On December 11, I chatted with Jacob Kyle on the Chitheads* podcast from Embodied Philosophy. He suggested we’d chat for about 45 minutes but we went an hour and a half. Even there, we skimmed a lot of the territory he wanted to cover.
They list these topics:
– Davidya’s continual journey of awakening
– 7 stages of consciousness
– Awakening inside and outside of a tradition
– Chasing experience
– “Feeling value” and its role in the process of awakening
– Personal and impersonal – changing focus
– Ethics and awakening – three folds of the ego
– Rising of the consciousness in our modern world
Listen here. (the interview starts 3:27 in)
Davidya
* Chit is a Sanskrit word meaning consciousness and to comprehend. Chitta is movement in consciousness we experience as thought or memory.
Last Updated on March 13, 2019 by Davidya
Many thanks for this interview David!
I’m grateful for your perspective on chasing experiences (guilty) though I’m mostly cautious of pushing. In that vein, what’s your take on Holotropic Breathwork from time to time, particularly if awakening to one degree or another had occurred?
Thanks, Rob.
Yes, a few pointers can be valuable on the path. We all get distracted at different points.
I don’t know anything about Holotropic Breathwork. From a Yoga perspective, we culture the physiology with asana and balance the breath (and energy) with slow suhk pranayama. Other types of breathing are added for specific things. Any sort of fast or intense breathing is only done for short periods and in the context of the above. The idea is balanced growth.
Generally speaking, spiritual practices should be chosen well, then done regularly. Occasional use has much less value for any real progress. Some do use techniques as a “bandaid”, like using meditation occasionally to ease stress. But then it’s not a “spiritual” practice.
Great podcast, enjoyed it very much.
I heard you mentioned the 12 years.
Suzanne Segal quoted Ramana with “The sastras say that one must serve (be associated with) the unmanifest sat for twelve years in order to attain Self-realization…but as very few can do that, they have to take second best, which is association with the manifest sat, that is, the Guru.”
Interestingly after she experienced the no-self state for 12 years there was a big shift in which she experienced the vastness of all existence as herself.
Hi Jean
Interesting. The 12 years I was referring to was time to mature in Self Realization.
It has been true in the past that it often took many years with the guru to shift but I’d say that’s less true now. And of course that’s influenced by our history of development. A good meditation could be said to bring samadhi or “unmanifest sat.”
On Suzanne, I thought it as 10 years. But in any case, she’s a somewhat extreme example as she fought her shift for many years.
Hi David,
I’ve found another reference to the 12 years.
I am watching an older Batgap interview from Katie Davis and she also describes being in a witness/no-self state for 12 years.
Here is the link: https://youtu.be/IGd7f-IvQSI?t=934
🙂
Right. But again, it varies. I’ve seen people shift past Self Realization in 3 days. The point of the texts i think is maturation. They may have had their Unity shift in 3 days, but then they were trying to integrate both.
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Interesting she makes the “if i had a teacher then” comment. I used to think the same of witnessing. If I had a teacher then, I would have woken up. Yet when I was actually ready and had cleared a bunch of karma, the teacher showed up and I woke quickly.
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The key point for people is that waking up is just the first step of living it. We have to grow into it and embody it to enjoy the full value.
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just consider the difference between an empty no-self and absolute bliss consciousness. Same stage, different quality.
Oh yes it’s certainly not a rule but an interesting coincidence. I think the witness stage is perfect for clearing karma. It creates the necessary space for clearing without becoming entangled again in what is being cleared.
Agreed, Jean. It’s a huge benefit to witness and wind down karma prior. At the time I was impatient to wake up but now I can see the huge advantages that this brought.
Beautiful interview. Glad the interviewer allowed you to complete your thoughts before he moves to his next questions
Thanks, Bernie. He was a good interviewer. We tried to cover a lot of territory for the time frame. 🙂