During today's meditation, a background music (BGM) from a game I played as a child suddenly started playing, and I was filled with nostalgic feelings for about 3 to 5 seconds. I felt like I might want to play it again sometime, but I didn't particularly deny or agree with that feeling, and just listened to the BGM.

The melody played normally for about 2 to 3 cycles.

Then, it seems that it was a thought or something that had been dormant somewhere in my body, and suddenly that feeling weakened.

The feeling weakening means that the thought was weakening.

Specifically, the music I was hearing was a thought, but the volume of that music in my mind gradually decreased, and it disappeared over about 20 seconds with a slow volume change of about 5% per second.

I wrote about how logical thinking seems to function independently not long ago, and using an expression from that, thoughts and distractions are quite close to bodily sensations, and in this case, the music appeared as this kind of distraction/thought.

On the other hand, the "observing" sensation, which is separate from that, is what is often expressed as "awareness" or "vipassana." I was observing the music.

I was listening to it, but as a meditative expression, the word "observing" means the same thing. In this case, there was only music, but even then, in meditation, people sometimes say "observing." Well, it might be a cultural thing. Meditation involves concentration (samatha) and observation (vipassana), so the word "observation" often evokes an image of visuals, but when observing music, even if it's "listening," the expression "observing" is sometimes used.

From the perspective of yoga philosophy, the "seeing" faculty represents all five senses, and there is an explanation that the "seeing" function is itself all other functions. So, the expression "observing" is not incorrect from that perspective either.

Well, that's the theory, but in today's meditation, the music suddenly appeared and disappeared over a relatively long period of time.

In explanations of meditation, it is often said in yoga that "if distractions arise, observe them without fighting them, and those thoughts will lose their power and eventually disappear." I think that's something for intermediate or advanced practitioners.

I think it's only possible to do that after developing concentration through samatha meditation and developing the ability to observe through vipassana.

Before that, the only thing you can do when distractions arise is to consciously stop them with a strong intention.

It seems that yoga and other methods are not very friendly to beginners (laughs), and they are applying concepts for intermediate or advanced practitioners to beginners, which seems to be causing confusion.

For example, Vedanta is a concept for intermediate or advanced practitioners, but you can't achieve enlightenment just with knowledge from the beginning.

I think that initially, you should practice samatha meditation (concentration meditation) to reach the state of "sine" as Zokuchen says, and then, after reaching the state of vipassana, you can apply Vedanta. However, the perspective of gradual growth seems to be lacking... or perhaps it is clear to them, but it was difficult for me to understand.

Well, I'll talk about those things another time.

In the morning, around 3:00 AM, I suddenly woke up and observed my body. At first, I thought it might be the initial symptoms of a cold.

I felt like my body was a little weak, but I didn't have a fever.
Initially, I also felt like my consciousness was a little weak.

However, I tried moving my gaze, and it maintained a slow-motion Vipassana state, so the basic sense of "awareness" seems to be functioning. Therefore, it doesn't seem like my consciousness is becoming "tamas" and my perception is dropping to 8fps or something like that. It seems normal in that regard.

So, what is this state?

It's a feeling of "mental disorientation," but it might also be described as a feeling of powerlessness.

However, as mentioned above, the Vipassana state is being maintained, so it doesn't seem like I'm falling into a dull, heavy feeling of "tamas" or ignorance.

I suspect it's "ego resistance." I wonder if strong resistance leads to severe colds or a gloomy mood.

My body is also slightly tense, so I consciously release it and return to a relaxed state.

It's like a mild cold, but when I observe my body, the aura on the surface of my body is shimmering, and that aura seems like light.

That shimmering seems to be synchronized with my consciousness, and I'm not concentrating like during meditation, so it feels like a gentle breeze blowing on clouds or mist.

Looking back, in the past, this sensation of the aura was recognized as a "shimmering" sensation.

However, this morning, for some reason, I thought it was "light."

In spiritual teachings, it's often said that "people are beings of light" or "feel the light," but even though I understood it intellectually, I haven't quite grasped it, but today, I naturally recognized it as "Ah, this is light."

I suspect that as ego resistance decreases, the dull, ignorant qualities of "tamas" and ignorance within the aura are diminishing, and the light of the body is gradually seeping out.

The ego resistance is accompanied by a slight feeling of disorientation, a little fear, and a sense of loss, but I feel the light as if to compensate for it.

Now that it's like this, it's clear where I'm going next. If I'm moving towards the world of light, the disorientation, fear, and sense of loss, which are the ego resistance, will probably be temporary.

For now, I'm going to observe this state a little longer.

Without resisting, I think this is a good change, so I'm going to continue on this path.

Some people say that once you reach a certain level of growth, you become less affected by your environment, but I think it's best not to take that too seriously. Basically, humans are creatures that are influenced by their environment.

When you become assimilated, you might say that you are no longer affected, or that you fit into the criteria, but it may just feel like you are not being affected. It seems that if you don't grow, you may end up in a situation where it's difficult to improve.

Mental training requires changing yourself, and for that, I think a quiet environment is necessary.

In this era, there has been a trend for several decades of saying that it is an age where people train in the city rather than in the mountains, and there are people who say such things every now and then, but I think it's best not to take it too seriously.

It is true that it may be fine after a certain level of growth, but I think there are many people who need to spend several years in a quiet environment. That's how it is at the beginning. That's normal.

When I think about it, in a past life memory, someone consulted me, and that person complained about not having an environment where they could live peacefully. I probably didn't fully understand that, and I may have talked about spiritual training without considering the importance of the environment.

I was looking for other reasons for why that person's training wasn't going well.

However, now that I think about it, it was because they needed an environment. Even such a simple answer, people who are in a favorable environment may lack the imagination to understand the other person's environment.

Therefore, living in a quiet environment for a while, such as in a yoga ashram, is useful.

I think I understood its usefulness in the past, but I feel that I have a stronger sense of it recently.

People who are on the path to enlightenment through Vedanta often say, "One can only attain enlightenment through knowledge, not through action."

This is quite a mysterious statement.

Those who study Vedanta carefully select their clothing and food, study scriptures, chant, and practice mantras, all in an attempt to attain enlightenment through "knowledge." However, they do not consider themselves to be "practicing," and when others say they are "practicing," they say, "We are not practicing." This makes it difficult for outsiders to understand.

Similarly, people in Vedanta also practice unique Vedanta meditations, but they say that meditation does not lead to enlightenment. At first glance, this seems contradictory. One might think that if meditation is not necessary for enlightenment, then why meditate at all? However, they do meditate. They deny it, but they actually meditate. There seems to be a unique form of meditation in Vedanta.

This is because they are providing answers based on the doctrines of Vedanta, so one must interpret and understand it in various ways.

Here are three mysteries:
- Knowledge
- Practice/Action
- Meditation

Vedanta is essentially based on the Upanishads, which are considered "sacred texts," and therefore, they do not seem to be concerned with whether it is easy for others to understand. Rather, they seem to prioritize accuracy based on the scriptures.

Regarding "knowledge," the dictionary defines it as "understanding something; recognizing something." This implies not only good memory but also a deep understanding and the ability to apply it. However, if one interprets it in that way, it may be a misinterpretation of the meaning in Vedanta. While that interpretation may be correct in some sense, it is best not to read it that way.

It is better to interpret "knowledge" as "recognizing things without distortion; seeing things as they are."

...While someone studying Vedanta might say, "That's not right," it would certainly make it much easier to understand than simply reading "knowledge" literally. Ultimately, one should be able to read it as "knowledge" itself, but it seems that if one reads it literally from the beginning, it will be difficult to understand.

People in Vedanta try to ascertain the essence of things.

A common analogy is that of a "rope and a snake." The story goes that if one sees a rope in the darkness and mistakes it for a snake, they are not seeing the truth, and if they see the truth, it is a rope, so that is "knowledge." However, this analogy often leads to misunderstandings.

The key to understanding this analogy is to recognize two points: 1) that one can attain enlightenment by analyzing things scientifically and accumulating knowledge, and 2) that one can attain enlightenment by "recognizing things without distortion."

It seems that people in Vedanta are saying both of these things, but I interpret the latter as being more important than the former. However, it is quite difficult to understand the connection between the two. The former resembles the story of the rope and the snake, which is like the scientific way of thinking. However, the latter, "recognizing things without distortion," is often overlooked. When asked by Vedanta scholars, they often say, "It's not about awareness; only knowledge is necessary," which further confuses the issue.

Perhaps people in Vedanta are only talking about the former, but I interpret the latter as also being important.

Regarding the latter, if one continues to recognize things in the state of "zazen," one will be able to distinguish things more clearly, and eventually, all that is seen will be "knowledge" as it is.

It is likely that most people, those who are not enlightened, have distortions that obscure "knowledge." When one becomes enlightened, these distortions completely disappear, and "knowledge" becomes clear.

People in Vedanta say that one can only attain enlightenment through "knowledge," but I think that is just a matter of wording. Indeed, in the state of "zazen," observation is involved, so it is not "action" in the formal sense. Even if one is formally meditating, it is difficult to call it "action" in the same way as before. Nevertheless, it involves the body and will, so I think it can be called "action." However, people in Vedanta stubbornly insist that it is "not action" and that one can only attain enlightenment through "knowledge." As far as I am concerned, it is the same thing.

Perhaps the "knowledge" that people in Vedanta talk about is just a facade or a label, and the important thing is the label itself. Or, perhaps it is simply a matter of wording. I don't think it is important.

Regarding meditation, people in Vedanta call "samatha" meditation (concentration meditation) "action" and call the meditation that deepens the understanding of "knowledge" "not action." So, it seems to be just a matter of wording. Of course, I don't usually point this out to people in Vedanta. If they are using that kind of language, then it is best to understand it accordingly, and there is no need to change the way they speak. I am simply trying to understand.

Hello, it seems that what Vedanta says is, as a premise, seeking the state of "Tekchu" in Dzogchen.

In Dzogchen, the state of "Tekchu" is defined as the state where the "Rigpa," which is the function of the "naked mind," begins to work.

Although Vedanta is broad and takes time, I don't think studying it will be a waste, even if you have been studying it for a while. However, I feel that it may be when you reach the state of "Tekchu" and "Rigpa" (naked mind) begins to move that you will truly understand and find Vedanta interesting.

This part seems unclear, so I will write a little more. Let's divide recognition into three stages.

1. The state before Dzogchen's "Tekchu." Recognition is enveloped in darkness or clouds. The stage of mistaking a rope for a snake. The state of thinking of something else when you see something. In Vedanta, the state where "knowledge" is covered by darkness or thick clouds.
2. The state of Dzogchen's "Tekchu." The state where the clouds have cleared somewhat, but not completely. The stage of making slight mistakes. The state where awareness, observation, and Vipassana appear. In Vedanta, the state where "knowledge" is covered by slight clouds.
3. The state of Dzogchen's "Tuggal." The state where the clouds are almost completely cleared. The state of being able to see things as they are. In Vedanta, the stage where "knowledge" appears immediately.

If that is the case, I think the meditation to be performed may change depending on the stage.

Stage 1: The stage of stabilizing the mind with Samatha meditation. The stage of aiming for Dzogchen's "Shinay" and "Tekchu" states.
Stage 2: The stage of performing Vipassana meditation and beginning to observe things with the "naked mind" (Rigpa).
Stage 3: According to Dzogchen, this is the stage that can be reached as a continuation of stage 2.

Therefore, the things that Vedanta says can be interpreted as follows:

Stage 1: Vedanta says that enlightenment can only be achieved through "knowledge," but I don't think this is understandable at this stage. Therefore, at this stage, Vedanta is not understood as the true meaning of wisdom ("knowledge"), but as a simple "knowing" or "not knowing." It is not a waste, but for me, it feels insufficient. It seems to be a "tool for thinking" in the sense that Vedanta people say, a stage of understanding the framework of the world of Vedanta through special terms. Since you cannot verify the content of Vedanta with your own recognition, it remains as "knowledge" of knowing or not knowing. That may not be a waste for the future or for passing it on to the next generation, but for me, it feels insufficient.
Stage 2: The stage where Vedanta begins to be understood. I think that what Vedanta says can be identified with the "naked mind" (Rigpa) in Dzogchen. At this stage, the "knowledge" that Vedanta talks about is half "knowing" or "not knowing" and half "recognizing things as they are." It seems to be the stage where you begin to understand the content of Vedanta partially. Or, it may be a stage where knowledge gradually appears by observing things "several times," a weak stage of knowledge.
Stage 3: I have not yet reached this stage, but I think it is probably a state where stage 2 occurs more quickly. It is a stage where you can grasp things deeply and instantly without seeing them many times, and immediately reach deep "knowledge." If that is the case, then things like "observation" become instantaneous, or appear as "knowledge" almost without taking any time at all.

Comparing stage 1 and stage 3, both are "knowledge."

In stage 1, it is "knowledge" of "knowing" or "not knowing," which is not much related to identification or observation.

On the other hand, in stage 3, it is "knowledge" that is beyond observation and identification, a state where observation and identification are so instantaneous that they seem unnecessary.

Although these two "knowledges" are quite different, they may seem the same, and confusion may arise because both are expressed as "knowledge."

...Well, I don't think there are many people who have studied Vedanta, so the confusion may be a phenomenon limited to a few people.

It seems that Vedanta people are mixing stage 1 and stage 3 when they say "knowledge." Or, perhaps the expression is correct, but my understanding is wrong.

For example, Vedanta people say, "If you understand it correctly, that is all you need. You can be enlightened with knowledge alone," but that is true in stage 3, but not in stage 1. What is obtained in stage 1 is not enlightenment, but understanding.

In stage 3, "actions" and "practice" are not necessary. You don't need to practice. Because you have already "reached" that state. I haven't reached that state yet, so this is just my speculation, but I think that's probably the case.

If there is a bridge between stage 1 and stage 3, it is probably "practice."

However, some people in Vedanta say that "practice is not necessary" and that "you can attain enlightenment with knowledge alone." But, from my perspective, that's a statement for people in stage 3. Those who have reached that state say it's not necessary. If someone in stage 1 says that, I think it's strange. I think it's understandable if someone who is enlightened comes down to the level of someone who is not enlightened and says, "It turns out it's not necessary," but if someone in stage 3 says, "It's not necessary," it's hard to understand. I think a bridge is needed.

Furthermore, when I read the writings of enlightened people in Vedanta, I often find that they don't understand how they became enlightened.

Some people are born as Indian saints and become enlightened shortly after. They don't understand what they are doing, what is important, and what is unnecessary, and they say that it is unnecessary for them. Some people in the Vedanta tradition seem to be born in a state of advanced understanding and become enlightened soon after.

Therefore, from my interpretation, enlightenment in Vedanta seems to be a natural thing once you have attained it, but I don't think it's a good method for attaining enlightenment.

As I have written before several times, I think that several stages need to be passed to reach stage 3.

As a result, if stage 3 is what Vedanta calls "knowledge," then it probably is. I won't deny that.

Perhaps... because Vedanta says that "actions are not necessary" and "you can attain enlightenment with knowledge," that has become a dogma, and the original practice has been renamed in other ways. I think it's a cultural story. What they are doing is meditation, chanting, and a diet that follows the doctrine, so I think it is a practice in itself. However, it is called something else because it is incompatible with the basic ideas of Vedanta. I think it is essentially a practice.

For example, chanting in Vedanta is said to be studying scriptures. In classical Vedanta and Sanskrit classes, there are no blackboards, no textbooks, and students listen intently to the teacher's pronunciation, memorize it, and repeat it. That is a very strict and demanding practice that requires intense concentration. Although they call it "study," it is like a very intense concentration meditation (Samatha meditation). It seems that by acquiring extreme concentration, one reaches the second stage of observation and understands the teachings of Vedanta. This method seems reasonable, but whether it is truly possible in the current, indulgent world... In classical Vedanta classes, there are no blackboards, textbooks, notebooks, or pens, and everything is required to be memorized. It seems impossible for modern people. However, if you follow the classical methods, there may be important abilities that are cultivated in areas that are not directly related to the teachings. If you follow the teachings of Vedanta completely, if you imitate the classical methods such as "no notes," "no blackboard," "no textbook," and "memorize everything," I think you will probably be enlightened. But, are there any people in the modern world who do that?

Even today, people chant and study the pronunciation and meaning. If you take the time, you may be able to achieve the same effect. People in Vedanta call it "study," but from my perspective, it seems like a practice. It can be interpreted that practice is necessary for the first stage, and it is not practice for the second stage and beyond, but I think it is still a practice in a broad sense.

Therefore, I think that practice is necessary to reach stage 3.

During today's meditation, I suddenly felt a strong energy flowing from the top of my throat down, and I wondered what was happening. Upon observation, the energy seemed to be flowing from the top of my head, through my throat, and into my chest, gradually permeating my abdomen and lower body. The sensation was particularly strong in my throat.

Although I've experienced energy moving from the bottom up before, I was surprised to feel energy flowing from the top down. It's different from the intense Kundalini experiences I've had in the past; it's a steady, gradual flow of energy.

Initially, I thought something might be happening to my Vishuddha chakra (throat chakra), but it doesn't seem to be the case. Observing further, I noticed that the upper half of my head felt like something had collapsed or broken. It was as if a rock that was there had shattered into pieces. Along with this collapse, I felt energy seeping out from the cracks in the upper half of my head, flowing down from the top of my head. This is likely how the energy began to flow down through my throat and into my body. It doesn't seem like the energy is flowing completely freely, but it feels like energy that wasn't previously flowing through that area is now starting to.

I'm not sure if this energy is coming from above the crown of my head. I feel a tingling sensation in my hair, but I don't have a sensation above the crown, so it might be coming from there, but it feels like the energy is suddenly appearing in the upper half of my head, around my third eye, and then flowing down.

During today's meditation, I kept my eyes closed, focused my mind (Samatha), and tried to stop my thoughts while intermittently maintaining a state of observation (Vipassana).

Recently, I've felt like I have the aura of a Daruma doll, with a lack of sensation in the area above my third eye, and a feeling of my aura supporting the top of my head.

It's like the people you see on TV programs from the Middle East or Africa, holding a "kame" (turtle shell) on their heads, with their hands raised. Although I usually sit with my hands on my knees or folded in front of me during meditation, I felt like my aura's hands were holding the top of my head, either cupped like a turtle shell or supporting it with the palms of my hands.

It's a strange sensation, but the key points are the lack of sensation at the top of my head and the feeling of my aura supporting it.

In the past few days, I've been experiencing some slight energy blockages and mental fatigue due to my diet, awareness, and work. I wanted to resolve these energy issues, but I didn't specifically do a meditation for that; I thought a regular meditation would be sufficient.

This phenomenon seems to indicate a more fundamental energetic shift.

Perhaps this is what is called "Ludar Granthi" in yoga. The Granthi are three energy blockages in the body, and the Ludar Granthi is located in the Ajna chakra (third eye chakra). It doesn't seem like it's being completely released right now, but I feel like I've detected the beginning of the blockage being released. I can feel the energy gradually flowing through.

If this is the Ludar Granthi, it might be a precursor to the activation of the Ajna chakra. But it's probably too early to celebrate.

One of the changes I've noticed is that my awareness is clearer, and my recent energy issues have been significantly alleviated. Also, my ability to identify things in slow motion during Vipassana meditation has slightly improved.

Therefore, this event doesn't necessarily mean a direct and significant change, but it seems like a rather significant precursor.

The expression might be misleading. Before this change, I thought I was doing well, but now that I've experienced the change, it's surprisingly different.

A few days later, during meditation, a pressure-like sensation moved from the back of my head towards my forehead over a few minutes, and the pressure gathered at my forehead. I wasn't consciously trying to do anything, but I was aware of where the pressure was moving, and it automatically moved all the way to my forehead.

This movement is similar to the pressure I felt moving along my spine when I was trying the "Small Circulation" technique, and it's also similar to the sensation of pressure moving from the Manipura chakra (solar plexus chakra) to the Anahata (heart chakra) or Vishuddha (throat chakra) during meditation on other days.

Based on these past experiences, I can interpret this as a gradual opening of energy channels, or Nadis, in yoga.

Previously, the target area was the surface of the skin on the back or the area around the spine inside the body. After a while, the Kundalini energy began to move. Perhaps this time as well, the route from the back of the head to the space between the eyebrows is still not fully open, and it is gradually starting to open.

After moving to the space between the eyebrows, the pressure seems to gather in that area, and some of it is dispersing and flowing down towards the throat. Therefore, I think the energy that flowed into the throat like a cough at the beginning was due to this route. It is said that Kundalini energy rises from below, but this energy is the opposite, flowing from top to bottom. There is always Kundalini energy rising, so there are different types of energy flowing from top to bottom and from bottom to up, and they mix in various places. I feel like waves are moving from top to bottom.



In the overview of yoga, Kundalini is said to rise straight up to the head. However, in some yoga schools, such as Kriya Yoga, or in some spiritual traditions, the area between the eyebrows and the back of the head is considered a major energy channel (nadi). For example, according to "The Flower of Life, Volume 2" (by Drunvalo Melchizedek), the area around the eyebrows is described as follows:

The book depicts a "half-step" as a wall. In yoga terms, this is a major energy block called a "granthi," and it corresponds to the Rudra granthi.

If the "rock collapse" in the head was the release of the Rudra granthi, then it can be interpreted as the nadi (energy channel) in that area finally starting to open up.

As a result, the concentration in the area between the eyebrows has changed into a new sensation. The "pressure" seems to be gathering in the area between the eyebrows, and the sensation has changed from "supporting the area around the eyebrows, but with little sensation in the area between the eyebrows, and only occasional tingling" to "the area between the eyebrows itself is holding the pressure."

The pressure periodically moves from the back of the head to the area between the eyebrows, and the pressure accumulates in the area between the eyebrows.

Compared to before, it is likely that the sensation of "pressure" is still in the initial state where it is not fully open. When it is fully open, it may not feel like pressure, but rather that the area is constantly filled with energy.

I will continue to observe this further.

Addendum (2021/1/12): It seems that this was not the case after all. It is more appropriate to think that the block between Vishuddha and Anahata (a major granthi) was released, rather than that there are necessarily three granthis.

It started with the release of compressed air from a slightly separated area of skin between my eyebrows, which expanded and released energy explosively.

After that, the energy descended to the lower body, rose as Kundalini, and seems to have filled up near the Ajna.

Perhaps the Ajna chakra will open twice.

The first time, a crack appears, and energy descends to the lower body.

The second time, the rising Kundalini opens the Ajna chakra.

I have a feeling that might happen. I don't have confirmation yet.

As I quoted before in the section about whether Kundalini rises or falls, the pineal gland, which is said to be the Ajna chakra (or Sahasrara, depending on interpretation), if the energy enters the pineal gland, descends once, and then returns to the pineal gland, the sensation might be like the Ajna chakra opening twice.

"Consciousness must first be called down from the spiritual realm and flow into the entire body, which is necessary before the god residing in a person manifests its full potential." - "The True Meaning of Esotericism" (by M. Doril).

In reality, the stimulation of the Ajna chakra has been ongoing since I started yoga.

I haven't been sure whether that actually corresponds to what is commonly rumored to be the opening of the Ajna chakra.

As I wrote above, there was an explosive pressure sensation between my eyebrows, which was probably the initial experience of opening. From there, energy entered and descended to the lower body, and now it seems that the area around the Ajna is becoming a focal point again.

If that's the case, I think it will eventually open more fully.

Whether it will truly open the door to supernatural abilities as rumored is unknown, and frankly, it doesn't matter much. I'm simply following the natural progression and wondering what lies ahead.

It's like watching someone do robot dance. Of course, I can't do the amazing moves you see on TV, but my everyday movements are recognized as smooth and detailed actions.

Previously, it was only the visual field that was recognized, but now, arm and body movements are also recognized smoothly. It's not the whole body yet, but it's recognizing quite a lot of movement.

When walking.
When moving arms.
When changing the angle of the body.

It's recognized without consciously intending to. It's a natural recognition.

Two months ago, when the slow-motion Vipassana state began, it was mainly changes in the visual field. While I could feel the sensations of my body in more detail, I don't think I could recognize them as smoothly as I do now.

I suspect that this increased recognition ability may have occurred after the recent Rudra Granthi consciousness transformation.

Vipassana meditation is often understood as a meditation for observing bodily sensations. You often hear explanations about observing the skin or breath as Vipassana meditation, and I used to think that was the case.

However, now I think that intentionally observing something is not the true Vipassana meditation. The true Vipassana is a state where it works naturally and automatically without conscious intention, and that is no longer an "action." If there is an "action" of observing, then it is not the true Vipassana. If what is being observed is a "state," then it could be Vipassana. This difference is difficult to express in words.

Thinking "I want to observe" is an "action," and if you have to consciously observe it, then it is not the true Vipassana.

The true Vipassana state is one where observation occurs without such "intention." It can also be called a "state," but even though there is no clear intention, there is something, something "to see."

In theory, something to observe requires a "something to be observed." That certainly exists. Normally, when we "see" something, there is a clear distinction between "what is seen" and "what is being seen." However, in this type of Vipassana state, it feels like "what is seen" also exists, but "what is being seen" is felt as something inseparable from oneself.

Normally, when human consciousness uses the five senses to see or observe something, there is a clear distinction between the observer and the observed. "What is seen" and "what is being seen" are separate things.

The Vipassana meditation that is often heard in the general public uses the five senses to observe the surroundings, observe the breath, or observe the sensations of the skin. There is a distinction between "what is seen" using the five senses and "what is being seen," and they do not become one. By observing the sensations for a long time, you can become more aware of the details, but that is not the true Vipassana meditation; it is a concentration meditation, or Samatha meditation, as I think.

The Vipassana meditation that uses the five senses is actually a concentration meditation, but it is called Vipassana meditation, which creates confusion. If we use the word "observation," it creates a bias and loses the meaning of "concentration." If the meaning is lost, that's fine, but there are some Vipassana schools of thought that have a "negative consciousness" towards "concentration."

In reality, people who meditate and call it Vipassana are probably actually doing Samatha meditation, and that is probably obvious to the advanced practitioners and teachers of that school. However, again, this is just my speculation, but whether you are doing Samatha meditation or calling Samatha meditation equivalent to Vipassana, you can reach a high level, and conversely, there is a certain "sense" that some people cannot reach, so it is probably pointless to worry too much about the method.

Therefore, as often said, meditation has various methods, and there are some that are more suitable for certain people, so it is probably true that it is better to do what suits you.

I personally prefer straightforwardness, so I think it is better to do Samatha meditation directly rather than doing Samatha meditation while being told it is Vipassana meditation.

Vipassana meditation comes after Samatha meditation has established a firm stability, and as mentioned above, at that time, the distinction between the observer and the observed disappears. Some Vipassana schools call this Vipassana, while yoga-related schools call it Samadhi. That's all it is.

As a technique, Vipassana meditation is only about the method, and if the actual practice is essentially Samatha meditation, then it is clear that simply imitating the method does not yet reach the Samadhi state.

The steps are as follows:

1. Practice Samatha meditation, focusing on the space between the eyebrows, or imitate the Vipassana meditation technique by observing the five senses (although it may not be explicitly called "concentration" in the explanation, it is essentially a concentration meditation, or Samatha meditation).
2. Transition to Vipassana meditation. The same state is called Samadhi by some practitioners of yoga.

It is very clear and simple.

In reality, the Vipassana/Samadhi state is a state that emerges when practicing Samatha meditation and suppressing the busy mind, thoughts, etc. Therefore, it is quite different from observing with the five senses.

My interpretation is that Vipassana and Samadhi are the same. I have rarely heard this interpretation elsewhere. Because of the different schools of thought, there may not be many people who make such mixed interpretations.

As I mentioned before, simply stopping thoughts does not lead to Samadhi (Samadhi). Therefore, simply practicing Samatha meditation does not directly lead to Vipassana. I think that unless there is a certain degree of purification, the observational ability for Vipassana does not emerge.

Some people interpret these concepts using the right and left brain. Samatha meditation is a meditation to stop the activity of the left brain, which governs logical thinking. It is possible to say that, based on the state where the activity of the left brain has stopped, the activity of the right brain is activated, and when the right-brained observational ability emerges, it becomes Vipassana. I don't usually use this kind of expression, but it may be easier for some people to understand it this way.

The statement that practicing Samatha meditation alone does not lead to the Vipassana state can be interpreted as meaning that simply stopping the activity of the left brain does not necessarily activate the right brain. It is only when the activity of the left brain is stopped and the activity of the right brain is activated that the Vipassana state is achieved.

I previously wrote about Vipassana and the cessation of thought. However, I suspect that while some Vipassana schools may understand the distinction, they are actually teaching Samatha meditation under the guise of Vipassana.

Perhaps this is because the disciples want it that way. While the guru (spiritual teacher) instructs the disciples to practice Samatha meditation, other disciples who are practicing Vipassana meditation may feel impatient and request to practice Samatha meditation. This may have happened in the past, where the guru's wisdom was to continue Samatha meditation by satisfying the disciples, even though they were not yet ready, and now only the form remains.

This is because, within my group soul, there is a soul who was a spiritual guru and swami in India. When I recall the state of those disciples at that time, there were always some disciples who were not as skilled. However, there was a kind of compassion or sympathy, where even if a disciple was not very good, they would be given a little bit of recognition. The swami at that time could foresee the future, so they knew how far each disciple could reach in the future. Therefore, they might have thought, "This disciple will not be able to reach this level in the future, so let's give them a little recognition."

Therefore, even in meditation methods, there is no strict distinction between Samatha and Vipassana in some schools. Even if it is not Samatha meditation, chanting (recitation of scriptures) can purify the mind, which is the same thing. So, when a disciple wants to practice Vipassana, the guru might say, "Okay, okay. Try this." Even if it is slightly different from the original Vipassana, if it is beneficial for the disciple's growth, it is acceptable. This is the guru's love.

Of course, there are many different schools, and each has its own circumstances, so I don't know everything. However, I think this may be one aspect of it.

Now, it seems that only the form remains, and that while some schools say Vipassana meditation, they are actually practicing Samatha meditation.

There are schools that take this form literally and interpret it as being able to practice Vipassana without Samatha meditation, neglecting "concentration." On the other hand, there are also schools that understand everything and call Samatha meditation Vipassana.

In a Theravada Buddhist book that I recently obtained, this contradiction was clearly revealed. I think that perhaps Theravada Buddhism deliberately calls Samatha meditation Vipassana meditation, even though they understand everything. This is my own interpretation.

For example, at the beginning of the book, it says:

"Enter Vipassana meditation after establishing a calm state, Samadhi (meditation)." Please remember that Vipassana meditation is a meditation that presupposes a state of Samadhi (meditation). "The Mindfulness Meditation Method for Changing Yourself (by Albo Muller Samanasala)."

However, in the actual and specific explanation, it says:

"The attempt at Vipassana meditation is a 'challenge' to 'stop all thoughts.' By making efforts to stop thoughts, the 'fog' in the mind clears, and 'wisdom' appears. Wisdom is not something that is cultivated anew through special efforts. What we must do in Vipassana meditation is simply to stop thoughts and fantasies. In other words, we must try not to think." "The Mindfulness Meditation Method for Changing Yourself (by Albo Muller Samanasala)."

This is called Vipassana meditation, but in terms of content, it is essentially Samatha meditation or concentration meditation. It seems to be explaining the same thing as the cessation of psychological activity, which is the purpose of the Yoga Sutra, as Vipassana.

Furthermore, Theravada Buddhism shows a specific method of "broadcasting" what is happening in the present moment. "Broadcasting" means to "think" specifically about the current situation. It means trying to express it in writing in the mind. This cannot be done without focusing on the five senses and the mind. Therefore, it is not Vipassana meditation, but rather a type of Samatha meditation or concentration meditation. I think that perhaps they are deliberately calling it Vipassana meditation.

In fact, in the Q&A section at the end, there is a section called "Are there many ways to practice Vipassana meditation?" which introduces ways to enter Vipassana meditation from Samatha meditation. From reading this, I get the impression that the author is an expert who understands well. Therefore, I have interpreted that they are "deliberately" calling it Vipassana meditation.

Regardless of what it is called, since it is initially Samatha meditation, I think it would be better to use a method that is easier to understand.

When I heard the opinion of a soul who was once a Swami in Group Soul, it seems that meditation requires a certain level of aptitude, so how one interprets the explanation is up to the individual. No matter what the explanation is, a person with aptitude will grow, so there is not much difference between different schools of thought for disciples, and it is just a matter of preference. Well, I think that is probably true.

If that is the case, even if it is explained as Samatha meditation, a person with aptitude will eventually reach Vipassana, and conversely, even if someone is instructed to do Samatha meditation but it is called Vipassana, a person with aptitude will realize the essence. Well, I think that is probably true.

...When you start talking about "aptitude," I feel like there is no hope for the general public. According to the soul who was once a Swami, people without aptitude will not grow no matter what you make them do, so it is unavoidable. However, even though it may seem useless, it is meaningful to continue doing something in order to connect it to the next life. Well, it may be a saying that can only be said by a Swami who has taken care of disciples for a lifetime.

Even though I think that is probably true, it is not very comforting, so I don't like to say it out loud. There was a soul in Group Soul who was from a past life in England and who taught in a "Spartan" style. It is true that the Spartan style leads to faster growth, but after that, the disciples of that person have continued to imitate the Spartan style, which is a bit of a strange situation. It was necessary to complete two lifetimes of training in one lifetime, but it leaves a lingering negative effect.

If you are teaching intensively at an ashram, then that is fine, but if you are making it public for the general public, you have to compromise to some extent.

However, when I see that a disciple, because they were too lenient, has not reached a much higher level in this lifetime, I sometimes think, "Maybe I should have been more Spartan..."

Well, I am not in that position in this lifetime, so I have no connection to the troubles of teaching.

- Do not arbitrarily (peek into the fate of others).
- Do not arbitrarily (ask the guardian spirit).
- Do not arbitrarily (talk to the guardian spirit, etc.).
- Do not arbitrarily (tell others or the person themselves) what you have seen or heard.
- Do not answer (the person) if you have not been asked.

There are people with innate abilities who lack these basic manners of a social person, but that is not a good thing. If it is not innate, they may have some experience as a social person, so such things may be less common. However, the important points are the same.

Well, it's probably just that out of curiosity, I sometimes glance at the aura of people nearby, and I don't mean it, so it's not something that should be severely criticized. However, it's still not a good thing.

No matter what, you should not point out or tell the person anything about it.

This is a basic courtesy.

The person is living their own life, so the lesson will continue until they realize it.

If you look at it from a superior position and say "this is the way," there is a risk that the person's lesson will be "restarted," which is a very troublesome thing. Even if the guardian spirits and the person themselves have carefully arranged the situation for them to learn, a careless word from a clairvoyant can ruin everything.

It's like when an unrelated person appears in the background of a drama shoot, causing it to be reshot. Everyone involved in the drama shoot is greatly inconvenienced. Since people are all like dramas, the guardian spirits who are involved in a person's life may be greatly inconvenienced. In some cases, they may even be resented. Even if they are guardian spirits, there are different levels, and if an ordinary person with a little morality becomes a guardian spirit (apprentice), they may resent it, so be careful.

No matter how good the lesson is for others, it will not end until they "experience" it, so you should leave them alone. Arbitrarily pointing it out is like hindering them.

On the other hand, if the person requests counseling, it is okay to answer within the scope of what they have asked, but only for that limited time.

The basic rules are the same as in business or psychological counseling.

The person is the protagonist of their own life, and they are the ones who decide where to go, so there is no need for others to tell them what to do.

If you arbitrarily tell them what to do, it is ego, arrogance, and unnecessary interference.

In the case of counseling, you should only provide it as a reference opinion. The person makes the final decision.

However, there are people who are addicted to spirituality, and there is a certain number of people who want others to decide for them. This is not a good thing. If a client asks you to decide for them, you should refuse.

If the client is addicted, the first lesson to be solved may be for them to be able to decide for themselves. Sometimes it may be necessary to coldly reject them, and they may be resented for not deciding, but in any case, they need to understand the importance of free will in this world and the basic will of human beings.

Counselors and clairvoyants tend to talk too much and point out too much, so they need to be careful about that.

Personally, I don't think spiritual counseling is that meaningful. If there is any meaning, it is to "confirm" that there is a world beyond what can be seen, or to use it to "confirm" whether the answer you came up with is correct. Recently, it is mainly the latter. It is okay to use a spiritual counselor to verify the answer.

There are certain risks to becoming a spiritual counselor and listening to consultations. If the answer is not what they were looking for, they may be resented, and if they find out that their wishes will not be granted, they may be resented (laughs).

Therefore, I think that being a spiritual counselor is a disadvantageous position. However, I think it would be more beneficial to the world to talk about general life lessons, such as the Eightfold Path of Buddhism, rather than that. It's like the basic morality of yoga, such as Yama and Niyama.

No matter how much you understand and are interested in spirituality, if you are pursuing worldly benefits, it is meaningless. If it does not lead to basic morality such as the Eightfold Path, spirituality is meaningless, and it may be enough to have the Eightfold Path even without clairvoyance, I think.

It seems to me that people with clairvoyance abilities are not really contributing to the true essence of spirituality. I think the essential things are, after all, the basic aspects like the Eightfold Path.

Therefore, I think that people with clairvoyance abilities should, with proper etiquette, basically stay out of the way.

After Vipassana, daily life feels like a performance.
It may not look as polished as on television, so perhaps it seems unchanged to others.
When I trace the movements of my hands, there are arc-like movements, and when I rotate my hands, they smoothly rotate around my body's center.
Well, if I'm told that's the case, it's true, but when in a Vipassana state, I can feel these subtle details in a slow-motion-like way, and it's interesting to see how my body moves so skillfully like a robot.
In the past, various people said that performing arts and theater are a form of meditation, and recently, I feel that they are indeed correct.
It feels like even the relatively ordinary movements in daily life are already a form of drama.
This depends on the Vipassana state; when not in that state, it's not the same, but if you are in a Vipassana state, you can observe not only your vision but also the movements of your body in detail.
Of course, it's not possible to properly observe both vision and bodily sensations at the same time, so I choose which one to focus on, or sometimes I spend time with a balance of both. However, everything in my vision and all internal sensations are "not myself"... although that might be a misleading way to put it, my body exists as something "being observed."
From the perspective of that "something being observed," there is not much difference between my body and objects in my field of vision; both can be felt in the same way.
Someone once said that theater is the highest form of spirituality. I think it might have been the monk Rajneesh, but indeed, Vipassana feels like theater itself. I remember thinking "maybe that's the case" about 20 years ago, but now I think I didn't understand the current state at all back then.
Perhaps trying dance or theater would be quite interesting. Maybe even traditional Japanese dance.
However, I don't have any background in those areas, so I'm not sure... but maybe trying something like a dance class at the gym would be interesting. I think I could enjoy a different kind of sensation than before.

In spirituality and yoga, it is said that one enters a state of consciousness where one feels identical to others and the surrounding environment.

In yoga, this state is called samadhi, while in spirituality, it is variously described as a trance state, a connection with angels, a connection with the higher self, or a Christ consciousness. I believe that these are all different ways of expressing the same state.

However, the difference in expression may be due to the fact that my recent slow-motion Vipassana and samadhi states are not a state of "identity." Nor are they a state of "separation." Rather, it is a state where one cannot determine whether it is "the same" or "different," and whether it is "separate" or "not separate." I suspect that this is what is conveniently called "the so-called state of identity."

Initially, one is in a state of "separation," but eventually, one reaches the "so-called state of identity." However, since it was originally "separate," it is only interpreted as "identical," and in reality, it is probably a state where one "doesn't even know whether it is the same or different," and "doesn't know whether it is separate or not," which is merely conveniently expressed as "identity."

In reality, there is a preliminary stage of "feeling like it is the same," and after taking one step from there, one progresses to the state of "identity (whether it is the same or different)." However, setting aside this preliminary stage for now, I interpret the true meaning of "identity" as actually being the state of "not knowing whether it is the same or different."

1. Separate
2. Feeling like it is the same (pre-samadhi stage)
3. So-called identity, samadhi. Not knowing whether it is the same or different. Not knowing whether it is separate or not.

When observing one's own consciousness, in the state of separation, "separate" is clearly understood. ... I think I understood it. Since I rarely experience a state of separation lately, it is based on memories from the past, but I think it is probably clear that it was separate.

Next, regarding "identity," since it is already connected, it is not clear where the boundary lies. Because consciousness has reached that point, it feels like it might be the same, but if asked whether it is the same, I can only answer that it might be. Just as I don't know which part of my body is the same, when observing things and people around me in a state of samadhi, I don't know whether they are the same or different, and I don't think I can have a clear awareness that "this and that are the same." A clear awareness is a state of separation, so it is not a state of "identity."

The state of consciousness is clear, but the point of whether it is separated or not is very unclear. That "not knowing" itself may have been called "the state of identity" from ancient times, I interpret.

It may be difficult to explain with consciousness, so I will explain it using the body as an example. For example, when looking at one's own body, it is impossible to determine whether one part of the body is the same as another part. Both are called "me," but how can one know that the right arm and the left arm are both "me"? It is difficult... or rather, it would be a recognition of "not knowing" or "somehow feeling like it is the same." Although it is possible to separate the body and the outside, and to say that the right arm and the left hand are both "inside," that is not what I am trying to say. What I want to say is that the state of becoming the same with the surroundings in samadhi is similar to the state of one part of one's body being the same as another part.

When using only recognition without logic, it is not possible to clearly determine whether one part of one's body is the same as another part. What can be "recognized" is "not knowing whether it is the same or different," and "not knowing whether it is separate or not," and that is merely conveniently called "identity."

Similarly, in samadhi, one does not have a clear awareness of being "the same" with the surroundings, but rather, when one has an awareness of "not knowing whether it is the same or different," that is samadhi. In other words, it might be said that samadhi is when one's awareness of "self" becomes unclear.

During meditation, I initially focused on my head.

It was a state of collecting and condensing a mass of aura in my head, and being careful not to let it dissipate. However, I suddenly felt that it would be okay to release that concentration.

Following that intuition, I gradually released the concentration.

As a result, the aura in my head was actually maintained almost in its original form. Indeed, the surrounding shape felt slightly distorted, but the basic shape was retained.

From the Vipassana state, I consciously released the tension in my body. However, that was only the tension in my body, and it did not release the mental tension.

The tension in the body is connected to the mental tension, so releasing the tension in the body can also release mental stress and tension. However, this was the first time I was able to intentionally release mental tension or conscious concentration.

Perhaps the tension in the body and the tension in the mind are similar, but they differ in their subtlety and ease of execution.

Collecting a mass of aura is not so much tension as it is preventing it from dissipating and avoiding unconscious contact with the surroundings, and it also makes it easier to sense subtle sensations. There are various intentions for doing this, and I was concentrating for that purpose, but I think that concentration itself was not the goal, but rather collecting the aura was the goal.

Until now, I felt that concentration itself had some meaning, but if the purpose is to condense the aura, and concentration is just a means to that end, then perhaps I can release the concentration once the aura is sufficiently condensed and difficult to dissipate.

Perhaps it is necessary to periodically concentrate and condense the aura, but it is not necessary to be constantly concentrated, and it may be necessary to intentionally concentrate and release it.

I think that this method is quite similar to the method of releasing physical tension.

When I first entered the Vipassana state, I released the tension in my body. However, the same method could be applied to the concentration and release of concentration when condensing the aura, and the two were connected in terms of method.

It is said that in the secret teachings of swordsmanship, there are phrases like "release tension" and "relax." I cannot practice swordsmanship, nor have I read any secret teachings, so this is just my imagination, but I thought that perhaps those phrases might mean something like this. This is a hypothesis, but it seems plausible.

There are two stages to releasing tension or relaxing: releasing physical tension, and releasing mental tension, as in this case.

And I think that the story of releasing mental tension is further connected to the condensation of aura and the reform of consciousness, but this last part is still something I will be verifying, and I am still in the observation stage.

It seems that Kriya Yoga develops a slightly different theory compared to other yoga systems. According to that theory, the three gunas are said to be related to the following:■ Three Gunas
Tamas: Matter, body
Rajas: (In Theosophy) Astral body, mind
Sattva: (In Theosophy) Causal body
"Kriya yoga Darshan" (by Swami Shankarananda Giri)

In addition to this, I will add a correspondence between the states of meditation based on my understanding.

■ Three Gunas and States of Meditation (My Understanding)
Tamas: Matter, body
Rajas: (In Theosophy) Astral body, mind, the state of Shinae in Dzogchen. Mental concentration. Dhyana. Samatha meditation. (Some) Samadhi
Sattva: (In Theosophy) Causal body, the state of Tekchu in Dzogchen. Vipassana. (The original) Samadhi

In yoga, the goal is to transcend the three gunas. Generally, people who practice yoga aim for the pure state of Sattva, but there is a further state beyond even the pure state of Sattva, which is said to be enlightenment, liberation, or Moksha (liberation, freedom).

I think that this state beyond the three gunas corresponds to the state of Tugal in Dzogchen. This is what is called enlightenment, but the word "enlightenment" seems to be something unattainable. However, when arranged step by step like this, the steps become clear.

Initially, it is Rajas, so we aim for the peaceful state of the Shinae state in Dzogchen through mental concentration, which is called Samatha meditation.

After that, when we reach Sattva, it is the state of Tekchu in Dzogchen, so we will reach a further peaceful state.

Based on Dzogchen, the state of Tugal is a continuous state from the state of Tekchu, so if we can reach the state of Sattva, we will surely reach the state that is said to be enlightenment or Moksha. ... Well, this is still a hypothesis.

Recently, the words have become confusing, and the three gunas and Sattva are used in various meanings, so it is difficult to judge, but if we consider the above classification, it seems that reaching the Sattva consciousness, which corresponds to the state of Tekchu in Dzogchen, is a relatively high hurdle. It is a state of consciousness equivalent to Vipassana or Samadhi, but it seems that it is difficult to reach that level.

However, the path is relatively simple, and although there seem to be side paths, there are not many of them, and although there are many schools, in reality, they all have the same basic path. Therefore, I recently realized that the basics of spiritual practice are actually very simple.

I think that you can try various things and choose what you like according to your preferences, but the core part that is cultivated there seems to be the same.

In my soul group, there is a soul who was an archbishop in Venice during the Age of Exploration, and he regrets that he left a concept of fear within the church.

He says that because he taught lessons based on the trends of the world, rather than solely focusing on God, fear was introduced.

In Japan, this may not be the case, but in Europe, especially in Catholic churches, people are often exposed to stories of warnings, demons, and other things that create a sense of fear towards the church, angels, and demons.

He deeply regrets this.

...While this soul is part of my soul group, and therefore a part of my past lives, I also feel that I may not have fully understood God at that time.

Even if one has a pure state of mind and is qualified to be a priest, truly knowing God is a difficult task. Even if one knows God, pursuing that knowledge is endless, and there are difficulties in conveying that understanding to others.

Furthermore, in that era, there seemed to be some knowledge of yoga entering the church. The priests of that time were imitating yoga, believing that it would help Christianity. They seemed to accept yoga without rejecting it.

I remember that one of the previous archbishops in my soul group's lineage was a truly wonderful person, someone I consider to be superior to my own soul group. He possessed a radiant aura, a noble character, and was respected by the people of the city. However, he was followed by an archbishop who may have felt pressure to live up to his predecessor, felt the need to do something new, or was swayed by the trends of the time.

As a result, when he preached the teachings of God, he spoke of frightening things based on the deteriorating state of the world, which has led to a lingering sense of fear within the church.

Looking back, he should have only spoken of God.

The trends of the world are distractions, and commenting on them does not address the essence of the matter. True peace of mind comes from within, and the church should have been a place to cultivate that inner peace.

Of course, there were prayers and a choir that helped with purification.

However, he also brought a sense of fear into the church.

This has led to a situation where the Catholic Church, in particular, has instilled fear in its followers through what is presented as "lessons," making it difficult for them to accept guidance from angels and other sources. He deeply regrets this.

Venice at that time was a twilight period, marking the end of the Age of Exploration. While still prosperous, it was a time when people could sense the gradual decline as merchants moved to other cities.

Reflecting this era, the trends of the world became decadent, with music shifting from classical to faster tempos, and energetic dances becoming popular. People were moving away from a calm lifestyle and expressing themselves more intensely. The church felt a sense of crisis in response to this.

The church believed that these decadent trends were undesirable and wanted to educate people to live a more calm, cultured, and spiritually fulfilling life. They wanted to emphasize that a spiritually calm life was the path to God, but by commenting on the trends of the world, they inadvertently conveyed a different impression.

As a result, people developed a fear of God and the church, rather than reflecting on their decadent lifestyles. While the church was still respected, a lingering sense of unease remained in some people.

When the church explained that a decadent lifestyle was undesirable and that the path to God was preferable, the listeners often only remembered the criticism of the decadent lifestyle, leaving them with a sense of unease. While those who know God would understand that a decadent lifestyle is not desirable, pointing it out to those who are already on the path of decadence only seemed to breed fear.

This is a regret for not being able to educate people effectively. However, it was undoubtedly difficult to call for a moral life in the face of a large and overwhelming trend of decadence.

At that time, I felt that people were turning towards decadence because the church was not able to educate them properly. In reality, there may have been aspects like that, but it may have been a larger trend of the times.

While some people understood, many were instilled with fear. However, the methods used were probably not very good.

At that time, there was already a trend of disrespecting God against the backdrop of decadent culture. This trend of disrespecting God is not limited to the modern era. There was already a trend among some people of treating God as something that could not be trusted and should be laughed at. It may have been the beginning of materialism.

Some decadent people spread dances similar to rock music, attracting people and making them smile. They thought, "This is the true way for humans to live." This is still happening all over the world. As a result, some among the clergy began to think, "Maybe that's right," and eventually, some chose a "rock" lifestyle rather than living a life devoted to God.

My archbishop observed this trend for a while, trying to assess the situation. However, he eventually discovered that a leading figure was looking down at the former clergy with a smug expression, and he judged that "this is not good." He then began to more aggressively pursue the decadent trend, but many people did not understand it, and as a result, Venice declined, and many people left Venice.

After my death, Venice became a quiet port town. The decadent rock music of the past disappeared, and it became a quiet port town. It was ironic. It had declined and regained a quiet world. However, the trend that was pointed out at that time had spread widely throughout the world.

Now, I think that we should have preached only about God.
And in order to preach about God, we ourselves should have been closer to God than anyone else.
It is difficult to convey something to others, and it is almost impossible to convey everything. However, I think that if we ourselves deeply understand something, even a fraction of it will be conveyed.

We should have been faithful to that basic principle, and we should not have relied on things like fear or moral lessons. That is what the soul of the former archbishop seems to be thinking.

After that, the soul of that archbishop was recognized as a "saint." I tried to verify this by researching historical facts, but I couldn't find much information.

To be recognized as a saint, one needs to perform miracles. In this case, the miracle was performed by moving a bell, with a diameter of about 1 meter, with the soul, and ringing it repeatedly during the funeral ceremony. Actually, bells use the principle of a pendulum, so if you apply force repeatedly, it will gradually move, so it seems that it is one of the things that is easy to move after death.

At that time, my colleagues did not think of me as a saint, but the ringing of the bell made them realize, "Oh... Archbishop ○○ was a saint..."

Then, on the anniversary of my death, probably around the 7th anniversary, the bell rang again. This time, there was surprise, but the reaction was that "Archbishop ○○ is watching over and protecting us." And, I think it was around the 30th anniversary that the bell was rung again. This time, it seems that this event was expected, so no one was surprised, and the attendees lined up quietly and bowed their heads to offer thanks.

Even a soul like mine can do things like this, so perhaps "miracles" are not as difficult as they seem.
Rather, people who are far more enlightened than me probably wouldn't bother to perform such miracles.

More than that, the difficulty of knowing God and conveying that knowledge seems to be far more important.

...However, this is based on stories I saw in meditation and dreams, so I don't know if it's true.

In yoga, karma yoga, the path of selfless service, is recommended, and bhakti, the devotion, follows. It is said that through karma yoga, the object of service itself becomes deified.

At that time, bhakti becomes like a vipassana state, losing the distinction between the self and the object. This is the same as the samadhi state. The service becomes automatic, without a subject or purpose, simply because it is necessary and natural.

I think that bhakti people express this as service, deification, or worship.

When I see people practicing karma yoga in yoga, especially in the beginning, they often struggle with doubts, wondering if what they are doing is truly meaningful. This doubt is natural, as they may not fully understand the true meaning, or it may not have been properly explained.

In NPOs, volunteers are often motivated by a sense of service, stress, and the desire for change. However, there is a phenomenon called "volunteer fatigue," which shares similarities with the fatigue experienced in yoga's karma yoga.

I think that it is difficult for NPO volunteers to reach a state of selflessness without a religious background. Some volunteers may appear to be serving, but in reality, some organizations are motivated by profit. Therefore, I feel that NPOs may not always offer a sense of fulfillment. Without a religious background, NPOs may lose their direction. Some organizations have such ideologies, but they often originate from abroad. In Japan, materialistic ideologies tend to be prevalent.

On the other hand, the essence of karma yoga in yoga is not service, but ultimate enlightenment, which offers a sense of fulfillment. When service becomes the goal, it is limited and endless, leading to a dilemma where problems are never resolved. NPOs often deal with such "unsolvable" problems, but unlike karma yoga, which can lead to a deeper understanding, NPO volunteers often become exhausted and leave.

To reach a vipassana state, it is necessary to purify the mind. Bhakti practitioners purify themselves through service and concentration, while raja yoga practitioners purify themselves through meditation. In essence, they are similar. The difference lies in which approach one chooses as a motivation.

The way of viewing it determines the hierarchy. From a bhakti perspective, it progresses from reasoned service to selfless service. From a raja yoga perspective, it progresses from a state of concentration with many distractions to a state of meditation with few distractions, ultimately reaching the vipassana-samadhi state.

Some people may say that meditation is not necessary, but the practices seem quite similar.

Karma yoga offers a sense of fulfillment, while NPOs may not. The equation is that NPOs survive by exploiting the selfless power of volunteers, and when volunteers run out of energy, they are discarded. Some leaders continue to reign by taking the energy from unpaid volunteer staff. While this may not be the case for all organizations, I have seen many like that. However, it was surprising to see that some leaders, who initially treated volunteers as disposable, eventually changed their hearts after being influenced by the selfless activities of the volunteer staff. In this sense, volunteer staff play a role in providing energy, and leaders grow by providing such a platform. However, this seems to be the case for only a few exceptional individuals.

Both NPOs and karma yoga often start with a simple motivation, such as "wanting to be appreciated for serving." Karma yoga continues from there, but for NPOs, it often ends there. I personally think that it would be better to work a regular job than to volunteer for an NPO. Ordinary economic activities seem to help people more. You can pay them a fair wage, and it doesn't take away their self-esteem; it helps them become independent.

Karma yoga continues, leading to a state of selfless service, which some people may call vipassana or samadhi, where they truly understand the meaning of service.

In this situation in Japan, where volunteering and discussing religious meanings are often taboo, and where prominent NGO activists repeatedly say that "Excel spreadsheets are more helpful than ideology," making it difficult to connect volunteering with religious meaning as is done in some other countries. The ideologically impoverished situation in Japan may gradually return to a normal state of mind as the older generation passes away and younger generations take over.

We could wait for that, but Karma Yoga addresses such issues, and the purpose is different. If you want to help someone, it is more beneficial to use money and engage in economic activities rather than simply saying "volunteering." I believe that "volunteering" is simply restricting one's actions. When exploring the best way to help someone, if using money and engaging in economic activities is better, then that should be done. Limiting choices within the framework of "volunteering" may simply be a matter of one's own selfishness. Well, that's how I feel about volunteering. While the purpose of volunteering is to solve problems, the purpose of Karma Yoga is to attain enlightenment through action, so they are quite different, even though they may seem similar.

However, ultimately, if more people become enlightened, many problems that people want to solve through volunteering will also be solved. That is the essence of it. Therefore, even if it is a detour, I think it is better to increase the number of people who have attained enlightenment through Karma Yoga.

Often, in religion, people are told to "believe." However, I don't understand what that means. I don't think that believing in something will necessarily change anything. There are certain teachings, and people say to believe in them. While I think the teachings are generally correct, I think they should be something to be understood, rather than something to be believed.

By understanding, one becomes less doubtful.

If that final state is called "faith," then perhaps that is the case.

However, telling people to believe because there are teachings seems a little different.

Therefore, I think that having faith is somewhat different from religion.

For example, just because there is mountain worship, it doesn't necessarily mean it's a religion. Ideas like nature worship exist everywhere, and they don't necessarily constitute a religion.

These ideas are sometimes called "superstitions," but I think that it is the feeling of becoming less doubtful after understanding something that creates worship and faith.

Therefore, faith that is born in this way does not necessarily constitute a religion.

Personally, I think that everything, including organizations and such faith, is religion. However, generally, when people talk about religion, they are referring to organizations.

Even in yoga, they don't say "believe." Instead, yoga says to verify each teaching one by one, and as a result, one becomes less doubtful. If that is called "faith," then perhaps it is. Yoga claims not to be a religion, but when I consider only the aspect of faith, I personally think it could be considered a religion.

Personally, I think that all fields of spiritual practice are like religion, so I think that yoga, Shinto, and Shugendo are all like religions. However, I think that the way faith is treated varies among them.

Some sects say "believe and you will be saved," while others say "verify it yourself and gain conviction." There are many different approaches.

However, I personally don't quite understand "believe and you will be saved," and I understand faith in the context of verifying something and becoming less doubtful.

Recently, my meditation practice has been less about concentration and more like a chemical reaction, a process of condensation.

In the past, when I focused on a specific point during meditation, such as the space between my eyebrows, the abdomen, or the chest, it served as a way to restrain the movement of my mind.

However, the concentration I experience now, especially in a state that feels like "technique," involves a shift. While I still focus my awareness, it's more about "gathering" energy.

I don't consciously try to "gather" it. Instead, it's more like I simply "place" my awareness, for example, in the space between my eyebrows. When I do this, I immediately notice that the aura around me begins to stabilize and become regular. It feels like that's happening.

After continuing meditation for about 30 minutes, my awareness remains the same, but I feel a rapid condensation of energy around the space between my eyebrows. I haven't consciously tried to make it happen, but by maintaining this state of focus, I observe that my awareness, or perhaps my aura, condenses along the front of my body, particularly around the space between my eyebrows and the chest. I can say that I "know" it, or I can say that I "feel" it. It's the same thing.

It's like when you have a stream or a pool of water and a drain. If you drain a small amount of water from the drain, the water around the drain begins to rotate like a whirlpool. Leaves floating in the distance move very slowly. As the leaves get closer to the drain, their movement speeds up, and they are quickly drawn into the drain. Similarly, in the first 30 minutes of meditation, the movement is slow, but eventually, it condenses rapidly.

Recently, I've been continuing my meditation practice with this sense of condensation. As I continue meditating in this state, the energy eventually becomes saturated and begins to flow outwards.

Initially, it flowed from the space between my eyebrows downwards, through my throat, across my chest, and down to my abdomen. I also felt a pulsing sensation and a connection to the perineum, where the Muladhara chakra is located.

In the past, when the Kundalini energy was released and the Manipura and Anahata chakras were dominant, I wasn't consciously aware of the front or back of my body. At that time, I felt that my body was filled with energy, and that feeling hasn't changed. However, this time, I feel that there's an energy pathway on the front of my body, separate from the general feeling of being filled with energy.

Specifically, the energy flowed from the Ajna chakra in the space between my eyebrows, down to the Vishuddha chakra in my throat, across the front of my Anahata chakra, and to the Manipura chakra. The Manipura chakra felt more internal than on the front of my body. The Muladhara chakra in my perineum also felt like it was connected internally, as usual.

Therefore, I believe it's accurate to say that a new energy pathway has been established on the front of my body, from the Ajna chakra to the Manipura chakra. The pathway from the Ajna to the Anahata is on the front, while the pathway from the Anahata to the Manipura is partially on the front and partially diagonally inwards, connecting to the internal Manipura.

Furthermore, it seems that the pathways extending from the Ajna chakra to the back of my head, and from the back of my head to the crown of my head, have also become more active. I recently felt a sensation of my head being "split" at the crown, and it feels like energy is being exchanged. While the crown doesn't necessarily mean the Sahasrara chakra, I do feel a sensation at the crown.

So far, it seems that a pathway has been established from the crown, across the front of my body, and down to my lower body.

Currently, my body feels warm and relaxed. In addition to the energy flowing on the front of my body, I'm still observing the back of my body to see if any clear energy pathways develop there.

In the meantime, I tried circulating energy in a way that resembles the small or large energy channels. It worked to some extent. After the energy reached my lower body from the front of my body, it flowed around my spine, within a radius of about 10 cm, and up to my head. When the energy flowed, I felt something "move," almost like the sound of bones cracking, especially in my chest. Of course, nothing physically moved. I'm not sure if this is the small energy channel or the large energy channel. I think it's more like the small energy channel, but the definition of the large energy channel is ambiguous, so it's hard to say for sure. I'll just say that it felt like the large energy channel.

It is often said that it is better to stick to one school of thought in spiritual practice. While this may have religious implications and could be seen as dogmatic, there are benefits to continuing with one school.

In spiritual practice, there are certain "forms" that exist, such as mantras, sitting postures, ways of exercising, and methods of performing rituals.

These rituals are based on certain principles, but they are also heavily influenced by cultural background. Even for those who are inherently spiritually inclined, these practices need to be learned anew in each lifetime.

Christianity has its own methods, yoga has its own methods, and Shugendo and Buddhism also have their own methods.

Therefore, in modern religions, no matter which one you choose, you will eventually reach enlightenment. However, trying many different things can lead to spending too much effort learning the forms, making it difficult to reach the goal.

One problem with religions and schools of thought is that they can become dogmatic due to absolute trust in one's own sect, or people may start to think that their own school is the best. However, I still believe that focusing on one's own school is a good thing.

While any practice is essentially fine, a certain degree of familiarity and training is necessary for true spiritual practice. This preparation stage can surprisingly take a long time, so it may be more efficient to focus on one practice rather than trying many different things.

Of course, in reality, different schools may lead to different levels of attainment. So, if you are truly seeking the highest level, you may need to choose carefully. However, not many people reach that level, and it is often sufficient to choose something that is convenient and accessible locally. If you can find a teacher nearby, that is the best. There is no need to seek the "perfect" teacher; a teacher who can teach you the forms and the basics is usually sufficient.

When it comes to human teachers, it can be difficult to find someone suitable. However, there are many spiritual guides in the spirit world, so if you have guidance, it may be best to connect with such a guiding spirit. Spiritual guides are not bound by schools of thought, so they can teach you various things even if the schools are different.

Spiritual guides are far more insightful than human teachers, and they can clearly teach you the principles of things and what is necessary at the moment. For these reasons, I think that if you can find a place that is convenient to attend, the school of thought is not so important. However, I also think that it is better to focus on one thing rather than searching for many different options.

Recently, during meditation, my inner guide (inner guru) explained the state of focused and condensed consciousness that can be expressed as a consciousness that does not dissipate, and the phenomena associated with the so-called Rudra Granthi liberation.

According to this, in this case, the route to the Sahasrara chakra opened in a state where consciousness was condensed, which is good. However, if one has not reached the state of Tekchu, as mentioned in Dzogchen, then the aura may easily leak from the Sahasrara chakra, which is dangerous.

Some people experience the energy reaching the Sahasrara chakra and opening the Sahasrara chakra during Kundalini liberation. However, in many cases, they have not reached the state of Tekchu, which can lead to a dangerous situation.

If one has not reached the state of Tekchu, or if the concentration is only at the level of Sinee, then concentration tends to break down in daily life, and if the Sahasrara chakra is open, there is a risk that the aura will leak too much from the Sahasrara chakra.

If the Sahasrara chakra is open, and one has not yet reached the state of Tekchu, then it is necessary to either quickly reach that state, or to be under the supervision of a guru.

If only the Kundalini chakra is open, and the Sahasrara chakra is not open, then that is also a problem, as the energy cannot escape and may accumulate in the body, leading to a hazy state, which is known as Kundalini syndrome. However, the risk of this is smaller than the danger of the Sahasrara chakra opening prematurely.

In my case, as I mentioned before, I adopted a method of partially liberating the Kundalini chakra without completely liberating it, which is why the Sahasrara chakra has remained closed, and this has been relatively safe. Although there are risks even when it is closed, it seems that in my case, it was judged that it was safer to keep it closed.

In any case, it is safer to have the supervision of a guru. However, the premise here is that a guru who can see and handle such situations is necessary. If the guru does not know anything or cannot take any action, then it is not very relevant.

In reality, there are not many gurus who can do that, and generally, if a problem occurs, the only way to deal with it seems to be to close the Sahasrara chakra. This is just an ideal situation. Therefore, I would not recommend opening the Sahasrara chakra to anyone.

This kind of practice is dangerous, and I realized this time that it is very important to have some kind of guru, whether it is a human guru or an inner guru.

In the manga "Demon Slayer," there's a technique called "Total Concentration Breathing." While the manga doesn't provide detailed explanations, my personal interpretation, or rather, my imagination, is that this represents a fusion state of Kundalini and Samadhi.

By the way, I don't practice martial arts. This is just my imagination, some random thoughts. Sometimes, it's nice to share such thoughts.

Firstly, it's called "breathing," but in yoga, breathing is also emphasized. The Yoga Sutras and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika both state that "breathing" is important. However, this "breathing" is actually the control of subtle energy called "prana." While it involves taking in air, it's about converting prana into energy.

Therefore, when it's called "whole-body breathing," it means circulating prana throughout the entire body. This is what's commonly referred to as "ki" or "aura."

In yoga, the energy pathways are called "nadis." The main ones are the Sushumna, which runs along the spine, and the Ida and Pingala on either side. The manga doesn't explain this in detail.

First, Kundalini ascends through the Sushumna, and then it flows through energy pathways throughout the entire body. This activates the nadis, which are the pathways for energy, throughout the body.

When these nadis are activated, the first stage is to reach a state of concentration. The order can be either concentration first or activation first, but in any case, both activation and concentration are achieved. This state of concentration is similar to the "Shinay" stage in Tibetan Dzogchen, which refers to a normal state of concentration. In this state, consciousness is not yet fully present throughout the body.

After reaching the "Tekchu" stage in Dzogchen, consciousness spreads throughout the entire body, which is the state that the manga refers to as "Total Concentration Breathing."

In Dzogchen, concentrating and swinging a sword is the "Shinay" stage. Having consciousness spread throughout the entire body and performing "Total Concentration Breathing" is the "Tekchu" stage, which can also be called Samadhi or Vipassana.

"Total Concentration, Constant State" refers to a state where the "Tekchu" stage has become so advanced that one can maintain Samadhi (Vipassana) on a daily basis. Initially, one cannot maintain "Total Concentration Breathing" without conscious effort, but eventually, it becomes natural. Therefore, in the manga, it's depicted as if one is constantly breathing to maintain "Total Concentration Breathing," but in reality, since it's more of an energetic phenomenon, if the body is filled with energy and one can constantly maintain a Samadhi (Vipassana) state, that's sufficient. The training methods might include the harsh discipline seen in the manga, but it might be faster to meditate.

In the story, "Hinokami Kagura" and "Beginning Breathing" are the next stages after Dzogchen, representing the "Tuggal" stage, which is close to enlightenment.

Of course, it's not a perfect match, and if the protagonist were truly in those states, their expressions would likely be different. However, since it's a manga, it has to be depicted in a way that's interesting and dramatic to gain popularity. Nevertheless, it makes me wonder if the author studied these concepts.

Based on this, most of the Demon Slayer Corps members are likely individuals whose Kundalini has awakened. Furthermore, the main members, known as "Pillars," have likely surpassed the "Tekchu" stage of Dzogchen.

The protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado, is likely to achieve a state close to enlightenment, the "Tuggal" stage, and use "Hinokami Kagura." This is just my imagination, as the story is still ongoing, but if that's the case, it all makes sense.

I know I'm asking too much of the manga, but if we interpret it along the theme of how one person can defeat demons that have infiltrated people's minds, it's interesting that this manga has become so popular in this era.

Well, it's just some random thoughts about the manga, so please don't take it too seriously.

Within my group soul, there is a soul who was once a yoga guru in India. Since it is also a part of me, it could be said to be a past life, but perhaps only 5% to 10% of what I am currently embodying is inherited from that life.

Before that life, the soul was in Europe and was a "witch." In that era, some souls in Europe suffered from witch hunts, but one soul, who separated from the group before the witch hunt, became a guru in India. Some of the separated souls experienced witch hunts or were imprisoned by the Nazis and forced to use their psychic abilities, but the soul who became a guru seems to have lived a relatively peaceful life.

Before becoming a yoga guru, the soul had not been a guru and this was its first life. However, there were two motivations: first, a higher self instructed the soul to become a guru for the growth of humanity, and the soul accepted this, and consciously decided to be reborn as a yoga guru, thinking that it might be interesting. As with living humans, this kind of guidance from a higher level exists as inspiration, which is then judged by conscious thought.

So, the soul decided to become a yoga guru, but since it had not been a yoga guru before, the basic principles were those of a European witch. Therefore, even though it was a yoga guru, it emphasized purification through meditation and chanting rather than physical postures (asanas) of traditional Hatha Yoga.

The location was likely somewhere in central India, not far from Varanasi, or possibly in Bihar. When searching for a place to be reborn, the soul saw an aerial view and thought it was somewhere southwest of Varanasi, within a few hundred kilometers, but not as far as Nagpur.

Since places with existing gurus tend to emphasize traditional Hatha Yoga, the soul chose a town with a dilapidated temple and decided to use that temple as a base. It confirmed the timeline in advance to ensure that the temple could be used until the end of its life, and then was reborn into a relatively wealthy family in that town.

From the beginning, there was a purpose, so from childhood, the soul frequently visited the temple, cleaning it and meditating, to give the impression to those around it that it was managing the place. Of course, it was not owned by anyone, but it was a ruined temple, and gradually, this common understanding was formed.

When the soul became an adult, it told the head of the family, "I want to become a monk," and the head of the family probably expected this. The head of the family hesitated for a moment, but quickly replied, "Okay, go ahead," and the soul became a monk.

It was not appropriate for the soul to immediately become the guru of the temple, so it went to a nearby ashram to train. It seems that the soul trained for two years under a famous yogi, then trained for about three years under another famous yogi, and received the title of Swami before returning to the town where it was born.

It could have trained for a longer time, but if it stayed away for too long, there was a risk that the temple it had been eyeing would be taken over. Also, the original purpose was to cultivate many disciples for the growth of humanity, so it returned to the town where it was born after a certain period.

In reality, the soul had remote viewing and precognitive abilities from birth, but it did not tell anyone about them, and instead said that it had acquired them through training. That's because it would sound more believable (laughs). Also, for the disciples, it would be a slight motivation to think that they could acquire such abilities through training. If it had said that the abilities were innate, it would have been hopeless (laughs).

In reality, none of the disciples fully acquired precognitive or precognitive abilities during the soul's lifetime, but some of them awakened their kundalini, activated their manipura and anahata chakras, and some even activated their ajna chakra, making their intuition very sharp. Therefore, the soul thinks that its life as a guru was quite successful. That is what the soul thinks.

Sometimes, the soul would foresee that a disciple would come and would guess their place of origin just by looking at them. That was easy. It was usually correct. It thinks it was about 90% to 95% accurate.

For example, when a disciple was about to awaken their anahata chakra, the soul would have a premonition and would tell another disciple to prepare a slightly more lavish meal in advance, saying that there would be a celebration in a few days and to buy a little more ingredients.

Even for disciples who were mischievous or somewhat immature, the awakening of Anahata brings about a significant sense of calm, a mature demeanor, and a certain aura of holiness. With Manipura, there seems to be some improvement in energy, but the calmness is still lacking. I think Anahata is the point where one transitions from being an ordinary person to a saint.

The daily practices included Hatha Yoga exercises, but as mentioned above, the emphasis was on meditation and chanting.

Initially, I would sit in front of the disciples and guide them through silent meditation. Observing their state, if a disciple seemed restless, I would call them over and have them sit nearby. For example, I would ask them to focus on their finger held in front of their face, guiding them to calm their minds through concentration. If simply observing was not enough, I would sometimes chant mantras aloud. Once the disciple's mind was calm, I would ask them to quietly return to their seat and continue meditating.

For a certain amount of time... probably about an hour, although we didn't have a proper clock back then, so the timing was approximate. After a while, we would end the meditation and begin chanting, which is often referred to as "bhajan."

To be honest, I don't think I was a very good singer.

Among the disciples, there were some who were good singers, and I often asked them to sing. That disciple was praised and seemed embarrassed. While they became a little too proud of the attention, even with that, the awakening of Anahata brought about a significant sense of calm and a more saintly demeanor. It seems that even with flaws, the awakening of Anahata can overcome many of them. That disciple, who was somewhat childish, had a completely changed awareness and a calm expression after the awakening of Anahata.

Of course, there were always disciples who were not as gifted. Some disciples consistently displayed expressions of discomfort during meditation, and even with my help in focusing, they didn't seem to progress much. I thought, "There must be differences in aptitude," and watched over them. However, even those disciples who were not as gifted had a certain endearing quality. I have to admit, even as a guru, I felt attached to them (laughs).

Even though they were not as gifted, they often came to me for help, and I felt like a cute disciple. They were also loved by others. However, their aptitude for meditation was not very high (laughs).

Well, even those disciples who were not as gifted gradually improved with over 10 years of practice, and although their progress was slower than others, they made steady progress. Therefore, there is no need to give up on disciples who are not as gifted.

Because I could foresee the future, I could see that this disciple would reach a certain level by the end of their life.

Some disciples reached a high level and became gurus themselves, returning to their hometown. However, I knew that this disciple would not reach such a high level, so I gave them early initiation. I wrote a little about this in a previous context.

Of course, clairvoyance was impossible for any disciple, but this disciple, who was not as gifted, finally reached a meditative state equivalent to the "Sina" level in the Zokuchen system. Other disciples had reached the higher "Tekchu" level, which is equivalent to Samadhi or Vipassana, so the levels were quite different. However, I thought that if one could achieve a concentration state equivalent to the "Sina" level, they could generally manage as a guru.

It seems that this guru is now a yoga guru, or a "swami," and I noticed that they still have that endearing quality and charming mannerisms. They didn't seem to notice anything about me, but well, there's no point in saying anything about it. They might realize it someday, but even if they do, there's no need to talk about it.

It seems that their level of awareness has not yet surpassed what they achieved back then. However, since they have the basics, I think it's okay.

There were many other disciples, each with their own stories. Some came with the intention of returning to their hometown immediately after receiving guidance, but they became unhappy when they realized that they had to practice and that it would take time. Such people are everywhere, so there was nothing to do but let them go.

At that temple, we regularly accepted consultations from local people. Even now, it's common to have life consultations about things like job searching, marriage, moving, and various other issues. Because I had clairvoyance, I could usually predict the future accurately and provide helpful information. However, there were times when I was wrong, and the cause was often unknown. As mentioned above, I was usually correct about 90% to 95% of the time, but sometimes I would make mistakes.

Rather than saying it was a mistake, I understand that perhaps someone's will entered during the time difference and twisted the timeline. There's nothing we can do about that. While people are often well-behaved on the timeline, that's not always the case.

Especially in modern times, it seems like the timeline is being twisted more often, so I feel like it's become less accurate than before.

I would listen to consultations and receive offerings, which I used as funds. The amount of the offerings was free, but I think it was enough to live comfortably with my disciples.

Sometimes, famous people would come from far away, and it was quite a fun group life.

...Well, there's no evidence, so please just consider it a dream story for now.

Kundalini energy naturally awakens, so it's best not to force it with esoteric techniques. Forcing it can lead to Kundalini syndrome.

I used to be curious about Kundalini and did some research and even tried some simple things. But I'm glad I didn't delve too deeply.

My yoga practice consists of very basic breathing exercises (pranayama) and simple asanas (stretching). I'm not really interested in the more advanced breathing techniques, and I have trouble with Kumbhaka (breath retention) anyway, so advanced techniques are impossible for me. There's a formula to calculate the duration of Kumbhaka, and after Kundalini awakening, the energy increases, so the "container" becomes insufficient, and Kumbhaka becomes difficult quickly. I can only hold it for 30 seconds. Before Kundalini awakening, I could probably hold it for a minute or two. I've always been bad at Kumbhaka, but I can't hold it for long at all since Kundalini awakening.

What I do is just some simple pranayama (breathing exercises) and asanas (stretching). So it's not really an esoteric technique, but it's enough.

That's because I realized that Kundalini awakening doesn't require esoteric techniques.

There are two ways to awaken Kundalini:

- Using esoteric techniques, such as yoga or magic, which are spiritual methods.
- Purifying the body.

The former method can awaken Kundalini even without purification, but it's difficult to control, which can lead to Kundalini syndrome.
The latter method naturally activates Kundalini.

There are two sequences:

- Activate Kundalini and then purify.
- Purify and then naturally activate Kundalini.

Yoga, magic, and spiritual practices often involve the former, where they try to activate Kundalini using esoteric techniques.

However, in my understanding, Kundalini naturally awakens when you purify yourself.

There's no such thing as a special energy called Kundalini; it's just the feeling that people experience when the energy in their body increases, which they call Kundalini.

Therefore, people who already have high energy levels don't experience Kundalini awakening.

It seems that people with low energy levels or those who haven't purified themselves are more likely to experience Kundalini awakening. People who are already in a highly purified state are less likely to experience Kundalini awakening. I have acquaintances who say they never experience Kundalini awakening, but in reality, they were already quite purified since childhood, so their energy levels are already high, and they have about the same energy as someone who has experienced Kundalini awakening. Therefore, there's no need to obsess over Kundalini awakening.

Men tend to experience Kundalini awakening more often because they generally have lower energy levels. On the other hand, women often have higher energy levels from the beginning.

The reason why men often talk about Kundalini awakening may be due to these factors. Yoga was originally a practice for men, and it may have been developed as a way for men to increase their energy, with a historical background. That's what I think.

Recently, some yoga teachers have started to emphasize purification, but in India, there are many people who prioritize esoteric techniques to activate Kundalini. My yoga teacher in Rishikesh, India, was like that.

I was curious when I saw male yoga teachers who had Kundalini activated and developed abilities (siddhis) while still having some unpurified aspects. Recently, I've come to understand that they can activate Kundalini even without complete purification because they use esoteric techniques.

Whether that's good or not, or whether it's considered the mainstream, is up to each individual to decide. In my case, I think purification is important, so I'm not very interested in activating Kundalini with esoteric techniques.

My opinion is that it's better not to use esoteric techniques to awaken Kundalini, but if you want to use them, you can do whatever you like. I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do, but I believe that purification should come before Kundalini awakening, and that awakening Kundalini without purification can lead to serious problems.

In a certain story about a guru in India, purification was emphasized, and reliance on secret techniques was avoided. I think this is the correct way.

Basically, that is the case. While secret techniques to activate kundalini should be avoided, practices to purify the energy channels, or nadis in yoga, are useful. Therefore, not all yoga is bad, and not all magic is bad, and not all spirituality is bad. Well, that is obvious.

If you perform practices that correspond to the purification of nadis, such as meditation, breathing exercises (pranayama), or yoga postures (asanas), they can be useful if the purpose is purification. What is dangerous is trying to force the activation of kundalini, which is a secret technique, such as the yoga technique of bhastrika breathing or some magic techniques.

However, even if I say that, there will be people who will do it even if they are told not to, and there is no need to stop them, and perhaps it might work out, and such things are things that individuals should do as they like.

Since it is originally a Greek culture, it should be held in a specific island or location every four years. The other times, it can be used as a training ground. Hotels should be supplemented with temporary tents, and the number of spectators should be reduced or camping should be allowed, especially in this era. The price should be increased to allow only a limited number of people to enter the venue. This prevents overcrowding.

In an age where everything can be seen online, there is no need to physically attend. The visuals are clearer and more comfortable. Those who truly want to experience the atmosphere can pay a high price to attend. This creates a premium experience.

Holding the Olympics in different countries every time is a waste of resources. I was originally against the Tokyo Olympics, and I always thought that the Olympics should not exist. Even so, I thought it was caused by an earthquake or something, but the cause was the coronavirus, which was unexpected. I always thought that it should be held in Greece every time.

Greece can only earn foreign currency through tourism, so it should effectively utilize its Olympic resources. If that were the case, Tokyo would not suffer such losses from the Olympics.

I am frustrated that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which claims to be making the Olympics smaller but is swarming around vested interests and creating a deficit, lacks economic sense. This is the image of Japanese industry.

Public spending is increasing, and people who are left behind are not being helped. If we are going to increase public spending so much, we should simply implement a basic income of around 1 million yen per year. If more people can live comfortably, there will be no need to argue and squeeze public spending. If we implement a basic income, the lobbyists who have been making unreasonable demands and forcing public spending will decrease, and spending will decrease. What do you think?

Since it is a society where public spending can be justified for a reason, if the reason for the Olympics disappears, we can simply use the coronavirus as a reason to implement a basic income. It's a gradual shift. This is an opportunity. Money is just a number to the government, and it's just a matter of printing money. We should follow the example of the United States.

If we do that, we won't need to host unnecessary Olympics just to create a reason for spending.

Foreign countries do the same. If that's the case, no country will need the Olympics. Then, there will be no country willing to host the Olympics, and it will end up returning to Greece.

Investing a huge amount of money for just a few weeks for the Olympics, and most host countries cannot make a profit and are in a deficit, so it only makes sense for developing countries that still lack infrastructure. Even that is a difficult situation. There is absolutely no need to hold it in Tokyo.

I don't understand what they are thinking when they spend trillions of yen to cater to the nostalgia of elderly people who have experienced the Olympics. The Tokyo Olympics are unnecessary.

It is best to hold the Olympics permanently in Greece every time. At least, Japan is no longer an era where we talk about the Olympics. We are overemphasizing the Olympics. It is likely that this is because there are vested interests involved. I think the public only sees it as one of many events. Well, I think it is special for the athletes, but that should be done in Greece. It would be even more special with its history.

If we continue to pour funds into a few vested interests and do not give money to young people and the poor, there is a possibility of a riot in Japan. For the past 50 years, economic development has masked dissatisfaction, but with the global recession and the Japanese financial expenditure being biased towards a few wealthy individuals and vested interests, politicians may be complacent and think that riots will not occur in Japan. However, the seeds of riots are already sown in various parts of Japan. Dissatisfaction is accumulating, and it is currently being suppressed by suicide, but it will explode in the form of a riot.

Already, disputes originating from the coronavirus are occurring daily on trains and stations. Even before the coronavirus, people's behavior on trains and stations was deteriorating due to the economic downturn. Instead of anti-social forces, the anger of ordinary people is exploding on trains and stations. That anger cannot be quelled by simply holding the Olympics and winning many medals. In the era of the Tokyo Olympics, people felt confident in Japan. However, in order to instill confidence in Japan now, it would be difficult to win twice or three times as many medals, and I don't think that is possible. Even if medals are won, they will not reach those who do not have the margin to watch the Olympics.

It feels like we are on the verge of riots if we don't consider policies that reach everyone, even if it's not a basic income, and restrain from large expenditures like the Olympics.

Politically, wars often occur during periods of instability. Before worrying about riots, there is a possibility that China might attack. This is a genuinely dangerous time. If the economy deteriorates this much, there may be no way to recover except by confiscating the assets of some country. At least, China might think so.

I think it's more important to secure the domestic situation first, rather than holding onto things like the Olympics, which should have been returned to Greece a long time ago.

＜This story about Michelangelo and his experiences may or may not be true, as it is based on dreams or out-of-body experiences.＞

▪️Michelangelo and the Estate

It is said that Michelangelo owned an estate, and that when he visited after being informed that it would be well-maintained, he would sometimes find it in disarray. He would then scold the caretaker, and after repeating this process several times, the caretaker and the workers began to work diligently. It seems that his sudden, unannounced visits were key.

Originally, other farms were expanding their farmland and increasing production. Michelangelo's farm was also supposed to expand, but this was not something Michelangelo desired. He simply agreed to the caretaker's suggestion to expand. However, this expansion led to a lack of proper management.

The caretaker told Michelangelo that even if the farm was in disarray, they could still increase production. However, Michelangelo disagreed, arguing that as an artist, the beauty of the farmland was more important than the amount of production. He instructed them to carefully inspect the land on sunny days and keep it clean. If that was too difficult, he suggested reducing the area of crops. He explained that he had only agreed to the expansion because the caretaker had suggested it, and that he had not asked for the farmland to be expanded. He said that the current yield was sufficient, and he wanted them to maintain that level of production.

As a result, the farmland became quite well-maintained, and Michelangelo seemed satisfied.

There were times when he was asked if it was okay to reduce the amount of produce shipped if the crops did not grow well that year. He would then visit the farm to assess the situation. It seems that in his later years, he left most of the management to the caretaker, but in his younger years, he often visited the farm himself.

It is also said that when he created the famous Pietà statue, he sculpted it while seeing the future. Michelangelo traced the marble and its potential form, striving to create a beautiful design. While he did check the future, he primarily visualized the image in his mind and decided on the composition.

Because of this creative process, even if a student expressed interest, he likely had no way to help them if they could not visualize the image in their mind. Many of his students were unable to do so, and they struggled to follow Michelangelo's style of deciding on the composition by visualizing it in his mind.

When he created the square in front of St. Peter's Basilica, he first created an image in his mind and made a sketch, which made it easier to achieve the ideal design. It seems that artists need to have an image in their mind first.

There were not many rumors about Michelangelo's romantic relationships, but he seems to have been focused on his art. He was drawn to the nobility, politeness, and beauty of a widow he later became involved with.

As for whether these memories are real or related to a "group soul," that is a separate matter. I am currently unsure of my relationship with my group soul. I sometimes feel that way, but I am not entirely sure.

I saw the Pietà statue and the David statue when I traveled to the Vatican, and I thought they were wonderful. However, I don't remember my "group soul" memories surfacing at that time.

If necessary, I will remember them, but they are not stories that require me to actively recall.

▪️Michelangelo's Creative Process

When Michelangelo was creating the Pietà statue, a being from before his birth, or a "twin soul" that is close to a "group soul," helped him... or rather, it was almost his own soul, spirit, or spiritual being. This being helped him, acting as a higher self, a middle self, and so on.

When Michelangelo created the Pietà statue, the spirit created a blueprint of the ideal woman and Jesus. The spirit then conveyed this blueprint to Michelangelo, and carefully checked which parts of the marble would create the ideal pattern. The spirit also traveled between the future and the present, checking the future and sending inspiration to Michelangelo. Therefore, it was not that Michelangelo could see the future, but rather that the spirit was seeing the future and conveying it to Michelangelo.

The spirit was very invested in the Pietà statue, and worked hard to create the composition, carefully checking it and repeatedly conveying it to Michelangelo. This required a great deal of energy. It seems that the spirit also had a desire to "enter" the Pietà statue itself. That is why, when people see the Pietà statue now, they feel as if it is alive, because the spirit is actually present there. This spirit that is present is the spirit of Michelangelo's group soul, and spirits that resonated with it. However, this attempt was only partially successful. Because so many people saw it, the spirits of others also entered, or some of the consciousness was taken by others, which was not a comfortable result for the spirit.

Therefore, the Pietà statue is special, and even after that, the spirit helped, but the spirit also had interests, and helping requires a considerable amount of energy, so for the next Pietà statue or works that the spirit is not very interested in, there were cases where it provided moderate assistance, or Michelangelo himself worked hard to create them.

▪️Michelangelo and Oda Nobunaga

Michelangelo and Oda Nobunaga had overlapping lifespans, but it is likely that Oda Nobunaga was reincarnated as Michelangelo, transcending time. If both are part of the same group soul, and they are spirits separated from the same group soul, then it is understandable that Michelangelo sometimes took a rebellious attitude towards the Pope. Although it was later in time, perhaps... I'm not sure, but there is a possibility that Oda Nobunaga escaped the Honno-ji Incident and went to the Vatican, and at that time, he may have learned that the Pope was a person who could be swayed by money, and in a way, he may have been disillusioned and learned his true nature. It seems that a considerable amount of property was needed to receive a higher position, and the Pope took the property that Oda Nobunaga brought and gave it as donations. However, it is a church, so there are also people who are purely seeking God, and Oda Nobunaga seems to have been influenced by such people. Until now, Oda Nobunaga had used people who would always obey his orders, but it seems that he reached the end of his life around the time he realized that there was more to learn in terms of human connection. Oda Nobunaga's evaluation of the Pope was "a money-grubber," and he seems to have been angry, saying that he had "lost most of his property" when he died. That group soul exists across time in the spiritual world, so it seems that the group soul merged and the impression of the Pope was given to Michelangelo's soul. That is why Michelangelo had a somewhat rebellious aspect towards the Pope.

According to the general concept of reincarnation, it is impossible for people to have overlapping lifespans, but since the afterlife transcends time, if a redo lesson is needed, it is normal to be reborn again in the same era, or to go back to a previous era. Therefore, in this case, the order would be Oda Nobunaga first, and although the era goes back, Michelangelo would be later. This is how it would be viewed from the perspective of reincarnation, but if viewed from the perspective of a group soul, it is not strange at all for the era to overlap.

...Well, I'm not sure about that. More verification is needed.

It seems that he may have also been an archbishop in Venice or somewhere around that time, so he seems to have had a deep connection with Christianity in various ways. I am not a Christian now.

■The soul that resided in the Pietà statue [Added on 2020/4/7]

When Michelangelo created the Pietà statue, he was born as a human being, but the intention of the spirit behind it was to create such a statue and rest inside it for a while.

After its creation, the spirit actually entered the statue. However, because the surroundings were too noisy, he could not rest peacefully, and as a result, he decided to leave. However, a part of him remained, and it seems that the soul still resides in the Pietà statue.

Whether it is true or not, Oda Nobunaga is in Michelangelo's group soul, and he thought he would escape the conflict and spend his remaining years in the Vatican, but he was disappointed by the Pope being a money-grubber, and Michelangelo was also tired of the Pope's repeated unreasonable demands. Since the spirit transcends time, the timeline is before and after, but the spirit made Michelangelo create the statue, and the spirit entered the statue after Michelangelo's death... or rather, if you put it in a timeline, it seems that the spirit entered the statue after Michelangelo's death, but since the spirit transcends time, it exists universally, and that spirit was involved in the creation of Michelangelo's Pietà statue, and tried to enter it to rest.

It seems that he wanted to rest because he was tired of various things. He thought that if he was in a sculpture, he could rest slowly.

In reality, he was able to rest to some extent, but he did not gain enough peace to achieve enlightenment. It was probably for several decades, or perhaps even less. Some parts seem to be hundreds of years, but they are gradually leaving, and some have joined the group soul, or are reincarnating elsewhere.

Apparently, some spirits are still remaining and sleeping within the Pietà statue, and it seems that they hold a certain mystery or key. Currently, the Pietà statue is in the Vatican, and it is said that the spirits that have been sleeping within Michelangelo's Pietà statue for about 500 years may become active in the future.

If they become active, they may take on a mission as souls that have inherited the lineage of Michelangelo, Oda Nobunaga, or Joan of Arc, among others.

Nowadays, the "deflation business" model is gaining popularity, where businesses aim to increase profits by selling products or services at low prices and high turnover rates. For example, some barbershops are reducing the time spent on haircuts and lowering the price from 2,000 yen to 1,000 yen to increase the number of customers served, while restaurants and bars are adopting a standing-only format to increase turnover.

While economists can debate the intricacies of the economy, I am more interested in the energy aspects.

Originally, a hairdresser would spend an hour on each customer, and if there were no customers, they would be idle. However, in a situation where customers are constantly coming in, and the hairdresser can serve three or four customers per hour, the energy consumption is actually lower in the first scenario.

Even though it takes a long time, the body's energy will eventually equalize from high to low. When serving one customer, energy flows from one side to the other and stabilizes. If it takes an hour to serve one customer, it only requires one cycle of energy transfer. However, if serving three or four customers in an hour, the energy transfer occurs three or four times per hour.

Moreover, customers who visit such cheap stores often have a lower energy level, and the hairdresser's energy is constantly being drained.

Conversely, if a hairdresser with low energy goes to such a shop, the customer's energy level is likely higher, and the hairdresser's energy is being drained. Visiting a "deflation business" store, even though it seems cheap, actually involves providing energy, which can be considered a form of payment.

This applies not only to barbershops but also to convenience stores and other retail outlets. Massage parlors, in particular, involve physical contact, making energy transfer more likely. Even without physical contact, simply interacting with customers and being in close proximity can cause energy transfer in a short amount of time. When the body comes into contact, as in the case of haircuts or massages, a significant amount of energy equalization occurs.

If the concept of energy is difficult to grasp, consider it in terms of time. Even if you work long hours and earn a lot of money, you cannot increase the amount of time available to everyone. Therefore, time is actually more valuable than money. Is it a worthwhile endeavor to provide the most valuable resource, time, in exchange for a small amount of money?

The argument that "increasing turnover leads to profit" is based on exploiting employees.

Therefore, from an energy perspective, the "deflation business" model is a business that relies on exploiting employees. While they may receive a certain level of compensation, it may be a balancing act. If energy is more important than compensation, then that should be considered. However, in "deflation business" models, low prices often mean low wages.

In a "deflation business" model, the company profits when employees work longer hours, and while employees may receive slightly higher wages, their energy is drained and depleted.

I often notice that employees at "deflation business" stores have tired expressions, and I believe this is due to the reasons mentioned above.

Because these businesses drain the energy of their employees, they constantly need to recruit "cheap" and "young" workers. This seems like a business model that either caters to a time when the population is growing or one that discards middle-aged people with some savings. At least, that's how it seems from an energy perspective.

I am not an economist, but the basic principles of a business model that I believe is good from an energy perspective are as follows:

- The existing system of money remains the same.
- The role of money is shifted from "entitlement" to "restriction."
- Money is used as a means to limit extravagance.
- The freedom of individuals who want to earn money remains unchanged.
- The rights of those who want to indulge are protected.
- Basic living expenses are made affordable.

With just these changes, working hours could be reduced, and perhaps even limited to 6 hours per day.

Ideally, the following mechanisms could also be incorporated:

- A basic income of around 1 million yen per year is provided.
- A fixed time each week is dedicated to volunteer work and community projects.
- Some of the current public works projects are replaced by this volunteer work.

With these changes, life could be drastically different.

I believe that many of the people who are currently criticizing capitalism in Japan are appealing to people's values. For example, the values associated with earning money, not earning money, and spending free time. However, if we continue to base our systems on these values, we will never be able to gain widespread acceptance.

For example, even if you appeal to values that promote a world where people don't have to work too hard due to difficult living conditions, that appeal may not resonate with people who hold values based on achieving wealth through hard work.

The system should not appeal to values, but rather create a wide range of options.

Ideally, it should be a world where people who want to challenge themselves can do so, people who want to earn money and live luxuriously can do so, and people who want to pursue happiness outside of money are also given choices. This is what I believe is a truly rich world.

To achieve this, even a slight shift in values, such as the one mentioned above, could make this world much happier and more prosperous.

This shift in energy may be painful for those currently at the top of the hierarchy, exploiting others. However, since no one knows what their economic situation will be in the next life after death, it is important to create a life where everyone can live relatively happily. As I mentioned before, if you are hated too much, even if you are reincarnated as a baby in a wealthy family, your soul may be forcibly removed and thrown into the slums of India. Therefore, it is better to avoid a life where you are hated and at the top of the hierarchy. Because there is no real time in the afterlife, meditation or out-of-body experiences allow the spirit to transcend time and space and perform such operations on the next life. So, it is better to avoid doing things that will cause resentment.

First, a shift in consciousness is needed from the current ruling class. The concern that giving money to the people will make them stop working is not as necessary as it seems. If each person receives around 1 million yen per year, they will not be able to satisfy their desires, so those who have desires will continue to work. Also, it is not enough for families with children, and it is essentially a basic income for society. In return, society may transition to a system where people are required to engage in unpaid volunteer work, which could increase the actual labor force. Even those who are currently not working may be mobilized as volunteers. In this way, even if people engage in loose labor that is different from the real economy, the current society can function perfectly well. We are not in an era where there is a shortage of goods, and as long as people do a certain amount of work, society will function normally. It is surprisingly easy. It can be said that people have been working long hours out of habit, and all they need to realize is that they may not have needed to work that much.

As long as the rights of those who want to work hard are not infringed upon, it is possible to transition to a world where people can fully enjoy their freedom.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a good opportunity, and we may be gradually moving towards a world where a basic income of 100,000 yen per month is provided.

It is possible that the United States will implement this before Japan.

It is often said that Siddhis, the so-called supernatural abilities in yoga, are byproducts of enlightenment and should not be pursued in themselves. The Yoga Sutras also advise against seeking such Siddhis.

The word "Siddhi" usually means power, but it actually refers to the achievement of an advanced yogi. It is important for students to understand that the goal is not to acquire the power of yoga. In fact, it is not, and should not be, the case. They are byproducts of the effort to reach God. Those who seek power alone are bound by their ego and ultimately suffer because of this lack of purification. For beginner students, having the power of yoga may seem attractive, but this should be replaced with the understanding that it can lead to downfall. Ultimately, the power gained there is just a distraction or temptation for a sincere yogi. "MEDITATION and Mantras" by Swami Vishnu-Devananda.

I think that's true, but I've been wondering about the relationship between Samadhi, Vipassana, and Siddhis.

Basically, it is said that Siddhis appear from Samadhi. The understanding from Dzogchen is the same.

This time, it is a continuation of that Dzogchen.

Previously, we confirmed the basic understanding that Samadhi transcends dualism and that reaching Samadhi is possible. Theoretically, this was clear.

However, as I read the book further, I realized how different my current state is. While enlightenment and Samadhi are discussed in both Buddhism and yoga, I have not seen anything that describes the state of enlightenment as thoroughly as Dzogchen.

In Dzogchen, it is clearly stated what to do after reaching the basic Samadhi-Vipassana state in order to approach enlightenment.

As mentioned before, it is explained that the first step is to integrate one's basic Samadhi state into every action of daily life.

"Sewa" means "to mix" in Tibetan. It is to integrate one's Samadhi state into every action of daily life. "Rainbow and Crystal" by Namkai Norbu.

After that, the three abilities of Cherdor, Shardor, and Landor, as quoted in the previous passage, develop. When I read about these three abilities, it seems that they are related to deepening Samadhi.

And it is clearly stated as follows:

The illusion of dualism ends, and through the reintegration of subject and object, the practitioner experiences the five supernatural powers (ngon-shes), which are the five "higher perceptions." "Rainbow and Crystal" by Namkai Norbu.

The Siddhis that appear here are almost the same as those in Buddhism and yoga, such as the ability to see things at a distance. Similar explanations exist in yoga and Buddhism, but Dzogchen explains them in a very easy-to-understand way.

As this experience deepens towards enlightenment, several abilities appear. However, in order to understand what these abilities are, it is necessary to understand how the illusion of dualism is maintained by the subject-object dichotomy of all sensations. (Omitted) For example, let's consider the case of vision. Vision arises in interdependence with what is perceived as a visual form, and conversely, the perceived visual form arises with the ability to see. Similarly, hearing and sound arise together. (Omitted) Consciousness and existence arise in interdependence. (Omitted) The subject potentially includes the object, and conversely, the object includes the subject, and it becomes possible to understand that the illusion of dualism maintains itself, and that all sensations, including consciousness, become a phantom external world separated from the perceiving subject. "Rainbow and Crystal" by Namkai Norbu.

This is something that is also discussed in yoga and Buddhism. However, it seems that it is often explained in a context separate from the discussion of Siddhis. In Dzogchen, this explanation is organically connected to the story of Siddhis and Samadhi, which gives a sense that it is a living tradition with many practitioners.

First, reaching the basic state of Samadhi (Vipassana) leads to the beginning of overcoming dualism, then integrating daily life with Samadhi leads to "observation (Vipassana), another aspect of Samadhi," and through observation (Vipassana) and Samadhi, "liberation (overcoming dualism)" is deepened, and as the illusion of dualism dissolves, Siddhis appear, and finally, enlightenment is reached.

In yoga, the story of overcoming the illusion of dualism is often discussed early on, and it seems to be a well-known story. However, it is originally a story that comes after Samadhi.

If the order is like this, it is clear that seeking only Siddhi without overcoming Samadhi or dualism will lead to futile efforts. If it is possible, it is not a practice but rather a kind of magic or secret art, which I am not very interested in. On the other hand, I also understand that if you overcome dualism and then become obsessed with Siddhi, you will stray from the path to enlightenment.

In texts like the Yoga Sutras, it is written very simply that Siddhi is obtained if Samadhi is achieved, and similar things are said in Buddhism, so it was quite a mystery. However, Zokchen clearly explains this.

Therefore, I understand that I should continue Vipassana (Samadhi) in my daily life as it is.

Recently, visiting power spots has become popular. This functions as an entry point to spiritual matters, but there is a subsequent stage of cultivating the space.

Visiting power spots is a culture of consumption, where people take energy from the location. Dragons and deities reside there, and people go to feel that energy and the pure air of the place.

Historically, visiting power spots has been a form of pilgrimage, done with a feeling of prayer. However, recently, it seems to be becoming more of a tourist attraction or a sport. As more people visit power spots for tourism or sports, the deities and dragons may become displeased. If the deities and dragons disappear from a place, it ceases to be a power spot.

The deities say that it is okay if people initially visit power spots for tourism or sports. However, the ratio of people visiting is the problem. Even if a few people visit power spots for tourism or sports, it is fine as long as the majority have a feeling of prayer. The deities are lenient to that extent. They do not pay attention to such minor details. However, the ratio is important. If too many people visit power spots for tourism or sports, the deities will become displeased. If the displeasure becomes too great, they will leave.

Originally, there were no deities or dragon deities. There was only prayer.

That prayer purified the space, and as the range expanded, a foundation was created where deities and dragon deities could exist. The deities and dragon deities then descended into that space.

A feeling of taking energy from a power spot without respecting that foundation of prayer... Even if the person does not think so, if more and more people visit power spots seeking benefits without prayer, the space will become chaotic. As a result, the pure air will disappear, and the deities and dragon deities will go somewhere.

It seems that this is happening in various places in Japan. There are rumors that deities have become angry and left certain pilgrimage mountains due to an increase in people climbing them for sports. It is probably true.

Conversely, even in one's own home or an ordinary shrine or temple, if one purifies the space with a feeling of prayer, the deities will descend.

This is not very related to the beauty of the building. Cleanliness is necessary, but basically, the atmosphere of the space and the pure air are the prerequisites for the deities to descend.

In one's own home, or a place for spiritual training, as people with prayer purify the space, the energy gradually increases. That is how the deities descend, and the space is transformed into a power spot.

Many of the famous power spots of old have become "garbage dumps" of thoughts in modern power spot tourism, because fewer people visit them with prayer. On the other hand, places where there are more people praying than those who are simply visiting become power spots.

The basic principle is to make one's own home a power spot, and to make places for spiritual training power spots.

That is the basic principle. Seeking the high energy of power spots is not recommended, because, as mentioned above, power spots have become "garbage dumps" of thoughts in modern times. However, I also think that visiting power spots in search of a path may be beneficial. But, according to my inner guide, it is up to you. It seems that it is good to visit power spots occasionally, but not too often.

This is a continuation of the previous discussion.

The body is the same. By purifying the body, it becomes a sacred vessel, and it can become a vessel for receiving something like a spirit, a higher self, a group soul, or whatever you want to call it.

According to my inner guide, the basic principle of spiritual practice is this: becoming a vessel capable of receiving higher spirits is the first stage.

The next stage seems to be opening up a life as a spirit.

In a sense, developing oneself as a vessel is the lower self, and if we compare it to the stages of yoga, it's up to the samadhi stage. After samadhi, there is a stage called "union with the Atman," but this can be rephrased as the stage where God dwells in the vessel.

Here is the definition of yoga:
1.3) When the functions of the mind have ceased, the true self, which is a pure observer, remains in its original state. "Yoga Sutras (translated by Tsruji Sabo)."

The latter part of this can be interpreted in various ways, but in Theosophical texts, it says:
"Awakening to the inner awareness of God." (omitted) "Union with the soul." "The Light of the Soul (by Alice Bailey)."

I think this is probably what it literally means.

The soul exists from the beginning, but it is hidden, and by reaching this stage, we become united with the soul... or rather, we awaken to the consciousness of the soul, the inner awareness of God.

We can interpret this as first creating our own vessel and then awakening to the awareness of God.