In order to explore this tenacious impression of “getting it and losing it” time and again - what is commonly called “flip-flopping” among spiritual seekers - we borrowed Ramana Maharshi's analogy of the fan that keeps spinning long after the switch has been pressed “off”; or that starts spinning again, albeit perhaps less frequently or at a lower speed.
For most of us, the non dual message might be ever so clear for an instant – glimpses - or for longer periods such as months or years – longer and deeper insights. However many of us witness the creeping of thoughts that seem to press “on” or “off” switches keeping us in bondage.
Now when clarity is there, mind is silenced. Self referential notifications or thoughts are muted, or simply don't come up at all. And what a relief!
This said, old beliefs could sneak in through the back door and sticky conditionings might take their own sweet time to peel off. When they surge, simply stop there. There is no need to fight or flight...There is a mechanism at play that is being going through serious dismantling. Just be!
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“Waking up is a shift of perception: “I am not That. Now I am This, Pure Consciousness, Being”. Transcendence is a particular stage of spiritual development. It is manageable duality. It is safe but you are not really there, you are not fully engaged! It is not real, it is not ultimately the Reality, it has got two things: formless and form, it is not whole. Reality is always whole, it's all inclusive.
The deeper state of maturity is when we really mature into what “Unity” really is, when the very concepts of form and formless do not make sense anymore because the formless is form, and form is the formless. It is One thing appearing two different ways that has implications into living again. You are there now, you're not afraid anymore, nothing to lose, nothing to gain. It is one single movement, one happening.”
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“Awakeness had seen through the character. But the residual identification that I was an independent being, an independent Fred started to come back as a “unit overwhelm” as the story came crashing into the unit – to mind really but it felt like it is to the unit. There was so much story that's arising at the same time that I simply couldn't keep clear. So... I lost identification as Awakeness. Now who was it that lost identification as Awakeness: Awakeness!”
“Waking up was a disappointment to Fred, there was nothing in there for Fred!”
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“I am not this collection of limited thoughts and sensations and perceptions. I am the open empty ever present unlimited field of pure awareness”, that is the recognition of our true nature. However that recognition does not put an end to all the old habits of thinking and particularly feeling in a way that is consistent with the belief that I am a separate self.
So there is a “post enlightenment process” that takes place after the recognition of our true nature in which we gently and lovingly encourage all realms of our experience to be colonised or be realigned with our new understanding.
It is all about “Deeply loving cooperation and benevolent indifference” to the reappearance of these old residues of separation. Once you have seen through the non existence of that character, so the old feelings of separation that are reappearing are like empty shells.”