--- Irmeli Mattsson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
snip > **** > It puzzles me also, why people, when they stop > identifying the 'I' > with an image of one's personal self, say there is > no 'I' anymore. Because no "I" or psychological sense of "me" is present. It can't be found. When people (in avidya) say "me" they are refering to a sense of separate individuality. An abstract, felt-sense of "me-ness" that is private and distinct from others' "me-ness". > The `I' is the subject, who feels, sees, interprets > and evaluates > situations, makes meaning, uses concepts like > enlightenment in > communication, relates to others, is in dialogue > with others. Yes, this is all true in avidya. It is a phenomenological reality. "I" exist, "I" think, "I" feel, "I" interprate and evaluate, "I" make meaning. There is always, except in deep sleep, this underlying sense of "I". > The > fact that something is being perceived is based on > subject/object > dualism. The perceiver is subject, the perceived is > object. > The `I', the subject, cannot see itself. If it can, > there is an error in perception. All this is true in waking state/avidya. > The subject can see only something > that is object to > itself. In enlightenment this error vanishes. And > another error seems > to appear, the idea that there is no `I'. No, it is not an error. You are extending waking state logic into realization and it falls apart there. In realization no individuality or sense of "me" can be located. There is thought, there is feeling, there is everything just like waking state, but there is no "I" or "me" present. It just can't be located! People say your name as if refering to a "you," but there is no "you" present. This "I" is a delusion created by the identification of pure consciousness with bound mind. Consciousness projects into and identifies with a subjective object and assumes the limitations of that object. Patanjali's metaphor of the crystal gem assuming the color of whatever it is placed on works well. The crystal appears to be colored. I mean, damn boy, I can see that it's colored! That's the phenomenology of waking state. But consciousness is not bound by any object even when it appears to be bound (hence the you're already enlightened rap). The initial stage/condition of liberation is this cessation of projection/identification of counsciousness with objects of experience. Once counsciousness "pulls back" into itself there is no longer any identification occuring and hence no boundary or relative limitation to consciousness. Full awareness, but no "I" to lay claim to be doing anything. There is nobody home, but all the lights are on and everything is working just fine. That sense of "I" is just a very subtle thought. Self-inquiry will reveal this. > > Irmeli > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor > --------------------~--> > Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make > Yahoo! your home page > http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM > --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> > > > 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 > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > __________________________________ Yahoo! Music Unlimited Access over 1 million songs. Try it free. http://music.yahoo.com/unlimited/ ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 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/
