Archive for February, 2010

« Older posts

Nondual Verses

February 27, 2010

Verses from the free online book, The Wild Song of Standing Free.

8. I AM I AM AND I AM I AM. It is the one occurrence.

9. There are no ports and there is no sea. There are no implements of enlightenment and no stages of enlightenment, and there is no enlightenment. How can this be said? It is said.

10. Umba is neither the man nor the mantra. Umba is the atmosphere pervading Umba; the atmosphere in which there is Standing Free and which is not separate from Standing Free.

11. How can there be I AM? How can there be failure to grasp “I AM”? How can there be the world, this world, world or worlds on end?

12. The Absolute is that atmosphere, pure, unknowing and all-knowing, without a division.

13. Not air, not water, not fire, not earth, no thing contains consciousness. There is no location of consciousness.

14. Consciousness pervades consciousness.

15. There is no mind. How can there be concentration? The mind has fallen through the mind. Attention has been consumed by attention.

16. I am the Absolute, consumed in I Am. Not by analysis, not by transcendence, not by mutability does matter yield to the Absolute; there is no analysis, no transcendence, no mutability; no mind; there is nothing done, nor is there refraining from doing; there is no interaction between the mind and matter; there is neither mind nor matter. There is Grace. The Absolute. Truth. No division. I am The One Standing Free.

Posted in wild song of standing free | Leave a Comment »

The Nonduality Movement: Part 1

February 26, 2010

The Nonduality Movement

The earliest use of the phrase “nonduality movement” was, to my knowledge, October 25, 1999, on the Nonduality Salon email forum, by myself.

The context was one of humor since, while it was clear there was both the energy present for a movement and the actual expansion of online communities, it was not yet clear that there was indeed such a movement as a social/spiritual/cultural phenomenon.

To play down the boldness of such a claim as a nonduality movement, and to thereby reduce the possibility for a ground of cultishness, I couched my announcement in humor. Also, that’s just my personality, to sometimes use humor when I’m not sure how else to approach an issue or topic:

“I think it would be cool if the Nonduality movement made it into the list of cults to watch out for. Any way we can push for that?”

This comment reveals three things: One, that a nonduality movement was perceived. Two, that I wanted to point it out. And, three, that I wanted to acknowledge its potential degeneration, but not in a serious way, lest seriousness feed the possibility of such degeneration.

Though I was preparing for the breaking down of the movement into cultishness, eleven long Internet years later it has not happened. In fact, the movement has no center, so cultishness of the movement as a whole doesn’t seem possible.

The movement has kept itself honest by inviting all voices and by encouraging the formation of new communities and welcoming the strongest criticism.

My way of encouraging the movement was by encouraging people to form their own email communities and to “steal” members from my email community, Nonduality Salon. That makes no sense in any world of business, but if you want to start a movement you have to give up your own position, the fruits of your work, and your own life.

Now, you don’t give anything up for a higher cause. You don’t give up anything for any reason at all. You let happen what needs to happen and later on you, or others, might look at what happened and describe it as having given something up for some purpose or some good.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a “movement” as “A course or series of actions and endeavours on the part of a group of people working towards a shared goal.” I’ll talk about that definition in the next part of this series and give my modified definition as, clearly, I don’t think a movement has to be as intentional and organized as the OED implies.

Posted in Nonduality Movement | Leave a Comment »

William Yenner & Jody Radzik on Andrew Cohen

February 24, 2010

Jody Radzik writes in Guruphiliac:

Cohen Leaves Lenox For A Less Spoiled Pasture

File under: Gurubusting and The Siddhi of PR

Apparently, some folks in Lenox, MA are pissed off that Andrew Cohen is shipping out with his EnlightenNext org, and they’ve got fingers pointed at American Guru author William Yenner. But based on Yenner’s 13-year sojourn as an inner-circle member, Cohen has no business teaching nondual realization at all:

During my 13 years with Andrew Cohen, as a member of his inner circle of students, manager of Foxhollow, and a member of the Board of Directors, I was witness to countless instances of abusive behavior toward students on a regular basis. The strategy at EnlightenNext has always been to “destroy the ego”, believing it to be the main obstacle to spiritual “evolution”. Andrew’s tactics are largely based on ever increasing levels of demands and psychological pressure on the “ego”, which is often how the abuse results. I have witnessed such treatment escalate in some cases to emotional, financial and even physical abuse. In far too many cases students were coerced to behave in ways that violated their own dignity, privacy and good sense, all in the belief that only a self-limiting ego would resist their guru’s instruction.

Can you say ego-fixation? And that whole idea of destroying the ego is so 2000 and late.

Not that it’s going to stop everyone from going. Cohen has rendered himself a star, and there will always be folks who want to catch some of that “shine.” His being an asshole isn’t likely to hobble his appeal to that reflex. In fact, it’s just as likely to enhance it with some folks.

Labels: Gurubusting, The Siddhi of PR

posted by jody radzik @ 11:36 PM

Posted in Gurus/Teachers/Sages | Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , ,

A Tip for Publishing Your Nonduality Book

February 22, 2010

A prospective publisher or literary agent will usually ask whether your book is original. Here’s a way to approach that question:

To a vast audience, yes, your book is probably original. To a specific nonduality audience it’s probably less original.

The audience for nonduality books is layered like an onion. There is the “very hard core nonduality” layer , the “hard core,” the medium core, the soft core layer, etc.

I’m not going to give examples of each layer, but if you’re writing a book on nonduality I’m sure you have your own impressions. You can define each layer by the kinds of books, media, personalities, and lifestyles with which it is identified.

Your book will sell throughout all those layers, but the huge audience is outside the onion altogether, drawing its fumes.

Envision your audience and determine the degree of originality of your book for each layer and within the atmosphere of the fumes. (I hope you don’t hate onions.) Then communicate to the publisher a picture of the originality of your book. Show where and how your book fills a niche.

As part of a marketing plan, also show how you will enter each layer and hustle your book.

-Jerry Katz

Posted in Publishing | Leave a Comment »
Tags: ,

Paradoxica: Nondual Psychology – Psychotherapy Conference in Alberta, Canada

February 22, 2010

I have heard from Will Joel Friedman and Gary Nixon about what looks to be a great nonduality conference happening in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, June 17-18, 2010.

The links will take you to a fine website with clear, detailed descriptions of the proposed talks as well as the contents of Volume #1 of Paradoxica: Journal of Nondual Psychology.

Here is their announcement of the Conference:

2010 Paradoxica Nondual Psychology Conference

EXCITING NEWS: Announcing the first nondual psychology & psychotherapy conference in Canada.

The Paradoxica Institute is hosting the Nondual Psychology (and Beyond) Conference, June 17-18, 2010 at the University of Lethbridge in beautiful Lethbridge Alberta nestled in the coulees, and close to the Waterton Mountains.

We want this to be a dynamic and transformational conference including powerful and insightful clinical workshops in addition to ground breaking presentations and energizing workshops.

Join in June’s festivities as we celebrate and embrace the flowering of Nothingness together!

Full Program & Registration: paradoxica.ca/index.php/conference

Paradoxica: Journal of Nondual Psychology: paradoxica.ca/index.php/issue-1

Main Website: www.paradoxica.ca

Posted in Gatherings/meetings/conferences, Nondual Perspectives, Paradox of Nonduality, Psychoterapy-Psychology | 1 Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , ,

I Don’t Get GMail, Facebook, or Yoga Exercises

February 20, 2010

I spent about an hour at the Coalescence Day activities in Halifax, Nova Scotia today. James Traverse and Maryse Thuot are leading it. You can’t say too many good things about those people. I love them.

James conducted a teaching on Yoga and nonduality that was crystal clear and impeccable. He got 60 people in Halifax to easily understand nonduality.

I love the teaching of Yoga, especially how James and Maryse and Mandee Moon present it: each one differently!

But what I don’t get about Yoga is the exercises. I either can’t do them or they make me lightheaded. I don’t get the exercises.

I also don’t get G-Mail or Facebook.

Twitter I sort of get.

A blog I get.

I also get an email forum and a website and eating pastrami once in a while.

What don’t you get? And what do you get? (Please don’t list everything, because I wouldn’t get that.)

Posted in Lite | 2 Comments »
Tags: , , ,

What Did Lao Tzu Mean? Part 4

February 20, 2010

What did Lao Tzu mean when he wrote in the Tao Te Ching, “Those who say, do not know. Those who know, do not say”?

In this series entitled What Did Lao Tzu Mean? are entertained some responses. You are welcome to include yours as a comment. This part is by several contributors:

Hi dear Jerry:

Re: Lao Tzu’s efforts to express the in-expressible — I would tend
to go with the first….”Those who say do not know” BEcause, !! ..what any one of us “knows” – is only valid for that “one – me- belief”. It isn’t valid for any other.

All us seekers are looking for a universal remedy (primarily) because of our own “need to fix/help/save/enlighten>>>>) others.
Usually meant in great kindness and love; yet…still “our” goal, or
essence… OUR “smell” … OUR “taste” etc. When time to exit comes, we still have to in-breath “our smell, our taste, our belief(s) …so humility has the last word. How can these ideas be expressed – or “given”?? Thus.. saying is empty, even when with great love.
Jenny/Center For Awareness

Don’t know what Lao meant but maybe something like: Knowing is seeing 256 million colors and saying is having a vocabulary that consists of only these 5 words: red, green, blue, black, and white.
Tom Allen

“Those”, who know do not say. Those who say, do not know.
-geo-

Those who know do not say “those”; who say, do not know.
-geo-

Perhaps the koan points to there being ‘no separate knower’ to ‘know anything’ and ‘therefore ‘can say’ no thing. Or in other words there was never a split of ‘knower’/'known’ to utter anything just as there is no split of ‘subject’/'object’, ‘dynamic’/'static’, ‘knowing’/'unknowing’, ‘dual’ / ‘nondual’ or any apparent ‘set of correlates’.

And maybe although inseparable of ‘This inescapable completeness’ notionally any split may seemingly ‘arise’ yet no apparent ‘arising’ actually ‘utters a word’.
skeanea

Posted in Nondual Perspectives | 3 Comments »
Tags: , , , , ,

What Did Lao Tzu Mean? Part 3

February 20, 2010

What did Lao Tzu mean when he wrote in the Tao Te Ching, “Those who say, do not know. Those who know, do not say”?

In this series entitled What Did Lao Tzu Mean? are entertained some responses. You are welcome to include yours as a comment. This one is by several authors:

“Truth is a pathless land”. J. Krishnamurti
Vijayan Paliath

there are no words there is actually no there there is only…………..

its just on the subject of Reality[or what he called the Tao] not ordinary knowledge which is essentially just information
Kirk Crist

I think he meant that anyone who says they know, do not know. So that rules out Tolle, Foster, Parsons , Buddha, Christ himself etc. In other words he had no idea and just like most non dualists liked to play with words.!
Fun though!
Best wishes
alan murphy

If you read the whole book of Tao Te Ching, the message floats around this concept:
There are no boundaries.
There are no no’s.
There are no yes’s.
Bruce Lee put it rather appropriately – he said:
“Be like water, my friend.”
Seth Chong
http://www.hislatestwords.com

Posted in Nondual Perspectives | Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , ,

What Did Lao Tzu Mean? Part 2

February 20, 2010

What did Lao Tzu mean when he wrote in the Tao Te Ching, “Those who say, do not know. Those who know, do not say”?

In this series entitled What Did Lao Tzu Mean? are entertained some responses. You are welcome to include yours as a comment. This one is by Gene Poole, with a brief comment by Yosy.

Gene Poole:

What was stated is simply this:

The speaker is not the knower.

- speaking is a process which
the knower cannot do

- the speaker cannot know

- thus, the knower is served by the speaker.

‘The speaker is not the one who knows’

‘The knower is not the one who speaks’

As we have seen (but not knowing what we see?)
this boggle can be very confusing. An ‘audience’
usually assumes that the moving mouth, belongs
to the knower.

But that is not the fact, in the case of genuine ‘masters’.

I would go so far as to say that the speaker does not
know ‘jack shit’ about anything, except perhaps an
impending mealtime.

The knower has no mouth, and if desires to communicate,
must utilize some faculty of a living body. Thus, we have
a knower and a speaker.

It is this situation, which has led to centuries of
incredible confusion, and need I say, bullshit.

The ‘knower’ is one, but speakers are many.

If further clue is needed; if you do not grasp what
I have said above; here is a quote and a link:

“THE VESTURES (Verses 72–107)

“Formed of the substances they call marrow, bone, fat,
flesh, blood, skin and over-skin; fitted with greater
and lesser limbs, feet, breast, trunk, arms, back, head;
this is called the physical vesture by the wise–
the vesture whose authority, as “I” and “my” is declared to be a delusion.”

(Thus is described, the moving mouth; the speaker.)

From here:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Crest_Jewel_of_Wisdom/Self,_Potencies,_Vestures

The root of the article:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Crest_Jewel_of_Wisdom

The article, a translation of an important text,
may seem complex, but it is not.

==GP==

:) speech does not come necessarily from the mouth… and the only knowing is being.
“actions speak louder then words”.
there is knowledge, and there is speech; but there is no knower nor speaker.
Yosy

Posted in Nondual Perspectives | Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , ,

What Did Lao Tzu Mean? Part 1

February 20, 2010

What did Lao Tzu mean when he wrote in the Tao Te Ching, “Those who say, do not know. Those who know, do not say”?

In this series entitled What Did Lao Tzu Mean? are entertained some responses. You are welcome to include yours as a comment. This one is by Nathaniel:

Well, to start with, for a man who said that “those who say do not now”; he surely had plenty to say. Thus, he must not have known a whole lot…with that in mind, it seems as though he was attempting to explain the anti-knowledge knowledge for minds that eagerly gobble up candy-coated ideas.

In my own experience, it has been far easier to put into practice the principles he put forth than it is to relate them. Through his teaching I have learned the value that multiple views can have for the individual. I have made use of nothingness and I have cast off many burdensome intellectual possessions and I must admit, I have less of an idea what “truth” is today because of him, but far greater freedom to seek the truth if I choose to.

His words came to me mysteriously, at first, everything I read was so unique that I almost had no frame of reference to work with—it was so far out of the pale to me and so foreign. Initially he sounded like a genius. Yet, what I eventually began to recognize was that he wrote from a place that was not “advanced” at all. His words were so damn obvious that he could also be seen as the greatest idiot philosopher of all time as well without stretching the imagination one bit.

People, especially white, middle-class, vegetarian, yoga instructors who drive an Escalade like to make a big to-do about the “illusory” quality of this existence and they will quite often put Lao Tsu in the same category as Buddha and others—perhaps because he was Asian—I don’t know.

I don’t think that Lao Tsu saw this life as illusory though. I think his writings were merely those of a man who liked to shoot from the hip a lot; to my mind Lao tsu observed how Real this world was to him and he noticed how everything worked; teaching the illusion of intelligence rather than the illusion of existence.

~Nathaniel

Posted in Nondual Perspectives | 1 Comment »
Tags: , ,

« Older posts
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 259 other followers