Vigyano is a seeker of the sought which is unknown, unseen, unfathomable, and ultimately not able to be sought.
Lokesh I thought of that story, but could not remember his name, so told of Sheela instead. They say that the flip side of compassion is cruelty. Both dwell in the sixth chakra thats spins behind the physical eyes. This is why those of immense cruelty and those of immense compassion both have the same glow. It is also why one should be very wary (read that as aware) of those with a hypnotic glint in the eye. They have the capacity to draw you towards heaven in the case of a great buddha, or to send you to hell in the case of a powerful psychopath.
I do not understand the story in its completion. As you say it may in part be a heightened level of outer awareness (which you call alertness) with an almost non-existent level of awareness of their inner world (which people traditionally call meditation). I also do not think that is all the story anyhow. Sheela and the psychopath in Buddha’s time are testimony to this. That is why I think it is more in line with what I said previously.
If a person is extremely outwardly conscious (referred to as being very alert) then they may or may not have a low level of inner consciousness. This is the case for example of a lion in the jungle. If I were to meet a lion in the jungle, I may be almost enlightened, and so have a very high level of inner consciousness. Perhaps say I am meditating deep in the forest and have almost found that which cannot be found, the hidden splendour. I open my eyes and shift my consciousness to what I see in front of my eyes, and behold is a lion ready to attack. If I were not entirely stupid I would direct all my consciousness towards this outer reality. All my external senses would be on high alert (also as a survival reaction/response). If I survive the encounter with the lion, and then fold my legs into the lotus flower, and go in, my little worldly adventure would have heightened my consciousness as it seeks to find the inner hidden jewel. The lion is the zen hit that may complete the journey.
Now what if I was a mass murderer who was hiding in a cave? Perhaps I had just committed to death my latest conquest, and the police were on my tail. It is likely that I would have no ability to sit quietly in a lotus position in the darkness of a cave. The reason is partly because my inner world will be in utter turmoil. The mind and emotions of a beast in the jungle. The other reason is the lack of consciousness. To force such a person to stay still in the dark with sensory deprivation is to force them to see their inner hell. It is forcing them to see their reality, and their insanity. There can be no greater torment for those who do or will to do great wrong than to see their own inner world of torment. It is if course their first step towards redemption.
So anyhow, if such a person were to meet a lion in the jungle, they too will have a high level of outer alertness, but if they survive the encounter with the lion, they will still have no knowledge of their inner troubles. In a twisted way they will for a while have a mind that is on the surface deeply excited or peaceful. This is the state of mind of a psychopath after a kill. Still, they will have no depth of knowing of their inner world.
I would say that there are important exceptions. The psychopath in Buddha’s story is one example. This psychopath would be able to witness his thoughts of murdering. It is just that until he met buddha he saw nothing wrong with that. This is because his mind was sick because of his past experiences. Perhaps his mind was healed prior to enlightenment, or perhaps it was healed only after enlightenment. Sheela is an example of how difficult it is to heal a sick mind. Not even the wisdom nor the consciousness of Osho was able to help her. She was only helped by being thrown in jail for a few years. From what I have heard this time of outer sensory deprivation did not help much either.
Lokesh I do not know myself if I am sharp or dull. There is something deeply wrong within the Osho movement. That I do know. Perhaps you could direct your evaluative capacity towards that. You do make an interesting point though. Why is it that the buddha’s mind is razor sharp. They speak of no-mind, of going beyond mind. So how does this fit with Khabira’s theory?
If one always uses the sword in battle then it become blunt. Then the sword becomes an unwieldy club. What is it about an unused mind and a penetrating consciousness that sharpens the sword? I am of the view that alongside higher levels of consciousness are higher levels of mind. It is the same with levels of unconsciousness. Essentially at the highest level of consciousness of the buddhas one is in communion with the universal mind, the mind of God. There are physical limitations within the human brain, and of course using your brain will help in this regard. Unfortunately it is not the end of the story.
I am of the view that one can also be in communion with dark emotions, and ultimately mental patterns that form out of this. You may like to call it evil mind, or perhaps the Devil. If it is your lot to experience difficult emotions and troubling thoughts for a time, it is your consciousness that determines how much you identify or become involved with these challenging experiences. It is like being at sea in a tempest. You do not have to drown in the wild fury of the ocean if you have a good boat. All storms pass into calm waters.
Not surprisingly that is not the end of the story. It is also the social forces that surround you as you grow up that fabricate the type of mind you have. If your dad is always beating you and your mum senseless, and telling you that you are a worthless piece of shit, this can virtually hardwire your brain and create a deeply sick mind. In a perverted way you also admire your dad because he is your dad. It helps you form the view that beating people senseless is a good thing. If you keep going, you can get in touch with deeper and darker emotions and thoughts, and then you can walk this planet as an earthly disciple of evil.
In a seekers darkest hour they too may witness the deepest secrets of the universe, but they remain unconsumed. A person with low consciousness or a sick mind (or both) actually lives in this darkness. It is to them their light.
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