My favorite 20th century enlightened guy

I was reading over at Numinous Non-Sense, and I see that Vince has started ordering stuff about Ramana Maharshi. 

And then, being practical, coolmel points out that most of Ramana's teachings are available at his site, without cost.

I have a special place in my heart for Ramana. I spent two weeks at
Tiruvanamallai, and both the visit and the place played a role in a two
month "enlightenment" experience for me.

I'll be linking to Ramana's site in the "Spiritual" category, but I
highly recommend, to any who may read this, to check out some of the
materials.

more...

More about meditation here

The comings and goings of presence and awe

The last couple of days have been cold, rainy, and generally overcast here in the city of San Francisco.

I live in the Russian Hill area, up a bit from North Beach.

I've been able to spend some time out. Cold, rainy, wet, windy.

But it's gorgeous.  Everything simply gets so - real, so
alive.  The mind disappears into the glory of the elements, with
the wind whipping away the remnants of the mind, until there is only an
awareness pregnant with the wind blowing, cold and wet on my face.

It's simply glorious. more...

More about meditation here

Hierarchy, Expertise, Awareness, Open Source, Blogging

I've been thinking quite a lot of the technological world and emerging interrelated networks, and how this applies in a power and political sense to spiritual communities, and more importantly to integral communities.

The last ten years, with the rise of Linux, the term "open source" has become known. This is the idea that written software that is open and viewable by all, is able to be easily fixed and improved upon by any person who has the requisite desire, skill, and persistence. In this case, all knowledge is in a sense, "shallow" - open to all who invest the time and energy.

I've alway thought that the term "open source" is (or should be) a beautiful term for spiritual knowledge. For example, the bookstore in Marin is called "Open Secret" - alluding to the fact that the supposed "secret" of enlightenment is open to all. There are many other examples of this, of course...

The other trend in technology (well, at least it used to be a trend - this is in debate now, given the tech crash of 2000, and the resulting consolidation) is that in modern work is that there is a lot of "flattening" in the decision making process - i.e. that there is less and less of a hierarchical overlay, top down structure, but more and more, functionally independent and overlapping ciricles of execution that get things done without a large "guiding hand", so to speak. You can see this in the statistics of more and more independent contractors, people working from their homes, etc.

What does this have to do with spirituality, politics, etc? more...

More about meditation here

Spirituality and Violence in a 9-11 World.

There is an article on What is Enlightenment that I recommend everyone read. 

The title is, "Is God a Pacifist?". 
It's a pretty in-depth run down of various positions around peace,
religion, spirituality, in a way that both acknowledges the wish for
peace in every religion, but also acknowledges that every religion has
also been used to justify war. 
What is the response of an enlightened integral spirituality, to violence? 

How many enlightened beings were killed in Tibet, do you think, when
the Chines invaded over 50 years ago, and burned monasteries?  One
hundred?  One thousand? 

One of the "intuitive understandings" that nearly everyone goes through
during a spiritual awakening, is the sense of the Other as
yourself.  The union, oneness, non-separateness that is
true.  For me, at those "peak" moments, the ability to do harm is
ludicrous.  The metaphor that seems obvious is that it would be
like cutting off your own foot.  When I return to the small i,
however, and I'm on some dark street in the city, and a couple of
suspicious characters are coming towards me, I keep my calm.  But
if that same character starts harassing me, it is easy to notice that I
still have the "fight or flight" syndrome going on, in the body. 
The adrenalin washes over me, training kicks in, I go to stance and I'm
- ready.

This has only happened a couple of times, but the dichotomy is what's
fascinating.  Two hours previous, if not within the same hour, I
can be floating on the bliss, of a good meditation.  And it takes
only a dark night, a couple of shouted words, with fast movement
towards me, for the bliss and peace to turn into fight or flight.









more...

More about meditation here

Lose that belly fat!

I've linked to this article about belly fat for two reasons.

1.  Because the "ripped" abs is the final obstacle to my "glass
half empty" physique.  If I get the abs going, I'm good to go!

2.  Because the article talks about just how important it is to
lose the stress, as an essential component to losing weight, and particularly mention
meditation and deep breathing. 

It's nice to see the connections between mental, spiritual and physical
health made in sites that aren't particularly focused in that direction.

more...

More about meditation here

Integral Organizations, Keep it Simple, Inspiring

In web design, we throw around an acronym – KISS – that stands for Keep It Simple Stupid. Know-it-all integral fan that I am, I want to suggest a version of this for integralism. more...

More about meditation here

Five basic forms of internal spiritual practice

Spiritual practice - how does one realize God, or at least get closer? Should I stand on my head. Give my soul to Jesus? What works, and how does it work? What are the benefits and problems with various spiritual practices? From my limited experience, in those areas of touching spirit that I have "practiced" in, it seems to me that there are four or five basic areas of spiritual practice. more...

More about meditation here

The soul sings

That which we come from,
Is that which we return to,
Is that which we are. more...

More about meditation here

Integral Practices Introduction

Welcome to Integral Practices! This site is dedicated to a passionate and active investigation into the practices which make an integral life. more...

More about meditation here

Challenges of Measurement and Feedback in Integral

This is going to be a bit of a naive post - more of a set of questions, than an answer. I have a feeling that readers will be able to help me out by pointing me to information.

I've spoken before about how feedback works, and how for some areas (such as science) feedback works really well, and how for other areas, feedback is quite a challenge. more...

More about meditation here

More on selflessness

I wonder if this goes too far, but it's also a great corrective to the U.S. attitudes. more...

More about meditation here

Practicing Selflessness

Practicing Selflessness,

No comment necessary. more...

More about meditation here

Liveblogging Ken Wilber and Andrew Cohen

In an earlier post, I said I would give an analysis of the recent Integral Naked dialogue between Ken Wilber and Andrew Cohen.

As an experiment, I’ve decided to do a form of “liveblogging”. I remember this first being done during the presidential debates – and I have decided to use this format, for commenting on this dialogue. NOTE: This isn’t really “liveblogging” since I’m not that fast a typer (or thinker). This is more listening, stopping when something is interesting, and then even playing the interesting segment back again, to make sure I get it correctly.

My commentary will be in italics. At the end, will be my analysis.

At any rate, with that introduction, let’s go: more...

More about meditation here

Reflections on Skillful Means, Reviews and Future Projects

I have been reflecting on the development of this site, and some of the development of my own views. I've started to come to the realization that the concept of Integral Practice is probably more richly reflected in the concept of Skillful Means. more...

More about meditation here

Right use of blogs in integral practice

I've been thinking a bit about the place of blogs in an integral
practice - how can blogs be useful, given their unique "type" so to
speak?

First off, let's start with the negative.

In silence, awareness, and being-bliss, there is the radiance shining. 

Blogs, for the most part - are the opposite of that.

"Notice me! Notice me!" said the blogger.  After all I (and not the I-I) have something to say!"

Not to mention, blogs are a very mind-y enterprise. 

In this sense the "level" that is touched by a blog, as by reading in
general, is a pale reflection of reality - spiritual, emotional,
physical.

I believe this is why most spiritually related blogs, don't have, say,
the ongoing rat-a-tat-tat repetition that is seen in the political and technical
blogs. 

As that "thinking" mind, begins to become transparent, and awareness shines through, there isn't a need to live
there, but much more a wish to simply "be".  Be with the breath,
be with the awe of silence, with the surfaces of physical reality
revealing worlds in their transparency.

So how does this help?  What's the usefulness, for practice, for understanding?

I can still think of a few things -

1. Open education and debate.

There are several challenges in living an integrated spiritual life -
and some controversies.  Blogs, and also group posting boards, are
good ways to educate and get new points of view in the "how-to" of
this, that we are living.

Examples:

I've mentioned it in a post, before, but I will again -

a.  Right attitude to spiritual surrender, contrasted with
spiritual cultism.  Healthy independence, versus stubborn ego.

Here is Spiritual Safeguards.

This is a site that speaks of the danger of cults - from many angles.

It would go too far for me - while there is a list of "healthy"
spiritual practices, this particular site is pretty fear based, and the
"healthy" spiritual practices, well, aren't really a list of practices
per se, but instead a nice set of values (no practices) and a nice,
well laid out, restricted, box - have fun playing...

So this dichotomy - the healthy, functioning interdependent ego, or the
rigid stubborn ego?  What are the signposts for the edges?


b.  Spiritual bazaar, or stick to a practice? 

I'll tell the truth - I tend to LIKE mixing and matching, trying new
spiritual practices - mainly because slightly DIFFERENT forms of
transcendence are encountered.  (I've mentioned this
previously).  I have an unfortunate habit (like my habit of cool
tech gizmos) of looking for the "next big thing". 

Luckily, I still maintain a base sitting practice.  But it's easy to get distracted...

c.  Teachers as CHARISMATIC DEMI-GODS, or teachers as ordinary humans? 

If you've seen as many teachers as I have, there are sometimes where -
well, you are just blasted by the spiritual power.  You can be drenched, really, with power, melting sweetness, etc. 

And yet, the same "spiritual athlete", for lack of a better word, can be an absolute abusive cad.

But, I've also been around "ordinary" teachers.  That's fine too,
but I don't get nearly as jazzed or inspired.  It's like, "yeah,
so what?  30 years of meditation, to kvetch at Spirit Rock?"

At any rate, all the above dichotomies - all can be usefully discussed
in web logs.  A lot of people contributing, openly sharing and
learning, and the natural obsessiveness of blogs, I believe can provide
a more grounded mental understanding of the above, and point people to
the best solutions, as people share their experiences.

2.  Shared experiences and personal stories  - I know, I just
used this, but it's true.  I'm fighting with my girlfriend - how
do i reconcile this with spiritual practice? What really is enthusing
me, inspiring me? What is getting me down, and what's a
challenge? 

Personal stories become beloved stories that inspire, amuse, and occasionally gross you out.


3.  Good practical information

Or how to get from a to b, to c.  How to exercise right, eat right, meet new people, etc.

4.  Outpourings of creativity, love, beauty. 






. 






more...

More about meditation here

Challenges of Measurement and Feedback in Integral

This is going to be a bit of a naive post - more of a set of questions, than an answer. I have a feeling that readers will be able to help me out by pointing me to information.

I've spoken before about how feedback works, and how for some areas (such as science) feedback works really well, and how for other areas, feedback is quite a challenge. more...

More about meditation here

Liveblogging Ken Wilber and Andrew Cohen

In an earlier post, I said I would give an analysis of the recent Integral Naked dialogue between Ken Wilber and Andrew Cohen.

As an experiment, I’ve decided to do a form of “liveblogging”. I remember this first being done during the presidential debates – and I have decided to use this format, for commenting on this dialogue. NOTE: This isn’t really “liveblogging” since I’m not that fast a typer (or thinker). This is more listening, stopping when something is interesting, and then even playing the interesting segment back again, to make sure I get it correctly.

My commentary will be in italics. At the end, will be my analysis.

At any rate, with that introduction, let’s go: more...

More about meditation here

The comings and goings of presence and awe

The last couple of days have been cold, rainy, and generally overcast here in the city of San Francisco.

I live in the Russian Hill area, up a bit from North Beach.

I've been able to spend some time out. Cold, rainy, wet, windy.

But it's gorgeous.  Everything simply gets so - real, so
alive.  The mind disappears into the glory of the elements, with
the wind whipping away the remnants of the mind, until there is only an
awareness pregnant with the wind blowing, cold and wet on my face.

It's simply glorious. more...

More about meditation here

More on selflessness

I wonder if this goes too far, but it's also a great corrective to the U.S. attitudes. more...

More about meditation here

Practicing Selflessness

Practicing Selflessness,

No comment necessary. more...

More about meditation here

Ken Wilber and Andrew Cohen tap-dancing around the elephant in the room

I've just listened to the most recent "what's new" dialogue up at Integral Naked. 

I'll post a real analysis tonight, but I wanted to mention that, it's
worthwhile listening to it.  (Let me know if I should post the MP3
file to OurMedia, and provide the link, for anyone who isn't a
subscriber to Integral Naked. Or simply email me, that way it stays private.)

It's worth listening to.

Again, more later, but 1st thoughts. 

1. Cognitively, most of the points being talked about are clear - a person's
"center of gravity" doesn't shift, even if one understands
the spiritual vision intellectually.  To move the center of gravity up takes work, and
at times will involve confrontation.
2. Ken is very, very nicely nicely, almost excruciatingly nicely,
hinting around some of the controversy surrounding Andrew Cohen. 
It's a public forum, and so I understand the feather touch - it makes
sense.
3. Emotionally, Cohen sounds incredibly defensive, using valid points
about spiritual authority and spiritual growth, but the emotional
defensiveness seems is there..  There is no doubting this.
4. Andrew Cohen is a "Right Man", in terms of always believing, he, or
his vision, is right.  I'll attempt to find the link to a
pathological description of "Right Man" later. There's a very good
description of this is some work of psychology, but it has slipped my
mind at the moment.

 Being "Right" with a
capital R, and being a "Rude Boy" to boot, is very problematic, in my
view.

NOTE:  Cross-posted at Integral Naked Forum more...

More about meditation here

Reflections on Skillful Means, Reviews and Future Projects

I have been reflecting on the development of this site, and some of the development of my own views. I've started to come to the realization that the concept of Integral Practice is probably more richly reflected in the concept of Skillful Means. more...

More about meditation here

A favorite meditation

1.  Go to a park in the late afternoon, taking pencil and paper.
2.  Sit, take a few minutes counting breaths.
3.  While viewing the sunset, simply watch, and then apply pencil
to paper, letting words form on the page, without expectation. 
4.  Switch back again, between expression of words, and sitting, opening.

5.  And open, open, open.  more...

More about meditation here

Follow up on last post

Been busy - but a follow-up on the last post re: Stuart Davis article.

It's funny - I know so much about Indian advaita, and various yoga
practices.  I know quite a lot about Western synchronistic magic
and meditation.  I am fairly experienced in Christian ecstatic
mysticism.  And I am familiar with Tibetan Buddhism, as well as
have gone on Vipassana retreats.

But my knowledge of the Zen tradition is limited. 

However, Stuart's description of being in witnessing awareness, while
waking and sleeping, and deeper,  describes to a tee where I go in
meditation, and have gone, at various times in life.

When I spent six months in India, devoted to meditation, beaches and
hiking in the Himalayas (in that order) I reached a point where two
things were happening in my consciousness.  


1.  The "witnessing" awareness was fairly constant, in waking, and was also in and out in sleeping.
2.  At the end of the trip, (last month or so, after trekking in
the Himalayas), a conscious recognition of non-duality was always
present, and arising.  This also lasted into sleep. 

It was quite jarring to have, especially, point 2 above, fall away,
after a couple of months back in the U.S.   As well, point 1,
as I got busy with the western life, experiencing the "crystalline"
nature of awareness, for lack of a better word, comes in moments,
rather than for hours and days.

(Then I got into emotional ecstatic mysticism, which was probably a
huge mistake, as in these practices you can throw the witness out the
window, but I'm not going to go into that now...was useful in terms of
a very mind-y person's (me!) emotional growth, but very different that
the "empty" awareness state.  A profoundly different transpersonal
state.)

At any rate, there was quite the resonance for me, of the description
of  witnessing in the waking and dream state.  I know I've
heard it before, but I have related my experiences, to a different,
Indian model.

So for me, was an "aha - that's me!" moment.

That's it!







more...

More about meditation here

A very, very, very good post - must read

In a section of today's post (Go down to "Poor Man's Constant
Consciousness?) Stuart Davis weighs in with one of the best spiritual
blog posts I have yet seen.  Really, it's awesome.

I'll say more about this later - namely, how it correlates with my own
experience. 

But for now, just go check it out.

more...

More about meditation here

The comings and goings of presence and awe

The last couple of days have been cold, rainy, and generally overcast here in the city of San Francisco.

I live in the Russian Hill area, up a bit from North Beach.

I've been able to spend some time out. Cold, rainy, wet, windy.

But it's gorgeous.  Everything simply gets so - real, so
alive.  The mind disappears into the glory of the elements, with
the wind whipping away the remnants of the mind, until there is only an
awareness pregnant with the wind blowing, cold and wet on my face.

It's simply glorious. more...

More about meditation here

Hierarchy, Expertise, Awareness, Open Source, Blogging

I've been thinking quite a lot of the technological world and emerging interrelated networks, and how this applies in a power and political sense to spiritual communities, and more importantly to integral communities.

The last ten years, with the rise of Linux, the term "open source" has become known. This is the idea that written software that is open and viewable by all, is able to be easily fixed and improved upon by any person who has the requisite desire, skill, and persistence. In this case, all knowledge is in a sense, "shallow" - open to all who invest the time and energy.

I've alway thought that the term "open source" is (or should be) a beautiful term for spiritual knowledge. For example, the bookstore in Marin is called "Open Secret" - alluding to the fact that the supposed "secret" of enlightenment is open to all. There are many other examples of this, of course...

The other trend in technology (well, at least it used to be a trend - this is in debate now, given the tech crash of 2000, and the resulting consolidation) is that in modern work is that there is a lot of "flattening" in the decision making process - i.e. that there is less and less of a hierarchical overlay, top down structure, but more and more, functionally independent and overlapping ciricles of execution that get things done without a large "guiding hand", so to speak. You can see this in the statistics of more and more independent contractors, people working from their homes, etc.

What does this have to do with spirituality, politics, etc? more...

More about meditation here

Five basic forms of internal spiritual practice

Spiritual practice - how does one realize God, or at least get closer? Should I stand on my head. Give my soul to Jesus? What works, and how does it work? What are the benefits and problems with various spiritual practices? From my limited experience, in those areas of touching spirit that I have "practiced" in, it seems to me that there are four or five basic areas of spiritual practice. more...

More about meditation here

What is meditation and how can I do it?

What is Meditation?
Put simply it is a state of being that we can enter in which we can become free of the fetters of thought and of the mundane world.
This is not to say that in a meditative state one does not think but rather any thoughts you do have do not have the same meaning or importance, they may be seen or observed as simply thoughts that have no emotional meaning. Some report sensations where they feel 'lifted out of their bodies' some hear beautiful music and taste nectar, most simply feel relaxed stress free.


The Benefit of Meditation

Why do I need it?
Meditation is something which gets easier, more enjoyable and more intense with practice. At first is very difficult, and as you may discover, the harder you try the harder it becomes as 'meditation' is a non-action.
Once you have got the hang of it and have been weeks or months practicing daily then its effects will start to manifest in your daily life and you will find that you can proceed without that stressed out feeling of desperation, you will start to look at things from another perspective, prioritising events and happenings in your life according to what they are and not according to the emotional reactions that these thing may cause. This in turn creates better health, better relationships with all, better business, and a generally more relaxed and stress free life.


How can I learn?
Which form of meditation should I choose?
There are thousands of different meditation techniques, I personally have tried hundreds of them and they ALL have one thing in common. The ultimate goal. They all help me to achieve my 'state of meditation'. They help me get to that special place inside of me where my thoughts do not trigger my emotions and rule my actions.
All schools of meditation and techniques are just different exercises, both physical and mental to help you achieve that state of being (or non-being). Some forms and schools of thinking are compatible with others, some require you to only practice their own particular form of meditation. You should try several and you will naturally be drawn toward that which is most powerful for you, that which easily and effortlessly gets you into the meditative state. Once you have experienced this state you will find it easier to try other methods and judge how suited to them you are.

For beginners my recommendations are the more cathartic forms of meditation. Exercises that require strenuous physical action before the actual meditation itself. The Hindu Kundalini meditation as taught by Osho is a perfect example of this. For half an hour you are physically shaking your body, moving and dancing, until you are physically quite tired and you have an enormous amount of energy flowing through you, you then enter the real meditative part of the technique, just sitting with relaxing music in the background, not doing anything, even the absolute beginner immediately enters into a state of meditation with no effort at all, you don't have to do anything, it seems to happen on its own as a result of the physical exercises you have just finished performing. This for me is a great way for beginners to understand the feeling and state of meditation and will make it easier to recognise and hold this state again when achieved using other techniques.