The Advaita Podcast #29 – In Search Of Truthiness

Your Chance To Come On The Advaita Show
November 30, 2006
The Advaita Podcast #30 – When The Truth Stops Working
December 28, 2006
Show all

The Advaita Podcast #29 – In Search Of Truthiness

PRESS PLAY [audio:http://advaita.thepodcastnetwork.com/audio/tpn_advaita_20061213_029.mp3]
OR DOWNLOAD THE ADVAITA SHOW HERE

Well it’s been six weeks, but Steve and Cam are back to talk about nothing, this time over Skype. I’d love to tell ya that there are some real gems of wisdom in this podcast, but I’d be lyin’. It’s just the appearance of two guys talking.

For the next show, if you want to ask some questions, we’d be happy to not answer them for you. As you know, we don’t claim to know anything. Except that “truthiness” is the best idea ever and that Spinoza was probably right.

33 Comments

  1. zafire says:

    Good show guys keep it up

  2. Wyatt says:

    If anyone needs a fix in between Advaita Show appearances, here is another good dose of advaita blathering:

    http://www.riverganga.org/john/Podcasting/index.shtml

  3. jason says:

    Hi Cam,

    The download link is munged (a xhref).

    Cheers,

    /J

  4. Cameron says:

    thanks jason, fixed it, that better?

  5. sunyata mu says:

    bla, bla, bla, whatever, whatever, whatever…
    bla, bla, bla, whatever, whatever…
    Bla, bla, bla…

    …bla

    Love,

    Sunyata mu

    🙂

  6. Silent Mind says:

    That was great, guys–thanks for getting together again! I heard both Steve and Cameron mention they have kids, and I remember from one of the other podcasts Steve saying he was celibate and that that was part of his awakening. How important is celibacy to a true understanding of Advaita? (And how do your wives feel about it?? Being single is hard enough these days–I can’t imagine a guy being willing to date a celibate gal!)

  7. Cameron says:

    Steve??? Celibate??? Bwaaahahahahahahaha! You should see the hot princess he is dating.

    As for celibacy being important to advaita, I personally think the opposite is true. MORE FUCKING! You know how after a mind-blowing orgasm the feeling of separateness disappears… until she wants a hug, and then you remember that you left the gas on and you have to escape? Well that’s it baby. No separateness. Maybe if you all had more great sex you’d stop caring about this advaita rubbish!

    It’s ESPECIALLY important to have lots of sex with gurus and the people who run their podcasts. VERY important. That’s they key, right there.

  8. Miriam says:

    You’re an arsehole Cam, which is probably what I like about you 🙂

    Good show, btw.

    I’m not sure about all the mumbojumbo but its quite interesting at the very least from an intellectual standpoint.

  9. Cameron says:

    Hey Mim, I didn’t know you listened to this show.
    hmmm, that’s a skill. I’ve never been more pleased about being called an asshole.

  10. Miriam says:

    I didn’t before yesterday really.
    I was after some listening material to stop my brain from exploding whilst cleaning the house and it looked potentially interesting.

    Advaita seems to be simultaneously fairly similar and radically different from Buddhism (specifically Tibetan) which I’m fairly well versed in. Both are similar in that if you don’t understand the essence of what is going on you will tend to misinterpret a lot of the mumbojumbo.

    Particularly nothingness. I swear that word must make a lot more sense in Sanskrit and they just couldn’t find an appropriate translation because some of the ways it’s used in Buddhism would make some people run screaming for the trees.

    Being an arsehole is a good thing if you’re a funny arsehole. Colin’s an arsehole and look where it got him.

  11. Mark Carpenter says:

    Great show guys. The “Zombie Droid” bit & “a little Advaita Puntang” had me laughing out loud.

    But Steve… seriously man, enough already about Guy Smith, the dude probally has a girlfriend (j/k).

    Get Bob’s padawan Eliot on the show, he knows how to use skype.

  12. Cameron says:

    yeah I’d love ELiot to come on. Dude, if you’re out there, Skype me (cameronreilly). That goes for everyone actually. If you want to come on the show and talk some advaita shit, just holler.

  13. Mark says:

    Great show Cam & Steve!

    Cam– you’re finally coming through with some great personal life stories (even if they are about losing your family!), telling us how Advaita has shaped and influenced “you” and your reactions (or lack thereof) to life’s trials. Everytime I’ve asked you for that sort of content before I’ve been mocked!

    By the way, it sounds like things worked out with the missus, yes? You never did say how it got resolved. Or were you broadcasting from The Dog House?

    Steve– I really enjoy hearing you, man. You’re filling in all the blanks, supplying the kind of content that I craved from Advaita Show Mach 1. Love the Nisarg. quotes, the personal stories, the behind-the-scenes-with-Bob stories, etc.

    Keep it up gentleman, I’m glad you’re back!

  14. Ed says:

    Great show guys.

    I always used the Nis to fall asleep. He always turned off my anxious mind.

    I’ve noticed that after the understanding all those great quotes make sense, but before the understanding the quotes just bounce off the mind or are considered gospel.

    What I really like about Steve is his enthusiasm for all this stuff. A perfect foil for Cameron’s more jaded (experienced?) manner.

    You guys have good chemistry.

  15. Steven Witt says:

    Ed, here’s the problem: if cameron is more “experienced” then we are all on a “Highway to Hell.”

    My favorite Cameron quote came when the two of us went out to find a place full of hot babes in Carmel — which is absolutely an oxymoron — and actually found one.

    ‘Bout an hour later, with the cracking band deep into the AC/DC anthem, Cameron shrieks at the top of his voice:

    “FUCK THE HAPPENING….”

  16. Cameron says:

    Mark, I didn’t say how it got resolved cuz it hasn’t been resolved. But whatever happens, it’ll happen in the moment and then a decision will get made, and another decision will follow that, some kind of action, and then something else. So it’s like, as the Valley Girlz say – “WHAT-EVER!”

  17. Miriam says:

    I just had another listen to this show because last time I wasn’t really paying attention and its twice as interesting if you’re not too busy cleaning to think about it.

    I agree with you that all of the words and expressions that people make up for this stuff is a pile of nonsense Cam. In my experience that sort of stuff is usually just a convenient way of describing an intangible quality and those who get caught up in the actual terms and squabble with people over which ones are right are missing the point.

  18. mike smith says:

    Another good show Cam and Steve:

    FYI
    I found “it” two years ago after hitting a wall in my life, three kids, jobless, etc.. was reading tons of books, meditating etc… then one day gave up, found charlie Hayes emailed him a question his one responce did it for me. He said “Look deeply to see if you exist” boom! that did it for me.

    ha so then I wrote a book and published it (Selling nails on the beach) I use Reiki as my way of bringing this teaching to others through energy. I felt like just publishing a book with a mirror in it that said here is the truth, god, your searchin answer.

    Soo… QUESTIOIN – How have others come into this knowing? Seems to me pain and letting go has to be involved?

    Also… Let steve know yeah over here in MD and I listen to the show during breakfast and at the gym, not searching anymore just enjoy the Oneness talk. Thanks!

  19. Richard says:

    Enjoyed the show.

    I have “Nothing to say, but have a nice day”. (The Beatles)

  20. marcelo says:

    Hi Cam

    Am listening to the new shows after not thinking about Advaita pretty much ever since I left Melbourne(although I watched a Bob and John dvd a few times).

    The search began here(called mind), and ended here(what mind).

    So, my seeking is over. No more silly arguements. But I have been on this search for as long as I can remember. And a question has come up. One more silly arguement.

    All that energy that went into seeking is now everywhere. It’s an open road. Great.

    But the question comes up “now what?” Is this just old habit?

    I feel like a dog who running in circles, chasing his own tail, then catches it, realizes that thats not it and goes “ok… thats not it, I’m it, I am that, everything is that… now, where the hells that tennis ball? and find me a crotch!”

    I just read what I wrote, and realized that one, the answere is just around the corner, and two, I’m exactly the same as a dog. Ever since my search ended all I seem to want to do is play with balls and bury my face in as many crotches as I can muster.

    Most people think that Advaita is the path to enlightenment, but I think it’s the path to a healthy sex life(i.e. loads)

    Bob could be bigger than Godzilla if he’d tell everybody that ending the search results in unbridalled fucking.

    Hmmm…

    Best we not speak about this subject again, unless we want to see Bob rampaging through the streets of tokyo.

  21. Cameron says:

    “all I seem to want to do is play with balls and bury my face in as many crotches as I can muster.”

    hahahaha. Great line.

    “Now what?” is kind of how I feel most of the time but I usually call it “what next?”. The state of permanently watching what’s happening and just enjoying the show.

    “If you only watch one show this year, make sure it’s “YOUR LIFE”, appearing exclusively in YOUR HEAD.”

  22. Richard says:

    Hi Cameron,

    Here’s a suggestion for you to ridicule.

    On public radio there is a show once a week where an actor who is well versed in the life and thoughts of Thomas Jefferson, portrays Jefferson and answers questions as Jefferson.

    On your show, you or someone could portray some well known non-dualist and answer questions in that role. I suggest the portrayer play it straight, without joking around, otherwise it might be disrespectful and would make me sorry I even suggested it.

    Another suggestion: speak to Stephen Wingate on the show.

  23. Cameron says:

    Thx for the ideas Richard! I think we’re going to find it hard to do anything respectful on this show. And doing a non-dualist would require me to do an indian accent and then I’ll just end up doing Peter Sellers from “The Party”, talking about birdie-num-nums, and it’ll rapidly go down hill from there….

  24. Steven Witt says:

    Hey Richard, I’ll be Osho (with all the trimmings) …but I will do him with “Verner Hairzoggz’s agcent. Yaah.”

    BTW, Cameron’s Indian accent, esp. as it degrades, it PERFECT.

  25. zafire says:

    Well at least someone thinks we all should be serious and have respect
    is that why people wear collars and funny clothes and stuff ? what are we
    respecting ?

  26. Mark says:

    Hey Steven—I read a whole bunch of Osho’s books (love them!), but was bummed out when I first heard his voice on tape. Not at all what I expected! Really dull, slow, drawn out speech in a high-pitched voice with annunciated “ssssssssss”. Reading his words on paper, with all the humor, it’s easy to imagine a snappy talker. Quite the contrary.

    Has anyone checked out Byron Katie’s blog? Lots of video now…. She’s got loads of non-dual Lingo Bingo talk happening.

  27. Pablo says:

    Oy! Guys, It was one of the best shows ever. I am Happy as Larry with “brother” Steven. He is not only very smart but he has a cool american accent!!! yeah! (Nothing wrong with Aussie though, Im getting fluent in it too mate!)

    I like to keep my posts very short, well this is the exception.

    I just wanted to say that for several years now I have been very interested in Crowley. A non dualist, clearly. BUT…, he has a peculiar approach, I just need to paste something from Magick Without Tears, chapter two:

    “Here we are, then, caught in a net of circumstances; if we are to do anything at all beyond automatic vegetative living, we must consciously apply ourselves to Magick, “the Science and Art” (let me remind you!) “of causing change to occur in conformity with the Will.” Observe that the least slackness or error means that things happen which do not thus conform; when this is so despite our efforts, we are (temporarily) baffled; when it is our own ignorance of what we ought to will, or lack of skill in adapting our means to the right end, then we set up a conflict in our own Nature: our act is suicidal. Such interior struggle is at the base of nearly all neuroses, as Freud recently “discovered”—as if this had not been taught, and taught without his massed errors, by the great teachers of the past! The Taoist doctrine, in particular, is most precise and most emphatic on this point; indeed, it may seem to some of us to overshoot the mark; for nothing is permissible in that scheme but frictionless adjustment and adaptation to circumstance. “Benevolence and righteousness” are actually deprecated! That any such ideas should ever have existed (says Lao-tse) is merely evidence of the universal disorder.

    “Taoist sectaries appear to assume that Perfection consists in the absence of any disturbance of the Stream of Nescience; and this is very much like the Buddhist idea of Nibbana.

    “We […] even should we concur in this doctrine theoretically, cannot admit that in practice the plan would work out; our aim is that our Nothing, ideally perfect as it is in itself, should enjoy itself through realizing itself in the fulfillment of all possibilities. All such phenomena or “point-events” are equally “illusion”; Nothing is always Nothing; but the projection of Nothing on this screen of the phenomenal does not only explain, but constitutes, the Universe. It is the only system which reconciles all the contradictions inherent in Thought, and in Experience; for in it “Reality” is “Illusion”, “Free-will” is “Destiny”, the “Self” is the “Not-Self”; and so for every puzzle of Philosophy.
    […]It is then (you will say) impossible to “do wrong”, since all phenomena are equally “Illusion” and the answer is always “Nothing.” In theory one can hardly deny this proposition; but in practice—how shall I put it? “The state of Illusion which for convenience I call my present consciousness is such that the course of action A is more natural to me that the course of action B?”

    Or: A is a shorter cut to Nothing; A is less likely to create internal conflict.

    Too long I know.

    I bring this up because the “what do I do now” subject is always present and this is just perspective (is it?). I think you guys get my point.

    Great show Cam and Steven!!!
    Ooroo from Argentina:)

  28. MichiganMark says:

    So..I’m walking in the dark last night, listening to the latest installment of the show on my iPod, and I realize that I am actually getting a mention. Bizarre! I am one of the many Marks that have cluttered up the list recently, and yes, I did post last time about walking along Lake Michigan and picking up on the great vibe of the show. And lo… Steven does this thing where he actually SINGLES ME OUT for special mention (or so it seems at the time), and it’s not like he’s speaking ABOUT me, but speaking TO me, and I start to feel kind of, well … creepy… but in a good sort of way. What are the chances?

    I really like the show. Keep it up. Where else can you get to hear two amateurs discover Spinoza in real time? It’s fresh, and refreshing. I value amateurs, by the way. You bring something to the table which “experts” could not. I think that thing is called honesty, though the term has its limitations. I value the fact that you guys are still fully functioning males, warts and all, and your edge is still there. Just like when John Lennon did TM. Did it turn him into a brainless zombie? No, it did not. He remained the same old smart ass guy he always was, only moreso.

    I think your points about all the words, all the metaphors, all the “paradigms”, all the competing gurus etc. is well taken. You can only read so much of this stuff without burning out. I still enjoy reading the good stuff, because it helps me to “triangulate” to the truth. (Currently reading Plotinus, The Simplicity of Vision – great stuff!). Something will speak to you eventually, and when it does, you will know that the rest is just icing on the cake. I am still one of the people who “get it intellectually”, mostly, so I really value the debunking attitude, which is probably the best way of liberating me from the need to study and understand every last thing.

    Here’s an analogy, take it for what it’s worth: a good book will usually have some introductory comments, which really only make full sense after reading the book. I feel like I need to “read the book”, and then all those introductions will make sense, retroactively. I am open to whatever dawns on me, and look forward to being able to say, one day, “It’s all so fucking simple! How did I not see it sooner!”

    Keep up the good work, guys!

  29. Qellogathi says:

    There were few moments Cameron, on the very last podcast show, on account which I would like to put some comments if I am allowed to…

    You and Steve have put my notes into consequence with dualistic concepts and ordinary becomingness what I cannot accept cause I am just following the normal view of jnana. Jnana traditional is not something necessarily depending on sanscrit terms but, there is also no dependence on or determination by the perception where the sanscrit terms are not available anymore. Nothing like that.

    There are som relations and very subtle meanings which cannot be outspoken by the language we normally use. But I must ask you why there is such a problem with the terms I – and very rarely – use to describe some relation in the very sense of what the advaita normally is. I there has been no point at all, I would not have written a word.

    You often operate with wikipedia, /or sanscrit dictionaries/ so I thought you can easily find those ‘terrible’ words If have not been understood.{: Instead of reading what I may have had typed in those comments, I have just been completely misunderstood… so I can now explain my point of view, if there is at least anybody interested in.

    ‘Svaroopa’ means nothing else, than the term for the normal human essence, the very base of everything our experience knows. But it is the only the base on the not-manifestation of which the manifestation appears. Svaroopa word only demonstrates the subtle relation… it’s very hard to explain… for example, when you meet people /having nothing in common with understanding their own nature at all/, on the street and after meet Bob or Nisargadatta himself, there is such a deep difference in their normally lived life, their own inner experience of their living. Their experience is so terribly different despite of the very unity of their nature, which is the same and cannot be ever else. I mean, svaroopa of the biggest gurus and the normal people or anybody, or anything else, is and always will be the same. But that svaroopa is just the latence, the term used to describe non-manifested part of the ‘whole what is’. But as we all know, /and I do really know for sure, that it is the experience of all of us/, that the normal people have some problems with getting through problems appearing in their lives – as far as the jnanis, they are just perfectly dissolved in their svaroopa, so that they are not being inprisoned by the laws of cause and effect. So in the light of svaroopa there are not any differences even between the advaita guru and ordinary man from the street, which has no idea of ‘being It’.

    Svaroopa is normally not available to the experience of man if not realized the unity of the vritti and nirvritti… don’t be afraid, I will explain, what that means in the understanding of traditional advaita.

    So vritti is the mind bound by changes, the motion of thoughts causing all the chaos. Nir-vritti is the principle describing, that there is no person or any real entity being identified with writti, so the writti aspect turns into nir-vritti in the subjective point of view – not that there will be real stoping the thoughts ever. But, there appears the ‘fullstop’ – which is nothing else than another way of explanation of being not the entity producing the thoughts at all… – and by this having deeply realized, becomes the enlightening experience as we know it. So there is not any smashing up the mind into peaces in accordance with dualistic teachings and all who agree with the concept of becoming something else… – we cannot actually ever become something we are not from the non-starting of the ages…

    One of the very first statements of ancient Patandjali yogi, /which is supposed to has written the afforisms on yoga known as Patandjali’s yogasustras/ says:
    ‘yoga chitta vritti nirodham’, what, in common english language means, /yoga is the ‘fulstop’ of the mind processing/. That is all.

    Nir-vritti is in that sence the possibility of the normal consciousness to get into contact with nirguna-brahman or that svaroopa. I know there is no real contact cause of being one, but that contact appears to be real for the human experience… if we start from dual awareness, the avidya, the ignorance and maya… But there is no real contact between the svaroopa principle and the writti – they are of the same essence but not appearance. Oh, that is so hard to explain…. /I am not from the english speaking country, so that I would feel more confortable to express myself in my mother tongue… but forget it… I would appologize for my possible grammatical mistakes, but I think I ‘ll be understood in the very core of what I say, if someone uses his head/.

    If Adi Sankaracharya says that /svaroopa is not averse with avidya/, it is only seen from the perspective of gnanis standingpoint. He knows everything is of the same nature, but also knows, the human experience is about two main and contradictable views – one from the perspective of non-processing reallity and the second one from the possition of the mind full of dualistic concepts /vritti/ by which the man is set into the hell of not-recognizing the unborn and ever-present freedom. The hell of processing and being bound by these processing and having been lived through the perception which jnani already left behind…

    All I wanted to point out – not to get me wrong – that there is some ‘little’ danger of catchig into the net of thoughts about advaitic so called non-being and non-happening… – while, the intellect may be swallowed by the suffering of duality. Cause one think is to see clearly by our whole being there is no individuality and boundaries at all and that I call ‘realisation’, and the second may be, that the thought ‘Iam an advaitin’ has another thought of being ‘experiencing the primordial state’. When everything appears to bee clear and absolutely evident, you got it. No further inportant thinking appear.

    Shortly, If this, what I have written here or previously means for anybody that I am speaking about the stupid conceptual ‘I got it’ and ‘I’ve lost it’… I must laugh, very loudly, sorry for that, Cam. ‘I got it’ and ‘I’ve lost it’ perceiving is completely unknown for my experience. If you have the core, you will not see these things like this at all. I’m not identified with concept of building concepts of the spiritual seeking and log-year practising with intention to have attained some particular non-dual state at the end, I am the oponent of this view on these things. Non-dual must be on the very beginnig, to clear all the mistakes we have already made. Duality, even not existing, cannot be removed by dualistic concepts.

    Thanks for attention and sorry for long comment in adress of the lates podcast show nr. 29.

    Greetings, q.

  30. Steven Witt says:

    Ditto, Q.

  31. Qellogathi says:

    great{:
    glad you agree. if you do get it really, there is no possibility of misunderstanding at all.

  32. Bob Seal says:

    Love how you talk the talk guys!

    Now here’s your OMNI-Present.

    Physics And Vedanta
    Intersting link:

    http://www.johndobson.org/articles/physicsvedanta.html

Leave a Reply to Steven Witt Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *