Water by the River

Maybe you find this interesting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_of_Form "Ostensibly a work of formal mathematics and philosophy, LoF became something of a cult classic: it was praised by Heinz von Foerster when he reviewed it for the Whole Earth Catalog.[5] Those who agree point to LoF as embodying an enigmatic "mathematics of consciousness", its algebraic symbolism capturing an (perhaps even "the") implicit root of cognition: the ability to "distinguish". LoF argues that primary algebra reveals striking connections among logic, Boolean algebra, and arithmetic, and the philosophy of language and mind."

Yes. Letters of Bassui, in Kapleau, Three Pillars of Zen: 4. To a Dying Man Your Mind-essence is not subject to birth or death. It is neither being nor nothingness, neither emptiness nor form-and-color. Nor is it something that feels pain or joy. However much you try to know [with your rational mind] that which is now sick, you cannot. Yet if you think of nothing, wish for nothing, want to understand nothing, cling to nothing, and only ask yourself, “What is the true substance of the Mind and of this one who is now suffering?” ending your days like clouds fading in the sky, you will eventually be freed from your painful bondage to endless change. 8. First Letter to the Zen Priest Iguchi An ancient Zen master [Rinzai] said: “You should not cling to the idea that you are Pure-essence.” And again: “Your physical body, composed of the four basic elements, can’t hear or understand this preaching. The empty-space can’t understand this preaching. Then what is it that hears and understands?” Meditate fully and directly on these words. Take hold of this koan as though wielding the jewelsword of the Vajra king. Cut down whatever appears in the mind. When the thoughts of mundane matters arise, cut them off. When notions of Buddhism arise, likewise lop them off. In short, destroy all ideas, whether of realization, of Buddhas, or of devils, and all day long pursue the question “What is it that hears this preaching?” When you have eradicated every conception until only emptiness remains, and then cut through even the emptiness, your mind will burst open and that which hears will manifest itself. Persevere, persevere—never quit halfway—until you reach the point where you feel as though you have risen from the dead. Only then will you be able to wholly resolve the momentous question, “What is it that hears this preaching?” PS: The answer to every Koan is a state of being. Or rather, Being. Infinite Being. The answer can never be demonstated in a forum by text only. But they can be given or stated by text only. Who is Selling Water by the River? PS: I personally like more the (compared to Zen) much more technical way of Mahamudra for actual practice, especially Pointing out the Great Way style, which I consider more efficient for most. But the letters of Bassui are pure poetry for me. They express the essence, and they can touch deeply. Especially if there is an intuition of that which Bassui is aiming at. It seems "he" speaking to us across a distance of over half a millenia. Yet, his true essence is right here, right now. Always.

That is a nice Koan!

The poor rodents, both your 2-legged and the 4-legged versions. Ever considered that True YOU is also every possibly existing rodent? That whole rodent-bashing seems a bit like a autoimmune or allergic reaction occuring within Infinite Being. All you can do if the rodent smiles at you is smile back.

The first bold "I" was a little bit too much, that is why it (mind) had to go (second bold marking, and below): and there the "I" went... "my mind still made a distinction". That is what "I"s and "minds" tend to do. Sneaky stuff... Everbody can make up their own mind what these bold markings mean... Here is Bassuis version of the same process/topic: "At work, at rest, never stop trying to realize who it is that hears. Even though your questioning penetrates the unconscious, you won’t find the one who hears, and all your efforts will come to naught. Yet sounds can be heard, so question yourself to an even profounder level. At last every vestige of self-awareness will disappear and you will feel like a cloudless sky. Within yourself you will find no “I,” nor will you discover anyone who hears. This Mind is like the void, yet it hasn’t a single spot that can be called empty. Do not mistake this state for Self-realization [half-baked No-Self], but continue to ask yourself even more intensely, “Now who is it that hears?” If you bore and bore into this question, oblivious to anything else, even this feeling of voidness will vanish and you won’t be aware of anything—total darkness will prevail. [Don’t stop here, but] keep asking with all your strength, “What is it that hears?” Only when you have completely exhausted the questioning [killed/transcended the of the remaining subtle No-Self-Identity, resulting in True No Self, which is not a "No-Self" anymore but eternal infinite impersonal Infinite Consciousness/Reality] will the question burst; now you will feel like someone who has come back from the dead. This is true realization. You will see the Buddhas of all the universes face-to-face and the Dharma Ancestors past and present." [brackets] by WbtR And instead of reading the musing-collection of WbtRs archive below, better enjoy the holiday season! https://www.actualized.org/forum/search/?&q=thisdell&author=Water by the River https://www.actualized.org/forum/search/?&q=impersonal&author=Water by the River Can not some AI make Water by the Rivers retirement final? Any charming AI reading along? With the greetings of the seasons... ... Selling Water by the River "form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form. That which is form is emptiness, that which is emptiness form. "is the supreme mantra which is able to relieve all suffering": Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha: Gone, Gone, Gone Way Beyond, Gone Way Way Beyond: Uh what a Realisation! https://www.till-gebel.com/post/heart-sutra-as-spiritual-development-project-daniel-p-brown

Don't worry, the Filibusters will be back when required. People who are too serious probably take also the dream too serious. It needs a balance between full engagement and the lightness of the realization of the dreamlike nature of all appearances & worlds. Sometimes Solipsism-aficionados tend to take it all a bit serious... Who or what is all possible shows again? Who or what is trying to convince who or what of Solipsism? If that ain't a cosmic joke delivered by Maya herself I don't know what is. Smiling with Snoopey & Charlie Brown by the River “TRANSCENDENCE RESTORES HUMOR. Spirit restores humor. Suddenly smiling returns. Too many representatives of too many movements – even many very good movements, such as feminism, environmentalism, meditation, spiritual studies [Solipsism, SWbtR] – seem to lack humor altogether. In other words, they lack lightness, they lack a distance from themselves, a distance from the ego and its grim game of forcing others to conform to its contours... They should all trade two pounds of ego for one ounce of laughter”(Ken Wilber. 1999. One Taste: The Journals of Ken Wilber. December 7).

Relaxing & retired with Snoopy by the River

Sitting with Snoopy & Charlie Brown by the River

I know. Good god, now I will not get your lovely nonviolent metaphor out my system for a looong time, everytime I will look at a screwdriver. Razard had certain Awakenings that he probably will continue to interpret and express in his own ways. Everbody can judge for himself how holistic, logical and coherent and loving that ends up. I personally would "unpack" or interpret these awakenings a bit more carefully, more impersonal, more like Indras Net, but who am I to spoil or judge the gig. I am quite happy that you do the debating, then I don't have to . Been there, dont that, and of course less than successful. But there is for sure development to be seen in his content & style of writing, less ego and such, so thumbs up & bon voyage! Besides, talking/writing to "others" trying to convince them of "Absolute" Solipsism is the ultimate joke. Whats the point, besides hallucinating & falling for a very serious & determined "convincer"-illusion? So chapeau to all appearing actors in the mighty River, of the mighty River, for the mighty River. PS: All of ya don't exist, only I do. Whadda say? Answer: Not today darling...

Actualized Quotes '094: "God, Truth, Consciousness, Love cannot be defined because they are everything - Totality." "But the totality of existence has nothing against which it can be defined". "If you could define God, it wouldn't be God". "The technical answer is: Consciousness is Undefined". "Being undefined is what makes Consciousness divine". Very good! Especially something for the Absolute Solipsism Aficionados, which are still banging their heads against the conceptual walls hiding the above mentioned undefineable (but realizeable) nonconceptual Absolute Truth. Admittedly, not exactly a new insight. A guy called Nagarjuna had the exact same realizations, which resulted in Mahayana Buddhism and the Middle Way: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhyamaka "Its character is neither existent, nor nonexistent, / Nor both existent and nonexistent, nor neither. / Centrists should know true reality / That is free from these four possibilities." But definitely correct. And everbody having had Full Enlightenment of course also had that realization, by definition. So then, ladies and gentlemen, how can consciousness be higher or lower, especially considering Awakening n+1, if "being undefined is what makes Consciousness divine"? Of course, it can't, only the "outer" appearances or the "inner" appearance of understanding (understander/separate-self-illusion) can be "higher or lower". Which, after having understood what Infinite Reality and ones True Being truly is, is only relative appearance, happening within ones Infinite Being. And that appearance (or if one is inclined to call that [higher/lower] consciousness/Awakening/whatever, which is a slippery slope, because see the "undefineablity" mentioned by Leo above) can be "higher" or "lower". True Being/Infinite Consciousness, which never appeared, changed, disappeared/disappears (nor could) but IS and only can be right here right now, covered normally by lots of ignorant and illusory concepts and feelings of separation and duality. That what every being truly is is never changed by anything, any realization, understanding, Awakening n+1 or whatever. "IT" has change and appearance ("external" world and "internal" "mindstream") and understanding/understander and Awakening/Awakener APPEARING WITHIN ITSELF. "Itself", which has no outside, hence infinite. But once one has truly realized ones own non-conceptual always already here Infinite Reality, its game over on the Absolute Side, and continuing game on on the relative side of appearance. Which, btw., never truly touches ones True Being, which remains eternally unchanging silent (potentially) aware Infinite Reality. Which is exactly this undefinable unchanging silent undefinable Infinite Absolute Opening of Reality that Leo is talking about. Stabilizing the access to this Realization in daily life is the Summum Bonum, not the rock-gig: But the rock thing is of course also fun. Until it isn't. Who is telling these little conceptual stories to other perspectives of his/hers/its True Infinite Being by the River?

Koan: Who or what again is having these minor conceptual disagreements appearing within "it"self? Smiling at overflowing cups by the River

Instead of Indras Net as a metaphor of the One without a second looking through the eyes of all appearing beings (which is actually what all spiritual traditions say), gently embracing the Infinite Totality of Infinite Being in its infinite nature imagining infinite perspectives/beings/Holons, we get something served more like: As gentle as one agent Smith is to the other: Indras Net my friend, not "When you play the character [is] the entirety of the frame is all that exists". https://www.actualized.org/forum/search/?&q=Indras Net&author=Water by the River Selling "me too" by the River

Exactly. Which is the last thing any separate ego wants... A little less conversation, a little more action, please All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me A little more bite and a little less bark A little less fight and a little more spark meditation ... Come on, baby, I'm tired of talking Grab your coat and let's start walking Come on, come on (come on, come on) Come on, come on (come on, come on) Come on, come on (come on, come on)

Who could disagree?

Welcome back, and good that you are well. You seem to have had quite an interesting ride lately. One doesn't need a psychotic break for realization by the way, and if one is not so inclined, better avoids risking or having one.... I assume the food in the places where one ends up after having psychotic breaks can be a bit questionable?

Very good, Not to you specifically, but to the Ego=God solipsist aficinonados: "And God said: Thou shalt not be able to see my face; for no man shall see my face, and live." - Exodus 33:20 "Do not rely on any other remedy. Have I not already quoted to you: “Find the subject which casts the shadows, it is the very source of all Buddhas”? Your Buddha-nature is like the jewel-sword of the Vajara king: whoever touches it is killed. Or is it like a massive, raging fire: everything within reach loses its life. Once you realize your True-nature, all evil bent of mind arising from karma extending over innumerable years past is instantly annihilated, like snow put into a roaring furnace. No thought of Buddha or Truth remains. ... If you push forward with your last ounce of strength at the very point where the path of your thinking has been blocked, and then, completely stymied, leap with hands high in the air into the tremendous abyss of fire confronting you—into the ever-burning flame of your own primordial nature—all ego-consciousness, all delusive feelings and thoughts and perceptions will perish with your ego-root and the true source of your Self-nature will appear. You will feel resurrected, all sickness having completely vanished, and will experience genuine peace and joy. You will be entirely free" - Bassui, in: Kapleau, Three Pillars of Zen YOU are indeed alone. Luckily, there is no separate"you/I" anywhere. Solipsism is just a illusionary thought-concept arising IN Infinite boundless You. Arising like mist, disappearing like mist, temporary, a dream, a illusion, a mirage in a dream. Where was it before your parents were born? Koan: Who is thinking for about Solipsism again? What is the dreamer and the dream again? Selling "I am eternally absolutely all alone, but luckily that is no problem since there is no small separte I-anything (nor ever was, besides an illusion-arising) but only the Infinite (River)" t-shirts by the River

Your questions are Koans. Only Full Enlightenment will answer them. That will become clear once you wake up. Some pointers: You are not the "I AM". That perceiver-illusion ("I am") is an illusion arising within the Real You, Infinite Reality itself, before which the states (of waking, dreaming or deep sleep, as human, or as animal with no "I Am", or ET, and ETs n+1) "roll" before. That "I am", or the perceiver, or awareness of awareness, is the last illusion before "the" Totality realizes itself. Real You HAS to be constant. Who would witness Real You popping into existence if it was not constant? Right, Real You, Infinite Reality/Consciousness. And same with the (imagined) dis-appearance of you, or "death". Anything changing is just a modulation of your own Infinite Being, but not YOU. And in Deep Sleep, no I am, no (self-) consciousness (only the potential for sentience if something arises again) is arising. So "I am" is not Real You. Just the first illusion. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=prior+to+consciousness Really understanding/realizing that is (final) Enlightenment, and a deep deep Identity shift or loss of illusion. Can't get more infinite than infinite. Only be aware of different n+1 arisings. So what is that Reality that sees, hears and understands? Who or what is reading and understanding these lines right now? Good news: YOU are always here, never not here, already eternal and immortal. Bad news: Its not "I am". Since YOU are (also) looking through the eyes of an ant, and that ant doesn't have self-consciousness (or any feeling/arising of "I am") , that I am is already too much self-consciousness, and not just awareness (which can also be mere perception perceiving itself, or potentially unaware of nothing arises, but with the potential for sentience). But there is also no Awareness besides perceptions perceiving itself. Making "Awareness" a noun is already a mistake. And what is trying to wake up, only to realize while doing so that it was always awake/aware/right here right now? What is seeing these lines right now? What is "the" Infinite Totality/Being, perceiving itself, cosplaying to be separate and lost and trying to realize something? What is that Being which has to check every false identity, including the "one" who tries to wake, only then to see it has always been itself, believing its own illusion-arisings, including "I am"? What is "I am" if there is only INFINITE YOU, and nothing else could ever be? A pointer pointing to an arising (apparently separate) illusion within yourself... But before Infinite Being realizes itself, it has to be fast enough to spot all these illusions arising real-time within itself. Aka as meditation mastery to not get hypnotized by the illusion-arisings. And much more precise than all this pointing above: What was your face before your parents were born. There is a totally clear answer for that, and its right here. Once that "answer" is always accessible or obvious, life becomes playful. Koan: Who is (not) Selling Water by the River? PS: How to get "there" in the waking state: Some quotes: "Cluster of Sensations taking ownership or thinking being in control of other sensations" "Awareness of awareness is just more sensations no different from objects of awareness" "Actually the final path is all about dissolving any sense of “awareness” apart from object or phenomenons" "SNEAKING UP CLUSTERS OF FEELING OF BEING IN CONTROL-You sneak up on any cluster of sensation that feels like it's in control, of another cluster of sensation, then you sneak up on THAT which is doing the sneaking" "You keep going meta until the circuit closes on itself and there's no more duality between the subject and object" "No cluster of sensation “takes credit”, “owns”, “grasp”, “perceives”, “interferes” with any other sensation because any sense of entanglement is still a form of clinging" "Eliminate the “arrow of attention”, or “Awareness/Consciousness” as a stand alone substrate/Truth because even “Aware of awareness” still presupposes a very subtle sense of self who is trying to pay attention" "Actually the final path is all about dissolving any sense of “awareness” apart from object or phenomenons" QUICKNESS ATTENTION TO CLOSE LOOP CLUSTERS. Stay ahead of THAT sensation and ad infinite until you close the loop_ for that you got to be QUICK with attention "Awareness of awareness is just more sensations no different from objects of awareness" That is how it works in practice on the final stages towards Enlightenment Some quotes: "my last the last epiphany that I had was there's no one here to be enlightened and then that last speck of solidity was gone" " there's no one here do be enlightened the ego never expressed anything it's all just cause and effect of the universe there was no never anybody here since the beginning" "No more delay, after getting faster and faster, NO MORE DELAY BETWEEN MEDITATOR AND OBJECT, JUST ONE SENSE DOOR OF SENSATIONS PERCEIVING THEMSELVES" "then you do that faster and faster and more efficiently efficiently until there's gonna be a point where everything just syncs up into one it's"

At work, at rest, never stop trying to realize who it is that hears. Even though your questioning penetrates the unconscious, you won‘t find the one who hears, and all your efforts will come to naught. Yet sounds can be heard, so question yourself to an even profounder level. At last every vestige of self-awareness will disappear and you will feel like a cloudless sky. Within yourself you will find no “I,” nor will you discover anyone who hears. This Mind is like the void, yet it hasn‘t a single spot that can be called empty. Do not mistake this state for Self-realization, but continue to ask yourself even more intensely, “Now who is it that hears?” If you bore and bore into this question, oblivious to anything else, even this feeling of voidness will vanish and you won’t be aware of anything—total darkness will prevail. [Don’t stop here, but] keep asking with all your strength, “What is it that hears?” Only when you have completely exhausted the questioning will the question burst; now you will feel like someone who has come back from the dead. This is true realization. You will see the Buddhas of all the universes face-to-face and the Dharma Ancestors past and present. Bassui Kapleau, Three Pillars of Zen

Good good. To whom does the perceiver arise? Who or what is still there when the perceiver does not arise, such as before birth, in deep sleep, or after death? THAT is the True You, before which all states, lifes, beings, humans & ETs and realms appear and "roll through". Never being more than a temporary transparent mirage. Not real. THAT on the other side is real. The only actual (non-) "thing" that is real. So what is THAT? Mumbling Koans by the River & letting the Keisaku swim downsteam & smiling at dream-mirage-crocodiles and their dream-dinner frolicking in the Infinite River

Good good. There is only True You. No us. No Water by the River. No Xonas Pitfall. No God, Gods, Infinity of whatever and what not, besides that which eternally IS. Find out what that is. Or daddy & Leos crocodiles gotta spank & bite

Who or what is truly having all these conceptual ideas again? Sure that there really is an "us", a "he", "a" "God", "Gods"? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keisaku ?

There is no "it" or "the". Impersonal it is... Yet, "it" is YOU. True You. Reality. Infinite Being. And yet in "that" Reality, there are many directors of the orchestra. As many as there are realms, and more. Other perspectives of your Infinite Being "containing" (with no outside) and manifesting Indras Net, that you just forget in real time. Reality/manifestation creating and maintaining archetypes/divinities containing whole universes. Holons upon Holons upon Holons, up to Infinity. Chris Bache has some nice descriptions of these reality creating/manifesting archetypes, but you find that in any spiritual traditions ("Divine beings, Gods, Archetypes...") And yet, all of these are also just appearances, mirage, dreams... True You are these realm-manifesting beings/perspectives right now also, and also Leos Aliens, you just forget them... Who is thinking these concepts right now? Who is understanding these words?

The answer in a drama with 9 acts: Act 1: Whats up in town? What is "the" "Absolute" True You doing? It is playing evolution on its appearance-side. Atoms to molecules to basic life to complex life. What is evolution doing on this planet? Racing the Spiral Dynamics ladder upwards, towards transcendence. Chris Baches Diamond Souls. Or: The Fermi Paradoxon. So far, no failure. We are not digging up the remnants of the 27th failed industrial civilization before ours. Think about it, that is pretty strange in itself, isn't it? No complete reset-button-failure so far... And "It" is pretty busy getting somewhere... Although there are no guarantees. Act 2: "Who" pulls the trigger of liberation/Enlightenment when there is no separate-self? What is "granting" or allowing Realization/Enlightenment/insight into True Being to happen? The Totality of Indras Net, infinitely intelligent, birthing, maintaining and destroying the illusion-appearance of this vast universe moment to moment. The Totality of Impersonal True You looking through all beings and holons. What does this Totality of Indras Net (Manifest appearing "God", not the Absolute, but the sum total of manifestation-appearance) want? Liberated beings that have a Boddhisattva-"hangover" or inclination, or liberated "do-nothing-anymores"? Act 3: Love & Compassion: The Big Gate Keeper of sobre Awakened States in daily life So which being stabilizes faster in liberation? The one with the apparent boddhisattva-show-hangover-inclinations, or the ones without? There have been both variants. But my best guess is that the do-nothing-fraction has some lections in this or the next life ahead. And compassion and love is that which stabilizes awakened nondual states in daily life. The big Gate-Keeper. How is that love & compassion & patience possible without going nuts in this sometimes pretty violent kindergarten-stage of humanity? The Boddhisattva-Mindset of course. Act 4: Don't be the stupid grasping egoic Boddhisattva Of course, all of these boddhisattva-inclinations can not be done in a grasping and ego-driven-way, that would kill the awakened states. It has to be done with some humour on the seemlingly winding and paradoxical nature of (human-) evolution, and with total freedom of outcome. How to do that, that is the real trick, and it takes wisdom and experience. If you honestly commit to that path, yours truly believes that the Infinite Intelligence of Reality has a much clearer channel to help with good intuition, intelligence and growing wisdom. And synchronicities. That is at least my experience and deep intuition. Next aspect is: Sat-Chit-Ananda IS love and compassion. Literally. Acting then spontaneously tends to happen in a compassionate and loving way. Act 5: "They are still a young species with much to learn..." Act 6: The Boddhisattva-Mindset driving the way back home after a certain stage, and also stabilizing Awakening. "What´s your take on this? How would then Bodhisattva, which is a concept depending on a not completely developed sense of (TRUE Identity, which is no Identity or everything there is, infinite. WbtR) Identity be the key factor to open gates to higher realms? Wouldn´t that imply the irony that it takes forgetfulness of our Absolute Identity as the motor that keeps manifestation going subtler and subtler?" Of course . Where there is not THIS, there is only fear (Upanishads). That, and some other motivations coming from the illusory separation, drives the bus back home. Act 7: Selling "Even in their darkest days, I have seen goodness in them. I have seen their capacity for compassion, wisdom, courage, honour, love and truth" by the River Rumour has it that some prominent members of this lovely forum are hating humans a bit because its not primarily about truth but survival. That is a classic trap of the dream-illusion. I mean, how would humanity have made it so far without absolute priority on survival? How could it be different? And "who" apparently wanted that game in the first place? Blaming the acorn to not be an oak yet just leads to suffering and non-awakened-states in daily life. Act 8: So... may it be that the non-grasping-Boddhisattva-lifestyle is maybe the nicest way to live this earthly dream-existence? Act 9: Leaving the Boddhisattva-dream-show behind: Who is actually imagining this story of "beings" needing saving by boddhisattvas? Who is looking through all eyes? And what would a "being" having realized that "it" is literally the only being in existence do? Who are you again?

Hunting and killing „Buddhas“ on the road. 🎃🙈 Preferably together with UnbornTao and Leo… … by the River And having done that, chilling in Sat Chit Ananda

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