward the peace and quiet. Of course, those living unnaturally or supernaturally will be drawn to noise. Furthermore, understand that nothing which is natural and sane and sound can be assumed to be understood by those marching to the beat—to the very loud beat—of the drum that sounds out the cadence to which the non-Realized masses move about during the relative existence.
Moreover, before that discussion continues, never assume that you have heard the most extreme example of self-deception. As long as the Am-ness continues, the chance for more extreme examples is always a possibility. Now, here’s that e-mail:
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 the noise of Ketwadi Street. I'll 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.
OK, W.D. It’s time for a major reality check. Over the years, you have revealed the ways in which you have vacillated between the sometimes-kind Helper and the sometimes-mean Controller. You have vacillated between studying these teachings that deal with the no-concept Reality and then played around in your “spiritual group” and shared loads of concepts.
Worse though (relatively speaking) is what your “mind” has come up with over the last several years that has resulted in tolerance of abuse at times, being abusive at times, and consistently making the most disastrous financial decisions imaginable. As one Advaitin noted 2000 years ago, "A dual-minded man is unstable in all ways."
And now you have put on display once more the distorted thinking that has driven all of that. An honest look at the content of your e-mail might provide one more opportunity for you to realize the way that your beliefs and your thought-life and your self-defeating “mind” are all still generating ideas that are 180-degrees opposite of truth.
As the discussion of the natural movement toward the quiet among the Realized continues, consider: all types of noise, music or otherwise, are used by the non-Realized for one of two purposes, and often both: (1) To try to drown out the noisy “mind” or (2) to try to support ego-states…false identities. In regards to the first, some observations by another Realized Advaitin teacher will be shared.
The way that Dennis Waite addresses this issue differs from the way I will address it tomorrow, but an excerpt from his writings in The Book of One is apropos here. Dennis shared with his readers, in strictly Advaitin terms, some demonstrable shifts that begin to mark the relative existence, post-Realization:
We need to keep good company. There is a special term for this – satsanga (satsa~Nga), meaning association with the good. This relates not only to spiritual rather than animalistic people but fine literature rather than popular fiction, classical rather than rock music, art rather than graffiti etc.; influences to improve and refine the mind rather than stultify and coarsen.
There is a danger of viewing such sentiments as being judgmental; that in stating that classical music is ‘better’ than pop music, we are merely expressing an opinion. This is not so. What is being said is not that classical music is intrinsically good, while pop is somehow ‘bad’ but that much (not all) of the former brings about a predominance of sattva in the attentive mind while most of the latter generates rajas or tamas.
Similarly, ‘good’ literature directs the mind to serious and/or spiritual considerations while most popular fiction merely causes time to pass in a way which, whilst it may stimulate manas, does little to enhance the functioning of buddhi. These things can be seen to happen in practice by anyone open to these ideas; they are not simply matters of opinion.
Until the other aspects of the ‘fourfold qualities’ have been achieved, it is very difficult to remain fixed on the objective. Shankara, in the Bhaja Govindum (V. 9) said: “Through the company of the good, there arises non-attachment; through non-attachment there arises freedom from delusion; when there is freedom from delusion, there is the Immutable Reality; on experiencing the Immutable Reality, there comes the state of ‘liberated-in-life’.” Later (V. 13), he says: “In the three worlds, it is the association with good people alone that can serve as a boat to cross the sea of change (birth and death)” (Ref. 16)
Osho claims that we usually seek out people who are less accomplished than ourselves. We will not marry someone who is more intelligent, for example and we don’t like our friends to be more knowledgeable; the idea being that the ego needs to feel superior. But all of this work is trying to take us in the opposite direction, reducing the dominion of the ego and establishing us in the light of the Self. Thus it is that we should be seeking the company of those wiser than ourselves, whose light is brighter. This reference is from his book ‘The Mustard Seed’ (Ref. 44) and he likens the impulse that we have towards the truth as being the mustard seed that now requires the right soil in which to grow and mature. Satsang is that soil.
Sri Poonja said: “Wicked habits and society will come back to you. They are very strong and so you must be. You are going upstream to the source, they are flowing downstream and will drag you along.”
Maharaj said that science would one day support the Advaita teachings, one of which is to follow the steps that will lead to the silence, to the quiet, to the peace. (He endorsed "…complete inner peace and quiet…," adding, “If you miss it, you miss the entire thing.”)
Tomorrow, I will share the understanding that has come since “floyd” disappeared and since abidance as “THAT, overlaid on the Am-ness,” began. When that happens, there is a spontaneous, automatic, agenda-less, persona-less, mind-less movement toward that which is peaceful and that which is quiet.
There also comes an end to such delusion-based self-deceptions as “I have more clarity when I smoke pot”; “I have more clarity when I drop acid”; “I have more clarity when I listen to heavy metal music”; "I have more clarity when I am drunk"; or “I have more clarity when I put a pot over my head and bang it with a hammer.”
Contrary to the nonsensical conclusions that the "mind" will lead persons to draw, the scientific evidence (which Maharaj spoke of) provides concrete facts that refute each of the claims above. Smoke it, drop it, listen to it, drink it, or bang it, knowing that none of that makes any difference whatsoever to Me. But be not deceived about the actual results of such smoking, dropping, listening, drinking, or banging. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
The “path” fromidentification 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. The book above is a step-by-step guide 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 of these major credit cards
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. The book above is a step-by-step guide 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 of these major credit cards
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
