Episode Details

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, discusses the ancient Indian philosophy of Samkhya Yoga as a framework for spiritual observation. It includes the dual principles of Purusha (the essence of the self) and Prakrit (the "Great Mother" or manifested nature and energy).

While Samkhya might appear to be dualistic, it aims for a state of Sahaja, or awakened consciousness. This state contains and transcends the three states of objective self-consciousness, dreaming, and deep sleep..

The spiritual task involves two seemingly contradictory efforts, or "two ends of one stick.” They are rigorous self-observation and voluntary self-forgetting. To observe correctly, we must develop a background attention that is indifferent to events, watching the movements of energy (Prakrit) without impatience or the desire to give orders.

This leads to voluntary self-forgetting, where one stops observing the personal self and begins to watch the broader movement of existence.

Obstacles to this awareness are our unconscious desires and our investment in our dreams—memories, future plans, or escapes from today's misery. By constantly wanting to become something better or different, we miss the reality of being.

The path forward is meditation to balance the heart and mind, allowing Purusha to finally extricate itself from the mindless play of Prakrit. The ultimate realization is that Nirvana and Samsara are not separate. By witnessing oneself without judgment, one discovers that reality remains exactly what it is.

Sept 27, 1987