Bernadette Roberts: The Book of No-Self

[Orb]

There was a woman named Bernadette Robert's who followed th contemplative Christian path and eventually experienced the union of the soul with God. In other words she became one with the universe, the small drop of water merged back with the ocean. 

 

BUT, many years later she says that one day even that fell away and she "experienced" the permanent falling away of self completely, there was nothing "elevated" or "higher consciousness" about it or special or magical. She said it was completely different from the typical notions surrounding the non dual space and it actually shocked her. 

 

It was like being a self, then the divine came in and little self was gone, but many years later the divine fell away too. 

 

Has anyone here had the permanent falling away of self? 

 

Adyashanti talks about this too. I don't see many spiritual peeps talking about this it seems really rare. 

 

I'm not sure if it's a language gap. I notice there tends to be two main camps in the non dual space, those who speak the Zen Buddhism language (No Self), and those who speak the Advaita type language (the Self). 

 

So it may be a language gap and that's all. But some people say that all notions of self mundane or divine really does fall away and all specialness does too. 

 

It's really jarring honestly. 

 

I've never actually read her book, but once the time comes I will read it, I believe she was a nun but I could be wrong. And keep in mind she had no idea about "No Self", she just followed the contemplative practices and remained in union with God until one day even that fell away. 🤨😶

[Mandy]

Is special a thought of what's special or is special direct appreciation?

 

special etymology "c. 1200, "given or granted in unusual circumstances, exceptional;" also "specific" as opposed to general or common; from Old French special, especial "special, particular, unusual" (12c., Modern French spécial) and directly from Latin specialis "individual, particular" (source also of Spanish especial, Italian speziale), from species "appearance, kind, sort" (see species)."

[Orb]

@Mandy you know, that's a really great point. That really clears things up now. Maybe the appreciation is so direct that the appreciator and appreciation are indistinguishable.

[Phil]

 

 

Advaita mean non-secondness… as in no self… and no Self… and no self which has or experiences a permanent falling away of… a self. 

 

 

[Devin]

@Orb

 

          I've posted this a few times now but there is a tribe still in existence today that has no concept of time or grief, imagine a no contact tribe that had no language, imagine what a child born into that would or wouldn't think. Sort of like what Helen Keller a deaf and blind person, what would they or wouldn't they think.

 

             You may say theses examples would still see separation between themselves and everything, but then I would ask how would they act if they saw no separation, like a monk meditating for 40 years, or like a primeval wild man? I say the wild man has no concept of separation, just look at him, completely "in his element", a part of this, natural, completely integrated and immersed. Now look at a modern Rupert Spira, or Eckhart Tolle, are they integrated into everything or can you see the separation they have.

 

            Now before you agree with that, this may seem like an Uno reverse card but, 

On 8/21/2023 at 7:07 PM, Orb said:

In other words she became one with the universe, the small drop of water merged back with the ocean. 

 

BUT, many years later she says that one day even that fell away and she "experienced" the permanent falling away of self completely, there was nothing "elevated" or "higher consciousness" about it or special or magical. She said it was completely different from the typical notions surrounding the non dual space and it actually shocked her. 

 

It was like being a self, then the divine came in and little self was gone, but many years later the divine fell away too. 

 

Has anyone here had the permanent falling away of self? 

 

Adyashanti talks about this too. I don't see many spiritual peeps talking about this it seems really rare. 

This may be a leap in communication, but how could there ever be or feel like or seem like REAL separation, there doesn't, there isn't, what you feel is the real non separation, non self, Self literary is just a word, it's not even a thought. There's no magical feeling, what you feel now is it

On 8/21/2023 at 7:07 PM, Orb said:

 

 

BUT, many years later she says that one day even that fell away and she "experienced" the permanent falling away of self completely, there was nothing "elevated" or "higher consciousness" about it or special or magical.

you can't not experience it at everymoment. Self is just a word. This is it.

 

        Devin does not experience, does not think, or feel, Devin is a word, this body does not feel, experience, or think, body is just a word. Devin does not have a "falling away of self", a "falling away of self", that concept is a concept, the sensation felt associated with that concept is just a sensation that appears, it's not Devin having a sensation, the thought or concept that appears are just words that appear. Everything including "thoughts", "emotions", "words", "feelings", they're just qualia that just appear.

 

        The "thought" that Devin experiences, and feels,  etc., does appear though, that "thought" is also just qualia that just appears.

 

    Imagine a purple elephant, it visually popped up right? Just appeared, how did you do that? You didn't,  it just appears.

Edited August 24, 2023 by Devin

[Forza21]

I wrote the exact topic about that.
My thoughts after some time: What is divine? If you become something fully, is there something actually different/other/divine than you? How would you know the difference then?

Edited August 24, 2023 by Forza21

[Orb]

@Forza21 yes. "Abiding" in the Self fully means realizing No-Self. 

 

For the Source there is no Source. 

 

How can "you" have a source if you are the source and there is no you? 

 

Seems a bit confusing 😂😂

Edited August 24, 2023 by Orb