Immaterial domains

[Jhanananda]

When I meditate deeply into the immaterial domains I do so lying down.  My sleep domain is lucid and hyper-real, because when I rest the body at night, I spend the night in deep meditation into the immaterial domains.  When I am in the deepest level of samadhi I am vast and this world becomes nothing more than a damp dust particle with a multi-species fungus growing on it, in a dust bunny whirling through vast, vast empty space.

I am filled with bliss, joy, ecstasy and power there.  Time is vast, space is vast love is unfathomable.

When I return to this body I am wracked with pain, and I breath like I am sucking a viscous fluid through a straw for dear life.

Then, I turn my mind to the bliss, joy and ecstasy of the charisms.  The pain and suffocation that I experience while in this body falls deep into the background and all I am aware of is the bliss, joy and ecstasy of the charisms.

Nonetheless, this body has a condition that the doctors call Reiter's Syndrome.  I have had it since I was about 15.  It is an autoimmune condition that is typically the product of an infection that undermines the immune system.  It manifests in my body as recurring arthritic joint pain, chronic conjunctivitis and episodic urethritis.

I found living a rigorous, self-aware, sober, contemplative and wholesome lifestyle kept it limited until I turned 50.  Since then the recurrence of the condition has increased.  At first it was annually, then several times a year, and now it has become monthly.  I was in the emergency room twice in the last two weeks for the condition.

I found in 2000, when I had a year-long episode of arthritis in my hands that one 12oz bottle of beer would suppress the symptom for three days.  So, over the last 12 years I have regularly used beer to control the arthritis episodes.  Over the years controlling the arthritis has required one to four 12 oz bottles of beer per day.  Recently, the doctors have prescribed opioid medications to control the extreme pain.  Consequently I am afraid that I have become a fraud.

Sobriety was a central aspect of my contemplative life.  It is something that I urge all of my students to take up; however, I am now dependent upon regular doses of hops and opium to relieve the pain of my condition, thus I am now a fraud.

Consequently I recommend that someone else take over the GWV, while I recede into to background in retirement.  The GWV should be led by one or more people who have mastered at least the 4th level of religious experience (4th jhana) and leads a rigorous, self-aware, sober, contemplative and wholesome lifestyle.  Michael Hawkins is such a person.  So, I recommend that Michael Hawkins take control of the GWV.  I hope all of those who consider themselves members of the GWV support this recommendation.

[Sam Lim]

I second your decision and continue to support GWV.

If it helps, I do recommend taking neem leaves to suppress the pain as it is anit-viral, anti-bacteria and anti-fungi. Just a recommendation. Many a times, science can't do anything but folk medicine can. This happens to one of my god-son who has lichen planus. He is cures of all symptoms now since I have prescribed certain herbs for him.  If you have difficulty obtaining this particular herb, I can send it to you.

A link for you to see : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azadirachta_indica

My heart will be with you, Jeff.

Sam

[Jhanananda]

Thanks, Sam, I am aware that folk medicine sometimes is more effective than modern medicine, and often with fewer side effects.  This is why I have been drinking beer, because it is a convenient source of hops, which is an herb that is a very good anti-inflammatory.  I have heard of the herb neem leaf, and will look into it.  If I cannot find a local source for it, i will definitely accept your your kind offer to supply me.

[Michael Hawkins]

Hello Jeffrey, Sam and fellow contemplatives,

Jeffrey, I just want to say that you are anything but a fraud, and that using the hops in beer to help deal with the pain of a serious auto-immune condition falls under the label of "medicinal usage" if anything ever did.

Your self-honesty is one of your most endearing qualities -- and it is, in my mind, further proof that you are the real deal.

Full disclosure:  my wife Karen and I drink beer.  While we do not drink every day, and we rarely have more than one or two in a given day, we are not prohibitionists, nor purists when it comes to mind-altering substances.  We do, however, subscribe to an ethic of moderation, and anything that would get in the way of our daily meditation/contemplation practice is curtailed as quickly as possible.

So, if beer-drinking constitutes spiritual fraud, then I am  disqualified as an authority, let alone leader of such a special organization as the GWV.

As a side note:  the human immune system falls under two major archetypes -- the Elder Leader and the Dark Mother.  The first has to do with one's relationship with Structure; the second has to do with the reality of death/rebirth, collective unconscious, sexuality and depth healing.  It's been clear that the System has not adequately supported you as a mendicant monk, and your attempt to forge a life at the margins of society has come at a physically-challenging price.  There is no judgment here; your choice to live on the margins rather than sacrifice your ideals is a commendable one, and you went into it with eyes wide open.  The fact is, you've done the best you can with limited resources, and have been a true inspiration to many through your determination to do things your own way.  The Dark Mother, of course, has assisted in helping you to transcend normal human fears of the death realms -- but, in the context of collective social conditioning, this trans-death realization separates you from the masses in a way that further isolates and dis-empowers you -- and your compromised immune system expresses this state of affairs.  As you know better than anyone, the way to work with the Dark Mother is to embrace the shadow -- to surrender fully to her guidance, no matter how it looks from the outside.

I think that the above mini-analysis speaks to your moving through an emotional descent.  Knowing the depths of your self-honesty, I hear the word "fraud" in the context of this descent -- and I will remind you that this, too, shall pass.

At the same time, brother, I am here to help, and am willing to discuss with you ways to share some of the responsibility of running the GWV.  Karen and I have been craving an opportunity to retreat with you; perhaps it's time to circle a date, dear friend.  Perhaps when the Gila Wilderness fire dies down....

Much love,
Michael

[JonB]

Jhanananda and others,

  While I have not been extremely active on this forum, I have been following Jhanananda's teachings closely, and these have been profoundly invaluable for me personally.  Hope nobody minds me ringing in on this sensitive post...

  I would like to second Michael's comments here - I don't agree that taking beer in moderation to address a medical condition constitutes becoming a fraud.  In my mind, Jeffrey's honest communication on this issue does nothing but reinforce his credibility.  I see this as offering a valuable lesson that regardless of how advanced our meditation is, we are still human.



   
 
 
 

 

[Jhanananda]

Thank-you friends, Sam, Michael, JonB and so many others for your kind support.  Yesterday I was able to get around most of the day with one cane, but I have found the walker and second cane and meds have to be close. 

Saturday a new homeless man, I think an illegal alien, had taken my backpack and was rifling through it to steal my meds.  Fortunately, the community of homeless here are close, and look after each other, so the man did not get far, and he has since disappeared.  He was most probably given a free ride far from Prescott.  We are not a violent people here, but we do make sure the community is non-violent.

Up until I found that beer has significant healing properties I had been staunch in my abstinence.  If anything Reiter's Syndrome has taught me many things; flexibility, and tolerance are two of them. I now believe that regular consumption of fermented foods is essential for our health, because they provide friendly flora and B-complex, this includes: yogurt, beer, wine, kemche, pickles, etc.  In fact, as an anthropologist I am now convinced that humans evolved eating fermented foods, and therefore require them as an intimate part of their daily diet to be healthy.

However, I believe it is the hops in the beer that is providing me with significant pain relief and anti-inflammatory aide.  I have since increased my does to one 12oz bottle of beer every 2 hours, but I often forget to take one if I am not in pain.  I expect the dosage to drop as this current inflammatory period recedes. 

The fire department came yesterday to investigate why there were about 40 5-gallon containers of waste vegetable oil surrounding my bus.  Apparently there was a complaint, and now I am on their radar.  They gave me a few days to clean it up, and said I could keep making fuel, but I had to avoid the long periods and many containers.  Normally it only takes me two hours to go through the weekly mixing and sorting.

Fortunately friends here have started helping me with any heavy lifting needed.  John, has been a great help with my biofuels project.  Yesterday he helped me reduce the mass of containers in half, and he said he will help me again this afternoon to reduce it more, then move it all into the bus.  The fire department representatives said storing them in the bus would be fine.

Looking back I have had the symptoms of Reiter's Syndrome since I contracted an influenza while living in Australia in the mid-60s for a year and half.  Over the years I have found the recurrence of the symptoms were directly related to physical and emotional stress in my life, so it was Reiter's Syndrome that forced me to pursue a rigorous, self-aware, wholesome, contemplative life; because if I did not, then there would be severe pain to follow.

Nonetheless, the fraudulent religious movement is characterized by one or more intrenched authority figures, and they are characterized by creating rigid impassible boundaries, and preventing access to empowerment by those who are worthy.  So, I believe, if the GWV is going to survive in a world of frauds, then we need to always be supportive of the genuine mystics that arise in every generation, and give them every opportunity to engage in a rigorous, self-aware, wholesome, contemplative life; and we need to make sure that their gifts can be shared with the largest number of people who can benefit from their inspiration and guidance. 

Also, organizations tend to decline as the health of the leader declines.  My health is clearly declining, so the GWV needs to support a new generation of vital leaders.  I know Michael Hawkins and Karen Sattler, Sam, and others have done the work and therefore deserve the support of all of the members of the GWV. 

Let us not ever reify the leader/founder, because this is how the intrenched authority figures of every fraudulent religion keep their fraud in place.  Krishna, Siddhartha Gautama, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, John the Baptist, Mohammed, Patanjali, Rumi, Kabir, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and so many other mystics and founders have been a great inspiration to many people.  However, when we reify them, then we lose sight of the fact that anyone can become enlightened in their very lifetime. So, the GWV must never reify anyone, while honoring the mystics of every religion, and always supporting and nurturing new mystics at all times.  And, the GWV should always find its leaders among its mystics, so if it can always generate new mystics, then it will always have an inspired leadership who will never be frauds.

Finding two weeks ago that I would now be dependent upon opioid medications from here on out meant to me that I had become a fraud, and I wept.  It really is time to nurture the next generation of leaders for the GWV, if it is going to survive.

So, thank-you Michael for doing the work to become a genuine mystic; and thank-you Stu for joining the GWV and offering a retreat to us in the Gila Wilderness.  Let us find a date that meets the needs of the most, and use this retreat, not just as a means for us all to commune with the sacred, but an opportunity to nurture and empower new leaders for the GWV.

I can drive to a campsite, but I will most probably not be well enough to hike.  But, those who wish to hike should feel free to do so.

Let us find a site that has little to no light pollution so that those who wish can meditate upon the stars.  Meditating upon the stars at night was my primary vehicle for exploring the immaterial domains.  So, let this retreat be an initiation and training period for those who feel they are ready to explore those heavenly domains of bliss, joy and ecstasy.

[Sam Lim]

Don't really care whether people want to term it fraud or whatever they want to say for your current situation. It's not important. It's just like Buddha when he started to eat and realized that abstinence is not the way and his 4 companions despises him.. So, one should realize that as well.

In any case, wish I could help you more but I am limited by distance and can only give you my moral/love support at this point of time. Hopefully, you guys can go to the retreat and discuss who is to helm or co-helm the GWV. All the best to you, Jeff. All the guys as well, be blessed.

[Michael Hawkins]

Thanks, Sam and Jon, for your kind-hearted replies.

And thank you, Jeffrey, for the detailed explanation regarding your physical condition.  Karen and I are anxious to circle a date for a Gila Wilderness retreat, in hopes that we may (among other things) figure out a way to make your living situation more comfortable.  Not that we would be able to reach a perfect solution, but perhaps a little brainstorming would go a long way.

We are just leaving for a week or so in the San Luis Valley, where we should have Internet access.  We're having a memorial for two family members who've died within the last year -- including a 29-year-old nephew who committed suicide on December 15.  Tough times all around, it seems....

Blessings to all,
Michael

[Valdy]

Hello Jeff

I am very sorry to hear about your health problems, it does not sound like much fun, but
I think you are being too hard on yourself, I have felt that you are a good leader, you answer
questions in a straight forward manner and try and juggle the various belief systems
that you encounter.

You would be aware of the connection between heart-mind and illness. I think your illness
may come from not being accepted by the Buddhist priesthood or whoever they are, I know this is an extremely touchy subject for you, watch your feelings as you read this and ask Michael and others for some ideas if there is some way to find a solution, this is an important place in your life and it would be nice if it could be solved by empowering you somehow.

If a person has an addiction they can miss-use drugs but using medication for a health
problem for the body is a different category, the body has needs, food as well as medication
if the body gets sick.

I myself can barely get around, I can walk from the house to the car and thats about all, it is easy for me to get into bliss to feel good, I have always been a bit spaced out and don't reali identify with my body well something I should improve on.

I wish you well Jeff, I hope that you can find a solution, Love and Blessings Valdy

[Jhanananda]

Thank-you for posting your kind words of support, Valdy.  I recently described my medical condition to a yogi I know here.  He subscribes to a belief in diet, so he interpreted my health problems were caused by the fact that I do not eat like he does.  He nonetheless suffers from gout, but he will not accept that his condition is caused by his extremely radical health regimen.

You are interpreting my health problems as having a mental/emotional cause.  While it is true that my health condition is related to physical and mental/emotional stress it is not produced by either diet nor mental/emotional causes.  My health problem is an immune deficiency caused by an influenza that I contracted traveling around the world. 

However, I have found that leading a stress-free lifestyle reduces the frequency and intensity of my condition.  I have also found that leading a wholesome lifestyle and practicing yoga also reduces the frequency and intensity of my condition.  It is worth noting that people who suffer from my condition often end up in a wheel chair by my age; whereas, I have led a fairly active life. 

Nonetheless, I agree with you, being marginalized by the Buddhist priesthood, and academia has led to poverty, which has its own stresses.  If, on the other hand, I had not been marginalized by the Buddhist priesthood, and academia, then my life would have been enriched in many ways, so that my health might be better.

Dismissing my condition as merely a product of harbored resentment toward the Buddhist priesthood, and academia only plays into the hands of pretentious priests everywhere.  It dismisses everything that I have written on meditation , and religious experiences. 

Are you saying that you have harbored resentment toward the Buddhist priesthood, and academia and/or others is the reason why you can only walk from the house to the car and that's about all?  I think not.  Whereas, if you and I can easily get into bliss, joy and ecstasy, then we should consider there are no harbored resentments toward anyone, or otherwise we would find it difficult to get into bliss, joy and ecstasy.

[Jhanon]

Jeffrey, this post broke my heart. As soon as I noticed the date of the post, I began hoping that your situation has improved. It never even occurred to me that you might be experiencing a decline in health. I guess I assumed you would live like an athlete until you were 100 (lol).

I just "met" you, and yet you are very close to my heart. I can't begin to tell you how much you've done for me in so little time. I will be open that reading this post brought tears to my eyes; not because I am overly emotional, but because you have done so much for me. I remember reading about when the Buddha passed, and the different reactions his students took. I guess I thought "Oh, but I would look on with equanimity". But no---I did not realize how precious an individual like you and the Buddha are. Even hearing that you're health is not top-notch is hard for me.

I look back on my life, and I know from the very beginning I was searching for a teacher, a mentor; so that I may gain wisdom, bliss, joy, and ecstasy. I know you were also looking for one---but instead you became that for all of us.

There is also a legal plant from Southeast Asia with strong pain relieving opioid-like effects (although it isn't classified as an opiate). But it also boosts the immune system and has loads of anti-oxidants. It's a miracle plant, and is what finally gave me the help I needed to begin healing and start meditating regularly (and thus landed me here.) Let me know if you want to know more about this.

Whatever the case may be; Please know that I will do absolutely everything I can for you and this group (while balancing it with my family responsibilities). My goal, as soon as I learned of your impressive attainments and teachings, and the quality of individual you are, was to reach a point in progress at least close enough for me to help you find people and teach them. And maybe also to have one more person you can discuss with about the higher attainments.

And in regards to you being a "fraud", if that is something which still passes through your mind to this day; I must protest. I simply cannot see it that way. I've been on some kind of substance since I was 7, and although I don't agree with being forced to medicate at a young age, or some of my medicating choices in the past, I know that some people need plants (or even prescription medication) as allies. Certainly, if I had not come across the pain-relieving plant I mentioned, or psychedelics, I would probably not be here. And my goal since I was young is to be free of all of them (I'm finally on the last leg of that journey)

Will you please update me on your condition, if you don't mind?

I have so much respect and love for everyone I've met here so far. It's like coming home before finally going "Home".

[Jhanananda]

Hello Jason, it is excellent to have another mystic join our fold.  So, I can only hope that we can serve you well. 

As to my health condition, it has been about 10 months since I was last in the emergency room.  I have not used a walker or cane, or crutches in almost that long, not because I do not need them, but it hurts worse to use them.  I expect an electric wheel chair will be in order soon.  As it is I use my vehicles as wheelchair, because most days I could not walk the half block to the grocery store.  Since this thread started it was also found that this body has diabetes as well, which to me is just more indication there is not much time for it.

Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the mystics who inspired me a great deal.  He called his body the "donkey."  I call it "the beast." Mystics tend to be hard on their body, so they tend to not live long.  Saint Francis of Assisi was about 35 when his donkey gave it up.  I am 60, so I have not worn the beast out yet, but I do not think it has much more time left.

But, this beast has good days and bad days.  On its good days I get some work out of it.  Today was a good day, and it was a warm day, so I worked on servicing the surplus military vehicle, until the beast started to growl.  It will take at least another day of work to get the truck running again, but after working the beast hard, it might be days or weeks before I can flog it back to work.

Lately I have been keeping warm recycling scrap wood as fuel for the fire.  That work usually takes all of what little is available to the beast.  Yesterday the beast cut enough wood for today, so today it could service the turck.

Good news is I had a conversation with one of the contractors who rents a warehouse here.  I told him that I have dulled the blade on my circular saw, and a chain saw, cutting scrap wood into fire wood. 

He said, "What you need is a sawsall with a titanium bimetal blade.  He happened to have bought himself a new one, and he sold his old Dwalt with a new blade in it for only $20.  So, hopefully that will solve the firewood problem.  Otherwise I will have to turn to a small portable propane heater to keep the beast warm.

On herbs, Sam and on I have been discussing herbs.  The last formula worked too well, so I stopped it, but I think I am going to try it again at half the recommended dose to see how it goes.  The formula has neam leaf in it.

[Michel]

I am very sad to hear that you're still having difficulty walking, Jhananda. And then there's the diabetes, and you easily become fatigued. Are you on Insulin? I wish I could do something to help. Perhaps our paths will cross in the next life if you decide to come back, and circumstances will allow us to help each other.

[Jhanananda]

Hello Michel, yes, I forgot to mention the chronic fatigue as well.  Weeks can go by and I cannot flog this beast hard enough to move out of a chair.

As finished as I feel with being in the body of a spore, on a damp dust particle, whirling in vast, vast empty space; it seems that I am committed to coming back, time and again, to help beings become enlightened.  I expect that you will become enlightened in this very lifetime, so we will have to see each other again in the heavenly host (deva loca).  It is a far better place to reside anyway.

[Jhanon]

Damnit Jeffrey. You bring such a rare gift into this world. I almost cannot get over how fortunate I am to have met you. You remind me of an Enlightened Tesla It tugs at my heart hearing about your complications and daily life. I hope I can find something to do to honor you. I will certainly teach what I learn of and from you to all who will listen (I've already begun with those I know outside the group who are interested.) You have done an incredibly noble deed for this dust ball. I find myself beginning to form an intention to write a book to tell some of your story, and teach the way of true meditation. Speaking of which, I believe I saw you are writing a book about what you teach? I think I saw something about that somewhere.

Also, it's worth mentioning that part of my education as a holistic health coach was learning how diabetes was being reversed consistently and successfully through diet. I have helped others also with diabetes, and have seen some improvements. Let me know if you are interested in this.

But now I have questions. Firstly, does this leaf have psychoactive qualities? I don't understand what you mean by it working too well.

Next, I have seen you mention deva loca a couple times. I have never heard of this, and that is very odd because I study a lot. And I've also never heard of an arahant returning to take birth again. Please help me understand.