Grateful Dead

Sorry, I didn't see the question before. I've only used anchor points when there was to much fear to handle my experiences. I think it's important not to get so afraid that you don't continue with the practice. But if you're reasonably comfortable dissolving into your surroundings, just let it happen and go beyond it.

I think the problem with people, who stir up hatred against Christianity, is that they primarily see what the Church has done with Christian teachings. There are some nice sides, but I am also disgusted by most branches of the church. For example, several years ago, many cases of abuse by the Catholic Church were uncovered in Germany, primarily involving children. Or what's happening in America right now with the evangelists and Trump. I even have personal experience with this. Like the priest in my village was a really bad person, and as a teenager, I literally cursed and insulted him, and got into heated arguments with him. And my ex-girlfriend was sexually abused as a small child by a trusted person in her church. But for me, all of these things have nothing to do with Christianity itself. In my view, this is only about the institution of the church, which is corrupted by power and uses Christianity as a pretext to abuse its power in perverse ways. Leo keeps repeating "This is not God realisation", the same principle applies here, this is not Christianity. If you look closely at the teachings of Jesus, for example, it quickly becomes obvious that Love is the highest commandment and that his teachings are about finding the kingdom of God within us and thereby conquering the world. Peace, Truth, and Love are the central building blocks of this teaching; anything that goes against them actually has nothing to do with it. And for me, it's not that I adhere to an ideology and demonize everything else. For example, I studied and practiced Buddhism and Hinduism for a long time, but it didn't have the same effect on me, and I couldn't achieve what I wanted with it. Nevertheless, I see the truth and beauty in these teachings, and I believe that if someone comes from a different background, they will have just as much impact on them as Christianity has on me. I also don't try to convert anyone who doesn't want to. For example, I have friends who are gay, bisexual, transgender, or atheists, and I love them just as much as I love people who follow Jesus and believe in God; there's no difference for me. To answer this question conclusively, people hate out of ignorance and lack of knowledge. Probably because they perceive inadequacies in themselves and need to compensate for these through their hatred of certain groups.

No, I don't. Of course, Christianity, like any belief system, has been abused for political power and control. But that does not mean that Jesus' core teachings, such as love, truth, and humility, are inherently harmful. And now I am gaslighting you, how? You literally asked to be made a fool of... What I don't understand is how someone like you can't recognize the spiritual wisdom of Christianity, but instead just spreads hatred against it. Why can't you see Christian teachings for what they truly are? A system for achieving inner freedom and peace. I realize you may not understand this, but I accepted it because it worked for me. I know, that was my point. But does that make philosophy inherently self-deception? Well said, and yes, I basically agree with everything you said. When you're just beginning, you shouldn't rely on it leading to awakening. But in the end, it was the teaching itself that enabled me to truly awaken.

Food, for example.

You can have faith in the teachings taught by people like Jesus. In my case, it was faith. I believed that there must be more to this reality than this world, and God revealed it to me.

Sounds good to me. As long as you stay focused and make progress, it's fine. The risk you're taking with your health is that you'll become more sensitive and therefore have to pay more attention.

The teaching here is that faith in God can lead to a direct revelation. Or in my case, the direct experience came first and later, through Christian teachings, I found a way to integrate this experience. Anointing with consecrated oil, applied like ointment to the crown of the head, is an ancient rite. The Hebrew word for "anointing" is maschach, hence the title "Messiah," which also means the anointed one. In Aramaic, it has two other meanings: "the appointed one" and "the consecrated one." It can also mean "the called one," "one who bears the light of God." The act of anointing is the transfer of divine powers to the person receiving this special anointing, and consequently, they became known as "the anointed of the Lord." In other words, through the act of anointing, the anointed one became a son of Yahweh. For example, David called King Saul "the anointed of the Lord," or "Yahweh's anointed," a Christ of God. - From the book "Let there be Light" by Rocco Errico

In short, Christianity offers clear teachings that make it possible to align one's life with God. It's not primarily about an intellectual understanding of reality, but rather about establishing a deep personal relationship with God in order to free oneself from the prison of the material world and enter the Kingdom of Heaven. What can generally be understood as a state of consciousness nevertheless has a much deeper, ineffable meaning.

How you don't realize you're making a fool of yourself here is truly beyond me. Some of us have actually studied and practiced Christianity for a decade or so, and you've been watching YouTube videos for a month now and think you know everything? I know, in your mind you're so superior to all of us that we simply don't understand compared to you. It's as if we are all deceiving ourselves, but thanks to your keen powers of contemplation, you see through everything. What would you say if I said: I've been watching philosophers on YouTube for a month now, and none of them understands Truth, so all philosophy is "inherently self-deception". You know, I'm almost certain I would come to this conclusion if I would spent a month watching philosophers on YouTube (the smartest ones ofc), but that says nothing about philosophy as a whole and I would not therefore demonize all philosophers. That's just your ego acting out..

Since you've made the effort, I'll reply again just to say that you still don't understand, at least from my perspective. And I believe that's because you yourself haven't yet found a way to overcome your ego. First, he does not distinguish between the reality of thoughts and feelings; both are part of the "dream". And further Eckhart doesn't say that you can change the voice in your head through the violent exercise of will. That would indeed be foolish. What he is saying is that through increasing awareness of your mind (or body), you can become so conscious that the voice in your head fades into the background, and then you can open yourself more and more to this present moment. As a result, the energetic structure you speak of gradually dissolves, and you become increasingly free. Where I think we agree is that it is not really possible for someone who has not experienced such a deep awakening as Eckhart to fully engage in this process. And don't worry, I'm not offended by your opinion. It just seems to me there's no point in writing to you, since you won't be persuaded by me anyway, and I can understand that. As I said at the beginning, I just wanted to clarify that, from my perspective, you're misinterpreting Eckhart's teachings. That wasn't directed at you, but at everyone.

The Bible was written by humans, and if you had lived in the Middle East 2,000 years ago, no one would have to explain it to you. And even today, thousands of years later, there are ways to understand it, and you still complain. The creation story isn't about the evolution of humans, but rather about creation from a meta-perspective; it's not to be understood literally. And the science you speak of did not even begin to exist when the Old Testament was written..

If you want to understand the true meaning of the creation story, I recommend the book: The Mysteries of Creation: The Genesis Story by Rocco A. Errico. Then you'll see that it doesn't contradict Darwin's theory of evolution. You just don't know how to read the Bible, but you're making fun of it. Isn't that childish?

Sharing sources doesn't change the fact that you position yourself as the sole authority on their interpretation. Providing sources is good, but the way you present them and reject opposing views makes you the final authority on the truth. That's exactly what you're doing in this topic..

Well, it is.. That's just what you make of it. An ego sees ego everywhere. Maybe for you.. I did that, hence my clarifications. Your work calls for you to be perceived as the sole authority. Of course, you won't admit that.

So you keep teaching, "You are God," but if you recognize that God expressed himself through Jesus too, that is devilry? Well, for most people, it's probably easier to recognize God in a person who has acted miraculously than in a dog. Idolatry in the Bible refers to the worship of the ego btw It's still all built around yourself, "NO ONE else shows you that". You force everyone to question everything so deeply, and then you say, "but no one else but me really understands it anyways." So if someone's teachings are corrupted by others, the fault isn't in the teaching itself. Then perhaps you simply don't understand the teachings of Jesus..

Wow, Leo, I expected more from you. That's a misleading and oversimplified account. Christianity does not worship Jesus as a mere human being but as the incarnate Son of God. So the worship of Jesus is not about his personality, but about recognizing him as the visibile expression of God: 'Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father' (John 14:9). This is why there is the teaching of the Trinity, which says that God exists as Father, Son and Holy Spirit - three approaches in one divine essence which is God. That means worshipping Christ is not worshipping a seperate human, but much more worshiping God himself, who has revealed himself in Christ. And idolatry, as condemned in the Bibel, refers to the worship of created things in place of God. So if Jesus is trurly divine, which you're own teachings claim (you are God), then this worship is not idolatry but only a access to God, so that in the end you can realize that you yourself are Christ. The irony here is that what you've created around yourself is much closer to a personality cult...

I see, maybe I'll take one of your online courses in the future. My teacher moved away, and there's no one else near me. Looks to me like you have a good plan. I hope everything works out for you, brother. All the best!!

I didn't say that. Tolle says, “Let go of your ego and open yourself to the present moment.” That doesn’t seem so different to me. I think completely differently about the rest. I believe it's possible to leave the ego behind and live from a deeper level. That doesn't mean you can't use the ego when necessary. If you don't identify with the ego, then you're not suppressing an essential part of yourself by not paying so much attention to it anymore. Perhaps for some people the goal is complete peace and absolute freedom. I can tell you from my experience that this type of spirituality has given me exactly the opposite: happiness, clarity, peace, and freedom. If you want to expand your ego and become a super ego, that's fine with me. I think we have fundamentally different approaches to spirituality and won't be able to connect on that. That's why I'm ending our exchange here.

Of course, I understand your point, but from my perspective, it still doesn't hold water. First, you say Tolle's teachings are wrong because you know many people who use them as an escape and lack spiritual depth. Have you noticed that this is the case with all spiritual teachings, religions and also with psychedelics? Just because something is popular and attracts a lot of people who then misuse it doesn't mean it's wrong. Eckhart's message is that if you want to find complete inner peace, you must let go of your ego. Anyone who doesn't want to do that isn't wrong, they're simply dont want that or are not ready. You're right, Tolle places all the emphasis on inner freedom, the essence of true spirituality. Many spiritual masters have demonstratet that even under the most extreme external circumstances, one can maintain their inner peace. Of course, this is rare and unrealistic for most people, but again, it doesn't mean this is wrong. It's certainly true that Eckhart's teachings are limited to a certain extent; he, too, attempts to convey the unspeakable through his ego, because that's the only way he can speak to other egos. Of course, that can't be perfect, and it seems ridiculous to me that you expect that. Do you know anyone who has conveyed the Truth perfectly, without any distortions? The ego distorts things by their very nature, and even psychedelics, which aren't even human, distort the truth. So just because you've found some limitations in his teachings, does that mean what he teaches is fundamentally wrong? Eckhart's words aren't meant to become a law for you; they are merely a reference to a deeper truth. Look, even Leo comes to your rescue. That's because he fundamentally shares the same mindset as you, and that is: you have to survive as an ego in the material world. But that's self-help, not true spirituality, because for that, you would have to completely transcend your ego.

I practiced many different types of meditation intensively until I found the right one for me, and I recommend that you do the same. I've always practiced it for spiritual reasons; I think that's the only right reason to do it. There are better techniques for other purposes; meditation, in my opinion, is specifically intended for spiritual purposes.

Yes, if that part doesn't align with your beliefs, then leave it out and teach it as you see it. I don't think you have to be 100% behind the whole theory. And as you say, if someone asks you about it, be honest and authentic. I can definitely tell you that Qigong has truly enriched my life, and I've recommended it to many people around me. Also usually I prefer to learn online but with Qigong it was really important for me to learn it in person from a teacher. So I think maybe you should focus more on this aspect, like try to put together a group that meet with you every week and slowly build from there.

@Breakingthewall I'm honestly baffled that you're so offended by my use of the words "nonsense" and "joke." If you think that teachings like Eckhart's will lead you to use only certain words that hopefully won't offend anyone, and that you then have to be kind to everyone all the times, you are mistaken. Sometimes it takes a clear statement to expose an falsehood, and I take no pleasure whatsoever in that. I'd rather not have to do it at all. I really didn't mean to ridicule or humiliate you and neither did it make me angry what you said. Although it may seem that way, it wasn't meant personally. In German we have a saying that goes: "Wer im Glashaus sitzt sollte nicht mit Steinen werfen", which means: Whoever sits in a glass house should not throw stones.

I took a three-month Qi Gong course myself two years ago, and it was extremely helpful from a practical perspective, even though I didn't learn much about the theoretical aspects there. I still laugh about the fact that I didn't even really know how to stand properly before. And the practical things I learned are still so present in everything I do. For example, I'm currently taking tango lessons, and I notice how the things I learned in Qi Gong are helping me to dance more smoothly. Perhaps you should focus more on teaching the practical aspects of Qi Gong in a class. If I remember correctly, no one in my class was really interested in the theory. But we were fascinated by the practical effects on our everyday lives. And of course, it's good to know the theory so you can give qualified answers when questions arise, but I think most people don't want to hear about emotions in organs if they don't know what it's for. Hope this helps a little..

I only responded because I felt it was my responsibility to correct your nonsense, and now my work is done. I have no interest in arguing about something like this; it's just another projection on your part. He literally has a book that explains the process in detail: Practicing the Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from the Power of Now. There are also many YouTube videos that are very practical..

He also says that this happens very rarely and before that he suffered from severe depression for most of his life. Great projections brother. This was about you, like I said, I find it funny.