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What book are you reading? What’s the author? I want to write a quote down and want to record what it’s from and who.

There are things in life that bring me suffering. Stuff like invalidation, boredom, fear, paranoia. How to love these things? I don’t feel appreciation for them at all. But I feel I should. How to do that?

I don’t know for sure, but imo fearlessness comes from detachment. Be an objective observer of your life, imagine that it is happening to someone else, and you will find wisdom guides you. But idk I’m just imagining something I’d try out myself. In fact I’m going to do just that - detach myself from the experience of “my” life.

Thanks for th replies!

Stuff like astrology says things about you that anyone could identify with. Read what the other signs say and you’ll find them to seem accurate too. It’s basically a feels-good thing. Reinforces self love.

This is very interesting, wow. Puppetry!

I was thinking about ego death and I had an interesting thought. ”After ego death, will I not still experience these thoughts and this vantage, ultimately stubborn self that remains” Is those thoughts and that vantage ego that can’t be killed? That even after ego death, there will appear to be self as I interact with others? The illusion of separation doesn’t destroy this vantage and these thoughts that arise, there is implied self you can’t escape.

it’s kind of silly to argue for distinction in a nonduality forum, I don’t know what to say. But boredom is not a response to a threat and neither is irritation, and that’s what fear is. A response to threat. A lack of engagement or satisfaction is not a threat to the ego. I suspect you’d argue it is, tho, which is why I don’t really want to argue. I guess I have tho, lol. You know, I could see my incentive to disagree comes from fear. And that makes me want to double down on my position. Fear is not present for me when I’m bored. Irritation and boredom are sisters, a response to dissatisfaction. A claim that fear is dissatisfaction would be a bastardizing off what fear is. But again this feels silly in a nonduality forum. Distinction is an illusion, in the end. Might as well say love is fear. Edit: boredom is like the incentive to play. boredom is a sister to playfulness, that’s not fear. Now that I’ve had my say, I’m curious rather than afraid. it’s additive. I’m afraid you’ll tell me I’m wrong, and I’m curious what your response will be. two different emotions. Edit2: ultimately I’m saying my desire to awaken stems from curiosity Edit3: one thing Leo said in another thread (I wrote it down) is this - “one thing you can bank on is this - all fear is illusion and falsehood “ and honestly this applies to emotions in general. Emotions are driving when we’re identified with them, and when we practice mindfulness emotions become fleeting and illusory. Perhaps the desire for enlightenment comes from suffering. You had that in your initial analysis. Ultimately suffering is the bigger picture of emotional experiences. There is suffering and there is bliss, two halves to the same coin. Practiced meditation leads to bliss and ego transcending. And an unpracticed mind is rife with emotion.

Why not just say “be aware”? What’s the need for self reference?

reality is consciousness. you are experiencing reality right now. The nature of consciousness is direct experience. What you are experiencing right now? That is reality, and it is consciousness. Mars doesn’t exist. It only exists in imagination. Some will say you are imagining everything but that lack of distinction doesn’t help. Imagination is what you hold in your mind but do not experience otherwise. I don’t know what you’re saying about all things being entangled. The reality of Mars is an image we believe in; we do not experience the red planet directly. Our only direct experience of Mars is the faith we have that it exists. That faith is Mars’ existence. Imagination. We do not see Mars, we do not feel Mars, we only believe in Mars. That belief is exactly what imaginary means. mind exists in consciousness. mind is an illusion; it is not really you. Mind is thoughts and imagination, and emotions. These exist in consciousness. They are an experience; as such they have reality, mind is exactly thought and imagination and emotion. Consciousness is prior to mind. You are experiencing Mars. As a thought, as imagination, as belief that the telescopic image is Mars, and the belief that mars exists outside of all of the above.

For some reason I find being aware of being aware to be challenging to do. It’s like a strange loop,

@Bluff thanks!

Let go of it. Be willing to let go. The ego wants you to cling to it. But you can let it go and be spacious presence.

I was reading my journal and I noticed something I wrote back in July. “Everything we see is perspective, not truth” and I thought this was interesting. The notion that direct experience is tainted by perspective. If we look at the world and our direct experience comes with labels and names and understanding, is it really Truth we see or is it belief? Perspective? The notion that direct experience can be tainted with perspective is quite interesting. Thought it was worth sharing.

Two questions 1. Is a thought direct experience 2. is direct experience thought

The ego exists because the mind believes it is self. Ego exists as thought, assumption, etc. It is an illusion and that illusion does exist. There is no real “I” there, but appearances are deceiving. The dream ironically is a dream of ego

@Moksha it’s ironic isn’t it? Can’t pursue ego death without the ego. Or can you?

Huh, I think I have a chance at this. Maybe I’ll chase after this. Could happen in my future. Live with no ego.

Generally I’ve learned to not make blanket statements like “desire is the root of suffering” - humans vary way too much. Maybe for those who say it, transcending desires was their key to awakening. That doesn’t mean it’ll work for everyone.

Recreational purposes. No enlightenment from that. Just tripping.

Of course suffering is disliked. By definition, it’s pain, distress, hardship. Things we’re wired to avoid. It’s primal

Everything is imaginary, imo. You can’t look at something without perceiving something about it. (Well you can but it takes training to do) in reality, Mars is a small light in the sky. Make of that what you will, it’s belief. But is that so bad? You can’t operate in reality without belief. (Again you can but it takes training)

Maybe for you. Not so for me. My desire to awaken comes from a combination of boredom and irritation. edit: wait is this rude? Sorry I meant to share, not be rude

To wake up is to transcend the ego?