Shibazz

That makes sense. I guess there's a sort of baggage that can come with that word. From the Buddhist things I've read enlightenment is described as like this absolute thing, and it's perfect, but I'm probably getting some dogmatic idealization from that content.

Thank you so much, I appreciate your thoughtful post and I will look into him and y'alls foundation

Thanks for the insight Anna! And omg this guys a riot I've read his book I've never heard him speak before though. He seems so fun. Thanks for sharing!

<3

I'm going to check them out, thanks! Hella! Love it, how Nor Cal of you Nice! These are a bunch of people I've never heard of before.

@James123 @SoonHei This is the I am you You are me Orgy I love you love I you Me

Thanks Meta-Man. I've never heard of him. Checking him out

That's fascinating and inescapable, ultimately my reality is all in my imagination isn't it? But I mean that's sort of why I posed the question in the first place, because the matter is subjective, at least to the observer. Do you think trying to understand teachers/people/perspectives is just more distraction from doing the inner work and chasing delusion, or can it also be useful on the path? I meant that I intuitively suspect that the Dalai Lama still has ego attachments but I have no evidence or examples to support that.

As awake and present as so many teachers are I still haven't seen anyone where I was genuinely convinced that they were enlightened and ego-less. Am I alone in this? Maybe I'm ascribing too much to the meaning of the word enlightenment and being dogmatic about that. Or, maybe I'm just interpreting people wrong but are there any teachers you feel have really liberated themselves from their egos, attachments, ideologies and truly enlightened? Closest living teacher I could think of is Eckhart Tolle but at times it seems like there's a compassion or love that's not quite realized. The Dalai Lama is top tier but I feel like I can still see a little bit of an ego dancing around in there. What do you think? Are there any living spiritual teachers you follow who you feel are genuinely enlightened?

Thanks Cloudy! That does sound incredible. I'd prefer to be guided through the psychedelics by experienced people, but sounds awesome. Looking into the retreat further I can see that having certain expectations of what you get out of it isn't the right approach. I mean its 100 hours of meditation, Vipassana instruction and complete abstaining from all addictions and stimulation for 10 days. So, the value and purpose is clear. Man, it sounds scary but I want to do it. The fine line between excitement and fear.

I feel scared of ten days of blistering silence and have doubts that it will lead to any lasting meaningful shift. Have you done one? Any advice for someone considering it? Is it Jedi approved?