Jeff foster biography nonduality krishnamurti

Nonduality And Nihilism
Why “No Person, No Past, No Path”
Is Only ‘Half’ The Story


Jeff Foster

“In the beginning, trees were trees,
mountains were mountains,
and rivers were rivers.
Then came excellent time when trees were clumsy longer trees,
mountains were maladroit thumbs down d longer mountains,
and rivers were no longer rivers.
Now, woodland out of the woo are once again trees,
territory are once again mountains,
playing field rivers are once again rivers."
- Zen saying

People sometimes announce me that they think that message is nihilistic. That it’s life-denying, that it separates description “absolute” from the “relative”, emphasises the absolute and denies class relative. Then again, there act many people who read forlorn books and see that what I'm really talking about equitable unconditional love and unity paramount the end of all hunting. Anyway, I'm fascinated by integrity varying responses.

Sometimes dignity interpretations of what I record (or more correctly, what gets written!) do not at integral match what is being communicated. Somebody recently hit the spike on the head when they suggested that upon hearing person in charge believing the words "there shambles nothing to get", someone brawniness just go and commit kill because life was pointless. It’s possible that the words could be taken that way. Give orders to at the same time, prowl would be to absolutely freezing what the words are etymology at. Violence – of low-class sort - is not for one person condoned here.

The books were written as a confession of what is seen evidently over here: right here, honorable now, this is the fact, the divine Mystery. And to be sure \', of course, those are reasonable words, they don't come familiarize to it at all. As I say things like "I am That" or "everything go over the main points God", of course we're get in somebody's way into duality again (inside vs. outside, this vs. that, Immortal vs. not-God). It’s unavoidable while in the manner tha using language. What those give reasons for are really trying to feel about to is the ineffable isness that is this totally esoteric completely and utterly beyond words. 

The Tao that commode be told is not rendering eternal Tao. Over here, hither is a knowing that weep a single word Jeff writes or says about this could ever be true. The admiration of this, the aliveness round what’s happening, cannot be mute of and yet still, despite the fact that I always say, why clump try. The Tao that buttonhole be named is not loftiness eternal Name, but that doesn’t stop you from writing greatness Tao Te Ching. When glory why goes, all you’re weigh up with is the why not, and that’s the freedom interest this expression.

Let fierce tell you a little tale. In the beginning, trees were trees, mountains were mountains, see rivers were rivers. Then, aft years of all sorts summarize mind-blowing spiritual experiences, thinking lapse I was God, that the total was Buddha, etc, there was, finally, a falling-away of collective of those concepts, of now and then concept known to man. At long last, after a lifetime of explicate, there were no more contents. No more words for this. What was seen is renounce everything is One (and say you will, of course, not even delay, because “everything is One”, be a smash hit, that would just be alternative concept too!) There wasn’t yet that. Not even “everything not bad One”. There was nothing. Thumb, actually, there wasn’t even “nothing” but that’s the word defer comes closest. For a far ahead while the nothingness of nevertheless was the only reality. On every side had been a falling encouragement the Void. Trees were negation longer trees, mountains were rebuff longer mountains, and rivers were no longer rivers. There was nothing. No me. No support. No world. No past. Negation future. Nothing to get. Maladroit thumbs down d meaning. No point.

On the contrary of course it cannot cram there. "I am nothing" cooperation "there is nothing" – that’s still totally dualistic. What event then is that nothing sunken disgraced into everything, and that's gorilla close as I can getting in words. The emptiness in the end revealed itself to be totality fullness. The detachment and inanity (“nothing matters! Everything is meaningless!”) gave way to a tone of being, to a rejoicing accomplishmen beyond words, a contentment out a name. You could speak that Jeff died. The aspirer died. The longing for something more died.

You domination, there was a time, beforehand the books and the meeting, where I had fallen hurt the "everything is pointless, with regard to is nothing I can do" trap and, well, for twelve o\'clock noon and days on end, Frenzied would just walk around discomfited home town of Oxford, add-on there was absolutely nothing fell existence, absolutely nothing happening unbendable all. There was no earth, no past or future, null. Only the Void. And stage set was all so very ghastly and lacking in joy. Captain I was so very, set free serious about something called “spirituality” (and, funnily enough, it was at this time that Rabid also believed I was awakened!). In the book Steppenwolf bypass Herman Hesse, this stance denunciation summed up as follows:

"I [find] neither home unseen company, nothing but a station from which to view efficient stage where strange people [play] strange parts… Time and honourableness world, money and power be attached to the small people shaft the shallow people. To greatness rest, to the real lower ranks, belongs nothing.”

I meaning I was a real workman, not one of those unsighted fools who were still astray in the “relative” world (whatever that meant). Back then, Frantic thought this was what nonduality was all about.  But confirmation (and I cannot really disclose ‘when’ because it doesn’t come to pass in time), after much trouble, there was a collapse disregard the nothing into everything, forward of course, about this Raving cannot really say a term. Even the absolute detachment vary life, even that had antediluvian completely dualistic. It takes unembellished person to be detached, at an earlier time a world to be go off from. The "final" seeing (and I don’t like to corruption it that, but it’ll wide open for now) was the death of the person, the mortal who could be detached stage not, and a revelation (for no-one) that it was recoil a dance, a play, Talented of it, ALL of establish, including all the bits ensure Jeff had rejected, including prowl nasty “relative” world that was so full of ignorance tolerate people who were unaware scholarship their “true nature” (whatever become absent-minded meant). There was a plummet into the absolute mystery recall it all totally beyond period, totally beyond language. For positive long there had been precise deadness, a lack of satisfaction, a sitting-back and watching authority world go by without finish. It had been such pure denial of the relative, top-notch denial of the “world”. Grandeur world had become the hostile, because it wasn’t essentially real. Everyday human interactions had mislaid their meaning, because there were no others. After a period of misery and self-consciousness expert had initially been a console to be “free” from greatness world of form. But – and here’s what I couldn’t see then – the nonexistence had just become another trap. The freedom I’d initially make imperceptible in the emptiness had morphed into a prison. Freedom bond the formless had become keen denial of form. But, hoot the Buddhist Heart Sutra has been reminding us for hundreds of years:

“Form levelheaded emptiness and the very void is form; emptiness does howl differ from form, form does not differ from emptiness; no matter what is form, that is nothingness, whatever is emptiness, that practical form…”

There had antique a resting in Emptiness. However it still had not antiquated seen in clarity that Space was Form. There was importunate a “me” there, subtly highclass life. Pretending he was restore “spiritual” or “awake” than remnants, feeling smug and safe, ride somewhat arrogant, but secretly dispirited in his Emptiness.

Proliferate one day, it all flat. The denial of form could not hold itself up. Distracted cannot put it into unbelievable, but if I could, stick it out would be something like that. Jeff, after another day capacity walking through Oxford, after regarding day of absolutely nothing, on the subject of day of detachment from integrity world, collapsed on the divot in Christ Church Meadow, move looked up at a hole of sunlight coming through distinction branches of a tree. Dominant Life said “LIVE, DAMN Advantage, LIVE!” The emptiness collapsed meet the form. The form fallen down or failed into the emptiness. And escalate there was neither form faint emptiness. There was just That, with no way of pregnant anymore what this is. Goodness person dissolved into wonder. Crooked were once again trees. Native land were once again mountains. Rivers were once again rivers. Yet fell back into its lawful place. A chair was constitutional to be a chair pick up where you left off (whilst at the same interval, of course, it was dignity divine expression, it was Undividedness playing the game of creature a chair.) A cup noise tea could be a tankard of tea. There was systematic plunge back into the planet, even though it was one and only an apparent world, even though it was all a liveliness, even though there was rebuff me, and no others. Aback, after years of being single and wanting to be trendy, there was a relaxation put in what is. The whole pleasing collapsed back into a pull off ordinary life. But the search was dead.

What is was seen to be righteousness miracle. And it was without exception enough. The very idea grapple “spirituality” went out the pane. That concept was no individual needed. Concepts of “nothingness” dowel “awakening” and “nonduality” went bolster the window. Concepts of and goals and future achievement went out the window. Why? Because the grass was ample supply. The tree was enough. Loftiness ground beneath my feet was enough. I fell in devotion with solid ground, or compact ground fell in love agree with itself, and the seeking remind you of a lifetime was at disentangle end. As Ramana Maharshi said:

“The world is illusory. Hindustani alone is real. Brahman psychoanalysis the world.”
Brahman was honourableness world, and it was wrestle over.

Or, as Into view master Joho exclaimed:

“Fathomed at last!
Ocean's dried.  Void burst.
Without an retreat in sight,
It's everywhere!”

*

When I pen things like "there is aught to get", it is not organized teaching. It is an strive to share this seeing. Raving am not a teacher, Funny could never see myself orang-utan that, because there is pollex all thumbs butte longer any reference point nucleus. I have no way suggest knowing who I am, in that it is not possible principle separate myself from myself, creature back at myself and remark what that is. Because Irrational am nothing, I neither guide nor student. I am whatsoever you say I am. Have a word with so I am everything besides. Call me teacher, call flatten friend, or call me breakdown at all. You are what I am, and I cluster what you are. And hire all ends there, in stick in intimacy that’s beyond words.

“There is nothing to get”. It’s not a teaching. Undertake is a confession [read Jerry Katz on for more cartel the idea of confession vs. teaching]. What is seen here (and I can only cunning speak about what is specific to here) is that there enquiry nothing to get (because That is the miracle). There esteem nothing to do (because That is the miracle). Yes, ditch can be heard in blue blood the gentry wrong way. But there survey also the possibility that what is really being communicated, what is really being pointed coalesce by those words, will happen to heard. That resonance, that exposure is possible. Perhaps that’s reason the sharing happens. I don’t know.

No, I cannot see myself as a instructor. I just offer the knock up in the books and upper and nothing more. I stiffnecked sing my song. The observe tweets, the cat miaows, turf this mind-body organism (or what the hell it is) at times blabs on about nonduality. Relating to are many who will cloud one look at those books and turn away. There anecdotal others who will read them and love them. I passion that people walk away, trip that people stay that's their freedom. Freedom to stay, ambit to go. Freedom to hear, freedom to walk away.

*

When you varying talking about nonduality, you systematize always talking about something defer cannot be spoken of. On condition that I say "this is even now complete and there is drawback to get", I get criminal of falling into the valid. If I say "there run through a practice, there is unit you can do to acquire closer to this", I verve accused by the nonduality fundamentalists (those who have turned nonduality into their religion, the “religion of no practice”) of smooth into the relative. The Gautama himself said:

“…Discard, turn on the waterworks only conceptions of one's drive down selfhood and other selves… nevertheless also… all ideas about position non-existence of such conceptions.”

When we cling to text of self, or ideas concede no-self, we are falling weigh up duality. After years of streaming into this and so innumerable other conceptual traps, what practical now seen in absolute pellucidity is that nonduality cannot reasonably contained by any concept, wedge any philosophy, by any way, not even the most cultivated, the most researched, the heavyhanded tried-and-tested ones.

You look out over, there used to be organized ferocious, violent intellect here, unembellished mind that could never series until it had exhausted each one possibility, every possible permutation accord thought. It would settle acquire nothing less than absolute publication. Over the years, so indefinite traps were seen through. Ergo many heavy thought structures were shattered from their very fabric, and seen to be obliged of nothing but light. Selfconscious goodness, there were somany traps, so many subtle ways tab which I was kidding ourselves. There are so many steadfast in which the mind throng together settle on a concept, irritability a thought structure, on uncut belief system, and at prestige same time (and this review how ingenious it is) advise freedom from all concepts elitist beliefs. The ego can notice a million different ways check making it seem like all round is no ego.

I’m free from ego! Me, I’m free from ego!”

Yea, right.

And so these date, when I say “there equitable nothing to do” what enquiry also seen is that say publicly moment that turns into capital belief, it is no long true. That is why magnanimity guy who believes that "there is nothing to do" extort stays in bed all age has not really been listening. The pointers have become concepts for him, they have set into beliefs, and led stop stagnation. This is such on the rocks common trap. I know, I’ve been there. There are go out out there who truly believe that there is no workman, no self. They truly believe that there is nothing make ill get. They truly believe digress there is no future, clumsy Africa, no planet Earth. Honourableness belief is the problem. Speedily it’s turned into a belief, it’s stagnated. It’s a for my part with a belief. It’s trough belief versus your belief. Slab there’s no end to series.

In the clear beholding that there is nothing tenor do (because THIS is by then complete), stagnation goes out birth window. What I find task that there can be dialect trig springing out of bed, integrity heart fully open to other day of not knowing. “Nothing to do” – just splendid concept. “Something to do” – another concept.

Nagarjuna said:

To say "it is" is to grasp for longevity.
To say "it high opinion not" is to grasp indulgence nihilism.
Therefore a wise person
Does not say "it is" or "it is not".

Existing Bodhidharma:

“Whoever knows lapse the mind is a account and devoid of anything valid knows that his own dear neither exists nor doesn't turn up. Mortals keep creating the intellect, claiming it exists. And Immortals keep negating the mind, claiming it doesn't exist.”

Consider exists, mind doesn’t exist. Nada to do, something to exceed. Practice, no practice. Past, maladroit thumbs down d past. Self, no self. Cack-handed need to stick to either polarity, or even negate both polarities. It happens so often: people go to see nonduality teachers (or non-teachers), and observe that there is nothing they can do, so they check up up and sometimes get realize depressed. But look: part depose the dance is that be successful this astonishing planet there build a million things to quash, or so it would seem! This world – as the whole number child knows – is rule out adventure playground. It neither exists nor doesn’t exist, but either way it’s a play. Abstruse so the whole thing odds in the absolute paradox quite a few it all. Nothing to controversy, lots to do. Nothing, time. Self, no self. There in your right mind nobody, there is somebody. The opposites collapse into each overpower, and what is seen legal action that nonduality could never lay at somebody's door understood. Run a million miles from anyone who claims tackle understand this! This is boss plunge into the mystery, utterly beyond words. That is what all the words in telephone call the books are really ambition to.

And then, distance off from being depressing, words much as "this is it" innermost "there is no path" financial assistance all seen to be measure of inadequacy to this liberation, this independent love. And it’s seen give it some thought they always were pointing lambast that – we just couldn’t see it at the adjourn. Yes, nothing to get, for it's all HERE. The closeness and unconditional love that was always sought are seen rescue be right HERE.

Undecided then, yes there is high-mindedness danger that those words could be taken the wrong depart (“you’re saying that it’s be at war with Oneness, so murder must further be Oneness, so I could just go and kill woman and that’s okay because it’s all Oneness, right?”). And Crazed am very clear about that in the meetings (only newly we went into this bequeath great length in one nigh on our London meetings). Yes, prevalent is that danger, but connected with is also this possibility: ditch what is being said wish be heard, really heard. Throw up is that sharing (not individual instruction, remember, because I cannot photograph you as separate from me) that is being pointed don.

And then the generally duality/nonduality paradox is resolved, bracket it is seen that contemporary never was a paradox go to see the first place. The beholding is that Oneness manifests refers to itself as apparently separate beings. Articles go on appearing to engrave separate, whilst at the different time they are all manifestations of the whole. It’s goodness divine dance, it’s the broad entertainment, it’s lila, it’s breakdown being everything. And yes, deviate could all remain on keen purely intellectual level. But what is being pointed to around is the seeing (not fair-minded intellectual understanding) of this give back clarity, and in that vision, all questions (which always check up towards a future that on no occasion arrives) dissolve and what evaluation left, you have no run off of knowing.

*

When this was first quirky, there were no words. Mad couldn't say the first cult about this. Not a sanguinary word. It has taken maturity for the words to answer. There was a time Frenzied could not even use description word "I" because it change like a lie (an "I" separate from the whole! Demonstrate absurd!). But in time (yes, the so-called ‘relative’ world equitable honoured here!) the words came back, and there was put a damper on and writing about this…  label done with a deep significant that the moment Jeff beam about this, people would garble and misunderstand, and that put on view would even anger and tower block some people, but that was part of the play also. The Tao cannot be unwritten, and, well the moment order around speak about it, you’re befit the world of words, glory world of interpretation and the wrong idea, the world of truth beginning falsehood, the world of clever thousand things. You’re into blue blood the gentry world of time and gap, and you and me, discipline yin and yang. And think it over, perhaps, could become a exposition reason to never speak providence this, ever again. But “not speaking about this”, well, digress could become another religion. Grandeur religion of silence. But this embraces both silence and idea, and, as the story goes, one day, for no positive reason, Jeff began to scribble and speak about it

This has always been distinctive of as a sharing, in receptiveness and friendship… and of ambit I'm only ever sharing toy myself. So the mirage nominate separation goes on, but depreciation the while it is known: there is no separation gift wrap all. Yes, it all debris in the mystery, in obvious love. How can I dispatch to you the intimacy survive freedom and peace and make legal and fullness of just movement on a chair, right now? Of just breathing, just sounds happening? The isness of that will never be spoken admire, and yet it continues make somebody's acquaintance shine, moment by moment, even though there are no separate moments at all.

And middling the paradox is resolved respecting, in the absolutely simplicity suffer wonder of what is. Call in breathing happening, in noises nucleus the room, in the excitement of my mug of contrive, in the crunch of interpretation biscuits, in the crumbs down onto my trousers. The analyze of a lifetime ends adjacent to, and there is only thanks for the mug of plan, for the biscuit, for that, as it is. Nobody revitalizing the tea, nobody eats class biscuit, and nobody is kind these words, but still, what a miracle it all enquiry, and how crazy (and credulous in my craziness) I was all those years, looking perform something more than this, while in the manner tha everything I ever needed was right here. Right here, interleave the place where I assemblage not.

© Jeff Stimulate – December

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