Advaita Post 14-#03

February 10, 2013

Text satsang

An Advaita talk with Douwe Tiemersma, Rotterdam, January 24, 1980

The teacher

I have experienced that the trust in someone who "is standing on the other side" is very important for the final release. Letting go of everything doesn't just happen. It concerns that which you unconsciously thought was the basis of your own existence. Then that trust is extremely important. That you believe someone when he says: "You are Brahman". When you believe it, it is also so; from the one moment to the next you see it. One minute you're still conditioned, the next moment there is the unlimited Reality. Because you unconditionally believe it, you see it. For most people that seems to be difficult. There are hundreds of people who come to great masters and there's only just a few who accept it and so realize the Ultimate.

You see the limitations of your 'I' increasingly clearly and realize that you are the Self, as free being-awareness, in which your whole world can dissolve. Imagine yourself open for that. Believe in it, so that you see it. Give yourself over to it. It is similar to allowing the 'I' to collapse into a deep abyss. When you dare to jump into the abyss you have overcome all fear. When that doesn't happen you continue to hold on tightly to yourself and you remain stuck in limitation. There is a fear-of-death phase for the little 'me' who wants to survive. This is overcome when you have a great confidence in the space in which you will land, a trust that you will be received. A guru can be of inestimable significance for this, yet not as a person, but rather because you see that he is the space. In him you see that this is possible. Then you just let it happen.

You have been practicing yoga for years and you think, "this is my path". You have an idea of progress. When you look back you see that you were very different a number of years ago, that it's better now. You live life more relaxed, more aware, healthier and you think you've traveled a good distance along the path. But when you are fully engaged with yoga, there is no past anymore. Every moment can be new. You can let go of the old every moment, the old ideas about the goal, about liberation. See that it's about this moment, now. The ideas belong to the past, to a rigid and limited 'I'. The 'I'-thought is glued onto all concepts. The 'I am' in the ideas about conception, birth and death. Bring these points of your ego together, here before you. You can grab it just like that and in this way it can disappear. The 'I am' is everything. Experience it and see it very clearly. Then the realisation of the highest reality can come.

Douwe

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Announcements

Foundation Openness / Advaita Center after my death
Douwe Tiemersma
Gouda, December 31, 2012

1 There was and is no successor for Douwe.

2 The local advaita groups, JOI (Relaxation and Insight for Youth) foundation and  AYO (Advaita Yoga teacher training) can continue on independently.

3 Other activities in line with "the promotion of non-dualistic Openness coinciding with the meaning of Advaita Vedanta as taught by Douwe Tiemersma" (from article 2.1 of the Statutes) may be continued within the framework of the Advaita Center and the Openness Foundation as long as there is reasonable interest and people who can organize these activities. Equity can be allocated for this.

4 If the latter conditions are not met, the Openness Foundation and Advaita Center can be dissolved. There is a notice period of one year on the rental property. Thus after Douwe's death everything will be able to continue to operate for at least one year. The Board will then decide on the time to end the lease.

If there are others who have reasons to continue the Openness Foundation, to follow the objective of the foundation (to spread advaita in line with Douwe's teaching), they should be given the opportunity to replace the incumbent board members. In this case, Pia would remain as an advisory member of the board.

5 After the removal Odile will receive the inventory. That also applies to the library, with the exception of the section on Yoga, which goes to the AYO and the section on Youth, which goes to JOI.

 6 Activities which may continue for an indefinite time period
a) the website
b) Advaita Post - there will be no new photos with captions, but there will be texts from Douwe. Furthermore, there can be announcements for the advaita groups, the JOI, Youth Project (training with Pia and others) and the AYO.
c) Advaita Publishing
Just as it has been up until now, the book publishing should be run as financially independent, but if it makes sense to invest more than what the income generates, the equity as mentioned above can be applied.
There are still a few books to come. Appointments have been made for:
- Silence Walks to unity (with Pia)
- Meditation Booklet - short texts as vehicles for openness
- Around the surgery

Further possibilities:
- Commemorative booklet with photos (idea of Pia)
- The direct path
- Other Titles (Satsangs)

If it becomes clear that the Advaita Publishers and/or the Openness Foundation no longer have an important function, or if the Openness Foundation is eliminated, the take over of publishing the inventory using their own funds can be discussed with another publisher. The first  choice is Asoka, second Samsara. Then the Advaita Publishers can be eliminated.

d) Study of Advaita
If there is sufficient interest, activities in the area of 'Advaita Study' can be continued. This concerns then the organization of courses with someone who can guide them in a good way, but it's also possible to organize joint reading and discussing of important texts.

Present material: e.g. the library to which Douwe's library has been added, folders, articles, the Encyclopedia, the course books, the Upanishads, Non-duality and non-duality in practice from Douwe.

e) The rental of the property:
After the death of Douwe, the rent will continue for one year. The floor heating will not be cofinanced by the Openness Foundation.

 7 The money that remains after eliminating the Openness Foundation can be used for:
a) investment in all the aims which the Foundation promotes; potential investments include a payment to the publisher for the books of Advaita Publishers he takes on which are not financially attractive to him, and if it is clear that it makes sense to do so, a transfer to AYO foundation, the JOI foundation or Advaita Groups;
b) donation to my wife Irma.

Douwe Tiemersma

*****