thots

[CoolDreamThanks]

Practice is so unequal to practice.

You can "practice" at a low intensity - meaning - small or no periods of strong determination sitting - just being aware whenever you can - and you will improve, but sooo slowly. That's why Ramana came to me and said "Meditate in an Asana." Why did he say that? Because it's the most efficacious form of practice. Laying down, as I do - is slow. 

This is simply based on experience, and it's not magic, it's obvious. The living and meditating practice is more to maintain, not to transcend. 

I need to get to a natural cessation as soon as possible. Buddha said, if I'm not mistaken, that you are enlightened when you reach a state of neither perception nor non perception - where you and the whole dream blinks out of existence. I had a cessation, and the state after cessation was incredible - I wouldn't be mistaken to call it enlightenment, I think, but it did not last. For this to become permanent I need to reach it naturally, and it's a lot of work, if I want it fast. There's no substitute for long determination sitting. That's what I dislike about ACIM - supposedly it's the fastest path, but it doesn't seem to be. It's also so lacking in technical detail, which is not something that is enjoyable when everything is already so confusing. Buddhism solves that through precise technical analysis and outlaying of the path. ACIM is like a riddle, a poem, to be interpreted in various ways, hence so much confusion in the community. There's no other path which you study for years and after years you are still as confused as before, mostly. Anyway, I don't like ACIM - it has it's helpful parts, but the lack of clarity in it is egoic, I believe. Helen liked Shakespeare, was a psychologist, and saw herself as an intellectual, so that's how she channeled it. I wish she was a Buddhist and wrote a nice precise manual.
 

Anyway, the path is clear - to get to cessation there are 2 paths - both of whom are as effective as your strong determination sitting is long. 

First path is the path of expansion, or non-doing, do-nothingness, mahamudra, the great perfection - where yes, you do sit down, but with the intention of dissolving yourself by not doing anything - not exerting your will at all, and because will is at the core of the separate self - it's a self-destruction. 

God is taking core of the rest in this case, or emptiness, or void - it's happening on it's own.

The other path is the path of contraction - vipassana - where you control and direct your attention, until you can penetrate each sensation at it's core, and then you end up with cessation as well. 

Not even sure which path to choose. Nah, do-nothing is more enjoyable for sure for sure. Now I just need to sit for longer periods, the longer I sit, the faster cessation will come. I don't think it's that far if I meditate daily - it's grows exponentially with time spent sitting. For now, for the hours I've been spending laying down and meditating, I will exchange them with strong determination sitting. Shinzen said this is the fastest way - to sit for long periods. And you can do contraction or expansion - whatever you prefer - both work. 

I want to come back to that state sooooo much. It's incredible. That's true happiness. Its so proofound - you feel infinite, there's no tension or density anywhere, you feel so free, so liberated, everything flows so easily, you are soo expanded, so large, yet at the same time you are nothingness. 

 

[CoolDreamThanks]

What was very helpful to learn was: do not fight against desires, as long as they are there - they are actually helpful, they make your days pleasant. Just at the same time - work on enlightenment, and you're golden. 

This learning of concepts that life is a dream is ok, but until it's your direct moment-to-moment experience, where you literally see that it's a dream, or to be precise, know that it is - until then the conceptual can even become a hindrance, because it overestimates your level of realization. As long as your realization is merely conceptual and non stabilized as a permanent, moment-to-moment experience, until then you have a lot of work to do. 

Probably nothing more powerful for enlightenment than 10-14 day meditation retreats twice per year. That's how I will use up all my vacation days at work - they will be dedicated purely for meditation. From now until then, I should try to meditate as much as I can as well, ideally 4-5 hours of strong determination sitting daily, but probably will end up around 2-3 hours. 

[CoolDreamThanks]

When sitting, my body still twists and twitches - conditioning/contraction/ego is being dissolved. It's indeed very visceral and physical. This density in the middle of infinity has to dissolve, and it's rather pleasant to dissolve it. Even mystical experiences come along the way.

[CoolDreamThanks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ6cdIaUZCA


These are just the best, Shinzen and Frank explain this so well, I don't think it gets much better than this. Can confirm all things in my own experience as well, whilst with ACIM it's just.. ehh, forget ACIM, was maybe helpful for a bit, now bye, back to Franky and Youngy.