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@Bruno NuAr Great post man, this is certainly the time to wake up to all our bad habits (on a relative level) and fix them up to optimize our bodies and minds relatively speaking. Like you said, yes this is all a dream/ God's imagination etc, however, while we can unconditionally accept that, while we are living through these vessels and on this plane, to me we need to do everything we can to live the best life possible relatively speaking, why not play the game the best we can?

@Heaven I would say while this Virus is around, don't give up on the Wim Hof method, cold shower followed by his 10 minute guided breathing doesn't take long and can help your immune system, it's something I've readded into my routine as a result of this!

@thibault Yep no rules whatsoever! In your own process, allow whatever comes up to flow! If it means testing out polyamory so be it, or if means no more sex so be it. Just PLEASE, don't repress whatever arises, if you still have a sex drive and sexual desires, the worst thing you can do is repress them, it's natural!

Maybe, but I would say more to the point there are no rules and no “this will happen.” Some people go completely celibate like Ramana Maharshi some go on to have wives and families like Rupert Spira, Adya, Francis Lucille, Ramaji& Amanda etc And some may even go on to explore Non-Monogamous relationships, or being more sexually open like you said. Each Body/Mind will be different and however you feel post awakening is what you should then explore, not just be like well Ramana was celibate and so are all them monks so I will be! Remember, each beings awakening is unique, and will have different implications, as I said someone could actually become more sexually active and explorative post awakening. I would say the ONE common denominator is the ability for intimacy increases hugely, not just in Romantic relationships, but all forms of relationships. On a personal note, post awakening I am still sexually active, but keep in mind I’m a 20 year old Male, so it would be unlikely the sex drive would just drop away. The difference is (as with everything else) sex is no longer used to fill a void, or “make” you happy, it is simply a celebration of love, happiness and life between 2 (or more in some cases!) beings. True awakening doesn’t come with a rule book on how to live life, an awakening to the heart will basically give you this “moral code” (morals will be dropped though) “Love and do whatever you want!” Also, if you try and force celibacy or something unnatural you’ll just end up with sex in your shadow which will create even more issues down the line. Look at monks and priests who repress their sex drive. this video with Rupert explains it well-

@Michael569 Yes, when my GF mentioned it to me at first I was hesitant to admit defeat to the old Covid-19 but after all what's more of a haven for spreading a virus then in a tightly packed night club or humid pub? There's plenty of time to celebrate life, but right now the most loving thing to do is stay as safe as possible to help prevent to spread to those most vulnerable! And, agreed, what about Megadosing vitamin C if you do get the virus, say 1000mg a day?

@Consilience Great points and I thoroughly agree although it does seem some of the most awakened beings are not Vegetarian which is strange to me, maybe it's pure ignorance? Like, veganism is mainly fuelled by younger people, same as 'Conscious' Politics, so maybe there is hope for the future and collectively we are growing. And, yes from the Absolute perspective everything is perfect, however, I find it hard to believe anyone could watch how their meat is made and the suffering one goes through and then continue to consume it, knowing that being is literally them, yet is being tortured for their own pleasure and gluttony. This is the one are I disagree with my own teachers on and everyone here knows how much I love them! I'm going to bring it up with Ananda when I see her next week, as she said recently she doesn't want to consume meat anymore, and I feel actually understanding what goes on is the first step really, as before I was very ignorant as the majority still are, and it's easy to remain in that ignorance as meat is tasty and convenient isn't it?

@Michael569 Bro you're a hero I'm going to send this to my GF who has a lot of older relatives that need to particularly do this! And, her Dad has diabetes, as does my Mum so need to warn them. As always, natural long term health is an incredible form of self-love and one I feel many 'Spiritual' people don't integrate and they continue to eat fast foods, drink Coke and remain Obese, which is apparently one of the biggest risk factors for this virus. Hopefully, it will kick more people into getting healthy although I doubt it! Taking care of the body while we are here is to me actually a great form of Spirituality, it involves discipline not to eat and drink shit. For me, this virus has made me stop going out to pubs and clubs with friends and as a result, my alcohol consumption will be at 0 at least for the next 2 months. What do you think about herbs like Garlic, Ginger, Onion etc, should we be adding extra to our meals? I've been adding Turmeric and Cinnamon to my morning oats recently, wondering what other herbs and superfoods could kick it up a notch?

@Heaven Try and control the next thought or feeling you have. Let's give a very primal example, can you choose to be attracted to someone? You didn't choose your first crush did you, it's not like you went and picked them out like yes I fancy them, it just happens, you can't control your thoughts and feelings can you? You can choose how you respond to that situation, whether you go and talk to that crush for example. The issue of free will dissolves when you realize there isn't a separate entity choosing, it is simply 'God's Will' or The Absolute, and post-awakening 'your decisions' will come from a place of love and understanding of what is best relative to that moment usually. It's kind of impossible to put into words regarding free will, but if there's no separate entity, it doesn't matter if there is free will or not. If you believe there is a separate entity, just be honest with yourself and it APPEARS there is Free Will for this entity, until you realise it was The Absolute that was taking care of everything all along! Never a separate self to begin with, therefore, the question becomes void It's not that the separate self has no free will if we think we are one, then it seems we have free will. However, once you realize there is no separate Self, No-Doer etc, you then could easily ask well who chooses, what's in control? That's where Absolute Freedom comes in, and if you have awakened the heart, it is like The Absolute and Love then becomes the guiding force in all areas of your life. Of course, there may still be bad habits and behaviors but more and more Love and Absolute Freedom are the guiding forces for your life, and life simply becomes a Celebration of this understanding, of this love, of this happiness in all areas of life and you are free to celebrate however you wish and desire to!

@The Lucid Dreamer I wrote a whole post about your point on not enjoying things but my WiFi crashed so I guess it was meant to be shorter! I basically went through a similar thing of not enjoying things, but then the motivation and joy from them evolves. No longer looking for peace and happiness in objects, relationships activities etc as I am already absolutely happy and at peace regardless of what happens. Then, life is seen as a means to express this understanding, this happiness, this joy, this love, this fun in ALL areas of life! Life is then a celebration of this happiness and we can express that however we see fit, but no matter what happens we are always completely happy, at peace, and fulfilled. This is the absolute freedom of absolute! Whether it's taking up a sport, deepening your relationships, or going in a cave and meditating, ALL is done as an expression and celebration of this understanding and life is simply to be enjoyed and embraced as ALL is the Divine, All is God, ALL is The Self. Paradoxically, as we no longer put demands on things to make us happy, it allows us to enjoy life even more, as no matter the outcome we are completely happy already, so it is like complete freedom that allows us to simply celebrate this understanding however we see fit I hope you manage to find activities and interests that allow you to do this, it could be anything! But, the main difference is, all of it comes from Love.

Awesome post!

I just wanted to make this post basically regarding meeting people where they are at. A lot of people quite simply are not ready for the true understanding of Non-Duality, and telling them 'You are GOD!' probably won't help them too much In many cases, we need to meet people where they are at in life and help them in that situation, this has been brought to my attention by several things- 1) Several friends going through tough times mentally due to several situations and different reasons 2) Almost instantly after speaking to them I found this video- Basically, it means tailoring the Non-Dual understanding to an appropriate response to that situation. True Non-Duality isn't about simply telling everyone they don't actually exist and their problems don't matter straight away, they may not be ready for this and this can actually do more harm then good. By responding to the situation in a way that meets where they're at and in the way that is most helpful for them, you are actually appropriating this understanding in the best way, in response to a situation. On a forum like this, it's easy to forget 'Normal' people just aren't at all interested in Non-Duality and still see themselves as a separate ME and Ego, while of course EVERYONE is the absolute knowingly or unknowingly, many are extremely unconscious of this and what is most beneficial to them is actually helping resolve their issue in whatever way is best. In this situation, I recommend a YouTuber who had overcome and healed skin issues (Brian Turner if anyone suffers with Acne) and another I did actually remmend Eckhart Tolle (Not someone who I'd recommend most here) as he used to listen to him a lot, and I know myself listening to him can be very healing in getting in touch with the presence that we are. Also, simply talking and being there for someone can help more than you know. Anyways, I've rambled on a lot here, basically what I'm trying to say is that simply saying You Are God! and giving Non-Duality answers right away isn't always the answer, and there's is nothing wrong with things such as Therapy, Lifestyle changes to help depression, Even medication in some extreme cases, to help deal with that particular person's situation. Another example would be if say our families had issues, I know my parents wouldn't have one clue what I was going on about if I started telling them about Non-Duality and RASA Loool, so instead I would sit down and actually listen to my families problems and try and help them in a different way. The funny thing is, this is still coming from true Non-Duality as you are helping people where they are at. I just wanted to make this post for those of you who have similar situations (or are therapists) with friends, family, Gf/Bfs facing situations in their life and they just aren't ready for these teachings yet and say that meeting them where they are is likely the most effective approach. And, then when the time is right, you can get down to the real fun stuff

@DreamScape That's awesome man, keep going! @fridjonk I do 2nd this, after all, all that matters is 'your own' experiential understanding of this

@Nahm Oh wow You fooled me @fridjonk Haven't all these pandemic diseases come from Animals? I was talking about this with someone, maybe we should consider not eating dead flesh anymore I'm not sure if it was a rumor but didn't AIDS start from Chimpanzees also? Maybe it's nature saying- Stop fucking with these sentient beings, they are YOU!

@SoonHei Exactly man, well said! @Javfly33 Keep going, The I-Thought can be very pesky! I would say each time a thought arises do this: Firstly welcome and love your thoughts and emotions like you are a guesthouse and they are your guests, even the 'negative' ones, welcome and love them unconditionally. This way they will start to open up to you, and (hopefully) stop rushing around like madmen, as they do you can start to investigate each thought as it arises. Where does the thought come from? What is there at the centre of this thought? Is there an 'I' this thought is about? Where does the thought return to once it has 'done its thing'? Do the same with emotions also, and find out their and your true origin. I would also recommend a Natural Pure Awareness/ Do Nothing meditation, where you do breathing exercises to firstly slow down the stream of thoughts, then simply allow EVERYTHING without any resistance or doing anything at all. The reason you want to do this is this is what The Self/ Natural Pure Awareness is ALWAYS doing, usually in the background though. This allows your True Self to slowly come forward and reveal itself to you. You can also do this anytime in the day, simply take a breath and rest in awareness. Before you'll know it 'foreground', 'background' 'awareness' etc all merge into one, in some kind of 'explosion.' And then, simply put thoughts are no longer a problem! I got this from Ramajis 'No Mind, No Problem' book and it really helped me, and also Shinzen has a YT video on do nothing meditation

@Visionary Yes man, No matter how awakened you get, them good old emotions will still rise up, there just won't be anyone at the centre when you investigate them! No, Some people may want to simply go and meditate and chill post-awakening, and that's fine, it's more of there are 'no rules' that's absolute freedom! However, after awakening to the heart, I'm not sure you could go and work for McDonald's, Corrupt companies etc, but the need to survive can be strong, although poisoning children doesn't really align with Love @fridjonk I hear you man, as much as I hate to admit it City are great to watch when I put my bias aside! And, yes sadly I think that two, maybe Corona will give people more time to turn inwards and realize the truth of their own beings with the lack of entertainment! Be interesting to see how society responds, seen some weird Conspiracies on it also, Twitter isn't only a haven for Left-Wing Politics, but also wild conspiracies, always good fun to read, any truth in them? Guess we will see if Cash still exists post this economic downturn....

@DreamScape Firstly, be grateful you found the path so young, we are so 'lucky' to have found these teachings at such a young age! 1) The question is impossible to answer objectively. You could either still be in the same thought loops in 10 years, or could have realized the truth of your own being, and abiding in the peace and happiness that comes with. My advice would be find a teacher/ teachings you resonate deeply with, stick with that and ideally work with a teacher 1-1 or Via Retreats and get what you can from them. But, YOU are always your own Guru so don't give away your power to such teacher! Also, THIS is it right now, the realization can only HAPPEN now, you can't plan for it to happen in say 2030 on September 5th at around 5PM, it is always Now and it is always THIS. 2) In a nutshell, from mild depression and lethargy to Absolute peace and happiness, and complete Love for life and everything about it. I hate saying things like this as it can set up concepts, but it's like being reborn again and life truly begins after awakening. 3) By 'Milestones' I'm assuming you mean awakenings and experiences, so for me nothing beats realizing the true nature of your own being and abiding as that, and then expressing this in all areas of life. It's basically like it's Christmas every day except you don't need any presents or anything to feel the happiness and peace, as it is inherent in our own being. 4) That I, You, Everyone, Everything, The World, This Laptop, The coffee cup next to me is ALL The Absolute/Awareness/ Divine and that THIS is it, right here, right now and this very 'world' is The Buddha planet itself. There is nowhere to go or get to, it's THIS as it is, yet even saying that is too much. 5) Personally, no siddhis, the realization I mentioned above is pretty mind-bending considering I was a hardcore atheist up until a few years ago, I actually remember watching a David Hawkins (I think that's his name) atheism documentary thinking to myself how smart I was realising there was no God. Who knew hey! 6) Mine were mainly I 'believed' I had to 'deny life' to awaken, and that I couldn't embrace life in all it's glory, and as an Enneagram 7 this scared me a lot! Thankfully, this isn't true and since EVERYTHING is The Self, there's no need to deny anything. I also feared I wouldn't be able to function or couldn't earn money or enjoy sports etc This is kind of why I recommend working with a teacher 1-1 it can really help overcome your own unique blockages and issues, sometimes the questioner in the Non-Dual videos doesn't have the same issues as you! Just one final thing, if you're after truth, happiness, peace and love (promise I'm not a hippie) then you're in the right field, have fun!

@fridjonk Indeed my friend, who do you support? A few weeks can really change a season, and Corona could still ruin the rest of this one!

@Javfly33 Check this mate- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptkH0uK1uXM @loub is this the video you was talking about? (The end of the video had me smiling at my Laptop like a crazy person )

@SoonHei you too man, it's a sticking point for a lot of seekers, I used to myself 'demonise' thinking and think I couldn't think anymore, when in reality when you experience it experientially, thoughts just stop being an issue anymore

@Javfly33 What changes is there is no 'Me' the thoughts and feelings are about, but there is still thoughts and feelings. You don't NEED thoughts to function, as The Absolute has always and will always take care of everything. Need the toilet? Your body will let you know. Need to eat? The sensation of Hunger will rise. Etc When you truly understand this teaching you're always in a 'Thought-Free' state as thoughts are no longer a 'problem' for you like they were. However, this doesn't mean you never have thoughts, yet when you do you remain 'Thought-Free' it sounds extremely paradoxical, but it's saying thoughts aren't a problem anymore so whether they are there or not, doesn't matter. Also, you can still use thought as a tool. Say you're doing your taxes, or planning your trip, that's a good time to utilize the tool. But like with a Laptop, once finished with the tool, you put it away. An awakened accountant will still use thoughts on the job, but could still effortlessly abide in the ever thought free 'state' of The Absolute. Hope this makes sense

@Visionary Thank you man, I'm glad it could help in anyway! What are you about there's no human to feel anger or disappointment????? No, but in all seriousness was gutted, we actually played very well and was let down by a certain someone. Also, very worried how much the Madrid fans spread Corona as somehow the UK government let them come over despite Madrid being in lockdown.... My friends enjoyed us losing at least and made that very clear! Tbh though I think sports events can really act as a great metaphor for dealing with emotions. Francis Lucille talks about this as he plays Tennis, ultimately we know it doesn't matter what happens, our true self remains the same either way. However, getting completely lost in the game and wanting to win the game is part of playing. The difference is your happiness is not dependent on the outcome of the game anymore, and if you lose it's okay with you. In my case, I went through tension, elation, complete joy, anger, despair, deflation, followed by upset and disappointment in the end. I felt all these emotions fully as they arose, and then let them pass, and in terms of the 'Negative' emotions, there isn't a little me they get 'stuck' around anymore, but this doesn't mean they aren't fully felt. In fact, they are more fully felt than ever before, but then simply let go after. Today I am as happy as I was yesterday because The Self/ Awareness etc remains completely unaffected whether we won or lost or whether the game was canceled due to Corona! I think the good old Bhagavad Gita puts it best- Complete involvement without true attachment to the outcomes or fruits of your actions. Either way, I will remain happy and fulfilled as this doesn't depend on anything 'external.' Here's Francis explaining it well @Javfly33 Each situation is unique mate! However, I would in some cases (such as Shinzen Young as the person above mentioned) awakening doesn't simply instantly deal with all issues, and therapy/ whatever else is needed can also be needed post-awakening. Shadow work can be revealing post-awakening and can also involve a certain level of 'work.' I think @Haumea2018 could also explain more on that issue. However, if for you, you feel therapy has ran it's course in it's own life, maybe in your situation, it's time to let it go, and 'focus' as such on awakening. I don't think there's a 'one size fits all' answer and that each unique being will have different needs depending on a number of factors. I would argue in most cases, awakening would be much 'easier' when you aren't constantly depressed and anxious, as that may make it difficult to sustain any sort of investigation or meditation. And, if you have an even more complex Mental Illness I think that's a different story altogether. But, I think a case by case approach is the 'ideal' approach, and therapy could be necessary for some, but not for all. @Nahm Are you from the UK, if so please don't tell me you're a Man City fan.... If in your case you do not need therapy, then great

@Raptorsin7 Honestly, if you have toxic psychology, don't rule out typical psychological work being able to help. For example, I have a very addictive personality, and that hasn't changed post-awakening,, what it has done has allowed me to be much more honest and aware of this issue and as a result, take the required actions. And, I agree, after all, Self-Realization is simply that, the realization of the truth of our own being. That's like chapter 3/20 say, then there's actually living the understanding in all areas of life (embodiment), integrating and dealing with any issues you face, and of course, still being HUMAN which many Non-Duality worshippers forget. You aren't suddenly going to grow wings and fly. While the teaching itself is incredibly simple, it doesn't mean there isn't nuances and issues we may face post-awakening that need to be dealt with appropriately.

@Harikrishnan Yes, I mean most of these stories are passed down from thousands of years ago so both mine and yours could be untrue but the message is very clear in both of them and in Ramana's picture you showed. Yeah, I don't preach, my whole family eats meat, as do all my friends and my GF and her family, I am very grateful they serve me Vegan food when I am round and am grateful for my mum understanding my decision to go Vegan, originally it was for Acne + Ethics, now it is, as I see it, a way of living the understanding in the realm of consuming food. When you do go vegan, just make sure to do your research, eat a well balanced Plant-Based diet and supplement with B12, you live in India I'm guessing so probably won't need vitamin D3 as I do over here in the UK! Anyways have a great day.

@Raptorsin7 Yes of course! Self-Realization is always the greatest 'thing' to happen to 'me' too, and nothing beats abiding peace and happiness. Simultaneously, I am just wary many simply are not ready to hear that they don't actually have a little me, and the little 'I' is nothing more than a fiction story, so for those people, you may look to recommend an alternative first. However, of course, if someone appears to be ready, the best thing you can do is help them see the truth of their own being. I still feel even post-awakening, there is still room for more typical 'PD' work such as optimizing health, Shadow& Emotional work, improving relationships. building a business/ life purpose etc. But, like you said all of that becomes far easier without an I-thought getting in your way and resisting. Someone mentioned yesterday after decades of enlightenment Shinzen Young still needed to go to therapy to sort out some emotional issues! I guess I'm trying to say Self-Realization is more like being reborn and starting to truly live life, rather than it being a complete end to life. Now you have the complete freedom to do as you wish in life, and you are no longer expecting happiness and fulfillment from objects, relationships, activities etc so these also have a kind of freedom that allows you to enjoy them even more. A great paradox!

@Raptorsin7 I know what you're saying, but just be wary that what worked for you, may not be the ideal path for everyone, often it's not as simple as that. If someone has the burning desire for truth like we did then go for it, but if that isn't there, that's when I would say you can appropriate the understanding as a direct response to the situation