This is it!

[jimrich]

I once had an opportunity to learn to meditate but never did. I have looked at and even tried several "practices" to get somewhere or become something "special" up to an including practicing my horns (sax, clarinet, flute) for many, many years but have so far not reached any significant levels with any of it.
Not long ago I came across an assortment of spiritual/philosophical teachers who offer NO practices or methods to "get" something - usually Enlightenment or Liberation. At first I was very put off by them (Tony Parsons, Richard Sylvester, John Wheeler, Nathan Gil, Rupert Spira, Gangaji, Sailor Bob, Chuck Hillig, Mooji, - to mention just a few) because I still believed in and wanted a "method" or system of doings and becomings. After a little while I could see and feel that "this really is it" and I don't have to do or be anything to "get it". I am it - right here and right now! There is no practice or method that can ever make me more or better than what is right here at this very moment! If there is any "method" it might best be summed up as seeing who and what I am right now.
Who/what is sitting here, typing this? Who/what is seeing the words appearing on the screen? Who/what even wants to know?
I am seeing, typing, knowing!
Who am I?
Me - but not the little personal me that I've always assumed is me!
I am.................!?!
Rupert Spira would say I am just "Knowing".
I like that word because it seems to precisely fit my direct, current experience of FELT KNOWING - here and now.
If I ignore the assumption that I (the ego) am typing, seeing, etc., all that's left is simple Knowing or Experience - by no one.
There is no one here - just Knowing. Happy Knowing. Comfortable Knowing.
No ego, no self, no me, no person (on a mission), no one, no thing - just Knowing sitting and typing these words.
It all seems to be happening automatically or spontaneously. No one is dong any of this! I just am! This just is! This is it! No: problems, questions, issues, desires, agendas, intentions, plans, goals, expectations, fears, desires, regrets, hopes...... no thing/things! Just this! (that has no name or label)
So, dear reader, who are you?

[Fanna]

I am a drop of water on the web; a mirror of you and a mirror of me in the stars and in the seeds. Well said, my friend.

[janette]

Hi jimrich,what beautiful words and I agree with you wholeheartedly. We don't need to follow anyone or anything.it's just about going within and getting to know yourself and your connection to source. When I get to that space I feel nothing but pure love and a longing for home. 💖 x

[Clear Light]

Posted by jimrich (here)
Rupert Spira would say I am just "Knowing"

Hi jimrich

Ah, I remember watching a Rupert Spira video once (well a few times actually lol) on "buddha at the gas pump" where he goes into some detail about the two "shifts" that apparently take place as one "progresses" and from reading what you've shared above, it would indeed seem that you have had such a "shift" ?

And it raises the question just how "successful" Rupert is in inducing these kinds of "shifts" does it not ?

[Fellow Aspirant]

I like your questions and your answers. You are very perceptive and aware.
As to who I am, if I could offer a glib sounding (but I assure you it is not ) ...
I am you.

And everything else. : )

Namaste

Brian

[zen deik]

It's not the getting.... It's the receiving....

[jimrich]

Posted by janette (here)
your connection to source. When I get to that space I feel nothing but pure love and a longing for home. 💖 x

I'd say my connection AS source. Thanks for your response - it is good, IMO.

¤=[Post Update]=¤

Posted by Clear Blue Skies (here)

Posted by jimrich (here)
Rupert Spira would say I am just "Knowing"

Hi jimrich

Ah, I remember watching a Rupert Spira video once (well a few times actually lol) on "buddha at the gas pump" where he goes into some detail about the two "shifts" that apparently take place as one "progresses" and from reading what you've shared above, it would indeed seem that you have had such a "shift" ?

And it raises the question just how "successful" Rupert is in inducing these kinds of "shifts" does it not ?

What shifts?

¤=[Post Update]=¤

Posted by Fellow Aspirant (here)
I like your questions and your answers. You are very perceptive and aware.
As to who I am, if I could offer a glib sounding (but I assure you it is not ) ...
I am you.

And everything else. : )

Namaste

Brian

Hello, my self.

[Justplain]

I attended a seminar given by Werner Erhardt, the founder of EST, at Madison Square gardens in 1978, I believe, and his final conclusion was that 'this is it!'. His point being that no matter where you send your mind to, whatever ways you twist your body, this reality is what we have, so 'this is it'.

Years have passed, and in some ways i see his point. However, in order to live like your soul, which survives this reality, one needs to put this reality into perspective, and not get too caught up in its bouts of winning and losing.

This is it, and it aint bad, most of the time. But i'm just passing thru, and want to leave a good impression on my memory of it. As don Genaro said to Carlos, 'we are just a feeling', so i want to feel good about my memory of this life.

[Clear Light]

Posted by jimrich (here)

Posted by Clear Blue Skies (here)

Posted by jimrich (here)
Rupert Spira would say I am just "Knowing"

Hi jimrich

Ah, I remember watching a Rupert Spira video once (well a few times actually lol) on "buddha at the gas pump" where he goes into some detail about the two "shifts" that apparently take place as one "progresses" and from reading what you've shared above, it would indeed seem that you have had such a "shift" ?

And it raises the question just how "successful" Rupert is in inducing these kinds of "shifts" does it not ?

What shifts?

Rupert Spira - Buddha at the Gas Pump Interview (Uploaded on 9 Nov 2011)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=stdMWPtZwnM

Paraphrasing from the 1:07:00 mark : From "I am some-thing" (the position of Ignore-ance) to "I am no-thing-ness" (aka the Witness) and then to "I am every-thing" (the position of Love)

[Clear Light]

Posted by Clear Blue Skies (here)
Paraphrasing from the 1:07:00 mark : From "I am some-thing" (the position of Ignore-ance) to "I am no-thing-ness" (aka the Witness) and then to "I am every-thing" (the position of Love)

Ah, however, as I'm sure most who are in some way "interested" in the Enlightenment-thing will have already figured out, one must not get caught up with the words as though they are real eh ?

Inasmuch as where I stated above "the position of Love", this is not to imply some "I" or "Entity" who HAS such a "position" because this implies Duality does it not ?

Rather, and I hope you get the gist of what I'm saying, it's like a Position that is no-position, because all sense of separation has dropped away, thus no "me" or "mine" nor "other" !!!

Oh, nevertheless, the sense-of-self will likely continue to appear now and again but "the one who is no-one" is (I maintain) no longer identified or associated with it ...

[jimrich]

Posted by Clear Blue Skies (here)
Paraphrasing from the 1:07:00 mark : From "I am some-thing" (the position of Ignore-ance) to "I am no-thing-ness" (aka the Witness) and then to "I am every-thing" (the position of Love)

Ah, however, as I'm sure most who are in some way "interested" in the Enlightenment-thing will have already figured out, one must not get caught up with the words as though they are real eh ?

Words and concepts can make me INSANE. I often look in or through certain words and concepts to see if any of it makes any sense or has an impact on me. In some ways waiting for things like "shifts, awakenings, realizations, cleansing, being saved, finding "it", etc. can keep a person from ever getting it that this, just as it is, IS IT. I am whole and complete -right now. Tony Parsons and also John Wheeler, to mention only 2, have helped me accept that NO SHIFT or any event, process or happening can ever make me any more real and whole than I am right now so these fancy and seemingly profound concepts and words might keep someone trapped if they are WAITING to "wake up", make a Shift or some other FUTURE happening/event. I love and appreciate most of Rupert's and Eckhart's teachings but am ever wary of the words and concepts that imply that this is NOT IT - right now. To each his own......

[The Freedom Train]

Fantastic!!!!

[greybeard]

There is a shift in perception ---you could say as profound as black and white becoming Technicolor
Jim unfortunately would fight with his shadow--which led to him being un-subscribed by Bill.
There are paradoxes--you are complete right now but not as what you think you are.
The individual wave is not the Ocean.

There is a definite shift sometimes more than one.

Chris

[The Freedom Train]

Blimey. That is unfortunate. It seemed to me like this Jim had some nice thoughts and ideas to contribute.

[greybeard]

Posted by The Freedom Train (here)
Blimey. That is unfortunate. It seemed to me like this Jim had some nice thoughts and ideas to contribute.

Yes he was knowledgeable but then I dont know what happened but he was the only one that got anything right.

He was down right confrontational.

This was one of his first posts here and you can see the start of confrontation on the link--such a shame.

https://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...=1#post1094250

Chris

[The Freedom Train]

Yes I could see that he was rather partial to his own ideas - but aren't we all? I mean, I see this phenomenon in most of the posts on the forum. People believing in what they have to say. I myself can attest to it - while I can usually see and understand other person's point of view, I still also believe in mine and will hold to it unless convinced otherwise.

imo i see many people using the forum as a soapbox, and "listening" ie tolerating other people's POVs while still holding firmly to their own. it is what we are all here for isn't it? we all endeavor to be respectful, but we are here to express our views, to share them. when we are confronted with an opposing view, we may choose to defend our position, or to change and adopt the new view. but to adopt a new view means we must be presented with sufficient evidence to convince us of the wisdom of the change, and we must be willing to change. some people are better than others at this to be sure. I did not see any real evidence of his being aggressive in the thread you linked to - just dogged in his determination to continue asserting his position. While it may be annoying to those who disagree with him, is it bad or wrong?

A different link called "parenting" that a forum friend sent me (https://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...3485-Parenting) - which was explained to me as the straw that broke the camel's back and got mr. jim ejected from the forums - did show the aggression and confrontation you are referring to. Clearly, the man was really being dogged in defending himself and his positions. And the way he lashed out at those who challenged him was not productive or helpful to the conversation in any way, I agree. But more than anything, I just felt very sorry for this man. In this particular post, he was opening up about a traumatic childhood. He was being very vulnerable with sharing an abusive past. And I could see how some of the responses to what he had shared were like challenges - picking him apart and belittling his experience. Which is hard to take when you're the one being vulnerable and laying it all out for the world to pick at and condemn. So I could understand how he was triggered and became so defensive and reactive. And then of course I could understand why the others in the thread responded in kind - because he was no longer able to control himself and became rather rude and aggressive. It all just made me feel sad. It did seem like Jim was trying very hard to heal and to help. It's too bad.

[greybeard]

Trouble is he got into being down right paranoid and insulting to members.
Quite a few tried to help him.

Anyway this is just after the last straw so to speak
People dont get exited here without fair warning.
Its a pretty forgiving forum.

Chris

https://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...=1#post1100846

[The Freedom Train]

I hear you, greybeard. It's a tough call when things get hairy, and clearly everybody on the forum does their best to be inclusive, patient, and forgiving with each other. We are all doing the best we can, and I am grateful for this forum, as I have found new friends of like mind who I can engage with, as well as a platforum from which to share my own experiences and stories, in the hopes that I might help others, and that I might also learn from other's experiences and insights. What a joyful process! Thank you