The Vikid Fast - Day 11 of 20

Novelty, The Ribhu Gita, On Having No Thoughts & Being Buddha

Novelty

So, there were some interesting developments yesterday in another wise mundane day. Firstly, I have noticed that the fact that I have eaten anything in 11 days, aside from water and a little coconut water, has become something of a total ordinary affair. Neither my mind, my body or my heart have any complaint and even the novelty of it has worn away. I wonder how long this state of affairs is going to last? Will I just coast the rest of the way or is there something in store for me, a secret surprise!

Ribhu Gita

Then there were two events one minor and the other more substantial.
In the afternoon, during lunch time, I decided to break my no media rule and to sleep/mediate over the sounds of the Ribhu Gita (find it here). It’s an ancient Tamil text based on Advaita (Non-dual) Philosophy and I hadn’t heard of it until a few short months ago. As I drifted off to sleep, I went into a state of mind of deep tranquility.

There is something very profound in this text and I suggest that interested parties have a look at it.

It must have been 25 mins or so later when I got interrupted by a business call. Yet the interruption didn’t feel like one, it felt natural and I was instantly able to shift back into normal gear and have a productive conversation.

On Having No Thoughts & Being Buddha

Let me take you back to 2007. I am driving my car in crazy traffic, stressed out of hell, when I get a call from my best friend in New York City. It’s evening and we start chatting about all things old friends do.

Then he says, “There’s a meeting happening in one hour held by the Hoffman Institute at a hotel in your city. Please attend.”

I inquired further but got nothing much out of him, relying on purely on instinct, I stopped whatever I was doing and headed for the meeting.

We gathered in a small conference hall, about 30 of us, and the speaker Tim Laurence starts to speak about a course, called the Hoffman Process (click here). First thing I notice are his eyes, they sparkle and he has a very serene energy. Then previous graduates start to speak about their experiences. All eyes twinkle and I am engrossed in what they are saying.

I left that evening stunned. Who were these people and why did their eyes glow? So shortly after, I booked the first course I could find and that would happen a few months later in a absolutely gorgeous cottage, in the South of England, just a little off the White Cliffs of Dover.

What transpired there was nothing short of magic.

Once you arrive at the house you have to hand in your phones and other methods of communication for the next 8 days, no books or other distractions are allowed either. Phones etc… are released upon completion. You will be in that house with 21 or so other participants and approximately 4-5 facilitators. The food is home cooked, organic and delicious. People are there from all walks of life, the rich, the poor, the intelligent and not so. Participants are of all ages, male and female. There are no drugs, alcohol, tobacco or medications of any kind. There is no funny stuff going on.

I could tell you more about the process but for that you have the website links above and the rest is best only be experienced, not told. I have tried several times over the years since to convince anyone I can to take this course. Sadly, in this respect, I have been an utter failure. Not one taker, not one!

The course isn’t prohibitively expensive either and there is really no after sales, no seminars, achievement levels or other gimmicks to scam you out of money.

Hopefully on reading this, at least one of you will go for it, trust your instincts.

Any way, why am I telling you all this, it is leading somewhere I promise…!

On the last day of the course, what happened may be one the most profound things to have happened in my life. I was doing a particular psychosomatic exercise designed to channel and extinguish my inner anger, and boy did I go for it. I was at it for about 3 or 4 hours and when done I went out into the garden that looks over the white cliffs.

And then my mind switched off. No chatter, simply silence. So pristine, so clear and completely expansive, it’s mind blowing. Every flower gleamed, colours exploding. Every bee a marvel to behold, the wind like music in my ears. I must have been in this state for about a half hour and then my mind kicked in, just gently at first, saying “This is Buddha Consciousness” and I knew it. This is what every sage has been raving about for the last few thousand years.

The state remained with me for a while, however being the last day, there were administrative activities to do, taxis to catch and flight back home booked on the same evening. Life came crashing in and the state evaporated into distant memories of what is possible.

That is until yesterday, a good 12 years later.

I decide to take an evening cycle around some lakes near my house. I felt normal but then about 15 minutes into the trip, my mind stopped again. Thoughts disappeared and I just observed the beautiful Dubai sunset, the birds swooning in the blue skies, the sounds of water and even the occasional car that passed. It wasn’t as profound as what happened those years ago, the immersion wasn’t as clear, I had to navigate traffic! I didn’t get to Buddha, but somewhere inside I knew that I was there.

I don’t know if it is the fasting, the meditation or The Ribhu Gita but all things equal, I believe they has something to do with it.

What surprises will come tomorrow?

And that’s all Folks,

The Vikid Truth