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Introduction “A dulthood” in our culture begins fairly early on - between the ages 7 to 10 according to developmental psychologist Jean Piaget - as we learn to substitute mental activity for actual sensory experience. This is also a viable description of what the loss of innocence consists of, and is arguably a good working definition of insanity. I can safely bet that fantasy, interpretation and preoccupation are deeply ingrained habits of yours, and certainly of the culture - habits hard to see let alone break. This results in a sense of things being separate, static, solid, mundane, normal, a little dull, known - with perhaps a bit of anxiety lurking at “the edges”, as well as a preoccupation with circumstances. Unfortunately, this is an understatement.
It would be accurate to say that these pages are about turning the process of “adulthood” around: substituting actual sensory experience for mental activity (which actually is a sensory experience too).
And if you find yourself just getting more into your head, screw the book and go do something fun.
Your experience is, and this is-ness is felt, it permeates.
Experience is the entity, not me. And everything is in experience. Feeling is the inquiry. Q. Where is the life force, the sun, presence, the present, coming from? A. From you. You ARE this, surf it. It is doing itself. This, right here, is the breaking wave of this astounding radiance. It is not inert. It has no downtime.
If you start with “everything’s a mystery”, you don’t get the known as a result. The staleness of the “known” is an illusion. Unexpectedness is this life – it is unpredictable and spontaneous.
There’s nothing to get and nothing to fix. There are facts, but not problems. Neurosis and insanity show up in the effortless clarity, the effortless sense of you. Solutions aren’t needed. There is a loss of a sense of urgency, loss of a sense of lack, loss of neediness. Nothing has to be addressed. The clarity is profound that everything shows up in. Look at what’s looking at the world. The prime fact is clarity. “I” is not a little piece of the puzzle, it’s the fucking table the puzzle is on. It’s a matter of appreciating this fact. It is not a little factor, it is the ultimate factor. Notice you’re always hanging out in being. Being itself is juicy, it doesn’t need embellishment. This is not about getting new information, but new priorities. You can still seek experiences but without the desperation.
You understand through participation, not analysis. What this already inherently is, is the kicker. You can’t not have that, it is an absolute given. All the pressure is off. That’s freedom.
“It” is already doing everything – no faith is needed, it is self-verifyingly obvious.
You are not a failed expression of the infinite, you are already a full expression of it. Notice what you are already. Unrealization = exaggerated self-importance. Liberation is not the loss of ego, but the loss of self-importance.
AI Summary
The Astounding Nature of Experience by Stanton Hunter presents key insights from the contemplative tradition. The 10 passages above capture the essential teachings.
Core Themes:
- [To be expanded]
Key Passages: Highlights 1, 3, and 10 are particularly representative.
This entry was generated from Readwise highlights. Expand with additional context as appropriate.