Voluntary And Involuntary Consciousness In An Awakened State

July 30, 2008

Consider these 2 aspects. When we are in an awakened state, would you agreed for a start that there in that aware state, we will have 2 operating sub-states. Yes…the voluntary and involuntary states.

Most of us know one and not the other. Most of us know of the voluntary consciousness and are unaware of the involuntary consciousness. When we were at birth, we dwelled in the involuntary state, and very shortly thereafter, the voluntary consciousness overpowered the former to such an extent, the involuntary consciousness can rapidly varnished from our Being. We become attached to the stories of our past and the hope of a future. We no longer become Being in Now.

The voluntary state mind is one when our mind can direct our actions. When we wish to do something, we will have our mind direct our to carry out that piece of action such as when we want to go into a state of mind of happiness. Our mind determines the form and outcome of an action.

An involuntary state of mind is when we become an observer of our state of mind. In other words, we become dissociated from events that are happening to us and the environment. We strive in the presence or NOW; just Being. We become positively centered and balanced irrespective of every negative emotions that surround us. When someone special passed on, we see the positivity of the event and not be attached to any negative emotion what might be happening around us. There may be pain, suffering, sadness correlated with the passing on. However, it we can remain in a involuntary state of mind, we are no longer afraid of death. With centerness and balance, we are able to handle tasks rationally and positively. We no longer allow our our state of mind to control our the outcome of our actions.

When pain occurs if we hurt ourselves, we are able to dissipate that pain and dissociate any hurt. With training, we can therefore, let our involuntary mind be in an operative choice. We shall not be at the EFFECT end of the equation…we will always strive at the CAUSE end of that equation. We will be inductive instead of deduction. We will look at the big picture instead of the little ones.

How can we train ourselves to rebuild our involuntary consciousness? One way is to perform something that we are very familiar with. Breathing!! Yes..breathing (Pranayama) is a process that each of use are very familiar with. With a set of breathing regiments and processes, we can train ourselves to achieve a state of dissociation and not to be attached or related to an action/happening going on around us. Breathing and followed by a state of meditation is really a gym for our mind to practise and journey to discover the involuntary state of consciousness. Have discovered it, there will be stillness; a Being of unattached centerness adn balance. A calmness. At the highest level of involuntary consciousness, there will no longer be either positive state or a negative one. One doesn’t take sides; no doesn’t participates; one doesn’t engage; one doesn’t influence.

No more boundaries.

Your perspective is welcome…

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The Pilgrimage To Awakening

October 08, 2007
Here is an article I read in The Star today. It’s a short story about Ven Heng Sure. Here is a brief insight into an interview with him. Before we start, just a little about him.

Borned Christopher R. Clowey in 1949, in Teledo, Ohio, he took the name of Ven Heng Sure in 1976. He attended the University of California in Berkeley in the 60s and attained Masters in Oriental Languages. Later, he attained a PhD in Graduate Thelogical Union in Berkeley. He’s 58 now and has been in robes for 30 years.

Back in 1977, a young monk in his full robes of 7-piece sash and the Avatamsaka Sutra tied to his back, took 3 steps and then made a full prostration by the roadside. He got up and repeated the procedure - “san bu, yi bai” meaning “3 steps, 1 bow” - Throughout the day, every day, for 2 years and 9 months!!

That was the bowing pilgrimage undertaken by Venerable Heng Sure from May 1977 till the end of 1979. He covered some 1,280 km of the California Costal Highway from Pasadena to Utah. At the same time, he took a vow of silence for 6 year.

Rain or shine, snow or hail, this young man remained steadfast to his religious practice despite being viewed as weird by the American public at the time.

The following are some of his answers in a recent email interview.

“Why the vow of silence during the bowing pilgrimage?”

The bowing pilgrimage helped me to begin to see through the illusion of self-importance; the silence vow taught me that my inner wiring was crooked. I couldn’t tell the truth from a lie because my motive for speech was so often a wish to make others like me. If a joke or an exaggeration could get laugh then I would twist or embellish the truth without a care. When one person prevents one arrogant thought and one crooked word from entering the mainstream social interchange, then that’s a wholesome deed. Our minds touch each other; when my mind is free of anger and cynicism, I’ve benefited the world.

“After 30 years in robes, what is the most gratifying things you’ve gained?”

A growing awareness that my thoughts matter a great deal to the well-being of the planet and our larger human and non-human family. If i can refuse to get depressed or frightened by what people do, if I can resolutely bring my chaotic thoughts back to stillness, and wonder at the marvel of the infinite conditions swirling around me, and if I can vow to never harm a soul with thought, word, or deed, then my feet are on the path to awakening.

For more wisdom, visit Ven Heng Sure’s blog by clicking HERE.

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