Remembering What Transpires During the Emptiness of Mind State
© 2003
>> I have a question for step 1, emptiness of mind. While doing this, there are times when I will forget my conscious self. But I am awake because I am sitting straight up, using the physical exercise of step 2, while doing this exercise. And things just go blank. Is this correct? <<
Yes, so long as you are still *aware*. It's fairly common, at this stage, that you don't *remember* what transpires beyond thought (i.e., you forget), but you should remain aware *during* the emptiness. In time, you will find that the emptiness is really quite full -- the only thing it is "empty" of is thought.
As I explain (and demonstrate) in Lesson Three of the "Self-Healing Archaeous" audio series, the emptiness of mind state is the Fire region of the mental body. When you focus your awareness exclusively in this region through practice of the emptiness of mind, there is a direct perception of essential meaning which occurs beyond thought, idea, word, feeling, etc. It is pre-cognitive, so in order to become aware of what you are perceiving in that state, you must carefully return to a cognitive state. In the Archaeous, I recommend that you enter the emptiness from a one-pointedness state and then *return to one-pointedness* immediately after your emptiness. By entering *from* one-pointedness, you take your point of focus into the emptiness and it sets the stage, so to speak, for the direct perceptions within emptiness. Then, when you return to one-pointedness and examine your point of focus anew, the pre-cognitive direct perceptions from the emptiness take shape as thoughts, ideas and words. By doing this, you begin to build a bridge of continuous awareness between thinking cognition and the pre-cognitive direct perception of essential meaning found in the emptiness.
>> But I think the problem is the word *aware*. I am not asleep in the sense that if someone suddenly open the door I will know. But I cannot say that I am fully awake because everything is blank. Even I do not know what I am doing. Can this be called "aware"? <<
Yes, it sounds like it to me. It's not a "normal" state of awareness, but it is awareness.
>> Regarding the one pointedness after I return from emptiness, what I focus upon? should I focus upon the period I went into emptiness in the sense that the blank there will become meaningful thoughts? Did I get it right? <<
I suggest that you experiment with various methods. What you describe will work if you observe the very first thoughts that arise in your mind upon exiting the emptiness and make those specific thoughts the object of your one pointedness. Another option is to begin with a one pointedness (upon whatever you wish) and then go directly into an emptiness. When you feel complete with your emptiness, return to the previous one pointedness and take careful note of how your one point has changed. Any differences you notice will be evidence of what you gained from the emptiness, impressing itself upon the realm of thought.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
06 Jan 2003