Hey Jordan! It's been long since I read your work(I don't even know if you're still on Telegram). I was searching for a Newman in my email contacts when I saw that you already had a Substack post already.
One comment I'd like to give about Jim Newman and say Peter Brown(Oh by the way you introduced me to his work about 2 years ago, thank you) is...their pointers are flavors. Paprika and Thyme are two different things. But they are spices. They both point to flavor. They both point to taste. I would be damned if Charles Bukowski isn't even able to point me to THIS! You see, the flavors are also clear. A Jim Newman could dance around the tunes of a 'me' falling away first...and what then happens is a 'me' takes it on as a new project to complete the falling away! That's the exact reason why it appears that Jim's message gives no concession to this 'me'. With the flavor of the likes of Peter Brown, and as you also point out, everything seems to be in place, beautiful of its own accord- nothing to change! But look at that, isn't that the same thing Jim points out?
See, I get understand how one could initially listen to Jim Newman and think..."oh my, I still have a lot to do. I'm not liberated etc". I know how it felt for me even feeling a little sad and hopeless listening to him. But you gotta see what exactly is happening! This is where the beauty of realization really and truly is...you have to see that these flavors truly have nothing in them. Paprika and thyme don't make your food 'sweeter'. They add a little bit of a smell that tricks the mind/buds to thinking the food is better with them. The actual food has all it needs without the help of flavors. I know this analogy may seem like a stretch but see it: the seeking is seeking itself. Once it stops seeking, what's seen is the clarity in Jim's discuss. What's seen is the clarity and beauty in even what you wrote. Not to sound nondual-speakey but if there's a thought that says, "There is still more for me to receive from this messenger", the very beautiful pointer is really about what is trying to receive anything. That which is trying to receive anything is nothing but an illusion. It's the dispelling of that illusion that makes all of this here or there, his message and their message, this pointer or that pointer... it's what makes them seem like a joke...a beautiful joke.
Hey Jordan! It's been long since I read your work(I don't even know if you're still on Telegram). I was searching for a Newman in my email contacts when I saw that you already had a Substack post already.
One comment I'd like to give about Jim Newman and say Peter Brown(Oh by the way you introduced me to his work about 2 years ago, thank you) is...their pointers are flavors. Paprika and Thyme are two different things. But they are spices. They both point to flavor. They both point to taste. I would be damned if Charles Bukowski isn't even able to point me to THIS! You see, the flavors are also clear. A Jim Newman could dance around the tunes of a 'me' falling away first...and what then happens is a 'me' takes it on as a new project to complete the falling away! That's the exact reason why it appears that Jim's message gives no concession to this 'me'. With the flavor of the likes of Peter Brown, and as you also point out, everything seems to be in place, beautiful of its own accord- nothing to change! But look at that, isn't that the same thing Jim points out?
See, I get understand how one could initially listen to Jim Newman and think..."oh my, I still have a lot to do. I'm not liberated etc". I know how it felt for me even feeling a little sad and hopeless listening to him. But you gotta see what exactly is happening! This is where the beauty of realization really and truly is...you have to see that these flavors truly have nothing in them. Paprika and thyme don't make your food 'sweeter'. They add a little bit of a smell that tricks the mind/buds to thinking the food is better with them. The actual food has all it needs without the help of flavors. I know this analogy may seem like a stretch but see it: the seeking is seeking itself. Once it stops seeking, what's seen is the clarity in Jim's discuss. What's seen is the clarity and beauty in even what you wrote. Not to sound nondual-speakey but if there's a thought that says, "There is still more for me to receive from this messenger", the very beautiful pointer is really about what is trying to receive anything. That which is trying to receive anything is nothing but an illusion. It's the dispelling of that illusion that makes all of this here or there, his message and their message, this pointer or that pointer... it's what makes them seem like a joke...a beautiful joke.