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.
As for Maharaj, you will find here some of his early pointers for beginners but some of his later pointers that are for seekers farther along the "path." During his last years, he said of I AM THAT: "That book and whatever was expounded at that time was only relevant for that period. I am speaking differently today" and am "emphasizing different aspects." What he offered later differed considerably from his earlier talks, making clear that the pointers in I AM THAT will take you to the midpoint of "the race" but that his final talks point the way to "the finish line."
F.: Abiding with dignity and calmness and serenity and peace and tranquility, while still being able to feel and Care and Love, is possible. Consider the pointer offered earlier:
You can definitely stop all misery and suffering, now, by seeking and finding Reality. "How," many ask? How indeed.
The questions asked by truly earnest seekers deal with how to be free of the misery and suffering of the relative existence in the way that it unfolds among the non-Realized masses after they gorge themselves with a steady diet of learned ignorance;
after they then thrive on the resulting madness which drives them farther and farther into the darkness; and after the darkness eventually eats away at their insides like a cancer, dashing about throughout their bodies and within their fiction-filled "minds" and via their imagined and imaginary personalities.
Again, Maharaj laid out the means thusly:
Maharaj: "If you seek Reality you must set yourself free of all backgrounds, of all cultures, of all patterns of thinking and feeling. Even the idea of being man or woman, or even human, should be discarded. The ocean of life contains all, not only humans. So, first of all, abandon all self-identification, stop thinking of yourself as such-and-such, so-and-so, this or that. Abandon all self-concern; worry not about your welfare, material or spiritual; abandon every desire, gross or subtle; stop thinking of achievement of any kind. You are complete here and now; you need absolutely nothing."
Becoming free of all backgrounds (which includes being free of the effects of that background during which you were programmed, conditioned, domesticated and acculturated),
and
being free of all cultural influences,
and
being free of all thinking,
and
being free of all identity
can bring one to the understanding of the Nothingness and the Void.
There is no greater degree of freedom during the manifestation than the freedom from one's background and culture and thinking and assumed identifications; freedom from those sets the stage for first Realizing the Void and then abiding as the identity-less Void.
Nietzsche once noted that when you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you. I have looked into that abyss called the Void, and the Void looked back at Me. When that first happened, it seemed that we knew each other, until it became clear to Me that we were each other; later, it became even clearer and it was seen that the reality went even beyond that: there was only ... One: only "floyd" / Floyd / abyss / Nothingness / Void.
The shift moved from subject-object witnessing ("I see the Void; the Void sees Me") to Pure Witnessing: "I am the Void." That understanding eventually assured that even "the Void" would be dropped, after which the remainder of the manifestation has happened as the "I AM" only without any labeling or identity (including "the Nothingness" and including "the Void").
When that happens, then nisarga, natural abidance will follow. The deer which were observed as they moved across the front yard here yesterday morning, ignoring the cold and the light mist that was falling, know the "Am-ness." Doubt not: if you charge a deer, you will see it run away because the consciousness manifested in that deer-body-cum-consciousness knows that It Is;
therefore, it also spontaneously desires that the manifestation be extended, and that happens even without the presence of a "mind"; thus, it happens automatically, even without a single thought about any concepts such as "I-ness" or "life" or "death" or "me" or "Me" or "a personal self."
That is the way it is for all that Realize the no-identity, non-dual, no-concept Reality. The deer live out the entire manifestation while being in touch with Reality without knowing "Reality" and without working to stay in touch with Reality and without any notions about being anything, including some "Special Self" or "Infinite Self" or "Spiritual Self" or "A Self at One with God" ... much less a notion about being "God." So, first of all, abandon all self-identification, stop thinking of yourself as such-and-such, so-and-so, this or that.
The antecedent state of this speck of consciousness called "floyd" - and your antecedent state as well - is a combination of foliage (of flora) and sunlight, but My ultimate ancestor - and Your ultimate ancestor - is the Void. Trace My lineage and Yours to its origins and you will find ... nothing ... Nothing ... Nothingness. And THAT is what the no-identity Reality looks like.
Your penultimate nature prior to manifestation was the Awareness That Is Not Aware Of, but Your ultimate nature (Your Truly Original Nature) preceded even that. [Thus the book, From the Absolute to the Nothingness, also available for less but in a non-printable format at Amazon.com.]
Understand that distinction and then the questions become, "Wherefore pride or arrogance or conceit or self-respect or self-importance or smugness or judging? How could one be proud or arrogant or conceited or smug about ... nothing?"
Thus, understanding the Void means that I have been set free of all that is from "floyd's" background; am free of all cultural influences; am free of thinking; am free of any and all ideas about being a man or human; am free of all notions and concepts and beliefs about personal selfness.
That had led to the abandonment of all self-concern, all worry about the eternal welfare of a body, and all concern about the continuity of the manifested consciousness;
that had also led to the abandonment of all concern about things material and things spiritual as well as the abandonment of the belief that great things can and should be achieved.
The same prerequisites for Full Realization and Total Freedom and Perfect Peace can manifest with You as well.
F.: Abiding with dignity and calmness and serenity and peace and tranquility, while still being able to feel and Care and Love, is possible. Consider the pointer offered earlier:
You can definitely stop all misery and suffering, now, by seeking and finding Reality. "How," many ask? How indeed.
The questions asked by truly earnest seekers deal with how to be free of the misery and suffering of the relative existence in the way that it unfolds among the non-Realized masses after they gorge themselves with a steady diet of learned ignorance;
after they then thrive on the resulting madness which drives them farther and farther into the darkness; and after the darkness eventually eats away at their insides like a cancer, dashing about throughout their bodies and within their fiction-filled "minds" and via their imagined and imaginary personalities.
Again, Maharaj laid out the means thusly:
Maharaj: "If you seek Reality you must set yourself free of all backgrounds, of all cultures, of all patterns of thinking and feeling. Even the idea of being man or woman, or even human, should be discarded. The ocean of life contains all, not only humans. So, first of all, abandon all self-identification, stop thinking of yourself as such-and-such, so-and-so, this or that. Abandon all self-concern; worry not about your welfare, material or spiritual; abandon every desire, gross or subtle; stop thinking of achievement of any kind. You are complete here and now; you need absolutely nothing."
Becoming free of all backgrounds (which includes being free of the effects of that background during which you were programmed, conditioned, domesticated and acculturated),
and
being free of all cultural influences,
and
being free of all thinking,
and
being free of all identity
can bring one to the understanding of the Nothingness and the Void.
There is no greater degree of freedom during the manifestation than the freedom from one's background and culture and thinking and assumed identifications; freedom from those sets the stage for first Realizing the Void and then abiding as the identity-less Void.
Nietzsche once noted that when you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you. I have looked into that abyss called the Void, and the Void looked back at Me. When that first happened, it seemed that we knew each other, until it became clear to Me that we were each other; later, it became even clearer and it was seen that the reality went even beyond that: there was only ... One: only "floyd" / Floyd / abyss / Nothingness / Void.
The shift moved from subject-object witnessing ("I see the Void; the Void sees Me") to Pure Witnessing: "I am the Void." That understanding eventually assured that even "the Void" would be dropped, after which the remainder of the manifestation has happened as the "I AM" only without any labeling or identity (including "the Nothingness" and including "the Void").
When that happens, then nisarga, natural abidance will follow. The deer which were observed as they moved across the front yard here yesterday morning, ignoring the cold and the light mist that was falling, know the "Am-ness." Doubt not: if you charge a deer, you will see it run away because the consciousness manifested in that deer-body-cum-consciousness knows that It Is;
therefore, it also spontaneously desires that the manifestation be extended, and that happens even without the presence of a "mind"; thus, it happens automatically, even without a single thought about any concepts such as "I-ness" or "life" or "death" or "me" or "Me" or "a personal self."
That is the way it is for all that Realize the no-identity, non-dual, no-concept Reality. The deer live out the entire manifestation while being in touch with Reality without knowing "Reality" and without working to stay in touch with Reality and without any notions about being anything, including some "Special Self" or "Infinite Self" or "Spiritual Self" or "A Self at One with God" ... much less a notion about being "God." So, first of all, abandon all self-identification, stop thinking of yourself as such-and-such, so-and-so, this or that.
The antecedent state of this speck of consciousness called "floyd" - and your antecedent state as well - is a combination of foliage (of flora) and sunlight, but My ultimate ancestor - and Your ultimate ancestor - is the Void. Trace My lineage and Yours to its origins and you will find ... nothing ... Nothing ... Nothingness. And THAT is what the no-identity Reality looks like.
Your penultimate nature prior to manifestation was the Awareness That Is Not Aware Of, but Your ultimate nature (Your Truly Original Nature) preceded even that. [Thus the book, From the Absolute to the Nothingness, also available for less but in a non-printable format at Amazon.com.]
Understand that distinction and then the questions become, "Wherefore pride or arrogance or conceit or self-respect or self-importance or smugness or judging? How could one be proud or arrogant or conceited or smug about ... nothing?"
Thus, understanding the Void means that I have been set free of all that is from "floyd's" background; am free of all cultural influences; am free of thinking; am free of any and all ideas about being a man or human; am free of all notions and concepts and beliefs about personal selfness.
That had led to the abandonment of all self-concern, all worry about the eternal welfare of a body, and all concern about the continuity of the manifested consciousness;
that had also led to the abandonment of all concern about things material and things spiritual as well as the abandonment of the belief that great things can and should be achieved.
The same prerequisites for Full Realization and Total Freedom and Perfect Peace can manifest with You as well.
You are invited to enter into the silence. (To be continued)
If you would like to support the site or to help insure that those seeking this understanding have someone available, you may click here to donate.
For those seeking the full explanation of the topics addressed on this site: there are non-duality books offered below as well as retreats and Skype or telephone sessions available at Floyd Henderson's Website
The full explanations are also available in the books in the author's collection that explain in detail all of the non-duality, nisarga teachings offered here:
1. Most non-duality books below are available through Amazon.com.
2. Read Kindle books on your own device by downloading a free app.
The full explanations are also available in the books in the author's collection that explain in detail all of the non-duality, nisarga teachings offered here:
1. Most non-duality books below are available through Amazon.com.
2. Read Kindle books on your own device by downloading a free app.
The available books are arranged on the carousels below. Use the arrows to move each book to the forefront; then, you may click on any book that you might be interested in to find more information or to purchase.
THE ADVANCED SEEKERS' SERIES
From the I to the Absolute
Consciousness / Awareness
From the Absolute to the Nothingness
The Final Understanding
The Advanced Seekers' Series in paperback
The Two Meditation Guides
From the I to the Absolute
Consciousness / Awareness
From the Absolute to the Nothingness
The Final Understanding
The Advanced Seekers' Series in paperback
The Two Meditation Guides
The BLISSFUL ABIDANCE SERIES, PART ONE
What BLISS Is and What BLISS Is Not
Why You Must Be Empty If You Would Be Full
When Reality Is Overlaid Upon the Relative
Freedom from Shifting Between States of Happiness and Unhappiness
Liberation
The Blissful Abidance Series (6 books) in paperback
What BLISS Is and What BLISS Is Not
Why You Must Be Empty If You Would Be Full
When Reality Is Overlaid Upon the Relative
Freedom from Shifting Between States of Happiness and Unhappiness
Liberation
The Blissful Abidance Series (6 books) in paperback
The ADVAITINS Collection
with THE MAHARAJ QUATRO, including:
(1) Why NISARGA YOGA in addition to the ADVAITA TEACHING?
(2) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj and His Evolution
(3) A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
(4) Going Crazy / Going Sane
Jesus Christ the Advaitin
William Shakespeare the Advaitin
with THE MAHARAJ QUATRO, including:
(1) Why NISARGA YOGA in addition to the ADVAITA TEACHING?
(2) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj and His Evolution
(3) A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
(4) Going Crazy / Going Sane
Jesus Christ the Advaitin
William Shakespeare the Advaitin
The BLISSFUL ABIDANCE SERIES, PART TWO
Overcoming the Fear of Being Totally Independent
I AM THAT (vs. "This Is Who I Think I Am")
The Essence of the Teachings
There Is Nothing That Is Personal (Including You and Including God)
Lessons in Non-Duality from Travels in South Africa
The Path to Freedom vs. the Path to Misery
Overcoming the Fear of Being Totally Independent
I AM THAT (vs. "This Is Who I Think I Am")
The Essence of the Teachings
There Is Nothing That Is Personal (Including You and Including God)
Lessons in Non-Duality from Travels in South Africa
The Path to Freedom vs. the Path to Misery
The FREEDOM FROM THE MIND Series
Instability / Insanity: What the Advaita Teachings Can (and Cannot) Address
PROGRAMMING, CONDITIONING, DOMESTICATION, AND ACCULTURATION
The Ultimate Sickness, The Ultimate Medicine
Going Crazy / Going Sane
There's No Such Thing As "Peace of Mind" (There Is Only Peace If You're Out of Your Mind)
Dancing Lightly
Instability / Insanity: What the Advaita Teachings Can (and Cannot) Address
PROGRAMMING, CONDITIONING, DOMESTICATION, AND ACCULTURATION
The Ultimate Sickness, The Ultimate Medicine
Going Crazy / Going Sane
There's No Such Thing As "Peace of Mind" (There Is Only Peace If You're Out of Your Mind)
Dancing Lightly
RECOVERY LITERATURE, the RELATIONSHIP books
A Twelve-Step Journey to SELF-Realization [Kindle]
A Twelve-Step Journey to SELF-Realization [Paperback]
A Guide for Working the Twelve Steps (In the Manner Used by the Founders)
The Twelve Steps and Advaita / Non-Duality: A 21-Day Plan for a Psychic Change
Finding Real Love in An Unreal World
Casting Light on the Dark Side of Relationships
A Twelve-Step Journey to SELF-Realization [Kindle]
A Twelve-Step Journey to SELF-Realization [Paperback]
A Guide for Working the Twelve Steps (In the Manner Used by the Founders)
The Twelve Steps and Advaita / Non-Duality: A 21-Day Plan for a Psychic Change
Finding Real Love in An Unreal World
Casting Light on the Dark Side of Relationships
The NO DEATH books, NON-DUALITY IN FICTION, FINANCIAL SANITY
The Myth of Death
What Happens When I Die?
The Twice-Stolen Necklace Murders (Non-Duality) [Kindle]
The Board of Directors of Wars (Non-Duality) [Kindle]
The Board of Directors of Wars (Non-Duality) [Paperback]
Living Within Your Means
How Your Personality Type Shapes Your Spending Habits
The Myth of Death
What Happens When I Die?
The Twice-Stolen Necklace Murders (Non-Duality) [Kindle]
The Board of Directors of Wars (Non-Duality) [Kindle]
The Board of Directors of Wars (Non-Duality) [Paperback]
Living Within Your Means
How Your Personality Type Shapes Your Spending Habits
NON-DUALITY BOOKS, EACH CONTAINING A SERIES OF ESSAYS DISCUSSING ONE OF THE SEVEN STEPS ON THE PATH TO REALIZATION
FOR THOSE WHO PREFER PAPERBACK, THE FOLLOWING PAPERBACK BOOKS ARE ON SALE NOW
(Click the pictures for information on the paperback versions)
(Click the pictures for information on the paperback versions)
(FOUR BOOKS IN ONE)
(SIX BOOKS IN ONE)
FOR THOSE SEEKING FURTHER EXPLANATION
An online Advaita Internet Course is offered here. The price of the course includes the four Advaita eBooks used as the texts; questions sent after completion of the assigned readings; replies to your answers; and follow-up as required.
The price of the course includes the four Advaita eBooks used as the texts; questions sent after completion of the assigned readings, replies to your answers, and follow-up as required.
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. To get started now now, click the pay button below and receive the $365 course for a discounted price of $325.00.
Purchase at Discount the Advaita Internet Course with Floyd
by
Clicking the Buy Now Button below:
Or, if you prefer, begin by arranging a one-hour Advaita session via Skype with Floyd:
Next, you can now 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).
The price of the course includes the four Advaita eBooks used as the texts; questions sent after completion of the assigned readings, replies to your answers, and follow-up as required.
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. To get started now now, click the pay button below and receive the $365 course for a discounted price of $325.00.
Purchase at Discount the Advaita Internet Course with Floyd
by
Clicking the Buy Now Button below:
Or, if you prefer, begin by arranging a one-hour Advaita session via Skype with Floyd:
Next, you can now 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, Seven-Hour Video (DVD) Set of an advaita retreat, or the downloadable file version. To find out more or to purchase the DVD or downloadable computer file version of the retreat, click:
DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
International buyers: note the separate option for those outside the continental U.S.
2. BY READING the explanations offered in the collection of non-duality books that are available on this site.
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 information or use the link below to pay for your first Advaita session.
You may click the BUY NOW button below to begin arrangements for your first Advaita session with Floyd via Skype and he will contact you to schedule:
DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
SIX WAYS THAT SEEKERS HAVE REALIZED:
1. BY WATCHING the 4-Disk, Seven-Hour Video (DVD) Set of an advaita retreat, or the downloadable file version. To find out more or to purchase the DVD or downloadable computer file version of the retreat, click:
DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
International buyers: note the separate option for those outside the continental U.S.
2. BY READING the explanations offered in the collection of non-duality books that are available on this site.
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 information or use the link below to pay for your first Advaita session.
You may click the BUY NOW button below to begin arrangements for your first Advaita session with Floyd via Skype and he will contact you to schedule:
6. BY ARRANGING for floyd to travel to your location and meet with you or your group. Use the contact link below to discuss details.
