forestofclarity

Do you think that truly happy beings would commit evil acts?

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Some also say this guy knows a thing or two (Pa Auk Sayadaw). Different end of the spectrum (an end that includes Patanjali, FWIW).

This part is absolutely correct IMO.

- Khenchen Thrangu, Vivid Awareness p.77 (emphasis added)

Yoga Vasistha Book Three, Chapter 5, trans. Swami Jyotirmayananda states: And in 3:10: Which sounds like: Self Liberation Through Seeing with Naked Awareness, trans John Myrdhin Reynolds How can this be? Ramana Maharshi, Talk 445: As the Swamis sometimes say, "True philosophers never agree, true sages never disagree."

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Mod Note: Locking since the various personsae associated with this thread have been banned. If some one wishes to start a new thread, feel free.

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-- Fr Martin Laird, OSA, Into the Silent Land

I would agree that my nature is also (ultimately) awareness, but also (relative) ignorance arises within awareness. For example, during dreaming and deep sleep.

I'll give one perspective on this: The first question: what is the problem? Without identifying the problem properly, any attempt at a solution is bound to fail. In the path of knowing, jnani yoga or buddhist prajna, the problem is ignorance (avidya or ajnana). If this is the problem, then the solution must be knowledge (vidya or jnana or prajna). So it is entirely possible to be action-less while remaining in ignorance. But knowledge of what? Generally, it is knowing the true nature of one's mind. Fortunately, the 1) knowing and 2) what is to be known is already right here, so indeed there is nothing more to be added or gained (on the path of knowing anyway). However, I agree that practices, diets, yogas, and actions themselves do not necessarily lead to knowledge, I do think they can make knowledge more likely. How so? By reducing the solidifying, dark inducing aspects of ignorance, i.e. tamoguna. Also, the mind tends to be quite agitated, flitting from here to there--- i.e. rajoguna. So if the mind is stirred up and sleepy, it will be difficult to see what the mind is, and it will be difficult to fix the attention where we want to fix it. So certain practices may render the mind more clear and sattvic and our attention more secure, in which case it will be easier to know the truth. These would be supportive practices. But this might not be right for someone pursuing theistic devotion, or action oriented good works, etc.