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.
FROM A SITE VISITOR: A friend mentioned that in a talk on personality you talked about where certain types live but he couldn’t remember it all. He said I’m a Type Three and have a huge ego and that on your list I’m the one who lives in the mirror. Do you have a copy of that I could read? Thanx, Jim
F.: It has been noted here many times that there are none who are as asleep as those who are dreaming that they are awake. Maharaj spoke of those who think they are standing in the light of the noonday sun but are only barely in the dim light of the dawn.
The example used here for those familiar with U.S. geography is that most in Los Angeles will never try to reach New York, but even those who try will usually be deceived, believing that they have reached their destination when they have really only gone as far as St. Louis.
So what does that have to do with the mirror? Most adult persons (the non-Realized who are adult in age) will look into the mirror and know that what they are seeing is an image, but they will continue to believe falsely that what is being reflected in the mirror is real.
Most will never grasp that neither the image, nor what they think they are seeing an image of, is real. The image disappears when the body moves away from the mirror, but that which appeared as an image in the mirror will also disappear as well. By contrast, what is real is eternal.
Eventually, the elemental body that is being reflected will return to the universal pool of elements. While that pool has been forever (and, thus, was not created), it cannot be destroyed either. Yet the elemental body formed by a temporary gathering of elements will not last.
So, to Realize is to understand that what is Real is eternal; thereafter, it can then be understood that (1) what is being reflected in the mirror will not last anymore than the image will last and that (2) what is being reflected via consciousness is not the real either.
The images being projected on the screen of a theater are not real...are just a play in light. That is the case with all things relative.
Once the above is understood, it is realized that there is no continuity, so there should be no dread of continuous punishment either. (Furthermore, since there is neither continuous punishment nor continuous reward, those killing in order to gain a host of prurient prizes for eternity can abandon your murderous ways.)
Note, also, that the image in the mirror has changed on a daily basis because the temporary grouping of elements has changed on a daily basis. Thus, the pointer from Maharaj offered earlier: “Memory creates the illusion of continuity” and “In the great mirror of consciousness, images arise and disappear and only memory gives them continuity.”
To understand that (a) there are only images and that (b) the mirror of consciousness is as deceiving as the mirrors on your walls and that (c) there is no continuity is to end the misperception that there is any validity to either the image or to that which is being reflected.
It is to understand that the temporary manifestation of that which You temporarily Are is what is allowing the witnessing of the false nature of the image as well as the witnessing of the fact that whatever is casting an image is as false as the image itself.
However, the mirror that has been a tool of deception can be an instrument for realizing the truth. In an exchange with Louise (who will be posting from January 19-22) the way that the mirror can be used either as a tool for deception or as a tool that often facilitates Realization was discussed:
Louise: I am reminded of that spontaneous self-enquiry in my early 30’s – gazing at the reflection in the mirror for hours and asking “Who Am I?” Always, I guess, there is this intuitive sense that the image is not the True Identity. Such impassioned “work”. Today, I am more drawn to the deer, which would not even react or register when incidentally viewing an image of itself in a pool when drinking.
F.: Exactly. The mirror can become a tool for movement along the path when there is a pause - an occasion when all comes to a halt and, during that moment of pause, one can really look honestly into the mirror and a new awareness can come, such as: “Wait – That's not me. Who the heck is that? And if that's not who I am, then who in the heck am I?”
Have you allowed the mirror to provide that instance of self-inquiry? If not, then the suggestion is to…
...leave your computer
...go into another room
...look
...ask
...and then understand. Understand that many seekers have been moved farther along the “path” via that simple happening.
If the mirror is to play any role at all in your home, let it be the role that can lead to truth rather than to the continued reinforcement of the lie. The invitation is to stop living in the mirror and to let “death” happen via the mirror.
If you must ask, “Let what die?” then You are not yet unblocked to the required degree for Full Realization to happen. Continue to question. Continue to seek. Continue to look. Continue to ask. Continue to pause and to consider. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
F.: It has been noted here many times that there are none who are as asleep as those who are dreaming that they are awake. Maharaj spoke of those who think they are standing in the light of the noonday sun but are only barely in the dim light of the dawn.
The example used here for those familiar with U.S. geography is that most in Los Angeles will never try to reach New York, but even those who try will usually be deceived, believing that they have reached their destination when they have really only gone as far as St. Louis.
So what does that have to do with the mirror? Most adult persons (the non-Realized who are adult in age) will look into the mirror and know that what they are seeing is an image, but they will continue to believe falsely that what is being reflected in the mirror is real.
Most will never grasp that neither the image, nor what they think they are seeing an image of, is real. The image disappears when the body moves away from the mirror, but that which appeared as an image in the mirror will also disappear as well. By contrast, what is real is eternal.
Eventually, the elemental body that is being reflected will return to the universal pool of elements. While that pool has been forever (and, thus, was not created), it cannot be destroyed either. Yet the elemental body formed by a temporary gathering of elements will not last.
So, to Realize is to understand that what is Real is eternal; thereafter, it can then be understood that (1) what is being reflected in the mirror will not last anymore than the image will last and that (2) what is being reflected via consciousness is not the real either.
The images being projected on the screen of a theater are not real...are just a play in light. That is the case with all things relative.
Once the above is understood, it is realized that there is no continuity, so there should be no dread of continuous punishment either. (Furthermore, since there is neither continuous punishment nor continuous reward, those killing in order to gain a host of prurient prizes for eternity can abandon your murderous ways.)
Note, also, that the image in the mirror has changed on a daily basis because the temporary grouping of elements has changed on a daily basis. Thus, the pointer from Maharaj offered earlier: “Memory creates the illusion of continuity” and “In the great mirror of consciousness, images arise and disappear and only memory gives them continuity.”
To understand that (a) there are only images and that (b) the mirror of consciousness is as deceiving as the mirrors on your walls and that (c) there is no continuity is to end the misperception that there is any validity to either the image or to that which is being reflected.
It is to understand that the temporary manifestation of that which You temporarily Are is what is allowing the witnessing of the false nature of the image as well as the witnessing of the fact that whatever is casting an image is as false as the image itself.
However, the mirror that has been a tool of deception can be an instrument for realizing the truth. In an exchange with Louise (who will be posting from January 19-22) the way that the mirror can be used either as a tool for deception or as a tool that often facilitates Realization was discussed:
Louise: I am reminded of that spontaneous self-enquiry in my early 30’s – gazing at the reflection in the mirror for hours and asking “Who Am I?” Always, I guess, there is this intuitive sense that the image is not the True Identity. Such impassioned “work”. Today, I am more drawn to the deer, which would not even react or register when incidentally viewing an image of itself in a pool when drinking.
F.: Exactly. The mirror can become a tool for movement along the path when there is a pause - an occasion when all comes to a halt and, during that moment of pause, one can really look honestly into the mirror and a new awareness can come, such as: “Wait – That's not me. Who the heck is that? And if that's not who I am, then who in the heck am I?”
Have you allowed the mirror to provide that instance of self-inquiry? If not, then the suggestion is to…
...leave your computer
...go into another room
...look
...ask
...and then understand. Understand that many seekers have been moved farther along the “path” via that simple happening.
If the mirror is to play any role at all in your home, let it be the role that can lead to truth rather than to the continued reinforcement of the lie. The invitation is to stop living in the mirror and to let “death” happen via the mirror.
If you must ask, “Let what die?” then You are not yet unblocked to the required degree for Full Realization to happen. Continue to question. Continue to seek. Continue to look. Continue to ask. Continue to pause and to consider. 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.
