Preetom

Presence: The Art of Peace and Happiness - Volume 1 by Rupert Spira. https://www.amazon.com/Presence-I-Art-Peace-Happiness/dp/1626258740/ref=dp_ob_title_bk?dpID=31%2Bq6%2B62hxL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=detail A contemplative book which does not offer new belief systems but encourages real time empirical investigation on the nature of our present moment experience. Starting from our True self to mind, body, world.

It can also represent living upto 7th dimension and God being above that. Currently it is assumed that as a race, we're shifting from 3D to 4D way of life.

@Viking If you think you'll be truly fulfilled by believing the story of a thought or by conjuring some sort of meaning through thinking, then good luck with that. Yeah of course you can have various thrills through living your life how your thoughts and impulses tell you. But don't confuse that with unconditional fulfillment. There is a possibility of unconditional, absolute fulfillment. Our very experience confirms this. Every desire we have, every impulse is a desperate attempt to extinguish this fire of craving within us. And we do get fooled by thinking that we'll forever rest in peace only after having this or that. But I wonder why it never works....hmm We're 'programmed' to search for true fulfillment but we've really made a huge mess of ourselves trying to look for it in wrong places, haven't we?

@SpaceCowboy Excellent Thread! Thanks for posting these interesting questions. I'll be answering from all the theory I've gathered from non-duality Godfathers and my own glimpses. I'm not fully Enlightened yet. I'll be answering from pure non dual/absolute perspective (I've already broken the Truth by trying to talk about it lol) . Some things may sound very radical but I'm open to it for discovering these for myself.

1) What is it actually? How vital is it for a fully actualized life? 2) What drives discipline in different types of people? Different perspective of discipline for different Spiral Dynamics stages 3) Leo's personal observations on how his discipline drives and perspectives changed over a period of 10 years. What were the milestones/key shifts? 4) Is there any alternative to discipline? What happens to discipline when it's taken to full circle? 5) How to coordinate Discipline and newly discovered non dual Truths (like life is meaningless, there is no doer etc) especially for those who are on this path? etc. and etc. I know I should be finding these answers for myself experiencially. But I would like to look at @Leo Gura's take on it.

It couldn't be put in any better way..

@Gohabsgo You are that which knows/witnesses all your experiences. You are not an object however gross or subtle it might be. Cling to nothing and dwell on this understanding. That's all you can do. The rest is upon grace

Nathaniel Branden. His life long study and modeling of Self Esteem issues with a view to going to the root of the problem.

@Samra Do contemplate on it more! It's the direct path to enlightenment. Explore the nature of this one 'I'. You don't have to assume anything. An experiential shift will happen in due time. You don't have to rely on a thought, belief or a book. Just take it as a hypothesis and keep observing. Guys like Misargadatta Maharaj, Rupert Spira etc. got full blown Enlightened just from exploring this 'I' non stop within 3 years!

https://awakeningclaritynow.com/events/ PS: Feel free to share a post/blog from another site which helped you a lot

@riplo Enlightenment is not an experience. Don't mix any experience with enlightenment. Yeah you can have crazy, wild, unbelievable experiences while blowing your load (I've had one) but it has nothing to do with permanent abiding non dual awareness aka Enlightenment.

Saying that there in no another 'I' is synonymous to saying there is no another Consciousness aka there is only one Consciousness. You've cracked a very fundamental nature of Consciousness. Good work! The consciousness with which I am knowing my experience, and the consciousness with which you're knowing your experience is the same Consciousness. Our experiences may be oceans apart but our knowing Consciousness is one and the same. Also when Consciousness knows itself aka knows it's own presence, it's the same beingness irrespective of whether I or you realize that. So we both share the same beingness. That another realm will be another experience in the same one 'I' or Consciousness

@Chrissy j If your job takes away 8-10 hours per day, it's almost impossible to research really deeply about something else. But there are people who have mastered multiple areas/careers in life. But it's excessively difficult and takes brute, unshaken self discipline for over several decades.

Btw I AM = Being aware of being aware =The knowing with which you observe all phenomena = The shapeless, formless, limitless Consciousness, not any object in Consciousness = The sense that you exist, but not as an object. An example: 1) Take the subtle feeling in your heart or head that suggests you are a limited creature whose body is located in the world. 2) Gently ask " what is it that knows this experience?" 3) Loosen your grasp from all objects in consciousness and keep mingling/pondering upon the knowingness of that experience. You are resting in "I AM" 4) if distracted by thought, feel the experience of that thought and go back to step 2. Important note: Don't waste time trying to imagine or conceptualize what lies beyond the 'I AM'. It's impossible for the mind to imagine this. All you can do is to inquire and stay with the 'I AM'...and wait. From here you have absolutely no control on your awakening. You've climbed the mountain and now standing with a long iron rod in your hand. You've done your part. Now wait patiently for lightning to hit you. Don't daydream about getting hit by lightning.

@pluto awesome! Thanks for sharing

Good for you. How old were you when you decided to take full responsibility and started freeing yourself from everything you already know? Was there something specific that drive you in this journey?

Sometimes I feel like all these changing or improving the world themes are a mere fool's errand. At best, it can serve as a convenient, fabricated cock and bull story made in your head in order to mobilize yourself, actualize yourself in this world. I mean just while writing this message probably thousands of people all over the world died of hunger, suicide, war, illness etc. along with a heavy heart shattered by tremendous level of suffering. And I am not even counting billions who are suffering psychologically/physically more or less right now. In the end, its all about you. You're not changing shit. Thats your self made story to fool the lazy aspect of yourself. You are only changing you. By praying for the whole world with an open heart, it's you who is changing and becoming more loving, conscious. The world minds its own business. Thats why I said that this world is your training ground. You go to the gym to mold yourself, not to clean and worship the gym

I actually learnt this from studying Swami VIvekananda's lectures. So yeah its from Vedanta. You can bank on that

That's how deluded motherfuckers can be born

@MarkusSweden There is a theory in Vedanta which strictly treats the Universe as a nonexistent/unreal dream. There can never be something called absolute good in the world because manifestation itself is relative. So the instruction is given to systematically renounce the world and ultimately ignore it. The world is your training ground. The only purpose of this world is to use it and realize that your identity has nothing to do with it and thus transcending it altogether. Let the world run it's endless cycles of good and bad. So yeah..'humans' will never learn. Someone has to play the devil and make this world a living hell. Or else this place would be like the perfect heaven and no one would inquire towards Truth or higher Consciousness, right? EDIT: After all, we only know about the limited time on our earth. We have no clue about what happens for eternity before and after that. Do not assume that this world is your permanent abode. Its not.

Yes

@MarkusSweden Yes

This was probably of one of the most breakthrough insights you could share with us. These last few days have been fresh and new thanks to contemplating on this awe inspiring Intelligence. This concept is motivating me even more to observe myself in a new light. This is allowing me to observe myself non judgmentally and making me slowly realize that even the dumbest of thoughts, self sabotages, self deceptions and neuroses are witnessed and sustained by Infinite Intelligence. Solitude has been more enjoyable than ever. Looking at nature, trees, animals from this surrendered state brings forth a feeling of awe and appreciation for Infinite Intelligence within seconds (I know its nothing compared to your existential orgasm during your direct insight but still it feels refreshing). And the best thing is I don't have to 'believe' you about Infinite Intelligence and thus I can still keep an open mind. Even just as a concept, this is promoting self observation and thus real growth! Another thing I am intuiting is that there is nothing called a mistake or accident from the perspective of Infinite Intelligence. Only a superior intelligent system is capable of 'irrational' manifestations like self deception, mistakes etc. which actually verifies how intelligent and complex that system is! A dumb, dead system is incapable of making a mistake. And what we call mistake/accident from our tiny human intelligence, might be the wisest thing that can ever happen. So Thanks a lot @Leo Gura for your amazing works! Finally a profound batman meme from your Blog which goes so well with this theme and a direct slap on rational, materialistic, desensitized minds which start taking everything for granted