WelcometoReality

@Tausif Ahmed Spirituality is to look into all your beliefs about you and the world and question if they are real or not. Doesn't that sound at least a little bit scientific to you? The main difference is that you look within your own experience (sight, sound, taste, feel, smell, thought) instead of using the scientific method.

@Tausif Ahmed Another way of looking at it is: Does the person that is experiencing it perceive it as real or not. Have you ever had a dream that felt real only to wake up confused and asked yourself was it really a dream? It felt so real! Have you ever had a dream which you were aware all along that it was just that? What if you had a spiritual experience. How would it differ if you perceived it as real or a hallucination?

Yes you can see things from an absolute perspective as well but don't mistake that to be the same perspective as the absolutists perspective. ? The Absolutists perspective is that there are no perspectives.

In the relative there is no absolute truth. There are different perspectives, some which are more valid then others, but no absolute perspective. Then there is the absolute which all relative happen in.

Falling, falling, falling away out of this hallucination. Desperately trying to grab ahold of anything to stop falling into nothing.

Some kind of practice away from the cushion might help.

From a pedagogic standpoint that's probably a nice move. Ah thanks. Do you mind me messaging you a question about the jhanas?

@Serotoninluv Do you know another one?

Hmm I was expecting the zen stick.

@phllip103 You'll probably stop before that. Hopefully. ?

On one hand no. The small self doesn't awaken. You awaken from the small separate self. A recognition of what you truly are which is nothing. But not nothing. There is still a sense of beingness quality to this nothing. So on the other hand yes that is enlightened. Seeing and hearing perceptions merges at the source so hearing and seeing becomes hearseeing. When looking at a red object and listening at music becomes redmusic. There is no distinction between them. The distinction between them happens afterwards. It's an expression of the infinite nothing taking on treeing qualities.

If the thought is believed then there's identification to the thought. If the feeling in the body gets expressed as an emotion or thought then there is identification to the feeling. If you believe to be the body separate from everything else then there is identification to the body.

@Peo Going all in on the you don't exist argument is probably not a good idea. And non duality is to big for people to grasp. Maybe you can talk about the practical upsides of it. Less negative emotions, more calmness. I'm sure they won't mind that. ?

@FoxFoxFox That's a good pointer. And an interesting story. I like how these stories are used to convey truth. It doesn't become abstract theory but a story we can relate to. In my own experience there was first detachment and then there was integration. The Importance is in not fixating on one or the other. Truth is multi faceted and one perspective is never enough to convey it.

@Evelyn These experiences that we have surpressed come to the surface when we start to awaken. Usually after a while this energy passes.

@thesmileyone What if that was supposed to happen? That you experienced the gateless gate and not being able to pass through. Would that be ok with you? ?

Sounds like my experience of it. A Blissful, beautiful, mystical revelation.

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground.

@ivankiss You are a breath of fresh air. Lovely!

@Dodo I have some proof too. I was thirsty and try to will some water into me but I dropped the glass of water onto the floor making a mess instead. I'm still thirsty but what the use of trying?

@Tony 845 The last oxherding picture is the oxherder going into the world again to relieve it from suffering. So doesn't it make sense for an enlightened being go back here and helping anyone on the path? ?

@Manjushri Go into the feeling of anger. Do not try to get rid of it. What is underneath it? In this case you say you are hurt. But what is hurt? Is awareness hurt? What is the story you tell yourself to become angry?