WHY BE RID OF THE FICTIONAL “MIND”? Part Seven

FROM A SITE VISITOR: I finally understand your pointer that even if arms and legs and organs are ‘lost’ I Am still Me. But now, how to be free of my racing mind, once and for all?

F.: Next, it should be clarified that even the term “multiple minds” is a distortion, just a thorn used along the way to remove another thorn. To try to aim a pointer at the multiplicity of those various storehouses of ideas and concepts would be like trying to fire a rifle at numerous mirages in the desert in order to eliminate those mirages.

Fire away for decades, but nothing will result except a lot of noise and a disturbance of the peace. The only sane approach is to see that the multiple mirages are all…mirages. One cannot "eliminate" illusions. One can only see them for what they are.

You are also invited to understand that when Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj advised visitors to “…go back, reverse, to the source,” the “source” to which he pointed is not characterized by a “purified mind” or “re-purified mind.” The source was, is, and shall forever be…mindless. It is, in fact, Awareness with no awareness of awareness.

Persons can spend a lifetime “working on the mind,” but their labors in that regard will avail them nothing. What could it possibly avail persons traveling across a desert if they were to undertake the task of trying to eliminate all of the mirages that seem to appear along their path? Why not see illusions as illusions and be done with it all in one fell swoop?

But most will never understand that simple solution; instead, they will put forth all their efforts to purify the “mind(s).” Believing they have accomplished that, they will thereafter begin to talk of their “higher mind” or their “spiritual mind” or their "working mind, as opposed to their former thinking mind."

When their talk reaches that stage, there can be a limited period when the re-purified consciousness of a sadguru can speak of spiritual things and can speak of developing the spiritual mind.

That talk can take place as protégés move beyond body identification, beyond mind identification, and beyond non-religious or non-spiritual persona identifications as they move to the stage of adopting religious and spiritual personas.

Yet that talk will only guide the seeker to the midpoint of the entire “journey” to Full Realization, and if the “mind” was transcended at the second of seven steps on the “path,” then obviously the “mind” cannot be the tool that is available for use during the remainder of the “journey.”

At some point, the sadguru must function in the natural way that a mother bear functions with her cubs. She can show them the way only for a limited period, and after all of the outer lessons have been modeled and taught, she must leave them to continue their "journey" through employment of their own inner devices.

Then, spontaneously—with no further guidance or teaching—they will hunt during the day and seek shelter at night; spontaneously—with no further guidance or teaching—they will know all required to prepare for and enter into hibernation; spontaneously—with no further guidance or teaching—they will socialize and procreate.

And spontaneously, at some point, the elements of their elemental bodies shall move apart and merge with the universal pool of elements; the breath will leave the space and merge with the universal pool of air; and the consciousness shall unmanifest and merge into the universal pool of energy...merely moving from one limited space to an unlimited space.

Before that happening, what unfolds automatically for the remainder of the manifestation of the consciousness via those cubs/bears will happen mindlessly. The elemental brain and the conscious-energy will function in tandem, and all that the bears will “need to know” will be known…instinctively, intuitively, naturally, unthinkingly, unaffectedly, and unpretentiously (that is, in a nisarga fashion).

That is the invitation here: to Realize fully and thereafter witness all as it happens nisarga-ly, functioning naturally without a mind—or multiple minds—that generate either

(1) a non-stop whirlwind that churns up an unending cyclone of thoughts that eliminate any opportunity for stillness to manifest, or

(2) subconscious motives that drive persons without their having the slightest awareness that they are being driven rather than making conscious decisions. Please enter into the silence of contemplation. (Tomorrow: The Conclusion)

WHY BE RID OF THE FICTIONAL “MIND”? Part Six

FROM A SITE VISITOR: I finally understand your pointer that even if arms and legs and organs are ‘lost’ I Am still Me. But now, how to be free of my racing mind, once and for all?

F.: (Continued from 14 January 2008) Further, no Realized Advaitin teacher will tell you, “Here is the Truth. Write this down or memorize this.” Instead, that teacher will invite you to do something far less trying with far less effort required. The teacher will merely invite you to question objectively that which you were told subjectively.

Ideas and concepts need not be "worked over" and "pulverized"; no effort need be expended to try to "purify the mind" (which is an impossibility); instead, the belief in all concepts will merely dissolve when the light of awareness is cast upon the darkness and burns those concepts away.

Then, once Full Realization happens, who remains as a do-er to do? Who remains with wants or desires that need something done in order to have desires fulfilled?

Maharaj said that the “path” is a reversal—a movement backwards through the exact steps that led to the most corrupt state of limited identification with body only. That “in-bound” path of consciousness-corruption (or consciousness-blocking) has the same number of steps as the “out-bound” path to Realization and abidance as The Absolute.

For the sake of simplifying the teaching and for the sake of clarity, seven specific steps are discussed in detail in

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

. It should be clear, though, that the key pointer is not aimed at “the mind” but is attempting to target the pure consciousness.

In fact, how could a pointer be aimed at “the mind” when there are actually multiple “minds”? In “Part One” of this series, the following was offered:

It will be shown, in fact, that humans develop several “minds” and that insanity is not about being out of your mind but is about being very much into one’s mind(s).

First, there is the “subconscious mind.” Nothing has ever been forgotten—it has merely been compartmentalized into an area from which it might be recalled or might not.

Then there is the “conscious mind” or “conceptual mind” which is a storehouse of ideas and beliefs that have been taught and stored and that are regularly recalled.

Then there is talk of “intellect”; talk of “the seven types of Suddha Sattva”; talk of “the six types of Rajasa Sattva”; talk of those minds that are typed according to a tamas influence; talk of “the collective mind or sense” [see, or don’t see, antahkarana], including talk of “intelligence” (buddhi, which itself prevents the knowing of pure consciousness);

talk of “ego” (ahamkara); and talk of “manas” (that is, the thinking faculty); talk of that which is imaginative or fanciful (see, or don’t see, kalpana); talk of the “corrupt mind.” Those trapped in, or influenced by, Personality Type Five (“The Analyst”) can spend a lifetime studying all of those types; mulling over all of those types; addressing all of those types; trying to purify all the types that need purifying; and then seeking to fixate in “the spiritual mind.”

Most who think they have reached that "spiritual mind" stage also think that they have arrived at the place of high noon, of the brightest level of enlightenment; yet they mistake the dawn for the noon, having taken only three of the seven steps required for Full Realization. Maharaj told visitors that they “…must go back, reverse, to the source,” not that they must reverse and go back halfway to the source.

It has been noted in past postings that

Consciousness is rooted in the Absolute. The brain is rooted in the elements. The “mind” is rooted in programming, conditioning, lies, concepts, ideas, superstitions, myths, falsehoods, enculturation, and domestication.

At the end of a long, expensive journey that took "floyd" to the snow-covered top of a mountain in Santa Fe in order to visit the Cherokee Medicine Man residing thereon, the chief asked, "What have you done so far on this 'spiritual journey' that you speak of?" A long cataloging of work was offered. Then he asked, "And what do you plan next?"

A longer cataloging followed, explaining the strategy that was to be used to address all those minds and to re-purify and cleanse them all. The chief used his two walking canes to struggle to his feet and as he hobbled away he said, "Then you are going to be a very busy boy."

A "fury-filled mind" manifested as it recounted all of the time and effort involved in presenting myself before that man from whom the Great Truth was to be received. Yet those ten words would later strike a cord with the pure consciousness that had been obstructed by those various "minds." A far more simple choice came forth: "Work with it all, or toss it all?"

What is your own relative experience with garbage? Do you work with your garbage to try to improve or purify it, or do you simply throw it away, once and for all? Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)

RELATED TO TODAY’S POST:

Click SPIRITUAL SOBRIETY

and

Click WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DIE?

and

Click THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS “PEACE OF MIND” (There Is Only Peace If You’re Out of Your Mind)

and

Click LIBERATION

and

Click IT’S ALL BULLSHIT

“MIND” SERIES CONTINUES FRIDAY (OUT-OF-TOWN TO CONDUCT A SEMINAR: “ADVAITA, PERSONALITY, FINANCES, AND YOUR BUSINESS”)

F.: Until the “mind” series continues on Friday morning, site visitors are invited to visit the archives or to read the information below on some books that address Advaita teachings.

(Regarding the two inquiries about shipping outside the U.S., yes we do ship to Canada and to Iceland—and to most but not all countries around the globe as well. You may visit http://ircalc.usps.gov/ to calculate rates and view options. (Select your country, then in the “weight” box, estimate 1 pound per each book ordered.) Add $5 to cover package preparation, the assistant's trip to and from the PO, and the time for completion of international shipping forms.)

AN OVERVIEW OF THE BOOKS IN THE ADVAITA COLLECTION:

The books are presented in the recommended ordering for reading. They may be ordered individually, or in one of three sets, or in their entirety. [The Entire Advaita Collection: all twelve books + the CD $187.00 + S&H]

THE MEDITATION GUIDES
These books can be read in either order since each stands alone. The entries each day provide an excerpt from a non-duality book, followed by one or more considerations for that day. Some read the books from beginning to finish while others use them on a daily basis. Either way, they offer hundreds of pointers that are intended to allow those in the early stages of seeking to begin consideration of pointers that deal with something other than the body and mind issues that dominate most persons. Reading all of the entries in either or both guides will allow the consciousness to begin processing subject matter that is beyond the phenomenal. That will prepare the consciousness to receive the Advaita pointers at the end of the volumes and that continue in a progressive order throughout the remaining books on the list. To order, visit http://www.floydhenderson.com/order.htm

IT’S ALL BULLSHIT (And Why Knowing It Sets You Free)
This book contains a series of “propositionalities” that would be worthless except to the extent that they prepare all seekers to become willing to question the sacred cows of your culture. Ultimately, this all deals more with the relative than the Absolute, but one cannot abide sanely as the Absolute without first seeing the insanity of the relative. If one can question his/her core beliefs that are generally held sacred by the masses, then discarding all of the other nonsense of the culture might become easier. That alone can begin the "journey" toward total freedom and total peace. Few will ever be able to discard the minor cows, much less these six sacred cows, but this book is an invitation to begin questioning what is usually taken for granted after years of programming and enculturation. To order, visit http://www.floydhenderson.com/order.htm

SPIRITUAL SOBRIETY (Recovering What Religions Lost)
This book is for the 6 billion+ persons who have been programmed with the dogma of the planets’ religions, especially the three outgrowths of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is also for those who are playing a spiritual role or who have become spiritually intoxicated (which prevents moving beyond all role-playing and Realizing Fully). Its intent is to allow persons on the "path" to transition beyond the religious and spiritual identities that are assumed at the third step of the "journey." The focus is on those three since their dogma has programmed—and corrupted the consciousness of—most persons on the planet, but the overall message reflects the truth about all religions and all “spiritual” programs or movements as well. The content reveals the 16 tenets common to those religions which evolved from the killing of virgins; exposes the contradictions of those teachings; discusses the glorification of suffering; catalogues and exposes the false promises that are made in order to attract and control the masses; explains the way that their leaders' addiction to power drives them to manipulate their followers; exposes the lies upon which those institutions are based; identifies the results of religious and spiritual intoxication; and uncovers the mental disorders that result from strict adherence to the dogma and ideology. If you have been exposed to any religious or spiritual indoctrination, or if you live in a culture where the leaders have been indoctrinated by religion, this one should be read. To order, visit http://www.floydhenderson.com/order.htm

[The four volumes above + a CD are available as “The Advaitin Beginner’s Package”: The Meditation CD, two Meditation Guides, Bullshit, and Spiritual Sobriety $62.00 + S&H]

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS “PEACE OF MIND” (There Is Only Peace if You’re Out of Your Mind)
This book leads to the next level of freedom, allowing seekers to transition beyond the mind. The content explores the history of the human brain, including the fact that for millions of years, human and human-like beings functioned without any mind. The book uncovers the ways that the brain evolved over the ages and developed an ability to store and retrieve memories. It then shows how the original memories were used constructively but how programming and conditioning changed all that and created a "mind" that most often overrules the brain and generates relative-existence harm and destruction. Similarly, the book shows the way that personality develops during childhood as a means for survival and adaptation but later becomes a liability when those childhood personality traits continue to drive adult thinking and behavior.
Ultimately, the content of the book shows why Advaitin sages for centuries have correctly identified the "problems of the planet" as being rooted in body-mind-personality identification and offers suggestions for being free of all of that nonsense via Realization. To order, visit http://www.floydhenderson.com/order.htm

LIBERATION
This book, used in tandem with THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS “PEACE OF MIND,” helps remove the next barrier to Realization: personality. After being freed from body-mind identification, transitioning into the next step begins the process of being freed from identification with personas and being unconsciously controlled by personality traits. This book studies the nine most basic persona types as identified in the enneagram method and offers the way to be freed of the influences of personality. To order, visit http://www.floydhenderson.com/order.htm

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DIE?
This book offers the opportunity to shift to the next level of understanding, the level at which you come to realize that you cannot die since you were not born. Fears generally begin to fall away after reading this work. The Foreword offers this: “If you find the answer to ‘What happens when I die—what happens after the body ends?’ the result will be that the remainder of your relative existence will be marked by an incredible lightness of being. Persons addicted to chaos will hate that possibility. Those seeking to be restored to sanity will seek the answer until it is found.” To order, visit http://www.floydhenderson.com/order.htm

THE ESSENCE OF THE TEACHINGS
This book is used by many as a primer and companion piece to FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE. “PART ONE” includes answers to frequently-asked questions and provides an overview of terms used during the teachings. “PART TWO” provides information for those who are “close” but haven’t yet “gotten it.” "PART TWO" moves the seeker to a depth of understanding that sets the stage for the final message in FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE. To order, visit http://www.floydhenderson.com/order.htm

[The four volumes above are available as “The Mid-Level Seeker’s Package”: Peace of Mind, Liberation, What Happens When I Die? and The Essence of the Teachings $54.00 + S&H]

FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)
Most of the so-called “Spiritual Masters” addressed all of the steps that must be taken, in a very exact order, to shift from identifying with the false “I” to abiding as the Absolute. All of the steps (or “stages” to use Maharaj’s term) have been discussed for centuries, but this is the first time that the steps have been offered and explained in simple language in the exact order in which the seven steps must be taken in order to move from “the lie of the I” to Full Realization. Most of the content of this book contains the complete set of transcripts from audio tapings of a series of satsang sessions that guided the participants from step one to Realization. Some have said that by reading the questions from seekers and the immediate responses by floyd (all offered in their original easy, conversational format), they have felt as if they were present in the room, actively engaged in the satsang along with fellow seekers. To order, visit http://www.floydhenderson.com/order.htm
Recommended: Use in conjunction with FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE the CD entitled SPIRIT JOURNEY TO YOUR TRUE SELF in order to have an experiential awareness of the seven steps as you read about each. To order, visit http://www.floydhenderson.com/order.htm

CONSCIOUSNESS/AWARENESS: The Nature of Reality Beyond Self-Realization (Peace Every Day When Abiding as The Absolute)
After following the “path” as outlined in FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality) in order to Realize, the next step is to understand the difference in consciousness and awareness in order to abide as the Absolute for the remainder of the manifestation and then be totally free. "The Final Frontier" of the Advaita Teachings is transitioned when the Nature of Reality is understood and when the Advaita Teachings are "applied" on a daily basis even in the absence of any “Applier.” The Nature of Reality cannot be understood until the differences in Consciousness and Awareness are understood. Understanding the Nature of Consciousness allows for abidance in the I AM, but what of THAT Which Is beyond, and that which is beyond the beyond? To be at perfect peace on a daily basis, abidance as the re-purified Consciousness must be transitioned and abidance as the Absolute Awareness must happen. Only abidance as the Absolute allows for the remainder of the manifestation of Consciousness to happen in Perfect Peace. This book will distinguish between Consciousness and Awareness, will define the exact Nature of Reality, will offer explanations that will allow fixation in the Full Realization to happen, will allow for an understanding of the Functioning of the Totality, and will assist all earnest seekers to find the way to fixate in a state of peace from NOW until the Consciousness Unmanifests. To order, visit http://www.floydhenderson.com/order.htm

FROM THE ABSOLUTE TO THE NOTHINGNESS
This book, the third in the “Advanced Seeker’s Package,” is only for Realized Advaitin seekers. The recommendation is that both FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE and CONSCIOUSNESS/AWARENESS be read (in that order) and that the pointers in both of those books be understood before reading FROM THE ABSOLUTE TO THE NOTHINGNESS. An understanding of the pointers offered in this book can allow the advanced seeker to shift even beyond SELF-Realization, even beyond an understanding of Consciousness and Awareness, and to an understanding of that which preceded the Absolute. The content of this book can, in fact, allow the advanced seeker to truly comprehend the Reality of “no concept,” of “no duality,” of “no something,” and even of “no nothing.” The Advaita Teachings offer an invitation to be free of all concepts, all beliefs, and all ideas in order to be totally free. Yet how many reach that "state," and how many who reach that "state" are able to fixate in that understanding and truly be free and thereby at peace? This book will offer details of the way that can happen. To order, visit http://www.floydhenderson.com/order.htm

[The three volumes above are available as “The Advanced Advaitin Seeker’s Package”: From the I to the Absolute, Consciousness / Awareness, and From the Absolute to the Nothingness $45.00 + S&H]

WHY BE RID OF THE FICTIONAL “MIND”? Part Five

FROM A SITE VISITOR: I finally understand your pointer that even if arms and legs and organs are ‘lost’ I Am still Me. But now, how to be free of my racing mind, once and for all?

F.: (Continued from yesterday) So, Realization can never happen if seekers believe that the proper methodology is comparable to tossing their concepts into a mortar and then using the “mind” like a pestle to pulverize and grind away the ideas and concepts that block access to the pure consciousness.

The effective methodology is actually comparable to the scenario described in a typical analogy in which someone walks into a dimly-lit room, sees a rope coiled in a corner, mistakes it for a snake that is coiled and ready to strike, and experiences tremendous fear as a result of witnessing in error and as a result of a false belief.

As in the pharmaceutical analogy, nothing needs to be pulverized or ground away. There is no need to destroy the rope in order to be free of delusion and the accompanying fear. All that is needed is the light, which in turn allows for clear and accurate witnessing.

If someone else brings a light into the room and shines it upon the rope, then the rope can be seen for what it is. The role of the Advaitin teacher is to bring the light and to point out to seekers that their mistaken perceptions are not reality.

Then, the mistaken beliefs that were generating a state of emotional intoxication can end, along with living under the influence of fear and delusion and chaos and misconceptions.

Thus, another example is available, via the snake-rope misunderstanding, which shows that the “mind” plays a central role in self-deception and misunderstandings. The “mind” perpetuates the darkness that allows misconceptions to continue to be taken as truth;

therefore, neither the addition of more concepts into the “mind,” or the use of concepts that are already present in the “mind,” can provide the light that is required to remove erroneous beliefs and false impressions.

Ultimately, if the light is shined upon the misconceptions, they are removed and then the pure consciousness is allowed to function naturally. It is that pure consciousness which witnesses accurately, first on the level of subject-object witnessing and then later on the Pure Witnessing (True Self) level.

That is the only methodology that can work. The rope cannot be seen to be a rope until the light comes. Any darkness that remains, that is, any of the “mind’s” cherished concepts or sacred cows that are clung to, will perpetuate distortion and deception and misunderstanding and will prevent the witnessing of Reality.

Yet even when the light comes, most will still not see. Upon arising and looking out the windows toward the lake this morning before sunrise, neither the water nor the lights that are usually seen in the homes across the water were visible because of a heavy fog.

Now, even though the light has come, neither the lake nor the houses nor the forest across the way can be seen, much less all that is beyond the lake on the other side. The light has come, but the fog remains. So it is when most hear these Advaita teachings.

Even with the light, the fog continues to block from view all that is beyond. Similarly, the content of the “mind” blocks the view of the pure witnessing consciousness, and that "mind" content is considered by persons to be so valuable that it will seldom be cast aside in order that clear seeing might happen.

Ego-states, and their accompanying egotism, will almost always inspire persons to loathe the light and to revere their fog. So it is. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued on Friday)

RELATED TO TODAY’S POST:

Click SPIRITUAL SOBRIETY

and

Click WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DIE?

and

Click THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS “PEACE OF MIND” (There Is Only Peace If You’re Out of Your Mind)

and

Click LIBERATION

and

Click IT’S ALL BULLSHIT

For more information on all of the Advaita-related books that are available, as well as the proper sequence in which they should be read, you may read the descriptions provided at the bottom of the home page at www.floydhenderson.com