iamme

This makes sense and blog is also good. Thank you What's your take on: ' "I" is the link that connects all of us.' ?

Beautiful, thank you Just the "I", it cannot be killed, you still always say "I" after all. Can you say your opinion about "I am you"? Did you get to experience that?

Thank you for your answer. I don't think you can kill the "I" thought as the "I" is the all. It's more of a matter of removing the limitations/ separations surrounding the "I". But my question about reincarnation wasn't generic, I'd like to know how @eputkonen sees it from where they're at.

What about reincarnation? Did you have any insight about whether you would have to take a new physical body after this would wear down? Would you want to or not?

About the thread's topic, it's a question that eventually arises in advanced seekers. From all my research, a surrendered being might choose to drop their physical body (end of their participation in the world), while others might want to or even have to restart their physical body in order to act as a torch of light to the rest. Naturally for an enlightened being, your world affairs would be taken care of and you wouldn't mind it one way or the other. Either way, if you're afraid to jump, go slowly.

@Haumea Would it be possible to get in/ be in this state whenever you want and does it have anything to do with perfect peace? Wouldn't perfect peace be the natural/ original way to be?

When I started this, my motivation was all about getting to feel okay when people walked out of my life. I used to be very intense so people would sometimes opt out of the picture. And I suffered. So I started this as a quest to learn radical letting go. And it turned out that letting go could be one of the complete methods to something bigger than just accepting other people's choices internally, on par with yoga, meditation or self inquiry. Most normal people accept other people's choices on the outside while feeling awful on the inside. Matching your feelings with your actions is the greatest and pretty much the same as peace. Now my motivation has switched to making myself feeling better and better and of course curiosity is a big factor. So after all, it became mostly about me rather than others.

On a more serious note, I'd like to add that for the more advanced there comes a time when they don't need another to point out where their hangups are. Whatever bothers you in the moment, your next thought is your obstacle.

I can only answer the second question as my awakening had nothing to do with drugs (they're very illegal here). My awakening was indeed a state similar to nothingness. If one lacks sufficient understanding, could easily confuse with nothingness the perfect stillness, the absence of time and thoughts. When I came back from that, it seemed indeed that for a moment outside time my self had vanished. I didn't jump to the conclusion that there is no self, instead I kept asking questions. As a result of that awakening, I was immediately overcome with love and a sense of well being, that everything is all right. That loving state has been replaced with feelings, as I'm working through my emotional hangups. Like yourself, I'm eagerly awaiting the explanations of those who are convinced and telling everyone else that there is no self. My best guess is that they mean there is no ego, as in ego doesn't really exist.

I like this reply. An option to like posts would be nice. I think people should use their common sense - if something makes you sick, stop it. As a new forum member who came on this site through a Google search for a forum to discuss enlightenment, I never heard of Leo Gura. While I see his limitations through some of the replies he gives here, I'm also impressed by the wisdom in others and it looks to me like he really wants to help people and learn from them. This is a good community here. I know sites where you wouldn't last five minutes if you disagreed with owner's work and good luck finding a better community.

I've had life partners like this and I've been one to some. If both are awakened, the sharing is mostly positive and quite blissful. An awakened partner doesn't spend their time pointing out your hang ups directly or your ego would choke on that (you'd want to end the relationship fast, screaming "abuse"). They mostly see the good side and trust you to draw your own conclusions about your shortcomings. Anyway, predictably ended up breaking each other in pieces as one can only get that close to another until it gets under your skin. In my experience, as one develops a deeper understanding of the self liberation path we're on, they at the same time lose their interest in small talk, "fun" but time wasting activities, sharing on different levels of negativity, complaining without taking action or responsibility and so on. The kind of activities unawakened people usually engage in. So, as we filter those out, we also learn to enjoy being alone, because it comes handy as we approach the finish line. Contrary to popular belief, one can only pass through the self inquiry gate alone. Thus learning how to be alone is a requirement. On the path we start with lots of company, books, videos, dead and alive gurus, mentors, teachers, everyone's assisting. They can only help us up to a point. Then we slowly drop the help as we move into the self inquiry phase, which is to be done alone.

Atman as unchanging, eternal, with no beginning and no end, all pervading, infinite and already perfect, could not possibly improve and grow (it's unchanging). What we call growth and improvement is actually a shedding of mind blockages, unhelpful programs, beliefs, habits, negativity and so on. Whatever bothers you in the moment is the immediate obstacle that prevents you from being your infinite nature.

What is your sadhana and why can't you just drop it. Do you still have your old goals, can you afford and enjoy doing nothing? What about your physical body, do you feel like protecting it, are you inclined to explore the worlds beyond it?

Anyone know how to remove @user from a reply? I tried to delete it with no success.

I'm happy with this, thanks

Just curious, if you could specify, what do you mean by "it comes from within?" Within what? Thanks again for sharing and for patience with questions.

I would question that assumption..

Shifts in consciousness are great news but I would be careful about labelling them and would keep investigating those thoughts and emotions that I suddenly seem to be more aware of. As a matter of fact most thoughts and emotions steam from a separate identity, so what are they and why are they still persisting?

well that's a start

@egoless In the context of no separate self, what do you mean by "self aware"? Thanks and congratulations!

@Leo Gura The end of ego you mean? Isn't God infinite being with no beginning and no end?

My life purpose is to achieve peace of mind for myself and share the journey, the joys and the prize with people who are on the same wavelength. I've been doing this for 6 years now, still not peaceful enough lol but getting more clear. Though I wish I took more shortcuts and less detours, it's been quite a journey and ended up being a rather slow process for me.

Being here and now is an aspect of infinity. As per Sedona Method Chart of Emotions, feeling special comes under pride. Pride is a higher emotion but still negative and potentially stuck.

I think what we actually fear is not death of the physical body but more lives in a physical body, reincarnation. Failing a most difficult mission of freeing oneself from the prison of mind. Body out, failed level, reload, build player, go. At least that's what I fear.

@moon777light I don't think it's necessary for you to reveal and address the subconscious cause for biting your lips. It could be anything, maybe something someone said or did in your early childhood. Should be enough to decide you like your lips instead of punish them and replace your negative behaviour with something else. It's not so easy to just stop a negative habit but it's much easier to replace it with something else. Whenever you catch yourself biting your lips say to yourself "oh but I like my lips" and smile.