How to attain Bliss?

[WIldCat]

lol

Edited May 29, 2016 by WIldCat

[CodyWizard]

For me, the word bliss packs a big punch, and its not just a happy peaceful state that someone has cultivated. Thats just me. Ive found that states of bliss are a bit more spontaneous, and come around more rarely (just like a good lover). Its so impactful and special that its something that you never really forget (just like a good lover).

 

I remember out of eight long years of meditation, I reached two sates of pure bliss that didn't last very long at all. The first time, it came on its own as I was meditating, and was very open, a huge space I discovered that was my awareness, completely transcending the human body and regular awareness (even regular meditaiton awareness). One of the deepest calm feelings I ever felt, like being part of an ocean of calm warm golden water (no I didn't pee my pants) all the while a bubble of being human still exists right in the center. The feeling that absolutely everything is gonna be alright even though troubles may exist. As a reaction to this tears were running down my face. The afterglow of this lasted quite some time.

 

The second time, I was meditating with a bunch of monks at an SRF conference, and I somehow sought out and discovered a very small point in my awanress. The point was so very finite, that my attention became so finitely focused on it that I broke through to superconsciousness on the other side. It was like thousnads of angels were blasting megatons of electricity at my being, golden and blue light, It was so intense, I snapped out of it right away and my heart was pounding. I was completely shocked, and got depressed for a very long time afterward, because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't "get there" again. Regular life sucked comapred to that, it took me a long time to learn how to truly enjoy life.

 

Another time, without meditation, I was sitting in a park with a friend. All of a sudden out of nowhere its like someone pulled the cork on the champange bottle of my heart and it started overflowing. So much bliss and pleasure in the heart center I was holding back tears, and laughing, I could barely walk. This lasted for about 15 minutes. Ive felt warm fuzzy feelings in my heart before, but never a spontaneous volcanic eruption like that.

 

Feeling good though, that can be worked toward. Exercise, healthy diet, healthy choices, progress, stuff like that. Basically treating yourself awesome. But those super spiritual states of coscmic bliss come around very rarely, you could clear all the channels of your spiritual body through pranayama, hold in all your sperm, or do other exercises to allow it, and do all this stuff, and it might never come. And if it does, you've got to be prepared to find your peace and happiness in a less intense, and simple manner.

Edited September 29, 2015 by CodyWizard

[Daeluin]

I see bliss as different then inner peace.  Inner peace hums along happy, quiet, peaceful.  Bliss is active, ecstatic, full of wow and amazement.. orgasmically delightful. 

 

After months and months of consistent cultivation work and martial arts, my lower dan t'ien was full and my middle dan t'ien was perhaps fullish. I had cleansed and refined my qi and dissolved pretty much all of my ego - my heart felt so full, so innocent, so pure, so celestial.

 

And I began falling in love, couldn't help it. With one person, with all people. I couldn't contain the energy, it would become so sensitive, so easily shaped by those I was around. For a while it was bliss, unbearable bliss. The feeling of bliss was none other than the leaking of my qi, and gradually the feeling of bliss spent what had been accrued. In time the innocence faded, the consistent refining work ended, and the feeling of bliss was replaced with desire.

 

Gotta work to feed the desire, and the work is more easily accomplished when the desire is left behind... and when we cultivate qi, often we aren't simply refining, but we are replenishing from our environment. That qi isn't just free, it comes from somewhere. If we develop a habit of taking and spending, just to feed our desire for bliss, that's an ultimately unsustainable pattern, and we'll pay for it one way or another.

 

So I've come to realize true bliss is inner peace, where we have replenished, and feel full and content, but are calm, collected, contained. Even though the energy is full, it is also refined and able to be still and without desire. This becomes a constancy that rewards us at every turn. When the turbulent emotional polarities come to an end, the inner peace becomes the new happiness, and it is a happiness that is much easier to feed, and thus becomes stable without ebbing and flowing with desire for greater happiness. Inner peace does not mean that external change ceases - indeed our inner peace becomes means to truly appreciate and be one with the changes around us.

 

 

Act without acting

Give without giving

Taste without tasting

Tao alone becomes all things great and all things small

It is the One in many

It is the many in One

Let Tao become all your actions then your wants will become your treasure your injury will become your blessing

Take on difficulties while they are still easy

Do great things while they are still small

Step by step the world’s burden is lifted

Piece by piece the world’s treasure is amassed

So the Sage stays with his daily task and accomplishes the greatest thing

Beware of those who promise a quick and easy way for much ease brings many difficulties

Follow your path to the end

Accept difficulty as an opportunity

This is the sure way to end up with no difficulties at all

 

daodejing 63

Jonathan Star

 

 

Remember, feeling is related to the trigram Lake, and our innate nature is related to the trigram Thunder. When feelings control our nature, this is shown in hexagram 54 (making a young girl marry), where pure and innocent energy is forced into a situation out of it's control. This is often how things end up when we follow feelings and desires. This is also related to the alchemical process of merging the dragon and the tiger. When we stop letting our nature seek externally and coax it to return within to merge with our feelings, then our feelings stop controlling us and begin to bond with our original nature, and begin to replenish and cultivate that abundant energy we had as children. This is shown in hexagram 17, Following.

 

So following our feelings is just a quick way to expend our energy. As children we feel like this energy is endless, but as adults we quickly begin to recognize we're beginning to run out. The key is to not spend it, and to come to recognize that there are other things beyond feelings of bliss that can be much more rewarding.

 

In regards to tasting the tasteless.... I did a fast followed by a raw food diet, way back. I recall how after a few weeks, simple lettuce would explode into flavor in my mouth, because of how simple and pure my diet was. When I was covering salads with flavorful dressings, I was hiding all of this refined complexity with coarse and extreme flavors. When we endeavor to taste nothing, to hear the silence, to feel the emptiness, to see the void - we find ourselves naturally tasting everything, hearing everything, seeing in all directions, etc.

Edited September 30, 2015 by Daeluin

[ilumairen]

I see bliss as different then inner peace. Inner peace hums along happy, quiet, peaceful. Bliss is active, ecstatic, full of wow and amazement.. orgasmically delightful.

 

That's why a steady diet would be, bad.

Yes. Just because this is worth repeating.

I'm reminded of a Keye and Peele sketch regarding all of those 'party all the time' songs, and how unrealistic they actually are.

Obtainable, yes. Maintainable, no.

[thelerner]

, maybe I just want a convenient drug dealer??  No.. yet.. in society at large there may a need for a place of controlled ecstasy, even one that's artificially induced.  Life is hard, its makes us nuts, blowing off steam in a safe environment might be a solution.  Feels like we've lost ye olde tyme neighborhood bar, where everyone knew your name.  Also, alcohol may not be the best or safest drug for such a blow off. 

 

The conservative part of me doubts a 'get high on demand' would have enough pro's to be worth the many cons.  Yet there could be a sweet spot.  A place you could only enter once or twice a month.  A crack den for the masses, supervised, watched over and safe.. legal.

 

I have an old audio CD that has lessons on Rebirthing.  Several levels, a progressive series of longer and longer near hyperventilation breath sequences.  Said to create a 'high' drugged out experience.  I've heard mixed reviews and have left it on the back burner.  Maybe I should give it a try.  

 

I'm interested in the Wim Hof, seems he uses a similar breathing technique as part of his training.. I think. 

Edited October 7, 2015 by thelerner

[RiverSnake]

Lerner, to be honest I'm surprised you haven't achieved this by now? How regular and intensive is your practice?

 

Bliss is a natural expression of ones being, I'm not there all the time, but it comes and goes as it pleases. Results come to those whom train daily and diligently. There is no magick pill.

Edited October 16, 2015 by OldChi

[thelerner]

Au contrairie there probably is a magic pill.  I just choose not to go that route, too many side effects. 

 

I train daily 20 minutes, twice a day, on and off, mostly on for decades, some weeks or months getting more serious.   Up until last week, simply counting my breaths 1 to 100, one cycle or two, then just watching my breaths without count, empty.  My body and belly warm, my skin often gets a sheen of perspiration, eyes and nose sometimes drip, thoughts mostly gone.. Deep peace, yes; bliss no.  I've done other things MCO, Kunlun.. no bliss.

 

I tend to be energy resistant.  Even in a crowd of people swaying and blissed out, whether in ashram, holy sacraments, movie or sporting event, I am unmoved..stoic.. watching.  When younger I was a life guard.  To some extent I still have that attitude, my job is to watch, keep things safe, be aware.

 

To be fair, I'm happy with my practice, it gives me a deep sense of peace.  A needed reset button for life's dramas, maybe accelerated some healing, some energetic experiences good and bad.  Of late (6 days) I'm doing Wim Hof method series of deep fast breathing followed by watching the colors behind the eyes.  Its also nice.  A change from years of watching and/or controlling the breath cycle. 

Edited October 16, 2015 by thelerner

[RiverSnake]

There are many ways to trigger ecstatic and blissful states. But from my experience the core of it seems to involve developing increased sensitivity to energies as well as loosening the boundaries of "self" that we cling so strongly to. To be fair, i've found that Bliss is wonderful, but inner Peace and Self-Knowledge are of much deeper value, so kudos to you.

 

In honesty I don't think one can handle Bliss maturely without a degree contentment and self-awareness....otherwise it can become a serious trap...it can hinder versus help you towards pure freedom...but if you got that handled then it's all groovy. Best of luck in your travels.

Edited October 17, 2015 by OldChi