CedarTree Posted September 1, 2017 This discussion is open to all Mahayana, Vajrayana, Theravada, Other Religious Frameworks, and Your Own Unique Perspectives. This is also a topic that has been arising lately in different forms and so I can imagine this will be a great discussion I had an experience a few days ago that I will most likely bring up with Shoryu Bradley (A Zen Teacher I Respect) and possibly some other authorities on the subject. I was at the lake and if I remember correctly had been doing some Zazen in the forest in between quiet swimming and just enjoying the solitude and peaceful/restful nature of the area. I am not sure what was going on at the moment but in a flash the need to hold onto "Awareness" & "Life" in any form kind of dropped off. I came to understand that Sentience & Insentience kind of drop off in Emptiness. Feel free to share all your views, sutras, tantras, quotes, whatever. In general I would love to see how this develops. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
neti neti Posted September 2, 2017 The emptiness is your fullness, you alone are. Unawareness of everything, except oneself, is true awareness. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lost in Translation Posted September 2, 2017 4 hours ago, CedarTree said: ... in a flash the need to hold onto "Awareness" & "Life" in any form kind of dropped off. I came to understand that Sentience & Insentience kind of drop off in Emptiness. I just spent fifteen minutes struggling to write something that would add to this. I got nothing. IMO Tolkien is almost always appropriate. “I pass the test”, she said. “I will diminish, and go into the West and remain Galadriel.” 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CedarTree Posted September 2, 2017 14 hours ago, Lost in Translation said: I just spent fifteen minutes struggling to write something that would add to this. I got nothing. IMO Tolkien is almost always appropriate. “I pass the test”, she said. “I will diminish, and go into the West and remain Galadriel.” That was incredible. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve Posted September 2, 2017 On 9/1/2017 at 5:49 PM, CedarTree said: I am not sure what was going on at the moment but in a flash the need to hold onto "Awareness" & "Life" in any form kind of dropped off. I came to understand that Sentience & Insentience kind of drop off in Emptiness. From my perspective, the significant development here is not so much related to Awareness, Life, Sentience, Insentience, or even Emptiness, but rather the letting go. That is essentially my practice in a word, or two. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted September 3, 2017 2 hours ago, steve said: From my perspective, the significant development here is not so much related to Awareness, Life, Sentience, Insentience, or even Emptiness, but rather the letting go. That is essentially my practice in a word, or two. your words are like a mirror letting go. It seems the only remaining action. Like all else eventually passes away, dissolves, resolves or transforms into release, or becomes blockage and tension for a time, experienced as dis-ease until released... And the work to release blockage and tension is no longer work. There is no work. no more transactions of effort for a planned payoff... no more sense of need for perfection of form... or correct ritualized processes... seeking dissolved long ago. only this abides release let go just be release and be let go 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CedarTree Posted September 3, 2017 Letting go is definitely were it is at. Very Ajahn Chah of you 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nothingness Posted September 4, 2017 Sentience and insentience are not really as people would think. One definitely needs life force to be an I, an experiencer, but that doesn't mean a stone is dead. It is not. It's not alive either, it doesn't have metabolic processes, nor life force, but it is actually empty and aware in some way. Not of being a stone, no, but of being energy in love with energy.. Words fail me here. But yes, indeed, both sentience and insentience come from emptiness or nothingness! That is my experience as well. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CedarTree Posted September 4, 2017 7 hours ago, Nothingness said: Sentience and insentience are not really as people would think. One definitely needs life force to be an I, an experiencer, but that doesn't mean a stone is dead. It is not. It's not alive either, it doesn't have metabolic processes, nor life force, but it is actually empty and aware in some way. Not of being a stone, no, but of being energy in love with energy.. Words fail me here. But yes, indeed, both sentience and insentience come from emptiness or nothingness! That is my experience as well. Well said. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
