FYI
In the Dzogchen teachings (both Buddhist and Bonpo), the pracitioner is introduced to their own inherent self-knowing awareness (svasamvedana jñana, rang-rig yeshe). The first practice after that introduction is trekchöd (pronounced: teekchö) or practice of the natural self-freeing of all experience, whether sensory or cognitive. Once that training is somewhat stabilized, the practitioner begins the practice of tögal. This depletes the karma-bound field of experience as it opens and directly reveals the celestial values of experience. During tögal practice, one of the focal points of training is a particular nadi called the kâti channel a nadi that directly connects the center of the heart to the two eyes. This is not the sushumna channel of the spine nor is it ida/pinpala nadi-s on the right and left of the spine. The practice reveals the projective nature of experience, which appears as a field stationed outside of but in front of the two physical eyes. Not all yoga practice is based upon shaiva psycho-physiology. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Seraphita" wrote: > > Franklin Merrell-Wolff (younger readers will have to look him up on > Wikipedia as he's fallen into obscurity in recent years) claimed that he > never learned a single meditation practice that he didn't have to > "tweak" before he could get the maximum benefits from the practice. I > have to confess, I've had the same experience with TM. The effortless > repetition (or favouring) of the mantra for sure elicited some dramatic > changes in consciousness, including (on rounding courses) experiences of > Richard Bucke-style "cosmic consciousness". But the TM technique always > insisted one concentrate (if "concentrate" is the right word) on > "hearing" the subtle sound of the syllable - with no reference given to > where ones vision (perhaps a better expression is "inner vision") might > be centred. I've since found that, for me, allowing my "inner vision" > awareness to centre on the space immediately in front of my eyes greatly > enhances the effects of TM and makes me more centred immediately after a > mediation session. (I'm not actually crossed-eyed (!) during my > sessions, but presumably the location does suggest the Ajna chakra.) > I've heard that other spiritual groups recommend centring ones attention > on the Ajna chakra if you're more the "thinking type" - that would > describe me - but they also recommend centring attention on the heart > chakra if you're more the touchy-feely type. By the way, dire warnings > are given (especially by Theosophical-influenced groups) on allowing > one's attention to centre on the lower - the root or genital chakras - > unless you're sexually "pure" as that can increase one's libido and lead > to sexual obsessions - or "sex addiction" as modern parlance has it. > Now, only being myself your bog-standard meditator, I'm curious if other > (more advanced) FFL posters have experienced a similar effect to me. > That is, combining mantra favouring with relaxed, inner visual attention > centred in front of the eyes has improved your results. And also I'm > curious if those of you who took TM-sidha training, or trained as > teachers, ever heard Maharishi mention chakras to your inner core of > "true believers" . . . > By the way, if what I'm saying sounds presumptuous why not give it a try > yourself for a few days? >
