RIPPLES IN THE LAKE OF ETERNITY

Learn meditation techniques to relax and improve your own thought processes.

Moderators: eye_of_tiger, shalimar123

Post Reply
Pravin Kumar
Posts: 7094
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 2:08 pm
Location: bombay

RIPPLES IN THE LAKE OF ETERNITY

Post by Pravin Kumar » Mon Aug 27, 2018 1:28 am

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... pe=3&ifg=1

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... pe=3&ifg=1

Ripples in The Lake of Eternity

Compares Consciousness to an infinite lake in which the ripples are ‘things’, as manifestation is cosmic energy - that is motion in Consciousness, which appear in Awareness, Consciousness at rest. So just as ripples arise in, abide in and subside back into the lake so manifestation arises in, abides in and subsides back into Consciousness.

Imagine a limitless lake, serene and unruffled, stretching to the horizon and immaculately reflecting a completely clear, and cloudless, azure blue sky. In this scenario the lake would be invisible as it would totally merge with its surroundings and no separation would be apparent. Now see what happens when ripples occur, for whatever reason, immediately the lake appears visible as its reflections become distorted and wavy.

Pure Awareness, Consciousness at rest, is like this lake aware of and reflecting everything (the ripples) that appear in it. In our direct experience the ‘things’ that appear in it are sensations and thoughts, including mental images. The mind is always looking at this ‘lake of Awareness’ noticing those things that it thinks are important and need to be processed. It is interesting to note that, as pointed out, the ‘lake’ cannot be seen without the ripples but the mind still does not see it as it is more concerned with processing the ‘ripples’.

When one is identified with, and as, the mind/body - that is as a separate ‘self’ - then the lake is always disturbed by background ‘swell’ of the opinionated self and self-interest, self-concern, self-aggrandizement, self-promotion, self-loathing … the list is endless. This means that the ‘ripples’ are not seen ‘as they are’, for this ‘swell’ distorts them even more and thus the processing of them can well lead to erroneous conclusions.

However, when one becomes aware of the existence of this ‘lake of Awareness’ and can truly see that this is the constant conscious subjective presence in which our sensations/thoughts come and go, ebb and flow, to and fro, then there is the possibility for correct identification to occur. For it can be easily seen that this ‘aware presence’ is all that has been with us since we were born and has witnessed the pantomime of our entire lives. All of our experiences, memories, thoughts and sensations are (and have been) a flow of ephemeral objects appearing in this presence … that is ripples in the ‘lake of Awareness’. Thus one can see that, at the deepest level, one is this ‘aware presence’ and never separate from this ‘lake’ whilst the flow of objects are just ripples rising in, abiding in and subsiding back into this.

When this identification occurs, and one can truly see that the ‘separate self’ is an illusion, then the distorting ‘swell’ caused by misidentification subsides and things can be seen ‘as they are’ with no grasping, clinging, fear or avoidance – as they are seen to be just fleeting occurrences with no intrinsic meaning. This in turn enables for them to be processed spontaneously by the mind without referring to a background store of small self and its opinions, thus making the resulting conclusions and response more natural and error free. This means that we do not ‘wobble’ when making decisions and are not beset by the curse of ‘second thought’ caused by the previously mentioned ‘swell’ which can cause much indecision and prevarication. It also means that we do not have to reference everything by a set of rules, or precepts, for the true Self – Pure Awareness, can be trusted to respond to every situation in an appropriate way. Then your ‘song-bird’ (Khalil Gibran) can fly freely for your conduct will not be defined by ethics but by the spontaneity of The Self.

When ‘wobbling’, second thought or unnecessary suffering reoccur this means that we have once again identified with the ‘ripples’, that is sensation/thoughts – mind/body. The solution to this is to reinvestigate one’s own direct experience (now!), see the appendix, which reveals the constant conscious subject presence, (the lake of) Pure Awareness that we truly are. I also recommend relaxing into the realization of ‘awareness of Awareness’ for at least 20 minutes three times a day until awakening is fully established and misidentification no longer occurs. It is interesting to note that to become ‘aware of (the lake of) Awareness’ requires noting that one is aware (there is awareness) of the ‘ripples’ which proves that Awareness is already present.

For, as previously discussed, the lake is ‘invisible’ (even from the mind) when there are no ripples present. An easy technique for practicing ‘awareness of Awareness’ is given in ‘Three Phases of Liberation’ (in Freedom From Anxiety and Needless Suffering) which entails: seeing ‘what is’, which reveals (the lake of) Awareness, resulting in the relaxation which is the outcome of realising that there is nothing to achieve, find or get as Awareness is always already present and is the essential level of our being. The first step of this, seeing ‘what is’, requires noting that one is aware of the’ ripples’, as discussed above. Therefore the ‘ripples’ are vital in revealing the presence of the ‘lake’ in which they are occurring and in fact everything in manifestation may be used in this way, for more on this see ‘Every perception reveals reality’ in Beyond the Separate Self.

Awareness can also be described as Consciousness at rest in which all manifestation (cosmic energy – movements in This) arises, abides, is spied and subsides. For all motion arises in (and from) stillness, exists in, and can be seen relative to this, and returns back into this when its energy is expended. So Consciousness can be likened to an eternal infinite lake, or ocean, in which ripples arise, abide and subside leaving It unchanged. All of this movement is seen by Awareness which is a facet of Consciousness Itself, but which is ever unmoving aware of the movements occurring within it. For to be totally aware of everything occurring in any situation one has to be totally still … and it is in contrast to this stillness that the ‘ripples’ (thoughts, mental images and sensations in our case) can be seen – that is one becomes aware of them.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Ripples In The Lake

Imagine a mirror-like infinite lake,
Reflecting the sky blue and clear.
This would be invisible, to see it’d take
Something causing ripples to appear.

Awareness, Consciousness at rest, can be likened to this,
Aware of and reflecting each ‘ripple’ that occurs,
Our thoughts and sensations, which that doesn’t miss,
The mind selecting and processing those it ‘prefers’.

When identified as ‘small self’ this lake is disturbed,
By the background swell of self-interest and concern,
So the ‘ripples’ are distorted by the mind perturbed,
Thus erroneous conclusions it may well discern.

However, if we become of this ‘lake’ truly aware,
The conscious presence in which the ripples take place,
That which has always been here, an abiding affair,
We can identify with This, our ‘original face’.

Then it is seen that the ‘small self’ is an illusion,
So the swell subsides, its cause being negated,
And the ripples become clear without confusion,
Fleeting occurrences which are not overrated.

Mind doesn’t wobble for there’s no ‘second thought’,
Not referring to the ‘small self’ and all its pettiness,
So the resulting conclusions and responses ought,
To be free, appropriate and spontaneous.

If ‘wobbling’, concern or needless suffering recur,
One’s identified with the ripples, thought and sensation,
But these prove the existence of the lake that they ‘stir’,
Which can simply result in correct re-identification!

---------------------------------------------------------------
An article from "Ripples In The Lake Of Eternity" and the poem based on this. For more see comments on the photos.

COLIN DRAKE
For detailed palm reading and spiritual guidance Consult at: pravinjsoni97@hotmail.com

Post Reply

Return to “Meditation and Mind Improvement”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests