Existence

[White Lotus]

Thank you Muni and Grigoris, by the way I like the hairstyle! given a month or two my hair won't be any different!

As long as you have the five skandha there will be a sense of self.

I would say that as long as I have a body there will be a notion of self, not necessary a feeling of self. when the little flame of self is blown out and emptiness has flowed out into emptiness there is no longer a personal feeling... however there is still protecting and feeding the body.

that is realising the selfless nature of all phenomena and of the individual as a direct experience.

I should take a look at Lojong.

Muni, I have been thinking about Nirvikalpajnana (non conceptual awareness). the problem is seen as Vikalpa (judgement/discrimination/conceptualism). Nir vikalpa being the absence of judgement. It seems that every word is a judgement and that all I say here is a judgement. a fabrication. truly all that we say misses the point, it is all inexpressible (being maya).

if I say that I have realised Nirvikalpajnana, that completely misses the point. however it can be fun! in my own opinion I think I probably haven't yet. I still think, but like you don't take my thinking very seriously. all thinking is judgement, Vikalpa/prapanca. delusion. we are thinking about a dream as though it was real.

it seems there are two great realisations: disappearance of self and nirvikalpa. nirvikalpa leads to a turning over of the basis of mind. (you can tell I have been reading the Lankavatara Sutra... which isn't strictly speaking Yogacara as some may think. Asanga and Vasubandu created Yogacara, not the Sutras.

now please forgive me if my speculations are entirely wrong, or even partially wrong. I am ignorant in such matters.

everything I have said above is a fabrication, a judgement and is only a finger pointing at the dream. if it doesn't help, chuck it!

Muni, you have said you are nothing and therefore everything... are you saying you are Maya? all I see is awareness. I cannot say I am nothing, nor anything other than awareness. the object is not seen, it cannot be grasped. it is maya. a dream. do you still see objects as seeing them? or do you not see objects except as shadows-like.

I will print out and consider what you have said Muni.

best wishes, Tom x

[White Lotus]

one of these days im going to realise that I just don't know what I am talking about and then I will have realised something valuable!

[Schrödinger’s Yidam]

one of these days im going to realise that I just don't know what I am talking about and then I will have realised something valuable!

[White Lotus]

Muni, I think we are love non duality too much. it is a judgement, a view, a concept. if I say it is neither,nor. either, or, both and; I am falling into judgement. non duality says neither nor, or it says 'not'. this is judgement (vikalpa, prapanca).

non duality is a way of judging, so is duality. both views and approaches are vikalpa (discrimination/judgement).

all non duality is conceptual. it is limited.

non judgement becomes silent. it knows that it is unknowing. nirvikalpa is empty. even that is a judgement.

it is, it isn't, not not not. all judgements. neither nor... judgements. prapanca. drop it!

I have no self. drop it! I am aware. drop it! drop it all. hop it all.

nirvikalpa is radical no attachment to knowledge. that too is a judgement. every word I can type is a judgement based on the conventional world of perception. all a dream. drop it!

perhaps I should become like a child: don't know.

I like nirvikalpa (non judgement), but not in a yogacara or madhyamaka sense. I am not interested in whether or not subject and object are one. I don't see object. I am interested in non discrimination, because it is open and non judgemental.

I like non duality, but think it is no more important than duality. if I say that non duality is neither enlightened nor deluded, no enlightenment-delusion. I can in non judgement say "enlightenment, what is that?" its a fabrication. a word. don't be attached to it. that's a judgement too!

cant get away from judgements. even, enlightenment is supreme is a judgement.

we really don't know if we are honest with ourselves.

best wishes, Tom x

[White Lotus]

I agree theoretically. I guess it is therefore not overwhelming.

I like this idea that once non duality has been realised suffering becomes bearable. to me the whole root of non duality is in absence of self. if I still experience a personal self I have not entered into non duality. non duality is very liberating, but as with everything else it is a raft that one takes off.

is it time Muni for us to flatten our sandcastles. it may be that non duality has done its job. it may be time to drop judgement and all fabrications and rest in the unknown. to me this means dropping attachment to a notion of selflessness and just living.

however... if I am honest with myself I realise that I probably still have more to learn from the approach of non duality.

thank you so much Muni for your compassionate teaching! you are the best! with true gratitude, Tom x

ps Muni, you have brought me back to Tibetan Buddhism. my first root teacher 19 years ago was HH the Dalai Lama and then I wandered off into zen, which has been wonderful in its own right, I expect now I will be chasing the snow lions as well as cherry blossoms!



Gregoris, I have now read the 5th Shenpa Lama's Lojong guide! so beautiful. thank you for your kind advice. I think Lojong is something I will keep coming back to now I know about it. I have very little knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism, but feel so blessed to have had advice from Muni on such deep profunidy of knowledge. his patience amazes me!

[muni]

Thank you "Drukpa Kunley", since patience has been a problem for me. And for helping me, being so busy digging in the sand, trying to find the sky...

Then I pick this out, which seems to be a blessing:

in non duality there is no Buddha - worldling. that's a false duality, a convenient grasping, but not really helpful.

*Space, whose nature is free of concepts; Encompasses everything; Likewise, the stainless expanse of the mind’s true nature Permeates all beings* Asanga.

Homage to His Holiness.

Gratitude " Tom". x

[Grigoris]

This one has veered way off topic and nothing particularly valuable is being said so...