neti neti

13 hours ago, manitou said:

 

I'd love it if you'd expound on this a little.  I think I know where you're coming from, but I'm not sure.

 

The quest for certainty reveals how little one actually knows?

Cowardice, its own reward. Ignorance, the bittersweet agent of humility.

17 hours ago, silent thunder said:

Dig the quote.

 

I'm curious to whom is it attributed?  I did a search and found no result.

 

Old chinese proverb? I paraphrased a bit, translated from Spanish.

"How curious man is, asking not to be born, knowing not how to live, wanting not to meet death."

On 11/30/2020 at 3:53 AM, idiot_stimpy said:

I was told to be cautious. Sometimes what you ask for can have unintended severe negative consequences. Almost like it will give with one hand and take away with another.

 

We, inevitably, get exactly what we want.

“What a doctor I’ve got. I told him I got a ringing in my ear. He said don’t answer it.”

 

~Rodney Dangerfield

"There, our Self-seeing is a communion with the Self, restored to purity. No doubt we should not speak of "seeing," but, instead of [speaking of] "seen" and "seer," speak boldly of a simple unity. For in this seeing we neither see, nor distinguish, nor are there, two.

 

The man is changed, no longer himself nor belonging to himself; he is merged with the Supreme, sunken into It, one with It; it is only in separation that duality exists.

 

This is why the vision baffles telling; for how could a man bring back tidings of the Supreme as something separate from himself when he has seen It as one with himself?"

 

~Plotinus

9 hours ago, silent thunder said:

I adore Niels Bohr. ^{ha, rhymes!}

 

This quote of his (and subsequent parlay by Alan Watts) caused a shift in me.

 

And some time ago, I traded away seriousness in my demeanor for sincerity.  After living this way, I'll ever go back.

Serious is dead inside, muddied and muted, to me.  Somber without need and innately withdrawn on a fundamental level.

 

Whereas Sincerity is vibrant, fully capable, engaged, present and able to play in the midst of still 'getting shit done'.

 

Sincerity over Seriousness for the win.

 

And deep love for Sir Bohr.

 

Thank you.

"On the vast canvas of the self,

the picture of manifold worlds is

painted by the self itself

and that supreme self

seeing but itself

enjoys great delight."

 

~Sankara

"There are some things so serious that you have to laugh at them."

 

~Niels Bohr

"They must find it difficult, those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority."

 

~Gerald Massey

.

https://yehanromane.wordpress.com/nisargadatta-the-philosophy-part-1/

 

https://yehanromane.wordpress.com/nisaragadatta-the-philosophy-part-2/

 

Quote

Nisargadatta
The Philosophy

arranged under 100 concepts using his own words

This book is organized in 2 parts and arranged under 100 Advaitic concepts, using only Nisargadatta’s own words. This is a condensation of every significant idea spoken by Nisargadatta during talks given to his students in Bombay. The result is the most direct and powerful elucidation of the Advaita Vedanta Philosophy yet made known to mankind.
2015

Public Domain

 

1st Edition: 1999

2nd Edition: 2006

3rd Edition: 2015

 

This book is dedicated to Peter George Whale who first introduced myself to Nisargadatta, and without whom I would probably never have encountered this, the clearest and most direct elucidation of the principles of Advaita Vedanta, with its intimations of the transcendence that is Realization of the Self.

This collection of the teachings of Nisargadatta has been made purely for the purpose of greater understanding. The book is intended for study only. It is hoped this collection will help in the wider spread of Nisagadatta’s insights into the philosophy and method of Advaita Vedanta. It is freely and benevolently offered as a gift to all those who are irresistibly drawn towards questions concerning the meaning of life.

 

Compilation and editing by Yehan Romane

 

Quote

Introduction

The Indian Jnani, Sri Nisargadatta, taught his audience mainly through the traditional inspirational method of question-and-answer. At the regular meetings, held in his home in Bombay, disciples, followers, and spiritual tourists would ask Nisargadatta variously deep, interesting, or trivial questions, and the teacher would give an astonishing profound reply. The replies were usually short, and often relative to the level, and individual problems, of the questioner. Sometimes the answers seemed quite to disregard the narrow objective of the questioner and instead gave insight into the nature of existence beyond the anticipation of any person present in the room. Rarely Nisargadatta discoursed on a subject for more than two or three sentences before passing on to some other related, or unrelated, subject. Perhaps there would be a return to the same subject some days, months or years later, when more would be revealed. Every time he spoke, Nisargadatta invariably said something new, so accumulatively adding to his unique exposition of the ancient Advaita Vedanta philosophy. Over the years the subject matter under discussion therefore gradually expanded towards wholeness. In the latter part of his life, many of Nisargadatta’s talks were recorded, edited transcriptions published, both in his native Marathi as well as translation into English and other languages. Such transcriptions are the basis of this collection-study.

 

"The appearance of things changes according to the emotions; and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves."

 

"But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise on your lips."

 

--Kahlil Gibran

"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars."

 

"Hearts united in pain and sorrow
will not be separated by joy and happiness.
Bonds that are woven in sadness
are stronger than the ties of joy and pleasure.
Love that is washed by tears
will remain eternally pure and faithful."

 

"For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance."

 

~Kahlil Gibran

“The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”

 

~Eden Phillpotts

On 11/5/2020 at 1:00 PM, Taomeow said:

 

I think this is especially interesting in that it credits god rather than the devil with entrapment practices (apparently gods' ways are not our ways, as they always point out, and what's illegal on Earth is fully legit in heaven.)  We are therefore invited to appreciate dirty corrupt politicians as a god-given. 

 

Personally I do hope some kind of reward is forthcoming, in whatever shape or form, for not believing a single word from the entrapment delusion's mouth.  

 

The dichotomy of God and Devil itself is entrapment.

 

God wears the Devil suit when we require the experience of victim-hood.

Devil wears the God suit when we require the experience of responsibility.

 

Discernment born of contrast. Delusion is its own reward, exposing one's capacity for corruption.

Who is it appreciating the insights gained about oneself through any and all  permutations of conceptual self-objectifying? 

 

Who is it that takes it for granted?

There may be one without the other. Yet there is, both, self and no-self. And there is, both, neither self nor no-self. And, both, and, neither.

 

Who is the knower of self?

 

Who is the knower of no-self?

 

Who discerns between truth and falsity?

 

Who is the believer?

15 hours ago, old3bob said:

 

right, and a heads up for those who may get the impression that there are only a few schools when there are hundreds times "x" or maybe thousands?

 

Jnana is universal, allowing for thousands of expressions. It matters little in what form or fashion it may unveil itself in the aspirant. Those details may matter to the aspirant, but only until the unveiling whereby only unity is perceived within diversity.

 

The link I shared addresses all those concerns. The particular section is titled, Taking Sannyasa.

It comes to you in stages. There are pauses for effect.

 

 

2 hours ago, old3bob said:

Not sure what you mean by "renunciation is simply being the Self" ?  I meant renunciation as the very strict path or lifestyle if you will for a limited number of people who are vowed to certain traditional Hindu sects;   with some of those sects being the strictest that there is.  (under the title of  Sannyasins,  which elder householders may join after spending most of a lifetime as householders)

 

Anyway, there are a lot of yoga related methods and schools that would be better named or recognized as quasi-Hindu since they  leave out a lot of the traditional, religious and guru-discipleship  aspects that are part and parcel of long time lineages mostly from India.  And to leave out those aspects can definitely result in problems!  (like householders taking up some renunciate practices or vice-a-versa)

 

For myself I definitely appreciate the Hindu teachings and at times have shared my very limited understanding of same,  but  I know that I will not be a renunciate in this lifetime nor be qualified to speak as one...which many of us sometimes act like by quoting and thus in ways advocating the methods that  are really for Renunciates/Rishis/Gurus/yogis/etc.... but which very few of us are prepared for or trained in.

 

I meant to share in my words what Sri Ramana meant.

 

"'Internal renunciation’ is renunciation of the ego whereas ‘external renunciation’ is giving up possessions. Together they are known as giving up ‘I’ and ‘mine’. It is the former that results in enlightenment.'

 

"If you attain perfect mastery of internal renunciation, external renunciation will have no importance." (Padamalai, p. 170, v. 102)

 

https://sri-ramana-maharshi.blogspot.com/2008/10/renunciation.html?

 

Perhaps an external asceticism is necessary in one's experience prior to receiving the required grace to apply the vow's principle inwardly.

 

Others are able to receive such grace as householders, while silently renouncing that false "I" inwardly.

 

Traditions are a safety net of sorts which surely protect seekers and aspirants from certain pitfalls.

 

Who am I to judge, but another mere spoke in the wheel of samsara? I am not that which imparts grace nor power, for grace and power are expressed on my behalf.

 

I have however been graced with enough glimpses of a higher reality, to know without reservation, that this very moment contains the potential to serve as all the preparation and training I may ever need.

This very moment possesses the power of the Guru and the lineage, as I regard all things as my Guru and all as of my lineage.

 

If one reads such words and concludes I am in error, then I would challenge them to consider if there is anything impossible for Self.

 

If Self alone is, then Self alone is perceived. How radical.

"It is too clear and so it is hard to see. A dunce once searched for a fire with a lighted lantern. Had he known what a fire was, he could've cooked his rice much sooner."

 

~Mumon

 

 

"Wu Hsin expounds a thousand different sentences, and ten thousand different words. They are appropriate for all kinds of human beings, with different sorts of confusion.

 

One will come to discern,

that self-centeredness,

is a prison. 

 

The end result of such discernment,

is clarity,

which gives one nothing, 

and takes away, everything."

 

--Wu Hsin