Out of the several hundred hours of Ken dialogues we've shared in the last eight years, it seems fair enough to say that at least 99% fall into the realm of Ken speaking on quadrants, or levels, or states, or some other theoretical aspect of Integral living. Given this history, we assume that you might be ready for something completely different. Well, if so, the hour long segment you're about to engage is simply one of the most raw and most intimate set of personal reflections we've ever published—and we suspect you'll enjoy this change of pace as much as we did....
Written by Clint Fuhs
As merely an autobiographical account of Ken's own vertical development, spiritual growth, and shadow work, this story stands as a compelling account of his early psychoanalytic work with Bob Young, his journey through Gestalt, dream, and Jungian therapies, and his first satori with Soto Zen teacher, Katagiri Roshi. It then unfolds through his subsequent work in the Vajrayana tradition, where he encountered his root teacher, Chagdud Tulku, along with his second major satori, which extended his exploration into a relationship with Trungpa and Kalu Rinpoches, along with Pema Norbu, who offered the Longchen Nintig teachings, some of the highest transmissions in Dzogchen. He completes the journey with reflections on Adi Da, the most recent teacher who he had considered engaging in a formal relationship, before ending with a summary of his personal psychograph and brief insight into his current inquiry practice, which is a composite of Ramana Maharshi's "Who am I?" inquiry, Zen's Shikantaza, Da's avoiding inquiry, and the core of Dzogchen's Maha Ati teachings.
But, if taken as a radical and risky self-disclosure coming from a man who's self-described as both a pandit and a hermit, this story is a rare opportunity to encounter the beautiful heart behind the big mind—a fleeting and chance encounter with the many faces of Ken and the many milestones along his life journey that have led to the work that's so deeply touched so many of our lives.
ABOUT CORE INTEGRAL
Core Integral is excited to announce that Course 02: Advanced Integral, the second installment in their acclaimed three course e-learning series on the Integral Approach, has launched and is now available for download or shipment. Created by Ken Wilber and Clint Fuhs, Advanced Integral will indulge your mind with a self-paced, custom curriculum that promises to guide your understanding to a level that's taken folks years to attain on their own.
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Advanced Integral is not just about complex theory. Rather, it grounds your search for knowledge in its philosophical roots, while at the same time allowing you to use Integral Theory to actively make better sense of your life.
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Comments
Thu, 06/21/2012 - 22:21
What is the ultimate state/reality? Ken Wilber learned that the ultimate state can not have a beginning in time. It must be something we have always already had and is therefore very familiar to us.
Ken spoke of "I amness". We have always had "I amness". In order to have this we must have existence and awareness. In Vedanta they speak of the ultimate reality as being Sat/Chit/Ananda. I hypothesize that we have always already had, have, and will have Existence, Awareness and Ananda. Ananda is often translated into English as bliss. Bliss is often defined as the highest happiness. To my way of thinking Ananda can not mean ego happiness or pleasure because these come and go. This writer is trying to begin to understand what this always present Ananda really is. Any ideas?
P.S. It seems that the more times I listen to this talk the better it gets. (And it started out at awesome.)
Wed, 06/27/2012 - 19:22
Some time back I asked for some ideas of what Ananda might be. Let me review and offer some of my ideas for peer review. Ken Wilber tells us that the ultimate state must have no beginning in time; it must be always already just so. If it is pointed out to us we should be able to have a familiar recognition that we have always already been That. Ken has shared with us some beautiful pointing out directions to show how we always already have a feeling of I amness. If we have this feeling we also have (are) consciousness. Vedanta also tells us that we always already are ananda. But what is this ananda? It can't mean human bliss, joy, or happiness the way I have understood them because these come and go.
I traced the words back the best I could; bliss> highest happiness> happiness> contentment> satisfaction> fulfillment of a need. FULFILLMENT OF A NEED - This seems to be about as close as I can get to understanding Ananda at this point. But how so?
I hypothesize that everything that exists has a need to exist and a need to feel. These surface feeling might be more pleasant or more painful and full of suffering but they are all feelings. When we agree to exist and therefore feel we are satisfying our need to do so; and under our surface feelings there is always already a deeper feeling of contentment that we are fulfilling our duty and need (to exist and feel). It's like a steady existence as a feeling of a job well done; even if the job is difficult and painful to preform and we don't think we are doing it so well. And there can be an understanding and appreciation that all of our surface changing feelings are exactly the same stuff.
How do these words feel? I welcome comments on this.
Fri, 06/08/2012 - 19:27
• Ken’s Inquiry;
Is this real?
Is the self-contraction present?
Are you seeking?
Does this have a beginning in time?
Where is I am ness?
Did Ken write an instruction manual for this yet?
• Ken mentioned that Adi Da was the last living teacher Ken thought worthy to personally study with. I suggest that even Ken could “learn” much from Mahamandaleshwar Swami Nityanda but it would not be limited to intellectual “learning”. Adi Da partially split off from the linage of Nityananda. From the first step Swami Muktananda declared that Adi Da was not to teach independently without supervision. Had Adi Da accepted that only he who obeys can command things might have gone a lot more productively. Swami Nityanda is currently alive and in the USA; http://www.shantimandir.com/en/index.html
Tue, 06/05/2012 - 15:14