Enlightenment: The Ego, what is it? How to transcend it.

[ClearWater]

The Michael Singer Podcast: Taking Care of Your Inner Environment
teP3TS9fHNk


“Taking Care of Your Inner Environment” - A filthy home is an open invitation for rats and roaches to move in. In the same way, Michael reveals how neglected thoughts and emotions attract destructive unconscious behaviours.

[greybeard]

The 'I' or Self Is an IllusionYou do not exist in the way you think you do. You operate through the belief system that you are a separate self, but the ‘I’ that you think you are, the ‘self’, is an illusion. For example, when we say, ‘I am sad’, there is the experience of ‘sadness’ and there is an idea of an ‘I’ who is sad, but when we look for that ‘I’ – the ego – we don’t find it.

A woman who is looking for the ‘I’ but can’t find it, assumes it is hiding. Rupert explains that the ‘I’ isn’t hiding; it isn’t there. He invites her to look more closely and see that she is superimposing an old belief on the evidence of her experience, which reveals that it is not there.

Trust your experience; not your beliefs.There isn’t a thinker, a feeler, a doer, a decider, an imaginer, an achiever or a lover.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JET1EUbJM6o

[greybeard]

Should you go to the Light when you Die? | Robert Aho Near Death Experience Part 2

This is very good --clear and explicit.
Chris


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC3wcptQGFs&t=196s

[Vicus]

"maybe" another" version"...

How To Avoid The Soul Harvesting Trap: Where Do We Go When We Die?

The fact is humanity is involved in a soul harvesting trap, I have written about this extensively previously in other blogs. It has been sold to us through ancient indoctrination as simply ‘reincarnation’ a method whereby you can come back and ‘resolve’ any outstanding karma on this Planet.

This is a falsehood, we have been deceived and tricked and it has been going on for many many years. What is happening is that we are being lured and tricked by the false white light and deceivers acting as benevolent beings, who are essentially there to just hook as back into coming back down for another dose on Planet crazy. Let me explain further.

ARCHONSCONTROLRECENT ARTICLESHow To Avoid The Soul Harvesting Trap: Where Do We Go When We Die?Alexander LightJuly 5, 2019
So where do we go when we die? I guess this is the question we all want the answer to, and indeed we should.

Because inner-standing the vastness and complexity to this Matrix construct and how it operates can only serve to shield and protect ourselves when we do inevitably reach that point.

What I am talking about in this blog is based upon years of research, you can take it or leave it. I am not attempting to force this upon people merely putting out that of which deeply resonates as truth.

The fact is humanity is involved in a soul harvesting trap, I have written about this extensively previously in other blogs. It has been sold to us through ancient indoctrination as simply ‘reincarnation’ a method whereby you can come back and ‘resolve’ any outstanding karma on this Planet.


This is a falsehood, we have been deceived and tricked and it has been going on for many many years. What is happening is that we are being lured and tricked by the false white light and deceivers acting as benevolent beings, who are essentially there to just hook as back into coming back down for another dose on Planet crazy. Let me explain further.

The whole after death experience is nothing more than an AI simulation. As you die you will see a tunnel filled with white light, you may feel immediately drawn to it as there is a familiarity due to what you may have read or heard about in your physical life.

We must remember that ignorance doesn’t die when we die, thats why its so important to seek knowledge in your physical life, do your own research, and not be drawn into the many traps and deceptions put out there by the Matrix agents in this dimension, those in government, mainstream media, and so on.

So the white light is the first deception, once you enter the white light you will be met with false white light beings. These beings may masquerade as whatever you admired in your physical life, maybe some kind of deity, Jesus, Buddha or even a close family member. These beings know us intimately and know our blind spots and the ways in which to appeal to our emotions.

From there you are taken for a life review whereby you are shown perhaps certain times in your life where you may have hurt someone or made a mistake, they will play on your guilt and emotions once again, and also deceive us into volunteering to come back down to Earth by promising that we can come back to ‘resolve our karma’.

In reality all that is happening is that we are being sent back down to have our energy siphoned again for interdimensionals, entities, and parasitic government agencies. We are the food they need to feed on, and hence they need us back down on the feeding ground.

Most humans will volunteer quite easily, although most don’t really want to come back down. This is due to ignorance or fear of not ending up in some kind of ‘heaven’s they don’t resolve their karma.

Some human souls are so tired they go to a kind of resting area before they have their memories wiped and are sent back down into another human body. And so the cycle begins again.

So how can we escape this soul trap and where do we go?


https://humansbefree.com/2019/07/how-to-avoid-the-soul-harvesting-trap-where-do-we-go-when-we-die.html

[Wind]

"Is What You See All There Is?

"Many years ago in my school days, a boy showed me
a small picture, a very simple black-and-white image just a bit
larger than a postcard. He asked me, “What do you see?”

I thought he was joking because it was so clearly a white vase on
a black background. I asked, “What is this, a trick question?”
But he insisted, “Really look at it. What do you see?”

“It’s a white vase on a black background, plain and simple.
No decoration, just the shape! Is there something more?”
“Yes, you are missing something because you are only looking
in one way.” By now he was getting impatient, so he said, “Can
you see the two faces? Look from the white to the black.”

Ah! Suddenly I could see that there were two identical faces
looking at each other. Then he asked, “And the vase? Can you
still see the vase?”

I hadn’t bothered about trying to see the vase again because
I was still so excited to be seeing the faces. “No, I can’t see the
vase! What happened to the vase?”

He tried to help me see, “Look at the picture. See the vase
again!” I looked and looked, until again it was the vase. Then, all
of a sudden, I could see both the vase and the faces simultaneously through just a slight shift of perspective and focus.

Obviously no change had occurred to the picture itself—the
shift was only in my perception.

We all start out looking at life from the particular perspective of our upbringing, which provides us with assumptions about who we are. For most of us, this culturally imparted point of view simply remains our perspective as we move through life. There are seven billion people living on the face of the earth, but rare is that being who goes through life seeing more than the conditioned body-mind – only the vase – as who we essentially are. Very few question their belief in their identity or personality, and thus they miss the opportunity to realise their true nature.

Although the metaphor of the vase and the faces is a good illustration of how we perceive a limited reality based on our conditioning, it also falls short. The Truth that I am pointing to is beyond just being able to visualise from a new point of view and then from multiple perspectives. It is about discovering that there is a deeper reality to what we see and that reality is always here – we must simply come to recognise it as our very own Self.

Spirituality is the search for perfect understanding, for Self-discovery, for Truth, and it must take place right where you are. The Truth that you are searching for must already be right here, for it is timelessly present.

What is Truth? Truth can never be merely a holy cluster of concepts, conditioning, or beliefs. It is not an event, nor is it an object apart from you in some sacred vault. For Truth to be Truth, it must be unchanging, immutable, ever present – yet it is beyond characteristics and conditions. It cannot be anything that comes and goes, for everything changeful arises from it and comes and goes in it. Truth is what we are.

It is our essential nature and Being. It is the pure Self, the limitless one, the ultimate reality – it is awareness itself. But we have become unaware of the magnificence of our true nature on account of our upbringing, conditioning, and education, all of which paint a very different picture of who we are – and all of which we believe.

If you open your inner eyes, you will see the Truth that lies right here inside of you beyond the transient play of phenomena we call life – beyond everything we can see or perceive. When I say beyond, I don’t mean beyond in terms of distance, but beyond in terms of subtlety. The search for Truth is not about running away from the things of this world but about understanding their ephemeral nature. And more than that, it is about discovering our true nature as an inherent stillness from where even the subtlest movements of phenomena are being perceived.

Those who discover that reality of their inmost Being enjoy a sense of peace, love, and wisdom as its natural perfume. They experience their essential nature as true freedom.

Seeing from our true position, our true Self, we come to understand that the appearance of any phenomenon doesn’t mean it is true or real in and of itself. To discover the Truth, we need to look for the one who sees all phenomena – can that ultimate seer itself be seen?"

~ Mooji, Vaster Than Sky (https://shopcdn.mooji.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cfd56f98e88f3c267a6abc99d31f49de.pdf)

https://64.media.tumblr.com/d004baa1ce9af234a42432e8ecf87bef/38376eadce7bd633-97/s250x400/f32ec4b503b0796edbf629631f52f965f238968f.gifv

[greybeard]

Reincarnation Soul Trap? Mind Wipe? Archons Tricking us? | Find Out The TRUTH!

What ever you believe is true for you -- Chris


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWowGfCY2Zk

[greybeard]

There is only Awareness - A guided Meditation with Mooji.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W1NxOIvMDk&t=18s


I dont normally listen to guided meditation but this is good Stick with ot.
Love Chris

[greybeard]

The Timeless Now

This Satsang is a direct transmission: Heart to Heart! No notebooks, no learning, no intellectual understanding needed. Just listen with an open heart...

"This day that I speak about is not a 24 hour day… it is a God day. Which is timeless.

With your mind you can only imagine time, we can only feel time. When I say timeless what do I mean? That which is aware of time and sees time as phenomenal.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmgQW8okUeo

[greybeard]

There is No Creation As We Think! | Wisdom of Ashtavakra by Swami Sarvapriyananda




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXgZBjY-j3U

[Johnnycomelately]

There is No Creation As We Think!

“We”. Oof. Needs some explanatory incentive, to watch that. The full title smacks of ego. Me me me...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXgZBjY-j3U

[greybeard]

Johnycomelately
Please
Have a look here for introduction
However, there is no we, language is by its very nature --duality.
"Teachers" have to meet the "audience" where they stand.
The above video comes from ancient teaching.
All the best
Chris

https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?108625-Advaita-Vedanta---The-Greatest-Philosophy-on-Earth--&p=1314602&viewfull=1#post1314602

[greybeard]

Ramesh Balsekar Talks

I went to a week long "retreat" in India to hear him.
Chris



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-LOYncF9DY

[greybeard]

The Trap - And How To Escape - David Icke Dot-Connector Videocast

Once David Icke goes through the opening stages, quite a strong spiritual message
Chris


https://www.bitchute.com/video/CbdCM6Sb9jav/


CbdCM6Sb9jav

[greybeard]

What Happens After Enlightenment | Swami Sarvapriyananda


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su5ISL8zeSY

[greybeard]

Alan Watts - Most EPIC Speech Of All Time

I can identify strongly with what he says about paperwork
As a therapist, I stopped charging clients even though it cost me thousands to qualify.
Endless paper work that had to be kept for years -- expensive insurance, the need to be accessed in order to maintain qualification, having to keep paying to the training bodies.
I suggested that people donated but many expected it to be free of charge -- well a Dr does not charge in the UK.
Apart from that -- the talk is very up-to-date re brainwashing to conform.
Chris



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmzFrdQAKUw&t=96s

[greybeard]

BE AWAKE WITHOUT WORDS AND BE YOUR PURE SELF - NISARGADATTA MAHARAJ - LOMAKAYU - AUDIOBOOK



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFzpqM6co7o&t=25s

This is read by David Carse, his book Perfect Brilliant Stillness is one of the best books I have read in several years.
He is very direct --does not give an inch -- there is no you as a separate individual-- just an appearance in consciousness.
Chris


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR_C2NNB-wI&t=133s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR_C2NNB-wI&t=133s


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmeBRg_nino&t=1720s

[greybeard]

The Enlightened Life

I posted this elsewhere but there is so much of interest in it, I thought it worth posting here too.
Swami is so well educated -- he has a broad understanding encompassing may fields loosely related to the play of consciousness -- Advaita Vedanta, one without a second is his main subject.
Clever and humorous.
Chris



Ashtavakra Gita - The Enlightened Life | Swami Sarvapriyananda



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz0U2y_4OGQ

[greybeard]

PERFECT BRILLIANT STILLNESS - PART TWO - MEDICINE OF ONE - WALK IN BEAUTY

This is about leading up to enlightenment and the fear and anguish which came and went --the surrender.
Well worth listening to -- my favourite sharing of enlightenment.
Chris




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiw9dHLvEog&t=1257s

[greybeard]

Experience the Truth of Non Dual Awareness with Swami Sarvapriyananda



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9nNFQdKZ6w

[greybeard]

Robert Adams | My Meeting With Ramana Maharshi | I never met anyone who exuded such bliss



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UyLFq9QgTc

[greybeard]

The Truth Will Set You Free [Robert Adams / Enlightenment]

5,386 views 14 Aug 2022
No one can become enlightened. No one can be liberated, for the you that thinks it can be liberated doesn’t even exist. There is no you. There is no person. Awareness. Consciousness. Meditation. Guru. Samadhi. Enlightenment. Nirvana. Advaita. Non-Dual Spirituality. Esoterics. Mind. Thoughts.

Robert Adams Institute: http://www.robertadamsinfinityinstitu...
-------------------------------------------


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mgJTDalDAk

[greybeard]

Alan Watts - Just Trust the Universe


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mluPo9fQNI

[gini]

The Unbelievable Life Of Nisargadatta Maharaj. Dec 9, 2022
Nisargadatta was born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli in 1897 in the Maharashtra district of India.

However, when his father died in 1915, Nisargadatta moved the family to Bombay where with his brother he opened a string of eight small goods shops selling mainly beedis or leaf-rolled cigarettes.
In 1923 he married and in the years that followed he and his wife had three daughters and a son.

In 1933, Nisargadatta’s life would change forever.

It was in that year that Nisargadatta met his guru, Siddharameshwar Maharaj.

Siddharameshwar Maharaj was a guru in the lineage of the Inchegeri Sampradaya, also known as, Nimbargi Sampradaya.

This lineage of teachers came from Maharashtra and were inspired by a number of great spiritual teachers, including the great mystic poet Kabir.

The Inchegeri Sampradaya was unique in that it offered spiritual practice to people from all walks of life, including women, and people of all religions.

Those who came for the teachings did not even have to be practising Hindus.

It was particularly popular with householders - those with the responsibilities of work and family.

In fact, the gurus of this lineage were known for travelling from home to home to make themselves available to householders, rather than the householder having to make time to visit the guru.

Many years later, Nisargadatta would say of his lineage, The Inchegeri Sampradaya--ynjFKMNwZgw

[greybeard]

Thanks gini
I listen to Nasargadatta read by David Carse regularly.
He tells it as it is
Chris


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQbXBAkQSuE

[greybeard]

Wishing everyone a wonderful time and a great 2023
Love Chris

[Harmony]

Chris, thank you for the good wishes, sending peace, love and joy back to you and all the members :heart:

[ClearWater]

7Y3QoI6v6GU

"Let's get straight to the point - there is nothing that you can do to get into the moment with any form of consistency. There is no prescription. There is no breathing method. There is no meditation. There is no mindfulness. There is nothing in the world that exists, ever, anywhere, on any part of the planet that a human being can employ as some form of a doing, or prescription, or a trick, or a technique, or a hack, or a method, no matter how holy or how spiritual or how lauded it may be. It is not possible. This is another example of society leading people astray, and also quite frankly another example of people SEEKING to be led astray."

[greybeard]

Clear Water
Its all levels of understanding -- till there is the realization that there is no me, no individual to bring anything about.
Ramesh was fond of repeating
Events happen
Deeds are done
But there is no individual doer there of.
One has to be ready to hear this.
Intellectually, I get that there is no one home.
Perception has not got there yet.

Thanks for your contribution, Clear Water.
Love Chris

[Clear Light]

The Raw Truth - Kapil Gupta MD (Siddha Performance) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y3QoI6v6GU)

Ah, perhaps of interest to those who follow this thread, also from the above video's transcript is the following :


... so the moment has nothing to do with any sort of doing in order to get there, buddhist monks are not in the moment, zen disciples are not in the moment, they're too busy following their own cultural beliefs and rituals to get into the moment. The person who does a prescription or is looking for a way to get into the moment doesn't see the contradiction in that the contradiction that is inherent in that is that a person cannot get into the moment because the moment only exists when the person disappears. There cannot be two so how can you bring yourself into the moment when the very act of you bringing a you with you prevents the moment


Now, I would just like to illustrate with a couple of Dogen quotes how Buddhist and Zen monks are NOT "too busy" elsewhere eh ? :ROFL:


“To study the buddha way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things, your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of realization remains, and this no-trace continues endlessly”


“Learn the backward step that turns your light inward to illuminate your self. Body and mind of themselves will drop away, and your original face will be manifest.”

Thus, I'd say, it seems there actually is agreement that the "person" disappears or drops away eh ?

:sherlock:

[greybeard]

The moment you take up a position
Know that you are identifying with an illusion,
Thats a quote from ACIM to the best of my memory

Nothing is real, nothing to go on about Miss quote from the Beatles Strawberry Fields forever.
Seemingly the flaw is our perception.
There is no Subject or Object
All is appearances in one consciousness, no separation.
Only the complete understanding is-- no time no space for separate happenings.

Good to see a discussion happening here.
Love Chris

[Clear Light]

Oh, now, I imagine that for readers of this thread the following YT video (17 Dec 2022) will probably induce many broad smiles eh ? ;)


The BIG Paradigm Shift of Non-duality : The big difference between enlightenment and 'what is'. In one version we want what the guru's having . . . . in the other version, there's no-one having anything because there is no-one!

NzeuwR0kJQY

Disclaimer I : For enjoyment purposes only !!!

Disclaimer II : Don't watch if "seeking" is irrelevant in your life !!!

:heart:

#WhoAreYou

[Wind]

uesJ9nPEUFY

[O Donna]

uesJ9nPEUFY

RE: The ego is not a mistake


A restatement of the above:


It takes a Wabi heart, to recognize a Sabi beauty.
- Omar Itani

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1c/a5/f2/1ca5f251f5f712536dfa613628528982.jpg

https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/018/160/527/large/kevin-tanna-dp-final-imp-03.jpg

https://i.etsystatic.com/7209741/r/il/22071f/1039068541/il_fullxfull.1039068541_4yjz.jpg


There are those, of course, who do not share my perceptions, it's true. When I say that all my women are dazzling beauties, they object. The nose of this one is too large; the hips of another, they are too wide; perhaps the breasts of a third, they are too small. But I see these women for how they truly are... glorious, radiant, spectacular, and perfect, because, I am not limited by my eyesight.

JOHNNY DEPP - Don Juan DeMarco

(Once you believe, signs are everywhere)

[Applesprig]

Hi greybeard, nice to meet you. "How to transcend the ego " do we know exactly what the ego is, it could be many things. I struggle with this concept ; so for me a good starting point is this :
To try to live every waking moment in a state of Reverence. How do we do that ? I suppose the same way a young child would look at the world, with awe and wonder. In an adult, if one can sustain this for any lenght of time, this will inevitably lead to Reverence. This is enough for God/ Source.
...... just a starting point yeh ?

[greybeard]

Dear Applesprig
Sorry for delay in responding.
I dont post very often.
One definition of Ego is Edge God Out
Its a separation device when in reality we are not separate from The Divine.
All attempts to transcend are futile.
Mind stuff
Be still and know that I AM GOD Jesus said.
Thats it --- dont respond to thoughts -- dont Annalise.
Just be quiet, without trying.
Thoughts come and go
Let go let God
By God I mean the divine energy that flows through all, is all.

One definition of ego is
IDENTIFICATION WITH THE STORY OF ME.
You are not the story.
Love Chris

[Applesprig]

Hi Greybeard, thanks for that, yes it's that simple but also difficult to sustain. I like what you write.

[Wind]

hX8KsKohD-Q

[O Donna]

To the unidentified, any identity is a story.
(The idea of a so-called, unidentified, suggests identity. It can be but that it-self is a story.)

Story begins and ends with a story. Never beginning, never ending story.
Turtles, as an analogy, to story/ identity…. It’s story all the way down. An advantage point that (also) allows turtles all the way up.

How high is high?
How low is low?

[Docim369]

Dear Applesprig
Sorry for delay in responding.
I dont post very often.
One definition of Ego is Edge God Out
Its a separation device when in reality we are not separate from The Divine.
All attempts to transcend are futile.
Mind stuff
Be still and know that I AM GOD Jesus said.
Thats it --- dont respond to thoughts -- dont Annalise.
Just be quiet, without trying.
Thoughts come and go
Let go let God
By God I mean the divine energy that flows through all, is all.

One definition of ego is
IDENTIFICATION WITH THE STORY OF ME.
You are not the story.
Love Chris

Hi, greybeard. I love the way you make things simple and clear. Thanks to your contributions on this forum, concepts have also become more clear to me.
This is my second expression of gratitude today to you.
Concerning ACIM, 2 times I have come across an information that the book is a CIA project but when I read it just so resonates with me...I cannot see the deception in it...the critique of it could be a psyop itself...all in all ACIM could and is in fact a very unique peace of work!

Sending you all love :heart2:

[Mashika]

Dear Applesprig
Sorry for delay in responding.
I dont post very often.
One definition of Ego is Edge God Out
Its a separation device when in reality we are not separate from The Divine.
All attempts to transcend are futile.
Mind stuff
Be still and know that I AM GOD Jesus said.
Thats it --- dont respond to thoughts -- dont Annalise.
Just be quiet, without trying.
Thoughts come and go
Let go let God
By God I mean the divine energy that flows through all, is all.

One definition of ego is
IDENTIFICATION WITH THE STORY OF ME.
You are not the story.
Love Chris

A good way to teach kids what ego means or how it works, at first, and in a very basic small scale is this

Place a few rocks on the floor, like in the entrance of the home, let them be there for a few days and people must skip over them going in and out without touching them
Ask the kid (or person) what do they think of these rocks, are they useful? Or are they wasting space and causing issues with people coming into/out of the house?
Ask them to do something about the rocks. Most people will move them away or throw them out. But other people will leave them there and just accept that they exist there and the world works in a certain way, the rocks live there on the entrance of the house and is not anyone's place to change their environment

That's how ego is teached, if you moved the rocks, you consider yourself more important than the environment around you, and you changed it to suit your own needs, or even carelessly because you just became lazy about having to step carefully over those rocks

In Japan temples, there's a first step entering the building, made out of wood, you are always supposed to not step on it. It's 'ridiculous' in most people's views, but it's there specifically so that you don't step on it :)

[Johnnycomelately]

A smart kid would put rocks in your bed, and ask right back.

Ego is not about not changing your environment, it’s about selfishness. A selfless kid would be the first to clean up that mess/hazard. Would you really take them to task, would you really try to get them to accept this as how good people react to dumbass obstruction and gaslighting? Greta Thunberg on you.



Dear Applesprig
Sorry for delay in responding.
I dont post very often.
One definition of Ego is Edge God Out
Its a separation device when in reality we are not separate from The Divine.
All attempts to transcend are futile.
Mind stuff
Be still and know that I AM GOD Jesus said.
Thats it --- dont respond to thoughts -- dont Annalise.
Just be quiet, without trying.
Thoughts come and go
Let go let God
By God I mean the divine energy that flows through all, is all.

One definition of ego is
IDENTIFICATION WITH THE STORY OF ME.
You are not the story.
Love Chris

A good way to teach kids what ego means or how it works, at first, and in a very basic small scale is this

Place a few rocks on the floor, like in the entrance of the home, let them be there for a few days and people must skip over them going in and out without touching them
Ask the kid (or person) what do they think of these rocks, are they useful? Or are they wasting space and causing issues with people coming into/out of the house?
Ask them to do something about the rocks. Most people will move them away or throw them out. But other people will leave them there and just accept that they exist there and the world works in a certain way, the rocks live there on the entrance of the house and is not anyone's place to change their environment

That's how ego is teached, if you moved the rocks, you consider yourself more important than the environment around you, and you changed it to suit your own needs, or even carelessly because you just became lazy about having to step carefully over those rocks

In Japan temples, there's a first step entering the building, made out of wood, you are always supposed to not step on it. It's 'ridiculous' in most people's views, but it's there specifically so that you don't step on it :)

[Mashika]

A smart kid would put rocks in your bed, and ask right back.

Ego is not about not changing your environment, it’s about selfishness. A selfless kid would be the first to clean up that mess/hazard. Would you really take them to task, would you really try to get them to accept this as how good people react to dumbass obstruction and gaslighting? Greta Thunberg on you.



Dear Applesprig
Sorry for delay in responding.
I dont post very often.
One definition of Ego is Edge God Out
Its a separation device when in reality we are not separate from The Divine.
All attempts to transcend are futile.
Mind stuff
Be still and know that I AM GOD Jesus said.
Thats it --- dont respond to thoughts -- dont Annalise.
Just be quiet, without trying.
Thoughts come and go
Let go let God
By God I mean the divine energy that flows through all, is all.

One definition of ego is
IDENTIFICATION WITH THE STORY OF ME.
You are not the story.
Love Chris

A good way to teach kids what ego means or how it works, at first, and in a very basic small scale is this

Place a few rocks on the floor, like in the entrance of the home, let them be there for a few days and people must skip over them going in and out without touching them
Ask the kid (or person) what do they think of these rocks, are they useful? Or are they wasting space and causing issues with people coming into/out of the house?
Ask them to do something about the rocks. Most people will move them away or throw them out. But other people will leave them there and just accept that they exist there and the world works in a certain way, the rocks live there on the entrance of the house and is not anyone's place to change their environment

That's how ego is teached, if you moved the rocks, you consider yourself more important than the environment around you, and you changed it to suit your own needs, or even carelessly because you just became lazy about having to step carefully over those rocks

In Japan temples, there's a first step entering the building, made out of wood, you are always supposed to not step on it. It's 'ridiculous' in most people's views, but it's there specifically so that you don't step on it :)

You missed entirely the reasoning of that. It is because you are looking at everything from a very functional, or otherwise, mundane view that you entirely did not get what the purpose of the rocks were

But anyways, who said it was a 'mess' or set up in a way that it could be a hazard? :bigsmile:

This never fails, did you pay attention or just assumed?



A selfless kid would be the first to clean up that mess/hazard

This says it all, you don't get it :)

[Mashika]

Something i learned long ago, is that someone may be 80 years old and think they have lived a full life or experiences, and still know nothing about anything, and that a 10 year old kid somewhere in the mountains may have a greater understanding of life and reality than the 80 year old

It's about perception, discernment or the lack of it, some people just never learn how to truly discern what's behind all the things they experience

Soo anyways, this is dull, there's some kind of lack of awareness very set in a lot of people, and they get bothered not by realizing they didn't know or that they can't see, they instead get bothered by someone showing or exposing that fact to them.



Would you really take them to task, would you really try to get them to accept this as how good people react to dumbass obstruction and gaslighting?
This is so dense, not even atoms could pass through it. You just didn't ge it at all :cocktail:

Something bothers you? Why do you sound like you are angry or something :ROFL::bearhug:


I suspect that if i tell you about walking zen meditation, in which you may use a broom to swipe sand in a small patio or stairs, you may think that it's just someone doing meaningless chores or getting fooled to think they are doing meditation while working for free, or some other kind of explanation like that :waving::waving::waving: lol



Now i'm bored, honestly. But i did find it amusing how you're here discussing spiritual matters from a very mundane, culture based perspective of it, and not as something global that applies to all human beings equally

[Mashika]

A smart kid would put rocks in your bed, and ask right back.

Ego is not about not changing your environment, it’s about selfishness. A selfless kid would be the first to clean up that mess/hazard. Would you really take them to task, would you really try to get them to accept this as how good people react to dumbass obstruction and gaslighting? Greta Thunberg on you.


I actually have a couple questions for you :)

1. Suppose you tried the 'Walking Zen Meditation' approach, and you get all your patio full of sand, then carefully work your way with the broom and neatly pack all that sand back into a corner and leave the floor perfectly clean. Only to then wake up next morning at 6 am, grab all the sand and expand it again all across the floor, and then you start swiping it again into a small corner. And you do this every day. What do you make of that? Does that make sense to you?

2. Since you called me a liar before, i suppose is fair to ask you to expand on that. Simply put, you should provide something more than what a teenage girl would say "You're a liar!" and then run away without saying much more. So please be clear and the point about that. I'm just wondering why mention that, then not go all the way, is that a kind of provokation, frustration or something else? I think that if someone is going to say something like that, they must go all the way or not say anything at all. It can't be any other way

And as a bonus, Why do you feel angry? It is all over your last posts, but you may not realize it. Are you perhaps letting the current word situation get to you? Having fun is important, don't take things to seriously or the darkness will definitely eat your soul

[Clear Light]

A good way to teach kids what ego means or how it works, at first, and in a very basic small scale is this

Place a few rocks on the floor, like in the entrance of the home, let them be there for a few days and people must skip over them going in and out without touching them
Ask the kid (or person) what do they think of these rocks, are they useful? Or are they wasting space and causing issues with people coming into/out of the house?
Ask them to do something about the rocks. Most people will move them away or throw them out. But other people will leave them there and just accept that they exist there and the world works in a certain way, the rocks live there on the entrance of the house and is not anyone's place to change their environment

That's how ego is teached, if you moved the rocks, you consider yourself more important than the environment around you, and you changed it to suit your own needs, or even carelessly because you just became lazy about having to step carefully over those rocks

In Japan temples, there's a first step entering the building, made out of wood, you are always supposed to not step on it. It's 'ridiculous' in most people's views, but it's there specifically so that you don't step on it :)

Oh, I feel such a challenge is really meant as a way of getting each person to consider their own relationship with the Environment "at large" eh ?

Now, I have always considered the inside of a Temple as being Sacrosanct which is why we remove our shoes before proceeding further within, but outside of Japan I wouldn't expect such Cultural Traditions to be widely held by most people, even less so, the idea that what is practiced there is actually, as I sense it, a kind of Spiritual Communion eh ?

:heart:

50306

[Mashika]

A good way to teach kids what ego means or how it works, at first, and in a very basic small scale is this

Place a few rocks on the floor, like in the entrance of the home, let them be there for a few days and people must skip over them going in and out without touching them
Ask the kid (or person) what do they think of these rocks, are they useful? Or are they wasting space and causing issues with people coming into/out of the house?
Ask them to do something about the rocks. Most people will move them away or throw them out. But other people will leave them there and just accept that they exist there and the world works in a certain way, the rocks live there on the entrance of the house and is not anyone's place to change their environment

That's how ego is teached, if you moved the rocks, you consider yourself more important than the environment around you, and you changed it to suit your own needs, or even carelessly because you just became lazy about having to step carefully over those rocks

In Japan temples, there's a first step entering the building, made out of wood, you are always supposed to not step on it. It's 'ridiculous' in most people's views, but it's there specifically so that you don't step on it :)

Oh, I feel such a challenge is really meant as a way of getting each person to consider their own relationship with the Environment "at large" eh ?

Now, I have always considered the inside of a Temple as being Sacrosanct which is why we remove our shoes before proceeding further within, but outside of Japan I wouldn't expect such Cultural Traditions to be widely held by most people, even less so, the idea that what is practiced there is actually, as I sense it, a kind of Spiritual Communion eh ?

:heart:

50306

The western mindset is always to transform all the things around you to become pleasant and easy to handle on your way. It's always 'the world turns around my needs' kind of subjective view

Here's a Zen garden

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AL9nZEX7TBbhWJvPqpsH8fJNAy2FVk79ty6KK6K0qJYIAhJGf6-6lZO2T8QlTU5Cnp0ei2m5KjWSZ3pYEuRGcHJ67Z9ni9enkdJQk-Fe-Xz5fKsXz8opjxjGxhJI2M1WJzEM4AAUFiulfH6h0-NSe9sGmh3_=w1013-h663-no?authuser=0

The thing is, why someone would get interested in a culture and then instead of integrating into it, try to change the culture to accommodate their own preset views of how things work?

Isn't it realized that by forcing the culture to change, or by "westernizing it" it loses it's purposes, meaning and message?

Do you buy a Tesla car and then immediately try to replace the engine to use gas instead of electricity just because you always had cars that use gasoline before? It doesn't make any sense

You adapt to the new stuff, or you try to buy the new stuff and then break it apart so it becomes the old stuff because you could not be bothered to learn or adapt?

Then just don't even try, right?

That's what i don't get most times. Let's pick up a religion or practice like Buddhism and Zen and strip it away because i can't be bothered to learn the real version,i want a 'light, Buddhism in 24 hours" fast track version of it and then i'll just assume i know all about that stuff i could not even bother to spend 2 years learning deep and seriously

Why try at all

[Mashika]

Think about this, i'm a student of Zen and Buddhism, i started learning this when i was around 4 years old, i still remember these things from way back

Catholic Sunday school is a thing, right? Who said that Buddhist kids don't also have a similar thing? There are Zen and Buddhist schools for kids as well

The idea, concept or mislead understanding that Buddhism is something only a grown adult mind can understand or learn is broken. There's no such thing. Just because it is foreign to some people doesn't mean it doesn't happen for other people.

I was like 7 years old when i understood why the rocks are there, and what's going on with that garden

Why assume? I have read a lot of people in the past saying "I discovered Buddhism or Zen when i was 24, 20, 30 or so", then i say "oh, i started learning it when i was 4 years old'

It would not be a problem if people would just be able to say "i don't know" and don't have that giant ego that says "you can't possibly know more than me, i'm older"

It's always that same thing, getting in the way

[Clear Light]

Dogen : To study the buddha way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things, your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of realization remains, and this no-trace continues endlessly.

Ah, now, where is this 'self' found eh ? What is its Nature eh ?


You should therefore cease from practice based on intellectual understanding, pursuing words and following after speech, and learn the backward step that turns your light inwardly to illuminate your self. Body and mind of themselves will drop away, and your original face will be manifest. If you want to attain suchness you should practice suchness without delay.”

:bowing:

[Mashika]

Dogen : To study the buddha way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things, your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of realization remains, and this no-trace continues endlessly.

Ah, now, where is this 'self' found eh ? What is its Nature eh ?


You should therefore cease from practice based on intellectual understanding, pursuing words and following after speech, and learn the backward step that turns your light inwardly to illuminate your self. Body and mind of themselves will drop away, and your original face will be manifest. If you want to attain suchness you should practice suchness without delay.”

:bowing:

As a 'rule of thumb' you should never quote the old masters. Dogen is not Zen or Buddhism, it is a mix of a lot of things that were taken from the previous masters, but then made 'optional' and based, as i said before, on personal views of how things should work

I spoke about this before on this same thread

The reason you must never quote and direct your life like that, is because then you are not moving anywere

If you always have to remember and quote someone else, then you will always be 'less' than the person you quoted, always smaller, diminished and living under the shadow.

But ask yourself, how did that master came to be "a master"? Surely not by quoting his own master, he did by moving forward and incorporating all he learned into his own mind and will. Then he developed new ideas and moved forward

If you have to quote or enforce the practice of quoting instead of coming up with your own version of things, based on your current life and experiences, then you live in the past. And the past is immutable, it's set already, it's gone

Where are you then?

"But there's no way i could be a master like that guy"

Where are you then?

[Mashika]

I don't talk much about this, because i am not allowed in principle, as a matter of 'don't harm yourself following that path or you will lose yourself along the way"

But let's do a bit of it for some time now, here's a good quote to consider



Students in recent times often abandon the fundamental and pursue trivia; turning their backs on truth, they plunge into falsehood. They only consider learning in terms of career and reputation.

All they have as their definitive doctrine is to take riches and status and expand their schools. Therefore their mental art is not correct, and they are affected by things.



Don't learn a lot quotes, don't reference them as a way of saying "i know these things", it's harmful

Instead, pick up the book, read it, learn and understand, apply it to your own current life, and figure out how it works for you right now, in this time, and expand it to be able to speak about these things based on your own personal life, never go back 1000 years to explain why something is the way it is.

Because if you do, then you are a shadow of the master, never yourself, never your full potential, just someone who memorized "trivia" and can quote it on the stop. It's a spiritual trap

[Mashika]

And here's another one



The reason this path has not been flourishing in recent years is nothing else but the fact that those who are acting as teachers of others do not have their eyes and brains straight and true.

They have no perception of their own, but just keep fame and fortune and gain and loss in their hearts. Deeply afraid that others will say they have no stories, they mistakenly memorize stories from old books, letting them ferment in the back of their minds so they won’t lack for something
to say if seekers ask them questions.

They are like goats crapping: the minute their tails go up, innumerable dung balls plop to the ground!

Since students do not have clear perception, how are they supposed to distinguish clearly? Students believe deeply, with all their hearts; so unseeing individuals lead unseeing crowds into a pit of fire.


Don't fall for the trap

[Mashika]

This is the correct mindset to follow, free to experiment, free to be your own spiritually that talks, not the one from someone you never met and who died hundreds of years ago. Our time is not their time, we have things to do here, we are not their shadows or lesser than them

Once you overcome that, then you are 'free' and capable enough to see the world for what it is, and not for what someone who never saw the things we see thought 'the world was'

If you make this practice (of Zen and Buddhism) immutable, you have cut your own soul and prevented it from growing

Time exists for a reason, as well as progress do

I can't and won't quote anything anymore. You should not as well

:flower:

[Clear Light]

This is the correct mindset to follow, free to experiment, free to be your own spiritually that talks, not the one from someone you never met and who died hundreds of years ago. Our time is not their time, we have things to do here, we are not their shadows or lesser than them

Once you overcome that, then you are 'free' and capable enough to see the world for what it is, and not for what someone who never saw the things we see thought 'the world was'

If you make this practice (of Zen and Buddhism) immutable, you have cut your own soul and prevented it from growing

Time exists for a reason, as well as progress do

I can't and won't quote anything anymore. You should not as well

:flower:

Oh, it's very simple, the reason why I use such Quotations is because in my 20 years of "practice" I now have some idea of what "works" (is effective) thus I feel in sharing my own "path" it may help or inspire others to do the same eh ? 😀

[Wind]

5X34gKi6xgs

[greybeard]

Knowing and Being - Swami Sarvapriyananda



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSbTaIDYTb0

[Clear Light]

Knowing and Being - Swami Sarvapriyananda



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSbTaIDYTb0

Ah, thanks for the post Chris, Swami Sarvapriyananda is such an excellent Advaita Vedanta teacher eh ? :thumbsup:

But as it's 90 minutes long, I'll probably have to wait until the weekend to give it the full attention it deserves ! :)

However, for any who are interested, the absolute "truth" according to Vedanta (from YT video Birthless Deathless (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IHDFYdCUQk)) translates, he says, as :


there is no cessation there is no origination,
no birth no death,
there is none who is in bondage,
there is nobody who is a spiritual seeker or spiritual practitioner,
there is nobody who is a seeker after liberation,
there is nobody who is liberated


Now, who comes to such a realisation, or does the process of seeking itself totally cease eh ? ;)

[Wind]

The Great Stillness and Nisargadatta Maharaj — A Short Reading by Rupert Spira

jFKht8MQRYU

[greybeard]

Amazing Mooji guided meditation: Find Your Self (NO COUGHING)

This is very good
Chris




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7YvlQ1IhVY&t=36s

[Wind]

There Is Only One Universal Consciousness, Not Billions of Individuals

nBXB-4qqHAU

[greybeard]

Best Mooji Interview | His life story in his own words w/ Iain McNay for Conscious TV


#
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFE_a-fw2qI



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNRc8NLiigs&t=464s

[Trisher]

A simple explanation of going/Being beyond "Maya" by Robert Adams. Words never can describe it as it is an experience in silence.

ZSXx5NvHFMM

[gini]

Feb 26, 2023
George Harrison explains his understanding of Vedanta. Harrison quotes from Swami Vivekananda as the inspiritation for his Search For A Higher Truth.

George Harrison was first exposed to Indian music during the filming of Help! in the Summer of 1965. He sought out Ravi Shankar as a Sitar teacher who gave Harrison books on Vedanta and Swami Vivekananda, who came to American in 1893 to establish Vedanta Centers in New York and San Francisco. Over 30 centers are now scattered across the US and the world.

Harrison had been raised a Cahtholic, but by the age of 15 he renounced it as hypocritical. The Vivekananda quote that grabs his attention and set him on the path of meditation was:

"If there's a God, we must see Him. If there's a soul, we must perceive It; otherwise it's better not to believe."

He got further into meditation during his 1968 trip to India and initiation by the Maharishi.

This was the central factor in the whole rest of his life.-Nj0M99siznU

[O Donna]

One sun
Same sun
Infinite role
Light, bathing light

[gini]

Feb 4, 2023
Three ways an enlightened being in remain in this world after Self-Realization as explained by Rev. Swami Sarvapriyananda.--XRArx8RWCrc

[gini]

Master Yogi's Spiritual Secrets - Sri M Returns 14/3/23------ZnzUoXJc5-8
Honoured to bring back Sri M on The Ranveer Show. Sri M is an Indian Yogi, spiritual guide, social reformer, and educationist. He is the disciple of Sri Maheshwarnath Babaji, who was a disciple of Mahavatar Babaji. Sri M, also known as Sri Madhukarnath Ji. He received the Padma Bhushan, in 2020 He has profoundly impacted my family’s spiritual path, truly a blessing for all my family, my team, and myself.

In this mind-blowing episode, we saw Live On Camera - Creating a Rudraksha out of thin air. Since that moment, I have never stopped thinking about it. The most surprising thing that has ever happened on the show

“When the opportunity comes and the blueprint is ready” - Sri M

Our previous episode with Sri M:

• Master Yogi Sri M...

From being someone who used to consume a lot of alcohol till the age of 22, to now experiencing a path to chase enlightenment has been enriching. In this episode, we spoke about the true purpose of spirituality, past lives, destiny, & the meaning of Yantra, Mantra & Tantra. Hope you enjoy one of our best spiritual podcasts of all time. We will see you at the next one.

(0:00) - Ranveer x Sri M Begins
(5:00) - Purpose of spirituality & Kriya Yoga
(12:12) - Luck and Destiny
(17:14) - His journey & Past Lives
(21:37) - Balance of the Two Sexes
(26:50) - Love & Romance in spirituality
(28:42) - His Wife on spiritual practices
(31:33) - Sri M on meditation & meeting his guru
(39:27) - Creating a Rudraksha LIVE
(42:39) - Why he believes in spreading spiritual learning?
(47:10) - India’s positive role in the 2020s
(50:24) - Evolution, Horror & Dark souls
(54:00) - Meaning of Yantra, Mantra & Tantra
(1:03:50) - Sri M’s Advice to Ranveer
(1:09:20) - Thank you for watching

[Wind]

Enlightenment Is Not an Exotic Experience

YHP4suoWEB0

"What is enlightenment? How can you attain enlightenment? And what can you do to aid in the process of awakening to your true self so that you can finally end the search for enlightenment?

Rupert says that enlightenment is simply the recognition of the nature of your being. All that is being spoken of is just the ordinary, intimate, obvious, familiar being that enables each of us to say with absolute certainty, I am. Not some extraordinary, mystical, enlightened being — all 8 billion of us can say I am.

It is the least exotic experience there is. Even the taste of tea is by comparison exotic. The reason you haven't quite yet recognised your own being is precisely because it is so close, so simple, so familiar, so intimate.

Just close your eyes. Have the thought I am. And then go to the experience in yourself to which those words refer."

[gini]

The Lazy Way To Enlightenment: Bankei's Unborn Zen



Mar 19, 2023 ,17 min.
"The Unborn is not something difficult to attain; it is not something distant.
It is not something we have to search for; it is not something we have to
discover. It is something we already have, right here, right now."
- Bankei Yōtaku. Dogen & Hakuin
Zen Buddhism is a major school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in
China and later spread to Japan.
The term "Zen" comes from the Sanskrit word "dhyana," which refers to a
state of deep meditation and awareness.
Zen emphasises the experience of direct, intuitive realisation of the nature
of reality and the attainment of spiritual enlightenment.
There are two names considered most important to the development of
Zen are: Dogen & Hakuin
Dogen Kigen (1200-1253) was the founder of Soto Zen.
The question that Dogen became obsessed with as a young man and which
motivated his search for truth was:

Simply put, the answer that Dogen came to was that practice itself was an
expression of enlightenment.
Because of this conclusion, one of the main practices of Soto Zen became
Shikantaza.
Shikantaza means just sitting.
In Shikantaza one merely sits. There is no practice of concentration nor of
breath counting, etc..
One merely sits.
As Dogen said: “You cannot get it wrong.”
Soto Zen is known as a gradual enlightenment school, meaning that one
over time eventually realises their inherent Buddha nature.
Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769) was the founder of the Rinzai school of Zen
Buddhism.---UfDyAuN_Xns

Voiceover: Andrea Giordani

[Wind]

When I look into her eyes, I see pure bliss (https://youtu.be/fSUI4Sn-hr4).

https://www.azquotes.com/picture-quotes/quote-it-may-be-asked-why-there-cannot-be-one-and-the-same-path-for-all-because-he-reveals-anandamayi-ma-70-90-52.jpg

[Wind]

Mooji | Who is watching the one watching?

8MxMIg1rkYM

[ClearWater]

Revealing the Already Awake Consciousness: Loch Kelly and Tibetan Buddhist Teacher Anam Thubten
PvhoYeFeetI

Loch Kelly and Tibetan Buddhist teacher Anam Thubten share a deep dialogue about the ways they each bring a modern approach to ancient teaching to support the awakening of all beings. They explore their appreciation for the simplicity and availability of the nondual Dzogchen teachings, which reveal the already awake consciousness and embodied natural compassion. After the talk, Loch offers a guided micro-meditation to “unhook” awareness from the small mind to drop into the heart mind.

[Wind]

7Y-AxTmIEDs

[Wind]

"Paul Brunton traveled in India in the 1930's this video is readings from "A Search in Secret India" from the chapter the last chapter "Tablets of a Forgotten Truth" meditations with Ramana Maharshi."

"Let there be no misunderstanding about my connection with Ramana Maharshi. My appreciation and reverence for him remain as great as ever. I still consider him one of the few enlightened seers of modern centuries. I did during his lifetime adopt the outward attitude of an independent student. However, my inner connection with the living mind which manifested as Ramana Maharshi remains unbroken."

~ Paul Brunton

PGw2WWVfBog

[gini]

qo6ZXNBtYrc- 12/5/23--57 min--In this lecture, recorded in Minnesota in May of 1982, Ram Dass advocates that we be mindful about our identification with being the actor and our attachments to the fruit of our actions.

[gini]

The Three Levels of Satsang (Associating with Eternal Truth)
SantMat


Published in
Sant Mat Meditation and Spirituality

·
6 min read





According to Saint Tulsi Das there are several modes of Bhakti practice. One major practice is called Satsang — the society of realized Saints. Satsang means “association with Eternal Truth” as well as “association with God,” and is to some extent comparable to “church” or “temple,” but not in any institutional sense. A saying of Jesus in the New Testament provides a good definition of this spiritual gathering called a “Satsang”: “Where two or three are gathered in My Name, I am there in their midst.” When devotees or initiates of a spiritual Master sit together for worship, instruction, and meditation, the Masters teach that there’s a spiritual charge or energy, a stronger manifestation of the loving Presence of God and a kind of ‘communion of Saints,’ past and present.

Satsang is also an experience of spiritual community, an opportunity to be uplifted by the collective energy of our brothers and sisters on the Path, for we’re influenced by the company we keep. Devotees make this a time and place of spiritual Remembrance, and this helps to keep us on the Path.
The format of Satsang can include: a spiritual discourse, guidance about following the teachings of the Masters, a recording of a Master giving a talk, readings from the writings of the Masters, the reciting or singing of banis, bhajans or kirtans (hymns of worship composed by Sants), and silent group meditation. It’s considered the greatest of blessings if it is a genuine spiritual Master (Sant Satguru) who conducts the Satsang in person.

The effect of Satsang is that of divine remembrance, thus, with such a spiritual boost, encouragement and support for the spiritual journey, those who attend Satsang are much more likely to stay-on-the-Path and put effort into daily spiritual practice at home. (from the article, The Yoga of Love, Becoming a Lover of the Beloved)

“Dear Aspirants! Each day strive to do both kinds of satsang: inner and outer. Outer satsang is listening to the teachings of great saints and studying the sacred texts. Inner satsang is the practice of one-pointed meditation.” (Maharishi Mehi Paramahans)

“Without the association of great saints, there is neither discourse of the Divine nor the understanding of the scriptures. Without these two, selfish attachment does not loosen its grip. And without dispelling attachment to the world one cannot attain the realm of the Divine and the true devotion that is essential to realize the Divine.” (Sant Tulsi Das)

“On the gate of liberation are found four gate keepers endowed with wisdom. These four are: discipline, thoughtfulness (reflection), contentment and association with saints.” (Maha Upanishad)

“Discord and delusion can be removed by the power of the association of saints. For those who associate with saints, suffering dissolves and they will remain immersed in joy. Joy arises from noble company and pain arises from association with the wicked, says Kabir, go to a place where saints dwell and their association is possible.” (Kabir)

“By association with a pure soul the mind becomes pure and the darkness of attachment is dispelled. In attending to these quotes from different saints it becomes clear that satsang is vital and very necessary for any serious spiritual seeker.” (Yogi Panchanan Bhattacharya)

The Three Levels of Satsang (Associating with Eternal Truth), by Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj

The word satsang is comprised of two words sat and sang. What is sat?

Sat is that which can never be destroyed. It is the essential element which is indestructible and beyond the limitations of time. And it is Truth. Sang means association or contact. Thus association or coming in contact with Sat or Truth is satsang.

In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna says:

“Whatever is Truth always exists and is never non-existent. That which is non-Truth has no existence whatsoever.”

* The First Level of Satsang (Association with God)

What is this element which is indestructible, has always been constant and will forever remain as such? That element is the Supreme Being of the universe. Association with this Being, in reality, is association with Truth (satsang). But, what is it that would associate with this Supreme Being? Is it the body or the senses? The answer is that it is neither of these two. It is only apart from the body and senses that we will be able to associate with the Supreme Being. This is because it is only our soul that is an inseparable part of the Divine. It is only we (our soul) that is capable of merging with the Divine. Our individual soul is truth, and also, the Supreme is Truth. True satsang is the unity of the soul with the Supreme Truth. This is the highest kind of sat-sang. However, this highest kind of satsang, unity with the Divine, does not occur all of a sudden. This category of satsang requires many lifetimes of good actions and spiritual imprints (samskaras).

* The Second Level of Sat-sang (Association with the Saints)

Sant Tulsidas says:

“The association of the saints brings association with the Divine, and alliance with people who are engrossed in the world leads the way back to this world again and again.”

To attain Ultimate Liberation it is essential to have association with the saints. Saints, having realized the true form of God, become that True Form. The accomplished great beings who have attained unity with the Divine, and who have experienced the Supreme Being even while living in this body, have become the Supreme Being [They become one with their true Divine Form]. Association with these saints is this second category of satsang. However, finding such a saint is not an easy task. A true saint is rare and difficult to find.

Sant Tulsidas says:

“Without accumulation of many good deeds one will be unable to gain the association of a great saint.”

When our good karmas permit, we are able to come to experience the association of these sentient beings. A more important point is that even if we have a direct encounter with such a saint, we often do not have the wisdom to be able to recognize a genuine sage.

A great Sant, Tulsidas, says:

“If someone says ‘I have recognized a saint,’ then I put my hands on my ears in astonishment. [It is not an easy task.]”

If ordinary people could recognize saints, then why, since antiquity, have so many great saints, sages, and prophets been tortured, maimed and killed? Many saints have had to face horrible atrocities. This simply would not have happened if we were able to recognize the genuine great saints.

* The Third Level of Satsang (Association with the Writings of Sages and Saints)

In daily life we need the guidance of a great sage or saint. Even though we might encounter many so called mahatmas or sadhus, the task of finding and identifying an accomplished guide is difficult. So, in consideration of this, how would satsang (association with a true saint) be possible? The answer is that we can study the teachings of the great saints of the past, because in their teaching we will find the elaboration of the Truth. This then is the third category of sat-sang. Generally, when we speak of satsang, it is this third category that is meant. This kind of satsang includes the study of scriptures and the words and writings of the saints and prophets of the past.

As we continue diligently in this third type of satsang we accumulate the meritorious karmas which will lead to the meeting with a true saint. Then we will be able to do the second category of satsang. As we continue in association with a great saint, and with the saint’s blessings, we will gradually begin to meditate and undertake the prescribed spiritual disciplines. By diligently practicing these disciplines, we will one day, experience the first category of sat-sang — the association with the Supreme. When we have thus accomplished the highest category of satsang, our life’s purpose will be fulfilled.

— Swami Santsevi Ji Maharaj, “Harmony of All Religions”:

[Wind]

"It is none other than He who progresses or journeys as you. There is nothing to be known but He; and since He is Being itself, He is therefore also the journeyer. There is no knower but He; so who are you? Know your true Reality. He is the essential self of all. But He conceals it by [the appearance of] otherness, which is “you.”

If you hold to multiplicity, you are with the world; and if you hold to the Unity, you are with the Truth …. Our names are but names for God; at the same time our individual selves are His shadow. He is at once our identity and not our identity … Contemplate!"

~ Ibn Arabi

https://iperceptive.com/quotes/pictures/ibn-arabi-quote-3.png

[O Donna]

If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.
- George Orwell

All the enlightenment needed if willing to deconstruct.

https://www.awn.com/sites/default/files/styles/original/public/image/featured/hsuym_00_13_08-1280.jpg

[greybeard]

I read Ramana and others many years ago.
I thought I understood the concept of what he and others were saying.
I did not and even now If I think I have understood no I havent
Its beyond the mind to takein at bests itsan itillecual understanding --thats not it.
David Carse has been clearest for me. "Perfect Brilliant Stillness"
There is no Chris -- never has been
Just an appearance in consciousness.
An illusion, though even an illusion has a level of reality -- it exists but not what itt seems, or appears to be.

I know less now about spirituality than I did years ago - all I need to know is
I am eternal. I am That. --The totality, all of it.
This is my current understanding, but not what is experienced.
With Love "Chris"

[O Donna]

There is no Chris -- never has been
Just an appearance in consciousness.




Cosmic Play:

It appears 'to be'.

The light of light is light.

[greybeard]

There is no Chris -- never has been
Just an appearance in consciousness.




Cosmic Play:

It appears 'to be'.

The light of light is light.


Yes
The play of consciousness
Indra's dream
Events happen
Deeds are done
But there is no individual doer there of

Writing is happening
Reading will happen.
No space no time.


Love "Chris"

[rgray222]

I know less now about spirituality than I did years ago - all I need to know is
I am eternal. I am That. --The totality, all of it.
This is my current understanding, but not what is experienced.
With Love "Chris"

I have spent this lifetime (most of my adult years) trying to figure out life, the meaning of life, purpose, religion, war, afterlife, time, death, living in the now, consciousness, illness, God, creator, etc. While I believe it has been a worthwhile journey and I have definitely reached a few conclusions I often envy those that simply live life without concern for purpose or meaning. I am extremely fortunate because in my journey I have been shown things beyond this earth's province but it does not answer my one burning question.........where and what is the destination. Even while I am typing these words I believe that everything is exactly as it should be and I am not sure if that is good or bad, it simply is.

[greybeard]

Heaven is within
You are already at the destination.
There is no journey as such
We are in Divine hypnosis
Enlightenment means freedom from ignorance
The ignorance being the lack of knowing our true identity..
Your last few lines are the truth-- can i suggest stick with that Rgray222
Love Chris

[Docim369]

Plain and simple. You put it so beautifuly, Chris.

[Wind]

TZwL3VObscc
"On the path to self-realisation, what can we do to dissolve the belief in being a separate self?

What will aid us in letting go of ego and finding the way to lasting inner peace?

Rupert says we have been rehearsing this belief for decades, so it's a strong habit and it has a counterpart in our body as feelings. Our feelings and beliefs together work to substantiate this illusory separate self. That is why, although the separate self is an illusion, it is a very powerful one. That’s why we have to go back again and again and again to our true nature. And every time we do, we just weaken that belief a little bit more.

The belief and feeling of separation is a restriction on our true nature, a suppressing and conforming agent in society, standardising everybody's thoughts and feelings, which is why when you get a group of people together who are deeply interested as we all are in these matters, you get these beautiful, colourful, quirky characters."

[greybeard]

I appreciate all who post on threads I have started
Im a bit reclusive at the moment.
With Love
Chris

[Icare]

I appreciate all who post on threads I have started
Im a bit reclusive at the moment.
With Love
Chris

And we appreciate you, Chris :heart:

With love,
Icare

[gini]

SzmGkRF2ggU--15 min.--
If there was anyone who knew how to cultivate compassion, it was Milarepa.
Milarepa was an enlightened Tibetan spiritual master who was born in 1452.
He is considered one of the greatest Buddhist masters who ever lived. During his lifetime, Milarepa established the lineage of the Kagyu sect; however, he is very highly venerated, to this day, by all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

Today as we go through this school of life, we shall try to understand how an enlightened person lives. In our pursuit of wonder, we shall borrow knowledge from the following traditions: Buddhism(Zen and Tibetian), Advaita Vedanta, Taoism, Confucianism and other schools of philosophy.

In the West, the intuition of emptiness (expressed in Western philosophy often as nihilism) is conceived as lack. This inherent sense of lack, according to the scholar David R. Loy, is seen as needing to be overcome or obsessively filled. This explains the West's hyper-consumerism, narcissism, and obsession with things and status.

We obsessively spend our days in the desperate attempt to fill with consumer goods the void intuited at the centre of existence.

The East (even though becoming more and more Westernised every day) has traditionally seen emptiness, not as lack, but as pure potentiality.

That is to say, emptiness is seen as pure allowing. That which allows anything at all to exist.

Emptiness is seen as the generative ground from which anything at all can arise.

[truthseekerdan]

Greetings to all, and to the creator of this great thread by the name Chris :wizard:

hddHUVsVO-w

[greybeard]

Great to see you truthseekerdan -- you have been away a while
I dont come here that often -- the thread looks after itself thanks to Wind and other regulars.
Love Chris

[greybeard]

FULL Disclosure: Where We Really Come From! NEW Evidence From ETs, Atlantis & Pyramids Gregg Braden

I have posted this here as there is spiritual content
HOWEVER if a Mod can find a better place feel free to shift.
Its fascinating.
Chris


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxW0OfIa2DM

[greybeard]

This is a Must watch --its awesome -- not something I say often
So please listen to what Gregg is saying
As most of it is in duality I dont agree with all of it but while I am in duality he really makes sense.
Love Chris

[gini]

Sure not everybodies cup of tea,challenging and authentic never the less. And pretty entertaining !:sun: =apQCTgu0e6E
Do we have free will to manifest? Can we Money, healthy body, partner, or an awakening? It sure appears that we do. These videos discuss: Nonduality, Self-Inquiry, and Awakening. They also clear up misnomers about Enlightenment. These are the same topics taught by Mooji, Papaji, Ramana Maharshi, and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. The main focus of this channel is to surrender and realize our formless nature and thus experience more joy in our human life.

[Wind]

Monkey see, monkey do.

2Yz9_7dd8xM

[O Donna]

Monkey mind chimes (in):

The basis for all computers/ computing and thus, by extension, PA: the monkey mind.
Monkey mind = problem-reaction-solution device.

Money mind stops:

https://media.tenor.com/21hcMXI86ekAAAAC/hamster-hamster-wheel.gif

:pop2:


I'll be sittin' when the evenin' comes
Watching the ships roll in
Then I watch 'em roll away again
- Otis Redding / Steve Cropper

[O Donna]

Put another way, stopping the monkey mind, as an action, IS the monkey mind.

[Wind]

WdELSsHIRWc
"The divine name, or ‘I’ refers to the most intimate, obvious aspect of our experience.

In this guided meditation Rupert Spira takes us directly to that essential, unchanging aspect of ourselves.

Rupert says notice that whatever experience we are having, it is I who am having it. All our experience revolves around ‘I’. ‘I’ is as such the ever-present aspect in our always-changing experience and being the common factor in all experience, ‘I’ cannot be limited to or defined by any particular experience. In its purest form, ‘I’ is as such unqualified and unconditioned and having no qualities or conditions, it cannot be said to be limited.

For us to experience our Self as we essentially are we do not have to go anywhere or do anything — we simply need to sink deeply into our Self, allowing ourselves to be divested of all the temporary finite qualities that we derive from the content of experience. What remains is just the fact of being or being aware. We are essentially infinite being temporarily clothed in human experience and seeming to become a finite being, without ever, in fact, ceasing to be infinite being."

[greybeard]

I have had challenges.
I got close to a drug addict, and was trying to help her get clean for two years, I got her interested in spiritual but it was three steps forward and two back as far as the habit went.
A lovely intelligent woman with a lot of potential
Sad thing is she took an involuntary overdose and died several weeks ago.
I miss her terribly but it was probably for the best.
Chris

[Wind]

I'm sorry for your loss, Chris. Something like that can never be easy, always a tragedy. Addictions as such can be terrible in many ways...

[O Donna]

Maintaining form integrity takes its toll even amongst the strongest of us.

[Harmony]

I have had challenges.
I got close to a drug addict, and was trying to help her get clean for two years, I got her interested in spiritual but it was three steps forward and two back as far as the habit went.
A lovely intelligent woman with a lot of potential
Sad thing is she took an involuntary overdose and died several weeks ago.
I miss her terribly but it was probably for the best.
Chris
So sorry to hear of you and your friends' difficult times. :bearhug: May your friend be at peace now and you, Chris be well, so wonderful that she had you close through this difficult period.:heart:

[O Donna]

Every season has its change and I will see you when the sun comes out again.
- Sophie B. Hawkins

https://images.pond5.com/sun-coming-out-clouds-footage-000693230_iconl.jpeg

As mere words, they do nothing. However, in the sun they express along the spectrum of a greater truth.

[greybeard]

I spend a lot of time listening to David Carse -- freewill????
the jury is out.
No way would I willingly have gone through what I went through the last two years exercising free will.
Addicts are self ish -- broken promises -- good intention but they string you along to get the money for a fix.
I could see the loving being beneath all that but I knew where it was going.
A no win situation
However, she knew my love was unconditional -- genuine, no agenda.
She appreciated greatly that the love was that way -- and did her best to return it.
Compassion can get you into a lot of trouble but it was worth it.

Thanks for all the kind comments
Chris

[greybeard]

The Way Out is the Way In - Mooji


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r2fUgsfpJU

[greybeard]

This says it all --what else do you need --smiling.

Mooji - 10 Seconds Is All You NEED


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L4tM7K5qK4

[gini]

FWuD1Sh1GYY

[grapevine]

The Rubin Report with Bret Weinstein | I Can’t Overstate How Dire This Is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKWM76weXBc&ab_channel=TheRubinReport (1:01:43)
Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report" talks to Bret Weinstein about the decline of enlightenment liberalism;
whether tribalism is Western civilization’s future;
why Western civilization has been reversing course on racial equality;
the missteps of the New Atheists and the challenge of reconciling past wisdom with modern problems;
the societal consequences of rapid progressivism;
the arbitrary nature and pointlessness of a lot of our education;
the unintended impacts of discarding established norms;
the human tendency to focus on immediate problems while avoiding thoughtful analysis to avoid unintended chaos;
the need for a balanced approach that respects both conservative and progressive instincts in societal evolution;
Elon Musk's unexpected role in the Twitter free speech battle;
his personal meeting with Musk and Musk subsequently blocking him;
the challenges faced by individuals who have strengths like courage and insight but who struggle to collaborate effectively;
and much more.
One thing which stood out here is, like the Tucker Carlson interview posted in another thread, it is acknowledged from the outset that we - humanity - are literally at war, the outcome of which will determine our future.

[gini]

Beautyful mini docu about the dramatic & adventureous ilfe of Gurdjieff, his projects,dances and communes,his travels and his work& teachings in general.

With very touching piano music from Thomas de Hartman & Gurdjieff. 6eXZScF26Dc-2 jul 2023
A documentary on George Gurdjieff with Armenian sub-titles. Contains original and rare footage of the Gurdjieff movements and music from the 1920's and covers the basis of his teaching in his own words.

George Gurdjieff was born in 1867 in Gyumri (formerly Alexandropol) in Armenia. His father Ivan was Greek and his mother Yeva was Armenian.

The film was made by Jean-Claude Lubtchansky, a close associate of Madame de Salzmann, with the support of the Gurdjieff Institute in France and is best viewed in full screen on a television or laptop.

Osho described Gurdjieff as one of the most significant spiritual masters of this era and indeed this is a film well worth watching.

Gurdjieff's teaching is fully described in the book called "In Search of the Miraculous" which can be read at http://www.gurdjieff.am

Your comments are welcome. We live on a wonderful and possibly unique planet in the universe and can only be grateful for every second of life that is granted to us.

[greybeard]

Awakening, Conscious Relating & Cultivating The Fire For Self Discovery | Mooji


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIjTlEBwrHQ


Thanks to Wind

[gini]

8-hwSgKNHD4--For centuries, followers of Shankara, Ramanuja, and Madhva have argued stridently about the nature of absolute, universal reality - brahman. This divisiveness might possibly be harmful to sincere spiritual seekers. What can be done to resolve these differences?

Vedanta is based on the teachings of the ancient rishis, teachings found in the last section of the ancient Vedic scriptures, Upanishads. It’s also based on the Bhagavad Gita and the highly analytical text, Brahma sutras. Shankara strictly interpreted each of those scriptures according to the principle of advaita, non-duality. Ramanuja interpreted each of them according to the principles of vishishta advaita, qualified nondualism. And Madhva interpreted each of them according to the principles of dvaita, duality. Other interpretations of those scriptures include:
Bhedabheda of Yadava Prakasha
Dvaitadvaita of Nimbarka
Shuddhadvaita of Vallabha
Achintya Bhedbheda of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

In commentaries and in scholarly texts like Advaita Siddhi of Madhusudana Sarasvati, the followers of all these great Vedantic traditions have always disagreed and argued about the nature of brahman - being with or without qualities or characteristics - nirguna, saguna, nirvishesha, or savishesha. They also argued about the nature of the material world: satyam, mithya, real, false, separate, or non-separate. And they argued about the nature of the individual person, jiva. In their arguments, they often used a powerful scholarly technique called purva-paksha siddhanta, in which an opposing point of view is deliberately introduced and developed for the sake of discussion. Then, it is thoroughly refuted by showing its defects according to traditional logic, nyaya, and new logic, navya nyaya.

These three Vedantic perspectives can be reconciled through the important principle of adhikari bheda, the principle of recognizing the differences (bheda) among spiritual seekers (adhikaris), that each person has different religious preferences and spiritual needs. In this way, the teachings of advaita, vishishtadvaita, and dvaita can be understood to serve the needs of different groups of students. Each teaching is capable of leading them to moksha, liberation.

0:00 Shankara, Ramanuja & Madhva
9:14 The Problem of Divisiveness
19:58 Reconciling the Three Perspectives

[Bo Atkinson]

RE:1593294][youtube]8-hwSgKNHD4

[/QUOTE]

[...]

0:00 Shankara, Ramanuja & Madhva
9:14 The Problem of Divisiveness
19:58 Reconciling the Three Perspectives[/QUOTE]

May we search for more clarity on where human spiritualities derived their source material, and in that approach better appreciate that through the ages a variety of divergent writings collected even about many teachings.

As to the source, and beyond my level, in The Secret Doctrine, By H. P. Blavatsky she wrote:


"Tradition says, that it was taken down in Senzar, the secret sacerdotal tongue, from the words of the Divine Beings, who dictated it to the sons of Light, in Central Asia, at the very beginning of the 5th (our) race; for there was a time when its language (the Sen-zar) was known to the Initiates of every nation, when the forefathers of the Toltec understood it as easily as the inhabitants of the lost Atlantis, who inherited it, in their turn, from the sages of the 3rd Race, the Manushis, who learnt it direct from the Devas of the 2nd and 1st Races. The "illustration" spoken of in "Isis" relates to the evolution of these Races and of our 4th and 5th Race Humanity in the Vaivasvata Manvantara or "Round"; each Round being composed of the Yugas of the seven periods of Humanity; four of which are now passed in our life cycle, the middle point of the 5th being nearly reached."


Divisiveness could however energize further searching and development of mental consciousness as a result of continued mental-ized, mindful exercise.

Allowing for much simplification and no specific citations or dates, the "original' Rishis" were actually Atlanteans using the language Senzar... Atlantis extends back into the Pleistocene epoch ending about 10,000 years ago. Just imagine how many human struggled through all those ages, how we ourselves likely incarnated through it all, groping for development or not, divisively or cooperatively.

[greybeard]

Twin flames Something different -- for me
Not my belief system but its happening in my life --that is a very recent relation ship
The friend -- had a kundalini awakening when I was doing healing on her
She followed the Twin flame pattern -- was overwhelmed and cut off company with me -- that is 6 weeksafter wee met rhrough a series of coincidences-- 28 years younger than me--all within the Twin flame pattern
Has anyone here had similar
Chris


The Great Arcanum – Kundalini and Twin Flames



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX0h6UAuXjo




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_HHcjolxto&t=178s

[ClearWater]

Has anyone here had similar

Yes. I did quite a lot of reading on the subject of Twin Flames around 20 years ago due to a situation that was similar enough. So cliché - like a movie scene... When our eyes met for the first time there was instantly an explosion of my heart that made it expand well outside of the bounds of my body. Time stopped. Instant recognition of someone I didn't know. Had the overwhelming urge to drop to my knees and profess my love. Only thing that stopped me was that I was interviewing her for a job. She ended up getting hired and I found out she was in a relationship and they had a young child together, so I didn't say anything. I barely slept for the next 6 months because I tingled every time I got near her, and I felt an overwhelming urge to tell her about my experience and how I was feeling. Her relationship ended. I came clean on what I had experienced. She confirmed she experienced the same. She felt like it was 'meant to be', but she wasn't ready for a relationship (understandably). She eventually couldn't handle being around me anymore because of the intensity. She left the job, disconnected her phone, disappeared. Another former coworker that was friends with her called me a month later to relay that she was okay but just couldn't handle being around me. I never heard from her again. Took a while to get over that one.

When it comes to the concept of Twin Flames, I think (but am not 100% convinced) that it's a real thing. But I also think it's really hard to know if any person you may meet on Earth is actually your Twin Flame. I don't see any reason why a similar experience couldn't be had between individuals that aren't Twin Flames. I believe we have 'ties' to many of the people we encounter in our lives - some very strong, others less so. But ultimately I have never been able to see how it makes any difference what those ties are. I just acknowledge that there's something there that affected me in some kind of way, but that the definitions don't ultimately matter.

I personally found it to be counter-productive to categorize what happened as a 'Twin Soul/Flame' experience. The bottom line is that I had to deal with what happened in this lifetime on this planet as best I could, and fixating on the "grandness" of the relationship only made that more difficult, so I just let it go and moved on. I didn't even want to move on for a long time and had that mindset that I would wait forever. It wasn't easy - took me a good 5 years to really work through the experience and fully process it mentally and emotionally to the point that I even wanted to move on. I've been happily in a relationship for the last 12 years and have no regrets or ill feelings - wouldn't change anything in hindsight.

I have known many others that have experienced something similar. So yes, you are not alone in this type of experience. :heart:

[greybeard]

Thank you Clear Water for sharing this.
My Twin Flame is in denial and ended a beautiful relationship abruptly. She did say "What have you done to me? Have you bewitched me?" She could not cope --overwhelmed with what came up and had to end it.

It all was classic Twin Flame Runner. Her Kundalini wss awakened and vibrated in harmony with what was happening in mine..
Im 28 years older than her but that is not unusual with twin flames.

It may fit with my concept of non-duality -- we are one soul -- she is my other half, and we are one with the Divine
i have difficulty forgetting her, considering it only lasted about 6 weeks.
It was the most beautiful relationship I have had in my life and I believe Divine love flowed through both of us when we were close together, an awesome experience that went on and on. -- I believe it was brought about by Divine intervention but I am doing my best to let go of her and the Twin Flame concept.
love Chris

[ClearWater]

I love how Michael Singer communicates. Here are a couple of recent videos of him.

9fg0rCFFe7A


bh6FpdVwvMI


In this interview, Michael and I talk about spirituality, reality, and the human psyche, and he explains how you can live an unbothered, happy, and free life.

In the interview with Michael Singer, you'll find out …
✨ what spirituality and the spiritual path are all about,
✨ why your perception of reality is not reality,
✨ who you are as a spiritual being,
✨ in which moment you begin to spiritually awaken,
✨ how to release fear & painful experiences, and
✨ what the key to inner peace & freedom is.

00:00–08:21 Michael Singer's definition of spirituality & reality
08:21–15:16 What happens when we store uncomfortable experiences
15:17–24:10 How to handle life
24:11–33:39 The reason we block our hearts
33:40–39:33 Reaching your highest state of being
39:34–45:59 Learning to trust in the unknown
46:00–54:11 Why we cling to material things
54:12–1:01:42 Changing from within & ascending
1:01:43–1:05:51 Life after death

[Eva2]

Liked this excerpt from an eastern legend by Manly P Hall:

"There is a legend among the Orientals to the effect that Kundalini, the goddess of the serpentine spinal fire, growing tired of heaven, decided to visit the new earth which was being formed in the sea of space.
She therefore climbed down a rope ladder (umbilical cord) from heaven and found an island (fetus) in the Sea of Meru (amniotic fluids) surrounded by the mountains of Eternity (Chorion), all of which existed within the egg of Brahma (the womb of Matripadma).
After exploring the island, Kundalini decided to return up the ladder once more, but as she was about to ascend, the ladder was cut from above (umbilical cord severed) and the island drifted off into space. In fear, Kundalini ran and hid herself in a cave (sacral plexus), where, according to certain Eastern teachings, she remains coiled like the cobra in the snake charmers basket, from which she is lured only by the three mysterious notes of the charmer's flute.
When Kundalini begins to unwind she ascends as a sepentine stream of fire through the spinal canal and into the brain, where she stimulates the activity of the pituitary body."
~ Manly P. Hall

[gini]

Nicely made biography about the remarkable indian saint Sri Ma Ananandamayi (1895-1982) ,who was a teacher for people from all walks of life,from the poor & the untouchables to presidents & leaders like Indira Gandhi ,Nerhu & Mahatma Gandhi,and admired by great yogis like Yogananda,
ti9R33IVwTM-- 9 May 2023
'The text is read by Prajna Hallstrom, and is accompanied by little-seen photographs from Sri Ma's life. This short portrayal can only give a glimpse of Ma's remarkable life and the message it conveys to the world at large.
But it might kindle an interest to know more about what ultimately is one's own existence.'
More at www.anandamayi.org
and www.shreeshreeanandamayeesangha.org

[greybeard]

See if you can get your head round this --smiling.
Stick with the repetition please.
Love Chris

The Absolute: The Great Without: Notes From That Which Isn’t,
utilizes deconstructive unveiling which both reveals and unveils Satori.
Satori or Kensho can be described as, “seeing into ones true nature”, or can be “experienced” as an awakening that appears to appear as an alert Samadhi; (“No me”).
Deconstructive Unveiling dissolves the barriers that appear to appear which give the illusion of “preventing” the non-realization-realization of the Absolute as That Which Isn’t.

With Maharaj’s Grace,
One Love
One Mind
Your Mirage Brother,
Stephen-Narayan


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kzzTF_baSE

[Eva2]

'Beyond enlightenment there is wonderment, the pristine intimacy of not-knowing and pure desire for knowing in the uncorrupted void, the openness utterly devoid of any expectations of knowing. In wonderment the unconceivable, the unimaginable, the impossible, is gracefully unconcealed to become the conceivable, the imaginable, the possible, as a gift from the beyond.
'Wonderment is the transcendent and transcending complementarity of knowing and unknowing in and through which the new, the original, comes evolutionarily into being in knowledge, consciousness, and existence. If you are too enamoured of your knowledge, including your enlightened, transcendent, supra-ordinary knowledge, you will lose sight of the enchantment that delightfully fills the Cosmos of Wonderment. If you are not disciplined enough to live in the Chaos of Wonderment, you will miss the silent call of the unknown, the evolutionary attractor eternally beckoning you to be qualitatively ever more—to a state of ever greater wholeness, integrity, and divinity.'
Yasuhiko Kimura

[greybeard]

Im sorry I dont visit here very often though I always view and appreciate new posts.
There is not much to say in non-duality.
There is no subject or object in Advaita - - One without a second.
This is my current belief but as yet not my experience.

I have joined "Spiritual Singles" in the hope of finding a lady interested in Tantric.
Many in the USA, but few in UK
Its a question of "Let go let God"
What is meant for me will happen

Love Chris

[greybeard]

If You Watch This, ALL Your Suffering & Problems Will Disappear Now-GUARANTEED~Swami Sarvapriyananda


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH7HKucBjj8

[Michel Leclerc]

'Beyond enlightenment there is wonderment, the pristine intimacy of not-knowing and pure desire for knowing in the uncorrupted void, the openness utterly devoid of any expectations of knowing. In wonderment the unconceivable, the unimaginable, the impossible, is gracefully unconcealed to become the conceivable, the imaginable, the possible, as a gift from the beyond.
'Wonderment is the transcendent and transcending complementarity of knowing and unknowing in and through which the new, the original, comes evolutionarily into being in knowledge, consciousness, and existence. If you are too enamoured of your knowledge, including your enlightened, transcendent, supra-ordinary knowledge, you will lose sight of the enchantment that delightfully fills the Cosmos of Wonderment. If you are not disciplined enough to live in the Chaos of Wonderment, you will miss the silent call of the unknown, the evolutionary attractor eternally beckoning you to be qualitatively ever more—to a state of ever greater wholeness, integrity, and divinity.'
Yasuhiko Kimura

Divinely, naturally, excellent.

A genuine attempt to be “logological”: to use language in order to overcome the limits of language (limits that preclude "wonderment" and/but are undone by "wonderment") — instead of all too conveniently and/or conventionally sticking to words, word and more words like "ego", "enlightenment" and other Indian intellectual junk food in English for the West to take revenge for its infantile bites with its long Anglo-Saxonian conqueror’s teeth...

...after stating this, let me unwind "wonderment", o wonderment!...

[greybeard]

URGENT Message! The Battle For YOUR Human DNA Is On! This HIDDEN Code Will UPGRADE You! Gregg Braden

Well worth a listen.
Quite a lot of spiritual content
WE ARE GOD ETERNAL within the body
Gregg says that about 50 minutes into the video
Jesus said "Of myself I do nothing, It is the Father within"

Love Chris


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APv_qzVGXr0&t=509s

[greybeard]

Horses have been my teacher

This by a friend, Mary Berkery i very interesting
She is a spiritual Teacher.

If you love horses you need to listen to this and other videos featuring Mary Berkery easily found on u tube

Love Chris


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm3da_MTQ1Y

[Wind]

This Existence Is A DREAM: Awakening To Your True Self & Exploring Nonduality | Rupert Spira

Smqgkab8HZI

[gini]

'I Renounce My Attainments '- Delson Armstrong
lMwZWQo36cY--15/11/24-- Guru Viking Interview Series
'In this episode I am once again joined by Delson Armstrong, spiritual teacher, meditation virtuoso, and author of ‘A Mind Without Craving’.

In this interview, Delson renounces all of his previous claims to spiritual attainment.

Delson details recent changes in his inner experiences that saw him question the nature of his awakening, including the arising of emotions and desires that he thought had long been expunged. Delson critiques the consequences of the Buddhist doctrine of the 10 fetters, reveals his redefinition of awakening and the stages of the four path model from stream enterer to arhat, and challenges cultural ideals about enlightenment.

Delson offers his current thoughts on the role of emotions in awakening, emphasises the importance of facing one’s trauma, and discusses his plans to broaden his own teaching to include traditions such as Kriya Yoga.

Delson also reveals the pressures put on him by others’ agendas and shares his observations about the danger of student devotion, the hypocrisy of spiritual leaders, and his mixed feelings about the monastic sangha. '
00:00 - Intro
01:14 - Delson’s declaration
07:56 - Why has Delson changed his view?
10:13 - Pressure on Delson and other peoples’ agendas
15:12 - Delson’s shocking observations about his 3 year teaching experiment
15:53 - Teaching debut under Bhante Vimalaramsi
17:22 - European teaching tour
17:32 - Tension towards other traditions at Dhammasukha
19:26 - Teacher-student divide at Dhammasukha
20:14 - Tensions with the Indian sangha
21:18 - Discomfort with guru worship in India
22:41 - Mixed feelings about the monastic community
24:30 - Teachers should never stop learning
24:45 - The 10 fetter model and an unhealthy narrative of spiritual success
26:15 - Potential for teacher-student abuse
27:41 - Questioning the 10 fetter model
29:28 - Ideals of awakening and cultural projections
30:48 - Transcending all models and systems
31:39 - Importance of ethics
33:21 - Why is Delson renouncing all spiritual attainments?
36:15 - Being open to your own experience
37:06 - Don’t gloss over suffering
39:41 - Changes in Delson’s understanding about the Buddha, dharma, and sangha
44:20 - Rethinking negative emotion and the end of craving
47:23 - The Simile of the Saw Sutta, Kakacūpamasutta
48:11 - Recontextualising the higher fetters of restlessness, conceit, and ignorance
49:15 - Is awakening static?
50:06 - Delson’s definition of awakening
51:55 - Redefining the 4-path model from stream-enterer to arhat
54:10 - What is a stream-enterer?
54:55 - What is a once-returner?
55:37 - What is a non-returner?
56:04 - What is an arhat?
57:26 - Facing the shadow
59:10 - What was the experience that changed Delson’s mind?
01:02:48 - Learning from conflict and shadow
01:04:37 - Maintaining the image of a teacher
01:05:12 - No longer a teacher
01:06:35 - The corrupting pride of being a spiritual teacher
01:07:04 - Hypocrisy of spiritual leaders
01:09:23 - Do not seek perfection in Delson
01:10:14 - K the Buddha
01:11:44 - Against disempowering students
01:14:06 - Does Delson believe awakening even possible?
01:17:12 - What is awakening?
01:18:06 - Levels of awakening
01:18:58 - The true nature of reality
01:20:43 - Siddha tales and Delson’s supernatural experiences
01:24:27- Sifting the serious students from the merely curious
01:25:22 - Delson’s powerful trip to South India, astrology, and mystical experiences
01:31:07 - Delson’s future plans for teaching
01:32:02 - Plans to conduct Kriya Yoga initiations
01:32:41 - Delson as a conduit
01:33:16 - Reactions to Delson’s declaration
01:34:43 - Delson’s concluding message

[Hym]

'I Renounce My Attainments '- Delson Armstrong
lMwZWQo36cY--15/11/24-- Guru Viking Interview Series
'In this episode I am once again joined by Delson Armstrong, spiritual teacher, meditation virtuoso, and author of ‘A Mind Without Craving’.

In this interview, Delson renounces all of his previous claims to spiritual attainment.

Delson details recent changes in his inner experiences that saw him question the nature of his awakening, including the arising of emotions and desires that he thought had long been expunged. Delson critiques the consequences of the Buddhist doctrine of the 10 fetters, reveals his redefinition of awakening and the stages of the four path model from stream enterer to arhat, and challenges cultural ideals about enlightenment.

Delson offers his current thoughts on the role of emotions in awakening, emphasises the importance of facing one’s trauma, and discusses his plans to broaden his own teaching to include traditions such as Kriya Yoga.

Delson also reveals the pressures put on him by others’ agendas and shares his observations about the danger of student devotion, the hypocrisy of spiritual leaders, and his mixed feelings about the monastic sangha. '
00:00 - Intro
01:14 - Delson’s declaration
07:56 - Why has Delson changed his view?
10:13 - Pressure on Delson and other peoples’ agendas
15:12 - Delson’s shocking observations about his 3 year teaching experiment
15:53 - Teaching debut under Bhante Vimalaramsi
17:22 - European teaching tour
17:32 - Tension towards other traditions at Dhammasukha
19:26 - Teacher-student divide at Dhammasukha
20:14 - Tensions with the Indian sangha
21:18 - Discomfort with guru worship in India
22:41 - Mixed feelings about the monastic community
24:30 - Teachers should never stop learning
24:45 - The 10 fetter model and an unhealthy narrative of spiritual success
26:15 - Potential for teacher-student abuse
27:41 - Questioning the 10 fetter model
29:28 - Ideals of awakening and cultural projections
30:48 - Transcending all models and systems
31:39 - Importance of ethics
33:21 - Why is Delson renouncing all spiritual attainments?
36:15 - Being open to your own experience
37:06 - Don’t gloss over suffering
39:41 - Changes in Delson’s understanding about the Buddha, dharma, and sangha
44:20 - Rethinking negative emotion and the end of craving
47:23 - The Simile of the Saw Sutta, Kakacūpamasutta
48:11 - Recontextualising the higher fetters of restlessness, conceit, and ignorance
49:15 - Is awakening static?
50:06 - Delson’s definition of awakening
51:55 - Redefining the 4-path model from stream-enterer to arhat
54:10 - What is a stream-enterer?
54:55 - What is a once-returner?
55:37 - What is a non-returner?
56:04 - What is an arhat?
57:26 - Facing the shadow
59:10 - What was the experience that changed Delson’s mind?
01:02:48 - Learning from conflict and shadow
01:04:37 - Maintaining the image of a teacher
01:05:12 - No longer a teacher
01:06:35 - The corrupting pride of being a spiritual teacher
01:07:04 - Hypocrisy of spiritual leaders
01:09:23 - Do not seek perfection in Delson
01:10:14 - K the Buddha
01:11:44 - Against disempowering students
01:14:06 - Does Delson believe awakening even possible?
01:17:12 - What is awakening?
01:18:06 - Levels of awakening
01:18:58 - The true nature of reality
01:20:43 - Siddha tales and Delson’s supernatural experiences
01:24:27- Sifting the serious students from the merely curious
01:25:22 - Delson’s powerful trip to South India, astrology, and mystical experiences
01:31:07 - Delson’s future plans for teaching
01:32:02 - Plans to conduct Kriya Yoga initiations
01:32:41 - Delson as a conduit
01:33:16 - Reactions to Delson’s declaration
01:34:43 - Delson’s concluding message

Dude,

Delson.

Next time it would be wise, and an obvious part of the process, NOT to advertise going through Shakti Pad, the awareness of the illusionary importance of your f'kn ego. The mere fact that you declared enlightenment in the first place was the clue left with the smell of the doo doo the herd of elephants dumped in your crawl space.... I mean your sacred place of meditation.

[Vicus]

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7codIz6146DdhrQgF4jI71IgQVxNQ1vo7ki_uuI_HeV67KdgkaoMTPikrU-GK-KJU2aX-UQgY7TUjJzfTG5Q-TChRzqIl7IetKWH9jRDjMGCTWyQHNChcX68oHA7vgjUFVHYaY-VhG74aWtWsaF0IY20RiheFMgvCRgQKQHiXd-aRv_8E0DQuw/w459-h573/schizomystic00022.jpg

[gini]

A short nicely made biography with beautyfull old footage about the remarkable life of Jiddu 'be a light to yourself ' Krishnamurti. -LaMsT3MApP8--'Jiddu Krishnamurti: The Reluctant Messiah '| Historical Documentary |. 26 min 6 Nov 2024
'The life of Jiddu Krishnamurti is among the most unusual and inspiring stories of the 20th century.'

[greybeard]

Siddharameshwar Maharaj - NON-ACTION (Part 1) - Nisargadatta's Guru - Advaita Vedanta


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2yrP8YfxJk

[greybeard]

The Liberating force Kundalini
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=f7jZchEFr28C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Genuine Kundalini spontaneous awakening still a fairly rare even
I spent time on Dr Goel ashram and was invited by him to do a version of fire Ceremony (Thats my ego witing this, smiling)
Burning canfer is offered to the heavens the earth the guru those present. its a bit like the ancient Chinese wedding ceremony.
Chris

[Clear Light]

"Action and non-Action are illusion"

Ah, but, if I may, to whom does Action and non-Action refer ? :fencing:

Is That So (Zen Story about Hakuin)

The Zen Master Hakuin lived in a town in Japan. He was held in high regard and many people came to him for spiritual teaching. Then it happened that the teenage daughter of his next-door neighbor became pregnant. When being questioned by her angry and scolding parents as to the identity of the father, she finally told them that he was Hakuin, the Zen master. In great anger the parents rushed over to Hakuin and told him with much shouting and accusing that their daughter had confessed that he was the father. All he replied was, “Is that so?”
​
News of the scandal spread throughout the town and beyond. The Master lost his reputation. This did not trouble him. Nobody came to see him anymore. He remained unmoved. When the child was born, the parents brought the baby to Hakuin, “You are the father, so look after him.” The Master took loving care of the child. A year later, the mother remorsefully confessed to her parents that the real father of the child was the young man who worked at the butcher shop. In great distress they went to see Hakuin to apologize and ask for forgiveness. “We are really sorry. We have come to take the baby back. Our daughter confessed that you are not the father.” “Is that so?” is all he would say as he handed the baby over to them.

. : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : .

Fame and Fortune come and go, Health and Illness come and go, Friends come and go, Family the same ... from where do all "actions" arise I would ask of He who-is-curious ? It's illuminating if one knows where to look eh ? ;)

[greybeard]

Clear Ligt
The challenge is having a non duality conversation in duality
The David Carese book Perfect Brillian Stillness is excelent its on audio u tube also.
He is clear -- nobody exists jus appearances in consciousness.

However

Not saying I know
Dr David Hawkins, enlightened, said
"If it was not for Kundalini the body would not be able to stand the higher spiritual energy of enlightenment, it would fry in in this heavy density world otherwise"
He also said that Christ and the Buddha had the highest vibration level possible in this world -- Hawkins has a map of consciousnes levels in his book Power vs Force.
Well worth a read.

David Carse speaks of it(Kundalini) when he awakened in the jungle.
Quite a few enloghtened beings whom I have read mention it as part leading up to the Holy instant of enlightenment.

So after enlightenment the body has to still function, perception has changed, no ego no me but there still is the indweller presence within the body.
A usful mantra is Om nama Shivia, this is to help Kundalini to rise.

So thats my current understanding
The moment you think youve got it you havent (Nasargadatta)

Have a listen if you dare Lol


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOmOuD_13UE&list=PLR6lUhUKbN4JLwYdo2eqoAFh3tn0AbAYS&index=2

[greybeard]

Will a Realized Person Retain Individuality After Enlightenment? | Advaita Vedanta


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veRcIPSpjNY

[gini]

(BBC)Interview with Jiddu Krishnanurti about Enlightenment.-4DXDDf2FRMU---28min-21 Aug 2021
'This video gives some inkling about Krishnamurti's teaching and the general philosophy behind it. In this inteview K gives the life's philosophy and his intent behind schools run by his foundation whole over the world. Very interesting and enlightning understanding about K's teachings. Since it was issued by BBC the video would be available for short duration for students of K's teachings as it would infringe the publisher's rights.'

[greybeard]

Adyashanti on the Teachings of Nisargadatta Maharaj



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2zqUTP17js

[greybeard]

Belated Happy New Year

There Is a Reality, but No World ‘Out There’


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzRC2C0x34

[araucaria]

(BBC)Interview with Jiddu Krishnanurti about Enlightenment.-4DXDDf2FRMU---28min-21 Aug 2021
'This video gives some inkling about Krishnamurti's teaching and the general philosophy behind it. In this inteview K gives the life's philosophy and his intent behind schools run by his foundation whole over the world. Very interesting and enlightning understanding about K's teachings. Since it was issued by BBC the video would be available for short duration for students of K's teachings as it would infringe the publisher's rights.'
Hi there, Greybeard, good to talk with you again. It’s been a good while since I found something on Avalon of immediate interest, still less to the point of responding. This Krishnamurti-BBC clash has to be of major interest to anyone who like myself has thinking as their stronger suit. This is because its coordinates are known: we have been here before.


This is a rerun of the story of Alexander, king of the known world, the Elon Musk of his day with his technology and high-speed vehicle, the horse Bucephalus, taking Aristotle and Co – the world of thought – to the universe, and his encounter with Diogenes the hermit. The French call hoarding the Diogenes syndrome, but the real Diogenes had given up everything he possessed. So what happened when the man who owned just about everything met the man who rejected just about everything? He took away his sunshine until Diogenes prevailed upon him to step aside. So for Diogenes Alexander’s shadow was the one spot in the world where the sun didn’t shine, and for Alexander, who complied, this was the one spot in the world that he failed to conquer. They agreed to disagree and go their separate ways with no hard feelings, leaving us with the eternal dilemma of thought/action v contemplation/inaction and the permanent scar of knowing that either position has this weak point.


So, when the interviewer here gently tackles Krishnamurti on thought, and Krishnamurti smiles his way out of the dilemma whereby he uses thought to dismiss thought itself, the major takeaway is both a thought and a feeling. The thought that no one has won this debate, the feeling that courtesy and humour and tolerance, as fairly superficial expressions of this altogether deeper thing we call love, is the way forward where entities can throw aside their differences and occupy the same space, the same universe. Another aspect of this attitude would be playfulness, expressed in things such as games. An example of a purely Alexandrian game would be chess, on an 8x8 grid fought to the bitter end with one king left standing. Sudoku, on the other hand, is a game that Diogenes could also play, but in a spirit of mutual cooperation. I’d like to look at this as a kind of parable for what might be going on at this middle ground where most of us are lacking the background to get a proper feeling for what Krishnamurti is basically translating into the langage of thought. This would be the foreground where Alexander is casting a bit of useful shade enabling us to cope with the blindingly obvious midday sun.


Sudoku us played on a 9x9 square with the numbers 1-9 used 9 times each. It works in not two but three dimensions, the third being represented visually by the nine squares within the square. So each number, 1-9, has eight counterparts but is unique in each of these three dimensions, meaning the only one of its kind within any one dimension. Either way, sameness/difference is in relation to all the others; uniqueness goes hand in hand with solidarity. So you have nine sets of nine numbers gathered each in three groups, a row, a column and a square, making 27 groups altogether. So it’s as if you had 243 numbers instead of 81. Collectively, the grid is more than the sum of its parts.


I’ll stop there, before I miscount something, but you get my drift. The object of the game is to reconstruct an entire pre-existing grid from a given few numbers. The setter can introduce various levels of difficulty through the overall number of numbers given and/or the number of different figures used. More of either makes for an easier grid, so to a certain extent at least, a simpler level just means a grid closer to completion. However, the degree of difficulty can actually increase, meaning the number of available possibilities is reduced, to the point of having to abandon when there seem to be none at all. When things become too hard, it may well be that a mistake has been made, which is why it helps to work with a pencil and eraser in order to work backwards to some earlier stage ‘before the fall’. But when that difficulty is overcome, things can accelerate explosively, to the stage where, instead of a linear progression, the whole solution becomes immediately accessible at high speed and in any order, everything happening at once.


Hence the level of difficulty at any one point is variable; like an astrologer, you need to wait until the stars are aligned, the time is ripe (the Greek kairos). Things happen in a certain (not entirely rigid) order. This is where we come to the analogy with a particular universe, at once eternal in that everything is pre-arranged, and time-driven with an end purpose of revealing it in its every detail. There are quite a few insights to be gained from this mere game, e.g. by personalizing the numbers. One is the varying degree of effort/effortlessness with which a given number finds its place. Those actually supplied in advance would be comparable to gods or established truths to be ignored at one’s peril. ‘Knowing’ does not have to equate with ‘all-knowing’. Those discovered directly therefrom are like prophets, or possibly false prophets if out of place. Or at the other end of the spectrum, by the time the possibilities have been drastically reduced there will be latecomers who have no problem finding their predestined place, and basically performing like some group we hear about, such as advanced beings, or possibly somewhat robotic walk-ins, or young souls starting out playing a very small part. We usually have several ways of envisaging the same thing, just as every blank square opens up several options.


This sudoku grid is likely the simplest form we have of this mathematical analogy, but this might be a timely moment. The other day I was reading somewhere how the currently very important number 2025 is the product of 45x45, 45 being the sum of the digits 1-9, and also the sum of the cubes of those same digits, i.e. 1+8+27+64+125+216+343+512+729=2025. Given that conventional digital computers start with the even numbers only in this sequence, it would appear that we have a situation where the mechanical thought of AI is only ever going to provide half the answer. As we saw, the sudoku grid plays around with the same nine numbers, without bothering to do the sums, but it also includes a whole palette of odd numbers.


An altogether more complex analogical form might be the Nineveh number discovered by Maurice Chatelain on some ancient clay tablet (there is a thread or post on this topic somewhere on this forum). This time-based number is based on 60, the number used since time immemorial to count seconds and minutes : thus 60 to the seventh power multiplied by 70 gives the number of seconds for the entire solar system to reset to a given configuration (over six million years). While the math becomes mind-boggling, the inadequacy of our sheer brain power to take it all in, as emphasized by Krishnamurti, is by no means necessarily an obstacle to achieving this greater understanding of everything that puts a smile on one’s face. He and others like him represent just one of many paths contributing to the collective destiny. In terms of knowing smiles, solving a sudoku puzzle would be like a tiny microcosm: all’s right with the world... until you start another one.


As I was saying, the actual mathematics are merely a backdrop to the game. You can play something like sudoku with letters of the alphabet: all kinds of word squares, anagrams, acrostics. Or for that matter with photos of family members or other people, creating plots for stories or whatever. Altogether then, thinking for relaxation and entertainment, playing with ideas, is one way of combating the common misconception of thought as seriously hard work with an absolute goal of infinite bliss to avoid ultimate catastrophe, and a way of better experiencing wholeness without the need for either science teachers, or gurus for that matter.


A happy and playful new year to one and all.




PS. Thanks to Gini for posting this video - my mistake.

[O Donna]

Belated Happy New Year

There Is a Reality, but No World ‘Out There’


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzRC2C0x34

"One experience that we have that is not mediated through the finite mind, the Awareness of Being. All other awareness experiences are through the agency of the finite mind but its experience of itself is direct its direct knowledge..."

Awareness of Being, transcends time/ space (a construct of the finite mind). Accessible for/ at all 'time'.

Though the following clip is artistic/ Hollywood (sound, sun, beach etc.) it too points as all finite things do...


prUYzLJ_4KM

[greybeard]

The 7 Hardest Spiritual Tests Only the Chosen Ones Endure || Alan Watts Motivational Speech


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAl4FsK88Fs

[onawah]

I just had an interesting experience which I am still grokking
I was happy to see Greybeard has been back on the forum of late, but when I checked out his latest post featuring the talk (supposedly) by the late Alan Watts, I was chagrined to see that it is yet another one of many that have been showing up on Youtube recently.
(No reflection on you, Greybeard.)
...Which at first glance appear to be recorded talks from Alan Watts, but when you take a closer look (and listen), you will see this disclaimer on the youtube page:


This channel is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or claiming to represent Alan Watts. The content shared here is inspired by Alan Watts' ideas and philosophies but is solely for motivational and educational purposes. All rights to Alan Watts' original works and words belong to the respective copyright holders. This channel aims to spread positivity and insights through motivational content inspired by his teachings.
How this content was made
Altered or synthetic content
Sound or visuals were significantly edited or digitally generated. Learn more:
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/14328491?hl=en

The latter link is to a whole page about "synthetic content", in other words, AI generated text, synthetic voices impersonating real human speakers, etc.

I had seen a number of other "synthetic" Alan Watts talks online recently, which concerned me for a number of reasons, one being that most people have probably not read the disclaimer and are not aware that the voice they are hearing is not Alan Watts' and the content is AI generated.
Though the content may be based on genuine talks or written work by Alan Watts, they are not word-for-word renditions of his work.
Although people may be benefiting from the synthetic words of wisdom from the voice that almost sounds identical to Alan Watts' real voice, the practice is lacking in integrity and I think it is sad and rather shameful (but perhaps that is just me and my aversion to the potentially dark side of AI).

But the subject of this particular talk, which has to do with spending time in solitude and introspection interested me since I do a lot of both, so I decided to listen to it anyway and see what I thought about whether it was actually close to something Watts would have said.
(I have a particular interest in Watts not just because I admired his work and have a background in Zen practice, but also because I was profoundly impressed when I saw him speak in person.
I lived very near to where he lived in Marin County, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, CA. and a good friend of mine was also a good friend of Watts and served as his gardener for a number of years.
Also, I think there must have been a past life connection because I felt his passing remotely at the moment of his death, though I was unaware at the time that he was dying.)

Listening to the talk, I was very surprised and also rather alarmed at how much wisdom was being reflected, if only second hand, and also at how synchronisitic it was, because it was so much about the very things that I had been reflecting about deeply, just a day or two before I came across the talk.
It creeped me out a bit, in the way that many people are creeped out about how AI seems to be reading our minds (although, of course, that's only because it is watching what we are doing online and making suggestions based on those observations).
AI is reportedly only generating suggestions about what we might like to focus on based on its conclusions drawn from previous choices we have made, mostly online (unless, according to a theory, AI is actually being used by or is itself using an ET race --probably Reptilianns--to gradually dominate Earth).
Whatever the case, I am not the only one who is alarmed by the runaway "advances" of technology which have gotten so out of control, and this case of advice coming from "synthetic wise men" is no exception.
Part of the message from synthetic Alan Watts was to be wary of fear and to be very mindful of the tricks our own minds can play on us.
So there is a curious feedback loop characteristic of this experience which is at once instructive and very creepy.
All part of the human learning process, no doubt, and probably something at least some of us have gone through before in the distant past during our evolutionary journey, which may explain why I felt an element of deja vu as well. :nerd:


The 7 Hardest Spiritual Tests Only the Chosen Ones Endure || Alan Watts Motivational Speech


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAl4FsK88Fs

[greybeard]

Yes there are no chosen ones, or tests, though duality can be testing.
Thank you onawah
With love
Chris

[greybeard]

Tantra. I have become interested in as a way of life.

Reading a fascinating book by Margot Ananda
"Love, Sex and Awakening"
She claims to have experience being One with God through her first experience of love making.
May be so!
I have had an experience of Divine love flowing in this way
The peace that passes all understanding -- Sat Chit Anada

I have joined the web site "Spiritual Singles" in the hope of meeting a future partner interested in the philosophy.
and way of genuine Tantra.

There are ladies particularly in USA who have expressed an interest in meeting however that may not be practical. As yet no one in UK

For a long while I have been interested in the movement of energy in healing modalities, and Tantric therefore interests me. Shiva and Shakti. Ying & Yang.
Everything living comes into being through interaction between Male and Female.

The awakening of Kundalini also led me to investigate Tantra.
On the K awakening, spiritual progress is "controlled" led by Shakti.

Love Chris

[onawah]

I have always found what I consider to be the primary principle of Tantra to be very intriguing and sensible, which is that the Tantric path to Enlightenment and Selflessness is not achieved through self-denial, but through self-sacrifice.
Self-denial can lead to obsession, repression, self-loathing, self-righteousness and even ill health, as if indulgence of the senses is an unnatural and hateful thing, whereas it is simply part of having a body, respecting it's needs, and living naturally in the material world with an appreciation for the beauty and delights of God's Creation.
Though over-indulgence and addiction are certainly not desirable, achieving a sensible, healthy balanced state and having respect and appreciation for the human body and for Nature are very desirable.
A Tantra initiate can allow a sensible amount of indulgence in the senses with the intention of eventually and naturally achieving desirelessness and detachment with ease, rather than struggle.
Through the Buddhist concept of "right intention" the goal is achieved in a gradual, natural and effective way.
Intention is paramount, as Carlos Castenada's mentor Don Juan Matus emphasized.
...If at the same time self-sacrifice is practiced in service to others with the right intention of thereby achieving Oneness, balance and groundedness are created, which help to achieve Selflessness-- not through repression, but by finding satisfaction through service, and recognition that serving others is serving the Self, the Self that is at the heart of us all.

[greybeard]

Buddhism: If There Is No Self, Who Acts & Receives the Results?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oEbX1I-buY

Namaste

Chris

[gini]

' BOY Visited by 2500 Yr Old Saint MAHAVATAR BABAJI; Given His SOUL MISSION! '| Paramahamsa Vishwananda ---june 2024--
bLVL_0dfJjQ
' In the realm of spiritual journeys and divine encounters, today's episode offers a glimpse into a life filled with profound experiences and mystical insights. Paramahamsa Vishwananda graces our conversation with his presence, sharing the essence of his spiritual path and the encounters that shaped his life. From a young age, he was drawn to spirituality, experiencing visions and divine interactions that set him on a unique course.

Growing up in a Hindu family, spirituality was a natural part of Paramahamsa Vishwananda's life. He recalls how, as a child, he was found in temples, drawn to divine spaces. A pivotal moment in his journey occurred when he encountered a mysterious figure, later revealed to be his master, Babaji. This encounter was not just a meeting but a profound spiritual awakening, where a simple question, "Do you see the light?" led him to witness a radiant vision. "Amazingly, there was a ball of light, like the sun, with a halo of light around it," he recalls.

As he grew, these divine experiences became more frequent and significant. At the age of 14, a transformative event marked a new chapter in his life. Paramahamsa Vishwananda describes a night when a picture of Sai Baba of Shirdi emanated light, leading him into a deep meditation that lasted three days. This event was more than a vision; it was a deep dive into spiritual consciousness, altering his perception and guiding him towards his life's mission.

Please enjoy my conversation with Paramahamsa Vishwananda.'

Timecodes:
0:00 - Episode Teaser
1:28 - Spiritual Journey
7:32 - Meeting Babaji
13:27 - Who is Babaji?
30:33 - What to look for in a Guru?
35:56 - What is the role of a Guru?
43:50 - The future of humanity's consciousness
46:44 - How do we get over fear?
53:01 - How Kriya Yoga began
56:02 - Spirituality, science, and near-death experiences.
1:02:25 - What happens when we pass?
1:03:04 - What is Samadhi?
1:07:19 - Living a fulfilled life
1:08:05 - Advice to young Guru Ji
1:09:12 - Definition of God
1:10:00 - What is love?
1:10:59 - Vision of World Peace
1:11:55 - Ultimate purpose of life
1:12:07 - Guru Ji's work
1:12:18 - Guru Ji's Message

[gini]

'Why Am I Not Excited About Non Duality Anymore?' QlwbpWBMLJE 16 Mar 2025 #rupertspira #nonduality #happiness
'A man says that when he first discovered non-duality, he was filled with a sense of joy and excitement. Why does he no longer feel the same enthusiasm for the non-dual understanding?

Rupert says: ‘When we first hear about non-duality, it’s exciting and elating. We experience a heightened sense of understanding, appreciation and enthusiasm because it’s in contrast with our old life of anxiety and sorrow.

‘But after a while it becomes our natural state, so we’re not elated about it all the time. Because we’ve lost the memory of the old sorrow, conflict and anxiety, we no longer have that experience to contrast it with. It just becomes our natural ease of being – not bliss or ecstatic joy, but peace or quiet joy.’' 0:00 Lost Interest in Non-Duality
2:09 Feeling Unenthusiastic About Spirituality
3:42 Being at Peace
5:12 Ease Becomes Our Natural State
6:37 Peace or Quiet Joy
9:18 A Return to Simplicity

[truthseek]

(BBC)Interview with Jiddu Krishnanurti about Enlightenment.-4DXDDf2FRMU---28min-21 Aug 2021
'This video gives some inkling about Krishnamurti's teaching and the general philosophy behind it. In this inteview K gives the life's philosophy and his intent behind schools run by his foundation whole over the world. Very interesting and enlightning understanding about K's teachings. Since it was issued by BBC the video would be available for short duration for students of K's teachings as it would infringe the publisher's rights.'



Truly brilliant nuggets of wisdom in here which apply especially today as we are on the edge of a major awakening. Excuse me for bumping this! Thanks Gini! :Avalon:

[Chakra]

Tantra. I have become interested in as a way of life.

Reading a fascinating book by Margot Ananda
"Love, Sex and Awakening"
She claims to have experience being One with God through her first experience of love making.
May be so!
I have had an experience of Divine love flowing in this way
The peace that passes all understanding -- Sat Chit Anada

I have joined the web site "Spiritual Singles" in the hope of meeting a future partner interested in the philosophy.
and way of genuine Tantra.

There are ladies particularly in USA who have expressed an interest in meeting however that may not be practical. As yet no one in UK

For a long while I have been interested in the movement of energy in healing modalities, and Tantric therefore interests me. Shiva and Shakti. Ying & Yang.
Everything living comes into being through interaction between Male and Female.

The awakening of Kundalini also led me to investigate Tantra.
On the K awakening, spiritual progress is "controlled" led by Shakti.

Love Chris

Excellent read on the actual origins of Tantra - spoiler alert :) nothing to do with sex....
Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition

[onawah]

Helena Blavatsky Wrote This FORGOTTEN BOOK Just Before She Died: The Voice of the Silence
Lifted Veils
7.7K subscribers
138,262 views
Mar 14, 2025

Helena Blavatsky & Theosophy

"The Voice of the Silence is one of Helena Blavatsky’s last gifts to humanity and contains instructions for awakening dormant spiritual powers hidden inside each and every one of us. Madame Blavatsky wrote this forgotten book just years before she passed, revealing the ancient keys to awaken your innate divine consciousness and allowing you to re-establish your unbreakable connection to the universe.

We will unveil the hidden wisdom of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky's final masterpiece and decode her powerful Theosophical teachings, containing the practical keys to transcending ordinary consciousness and accessing higher realms of awareness.

Are you prepared to awaken the spiritual powers you were born with? Your divine birthright awaits."

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction to The Voice of the Silence
1:00 The Voice of Nada - The Soundless Sound
1:35 Ancient Mystery School Origins
2:50 Hidden Wisdom & Quantum Consciousness
3:26 Blavatsky's Map of Higher Consciousness
4:05 The Mind is The Great Slayer of the Real
6:02 The Seven Paramitas - Spiritual Gateways
8:48 Two Paths: Liberation & Bodhisattva
10:40 The Silver Thread - Divine Connection
12:34 The Destructor - Your Shadow Self
14:51 Transformation: The Diamond-Soul
16:19 Spiritual Awakening in Modern Times
17:11 Helena Blavatsky's Final Gift to Humanity

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[O Donna]

"....allowing you to re-establish your unbreakable connection to the universe."




Unbreakable, yes. So why would one need to re-establish what has never been broken?

Suppose never having digressed from the Universe is not much of a story/ journey.

Creativity captivates.

[onawah]

Poorly worded, but I imagine the book by Blatvasky is not.


"....allowing you to re-establish your unbreakable connection to the universe."




Unbreakable, yes. So why would one need to re-establish what has never been broken?

Suppose never having digressed from the Universe is not much of a story/ journey.

Creativity captivates.

[greybeard]

Im very happy to see people posting on this thread -- it was originated so that people could interact with different and same opinion on spirituality.
My eyesight not great so typing a challenge, but I check here regularly.
Thanks to all who post here and visitors.
Namaste Chris

[ClearWater]

I love the joy and simplicity with which this man communicates what others make seem serious and complicated.

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In this half-day meditation workshop with renowned meditation expert Mingyur Rinpoche, learn how meditation can develop skills for greater peace in daily life.

[gini]

2eInlCAfrdI---''In this episode we meet Yogiraj Siddhanath, a Himalayan master of Kundalini Kriya Yoga who has dedicated his life to awakening consciousness and spreading inner peace. Speaking with profound clarity and intensity, Yogiraj shares ancient yogic wisdom on the stages of Samadhi, the purification of the mind, and what true spiritual perfection entails. He offers a deep dive into the mystical science of yoga—not just as physical exercise but as a complete inner technology for transforming mass into energy, and energy into divine consciousness.

Yogiraj also discusses the dissolution of ego, the dawn of a new humanity, and how our souls evolve through lifetimes toward enlightenment. His teachings are direct transmissions that go beyond words—resonating in both heart and spirit. With decades of experience and presence, he invites listeners into deeper awareness and spiritual inquiry.

Please enjoy my episode with Yogiraj Siddhanath 🩵


=====================

Timestamps For The Episode 🎙️

00:00 Teaser
01:21 What is spiritual perfection?
02:20 The alchemy of transformation
04:42 From mass to energy to light to consciousness
06:30 What is Samadhi really?
09:45 Misconceptions about pranayama
11:58 The power of pratyahara and withdrawal of senses
14:15 Concentration as exclusive attention
16:07 Meditation vs. concentration
18:25 The four stages of Samadhi explained
20:00 Christ consciousness and merging with form
23:42 A message to the Wisdom From North community
26:05 The dawn of a new humanity
38:49 What is the still point of eternity?
53:59 The deeper meaning of life is… life.