Many thanks for your reply, Vaj. Yes, this all sounds pretty familiar, except for your phrase "such a high level" -- "here" is certainly not high; I feel exactly the same as before I ever started on any path. I mean *complete* ordinariness; "ignorance" even -- the only real difference being a simple contentment and appreciation of the perfection here and now.
No path remains that I am aware of: samsara is perfection; emptiness isn't sacrificed in thought (or vice versa); I cannot appreciate the two as two anymore. On the other hand, I do feel even better when I appreciate more -- become even more focussed and incarnate and attentive -- so maybe there is yet in store a depth and breadth of "growth" or "me" I have perhaps scarcely begun to enliven. Meditation (as I understand the term) seems to have no real bearing on this; appreciation appears to work best (mostly) eyes-open, or via simple listening, or the like. In a similar manner, the stages of bodhisattvahood you provided didn't ring too clearly; only the buddha one felt like "home" or "me," but I have attained nothing; am no more a buddha than my beloved pig-dung. No less, either, of course. :-) At that we all appear to be pretty much identical in our perfect buddhahood, maybe with some of us occasionally enjoying -- or at least indulging in -- a momentary bit of more or less resistance here or there. Namaste, R. --- In [email protected], Vaj <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I think you bring up a wonderful point and a great experiential > insight. My feeling is that you can dissolve negative thought patterns > to an extent that you can simply rest in the Natural Mind--thoughts may come, thoughts may go--but even this apparent duality can be > experienced as non-dual then one can truly begin to experience how > samsara and perfection arise together. > Typically once one works on calmness at such a high level, if one is > following a graduated path where you go in stages, the next form of > meditation would be being able to integrate with thought *without > sacrificing emptiness*. > > Even in total quiescence thoughts which arise are not sustained, nor do they proliferate; rather they vanish of their own accord, much like small clouds on a really blue sky day. To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
