sumire

The point of our existence, as I understand it from one of @Leo Gura’s videos, is to realise that we are God and create, whether consciously or unconsciously. Causality is certainly factored into our human behaviour as previously discussed, but surely, there is some element of free will in the liberating realisation that we ourselves are not the body and therefore can respond according to its functions?

Hm. If we can’t make decisions either, then what is the point in realising the Self when we have no influence on the human self? If we have zero control over our thoughts and actions, then aren’t we all merely running on crude autopilot?

We have no free will over our thoughts, but is it not the case that we have the free will to choose to act on our thoughts? For example: when you had the choice of checking the timer, a choice implies that there must be someone to make the decision. Your being, the Self, could have resolved to check the timer, or it couldn't have. Good answer, by the way. It's really challenging my beliefs of free will, and I'm itching to find out more.

I'm new to the forum. Hello! Being generous. Listening to others. Allowing them to be. Allowing them to enter the stillness within me. Acknowledging that everyone is made of the same substance as me. Seeing them as more than who they appear to be, but for who they truly are: pure consciousness, or God. Nonduality. The illusion of the ego. My question is this: How do I find motivation to form deep, meaningful connection with others, when I’ve grown so detached from my ego that I’m only able to see sharing myself as a form of ego inflation? Is there a balance I need to find between relating to others in terms of being and ego? Of unconditional love for the universe and my human need to connect to others? I'm emphasizing friendships over romantic relationships, though I think the answer to my dilemma will be the same for the latter. How do I handle this situation of having no drive to want meaningful relationships, when I've identified wanting as a form of egoic action? Is this something I should seek in the first place?

Love you too bro.

Thank you — this has helped me a lot! I'd forgotten that non-duality encompasses everything, including duality itself. Moving forward, I'll try and embrace non-duality fully rather than use it as a means to intellectually understand my social problems. So from your perspective, I'm resisting connection with others? Authentic spontaneous action is something I feel rarely comes up in my interactions. The mere notion of this sounds both scary and wonderful. Can I ask what this feels like? Do you say and do whatever comes to you? I have a circle of friends I hang out with regularly and have good rapport with work colleagues, but all of it are surface level interactions. I think it's also worth mentioning that I began meditating and doing spiritual work four years ago to combat social anxiety and feelings of loneliness, both of which I feel have lessened greatly. When I'm alone, I feel conscious and at peace. This is when I feel lovingness towards things and the desire to connect to others. When I'm surrounding by people, I think this is where I begin falling into unconscious behaviour and resist others.