Moksha

Yes To use the mind, rather than being used by it, is to live Consciously. The mind then becomes a magnifying lens for creativity and abundance, rather than a magnifying lens for confusion and suffering.

@Endangered-EGO I've found that any time I start judging others, it is my ego sneaking in the back door. Maybe try seeing religions as allegories for universal truth. I started doing this when I studied Eckhart Tolle. He frequently brings up teachings from Jesus, for example, but in a universal light. Christians might see the "Kingdom of Heaven" as this literal place in the sky with gates of pearl and streets of gold. Instead, Tolle translates it as "Dimension of Spaciousness", and it suddenly makes sense. Aldous Huxley had it right. There is a Perennial Philosophy that pervades all religions and appears in every age (per Eknath Easwaran): There is an infinite, changeless reality beneath the world of change This same reality lies at the core of every personality The purpose of life is to discover this reality experientially, that is, to realize God while here on earth People give it different names, but the underlying truth is universal. The error is in identifying with the names, rather than realizing the truth itself. The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao. By manifesting this, maybe we can provide the space for others to move beyond the literal to the transcendent. Ultimately, it is up to them, but in the meantime we can still directly enjoy the truth that underlies all of it.

@Mvrs How appropriate

The promise of free truth was the original lie. Eve wanted to know good and evil, without realizing that knowledge would bring death. The pursuit of anything: truth, happiness, even love, results in death. There is always a price to be paid. All of these are different names for the same thing. Truth is Happiness is Love. The price is always the same: Death of the illusionary self. Enlightenment collapses into a singularity, like everything else.

Heaven is inside us

@Raptorsin7 It sounds like you are on a good path. Simply recognizing that your thinking is not in alignment with how you feel is a critical first step. Rather than bringing your thinking into alignment, try allowing some space between and around the thoughts themselves. Thoughts are less like a wild horse to be tamed, and more like a horse trapped in a stall, that simply needs a spacious pasture in which to roam. Have you tried meditation? The practice can help you learn to focus on your inner body, and become comfortable with allowing space in your life. Even simple practices of "no thought" can be useful. For example, do you think about driving from point A to point B, consciously making every choice about which corner to turn, or that red light means "stop"? Or do you just get in your car and drive? Try applying this to other mundane activities in your life. When you get up in the morning, instead of consciously thinking about getting dressed, let your mind relax and just focus on allowing the space within you to arise. Pay attention to the moment, without naming anything. Feel the texture of the fabric as you pull your shirt over your head. Notice the aliveness in your feet as you put on your shoes. You will get dressed without even thinking about it, yet the experience itself can invoke a whole different level of awareness. The mind tends to get us into trouble more often than not. Learning to be aware, beyond thought, is a pathway to peace.

@Raptorsin7 Do you mean there is some confusion about the person you experience as "I"? Have you realized yourself directly as Consciousness? If so, is it that you are having a hard time integrating that realization with having a body and a mind? Can you give us a few more details?

As long as your heart is beating, You are still You: the holy trinity of Atman, body, and mind. Jesus said, "I Am", and you can say the same. When You kick the bucket, there will be no more "I". So enjoy the unique You that You are.

@mandyjw So true

@Raphael Giampietro Welcome to the forum! You don't have to completely abandon all perspectives, just don't identify with them. Enlightenment isn't threatened by personalities or opinions, if you see them for what they are. You can enjoy discussions with others, comparing "your" ideas to "their" ideas, just recognize that they are only ideas, and not reality. If you feel that you need to defend an opinion in any way, that is a red flag Perspectives, narratives, and memories are all forms of attachment. Beyond these, any desire or aversion that you identify with, ultimately has power over you. See all these things for what they are, and don't confuse them with who You are. The more you realize Consciousness in your life, the more these attachments will dissolve, like the sun dissipating clouds in the sky.

@SilentTears Enlightenment is nothing ?

I understood what you meant And you were right. For me to argue that suffering is the best way to dissolve the ego is, in a sense, egotistical. I should have said, "For this one, suffering has been a helpful way to dissolve the ego." I try not to put "me" into any discussions around enlightenment. It tends to be Self-defeating. Just took my dog for a walk, and was pondering on this. Enlightenment doesn't exist. Exist = "to stand out". Enlightenment just is. That enlightenment pedestal I mentioned earlier? The pedestal itself is a trap. Enlightenment is the space surrounding the pedestal; nothing was ever intended to be placed on it.

Hitler was deeply unconscious. In other words, he was insane. Most other people are insane, but not to that degree. Love is seeing the Atman in everyone, regardless of how deeply buried it is.

Yes There are many paths, and it is wise to avoid ultimatums. Saying "this way" is the "only way" or even the "best way" is your sneaky as fuck ego climbing onto the enlightenment pedestal and striking a victory pose. *swats at his ego* Shoo.

Dance it sister ?

The proof of Consciousness is connection, not perception. The brain perceives the world through sense organs. If Consciousness was produced by the brain, the perception would be all there is. We would only experience a one-way stream of information that ends in us. Consciousness is experiencing the connection between all things, including ourselves, as part of the matrix. It is omni-directional. It is the spiritual resonance that infuses and encompasses everything. It is this vibrant energy connecting everything together, that we experience directly, and in all directions. Ultimately, it collapses into a singularity of light. That experience, of ourselves and of all things, as Consciousness itself, is the ultimate reality.

@Mikael89 Awareness is the space between thoughts. It is Consciousness itself. It is the experience of being who You are, free from thought. Consciousness can still use your brain to think, but the thoughts are illuminated and refined, because they are infused with the Consciousness that inspires them. Not all thinking is bad thinking. When Consciousness is at the helm, thoughts are beautiful things.

@Member Love it Moonwalking our way through awakening. @mandyjw Yes The order of eating matters less than the meal itself.

If The Buddha, Eckhart, St. John of the Cross, and others awakened ass-backwards count me in

There's nothing wrong with wanting to escape suffering, or pursue happiness. The desire alone doesn't guarantee enlightenment, but it can spur you along the path. Maybe Leo is warning people not to confuse the desire for the path itself. The biggest obstacle to enlightenment is the ego, and the best way to dissolve the ego is by learning the lessons of suffering. People can realize mind-blowing truths about their identity, and their relationship with reality. But the realization by itself isn't enough. We still have to surrender the ego in order to be a vessel for Consciousness. Enlightenment is transformation. It is realized through learning, through loving, through meditating, through humbling yourself, and through devoting yourself to the truth at all costs. Ultimately, it is a sacrificial act. The self is sacrificed on the altar of the Self. The experience, when it happens, is holy.

Yes How can anything infused with God be "untrue"? There is joy in the dance of life. You are a wave on the surface of the ocean, but you are still the ocean. There will never be another wave like you, so celebrate it.

@Flyboy I was being truthful, but apparently not helpful. Don't mistake what I said for nihilism; it's the opposite. There are practical steps you can take toward enlightenment. Whether the motivating force is "free will" or Consciousness itself doesn't matter. The Buddha didn't teach everything he knew, and I now see the wisdom in that ? The traditional paths to enlightenment are meditation, dedication, renunciation, and selfless service. Find an enlightened teacher that you trust. Study the ancient and modern texts of people that have realized enlightenment (Bhagavad Gita, Rig Veda, Dhammapada, Gospels of Jesus, Power of Now, etc.). Learn through meditation to center yourself in awareness, without distraction from or identification with thoughts. Go into nature, and feel your connection with everything. Find joy in helping others. Live a life that honors your body and your mind, not as your identity, but as a precious gift. Allow your suffering to humble you, and realize that the source of your suffering is the denial of reality in the present moment. Recognize the ego for what it is, and refuse to listen to its lies. Be willing to sacrifice everything for the sole purpose of realizing the light that you are. There is absolutely and only Light at the end of the tunnel.

1) Some come to the spiritual life because of suffering 2) Some in order to understand life 3) Some come through a desire to achieve life’s purpose 4) Some come who are men and women of wisdom Consciousness wakes people up in different ways. It's creative that way. Peekaboo is boring if it's always the same wall.

Anyone here consider The Buddha to be enlightened? The Four Noble Truths are the essence of his teachings. They are 1) the truth of suffering, 2) the truth of the cause of suffering, 3) the truth of the end of suffering, and 4) the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. A few good pointers from the Gita:

Just came across this thread. Thank you, @Nahm ???