FoxFoxFox

@Shakazulu Thinking is what gets you in trouble in the first place

I approve of this message.

@Aakash But that's not it either.

Have you?

@Aakash Yes you desire annihilation. The real you knows that it's being taken over by an impostor. People live their lives like that you know. Most people feel 'hollow', consciously or unconscionably, and that's the symptom of body-identification. To get rid of that there is only one way: kill the ego. Only the ego cannot kill itself. Only grace can be the murderer. That is why it's extra tragic when people commit suicide for spiritual purposes. The mind won't die with the body's death and it'll find a way back.

@Shakazulu No. None of that is the truth.

@Aakash As long as you are in peace, then it's good. But you are not at peace. Deep down inside you know something is missing but you just can't figure out what it is. It's like a hole burning through your sternum. Just what is that?

@sausagehead Your table is not alive. It's not dead either. The same thing can be said about you.

@Aakash The sooner you accept that it cannot be put into words, the sooner you'll get there. The stories about the Self are the obstacles themselves.

Well they are like that at first because a lot of energy gets released into the body and it becomes a bit hysteric. But funnily enough things subside and the ecstasy is replaced by something much more gentle.

@Aakash This is nonsense: "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

@Aakash No.

Stop this calling each other devils nonsense. It serves no purpose and only hurts people's feelings.

Saying things like all is buddha or that there are no enlightened masters amounts to nothing. That is not the realization you are looking for. The realization is not verbal. The words delude you. Stop them.

After coming across a number of good spiritual practices on this forum I thought why not share my own go-to exercise. I'm calling this Fox Yoga because foxes are incredibly cute animals (also fluffy). This is a combination of several different practices into one (Kundalini yoga, Leo's shamanic breathing, and self-inquiry). It might be a bit too complex for neophytes but it's not too difficult and the benefits are immense. The benefits of this practice are: Quietens the mind Induces surrender Arouses and may even fully activate Kundalini Immediately improves your mood Makes you blissful and loving after a while And if you keep at it long enough and with enough intensity you'll self-realize. What you need: A nice atmosphere. I prefer dimmed lights, a comfy mattress/comforter, and a good pillow. Some sort of relaxed music with a stead rhythm. Just google 'tribal drum music'. A glass of water A rudimentary understanding of the general location of the chakras in the body. You'll be doing this initially for 20-30 minutes. As you get better at it, you can increase the time to as long as you want. First, drink that glass of water and make sure your throat is empty of phlegm. Spit all out. Lie down on your back and get as comfortable as you can. If you want, you can put a pillow under your back to expose your chest outwards as much as you can without it hurting you. This is not necessary but it's helpful if you are dealing with the heart chakra. Start that timer and play your music. The practice is to breath into your diaphragm with your mouth and let it out the same way. You know you are doing it right when it's your belly that raises and falls instead of your chest. Try to stay in rhythm with the music. Ideally, the length of you breathing in and breathing out should be as equal as possible. Also, don't hurt yourself breathing. You don't have to fully inhale/exhale. That doesn't mean you should breath shallow breaths either. Fill your belly, but don't hurt yourself. Now once you got into the rhythm, begin focusing your attention on the root chakra (Muladhara). Just imagine you are breathing into this spot which is at the base of spine, a few inches inside the body (in the perineum). Imagine a force expanding and contracting there. At first you might not be able to do this properly, but just try your best. Really feel into the spot and sense it expand/contract. It's easier than it sounds because that's how a chakra behaves when you regulate prana (which you are doing by breathing rhythmically). Do this for a bit and then move on to the next chakra, and make your way all the way to the Ajna chakra (the third eye chakra). You'll be going through chakras from bottom to top in this order: root>sacral>solar plexus>heart>throat>third eye>crown. Since the Sahasrara (the crown chakra) is not actually in the body, imagine your entire skull expanding and contracting with each breath cycle. Again, don't worry if this is hard to imagine, just keep at it. It'll come to you quickly. Eventually, you want to imagine your entire head being filled with white light, but that might take a long time. Don't worry about it, but keep it in mind. Work your way back to the root chakra, going through each energy center again. Repeat. Tips: Find a rhythm that works for you. Music really helps regulating the breath cycle, but I think different people like different rhythms better. Experiment. If you have some inkling of what the term "I am" really means, you can repeat that as a mantra when breathing. Say "I" on the in-breath and "Am" on the out breath. Don't go with other mantras if you don't understand them. There is not point in repeating Sivoham (I am Siva) if you do not know what that even means. If you catch your mind daydreaming in the mids of all this (and yes, the mind might be able to do so even with all this juggling) then use self-inquiry. Ask who am I and keep with the ensuing silence.

@seeking_brilliance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q070zry2c-Q

@KP_Spirituality27 Who is "you"? Find that answer first and then concern yourself with sex.

@SQAAD Because there really isn't such a thing called the ego when you try to find it. The ego is a bundle of thoughts. When you look for thoughts, the subside and so does the ego mind. So we say the ego is an illusion. The mistake is thinking that you are only ego.

@Mada_ The purpose of self-inquiry is not really the questions. The purpose is surrender. You know that "I" who you are. It's the most obvious thing in the world. Self-inquiry will initially show you that this "I" is not located anywhere in the body or anywhere in space for that matter. Then it will become a process of staying as that "I" despite of things. Instead of becoming through "I am this or that" you stay as "I am", only this knowledge itself is not the verbal sort of knowledge.

Yes and no. The "I" who you think you are is not responsible for anything. The "I" that you are is responsible for everything.

No.

@Mu_ The latter

You know how the mind is a model making machine? How it creates representations of phenomena? (You can read all about that concept in Richard Dawkins' books.) Well that's just the problem! The model making machines can only create approximations. They will never, ever capture the whole thing. We create these approximations then languish at the models inaccuracy and mistakingly our inability to understand. Would you use a pair of pliers when you need to hammer a nail? Stop using the wrong tool. Instead of the mind, use surrender.

@Mu_ It was unclear before what the point of spiritual practices were. It is not a personal desire anymore. And yes this has become more and more palpable.

@Mu_ That all it takes is to allow the mind to fully merge with the Self would be one way to say it.