Category: philosophical counseling
-
Things And Egos In Atmananda’s Teaching
In Atmananda’s teaching, we can pull out two basic areas of focus: the independent existence of things and the independent existence of separate selves. Both areas of focus are amenable to the same style of analysis. Pick any purportedly independently existing thing–for instance, dense, solid sensations in the chest that seem to indicate that there’s…
-
Does Time Pass? An Atmananda-style Investigation
Does time pass? 1. Call to mind any thought directed toward some past event. Ask yourself: “When is this thought arising?” Settle into the self-evident answer: “It’s arising now–that is, in the present?” 2. Test: “When does any past-oriented thought arise?” Answer: “In the present.” 3. Go on from here to consider: “This thought seems…
-
Each Thought Is A Dream
Each thought is a little dream. The first insight is that each thought cannot point to anything outside of itself. The second, which is just an implication of the first, is that each thought is “self-enclosed.” At this point, what’s disclosed is, as it were, the thought’s self-enclosed world. A thought is like an act…
-
Living Without Intrusive Experiences
A 3-Day Home Meditation Retreat, Jan. 19-21 Living Without Intrusive Experiences ”Living Without Intrusive Experiences” is a 3-day home meditation retreat. Combining elements of Advaita Vedanta, Kashmir Shaivism, and Zen Buddhism, it’s centered on a playful yet earnest exploration of one’s own experiences. Home Meditation Retreat At A Glance About Me I’m a meditation teacher…
-
Two Lines Of Inquiry In Atmananda’s Teaching
Atmananda’s teaching often takes two different lines. One line follows the process of separation while the other invites us to reduce everything to Consciousness. 1. The Process of Separation The process of separation involves splitting subjectivity off from accidental yet habitual identification of the subject with some object or other. Here’s a typical example: Whenever…
Andrew Taggart, Ph.D. 