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.
Here, there is nothing that is believed, so there is no one here who wants you to believe anything, either. Here, the invitation is to be free of all that you have been programmed, conditioned, acculturated, and domesticated to believe so that you can be free, period.
F.: This which is called “floyd” by some—and that which is called “you” by many—is merely a triad of temporarily combined elements with air circulating into and out of a space and conscious-energy temporarily manifested within the space.
Regarding that energy part of the triad, wherefore this notion that the temporarily-manifested energy is “bad” and that the pre-manifested and post-manifested energy is “good”? Energy is energy and there is nothing any more dualistic about it than there is about anything else.
Consider this about energy: scientists have catalogued all of the changes that have to happen in order for the energy in the core of the sun to be converted eventually into electricity on planet earth. So how many persons would suggest that the energy in the core of the sun should be given higher status than the manifest electricity in a home?
If the flow of electrical power to a house is interrupted during a storm, the (distorted) perception is that a state of emergency exists if the interruption continues even for five or six hours. In such cases, the value of energy manifested on the planet—especially in the form of the electricity within any given house—is appreciated significantly, at least when it is unavailable for a time.
When it comes right down to it, the energy manifested throughout a house is valued far more than the energy at the core of the sun that is not manifested on the planet earth. Is it not curious how the opposite perception is so popular among many seekers who devalue the manifested conscious-energy while ennobling the unmanifested energy…or the THAT-ness?
Of course all misery and suffering among persons is linked directly to the programming and conditioning that corrupts or blocks the manifest consciousness. And of course it is the corrupted or blocked consciousness that fuels the illusions of ego as well as egotism’s support of illusory ego-states. But ego and egotism can also inspire the tendency by some seekers to assign special value to “Me as THAT.”
And yes, Maharaj did teach that there can be no liberation if one is attached to the concept of the I AM. Yet fish and deer and birds are "liberated" in that they are not attached to any concepts or personas; nevertheless, fish and deer and birds are very much aware of the Am-ness.
Relishing the post-Realization Am-ness, therefore, has nothing at all to do with the non-Realized’s attachment to the I AM; it has nothing at all to do with projecting a world; and it has nothing at all to do with blocking an ability to differentiate true from false.
The relative effects of the post-Realization Am-ness have nothing at all in common with the relative effects generated via pre-Realization Am-ness. For a seeker to dismantle the belief systems that have supported the false concepts associated with the pre-Realization Am-ness does not mean that the Am-ness itself must end. What ends is the limited and limiting identification with the Am-ness.
The deer does not think, “I AM.” It just IS. That is the invitation here: yes, Maharaj said to put to an end the belief in any and all concepts, but he did not say to put an end to the Am-ness. Nor did he say, in the end, that one should ultimately identify with The Ultimate. In the end, the message was to identify with nothing (which was, in fact, his very definition of wisdom).
[NOTE: Along the "path," there is admittedly a shift in identification with "this" to identification with "that," but if your seeking has ended with an identification with something special (or with any identification at all) then wisdom is absent.]
The discounting of the value of the pre-Realization Am-ness need not be applied to the post-Realization Am-ness; however, that discounting often happens. The invitation is to see that such discounting is an act based in the arrogance of those who have assumed some elevated status and now claim (a) not that they are nothing but that (b) they are “The Ultimate,” “A Supreme Self,” “godly,” or “God.”
There is as much nonsense and self-importance associated with those touting their enlightened state as there was when those same persons were embroiled in the nonsense and self-ish-ness of their pre-Realization state of Is-ness. The non-dualistic state is free of all beliefs, including the belief that one is “this” or one is “that.”
The deer which live in a nisarga (natural) fashion do not believe that they are anything, do not believe that energy “there” is more noble than “energy” here, and do not foster any notions about advancement, improvement, or “better-than-ness.”
Further, if one were to study objectively the history of this planet—or were to look objectively at the present state of relative affairs on the planet—they might conclude the following:
most of the relative problems on the planet have been generated by (1) those who think they have “made it” and by (2) those who believe they have “arrived” and by (3) those who have adopted “new and improved” false identities such as “The Devoutly Religious One” or “The Spiritual Giant” and by (4) those who now take themselves—their “self” or “selves” to be—“The Ultimate” or “The Supreme” or “The Godly One” or “God” himself, herself, or itself.
By “The Void”? No. By “The Nothingness”? No. By “The Supreme This or That”? Yes, yes, yes. True, the manifest consciousness is overrated among the non-Realized, but the supposedly post-Realized state is often unjustifiably glorified as well.
Next, why even begin the “journey,” much less complete it, if the Am-ness is not to be enjoyed post-Realization? Misery and suffering are rooted in the conceptualized and conceptualizing Am-ness, true;
however, the non-Realized—attached to the illusions generated by the blocked Am-ness—share nothing in common with the Fully Realized, post-Realization specks that savor the remainder of the manifestation no matter what transpires (even as feelings are witnessed as they rise and fall).
Furthermore, a sanctioning of the post-Realization Am-ness should never be interpreted as an endorsement of the pre-Realization Am-ness. Moreover, to sanction the post-Realization Am-ness is not to contradict Maharaj’s pointer that the knowledge of I AM is nothing.
Maharaj was totally accurate in that regard. Note, though, that the deer has no “knowledge” of its Am-ness, though it is aware of its Am–ness (with no learning of higher or praiseworthy concepts involved).
This in not about “knowledge” of the Am-ness. It is about relishing in the beingness, in enjoying that which is natural, after the Am-ness is seen for what it is and for what it is not. The post-programming beingness is most unnatural; the post-Realization beingness is perfectly natural.
So why not just BE? WHO thinks that it is not good enough for her or him to just be in that state of beingness rather than subsumed in an unnatural (or supernatural) state of constant doingness?
Questioner: What is that state?
Maharaj: It is something like a deer taking rest in the shadow of a tree.
Regarding that energy part of the triad, wherefore this notion that the temporarily-manifested energy is “bad” and that the pre-manifested and post-manifested energy is “good”? Energy is energy and there is nothing any more dualistic about it than there is about anything else.
Consider this about energy: scientists have catalogued all of the changes that have to happen in order for the energy in the core of the sun to be converted eventually into electricity on planet earth. So how many persons would suggest that the energy in the core of the sun should be given higher status than the manifest electricity in a home?
If the flow of electrical power to a house is interrupted during a storm, the (distorted) perception is that a state of emergency exists if the interruption continues even for five or six hours. In such cases, the value of energy manifested on the planet—especially in the form of the electricity within any given house—is appreciated significantly, at least when it is unavailable for a time.
When it comes right down to it, the energy manifested throughout a house is valued far more than the energy at the core of the sun that is not manifested on the planet earth. Is it not curious how the opposite perception is so popular among many seekers who devalue the manifested conscious-energy while ennobling the unmanifested energy…or the THAT-ness?
Of course all misery and suffering among persons is linked directly to the programming and conditioning that corrupts or blocks the manifest consciousness. And of course it is the corrupted or blocked consciousness that fuels the illusions of ego as well as egotism’s support of illusory ego-states. But ego and egotism can also inspire the tendency by some seekers to assign special value to “Me as THAT.”
And yes, Maharaj did teach that there can be no liberation if one is attached to the concept of the I AM. Yet fish and deer and birds are "liberated" in that they are not attached to any concepts or personas; nevertheless, fish and deer and birds are very much aware of the Am-ness.
Relishing the post-Realization Am-ness, therefore, has nothing at all to do with the non-Realized’s attachment to the I AM; it has nothing at all to do with projecting a world; and it has nothing at all to do with blocking an ability to differentiate true from false.
The relative effects of the post-Realization Am-ness have nothing at all in common with the relative effects generated via pre-Realization Am-ness. For a seeker to dismantle the belief systems that have supported the false concepts associated with the pre-Realization Am-ness does not mean that the Am-ness itself must end. What ends is the limited and limiting identification with the Am-ness.
The deer does not think, “I AM.” It just IS. That is the invitation here: yes, Maharaj said to put to an end the belief in any and all concepts, but he did not say to put an end to the Am-ness. Nor did he say, in the end, that one should ultimately identify with The Ultimate. In the end, the message was to identify with nothing (which was, in fact, his very definition of wisdom).
[NOTE: Along the "path," there is admittedly a shift in identification with "this" to identification with "that," but if your seeking has ended with an identification with something special (or with any identification at all) then wisdom is absent.]
The discounting of the value of the pre-Realization Am-ness need not be applied to the post-Realization Am-ness; however, that discounting often happens. The invitation is to see that such discounting is an act based in the arrogance of those who have assumed some elevated status and now claim (a) not that they are nothing but that (b) they are “The Ultimate,” “A Supreme Self,” “godly,” or “God.”
There is as much nonsense and self-importance associated with those touting their enlightened state as there was when those same persons were embroiled in the nonsense and self-ish-ness of their pre-Realization state of Is-ness. The non-dualistic state is free of all beliefs, including the belief that one is “this” or one is “that.”
The deer which live in a nisarga (natural) fashion do not believe that they are anything, do not believe that energy “there” is more noble than “energy” here, and do not foster any notions about advancement, improvement, or “better-than-ness.”
Further, if one were to study objectively the history of this planet—or were to look objectively at the present state of relative affairs on the planet—they might conclude the following:
most of the relative problems on the planet have been generated by (1) those who think they have “made it” and by (2) those who believe they have “arrived” and by (3) those who have adopted “new and improved” false identities such as “The Devoutly Religious One” or “The Spiritual Giant” and by (4) those who now take themselves—their “self” or “selves” to be—“The Ultimate” or “The Supreme” or “The Godly One” or “God” himself, herself, or itself.
By “The Void”? No. By “The Nothingness”? No. By “The Supreme This or That”? Yes, yes, yes. True, the manifest consciousness is overrated among the non-Realized, but the supposedly post-Realized state is often unjustifiably glorified as well.
Next, why even begin the “journey,” much less complete it, if the Am-ness is not to be enjoyed post-Realization? Misery and suffering are rooted in the conceptualized and conceptualizing Am-ness, true;
however, the non-Realized—attached to the illusions generated by the blocked Am-ness—share nothing in common with the Fully Realized, post-Realization specks that savor the remainder of the manifestation no matter what transpires (even as feelings are witnessed as they rise and fall).
Furthermore, a sanctioning of the post-Realization Am-ness should never be interpreted as an endorsement of the pre-Realization Am-ness. Moreover, to sanction the post-Realization Am-ness is not to contradict Maharaj’s pointer that the knowledge of I AM is nothing.
Maharaj was totally accurate in that regard. Note, though, that the deer has no “knowledge” of its Am-ness, though it is aware of its Am–ness (with no learning of higher or praiseworthy concepts involved).
This in not about “knowledge” of the Am-ness. It is about relishing in the beingness, in enjoying that which is natural, after the Am-ness is seen for what it is and for what it is not. The post-programming beingness is most unnatural; the post-Realization beingness is perfectly natural.
So why not just BE? WHO thinks that it is not good enough for her or him to just be in that state of beingness rather than subsumed in an unnatural (or supernatural) state of constant doingness?
Questioner: What is that state?
Maharaj: It is something like a deer taking rest in the shadow of a tree.
Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
Now you can receive for $40 a downloadable computer file version of the same 7-hour satsang that seekers receive when they visit for the Advaita Retreat with Floyd. You will be guided through the seven steps from identification with the false "I" to the Absolute (and beyond).
For more information or to order, click:
DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
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.)
For more information or to order, click:
DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
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.)
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.
