Theory

Chan Practice Speedrun

As part of Stage 1 study in AtR, I got to overview the fundamentals of Chan Buddhism. Chan is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that developed in China during the Tang dynasty, later spreading to Japan (where it became Zen), Korea (Seon), and Vietnam (Thiền). Its philosophy focuses on meditation, direct insight into one’s nature,…

Practice

Ramana Maharshi’s Self-Enquiry: Nan Yar?

Juggling Priorities and Spiritual Practice I have been busy with several different priorities lately, so my study of resources in AtR has been slow, and I am still covering my bases in stage 1. Even though I am pretty sure I got the “I am” through several pointers and techniques I have already explored, I…

Practice Theory

Kriya Yoga: Course #2

Deepening My Understanding A couple of weeks ago, I finished the second course of Kriya Yoga. It has been very impactful on both my practice and understanding of yoga philosophy. Many things started falling into place in terms of my understanding of the world, my purpose, the mechanism of meditation, etc. From the results I’ve…

Theory

Awakening: The Disambiguation

The terms ‘awakening’ and ‘enlightenment’ are often used in a very loose way where they mean a range of things which depends on the experience and knowledge of each individual using the term. In this sub I have seen colloquial uses of the terms, metaphorical, allegorical, etc. This post intends to zero in on more…

Practice

From Pain to Power: A Sadhu Board Workshop

I’ve kept up with a consistent Sadhu board practice since I got them in April. However, I haven’t been able to make much progress and go deeper with them despite the daily practice. It was mostly because I didn’t have a serious intention to properly work with the tool and get into the details of…

Insight

Non-Duality Pointers by Ken Wilber

These excerpts from Ken Wilber are the most potent pointers to non-duality I have ever come across. I was diagramming the concepts as I was reading it but it was essentially useless because every word in his writing needs to be there and is irreplaceably impactful. Here it is nonetheless since these days I am…

Insight Practice

Playing With Resistance In Full Lotus

I love meditating in the full lotus position these days. It’s been a challenge trying it out initially but with consistent yoga practice and frequent attempts, it becomes easier and easier to sit for longer periods in it. I can only really do it with my left foot on top and the maximum I’ve been…

Insight Practice

AtR: Stage 1 – Meditative Self-Inquiry by Adyashanti

I am currently working through the plethora of resources amassed and discussed on the Awakening to Reality website. It breaks down the path to awakening into 7 stages with descriptions of various practices and markers corresponding to each stage. I am starting from the very top and going page by page, resource by resource, video…

Practice

Sadhu Board Practice

A few months ago, I started using the sadhu board in my daily practice. After trying it at a friend’s place, I knew I had to incorporate it into my regimen. The challenge of starting with it reminded me of the process of getting used to cold showers many years ago. In the beginning, the…