The Way of Selflessness · A Practical Guide to Enlightenment Based on the Teachings of the World’s Great Mystics by Morwood, Joel -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

The Way of Selflessness Acknowledgements Contents Preface

How to Use This Book

Part I. Overview of the Way Chapter 1. The Truth that Makes You Free

What Causes Suffering How Ignorance Can Cause Suffering

Chapter 2. Who Are You, Really?

Why Reality is Unspeakable Describing the Indescribable Consciousness and Reality Love and Bliss

Chapter 3. Enlightenment

What Enlightenment Is Not What Enlightenment Is … Sort of

Chapter 4. Understanding Delusion

How the Delusion of Self Arises How the Delusion of Self Evolves The Great Path of Return

Chapter 5. Love and Truth

Jnana: The Path of Knowledge Bhakti: The Path of Devotion Jnana vs. Bhakti The End Is Selflessness

Chapter 6. Four Principles of the Path

Attention Commitment Detachment Surrender Summary of Part I

Part II. Making Preparations Chapter 7. Finding a Teacher

How Teachers Function The Inner Teacher Recognizing an Enlightened Teacher

Chapter 8. Tracking Dreams

Two Kinds of Dreams The Realm of the Archetypes Some Common Kinds of Archetypes Cultivating Spiritual Dreams Interpreting Your Dreams

Chapter 9. Going on Retreat

Specific Reasons for Going on Retreat How to Go on Retreat Re-entering the World after Retreat

Part III. Entering the Path of Knowledge (Jnana) Chapter 10. The Chain of Conditioning

Starting Self-Inquiry The Nine-Link Chain of Conditioning Continuing Inquiry

Chapter 11. Concentration Meditation

Three Stages of Meditation Choosing a Meditation Object Establishing a Disciplined Practice Instructions for Concentration Meditation Overcoming Obstacles Refining Your Practice Signs of Approaching Calm-Abiding Attaining Calm-Abiding

Chapter 12. Choiceless Awareness Meditation

The Six Categories of Phenomena Instructions for Choiceless Awareness Meditation Refining Your Practice Combining Concentration and Choiceless Awareness

Chapter 13. Contemplating Impermanence

Moment-to-Moment Impermanence Instructions for Contemplating Impermanence Methods for Maintaining Mindfulness in Everyday Life The Dark Night of the Jnani

Part IV. Entering the Path of Devotion (Bhakti) Chapter 14. Verbal Prayer

How Initiation Happens Four Meanings of “Heart” The Hardened Heart Verbal Prayer

Chapter 15. Prayer-in-the-Heart

Begin with Japa Bringing Attention into the Heart Instructions for Prayer-in-the-heart Overcoming Obstacles Spontaneous Prayer Touching the Spiritual Heart

Chapter 16. Remembrance Through Unceasing Prayer

Maintaining Constant Remembrance of the Beloved How to Practice Unceasing Prayer The Benefits of Unceasing Prayer The Dark Night of the Bhakta

Part V. Cultivating Love and Compassion Chapter 17. The Mystics’ View of Morality

Three Views of Morality How Precepts Function

Chapter 18. Keeping Precepts

Ten Selfless Precepts

Chapter 19. Sending and Taking

Overcoming the Fear of Love Start with Sending and Taking Instructions for Sending and Taking with Yourself Instructions for Sending and Taking with Friends Instructions for Sending and Taking with Strangers Instructions for Sending and Taking with Enemies Dealing with Resistance Incorporating Sending and Taking into Your Life

Chapter 20. Serving Others

Serving Others as a Spiritual Practice Cultivating Love and Compassion for Your Self Cultivating Love and Compassion for Family and Friends Cultivating Love and Compassion for Strangers Cultivating Love and Compassion for Enemies Taking Appropriate Action The Benefits of Cultivating Love and Compassion

Chapter 21. Serving God

Serving God in Your Relationships with Other People Serving God at Your Work Place Serving God in Your Daily Routines Serving God and Self-Inquiry

Chapter 22. Be Grateful for Everything

Being Grateful for Sickness and Pain Being Grateful for Old Age Being Grateful for Death The Benefits of Being Grateful for Everything

Chapter 23. Effort and Grace

Spiritual Warfare How Guidance Manifests

Part VI. Dismantling the Delusion of Self Chapter 24. Liberating Thoughts

Liberating Thoughts for Jnanis Instructions for Liberating Thoughts in Choiceless Awareness Liberating Thoughts for Bhaktas Instructions for Liberating Thoughts in Prayer-in-the-Heart Liberating the Energy of Thought Liberating Thoughts in Everyday Life

Chapter 25. Purifying Emotions

Transforming Emotions into Love and Longing for the Divine Instructions for Transforming Emotions into Devotion Transforming Emotions into Wisdom Energies The Five Emotional Energies Desire and Discriminating Wisdom Aversion and Mirror-like Wisdom Pride and the Wisdom of Equanimity or Sameness Envy and All-Accomplishing Wisdom Ignorance and Gnosis How to Transform Afflicted Emotions Instructions for Transforming Emotions into Wisdom Energies Transforming Ignorance into Gnosis

Chapter 26. Deconstructing the Delusion of Time

What is Time? Inquiring into the Past and Future Instructions for Liberating Thoughts about Past and Future Liberating Thoughts of Past and Future in Everyday Life Inquiring into the Present Instructions for Liberating the Three Times Deconstructing Time in Your Everyday Life

Chapter 27. Avoiding Pitfalls

Becoming Attached to the Fruits of Your Practice Succumbing to Spiritual Complacency Mistaking Spiritual Experiences for Enlightenment

Part VII. Contemplating Reality Chapter 28. Contemplating the Nature of Objects

Impermanence and Emptiness Preparing to Contemplate Objects Contemplating the Emptiness of Objects Instructions for Contemplating the Emptiness of Objects Contemplating the Emptiness of Correlations Instructions for Contemplating the Emptiness of Correlations Contemplating the Inseparability of Phenomena and Consciousness Instructions for Contemplating Inseparability Gaining Non-conceptual Insights The Jnani’s Initiation

Chapter 29. Contemplating the Nature of Self

Making Preparations Instructions for Contemplating the Emptiness of Self: Are You a Physical Body? Instructions for Contemplating the Emptiness of Self: Are You Your Thoughts? Instructions for Contemplating the Emptiness of Self: Are You Your Emotions? Instructions for Contemplating the Emptiness of Self: Are You the Agent of Volition? Instructions for Contemplating the Boundary between Self and Not-self Continuing Self-Inquiry in Everyday Life Fear of Selflessness

Chapter 30. Contemplating the Nature of God

The Way of Negation Prayer of Silence Preparations for Practice Instructions for Contemplating God in Silence Practicing in Everyday Life The Fear of God

Chapter 31. Contemplating Nothing

Discovering Nothing at the Time of Death Discovering Nothing in States of Samadhi Discovering Nothing during Sleep How to Cultivate Lucidity during Sleep How to Use Lucidity during Sleep Turning Attention Back to Its Source

Chapter 32. Returning to the Source

Following Thoughts Back to Their Source Three Pointers for Practice Instructions for Following Thought Back to Its Source Recognizing Consciousness Itself Surrender All Seeking

Part VIII. The End of the Way Chapter 33. Kenosis

Attaining Kenosis How Jnanis Fail How Bhaktas Fail Kenosis as Spiritual Death

Chapter 34. Gnosis

A Warning about Words How Gnosis Happens Realizing the True Nature of the Subject Realizing the True Nature of Objects Realizing the Identity of Subject and Objects Misapprehending Bliss Misapprehending Emotion Misapprehending Realization

Chapter 35. Life after Gnosis

Nothing to Attain The Fruit of Freedom The Fruit of Happiness The Fruit of Love The Fruit of Truth Fruit of Perfection Instructions for Effortless Contemplation

Endnotes Quotation Index Subject Index

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