Once there is the beginning of a resting in oneness, I have noticed a few different dangers that begin to happen to the experiencer of the non-dual state - or at least to this particular experiencer.
The largest is the fusion and confusion between the the enlightened state, experienced as it is, and the perceptions from this place aligning with various incorrect concepts of the separated self.
I don't believe this gets enough attention from the various teachers out there, at least as I see the issue. Since I view this as incredibly important, I hope I can do justice, in words, to communicate this.
a. Surrendering the sense of personal responsibility in inappropriate ways.
b. The separated self "owning" or attempting to capture the sense of this pulse, as itself.
c. A "too soon" confidence in the midst of experience, that causes the regeneration of the personal sense of self as the prime mover of reality.
d. Awakening reinforcing the separated self's tendency to isolate.
e. Awakening as a panacea for living, without attending to the business of life, and the needs and flaws of the separate self, with the appropriate tools learned as "skillful means".
f. Confusing the release of awakening, with the specialness of YOUR life. (While in actual fact, awakening is ordinary, and "just this", the initial recognition is felt as a tremendous event of the timeless, invading the time-bound.) Zen has this right with the "chop wood, carry water" comment. While an awakening experience MIGHT ease some psychological distortions or resistance, as an example, one still might need therapeutic help. Awakening is NOT a panacea for psychological issues.
g. In counterpoint to "e", getting too caught up in the business of life and not attending to the infancy of awakening, so that THIS becomes the ground of your life, rather than the details of the dream you are immersed in. (This may be a restatement of "c" above, actually, in that this regenerates the prime mover of life as the separate self.)
h. Confusing awakening as the endpoint of spiritual transformation, and thus ignoring the "Divine Heart", for lack of a better word. The "transforming of all the 4 bodies", in service and love, to become a "light unto the world" - especially in the ever-quickening hurly-burly self-absorption of the world - is also essential.
I'll ruminate more about this a bit later.
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The Eternal and the Individual Existential Life: Part 1
Comments
Re: The Eternal and the Individual Existential Life: Part 1
by
umguy
on Thu 15 Dec 2005 10:59 AM PST | Profile | Permanent Link
So well put. Thanks.
Do you think e. might cover cover state chasers? Or is state chasing supposed to be related to using psychedelics? Because I could see myself fairly easyily getting caught up in a state chasing mentality -- though not using psychedelics to do so. Re: Re: The Eternal and the Individual Existential Life: Part 1
by
ebuddha
on Thu 15 Dec 2005 06:00 PM PST | Profile | Permanent Link
The "state chasing", is another danger, definitely. I suppose this could be covered under e, or could just as easily be it's own bullet point.
Truthfully, the whole state conversation is confusing to me. Recognition and identification with the absolute usually comes with some sort of state change. Here, when a shift in identity occurs, this is always accompanies by a perceptual shift, at the very least. And this perceptual shift, this recognition, changes state to at least a small degree. Trackbacks
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