It is fashionable by so-called Realized Ones

to say that there is nothing to do, and no effort

you can make to gain the state of Enlightenment/Cosmic

Consciousness/Realization, etc. (whatever you

want to call "IT"), because that already is the

reality. It is just a matter of experience and

realizing the Truth. And this comes about unbidden

and unprecedented by any cause and effect. But yet

there is a multi-thousand year old tradition that

says that meditation is a valuable tool and has

preceded their Enlightenment by virtually every

Realized One. So, if there is nothing to do and

no effort necessary, what's the deal with this?



The Witness factor



Reality can only take place NOW, so any event

that doesn't take place in the now can be excluded

in any discussion about reality. As an example,

most people spend about 99% of their mental time

fantasizing about the future or rehashing the past,

so all of these thoughts have nothing to do with

reality. Similarly, because of how we are wired

neurologically, all sense data we receive is always

late in arriving, and thus can't be relied on to

give us a true picture of the now/reality. For

instance, as you read these words, the image of

the words that are on the page take time to reach

your eye, and then the image is sent along your

vision nerve path and transmitted to various parts

of your brain where their significance is received,

analyzed as to relevance, and stored. This takes

time, and just as when we see stars in the sky and

are told that their light has taken many years to

reach us, all visual images have also taken time,

and what we see is actually what has past, and not

what is. This is also the same for what we hear,

taste, smell, and touch. Similarly, our emotions

and thoughts are merely reactive messages from the past.



There is only one constant thing that has always

been operating in the present for our entire life,

and it is still available to us now. When we were

babies, we would and could look out at the world

without the comparisons, judgments and commentary

that we now do. The "tool" we used is our inner

Witness. And the potential to use it is ever available.

But this option has been buried under uncountable

physical, emotional, and mental habitual reactivity

patterns. This Witness is what can observe our physical,

emotional, and mental activity at any time.



Here's a little exercise that demonstrates first

hand what we are discussing….. Which nostril is

inhaling more air right now? There is no answer

per se, and it isn't a matter of right or left.

What we want to recognize is the "thing" that can

see the distinction. This is your inner Witness.

It can also see what you are feeling emotionally

in this now. What are you feeling? Now be in contact

with your inner Witness and for a moment watch what

thoughts are flowing by. See?! There is nothing

closer to you than THIS. But how often are you in

touch with IT? Well, here's where meditation comes into IT.



Meditation and Witnessing



There is nothing better than meditation for placing

you in the Witness position, and this is where you

must be to experience your life as it takes place

in a real way. When there, the world is known as

a non-dual experience, and when not in the "living

life as it takes place now Witness posture", life

and reality always appear as dualistic. Here's how IT works….



Part of the process of Meditation involves concentration.

This is done by intently and intensely placing all of

one's attention on one focal point. There may then

be some distractions, but the meditator simply goes

back to refocusing their attention on the object of

meditation (which could be the breath, the environment,

a word or phrase said repeatedly, a visual item…

whatever). And at some point the concentration is so

complete that distractions cease, all effort stops,

and meditation simply and effortlessly comes to the

practitioner. Here the underlying reality of unity

that is the nature of all and everything is presented

in the present, as the greatest of all presents,

to the meditator. And life as it is becomes an experience

and not just a concept. The illusionary separation

of "me and the rest of the universe" fades away much

like what happens when we go to the theater and a

movie ends and `real life' begins again. And knowledge

of the truth that our inner Witness is in fact the

Witness of all creation is known experientially.

To some, this may involve being thrust outside of the

limits of the mind and senses and the visual, tactile,

sonic, intellectual, and so on, fields open to the

reality of our eternal atomic and pre-atomic nature,

as well as to our transcendent of the physical body,

Earth, solar system, galactic, universal and

trans-universal connectivity. And realization that

there is and always has been an infinite consciousness

peering through our, and everyone and everything's,

figurative eyes witnessing all of creation eternally

as singular, non-dual, and characterized as Love,

Truth, Consciousness and Bliss.



But is this, or any other experience that can be

described in words necessarily a part of the non-dual

event? No! As that famous idiom of Biblical sounding

mere words puts it "To each his own." is the actual case.



Meditation as a Way



There cannot be any antecedent for what has always

been, is, and will always be. So in fact neither

meditation, prayer, service, good deeds, nor any

other actions can be labeled as a point A that will

lead you to point B, which in this case we can label

Enlightenment inclusive of a non-dual experiential

nature. But there is much anecdotal evidence (yes,

this is fantasy in a sense, as well as anything and

any concept is) that the vast majority of Realized

One's have been meditators at some point in their life,

and it can be surmised that in a way this did prepare

them in a way much like what a farmer does when they

plant a crop. It removed the weeds and other impurities,

and prepared the soil to give the seeds the best chance

possible for the miracle of life and growth to occur.

But, as it is with farming, the eventual birth and

growth of sweet fruit can only take place by Grace.



So, should we Meditate or not relative to non-duality?



Yes.

--- In meditationsocietyofamerica@yahoogroups.com, medit8ionsociety

<no_reply@...> wrote:

>

> It is fashionable by so-called Realized Ones

> to say that there is nothing to do, and no effort

> you can make to gain the state of Enlightenment/Cosmic

Consciousness/Realization, etc. (whatever you

> want to call "IT"), because that already is the

> reality. It is just a matter of experience and

> realizing the Truth. And this comes about unbidden

> and unprecedented by any cause and effect. But yet

> there is a multi-thousand year old tradition that

> says that meditation is a valuable tool and has

> preceded their Enlightenment by virtually every

> Realized One. So, if there is nothing to do and

> no effort necessary, what's the deal with this?



D:  Good point, Bob.  So, here's a response to "what's the deal with this?"



The deal is that there is a gulf of a trillion miles between saying the

words/having the idea - and the actuality of what it is to *be* this

"doing-nothing Reality" ...



Saying the words, "Realization is doing nothing" is doing something.



Believing the words, is doing something.



Any believing or speaking is a doing.



To say, "one is doing nothing" is misunderstood, because the words are taken for

the actuality - and a person believes something has been understood and some

kind of realization took place.



To actually "BE - doing nothing" is beyond categories - including categories

like being/not being - or doing/not doing.



Having a reference to any category is a doing.



By "doing" is meant:  any sense of a doer, a haver, a knower, an existence for

one who does, who has, who knows ...



Anywhere!



So, this is easily misinterpreted in a personal way:  Joe Blow realized that

there is no do-er.  But to have any sensation, feeling, knowledge of being Joe

Blow realizing something - is a doing.



Thus, Buddha said, "this is nirvana" (i.e., a candle flame is snuffed)



Seeing this - there is nothing "wrong" about any perceived action - including

meditating, praying, chanting, singing, playing music, painting, making knives,

teaching, speaking, swimming.



All actions are perceived.



There is no separately existing perceiver of it.



So, meditating isn't to get you to a special state - because any special state

would be a transitory perceiving, not inclusive of all perceiving.



Meditating is an action perceived as it occurs.



There isn't any action being perceived anywhere, that isn't to happen exactly at

that apparent moment of time/space.



Meditation is defined in different ways.



One way to define it:  being present. nothing to say or do.  no separately

existing perceiver.  noticing what is, in simple being. for example, noticing

breathing as it occurs - choicelessly.  not by trying to have a special

experience of what it's like to notice breathing.



This awareness is present whether meditating, or non-meditating.



Realization that is this *being aware*, regardless of what activity occurs, is

called by some Tibetans:  non-meditation.  Yet, they include meditation as a key

art in their way of expressing liberation.  And they include painting, and

drama, and chanting, and music.



A well-rounded way of expressing - although the Chinese didn't seem to see it

like that ...



I added nothing new below - although I enjoyed the way you answered the question

you posed at the end.



- Dan





> The Witness factor

>

> Reality can only take place NOW, so any event

> that doesn't take place in the now can be excluded

> in any discussion about reality. As an example,

> most people spend about 99% of their mental time

> fantasizing about the future or rehashing the past,

> so all of these thoughts have nothing to do with

> reality. Similarly, because of how we are wired

> neurologically, all sense data we receive is always

> late in arriving, and thus can't be relied on to

> give us a true picture of the now/reality. For

> instance, as you read these words, the image of

> the words that are on the page take time to reach

> your eye, and then the image is sent along your

> vision nerve path and transmitted to various parts

> of your brain where their significance is received,

> analyzed as to relevance, and stored. This takes

> time, and just as when we see stars in the sky and

> are told that their light has taken many years to

> reach us, all visual images have also taken time,

> and what we see is actually what has past, and not

> what is. This is also the same for what we hear,

> taste, smell, and touch. Similarly, our emotions

> and thoughts are merely reactive messages from the past.

>

> There is only one constant thing that has always

> been operating in the present for our entire life,

> and it is still available to us now. When we were

> babies, we would and could look out at the world

> without the comparisons, judgments and commentary

> that we now do. The "tool" we used is our inner

> Witness. And the potential to use it is ever available.

> But this option has been buried under uncountable

> physical, emotional, and mental habitual reactivity

> patterns. This Witness is what can observe our physical,

> emotional, and mental activity at any time.

>

> Here's a little exercise that demonstrates first

> hand what we are discussing….. Which nostril is

> inhaling more air right now? There is no answer

> per se, and it isn't a matter of right or left.

> What we want to recognize is the "thing" that can

> see the distinction. This is your inner Witness.

> It can also see what you are feeling emotionally

> in this now. What are you feeling? Now be in contact

> with your inner Witness and for a moment watch what

> thoughts are flowing by. See?! There is nothing

> closer to you than THIS. But how often are you in

> touch with IT? Well, here's where meditation comes into IT.

>

> Meditation and Witnessing

>

> There is nothing better than meditation for placing

> you in the Witness position, and this is where you

> must be to experience your life as it takes place

> in a real way. When there, the world is known as

> a non-dual experience, and when not in the "living

> life as it takes place now Witness posture", life

> and reality always appear as dualistic. Here's how IT works….

>

> Part of the process of Meditation involves concentration.

> This is done by intently and intensely placing all of

> one's attention on one focal point. There may then

> be some distractions, but the meditator simply goes

> back to refocusing their attention on the object of

> meditation (which could be the breath, the environment,

> a word or phrase said repeatedly, a visual item…

> whatever). And at some point the concentration is so

> complete that distractions cease, all effort stops,

> and meditation simply and effortlessly comes to the

> practitioner. Here the underlying reality of unity

> that is the nature of all and everything is presented

> in the present, as the greatest of all presents,

> to the meditator. And life as it is becomes an experience

> and not just a concept. The illusionary separation

> of "me and the rest of the universe" fades away much

> like what happens when we go to the theater and a

> movie ends and `real life' begins again. And knowledge

> of the truth that our inner Witness is in fact the

> Witness of all creation is known experientially.

> To some, this may involve being thrust outside of the

> limits of the mind and senses and the visual, tactile,

> sonic, intellectual, and so on, fields open to the

> reality of our eternal atomic and pre-atomic nature,

> as well as to our transcendent of the physical body,

> Earth, solar system, galactic, universal and

> trans-universal connectivity. And realization that

> there is and always has been an infinite consciousness

> peering through our, and everyone and everything's,

> figurative eyes witnessing all of creation eternally

> as singular, non-dual, and characterized as Love,

> Truth, Consciousness and Bliss.

>

> But is this, or any other experience that can be

> described in words necessarily a part of the non-dual

> event? No! As that famous idiom of Biblical sounding

> mere words puts it "To each his own." is the actual case.

>

> Meditation as a Way

>

> There cannot be any antecedent for what has always

> been, is, and will always be. So in fact neither

> meditation, prayer, service, good deeds, nor any

> other actions can be labeled as a point A that will

> lead you to point B, which in this case we can label

> Enlightenment inclusive of a non-dual experiential

> nature. But there is much anecdotal evidence (yes,

> this is fantasy in a sense, as well as anything and

> any concept is) that the vast majority of Realized

> One's have been meditators at some point in their life,

> and it can be surmised that in a way this did prepare

> them in a way much like what a farmer does when they

> plant a crop. It removed the weeds and other impurities,

> and prepared the soil to give the seeds the best chance

> possible for the miracle of life and growth to occur.

> But, as it is with farming, the eventual birth and

> growth of sweet fruit can only take place by Grace.

>

> So, should we Meditate or not relative to non-duality?

>

> Yes.

>

Yo,



Thanks for the glimpse of Reality Dan.



ONE



--- In meditationsocietyofamerica@yahoogroups.com, "dan330033" <dan330033@...>

wrote:

>

>

>

> --- In meditationsocietyofamerica@yahoogroups.com, medit8ionsociety

<no_reply@> wrote:

> >

> > It is fashionable by so-called Realized Ones

> > to say that there is nothing to do, and no effort

> > you can make to gain the state of Enlightenment/Cosmic

Consciousness/Realization, etc. (whatever you

> > want to call "IT"), because that already is the

> > reality. It is just a matter of experience and

> > realizing the Truth. And this comes about unbidden

> > and unprecedented by any cause and effect. But yet

> > there is a multi-thousand year old tradition that

> > says that meditation is a valuable tool and has

> > preceded their Enlightenment by virtually every

> > Realized One. So, if there is nothing to do and

> > no effort necessary, what's the deal with this?

>

> D:  Good point, Bob.  So, here's a response to "what's the deal with this?"

>

> The deal is that there is a gulf of a trillion miles between saying the

words/having the idea - and the actuality of what it is to *be* this

"doing-nothing Reality" ...

>

> Saying the words, "Realization is doing nothing" is doing something.

>

> Believing the words, is doing something.

>

> Any believing or speaking is a doing.

>

> To say, "one is doing nothing" is misunderstood, because the words are taken

for the actuality - and a person believes something has been understood and some

kind of realization took place.

>

> To actually "BE - doing nothing" is beyond categories - including categories

like being/not being - or doing/not doing.

>

> Having a reference to any category is a doing.

>

> By "doing" is meant:  any sense of a doer, a haver, a knower, an existence for

one who does, who has, who knows ...

>

> Anywhere!

>

> So, this is easily misinterpreted in a personal way:  Joe Blow realized that

there is no do-er.  But to have any sensation, feeling, knowledge of being Joe

Blow realizing something - is a doing.

>

> Thus, Buddha said, "this is nirvana" (i.e., a candle flame is snuffed)

>

> Seeing this - there is nothing "wrong" about any perceived action - including

meditating, praying, chanting, singing, playing music, painting, making knives,

teaching, speaking, swimming.

>

> All actions are perceived.

>

> There is no separately existing perceiver of it.

>

> So, meditating isn't to get you to a special state - because any special state

would be a transitory perceiving, not inclusive of all perceiving.

>

> Meditating is an action perceived as it occurs.

>

> There isn't any action being perceived anywhere, that isn't to happen exactly

at that apparent moment of time/space.

>

> Meditation is defined in different ways.

>

> One way to define it:  being present. nothing to say or do.  no separately

existing perceiver.  noticing what is, in simple being. for example, noticing

breathing as it occurs - choicelessly.  not by trying to have a special

experience of what it's like to notice breathing.

>

> This awareness is present whether meditating, or non-meditating.

>

> Realization that is this *being aware*, regardless of what activity occurs, is

called by some Tibetans:  non-meditation.  Yet, they include meditation as a key

art in their way of expressing liberation.  And they include painting, and

drama, and chanting, and music.

>

> A well-rounded way of expressing - although the Chinese didn't seem to see it

like that ...

>

> I added nothing new below - although I enjoyed the way you answered the

question you posed at the end.

>

> - Dan

>

>

> > The Witness factor

> >

> > Reality can only take place NOW, so any event

> > that doesn't take place in the now can be excluded

> > in any discussion about reality. As an example,

> > most people spend about 99% of their mental time

> > fantasizing about the future or rehashing the past,

> > so all of these thoughts have nothing to do with

> > reality. Similarly, because of how we are wired

> > neurologically, all sense data we receive is always

> > late in arriving, and thus can't be relied on to

> > give us a true picture of the now/reality. For

> > instance, as you read these words, the image of

> > the words that are on the page take time to reach

> > your eye, and then the image is sent along your

> > vision nerve path and transmitted to various parts

> > of your brain where their significance is received,

> > analyzed as to relevance, and stored. This takes

> > time, and just as when we see stars in the sky and

> > are told that their light has taken many years to

> > reach us, all visual images have also taken time,

> > and what we see is actually what has past, and not

> > what is. This is also the same for what we hear,

> > taste, smell, and touch. Similarly, our emotions

> > and thoughts are merely reactive messages from the past.

> >

> > There is only one constant thing that has always

> > been operating in the present for our entire life,

> > and it is still available to us now. When we were

> > babies, we would and could look out at the world

> > without the comparisons, judgments and commentary

> > that we now do. The "tool" we used is our inner

> > Witness. And the potential to use it is ever available.

> > But this option has been buried under uncountable

> > physical, emotional, and mental habitual reactivity

> > patterns. This Witness is what can observe our physical,

> > emotional, and mental activity at any time.

> >

> > Here's a little exercise that demonstrates first

> > hand what we are discussing….. Which nostril is

> > inhaling more air right now? There is no answer

> > per se, and it isn't a matter of right or left.

> > What we want to recognize is the "thing" that can

> > see the distinction. This is your inner Witness.

> > It can also see what you are feeling emotionally

> > in this now. What are you feeling? Now be in contact

> > with your inner Witness and for a moment watch what

> > thoughts are flowing by. See?! There is nothing

> > closer to you than THIS. But how often are you in

> > touch with IT? Well, here's where meditation comes into IT.

> >

> > Meditation and Witnessing

> >

> > There is nothing better than meditation for placing

> > you in the Witness position, and this is where you

> > must be to experience your life as it takes place

> > in a real way. When there, the world is known as

> > a non-dual experience, and when not in the "living

> > life as it takes place now Witness posture", life

> > and reality always appear as dualistic. Here's how IT works….

> >

> > Part of the process of Meditation involves concentration.

> > This is done by intently and intensely placing all of

> > one's attention on one focal point. There may then

> > be some distractions, but the meditator simply goes

> > back to refocusing their attention on the object of

> > meditation (which could be the breath, the environment,

> > a word or phrase said repeatedly, a visual item…

> > whatever). And at some point the concentration is so

> > complete that distractions cease, all effort stops,

> > and meditation simply and effortlessly comes to the

> > practitioner. Here the underlying reality of unity

> > that is the nature of all and everything is presented

> > in the present, as the greatest of all presents,

> > to the meditator. And life as it is becomes an experience

> > and not just a concept. The illusionary separation

> > of "me and the rest of the universe" fades away much

> > like what happens when we go to the theater and a

> > movie ends and `real life' begins again. And knowledge

> > of the truth that our inner Witness is in fact the

> > Witness of all creation is known experientially.

> > To some, this may involve being thrust outside of the

> > limits of the mind and senses and the visual, tactile,

> > sonic, intellectual, and so on, fields open to the

> > reality of our eternal atomic and pre-atomic nature,

> > as well as to our transcendent of the physical body,

> > Earth, solar system, galactic, universal and

> > trans-universal connectivity. And realization that

> > there is and always has been an infinite consciousness

> > peering through our, and everyone and everything's,

> > figurative eyes witnessing all of creation eternally

> > as singular, non-dual, and characterized as Love,

> > Truth, Consciousness and Bliss.

> >

> > But is this, or any other experience that can be

> > described in words necessarily a part of the non-dual

> > event? No! As that famous idiom of Biblical sounding

> > mere words puts it "To each his own." is the actual case.

> >

> > Meditation as a Way

> >

> > There cannot be any antecedent for what has always

> > been, is, and will always be. So in fact neither

> > meditation, prayer, service, good deeds, nor any

> > other actions can be labeled as a point A that will

> > lead you to point B, which in this case we can label

> > Enlightenment inclusive of a non-dual experiential

> > nature. But there is much anecdotal evidence (yes,

> > this is fantasy in a sense, as well as anything and

> > any concept is) that the vast majority of Realized

> > One's have been meditators at some point in their life,

> > and it can be surmised that in a way this did prepare

> > them in a way much like what a farmer does when they

> > plant a crop. It removed the weeds and other impurities,

> > and prepared the soil to give the seeds the best chance

> > possible for the miracle of life and growth to occur.

> > But, as it is with farming, the eventual birth and

> > growth of sweet fruit can only take place by Grace.

> >

> > So, should we Meditate or not relative to non-duality?

> >

> > Yes.

> >

>

Nice post, Bob.



I look at it this way: meditation is in some ways like physical exercise, and it

can be evaluated by its fruits.  It shouldn't be thought of as entailing any

sort of propositional claim at all (any more than doing push-ups entails

evolutionary theory).  Any claimed implications of that kind involve theoretical

claims--and all such claims may be right or wrong.



But meditation, like food, doesn't make any claims at all.  It doesn't need to

be made to fit into this theory or that.  On the contrary, the theories (dual,

non-dual, septuple, theistic, atheistic, whatever), if we will be moved by them,

will need to be able to explain meditation's efficacy.



Best,



W



--- In meditationsocietyofamerica@yahoogroups.com, medit8ionsociety

<no_reply@...> wrote:

>

> It is fashionable by so-called Realized Ones

> to say that there is nothing to do, and no effort

> you can make to gain the state of Enlightenment/Cosmic

Consciousness/Realization, etc. (whatever you

> want to call "IT"), because that already is the

> reality. It is just a matter of experience and

> realizing the Truth. And this comes about unbidden

> and unprecedented by any cause and effect. But yet

> there is a multi-thousand year old tradition that

> says that meditation is a valuable tool and has

> preceded their Enlightenment by virtually every

> Realized One. So, if there is nothing to do and

> no effort necessary, what's the deal with this?

>

> The Witness factor

>

> Reality can only take place NOW, so any event

> that doesn't take place in the now can be excluded

> in any discussion about reality. As an example,

> most people spend about 99% of their mental time

> fantasizing about the future or rehashing the past,

> so all of these thoughts have nothing to do with

> reality. Similarly, because of how we are wired

> neurologically, all sense data we receive is always

> late in arriving, and thus can't be relied on to

> give us a true picture of the now/reality. For

> instance, as you read these words, the image of

> the words that are on the page take time to reach

> your eye, and then the image is sent along your

> vision nerve path and transmitted to various parts

> of your brain where their significance is received,

> analyzed as to relevance, and stored. This takes

> time, and just as when we see stars in the sky and

> are told that their light has taken many years to

> reach us, all visual images have also taken time,

> and what we see is actually what has past, and not

> what is. This is also the same for what we hear,

> taste, smell, and touch. Similarly, our emotions

> and thoughts are merely reactive messages from the past.

>

> There is only one constant thing that has always

> been operating in the present for our entire life,

> and it is still available to us now. When we were

> babies, we would and could look out at the world

> without the comparisons, judgments and commentary

> that we now do. The "tool" we used is our inner

> Witness. And the potential to use it is ever available.

> But this option has been buried under uncountable

> physical, emotional, and mental habitual reactivity

> patterns. This Witness is what can observe our physical,

> emotional, and mental activity at any time.

>

> Here's a little exercise that demonstrates first

> hand what we are discussing….. Which nostril is

> inhaling more air right now? There is no answer

> per se, and it isn't a matter of right or left.

> What we want to recognize is the "thing" that can

> see the distinction. This is your inner Witness.

> It can also see what you are feeling emotionally

> in this now. What are you feeling? Now be in contact

> with your inner Witness and for a moment watch what

> thoughts are flowing by. See?! There is nothing

> closer to you than THIS. But how often are you in

> touch with IT? Well, here's where meditation comes into IT.

>

> Meditation and Witnessing

>

> There is nothing better than meditation for placing

> you in the Witness position, and this is where you

> must be to experience your life as it takes place

> in a real way. When there, the world is known as

> a non-dual experience, and when not in the "living

> life as it takes place now Witness posture", life

> and reality always appear as dualistic. Here's how IT works….

>

> Part of the process of Meditation involves concentration.

> This is done by intently and intensely placing all of

> one's attention on one focal point. There may then

> be some distractions, but the meditator simply goes

> back to refocusing their attention on the object of

> meditation (which could be the breath, the environment,

> a word or phrase said repeatedly, a visual item…

> whatever). And at some point the concentration is so

> complete that distractions cease, all effort stops,

> and meditation simply and effortlessly comes to the

> practitioner. Here the underlying reality of unity

> that is the nature of all and everything is presented

> in the present, as the greatest of all presents,

> to the meditator. And life as it is becomes an experience

> and not just a concept. The illusionary separation

> of "me and the rest of the universe" fades away much

> like what happens when we go to the theater and a

> movie ends and `real life' begins again. And knowledge

> of the truth that our inner Witness is in fact the

> Witness of all creation is known experientially.

> To some, this may involve being thrust outside of the

> limits of the mind and senses and the visual, tactile,

> sonic, intellectual, and so on, fields open to the

> reality of our eternal atomic and pre-atomic nature,

> as well as to our transcendent of the physical body,

> Earth, solar system, galactic, universal and

> trans-universal connectivity. And realization that

> there is and always has been an infinite consciousness

> peering through our, and everyone and everything's,

> figurative eyes witnessing all of creation eternally

> as singular, non-dual, and characterized as Love,

> Truth, Consciousness and Bliss.

>

> But is this, or any other experience that can be

> described in words necessarily a part of the non-dual

> event? No! As that famous idiom of Biblical sounding

> mere words puts it "To each his own." is the actual case.

>

> Meditation as a Way

>

> There cannot be any antecedent for what has always

> been, is, and will always be. So in fact neither

> meditation, prayer, service, good deeds, nor any

> other actions can be labeled as a point A that will

> lead you to point B, which in this case we can label

> Enlightenment inclusive of a non-dual experiential

> nature. But there is much anecdotal evidence (yes,

> this is fantasy in a sense, as well as anything and

> any concept is) that the vast majority of Realized

> One's have been meditators at some point in their life,

> and it can be surmised that in a way this did prepare

> them in a way much like what a farmer does when they

> plant a crop. It removed the weeds and other impurities,

> and prepared the soil to give the seeds the best chance

> possible for the miracle of life and growth to occur.

> But, as it is with farming, the eventual birth and

> growth of sweet fruit can only take place by Grace.

>

> So, should we Meditate or not relative to non-duality?

>

> Yes.

>

 

It is fashionable by so-called Realized Ones to say that there is nothing to do, and no effort you can make to gain the state of Enlightenment/Cosmic Consciousness/Realization, etc. (whatever you
want to call "IT"), because that already is the reality.

It is just a matter of experience and realizing the Truth. And this comes about unbidden and unprecedented by any cause and effect.

But yet there is a multi-thousand year old tradition that says that meditation is a valuable tool and has preceded their Enlightenment by virtually every
Realized One. So, if there is nothing to do and no effort necessary, what's the deal with this?

The Witness factor

Reality can only take place NOW, so any event that doesn't take place in the now can be excluded in any discussion about reality. As an example,
most people spend about 99% of their mental time fantasizing about the future or rehashing the past, so all of these thoughts have nothing to do with
reality.

Similarly, because of how we are wired neurologically, all sense data we receive is always late in arriving, and thus can't be relied on to give us a true picture of the now/reality. For
instance, as you read these words, the image of the words that are on the page take time to reach your eye, and then the image is sent along your vision nerve path and transmitted to various parts
of your brain where their significance is received, analyzed as to relevance, and stored. This takes time, and just as when we see stars in the sky and are told that their light has taken many years to
reach us, all visual images have also taken time, and what we see is actually what has past, and not what is. This is also the same for what we hear,
taste, smell, and touch. Similarly, our emotions and thoughts are merely reactive messages from the past.

There is only one constant thing that has always been operating in the present for our entire life, and it is still available to us now. When we were babies, we would and could look out at the world
without the comparisons, judgments and commentary that we now do. The "tool" we used is our inner Witness. And the potential to use it is ever available. But this option has been buried under uncountable
physical, emotional, and mental habitual reactivity patterns. This Witness is what can observe our physical, emotional, and mental activity at any time.

Here's a little exercise that demonstrates first hand what we are discussing….. Which nostril is inhaling more air right now? There is no answer per se, and it isn't a matter of right or left.
What we want to recognize is the "thing" that can see the distinction. This is your inner Witness.
It can also see what you are feeling emotionally in this now. What are you feeling? Now be in contact with your inner Witness and for a moment watch what thoughts are flowing by. See?! There is nothing
closer to you than THIS. But how often are you in touch with IT? Well, here's where meditation comes into IT.

Meditation and Witnessing

There is nothing better than meditation for placing you in the Witness position, and this is where you must be to experience your life as it takes place in a real way. When there, the world is known as
a non-dual experience, and when not in the "living life as it takes place now Witness posture", life and reality always appear as dualistic. Here's how IT works….

Part of the process of Meditation involves concentration. This is done by intently and intensely placing all of one's attention on one focal point. There may then be some distractions, but the meditator simply goes back to refocusing their attention on the object of meditation (which could be the breath, the environment, a word or phrase said repeatedly, a visual item…
whatever). And at some point the concentration is so complete that distractions cease, all effort stops, and meditation simply and effortlessly comes to the
practitioner. Here the underlying reality of unity that is the nature of all and everything is presented in the present, as the greatest of all presents, to the meditator. And life as it is becomes an experience
and not just a concept. The illusionary separation of "me and the rest of the universe" fades away much like what happens when we go to the theater and a movie ends and `real life' begins again. And knowledge
of the truth that our inner Witness is in fact the Witness of all creation is known experientially.
To some, this may involve being thrust outside of the limits of the mind and senses and the visual, tactile, sonic, intellectual, and so on, fields open to the reality of our eternal atomic and pre-atomic nature,
as well as to our transcendent of the physical body, Earth, solar system, galactic, universal and trans-universal connectivity. And realization that there is and always has been an infinite consciousness
peering through our, and everyone and everything's, figurative eyes witnessing all of creation eternally as singular, non-dual, and characterized as Love, Truth, Consciousness and Bliss.

But is this, or any other experience that can be described in words necessarily a part of the non-dual event? No! As that famous idiom of Biblical sounding
mere words puts it "To each his own." is the actual case.

Meditation as a Way

There cannot be any antecedent for what has always been, is, and will always be. So in fact neither meditation, prayer, service, good deeds, nor any other actions can be labeled as a point A that will
lead you to point B, which in this case we can label Enlightenment inclusive of a non-dual experiential nature. But there is much anecdotal evidence (yes, this is fantasy in a sense, as well as anything and
any concept is) that the vast majority of Realized One's have been meditators at some point in their life, and it can be surmised that in a way this did prepare them in a way much like what a farmer does when they
plant a crop. It removed the weeds and other impurities, and prepared the soil to give the seeds the best chance possible for the miracle of life and growth to occur.
But, as it is with farming, the eventual birth and growth of sweet fruit can only take place by Grace.

So, should we Meditate or not relative to non-duality?

Yes.

Hi Bob,

Very pertinent and succinct.
Some comments in-between as below.



On 09-02-2012 08:39, medit8ionsociety wrote:

 [snip]

 

The Witness factor

Reality can only take place NOW, so any event that doesn't take place in the now can be excluded in any discussion about reality. As an example,
most people spend about 99% of their mental time fantasizing about the future or rehashing the past, so all of these thoughts have nothing to do with
reality.

The fantasizing of a future..........is happening now.
The re-hashing of a past is happening now.

[snip]

 

On 2/11/2012 5:29 AM, Sandeep wrote:

Hi Bob,

Very pertinent and succinct.
Some comments in-between as below.



On 09-02-2012 08:39, medit8ionsociety wrote:

 [snip]

 

The Witness factor

Reality can only take place NOW, so any event that doesn't take place in the now can be excluded in any discussion about reality. As an example,
most people spend about 99% of their mental time fantasizing about the future or rehashing the past, so all of these thoughts have nothing to do with
reality.

The fantasizing of a future..........is happening now.
The re-hashing of a past is happening now.

Ergo fantasizing and re-hashing
are real,

while a future and a
past are imaginary.  In fact, the
fantasizing of a future is
essentially yet another re-
hashing of the past, because
memories (rather unreliably
stored data and images) by
definition reference the past,
and memories are all the
fantasizer (aka "thought") has to
work with.