BigSkyDiamond

for you in your own practice, how do you answer this question, essence of what you are

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So for you in your own practice how do you answer this question, and what do you see or define yourself as

 

There is a long list of what i am not:  I am not the body. I am not my feelings and emotions.  i am not my thoughts, ego, or personality.  i am not my bank account, job title, career, or accomplishments.  I am not my personal history, trauma, family or relationships.  I am not the things i am praised for, or critized for, or blamed for.  I am not my intellect, mind, beliefs, or opinions.  I am not my talent, skills, abilities, or shortcomings .  I am none of those, the list goes on, etc.

 

So then, given that I am not any of those then what's left.  what then am i.

For you in your own practice, and in your own framework, what is the essence of you.  What words or phrase do you use for yourself, to describe or define or express that.

 

Thank you.

Edited by BigSkyDiamond
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i will answer for myself.

So then, given that I am not any of those listed, then what's left.  what then am i.

 

i use and have used these to label for myself the essence of who I am

 

pure awareness

child of God

Divine spark

 

Edited by BigSkyDiamond
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I don't worry about labelling or defining.  In meditation progressively I seem to get further out from the planet, doing pretty much whatever gets put in front of me, after testing it.

 

The real me is always beyond my expanding perception

 

 

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3 hours ago, Lairg said:

I don't worry about labelling or defining.  In meditation progressively I seem to get further out from the planet, doing pretty much whatever gets put in front of me, after testing it.

 

The real me is always beyond my expanding perception

 

 

Do you make plans, or does the path simply unveil itself?

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2 hours ago, Apech said:

I am, like my bank account empty.

Even the banks bank account is empty. Or more precisely, it is filled with our unpaid dept.

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1 hour ago, Surya said:

Even the banks bank account is empty. Or more precisely, it is filled with our unpaid dept.

 

That's karma for you.

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4 hours ago, Apech said:

I am, like my bank account empty.

 

You know that image that can be either a witch or a young lady depending on how your eyes interpret the shapes?  An empty personality (or bank account) is kinda like that -- refocus a little and suddenly everything´s gone to infinity.

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1 hour ago, BigSkyDiamond said:

 

i had to look up what desiderata means:  "having or expressing desire"

 

didn't mean the word but the saying related to it:

 

"Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."

by Max Ehrmann ©1927

Edited by old3bob
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9 hours ago, Surya said:

Do you make plans, or does the path simply unveil itself?

 

There are some processes I keep an eye on.

 

Also I put my attention to various Logoi and sometimes they have something for me.

 

Sometimes I just touch bases without anything coming up

 

The exercise is important for developing my light body functionality 

 

 

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Chapter 14 The invisible Tao­
1. 視之不見,名曰夷。
2. 聽之不聞,名曰希。
3. 摶之不得,名曰微。
4. 此三者不可致詰,
5. 故混而為一。­
6. 其上不皦,
7. 其下不昧,
8. 繩繩不可名,
9. 復歸於無物。
10.是謂無狀之狀,
11.無物之象,
12.是謂惚恍。
13.迎之不見其首,
14.隨之不見其後。
15.執古之道以御今之有。
16.能知古始,
17.是謂道紀。

Translated in terse English...
1. View it couldn't see, name and call it Colorless.
2. Listen to it couldn't hear, name and call it Soundless.
3. Touch it couldn't feel, name and call it Formless.
4. These three are inseparable
5. These three objects blended in one.
6. Its top is not brilliant.
7. Its bottom is not dim.
8. Its continuance is unnameable.
9. Returned to being formless(state of invisibility),
10. Is called a form of no form.
11. An image of formless,
12. Is called obscure.
13. Greet it cannot see its head.
14. Follow it cannot see its back.
15. Grasp the presence of Tao to see all existing things,
16. Able to understand the ancient origin,
17. It's called the Principles of Tao. 

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22 minutes ago, Lairg said:

 

There are some processes I keep an eye on.

 

Also I put my attention to various Logoi and sometimes they have something for me.

 

Sometimes I just touch bases without anything coming up

 

The exercise is important for developing my light body functionality 

Hmm.. allow me to attempt to interpret, please. No nevermind, I do not understand.

 

Or maybe I do, somewhat. By paying attention you are able to pick up on events and words etc that have a message for you that would be easy to miss if you’re less attentive. Sometimes tho, it is in fact just noise.

 

 

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46 minutes ago, Surya said:

By paying attention you are able to pick up on events and words etc that have a message for you that would be easy to miss if you’re less attentive.

 

Sometimes there is something for me to do in the greater system.

 

To take a trivial example, I was at a friend's place earlier and she had a partly formed nature spirit sitting above the house.

 

She had two sorts of vitamin C on the bench.  She pointed out one and said: that feels much better.  And I could easily feel that.  

 

So I said: ask the nature  spirit above your house to improve the other vitamin C.  She did and in less than a minute she could feel the target vitamin was much better.  I could feel it without needing to touch the container.

 

She asked why the nature spirit was partly formed.  When she gave some heart light to the spirit it developed its missing higher levels.  She could see the change.

 

 

As below, so above

 

 

Edited by Lairg

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On 8/7/2025 at 12:34 AM, BigSkyDiamond said:

For you in your own practice, and in your own framework, what is the essence of you.  What words or phrase do you use for yourself, to describe or define or express that.

 

In practice, I do not answer the question, I do not describe, define, or express anything at all. I simply be as I am, open to whatever is present in my authentic experience. When thoughts, feelings, and ideas about that, or anything else, come up, I leave them be just as they are. They can’t sustain themselves for very long and eventually self-liberate. This is, in fact, both the view and the practice.

 

My teacher’s teacher would say something like, ‘look to the thought, without engagement it cannot sustain itself for very long, when it is gone what is left? It is clear and present, not unconscious because everything is fresh and vibrant and displayed there, but there is really nothing that can be said, it is an indescribable state, rest there.’

 

There’s a wonderful Bön pith teaching that comes from the 8th century master Tapihritsa called the Four Goodnesses. It describes briefly the view, meditation, conduct, and fruition of dzogchen; the view being the correct understanding of the essence of mind. It simply says,

 

For the self-liberating, non-grasping view let go into unbounded awareness which is free of any point of reference.

 

After practice, in order to teach and communicate, we can put labels on it and describe its characteristics but the teachings in my tradition call it unimputable, nothing we project onto it is it. The best we can do is use metaphor and simile to describe some of its characteristics and make up a name. These metaphors and similes are some of the most beautiful and poetic writings in the Bön canon and are wonderful pointers, but never it. Always best to simply connect nakedly, without words and concepts that can never do it justice.

 

 

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6 hours ago, steve said:

that comes from the 8th century master Tapihritsa....fruition of dzogchen...essence....It simply says,

 

let go into unbounded awareness which is free of any point of reference.

 

After practice, in order to teach and communicate, we can put labels on it 

 

bingo!  yes, that.

exactly

:)

 

Edited by BigSkyDiamond

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5 hours ago, steve said:

… unbounded awareness 

 

Elsewhere @Mark Foote talked about “one-pointedness". :huh:
 

 

Edited by Cobie
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1 hour ago, Cobie said:

 

 

Elsewhere @Mark Foote talked about “one-pointedness". :huh:
 

 

 

It sounds paradoxical but the "letting go into unbounded awareness which is free of any reference point" is done in the manner of one-pointedness. One pointedness does not necessarily mean to focus on anything in particular, in this context it means to do something in a continuous and undistracted manner. One can be one-pointed while engaging in meditation both with or without an object.

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7 minutes ago, steve said:

 

It sounds paradoxical but the "letting go into unbounded awareness which is free of any reference point" is done in the manner of one-pointedness. One pointedness does not necessarily mean to focus on anything in particular, in this context it means to do something in a continuous and undistracted manner. One can be one-pointed while engaging in meditation both with or without an object.

 

perhaps along the lines of

let thine eye be single

 

a devotional puts it this way, "When our eye is single, it is focused. It gives direction and allows us to see that which is of greatest importance. It means ...purposeful and directed. There are no distractions, detours, or deviations. We remain on task."

 

Edited by BigSkyDiamond
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"if thine eye be single thy whole body shall be full of light"

depending on a person's framework, that light could be: glory of God, unbounded awareness, or _______.

 

(that is my own personal view of a quote from a holy book, which has found its way into both secular and non-denominational use.  It is from the Sermon on the Mount, in Christian scripture.)

 

Edited by BigSkyDiamond

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57 minutes ago, steve said:

… context …


Thank you for replying.  I agree that “context” is everything. No further comment from me, I’m gathering info. :)

 

image.jpeg.bb5f59a396421c1745f39a6dd65818b6.jpeg

 

 

Edited by Cobie
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