Mason Riggle

@Dodo and what if I said there is no separation between 'me' and 'that which is not me', and that 'my words' are actually 'the Universes words'.. similar to the way you don't consider these words as 'coming from your device', even though that's the most proximate medium that's currently delivering them to you.

I can say it in these terms.. whatever is occurring now, must be occurring just as it is, and could not be occurring other than how it is.

@Dodo it can't be mapped 100% accurately.. but maps can be 'better' and 'worse'.. I don't get to say, 'In reality, horses are born inside out until Santa turns them the right way round'.. and suggest that it's just a 'map' and doesn't matter how closely it maps onto reality. It's just as good as your map.

@TreyMoney how does one decide where to direct one's consciousness / awareness?

I'm one to say that 'choice' is nonsensical. It doesn't map onto reality.

@Dodo semantics are important. These subtle differences can be huge, especially when it comes to causing egos to disappear, as the illusion of ego often arises as a result of the language humans use. Consider that when we say, "I am thinking.." this gives rise to the notion of a 'thinker' in addition to 'thinking', however if we say, 'thinking is occurring', this leaves no room for any 'thinker' to creep in. Semantics are huge.

@Dodo who is it that 'sees through the illusion'? Ego is a notion that comes and goes like a whirlpool in a river.. it's there when conditions for it to exists arise, and it's not when those conditions are not the case. The ego can not get rid of ego.. that's just more ego. The ego can, however, vanish..

And I'm saying this makes no sense. If it can make things appear any way it wishes/desires/wants.. then it must be able to make things appear how it doesn't wish/desire/want.. I'm saying the correct thing to say is, 'it must make things appear the way it wishes/desires/wants'.. it's not a choice.

@Dodo well you've carefully dodged, by answering a question I didn't ask. You said the Universe can make it appear any way it likes... I suggest it has no choice but to be how it loves to be.

@Dodo getting rid of ego is the biggest ego trip of all.

@Dodo can the Universe 'make it appear' how it doesn't like? How? by liking to?

Desire and Suffering are two sides of the same coin. What do we desire? We desire not to suffer. What is suffering? That which we do not desire. Would you desire to eat if you didn't suffer hunger pain? "There will always be suffering, but we must not suffer over the suffering." ~ Alan Watts

"The most difficult decision you will ever face in life, is whether to give up, or try harder." - Me @Voodoo Child I can totally relate. Protect yourself first (be firm in your boundaries). This will not be easy, but it's not optional. Imagine being in love with a ferocious lion.. you are amazed by it's presence.. it's shear power.. it's grace and agility.. it's outward beauty, but you also know, given the chance, it will eat you, because it's a Lion. You may have to love the Lion from a distance (you don't want a lion living in your kitchen). You don't have to stop loving the lion, but letting it eat you is not loving yourself, which has to come first.

Imaginary = Real Is this forum 'real' or does it just 'seem real'? It doesn't matter, you see?

Ego happens when it should, as well. Ego can't interfere with how reality is, because Ego is 'how reality is', when it is.

Sure. It's something's propensity to be how it is.

There is no such thing as 'the will', there is just 'what will', and what will, will.. exactly if, and when, and how it will, and no other way.

Does this forum even exist, or does it just seem like it does? It makes 'no difference', you see?

"Cogito, ergo sum" "I think, therefor I am" "Consciousness = Existence" The following sentence makes no sense -'There exists a Lion that can not be experienced in any way.' If something 'can not be experienced' it is NO DIFFERENT than 'not existing'. If the difference between 'the experience of something' and 'it's existence' can't be 'experienced', the difference doesn't 'exist'.

It's so simple.. everything is happening and no one is 'doing it'.

@Shin then that was already what you were going to, and not the other thing.. If you say, 'I was about to go to the store, but then I went to the bank instead." then you were never actually about to go the store.. ?

@genandnic ? Do something other than what you are about to do..

@Dodo I have no problem acknowledging that the imagined separation is as real as it's ever going to get. I seem to be 'here', typing my comment to 'you over there', and that's what my experience is right now, and that 1 experience of separate things is what is 'real' for me. Imaginary/Real.. no different.

@Dodo The only thing I know with 100% certainty is that something seems to be happening right now. I may totally confused about what that something is. The One thing that I am absolutely sure exists for me (the totality of my experience, whatever that may actually be) seems like lots of things. It's seems like there's an 'independent you with inner thoughts and feelings, etc'.. but I can't be sure.

@Dodo this is because there seems to be separation between me and you. From my perspective, the only one I have, everything being experienced in this moment is what I am, including the experience of a 'you' and a 'forum' and 'conversation' etc.. all those things are 'what I am'. "I have no other self than the totality of things of which I am aware." - Alan Watts.