Flashes of 'enlightenment' do not involve witnessing, its something else entirely. Flashes of CC involve witnessing, but CC is just, as Maharishi said (I think I got that from one of Judy's posts), 'glorified ignorance'.
Enlightenment is learning how to be in accord with what you experience in those flashes, it's growth of understanding and the ability to function according to the 'truth' you experience as a result of those awake moments, which can be brief or persistent. If they are not fully profound, you will fall back, but you keep going and may have others. It is almost certain that any particular person will not experience a full awakening all at once, and a lot of adjustment will be necessary, and a persistence to get at the truth of what one is going through. The truth is you do not get anything new at all. You are wearing down your fantasies, opinions, your constant dreaming. Once that crap gets pruned down enough, life begins to be lived naturally. Transcending was part of the crapfest. You are not involved with 'transcending'. Meditation of some kind can still be useful, but not in the same way it was before. Writers write. A writer still perfecting their craft will naturally feel some lack in their ability, and seek input, to learn more. When a would be writer becomes a writer, if they need input for a particular project, it will come to hand, they will know what they have to do to get that, but they won't at that stage be trying to learn how to write better, they will be confident in their writing ability. A spiritual teacher once said, 'For God's sake, graduate.' So, if you are engaged in a spiritual teaching, when do you leave the nest? Real unboundedness removes the tether. Religions are largely orphanages where the birds failed to leave the nest, and those inmates live their entire lives either arguing about or simply believing the information that was to be their ticket to freedom. --- In [email protected], doctordumbass@... <no_reply@...> wrote: > > Hi Share, Barry said something in his reply to you that is pretty confused, > and I wanted to clear it up. He states that he has, had long flashes or > periods of enlightenment. Wow, what a mess. > > Just so you know, he is talking about what I call "dirty" witnessing. There > is a temporary conditioning of the mind that can be triggered by extra > meditation, fasting, etc. where one gets the feeling of being outside of > oneself. This is absolutely NOT enlightenment, and never has been. Although > some silence may be there, and the physiology mimics a state of silence, the > shift in identity has not occurred, the enlightened realization that, "I am > not the small self", has not occurred. > > So Barry, contrary to his confusion has not experienced enlightenment, ever. > There are other examples of his confusion when he talks about it, but this > one is enough for now, to clearly illustrate the reality. The only way he > views enlightenment is as some sort of counter to his identity - he is afraid > of it, but doesn't have a clue what it is. > > --- In [email protected], turquoiseb <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], Share Long <sharelong60@> wrote: > > > > > > turq, I often encounter devoted and long term TMers who > > > even currently enjoy spending time with their children > > > and grandchildren. As regards living for enlightenment, > > > many of the sidhas I know are living for the sake of > > > living itself, the richness of it, just riding those > > > waves of life. Yes, they engage in a particular activity > > > to develop themselves more, but isn't that part of being > > > human? > > > > Only for those who believe that life is not fulfilled > > in every moment, and that there is something "more" to > > achieve. > > > > > For example, don't you yourself engage in activities to > > > develop as a writer? > > > > Other than writing itself? Never. > > > > > Anyway, you sound angry in your last paragraph. Were you? > > > > The only reason I'm replying is that you are the fourth > > person to have gotten their buttons pushed by two little > > words, "Fuck enlightenment." When I saw the reactions > > in Message View, I honestly had to go back to reread > > the original piece to figure out what they were talking > > about. There was not a *microgram* of anger in me as > > I wrote that. It is simply how I feel about enlight- > > enment. It, the reverence for it, and the desire to > > attain or realize it simply have no place in my life. > > I felt no emotion whatsoever writing those words, > > because the concept of enlightenment holds no interest > > for me whatsoever. It was as meaningless an aside as > > if I'd said, "Fuck ketchup." > > > > > If yes, why? > > > > Irrelevant. Someday you should learn that the fact that > > someone does not necessarily have to feel the same way > > about things as you do. Enlightenment, schmitenment. > > I've never seen -- or experienced -- any evidence that > > it does anything for anyone other than the person who > > is experiencing it. It's a *completely* subjective > > experience, of no benefit to any other human being. > > Living in hope of "attaining" or "realizing" that? > > What a waste of life. But living in hope of doing > > something nice for someone else? Now that's something > > worth living for. > > > > Given a choice between spending a little quality time > > with Maya or being enlightened, and I'd go for Mayatime > > anytime. Given a choice of spending time with any > > supposedly enlightened being in history -- including > > the original Buddha -- and I'd go for Mayatime anytime. > > > > In all honesty, if you had ever had long flashes or > > periods of enlightenment, you might feel differently > > about it. I have. I prefer Mayatime, and here-and- > > now-time, anytime. > > > > > ________________________________ > > > From: turquoiseb <[email protected]> > > > To: [email protected] > > > Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2013 4:59 AM > > > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Free Man In Paris, v3.01 > > > > > > I was having dinner with a friend from work last night in a small > > > restaurant on the Ile St. Louis, and it turned into an interesting > > > opportunity to teach, and to learn. My friend is someone I work with -- > > > another American ex-pat, a former jazz pianist turned tech writer, > > > originally from San Francisco but living and working here in Europe for > > > the last dozen years, so we have a lot in common and lots to talk about. > > > But we wound up talking about none of those things because two people > > > came in and sat at the small table next to us. > > > > > > They were an older woman (but younger than either of us) and a young > > > girl (who we learned was 12). The girl heard us talking in English and > > > started a conversation, and I'm glad she did. It turns out she is from > > > Atlanta, brought here by her grandmother for her first trip to Europe. > > > The grandmother is doing this because the young girl is an aspiring > > > artist, and she wanted her granddaughter to have the experience of > > > seeing this place and its art close up, in person. > > > > > > And they both turned out to be charming. Both were so open to > > > suggestions as to what to see and where to go while in Paris, and my > > > friend and I both benefited from hearing them talk about the things > > > they'd seen so far. It was like being able to experience them for the > > > first time ourselves -- all the excitement, all the wonder. > > > > > > It was a charming evening, and I hope that we were able to steer both of > > > them to some sights and experiences they will enjoy and cherish, and > > > that will inspire them as they inspired us. My biggest "take away" from > > > the evening, however, was seeing the joy in the young girl's eyes, and > > > in her grandmother's at having been able to help put it there, and > > > looking forward to being able to do the same thing some day for Maya. > > > > > > Fuck enlightenment, or realization, or any of the things that people > > > here seem to "live for." If there is anything that'll inspire me to keep > > > on keepin' on for another few years, it's the idea of being able to show > > > Paris and other cool places to Maya for the first time... > > > > > >
