Beyond Meditation
We typically begin meditation practice by practicing vipassana, or insight meditation, where we work at being choicelessly aware at all times, however, this practice is not the real thing. Practicing is pretending, just as meditation itself is a pretense until a shift in consciousness occurs. Then meditation becomes something quite different.
At this level, a strong sense of self remains deeply entrenched, which we use to be aware, to acquire insight, and, inadvertently, to strengthen our egos. We see ourselves traveling through time, practicing, progressing in our practice, and in all of this, we add to our illusion that "something" is becoming more spiritual. This is "spiritual materialism," so concisely revealed by the late Tibetan master, Trungpa Rinpoche.
Practicing awareness is not the same as actually being aware. Practicing to become sage-like in our actions is never the same as being a sage; a sage is not conscious of the fact that he or she is a sage at all; they merely act in accordance with the circumstances of the moment. Their actions, therefore, are natural and comfortable, never striving to become that which they are not, and as a result, their self is more or less non-existent.
The self or ego, however, is important and not to be held in contempt when practicing at this level of samatha or concentration meditation. This is because it takes a strong sense of a warrior-self to discipline the mind and stick with the practice until shifts in consciousness occur. Once we attain beginning jhana levels, or deep concentrative states, however, the self begins to slip subtly away and our investigations into Reality become deeper and motiveless. Also, Jhana instills great faith and insures that we will continue in the practice.
The transition from samatha (concentration) meditation to vipassana (insight) meditation can merely be a practice, a method, a result of desire which manifests as the striving of a self. Or, conversely, the transition can be a natural outcome of jhana experience, which results in an effortless seeing with new eyes. This insightful seeing, without the added baggage of a strong sense of ego and without a goal in mind, approaches this next level beyond meditation. This is where the Buddha's instructions on exactly what to investigate, or The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, are so important (body, consciousness, feelings, and thoughts).
This next level is unforced, graceful in many ways; where the insights just come regardless of where our attention is focused. However, if our focal point is on any of The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, then insights become profound. This level creates changes in consciousness, as well changes in karma where the clever "doer," of the self is reduced significantly. No longer is there a surreptitious greed for spiritual achievement, now there is only creative, almost effortless awareness.
Unfortunately, no methods will help us arrive at this level beyond meditation. Methods, such as those employed by beginning level practitioners, would continue to be digested and converted by the strong ego to serve its own purposes, and consequently, the next level beyond meditation could never be approached. Only an imagined approach would result, with imagined results; we might imagine that we are enlightened. Therefore, all methods only delay final awakening. At a level beyond meditation, methods must be abandoned; we must just let it happen, and sometimes it happens in a flash where one day the practitioner sees the body, or whatever he or she is investigating, with new, wide-open eyes.
The key to transitioning to a level beyond meditation is a matter of spiritual experience and maturity, and the timing must be right. If too soon, we will prematurely abandon methods that are very important at beginning levels. If not soon enough, we will become frustrated and our practice will remain at a standstill, perhaps for years, decades. When the timing is exactly right, however, we will then find ourselves taking the unprecedented step of deciding to get down to it and stop wasting time with what is really no more than rites and rituals (but important rites and rituals for beginning levels).
This extraordinary transition from beginning levels to beyond meditation, as you might imagine, takes courage. When we begin to investigate who it is that is practicing, or for what, our practice no longer consists of merely going through the motions of meditation and choiceless awareness; now we really begin to get to the nitty-gritty of it, and the nitty-gritty of it is nothing less than the foundation of everything we conceive ourselves to be.
Regardless of how we have tried to escape anatta (no self) in the past, ignoring it, saying that we can't understand it and so forth, and perhaps focusing on the more pleasurable light and love aspects of spirituality; we now have no choice but to face anatta -- if we truly seek freedom. What we truly seek, and who it is that is seeking, are questions that loom like 800-pound gorillas at the beginning of going beyond meditation.
This more mature level beyond meditation consists of emptiness -- St. John of the Cross's dark night of the soul. Now it's no longer fun and games. Now we are playing with dynamite, as our most precious possession, more precious than all the gold in the world or all of our loved ones combined, is on the line. Now we decide which is more important -- ourselves -- or freedom from ourselves.
This is the crux of the matter, and until we face it, this level beyond meditation will remain as ephemeral as moonlight reflecting from a still lake.
Let me show you what's inside Beyond Consciousness:
Module 1: Astral Projection
- Discover the true meaning of astral projection and how you can use it to overcome your existing limitations in the physical realm� Many people think astral projection doesn't exist � until they suddenly find themselves in the spiritual realm!
- Learn how to project your spirit so you can travel the universal planes of existence� Discover more about yourself and your own world by moving beyond the very limited physical dimension.
- Why wait for a psychic to tell you what lies ahead? You can gain the same wisdom through your astral travels.
- Find out what you can accomplish when your astral body is finally allowed to do what it does best � travel universal spaces and dimensions! The various realms of existence are there for you to explore at leisure. The question is: when will you visit these realms? Are you ready for the most exciting journey of your life?
- What will you see and experience when you project your astral body? I will be showing you the different spiritual realms and dimensions and what to expect when you are the very doorstep of these realms. Having the right knowledge will allow you to make the most of your travels through the astral plane.
- Learn how to create the perfect astral experience� Some people think that astral travel is frightening, but it's actually quite enlightening and it can definitely be enjoyable. I will teach you about conscious control as well as the various techniques that can be used to mold the most wonderful astral experiences.
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