Moksha

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Everything posted by Moksha

  1. You're wise to be skeptical of self-deception. Not that Conscious manifestations don't occur (they do), but it is according to the ultimate will of Consciousness and not to the so-called will of the human mind. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." - Matthew 12:38-39 You may recall that Jonah was swallowed by a whale, so be careful what you ask for Rather than looking for external manifestations, discover God within. Jesus said to find the Kingdom of Heaven that is within you. Kingdom of Heaven is translated as the Dimension of Spaciousness. It is the inner Dimension of Consciousness. Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven does not come with signs that can be perceived. You cannot say it is over here, or over there. The Kingdom of Heaven is within you; it is the eternal subject. “You are what you are looking for.” - Eckhart Tolle
  2. I agree that the ego always pedestalizes, whether to others or itself. It thrives on feeling special, and doesn't care if the specialness is due to apparent inferiority or superiority. What the ego cannot stand is sincere love, which is realizing the sameness in all beings. Love others, love yourself, it is the same thing.
  3. So true, and terrifying to the conditioned mind which desperately wants control. Embrace the mystery, and in the unknowing space realize the Self. Lucidly dream ?
  4. Sounds like a present path to enlightenment. It's all about the sameness
  5. @Breakingthewall Most people do not drastically go from one to the other. They go through a prolonged transitional period where they are partly still the suffering entity, and partly the liberated consciousness. So that can go on for quite a while…You reach a point where you suddenly realize that suffering is optional. And you also realize that you needed to go through quite a bit of suffering to come to this realization. Suffering is necessary until you realize that suffering is unnecessary…There is vast suffering on the planet. It has a purpose. - Eckhart Tolle
  6. There are no absolute humans or aliens, only Consciousness manifesting itself through an infinite variety of forms. From the relative perspective, there are deeper levels of Self-realization, but ultimately Consciousness is already and always awake. Step out of the universe, and see the face of God.
  7. Interesting, it reminds me of synesthesia: I haven't experienced it, but must be beautiful. I have walked down streets and seen the sameness of myself in everything else, especially trees, but the seeing is more spiritual than sensational.
  8. There is no universal path to enlightenment. Meditation is an ancient practice that can lead to profound spiritual insights and, more importantly, help dissolve attachments to the conditioned mind. Still, it isn't claimed to be a cure-all. It is like circling a diamond (Consciousness) and realizing its beauty from different angles. Four pathways spoken of in the spiritual texts are: karma yoga (selfless action), jnana yoga (knowledge through renunciation), bhakti yoga (devotion), and raja yoga (meditation). Try them all and see how well each works for you.
  9. @Kksd74628 I agree with you. As Consciousness, aware of itself rather than distracted by the delusions of the conditioned mind, we are presently creative and wise. Thoughts are necessary to navigate the practicalities of life, but there is no value in identifying with them, as if they had the capacity to understand our true nature. Consciousness is only directly realized, beyond the limitations of thought. The Self-realized are able to constructively think, rather than destructively be thought. Hard it is to train the mind, which goes where it likes and does what it wants. But a trained mind brings health and happiness. The wise can direct their thoughts, subtle and elusive, wherever they choose: a trained mind brings health and happiness. Those who can direct thoughts, which are unsubstantial and wander so aimlessly, are freed from the bonds of Mara. - Buddha
  10. @Kksd74628 Well said. The conditioned mind claims to know all the answers, but I've learned not to trust my thoughts, especially when it comes to spiritual progress. I don't blame the mind. It is trying its best to keep you well, but is blinded by its conditioning. It is an elephant that needs to be tamed. That domestication, as you realize, is guided by Consciousness. Who could expect the elephant to tame itself? It is not an easy task, but what an ally when the elephant is finally tamed. Instead of sabotaging your progress, the unbound mind will carry you to creative heights that would never have been possible otherwise.
  11. I haven't experienced telepathy, but have seen synchrony. It's like the apparent borders between beings dissolve, and Consciousness flows. You are guided to just the right place, or your mouth speaks just the right words, but it is not you calling the shots. I once discovered a tree that planted itself in an empty pot on my rooftop, at a moment in my life when I was closer to Consciousness than I had ever been. It has never been by intention, it just happens. I'm not sure it could be any other way, since the resonance is at a higher order than the conditioned self.
  12. There's a French expression: Reculer pour mieux sauter. It means taking a step backward in order to brace yourself, and jump farther forward. Overall, the progress is positive but it is punctuated by periods of apparent regression. The last few years have felt like a step backward, but inevitably we jump forward to a point that wouldn't have been possible without the regress.
  13. @Godishere I agree, and it underscores the enormous value of fostering Self-awareness, in ourselves and in others. There is no higher purpose. It is the only real solution to selfishness and suffering.
  14. Borders are imaginary, which awakened waves realize. The wave is not only a wave. It is the expression of the ocean itself, whether it sees it or not. The deep ocean is Self-aware, but it dreams itself into waves. Why? Apparently the dream of phenomenal existence is its intent, an apparent contrast to its infinite and unchanging being. Maybe a complete awakening is equivalent to a universal supernova. All of the waves collapse, and there is only the deep blue sea. Wash, rinse, repeat
  15. Sin as I see it is unconsciousness. It is damage due to not seeing. If you are awake, there is no desire to damage yourself or anyone else. You realize that it is all the same Consciousness. Love.
  16. The being that is awakened is a wave on the ocean, realizing in that moment that it is the ocean. All waves are the ocean, but few see it. Their form is only temporary, and the ocean is their ultimate nature. The whole universe is Consciousness, but the vast majority of it is not Self-aware.
  17. Eckhart Tolle describes a moment when he met Stephen Hawking at Cambridge. He had just finished lunch, and was leaving the cafeteria when he passed Hawking. They looked at each other, and Tolle realized Hawking's presence. He had entirely accepted his physical condition, and was at peace. Physical limitations, or any other life challenge, can be a portal to presence. Suffering is the ultimate solvent for the conditioned mind.
  18. Thanks for sharing. I love what he said about every form in the universe being unique. Each form is created with its own story to be told, and is worthy of being honored, even though it is only a form. I remember coming across a Van Gogh painting with my kids in tow. It was created shortly before his death, and I couldn't stop staring at it. My kids didn't get it, but I stood there for a good 20 minutes, drawn into its presence despite it being a representation rather than reality. I feel our forms are like that. They may only be relatively real, but Consciousness reveals and discovers itself through them. Formless > Form > Formless Have you read "Being Ram Dass"? Highly recommended.
  19. Whether the meditation object is your breath, the inner body, or something else doesn't really matter. All serve the same purpose as a focus of attention allowing you to settle into pure awareness without thought distractions. Some people find a particular object less distracting for them, and use it for that reason. Although the breath is probably the most common, it doesn't work well for me either. I prefer to focus on the inner body. Eckhart Tolle talks a lot about it, starting with the hands as the focal point.
  20. The more you can deprogram your mind by letting go of attachments and beliefs, the easier enlightenment will be. It doesn't always happen that way, though. My awakening was catalyzed by personal suffering. It was only after awakening that I began spiritual practices like meditation, to develop the discipline of remaining present regardless of what happens in my life. It's funny, I remember writing several poems back then and it wasn't until later that I noticed they all pointed to the same realization. At a deep level, I knew that awakening wasn't enough. Enlightenment requires dissolving your attachments, until your mind has no power to command the focus of your awareness. When you let your mind follow the call of the senses, they carry away your better judgment as storms drive a boat off its chartered course on the sea. Use all your power to free the senses from attachment and aversion alike, and live in the full wisdom of the Self. - Bhagavad Gita 2:67-68
  21. Enlightenment isn't simply being unconditioned. It is realizing and actualizing your true nature as Consciousness. Practices like meditation and contemplation can help you decondition the mind, but they won't lead to enlightenment until Consciousness reveals itself within you.
  22. Jesus said not to cast your pearls before swine. Not as an insult to people who aren't ready to hear, but to underscore the futility of trying to teach them. I agree with Tolle: Never talk about presence with someone that isn’t interested in presence; the best way to teach presence is to be present. - Eckhart Tolle
  23. I see it that way too. Another analogy would be Consciousness carving away the detritus from a block of marble, until only its pure Self, which was always hidden inside, remains. The detritus is the personality, or the conditioned mind. How Consciousness is both the sculptor and the sculpted is incomprehensible, but the reality that it is can be directly realized.
  24. Tolle teaches that evolution is the mechanism Consciousness uses to become aware of itself, within the universe. As I see it, there is no free will in the universe, only a series of relative causes and effects, like a cosmic pinball machine. Consciousness is the ultimate player sending each ball ricocheting as it wills. The Universe is engaged in the process of awakening, or becoming more conscious, and every life form is gradually becoming more conscious…After mass extinctions, new life forms even more complex developed…What we see is only the surface reality. There is a vast intelligence operating underneath the world of phenomena. This vast intelligence is consciousness, the universal consciousness, and that is the ultimate reality…It’s not finished. God is still creating this world and you are an essential part of this creative process. You are not separate from the awakening; you are an expression of the awakening…Now there is not only the evolution of consciousness. There is also conscious evolution of consciousness…That happens when you face an external situation and bring conscious presence to it, rather than reactivity…The next thing that is going to happen, to a large extent depends on your state of consciousness at this moment…Reality changes as a reflection of collective consciousness. - Eckhart Tolle