gettoefl

Good distinction thanks: the doing vs. the being paradigm

I always envy your commitment, focus and drive. True strength from my vantage point lies in recognizing that it's good to move with the flow of life while letting go of the need to maintain control - and thus allow existence to reveal its mysteries naturally and in so doing bring about the exalted state you desire right here and right now.

Agreed. Was saying those who are violent resonate deeply with porn. But the converse indeed is not true

It's a hard ask to accept that suffering and horror can be seen differently, especially when brought face to face with the monstrous acts happening in our midst. Yet, the challenge faced is not as much about the external events, but the personally assigned meanings. For example, wars, sex-trafficking and genocide, when seen via fear and judgment, indeed look horrific, inhumane, and unbearable. But this narrative is coming from my attachment. I am the one labelling things in such and such a way, I am projecting my past pain, and in doing so, it is I who make these concrete. The situation there is simply unfolding as it must, based on the circumstances of those involved. And yet, nothing that happens in this world can truly harm who a person is at the core. What’s liberating is that, at some deeper level, nothing in the world affects the supreme truth of who we are. The real horror, if any, is not what happens outside of us, but the violence of a mind that insists on making it personal. The devastation feels real because we assign value to it, but beyond that, there is nothing there that can actually touch us. On holding back any judgement, I am free to see the spark of light everywhere, even in things I used to consider dark or tragic. It doesn't mean I am heartless - it means I can see without being torn apart. Life is not as it seems, and the only thing that needs shifting is the way I perceive it. The world rolls on, but I can choose reality, even in the midst of chaos.

Violence is, I happily hurt the defenceless to satisfy my desires To be a purveyor of violence is to perpetrate violence vicariously The violent love porn since it doesn't take a lot of imagination to view porn as rape Even for most porn viewers, vanilla porn gets old and looks fake, and so violence gets mainstreamed Those in favor say, where is the harm, it is just consenting actors Vicarious violence makes you a violent person (though not criminally so) since you are thereby normalizing violence against others

Paul made it religion, a system for the masses to latch onto that doesn't require effort. He wanted it to be just a tad different from Judaism Jesus was about the spiritual path. Taking up your cross takes effort. Jesus was anti-religion and his stance had him pay the ultimate price. Chalk and cheese. Both are fine if that's what you require. In addition, Jesus didn't see himself as savior but as trail-blazer. One that all have the potential to emulate.

And now the work gets underway. As well as the fun and frolicking and fancy dress. Life in fact becomes one giant celebration from dawn to dusk. This is realization.

I think there's a difference between being a learner and being a follower Follow cautiously, learn widely Following is passive and learning is active To follow limits your potential and to learn maximises your intellect The key for me is to engage in plenty of contemplation, introspection and meditation These help to solidify one's own beliefs and explore other's claims I suggest regularly take notes and write summaries of things you are discovering You only know what you are able to explain and if you can't explain it simply in words, you are deluding yourself in what you know Personally I strive to know as little as possible and to stay innocently open to everything Having said that, over time I won't suffer fools but I do give them my respect and good will

Yes even the likes of Russell have jumped on the brand-wagon

Unless you put stock in the Christ, you should put aside this Jesus construct and stop spinning your wheels wasting your one precious life arguing for kicks in threads like this Jesus was the self-declared way to Christ, the truth of Christ, the life in Christ He was the first one documented to walk the walk, the one said to endure the worst to enjoy the best, the name above any other name If that's not for you, what are you even doing here? I bid you lots of love in finding a different set of transcendent truths that work for you

The question all must answer is: what are my true priorities? Most people will submit to the comfort and validation of the crowd, but there is always another way. The ego, with its limitations and illusions, can be exposed and corrected through delicate inner work. Which is the heart of all spiritual practice - an ongoing journey of awakening, marked by stages of spiritual growth and the rewards of inner peace. The most powerful element is forgiving the world. This means recognizing that nothing that happens is personal. Every event and interaction is neutral and it is our work is to see things in this detached manner. When we understand that everyone is playing out unconscious patterns of deep rooted past pain (trauma), societal conditioning (dogma), and their inherited spiritual beliefs (dhamma), it becomes easier to overlook the surface-level dramas. We can transcend the victimhood that the ego fosters by choosing to see the shared innocence in all. By doing so, we release ourselves and others from the mental prisons we've constructed, allowing space for love and freedom to emerge.

I observed your consciousness level has soared sky-high in such a short time. Seems we are reading from the same hymn-sheet. What you are describing here is the peace of god - the kind that transcends mental understanding. And I would say it’s about the most one can reach through mind's effort alone, but more importantly, it's a cue to allow something beyond to work through us. What it means is, nothing can truly affect you anymore because, in truth, nothing outside of you ever could. The games of the world continue, yes - amusing, bizarre, incomprehensible, and unpredictable - but their power over you departed as you recognize their illusory nature. Deeper still, it's all known to be irrelevant and meaningless from the higher perspective, and that's not a negative thing at all. In fact, it’s freeing. For the first time, one is rid of ego constraints and sees the world for what it truly is: a neutral canvas for perceptions. Like you say, one becomes attuned to the awareness of being rather than the impulses of the mind. From this place, we can choose to engage or to refrain without attachment. We begin to savour the present moment, where truth, beauty, love, and intelligence flow through us effortlessly. The barriers fall, and now we become a vessel for something far greater than we could imagine. Miracles pour forth in this state, and as you said, the real freedom is in realizing that there is nothing to get - only something to remember. Good times, indeed, await at every turn when mind is docile, and liberation lies on the horizon. For no longer are we striving for peace, but for the acceptance that we are that peace for a pained world. I hug you for your ebullient energy and gentle spirit.

Completely agree. Best way I can put it is that we're the whole enchilada choosing to think we're a piece so we can scheme our lives away vying to be top dog and rule the world or at least have a hefty pension pot to retire on and then dilly-dally in the sunshine for a few decades. What's more amazing is that what you believe you see with your own two eyes. Beguiling dream, for real huh? To put it simply I'm real happy being cake by the ocean without any change to my eyesight man so just leave me to eat pray love shag marry and kill k?

I haven't talked about god myself in a very long time The one who talks doesn't know and the one who knows doesn't talk

Nietzsche declared famously the death of god; but the latter had the last laugh when the former perished 4 years later Reports of his demise ever since have been greatly exaggerated Every human contains the memory of god within We will get glimpses here and there if we are earnest Though ego has to declare god dead in order to live its fullest fast-lane existence On a deathbed everyone cries out to god, like they say there are no atheists in fox-holes But for now let's party like it's 1999 and forgetting that was a quarter century back

Indeed. Everyone is Jesus or Judas, no other choice

to my limited experience at least but other's mileage may frequently vary* there fixed it

Have you defined religion too narrowly? Awakening is the fruits of religion even though other roads are permissible Religion is for the collective while spirituality may work if you are more introverted or isolated

If you see through your religion, it was some institutionalised corrupted version Religion is joining the transcendent and is the reason one has incarnated here An ego cannot practice religion since ego is god over all it surveys notwithstanding its disingenuous claims to the contrary Ego of its nature wants the longest life, the finest robes, the tenderest meats and the grandest harems In short, everyone chooses the divine - either here or there

Religion is merely how to get out of here alive One is religious or nihilist and they are the only choices one is given

Chat-gpt, give me a-z verbs of how I should view, treat, regard and engage with my brother lovingly In a similar vein, what are some a-z adjectives for ways I should take pains to NOT see my brother as bearing in mind his inherent innocence, perfection and sovereignty

Life is but an appetiser, a side-show, a distraction from the big dance that lies in store and is every one of our destiny's Life here is a shabby imitation of a glorious wonderland, like the meagreness of a cloud compared to the brilliance of the sun One needs a mustard seed of faith I will concede but then one sees there is a vast, unshakable reality beyond this one that makes everything here pale into insignificance. What I experience now, no matter how vital and vibrant, is a mere speck, while what awaits is prodigious, eternal, boundless and radiant with a beauty and peace we cannot fathom. In any glimpse that we are graced, this world will feel like nothing more than a shifting second-rate dream.

Appreciate every person you meet To think poorly of one person means you are not appreciating everyone Therefore you forfeit the kingdom and you exclude yourself from love Think how you would want to be appreciated if right now you were walking in their shoes The opposite of love is to judge because everyone is perfect at being who they are Love is a choice and can be maintained interaction by interaction, ceaselessly effortlessly The abc of love: A love is to be love it to see love

Like Leo says, you have to get out there and be vulnerable and humble Put the hot shot vibes away This is what women have to do too Put yourself on the line and see what energy is all around If I said to you, are you in lack? Your instinct will be, hell no bro Oh but yea sure give me a female Contemplate and cultivate LACK I am willing to tone myself down to have a partner, to compromise, to receive, to change Be interested in a woman more than impressing upon her how much you are bringing to the table Save your greatness until after she knows the unvarnished truth of you Act like you are nothing in every interaction This is authenticity and flowing with the moment