Perceptions are constantly coming and going in a flow. Usually this appears to be an unbroken flow of thoughts, images, feelings etc. But in meditation breaks in this flow appear: brief and intermittent at first, but after a while being more regular and more prolonged. Perceptions oscillating with silence.

As this silence becomes more familiar it reveals an inner dynamic not at first obvious. Just as mental activity oscillates between perceptions and silence, there is an oscillation within silence itself. This oscillation is not simply between two poles, as the perception/silence verbalisation implies. It is an oscillation along a spectrum, which spectrum actually includes perceptions as well as silence.

At one end of the spectrum there is an absolute nothing, which having no characteristics or qualities of its own, can neither be experienced or described. However, it can be inferred on the basis of what is experienced on oscillating out of it, and eventually even the oscillation into it begins to be recognisable also. Then at the other end of the spectrum are perceptions (which of course have their own spectrum).

In between there is a dynamic spectrum within which the arising of a specific perception can be recognised before the specificity of the perception takes shape in awareness. Eventually to the point that that particular experience no longer leads to a perception. Instead there seems to be a stabilising and deepening of internal awareness. This internal awareness has a luminous quality, that is totally indefinable, but which permits awareness of it. It is a sea of nonspecific perceptibility.

This sea of perceptibility also has its oscillating spectrum, from one end within which no specific perceptions are taking place to the other in which they are but in such a way that the background or source luminosity is still apparent, and the perceptions that are present are not present in the usual way. In that that they do not flow off into a loop of free association. If they do flow on they stay within the theme of the initial perception and then stop by themselves. And in that their activity is quite clearly independent of intent or interest. Their coming, their flowing, their stopping have no relationship to any overt agenda.

This oscillation in luminosity of course itself oscillates at one end into concrete, independent perceptions and at the other into total silence. While the non-specific sea itself is a silence too. A relative silence as awareness as a phenomenon remains even though it is revealing no other specific phenomena.

This luminosity is the inherent presence of awareness. Awareness which sometimes has uncalled for perceptions floating in it; is sometimes obscured by the assertiveness of specific perceptions; sometimes remaining as an indeterminate sea of luminosity; and sometimes dissolving altogether.

This spectrum of the oscillation in awareness can be analysed according to different models. For example it can be related to Patanjali. The obscuring of the luminosity is the opening of the perceptual split between subject and object, wherein all ignorance and its suffering takes place. The indeterminate sea of undifferentiate luminosity being nirvicarasabijasamadhi. The presence of perceptions within that luminosity being vicarasabijasamadhi, nirvitarkasabijasamadhi, and vitarkasabijasamadhi. The dissolution of awareness being nirbijasamadhi.

canam ibiza 2004