Re: Dear Rawn and Martin

["Kiyan" <fist_of_mars@...>]

Do you know what helped me with emptiness of mind? Animals. 
Especially so-called primitive ones. Right now I've got a snake, 
tortoise, and some land crabs living with me. They spend a lot of 
time immobile, awake, doing nothing. By pretending to be them to the 
point where i was no longer thinking about pretending to be them, I'd 
get into this primitive animal headspace where all I'd do is breathe, 
and my thoughts would be ... nothing. 

I've run into a weird feeling where my breathing gets very deep and 
shallow, but it doesn't seem dangerous. I use an alarm clock to 
break out of it.

This probably won't help the majority, but maybe people who also have 
a kinship with the so-called primitive animals.

Slanted,

Kiyan

p.s.: sad to see this group go. 

--- In BardonPraxis@yahoogroups.com, "Rawn Clark" <rawnclark@n...> 
wrote:
> Dear Joel,
> 
> >> Concerning EOM..I still have a doubt..the progress in the 
exercise,
> it isn't linear right? Some days the results are better, others the
> results are worst, but with time, you progress and master it right? 
<<
> 
> Yes. Just relax and *experience* the process you are going through 
with
> this exercise, Joel. Let go of all your worries about how what you 
are
> accomplishing is *not* "good enough". These worries take you away 
from
> the immediacy of self-awareness that EOM is meant to reveal and
> cultivate. Just *track* (i.e., take note of) your progress instead 
of
> obsessing about your rate of progress.
> 
> With Step One especially, you are *learning* about yourself at every
> level and an important part of getting to know yourself in this 
way, is
> the process of letting go of your expectations and simply 
*experiencing*
> what *is*, as *it* is. When you get caught up in "this isn't 
happening
> quick enough", you immediately shift away from *experiencing* what 
*is*,
> as *it* is. In the end, this slows a person's rate of actual 
progress
> because what *is* -- when *experienced* as *it* is -- leads us very
> rapidly toward success.
> 
> >> Rawn, concerning the emptiness of mind itself..during the 
exercise, I
> focus on the mental vibration of no thoughts. <<
> 
> This might be a good method of leading yourself *into* an EOM state 
but
> *maintaining* this focus is not a true emptiness of mind. With EOM,
> there is no "doing" -- there is only BEing.
> 
> >> Sometimes, if I focus a lot..I can feel the mental vibration 
before
> it become a thought in my mind, and feeling that vibration, I can 
stop
> it from manifestat itself, so, I don't think at all. <<
> 
> When you are doing this, are you thinking about the process? For
> example, are you thinking, "okay, I'm looking out for that mental
> vibration now . . . there it is, but before it becomes a full 
thought,
> I'd better stop it . . . okay, I've stopped it . . . now I'm 
looking out
> for that mental vibration again . . ." ?
> 
> >> To have this..sensitivity skill concerning the mental vibration, 
for
> Bardon, is a necessary skill to move on to other exercises after 
EOM? <<
> 
> A natural by-product of EOM practice is an increase in the 
immediacy of
> your self-awareness. In other words, you become continuously aware 
of
> yourself, and at a deeper and deeper level the longer you have
> practiced. The sensitivity you describe is a natural by-product of
> early EOM practice in which you become continuously aware of the 
surface
> mind's content and can therefore perceive when thoughts are about to
> arise into awareness.
> 
> My best to you,
> :) Rawn Clark
> 16 Apr 2005
> rawnclark@n...
> rawn@a...
> http://www.ABardonCompanion.com
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BardonPraxis
> http://E.webring.com/hub?ring=arionthebardonwe