Beginner Mind

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Posts posted by Beginner Mind


  1. 44 minutes ago, jimwell said:

    I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions. Where did you live in South Korea? Did you teach English there? What were the things you enjoyed and disliked?

    No problem.  I lived in a small town on the southern coast, just above Jeju island. 

    Yes I taught English there, in the public school system.  It was difficult at first but once I got the hang of it, it was probably the easiest job I've had.

    Things I liked: definitely the food.  Kimchi, Tappoki, Gimbap.  Good stuff.  I enjoyed the natural beauty of Korea.  I enjoyed the people, my Korean co-workers, strangers.  I found the people to be generally friendly, although not all Koreans are happy to have foreigners living there.

    Things I disliked: It's very difficult to find deodorant there.  If you end up living there, bring lots of deodorant!

     


  2. @spiritualryan I should also mention that the question "Am I aware?" is completely worthless unless you already know what it means to be aware.  If you are not able to identify the experience of being aware, this question will do you no good.

    Like I said in my previous post: Just be, knowingly.  And patiently wait for the peace to emerge.  This is literally all you have to do. 

    There, I just saved you from years of spiritual seeking. You're welcome. :)


  3. @spiritualryan The simplest way to be aware of being aware, in my experience, is to just be, knowingly.  That is, sit comfortably, just be, and be aware of the fact that you're just being.  This is being aware of being aware.

    Rupert makes being aware of being aware sound complicated (probably to sell more books and satsangs).  In reality, being aware of being aware isn't complicated at all.


  4. 6 hours ago, Real Eyes said:

    Thanks for sharing.  Could you elaborate on what sort of effects you've noticed from this?  Was there a clear "aha" moment when you finally felt it?

    There are no "fireworks" when you become aware of being aware.  It's extremely ordinary.  The only thing that stands out about it is the peace you feel.  And as I said in my initial post, this peace can take some time to emerge.  So meditators may think, "Where is the peace?  I must be doing this wrong."  I believe that many people actually do "being aware of being aware" correctly, but because they don't experience instant peace, they give up.

    If the pointer "Just be, knowingly" doesn't work for you, I also recommend this pointer: Notice the fact that you are experiencing anything at all.  Both of these pointers have worked well for me in the past.

    Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to answer them.


  5. If you're reading this right now, chances are you're familiar with this teaching from Rupert Spira, the teaching of "Being Aware of Being Aware".  If you're anything like me, you've found this instruction confusing, difficult to put into practice.  I've spoken in the past about ways to do this successfully, but here I'd like to share what I've found to be the simplest way of 'being aware of being aware'.

    Are you ready for it?  Here it is: Just be, knowingly.  That is, just be, and be aware of the fact that you are just being.

    That's it.  It's that simple.  How does this work?  Well, basically, your Beingness is aware, awareness itself (your true nature).  So to place your attention on just Being is to place your attention on Awareness.  To just be, knowingly, is to be aware of being aware.

    I hope this clears up some confusion for some of you who have struggled with this practice.  I should also mention: patience is required for this practice.  Don't expect the experience of peace to happen instantly.  It usually takes time for the peace to emerge.

    Good luck!


  6. "Just be" has been the most helpful pointer for me of late.  However, I would add one component to that instruction, which is: Just be, KNOWINGLY.  

    That is, just be, and be aware that you are just being.  If you are just being but not doing it knowingly, it's possible you will get lost in thinking or lost in 'la la land'.  The key to properly just being, for me, has been to do it knowingly.  

    This is the exact same practice as "being aware of being aware", though simpler to execute I find.


  7. Firstly, I'm sorry you had some difficult experiences in the past.  I think anyone who is willing to sit down and explore their experience can realize their true nature, no matter what they've experienced in this life.

    Now, in short, be the Knowing.  Knowing/Awareness is what you are, so exercise your knowingness in this moment.  Your Knowing is something you can turn up the dial on.  So turn up the dial of Knowing, by just practicing KNOWING in this moment.  BE PURE KNOWING.  Within a few minutes of doing this, you will begin to experience the peace of your true nature.  Realizing who you really are doesn't have to be complicated. :)


  8. 11 minutes ago, WelcometoReality said:

    @Beginner Mind It's so simple that it might seem boring to the spirtual seeker. :)

    Yes!  I get the impression that many people here are seeking extraordinary experiences, seeking to understand how the universe was made, or seeking to magically manifest the perfect life circumstances, etc.

    This is not what true spirituality is about (in my opinion).  It's about realizing who you really are.  Simple.


  9. Just be the Knowing, knowingly.  This is what you are, so it's quite easy to do.  You could think of it initially as "flexing" your Knowing 'muscle'.  In other words, really KNOW, just practice really KNOWING in this moment.  Not knowing something in particular, but rather, just be pure knowing itself.  It will soon become apparent that this Knowing/Awareness is what you really are.   In time, you will be able to relax the focus of your attention and not exert any effort to be what you already are.  You will be able to rest in your true nature effortlessly.  But to begin with, "flexing" the Knowing can be helpful to familiarize yourself with Knowing/Awareness.

    I have nothing against psychedelics.  I'm sure they evoke genuine spiritual experiences.  But they are not needed.  Simply be Yourself.  Rest in Yourself.  That is, be the Knowing, knowingly.

    And with this, the restless seeking comes to an end.  What remains is peace...