Excerpts from "Advaitanow" and other fun stuff. 

"For those seeking a community of folks shooting the cosmic bull, then this site is for you."

Nathan is available for e-mail consultation and other forms of "cyber-satsang". 

Regarding 'pointers' in general…

QUESTION:

It seems that breaking the physical world down to ‘Intelligence Energy’ is very similar to what science has always attempted to do. But, you seem to get some freedom from the discovery. Why is knowing that everything is THAT freeing, but knowing that everything is made up of atoms not? Couldn’t we just as easily say “It’s all just atoms and molecules moving around so why get stressed?” It all makes sense, yet I still have anxiety, why?

thanks,
corey

Dear Corey,

I notice whenever my girlfriend is yelling at me, just telling myself; “Well, that’s Intelligence Energy for ya...” or “It’s all just atoms and molecules” doesn’t really work. Neither does “She’s not the doer”, “It’s all God’s will”, or “That’s just my destiny, shoot.” Believe me, I’ve tried them all and none of them really work. 

Now here’s the thing: all these concepts are really just “pointers” and are totally useless as anything but pointers to That, which is beyond need of help… freedom now… or who you really are (by the way)

It’s funny how the mind will turn any “pointer” into a belief (that’s what the mind does) or into a strategy or formula of some kind to avoid suffering, which is understandable enough, but whenever we DO that, then we are already mistaking the finger for the Moon…a mere “pointer” for what’s actually being pointed to. We enter a hell realm of Advaita-speak and dogma. Our girlfriends leave us and we go to live in a cave.

So all these pointers; “She’s not the doer”, or “It’s all God’s will”… (Insert your own favorite pointer here) …are really not “beliefs” or meant to be believed at all. They are not some kind of mantra or affirmation we’re supposed to keep telling our self. And so long as we ARE still telling our self “She’s not the doer” or “It’s all God’s will”, then we’re probably still missing the point.

Understood intellectually any of these concepts may satisfy the mind for a while, but it isn’t really the mind’s nature to be satisfied for too long. It is the mind’s (ego’s) nature to be dis-satisfied… to grow… and evolve… through its inherent “dis-satisfaction” with “what is”.  Real satisfaction only comes once we rest in the direct experience of who we really are… in the ever-present reality of That, and not in the mind anywhere.

And as regards all pointers in general; “Different pokes for different folks” I always say.

So what DO I do when my girlfriend is standing there yelling at me? Well, I just stop whatever I’m doing in the moment and give her my complete undivided attention and love. That’s all she really wants. That’s all any woman ever really wants (from us) ;-)

Have a nice day.

                                       -Nathan

My Search is over...

Well, I've been a seeker much longer than you
I've followed dead Indians, and of course, the dead Jew
But to tell you the Truth, I'm finally through.

No more holy pictures, and no more vibhuti
If you want my opinion, it's all very fruity
Plus I have found seekers are often quite snooty.

No more demanded donations, no more prasad
Frankly, I think it is extremely odd
That they make you PAY if you want to realize God.

I have meditated, contemplated, and prayed
The masters have told me NOT to get laid
I think they would like it if disciples got spayed.

I don't want to be neutered like my dog and my cat
And I got tired of hearing them tell me, "Thou art That!"
Plus with all that prasad, I was getting fat.

So here I am today, a seeker without a Path
I like the Nizz* plenty, but I don't like the Nath* 

From all lineages I cut a wide swath.

I spit on the Buddha, walk on Guru's head
I had it with the Masters, esp. those who are dead.
I think I'll carry on being my SELF instead.

                                  -No Where Man:

*Nizz = Nisargadatta

*Nath = Jesus of Nazareth

Spiritual Monkey Business...

 Gary wrote:

Omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience, bliss, love, God, spontaneous right action, end suffering, escape the cycle of birth and death...

The seeker is doomed from the start.  Concept after concept is foisted
upon the very mind that is to let all of this go.

The spiritual business may be mostly monkey business.

Talking about Sex...

Mark says:

Let’s talk about sex! How can you have sex without in some way believing that the person you’re making love to isn’t separate from you? After all, when you’re having sex, you don’t scream out “Oh Intelligence Energy, you’re so good!” You don’t look into your lover’s eyes and say, “I want to make love to you, even though I know you are really me.” We don’t do that! We objectify and forget that we are ONE don’t we? So–what’s the proper way to have enlightened sex?

Nathan:

You said it yourself; objectify and forget we are one. In my view objectifying and forgetting we are one is a Divine act. It's about as enlightened as it gets. I mean who else but God would pull off such a trick? It’s a frickin’ miracle in my experience! Turns out just an ordinary human incarnation is the real miracle of enlightenment. When you experience it as a miracle, then you’re enlightened.

Forget about “good sex”, “bad sex”, and especially “enlightened sex". Haven’t you noticed all sex is good until you think about it?

Just like life.

When Farting Happens... 

Tan writes the Advaita-show:

No question but an item that I think may be worth discussing since there is much misunderstanding on this particular one. There is sometimes the misconception that (after awakening) the identities would cease to exist and disappear and that Cameron, Bob, Steve, Tan would cease to exist. no, nada, ie, nein.

Cameron-ing, Bob-ing Steve-ing are still happening but it is evident that they are happening similarly as drinking, eating, farting, are happening. No One is doing the Cameron-ing and Steve-ing. This can be easily seen when there is awareness of what is happening:

For instance when farting is happening, Cameron-ing is not happening for a second and then cameon-ing is happening again , then there is drink-ing happing and some order-ing or maybe think-ing about the blonde hot waitress and for while cameron-ing stops and later continues and so on and so on …

So there are all this beautifully unique “personas” still happening but no-one is doing them.

Cheers

Cameron replies:

Tan; all farting is resolved in the unborn buddha’s seventh planet.

Questions in Jeopardy

Richard :

Unresolved issues? Not many. Would like to be established in the highest non-state. Would like to be non-reactive when my darling wife asks me questions about the previous question on Jeopardy, while I am trying to hear the next Jeopardy question.

 Consciousness-an animation of Spirit