Moksha

It is more profound than that. There is no "you" that is alone. There is no individuality. It is all Consciousness, in different states of Self-awareness. Solipsism is the idea that only "you" exist, and everything else is an illusion. "I" am a figment of "your" imagination. The reality is that all individuality, including "you" and "me", is bound within the dream. Evolution and devolution only occur within the dream. Ultimately, there is no change, and realizing this within the dream is the end of suffering. Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God. - A Course in Miracles

Are you familiar with solipsism? I see it as a step in the spiritual path, but not the summit. Ultimately, there is no individuality. There is only Consciousness, creating the delusion of separation. A famous quote from Einstein, in a letter to a rabbi who suffered the loss of his 16-year-old daughter: A human being is a part of the whole, called by us “Universe”, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.

Because it is all the same Consciousness. The idea of being somebody is worthy, as long as you don't take your individuality too seriously. Have you ever had a lucid dream, where you realized you were not the character within the dream, but still went along with it for the adventure?

Rather than asking, "What am I?", consider asking, "What am I not?". Neti neti means "Not this, not that". It as an ancient process of Self-inquiry, where you gradually peel away the layers of the onion until you arrive at your ultimate nature. Is the essence of what you are your physical body? Is it your thoughts? Is it even the idea of "you" as a separate entity? Meditate, and find out for yourself. ?‍♀️

Consciousness is being everybody, while ultimately being nobody. In a way, yes, you are playing a joke on yourself. When you realize the punch line, all you can do is laugh.

@Preety_India Wishing you peace and happiness, wherever your journey takes you. If everyone was enlightened, there would be no judgment, but most people are not. All you can do is focus on realizing the Self within you, and don't let the ego of others drag you down. Ultimately, we are the same Consciousness, pretending to be @Preety_India and @Moksha and every other being. The most beautiful moment within the dream is when your eyes open to the spaciousness that You are.

Everything created is only relatively real. It evolves, and devolves, within the dream. As Einstein discovered, there is no absolute reality in the cosmos. It is all based on perspective. When the Bhagavad Gita and other spiritual texts say that God is changeless, they are referring to the ultimate dimension.

Ultimate reality is changeless. Thoughts about getting better, evolving, and infinite enlightenment are bound to the dream. You are the supreme, changeless Reality, the one thing to be known. You are the refuge of all creation, the immortal spirit, the eternal guardian of eternal dharma. - Bhagavad Gita 11:18

@hyruga Agree, mindfulness is misleading. Mindlessness is actually closer, but still doesn't capture it. As pointers, I prefer Spaciousness, Stillness, and Presence.

Keep an open mind. Let it go if it doesn't help you right now, but realize that could change down the road. There's a reason meditation has been the mainstay for mystics over thousands of years. I had no interest in meditating when I was younger, but it is now my primary spiritual practice. There is no universal path to spirituality; you have to find what works for you, and stay adaptable during the journey.

Meditation, when mastered, is pure awareness and spaciousness. There is nothing to be tricked by. Thoughts, including even the thought of "you", are clearly seen as such. Meditation enables them to go Deeper and deeper into consciousness, From the world of words to the world of thoughts, Then beyond thoughts to wisdom in the Self. - Katha 1.3.13

Mindfulness meditation is not about using the mind to overcome the mind. Clearly that would be self-defeating, since the conditioned mind is unable to cure itself. It is about focusing attention on the meditation object (breath, inner body, etc.), without being distracted by the mind. Thoughts and emotions come and go, but they lose their gravitational pull. The mind is seen for what it is, and its neuroticism becomes apparent. You no longer identify with it. You are Consciousness itself, and simply by being present, you provide a healing space for the mind. Attachments to the phenomenal world begin to dissolve in the light of awareness, and as they disentangle, their energy returns to your essential Self.

The more God-realized you are, the less judgmental you become. As perceived boundaries dissolve, there is less of "you", and less of "them" to judge. Eventually, you see that it is all the same Consciousness. After stepping out of the cave, and allowing your eyes to adjust, what is left to judge?

Sensitivity is intuitive spirituality. It is the realization that there isn't just "me", and that there is a sameness between "me" and "them". Dive into it, and you will dissolve.

I agree with @Consilience. Psychedelics can jailbreak your mind, but only temporarily. The steady flame, where you are free from suffering regardless of circumstances, is developed through meditation. Drugs can show you what is possible, but they are incapable of keeping you there. Swimming upstream requires integrity, courage, and resolve. There is no shortcut to the other shore.

Resign, and for the next 15 days be present. Use it as an opportunity for spiritual growth. You are more likely to grow in a storm than in a cave. Radiate sincere kindness and space. If you really want to leverage it, realize that your boss is the same Consciousness that you are. See beyond the personality to the essence, which is who both of you actually are.

Love, in the ultimate sense, is profoundly beyond the human emotion of love. Ultimate Love = Seamlessness. There is no separation, no selfishness, and no superiority. Sub Ek: It is all One. Everything is loved not for its own sake, but because the Self lives in it. - Katha 2.4.5

It is all the same Consciousness, in different states. The appearance of created things is mythical, but their essence, which is Consciousness, is real. Everything confuses those who regard things as separate from the Self. Brahmins, kshatriyas, creatures, the universe, the gods, everything: these are the Self. - Katha 2.4.6

It is not just about letting go of thought patterns. Sensations and feelings are also products of the conditioned mind. In meditation, the purest moments are spacious. Thoughts and feelings come and go, but you are the space itself. Realize your ultimate nature as the sky, across which the clouds of the conditioned mind come and go.

When there are no thoughts about it, only being, it feels like clouds moving away from the sun. There is only the shining Self. Thoughts come and go. Allowing them, without identifying with them, is the path to enlightenment.

⚡ The glimpse is the beginning of the ending of suffering. I don't feel a lot of people understand this. Opening your eyes is a profound first step, but it doesn't dissolve your attachments to the dream. It is simply the realization that you are in a dream. Letting go of your desires, and embracing equanimity, is the exit from the maze. Something I wrote a while back, which speaks to this: Bonfire of Being Consciousness strikes the spark of my undoing, Catching in the kindling of thought, Consuming it to soot, intensifying, Crumbling the timbers that it wrought, Purifying fire ever rising, Burning through the ropes of my desire, Devouring the karma of my making, Soul wind stirring these flames higher, Scattering the ashes of my suffering, No delusion left, only the fire.

Dealing with your demons is a sign of spiritual progress. People pursue awakening, as if the seeing itself dissolves the conditioning of decades. It doesn't. Awakening is only the first step on the path to enlightenment. Then the shadow work begins.

Perfectionism is based on a lie. It is the false belief that the human form has the capacity for flawlessness, in a phenomenal world that is constantly changing. In the dream, where dualities are inevitable, perfection is impossible to achieve. The Self hidden within, which is the dreamer, is already perfect. Your purpose is not to find perfection within the dream, but to realize the perfection of your ultimate nature. When you do, the drive for external perfection will dissolve. Instead, you will see lucidly, even with the dream. Life will lose its seriousness, and creativity and joy will naturally flow.

From the ultimate perspective, there is no time. Consciousness is beyond time. Its infinite manifestations have already happened, and are yet to happen, which only makes sense within the relative spacetime realm of the dream. Consciousness is every form, and experiences every form, but the individual form does not experience everything. The "I" that experiences everything is incomprehensible to the individual "I".

I agree, and should have clarified what I meant by identification. I was referring to the false identity that some people develop as spiritual teachers, because the role makes them feel special. Having people gathered around them in a circle and nodding at their wisdom only strengthens their ego. I feel that is why Eckhart Tolle used the term "external identity". He wears teaching like a cloak, which he removes when it is no longer needed. It doesn't define his sense of self: When I'm with people, I'm a spiritual teacher. That's the function, but it's not my identity. The moment I'm alone, my deepest joy is to be nobody, to relinquish the function of a teacher. It's a temporary function. Let's say I'm seeing a group of people. The moment they leave me, I'm no longer a spiritual teacher. There's no longer any sense of external identity. I simply go into the stillness more deeply. The place that I love most is the stillness. It's not that the stillness is lost when I talk or when I teach because the words arise out of the stillness. But when people leave me, there is only the stillness left. And I love that so much. A true spiritual teacher speaks from a place of presence, getting out of the way, and allowing Consciousness to communicate through them. They may not even speak at all. Ramana Maharshi is known for sitting in silence with his students, as a primary method of teaching: Silence is the true upadesa. It is the perfect upadesa. It is suited only for the most advanced seeker. The others are unable to draw full inspiration from it. Therefore, they require words to explain the truth. But truth is beyond words; it does not warrant explanation. All that is possible is to indicate It. How is that to be done?