Owner: Awaken to Life with Eric Putkonen URL:http://people.tribe.net/awaken2life/blog Join Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2007 15:47:13 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A modern-day mystic and yogi, Eric Putkonen focuses on the "Direct Path" traditions (a.k.a. Pathless Path): Jnana Yoga, Advaita Vedanta, Zen Buddhism, etc. After searching for thirteen years and awakening in 2005, he has devoted himself to sprea Site statistics:Click here
Am I Ready to Become Who I Am? 2007-10-18 10:47:23 I have seen this and similar questions asked by many people. It always tickles me and my immediate reply is…How can you become "who I am"? Are you not already who you are? Who else can you be? Who are you then?
Being yourself is all you can do…there is no becoming. This becoming is only a figment of the thinking mind…the idea needs lots of thoughts to even sound reasonable or seem to make any sense.
When you are outside, ask a bird “how do you become who you really are?” It may seem funny, but they are who they really are. It can not be any other way. Ask a tree or a river, how do you become who you really are? It can not be any other way…they are as they are.
Just be who you are.
Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen
http://www.awaken2life.org Read more:Become
Embracing Vulnerability and Trust 2007-10-23 11:29:30 Liberation, Freedom, and Enlightenment – by its very nature – is an opening. It is a removing of walls and cords of attachment that restrict and confine, but also a removing of the shells and defenses used to protect the “little me.”
As we open, often there is a feeling of vulnerability and then fear – as we have been shown and taught to protect ourselves and that it is a dangerous world. We are taught not to trust people…that trust must be earned. Until it is earned, keep those walls and barricades up. What I suggest is demolition…embracing vulnerability.
Immediately the question may come to mind…what if I am hurt. My answer is that it is a certainty at some point you will be hurt. Accept it. Be willing to be hurt. If you open up and trust all – whether earned or not – you will be betrayed and hurt at some point…given enough time. But I find it is a small minority that will betray you. Would you close yourself off from a 100 because the 1 betrays Read more:Embracing
No One to Liberate - episode 13 of Out of Our Minds (podcast) 2008-03-01 14:08:48
We have put ourselves in imaginary chains and now struggle to become free. It is a trap created by the mind, the mind is trapped in it, and the mind struggles to get free. So in this episode we look and inquire about the chains and the "me" who is chained. For there is no way out...struggling will only make the chains more real. We are only left with looking deeply at what is right now.
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Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen
Cease trying, cease thinking, cease efforting. 2008-02-21 16:40:36 Not for hours or days, just for one second. For one second let everything go and see what remains. Perhaps ask once…who am I? or what am I? But otherwise, do nothing, try nothing…cease making any efforts. Give up control and let go. What is there?
The discovery of ‘what is’ might be possible.
Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen
Read more:thinking
Being in the Present Moment - episode 12 of Out of Our Minds (podcast) 2008-02-18 07:41:28
What does living or being in the present moment mean? What are some of the benefits of being in the present moment? We will answer these questions and others as we delve into being in the present moment. This is one of the essentials and basics for all other spiritual practice...or realization and awakening.
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Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen Read more:Present
, Moment
What’s in a name? 2008-02-12 11:40:09 Name and labels – both for ourselves and everything around us – are the boxes in which we stash all the mental content. If someone says “apple”…you know what it looks like, what it tastes like, what it smells like, etc. All this past content is held in the label/box of “apple.” Many times, when we see an apple…we label it in our heads as “apple” and then we no longer really see it.
We know what it is…why keep looking? Onto something more important…what is next? That is how the mind works – it is never about now…only the past and future. We have to let go off all the past content and not label something in order to really look at it. For labels are not of the present…labels are of the past. To look at something now is of the present. You can’t l
Speaking about the Unspeakable (Nonduality) 2008-02-10 09:11:30 When I read conversations online or books about Nonduality (Advaita), I understand that we can not talk about Nonduality directly, basically because all words are fundamentally boxes containing what is that and everything else is outside it.
For example, to say chair means there are things that are chair and things that are not chairs. There are no nondualistic words, words by there very nature are dualistic. So occasionally I will see someone argue that nondualism is dualistic too...there is dualism and there is nondualism. What must be understood is that the word ‘nonduality’ is used in a special way...not in a dualistic way...meaning that there is no other. But the mind can not really grasp the idea of there being no other, because the nature of the mind is duality...hence Read more:Speaking
Self inquiry is not a mental exercise 2008-02-07 09:15:40 I speak with many people. Often many people will say they are asking themselves “who am I” or “what am I”, and some will say they have been asking that question for years or they have been working on it bit by bit. This tells me they are mental
ly trying to figure out who they are.
Self inquiry isn’t so much mental as kinesthetic. Just be aware of what is right now…with the curiosity to find out who/what you are. There is no need to work on this for years or even bit by bit…just look. Ask just once…sincerely and whole heartedly…”Who am I” or “What am I” and stop (do nothing) for just one second…just be aware of what is. Ask the question and let it go (sending it out) and then just look (not trying to do anything)…aware of what is (the response).
N
The World as a Drama: Another View of Maya - episode 11 of Out of Our Minds (podcast) 2008-02-02 18:09:34
Sometimes the world is referred to as play. In this episode we will view the world as a drama and as play (as in children playing). This is not only seeing the world as a wonderful thing...full of mystery, drama, and color; but also not taking life so seriously and losing sight of what a great thing our life is...both the good and the bad.
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Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen Read more:World
The World as Maya (Illusion) VS. Wold does not exist: A misunderstanding 2008-01-29 12:44:27 As someone who often uses the pointer that the world is Maya (illusion) and therefore so are we illusions (we are not separate from the world), I find a lot of misunderstanding about it. People who misunderstand then assume the world does not exist
, we do not exist, that everything is fake, etc.
While everything is an illusion, that doesn’t mean it does not exist at all (I would not call it fake either). If you are walking in the desert and you see a mirage...there really is no water there, but there is the experience of something - so you can’t really say there is nothing there. If you did not know it was a mirage, you would think it is water and you would rush to it thinking it was water. So for those fooled by the illusion, it does seem real and they act accordingly. For those w Read more:World
Is Enlightenment Sudden or Gradual? 2008-01-26 09:17:54 Both - depending of view and definition of terms.
It comes down to the defining moment of awakening...that is instantaneous. It is like the ripening of an apple on an apple tree. You can say the apple ripening is a gradual process, but when it falls from the tree that is instantaneous and complete (and there is no going back). Likewise, there are periodic glimpses and other spiritual experiences - but that is the ripening process - they come and go and you fall back asleep. When you awaken - there is no going back (falling back asleep for long).
Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen
Read more:Enlightenment
, Sudden
Awakening & Enlightenment is not about knowing more or having powers 2008-01-22 17:46:56 Awakening and Enlightenment
is knowing
the truth about who/what you really are…not to know all the whys and hows of the universe. Awakening is not about accumulating knowledge…you don’t necessarily know more because you are awakened – just not fooled by the mind anymore. For example, there have been illiterates who have awakened...but that did not mean they suddenly knew how to read.
Awakening and Enlightenment is also not about supernatural or spiritual powers. These are often called siddhis. Sometimes abilities come and sometimes not. You can not gauge spiritual progress by the magic tricks they can do. These tricks do not indicate realizing who/what they really are or understanding the Self. People still fooled by maya have siddhis and tricks they can do. It just means
Nonduality and the Mobius Strip - episode 10 of Our of Our Minds (podcast) 2008-01-19 15:00:25
We think we are separate from the world...that we have what is inside us and what is outside us, but in reality we are akin to a mobius strip. Because we have not realized the "twist", we do not recognize that there is no outside. There really no separation, which would require a barrier with more than one side. Nonduality is the idea that there is no other and the mobius strip is something with no other side.
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Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen Read more:Strip
Experiment – Vow of Silence for a Day 2008-01-16 11:36:39 I have done this 3 or 4 times in my life…the longest was 2 days. I was not totally successful…I did say a word the last time I tried a day of silence and said more than one on prior attempts.
It was not a failure (any time) – because you learn so much. It is a very valuable practice…one which Mahatma Gandhi did every Friday for many years. You quickly learn about automatic responses that you do not willfully initiate – saying hello, answering when someone says what time is it and you happen to know…things like that. You also find out how noisy the mind is…how quick we are to label things. As time passing not saying a word…the mind does slow down. The running commentary in the head ceases...in time.
I would recommend trying a day or silence or two. It is a worth Read more:Experiment
Neti Neti: Practice of Demolition 2008-01-10 08:58:58 Neti neti translates as “not this, not this”. Basically, everything that you can be aware of is looked at (deeply if necessary) to realize you are not what you are aware of. So you would not be your car, your house, or any possessions. You would not be your beliefs, your memories, your body, etc.
Neti neti is not a mantra – something to be repeated. There must be the understanding that you are not anything you perceive. This process will tear down and demolish all the structures that we have identified with. Finally, when there is nothing else we are aware of is gone, we are left with what we really are.
Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen
Read more:Practice
, Demolition
Mobius Strip Secret 2008-01-08 09:27:37 “A one-sided surface that is constructed from a rectangle by holding one end fixed, rotating the opposite end through 180 degrees, and joining it to the first end.”
There is something about ourselves that is unknown to most us – it is equivalent to that little 180 degree twist on a mobius strip. If you held the twist in your hand, you would see a loop. You would see an inside space of the loop and an outside space of the loop.
Everyone and everything also looks like this…they have an inside and an outside. We appear separate because we perceive an inside and an outside. What is unknown is that twist. That twist makes all the difference.
We are all mobius strips…there is no inside or outside. There is no real separation between you and the world…no you (the in Read more:Strip
Everyday Beginner's Mind - episode 9 of Our of Our Minds (podcast) 2008-01-06 10:34:09
The Beginner
's Mind is how the Awakened (Enlightened) see the world everyday. It is our accumulated knowledge that blinds and filters our perceptions. When was the last time you really looked at a tree or an orange? The mind tends to overlook what is familiar and does not seem to change, but there is a rich experience we are missing. Empty your cup and see things anew.
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Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen
What is Satsang? 2008-01-03 09:07:36 Satsang is a Sanskrit word; sat means true or being and sanga means company or gathering. More specifically, satsang means a gathering about the Truth of the essence of our Being.
Satsang offers the opportunity for a community of people to come together in stillness and share "presence". It is like how a tuning fork that is struck will make duplicate tuning forks of the same note vibrate as well through resonance. Our essence of Being is the same and it is that which resonates.
Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen
New Year of New Beginnings 2007-12-31 13:13:21 Tomorrow is the start of a new year...and I was recently told by someone into numerology that it is a “1" year; a year of new beginnings (2008...2+0+0+8 =10...1+0=1). This reminded me of a tradition I had heard about letting the prior year go and starting fresh. As if you put away a page and take out a fresh piece of paper to write upon.
I would recommend this. We can still remember what had happened when really needed, so I am not saying forget everything...like a form of amnesia. What I recommend is letting go of the past and let it fall away, instead of resisting this natural movement and grasping onto it - trying to keep it in the moment (when you are).
Let go of grudges, guilt, shame, etc. Let the past go, so it no longer affects the present. Turn over a new leaf, so to Read more:New Year
No One Ever Becomes Enlightened - episode 8 of Out of Our Minds (podcast) 2007-12-22 10:05:05
This classical phrase holds a truism. In this episode we will break down the phrase and understand deeper implications. In doing so, also understanding Enlightenment and what "becoming Enlightened" means.
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Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen
Attitude of Acceptance 2007-12-20 08:38:50 We resist (repel) and grasp (cling) so many things. This is one of the major causes of suffering. Instead of saying we need to accept, which sounds like an action taken in specific situations…I prefer saying adopt an attitude of acceptance of everything that is as it is.
With this attitude of acceptance, let what comes come…let what goes go. There is no repelling or clinging to anything. As long as it is…it is accepted. When it is not, it is accepted. This will also ground awareness in the present moment as well because you are not trying to grasped what no longer is or what you hope will be…or repel what looks like may be but you don’t want it.
If you adopt an attitude of acceptance to what is as it is…and find at some moment you are resisting and not accepting – Read more:Acceptance
And the Buddha said, “cease desiring.” 2007-12-13 10:58:43 Buddhism is often called the Middle Way, but that is more profound than most people realize. When Buddha
was asked about how to end dukkha (suffering/discontent/unsatisfactoriness), he said cease desiring. Desire is the builder of the house. Eventually, the students would say “now I am desire not to desire.” Well that is excessive. It there is a balance of a fulcrum – and one side is “desiring for” and the other is “desiring not for” – what is the fulcrum…the middle way? It is the point of not desiring for or against. It is letting go entirely and accepting what is as it is.
You can’t TRY to do this…you just do it – completely. If you try, that is desire again.
Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen
Not Trying, but Realization 2007-12-11 11:51:30 The way of emptiness…the way of the void…the middle way…is to not be for or against anything. To be without preference and judgment. To have no opinion or belief. Accepting of what is as it is as long as it is.
Not because we are trying to be dispassionate, nonjudgmental, unopinionated, and accepting – but because there is a direct realization of the void in everything and that there is no difference in vast emptiness.
Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen
The Essence of Mind is Intrinsically Pure - Episode 7 of Out of Our Minds (podcast) 2007-12-08 11:20:06 The essence of mind is like the white screen at a movie theater. With all the images and drama, although the movie is not long, we quickly forget about the white screen and it is the images that seem real. Likewise, our essence of mind has been forgotten and we take all the mental content and thought as real. We do not need to purify the mind, but remember the unborn essence of mind.
(going into it more deeply than in my prior blog post)
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Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen Read more:Essence
, Episode
Subtle Forms of Separation 2007-12-05 15:36:05 In my conversations with people, I meet many who say they know they are That (ala Nisargadatta Maharaj). No only do they say that who/what they really are is Ultimate Reality, but also then add additional things like ‘it only shines through sometimes more clearly than other times.’ We must be keenly aware of what we are saying and its implications, because if you say that That shines through sometimes clearly and sometimes not…what is really being said is that you are the vessel or channel for That, and you subtly separating yourself from That.
That which we are is constant…it is never more or less. There also is no shining through…or some derivative of higher or true self. To say there is a higher or true self again is to separate…you are saying “you” are the lower Read more:Subtle
, Forms
, Separation
The Essence of Mind is Intrinsically Pure 2007-11-29 10:51:43 The essence of mind is intrinsically pure; it is like the white screen you see when you go to a movie theater before the movie starts. It is white and pure, but during the movie (which is not long) we forget about the pure white screen and we think the images are what is real (for that is what we see). Likewise, we start out with a pure mind – but then we learn to start thinking and overthinking. Eventually, we think the thoughts images are what is real. We forget about the essence of our mind…the unborn mind…the uncreated mind…the unconditioned mind.
But in life, we take it a step further and misidentify with the passing images of thought…this is “me”, “my” life story, etc. We are none of the passing thought images. We are the Unborn.
Namaste,
~ Eric Putko Read more:Essence
Spiritual Community (as a rock tumbler) 2007-11-28 11:42:30 I have been to many organizations over the years and been a member of many for periods of time. Sometimes there is too much focus on harmony and not enough on truth or love. People superficially agree and such as to not cause waves (harmony at all costs) – leaving what maybe should be said or done - undone and unsaid.
Once, a spiritual organization I was a member wanted to get rid of one member because he was too much of a disturbance and he would not change. The man was frank and blunt, but he was curious and spiritually inclined. Often, I found, a course remark by him had a lot of wisdom or a serious question that remained unasked. They did get rid of this person for a time and I found the group stagnated while he was away. There is a saying that a river that is too pure has n
Giving Up the Search - episode 14 of Out of Our Minds (bi-weekly podcast) 2008-03-15 16:36:43
Spiritual seekers continually look elsewhere and to some point in the future when they will find Liberation, Enlightenment, Nirvana, Self-Realization, etc., but can we find these anywhere other than here and now? Can we give up the search and realize what we have been looking for has always been present?
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Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen Read more:Giving
, Search
Embracing Vulnerability - episode 15 of Out of Our Minds (bi-weekly podcast) 2008-03-27 19:55:23
Is there such a thing as safety and security? A child relies on a security blanket to make the child feel safe, but every adult knows the blanket can do nothing to protect the child. Is any other thing we look to for security any different? What is it we are worried about?
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Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen Read more:Embracing
The "I" Can Not See Itself - episode 16 of Out of Our Minds (bi-weekly 15 minute podcast) 2008-04-13 17:31:30
The eye can not see itself, fire can not burn itself, the sword can not cut itself, the mirror can not reflect itself...can Awareness (that which we are) be aware of itself? What does the back of the eye look like to the eye? When people say they are aware of the Self...what is it that they aware of?
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Namaste,
~ Eric Putkonen Read more:Itself
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