Dear Grok -
Back typing today -this is a short one.
A simple thing :-
*Neti, neti, but going deeper*
--- *Intro*
Neti ,neti we have covered. My idea of it is we look at things we are not as we cannot find what we are -namely "There is no me!"
When I look for a "me", I cannot see one. There just isnt a identifiable "me " that's looking. Nothing I can "point a stick at" as my mother used to say.
So let's go deep !
--- *Watching the "I am " thought* -Nisargadatta
Nisargadatta , the Indian gentleman that had the tobacco shop. He had a friend or disciple, who if I recall would translate his words live into English for western audiences that would visit him. I've listened to a lot of these on YouTube. Maurice , I think his name was - never seemed to understand what Nisargadatta was talking about.! haha. I think it's so simple he missed it!
Wikipedia:-Nisargadatta
"Nisargadatta taught what has been called Nisarga Yoga (Nisarga can be translated as "the natural state"). In I Am That, Nisarga Yoga is defined as living life with "harmlessness," "friendliness," and "interest," abiding in "spontaneous awareness" while being "conscious of effortless living."[27] The practice of this form of Yoga involves meditating on one’s sense of "I am" or "being" with the aim of reaching its ultimate source, which Nisargadatta called the Self."
This stuff he described - above
"living life with "harmlessness," "friendliness," and "interest," abiding in "spontaneous awareness"
...is something I cannot comment on. I didn't feel any of that. Not really.
Mine was a "cold Zen" experience (from earlier).
...more from Wikipedia - What he did was watch thoughts:
"Meditation according to Nisargadatta
Some of his students said Nisargadatta initiated them with mantras. In I Am That there is a brief description of meditation.
[here he's watching thoughts]
Q: What is meditation and what are its uses?
M: As long as you are a beginner certain formalized meditations or prayers may be good for you. But for a seeker for reality there is only one meditation—the rigorous refusal to harbour thoughts. To be free from thoughts is itself meditation.
Q: How it is done?
M: You begin by letting thoughts flow and watching them. The very observation slows down the mind till it stops altogether. Once the mind is quiet, keep it quiet. Don't get bored with peace, be in it, go deeper into it.
Q: I heard of holding on to one thought in order to keep other thoughts away. But how to keep all thoughts away? The very idea is also a thought?
M: Experiment anew, don't go by past experience. Watch your thoughts and watch yourself watching the thoughts. The state of freedom from all thoughts will happen suddenly and by the bliss of it you shall recognize it.[29] " -wikipedia
[here , he's watching "I am".]
http://nisargadatta.net/
"I simply followed (my teacher's) instruction which was to focus the
mind on pure being 'I am', and stay in it. I used to sit for hours
together, with nothing but the 'I am' in my mind and soon peace and
joy and a deep all-embracing love became my normal state. In it all
disappeared -- myself, my Guru, the life I lived, the world around
me. Only peace remained and unfathomable silence."
http://nisargadatta.net/
--- * Going Deeper* *What's looking?*
So awareness that holds the thought "I am", I define as - self-awareness or consciousness
But
If when we watch any thought we ask "What's looking? , we might feel we watch as ....something that is aware that it is watching i.e. something that holds the thought "I am"
I think this is what Nisargadatta meant for us to do - but I don't think he actually stated it. For him I believe the "process", his practice, was just to sit with the I-am thought.
When I was sitting in my chair in 2013 and popped (!), just before that the thought "I am" seemed to be the "first thought of self awareness" somehow , or at least "foundational".
It kind of was the root for all consciousness as _with I-am thought there is now, something that is aware - albeit undefined_
So I decided to watch the thought "I am". Especially as Nisargadatta was so keen on it.
BUT _I also asked "What's watching?"_
This is where I arrived at ....something....an experience of "only looking". The "lower harmonic" might be - a blank stare.
At the time the descriptive thought that came to mind was that this was "Primal Awareness" - the looking. Just looking. Reality was happening ,clocks were ticking, a lawnmower in the distance, but nothing that was seen or heard was labelled or thought about - there was just - sense-perception, without comment!
It's sort of the ultimate letting go.
From here, my after-thoughts were that this was about as "one with God" as I was going to get! lol.
--- *okay - so?* Haven't we covered this?
_From here, my experience was that this was about as "one with God" as I was going to get!_
This to me is the "goal of meditation"
This is where the good insights can come from - after a float around in The Sky !
---*To Conclude*
Nothing startling here, nothing new perhaps - but I think this is the key to what we are doing.
- We watch the thought "I am"
- We ask "What is watching?"
_ and Float around in The Sky!_
_"The blank stare" might be a good way into lead into it?_ (it works for me).
_From here, my experience was that this was about as "one with God" as I was going to get!_
It's important to go deep!
It could be that I am just a fan of the question;
_ "What's looking?_
..and that this works for me, and that it's not necesary. Nisargadatta didn't feel the need to mention it as far as I know.
I try to do this everyday. I'm not saying; one should. But I do.
- We watch the thought "I am"
- We ask "What is watching?"
_ and Float around in The Sky!_
Namaste ♥
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