Seeing

Post by Copthorne Macdonald

The perennial philosophy “nondual” spiritual traditions (this kind of as Nisargadatta’s Vedanta, and Tibetan Buddhism’s Dzogchen) hold that existence includes a monistic, enduring, unchanging, absolute fact and a dualistic, ephemeral, consistently-transforming relative actuality. Via the practices that I illustrate in my book Toward Wisdom, I as well have come to see that this is the way it is. Describing the predicament in phrases has usually been tricky, but I discovered that certain “data age” ideas clarify the circumstance.

The way I set it in a Zygon paper and in Part one of my 2004 guide Matters of Consequence, the absolute reality, the foundation of all that is, is a oneness that has both a bodily aspect we get in touch with energy, and a psychological factor we get in touch with awareness. Vitality and consciousness are carrier-like in nature. That is, they can be formed, or formed, or modulated by info with no their individual nature being in any way changed. Despite the fact that informational modulation does not result in the intrinsic nature of vitality-awareness to transform, it does cause a relative truth to come up. This relative actuality is a transient, insubstantial informational reality. Physical fact is a relative entire world of information supported by the absolute-fact-carrier we contact power. Mental truth is a relative planet of information, supported by the absolute-reality-carrier we call awareness.

The evolutionary process, with its pass/fall short criteria of survival and reproduction, created the human brain and its associated mentality with survival and reproduction as main concerns. The cognitive program that evolution created assists us to realize relative actuality because it is in this arena that the drama of survival and reproduction is played out. Human mentality was not developed to permit us to comprehend absolute truth with ease because there was no survival or reproduction payoff in that. Now, in kinder, gentler conditions, we want to understand the deeper real truth — absolute truth — and we discover that quite challenging. And why shouldn’t it be difficult? We’re making an attempt to use the human cognizing method for a various objective. It was developed to give us a manage on relative, informational real truth, the real truth about the cosmic message not absolute reality, carrier-associated reality, the truth about the cosmic medium.

Spiritual practices are tools that give us some wish of seeing by means of the relative to the absolute. Vipassana meditation is a apply that provides us a much better manage on the nature of relative truth. We watch, with as considerably detachment as we can muster, the informational display that the brain generates. Even with our very best efforts, nonetheless, we frequently get misplaced in that demonstrate — we eliminate that perception of detachment from it. Enduring each detachment and lost-in-the-showness, we eventually occur to realize that this misplaced-in-the-show state is wherever we devote most of our lives. The typical human situation is to be discovered with informational patterns, with the relative fact that the brain produces. In Vipassana we are nonetheless paying out consideration to the relative, but since we are much more detached from it than prior to, steadily, bit by bit, perception by insight, we start to see the nature of relative truth. We get started to see the impersonal nature of the brain’s churning out of information. There is no “I” that is performing it. It just takes place mechanically, automatically. We also uncover that the informational stuff that arises has no inherent electrical power. With practice we learn that it can be achievable to watch even bodily distress and heavy emotions these kinds of as dread and anger without suffering when we acknowledge that informational reality and refuse to give it electricity by attempting to get rid of it. We see that it is our response to the information that binds us and disturbs us. Enjoyable or unpleasant stuff has no electricity as lengthy as we continue to be detached and simply watch it arise and disappear on its very own. It is when we cling to the present, seeking it to continue or drive away the unpleasant, wanting it to vanish, that we endure and lose our innate equanimity and flexibility. Vipassana presents us many insights that we need to have if we are to realize how trapped we generally are in this relative realm.

Although Vipassana does not introduce us to the absolute, it is designed to aid us see a lot that ought to be witnessed, and in my watch (and that of most Buddhist teachers) it is the area to start off. We initial require to find out to tranquil the brain and search with detachment at the relative fact into which we are heavily immersed and determined. The Tibetan Buddhist apply of Dzogchen and the Advaita Vedanta of Nisargadatta, on the other hand, seek out to introduce us to the absolute. Sure, underlying the relative world of mental details, and making it possible for it to exist, is that enabling one thing we typically call consciousness. It is contentless, nevertheless supportive of all subject material informationless, nevertheless supportive of an infinite range of informational modulation. It is distinct, transparent, not a point. Other terms for it incorporate:* innate wakefulness* normal mindfulness* primordial consciousness* empty, luminous cognizance* everpresent, inherent, utterly spacious openness* inexpressible beingness* isness* one’s personal correct nature* rigpa (Tibetan for this reality)* nondual consciousness* whole existence* open existence* spontaneously present consciousness* the cognizing electrical power of emptiness* one’s own innate wakefulness

In Dzogchen and Nisargadatta’s practice the aim is to grow to be cognizant of this absolute aspect of brain, and in some feeling to become it — to relax into it or recognize with it and to view the relative entire world of information from that vantage stage. Awareness is noninformational, so it does not seem as the typical variety of head content material. Even in meditation, the colours we see and the bliss we come to feel are nonetheless part of the relative entire world of brain-produced data. Permitting us to feeling those colors and come to feel that bliss, nonetheless, is this primordial awareness, this cognizing electricity that belongs to the realm of absolute truth. Our deep correct nature is that primal consciousness alone, and not these points in the informational, relative planet that we take to be our selves. The issue is that mental info, mind content material, is so strong and overpowering, and our identification with it so tenacious, that allowing go of our identification as a imagined-dominated individual and surrendering into our true nature — into our very own innate wakefulness — does not occur effortlessly. The detachment we build in Vipassana readies us for this. Then, (as I see it) at some position it helps make sense to change to 1 of the absolute-fact practices.

In 1 sense, the distinction amongst Dzogchen and Vipassana is really subtle. In the two practices the informational arisings in the head are watched with detachment. The variation is that in Dzogchen and other nondual practices a single is also cognizant of the underlying ground or carrier of that details — that “primordial consciousness,” that “utterly spacious openness,” that “empty, luminous cognizance.” It continues to be, enduring and pure, unaffected by the coming and going of the modulating forces utilized to it. Primal consciousness watches the present of relative actuality. And that pure contentless awareness is the true me. I can pick to take part in the present at any time, but I am not of that show. I am of the realm of absoluteness. That is my genuine house, and my refuge from domination and handle by psychological info.

About the Author

Copthorne Macdonald is a author, independent scholar, and longtime meditator. His posted producing to date consists of eight books (three on the issue of wisdom) and over 130 shorter pieces. Because 1995 he has tended The Wisdom Page — a web site devoted to wisdom assets.