What does it mean to be “Awake”? There is a common assumption that once a person “awakens” they are somehow, forever and always in an elevated state of spiritual perfection. However, the fact is that awakening is an evolving process. One where you will move through stages that oscillate between wakefulness and forgetfulness. Between egoic identification, and the end of all identity. In this Dharma Bite, psychiatrist and meditation teacher Dr. Dominique Cassidy explains this process as “The Wisdom Of Oscillations.”
3 Stages Of Gradual Awakening
The below short video is from the Integral Dojo’s recent online course on “Aikido & Non-Duality.” This course was taught by Dominique together with Patrick Cassidy and me. In this succinct excerpt from the course, Dominique beautifully describes the process of awakening. She clearly lays out how progressive development will gradually lessen your forgetfulness, and increase your wakefulness.
This process was traditionally described in 3 progressive stages of gradual awakening.
- You have had a non-dual awakening experience. However, from time to time you slip back into forgetfulness.
- You have had a non-dual awakening experience. However, sometimes you consciously choose to take on identity in order to interact in the word.
- Your non-dual awakening has matured to the point of being stable, or completely awake. This is where “Samadhi” and “Samsara” are the same things.
Check out this beautiful video below and join Dominique is this teaching on the “Wisdom Of Oscillations.”
Question: What is your experience of “oscillations” in awakening? Join the conversation by leaving your comments below!
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