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

[greybeard]

Paul Hedderman taking the micky out of seeking.
Extremely entertaining and helpful.
He tells it as it is.
Its in three parts.

Chris

Paul Hedderman discusses Non-Duality philosophy. He's in rare form and the audience is lively. The audience gets settled down after the first few minutes and Paul dives deep into the nature of reality.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=L8p4FUvTUfk

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=1M8aX-mZfK8

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=JPlxI61ihRk

[Wind]

Love is your Self. It is your real name
and the name of every living being.
But, you will not truly know and be
this Self-love until you are willing
to exchange your identity for Truth.

~ Mooji

[Guish]

Posted by Wind (here)
Love is your Self. It is your real name
and the name of every living being.
But, you will not truly know and be
this Self-love until you are willing
to exchange your identity for Truth.

~ Mooji

Crystal clear statement which is exactly what I experienced. Everyone on the path has known that detachment from our identity- race, gender, social status or association with materiality was the key to enlightenment. I'm not saying that I'm fully enlightened because the ego still tries to play some tricks but I can watch the ego now and once one can do that, the ego loses power.

[Guish]

Posted by greybeard (here)
Paul Hedderman taking the micky out of seeking.
Extremely entertaining and helpful.
He tells it as it is.
Its in three parts.

Chris

Paul Hedderman discusses Non-Duality philosophy. He's in rare form and the audience is lively. The audience gets settled down after the first few minutes and Paul dives deep into the nature of reality.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=L8p4FUvTUfk

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=1M8aX-mZfK8

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=JPlxI61ihRk

He's such a lively Guy. He has a good point about the spiritual ego. People who are spiritual start to classify them as spiritual and see others as beings with low levels of consciousness. That's the ego trap again. I remember telling Barry about the spiritual arrogance that some masters show. For me, enlightenment makes one very calm and detached as one has nothing to hold on to and the spirit has fully invaded the body.

[Wind]

Posted by Guish (here)
Crystal clear statement which is exactly what I experienced. Everyone on the path has known that detachment from our identity- race, gender, social status or association with materiality was the key to enlightenment. I'm not saying that I'm fully enlightened because the ego still tries to play some tricks but I can watch the ego now and once one can do that, the ego loses power.

Hi Guish. I have never really identified with my race, gender or social class. I am that I am. That's why I also only see people and don't understand why some can be so mean to each other, just thanks to some superficial labels. We're all humans, we should be hu-mane towards each others too.

All that being said, I still do struggle with my ego in daily life at times even though my ego isn't very strong (yet I can be quite self-willed). I do realize that I am not the personality with all the insecurities it has, but the understanding is still only somewhat intellectual.

There have been times when I have been able to reach the state of nonduality briefly, but those moments are few and far and between. It feels to me that it is a long process to fully let go of the conditioned mind. I try not to be too judgemental towards myself or others since I know that we all here to learn. I highly enjoy your observations, friend.

This one was funny, it makes me think about my dog and his simple state of being.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=xR9bTXu-qF0

[Guish]

Posted by Wind (here)

Posted by Guish (here)
Crystal clear statement which is exactly what I experienced. Everyone on the path has known that detachment from our identity- race, gender, social status or association with materiality was the key to enlightenment. I'm not saying that I'm fully enlightened because the ego still tries to play some tricks but I can watch the ego now and once one can do that, the ego loses power.

Hi Guish. I have never really identified with my race, gender or social class. I am that I am. That's why I also only see people and don't understand why some can be so mean to each other, just thanks to some superficial labels. We're all humans, we should be hu-mane towards each others too.

All that being said, I still do struggle with my ego in daily life at times even though my ego isn't very strong (yet I can be quite self-willed). I do realize that I am not the personality with all the insecurities it has, but the understanding is still only somewhat intellectual.

There have been times when I have been able to reach the state of nonduality briefly, but those moments are few and far and between. It feels to me that it is a long process to fully let go of the conditioned mind. I try not to be too judgemental towards myself or others since I know that we all here to learn. I highly enjoy your observations, friend.

This one was funny, it makes me think about my dog and his simple state of being.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=xR9bTXu-qF0

My "beingness" helps me a lot in my daily life. I don't get dragged into the negativity created by others and I contribute to the well being of the community in a positive and detached way. I still have my ego battles like you say but they are rare and I understand it's not part of me now. I've noticed that most of my actions are no longer calculated now and I've lost interest in Materiality. Raising a 2 year old does test my patience though. Avalon has helped me to open up a lot. I guess it was something that came to me when I was evolved enough to meet with people like you. I'm very happy to have known all of you.

Best wishes,
Geerish.

[Guish]

Author:Shanka Herath

Compassion is one of the most revered qualities in Buddhism and great compassion is a sign of a highly realized human being.

Compassion doesn’t just help the world at large, and it isn’t just about the fact that it’s the right thing to do. Compassion, and seeking to understand those around you, can transform your life for a number of reasons.

First, self-compassion is altogether critical towards finding peace within yourself. By learning to forgive yourself and accepting that you’re human you can heal deep wounds bring yourself back from difficult challenges.

Next, we can often be tortured because of the fact that we don’t completely understand why people do certain things.

Compassion is understanding the basic goodness in all people and then seeking to discover that basic goodness in specific people. Because of this, it helps you from going through the often mental torture we experience because we don’t understand the actions of others.

But even more than that, expressing compassion is the very act of connecting wholeheartedly with others, and simply connecting in this way can be a great source of joy for us.

The reasons for practicing compassion are numerous and powerful. Seek to live in a way that you treat everyone you meet as you would yourself. Once you begin trying to do this, it will seem altogether impossible. But keep at it, and you’ll realize the full power of living with compassion.




2. CONNECT WITH OTHERS AND NURTURE THOSE CONNECTIONS

In Buddhism, a community of practitioners is called a “sangha”. A sangha is a community of monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen who practice together in peace towards the united “goal” of realizing greater awakening, not only for themselves but for all beings.

The sangha is a principle which much of the world can greatly benefit from. People come together in groups all the time, but it’s usually for the purpose of creating monetary riches or obtaining substantial power and rarely towards the united goal o1f attaining peace, happiness, and realizing greater wisdom.

The principle of the sangha can be expressed in your own life in many ways. The sangha is ultimately just one way of looking at life, through the lens of the individual “expressions” of the totality.

By living in a way that you’re fully aware of the power of connecting with others, whether it’s one person or a group of 100, and seeking to nurture those relationships in the appropriate way, you can transform your life in ways that will pay dividends for years to come.


3. WAKE UP

One of the most powerful points on this list, the power of simply living in a way that you’re fully awake to every moment of your life pretty much couldn’t be exaggerated even if I tried.

Mindfulness, greater awareness, paying attention, whatever you want to call it- it changes every facet of your life and in every way. It’s as simple as that.

Strive to live fully awake to each moment of your daily life and overcome your greatest personal struggles, find a great sense of peace and joy, and realize the greatest lessons life can teach you as a result of living fully awake to the present moment.1


4. LIVE DEEPLY

To live deeply, in a way that you become keenly aware of the precious nature of life, is to begin down the path of true peace and happiness.

Why? Because to live in this way is to gradually become aware of the true nature of the world. This will happen essentially in “sections” of the whole, such as realizing your interconnectedness (you begin to see how everything is connected to everything else) and impermanence (you begin to see how everything is ever-changing, constantly dying only to be reborn in another form).

These realizations are the bread and butter of Buddhism and all spiritual practice. These “sections of the whole” are fragments of the ultimate realization, ways for us to understand that which can’t be fully understood in the traditional sense.

By living in a way that you seek to realize these various “qualities of the ultimate” you find greater and greater peace in realizing the natural way of things. This cultivates in us the ability to savor every moment of life, to find peace in even the most mundane activities, as well as the ability to transform your typically “negative” experiences into something altogether nourishing and healing.


5. CHANGE YOURSELF, CHANGE THE WORLD

Buddhists understand that you can hardly help another before you help yourself. But this isn’t referring to you gaining power or riches before you can help others, or living in a way that you ignore others.

This is mostly referring to the fact that because we’re all interconnected, by you helping yourself you create an exponentially positive effect on the rest of the world.

If you want to make an impact on the world, don’t falsely convince yourself that it’s “you or them”. You don’t need to drag yourself through the mud to help those around you. If you do this, you’ll greatly hamper your ability to create a positive impact.

At the deepest level of understanding, by making it about you you’re also making it about them because you know there’s no separating “you” and “them”.

Take care of yourself and seek to be more than just a help, but an example of how to live for others to follow and you’llcreate waves of exponential possibility that inspires others to do the same.


6. EMBRACE DEATH

Death is an often taboo topic in Western society. We do everything we can to not only avoid the subject, but pretend that it doesn’t even exist.

The reality is, this is really unfortunate and in no way helps us lead better lives. Becoming keenly aware of your ownimpermanence and deeply understanding the nature of death with regards to our interconnectedness are both things which can help us find great peace.

In Buddhism, students in many sects at one point or another “meditate on the corpse” as it were (a practice which is said to have originated at least as far back as the Buddha’s lifetime).

This is literally what it sounds like. They meditate on the image of a corpse slowing decomposing and imagine that process through to its end, eventually resulting in a deep and profound realization on the true nature of death.

That might sound a little intense to you, but the truth is, if you live you’re entire life acting as if you’re never going to die or ignoring your own impermanence then you won’t ever be able to find true peace within yourself.

You don’t necessarily have to meditate on the image of a corpse, but simply opening up to yourself about death so that you’re no longer shielding it from your mind (which you’re likely doing unconsciously, as that’s how most of us were brought up in the West) can begin to be a great source of peace and help you appreciate the many joys in your everyday life.

A true appreciation for life can never be fully realized until you come face-to-face with your own impermanence. But once you do this, the world opens up in a new and profound way.


7. YOUR FOOD IS (VERY) SPECIAL

Buddhist meditative practice, particularly mindfulness and contemplation, helps you realize the precious nature of the food in front of you. Indeed, with how integral a part food plays in our lives, to transform our relationship with food is to transform a key aspect of our entire lives, both now and in the future.

By contemplating on the food in front of us, for example, we can come to realize the vast system of interconnectedness that is our life, and how our food coming to be on our dinner plate as it is depended on numerous elements coming to be.

This helps us to deepen our relationship with food, cultivate a deep sense of gratitude before each meal, and learn to respect the delicate but ever-pressing balance that is life.


8. UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF GIVING

Giving is more than the act of giving Christmas and Birthday gifts, it’s also about those gifts which we give each and every day which we don’t typically see as gifts at all.

Buddhists hold a very deep understanding of the nature of giving, particularly in that life is a constant play between the act of giving and receiving. This doesn’t just help us find peace in understanding the way of the world around us, but helps us realize the amazing gifts we all have within us that we can give others in every moment, such as our love, compassion, and presence.


9. WORK TO DISARM THE EGO

The easiest way to sum up all “spiritual” practice is this: spirituality is the act of coming in touch with the ultimate reality or the ground of being, and as a result spiritual practice is the act of overcoming those obstacles which keep us from realizing that.

The primary obstacle in our way? The ego.

To put it short and sweet, the reason the ego is the major obstacle in spiritual practice, or simply the practice of finding true peace and happiness (whatever you choose to call it, it’s all the same), is because it’s very function is to pull you away from the ground of your being by convincing you that you’re this separate self.

The process of unraveling the ego can take time, as it’s something which has been with us, intertwined with us, for years. But it’s infinitely rewarding and altogether necessary if we want to realize our best life.


10. REMOVE THE 3 POISONS

Life is filled with vices, things which attempt to bind us to unwholesome ways of living and therefore do the very opposite of cultivate peace, joy, and greater realization in our lives. Among these, the 3 poisons are some of the most powerful. The 3 poisons are:

1.   Greed
2.  Hatred
3.  Delusion

Together, these 3 poisons are responsible for the majority of the pain and suffering we experience as a collective species. It’s perfectly normal to be affected by each of these poisons throughout your life, so don’t knock yourself for falling for them.

Instead, simply accept that they’re something you’re experiencing and begin working to remove them from your life. This can take time, but it’s a key aspect on the path towards realizing true peace and happiness.


11. RIGHT LIVELIHOOD

We should all strive to work and make our living in a way that’s more “conscious” or aware. This generally means not selling harmful items such as guns, drugs, and services that harm other people, but it goes deeper than that.

There’s ultimately two aspects to this: making a living by doing something which doesn’t inhibit your own ability to realize peace and making a living doing something which doesn’t inhibit others ability to realize peace.

Facing this can lead to some interesting situations for some people, and as Thich Nhat Hanh has mentioned this is a collective effort as opposed to a solely personal one (the butcher isn’t a butcher only because he decided to be, but because there is a demand from people for meat to be neatly packaged and made available for them to be purchased from supermarkets), but you should strive to do your best.

Following the teaching on right livelihood can help you realize the harmful effect that your own work is having on you and therefore coming up with a solution can result in a largely positive shift in your life as a whole. Only you can decide if a change needs to happen though.

Whatever the case, seek to make a living doing something that promotes the peace and happiness of yourself and those around you as much as possible.


12. REALIZE NON-ATTACHMENT

This is a difficult point to put into so few words, but a profound one I felt would be greatly beneficial to mention nonetheless.

To realize non-attachment in a Buddhist sense doesn’t mean to abandon your friends and family and live alone for the rest of your life, never truly living again just so that you don’t become attached to these desires.

Non-attachment refers to living in a way that you exist in the natural flow of life and generally living a typical modern life, building a family, working, etc., while simultaneously not being attached to any of these things. It simply means to live in a way that you’ve become aware of and accepted the impermanence of all things in this life and live in a way that you’re ever-aware of this fact.

It’s perfectly normal for a Zen student in Japan, once having completed his training, to actually de-robe and go “back into the world” so to speak. This is because, once they’ve reached this level of realization, they see the beauty in all things and are compelled to live fully absorbed in all the beauty and wonders of this life. From this point on, they can truly “live life to the fullest”, while not clinging to any of these things.

Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean that you stop feeling emotions. On the contrary, these emotions are welcomed and expected, and fully experienced with mindfulness in the moment of their impact. But this is simply the natural course of things.

Once these emotions subside though, and when we have no mental formations or obstructions to block our path, a natural healing process takes place that heals the wound and allows us to continue on living in peace and joy instead of dragging us down into darkness.

[Ewan]

The thread has been running for many years and has not had the kind of interaction you describe.
There are over one thousand visits a week to it.
You might feel at home there.
Best wishes
Chris

Thank you for directing me here Chris. I've read a couple of pages and decided to cry for a short while.

Tell me, will I ever stop breaking down when I sense I am in the proximity of something vast but (atm) ever elusive.

[greybeard]

Posted by Anakie (here)

The thread has been running for many years and has not had the kind of interaction you describe.
There are over one thousand visits a week to it.
You might feel at home there.
Best wishes
Chris

Thank you for directing me here Chris. I've read a couple of pages and decided to cry for a short while.

Tell me, will I ever stop breaking down when I sense I am in the proximity of something vast but (atm) ever elusive.

Good to see you here Anakie.

Breaking down, crying is part of it. These are good signs.
Virtually every question I have ever had has been answered on this thread by some one sharing experience or a video.
If there are questions, please ask--- some one will come up with an answer.
Much love
Chris

[Wind]

All beings love themselves best,
but the sage does not have
this love for a personal self
for he is without personhood.
The sage simply Is,
but his ‘Is-ness’ inspires
love and devotion in the world.

~ Mooji

[Guish]

Posted by Wind (here)
All beings love themselves best,
but the sage does not have
this love for a personal self
for he is without personhood.
The sage simply Is,
but his ‘Is-ness’ inspires
love and devotion in the world.

~ Mooji

That's where people get it wrong. To love is not learned. To care is not learned. Once, we are in the "beingness" state, everything flows. That's what Paul keeps saying in the videos Chris posted. There's nothing to achieve or progress towards. It's about discovering what we are not. What we are is automatically felt. I did a lesson on Calculus today and everything just flowed. I don't even know why I was so lively and happy. Upon reflection, I realised that I was just in the moment completely absorbed in a no-mind state letting divinity communicate.

[WhiteFeather]

Popping my head in. Good stuff here. I am humbled by such. Watched the first Paul H video. Absolutely loved it. Boy he can speak and make sense of it to me.

[bodhii71]

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=c3rBwMaD7Ig

In this one Bentinho discusses some very insightful and profound ways in which we can actualize ourselves in relation to our worlds and environment. As much as I want to dislike him for the gift of clarity he possess at such a young age, I cannot. At first I was very wary of the empowerment aspects he presented and watched many videos, looking for flaws, mistakes, any place where I could see for signs of misdirection or error. I cannot. While here, we might as well play.

[Guish]

Posted by bodhii71 (here)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=c3rBwMaD7Ig

In this one Bentinho discusses some very insightful and profound ways in which we can actualize ourselves in relation to our worlds and environment. As much as I want to dislike him for the gift of clarity he possess at such a young age, I cannot. At first I was very wary of the empowerment aspects he presented and watched many videos, looking for flaws, mistakes, any place where I could see for signs of misdirection or error. I cannot. While here, we might as well play.

Haha, you are being very honest about it my friend. I'll keep the video for latter. I'm still watching Paul's videos a bit at a time.

[Zampano]

haha...yes, Paul Hedderman is really awesome and entertaining. He is like the Gordon Ramsay of Spirituality.

[Grizz Griswold]

Here is an early video of Paul Hedderman.
It talks about how we concern ourselves with whats not happening.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=e89mAmlJW5I

Also here is Pauls website, it contains hundreds of audios,
25 just since the beginning of 2015 alone. Paul charges nothing
for any talks and relies totally on contributions.
http://www.zenbitchslap.com/

Blessings.
b

[Meggings]

About Bentinho Massaro, whom I heard about just five minutes ago:

At age16, frustrated with what he perceived as the unconscious behavior of human society and the stupidity of going to school, he made a conscious commitment to search for the “Ultimate Answer” —an understanding of the actual workings of Life that would lead not only to individual fulfillment, but to the liberation of civilization from conflict entirely.

So he began a relentless quest, exploring a wide spectrum of teachers, philosophies, and methods, including studies in India, as well as Western practices, such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), telekinesis, and brain wave practices. He stayed with each practice only long enough to assess and digest what was useful to his goal, leaving behind anything he deemed non-essential.

Eventually, exhausted by constant striving, self-judgment, and intense suffering, he realized that all of the spiritual “authorities” he had studied—no matter how long their beards—were no more “enlightened” than himself. Although deeply disappointed, he decided to renew his commitment to seeking the ultimate answer; but this time, he would look only within his own being. This decision was a profound shift in allegiance toward what he had known all along: that Truth was to be found in the presence of his own existence, and of existence itself—in all its infinite potential.

This realization brought a deep relaxation and ease of being. “Life revealed itself to shine fully and completely by its own power alone, offering its presence with an incredible naturalness, requiring no effort,” Bentinho wrote.

Bentinho started teaching when he was 18, and has since held meetings and retreats in many cities in Europe and North America. He is now 26, and over the years, his teachings have evolved and deepened. He continues to refine and focus his work, with a goal to reach people from every walk of life, building a bridge to Enlightenment and self-empowerment for the “average Joe,” not just those already in the spiritual community. “It’s what I live for;” he says, “it’s what I came here for.”

From: http://www.bentinhomassaro.com/about/

[Wind]

Love does not need an intention or object to love.
It is the highest expression of the being in recognition of itself.
It is the unity of Being.
Your being just radiates this love - effortlessly.
You are just your Self.
It is a state of emptiness.
It is there when you leave your luggage outside.
Luggage means who you think you are and
who you want to be.
Then it simply awakens in you because there is a space now for the beautiful One,
the presence of the Holy Father, the Holy Mother, the Holy Spirit, the One Supreme consciousness.
Surrender.
Be empty of 'you'.
And It shines in that space - timelessly.

~ Mooji

[betoobig]

Hi Greybeard, i noticed you are there and i felt like sending you an energetic hugh. Now.
Love

Juan

[greybeard]

Posted by betoobig (here)
Hi Greybeard, i noticed you are there and i felt like sending you an energetic hugh. Now.
Love

Juan

Thanks Juan
Its happily returned.
This is a good place to be.

Chris