meditn - double pointed arrow

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This reflection by Purushottama—“The Awakening of the Double-Pointed Arrow”—is a profound articulation of meditative awareness, drawing from both classical and contemporary contemplative traditions. Here's a breakdown of its key insights and implications:

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🔹 What is the Double-Pointed Arrow?

The metaphor of the “double-pointed arrow” symbolizes witness consciousness—awareness that is simultaneously:

• Directed outward, observing phenomena such as thoughts, emotions, breath, and sensations;

• And inward, aware of the one who is aware—the subject, or the seer.

This dual aspect of awareness marks a critical threshold in meditation practice.

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🌀 Stages Described

1. Pre-Awakening Phase

   • Meditation is exploratory: watching the breath, sensations, thoughts.

   • The practitioner is unconsciously preparing the ground for the awakening of the witness.

2. Awakening of the Witness (Double-Pointed Arrow)

   • A shift occurs: one recognizes experientially, not just intellectually, “I am not the mind”.

   • This is the birth of true mindfulness—the witness is seen as separate from mental activity.

3. Stabilization Phase

   • The practitioner alternates between states of identification and dis-identification.

   • With persistence, stabilized witnessing arises: awareness remains centered, unshaken.

4. Transformation and Oneness

   • As witnessing deepens, the apparent duality (observer and observed) dissolves.

   • Ultimately, there is no separation: the witness merges with Being.

   • This is the realization of nonduality—a hallmark of advanced meditative insight.

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💡 Philosophical Context

This teaching echoes the essence of:

• Advaita Vedanta (e.g., the seer is the seen),

• Zen and Dzogchen (just seeing, pure awareness),

• Jōdo Shinshū’s "Other Power" (the surrender of egoic effort into grace).

While the terminology is contemporary, the insights resonate deeply with traditional wisdom.

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🔱 Key Quote Summary

Here are some distilled gems:

• “The awakening of the double-pointed arrow is the fulcrum point of meditation.”

• “Watching the mind... one becomes aware of being something other than the mind.”

• “Here the observer is the observed. There is no center and no periphery—only oneness.”

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If you're exploring meditative practice or interested in the philosophy behind Great Living or Buddhist awakening, this piece complements those teachings by illuminating the inner dynamics of realization from the perspective of lived, experiential insight.

Would you like a comparative summary showing how this aligns with Shin Buddhism, Zen, or other traditions?