Awakening the Third Eye - 25 - 26 Feb 2012

These 2 days start with misty and foggy mornings, the sun seems to have disappeared. The temperature drops drastically (compared to the 1st day we arrived) and I am SO grateful for all the warm clothing I bring = D

I am so looking forward to this segment of the intensive - Awakening the Third Eye (ATE). I am always a visual person, I am sure ATE will superlatively enhance my meditating experiences and insights.

 

The following are all my 1st person encounter:
The 3rd eye physically resides between the brows. Seeing in spiritual terms means feeling (etherically in clairvision term) and knowing (astrally in clairvision terms). It is a holistic integrative experience activating the physical and subtle bodies, such that I enter into a wider, deeper space when I interact with both my external and internal worlds.
Further, absorption into the qualities of the deep vast space is more clarity, serenity and groundedness.

ATE is achieved, in clairvision technique, via throat friction which amplifies the gateway (third eye in this case). Whenever the gateway is subtle, use throat friction. Though I find myself not needing throat friction much to access this gateway, I do feel the amplification using it especially when I am distracted.

When TE is activated, pulsation, warmth or tingling sensation is felt in between the brows. Once focus is maintained on these qualities, I find myself dissolve/melt into a vast still space. It feels like my body is not me; it feels like I have transcended myself; it feels like the space and I are one. It is the same feeling as Anatta (non-self) a key concept in Buddhism, a feeling I have experienced previously in my Buddhist Vipassana meditation in 2005. I am surprised I took 5 days to experience this in the previous Vipassana retreat but just one seating in ATE this time round. Is ATE method more effective or such quick access the result of my continuous practice on dynamic awareness since 2005. Or both. Anyway I am grateful = D

In the beginning, the space is dark and almost black. With more practise and "fine-tuning", the space turns from dark purple to velvety purple to velvety purple with glow in the center. Towards the later part of intensive, whenever I cross my eyes, I automatically enter this velvety glowy purple space without much conscious effort, and the glow in the center becomes more and more intense (yet not blinding). I have yet to find a physical parallel to compare this glow with. I can only say it is a kinda light from the higher realms.

Actually this is not even close, I just can't find anything similar...

After throat friction and ATE on one's own, ATE is further activated with a partner by looking at each other's "third eye". I can tune into my partner's space by connecting to his/her third eye, and I can experience what he/she is experiencing by being in the same space.
My experience with 2 partners are particularly interesting:
When I connected with Sue, I can feel a "bridge"connecting our third eyes.The feeling is very concrete and real. The best thing is Sue felt the same too (after the session we shared our experience). I can detect her dark and bright spots in her body and her aura as well.

The only problem connecting with 3rd eye with eyes open is that once I blink, I inevitably snapped out of the deep vast space which takes time to build up again. I posed this qn in the group discussion and asked for solution. Soon after I asked, I realised the answer myself...

My next sitting is with Suki who is here to assist our intensives:
I started by simply softening my gaze and immediately I found myself blink less. As soon as I am aware that I blink less and am excited about it, I start to blink again!
I realise that thinking, trying, sense of self are deterrents to letting go.
Letting go, non-grasping, not trying are ingredients for deepening into the spiritual experience.
When I blinked less, I find myself more absorbed into the space, more melted away, dense solid and firm.
Suki experienced and reported the same when she connected to my space which is very assuring that I am getting it.

When I dissolve into a vast still space with pure concentrated mental energies, I first experience vast capacity for love and other positive energies. All the emotions start to run through me and I find tears roll down like running water. At first I was too shy to cry in public. Then I realise it is gd that I release the suppressed emotions within. After sometime, I come to even realise that I am not crying but just emotions flowing through me. Let it flow let it flow...

After sessions of "cleansing", in subsequent sessions on the second day onwards, I feel more still and dense. It feels as if I am rock solid against external forces. It is when I know I am unshakable.

We also have experience connecting with centres along the column (can map it to the spine and extended to the crown), particularly the belly and the heart. I personally do not have significant experiences with these pts perhaps I am still mastering my third eye and absorption. Others do share interesting experiences though.

Now on mundane things. Food! 

This is our kitchen and dining area (on a foggy cold day):

We are served 3 vegetarian home-made meals a day by our loving and generous Clairvision practitioners who have come to stay and volunteer. I am eternally grateful to them for spending 6 hrs a day, and sacrificing a part of their lives, coming here to feed us!

It is a shame I did not take any picture of any of the sumptuous gorgeous spreads and the lovely helpers. It is my greatest regrets. RenG, can I count on you for this? Did you take any picture???

Nevertheless, we have such gd meals, from Indian to Chinese to French to Italian all home-made! Carrot cake, ginger cake, rice pudding cake, banana walnut cake... oh heavenly!

I can't say thank you enough!

This is the "spiritual tree" under which many people seek refuge for a quiet time after meals:

  This is the evidence I was there haha...

 Group photo taken under the tree

This is the space beyond the dining area, where the helpers stay. View taken between the dining area and the spiritual tree.

 

Prelude to ISIS 101 - Clairvision School of Meditation @ Hidden Valley, NSW, Australia

Whom I consider as my spiritual brother, Resh Teoh (Teoh Renshang), is someone I kept a look-out for since my JC days. Back then, I knew him only by name as a school councilor (whilst I am an ikan bilis in the competitive pool of talents).

Even back then, without knowing each other in person at all, I knew we have met the previous lives...

In this life, repeatedly our paths have crossed without either of us knowing at all (e.g. we came from the same batch same school, we both are devoted Buddhists, spending months in meditation retreats, under the same spiritual and meditation teachers, both adore Yukie Nishimura's music for its spiritual energies etc.) 

One day I decided to write to him to tell him he is an "old friend of mine" and he started to introduce Clairvision to me. 

As an open-minded spiritual seeker of truth, I am open to any concept and technique so long it is positive and deliver results. I am creative and wise enough to integrate everything I experience and learn to my own growth and advantage. I am of the view that truth is not afraid of revealing and subjecting itself to scrutiny and cross-referencing. Truth comes in different forms, flavors and languages; conventional boundaries are just superficial. Hence my spiritual practice is not exclusive to any school or denomination.

What Resh described to me about his clairvision experiences over hawker fare at 7 am one morning sounds fascinating to me.

However it wasn't till Jan 2012 was I informed of the intensive 10 day retreat in Hidden Valley (where I heard was full of spiritual energies).  

An important point is also my encounter with Danny Louange, a surgeon and Resh's fellow ISIS practitioner. His ability to tune into my space can only come from his ISIS experience (I can tune into his space to know this too haha).

With 2 weeks notice, I made up my mind to go. 

In 2 days, I registered, made payment, booked air-ticket, purchased ETA (Australian visa) and packed my bag.

In 2 wks, I went through the Awakening the Third Eye book and 2 Knowledge Tracks (correspondence course materials which typically takes months to finish).

Efficiency is my mandate = D

Despite going alone, I know I have all the spiritual forces with me and gd "old" spiritual friends waiting for me to meet them again. 

Just 1 wk before departure, Resh told me his younger brother RenG is joining me. I feel that I would be taken care of. RenG turns out to be my best platonic friend...

On 24th Feb, having to arrive at 7am at Sydney Int. Airport, RenG was kind enough to meet me at Velluto cafe to wait with me for the mini-bus to arrive at 1130am to pick us to Hidden valley.

During the trip, RenG described to me how connected the Aussies are as a people and to nature. His knowledge of plants in OZ (which he says is typical of Aussies) impressed me. He told me about home-grown Eucalytus and Tea tree oil and all the flavorful natural foods I can get in Sydney and asked me to stay 2 full days in Sydney before my return to SG for him to show me to all the great eateries (it turns out that we spent only 1/2 day cos I am just too carried away by the vast nature of Morton national park and the homeliness of cosy Santi Forest Monastery, see stories later).

I am grateful to his hospitality and am excited about what I am about to experience.

 RenG under a Eucalytus tree

The bus ride to Hidden valley took 4 hours and passed round Blue Mountains (name due to blue Eucalytus vapor). All-time adorable Michelle (fellow ISIS attendee) took a video of the ride scenery by sticking her cell phone to the window. I hope she is kind enough to send me the video to post it here. Michelle sweetie?? = D

Yes! she responded (26 March):

(1/2 of the original video clip)

The following pictures show the way in from the gates to our sleeping barn:

(taken the next morning with daylight scattered by the mist)

A little digression about our dorms and sanitary facilities: 

our dorms do not operate on electricity and they are right in the wilderness with Kangaroos and Wombats:

 

Gotcha! Wombat!

We have to walk around 10 mins to the WC to shower, pee and poo, so we usually just do pee in the bushes. Environmentally friendly! = P

The shower uses dam water which contains soil and all the minerals. I thought I am gonna get pimple breakout  without clean water to wash my face but to my surprise hardly any! And the theory being...? I reckon the minerals in the dam water are actually gd for the skin plus my bodily cells vibrate with positive energies from meditation!

It's cool and low maintenance to be Natural and Spiritual !

Back to the bus ride...

We arrived at 6pm on a scorching hot Friday which makes me kinda regret bringing 1/2 luggage worth of thick clothes. I was told the weather in Hidden Valley fluctuates like the desert's and soon I was about to witness this amazing weather change (within a wk and even within a day!)...