An Advaita forum focusing on Realisation / Realization, enlightenment, non-duality, Real Love, peace, freedom, Your original nature, natural abidance, the nothingness, and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.
[At the end of this posting there are five videos that discuss thirty-three Advaitin topics]
F.: During the process by which the consciousness manifests and becomes corrupted or blocked, a series of specific steps happen, steps which leave persons identified with the physical body (and the “mind” and personas). The steps are exactly the same in every case. The end result is that persons become identified most with the body, and that is almost as far from being in touch with Reality as a person can be, short of being catatonic.
Realized Advaitin teachers have long agreed that (a) “the path” from body identification to Full Realization is made up of the same steps by which the consciousness initially moved from manifestation to body identification and that (b) the steps must be completed in the exact, reverse order if the shift from body identification to Full Realization is to happen.
No teachers, though, identified in their exact order the specific steps (1-7 in number) by which the pure consciousness manifested but soon became blocked and contaminated and unable to see truth. Nor did any catalogue the exact reverse order of which the various specks of consciousness spoke; thus, seekers seldom find the exact "path," step-by-step, that must be followed in order for the return to happen.
During satsang and retreats, questions raised by visitors consistently reveal that the words used to point to one of the seven steps in particular is always confusing, specifically, “The Child Ignorance Stage." That is a result sometimes of ego and egotism, but more often the sense of confusion is genuinely sincere.
That confusion results because the “going back” steps closely mirror the “coming in” steps except in the case of the "Child Ignorance" step. To clarify, therefore, please consider:
When the child is a few months old, it has neither the ability to judge nor the ability to criticize anything or anyone. It has been taught no lies that will become part of the content of a fiction-based “mind,” so it can neither form nor express opinions nor thoughts nor beliefs. Other than basic bodily functions, it is capable of nothing more than witnessing. It is a "looker," not a "do-er."
To say that it is “ignorant” at that point would not be an accurate assessment, so that leads to confusion. Only when it is later taught ignorance will it be ignorant. What it is at that point is a plant food body that is capable of circulating air and that provides a temporary space in which the unsullied consciousness can manifest and “look.” That’s it.
Will it know what it is seeing? No. Eventually, the programming and conditioning will strip the child of seeing anything as it truly is because lies and nonsense will be presented as truth. The child will not be able to differentiate true from false, and as it moves from what is called “childhood” into what is called “adulthood,” it will join the ranks of all adults who always misperceive everything that they think they see, if not Realized.
The pointer is that it is only after following the steps that free the consciousness of the effects of programming and conditioning and acculturation and domestication during the “going-out” process that this step is reached after finally being free (once again) of all of the content of the “mind” and of all belief in personas.
When this step is reached during the “going back journey,” therefore, it could more accurately be pointed to with the phrase, “the person no longer in ignorance stage.” Prior to reaching this step during the "going back" process, persons will have engaged in either (1) totally distorted witnessing and/or (2) subject-object witnessing, and/or (3) totally blocked witnessing, all of which results in misperception.
At this point, the earnest seeker that has completed the first steps on the "journey" will reach a point of again being “childlike” to the degree that mere witnessing happens...without thoughts, appraisals, judgments, the drawing of conclusions, the sharing of opinions and concepts, and without spewing nonsensical, ego-and-egotism-based beliefs.
From that platform, how can arguments happen? The child has no language and cannot talk. If all concepts and beliefs have been discarded, allowing the seeker to move truly into this “person that is no longer in ignorance stage,” then there are no tools by which arguments can be built.
Having re-entered this stage, the seeker is in that place where there was no language and where there was silence (except when hunger or discomfort manifested). Since the adult can address those conditions of hunger and discomfort, the silence can return.
A sign of movement along the “path” is a shift from the Anglo's ego-inspired worship of “freedom of speech”; then, “freedom from speech” and the "freedom of silence" can manifest. “Witnessing” means “witnessing”—not "reacting to," not "controlling," not "manipulating," not "using," not "debating," not "arguing," not "pontificating," not "moving into and out of histrionic states," not "displaying extreme 'intensity'," and not "doing."
Since witnessing happens in the absence of any witnesser, then there can come once again another taste of what was the bliss of merely being. Farther along the “path,” stabilization in the beingness only can happen, but returning to the point where there was impartial witnessing that triggered no reactions allows for the first sampling again of that which Was and Is and Shall Be (and which can be right now again and for the remainder of the manifestation). Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
Realized Advaitin teachers have long agreed that (a) “the path” from body identification to Full Realization is made up of the same steps by which the consciousness initially moved from manifestation to body identification and that (b) the steps must be completed in the exact, reverse order if the shift from body identification to Full Realization is to happen.
No teachers, though, identified in their exact order the specific steps (1-7 in number) by which the pure consciousness manifested but soon became blocked and contaminated and unable to see truth. Nor did any catalogue the exact reverse order of which the various specks of consciousness spoke; thus, seekers seldom find the exact "path," step-by-step, that must be followed in order for the return to happen.
During satsang and retreats, questions raised by visitors consistently reveal that the words used to point to one of the seven steps in particular is always confusing, specifically, “The Child Ignorance Stage." That is a result sometimes of ego and egotism, but more often the sense of confusion is genuinely sincere.
That confusion results because the “going back” steps closely mirror the “coming in” steps except in the case of the "Child Ignorance" step. To clarify, therefore, please consider:
When the child is a few months old, it has neither the ability to judge nor the ability to criticize anything or anyone. It has been taught no lies that will become part of the content of a fiction-based “mind,” so it can neither form nor express opinions nor thoughts nor beliefs. Other than basic bodily functions, it is capable of nothing more than witnessing. It is a "looker," not a "do-er."
To say that it is “ignorant” at that point would not be an accurate assessment, so that leads to confusion. Only when it is later taught ignorance will it be ignorant. What it is at that point is a plant food body that is capable of circulating air and that provides a temporary space in which the unsullied consciousness can manifest and “look.” That’s it.
Will it know what it is seeing? No. Eventually, the programming and conditioning will strip the child of seeing anything as it truly is because lies and nonsense will be presented as truth. The child will not be able to differentiate true from false, and as it moves from what is called “childhood” into what is called “adulthood,” it will join the ranks of all adults who always misperceive everything that they think they see, if not Realized.
The pointer is that it is only after following the steps that free the consciousness of the effects of programming and conditioning and acculturation and domestication during the “going-out” process that this step is reached after finally being free (once again) of all of the content of the “mind” and of all belief in personas.
When this step is reached during the “going back journey,” therefore, it could more accurately be pointed to with the phrase, “the person no longer in ignorance stage.” Prior to reaching this step during the "going back" process, persons will have engaged in either (1) totally distorted witnessing and/or (2) subject-object witnessing, and/or (3) totally blocked witnessing, all of which results in misperception.
At this point, the earnest seeker that has completed the first steps on the "journey" will reach a point of again being “childlike” to the degree that mere witnessing happens...without thoughts, appraisals, judgments, the drawing of conclusions, the sharing of opinions and concepts, and without spewing nonsensical, ego-and-egotism-based beliefs.
From that platform, how can arguments happen? The child has no language and cannot talk. If all concepts and beliefs have been discarded, allowing the seeker to move truly into this “person that is no longer in ignorance stage,” then there are no tools by which arguments can be built.
Having re-entered this stage, the seeker is in that place where there was no language and where there was silence (except when hunger or discomfort manifested). Since the adult can address those conditions of hunger and discomfort, the silence can return.
A sign of movement along the “path” is a shift from the Anglo's ego-inspired worship of “freedom of speech”; then, “freedom from speech” and the "freedom of silence" can manifest. “Witnessing” means “witnessing”—not "reacting to," not "controlling," not "manipulating," not "using," not "debating," not "arguing," not "pontificating," not "moving into and out of histrionic states," not "displaying extreme 'intensity'," and not "doing."
Since witnessing happens in the absence of any witnesser, then there can come once again another taste of what was the bliss of merely being. Farther along the “path,” stabilization in the beingness only can happen, but returning to the point where there was impartial witnessing that triggered no reactions allows for the first sampling again of that which Was and Is and Shall Be (and which can be right now again and for the remainder of the manifestation). Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
Schedule a one-hour satsang session with floyd
by telephone and the call (either international or in the U.S.) will be free.
[Details below]
For details of the retreats offered, please visit the retreat information site.
TABLE OF CONTENTS BELOW:
1. SATSANG BY TELEPHONE
2. REALIZATION AIDS
3. ARRANGE FOR FLOYD TO SPEAK TO YOUR GROUP
4. SUBMITTING ADVAITA VEDANTA POETRY FOR PUBLICATIONS
5. DONATIONS
6. YOUTUBE VIDEOS DISCUSSING A VARIETY OF ADVAITA TOPICS
1. SATSANG BY TELEPHONE:
A. FREE CALLS INSIDE THE U.S.
B. FREE INTERNATIONAL CALLS ALSO (via Skype)
If you do not already have a Skype account, you need only search “Skype” and, download the free program and take a few minutes to set up your account; then Floyd will call you and you will pay no telephone charges for your session.
Use the Contact link for details or for information on making arrangements for a session
2. REALIZATION AIDS
The Advanced Seekers’ Three-eBook Set
From the I to the Absolute
Consciousness / Awareness
From the Absolute to the Nothingness
(ORDER NOW ANY OF THE FOURTEEN NON-DUALITY BOOKS WRITTEN BY FLOYD
and
YOU WILL HAVE THEM AVAILABLE FOR READING IN A FEW MINUTES FROM NOW)
Order the “Advanced Seeker’s Set” or any of the other books by visiting
The Official Website of Floyd Henderson
3. ARRANGE FOR FLOYD TO TRAVEL TO YOUR LOCATION AND SPEAK TO YOUR GROUP
Use the contact link above to arrange a session in your city either in the U.S. or internationally.
4. SUBMITTING ADVAITA VEDANTA POETRY FOR PUBLICATION
Visit
Submitting Advaita Vedanta Poetry for Publication
5. DONATIONS
by telephone and the call (either international or in the U.S.) will be free.
[Details below]
For details of the retreats offered, please visit the retreat information site.
TABLE OF CONTENTS BELOW:
1. SATSANG BY TELEPHONE
2. REALIZATION AIDS
3. ARRANGE FOR FLOYD TO SPEAK TO YOUR GROUP
4. SUBMITTING ADVAITA VEDANTA POETRY FOR PUBLICATIONS
5. DONATIONS
6. YOUTUBE VIDEOS DISCUSSING A VARIETY OF ADVAITA TOPICS
1. SATSANG BY TELEPHONE:
A. FREE CALLS INSIDE THE U.S.
B. FREE INTERNATIONAL CALLS ALSO (via Skype)
If you do not already have a Skype account, you need only search “Skype” and, download the free program and take a few minutes to set up your account; then Floyd will call you and you will pay no telephone charges for your session.
Use the Contact link for details or for information on making arrangements for a session
2. REALIZATION AIDS
The Advanced Seekers’ Three-eBook Set
From the I to the Absolute
Consciousness / Awareness
From the Absolute to the Nothingness
(ORDER NOW ANY OF THE FOURTEEN NON-DUALITY BOOKS WRITTEN BY FLOYD
and
YOU WILL HAVE THEM AVAILABLE FOR READING IN A FEW MINUTES FROM NOW)
Order the “Advanced Seeker’s Set” or any of the other books by visiting
The Official Website of Floyd Henderson
3. ARRANGE FOR FLOYD TO TRAVEL TO YOUR LOCATION AND SPEAK TO YOUR GROUP
Use the contact link above to arrange a session in your city either in the U.S. or internationally.
4. SUBMITTING ADVAITA VEDANTA POETRY FOR PUBLICATION
Visit
Submitting Advaita Vedanta Poetry for Publication
5. DONATIONS
FROM SIM IN KENTUCKY, U.S.A.: How about a donate button? I give monthly to a blog about locations and reviews of a particular type of restaurant we like. I’d sure donate to this blog.
FROM “ANONYMOUS”: Almost every visitor brought Maharaj food or flowers. I’d like to treat you to a meal if you tell me how to do so with my credit card!
FROM LOUISE, SOUTH AFRICA: [Consider the case of an acquaintance who] added a donate button to his site. Regular blog readers were happy to support the site in this way.
F.: Okay—so it’s done, but note that the postings and responses are offered without charge, as is access to the library of 1,350+ Advaitin essays archived on the site.
That said, any donation will be appreciated. Thank you.FROM “ANONYMOUS”: Almost every visitor brought Maharaj food or flowers. I’d like to treat you to a meal if you tell me how to do so with my credit card!
FROM LOUISE, SOUTH AFRICA: [Consider the case of an acquaintance who] added a donate button to his site. Regular blog readers were happy to support the site in this way.
F.: Okay—so it’s done, but note that the postings and responses are offered without charge, as is access to the library of 1,350+ Advaitin essays archived on the site.
6. ADVAITA VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE
If you want to share the five Advaita videos on your own site, you are invited to do so without charge. Click on the links above and to the right under “Links and Resources.” You’ll be transferred to the video sites and there you will find the embedding codes that you can copy and paste onto your html pages.
Below are five lists containing thirty-three Advaitin subjects that are discussed on the YouTube videos that follow each of the lists.
(The numeric counter information is provided so that you can move to the exact location in the videos to find any particular discussion that might be of interest)
Advaita Topics 1-9:
1. Defining Advaita Vedanta (Counter 28-55)
2. Methods of Teaching (Counter 55-144)
3. Unicity / Nonduality (Counter 144-239)
4. I AM THAT; I AM (Counter 239-331)
5. Learn vs. Unlearn (Counter 331-413)
6. Unlearn What? (Counter 413-444)
7. Person vs. Realized (444-525)
8. The Triad (Counter 525-745)
9. Before Conception (Counter 745-901)
Click on the arrow below to start Video One and topics 1-9:
Advaita Topics 10-16:
10. No Body Continuity / “ME” (Counter 1-56)
11. Not Born / No Creation / Cannot Die (Counter 56-200)
12. No Peace of “mind” / My “mind” / “Their “mind” (Counter 200-333)
13. Brain vs. “mind” vs. Consciousness (Counter 333-500)
14. Not in the World (Counter 500-603)
15. Inner Guru (Counter 603-715)
16. Personality-Suffering Connection / Upgrading Illusions (Counter 715-840)
Click on the arrow below to start Video Two and topics 10-16:
Advaita Topics 18-24:
18. The Role-Playing + Co-dependency + Suicide Link (Counter 1-205)
19. Upgrading / Downgrading Illusions (Counter 205-300)
20. Emotions vs. Feelings (Counter 300-422)
21. Religion and Spirituality (Counter 422-547)
22. Question All (Counter 547-713)
23. Natural vs. Unnatural vs. Supernatural Living (Counter 713-833)
24. When Trillions Are Wrong (Counter 833-920)
Click on the arrow below to start Video Three and topics 18-24:
Advaita Topics 25-31:
25. Christ the Advaitin (Counter 1-150)
26. Child Ignorance / The Pre-”mind” State (Counter 150-340)
27. Child Ignorance vs. Learned Ignorance (Counter 340-439)
28. Two Levels of Witnessing (Counter 439-554)
29. Desires and Fears (Counter 554-641)
30. Consciousness vs. Awareness (Counter 641-720)
31. Real Love vs. false love (Counter 720-846)
Click on the arrow below to start Video Four and topics 25-31:
Advaita Topics 32-33:
32. Zero Concepts (Counter 1-120)
33. The Nothingness (Counter 120-250)
Click on the arrow below to start Video Five and topics 32-33:
