More On The Gaze

From: Shinay (Shamatha) meditation by H.E. the XIIth Tai Situ Rinpoche
from http://www.ncf.net/Shinay.htm
[QUOTE]
Now for example in Mahamudra practice, people usually think when you
talk about Mahamudra it is something which is a sort of concept that
occurs, but in Mahamudra practice there are four steps which were
introduced. Out of the four steps, the first step is titled one point,
one-pointedness, so that is what really shinay stands for. Because
one-pointedness means your well-being your entire well-being is
concentrated directly, one-pointedly. So you will be able to somehow have
maximum effect in anything you attempt.

Now this is in Mahamudra practice. The first step is one-pointedness;
then of course Mahamudra with the one point method will not use
visualisation or breathing or any of that sort of method -- not so much
of them. But just follows through the principle of being aware of one's
own true nature.

In another way we can say Buddha Nature; other people like to say
“Buddha Within”. The Buddha which lives within us, the Buddha Nature,
the potential of the Buddha. In the Mahamudra method the one-pointedness
is, somehow you are able to see the Buddha Nature which is your ultimate
essence in a clear and non-dualistic way. You are able to have an
experience of it; you are able to have a sense of it at the beginning.
But later a deeper experience of it. So that is one-pointedness. The
first step the Mahamudra practise involves. This one of shinay is very
advanced, but still it is shinay.
[END QUOTE]

Okay, so this gets back to previous chats I've posted about eye
fixation, blinking/non-blinking, etc. It seems to me that despite jax's
excellent advice to just jump into Dzogchen (top-down yoga), that
traditionally these advanced practices are not taught to monastics until
they have mastered some earlier practices such as shinay' (shamatha).
If so, then I think it might be a good idea to look at and discuss just
what exactly is taught that leads up to the Dzogchen instructions.
I mean, it's all to the good to say 'just let go and practice
"awarenessing," which is what you're doing all the time already.'
But I think this sort of instruction means a lot more to a monk
who has learned the preliminaries, such as one-pointedness (step 1).


From another site we hear of Kamalashila's (8th C.) Nine Stages
of (shinay-shamatha) Meditation that uses a focus:
(1) inwardly placing the mind on the object
(2) extending the duration of the concentration
(3) replacing the mind on the object when it is distracted
(4) continuously restoring the focus of the mind
(5) achieving a state of inner control
(6) achieving a state of inner pacification
(7) achieving a state of complete inner pacification
(8) achieving single-pointed mind, and
(9) achieving mental equilibrium.
[END QUOTE]
Which begins to sound a lot like Patanjali's Yoga Aphorisms.

And from Peter Barth's "A Meditation Guide for Mahamudra:"

http://www.mahamudracenter.org/MMCMemberMeditationGuide.htm

[QUOTE]
Dawning of Certainty Series
(12) The Four Yogas of Mahamudra

The four yogas are a profound summary of the path of Mahamudra. They
include the yogas of (1) one-pointedness, (2) free-from-elaboration
or simplicity, (3) one-taste, and (4) non-meditation. Through the
practices of this series one advances rapidly through these stages.

Per Gampopa
A lucid, unceasing awareness of the moment is the one-pointed stage of
yoga. Understanding the essential state of the awareness as non-
arising, transcending all conceptual modes, is the free-from-
elaboration stage of yoga.
Understanding the diverse appearances as being one from the standpoint
of their intrinsic nature is the one flavor yoga.
An unceasing realization of the union of appearance and their intrinsic
emptiness is the great equipoise of the non-meditation yoga.

[AND FURTHER ALONG]

1. The following notes paraphrase some of the teachings of Thrangu
Rinpoche on the twelve stages of the four yogas:

One-Pointedness
Recognizing and resting in the essence of mind.

First, characterized by knowing mind is clear and open, we let mind
rest in this way. At this stage, it is not very stable.
Second, this arises more easily, with more stability, one has the
feeling of mastery.
Third, the experience of emptiness and clear light is very strong and
continuous at this point. No distinction between moving and resting mind.
The way one feels: very great respect and appreciation for one’s teacher
and kinship with dharma companions and natural and genuine compassion

Free-From-Elaboration
Free-From Elaboration means realizing the nature of mind, as it is,
without embellishment and denial, without root or basis.
First, generally a stable experience of emptiness dawns, particularly
during meditation. One realizes the emptiness of any event in the mind
and its abiding or ceasing.
Second, one realizes the emptiness of all external objects. One
becomes free from clinging since realize all appearances are empty.
Also one is free from clinging to emptiness.

Third, all extreme views are cut through, in meditation and
post-meditation. Things neither (a) exist nor (b) don’t exist nor (c)
neither exists nor don’t exist nor (d) both exist and don’t exist. Detailed
discussion with teachers and companions is helpful here. Generosity and
virtue are very helpful. Read or sing songs of masters to enhance one’s
understanding.

One-Taste
At this stage, one knows how mind is directly. Knowing this, one knows
how everything else is. Everything has the same flavor. Whereas in the
One-Pointedness and Free-From-Elaboration stages emphasis is on
understanding how mind is, here emphasis is on understanding
appearances and senses. They are of the same flavor.
First, one has slight and infrequent experiences that all phenomena
have one nature and the inseparability of appearances and mind.
Second, the experience of sameness is enhanced. It is like water
pouring into water.
Third, one understands quite directly that all appearances are empty.
This is not a state of stupidity where nothing is taking place in a big
mixture. Rather it manifests as five wisdoms. Discriminating awareness
wisdom, accomplishing wisdom, equanimity wisdom, mirror-like wisdom
and dharama-dhatu wisdom are very specific and vivid. It is an
enhancement of wisdom and insight, rather than a state of stupidity.
Because of considerable attention given to emptiness, here it is
helpful to study karma, seed and result, intensively.

Non-Meditation
This is arrived at through becoming intimately familiar with
meditation. When one obtains direct understanding, there is nothing more
to cultivate or meditate on. One no longer makes a distinction between
meditative composure and post-meditation. Conceptual mind is exhausted.
First, one experiences no difference between meditation and
post-meditation.
Second, one becomes more stable in this. Both emotional and
intellectual obscurations are purified. Even more subtle dualistic
intellectual obscurations are purified at this point.
Third, one realizes that the realization that arises in meditation is
the same as the original nature of all things, which has always been
there. So this is like mixing the original mother luminosity with the
developed child luminosity and recognizing them as the same all along.
Final realization of this feeling is becomes completely all-pervasive,
pervading to all of time and space completely. This is the expanse of
the wisdom of dharma-dhatu.

2. Chapter Nine of Book II of Moonbeams of Mahamudra may be consulted
for more detailed information.
[END QUOTE]

"So, what is Ramon up to with all these quotes?" you may ask. Well,
I'm up to my same old nonsense, and that's basically saying that before
you relax you must 'tense' so that you can REALLY relax. The 'two wings'
of the Bodhisattva are described as 'Compassion' and 'Wisdom'. I think
'Compassion' ultimately implies a total relaxation as one learns to be
compassionate not only to others but also to oneself. Perhaps that's the
final secret teaching of Dzogchen? However 'Wisdom' I think implies some
application of the will, yes? Some application of 'right effort' that
would perhaps refer to the preliminary steps or states outlined above?

Just asking (smile)


Good discussion of Dzogchen via the Third Karmapa's "The Single Word of
Heart-Advice" here by Lama Surya Das.

Tibetan Sun-Gazing Instructions

Quote from Tibetan Buddhism's exercises preparatory to the
achieving of Dzogchen - instant enlightenment. See paragraphs
four–five for sun-gazing instructions.

http://www.rinpoche.com/karmechagme/togel_main.html
[quote]
The fourth lamp is the gate for the appearance of wisdom. And, the
wisdom in this case refers to the display of Dharmata, and the condition
for its appearance is the use of the eyes in a particular way or gaze, in
connection with a source of light. Traditionally the sun is given as the
main example, but it can also be the light of the moon, an electric light,
or a light from a flame. Through the application of gaze you cause to
appear to the fourth lamp, or in the fourth lamp, the eyes, a rainbow-
like light phenomenon. And this embodies the purity of the Dharmakaya
and the five certainties of the Sambhogakaya, initially appearing as
multi-colored light and circles of light. The gate for that appearance is
the distant lasso water lamp. When you do this and apply the gaze and
make use of the four lamps explained thus far, what you will see looks
something like the tail of a peacock which contains circles that are
often five different colors, one surrounding another like circular
shields used in warfare.
[end quote]

RAMON COMMENTS: I think anyone who has experienced 'the paisley
visual phenomenon' on psychedelics would recognize this.

[quote continues]
What you are seeing with the fourth lamp is the fifth lamp, which is called
the pure lamp of the expanse. Here it's called the pure lamp of Dharmadhatu.
Through the meeting of the fifth and fourth lamps you experience the
spontaneous display of the nature of all things. Which means that what
you are seeing is not a created or composite physical phenomenon. Within
the rays of light which are created by the gaze you see not only large
circles or spheres but lots of minute or little ones, like a net of pearls
or little drops like fish eyes, and sometimes they appear in moving patterns
of lattice networks. That aspect of what your seeing is the appearance of
the unceasing activity of Nirmanakaya.

What you experience is called the display of the Trikaya in the form of
rainbow light; they are the unlimited display of the same nature the
Dharmata. What you are seeing is the three kayas as the unified
appearances. Know that they appear in different ways; know that in
reality the different modes of appearances of the three embodiments are
in essence indivisible from reality itself.

The way you do this is by using a light source and in this text the example
used is the sun. Usually you use the sun as soon as it has arisen or as it
sets. But, whenever you do it, it has to be done in a certain way for this
to work and for it to be safe.

First thing is, you do not look at the sun. You're not trying to get the
direct light of the sun into your eyes. Nor do you look at the rays of the
sun in the usual sense, as the sun has rays coming out of it. What you do
is, you look one cubit below the sun, some distance from it, and you cause
the appearance of rays by squinting. By closing your eyes half way, you
adjust them exactly as to how much you close them, to what or how much
you need to, in order to generate the appearance of rays. When this
happens, one of the things that happens is, you cause the appearance of
refractions of the light, so that it appears in different colors. The
squinting of the eyes causes the rays of light to appear like aligned
weapons, like parallel spears, which seem like a downpour of weapons
shooting into oneself at your heart.
[end quote]
RAMON COMMENTS: The above explanation points to the direct
connection between sunlight pouring into the eyes and the ecstasy
triggered in the heart, along with a perceptible increase in the
heartbeat. It sounds like a version of tratak (eye-fixating)to me,
which hearkens back to some various earlier postings of mine... As
for sun-gazing, I've done it in _dappled_ sunlight for 40+ years,
using semi-shade such as within a redwood grove. I discovered
early-on that sungazing stops all discursive thought and one
rests in just pure awareness of awareness.
[quote continues]
This one aspect of this training and one benefit of this is that you
prepare yourself for the appearances of the bardo. Because, in the
bardo after death the light of wisdom appears in part as brilliant
rays of light that you perceive as threatening, as weapons, as something
that you have to be afraid of. So one thing that you are doing in this
practice is learning to recognize such phenomena as your own display,
not as something coming from outside yourself.
[end quote]

Thank-you, M'am!

jax wrote:

> For instance, for some strange reason many practitioners of Buddhism,
> etc. that I have known have had some major emotional traumas in their
> past and often in early childhood, like sexual abuse or violent physical
> and emotional abuse. These scars run deep and can effect a person's
> entire world/self view for life. Just my opinion, but I think more than
> "preliminary practices" are required in these cases.

R:
I think 'betrayal and abandonment' issues, for starters, are very
widespread. But if we had to wait to 'clean the windows of the soul'
before light can enter -- well, go figure. I think things are set up much
more openly, and we are allowed an easy end run to Just So, or whatever-
you-want-to-call it -- the End of Seeking.

What I've noticed is that it's in the area of one's deepest wounds that
one's unique insights -- and abilities -- blossom. Makes me believe that I
picked this exact incarnation for the particular lessons it has taught me.
Despite some early war trauma and loss as a 2-yr-old (my mother to a
fascist assassination squad in Spain), I'm truly grateful for the 'bumps
in the road.'

My American guardian (foster mother) once told me that as children they
called the dips in the road 'Thank-you M'ams.' Why? Because when the car
hit the dip, it made their heads bob forward in the approved polite 'curtsy'
to grown-ups that they had been taught.

I practice Wavy Gravy's mantra: "Thank you very much. I have no
complaints whatsoever." If he can keep saying this with all the serious
back surgeries he's had, so can I say to She Who Manifest First from the
Unmanifest, "Thank you M'am! Thank you for allowing me the time, the
leisure, the good health and general lack of worries that have allowed
me to purr my way to You in my heart!"

P.S. If you want an overview of just how grim childhood has been over the
aeons, go to:
http://www.psychohistory.com/htm/05_history.html

Light=vertical love * Love=horizontal light

Infinitelysearching wrote:
> So therefore I believe the whole universe is conscious, conscious because
> it creates things that have never existed before, be it a vehicle of creation
> thought, or evolution, that does not matter. We are the luckiest piece of
> this thing we've found, able to sit and chatter about life, the universe
> and everything, -- and blessed to be able to begin to realise just how
> profound even the suffering is.

I totally agree - and gratitude and letting go is the path! But we should
realize what a unique opportunity this human incarnation gives us to
awaken to THAT.

I think we are the universe's mirror to see/understand its own awakening
to itself in denser and denser, slower and slower vibrational structures.
Light pours down to discover itself already hiding in the darkest corners...

Light = vertical Love * Love = horizontal Light

Unaffiliated and Pathless, But Smiling!

From e-mail November 19, 2006

J:
> If one has purified all of their energies that would automatically be the
> Enlightened state. There are many ways to accomplish this result in
> terms of path. And likewise some of those paths would take longer or
> shorter than others.
R:
At the risk of repeating myself to the point of over-surfeiting my
co-aspirants, this is what works for this entity, and perhaps some of this
can be useful to others:
Sunlight: bathed in sunlight, all my thoughts automatically cease because
the isolated self melts into the waterfall of light. I've experienced this
since a sunbathing teenager, but only made the conscious connection to
the Sun as Conscious Source later in early adulthood when I 'closed the
duality gap' three times in three various ways (disappearing in nature,
disappearing through the Christian 'neti-neti' Via Negativa, disappearing
via Sun as Source).
Light: I also meditate on "the light buried in darkness" at night, and
also have used the old style Tensor lamp (uses an old-style DC auto
headlight bulb) as a meditation object. For some reason, this works much
better than any other artificial light I've encountered (including Halogen).
Resonating the trachea: this can be accomplished in various ways such
as the Tibetan deep-chest-tone chanting, or OM-ing on the inhale and
exhale (full circle OM), or learning to 'purr' or, with a smile, 'snarl.'
Tracheal resonance passes through the heart, aorta and upper vena cava to
the whole circulatory system (fingers and toes start tingling).
I resonate the trachea to dissolve all lateral body armorings and stay
centered in the heart where in my 'heart of hearts' I find the end of all
suffering and thus no longer 'search'.
Ken Wilber might critique this approach and say that I'm stuck on the
physical pranic energies level and nowhere near entering the more subtle
sheathes. But if my physical feeling of 'emptiness' is satisfied (some might
term this 'suffering'), then all else seems to flow out of it naturally (I
call it 'feeding the baby'). Whenever that 'hollow' feeling starts in my
navel area, I start resonating the trachea. Great exercise is to see how
quickly I can melt away that 'I'm late for something and have to rush' panic
feeling when I'm driving.
What concerns me is to find "access to enlightenment that is available to
anyone," not just those who have devoted years to meditation and belong to
some august lineage or other -- and I do mean ANYONE. I am convinced
that Mother intended access to the natural state of beyond-words-inde-
scribable to be easy and 'built in.' For this reason I study mostly
animals and little children. Actually I have most success teaching my
'purring' exercise to 3 and 4-year-olds, whom I start with 'Old MacDonald
Had A Farm' animal noises and then we piggy-grunt our way into bliss.
As someone dear to me says of himself, I am "unaffiliated with any
tradition and independent of any paths." Same for me, even if I
acknowledge various teachers and mentors during my growing-up. And if
I have a 'lineage,' it starts with machinegun fire, the first sound I
heard upon birth during Red October, 1934, in Madrid (according to my
father)from the emplacement outside the lying-in hospital) and then
extends through my mother's death by assassination squad when I was
two (I think this is where I learned tracheal resonance as a path via
sobbing:
on the inhale: "ah-ah"
on the exhale: groaning sigh
-- excellent practice, by the way, (connected to the Vajra mantra
OM AH HUNG). 'Lineage' should include various surrogate mothers,
music teachers -- and the 18 places I lived in my first 18 years.
Actually I was an illegal alien in the USA and officially "non-
existent" from age 4 until 13 – no birth certificate (destroyed in
The Spanish Civil War) and no entry papers/visa, etc. (my father's
diplomatic passport was invalidated when Franco won that war).
As my dad was in Mexico in 1939 and my sister and I were in the
USA, he could not place us on the Mexican visa he was given. It
wasn't until he married an American citizen and was naturalized
(great word) that we could then derive our official identities
from him and rematerialize as physical beings in Consensus Reality.
But all of this is basically The Human Condition, yes? Compared to
millions of other less-lucky children, we were miraculously evacuated
out of fascist Spain and a Europe about to explode into World War II
(ironically, it was Roosevelt and Churchill's decision to blockade
oil and arms shipments to the 'Red' Popular Front government --
who had won the 1936 elections -- that allowed Franco, with the
help of Hitler's bombers and Mussolini's tanks, to defeat the Republic.
Would Hitler have entered Poland and triggered WWII if the Republic
had won? An interesting question.
The bottom line to all this 'lineage' nonsense, however, is that,
as an exercise, tracheal resonance is available to anyone --
just add a smile and purr! Or if you're approaching it through crying,
note what the 'feeling' of the end result is.
In the heart, always,
Ramon
"That which is not present in deep dreamless sleep is not real..."
Sri Ramana Maharshi
"The relaxed, sounding breath is the outward manifestation of deep,
dreamless sleep. Do it while awake and -- guess what happens?"
Ramon (Ray) Sender

Previous Postings Index

This is mainly to help me keep track of where postings were put,
but might help others find a topic of interest. I'll keep this
current every six months or so.

March, 2005/
Not Thinking and Zero's Coronation Speech
Magnetized/vorticized H2O
A Word about Copyright
April, 2005/
Zero-crowned-and-Pure-Land mantra
half-second-now-lag.html
concert-at-lab.html
ellen-fullman-&-friends-perform
chlorine-yargh!
long-short-nows-food-concert
gloomification-as-survival-factor
placing-awareness-prior-to-breath.html
stalking-game-as-meditation-teacher.html
three-next-odd-monday-events.html
May, 2005/
photo-from-saint-stoopids-day-parade
playing-catch-up
laughter-poem-and-chart-of-levels
June, 2005
my-two-favorite-easy-ecstatic exercises
snarling-all-way-to-nirvana
July, 2005
its-yahweh-no-its-allah-you-fleabitten
we-all-arrive-as-bliss-bundles-so_?
cooperation-in-the-genome
death-rattles-and-advanced-yoga
baptism-originally-was-near-death
easy-access-to-nirvana-going-all-way
more-on-palette-uvula-nursing
further-along-on-nursing-exercise
August, 2005
leaning-one-half-second-ahead-into-the-NOW
still-my-aboslute-favorite-all-time-quote (on Love)
current-reading
universe-as-hologram
soft-focus-open-focus
not-thinking-of-fox-and-then-not
sky-pointing-tracheal-flutter
September, 2005
some-purring-progress
sniggle-them-snarfs
real-bodhisattvatudinous-dude
meditation-one-way-to-get-started
very-easy-path-to-you-know-what
Dzogchen
October, 2005
time-flaps-on
blinks-and-thought-swatting-update
kindergarten-eudemony
November, 2005
back-for-more
staying-in-flow-while-awake
paramahamsa-swanee-river
go-get-um-cowperson
mind-the-gap-movie-and-the-message
December, 2005
drill-sergeant-teaches-no-mind.html
out-of-body-vs-downpouring-of-light.html
happy-perihelion-january-4th-2006.html
January, 2006
reviving-the-2003-rant-on-pseudo-advaita
conversations-with-master-phil
outside-the-paradigm
happy-2006-card-re-edited-from-earlier
February, 2006
movie-example-of-purr-snarl-exercise
chin-pull-up-triggers-compassion
is-melting-into-bliss-states-selfish?
today's-rant-on-ugh-faith
and-furthermore
March, 2006
I'm-dancing-as-fast-as-i-can-but-time's
i-know-same-old-theme-but
putting-things-in-solar-perspective
April, 2006
still-my-all-time-favorite-exercise
May, 2006
now-this-is-my-real-favorite-all-time
June, 2006
is-bliss-a-side-track-or-a-positive-pointer?
July, 2006
why-tracheal-resonance-dissolves
various-paths-one-mountain-top
david-spero-3rd-gathering-in-san-fran
September, 2006
wow-where-did-summer-go?
putting-mind-out-to-pasture
my-all-time-favorite-quote-on-love
natural-state
October, 2006
dreamless-sleep-bliss-access-via-snoring
ken-wilber-on-two-types-of-religion
November, 2006
occasional-sunday-meditation-series-begins
quote-from-supreme-source
primordial-error-and-supreme-sauce
December, 2006
enlightenment-for-us-donkeys
combining-two-sacred-names-of-god
religions-are-like-peaches
January, 2007
youtube-movie-uploaded.html
purring-exercise-comments
purring-exercise-motorboating-comments
full-breath-and-energizing-the-face
ego-death-passing-out-and-eye-fixation
in-praise-of-soft-palate-uvula-sucking

In Praise Of Soft Palate/Uvula Sucking

Last year I read that the pineal gland in the fetus forms not
from brain tissue but from the soft palette tissue of the growing
mouth. This is very interesting, because it suggests a connection
between the two areas. Thus 'nursing' on the soft palette may give
the pineal a long-distance massage -- or at least a 'message'. Add
to this the theory that the pineal secretes various ecstatic compounds, and you get the picture.

It seems that clarity/awareness after meditation continues if I
simply nurse on my uvula/soft palette. Of course if I talk, I
lose it momentarily (smile). As I mentioned here before, when I
grow up, I want to look just like Hakuin's self-portrait! – eyes
locked in Sambhavi Mudra, sucking on his uvula. Although walking my
dog in this mudra might tend to flatten me on the sidewalk. For
Hakuin's self-portrait here, see www.raysender.com/jpegs/ZenjiHakuin.jpg

You can argue that whatever state experienced while sucking
on the soft palette cannot be Dzogchen's Natural State because it's
'doing' something. But since infants relax into the nursing
reflex, it could be considered 'non-arising' – i.e. not actually
'doing anything.' And it does center my awareness four inches
below my navel (hara), thus putting my out of my mind, which can
then do whatever mind does on its own.

YEE HAW!

Ego-death, Passing Out, and Eye Fixation

from Ee-mail, September 5 2006

E wrote: >most religions and philosophies condemn ego, when it
> is merely a primary response mechanism and quite mechanical
> and reasonably predictable for a trained person.(to some degree)

Ramon:
Ego-chasing is a all-consuming hobby in spiritual groups, it seems.
Interesting, because I don't think you can live a fully committed
planetary life without an ego. You can "kill" the ego - or perhaps
a spiritual master will help you out and 'kill you' as a favor, but
the irony is that all that happens is that you imprint the master's
ego instead. Or if you kill your own, then you imprint your surroundings.
Tim Leary caught onto this via his LSD experiences, which is why he
recommended an ideal 'set and setting' for lift-off. Thus it may be
best to 'start at the top of the mountain' as jax suggests, and get
'killed' there, so to speak, and then imprint 'the view'.

Jax writes:
>In Dzogchen we start from the "top of the mountain" as VIEW
>(non-conceptual). . . . Dzogchen is taught "all at once" from the
>view at the top, hence it's unrivalled power to liberate. So powerful,
>that if followed diligently one's entire physical manifestation dissolves
>in a flash of rainbow light!

R:
Or I suppose, you might say "relax into your true innocence," which is
all and everyone and everywhere.' It is such an unimaginable experience to
be free of the smaller self, even for an instant.

My main complaint with most traditional paths is that they are only for the
few and privileged, but I don't think Mother intended this to be so. For
this reason, She has created for us a plethora of methods and exercises and
devices all of which actually are very worthy, and some quite easy.

E writes:
>So the issue becomes, what works for each and what is it that one expects
>for an outcome and at what realistic effort makes this all happen. I view
>that as a rational approach.
R:
The rational approach - yes, although I would suggest, at the risk of boring
those here who are 'few and privileged', that we start with one of the
easiest that many of us practiced as kids: hyperventilating and then
holding one's breath to pass out. We did it a a lot as kids, and once as an
adult I got three or four dudes in an Oakland bar to try a combination of
bellows breathing ('bhastrika') on their knees, then leaning forward,
holding their breath and straightening up into the camel asana -- rearing
back and grabbing their heels. They all passed out, one by one, and came
back to consciousness with beatific smiles. We could have started a new
religion that very day, but it seemed time for my fast exit.

What does passing out teach us (sort of an interesting phrase, 'passing
out')? I think it teaches us that dying -- dropping the individual self --
is very blissful. It also underscores that 'passing out' into sleep is
also blissful -- something else we knew as kids. This is why I use a
'snoring' mantra that resonates the trachea on both in the inhale and exhale.
"Ten death rattles a day keeps the coroner away."

Passing out has a long history that includes Christian baptism,
which in its true form is a near-drowning experience -- the baptizer closes
off your nose and mouth so you won't inhale any water and then holds you
under until you stop struggling and 'see the light.' (I've checked this out
with various seminary-trained ministers and they agree with me, amazingly
enough). Baptism had to be a pretty strong near-death experience to allow the
first Christians to face wild animals in the arena with such impressive
equanimity.

E writes:
>In the world of dualism, few understand the deep connections we have, and
>fewer still have the ability to take some abstract concept like "not-dualism"
>and incorporate it into their life's engagement. In disengagement it is pretty
>easy but in active engagement, it is most difficult when working, raising a
>family, attempting to stay healthy and just generally going about all the
>things one does in living a full life. If one wants to be a monk, or is
>totally supported by others, that is different, but the masses do not have
>such a luxury so it is difficult to say the least.
R:
So then, the question is, 'How do we stay 'passed out' and blissful , and
still function in bodies, go to work, raise families, etc.?' I think this is
the basic question E is addressing, yes?

For lack of a better approach, I've been focusing on fixation -- one-
pointedness -- or as I posted here a few days ago:
"Why doesn't eye-fixation get talked about more in the preliminaries - or
perhaps I just overlooked it?"

Answering someone's question on another list, I wrote:

Smiling 'widely' so that the lower lids 'scrunch up,' and fixating without
blinking (tratakam in Patanjali) on a small dot (size of a period) 4 feet in
front of my eyes, after about ten seconds comes a mild sensation of
'dryness' on the eyes followed by a pleasant energy in the solar plexus that
spreads to the arms and feet -- actually, to the whole body. By twenty
seconds, tears accumulate that the 'scrunched-up' lower lids (from the broad
smile) hold against the corneas and thus moderate the 'dryness' sensation as
the energies flowing through the body and limbs intensify. A slight sideways
tremor comes and goes around the 60-second mark, and occasionally a blink
happens so I raise my eyebrows slightly, keeping the smile wide and the
tears contained by the lower lids. (Others recommend furrowing the eyebrows
slightly as in the classic sambhavi mudra.)

Three minutes is about as long as I go before relaxing totally. The energies
continue flowing in a kind of bubbly relaxation response for some minutes
after. It seems as if the one-pointedness of mind created by this exercise
continues even if the eyes begin to move and blink naturally. Thus it's a
good entry-exercise for normal meditation, but thoughts really do seem to
disappear during those three minutes -- perhaps because my attention is
locked onto the eyes?

If I now close my eyes completely and focus on a dot -bindu - on the inside
of the eyelids, it seems as if I can more easily enter into a deeper state.

Does all this make sense?

A variation on this exercise: on the inhale, roll one's eyes upwards as far
as possible (without straining or doing anything painful), and then hold
them there as you breathe normally four or five breaths. Then lower the eyes
and relax. This also triggers perceptible energy flow in the same way as the
other exercise. Actually this is a variation of the classic sambhavi mudra
in hatha yoga. For a detailed description by yogani, one of my favorite --
and still anonymous - teachers, see:

http://www.aypsite.com/56.html

As Yogani points out, furrowing the eyebrows slightly is 'the other half'
of the sambhavi mudra. He also encourages a breathing meditation up and down
the spinal nerve while this is being done, and says that over time this exercise
will 'purify' the connection to the various chakras.

Ramon
"Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar..."
[Traveler, there is no path, you create the path as you move forward...]
Antonio Machado (1875-1939)

Gloria Lee quoting Bob O'Hearn:

"In this light, one might say that we practice to commit suicide --
the suicide of all our hopes, dreams, notions, distinctions, ideals,
preferences, sense of self. Now, why would someone find that
appealing? Well, only if they recognize the utter futility of any
other option, would such a practice be taken up.

"It requires the utmost humility and honesty to admit that all the
cherished and hopeful strategies only lead to further suffering. This
humility and honesty is nurtured in zazen, and so zazen is a kind of
preparation. On the other hand, this zazen is not a strategy, but the
expression of the death-activity itself. it doesn't lead anywhere,
it's just that the concepts we've accumulated lose their power to
distract us, and thus we sit in the unknown, as the unknown, and in
the midst of the ashes of all our beliefs and ideas, a kind of sprout
may push up, breaking through the dreamy fabric of our consciousness,
a kind of awake-ness, and this awake-ness has no name, though people
like to name, and so we have all the sutras and commentaries and
whatnot, but at heart, it is really a very simple thing, the most
simple thing there is, our original innocence."

As with all my posts, these are for your information only. Try them at
your own risk.

Full Breath and Energizing The Face

C wrote:

> I have been told to follow the breath, at the nose, no
> matter what and to keep my attention there until the
> 'visual' nimitta arises.

I've been trying to put together a practice that will ease as many people as
possible into breath meditation. However, to start with the 'basics,' I
think first it's important to learn to practice a 'full breath' and dissolve
whatever lateral tensions may be stiffening some part of the breathing
apparatus. The diaphragm muscle, for example, may not be descending fully on
the inhale (as I discovered with myself).

Good information on the 'full breath' is widely available on the Internet,
but I've been using Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks's small book "Breathing
Ecstasy: Finding Sexual Bliss Using The Incredible Power Of Breath" (catchy
title!). It gives basic deep-breathing exercises similar to what Wilhelm
Reich, Alexander Lowen's 'Bioenergetics' and the 'Rebirthing/Holotropic
Breathwork' folks utilize (with some variations). It's always good to be
reminded of the importance of the deep and natural breath, and I use a dozen
of these as warm-ups to the next step: facial-nerve stimulation
see http://www.handle.org/activity/facetap.html

Regarding facial-nerve stimulation, I find that people's facial sensitivity
varies widely. Using a mylar feathery swizzle stick (anything 'tickly' works
well) I run it across their face, forehead, mouth area and below their
nostrils. Sensitive people will shudder and tend to fall into what I call
'The Shoo-Fly Syndrome' - a shudder and an overwhelming urge to tweak the
nostrils. However I've found that wiggling the big toes seems to keep one
from falling 'over the edge,' so to speak.

Others can be much less sensitive, to the point of really not finding the
tickly touch particularly stimulating. However unless the natural touch of
the air to the area below the nostrils is truly blissful, what's going to
make a person want to hold their attention there?

If you don't want to try out a "Thwizzle" stick (mailed to you at my expense
USA/Canada - others negotiable), find something with which you can tickle
your face (around your mouth, nostrils, eyes, forehead) the next time you
sit down to meditate. A stem of tiny flowers or leaves works. Or just use
the 'Shoo-Fly Reflex' tweak, and stroke your nostrils 10-20 times gently.
"Nothing like a good facial tickle to get the body energies flowing!" is
what I've found! And that great SHUDDER!

There are also the Emotional Freedom Technique facial tapping folks -- see http://toendstress.com
who developed a technique via tapping on various facial chi meridians.
EFT tapping is also very good for waking up the
body energy flow and dissolving accumulated stress around the eyes.

I used to think of relaxation as just a sort of "nothing reporting in as
uncomfortable" message, but now I'm beginning to realize that the so-called
'Relaxation Response' is actually a bubbly, pleasurable bliss state. Quite
a difference!

Purring exercise - motorboating comments

I've had some positive feedback from the video, and thought I'd add a few comments. The 'motorboating' of the lips can be difficult for some folks, so if this so, just try adding the famous 'Bronx Cheer' or 'razzberry' - sticking out the tongue, which makes 'motorboating' very easy.
Wavy Gravy teaches it to kids, and includes a paper bag over the head that I guess increases the resonance and keeps the saliva from spraying far and wide. Not that it matters.
Motorboating or razzing does increase the bliss factor considerably!

Purring exercise - comments

I've had some positive feedback from the video, and thought I'd add a few comments. The 'motorboating' of the lips can be difficult for some folks, so if this so, just try adding the famous 'Bronx Cheer' or 'razzberry' - sticking out the tongue, which makes 'motorboating' very easy. For a slow-motion razzberry, check out this video:
http://www.devilducky.com/media/54954
Wavy Gravy teaches it to kids, and includes a paper bag over the head that I guess increases the resonance and keeps the saliva from spraying far and wide. Not that it matters.
Motorboating or razzing does increase the bliss factor considerably!

YouTube movie uploaded

Check out my four-minute YouTube movie demo of the purring exercise, the first and last method you'll ever need to dissolve all inner tension.