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.: Next, understand that the term "the inner guru" refers to nothing special or unique. There is no duality, so there is no "A" that You as a "B" should be listening to. It is a term that merely points toward the intuitive knowing (without the use of “rational” processes, by the way), and toward something which is natural—not supernatural or extraordinary or exceptional. Why the misunderstanding?
Some statements from teachers, geared to persons early on the “path,” have contributed to misunderstandings about the inner guru. Yesterday it was emphasized that there is no personal aspect to the inner guru, but even my teacher contributed to that notion by occasionally using a personal pronoun for reference:
Maharaj said, "The Guru wants to save you the endless pain. Such is his grace and the inner Guru is not committed to non-violence. He can be quite violent at times, to the point of destroying the obtuse or perverted personality. Suffering and death, as life and happiness, are his tools of work"; and...
"He is the only reality. All else is shadow…” When asked, “Does the inner Guru also teach?” Maharaj replied, “He grants the conviction that you are the eternal, changeless, reality-consciousness-love, within and beyond all appearances.”
However, Maharaj redirected the discussion away from such personal references by saying: “The words 'outer' and 'inner' are relative to the body only; in reality all is one, the outer being merely a projection of the inner. Awareness comes as if from a higher dimension."
Also, when asked, “Does his inner Guru guide and help him or does he leave him to his own resources, just waiting for the outcome?” Maharaj answered, “All happens by itself. Neither the seeker nor the Guru do anything. Things happen as they happen; blame or praise are apportioned later, after the sense of doership appearing.”
So there is no doer involved with the inner guru, no gender, no personal nature, and no individualized attributes. The misunderstanding is no different than when a teacher speaks of a pure, witnessing speck of energy as a “Self” or “Real Self” or “True Self” when there is actually no self-ness or Self-ness involved at all. There’s nothing more happening in any of those cases than this: thorns are being used to remove thorns.
After a few e-mail exchanges after yesterday’s post, Louise (who will post for the rest of this week) understood exactly when she finally responded:
L.: Okay. The insight that has come is this: This unfolding of the knowledge that is Realization is entirely natural and ordinary, just like the acorn in conducive conditions of wet fertile earth and sunshine will sprout and become the oak tree. It is an extraordinary mystery and yet natural and normal.
If the acorn was self-conscious, at the point of the splitting of the husk and the sprouting of the shoot, sensations may be "experienced', the changes in structure from the growth may be intuited. If the acorn had an ego, as the husk splits and the acorn sprouts, the self-reflective thoughts may arise: "What is happening to me? I am changing." "These changes are occurring without my conscious effort. How can this be? The inner guru? The grace of the teacher?" etc.
However, in the absence of egoic self-reflection the miracle of the acorn sprouting and becoming the oak tree just happens. In the same way, in the right conditions, the human being may just sprout - and this knowledge unfolds naturally. The story of the inner guru and the outer teacher are just stories told for a time - but are neither true nor relevant.
F.: Perfectly put, and in the same absence of ego-state assumption and egotism and self-absorption, the acorn a la oak does not sway about thinking, "Look at me - look how grand I am and how grand all of this is that I have accomplished"; or…
"Look how grand all of my offspring are; as a product of me, they must be great, and surely all will love my mighty oaks and our little seedlings and our entire family of trees and I shall leave my unique mark on this world for eternity - a world that I have changed for the better";
and not being religious, it will not conclude that "the acorns that do not produce trees have been a waste of the seed and should feel guilty and shamed and shall suffer now and forevermore as a result”;
and not being deluded into thinking it is spiritual, the acorn will not claim that the naturally-occurring process of reproduction "is really a magical, supernatural event being controlled by a deity in another world and making the acorn and its oaks into something ‘super’ and special and something far beyond what is merely natural."
So, this series will continue next Saturday. Meanwhile, Louise will be posting Tuesday through Friday. Her last series received overwhelming praise for the clarity of the Advaitin insights she offered, so you are invited to visit each day this week for more non-duality pointers that she will share in her highly-effective style. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
Some statements from teachers, geared to persons early on the “path,” have contributed to misunderstandings about the inner guru. Yesterday it was emphasized that there is no personal aspect to the inner guru, but even my teacher contributed to that notion by occasionally using a personal pronoun for reference:
Maharaj said, "The Guru wants to save you the endless pain. Such is his grace and the inner Guru is not committed to non-violence. He can be quite violent at times, to the point of destroying the obtuse or perverted personality. Suffering and death, as life and happiness, are his tools of work"; and...
"He is the only reality. All else is shadow…” When asked, “Does the inner Guru also teach?” Maharaj replied, “He grants the conviction that you are the eternal, changeless, reality-consciousness-love, within and beyond all appearances.”
However, Maharaj redirected the discussion away from such personal references by saying: “The words 'outer' and 'inner' are relative to the body only; in reality all is one, the outer being merely a projection of the inner. Awareness comes as if from a higher dimension."
Also, when asked, “Does his inner Guru guide and help him or does he leave him to his own resources, just waiting for the outcome?” Maharaj answered, “All happens by itself. Neither the seeker nor the Guru do anything. Things happen as they happen; blame or praise are apportioned later, after the sense of doership appearing.”
So there is no doer involved with the inner guru, no gender, no personal nature, and no individualized attributes. The misunderstanding is no different than when a teacher speaks of a pure, witnessing speck of energy as a “Self” or “Real Self” or “True Self” when there is actually no self-ness or Self-ness involved at all. There’s nothing more happening in any of those cases than this: thorns are being used to remove thorns.
After a few e-mail exchanges after yesterday’s post, Louise (who will post for the rest of this week) understood exactly when she finally responded:
L.: Okay. The insight that has come is this: This unfolding of the knowledge that is Realization is entirely natural and ordinary, just like the acorn in conducive conditions of wet fertile earth and sunshine will sprout and become the oak tree. It is an extraordinary mystery and yet natural and normal.
If the acorn was self-conscious, at the point of the splitting of the husk and the sprouting of the shoot, sensations may be "experienced', the changes in structure from the growth may be intuited. If the acorn had an ego, as the husk splits and the acorn sprouts, the self-reflective thoughts may arise: "What is happening to me? I am changing." "These changes are occurring without my conscious effort. How can this be? The inner guru? The grace of the teacher?" etc.
However, in the absence of egoic self-reflection the miracle of the acorn sprouting and becoming the oak tree just happens. In the same way, in the right conditions, the human being may just sprout - and this knowledge unfolds naturally. The story of the inner guru and the outer teacher are just stories told for a time - but are neither true nor relevant.
F.: Perfectly put, and in the same absence of ego-state assumption and egotism and self-absorption, the acorn a la oak does not sway about thinking, "Look at me - look how grand I am and how grand all of this is that I have accomplished"; or…
"Look how grand all of my offspring are; as a product of me, they must be great, and surely all will love my mighty oaks and our little seedlings and our entire family of trees and I shall leave my unique mark on this world for eternity - a world that I have changed for the better";
and not being religious, it will not conclude that "the acorns that do not produce trees have been a waste of the seed and should feel guilty and shamed and shall suffer now and forevermore as a result”;
and not being deluded into thinking it is spiritual, the acorn will not claim that the naturally-occurring process of reproduction "is really a magical, supernatural event being controlled by a deity in another world and making the acorn and its oaks into something ‘super’ and special and something far beyond what is merely natural."
So, this series will continue next Saturday. Meanwhile, Louise will be posting Tuesday through Friday. Her last series received overwhelming praise for the clarity of the Advaitin insights she offered, so you are invited to visit each day this week for more non-duality pointers that she will share in her highly-effective style. 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 recommended 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 recommended 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.
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.
