clearlyone said:
The blissful release or awakening to the truth that, from the beginning, not a thing is. This is a most masterful crescendo of appearance that never happened. Perfect.
Aah... you refer to the interphase within Void? I love your creativity, putting such a concept into being, which has been eluded to for millenniums of human self-inquiry and deep exploration of the psyche. What is the nature of illusion and truth? Your assessment is quite profound, friend. It never ceases to amaze me how many unique ways this comes out, via human linguistics.
But just for a moment, I'd like to re-visit and re-address the thread topic put forth by the OP.
METHODS, METHODS, METHODS... as it has said, "Truth is One, paths are many". So, the summit of spiritual synthesis is universal, however, the approaches are as diverse as there are diversely individual beings, to experience the meditative process.
On a personal level, this thread strikes a somewhat synchronous note within my immediate family. My wife of 18 years has been wanting to learn meditation and has been asking me about the various methods and techniques. No, I've never pushed her into a life of Sadhana or attempted to steer her towards my spiritual goals or philosophical stances. She found this thread helpful and I wanted to salute everyone's contributions.
It's often difficult for people who have dedicated a good number of years sitting or moving within the meditative context, to remember just how SEEMINGLY impossible it is to learn to tame the surge of continual thoughts, any given humanoid cyclically thinks. So, when my wife chose to segue into sitting meditation, from hiking, running, snowshoeing or dancing... (IMO, she has been doing moving meditation her whole life, without even realizing it) to the discipline of internal meditation, I was overjoyed!
I was quite challenged to present her with a meaningful synopsis, though. After all, before we get to the point of mind expansion and/or higher states of consciousness, we need to deal with one's perpetual manifestation of thoughts. Without centering the focus of the mind's eye, these thoughts will forever block the shift in awareness, which all meditative pursuits are aimed towards.
Now, what do we have, in terms of methodologies? We have traditional sitting meditation, which has many variations in context, yet but one intention. We have extreme sensory deprivation and by altering the flow of cognition through dramatic changes in habitual modality. There is fasting and extended isolation. There are mechanical devices which aid the perception of the explorer, as has been discussed within this thread.
And it hardly needs to be mentioned, here at the Nexus... we have entheogens. Scared Medicines are, IMO, the most powerful way to activate the higher centers of awareness but it is NOT necessarily the only path for all aspiring individuals. As with my wife, psychedelics are just too much for her. She gets very strong effects from Ganja and that's enough for her. Again, we need to know our own way.
I think that when viewing the varied methods of meditation, for example, the end result of each method, is quite universal in terms of state of mind. So, I wanted to list a few of these characteristics for her to contemplate upon. Thus, we begin to see that whichever technique or even non-technique we utilize... what is most important is the SHIFT in the content of our direct perception. What is paramount is the arrival into
an awareness of the here & now, this very moment. When the thought-process is brought to an obedient and usefully clear focus, we experience this shift exponentially.
It became most clear, through our discussions, that if mattered not whether one used the TM training, Vipassana, creative visualization, Zazen or Kundalini mediation. Each brings the attention and the intent to one central point. Each methods draws the mind into a gradual process of transformation in mental parameters. She felt that meditation upon the
Void was too much for her wildly restless, ever-thinking head space. I agree, it is the most difficult way to initially begin a meditation practice. I began this journey when I was 15 years old, with Seon Buddhist mediation (Korean Zen) and it was a HELL for my teenage mind to embrace the void! Now, but of course, it is mother's milk for my soul!
Vipassana didn't appeal to her either, as it was "too aggressive" an approach. I guess that for her, the observations which can be gleamed from insight meditation... are counter productive to her achieving a relaxed and still internal focus? She and I both share the fault of being passive-aggressive folks, so I can kinda see her need for a simpler practice. So, Kriya Yoga practice would be most premature, a this point in her journey. She did like the idea of mantra repetition and we decided that she ought to pick a mantram to mentally repeat. OM/AUM is my favorite mantra but it requires a more intense degree of concentration than multiple syllable mantras. I suggested
Om Ah Hum, as it was one I used for about a year or two, back in the good ole days.
That being, the use of mantra repetition and an acknowledgment of thoughts, as they arise. This approach allows for the acceptance of thought and the release of said thought, without any analysis or contest. It emphasizes returning the focus back to the actual SOUND of the mantra. Our mind literally gives the mantra existence and also, sonic characteristics. I cautioned her about conceptualizing about the mantra. Not to see the mantra as a word composed of letters or get caught-up in the meaning behind the phrase.
Basically, not to read too much into the idea of the mantra, but rather, to manifest the SOUND within her mind. To let it absorb her intent and slowly become her innermost spiritual center. This gives an added dimension to the practice of mantra repetition. Ultimately, it will facilitate mental focus, transcendental experiences and an inner state of peace and harmony. :idea:
Can any of you kind folks add any suggestions that I have neglected to point out to her? I am prone to abstraction and digression. Or any useful insights gathered from the gradual training of mindfulness, which is organically resultant from these proven methodologies?