Is this the light?

George Clark, 02 March 2008

After the meditation session on Saturday we were wondering about different states of mind and about whether or not they are 'enlightened'.  We noted different conditions while at work, during meditation and in between the two. There follows a tentative sketch of the various places our minds might go during our waking hours. There is reference to "no awareness of self nor of space and time". Is this the light?

 

There are at least two options while at paid or voluntary 'work'. On the bleak side you may be half hearted and unable to focus. You are dithering, unwilling and awkwardly self conscious. The work will eventually get done but it is a chore.

On the bright side you may be one-pointed and focussed. If you are an athlete you are in the zone, if you are a creative writer you are in flow. The 'muse' will have 'taken control' and it will be as if the work does itself. There is no awareness of self nor of space and time. Effortless action.

When in between jobs there is slack time. The tone might be elated, depressed or neutral: and the motivation might be to hold on to, avoid, or to seek distraction from, the present  situation. The goal is to maximise pleasure and minimise pain. There are two ways of dealing with  this.  

The bad way promotes anxiety and selfishness while the good way promotes peace and compassion. A mind conditioned by cravings will water bad seeds while a mind that is beyond craving will water good seeds. A craving mind will inhabit the phenomenal world. A mind that has gone beyond craving will experience the numinous where there is no awareness of self nor of space and time. Infinity in a grain of sand.

There are also different mental states during formal meditation. Sometimes the waterfall of thoughts and feelings is robust and noisy and completely captures attention. At other times the witness appears to observe the waterfall and create distance from it. Letting go becomes a viable option. Attention can be pointed to the breathing and it will stay there.  There will be no awareness of self nor of space and time. Only breathing.

But there can be more. Once stillness has been achieved the anchor which is the breathing can itself be let go. There is then the oceanic feeling, the experience of being co-extensive with the Oneness. There will be no awareness of self nor of space and time. InterBeing.

But there can be more.  After the stilling (Shamantha) comes the insight (Vipassana). With a clear mind you will know the 'real reality' and thus be able to engage with the world in a beneficial way. We are back with the effortless action which is 'flow' where there is no awareness of self nor of space and time. Is this the light?