Khin

@werlight I understand! Just work toward enlightenment. That's enough.

@Key Elements LOL! Yeah, Thingen is a new year festival. In Thai and Burma, the whole country celebrate for 7-10 days. The purpose is (at least used to be) to wash all our sins, whatever we did wrong to our elders by washing their feet, hair, give our respects, and ask their forgiveness. Then elders will give you money, food and stuff like that. It's kind of like Chinese new year but celebrate differently. From what I know Karma does play role in enlightenment. For enlightened people there is no Karma anymore. But because you are not enlightened yet, karma is still there for you. Karma means actions. Where do actions come from? From your mind. For example, a person had done many awful things and decided to do enlightenment work. So he starts to meditate, research and knows what he did wrong. When he does enlightenment work, he must admit right when it's right and wrong when it's wrong because you are searching for truth. Now he knows he was wrong. The regret will hold that person from enlightenment. If it was small mistake he can forget it by thinking, 'well, only present moment exists.' But if it was huge mistake, you will have to apologize or let it out to someone and admit he was wrong. Then accept the consequence right then and there. @werlight was right too. Only actions you remember will effect you though! When someone says "the emotions just stays there," most people might think emotions are put in some container or pile up in somewhere in the brain. Actually our mind or thought doesn't work that way. In Buddhists, all emotions, thoughts, senses, feeling and everything that has to do with mind are called "Nan" (I'll just say thoughts). Thoughts are dying (disappear) every minute and second. But every after one thought is dead another thought appears right away depending on the previous. Those two thoughts are identical but first is not second and second is not first thought. For example, I am not my mother, my father or my great grandparents but I contain their DNA and stuff so I'm very similar to them but not exactly like them. Thoughts works but they appear only one at a time in awareness. They don't appear at the same time. The second thought is very similar to first one and therefore the illusion of permanence (ego) exists. So all the knowledge and thoughts you had when you were young are not there anymore. Only new thought which is generated from old thoughts exists now. Some thoughts or feelings (Nans) are stronger depending on how strong a thought (in experience) was. So the old unforgettable memories are strong generation thoughts which produced from old strong thoughts. Thoughts change depending on experiences. It's not like real actual experience stays in brain. If you know how these thoughts or senses works, you will know what reincarnation is. Reincarnation is not a soul get out of the body and possess another one. When it comes to enlightenment, Buddha said there are two types of people. One is who able to understand enlightenment and another is not doesn't matter how hard someone explain, he will never understand enlightenment. I tried as much as I could please ask me if you didn't understand what I wrote.

I consider myself as 100% Theravada Buddhist. But... I do not have faith in Buddhism because my first teacher who is a Buddhist monk in Burma said that I don't have to believe in Buddha. He also said as soon as I find his teachings wrong, I can leave the temple right away. He said that when I entered the temple to become a pre-monk (monks under 20 are consider pre-monks in Theravada).The other helpful thing about Theravada Buddhism is they maintained all of Buddha's teaching scriptures (originals). So when I started meditating, I can always go back and check my errors in scriptures. They all were written in Pali language. They explain how one's mind works when it goes towards enlightenment (Basically with curiosity). Explained all the distractions one would face in enlightenment path. Explained fake enlightenment experiences (There are 10 in basic). Explained many ways to enlightenment for many people. Doing enlightenment work is called Vipassana (it means looking carefully) and to gain power (stillness) of mind is called Samata in Theravada. Enlightenment work can be done in any position, anywhere, anytime but not Samata. Another thing is all that reincarnation, heaven, and hell are presented differently in Buddha's teachings (at least what I read were). Being just a Buddhist pre-monk, there were many rules but all those rules were explained why one should follow them. So being a Buddhist is like walking a guided path. It's like I was already told that there is a diamond at the end of the road but I will see a silver ring after ten steps, will see gold after twenty steps, cross muddy river in thirty steps etc.... I find Buddha's teachings very true after walking into his path or my teacher's path. LOL! I am a Buddhist. I love Buddha for teaching this most valuable path but I'm not religious person. I don't consider Buddhism as religion. I don't know if Leo had ever researched real Buddha's scriptures but doesn't matter. Leo might not claim himself as a Buddhist but it's funny that he is very much like my first teacher who is a Buddhist monk. He doesn't talk much but it was very straight forward when he talks. Leo should meet with him though. They will become very good friends.

I really want to know how Leo find retreat centers in U.S.

@Saitama It is definitely possible. I don't want to say Ego death. If I say that, in most people mind it will be appear as some other devious soul separate from the real soul. I'd like to say Understanding the real nature = Ego death. When one truly understand the real nature, one will understand there is no such thing as ego which many people think it is making their bad days (LOL), from the first place.

@Pinocchio I define Nirvana as Nothingness.

@Pinocchio Oh, I meant just as in Language definition. Just to make sure we are on the same page. I was just afraid that people might misunderstood when I meant to say Enlightenment as Nirvana.

Well, most people believe in CREATOR because there is an illusion of freewill. There is an illusion of 'I' or 'You' and so that 'I' or 'You' is doing things, making choices. Therefore, without this 'I' or 'You', nothing will happen. In that case, there's a kind of mindset that this world wouldn't pop up out of nowhere. There must be someone who is just like 'You' or 'I', making choices, doing things. In enlightenment case, all that beliefs flipped over. That's the hardest thing for most people. Many of my friends said it is very hard for them to take away their belief even though my explanations sound true for them. They said that it feels safe for them.

@Emerald Wilkins You are really at the door now. But you have to curious more. Ask questions but don't answer them yourself. When I start meditating I first said to myself "There is no you or I, only the body made of four elements and senses." And I decide to look at whatever comes up as it is and not putting the word 'I'. Remember when Leo said, when we see the lamp, just notice it as 'seeing' don't label it. I'm really excided for you.

Does it still matter if there's freewill or not when there is no such as "I"?

So, something DID make him to DECIDE! When it comes to overcome part, we can't just say "Yeah, he did it." We have to research further on a basic level. Example, he might DIE if he eats that (fear of death), he wants to look good (desire), for his girlfriend (desire to impress) etc... Which means whatever is stronger will win. If all the desires I listed were stronger, then he'll overcome the desire of food.

@TruthSeeker Agent of will means "I" as a soul, a controller.

@Amplituda LOL... How about define No-self.

@Natasha Yeah! It doesn't matter, isn't it? LOL. There was one day I read something like "Thanks to mother nature, dogs in Alaska have thick fur." And I was like, aren't dogs mother nature themselves? LOL

By truth, I meant all realities. There are enlightened people and normal people. Bodies, thoughts, feelings and senses are still there in present moment. But for enlightened people, they know them with awareness (therefore no consequences because every after one thought or sense, awareness cut the further thought generations) but others not. By middle path, I meant one doesn't have go wild (ex: suicide) because body, mind, & senses are illusion. Also one doesn't have to be too sensitive about what one knows. Hard to explain because if I put the wrong word, you'll be misunderstood.

Listening to the music is not wrong. But don't let the music take you away.

Mostly NO! They have some miner ones. Depending on the level of enlightenment. That's why not many things can bother them (not even life or death situations). Most of the time enlightened people naturally happened to know difference between good and bad. I am not praising enlightened people though. Enlightenment is like you get hit by something and your brain just become opened to all the realities, possibilities, right and wrong. Enlightened people always try to be balanced in all situations.

You know what I realized? I realized that not everyone will understand this enlightenment and people who understand it already have the seed of enlightenment knowledge (since birth) in them already.

@AlexB During sex... You are having pleasure, not awareness. (You were being it without knowing)

Wow! The reason enlightened people never show up is because people have really high expectations for them like they should be like this and that. But really, they r just normal humans. Only difference is their understandings and how they cope their own emotions.

@Huz88 It is perfectly OK to put your eyes closed. The purpose of Do nothing Technique is to put the "I" away and notice all senses right away as it comes up. Remember there is no 'I' is hearing or feeling. 'I' here is doing nothing right now.

Name: Khin Age: 21 Occupation: Student Location: Lancaster, PA Hobbies: Drawing, meditation, Enlightenment work, personal dev. work, Helping others Marital Status: Single (Never interested to be in relationship) Kids: No LOL! Back in 2008 and 2009, I was killing some flies in my back yard. with broom! Come to think of it now I was really wild. Didn't know anything about anything. Nothing at all. But that day, I saw flies died and thought about myself. I asked, do I want to die? No!!!! So why am I making others die then? Will I die tomorrow? In a week? In an hour? I realized that all is possible. I couldn't sleep and eat for months. I cried in my bed thinking about me, my parents, people I love would die too. Knowing that anyone could die at any moment. It was really painful torture. From that on I stopped killing. I don't even kill an ant anymore. I started to go to church and asked questions about God because they said he can save me from death. Then, I was sent to a temple. Never wanted to go but had to because of MOM! I was only fourteen. I meditated everyday there and understood many things. Since then I have always been into enlightenment works. In U.S. I found Leo's video on the day I lost my job. LOL! funny thing was instead of depressing, I was actually happy to see his video because listening to the truth was MORE valuable than everything else at that moment for me. I've overcome: Overcome fear of death Able to accept the reality Emotionally stable: decrease anger, No depression, Not too much happiness I'm working on: Nursing Degree (For Family) Finishing my responsibilities (For Family) Cutting all the ties (Basically Family) Cutting out bad habits

@Mac To Nirvana, there are definite four stages depending on the awareness and understanding level (Buddha said it). But Don't know about Enlightenment because some said it's understanding the reality and some meant it as Nirvana.

@Luna Wilde I have been using Do nothing for six years now. That's exactly which Leo was saying. To me, what he meant by reality was the present moment. Only the present moment exists and that present moment is always changing. Doesn't even last for one second. But your mind is too trashy to notice the reality (no awareness). For example, someone cursed at you and you heard it. But did you aware of a sound being just a sound? Did you aware that sound just goes away after the air hits your ear drum. Mostly no. So the consequences come along. Ex: the anger, disappointment, etc... So a sound is just a sound, a sight is just a sight, that's reality. Hearing and seeing are reality. Also, they don't last forever, they disappear right away. That's reality. The body exists but not the same as last year. Cells changed, everything changed and it's all new now. That's reality. ALL DISAPPEAR. it's what I call little DEATH. Therefore, there is No such thing as permanent I because if you are the 'hearing sense' then when it disappears You disappear. Nothing is permanence so you are impermanence and that's why you are NOTHING.