Clouds 10/3/2011

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Rumpelteazer
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Clouds 10/3/2011

Postby Rumpelteazer » Sun Mar 13, 2011 12:03 pm

Following on from the discussion about hindrances last week, our group taker chose this paper from the Pewsey Group:
Paper_09_17.pdf
(93.4 KiB) Downloaded 406 times

The group liked the metaphor of clouds hiding the sun, and the idea of the sunlight dissolving the clouds.

We returned yet again to the idea of not being able to do anything, and the discussion turned to self-observation and the Observer. One person said self-observation was happening all the time but we are not always present, and not always aware of it. He equated the Observer with Atman (as does H.H.) and said the Observer is always there even in deep sleep. Another regarded self-observation as ‘being present and seeing impartially what is happening’, so it isn’t automatically there all the time. When it does happen, it can often lead to the Observer arising - a state of peace and stillness, despite any activity being carried out by the body, in which we feel that we are not the doer, just the watcher. It was mainly a difference of terminology.

The group was unable to agree on whether self-observation caused any change to occur. One person said it didn’t. He gave an example of being in an extreme emotional state, watching it going on but not being able to do anything about it. Someone else said he felt that, over time, self-observation does have an effect. If one is habitually angry and watches this happening, then it starts to happen less and less. Another agreed. She said she had been practising self-observation and it had made an enormous change – she is happier, life is more peaceful, and there are relatively few negative emotions compared with previously. One might not be able change things at the time, but the change just happens by itself, magically, over a longer period. The initial commenter said it did not work for him. It was suggested that perhaps if he could mentally allow the possibility of change happening spontaneously through persistent practice of self-observation then this might enable that sort of change to occur. But for him that was impossible, because he cannot do anything, cannot make any choices. Whatever happens, just happens.

There was some discussion about the fifth sheath, Anandamaya, which is composed of happiness. One person thought this referred to happiness at an ordinary level which could always turn negative. But another thought that it did refer to positive emotion. She saw it as being the last thing that prevents one getting to the deepest stage of meditation. Just before that stage, there is a very deep stillness, with complete peace and happiness, but you have to be prepared to surrender completely, to give up that experience of bliss. This is very difficult and so meditation often goes no further than that earlier stage.

One member of the group gave a very clear example of the “knowledge of ignorance” referred to by H.H. He had recently had to go into hospital for an operation requiring a general anaesthetic. A needle had been put into his hand and he was aware of waiting to be taken into the operating theatre. The next moment he was wondering when they were actually going to do the operation. Then he realised it had already been done but there was no memory of it – just a knowledge of ignorance.

The group was puzzled by the following statement:
H.H. wrote: Some weak persons experience the unconscious state, but here there is no experience of anything but ignorance.
If anyone reading this post can shed any light on this it would be greatly appreciated.

fiona
Posts: 43
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2009 10:22 am

Re: Clouds 10/3/2011

Postby fiona » Sun Mar 13, 2011 1:14 pm

Just an idea, but if we took the Sanskrit meaning of Moorchha to be fainting or swooning, could the use of the word ‘weak’ refer to the physical state of a person, one falling into unconsciousness? There might be a level of awareness then within that state, but it would still be disposed to ignorance.


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