Imitating Freedom, a Buddhist refutation of Actualism

7/22/2019 Imitating Freedom, a Buddhist refutation of Actualism

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Imitating Freedom

Omega Point

Outline of Actualism

"When one first becomes aware of something, there is a fleeting instant of the clean perception of

sensum just before one recognizes the percept (the mental product or result of perception) and alsobefore one identifies with all the feeling memories associated with its qualia (the qualities

pertaining to the properties of the form) and this raw sense-datumstage of sensational perceptionis a direct experience of the actual. Clear perception is in that instant where one converges ones

eyes or ears or nose or tongue or skin on the thing. It is that moment just before one focuses ones

feeling-memory on the object. It is the split-second just as one affectively subjectifies it ... which isjust prior to clamping down on it viscerally and segregating it from the rest of pure, conscious

existence. Pure perception takes place sensitively just before one starts feeling the percept and

thus thinking about it affectively which takes place just before ones feeling-fed mind says: Its

a manor: Its a womanor: Its a steak-burgeror: Its a tofu-burger... with all that is impliedin this identification and the ramifications that stem from that. This fluid, soft-focused moment of

bare awareness, which is not learned, has never been learned, and never will be learned, could becalled an aesthetically sensual regardfulness or a consummate sensorial discernibleness or an

exquisitely sensuous heedfulness ... in a word: apperceptiveness. 1

-Actual Freedom Trust webpage

Actual Freedomor Actualismis a fringe quasi-tradition which asserts an attainment of

the same name. It utilizes methods intended on pointing out or bringing about a condition it calls

pure conscious experienceor PCE, while it asserts all other conditions to be altered states of

consciousness. PCE is an apparentlynon-dual and non-conceptual condition initially occurring fora brief instance prior to perception where there is an uninterpreted moment of pure sense datum,

where the experiential continuum isnt taken as an object nor are sense-objects being segmented

and subsequently experienced as concepts, and where involuntary and recollective self-consciousmemory imprints are not functioning, renewed, or newly created. During the course of repeatedlypointing out or bringing about such a condition (PCE quapath), the once brief instance is extended

and then appears to stick (PCE quafruit), and this apparently persisting condition is called actual

freedom. As implicitly implied by its name and by the terminology used, the quasi-tradition andits progenitor assert superiority and novelty over rigorously developed contemplative traditions

such as Buddhism, referring to the Awakening found in Buddhism as mere spiritual

enlightenmentan altered state of consciousnesswhile branding itself as a third alternative.2


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The Base-of-Allof AtiDzogpa Chenpo Buddhism

One of the greatest Dzogchen masters of the second millennium, Jigme Lingpa, predicted

that the base-of-all states would often be mistaken for Awakening during our age.3 "Those who donot understand it in this way and take the base-of-all for the dharmakayaare like blind menwithout a guide, erring about in a desert. As they are deluded about the nature of the Base and the

Fruit, the Path by which Buddhahood can be realized in one lifetime has been blocked. Samaya.

The neutral base-of-allis a transpersonal condition where neithersamsaranor nirvanaareactive. Neutral states having the experiential character of non-duality and non-conceptuality, and

further, in which there is the manifestation of the first marigpa of the threefold classification,

where that of the basic unawareness that arises when a contingent, beclouding element of

stupefaction obscures rigpas inherent non-dual self-awareness, preventing it from making patentits own face and hence from manifesting its all-liberating natureand so the non-dual truth

corresponding to nirvanaor the state of rigpa is not manifest, though the second and third marigpa

are also notmanifest, wherethat of the active delusion that consists in taking the insubstantial assubstantial, the relative as absolute, the dependent as independent, what lacks value and

importance as having inherent value and importance, the unsatisfactory as suitable to provide

satisfaction and so on; and that consisting in the inability to realize that we are under delusionand

so samsara is said to be not active either.The base-of-allor basis-of-allare the general terms that the Dzogchen teachings use to

refer to the states where nether samsara nor nirvana are active. Phrases that include this term refer

to some of the specific absorptions where the base-of-all is manifest, such as the dimension of thebase-of-all, primordial, profound base-of-all, "base-of-all carrying propensities. Other

examples of absorptions categorized as neutral base-of-allinclude the nirodha-samapattivalued

by the Hinayana; the nirvikalpa-samadhi valued by Vedantic contemplation; thesamadhiwhere

the blank condition that is similar to sleep yet different from it insofar as one is simultaneouslyfully awake is active, which is the supreme realization of Patajalis Yoga darshana; the

absorption in the innerluminosity of what Dzogchen calls the dang form of manifestation of

energy known as tingsel; the various thought-free absorptions involving the sense-continuum, thedharmadhatuas in the space where all phenomena manifest, etc., yet in which specifically lack the

experiential featuring of the subject-object duality or the singling out and recognition of

sensations; in general in the non-dual luminosity manifesting in the chikhai bardo, such as the

clear light of the void, which fails to recognize Rigpa and therefore is a non-actual clear light;

and likely but not certainly due to their ambiguous definitions, the state of turiya-anandadescribed

in the Upanishads(such as theMandukyaand Taittiriya), and in ShankaracharyasAdwaita

Vedanta.

The neutral base-of-alldoesnt solely manifest in absorptions like the ones referred to in

the proceeding terms, as it recurs again and again in normal, everyday human experience, in

which, however, it usually goes unnoticed. "Perception is always preceded by an extremely shortinstant of uninterpreted, pure sensation, which we are unable to reflexively remember insofar as it

is an instance of the neutral condition of the base-of-all that as such does not involve the awareness

(of) consciousness-of-an-object-perceived-in-terms-of-a-concept that is responsible for theproduction of a reflexive mnemonic imprint...the condition of the base-of-all in which there is


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awareness (of) the sensory continuum there is no reflexive awareness (of) consciousness of

object and hence whatever occurs in them cannot be reflexively remembered. This does not mean

however that it is utterly beyond memory as there is functioning of the unselfconscious andnon-reflexive memory. In such states the intentionality of mind does not yet operate, so it is

equivalent to where the senses have not awakened to their objects, though not necessarily because

the continuum of experience is absent as in the case of an asleep, unconscious person, or thenirodha-samapatti. What is critical ...is that as yet there be no cognitive activity that may eithertake the sensory continuum as object, or actively function in order to single out segments of the

continuum and perceive them as objects.... When the base-of-all manifests as a neutral condition,

there is unconsciousness, not in the sense of lack of awareness, but in that of manifestation of astunned condition involving the first type of avidya / marigpa posited in the Dzogchen

classification ... and lacking reflexive awareness (of) being conscious of something and hence

involving no knowledgein which therefore no reflexive mnemonic imprints are established. This

condition manifests for a very brief instant between each coarse thought of the discursive kind andthe next, and although it may be said to be unconscious in the sense just defined, its occurrence,

rather than making us lose track of the relationship between the thoughts in question and fall into a

stunned condition, has the twofold function of separating each thought from the preceding one, andof establishing the connection between thoughts that makes mental discourse possible."

"In the operations that Sartre called bad faith, what has the effect Sartre attributed to an

abstract nihilating power inherent in consciousnessis the occurrence of an instance of the neutral

condition of the base-of-all or kunzhi lungmaten more powerful and clear than the usual lapsebetween one discursive thought and the next, yet not as powerful and extended as the one

occurring in the nyam called heddewa: this allows us to forget the aspect of ourselves we intended

to elude, or elude both the object and the sensation of anguish, and by the same token forget weforgot somethingthereby keeping the act of elusion, as well as whatever we intended to elude,

outside our conscious awareness. Further, the base-of-all, beside working as the interrupter of all

that we intended to elude (including the act of elusion itself), works as the channel that carries the

intention to invent and come to believe a tranquilizing myth, causing the first line of thought tomanifest immediately after the condition in question to express the appropriate mythor whatever

it is convenient for us to look at after looking awayfrom what we intend to elude and, in the

same operation, looking awayfrom our looking awayfrom it. Since the neutral condition ofthe base-of all left us with no immediate reflexive memory either of what we intended to elude or

of the act of elusion, and since subsequently we become absorbed in the myth we want to believe,

becoming unaware of everything else (including the fact that we are telling ourselves a myth), weautomatically forget what we intended to forget and come to believe the myth enunciated by the

new chain of thoughts (there being no need for us to elaborate the myth beforehand, for when the

moment comes the spontaneity of awareness will do so in the most convenient way.

In the case of many transpersonal thinkers and pseudo-gurus, the base-of-all is mistaken for

authentic Awakening, often leading to spiritual pride, to individuals setting themselves up as

pseudo-gurus, and to false ideas of exceptionalness which serves to further mislead and delude

others.4 The importance of this mistake cannot be understated, for it is possible to becomeestablished in the neutral base-of-all for extremely long periods of time, thereby squandering the

precious human opportunity. It can become a comfortable jail where the progress along the Path is

blocked and suspended. Freedom can be suspended, especially when the base-of-all leads to givingup the search to activate the awareness of Rigpa, and one can lack the proper responses to


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situations. It is compared to journeying to the mountain of absolute sanity and on the way finding a

nice and comfortable place to stay and somehow mistaking it for the destination. "...the Dzogchen

teachings compare dwelling in an absorption of this kind with cutting ones own head,for so longas one dwells in it one cannot advance on the true Path or attain Awakening, and hence is wasting

ones precious human existence.5

Actualismis actually utilizing the Base-of-All

After reviewing the criteria by which a manifest condition or state is to be evaluated asbase-of-all, per definition it is apparent that actualismis referring to and emphasizing instances

of the base-of-all. The base-of-all and so that in which actualismpoints to has the following

defining characteristics:

occurring time and time again in human experience, often going unnoticed

is proceeding perception initially for a very brief instant of unintrepetation and this briefinstant can be extended into progressively powerful manifestations

various manifest degrees can be taken as absorption and further one can becomeestablished in such

does not involve the awareness ofconsciousness-of-an-object-perceived-in-terms-of-a-concept

the sensory-continuum itself isnt taken as object nor are segments actively singled out does not involve the functioning, renewal, or creation of reflexive mnemonic imprints is not utterly devoid of memory altogether, rather it corresponds to the non-reflexive and

unselfconscious memory

allows the forgetting of aspects of oneself, aspects of our being, or aspects of the entityindicated by our nameone intends on eluding

is experientially non-dual and transpersonal is non-conceptual samsarais not actively functioning the awareness of nirvanais not actively functioning


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SoIs Actualismactually novel?

In light of the aforementioned, in no meaningful way then can the claim of novelty onbehalf of actualismbe justified. As shown above, it clearly has not discovered a new alternative

condition or state, but rather it is merely another inscribed label on something known about and

discussed for a long time beforeactualism

ever was. The extent to which

actualism

hasknowledge of the base-of-all cannot be justified as novel either, as it has failed in quantifying the

potential problems of the base-of-all, and its schema insofar as the base-of-alls relation tosamsara

and the absolute sanity quanirvana is ambiguous at best in the face ofAtiDzogpa Chenpo

Buddhism. Actualisms inability to distinguish absolute sanity from the base-of-all indicates afundamental shortcoming of its understanding of transpersonal contemplation (however even this

error cannot be said to be novel) and of the base-of-all state it advocates. In fact, the primary

distinction Actualism appears to try to draw, is based some affective structure underneath coarse

and subtle thinking, however this is a major error in that the actualist consideration of thoughtsapply only to the coarse and subtle levels, ignoring or mistaking the supersubtle thought-structures,

those thatAtiDzogpa Chenpo primarily works with and considers of upmost importance, instead

confusing those supersubtle thought-structures to be affective structures. However the supersubtlethought-structures are not inherently affective in of themselves, instead involving such only when

they are valued or absolutized and so become emotionally charged (something that seems

implicitly entailed and necessarily following from Actualisms position, but overlooked by its

progenitor and its practitioners). One major problem is that actualists mistake a symptom for thecause, the cause being the valuation-absolutization of the supersubtle thought-structures, while the

symptoms are what actualists call the affective self, affective feelings, and so on. Additionally,

an obstacle to making coherent the actualist position lies in the fact that it presumes the supersubtlethought-structures are fundamentally affective structures without clearly accounting for the blatant

necessarily conceptual qualities of them, such as the fact that they seem to operate on binary

distinctions (mentioned by Actualism when discussing how affective qualities seem unable to arise

without their eventual oppositesarising). Therefore, the claim to novelty and distinction is basedon error and directly misunderstanding the phenomena in question.

The methodology of actualismcant be justified as meaningfullynovel as it merely

advocates directly pointing to the base-of-all. This direct-pointing can be accomplished with theaid of comprehending the definitional characteristics alone. So the additions, such as for example,

of repeatedly asking oneself how am I experiencing this moment of being alive?are seen to be

superfluous, for the actual direct-pointing is what is necessary, sufficient, and critical. Thus, theadditions such as asking, are unreliable mechanisms, as such asking lacks the inherent capacity to

provide or bring about the direct-pointing (any pointing aidecould accomplish the exact same

thing). The direct-pointing itself is obviously completely untethered to the superfluous additions

and moreover, without such additions like the aforementioned asking, the direct-pointing can bedone so more rapidly and efficiently.6

Some proponents of actualismhave alleged optimization insofar as actualismtaking

the condition it points to as both path and fruit. This claim to novelty through optimization is

unjustified asAtiDzogpa Chenpo Buddhism takes Rigpa as path and fruit. In fact, the fundamentalrequirement for something to be considered a Buddhistpath is that its base, its path, and its fruit

have the same nature, which is most fully realized and applicable inAtiDzogp Chenpo as it is

rooted in Rigpa quabase, Rigpa quapath, and Rigpa quafruit.


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The mistaken emphasis on feeling-tones doesnt justify the novelty claim of actualismas

there have been peoples who have posited feelings as the self since at least the time of Shakyamuni

Buddha, for he directly addressed such assertions. Considering the base-of-all states that are beingdiscussed are comprised of a pure-sensation/experience that is devoid of interpretation and taking

place prior to perception, devoid of segmenting the continuum and experiencing objects as

concepts, and devoid of reflexive memory imprints, any emphasis therefore on feeling-tones or anyaffective quality otherwise is completely superfluous. As the base-of-all is before the result ofperception, not exclusively feeling the result of perception; before subjectifying and segregation,

not exclusively affective subjectifyingor affective segregation; before the functioning of all

self-conscious reflexive memory imprints, not exclusively feeling memories; and before theawareness of consciousness-of-an-object-perceived-in-terms-of-a-concept, not exclusively the

feeling-fed mindor thinking about it affectively, so to iterate, these additional specifications

are totally unnecessary.7 Much of this is due to a misidentifying and misunderstanding, and thus

such superfluousness serves to potentially complicate, mislead, and cause confusion.8To claim that one is the body, like actualism does, amounts to a metaphysical position

which in of itself isnt novel for there were peoples since at least the time of Shakyamuni Buddha

took up such a position, as he also addressed such assertions. Withal, the metaphysical claim thatone is the bodys consciousness isnt novel in that it existed before actualismacross several

continents. Furthermore, actualismprovides no rational justification for said claims, it merely

states such positions as apparent, which reveals that these positions amount to mere

non-investigated myths. Such myths are not self-evident from the states prescribed and held inhigh-esteem by actualism, but rather are metaphysical positions merely tacked on without

justification for doing so, and so they are necessarily superfluous.

A graduated schematic of consciousness and the relationship between Base-of-Alland

Samsara

base-of-all consciousness of a pseudo-totality consciousness-of-the-base-of-all ego-centered consciousness/consciousness of the passions consciousness of mental states and thought sensory consciousness

With the base-of-all, though the sense-data is there at any moment, there is noconsciousness of it until consciousness emerges from the base-of-all, described in the above


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schema. Immediately preceding the base-of-all there begins a sort of spiral of pretences, first

there is an arising consciousness of an indeterminate, apparently total object, the consciousness of

a pseudo-totality. If this consciousness of a pseudo-totality is grasped at, it leads to a formlesssamsaric condition.

After the consciousness of a pseudo-totality, there is the consciousness-of-the-base-of-all,

where there manifests a preconceptual interest that drives the mental events to single out segmentsand figure structures within the every-changing sensory pseudo-totality appearing as object, takingsuch segments and figure structures as conserving their pattern within the total change of the

totality of sense-data.9 In other words, when consciousness-of-the-base-of-all is grasped at, it leads

to a samsaric condition of pure form, as there generally is the occurrence of taking a segment ashaving configuration continuity to such a sufficient degree that it is seen as a collection of

characteristics corresponding to concepts and so an entity, thus making the segment stand as a

figure against the rest of the continuum, which thereby falls into a sort of background awareness or

ground; and as such, the experience has begun gradually solidifying into the subject-objectdichotomy.10 This consciousness-of-the-base-of-all that involves the figure/ground distinction is a

consciousness that at this point does not have concrete objects of the five senses presenting

themselves as such, but there is a risen subtle cognitive capacity that tends to grasp its objects andhas made itself ready in every respect to receive the impressions corresponding to the potential

objects of deluded mind, considered like a mirror, so the eyes see color-forms, the ears hear

sounds, the nose smells fragrances, the tongue tastes flavors, and the body has kinesthetic

sensations. The consciousness-of-the-base-of-all is likened to ice on water, because grasping at itswould-be object amounts to singling them out, which is compared to freezing segments of the

ocean insofar as it causes the yet un-patterned to become configured.

After which, all subsequent stages of consciousness are no more than specifications ortransformations of the consciousness-of-the-base-of-all. At this point there already has arisen a

sense of being in some yet unspecified situation, following this, there is the ego-centered

consciousness, also called the consciousness of the passions. This specific transformation of the

consciousness-of-the-base-of-all takes the momentary flow of the consciousness-of-the-base-of-all,where tendencies of habituation are built up and discharged, to be enduring, substantial, and

generally considered to be ones own self; and so the basis of the delusive experience of me,

myselfresults from this specific transformation of the consciousness-of-the-base-of-all, while theprior transformation was still anonymously functioningand so a pre-personal, fundamental

structuring of all experience.

Finally, the consciousness of mental states and thoughts, as well as the consciousness of thesenses, which consists of ego-centered perception by means of the six senses, where objects are

fully solidified and experienced as concepts.11 12

Is the sustained Base-of-All/actual freedomactually Rigpa?

As mentioned at the beginning of this text, no, a sustained instance of the base-of-all called

actual freedomby the actualists, is not an aspect of Rigpa. There is not a single description or

explanation of actual freedom that indicates, hints, or implies that it is Rigpa, while all descriptionscoincide on a virtually a one to one basis with the definition of the base-of-all. Simply put, actual


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freedom utilizes the base-of-alls capacity to allow the forgetting of an aspect of oneself that one

seeks to forget (in this case, affective feelings, or identifying with feelings); Rigpa though, is not

merely the lack of affective feelings. The base-of-all, and by extension actual freedom, canbring about a total-relaxation, which makes it very easy to mistake with authentic enlightenment.

However, Rigpa is a total completeness, a supreme satisfaction and happiness, a complete

plenitude, anda total-relaxation. It lacks the unawareness of the true condition that is present in thebase-of-all and so actual freedom. In short, Rigpa is supersanity, and is dramatically superiorcompared to actual freedom"/base-of-all; in the face of Rigpa, actual freedomis an ignis

fatuus.13

If there is a noticing of a sense of freedom, a sense of liberation, a sense of releasefrom the constriction of identifying withfeelings or perceptual objects, then this is a manifestation

of the tight grip of delusion. Not only does it give the appearance of being unconditioned and/or

giving the false impression that one is or will be uninfluenced by arising phenomena, it also

actively aids and abets myth-making and can directly hinder progress along the path to supersanityand true freedom, and so it is several-fold misleading. Rigpa on the other hand, is totally free from

the subject-object duality, which is characterized by the automatic and spontaneous liberation of

whatever arises. The sensory-continuum is manifest in the state of Rigpa, but there is no seeing,witnessing, or noticing; neither the continuum nor anything within the continuum are perceived.

"If there were seeing or witnessing, this would be the tight grip of ego,rather than the condition

of rigpa beyond the subject-object duality in which whatever manifests liberates itself

spontaneously upon arising...In Rigpa quapath, prior to the Rigpa quafruit, when perceptions doarise, they are automatically liberated, like drawings on water. Though Rigpa cannot be pinned

down easily or described, what can be said are the experiences that are not Rigpa as well as the

fact that there is the total and spontaneous liberation of whatever arises (not to be confused withmerelynot taking the sense data continuum as object or picking objects out of it).

There are some that mistakenly draw an equivalence between the actualist PCE, an instance

of the base-of-all, and Chogyal Namkhai Norbus quote:

The awareness arising at the first sudden instant (of sense contact) is indeed that

pure presence which arises without correction (or modification) and which is uncreated (by

causes). This very condition of existence which transcends the limitations of both subject andobject is the authentic self-originated primal awareness of pure presence.

During discussions with Namkhai Norbu and one of his students, it was made clear that he wasreferring to Rigpa and not the base-of-all. First, the subsequent section following the quote

explains that the essence of this presence is the dharmakaya, which is lacking in the base-of-all,

which by definition is beclouded by an unawareness, an element of stupification that obscures the

awareness of Rigpa. Second, Namkhai Norbu explained that implicit in the base-of-all/PCE is theoperation of the subject-object duality, despite it being generally non-noticeable from within the

experience. This implicit operation is one of the reasons the base-of-all is so easily mistaken as an

arrival point/refuge/enlightenment/"actualfreedom, for the state is transpersonal and there is the

appearance of a non-duality of sorts, a deceptively subtle degree of duality. While again, the purepresence Namkhai Norbu was referring to is totally beyond the duality.

Furthermore, essentialAtiDzogpa Chenpo/Dzogchen practices are designed to rapidly

interrupt and show the flaws of the base-of-all states. Teckho does so to a lessor degree, whilenamely Thogal, is renowned in its function of shattering the base-of-all. There is at-least one report


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of a contemplative being explicitly in the state of PCE and it ending upon a short Thogal retreat. If

PCE was Rigpa, then it would be sustained and strengthened by Thogal, which has its primary

purpose of bringing about and stabilizing Rigpa.14 The fact the PCE subsided in such a practiceindicates that isnt Rigpa. Additionally, the practices related to PCE generally entail a contrived

subtle directionality which is overcome in Rigpa and its practices.

In conclusion, actualismand its asserted freedom found in the the state of actualfreedomis not the true freedom of Rigpa, and it is devoid of meaningful novelty. It is evidently

the base-of-all, providing no notable contribution to the science of contemplative theory or

practice. Actualism tries to present itself as different, a third alternative, even an optimization, yetnone of these claims have been demonstrated in the slightest. Actualism is a case of a distinction

without a meaningful difference, and at that, a deluded path misinterpreting the base-of-all qua

total relaxation, a path not capable of directly bringing about total freedom and even hindering the

search and attainment of the freedom found in the supersanity of Rigpa quafruit, the absolute totalrelaxation, the total completeness, the supreme happiness, ultimate satisfaction, and end to

existential lack and thus a total plenitude. In the face of Rigpa therefore, it is a mere imitation of

freedom.

Notes

1. Apperceptivenessmay partially correspond to Kants transcendental apperception, byextension the Konigsberg empirical apperception, and even partly to Sartres Soiand

the Upanishadicsakshin, amongst others.

2. Based on various errors of mischaracterization and misunderstanding. Such as the claimthat enlightenment brings about a quantum leap to the heart, where vibratory and somatic

energies continue to coincide with discrimination. In Buddhism however, this is distinctly

the opposite of enlightenment: "samsara, in which the true condition of the Base (quaactive awareness of Rigpa/nirvana) is concealed and its spontaneously perfect functionality

is impaired....two of the cornerstones of this delusion are, (1) the vibratory activity that

seems to emanate from, or to be concentrated in, the center of the chest at the level of theheart (though in some cases some individuals might feel it more strongly in other focal

points of experience), which chargesthoughts with apparent value, truth and importance

(even though in themselves these have neither neither value nor worthlessness, neither truth

nor untruth, neither importance nor unimportance.), and (2) the fragmentary, limited andrather hermetic focus of consciousness that, upon apprehending a segment of the

continuum of the energyaspect of the Base, plunges the rest of this continuum in some

sort of penumbra of consciousness.The delusory valuation-absolutization of the

super-subtle thought structure known as the directional threefold thought structuregivesrise to the delusory subject-object duality, while the delusory valuation- absolutization of

subtle and coarse thoughts allows us to determine the segment of the totality appearing as

object that is to be singled outand, after it has been singled out, to know it as beinginherently this or that entity. For its part, it is the fragmentary, limited and rather hermetic


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focus of conscious attention that makes it possible for us to single out that segment. Thus

the former gives rise to the illusory subject-object duality, and the two of them together

single out segments of the totality of sense data appearing as object, and give rise to theillusion that the singled out segments are inherently separate from the rest of the continuum

of the energy aspect of the Base, and that they are self-existing entities.. Which "gives rise

to the phenomenon of being

thus generating the illusion that there is anexperience-that-is, an experiencer-that-is and something-experienced-that-is.Thereforewhat is considered to be enlightenment by Actual Freedomis precisely a cornerstone of

the delusion ofsamsaraaccording to Buddhism, and so a massive mischaracterization of

Buddhist enlightenment on behalf of Actual Freedomand actualists. For the sensationquavibratory activity cumtension usually predominant in the center of the chest at the

level of the heart that accompanies every perception and can manifest with emotion or

without as positive or negative feeling-tone (tibetan: tsorwa or tshor ba) as well as the

feeling or perception of I amceasesin Enlightenment and in many base-of-all states(base-of-all states are necessarily non-enlightened) it becomes undetectable.

3.

Since the states referred to by the term base-of-all are characterized by non-duality andnon-conceptuality, Jigme Lingpai (one of the greatest Dzogchen Masters of the second

millennium CE) prophesied that in our time many yogis will mistakethem for the

dharmakaya(the Mind aspect of Buddhahood, which, as noted above, is the first level of

Awakening on the Path ofAtiDzogpa Chenpo).

4. "Many of those who have had experiences of any of the various kinds that Stan Grofsubsumed under the category of transpersonalsuch as oneness with the universe,out-of-the-body experiences, the presence of immaterial guides or guardians, etc.and

who believe these occurrences to be high spiritual accomplishments, become possessed by

what, in the context of the practice of Chc, is called the demon of complacence,

conceitedly wallowing on such experiences for the rest of their lives, and very often tryingto convince others that their experiences prove them to be spiritually extraordinary

individuals. The dangers resulting from such deviations must not be taken too lightly, for

quite a few of those who, after having had experiences of the kind and thereby havingbecome convinced of their spiritual specialness and extraordinariness, in the short or in the

long run have come to face psychological problems that caused them to land in the mental

hospital or face other calamitous outcomes. And many of those who, after having hadexperiences of the kind, managed to convince others of their spiritual specialness and

superiority, becoming renowned (pseudo-)gurus, haveintentionally or notseverely

harmed others....falling prey to this confusion would involve the extra danger of

self-infatuationwhich, what is worse, may turn into long term spiritual pride, taking thosewho indulge in it further away from authenticity and therefore from Awakening, and in

some cases leading them to set themselves up as gurus and use disciples to exacerbate their

conceit and unauthenticity, by the same token leading the latter along the misguided way

they themselves trod.- Elias Capriles

5. This section is derived from Elias Capriless works, and most of the quotes throughout theentirety of this short paper are also from his work. In later sections, quotes are not used asto not unnecessarily burden the reader.


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6. ....and in total these constitute examples of distinctions having little to no meaningfuldifference, different in name only.

7. This also applies to the peripheral sweet spotpractices, as nearly all contemplativetraditions recognize and utilize this in a variety of ways. In general Vajrayanafor example,it is the navel wheel (not to be mistaken for the fire wheel) roughly four finger widthsbelow the navel and two fingers above the root wheel. The sweet spotmethodology

merely utilizes focus on the general area of this wheel to redirect the subtle dynamic

psychophysical energy away from the heart wheel, and the associated somatic vibratoryactivity, to the navel wheel area. This assists a specific application of base-of-all eluding

and forgetting particularly sought by actualism. In the face of the efficiency of the highly

developed practices involving this spot, the sweet spotis neither novel nor a matured and

fully realized method of utilizing the potential of this wheel.

8. To preemptively address a couple potential mischaracterizations: The claim that after thebrief flash of pure perception there is some type of feeling-tone segregation and

feelingmemory, and then a subsequent secondary order of conceptual segregation and conceptual

memory, fails to meaningfully contribute in that it is superfluous when considering that the

pure perception precedes bothclaimed orders of segregation and memory. Moreover, this

claim that there are two truly separate orders, and further that one arises before the other, ismyth and myth alone, and so can be rejected on principle in that it does not derive from

empirical observation. Several base-of-all states notoriously allow the perpetuation of a

blind spot by which one fails to recognize that one is telling oneself a myth, further, thebase-of-all then provides a type of myth-feeding illusory feedback whereas the myth and

the myth-making is experientially covered, providing illusory reenforcement via feedback

loops that assists in perpetuating the myth. There is actually one order in which the

segregation and memory imprints arise with their qualities co-emerging. This orderfundamentally entails the supersubtle directional threefold thought structure, the thought

structure subtler than coarse thoughts, subtler than mute thoughts and mute knowledge, and

subtler than the subtle intuitive thoughts; meaning that the supposed feeling-tonesegregation and feeling memorynecessarily require this super-subtle thought structure,

as theyare the valuation-absolutization of it. A second and weaker mischaracterization

would be the claim that the pure-experience of the base-of-all states is fundamentallydifferent and arises before conceptual segregation and memory but not before feeling-tone

segregation and feeling memory, which fails in that the claim rests on violating the

fundamental definitional characteristics of the base-of-all via the fact that the base of all is

uninterpreted and no reflexive memory can form, functioning, or renewed, so the claimrequires ignoring the definition of the base-of-all and has to go as far as misrepresenting

and misdefining it.

9. Consciousness-of-the-base-of-all in this case can also be referred to as consciousness ofcolor-form.

10. It should be noted that consciousness-of-the-base-of-all in of itself isnt inherently samsaricin nature, it not only is the root of samsara but also the source of a type of nirvana. The true


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nature of this consciousness and so the whole of reality is the absolute nature of thatness

quadharmakaya, but it goes unrecognized by normal beings. So when the purification of

this consciousness has been had and it has been restored to its original simplicity, theradiant non-dual transparency in the absolute consisting in thatness becomes fully evident

(this nirvanasubdivides in terms of fruit posited by Shastra, as in the nirvanawith some

residue; the nirvana without residue, and the nirvana exclusive to Buddhas and so notattained byHinayanaarhats).

11.Note: in the desire realm, the senses, mental forms, and so the passions are principal, whereall else, such as the base-of-all and the consciousness-of-the-base-of-all are secondary. Inthe realm of form, the consciousness-of-the-base-of-all and the consciousness of the senses

are principal, and all else are secondary. In the formless realm the base-of-all itself is

principal and all else is secondary.

12. Understanding this schema, especially within the context of this written work, should bringelucidation to the oscillatory nature of progressive actualistpractice and its stages, which

in prior was rather vaguely explained by actualists and often overlooked by actualiststhemselves to the extent of ignoring, not-noticing, or implicitly claiming the non-existence

of such nuanced stages. Often when trying to cultivate a strengthened consolidation of the

base-of-all, by glossing over the differences between the various consciousnesses, there is

decreased efficiency or even arrested development, such as through ambiguity and lack ofidentification as to how far one is progressing towards the base-of-all from the

consciousness of the senses, and so lacking identification of potential sticking

points"/obstacles, thus there can be confusion and lack of clarity as to the arrival pointitself. For example, if an actualist is trying to take the base-of-all as an absorption, without

clear knowledge of the various states, it could be easy to mistake the

consciousness-of-the-base-of-all, the peaceful transpersonal condition of the consciousness

of the pseudo-totality, or even the peaceful transpersonal condition of a formless samsaricstate manifesting due to the consciousness of the pseudo-totality being subtly grasped at, as

the very base-of-all itself. In this way they would mistake stagnation as progress (aside

from the larger context of taking the base-of-all as an arrival point, where it serves as theultimate stagnation). What one person might call the PCE, not having a figure-ground

distinction and is more likely to be an authentic case of the base-of-all, another might take

the consciousness-of-the-base-of-all that has the figure-ground distinction, as that samePCE. Some for example, under the impression that they have attained the actual freedom,

while still having experiences of objects with consistent patterned characteristics

corresponding to concepts (like the body), are not experiencing actual freedom quathe

base-of-all, but are likely experiencing an extended, extremely lengthy, and transpersonalsamsaric state (it is an error to presume that transpersonal = non-samsaric) arrived at by

implicitly grasping at the consciousness-of-the-base-of-all. The ambiguity and potential

confusion that can lead to different states being called the same PCE or the same actual

freedom, becomes even more nuanced when discussing the differences in base-of-all statesthemselves (which is something not done by this work and as far as I know is hardly, if it

all, touched on by Actualism and the actualists themselves).


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13. This conclusion is drawn from both text and personal experience, having personally tastedPCE/actual freedom/extended and powerful base-of-all as well as Rigpa, without question

Rigpa is superior and the truly unconditioned.

14. This has been reported on dharmaoverground.org and also derives from personalexperience.

A Selection of Works Consulted

This work is humbly derived from the many works of others, all the credit (save any errors)

therefore should go to them.

1. The Cycle of Day and Night, An Essential Tibetan Text on the Practice of Contemplation-Namkhai Norbu

2. Approaching The Great Perfection, Simultaneous and Gradual Methods of DzogchenPractice in the Longchen Nyingtig-Sam Van Schaik

3. Ocean of Eloquence, Tsong Kha pas Commentary on the Yogacara Doctrine of Mind-Gareth Sparham

4. The Major Facets of Dzogchen-Alexander Berzin5. Impure and Pure Appearances According to Non-Gelug -Alexander Berzin6. Alaya and Impure Appearance-Making-Alexander Berzin7. Fundamentals of Dzogchen Meditation; et al.-Alexander Berzin8. Treatise on the kun gzhi -Denma Locho9. Buddhist Thought and Applied Psychological Research-D.K. Nauriyal, Michael S.

Drummond, and Y.B. Lal

10.Beyond Being, Beyond Mind, Beyond History, A Dzogchen-Founded Metatranspersonal,Metapostmodern Philosophy and Psychology for Survival and an Age of Communion;

Volume II: Beyond Mind: A Metaphenomenological, Metaexistential Philosophy, and a

Metatranspersonal Metapsychology-Elias Capriles

11. Ordinary Awareness & Pristine Awarenes: A Treatise on the Distinction-KarmapaRangjung Dorje

12. Wonders of the Natural Mind-Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche


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13. Private communication with Chogyal Namkhai Norbu14. The Great Perfection, A Philosophical And Meditative Teaching Of Tibetan Buddhism

-Samten Gyaltsen Karmay


Volume I: Beyond Being: A Metaphenomenological Ellucidation of the Phenomenon of

Being, the Being of the Subject and the Being of Object-Elias Capriles


Volume III: Beyond History: A Degernerative Philosophy of History Leading to a GenuinePostmodernity -Elias Capriles

17.

Private communication with Elias Capriles

18.A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar-Thinley Norbu19. The Beyond Mind Papers: Transpersonal and Metatranspersonal Theory. Vol. II: Steps to

a Metatranspersonal Philosophy and Psychology: A Critique of the Systems of Wilber,

Washburn and Grof, and an Outline of the Dzogchen Path to Definitive True Sanity-Elias

Capriles

20.Buddhism and Dzogchen: the Doctrine of the Buddha and the Supreme Vehicle of TibetanBuddhism; Part One; Buddhism: A Dzogchen Outlook-Elias Capiriles

21. The Mother Tantras-Marco Alejandro Chaoul22. Unbounded Wholeness, Bon, Dzogchen, and the Logic of the Nonconceptual-Anne

Carolyn Klein, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

23. The First Four Themes of Klong chen pas Tshig don bcu gcig pa-Daniel Scheidegger24.Eye of the Storm Original Perfection, Vairotsanas Five Early Transmissions-Keith

Dowman

25. Old Man Basking in the Sun, Longchenpas Treasury of Natural Perfection-KeithDowman

26. The Universal Great Perfection of Pure Mind, the Supreme Source -Adriano Clemente,Namkhai Norbu

...and others.


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Documents

Imitating Freedom, a Buddhist refutation of Actualism