[Drifter]

Devotional Nonduality as an Everyday Practice

Published on Tuesday, April 18th, 2006

Devotional Nonduality is a direct way to enlightenment. It uses the power of the heart and not spiritual ambition. Followers of Devotional Nonduality seek the “core” of spirituality for its own sake, knowing that the source of our own existence is within. It is the devotion to the essence of Truth itself. It’s founder and my teacher, Dr. David Hawkins, M.D., PhD. has comprehensively explained this state within all his teachings and writings, and in his book, “Devotional Nonduality”.
Students of Devotional Nonduality have meaningful practices that work for them, so I thought it would be a good idea to explain how it works in my life, as well as personal definitions and descriptions as paraphrased from Dr. Hawkins.
Devotional Nonduality is a new “sounding” paradigm of being in the world, but not a new way of being. Its relatives are Advaita and some forms of Buddhism, without the strict practice of meditation and the “void” being the ultimate reality. It’s a way to enlightenment through devotion to The Ultimate Reality of our existence, by means of the pathways of higher levels of consciousness. One doesn’t need to do fancy rituals or give up their life or life savings to it. It’s a relatively simple practice with huge implications.
Devotional Nonduality is a commitment to raising ones’ own level of consciousness through being “that” which you have the intention to become. It is devotion to God in the highest, through living life as a prayer. All positionalities, belief systems, ideologies, and conceptualizations must be surrendered. This is a major commitment necessary to becoming enlightened and cannot be taken frivolously. Therefore it is rare to be on the path to enlightenment.
The beingness to which I refer can be as simple as practicing kindness to a fault everyday and without exception. If I find myself not being as kind as my practice has maintained, I stop and witness what my ego is being (by being more contemplative). Due to the fact, we still have to live in the world, as long as we are willing to witness the ego and surrender it, our intrinsic level of consciousness doesn’t vary.
Contemplation (recommended by Dr. Hawkins), is a way of being in the world. In order to practice contemplation, one needs to witness the world in a wider mode of context vs. content, and not get “caught up in the drama” of the momentary stories of ones’ life. Through living within a state of contemplation, non-attachment can be maintained while still enjoying the fruits and pleasures of material existence. The neediness of lesser egoic states tends to disappear. Dr. Hawkins often reminds his students that it’s not the ego itself that is the problem, but the juice, power or excitement we get out of its’ “pitfalls.” He also advises to avoid negativity rather than opposing it. Precious time is wasted resisting that which doesn’t calibrate above the level of integrity. These are the levels such as anger, apathy, desire, grief and all the negative aspects of lower consciousness discussed in Dr. Hawkins books and lectures. One cannot change that which isn’t ready, so avoid “the lower realms” and remain in the light.*
Practicing Truth (Absolute Truth) through devotion to Divinity is the highest commitment of Devotional Nonduality. Within my own daily practice, I like to call this Radical Truth. This is living truth everyday without exception. It does not mean to be radically opinionated. Truth overcomes opinions as one climbs the scale of consciousness. Radical Truth is also radical honesty. When I am confused I state my confusion. If uncertain, I abdicate until I am. Radical truth is being truthful (with kindness) to everyone at all times and under all conditions. Telling lies on any level is not an exception.
By being the qualities of higher levels one naturally becomes kind toward all life. Compassion, joy, sincerity, unconditional love, willingness, neutrality and more is what is necessary to transcend the levels of consciousness. Awareness of the pitfalls of the ego and the ways in which we can fall back is a priority. Surrendering that which you have no control over to Divinity is the path. Through the vigilant practice of being that which you wish to become, you become it. Force is not the way, but the power of Divinity. The intention alone to be more of what you wish to be will make it happen.
If the aforementioned way of being seems difficult, then you are not yet ready to commit to this and that is perfectly alright. The practice of Devotional Nonduality will be around for a very long time and Divinity has an infinite amount of patience. When you are ready to walk the path, there will be many to help guide you along the way.

*This could lead to life changing scenarios, such as divorce, changing social groups/friends, employment or avoidance of certain family members.

http://www.myswizard.com/tag/Devotional+Nonduality

[N0B0DY]

Originally Posted by Fluent Piffle Beauty is always everywhere, but only if you have evolved a mind for such things... The pretension of Beauty will be its own Death. Only the REAL can actually BE.

Is the REAL like the void that Michael implies just IS? What would you say the void is really made of? Doesn't everybody subconsciously pretend to be somebody they are really not?

[Drifter]

Creativity and genius are at the center of high-energy attractors. NO human talents are more relevant to the creation of new M-fields or for the expansion of the enfolded universe; in fact, these are the explicit domains of creativity and genius. Yet there's a scarcity of information about the essential nature of either quality---these closely allied processes remain shrouded in mystery.
Human history is the record of man's struggle to comprehend truths that have appeared obvious to those of genius. Genius is by definition a style of consciousness characterized by the ability to access high-energy attractor patterns. It isn't a personality characteristic, nor is it something that a person "has" or "is." A universal characteristic of genius is humility; after all, those in whom we recognize genius commonly disclaim it, as they've always attributed their insights to some higher influence.
The process of animating genius most commonly involves first formulating a question, then waiting an indefinite interval for consciousness to work with the problem---until suddenly, the answer appears in a flash, in a form that is characteristically nonverbal. For example, great musicians throughout history have stated that they didn't plan their music, but simply wrote down what they heard within their own minds. The father of organic chemistry, F.A. Kekule`, saw the molecular structure that he based his ring theory on in a dream. And, in an illuminated moment, Albert Einstein had the revolutionary insight that then took him years to translate into provable mathematics. Indeed, one of the main problems of genius is how to transform what's perceived in ones private understanding into a visible expression that's comprehensible to others. The revelation itself is usually complete and self-explanatory to the person who receives it, but to make it so to others may take a lifetime.
Genius thus seems to proceed from sudden revelation rather than conceptualization, but there is an unseen process involved: Although the genius' mind may appear stalled and frustrated with the problem, what it's really doing is preparing the field. There's a struggle with reason that eventually leads like a Zen koan, to a rational impasse from which the only way forward is to leap from a lower attractor energy pattern to a higher one. [a metempsychosis, that is to say, to a 360 degree turn in ones thinking]
Attractor energy patterns have harmonics, as do musical tones. The higher the harmonics frequency, the higher the power. What genius arrives at it a new harmonic. Every advance in human consciousness has come through a leap from a lower attractor pattern to its higher harmonic. Posing the original question activates an attractor; the answer lies within its harmonic. This is why it's said that the question and the answer are merely two sides of one coin, and that one can't pose a question unless the answer already exists---otherwise there would be no pattern that the question could be formulated from.
Recognised geniuses may be rare, but genius resides within all of us. There's no such thing as "luck" or "accident" in this cosmos; and not only is everything connected to evrything else, no one is excluded from the universe---we are all members. Consciousness, like physicality, is a universal quality; because genius is a characteristic of consciousness, genius is also universal. It follows that that which is universal is available to each and every person. Some just can't get past their own ego and allow unity to prevail.

[Drifter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtXnUEW_OXw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57tK6aQS_H0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpdaga8cCxU&feature=related

Originally Posted by N0B0DY Is the REAL like the void that Michael implies just IS? What would you say the void is really made of? Doesn't everybody subconsciously pretend to be somebody they are really not?

[Drifter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCUq4YzNHT8&feature=related

quote=melanie;50341]


“LIFE is a mosaic of pleasure and pain - grief is an interval between two moments of joy.
Peace is the interlude between two wars.
You have no rose without a thorn; the diligent picker will avoid the pricks and gather the flower.
There is no bee without the sting; cleverness consists in gathering the honey nevertheless.”

Sri Sathya Sai Baba [/quote]

[N0B0DY]

Good response, Drifter...on a silver platter too!

[Drifter]

As you have so eloquently pointed out this is the difference between the real and the Real.
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. -2 Corintians 3:18

We are what we think; therefore, our thoughts determine our actions.
Our present thoughts affect how we will spend eternity. When our thoughts are faithfully focused on God, we will gain a glimpse of our blessings now and to come, in heaven.
God is most glorified in us when we are satisfied in Him. Our greatest joy is surrendering our thoughts and our life to God and He shows us how to apply God's word to our life, and it empowers us to seek Him through our individual mind and imagination, as He draws us into relationship with Himself.

Be careful what you think because your thoughts run your life. -Proverbs 4:23 NCV (New Century Version)

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.
-Matthew 11:28

O Lord, God of our Fathers Abraham, Issac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. -1 Chronicles 29:18

Sorry for intejecting some Gospel into your thread Nobody, I'm full aware that it's such a bain to some. But books on philosophy are hard to come by in lock down, so Theology was there and I took the time to get back in touch with with my spirituality. The bible, 66 books written over a period of some 1500 years by some 40 different authors in 15 different versions and numerous translations and languages around the world, but the basic golden thread of truth that prevades them weaves them together into the garment of a universal celestial consciousness common to all.
I could not have come away from the experience having utilized the time in a more productive manner, imho.
And of course, since to a large degree our thoughts determine our actions, I felt compelled to give mention to the transformative and liberating power of that Truth, where ever one may happen to find it.

Originally Posted by N0B0DY That’s it exactly, Michael. I often use the analogy of a white canvas which already contains every conceivable painting, with each painting being representative of perceived reality. When they are all put together – the TOE – there can be no such perception of reality – the TON. The intuitive aspect, as it pertains to infinity, is based on there being no such color or blank-slate state as absolute black or white, but variable shades of gray. What an observer thinks of as black, contains white; and what an observer thinks of as white, contains black. (Just like TaiJi). No matter how black or white the perception, the color will be a variable shade of gray; and, similarly, reality will always be a variable (relative) form of energy. The counter-intuitive aspect, as it pertains to the absolute, is based on there being no summation for the colors or reality while nevertheless being required for their perceived existence. The absolute lack of color and/or the absolute inclusion of all colors, equals the colorless; the absolute lack of energy and/or the absolute inclusion of all energies, equals zero energy. Finally, the scientific correlation is based on observational evidence (consciousness and the Visible-light Spectrum); the recent theoretical formulas of zero-point energy, and its philosophical deductions (subconsciousness and the Invisible-light Spectrum); and the greater-than-the-sum whole (unconsciousness and the spectrumless).

[N0B0DY]

No need to be apologetic, Drifter. This thread is based on extending all philosophies to the absolute level.

When I run through all the churches proclaiming that biblical teachings are actually atheistic, the religionists think I'm crazy.

[Fluent Piffle]

Originally Posted by N0B0DY Is the REAL like the void that Michael implies just IS? What would you say the void is really made of? Doesn't everybody subconsciously pretend to be somebody they are really not?

The REAL is whatever exists. The only difference between it and the 'unreal' is that the latter simply does not exist, and therefore has no place in any kind of description that attempts to unveil the REAL. We are simply not as 'aware' as we would like to think we are. We must evolve further for that to happen, and latching on to ideas of 'unreal' things is stopping us from evolving further. Essentially, there are the two aspects of Reality. The initial one, that a thing exists at all, and the secondary, which is how a thing exists, or what it exists as. This 'duality' is not really a duality, but aspects of the same thing. We describe 'things' as 'separate', but all 'things' are aspects of the same thing.

I would say that what people are trying to call 'void' is actually another intuition of Infiniteness. If we posit Space as being the one infinite thing, many other intuitions also fall into place. Space is a REAL thing, it exists, and nothing 'other' is needed for a plausible description of how things necessarily exist.

Add whatever 'fantasy' you like, if it does not exist, it simply does not exist. End of fantasy. It remains 'localised' only as a 'fantasy'. Sometimes we think of solutions to problems, and are able to manifest them into the Reality. This gives us a kind of 'green light' to assume we can manifest any thoughts whatsoever, but in Reality this is not the case.

'Pretence' has become 'normal', and thus we continue to poison ourselves unconsciously. Effectively, REALLY, we 'stagnate', become a pool of contaminated 'thought', and manifest this into the REAL (breathable) world.




pif.

[melanie]

Originally Posted by N0B0DY No need to be apologetic, Drifter. This thread is based on extending all philosophies to the absolute level. When I run through all the churches proclaiming that biblical teachings are actually atheistic, the religionists think I'm crazy.

Hi Nobody, no that is not crazy at all, you are quite right about this word atheist.
This word / concept ''atheistic'' has been misinterpreted and misconstrued
as are most beliefs and concepts,
to be an atheist is generally deemed as not believing in god or religion,
as if these ideas are separate conditions,
In fact the label we use for an ''atheist'' is probably better termed as someone who is comfortable in his/her being,
and not pertaining towards some false mindset or belief in any ideology.


Something regarding what is real and unreal.......


There is no boundary. Your body has no boundary.
Neither does mine. Neither does any living system, or non living system for that matter. The relationship that we all share is seamless in REALITY.
This Principle is reflected in the figure [Below]
which shows how levels of C/consciousness empower or limit one's perception of R/reality.
There is no discontinuity in the UNIVERSE.
There is no Real boundary of any kind between us,
or between any living system and any other living system,
or for that matter, any other matter-energy system.
There is no boundary between any set of material objects.
Scholars have conceived of a holographic universe of nested and intersecting information-energy fields.

We are all actually connected as ONE in the Energy-Information Intelligence hierarchies of the Spiritual SuperConsciousness.
It is only our EGO driven, compartmentalized senses that creates the illusion of boundaries and barriers.
We have, and will continue to die to defend this illusion in the pursuit of fear driven needs for protective or aggressive power and control.
We are slave to the ego's definition of the personal, social,
and political implications that follow from that illusion.


No walking into walls ... it is only the mind/ego 'apparently' hitting a brick wall, where really there isn't one.