CONTENTS
What is unique about these teachings?
| All the
enlightenments - not just several These teachings are among the few in the world that can help you attain all the enlightenments of the world's major experiential traditions. To a sufficient depth that you will no longer be a seeker. These include the 'big four' -Buddhism, Hinduism, Christian Mysticism and Sufism - as well as independent realisers and the understanding gained by some near-death experiencers. The reason the traditions sometimes contradict each other is because few schools hold all the enlightenments. Our time is the first in history it's practically possible to receive all the teachings. A teacher of a particular school may have a 'deeper' realisation of one or several of the facets of being than the teacher within this new wisdom school. However the breadth of our teacher's realisation is highly unusual. He is likely one of few in the world who has experienced all the facets of being to a depth sufficient to end all further seeking. |
Direct experience, not just faith or philosophy Realisation is attained through direct, 'empirical' experience. You do not need to rely on faith or belief. Spirituality, religion, philosophy and psychology obtain 'knowledge' in two different ways: 1. Through observation and thinking. This knowledge exists merely as\ thoughts, and is transitory. 2. Through direct experience, using the deepest faculty we have: Awareness-In-Itself. Such knowledge is as clear, simple and certain as seeing your own hand. Once you know it, you cannot unknow or forget it. Most of the realisations of the facets of being are experiential, not conceptual. This is why the great experiential, or 'gnostic' traditions emphasise meditational practices. |
Learn directly from the realiser Rather than waiting for a teacher travelling from overseas to deliver a short series of lectures and retreats, students in this wisdom school currently have direct access to the realiser. |
Ultimate
knowledge, of abiding realities, not temporary fixes What abiding realities can we rely upon? What is true and existent in all times and places? What can benefit us deeply whoever, whenever and wherever we are? There are certain quite specific aspects of Being - meaning the individual, the universe, and both as one indivisible whole - that are always present and available. Experiencing and aligning with them leads to all the benefits associated with enlightenment throughout history. We call them The Facets of Being. |
What are the Facets of Being?
Those aspects of reality that are always present and reliable,
~*~
What is Enlightenment ?
experiencing one or more of the Facets of Being
to the depth of certainty
(as is also described by the great experiential traditions)
*
Being ‘enlightened’ is not a ‘state’ or a ‘status’ but more like
deep familiarity with a place and the ability to go there easily whenever you wish.
(Note: The enlightenments into the abiding nature of reality described here are not the same as
the specific state of final liberation offered by the great experiential traditions, such as Moksha or Nirvana.[*])
What are the daily-life benefits of realisation?
● Even intellectual understanding brings some benefits
● Practices like meditation and mindfulness bring more.
● Transformation of beliefs, attitudes, intentions, actions and environment bring massive changes.
● Realisation and alignment with the various facets take the practitioner to an entirely different level.
Different facets bring different benefits. This list outlines the most notable.
| Confidence,
self-esteem, fearlessness |
|
| Clarity,
flow, acumen |
● greater
flow and engagement
● greater courage ● freedom from disturbing thoughts and emotions ● richer, more sensual experience: even including experiencing the senses free of thought |
| Bliss,
pleasure, health and enjoyment |
● deep
relaxation ● increased flexibility and lightness of the body ● the ability to release and transcend suffering. Experiential knowledge of the principles and techniques of the paths designed to end all suffering forever should you wish to.[*] |
| Love,
compassion, ethics and true help |
● the ability to physically feel profound love, connection, empathy and compassion ● the ability to provide truly useful help to all beings, including (ultimate) knowledge, peace, love, joy, pleasure, healing, protection and empowerment ● an ethical compass which, being rooted in abiding realities, provides unusual certainty and peace |
| Empowerment,
independence & a greater ‘range of action’ |
● the
capacity to remove internal and external obstacles: to dissolve
neuroses, limiting beliefs, conditioning and limitation ● the capacity to understand and go beyond any system of knowledge or belief ● unshakeable independence from all belief systems and opinions. Irreversible immunity from the belief any being (embodied or disembodied) knows more or is more than you ultimately |
|
Knowledge, certainty and freedom |
● Access to a
bedrock of crystal-clear knowledge about what reality truly is
at any moment. The knowledge is utterly perfect, certain and clear, yet totally free of ideology and dogma It has the utmost simplicity, allowing you to relate to even the most complex situation as clear and obvious: the here and now becomes the only thing you really need to deal with ● Certain experiential knowledge (as distinct from belief arising as thoughts) of these profound spiritual truths: ● Profound freedom – of mind and action: since one has certain knowledge and has developed a pure intention in every moment, one is free to act spontaneously, knowing one is just as likely to achieve success as any other person and is unlikely to harm others ● The knowledge and confidence to intelligently evaluate the various paths in the world that offer the goal of a final state, without ever falling into the belief that any path is ultimately necessary or required. |
| Belonging, peace, joy, wonderment and contentment |
●
Confidence that other realms exist, and knowledge about them –
including the ‘heavenly’ realms experienced by people during
near-death experiences (NDEs). ● An incredible journey of the intellect: you will experience ‘crystalline palaces’ and ‘rainbow mandalas’ of knowledge, deeply stimulating, enjoyable and satisfying to the mind ● Joy and wonderment: experiencing the wonderment, beauty and divine adventure of existence ● A deep sense of belonging and intimacy with all existence – you will nestle in the bosom of the 'great mother' ● The deepest peace, satisfaction and contentment possible whilst physically embodied without taking a radical renunciate path such as that required for Nirvana, Moksha or the like |
Explore:
How do I attain the enlightenments?
Six ways of connecting
with the teachings and the teacher
A unique advantage:
The powerful OAM meditation
The teacher of our school can transmit an incredibly powerful formless mediation which he has called Open Awareness Method.
This meditation is the equivalent of the paramount meditation of a number of traditions,
including Dzogchen (The Great Completeness), Mahamudra (The Great Seal), and Shikantaza ('Just Sitting').
The difference is that OAM is simple to learn and do, compared with the well-intentioned but often notoriously difficult instructions of these schools.
Most importantly: it's impossible to do a meditation that more directly realises the deepest nature of being.
OAM is effectively Being meditating on Being.
This teacher-realiser
The
teacher
was a journalist for one of Australia's leading broadsheet
newspapers who set out asking the question:
"What is the deepest,
most useful knowledge a human being can discover?"
During a full-time
retreat period of seven years,
he received teachings
in person from renowned masters, from sacred texts and from fellow
practitioners
of the great experiential traditions,
including Buddhism,
Hinduism, Christian Mysticism, Sufism, independent realisers and
near-death experiencers.
Advice on approaching a realiser:
exploding counter-productive misconceptions about enlightenment
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
- Hamlet
|
1.
You
are not inside the realiser's universe
Nobody can completely know the experiential-cosmos of another (while embodied). Your teacher may look like she's just sitting there with her eyes closed, yet she may be in a vast space of bliss! Shakyamuni Buddha put it well: “it is just within this fathom-long body…that I declare that there is the cosmos, the origination of the cosmos [and] the cessation of the cosmos” |
2.
Your
ideas about what an enlightened person is like may be wrong
People will have different ideas of 'what an enlightened person' should be like. But until you've experienced the enlightenments yourself, how can you be certain? (Nevertheless, there are useful traditional guidelines to choosing a guide - see below) |
3.
Awakened
Beings don't know everything
- they don't have to
Meanwhile, enlightenment does not make any person suddenly know everything or be good at everything in the relative sphere. Just like anyone, they have to choose how much time and energy they will direct towards developing various conditional skills and knowledge. However they are likely to be good at achieving enlightenment and revealing ultimate knowledge! |
4.
Realisation is absolute but it can be endlessly deepened, so too with skills Even here, it should be realised that different realisers will have: - experienced different facets to different levels of depth - different levels of skill and capacity in everything from mindfulness to manifest compassion This is why in Zen they hope that ‘the student will stand on the shoulders of the teacher and reach higher than them’. However if someone has experienced a particular facet, they do have the primary requirement to show you how to experience it. |
5.
The realiser has no obligations to you The realiser needs nothing from you. He or she has already attained a profound sense of security and comfort in the universe, unshakable 'cosmic' self-esteem, ultimate knowledge, the capacity to enter states of bliss, profound independence of thought, and great freedom, among other things. They have no need to 'convert' others' to buttress 'faith' because their realisations derive from direct experience. The nature of reality is such that they have no obligations of any kind[1]. See also the section on teaching spirituality and money. |
|
_______________________________________________________________________
Implications of all this for your relationship: ● It is not-aligned-with-reality to evaluate whether someone is enlightened by comparing them with your own ideas of what that should look like or how good they are at manifesting things in the conditioned sphere that you might value ● The more realistic and productive course is to evaluate whether the 'truths' the 'realiser' is positing seem realistic (and/or) then do the practices to check for yourself ● The realiser has no obligation, personal or 'cosmic', towards you ● It is up to each realiser how willing they are to dilute their hard-earned freedom in order to temporarily conform to a student's existing tendencies and ideas in order to help that student.[2]. _______________________________________________________________________
"If you see your teacher as a dog, he's a dog. If you see him as a buddha, he's a buddha" – Tibetan saying You will encounter an apparently ordinary person. But if you practice and realise yourself, your own experience will become extraordinary. If you harbour a strong resistance to the possibility that a 'mere ordinary person' can attain the enlightenments, you only create an obstacle to your own realisation. Zen Buddhism has a healthy attitude to this: in this tradition students seek (and eventually attain) 'kensho' or even 'satori' during every 'sesshin'. STORY: ~* The 'unremarkable' stone-cutter who attained the 'Rainbow Body' *~ |
| What
to look for in a
spiritual guide This list derives from traditional sources and the wisdom within our school: ● Direct experiential knowledge of the facets (See how quickly they can create a fresh metaphor!) ● A pure intention: at the very least to avoid harming others, but preferably a desire to benefit them ● Ideally, deep compassion ● The capacity to enter meditative states as required ● Open-mindedness as an indicator of enlightenment ● Freedom Questions for any teacher The current 'taboo' against asking teachers about their attainments is unhealthy, in that it denies students the opportunity to obtain accountability from their teachers and gauge how extensively any teacher can serve them. The teacher of the Facets of Being encourages all practitioners to ask the following questions of every teacher: 1. Have you attained direct experience of any of the ultimate/abiding aspects of reality (that which is true in all times and places)? If so, please tell us which ones and describe your realisation/experiences. -Yes, all the major realisations spoken of in the experiential traditions, direct experience of what I call The Facets of Being. (See here) 2. Do you believe it's possible to attain a final state? a) Yes, that state of all-pervading blissful non-dual wholeness, effulgent fullness and spacious emptiness some call (para)nirvana, moksha, liberation or 'complete union with god'. But only fully after death, when Awareness-in-itself experiences only itself, without any form. b) Potentially also 'continual-all day-enlightenment', but I cannot be sure. My experience so far says that it's unlikely - and even if possible, one would probably have to give up normal life to do so. This is because of the way cognition within being 'operates'. Being is usually 'filled' with the current activity - whether that be 'noticing' the true nature of things (realisation), or chopping wood and carrying water ! When I'm enjoying, or even becoming one with, a beautiful piece of music, I don't need or usually even want to be noticing my nonduality with it at the same time. If one was living in realisation continually it would be akin to noticing the nonduality (or another of the facets of being) of the music without enjoying the music for itself. You are either noticing your oneness with the music, or you're enjoying its various tones and textures - not both. There is also more than one facet of being to 'notice' ! I believe anyone who attained 'continual seeing of the ultimate nature' (or really, one or more of the various facets possible to experience all at once) would surely be confident and compassionate enough to openly share their experiences and knowledge with us. Yet few speak of this. I'm agnostic about its possibility. Happily, the enlightenments need only be experienced to a certain depth and to certainty anyway to bring the massive benefits and avoid most suffering. c) Finally, I believe that it is possible to attain a state of continuous well-being and even bliss. I had already released any search or need for an unassailable, perfect state by 1999, because I gained certainty that within any realm of form, absolute perfection is impossible. For one thing, interdependent origination means there are too many factors influencing any moment of experience. Even if a Yogi has reached a sublime state, his body can still be ripped apart by a tiger ! Even the Buddha experienced physical pain occasionally. So a perfectly unassailable state is impossible while Awareness is merged with form. It's possible only when Awareness is without form, after death in nirvana. Having certainty of this is liberating in itself. Up until recently I only experienced occasional 'psychic irritants' (as Gunaratana has called the various kleshas), mainly minor irritation for on average a few seconds a day. However recently I decided it's worthwhile gently pursuing a path of maximising the potential of my being to it's fullest: moving from the Way of Enlightenment, to a relaxed Path of Transformation. I know that it's impossible in a realm of form to reach a perfect state; but there is no need to 'let the perfect be the enemy of the good'! While I have this life and this access to various teachings, I feel it's right to maximise that potential - without being attached to some unassailable perfection. I already have very strong 'wisdom'. I can see clear evidence in others and myself that a state of continuous wellbeing and even bliss is also quite possible. Besides: I've already thoroughly explored all the fundamental facets of being to the point of profound certainty, so what else is there to do?! :) 3. What is required to achieve that state? - Ask me for details in person, but see this 4. Will I have to give up alot to achieve a final state? Yes, certainly if seeking 'final liberation'. Almost certainly if seeking 'continual-enlightenment'. If you want to attain (para)nirvana, you will (eventually) have to completely renounce all form [realms] or at least always place in the subordinate position your pursuit of specific forms - in favour of a focus on / 'love' of one or more of the facets, usually 'Spirit'/Consciousness/Awareness/'Great Self'/'God'. You may regard this as worthwhile, or not. But deep knowledge of the facets will make you confident that is your decision, not some 'ordained' necessary path. 5. Have you attained that state? - No, but I have a very good idea how to attain final liberation! However both final liberation and (potential) 'continual enlightenment' are radical paths requiring a level of renunciation and focus I choose not to engage at this time. Currently I find the form-realms sufficiently enjoyable that I'm happy to play here for a while ! 6. [If you haven't attained a final state,] why should I use your teachings?! - because experiential understanding of the fundamental Facets of Being gives you massive benefits and avoids massive suffering. Because experiencing the deeper facets is the most wonderous, mind-blowing, existence-expanding thing you can possibly do while still alive! (That is, without giving up everything to attain 'nirvana-with-remainder' and then parinirvana). It also enables you to intelligently evaluate any path without succumbing to the belief it's 'necessary' or 'ordained', a belief many people cannot fully free themselves from until deep realisation. |
"No obligation, no one to save and nothing to prove": the use of money in sharing reality-teachings - a definitive explanation for a 'controversial' issue Religion could be defined as a set of conceptual beliefs which if believed and acted upon, provide various benefits. Since beliefs require faith, believers may feel the need to buttress that faith by persuading others. By contrast, spirituality could be defined as a set of experiences which give the seeker direct knowledge of the already existing deep (yet 'hidden') nature of reality. Once a person has direct experience, they have no need of faith, or to persuade others. Religion, when believed, usually compels the believer to attain some kind of paradise and avoid postulated negative states of existence. The believer will often feel obligated to persuade others to do the same. By contrast, deep familiarity with existing reality (which we call the facets of being) reveals that: - even though cause and effect ('karma') means every action will result in temporary consequences, positive or negative - still there are no forces or beings which force or obligate any being to do any thing, ever - even though people may suffer (even greatly) by not understanding the deepest nature of reality, they are still ultimately protected and benefitted by that nature Even though the realiser knows beings will benefit if they share what they know and will tend to suffer more if they don't, like you, they still have no obligations whatsoever. Like you, they have infinite choices about how to spend their time and energy. It is natural for them to want to help, but: 1. Contrary to some inspiring stories, a true realiser still requires the basic requisites of life, such as food, clothing and shelter! and 2. They will have experienced a massive release of energy, an increase in openminded intelligence, and a resolution of existential anxieties and limitations. This enables them to enjoy life far more deeply.They would be foolish to waste the capacities they've worked so hard to attain by not giving priority to the experiences they enjoy most. Sharing spiritual knowledge can also be arduous, especially when egoic insecurity and arrogance is present, so many realisers remain largely silent about their realisations and get on with enjoying their own (expanded) lives. Given all the above, you can see why treating a realiser as the one person who should not be offered life-energy (including money) in return for their time, energy and resources is ridiculous. They have no obligation to teach because there are no obligations in existence and ultimately people will be fine - suffering does not change the Facets of Being. So it's just a fact of life that if we wish to ensure that realisers choose to spend their life-energy on sharing their realisation, we would be wise to enable, reward and encourage that sharing, especially given the expanded range of possibilities a realiser has. |
Qualities
of a successful student ● Enthusiasm, diligence, energy ● Discernment
|
The Facets of Being: a summary
~*~
The deepest nature of reality is like having a million dollars in the bank.
Enlightenment is like suddenly discovering you have this money and getting access to your bank account.
Mindful awareness is like being able to spend the money you have.
1.
Though
like anyone
they are still subject to cause-and-effect whilst they abide in any
form-realm. It is wiser
for people to try to have a positive influence on any
realm
they intend to return to, but 'improvement' is an immeasurable and it's
up to each person how much they feel it's worthwhile or necessary to
take on. [Back]
2. A realiser who remains a monk may have far greater willingness to do this than a so-called 'crazy-wisdom yogi' or 'avadhoot'. This is one reason some enlightened people prefer to remain 'hidden yogis' rather than teach, even resisting the demands of very senior spiritual leaders who would have them perform the role of 'spiritual master'. See for example this story. [Back]
2. A realiser who remains a monk may have far greater willingness to do this than a so-called 'crazy-wisdom yogi' or 'avadhoot'. This is one reason some enlightened people prefer to remain 'hidden yogis' rather than teach, even resisting the demands of very senior spiritual leaders who would have them perform the role of 'spiritual master'. See for example this story. [Back]
Aaron is friendly and approachable.
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