Monday, April 25, 2011

Austin Osman Spare and the Upanishads - "Neither-Neither" and Neti, Neti (Not This, Not This)

From the Upanishads

The form of that person is like a cloth dyed with turmeric, or like grey sheep's wool, or like the scarlet insect called Indragopa, or like a tongue of fire, or like a white lotus, or like a flash of lightning. He who knows this—his splendour is like a flash of lightning. Now, therefore, the description of Brahman: "Not this, not this" (Neti, Neti); for there is no other and more appropriate description than this "Not this." Now the designation of Brahman: "The Truth of truth." The vital breath is truth and It (Brahman) is the Truth of that. -  Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upanishad - The Divine is not this and it is not that" (neti, neti)...."Thus, the Divine is not real as we are real, nor is it unreal. The divine is not living in the sense humans live, nor is it dead. The Divine is not compassionate as we use the term, nor is it uncompassionate. And so on. We can never truly define God in words. All we can say, in effect, is that "It isn't this, but also, it isn't that either". In the end, the student must transcend words to understand the nature of the Divine." - wiki


Austin osman Spares Book of pleasure

"Man implies Woman, I transcend these by the Hermaphrodite, this again implies a Eunuch6; all these conditions I transcend by a "Neither" principle, yet although a "Neither" is vague, the fact of conceiving it proves its palpability, and again implies a different "Neither."

But the "Neither-Neither" principle of those two, is the state where the mind has passed beyond conception, it cannot be balanced, since it implies only itself. The "I" principle has reached the "Does not matter- need not be" state, and is not related to form. Save and beyond it, there is no other, therefore it alone is complete and eternal. Indestructible, it has power to destroy- therefore it alone is true freedom and existence. Through it comes immunity from all sorrow, therefore the spirit is ecstasy. Renouncing everything by the means shown, take shelter in it. Surely it is the abode of Kia? This having once been (even Symbolically) reached, is our unconditional release from duality and time- believe this to be true. The belief free from all ideas but pleasure, the Karma through law (displeasure) speedily exhausts itself. In that moment beyond time, a new law can become incarnate, without the payment of sorow, every wish gratified, he  having become the gratifier by his law. The new law shall be the arcana of the mystic unbalanced "Does not mattter- need not be," there is no necessitation, "please yourself" is its creed." Austin Osman Spare-  Book of Pleasure....The mind becomes firm in desire by desire as devotion, but when realized is it then eternally desirable? (or even for a period of a million years). In Heaven shall be fettered thy foot! Therefore remove the conception that desire is pure, or impure, or has completion- remove it by the "Neither-Neither." Even whether the desire is for the exhasustion of desire by the "neither-Neither" or for realization in a wife- it is desire- its unending evolution. Therefore remove desire in any form by the "Neither-Neither.Remove the illusion that there is Spirit and Not-Spirit (this idea has never given beneficial results). Remove all conceptions by the same means.

So long as the notion remains that there is "compulsory bondage" in this World or even in dreams there is such bondage. Remove the conception of Freedom and Bondage in any World or State by meditation on Freedom in Freedom by the "Neither-Neither."...
 " Therefore Kiaize desire by the "Neither-Neither," the most excellent formula far beyond contentment- the all-embracing vacuum which reduces "all" to common sense and upon which this Universe rests.

Therefore believe nothing in this Book by the "Neither-Neither," and dispel the conception of the "Neither-Neither" by the "Neither-Neither," and belive it is "not-necessary" or the conclusion of pleasing yourself, because it "Need-not-be-Does-not-matter."
One believes this "all the time" as the Truth of "The Will" not the thing believed, since the means to an end mean evolution to endless means."

Means to Vacuity
Exhaustion: That state of vacuity brought by exhausting a desire by
   some means of dissipation when the mood corresponds to the nature of
   the desire, i.e., when the mind is worried because of the
   non-fulfilment of such desire and seeks relief. By seizing this mood
   and living, the resultant vacuity is sensitive to the subtle
   suggestion of the Sigil. - Book of Plesure   

Is very similar to the ideas in yogic, tantric and understandings of emptiness,  they are expressed in many different and fairly creative and beautiful ways by Austin Osman Spare.

More from AOS on the neither neither -

The Kia which can be vaguely
   expressed in words is the "Neither-Neither," the unmodified "I" in the
   sensation of omnipresence, the illumination symbolically transcribed
   in the sacred alphabet, and of which I am about to write. Its
   emanation is its own intensity, but not necessariness, it has and ever
   will exist, the virgin quantum-by its exuberance we have gained
   existence. - AOS


 Listen, O, God
   that art, yet would be God. When the mind is nonplussed- capability to
   attempt the impossible becomes known; by that most simple state of
   "Neither-Neither" the Ego becomes the Silent Watcher and knows about
   it all! The "Why" and "How" of desire is contained within the mystic
   state of "Neither-Neither" and common-sense proves it is the milk
   state, most nutritious! Clownish that I am- yet all my ideas have come
   out of it (and, my friend, all yours), but ever have I been a
   sluggard- an old sinner who would see others almighty before himself

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for the Upanishads connection. You may also be interested in some of the other Eastern ideas that relate to 'neither-neither' -- Chinese 'Wu' in Taoism or 'Mu' in Zen, Buddhist 'Anatta,' and Nagarjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way).

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  2. Thanks for reading, is interesting how its been experienced and experssed, am quite fond of Nagarjuna myself good stuff.

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