A Moment of Awakening?

chrispche

I was reading Still the Mind by Alan Watts, I also listened to one of his lectures. I was in a pretty good frame of mind last night. Anyway he was talking about awakening, how we all walk around in a delusion. What's weird is I understood this last night, now it's gone. I had an what could be called awakened moment and I really understood it all. I went a bed contented. When I awoke this morning it was gone. I wonder what it could have been.

Was it a religious experience? I have never experienced anything like it before. Probably came close on psychedics, but I was stone cold sober last night. Strange. But Cool.

RenGalskap

I remember that Alan Watts had the same effect on me, lo those many years ago.

I think it means that we are what we think, and all that we are arises with our thoughts. ;-)

chrispche

Yes he is really good isn't he.

federica

This is what I would call a mini-enlightenment, sometimes known as a 'lightbulb' or "Ahaaah! moment"....
They're not uncommon, but what is more common, is that we try to grasp them, cling to them as precious and wish to remain in them, by attempting to recapture the moment.
Big mistake.
Big.
Huge. (touch of the 'Pretty Woman', there.... heh heh heh....):D

The moment is yours until whenever you want it to be.

But learn from it, see it as a learning experience, gain the benefit, then let it go.
It will never come again, so it cannot stay.

Like looking at a river, it's never the same river twice.
The Colorado and the Amazon, never sit still, although they are a constant....

By the way....
At the risk of alienating myself and making myself distinctly unpopular, your signature is a well-known and common interpretation of the first two verses of the Dhammapada - but this has been 'condemned' as being inaccurate and of not conveying the true meaning of the verses.
see the orange part of my signature.
I'll tell you why I say this:
because I too, once carried your signature as mine, and got ripped a new @$$hole by a senior member on another forum.

just saving you getting boogled.....

chrispche

federica wrote: »

By the way....
At the risk of alienating myself and making myself distinctly unpopular, your signature is a well-known and common interpretation of the first two verses of the Dhammapada - but this has been 'condemned' as being inaccurate and of not conveying the true meaning of the verses.
see the orange part of my signature.
I'll tell you why I say this:
because I too, once carried your signature as mine, and got ripped a new @$$hole by a senior member on another forum.

just saving you getting boogled.....

Thanks for the warning. Also an interesting post, cheers.

Palzang

I agree with the responses. I think what you experienced is a common reaction to hearing the Truth of the Dharma for the first time. It happened to me the first time I read an interview with Chogyam Trungpa, and it also happened to me when I read a passage written by Bodhidharma and the first time I heard a teaching by my present teacher. It's like the power of the Dharma just clears away all the mental clutter and for a moment everything becomes very clear and bright. Gives you a taste of what's to come! Sweet!

Palzang

RichardH

My first Dharma book(s) was by Trungpa... "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism" and "Myth of Freedom". These two seem to go together. Definitely provoked a fore-flash, and cured me of the eternalistic conceptual baggage I was holding onto.

Palzang

Those are two of my all-time favorites, real classics no matter what school of Buddhism you follow.

Palzang

OldDirtyCracker

Me too on 'The Myth of Freedom'. The big picture comes and goes for me as well. I understand not seeking but I hope this broader awareness will increase over time. Or is that just another type of clutter?

chrispche

Have any of you lot, read or heard of Alan Watts? His lectures are simply amazing. The guy really gets it. Yet he was nothing more than a lay person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Watts

http://www.alanwatts.com/

http://www.alanwattspodcast.com/

Just a few of his sites. He is not alive any more sadly. I highly recommend him.

not1not2

chrispche wrote: »

I was reading Still the Mind by Alan Watts, I also listened to one of his lectures. I was in a pretty good frame of mind last night. Anyway he was talking about awakening, how we all walk around in a delusion. What's weird is I understood this last night, now it's gone. I had an what could be called awakened moment and I really understood it all. I went a bed contented. When I awoke this morning it was gone. I wonder what it could have been.

Was it a religious experience? I have never experienced anything like it before. Probably came close on psychedics, but I was stone cold sober last night. Strange. But Cool.

If you pay attention, you'll occasionally catch some rays of light coming through the clouds. But don't expect to get rid of the clouds altogether without relentless practice.

Palzang

Alan Watts, along with D.T. Suzuki, were two of my earliest exposures to Buddhism, like many of my generation (which is several generations ago!), so I owe both of them a lot. Alan in particular had a way of putting things that was most helpful.

Palzang

chrispche

Do you think Alan Watts was enlightened? He certainly understood the principles of enlightenment.

fivebells

No. "Strictly speaking, there are no enlightened beings, only enlightened actions."

chrispche

Not sure what you mean by that.

Palzang

I'm not one to evaluate the enlightenment (or non-enlightenment) of others.

Palzang

DobeDobeMu

It's good, not having to qualify experience, as an "either or" domain. By comparison, one may consider the simple use of hands, eyes, lips, tongue, the ability to feel, to cry, all as useful tools in awakening. But not awakening in time, not in some future or past sense. Awakening is always in the present moment, opening, unconditionally.

fivebells

chrispche wrote: »

Not sure what you mean by that.

Think about it in terms of nonself. What would it mean for there to be an enlightened being, in terms of dependent origination? It would still be part of the chain.