FoxFoxFox

Specially since the pursuit of enlightenment (if done improperly) can lead to depression. All it takes is for a person to mistakingly identify with nothingness instead of getting rid of identification altogether. That is the recipe for depression, nihilism, and potentially suicide.

If I may add my own two cents: There have been posts where people claimed they were going to claim suicide. I've seen two myself. That is the real issue which something should be done about, maybe a pinned suicide prevention post. As for the claims regarding these posts being deleted/hidden by mods, i have not seen such a thing myself.

@winterknight Why isn't "How to find what isn't lost" called "Yoga Akilesh" instead?

@Truth Addict Yes. In the sense that the Self unfolds itself. At this point, language is entirely pointless, but if you gonna pull my leg, it "evolves" from pure void to voidbliss and then some.

@Truth Addict No. It only appears so because there is no way to talk about it properly. There is no such thing as an enlightened experience. Your wants and desires only strengthen the ego-identification. They are what result in "I-ness". Once "I-ness" goes out the window, that is permanent enlightenment.

@phllip103 As you practice mindfulnesses more frequently, the mind gets quieter. At first it might seem impossible, but it's just like anything else. Practice makes perfect.

@Truth Addict Yes that is correct. The intentions really don't matter in the end because all fall away at the last moment. Enlightenment isn't ever what you think it is. It's not God realization, those are just in the mind. The experience if you want to call it that is completely indescribable. Calling it void and bliss is already too much. Enlightenment doesn't resolve the paradoxes of the mind by giving verbal answers - all those are still allegories and metaphors. It is what it is.

@Truth Addict No worries. Like i said, if you truly are happy, there is not much point chasing enlightenment.

@Paul92 Self inquire and allow the revelation that there really is no "I" take hold of you. At that point, the practice should not be a mental one, but a matter of surrender. Having strong desire for liberation helps as energetic intensity can overwhelm the mind and force it to surrender. There is no practical advice here, because it is not a matter of practice. It is a matter of surrender, that is let the I go and never hold on to it again.

@Paul92 The reason you suffer is not because you've realized that there's no "me", it's because the process has not been fully complete. The proof for that is in your writing. You still fully identify with the body and the mind. You still fully identify with the "I". You have just adopted a bunch of false notions ("there is no me!" is just nihilism).

@Paul92 Let's get to core of your unhappiness first which is your break up. I want you to notice something about happiness. I want to propose that happiness really comes from inside you as opposed to other people. What happens is that you let go of your happiness from your heart and project it on other people. You then regain it when you are intimate with those people. But if the two of you fall apart, she'll take your happiness with you. If you want to stop your sadness, all you need to do is to allow your happiness to return to you. There is no need for anti-depressants and suicide.

@Truth Addict Then stop being a human being. The choice really is there. Inquire in the "I" who wants God-realization then. See if it's really there. Maybe God is hiding right behind that "I".

@Shaun Yes it's possible. In fact spoken words also might stop making sense. You'll hear people chatting but it will be as if it's the birds chirping. Although the mind will retain its ability to make sense of the world and respond appropriately when required.

@Truth Addict Well, life will smack you on the head and then you won't be happy. In fact you will be miserable. As long as a trace of "I-ness" remains, there is potential for suffering. Bliss is the Self's nature. To the Self it doesn't matter what the actors on the stage say or do, whether they live on or die. The Self will remain eternally blissful. Ultimately the choice is yours. If you believe you are already happy and that you do not lack anything, there is no reason to search for enlightenment.

@MM1988 It's a waste of energy and also might inhibit you from having enough intensity to do proper yoga. But theoretically it shouldn't be a hindrance. If you are aroused all the time you won't be able to focus on the work either.

@andyjohnsonman erowid.org

@Truth Addict True happiness is a great indicator of progress towards liberation. True happiness is not derived from objects, but within, without any reasons whatsoever. Bliss is our real nature.

@Truth Addict Self-inquiry -> Surrender

@Truth Addict The mind is not the right tool for self-realization.

What lineage are these practices from? I've seen similar ones in other yoga but not these specific ones.

This is the only thing that is relevant. All the paradoxes will resolve themselves when I-ness has fully subsided. The discussion here is frankly pointless because it's based on assumptions that are non-existent.

@Truth Addict Who is the "I" who wants to run away? Inquire into it's nature and see if it's actually there.

@Truth Addict That is still another model. This is the strange-loop of the mind. Step out of it completely.

Someone pin this thread.

@Jkris It all comes down to the intensity of desire for liberation. Intensity, felt as palpable energy within the body is not separate from divine energy. That energy, when heighten to the appropriate levels, will overwhelm your system to the point that the mind can't do anything but surrender. You can also follow the path of self-inquiry to come to the realization that there really is no answer when you inquire into the nature of the "I". But ultimately, even self-inquiry must become surrender in the end, as even Ramana recommended surrender over the practice as a mental juggle. The paradox of surrender is that as long as someone there is who wants to surrender, it cannot fully happen. All notions about life, world, God, awareness must go. The notion of "I-am" and existence as "I" must go, and they should never arise ever again. Love, surrender, devotion are all practices that build energetic intensity within the human vessel.