Most religions say that the purpose of human life is to merge with God. Maybe not become God, but at least become really close to God.
Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism obviously differ in many respects. However, they all espouse achieving a closeness to the Almighty that expands the usual conception of what being a person is all about.
The Eastern religion that I belonged to for 35 years, Radha Soami Satsang Beas, had a similar teaching: the creative power of God extends throughout the creation. Through meditation and other spiritual practices, it is possible to first become self-realized as Soul, then god-realized as Spirit, all-pervading conscious energy.
Well, such is possible, because nothing is absolutely certain, including my current atheism — though the weight of evidence, or rather the lack thereof, is certainly on the side of no-God.
The less traveled spiritual path, which is the one I favor now, is accepting that each of us is a minute speck in the incomprehensible vastness of the cosmos, no matter how grandiose a view we may hold of ourselves.
So we're already close to being nothing. Which means that it is just a small step toward becoming Nothing, or at least becoming really close to Nothing — the opposite approach to the religions that urge us to become the Everything that is God.
Non-supernatural Buddhism, notably including Zen, is an appealing form of spirituality to many people, including me, who don't resonate with the godly religions. Today I listened to a guided meditation by Zen Master Henry Shukman on his The Way app, which I've been enjoying for quite a while.
I've shared a transcript of it below. Naturally the actual guided meditation had lengthy pauses between Shukman's words so the listener could meditate in accord with the guidance. I really like this approach to meditation and to life.
Just breath. Arising out of nothing. Returning to nothing. Sure, awareness is needed to be conscious of breath. But as Buddhism teaches, and neuroscience echoes, there is no need for a thinker, just thoughts, or for a breather, just breaths, or for a meditator, just meditating.
It is wonderfully refreshing to turn down the volume of our me'ness, and turn up the volume of the other'ness that surrounds us, and indeed is us when we realize how close we are to being Nothing.
Here's what Shukman had to say in the guided meditation he calls "Just breath."
We're going to be exploring a rather different approach from what we've done so far on The Way. Many teachings like to emphasize awareness as a kind of ground of being. That everything is arising within awareness, let's try to see that awareness.
Fine and good. We've been doing that, of course. But actually there's another way, in addition, which Zen likes to use. Which is what if there's only the object. In other words, there is just no subject. So there's no see'er, there's only the breath. Let's try that. And just see, again, how it goes.
We're not trying to make anything happen. We're not too concerned with any results. We're just exploring.
So coming into our seated posture, note wherever there's any sense of holding in the body, and let it go. It might be the face, the jaw, the shoulders, fingers. Letting yourself settle and relax. And arrive. Once again starting to feel the gentle kind of pumping that's the breath. The soft pumping like a bellows.
Just be aware of it. Like a bellows gently filling and emptying. What if, just for this little space of our sit together, there's nothing but the breath. Just breath. Sensing the movement of the breath, a gentle filling and emptying, and letting everything else fall away. So there's only the breath.
Imagine that the whole world has gone quiet and still. The only thing moving is this breath. Imagine there's nothing but the gentle movement of the breath. Nothing else. All there is, is this breath. Coming and going. Coming and going.
Breath arising out of nothing. Returning to nothing. Just this breath. Just this breath. Arising out of nowhere. Returning to nowhere.
Okay, let's bring ourselves gently out of meditation with some movement of the body, coming back into the space that you're in. So why not touch in with the breath now and then throughout the day, becoming more and more of an intimate friend to us. Have a great rest of your day.
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Breathing techniques doesn’t work in long run.
Rigpa remains unfulfilled
Jnani techniques are very important in any kind of meditation.
Or may be self enquiry
I like this meditation a lot, Brian. For people who think a lot, this is a great step to clean house.
Let go of everything. Uncomplicate everything. Give your mind something simple that isn’t “me” and “mine” to focus on. Breath is very pleasant. It is like the tide, gently moving in and out. It’s a wonderfully simple repetition.
I think one could learn to love the breath in this way.
And that love might be the best way to detach from all this spiderweb of mind and senses.
This is a beautiful and simple approach. It doesn’t matter what will work tomorrow, or what worked or didn’t work in the past. It’s not about working or not working.
It’s just about synergy between reality and our own awareness.
We really are nothing but a single point of attention, at best. Maybe we aren’t even mind. And our attention is so easily distracted. Some folks may find even focusing on breathing a nearly impossible task.
But I believe that when that attention is brought, if not to rest, then at least to contemplate something simple, rhythmic, gentle, that attention begins to withdraw within itself. And that is a very nice place to be.
If we really are nothing, let’s all withdraw into that one point of reality. Why should that bring so much happiness. I think if a coin of zero value brought so much bliss, that makes all this around us valueless. Bravo. That approach has succeeded where all the bullies of the world have failed.
Before meditation
aks one day …”why should I”
Think it over another week
another month
another year
Maÿbe you find the answer and you need not to meditate at all
The cure
the cure is for “the sick
How did you got “sick”so that you need a cure?
Through meditation and other spiritual practices, it is possible to first become self-realized as Soul, then god-realized as Spirit, all-pervading conscious energy.
Time spent here in Brian,s blog, is meditation itself, just connected to outside than inside.
“A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.”
Bob Dylan
Did you know that Gurinder is a big (in stature ) Bob Dylan fan! But I had to tell him who Townes Van Zandt was. He really didn’t know, he’s so commercialized and homogenized in every taste. I have a couple of years worth of quotes from that punk and nobody ever said I had to keep them secret. It took me awhile to realize he was only talking to himself and that’s all he ever does in public too (reminding himself would he needs to do to work on). If I want to be a egomaniac I just quote him. One of them is : ” try hating me and see how far that gets you! ”
I have a years worth of Gurinderji conversations. Not Bob dylan. I’ve talked to Bob but I only have about a day’s worth from him it’s just like he’s not even there when we talk whereas Gurinder is all over the place, he’s so full of himself. It’s pitiful how satmat has become a just regular religion and he’s become Ann Landers and Eloise influencer giving tips of things he knows nothing about. It’s almost just as if to stay on stage for a little while longer. He has no one to go home to except a little altar boy.
The most beautiful part of the story is still unfolding as I was granted three wishes. I wished that he went away and then I wished that he came back and then I wished he went away again. But it’s all about the one. The one. Those people do not know what they’re talking about and no one even asked the right questions. I don’t care, it’s cost me nothing. Not even the One. What a load of s***
You shouldn’t be shocked that Gurinder tried to commit adultery and try to seduce followers sexually. You should be shocked if he ever succeeded. He’s a non-caring feeling hurting sob.
@donald. What’s your RSSB experience?
Frank my rssb experience is after inner communication and outer communication with the guru. I was asked to grow my beard and be the first American official rssb guru born here after Gurinder dies. Of course this took place when he found out he had cancer originally almost 20 years ago. I’m not at liberty to put my experiences here. You can call me. Typical followers are looking to misunderstand every word anybody ever says.
don.ray99@yahoo.com.
A few people on this blog who make comments regularly seem to have a greater understanding than others so I’m not going to put it down for everyone to see but the comments from Um , John, Sonia and Brian all seem to point to the guru presently and possibly future as a spiritual vampire. Right on.
@ Donald
Maybe my words made you think so but ……I NEVER made and oral or written statement about any guru, teacher of whatever branche, neither in public nor in private .
So you would never say anything about BabaDon . That’s why I like you
@ Donald
I can only say something about my personal appreciation for things and that appreciation does not say anything is about the quality of the thing.
There are all sorts of coffee brands that I do not like the taste of their coffee beans but that doesn’t make these brands inferior coffee burners etc
@ Donald
In the days that I was associate with Sant Mat, I met so many people that said to know that they knew what a master was and who what perfect or not ..I never had nor still do not have any idea who or what a master is … what I do know is what i feel about this or that person that comes before me in the public domain …. and … I am not very much interested in what they do otherwise.
If I need a loaf of bread I will go in the bakers shop and buy one. I will return if I like the bread and was treated friendly … what the baker and these people in the shop do otherwise I do not care, maybe the baker was not legally qualified ..who knows.
Yes there are priest that commit crimes and they should face the judge of the country ..but why should that be a reason for me to turn my back upon Christianity?!
Well I hope it’s not master derangement syndrome
Do you know what Charan Singh said or maybe it didn’t register but Charan said he would have rather been a devotee than the master. So he’s saying there is a difference. The difference is negotiable though when a master can act like a punk just like anybody else.
Yeah I wouldn’t be commenting on it had not Gurinderji been talking to me personally. And I felt like I went out of my way to keep him on the path. His mother had just died he had just found out he had cancer and blah blah blah. He wanted to talk about anything except the path. His wife was still alive but that financial crisis hadn’t happened. Whenever his mother died like 2006 or something. The golden years of his reign. I called him these things to his face I’m just repeating them here. I called him the last emperor. I called him Dracula I see other people on this blog do it too but I got to do it to his face and I’m just re-enjoying enjoying the moment. They borrow a lot of my ideas and now they hack a lot at rssb.
Interesting. It’s a residential property but purchased by the trust Maharaj Jagat Singh Medical Relief Society. I am hoping this will be convrted into a medical facility (a hospital).
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/chandigarh/new-high-for-chd-property-rates-sec-9-house-goes-for-126-crore/#google_vignette
https://www.tribuneindia.com/author/tribune-news-service/5 Recent purchase of 126 Crores of palatal bungalow in Chandigarh by your favourite Guru in the name of Medical Releif Society.
Baba’s association with corrupt politician accused of money laundering and drug trafficking
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/dera-beas-chief-gurinder-dhillon-meets-bikram-majithia-in-nabha-jail-101758621920693.html