--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <vajradhatu@...> wrote: > > > On Feb 19, 2011, at 2:16 PM, Bhairitu wrote: > > > It doesn't divide the mind. It is part of a lot of other traditions and > > helps for developing nirvikalpha samadhi (known elsewhere as UC). We > > teach this in my tradition even with the technique for the general > > public. However it is an "adjunct" to the usual sitting with eyes > > closed in meditation.
Yes, exactly. This is how it is taught in most Hindu based traditions, there is usually a stress on constant rememberence. The Gita especially espouses constant memory (Japa) of god, Krishna says this many times throughout the whole book. Japa can easily be done through any type of routine work. You do not have to think while you walk, many activities have been automatized by our physiology, so the mind gets usually busy entertaining its inner dialogues, how could this not split the mind, but japa splits it? There maybe activities where this is difficult, but if constant japa becomes a habit, it becomes effortless and automatic. Constant awareness and effortless repetition is called Ajapa-Japa. Read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajapa_japa "Japa (or japam) means repeating or remembering a mantra (or mantram), and ajapa-japa (or ajapajapam) means constant awareness of the mantra, or of what it represents.[1][2] The letter A in front of the word japa means without.[citation needed] Thus, ajapa-japa is the practice of japa without the mental effort normally needed to repeat the mantra. In other words, it has begun to come naturally, turning into a constant awareness." When children do their walking mantra during play, they in fact do two activities, they repeat the mantra (and they actually don't do anything to refine it) AND they walk or play, focusing simultaneously on their hands or feet, toys etc. Why then wouldn't this split the mind? Because they are children? Wouldn't it be especially bad to teach them something wrong (in case it splits the mind)? Or because the time is limited? Well it's the same if time is limited or not, no? Why teach to children to split the mind, if that's what it is. But, considering the constant prattle of the mind, it is obvious to me, that this is not about it. The reason why children do a limited time, and do it while walking around, is to limit it's effect.That's obvious isn't it? For the very same reason, adults are taught to do it only within a time limit, and not further on. The time limit of half an hour or 20 minutes was imposed because of the drug experience, many people freaked out. The 'splitting the mind' rationale is just to keep people from doing something, which was perceived to possibly be too strong. > Yeah, IME the opposite is the case, it unifies inward consciousness with > outward consciousness. After one has some success in eye-closed samadhi > (nimilanasamadhi), one then works on practices which help one discover > consciousness vibrating as the external world via eyes-opened samadhi > (unmilanasamadhi). Then you have to gain the recognition that both are one > and the same. That's "bhairavi-mudra", being "inside" while gazing "outside". Then, at TTC, they give you a different rationale. The puja, done with open eyes, part sanskrit recitation, part slight movement of hands, and to a great part simultaneous inner recapitulation of the meaning, with actually two layers (meaning & feeling),you are told, because its more of an activity, cultivates CC! You practice pure awareness while being active, you are told. No talk of spliting awareness, despite the fact that you hold the meaning PLUS feeling (a level of symbolic ideation) simultaneausly with the recitation of a foreign language. (Sorry Non-teachers for letting you in to this little secret, sorry old teachers, if you haven't learned that yet, maybe there wasn't enough time on your TTC). > "By penetrating into Bhairavimudra, the yogi observes the vast totality of > beings rising from, and dissolving into the Sky of Consciousness, like a > series of reflections appearing and disappearing inside a mirror..." >