abrakamowse

One more thing: Remember that Steve Jobs (and many others) pursued enlightenment and he talked a lot about the benefits of meditation, he even asked that in his funeral the Yogananda's book "Autobiography of a Yogi," were given to the people who attended to it. So, he pursued also dis-identification and he also had a great career. You can read more here about that: http://www.inc.com/hitendra-wadhwa/steve-jobs-self-realization-yogananda.html

@student One thing that it took me long to understand is that "we" can't do nothing. You just have to do your meditation, continue working but don't worry. Relax and enjoy the ride. It will happen when you are not expecting. If "you" try to do it (I mean in the ego state) that can drive you crazy. Leave it to your "higher self". He knows better than the ego.

@JustinS LOL Awesome!

I found an article about that, interesting. http://fractalenlightenment.com/14294/enlightening-video/alter-your-genes-and-cure-any-disease

Ok, this is my take but I really don't know. It is something I am still trying to understand. My idea is that everything is created by the one consciousness. The environment, the world, everything is consciousness. Because genetics is a lot influenced by environment we can say that consciousness creates the necessary genetics for the soul to be enlightened. Maybe a person who has mental illness needs it to wake up at some point, we need different type of challenges to overcome to understand who we really are. But of course, all this we have no control in the sense that we are identified with our egos and all that is let's say , controlled by that consciousness, you can call it our "collective unconscious" like it is called in psychology. But this is just my opinion, I have to study more about the subject. But basically I think that our higher self creates everything that happens to us (genetics, sickness, etc) whatever we need to become enlightened and to help the big consciousness grow up. But that's my opinion so far, it can change. We need a big open mind to talk about this topics.

I think this can be of help for you @JustinS I used to ask the same question myself. Buddha says that's a question to be put aside. The idea of no self helps us not to cling to anything, so we can reach freedom. " So, instead of answering "no" to the question of whether or not there is a self — interconnected or separate, eternal or not — the Buddha felt that the question was misguided to begin with. Why? No matter how you define the line between "self" and "other," the notion of self involves an element of self-identification and clinging, and thus suffering and stress. This holds as much for an interconnected self, which recognizes no "other," as it does for a separate self. If one identifies with all of nature, one is pained by every felled tree. It also holds for an entirely "other" universe, in which the sense of alienation and futility would become so debilitating as to make the quest for happiness — one's own or that of others — impossible. For these reasons, the Buddha advised paying no attention to such questions as "Do I exist?" or "Don't I exist?" for however you answer them, they lead to suffering and stress." You can read the whole article here if you like http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/notself2.html

Mooji about espiritual emergency

@___ Jed McKenna rocks

Cool! Good to know you feel better.

This meditation is gonna be yuuuuuge!!!!!

Lol

That's amazing, it's good that we can share experiences here because you feel more "normal" when you see that others had similar experiences. I will share some more on my journal in the forum, let us know how are you doing and what insights are you getting. This is nature talking to itself here in the forum hehehe...

No, it was good Lol... It deserves the sound of a cloud on a Tuesday morning

Really cool, but I was becoming used to reset my password every time Lol just kidding, great job!!!

@All_Around_Me Don't worry, you will be Ok. I had an experience of no identity when I was waking up in the morning, and I was so scared because I never had an experience like that before. I was shocked, confused, I couldn't think well. I remember saying my wife that this was the worst nightmare I ever had in my life. I went to the hospital too, because I was so confused I didn't knew who I was for moments, and I forgot everything, then my memory came back, it was crazy... they gave me some pills, etc. Now I know what it was and I would like to repeat that experience, the ego gets ****ing scared of those experience of nothingness. Really you had a great experience, after you process it you will realize more and more things... you are going really fast :-)

Master [Hui-an] asked [Huai-jang], “Where are you coming from?” Huai-jang said, “Mount Sung.” The Master said, “What sort of thing comes here like this?” Huai-jang said, “To call it a ‘thing’ is to miss the mark.” The Master said, “Can it be cultivated or experienced?” Huai-jang said, “It’s not that it isn’t cultivated or experienced, but rather that it isn’t corrupted or defiled.” The Master said, “It’s just because it isn’t corrupted or defiled that it’s treasured by all buddhas. You’re like this. And I’m like this.” — The Platform Sutra

This post is good to refresh our memory, I am having one of "those days". Reading it helped me to clear the mind, sometimes I get tired of being identified with thoughts, I want enlightenment now!!! Lol

The right moment to learn about enlightenment = NOW!

Leo Babauta had in his blog a similar technique, when you do less you accomplish more. This is an ancient principle, not something that Leo is making up. It really works. He published a book about it, "THE POWER OF LESS" http://thepowerofless.com/

When asked why he practiced zen, the student said, “Because I intend to become a Buddha.” His teacher picked up a brick and started polishing it. The student asked “What are you doing?” The teacher replied, “I am trying to make a mirror.” “How can you make a mirror by polishing a brick?” “How can you become Buddha by doing zazen? If you understand sitting Zen, you will know that Zen is not about sitting or lying down. If you want to learn sitting Buddha, know that sitting Buddha is without any fixed form. Do not use discrimination in the non-abiding dharma. If you practice sitting as Buddha, you must kill Buddha. If you are attached to the sitting form, you are not yet mastering the essential principle.” The student heard this admonition and felt as if he had tasted sweet nectar. — Dōgen Zenji

@Khin Thanks for clarifying, I need to read more about reincarnation. I have the Tibetan book of the dead to read as soon as I finish other book I am reading, thanks!

Upāsaka Lu K'uan Yü: The aim of the Chan [Zen] is to strip the mind of all feelings and passions for the purpose of disentangling it from the phenomenal so that the self-nature can return to its normal state and operate in the normal way without hindrance. This stripping is not gradual but sudden. In that sudden moment we see for the first time our self-nature. This moment is called in Chan, jian-xing 見性, that is, seeing our self-nature. It can’t be put into words. It can only be hinted at by various means. In general what this further implies is that the phenomenal is only a dependent arising of this self-nature. This nature while singular and perfected can still give rise to countless differences within itself. Still, there is perfect harmony like waves and water. Disharmony arises when we do not see this self-nature leaving only the vast differences of phenomena.

@Huz88 I just realized that I always thought that the mind generated the thoughts. Thanks!

I think the feel anger, fear, etc. but they are not controlled by those emotions.

I don't get the idea of reincarnation if there's no self, what is it going to reincarnate? There's nothing to reincarnate.