From False Nirvana to Genuine Liberation: A Commentary on the “Vishuddhi Magga”

“Continuing his practice, the meditator discovers that his observing mind and the objects of observation appear and disappear with a frequency beyond his comprehension. He sees the entire field of his awareness in a continuous flow. The meditator understands that the world of his reality is renewed every moment, and that this continues without end.”

As long as we remain in the conceptual mind and our mind is drawn outward through the sense organs, we do not notice the fact that the world is renewed every second by each act of consciousness. For us, the world is an ordered, frozen representation. While inhabiting this ordered, frozen representation, we have ideas about ourselves, the world, and spiritual practice. But this is like a kind of cocoon or cage. From the perspective of one who has gone beyond this state, the world looks entirely different, and all human notions about it are ephemeral—dreams, illusions. But until we do this ourselves through the practice of mindfulness, it is impossible to escape this cage of representation and perception.

The world appears linear, logical, and sequential only from the standpoint of dualistic perception. When we break through beyond conceptual thinking, the world appears far more complex. It ceases to be linear and becomes stochastic, probabilistic. And when it is said that the world is renewed every second, this means that some act of cognition takes place at every moment. It is this act of cognition that brings one probabilistic universe or another into existence.

Realizing Impermanence and Impersonality

“With this understanding, he comes to realize the truth of impermanence in the depths of his soul. Having discovered that all phenomena appear every moment and disappear again, the meditator ceases to regard them as pleasant and worthy of trust. Liberation from illusions comes: that which constantly changes cannot be the basis for any lasting satisfaction. When the meditator realizes that his own essence is devoid of an ‘I’ and constantly changing, he enters a state of detachment from the world of his experiences.”

Mindfulness sooner or later leads to the understanding and experience that the ego (ahamkara) is devoid of essence, devoid of self-existence. This happens not through mental or logical conclusions or philosophy, but through direct realization. The power of clarity increases, and we can see how our body and the external world are connected: the body is merely a set of five elements temporarily borrowed from the five primordial elements, and it follows its own course. It is all composite and impermanent, so one cannot identify one’s personality and essence (individuality) with it.

The mind is a product of conditioned perception, karma, past samskaras, social conditioning, interaction, and learning. There is nothing in it that we would call our own or say, “This is me”; it is all something molded from various kinds of imprints. In the same way, there is no continuity, permanence, or self-existence in the other parts of our “self.” All of this is very temporary, very impermanent, very dynamic. It all changes and consists of various fragments that at the present moment are simply held together by the force of karma. And they will remain held together only as long as the force of karma is active; when it is exhausted, they will come apart and take another form. One who abides in mindfulness, understanding that everything consists of continuous metamorphoses, reconsiders their relationship to the world, to their “self,” and to everything they perceive. Detachment arises in them. Witnessing consciousness distances itself from what is experienced and no longer becomes involved or clings to what it experiences, having learned through such experience.

The entire essence of mindfulness practice lies in attaining the ability not to become involved or entangled in the objects of perception, but to live continuously within the inner world of awareness. But since consciousness has no such experience, it cannot do this until it becomes convinced that none of the objects of experience possesses its own essence, that all objects of experience are impermanent and are held together by the force of active prarabdha karma.

High-Level Clarity and False Nirvana

“From the standpoint of such detachment, the impermanent and impersonal qualities of his mind lead him to regard it as a source of suffering.

False nirvana.

From there, the meditator proceeds without any thoughts. After the final realizations, he begins to clearly see the beginning and end of each successive moment of awareness.»

Pay attention to this very important point: what is being discussed here is a high level of clarity, similar to the clarity of the gods. Usually, people act and interact without making sufficiently deep contact with reality. Everything remains superficial, so they are unable to draw far-reaching conclusions. And people often make mistakes and then pay for them.

For example, because Hitler lacked sufficient clarity, he suffered a shameful defeat in the war that he himself had started; the Bolsheviks decided to create a communist ideology, but because they were unable to foresee all the causes and effects, worked it out only superficially, and failed to take many factors into account, it suffered a shameful collapse seventy years later, bringing various calamities. These are examples of a superficial, shallow attitude toward reality.

The same thing happens to every person who does not engage in practice. In his youth, he plans to become wealthy, establish himself well in life, get married, have children, and create a happy family. But everything passes in the blink of an eye; he finds himself old, understanding nothing about this world, all his hopes collapsing, and realizes that everything he had thought turned out to be different. Even though, seemingly, he had examples before his eyes. He saw old people, saw the sick, saw death, but for some reason he did not apply any of this to himself. He thought that it would not happen to him, that it would happen only to others. Even when he heard about the Dharma, he paid no attention to it, since he was occupied with immediate plans.

Here, however, what is being discussed is a clarity that can instantly see through the beginning and end of every act of perception. For example, a worldly desire arises in you, and the mind seems to want to fulfill it, but it immediately develops the whole process and can clearly see how this worldly desire will end. Then it thinks: “All this is useless.” Some movement of consciousness arises, and your clarity can instantly look ahead and see what it will lead to. And having become convinced of this many times, the mind simply becomes disillusioned with all of it, understanding what will result from one causal chain or another. Therefore, it does not become involved in causal connections that it does not need, cuts them off, and leaves only those that are necessary. In the process of applying such clarity, it becomes convinced that the overwhelming majority of causal connections are useless. If they are developed, it becomes clear that there is no prospect, no future behind them. A prospect exists only behind those causal connections that arise from the play of the natural state, from deep awareness. When this is understood very quickly, self-liberation, detachment, and disillusionment with samsara occur instantly, in fractions of a second.

For example, if you dislike someone and are hostile toward them, then before becoming angry with them, you begin to develop the situation and think: “Yes, there is hostility between us, but if we continue to be hostile toward each other, we will say angry words to one another, and then perhaps begin to make each other’s lives miserable, and then perhaps resort to some extreme measures altogether.” And we see how foolish our anger is, that we must not develop it, that we cannot follow it, because otherwise we will bring suffering both to ourselves and to others. Then we immediately laugh at it. Or attachment arises. But if we have complete attentiveness, then even before it develops, we instantly see the origins of this attachment, coming from the past, and its future. The origins of this attachment are clear to us; we understand that it was precisely this that made us take a body, become limited, and suffer. And if attachment is already present, we mentally develop its future, reasoning logically about how it will end. We see that it, too, will end in illusions, suffering, and delusions, and that attachment itself, at its root, is delusion. All this happens in fractions of a second, and then the attachment instantly self-liberates, because through the power of clarity and complete attentiveness we become disillusioned with it and understand that we should rely only on the unattached, unsupported state. And when this happens moment by moment, tens of thousands of times throughout the day, your mind functions in an entirely different mode.

Signs of Advanced Practice

Along with this clarity of perception, the following may arise:

• seeing a dazzling light or luminous form;

• a feeling of rapture, leading to the appearance of “goosebumps,” trembling in the body, a sensation of levitation, and other signs of rapture;

• calmness in the mind and body, making them light, flexible, and obedient;

• a sense of faith in the Three Jewels and in the meditation method itself, accompanied by joyful confidence in the efficacy of meditation and a desire to advise all friends and relatives to practice it;

• diligence in meditation, accompanied by steady energy that is neither too weak nor too tense.

The practice of fullness of attention, when carried out genuinely, produces genuine results. One such result is various experiences, including the experience of bliss, and a greater clarity of consciousness surpassing the human. Here, you no longer have any doubts; you do not need to take anything on faith—you have earned this, and you have attained superhuman clarity. Of course, one should not become attached to these experiences, since they are preliminary. Nevertheless, this is an important level, thanks to which you become very self-sufficient. And if at this stage you begin practicing the maintenance of the natural state, you will make real progress in contemplation, maintaining presence and deepening it. Before this stage, progress is not yet clearly expressed. Therefore, fullness of attention up to this stage is very important. As I said, fullness of attention can be applied to any object: the breath, bodily movements, a mantra, observing the four foundations of mindfulness, or a chosen sankalpa. It does not matter what it is applied to; what matters is the very fact of applying fullness of attention.

• exalted happiness filling the meditator’s body, an extraordinary bliss that seems endless and prompts them to tell everyone about their exceptional experience.”

As fullness of attention develops, additional energy appears in you; you have a great deal of energy, and this energy enables you to become charismatic. You have colossal inner clarity, which can manifest in everything—in creativity, service, interaction, explaining the Dharma to others, and so on—because you have your own modest experience of awareness. You no longer have doubts, the feeling of being a “poor little thing,” or attachments; you have the support of inner experience. This inner experience is still shallow and weak, but it already enables you to resist with great strength all influences, both those of the mind and desires and those of the external world.

When I was about twenty, a maximalist and having experiences like these, I had the following intention: “If I explain this to everyone, then everyone will begin to practice.” I was completely serious about wanting to go to the Kremlin and persuade everyone to take up spiritual practice, and I felt that I could do it. You develop the strongest faith in the effect of sadhana. You believe because sadhana has brought you enormous benefit; you have genuinely transformed your perception through it. Although this is not yet liberation. It is called false nirvana because it is not yet nirvana, but merely an approach to it. It is a stage of bliss and joy, and an approach to clarity. Those who do not know the further instructions, having opened this inner source of energy, may become intensely intoxicated by it, and I know examples of such people. However, this should not be done; it should be kept inside, held close, and nurtured further until the next signs of realization manifest.

Developing Superhuman Clarity

• rapid and clear perception of every moment of awareness: seeing is precise, strong, and clear, while the characteristics of impermanence, non-self, and dissatisfaction are understood immediately.

At this stage, clarity increases extraordinarily. Your mind becomes like a supercomputer: you can take any situation or any object, view it in a three-dimensional image, and simultaneously generate seven, eight, or ten possible developments of events or situations. And all this at a fairly high speed. Thanks to this, by applying such complete attention to any objects, you can very quickly run through an enormous number of possibilities and choose the optimal ones. Since you take into account a huge number of factors in a short time, your decisions become highly effective and optimal. You seem to become an expert in any field, because the penetrating power of clarity can integrate with anything. Your mind ceases to be inert and uncomprehending; you have the feeling that you can understand everything. You only need to direct your mind toward the necessary object. These are signs of the emergence of viveka-vidya.

Non-Forgetting of Special Power

• non-forgetting of special power; the meditator effortlessly sees every moment of awareness, and non-forgetting acquires its own driving force.

If earlier you wavered between forgetfulness and non-forgetting, between contemplation and distraction, now non-forgetting has finally become established. Perhaps this non-forgetting is interrupted during sleep, but while awake it is uninterrupted; this non-forgetting has become a factor in your life, a continuous driving force, whatever you may be doing. It now guides you along the path of life; everything has changed. If earlier you often found yourself distracted, now distractions have been overcome; there is another path of consciousness, and you have firmly set out on it.

Non-forgetting of special power means that the mind is as if placed on an iron chain; it is like a finger dipped in honey and stuck there. Thanks to such non-forgetting, disruptive pranas can no longer exert any influence. Desires, kleshas, and obscurations can no longer exert any influence either. This state is described as follows: “When an elephant goes to drink water, insects and small animals scatter in terror.” This means that the power of this awareness is immense, and minor fluctuations of prana and mind no longer affect it. Such a person lives continuously in the spirit, and this spirit greatly inspires them. They constantly walk with God. For them, there are no longer any issues of attachment, material suffering, or concerns related to fears and anxieties about sustaining life, feelings, emotions, or selfish ambitions—all of this seems ridiculous to them. Their principle is: “All I need is a roof over my head, a little bread, and a meditation mat. That is quite enough. And anything beyond that is already a luxury.” They are very cheerful and joyful because they live solely through their inner life. If they do anything in the external world, it is not for themselves but as service to the dharma, service to others; they themselves are completely self-sufficient. Ambitions, desires, and anything else are unimportant to them because they abide in non-forgetting of special power. They are always cheerful, regardless of whether they are communicating or not, whether their goals are achieved or not; this cheerfulness comes from the joy of non-forgetting of special power. They no longer have any plans or hopes for anything other than this non-forgetting, because they have found this precious pearl and seek nothing outside it; they are completely satisfied with it. Such non-forgetting grows and becomes stronger every day.

Detached Neutrality

• equanimity toward what occurs in awareness: regardless of what enters their mind, the meditator maintains detached neutrality

The expression “detached neutrality, regardless of what enters their mind” is very important. Constancy of mind and the ability to observe while remaining in a state of detached neutrality are signs of a highly advanced yogin. Whether pure or impure thoughts enter the mind, whether problems or, on the contrary, joys and something beautiful occur externally, whether concepts enter consciousness, whether they do something or do not do something, whether they achieve their goal or fail to achieve it, whether events develop favorably for them or not, whether they are honored and respected or subjected to condemnation and insults—all of this does not involve them, and they maintain detached neutrality toward everything. Such detached neutrality indicates that, through non-forgetting, the unified “taste” of all phenomena has begun to arise. The key to the unified “taste” is, of course, non-forgetting. If a person is not in a state of non-forgetting but merely tells themselves at the level of the mind, “It is all one ‘taste’; everything is the same,” this cannot be called the stage of the unified “taste.”

Detached Neutrality as the Foundation of Practice

Detached neutrality means that a person’s foremost concern is non-forgetting, while everything else is merely the play of different kinds of consciousness and energy against the backdrop of this non-forgetting. One can often observe that even spiritual practitioners have various difficulties and problems in their relationships, in their assessments, and in the external world; they are troubled by different things, sort out their relationships, have numerous fears and hopes, and certain ambitions awaken in them. But all of this is the level of an amateur.

For a true yogin, only the principle of non-forgetting matters; in all other respects, he is very content, very joyful, and maintains detached neutrality. And if he needs to manifest himself in some way, it is simply a game in accordance with circumstances, when he needs to help others. He himself is free from everything, abiding in this detached neutrality. This cannot be called indifference: he may respond and become vividly involved, but he himself remains beyond it all, since all external things are like a game to him. “Game” is the best way to describe his behavior.

False Nirvana and Attachment to Experiences

“A subtle attachment to light and the other factors listed here, and pleasure derived from contemplating them.”

The stage of false nirvana is characterized by a subtle attachment to various inner experiences—light, visions of luminous figures, and experiences in dreams. A person may become deeply inspired by these experiences or discuss them. It is quite possible to discuss them, since one needs to understand what they are. However, detached neutrality must also be maintained toward these experiences. The yogin simply remains fully attentive, acting as a witness in relation to these experiences.

If attachment to this arises, it will be one of the forms of being captivated—by bliss or clarity (false nirvana). But false nirvana is not the goal of the true fullness of attention. And the value of a teacher lies precisely in the fact that he can distinguish false nirvana from the true one, whereas a beginner is fundamentally unable to recognize this. Since he has not really experienced either one, false nirvana can make a profound impression on him. He may become highly inspired and impressed; his ego may adopt some kind of pose, although in reality this is not something from which one should construct a pedestal.

Recognizing and distinguishing false nirvana from the true one is a very important point, since false nirvana leads to rebirth in the world of the gods of form or in the world of the gods of samsara.

“The meditator is often inspired by the appearance of these ten signs and may speak about them, thinking that he has attained enlightenment and completed the task of meditation. Even if he does not think that they signify his liberation, he may pause to enjoy them.

This is pseudo-nirvana. The great danger for the meditator lies in accepting ‘what is not the path as the path,’ or in losing the determination to continue the practice of insight because of attachment to such phenomena. Eventually, the meditator understands, either on his own or as a result of the teacher’s advice, that these experiences are merely milestones along the way, not the final destination. Then he turns the beam of his insight toward them and toward his attachment to them.”

False nirvana may be partially experienced primarily at the stage of “gestation.” It may also be present in part at the stage of “conception” if this is a high-level “conception.”

“Insight without effort.

Contemplation is swift, easy, and unremitting: instantaneous knowledge of anatta, anicca, and dukkha.”

Anatta, anicca, and dukkha mean, if you understand them, the absence of self-existence in your consciousness, the absence of self-existence in external phenomena, and suffering caused by impermanence when one is attached to them.

“Cessation of pain; complete equanimity.”

The next stage, when one succeeds in passing beyond false nirvana, is the instantaneous recognition of the absence of self-existence in oneself, the absence of self-existence in the external world, and the instantaneous understanding of the harmfulness of any form of being captivated. Contemplation is no longer sustained through effort and becomes effortless.

Once the temptation of false nirvana has been overcome, we approach true nirvana. But in true nirvana, the ego cannot survive. We pay a price for this. To approach true nirvana, we pay with the disappearance of the illusion of the ego, with detachment from all attachments, from all conceptual notions—from everything completely. The body remains, the mind continues to move, but the illusion of the ego is gone. No one can approach the state of authentic nirvana without paying such a price.

True Nirvana and Great Non-Action

“Nirvana.

Consciousness ceases to have a goal.”

At this stage, the decision to enter into “great non-action” is truly made. Until this stage is reached, no matter how many such decisions we make, they cannot be genuine, because there is always some remaining lack of freedom in consciousness. But after reaching this stage, we must truly relax into sahaja (natural presence), eliminate the most subtle foundations of effort, and make contemplative practice completely natural, merging with all the objects of life.

Someone may say: “But at this stage, one can already finish the practice.” If you are in a state of samadhi, that is indeed so. If you are going about your daily life, that is also so. The practice ends, but the play, awareness, and deepening of presence always continue. And they cannot fail to continue, because consciousness can always deepen further.

For example, Brahma, Indra, or a rishi abide in a deeper natural presence than one who has merely attained awakening. And even after reaching this point, where consciousness ceases to have a goal and simply plays, the development of awareness continues.

“Nirodha.

The complete cessation of consciousness.”

Finally, the last stage, nirodha, means that even the tiniest remnants of impressions of the illusory personality, ego, and individual existence have come to an end. The complete state of nonduality has been experienced, and it will never cease again.