Direct Transmission of the State of Enlightenment – Greased Lightening Path?
Bare with me on this post. It’s rather lengthy and has a number of sources all connected together to make a point.
I met a Lay-Buddhist one time a while back, became friends with him, and had an intense transmission from his Consciousness which awoke mine. Others too have gained this from him, but I could never figure out the mechanics & never further questioned it, until the last few months.
It was basically, like as if he had a Halo of Consciousness surrounding his head, like you see in the pictures of the Saints, and it was like the center of Consciousness was a candle flame. His close proximity to me, (he whispered into my ear to ask something), basically lit up the center of my Consciousness and also created the Halo effect in me, which lasted for weeks on end.
I lost contact with the fellow, and since I had to go back to work/mundane life, I did not tend/kindle this inner flame, and so it eventually died out. Eventually, a year later by happenstance, bumped into him again and explained it all too him, but he did not know how he did any of it, but did tell me the candle is always lit in the center of his consciousness, though not always strongly. So I asked if I can meditate with him, and it happened AGAIN, and again a few weeks later due to work and a busy life, I again lost the state, but this time gained something invaluable: The Center of Awareness is one step away to the Nondual/Oneness state. How do I know? Because I experienced it (though saying there was an “I” to experience “it” sounds like such a paradox in retrospect). Again, I lost contact with the fellow and began to study more and ask questions about this direct transmission by contacting several Buddhist monasteries, monks, centers, etc…but the most common answer I would is as follows: (Note, these are some actual answer quoted below)
“this kind of transmission does exist in Buddhism (there were people saying that it doesn't), however, there's no way I could tell you whether it was real or that you need to see a doctor. Unfortunately. I don't know a sect that even thinks this is possible anymore, only that it occurred in the past within certain lineages that are long gone.”
Another:
“It's probably more your mind doing all that, than your friend's. Those kinds of experiences can be inspiring. It's a glimpse of the vastness of reality. Sounds like you have been doing a lot of exploring. Keep exploring!”
And another:
“You've become attached to the sensation. Practice non-attachment. Enjoy your journey.”
None of them helped in any of their replies, but one person did mention something called “Dharma Transmission”, so I jumped on the wiki page description for it, and looky looky what I find:
Dharm Transmission Wiki Link“According to Borup the emphasis on 'mind to mind transmission' is a form of esoteric transmission, in which "the tradition and the enlightened mind is transmitted face to face". Metaphorically this can be described as the transmission of a flame from one candle to another candle, or the transmission from one vein to another. In exoteric transmission the requirement is "direct access to the teaching through a personal discovery of one's self. This type of transmission and identification is symbolized by the discovery of a shining lantern, or a mirror.”
BOOM!!!! That’s It!!!!! Spot On!!!!! Exactly how I experienced it, like “a flame from one candle to another candle”.
Doing some more research, I stumbled upon a poster on taobums forums who described exactly to a “T” what I have experienced and since formulated from this experience:
Username: vajrahridaya on thetaobums forums posted as follows:
“I feel that it's the "light" of awareness illuminating unconscious potential. For instance when a saint with deep awareness, a person who has illumined their own unconscious and made it conscious comes in contact with another person, they are able to connect to another on that level they have illumined within them self. If they have the ability to control the wattage of that powerful awareness, they can awaken through this light of awareness the hidden, unconscious potential in another person, thus "shaktipat." Basically, they illumine your closet and through penetrative awareness they take you there as well as your awareness follows that space made by them within you, starting your process and so all those hidden karmas start coming to the surface. Of course to be receptive to this as well takes some cracks in your own karmic shell that are congruently connected with the particular saint you come into contact with, otherwise... you won't experience the saint's saintliness or your own in their presence. You might even experience all your negativity hit you in the face and you might even blame the saint for it.”
Again, he got it figured out and broke it down to an exact way of how I had experienced it.
___________________________________________
Now here’s the kicker. When I sit with a few close friends and start to break down the mechanics of all this, we both simultaneously fall into this Nondual state for seconds at a time or glimpses, only to sort of climb back out of it again and say “whoa!!!! That was it!!!!”
So eventually, through mutual friends, one guy who has some interest in all this found about these breakthroughs I was having with a small handful of people and wanted to speak with me about it. So I met with him, we sat for 3 hours breaking down all of this, and somewhere around the three hour mark there was a point where I felt myself on the precipice of falling into this Nondual state, and I sort of intuitively linked with his intuition like I had with my others friends all those other times, and he dropped into to it as well……only he never came back out.
He described it as an explosion of Light and bliss and space in the center of his being, that he is no more, that there is no more center. The fellow has since cut all ties from all his family, friends, quit his job, and last I heard has been in solitude and wandering forests for the last 3 years, which is the last time anyone has heard from him!!!!!
So all this Enlightenment business, seems to have a Greased Lightning Path to it. Someone who’s deeply established in the Center of Consciousness, can transmit this state, and this state is one step away from the Nondual No-Self state. And in other situations, simply discussing it with others with a right attitude, view, perspective is enough to trigger the initial awakening.
And here are all these paths, lineages, and other traditions talking about decades worth of climbing up ladder rungs, detachment, insight, etc. All these major Buddhist traditions which think that the Esoteric Dharma Transmission has been snuffed out, many who think religiously that there is no such thing!!!!!
Please do add any insight you may have to this as I would highly appreciate anything anyone has to add.