The Open Dimension

Commentary on social issues; politics; religion and spirituality

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Location: Laguna Hills, California, United States

I am a semi-retired psychotherapist/psychiatric social worker and certified hypnotherapist. Originally a practicing attorney, I changed careers during the 1980's. My interests include history, constitutional law, Hindustani classical music, yoga, meditation and spirituality.

Friday, October 05, 2007

The Advaita Meditation




HERE FOLLOWS THE SECRET FORMULARY FOR INHERING IN THE ALL-INCLUSIVE AND UNDIFFERENTIATED SUPREME ABSOLUTE REALITY. BHAGAVAN SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI WAS KNOWN TO STATE THAT REPEATED READING OF THE TEXT WOULD BE CONDUCIVE TO THE REALIZATION OF SAMADHI:

ABSOLUTE INHERENCE IN REALITY MEANS BECOMING ONE WITH THE IMMUTABLE, TRANQUIL, NON-DUAL SUPREME ABSOLUTE WHICH IS EXISTENCE-CONSCIOUSNESS-BLISS AND THE SELF, THE ESSENCE OF ALL, MAKING THE WANDERING MIND ONE WITH IT LIKE MILK AND WATER, ABSOLUTELY FREE OF ALL CONCEPTS. THE MANIFESTED UNIVERSE INCLUDING THE BODY-MIND COMPLEX OF THE PERCEIVER DOES NOT REALLY EXIST, AND EVERYTHING IS THE SUPREME ABSOLUTE REALITY WHICH IS IDENTICAL TO THE SELF AND ONESELF. DISCARDING EVERYTHING, BECOME ONE WITH THE SUPREME ABSOLUTE REALITY AND , REMAINING AS THAT, BE HAPPY. ABIDE AS THAT WHICH DOES NOT SHOW ANY DUALITY IN TERMS OF SUBJECT-OBJECT NOR THE LEAST TRACE OF CAUSE AND EFFECT. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE IS NEITHER THOUGHT NOR IMAGINATION NOR CONCEPT, NEITHER PEACE NOR SELF-CONTROL, NEITHER MIND NOR INTELLECT, NEITHER CONFUSION NOR CERTAINTY, NEITHER BEING NOR NON-BEING AND NO PERCEPTION OF DUALITY. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE IS NEITHER GOOD NOR BAD QUALITY, NEITHER PLEASURE NOR PAIN, NEITHER THOUGHT NOR SILENCE, NO I-AM-THE -BODY IDEA, NO OBJECTS OF PERCEPTION WHATSOEVER. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE IS NEITHER ATTACHMENT NOR ITS EFFECTS, NEITHER THOUGHTS NOR A THINKER, NEITHER OBSERVATION NOR AN OBSERVER. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE IS NEITHER THE LIMITING POWER OF ILLUSION NOR ITS EFFECTS. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE IS NO SELF-KNOWING WISDOM, NO EFFECT OF ACTION, NO SEPARATE SUPREME STATE , AND BE ALWAYS HAPPY, FREE FROM ALL TRACES OF THOUGHT. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE IS NEITHER BODY NOR SENSES NOR VITAL FORCES, NEITHER MIND NOR INTELLECT NOR IMAGINATION, NEITHER EGO NOR IGNORANCE, NOR ANYONE WHO IDENTIFIES WITH THEM- AND BE ALWAYS HAPPY , FREE FROM ALL TRACES OF THOUGHT. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE IS NEITHER DESIRE NOR ANGER, NEITHER GREED NOR DELUSION, NEITHER ILL-WILL NOR PRIDE, NO IMPURITIES OF MIND AND NO FALSE NOTIONS OF BONDAGE AND LIBERATION. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE IS NO BEGINNING OR END, NO TOP OR BOTTOM OR MIDDLE, NO TIME OR SPACE, NO OBJECTS OF PERCEPTION- AND BE ALWAYS HAPPY, FREE FROM ALL TRACES OF THOUGHT. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE IS NO DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN THE REAL AND THE UNREAL- NO YEARNING FOR LIBERATION, NO MASTER OR DISCIPLE, NO REALIZED STATE, NO LIBERATION- NOTHING WHATSOEVER AT ANY TIME- AND BE ALWAYS HAPPY, FREE FROM ALL TRACES OF THOUGHT. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE ARE NO SPIRITUAL CONCEPTS, NO ONE WHO THINKS. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE IS NO WORD OR ITS MEANING, NONE OF THE MANIFOLD CAUSES AND EFFECTS, NO SAMENESS OR OTHERNESS, NO UNIVERSE OF ANY KIND, NO OTHER WORLD, NO SENSE OF I OR MIND, NO CONCEPT WHATSOEVER- AND BE ALWAYS HAPPY, WITHOUT THE LEAST TRACE OF THOUGHT. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE IS NO ONE TO IDENTIFY WITH ANY CONCEPT WHATSOEVER. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE OF ANY KIND, NO SENSES NOR ANYONE TO USE THEM, NO OBJECTS TO PERCEIVE, NO CONCEPTS TO BE THOUGHT. ABIDE AS THAT WHICH IS TRANSCENDENT BLISS, THAT WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY IMMEDIATE, THAT BY BECOMING WHICH ONE BECOMES IMMORTAL, ETERNAL- AND BE ALWAYS HAPPY, WITHOUT THE LEAST TRACE OF THOUGHT. ABIDE AS THAT, ON REALIZING AND EXPERIENCING THE BLISS OF WHICH, ALL JOYS APPEAR TO BE THE JOYS OF THAT, THAT WHICH, KNOWN TO BE ONESELF, KNOWS THERE IS NOTHING APART FROM ONESELF. ABIDE AS THAT, ON KNOWING WHICH TO BE ONESELF, THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO BE KNOWN, EVERYTHING BECOMES ALREADY KNOWN AND EVERY PURPOSE ACCOMPLISHED- AND BE ALWAYS HAPPY, WITHOUT THE LEAST TRACE OF THOUGHT. ABIDE AS THAT WHICH IS ATTAINED EASILY AND IMMEDIATELY WHEN ONE KNOWS THAT ONE IS NOT DIFFERENT FROM THE SUPREME ABSOLUTE REALITY, THAT WHICH RESULTS IN THE SUPREME BLISS OF THE REAL, THAT WHICH EXPERIENCES INCOMPARABLE AND COMPLETE SATISFACTION- AND BE ALWAYS HAPPY, WITHOUT THE LEAST TRACE OF THOUGHT. ABIDE AS THAT WHICH REMAINS WITHOUT A SECOND, NOTHING OTHER THAN ONESELF IS SEEN TO EXIST AND INCOMPARABLE BLISS IS EXPERIENCED. ABIDE AS THAT WHICH IS UNDIFFERENTIATED BLISS, ABSOLUTELY NON-DUAL, THE UNDIFFERENTIATED SUPREME REALITY, THE SOURCE, THE HEART, THE ESSENCE OF ALL, WITHOUT ANYTHING ELSE WHATSOEVER, THE UNDIFFERENTIATED WHOLE, PERFECTLY PURE- AND WITH THE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU ARE THAT, BE ALWAYS HAPPY. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE ARE NO CONCEPTS OR ANYTHING ELSE WHATSOEVER. THE EGO CEASES TO EXIST, ALL DESIRES DISAPPEAR, THE MIND BECOMES EXTINCT AND ALL CONFUSION COMES TO AN END. ABIDE AS THAT IN WHICH THERE IS NO AWARENESS OF THE BODY, NO PERCEPTION OF MIND OR OBJECTS, THAT IN WHICH THERE IS PERFECT ONENESS WITH REALITY. ABIDE AS THAT WHICH IS THE SUPREME ABSOLUTE REALITY, THE SUPREMELY SUBTLE, THE NON-DUAL AND UNDIFFERENTIATED ONE. ABIDE AS THAT WHICH IS ABSOLUTE TRUTH, SUPREME TRANQUILITY, ABSOLUTELY ATTRIBUTELESS, THE SELF. ABIDE AS THAT WHICH IS EVERYTHING FROM THE EXPERIENTIAL POINT OF VIEW AND NOTHING FROM THE ABSOLUTE POINT OF VIEW, ALWAYS TRANQUIL, WITH NOTHING SEPARATE FROM IT. ABIDE AS THAT WHICH IS UTTERLY BEYOND BODY, MIND, SENSES AND CONSCIOUSNESS- TIMELESS, SPACELESS, UTTERLY BEYOND ALL CONCEPTUALIZATION, UTTERLY BEYOND ALL DEFINITION, THE SELF, MY SELF, THE DIVINE SOURCE, THE HEART, THE ESSENCE OF ALL, THE SUPREME ABSOLUTE REALITY- ALL THERE IS- THAT I AM.
(Adapted from : Jones, F. ed. The Heart of the Ribhu Gita. Los Angeles: Dawn Horse, 1973 )


Has Our Constitutional Government Been Overthrown?

We all know what Bush is--- a petty dictator who’s trying to out-do daddy. And while he’s been playing out his Oedipus complex our constitutional form of government has been overthrown, our republic destroyed, and Bush’s fraternity brothers who comprise the war-mongering merchant-class aristocracy have taken over the country and are now conducting a perpetual war for profit. They’ve already pulled in about a trillion dollars but be sure that won’t be enough for them or for the politicians they’re paying off not only with campaign contributions but also with promises of post-term lucrative corporate employment and well-flushed off-shore bank accounts I suspect. Which brings us to “Congress:”
There is no Congress any more. Haven’t you noticed that that it’s been ages since they’ve done absolutely anything for the people of this nation, whom they’re supposed to represent? Nothing except greatly increase our chronic indebtedness and insecurity, that is. Those who are still referred to as “senators” and “representatives” are nothing but agents for the ruling profiteers, who reward them handsomely. I’m talking about most of these jackals- not all but most- and that includes all-too-many Democrats who are really corporate Neo-Cons in disguise. Their main job is to write- or copy- legislation that will deposit the most cash into the pockets of their masters. And then they’ll invent ingenious ways to present it all as “in the public good.” If legislators are serving the profit-making goals of corporate entities and not the welfare of the people of this nation then our government is a democratic republic in name only. In effect our government has been overthrown- nullified.
The latest filthy lie they’re throwing in the face of the people is that we just can’t end the war in Iraq because there’s no way to withdraw our troops safely. And there would be “chaos” in Iraq if we left. So the war has to continue for who knows how long so stop complaining or you’re a traitor. And meanwhile the billions continue to fall into their masters’ coffers. What, we don’t know that the chaos was initiated by Bush and the profiteers? And it will play out whether we stay or not. And who says we can’t withdraw safely? What, the insurgents want us to stay so they’ll do everything to mangle us as we leave, thereby risking cessation of the withdrawal and even escalation of our troop levels? Is that the argument?I hate to state the obvious, but the matter of withdrawal is a military matter, isn’t it? What are the best military opinions about withdrawal? What do the highest-ranking, most experienced generals say? Here’s some questions, generals: If only presently available funding is utilized for safe withdrawal can it be done? How? And how long- at the least- will it take? And is there any basis for the panic that the politicians are creating vis-a-vis safe withdrawal? In other words can funding be stopped?
There is an array of distinguished retired generals who appear to be totally fed up with this manufactured stalemate. Now is your time. Announce publicly and widely that you are holding a closed-door conference on this matter and will hold a press conference on a certain date. And then do it. Present your findings as openly and publicly as you can, utilizing every conceivable means of dispersion. And if what these jackals are presenting to the public is indeed a lie throw it back into their faces like a bat out of hell and call them what they are. The people have to know. Our existence as the greatest experiment in democracy that ever existed is in peril. In mortal peril. We know that you are truly sincere in your desire to defend and preserve this nation. General Powell, get into it. It is the time for men and women of integrity to fight for the life of our beloved land.