W. Kandinsky's Arab Cemetery
Number 3, End of March 2002
A lot of the formalism is dropping away, but the basic practice remains. Just do awareness of awareness in dyad and report what comes up to your partner. At our most recent session, some worked with a physical object, some just responded to the instruction, "Be aware of awareness. Comment at will." Changeovers were managed by a 5-minute bells tape recording.
Everyone's state went up. You could see the whole room rise in less than a half hour. Heavy troubles vanished without dealing with them. A few of us kept flashing on what was happening long after the dyads were over and most of the people had gone home.
I was getting a lot of visual phenomena. A bookcase and the people in the room looked like modern art. Looking in an art book, I found Andre Derain's Portrait of Matisse matched my experience, as did Kandinsky's Arab Cemetery - rich, vibrant colors and dark, simple lines. It was a lot like a drug experience. [No, we are not taking drugs here!]
W. Kandinsky's Arab Cemetery
A quote from one of our members:
"The instruction 'become aware of awareness' (COC) seemed much more effective than individual, 'issue' or 'problem' related instructions. The intention to become aware of awareness seems to drill directly into a state of 'presence' or 'awareness' of universal intelligence.
"Mark gave a good explanation of the 'dynamic' nature of this universal intelligence. His analogy of a 'detergent' that dissolves things (rigid mind-structures) seems true to me.
"I suspect that once one brings this 'universal intelligence' into present awareness, things will manifest quickly in the life of the person holding that awareness. I suspect that one's internal and external life would spontaneously 'reorganize' to better align with the universal intelligence."
And this from a reader of the newsletter:
"The Dogzen is hot. I printed out both newsletters, and have been trying to mock up a dyad by myself. My particular Enneagram consciousness fixation came up immediately, then dissolved. That was fast! I like how active it is, not sitting there remote on your tuffet. I would like to come to class next time I'm in California, and perhaps work on the phone with you for a few short snippets. I'm buying."
The form we have been using to experience COC is the dyad. The partner relationship is very powerful and helps keep you focused. We love the contact. It also is beneficial to communicate what comes up so that the ideas do not get stuck in the mind and act as a barrier. Doing COC and COCOA in dyad is awesomely powerful.
On the other hand, I think you can get quite a lot out of just imagining being in a dyad and doing the exercise. Just tell the universe what is coming up for you and let go of it, or tell a friend who happens to be nearby. Any of you who are doing Dogzen in dyads, try this out and let me know how well it works.
In my view, after doing three or four COC dyads, you probably don't need the support any more. I think we want to get to a place where we aren't depending on any specific situation (such as the dyad) to plug into COC. We should not assume that we need the dyad. In a short time, you'll just be in "the view" naturally without doing anything special.
Here are some things you can do by yourself that will help you experience "the view."
When residing in stillness (stillness of mind and body), there is the experience of empty space and clarity. Just pure consciousness in union with this space. There is no perception of self. There is just this primordial, naked awareness.
Whatever arises in awareness arises in this space. There is a constant flux of energy as events move into this space. There is a continuous, unimpeded "ingression of novelty," and this gives rise to the impression of a flow of events in time.
Ordinarily, when events enter the sphere of awareness, there is a cascade of reactions, many levels of reactions (thoughts and feelings), in the mind and body. These reactions spawn other reactions, and others, and so on. Like a great bell that has been rung, the nerve system keeps reverberating from impressions.
Within this flood of reactions there is a single error, utterly simple, utterly subtle, and inevitable. This error is the mother of delusion and suffering. This error is the root unenlightenment and it creates the opportunity for enlightenment.
The original impression is utterly simple and perfect. Before immediate intrinsic awareness is tricked by the flood of reactions (the root unenlightenment), there is just suchness. There is just "as-it-is." There is no description of the original because labels come later. Prior to the first thought, there is just direct experience.
There are no stages to go through to be directly aware because there is nothing that makes things the way they are. You can't cure thought with another thought. Instead, you simply detach awareness from what it is aware of and be aware of awareness itself. The root unenlightenment ceases at that instant and everything self-liberates. There is just pure awareness nakedly aware. This is what we call "the view." There is a dissolving of separation and no separated individuality remains - no personality, no being, no life - just "as-it-is."
There is no preparation for this, no getting ready. Pure awareness is already here as the truth. There is no reaching for something or attaining something "over there." The "this" that you are experiencing right now with ordinary awareness is the "this" that is always here and now. Prior to the first thought, there is only "this," and, when one is deeply sucked-in to a world defined by reactions, there is still only "this."
Everything liberates in the fundamental nature.
Everything is already liberated in the fundamental nature.
Wahoo!
| The consensus of the group is that we would profit from
spending a whole day getting very clear in the suchness of the moment. I devised
a simple schedule, much like an Enlightenment Intensive, in which to do the core
Dogzen practices.
Soon we will meet on a Saturday from 8:30 AM to about 4:30 PM and do this. The date is tentatively set for Saturday, April 20, 2002. If enough people want to do it on that day, that will be it. There will be no $charge$ for this. We can have a simple potluck lunch at mid-day. I'll provide some snacks and drinks too. We would like to have about 10 people at the Dogzen Session. If you want to come, just contact me. There are no prerequisites and anyone who is interested is welcome. In fact, more than welcome - you've just got to try this! To sign up, email Edrid at edrid@sandoth.com or phone 650 328-4941. |
Wishing you the best,
Edrid