JOYOUS, FREE, THEN HAPPY

An Advaita forum focusing on Realisation, enlightenment, non-duality, Real Love, peace, freedom, Your original nature, abiding naturally, the Oneness, the Nothingness, 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.

Furthermore, for those who have developed a preference for any non-nisargan yoga or who prefer Traditional Advaita Vedanta, Neo-Advaita, Neo-Vedanta, or Pseudo Advaita: here you will only find the use of the Direct Path Method of teaching along with the Nisarga (Natural) Yoga, all shared in simple, everyday English.

F.: There are people in certain programs who speak regularly of being "happy, joyous, and free" (everything in their demeanor and conduct testifying to the opposite).

That is just one example of the evidence which reveals the way that the masses talk in their sleep as a result of denial, dissociation, and not even being awake to what they are feeling and doing and saying and thinking ... and why.

Yet a pointer can be taken from their statement. Happy. Joyous. Free. It should be understood by all seekers that those three must appear in a different order if one would Realize Fully. The order in which those must occur for the seeker to truly "find" is this: joyous and then free must happen first, in that order. Only after those two have happened in that order can happy manifest.

Consider: two wayfarers are wandering through a desert, near death from days in the heat without water. As with the masses, they have seen one mirage after another, convinced that an oasis is near, convinced that a mirage can make them happy, only to find that their misery returns when the mirage is seen to be a mirage.

Just seeing that a mirage is a mirage does not provide relief from misery and suffering. Seeing mirages alone cannot bring freedom or peace. So their search continued.

Finally, they see a real oasis and begin running toward it. At that point, are they happy, joyous and free? No. In fact, at that point, they are only joyous. They are caught up in the emotional intoxication of a "pink cloud" moment.

The same happens with miserable and suffering people who walk into a program or a church or similar place and become caught up in the emotionalism that is typical in those venues. They suddenly have great hope that they have found exactly what they have been looking for and believe that they will never need to search for anything again.

Soon, their hopes are smashed when the pink clouds fade away, when the emotional intoxication subsides - as it always will - and when they see that what was promised is not happening for them and when they see that it actually is not happening for those making the promises, either.

So it is with the two in the desert: they were joyous momentarily, but the joy of finding water does nothing to relieve their misery. They must drink of the water. When they actually drink the water (or in Advaita terms - taste the "nectar" or swallow the "ultimate medicine") only then will they be free ... free of their thirst.

Joyous. Then free. And only after those two manifest, in that order, can peace and happiness manifest. She / He who is not totally free can never be at peace. (And the fact is, most are afraid of being totally independent and do not really want that "total" version at all. So it is.)

In the later 1700's, persons in countries that now make up what is called "The West" began longing for freedom. It is natural. (Hook a fish, try to corner a deer, capture a bird in a net ... then watch the ensuing struggle for freedom.)

Waves of rebellion began manifesting throughout those countries. What are called "democracies" (which are anything but) began to evolve. Now, the same kind of wave that swept through South Africa in the early to mid-1990's is sweeping across northern Africa.

If you watched the recent celebrations in Cairo, you saw that people were quite joyous - quite blissful, in fact- that a despot had left the city. Yet are they free? Not yet. Are they happy? Not yet. Mistake not the emotional intoxication of being joyous for a continuously-manifested state of happiness or contentment. And know that after the joy subsides, there will be no peace until freedom comes first.

The book What BLISS Is and What BLISS Is Not covers in detail the disappointment that many seekers feel when they think that they have reached the end of the "path," only to discover that the bliss there is not what they expected "bliss" to be.

Bliss is comparable to joy in the "joyous-free-happy" triad. It is what many seekers find early on, but it will not be what they find later on, supposedly waiting at the end of the "journey." What is to be found after the experiencing of "bliss" or "joy" early on is ... freedom:

freedom from the belief in untrue ideas and concepts; freedom from attachments; freedom from false identities and their fears and desires; freedom from distortion; from being asleep while dreaming one is awake; freedom from dissociation, from denial, from self-deception, and from being deceived;

freedom from anything deemed personal; from taking anything personally; from being used and manipulated by persons because of one's subconscious psychological issues and personality disorders; from ignorance; from accumulating; from insanity; from physical, mental, spiritual and emotional intoxication;

from seeking to reform others, save others, impress others, and control others; freedom from using others for economic "gain" and societal "elevation"; from believing in and participating in hierarchies; and the list of things that persons long to be free of - though they do not usually recognize them - could go on for pages.

If you are a seeker of bliss, thinking that is the end of the "journey," know that such is the "stuff" of the early stage of the trip, not the "stuff" of the later stage. The emotionalism of being "blissful" and "joyous" must give way to freedom and thereafter to peace and contentment. And peace and contentment should be enough.

The Nisarga yoga is an invitation to abide naturally. The deer in this neighborhood do not walk about in a state of supposed ecstasy or rapture. They are not "high" all the time, nor are they in a trance-like state, nor are they elated 24/7, nor are they walking about in a manner that says, "Joyfulness personified."

Those making the claim that such is their case are only at the first of the three stages that can lead from being joyous to being free and to eventually being happy and content.

Is that not enough? For the one who says, "No, that is not enough," then that one will remain trapped in the tiresome and burdensome task of accumulating rather than moving about the remainder of the relative existence in a post-de-accumulation state marked by an incredible lightness of being.

That one - ignoring the I AM and claiming the I AM THAT only - will also miss out on the real happiness that can only be realized now, after Reality has been overlaid on the relative.

Please enter the silence of contemplation.

The right to sell foreign language versions of almost all books and ebooks are available for purchase. The rights are also extended to the heirs of purchasers. The Polish language rights have been sold on one book. Most others are available for purchase of publication rights. Use the contact link above to inquire. Prices vary.

For those seeking the full explanation of the topics addressed here, there are non-duality books as well as retreats and Skype or telephone sessions available at http://www.floydhenderson.com/ .

There are many titles for which Amazon.com has arranged exclusive distribution rights which they offer at reduced prices at Amazon.com.

No Kindle? No problem. You can still read Kindle books by visiting Amazon and downloading in a minute or so one of their free applications, allowing you to read Kindle books on your PC or laptop or notebook; your iPhone; your Blackberry; your iPad; or your Android.

The following titles and series are available:

THE "ADVANCED SEEKER" SERIES

FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)

CONSCIOUSNESS / AWARENESS

FROM THE ABSOLUTE TO THE NOTHINGNESS

THE FINAL UNDERSTANDING

THE SEVEN STEPS TO REALIZATION ESSAY SERIES

A Series of Essays Discussing THE FIRST STEP on the Seven-Step Path to Realization

A Series of Essays Discussing THE SECOND STEP on the Seven-Step Path to Realization

A Series of Essays Discussing THE THIRD STEP on the Seven-Step Path to Realization

A Series of Essays Discussing THE FOURTH STEP on the Seven-Step Path to Realization

A Series of Essays Discussing THE FIFTH STEP on the Seven-Step Path to Realization

A Series of Essays Discussing THE SIXTH STEP on the Seven-Step Path to Realization

A Series of Essays Discussing THE SEVENTH STEP on the Seven-Step Path to Realization

THE "NO-DEATH" SERIES

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DIE?

The Myth Of Death

THE "BLISSFUL ABIDANCE" BOOKS

The Ultimate Sickness, The Ultimate Medicine

I AM THAT (vs. "This Is Who I Think I Am")

Freedom From Shifting Between States of Happiness and Unhappiness

LIBERATION

Why You Must Be Empty If You Would Be Full

What BLISS Is and What BLISS Is Not

When Reality Is Overlaid Upon the Relative

There Is Nothing That Is Personal (Including You and Including God)
Overcoming the Fear of Being Totally Independent

The Essence of the Teachings

SELF-Transformation Meditation Guide, Volume One

SELF-Transformation Meditation Guide, Volume Two

THE "RELATIONSHIP" SERIES

Casting Light on the Dark Side of Relationships

Finding REAL LOVE in an Unreal World

The Path to Freedom vs. The Path to Misery


THE "FREEDOM FROM DELUSION" SERIES

THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS "PEACE OF MIND" (There Is Only Peace If You're Out of Your Mind)

THERE IS NOTHING THAT IS PERSONAL (Including You and Including God)

IT'S ALL BULLSHIT (And Why Knowing It Sets You Free)

SPIRITUAL SOBRIETY (Recovering What Religions Lost)

And coming next week: "Jesus Christ the Advaitin"

THE "FINANCIAL SANITY" SERIES

LIVING WITHIN YOUR MEANS

Ending Financial Problems by Understanding Your Personality

ADVENTURE / MYSTERY FICTION
(WITH A BLEND OF NON-DUALITY POINTERS)

The Twice-Stolen Necklace Murders [E-BOOK]

The Board of Directors of Wars [PAPERBACK]

RECOVERY

A Twelve-Step Journey to SELF-Transformation [E-BOOK]

A Twelve-Step Journey to SELF-Transformation [PAPERBACK]

Much of what Louise has shared has resonated with many site visitors. to that end, some have inquired recently if Louise offers the online Advaita Internet Course. The answer is, "Yes."

Whether taking the course with Louise or Floyd, the price of the course includes all 11 of the Advaita eBooks, questions sent after completion of the assigned readings, replies to your answers, and follow-up as required.

With either teacher, you will be guided through all seven of the steps, in order, that lead from identification with the false "I" to the Absolute (and beyond). For more specific information and details about the course, you may click on the link to the right.
Purchase at Discount the Advaita Internet Course with Louise

by
Clicking the Buy Now Button below:

Purchase at Discount the Advaita Internet Course with Floyd

by
Clicking the Buy Now Button below:

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.

NOTE: When you order this package, you receive three additional ebooks free: CASTING LIGHT ON THE DARK SIDE OF RELATIONSHIPS, FINDING REAL LOVE IN AN UNREAL WORLD and THE TWICE-STOLEN NECKLACE MURDERS (offering the Advaita teachings in a fictional novel format)

You may visit The Official Website of Floyd Henderson for information on each book.

3. BY ENROLLING in the Online Advaita Classes

Received 19 August 2010 from one that just completed the entire course:

I would like to extend deepest appreciation towards you for these teachings that you have offered. It has been most valuable towards what may not have been revealed throughout this manifestation labeled "anthony." Understanding Truth and finding words for gratitude are one as is all. Thank you again for pointing "me" to THAT and the understanding that came as well. Hopeful for future "contact"! Sincerely, Anthony M. W.

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.
Presently, Skype sessions are being conducted with parties in Australia; The Netherlands; New Jersey, U.S.A.; London, England; Italy; and India.
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.

The Twice-Stolen Necklace Murders offers the non-duality message by way of a mystery-adventure novel, discussing the movement from pain to healing to awakening to peace.
From Dr. R.F. Maley, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus and former Head of the Department of Psychology, University of Houston: "Floyd Henderson's book, The Twice-Stolen Necklace Murders, is a fun read and an interesting mystery, but perhaps more importantly it serves as a vehicle for blending Eastern Philosophy and Native American Spirituality to make an intellectually challenging novel. The book's insights into both relationships and authoritarian conditioning of people in our society make it a must read, tracing the roots of narcissistic, sociopathic and psychopathic behaviors to the very core of the culture. This truly witty and politically-incorrect study of the aggressive nature of 'the American character' offers not only a diagnosis but also a treatment plan, making the book an excellent supplemental reading in courses such as psychology, anthropology, philosophy, sociology and counseling."

You may purchase your copy of the ebook version of THE TWICE-STOLEN NECKLACE MURDERS then start reading within minutes:

The Sequel to The Twice-Stolen Necklace Murders:
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF WARS

For a paperback or eBook version of the book, click:

The Board of Directors of Wars

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[RE: The "Subscribe To" feature: In some cases, all of the month's postings might be sent the first time after subscribing; after that, you should receive only one day's posting at a time.]

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Please enter the silence of contemplation.