Monthly Archives: October 2014

A View on Enlightenment

October 30, 2014 – 5:28 PM

Reference:  The Human-Centric Fixation

This is an interesting lecture that tries to establish what happens in the mind during the process of enlightenment. However, in my view, there is a lot more that we do not understand.

Listen to the segment especially from 43:05 to 45:40. It is fascinating!

The key point that neuroscientist and author Todd Murphy makes is that

The sense of self comes from the activation of the same area of the brain as hallucination.

Professor Murphy draws the conclusion that the sense of Self is a hallucination. “It is not something intrinsic to your being. It is something created… The self is a hallucination. It is a constant, functional ongoing illusion… it’s function is to unite everything that happens to us internally and externally into a single core that the rest of our system can identify with…”

Buddha acknowledged the presence of self, but he declared that self is always changing and that there is nothing at the core of self that is permanent.

Professor Murphy goes on to say that

You as an individual cannot reincarnate.

“If you take birth into  another body and build up a new body-mind complex you will create the neuro-substrates for this process once again and go on existing without having to have it to be carried from one life to the next.”

But we do wonder about the innate genius that some people display. Mozart is a great example. There also seems to be memories that do not seem to belong to this life, and the full recall and purging of which does bring relief to many afflictions.

According to Buddhist thought, “When this physical body is no more capable of functioning, energies do not die with it, but continue to take some other shape or form, which we call another life… Physical and mental energies which constitute the so-called being have within themselves the power to take a new form, and grow gradually and gather force to the full.” ~ What the Buddha Taught (1959) by Walpola Rahula.

So, there is no permanent soul, but there are physical and mental energies that continue beyond the death of the body and the soul.

This is pretty much the view taken on this blog. The question then becomes, “What is the nature of physical and mental energies that take up the form of the body and the soul respectively?”

On this point the research on this blog starts with: Universe and Awareness.

On enlightenment, it seems that the person breaks through the confinement of a narrow self and starts to view the reality from the viewpoint of reality itself.

Maybe the flows in the brain become more balanced as a result.

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By vinaire | Posted in Education | Comments (10)

Patanjali Sutras Chapter 1 (Old)

October 29, 2014 – 9:23 AM

Please see Patanjali Yoga Sutras

This is a very brief summary of Patanjali Yoga Sutras from the chapter on Samadhi Pada.

What is Yoga? (1.1-1.4)

A person normally identifies himself with his turbulent thought patterns. When Yoga is practiced it helps  integrate thoughts and settle that turbulence. The person then realizes his true nature and becomes established in it.

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Types of thought patterns (1.5-1.11)

There are five types of thought patterns: demonstrably correct, misconceived, conjectured, vacant, and remembered.  A thought pattern is demonstrably correct when it is directly perceived, well-reasoned and consistent. It  is misconceived when it is perceived differently from what it really is. It is conjectured when nothing about it corresponds to reality. It is vacant when there is nothing associated with it. It is remembered when an impression exists of what was perceived.

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Practice and non-attachment (1.12-1.16)

The turbulence of thought patterns is settled through practice and non-attachment. Practice consists of doing those actions that bring a stable and tranquil state.  As one perseveres with this practice without break, one becomes firmly grounded in it. The mind becomes free of attachment to ideas and objects, and gains objectivity toward anything perceived.

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Types of absorbed attention (1.17-1.18)

There is a kind of absorbed attention that involves reasoning and discrimination and it is accompanied by a feeling of bliss and a sense of individuality. The other kind has no object of absorbed attention; it is characterized by absence of turbulence of thought patterns, where only latent impressions remain.

NOTE: The latter kind of absorbed attention is achieved after many passes through the former kind with respect to all objects.

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Efforts and commitment (1.19-1.22)

Some attain absorbed attention of contemplation and objectivity naturally and easily. Others need conviction, inner strength, retentive power, an all-consuming focus, and clear understanding. Success comes from the intensity of one’s approach.

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Contemplation on AUM or OM (1.23-1.29)

One gets absorbed quickly when one simply surrenders to the natural process of creativity. The natural creative process is immune to the afflictions of distortions, reactions, outcomes and impressions. It is the source of all knowingness. It is the teacher of all teachers. It is manifested in the word AUM, which when repeated with deep longing brings one to self-realization and removal of obstacles.

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Obstacles and solutions (1.30-1.32)

The obstacles are illness, sloth, indecision, carelessness, laziness, clinging to sense enjoyments, delusional thinking, and failure to attain and retain absorbed attention. The symptoms that accompany these obstacles are pain, despair, physical restlessness and irregular breathing. The remedy is the practice of focusing the mind on a single principle or object.

NOTE: One should focus on discovering the deepest and broadest principle and aligning everything that follows to it.

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(1:33 – 1:39)

The mind becomes clarified by cultivating friendliness towards happiness, compassion towards misery, gladness towards virtue,

and indifference towards vice; or by the expiration and retention of breath; or by generating extraordinary sense-perceptions;

or by meditating on the Effulgent Light beyond all sorrow; or by focusing the mind on those who have given up all attachment to sense-objects;

or by developing proper perspective for dreams and sleep; or by meditating on anything that appeals to one.

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(1:40 – 1:45)

So the yogi brings the understanding of all physical (gross) and mental (fine) objects to an overall state of consistency.

With the reduction of modifications the yogi becomes in reality the observer, means of observation, and objects all together.  

In the questioning stage of Samadhi, objects, their perception and essential knowledge is mixed together. When consistency is obtained all subjectivity is reduced to complete objectivity of Samadhi without question.

Similarly, other samadhis may be explained that address finer objects ranging all the way to formless, elemental nature (Prakriti).

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(1:46 – 1:51)

These stages of samadhi are with seed.

At the conclusion of the final stages there is illumination and events are seen as they are actually unfolding.

This knowledge is different from the knowledge acquired through testimony and inference because it is direct and specific.

Impressions born of it prevent further impressions. The resolution of even these final impressions then leads to the seedless samadhi.

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By vinaire | Posted in Mindfulness | Comments (11)

Kundalini and the Chakras

October 24, 2014 – 2:59 PM
Chakras

Growing up as a Hindu, I was able to absorb the philosophy of Hinduism, but the “spiritual technology” in Hinduism was always mystifying to me.  Frequent attempts to understand this technology always ended up in frustration. Key part of this technology was the concept of “kundalini” and how it rose up the human spine activating the various “chakras”. Here is my latest attempt to understand these concepts.

From Wikipedia, “Kundalini stems from yogic philosophy as a form of shakti or ‘corporeal energy’. Kundalini is described within Eastern religious, or spiritual tradition as an indwelling spiritual energy that can be awakened in order to purify the subtle system and ultimately to bestow the state of Yoga, or divine union upon the seeker of truth.”

Kundalini is described as a sleeping serpent lying “coiled” at the base of the spine, waiting to be awakened. Normally we go through life as actors on some stage without knowing who is pulling our strings. Once in a while we get jarred into thinking, “Why does life seem so empty? What are we doing here? What is life all about?”

We may call this moment, the awakening of Kundalini. We start to feel that there must be something more to this life. Such an awakening may start us on a journey to understand life. Thus, here is my understanding of Kundalini,

Kundalini is the jarring awareness that there must be something more to life, which then starts one on a journey of discovery.

When awakened, Kundalini is said to rise up the spine through various chakras. The progress of Kundalini through the different chakras leads to different levels of awakening and mystical experience, until Kundalini finally reaches the top of the head. There it produces an extremely profound mystical experience.

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The chakras are like “whirlpools of energy,” or knots, in the energy channels of the subtle body through which the life force moves. The chakras seem to describe the major inconsistencies about life that needs to be resolved. Their resolution seems to form a bridge from ignorance to spiritual knowledge. The journey through chakras involves resolution of inconsistencies.

For resolution to occur one looks closely at inconsistencies at each chakra in as broad a context as possible.

There are seven major chakras, which are arranged vertically along the spine. More details may be obtained from Wikipedia. Below is a description of the seven chakras, followed by comments.

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  1. Muladhara Chakra:
    Root Chakra… considered the foundation of the “energy body”… Kundalini awakening begins here… where the individual consciousness is sleeping or dormant… after you have done certain practices, this becomes so stimulated or agitated that the agitation continues up to Manipura chakra.

This chakra seems to represent the engrossing of attention on basic physical survival. Here the person is living as a body. Agitation of awakening takes place when the person starts to wonder about the futility of it all.

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  1. Swadhisthana Chakra:
    “One’s own base”… It is closely related to the Muladhara in that Swadhishthana is where the different samskaras (potential karmas), lie dormant, and Muladhara is where these samskaras find expression… It contains unconscious desires, especially sexual desire.

The fixation of attention on body seems to boil down to the activities of eating and reproducing. If there is attention on health then one must review and fully resolve this chakra. The resolution requires closely looking at the inconsistencies associated with the obsessive impulses of the body.

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  1. Manipura Chakra:
    Located at the navel… “jewel city”… this chakra is involved in self-esteem, warrior energy, and the power of transformation; it also governs digestion and metabolism. A healthy spirited third chakra helps overcome inertia and jump-starts a “get-up-and-go” attitude so it is easier to take risks, assert one’s will, and assume responsibility for one’s life. This chakra is also the location of deep belly laughter, warmth, ease, and the vitality received from performing selfless service.

Here the person’s attention is begun to free up from the fixation on body impulses. The next level of inconsistencies now shows up as fixation on self or individuality. The resolution requires closely looking at the inconsistencies associated with the ideas of self or individuality.

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  1. Anahata Chakra:
    Located near the heart… “Unhurt, unstruck and unbeaten”… associated with a calm, serene sound devoid of violence… In Anahata one makes decisions (“follows one’s heart”) based on one’s higher self, not the unfulfilled emotions and desires of lower nature (based on karma)… It is also associated with love and compassion, charity to others and psychic healing.

At this level, the attention has been freed up from the individuality of body and self. The person is now operating with much less egoism. However, there is still attachment to relationships in life. The inconsistencies at this level have to do with relationships.

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  1. Vishuddha Chakra:
    Located near the throat… “especially pure”… associated with higher discrimination, creativity and self-expression… negative experiences… feelings of guilt… are transformed into wisdom and learning…

At this level one focuses on freeing oneself from feelings of guilt. One has been unable to face certain areas of life, and has been withdrawing obsessively from various activities. Such inconsistencies are closely inspected and resolved.

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  1. Ajna Chakra:
    Located between the eyes… “command”… eye of intuition and intellect… end of duality… trusting inner guidance… inner aspect relates to the access of intuition… deals with visual consciousness and clarity on an intuitive level… allows mind communication to occur between two people.

At this chakra one seems to be dealing with inconsistencies of understanding at the conceptual level. One looks closely at the concepts to do with spirit and matter until all inconsistencies are resolved. One inspects and cleans up residual inconsistencies from earlier chakras.

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  1. Sahasrara Chakra:
    Located at the crown… “thousand-petaled”… symbolizes detachment from illusion; an essential element in obtaining higher consciousness of the truth that one is all and all is one… the state of pure consciousness, within which there is neither object nor subject… a state of liberating samadhi… it involves such issues as inner wisdom and the death of the body… deals with the release of karma, physical action with meditation, mental action with universal consciousness and unity, and emotional action with “beingness.”

This is the state achieved when no more inconsistencies remain and the attention is totally free to roam about. At this level one becomes the very reality looking at itself.

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By vinaire | Posted in Mindfulness | Comments (5)

Diwali 2014 at the White House

October 23, 2014 – 1:48 PM


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It is great to see the broadening of awareness in USA to include Eastern religions. India is becoming important to United States as United States has been important to India since India’s independence in 1947.
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By vinaire | Posted in Religion | Comments (0)

We are the World

October 21, 2014 – 8:35 AM

By vinaire | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)