Dharma - The Way Things Are
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The real experience of a spiritual practitioner - an account of the one universal Law (Dharma) which is the essence of the teachings of Buddhism, Yoga, and Taoism. Essay: https://t.me/Dhamma_Gaveshi/17 Questions: https://t.me/+A4OYBz4paHZkY2Iy
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Channel Posts
«The process of falling is only one and the process of rising is also only one.
The energetic process of Liberation is described in the texts of Indian Raja Yoga and Kundalini Yoga, in the texts of Chinese Taoism, as well as in the sutras of Tibetan esoteric Buddhism - Tantra-Vajrayana. The stages of the process of Liberation are also given in the suttas of the original Theravada Buddhism. Of course, the names and part of the descriptions of these stages (steps or levels) differ in different systems of spiritual practice. For example, the original texts of Yoga are written in Sanskrit, the Taoist texts are written in Chinese, the Mahayana and Tantra-Vajrayana sutras are written in Sanskrit and Tibetan, and the Theravada suttas are written in Pali.
However, the content of the spiritual experience of each stage of the process of Liberation, the meaning of this experience, the sequence of passing through each stage, and their interdependence are identical in all the above-mentioned authentic systems of spiritual practice. Why is this so?
First, the three most ancient teachings - Yoga, Buddhism, and Taoism - are the only ones on Earth that speak of our realization of our original authentic state - Enlightenment and Liberation. In Yoga, this state is labeled «Moksha», in Buddhism - «Bodhi» and «Vimutti», in Taoism - «Knowledge of the Primordial Spirit» and «Immortality». But to see this original inexpressible state and to understand the path and ways leading to it, we should not see it in the light of yoga, Buddhism, or Taoism, but in the light of what everything is.
Of course, we really want to realize this state and not just talk about it from different points of view.
Secondly, there is only one process of falling and only one process of rising. The process of falling is expressed in the Law of the 12 Stages of Conditioned Emergence, and the path of rising is the process of Liberation expressed in the second part of the Law of Conditioned Emergence, which Buddhism, Yoga, and Taoism describe in the same way.
As I mentioned above, there are differences in the details and terminology used, because the descriptions of this process were made by saints who reached different spiritual levels, spoke different languages, and lived at different times, in different countries with different cultures. However, all these saints have one thing in common: they have indeed traveled the same path, accomplished the Attainment, and left us a description of that path» (Vol. II, Chapter 2).
| 2 | From Conversations with the Author: Dharma - A Path to Inner and Outer Transformation
Q: What is the benefit of studying and practicing the Dharma in daily life?
A: A detailed answer to this question is contained in my book «Dharma - The Way Things Are. Real Experiences and Realizations of a Spiritual Practitioner». There are three volumes in the book, so it is difficult to explain the meaning of the practice in two words.
However, I can emphasize three points.
First, proper spiritual practice eliminates disease and bestows good health. Poor health and the many diseases to which our physical body is subjected arise from clogged energy channels. The only way to completely clear the channels is through proper spiritual practice. When blockages are eliminated, life energy fills the whole body - we get rid of illnesses and feel great.
Secondly, spiritual practice leading to self-realization begins with the accumulation of virtues and merit. When we speak good words to others, do nice things to our loved ones, hold correct judgments, and think about all people, we naturally radiate light. In this case, we become capable of experiencing joy in this World of People equal to the light we emit. In other words, our Five Aggregates (Five Skandhas), or that which forms our false «self», cease to be the Aggregates of bad karma and thus suffering, and are transformed into the Aggregates of virtue and merit, which manifests as happiness in ordinary life.
Third, when we transcend this state of happiness in ordinary life, we realize our true original state - a state of perfect freedom from karma, absolute happiness when no causes of suffering are formed, and inner peaceful joy that is not conditioned by any objects. | 240 |
| 3 | The Seven Steps of Awakening
Fourth - Pleasure. One must take pleasure in practicing. Before you start. During. In the end, praise yourself. When you realize the progress of the practice and when you realize that there is still a long way to go. These are the five steps. Plus, gradually the energy accumulates and transforms into Kundalini. Pleasure arises, and the Nectar of Immortality drips. Consciousness is satisfied, extraneous thoughts do not bother. The inner world becomes very good. Pleasure.
Next, the fifth is Quietness. It is necessary to form good, favorable conditions for spiritual practice. External conditions, develop the physical body so that it does not interfere in meditation. Before meditation, empty the clipboard, do not communicate, do not look, do not call, and finish all business. There is no such thing as meditation: «Let's sit a little bit, there are 15 minutes here, let's meditate». That is foolishness. Finish all your business and go to meditation, to full-fledged practice. Create this state of quietness in your soul. And external conditions, cut off external conditions, yes, it is important. And the state of Pratyahara will arise, the Kundalini of heat, the Fire Element will rise, the body will warm up, then it will go numb, it will freeze, you will distance yourself, you will enter the inner world. And you feel very good and comfortable in the inner world because there is merit. So this is a state of more or less stable meditation. The Quietness stage is a deeper Enlightenment at the level of surface consciousness. Only one should not confuse Quietness and Nirvana.
If there is quietness and tranquility in the soul, then the sixth practice. Concentration, Samadhi. Preliminary concentration, Parikamma samadhi. Concentration is concentration on one object. Breathing, mantra, qigong, feeling the energy rise. Image of meditation of the World of Forms. The theme in the meditation of the Formless World. Parikamma samadhi. 20 minutes hold, surface consciousness stops. Then there will be direct concentration. Concentration without object - Upachara-samadhi. We enter the lower Astral world, but there is merit there, the pitch is positive, and we go higher. We continue concentration for another 40 minutes, first dhyana, second dhyana, then Apanna-samadhi, true Samadhi, perfection. And we enter the Causal world.
Further, both in the process of practice and in everyday life, one should practice Equanimity, Upeksha. In Samadhi this Equanimity to past experience, that is, the false «self» is stopped. Data is no longer influenced. The merger, by the way, of the True «Self» and the false «self», is the same Samadhi. That is, the consciousness is stopped and the data no longer influences, you could say that. Equanimity towards that data. And in daily life, we follow the process of negation at the expense of willpower and understanding. And in the end, we don't even alienate, we control our consciousness, our behavior, this world. And instead of foolishness, we practice. During practice, we concentrate. We do not deny, or affirm the data that pops up. They are gradually emptied and the energy is transformed. Eventually, the mind is stopped, and you can see. You can see things as they are. But there's no bias. There is no personal attitude that obscures the view. You see it as it is - it's good, it's merit. Seeing it as it is, you realize what needs to be done. That would be Equanimity. And this Equanimity is the opposite, well, or at least not the same, as what is meant by indifference in modern society, in everyday life. The indifference that is spoken of is an animal state. The spiritual practitioner at least always transcends the three bad worlds (beginning in the previous post).
From the lecture: «The Seven Steps of Awakening - The Right Life of a Spiritual Practitioner» | 189 |
| 4 | Seven Steps of Awakening
Let's go ahead and repeat the seven things you need to practice in your daily life to advance your practice. First, mindfulness fixation and mindfulness, teaching, and the thought of attaining the higher worlds or intentions. Repeating the appropriate practice many times and concentrating while practicing. Four points.
Two, consideration is not based on fixed ideas but on the Teaching, it is there, and it is intrinsic. And there is tranquility. In the tranquil state, we consider everything that comes before us, external, and internal, consideration. Usually, it is the intellect. It is the intellect that we use. That is the ability to process data. And in the enlightened state, we use intuition or wisdom. We see as it is. But either way, we know as it is. We view it correctly.
Third, there is Effort. That is, we have seen something. What is necessary to do? I need to expand my state of calm and contemplation. I need to transmit the law to other people. And I need the conditions to do this. I am making an effort. Will it be as effort and intention? Or will it be a natural effort like «the oak tree in the garden»? It depends on whether you experienced your first Enlightenment or not. Whether or not you have fixed that state. Expanded it or not. But either way, there will be effort. Relaxed doing nothing is the state of the animal world (continued in the next post).
From the lecture: «The Seven Steps of Awakening - The Right Life of a Spiritual Practitioner» | 175 |
| 5 | Suppose we talk about people who have a blockage of energy and consciousness in the Ajna chakra. In that case, they are captured by information, or fixed ideas, which create for them a comfortable and relatively stable state of consciousness. In other words, such people enjoy the information, try to satisfy their desires and immerse themselves in a pleasant state of mind through the possession of ideas and data. But what is at the heart of the World of Devas? Intentional ignorance: the gods don't want to think about impermanence, they want to continue to enjoy the refined pleasures associated with their meditative state of mind. Likewise, a person with a clogged Ajna is under the illusion that the knowledge, information, or ideas he has received will allow him to attain what he wants. He remains in this illusory but pleasant state of consciousness conditioned by information.
For example, such a person reads a lot of spiritual texts without understanding their essence and without properly practicing what is written. He snatches from spiritual texts only what he likes, what is close to him, and usually ignores the essential aspects of the Teachings. In other words, such a person is captured by the form without trying to understand the meaning. Or he reads near-spiritual or pseudo-spiritual books, receiving distorted knowledge about the world. Or it can be some scientific knowledge, but a person of Ajna level, unlike a person of Manipura level, does not feel greed and does not try to get purely material benefits, but tries to somehow understand his life, his problems, tries to analyze and understand the world around him. But even in this case, a person is seized by the received information, and begins to indulge in logical tricks, just chasing thoughts in a circle. He also likes to «load» others with the «truths» revealed to him. It seems to the person that possession of some special knowledge will make him and others happy. Self-satisfaction and pride arise in him. He is attached to his own relatively stable and pleasant state of consciousness, conditioned by the information received. However, when external influences intensify, all the stability, understanding, or «enlightenment» of this person, conditioned solely by the received information, disappears. Because any data and any state caused by their action are illusions, as, in fact, any state of consciousness in the Universe, is conditioned by accumulated karma.
Blockage of Prana in Ajna-chakra in spiritual practitioners occurs more often than in ordinary people. Here it is the same as with mindlessness, which I told you about earlier - profitable teachings are taken out of the general flow of spiritual practice, and people try to satisfy their egoism with their help.
We are talking about practicing for the attainment of Heaven, or the theory of short-term merit of low quality, the accumulation of which temporarily relieves suffering. Of course, our spiritual practice must be based on merit - spiritual practice without merit is impossible. But if there is no Right View, merit is accumulated only to gain temporary happiness: it is not transformed into spiritual and energetic growth. When the merit and the karma to spend that merit runs out, there is a fall.
Spiritual practitioners of the level of ordinary devas can be characterized as follows. They enjoy life, but apply some practices to get more pleasure. In this sense, they are like those who eat well regularly but, being still unsatisfied, desire delicacies. When some external pressure or internal obstacle is encountered, they fail to practice to overcome it, hesitate, and end up achieving little or falling down altogether. This is because practice for them is only an addition, a kind of adornment, and nothing more.
By accumulating merit and observing the precepts one can ascend to the World of Gods, but if there is no maturity of soul, it is very difficult to pass through it: one forgets about modesty and sinks into a state of contentment. | 183 |
| 6 |  Ajna Chakra, World of Devas
Ajna-chakra corresponds to the World of Devas (Gods) in the World of Passion and the Higher Causal World in the Grand Universe. This combination gives us an interesting picture.
What is the World of Devas, or Heaven? It is a work of consciousness based on the desire for maximum and lasting satisfaction. That is what the devas are. This work of consciousness of the devas is based on self-preservation, so the World of Devas is a very cold (mentally) world.
However, the gods do not have the gross worldly desires characteristic of the five worlds of the World of Passion below the Heavens. The devas do not have hatred like the Narakas (beings of Hell). There is no animal ignorance. There is no greed for material things, so the devas do not need food, for example, and they are not obsessed with vows and precepts to satisfy their passions like the lower spirits. The devas do not have the blind attachments and resulting pride that characterize humans. There is no entrapment in their high position and envy like the asuras. So what kind of satisfaction are we talking about? The devas are attached to their elevated and peaceful state of consciousness, which brings them satisfaction and joy. What forms any state of consciousness? It is data. If we speak specifically about the gods dwelling in the Heavens of the World of Passion, their happy state of consciousness is formed by merit, or good karma, data accumulated in past lives. | 120 |
| 7 | Vishuddha-chakra, World of Asuras
Blockage in Vishuddha-chakra can also manifest as pride, but there are several significant differences from Anahata-chakra.
Let us imagine a human being. Unlike people of Anahata level, he has reached a high level in some spheres. It can be, for example, a spiritual practitioner who has awakened Kundalini and demonstrates supernatural powers. Or it could be a martial artist who has received a black belt. Or an athlete who won the world championship. Or a scientist who has made a discovery. Or a writer who wrote a bestseller. Three facts are important here. The first is that the person has really achieved something, not «blowing dust in the eyes». Second - his achievement is seen and recognized by others. Third, he clearly sees his level and the levels of people around him.
Further, this person, let's call him J, may have pride: «I have already achieved everything, I have nothing else to strive for. I am great». Such a work of consciousness will create enormous obstacles to his further improvement. Or J in general can start moving in the opposite direction, i.e. degrade - for example, he will slip down to the usual narcissism and vanity of Anahata-chakra. Of course, it should be noted here that not only asuras have such pride, but also the devas of the World of Passion and even the devas of the Brahma Heavens, because the first of the bonds that bind to the Higher Worlds is Pride, which corresponds to the Brahma Heavens.
On the other hand, if J has a maturity of soul, such pride may not arise in him. However, the trouble of Vishuddha-chakra is not even in pride, but in the following. Suppose a person V appears next to J. J can see the level of V perfectly well. For example, V can «step on the heels» of J, or be equal to him, or even superior. At the same time, J has a very unpleasant feeling, «Why are these people looking at V! Why are they socializing with him and not with me!!!». In other words, J has a competitive spirit of envy, jealousy, ill-will, and anger toward V, as well as grasping for his high position in the social or spiritual world and a lust for power. This is the workings of consciousness that arise when the Vishuddha-chakra is clogged and forms the World of the Asuras. Of course, for the sake of fairness, it should be noted that the World of Asuras is rather high and it is based not only on jealousy and envy but also on merit, intelligence, clear thinking, and professionalism.
Vishuddha chakra is also related to hearing. So if a person is gripped by sounds (music), it indicates a blockage in this chakra. Sounds are the Astral World. If we speak of sounds existing in our material world, their vibrations can only correspond to one of the six worlds of the Lower Astral World, which is a reflection of the six worlds of the World of Passion. If a person likes heavy music and songs that talk about violence and pain, then this indicates the Worlds of Hell and Hungry Spirits. Vibrations of pop music that dull the consciousness correspond to the World of Animals. Songs about friendship, human relationships, emotions, romances about love, etc. correspond to the World of Animals. - to the World of People. Marches and similar music correspond to the World of Asuras. Classical music - to the World of Heaven, and partly - to the Upper Astral World, such as, for example, the best works of Mozart.
In addition, sound, or vibrations, also have to do with our speech. In other words, the Vishuddha Chakra is our speech center. Therefore, lying, idle talk, backbiting (profanity), slander, and flattery block the flow of energy in the Vishuddha chakra. Of course, if a person, for example, speaks evil against someone, experiencing the strongest hatred, then this indicates the Muladhara chakra. In other words, in this case, the blockage in both Muladhara and Vishuddha is triggered and increases. | 139 |
| 8 |  No text... | 124 |
| 9 | Vishuddha-chakra, World of Asuras
Blockage in Vishuddha-chakra can also manifest as pride, but there are several significant differences from Anahata-chakra.
Let us imagine a human being. Unlike people of Anahata level, he has reached a high level in some spheres. It can be, for example, a spiritual practitioner who has awakened Kundalini and demonstrates supernatural powers. Or it could be a martial artist who has received a black belt. Or an athlete who won the world championship. Or a scientist who has made a discovery. Or a writer who wrote a bestseller. Three facts are important here. The first is that the person has really achieved something, not «blowing dust in the eyes». Second - his achievement is seen and recognized by others. Third, he clearly sees his level and the levels of people around him.
Further, this person, let's call him J, may have pride: «I have already achieved everything, I have nothing else to strive for. I am great». Such a work of consciousness will create enormous obstacles to his further improvement. Or J in general can start moving in the opposite direction, i.e. degrade - for example, he will slip down to the usual narcissism and vanity of Anahata-chakra. Of course, it should be noted here that not only asuras have such pride, but also the devas of the World of Passion and even the devas of the Brahma Heavens, because the first of the bonds that bind to the Higher Worlds is Pride, which corresponds to the Brahma Heavens.
On the other hand, if J has a maturity of soul, such pride may not arise in him. However, the trouble of Vishuddha-chakra is not even in pride, but in the following. Suppose a person V appears next to J. J can see the level of V perfectly well. For example, V can «step on the heels» of J, or be equal to him, or even superior. At the same time, J has a very unpleasant feeling, «Why are these people looking at V! Why are they socializing with him and not with me!!!». In other words, J has a competitive spirit of envy, jealousy, ill-will, and anger toward V, as well as grasping for his high position in the social or spiritual world and a lust for power. This is the workings of consciousness that arise when the Vishuddha-chakra is clogged and forms the World of the Asuras. Of course, for the sake of fairness, it should be noted that the World of Asuras is rather high and it is based not only on jealousy and envy but also on merit, intelligence, clear thinking, and professionalism.
Vishuddha chakra is also related to hearing. So if a person is gripped by sounds (music), it indicates a blockage in this chakra. Sounds are the Astral World. If we speak of sounds existing in our material world, their vibrations can only correspond to one of the six worlds of the Lower Astral World, which is a reflection of the six worlds of the World of Passion. If a person likes heavy music and songs that talk about violence and pain, then this indicates the Worlds of Hell and Hungry Spirits. Vibrations of pop music that dull the consciousness correspond to the World of Animals. Songs about friendship, human relationships, emotions, romances about love, etc. correspond to the World of Animals. - to the World of People. Marches and similar music correspond to the World of Asuras. Classical music - to the World of Heaven, and partly - to the Upper Astral World, such as, for example, the best works of Mozart.
In addition, sound, or vibrations, also have to do with our speech. In other words, the Vishuddha Chakra is our speech center. Therefore, lying, idle talk, backbiting (profanity), slander, and flattery block the flow of energy in the Vishuddha chakra. Of course, if a person, for example, speaks evil against someone, experiencing the strongest hatred, then this indicates the Muladhara chakra. In other words, in this case, the blockage in both Muladhara and Vishuddha is triggered and increases. | 1 |
| 10 | Anahata Chakra, World of People
The Anahata Chakra is our emotion, primarily related to love attachment, pride, and self-deprecation. I have already discussed love attachment and the desire to love and be loved, which create a World of People, so I will not repeat myself here. But pride, corresponding to the Anahata Chakra, has not been discussed before.
What is the pride of Anahata-chakra? It is looking down on others from above, high conceit, desire to look better than others, narcissism, vanity, and boasting. Several examples can be given here. For example, women brag to each other about their husbands or lovers - how strong they are, how rich they are, how caring they are, etc. Men brag about how attractive and sexy their wives or mistresses are, or who has had how many women. Children brag about how rich and famous their parents are. Parents are proud and brag about their children. People are proud of their noble background, their acquaintance with influential people, the size of their house, the value of their car or clothes, by default comparing and placing themselves above others.
Anahata pride is inextricably linked to attachment. Attachment prevents a person from seeing other people or objects as they are. Because of this, having an attachment, for example, to one's relatives, friends, or simply to people for whom one has sympathy, one exalts their insignificant merits (if they exist at all) to the heavens: «My wife is the most beautiful, my children are the most intelligent, the soccer club I support is the best», etc. Similarly, having an attachment to expensive (literally and figuratively) things, a person overestimates or even invents their positive qualities: «My house is the coziest and beautiful, my car is the fastest, my clothes are the most fashionable, my job is the most prestigious», etc. In other words, because of attachment, there is ignorance, or inability to see and realize the object correctly, resulting in a person taking pride in something that does not exist.
People seized by the pride of Anahata are afraid to make a mistake, to do something that will be negatively perceived by others, afraid to disgrace themselves. Such people, if they or their relatives get into some unpleasant story, start to get nervous: «What will it be! What will people around us think of us?!». Or, if others hurt their pride, those who have a blockage in Anahata take great offense, become angry and hurt in return, or begin to lie, defending their egoism and pride. Often in such cases, there are heart attacks or heart attacks, which indicate the blockage of energy in the heart chakra, which is Anahata.
If the pride of such a person is completely destroyed, self-humiliation arises, which is the reverse side of this pride. Of course, it also happens that a person with blocked consciousness in the Anahata chakra is initially dominated by self-deprecation: «I am nothing, I have achieved nothing in life. There is no happiness in life. No one loves me», etc. As I have said many times before, a spiritual practitioner should be neither proud nor humiliated.
The Anahata chakra is also associated with tactile sensations, so if one is grasped by pleasurable bodily sensations, it indicates a blockage in the Anahata chakra («Dharma - The way things are. Real Experience and Realizations of the Spiritual Practitioner», Volume III, Chapter 3). | 200 |
| 11 |  Manipura Chakra, the World of Hungry Spirits
If energy and consciousness are blocked in the Manipura chakra, there is greed for material things and, above all, for food because Manipura is the «fire of digestion». In this case, a person is not likely to have a strong attachment to taste - he will have greed for food, desire, or even passion to eat as much as possible.
Blockage in Manipura-chakra also creates a kind of greed for knowledge. I'll be sure to give you an example of my own. While working on one of the chapters of this book, I turned to scientific literature. Having lost my awareness, I started reading various sources online, collecting, comparing, drawing parallels, and so on. The information overflowed my mind, but I still felt that it was still not enough. Eventually, I began to have a severe stomach upset. It was caused precisely by my greed for information and knowledge because during these days I had not eaten anything that could cause such stomach problems. In other words, my mind's work created a blockage in my Manipura chakra, which caused an upset stomach. After I performed a gastric cleansing with warm salt water (Gaja-Karani, one of the Shatkarma techniques) and raised the energy with Tribandha-mudra, all the stomach problems disappeared and my greed and preoccupation with scientific knowledge also disappeared.
So, the Manipura chakra indicates greed. If our greed is material, for example, it is greed for money or food, it forms the state of the Hungry Spirit World, which is in the material World of Phenomena. If we experience «subtle» greed, for example, we accumulate scientific knowledge or, on the contrary, we conduct magical rituals and visualizations, relying on occult knowledge, to gain material happiness, then this work of consciousness connects us with the World of Lower Spirits in the Lower Astral World. | 210 |
| 12 |  Svadhisthana chakra, World of Animals
This chakra is primarily associated with sexual desire. Svadhisthana chakra is the source of sexual energy and where it is stored. The area around this chakra, or lower Dantian, transforms sexual energy Jing into Kundalini, or Jing-Qi. Thus, sexual desires in any form point to the Svadhisthana chakra and the World of Animals. Of course, if sex is a manifestation of purely loving affection, which also dominates over sexual desire, then this would be a connection to the World of People.
As I detailed in Chapter Two of Volume One, the workings of consciousness corresponding to the Svadhisthana-chakra are the ignorance that forms the World of Animals. This category includes, in addition to sexual desires, the search for primitive momentary pleasures, entertainment, and the like. When Svadhisthana chakra is blocked, there is also drowsiness and desire for long comfortable sleep, laziness, unclear thinking, stupidity, forgetfulness, and in addition to this - desire for delicious food, as this chakra is associated with the sense of taste. Regarding the general plan, Svadhisthana chakra connects us with the Worlds of Animals and People. So if a person likes a sharp, rich taste, it points to the World of Animals, if light and subtle - to the World of People («Dharma - What everything is. Real Experience and Realizations of a Spiritual Practitioner», Volume III, Chapter 3). | 211 |
| 13 |  Muladhara chakra, the World of Hell
Blockage of energy in Muladhara-chakra manifests as irritation, dislike, anger, and the like. The key work of the mind in this case is hatred. There are different types of hatred.
First, anger and rage form the Hot Hell. A person who goes into uncontrolled rage and unleashes anger on others tends to raise his or her body temperature and blood pressure.
Secondly, a person may feel hatred for others, cause them suffering, and enjoy doing so. Such a person does not usually fall into uncontrolled anger; on the contrary, he or she is very cold-blooded when tormenting others. This work of the mind forms the Cold Hell.
Thirdly, there is another kind of hatred. It is connected with ignorance. In the second chapter of the first volume, I told an amusing story about a gecko in the section on the Animal World. Geckos are not dangerous to humans. For example, I have picked them up several times, and they have fallen on me directly from the ceiling a couple of times. However, sometimes I have observed the following picture. People, having come to a tropical country and having seen geckos, began to be afraid of these creatures, thinking that they, for example, are poisonous and their bites are dangerous, etc. As a result, people killed geckos. Such actions are a manifestation of hatred mixed with ignorance. This same work of consciousness can be explained by the killing of animals for trade or food, as I described in the first chapter of this volume. Such a work of consciousness forms the Hell of Pain. In this case, a person does not feel special hatred and does not fall into uncontrolled anger, but he still kills other living beings.
Any kind of hatred arises because of the distinction between oneself and others, which, in turn, is the result of false identification with the Five Skandhas and, above all, with the physical body. | 180 |
| 14 | Three things are necessary for meditation
First, data substitution. If you dive into glossy water, nothing good is going to happen. You will not see anything there. It is useless, it is meaningless. If a person suffers in this world, his astral and causal data contain suffering. And if you immerse yourself in these astral and causal data, there will be suffering, there will be mental disorders. This is not a spiritual practice. First, we change the data, study the teachings, acquire the right view and thinking, observe the precepts, accumulate virtues and merit, wash away past bad karma by patience and indifference, do not react, and do not waste merit. Changing the data. The first aspect.
The second is the stopping of consciousness. Concentration - mindfulness, concentration - stopping surface consciousness. The water should be calm. You shouldn't be battered, you shouldn't be covered by waves. Plus you should not be captured by what you see in the water column. And for this, you have to stop the consciousness.
And the third one is energy. Energy rises - it is our mover. First the kundalini of heat, then the kundalini of wind. These are the stages of joy, pleasure, quietness, ease, which are mentioned in the second part of the Law of Conditioned Emergence.
These are the three components. In daily life, mindfulness is very important. It doesn't appear out of the blue, but it is practiced. It can be practiced, and trained. That is, we make efforts, and we endure difficulties and sufferings that arise. Despite difficulties and suffering, we continue to make efforts, and we endure. Willpower arises, and consciousness becomes stable. Awareness arises. That is, we can be present in the present. We can be unconcerned with the present, and yet we can be unconcerned with the extraneous thoughts that come in. Yes, they will be fewer, they will be cleaner, but they will be there. But we learn not to get caught up. These are the three components of mindfulness.
Remember that mindfulness and concentration, on the one hand, and being grasped by something are completely opposite things, mutually exclusive. That's the thing to remember. And then through this awareness, we begin to see the illusory nature of this world. Everything we experience is the illusion of karma. But there is no point in talking about it. It has to be experienced. And you can experience it when your consciousness is calm, when you have awareness when you can observe.
And if you experience this experience of illusory karma many, many times, then the first enlightenment comes by itself. And the first enlightenment is an accomplished fact. It's not achieving something at the expense of something. It's just that consciousness is still and nothing influences it. But you understand everything, you see everything as it is. Mental illness is the inability to see things. So the state of enlightenment is not a state of total nullification. It's not a state of either no thought or no head. It is a state when you see everything, but your consciousness is motionless. And you are perfectly aware that your consciousness is motionless. And at the same time a state of happiness and joy, inner unconditioned. | 551 |
| 15 |  «In the Astral World or World of Forms, we have the subtle senses; the subconscious mind; information stored in the form of images and the ability to create any images from existing information; and all sorts of desires/ no desires formed by our past experiences. Mistakenly thinking of the subtle senses, images, and will as our essence, we are attached to the World of Forms» («Dharma - The Way Things Are. Real Experience and Realizations of the Spiritual Practitioner», Volume I, Chapter 1). | 192 |
| 16 |  «First we analyze our body, observe and investigate, and as a result, we understand that our body is an accumulation of constantly changing elements. Understanding their nature, we know that the physical body is suffering, dukkha. Then we need to weigh thoughts, we need to observe the soul, the workings of the mind. Immersed in observing ourselves, we eventually conclude that no thought or aspect of the soul can escape change, and there is not a single unchanging element in the soul. Through this direct understanding, we turn our attention to the unchanging Atman.
We make proper observations of the mind and body. Ignorance, that is, the habitual way of thinking, is eliminated and we gain wisdom. Then we begin to see the opposite side of the world. This is Nirvana. We attain the full vision of Nirvana. We enjoy the blessing of Nirvana already in our lifetime. Then we merge with Nirvana»
(Excerpt from an essay by Venerable Ananda Maitreya) | 382 |
| 17 | «First we analyze our body, observe and investigate, and as a result, we understand that our body is an accumulation of constantly changing elements. Understanding their nature, we know that the physical body is suffering, dukkha. Then we need to weigh thoughts, we need to observe the soul, the workings of the mind. Immersed in observing ourselves, we eventually conclude that no thought or aspect of the soul can escape change, and there is not a single unchanging element in the soul. Through this direct understanding, we turn our attention to the unchanging Atman.
We make proper observations of the mind and body. Ignorance, that is, the habitual way of thinking, is eliminated and we gain wisdom. Then we begin to see the opposite side of the world. This is Nirvana. We attain the full vision of Nirvana. We enjoy the blessing of Nirvana already in our lifetime. Then we merge with Nirvana»
(Excerpt from an essay by Venerable Ananda Maitreya) | 1 |
| 18 |  If we try to explain Enlightenment logically, we will always get entangled in a web of contradictions. No amount of verbal explanations can help us see our own nature. The more you explain it, the further it evades you.
D.T. Suzuki | 293 |
| 19 | «The Three Levels of Bardo
The intermediate state consists of three successive stages or levels. The maximum time a deceased person can stay in the Bardo is 49 days.
The first level is called Chikhai Bardo, the «Bardo of the moment of death». This Bardo lasts 3-3.5 days, starting from the moment of death of the physical body. Chikhai Bardo includes the moment of death, energetic processes in the human body, leaving the physical body, and immersion in the Clear Light of the Higher Formless World (the Higher Causal World). In Chikhai Bardo we can achieve Liberation or be reborn in the Higher Formless World.
Chikhai Bardo is the energetic process of attaining Liberation as described in the second part of the Law of Conditioned Emergence. It is this Law that Venerable Sariputa preached to the householder Anathapindika before his death.
The second level is called Chönyid Bardo, the «Bardo of Experiencing Reality». It lasts for the next 14 days. During this Bardo, the deceased descends from the Higher Formless World to the Higher World of Forms (Higher Astral World). This happens if in Chikhai Bardo it was impossible to achieve Liberation or be reborn in the Higher Formless World. If Liberation is not attained, the soul enters the process of falling as described in the 12 Stages of Conditioned Emergence.
Nevertheless, in the Chönyid Bardo, there is still a chance to enter Nirvana. However, the most realistic aspect of this Bardo is the chance to attain a new birth in the Higher World of Forms.
The third level is called Sidpa Bardo, the Bardo of Rebirth. It lasts for the rest of the time until birth in the new world. During this Bardo, the deceased falls from the Higher World of Forms to the Lower World of Forms (Lower Astral World). This happens if in Chönyid Bardo it was impossible to achieve Liberation or be reborn in the Higher World of Forms. From Sidpa Bardo it is possible to get a new birth only in one of the six worlds of the World of Passion. If the deceased has not practiced spiritually and reached a certain level during their life in the World of People, they fall into Sidpa Bardo» («Dharma - The Way Things Are. The Real Experience and Realizations of the Spiritual Practitioner», Volume I, Chapter 4). | 272 |
| 20 |  From conversations with the author
Initially suffering arises due to impurities in the nadis and also due to the dirty Prana flowing through these nadis. So, to destroy suffering, one must immerse oneself in raising and regularizing the energy. Then suffering will definitely be eradicated. Suppose you observe the precepts, accumulate merit, study the Teachings, and engage in technical practice. In that case, you will be able to attain the bliss of Nectar and the bliss of Tummo, and the bliss that arises when pure Prana fills your nadis. And if the spiritual level really rises, the unfavorable situation will resolve itself as if by magic. | 224 |
