Self-Realization and Other Awakenings

(Darren Dugan) #1

us win our own freedom, either by setting up a
situation within the Sangha to make us let go of
certain ideas, conditions, desires, or ambitions, or by
offering concepts opposed to those we held on to.
Robert taught many different methods of
meditation, and each in the audience was free to
select whichever method they liked most. But the
method he taught most was self-inquiry in its myriad
of forms, and self-abidance. He taught us to go
inwards, into our inner emptiness where dwelled the
mind, images, emotions, and everything we called
subjective. There we were to just watch. Watch for
the ‘I-thought’ and find its origin. Watch the other
thoughts come and go. Look for the subject.
This place is as close as we can come to our true
nature in consciousness, but from time to time, he
would say we were beyond even that. AND SO WE ARE!
You know, so many students say they want that,
complete freedom, enlightenment, but in fact they do
not. They hang onto concepts and exploration of
concepts and new experiences. Many, many came for a
year or two and thoroughly understood what Robert
was saying, took those concepts into the world and the
experiences they had with Robert, and became
teachers. Some just left and looked to a new
teaching, thinking Robert’s teachings lacked
something. Eventually the fire of seeking dies out,

Free download pdf