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I.
Understanding
of the real nature
of experiences and objects
(i.e., form)
● Interdependence (1.1):
The interdependence, connectedness and 'inter-influence' of all form
●
Insubstantiality
(1.2):
the lack of any solid form
● Undifferentiatedness (1.3):
the fact that any realm of form is not inherently divided into separate
objects but arises as one vast undifferentiated field. It is our
'conceptual energy' - the labelling, thinking mind, that picks out
different parts of this field and labels them as separate 'things'.
● The
Great Silence,
or Raw Non-conceptual Experience (1.4):
the lack of
inherent significance of any form, including all values such as
'positive'
or 'negative', 'good' or 'bad', 'beautiful or ugly', 'desirable or
undesirable'. Form in itself says nothing about itself. It has no
labels.
● Karma:
the
dynamics of cause and effect, 'internally' and 'externally'
One
massive implication arising from the above is that nothing with form
can be perfectly predicted or controlled. This means no
rule we
make to predict the outcome of anything
(from small personal matters to the nature of matter) is
absolute - all ideology is contingent.
Even science admits its limitations, via 'the Problem of Induction'.
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II.
Experiencing your own most
fundamental, indivisible nature
● Awareness-in-itself:
you
are Awareness-In-Itself: your experiences of the five senses and your
'conceptual energy' merely appears within the vast space of awareness
which you truly are
● The
'Self-Contained Sphere' (2.1): you are the
'divine beholder' - omniscient within your own realm. The dream-world
and 'this world' (indeed all
worlds) are equally merely experiences of The One. That you
are. This is a rare realisation which the
teacher of the Facets of Being has experienced first-hand. It provides
unsurpassed independence, freedom, courage, and an unshakeable humble
'self-esteem' way beyond 'superior' and
'inferior'. If there was one enlightenment that could be called
'Supreme
Enlightenment' - this would be it, because of the empowerment it
provides; its capacity to more quickly lead to the others;
and its capacity to make certainty in the
veracity of
the other enlightenments unshakeable. In fact, this
enlightenment takes the other enlightenments to a whole new 'level'
that would more properly be described as a different 'dimension' of
being. A poetic description: before,
you thought you were a small being in a vast, mysterious threatening
universe. Now you realise the universe is within you. It is
only
your experience.
● Transcendence / Independence
(2.2):
Awareness-in-itself is capable of experiencing any form without its
capacity to reflect form being affected in any way
●
Emptiness (2.3) :
this pure Awareness is utterly
empty of content in itself. One result of this is that it - you -
can never be truly sullied. This also reveals the Great Silence from
the 'side' of consciousness. Awareness-in-itself experiences without
imputing concepts or significance. It experiences everything in its
silent, meaning-free primordial simplicity. This includes its
experience of the very conceptual energy (labelling and thoughts) that does
impute significance. This is also what makes it possible for one to
experience life as a flow state free of heavy conceptualisation.
● Openness/Choicelessness
(2.4) :
Awareness is utterly open and choicelessly experiences all form that
arises, without blocking
Ultimately
we are pure, unstainable, independent, unassailable,
immortal, all-pervading and self-contained. Yet paradoxically
we
are utterly open and vulnerable through our utterly
non-dual union with all form encountered in each moment -
including even our own flow of conceptuality.
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III.
Experiencing the true
relationship between yourself and the universe
● The
not-self of the person and phenomena: no aspect of your
existence
has any solid form, including that which you normally regard as 'you'
and that which you normally regard as 'the universe' (We do not categorise this as a
facet in itself but rather a summary of a few facets. We include it
because it is useful)
●
Subjectivity (3.1):
the lack of any truly objective form(s)
●
Non-duality
(3.2):
in every present moment you are
utterly non-separate from all form that is arising, and this can be
experienced as direct nondual union with that specific form when the
conceptual energy we normally call 'object-recognition' and 'thought'
relaxes
●
Existentially
non-separate but functionally
independent: this very rare realisation resolves many
paradoxes, and
will be a powerful revelation for the 'advanced practitioner'. It
reveals that you as Awareness-in-itself have absolute functional
independence from all realms, while at the same time, existentially
('physically') you are utterly non-separate ('one') with any realm you
are experiencing, and existence as a whole. Awareness's function of
knowing-experiencing is self-existent, transcendent and beyond change,
yet existentially it can never be separated from the rest of existence
(all form). (We
do not categorise this as a facet in itself but include it because it
is useful) |
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IV.
Experiencing
the nature of yourself and all realms as one indivisible whole: Being
● Wholeness (4.1):
Ultimately you and any realm you are currently experiencing are one
indivisible whole
● Fullness
(4.2):
this whole is utterly complete, effulgent with blissful energy. There
is no greater satisfaction than this.
● Plasticity
and Infinite Variety (4.3):
Being - the indivisible union of Awareness and any (necessarily form-)
realm is
like a blazing fire. Awareness-in-itself is like the heat of
the fire and form is like the shape of the fire. Like a fire, being can
never be 'frozen' into one fixed shape. It is infinitely plastic; it
manifests as an infinite variety of experiences/forms, whilst forever
maintaining its unity. Indeed: even (the moment of) realisation is, in
the end, just an experience.
● WYSIWYG
/ 'Suchness' (4.4):
'What You See Is What You Get'. The only
thing
you ever need to concern yourself with ultimately is the present
moment. The ultimate truth that you can find about form, or about any
form-realm, is only and simply your own present-moment raw
experience of form. In the case of
human beings, that is the currently-presenting
colour-shape, sound, sensation, smell and the mere form of the
conceptual energy (object-labelling and 'thought') currently
presenting, not any 'truth'
it proclaims within its contents. (Clearly, awareness-in-itself is the
'medium' of all this - but since it is utterly transparent and does not
act, we do not need to 'deal' with it). The realisation of 'The
Self-Contained Sphere' (see above) provides certainty that the only
thing you can ever experience in any realm is what is appearing to you
(as you) right now. There is nothing 'behind' or 'beyond' this. If
there
was, then that would
only and simply become your present-moment in the
future. This provides utter certainty about the most fundamental
(indivisible) nature
of all realms, profound relaxation, and powerful immunity from all
non-organic
mental illness arising from misperception of reality (e.g.
psychosis).
●
Isness (4.5):
reality IS. Whatever is present cannot be denied
or resisted
because it already IS. You already live within reality. This IS reality
- whether you label it as good or bad, desirable or undesirable. There
is no other, you have never stepped out of it, you will always
experience it directly. Ultimately meditation can know reality but not
change its ultimate nature.
●
The
ocean
of energy (4.6): you as Awareness-in-itself, and the field
of
energy of any
realm (such as our 'physical world' experienced as the five senses) in
any one moment merge and inter-penetrate each other indivisibly, in the
same way the space of the sky inter-penetrates the clouds. There is not
a
jot of separation. This can be experienced as a vast ocean of blissful
energy. One of the many results is a deep sense,
understanding and
feeling of being enfolded safely and lovingly in the bosom of 'The
Great Mother'.
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