OneHandClap

It still doesn't address my central point, which is that it's obviously possible to experience direct consciousness and one's true nature without ever framing anything through the word God. Buddhism (and the Buddha, for that matter) never mention God, either as a metaphysical ground or as an aspect of reality. And yet if you look at the global landscape of awakened beings, Buddhism has seemingly produced a great many more than most religions that use the term God in any capacity. My point is, the language is frankly irrelevant. One does not need to employ the word God to reach full understanding of reality. It is one term among millions that may apply, based on one's cultural and religious fixations.

I get your logic, but I disagree that using God as a term is the only way to cut through egoic conceptualization. Zen uses koans. Buddhism at large uses nibbana. There are many, many ways to discuss direct consciousness without evoking the G word. And to think that dedicated masters among these schools of thought haven't reached full awakening is, frankly, hard to believe. Their behavior speaks for them.

Well, quite frankly, the death numbers speak for themselves. We can talk all we want about how deaths have been misclassified, but it is obvious in every sense that Covid has killed many, many people and permanently fucked up the respiratory systems of many more. So whether or not anti-vax people want to believe it is lethal, it is. Which is why I evoked the stabbing analogy. Covid is lethal; that is a fact. It doesn't matter what the conspiracy crowd thinks of that data—they are living in Insanity Land if they believe otherwise. And as such, their opinions really hold no weight. They're akin to the barking of a dog. If they choose to ignore all tangible proof of Covid's lethality and still insist it's a hoax and/or overplayed, then they are absolutely at fault (at least partially) for the catastrophic damage this virus continues to do. Their willful ignorance is having real consequences. I think I've said all I care to offer on this subject, but I urge anybody who's still on the fence about giving anti-vax supporters the time of day to carefully consider that choice. Tolerance to these positions is passively supporting them. Goodnight, hombres.

Ahh, and it comes out at last. The great stick of enlightened authority. You're right—anti-vaxers are not as dangerous as stabbers. They are arguably more dangerous, considering how many have died from refusing to get their shots and subsequently spreading Covid to loved ones and immunocompromised strangers alike. History will not look well on your positions. But as you said, we are clearly at an impasse. Which is fine. I really like this line of logic. I think there should indeed be "incentives" to get people vaccinated. You are correct that forcible vaccination is a bad idea, and also correct that operant conditioning is a great path to change social outlooks.

Well, the grand irony is that if everybody had gotten their vaccines post-haste, we wouldn't need the masks. I live in a vaccinated area of the country that has had all of its pre-covid freedoms restored, all because of vaccination levels. Those who are being hit hardest are, oddly enough, refusing to accept the very thing that would bring an end to this lockdown world. I also don't like the idea of masks, and I'm one of the more liberal people you'll find. But I also acknowledge that the way to getting free of masks is to adapt to the world and collectively bring about an end to this thing. It's the holdouts and slow rollouts that are perpetuating this.

No offense taken. You said yourself that the compassionate response is to stop the stabbing. Likewise, the compassionate response to anti-vax movements is to stop giving them a platform. Do we ask how the stabber is feeling? No. Do we ask why they want to stab? No. That comes after we've dismantled the problem. You can think all you want about my level of understanding, but it doesn't change the root fact that giving conspiracy theories airtime and entertaining the delusion is absolutely detrimental to the welfare of those who are dying as we speak. The rest is just insanity apologism dressed up as "love."

Your fundamental, recurring issue is that you still think holding hands and talking nicely is the answer to everything. Love includes everything else within it. Love is not always the green-grass image you're promoting here. Next time a stranger's about to get stabbed or mugged in front of you, you can try out your strategy of being "loving," by your definition of the word. Let us know how it goes.

I am not speaking about you directly. I am speaking about the sheer number of posters who use the "I am God" maypole to vindicate conceptual views without ever having experienced the base reality that the term refers to. What I took from that woke bullshit post/tweet/whatever was that the vast majority of people who say "I am God" 24/7 exist with satori as a fancy idea in their mind, not an experience. So I think the statement holds some weight. The realization I am God is miles apart from the mindless dick-flaunting of posting "I am God" as a language exercise.

Surely there is a difference between inner realization of God and going around proclaiming it as a dogmatic shield. Half this forum's response to anything is to say "Wrong, because I'm God." If the work isn't there, what meaning is there in the statement?

It's normal to not want to experience things. That is what allowed us, as a species, to evolve into a dominant force on Earth. Good? Bad? It is what it is Understand that disliking or even abhorring certain things is perfectly rational. If you want to overcome that aversion, however, you'll have to contemplate the thing directly. What is upsetting about gore? The image of it? The sensation? Focus on these things and realize that they are just images, memories, beliefs, and emotions. There is nothing else there. You don't have to be at total peace with everything terrible in the universe overnight. It is a lifelong process of accepting, loving, and coming back to what's really there.

Yes, you're right. Similarly, the anti-vax movement did come into result by the same mechanisms. The answer, once that thing has manifested, is not to tolerate it... it is to call out how precisely backward and harmful it is. Saying, "Oh, but Hitler being bad is just a belief... others have their sources that people aren't really dying in labor camps..." is exactly what many people did during the 30s and 40s. Extreme example? Sure. But it perfectly describes why trying to be "loving and rational" is a losing game with fringe ideologies.

We are all one love, and yet Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and the KKK still existed. Should we have held hands and been cordial with any of them? Now you understand why there is a fervent anti-conspiracy theorist attitude among rational people.

I think he was saying that the defense mechanisms of these plants makes perfect sense in a survival context. The idea of "edible" by humans is a relative notion that's only useful for specific purposes (such as sustaining human life versus harming it). There are plenty of mushrooms that cause a psychedelic effect, but will also kill you in high enough doses. The psychotropic effects are a defense mechanism to dissuade consumption by other beings. Not a conscious one, as in the plant thinking "Hey, stay away," but simply an evolved function of that organism.

This seems accurate. People hate the example, but those who have spent their lives meditating in caves and monasteries don't feel any need to call themselves the Absolute. Declaring yourself to be that thing is the very act of dualistic creation.

You keep on with this attitude of "Hey, let's all be one love and talk about this rationally!" The problem is that "one love" isn't what you think it is. Sometimes fierce love is called for. Sometimes love that you will even find harsh to your sense of love. Being staunchly anti-conspiracy theory is love. It is preserving innocent people from the lies and misinformation of a few fear-driven individuals who don't want to understand the science behind the vaccine itself. There is no sense in being kumbaya and cordial when people's lives are at stake, and plainly dying as you have seen in recent statistics about Republican states that refuse to take the vaccine.

Who or what decides to meditate? I mean truly, deeply meditate, without expectations of progress? When you have the answer to this question, you will realize there never was control

Yes, it is true that microdosing acts more like a boost than a full-on, noticeable trip. But it is also true that microdosing is reliance on a substance to change the state of consciousness. My thinking is, at the moment of death, consciousness is crucial. I will most likely be sober at death. Therefore, I contemplate in sobriety. Everyone's mileage may vary, of course

I agree! There is nothing wrong with pursuing dating partners or casual sex, but if one desires peace—lasting, unshakable peace—I am inclined to say, either step away from the gambling table or accept what's in your pile of chips wholeheartedly. The biggest shock from years of marriage has been the realization that everything grows as you desire it. If you desire hooking up, you will have it. But it may come with untold levels of suffering as a mental result. Conversely, if you desire to make a marriage work, you will find a way. "By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher." - Socrates

Howdy all. I am a married dude, and I am quite happy being married. Most of this section of the forum seems to be related to dating and pickup, which is fine, but if you are someone interested in settling down with someone, maybe you will find this information useful. Maybe not. It's like, your life, dude. The most important thing, first and last, to a successful marriage is being content with what arises. There's really no other secret bullet. What often keeps us in a loop of date, sex, separate, repeat is the idea that there is a perfect partner or experience waiting for us. You might compare it to blackjack. If you're at a 10, you keep saying "hit," hoping to get a number closer to 21. The only catch is that you might find yourself at 18, or 19, or even 20, and not have the gusto to stand. In the context of settling down, this means that if you enjoy the person's company, feel that they help you grow, and are tired of seeking new encounters, it's perfectly fine to lay down some roots and put a ring on it. I'm not a marriage/divorce lawyer, so I have little advice on that front. All I can say is that since being married (not recently), my mind has been clearer than ever. This is, I suspect, because the survival drive linked to constant reproductive anxiety is conquered in some measure. You are no longer seeking a man or woman to fulfill that human urge to spread your genes. You can build a foundation that feels very comforting to the human organism. This, in turn, means your energy is freed up to work on creative projects and devote your sexual attraction to one person that is accepting of you. Note, of course, that this applies to a happy marriage. If you are miserable, get the hell out. Just as fast as marriages replenish your energy, they can also drain them in the wrong situation. But if you do happen to find someone who's great, and you feel at peace with them, that's a good sign. Awakening means finding contentment in the shape of the present, no matter its form. And marriage is a constant challenge to the ego that desires something new and shiny every few minutes. Commitment is the grinding stone that wears away at selfishness and lust for new mates. Just my two cents. Ask away if you have any questions.

Meditation is anti-control. It is learning how we've been dominated by our brain/nervous system/mind/culture since birth. Dropping all judgments about phenomena and resting as you are is the essence of meditation, and subsequently, the rejection of the illusion of control.

Just wanted to let everyone know that the radiation a modern microwave gives off is not the Chernobyl, damage-your-DNA type. It's simply highly charged waves that excite the molecules in food and heat them up. In fact, they are relatively low in energy compared to an X-ray. They could give you a nasty burn if used without a closing door, but even then... not radiation how we think of it. It is just extreme particle excitation creating heat. https://www.cancer.net/blog/2021-03/can-using-microwave-cause-cancer

Yes, absolutely. You have got the right of it. While everything exists within the Absolute frame, we are all living currently from a limited human POV. Thus, we should do our best to follow the human interaction rules that build the sort of world we would like to inhabit. We should not, however, feel shame about doing normal human things and enjoying our lives. That would spoil the absurdity of existence Next time you're out with a girl, just try taking a really serious interest in her. Try to enjoy your time with her as being like a zoo visit. You don't know anything about her, so you can learn so much from just observing, being intrigued, and letting her express herself as she is.

Funny anecdote. I was once talking to a Buddhist monk, and asked him what happens at the moment of death. His reply? "Are you dying right now? No? Then ask me when you are." The point is, speculation is useless. Take the mystery one step at a time, leaving the mental noise at the door. If you can maintain presence, you will find the peace that you imagine these answers will bring.

The basic thing I was trying to point out is that God is reality, once you've stripped away all the mental noise. What religions call God is really just a state of consciousness that knows itself to be itself. "I am that I am." "Be still and know that I am God." Once you realize the game the mind is trying to play—always sending your attention to different objects and imaginary states—you learn how to stop playing, too. The way to stop playing is simply bringing the mind back to now... over, and over, and over, and over again. Eventually, the mind will stop wandering. It will realize that here and now is the eternal ground of peace. Whether you're having an orgasm or in a prison cell, you remain with "now." Thus, you remain with peace, with love, with God. All the qualities you asked about, such as excitement and joy, are present within the state of "nowness." Everything you've ever wanted is there.

You may want to look at modern nondual teachers and some Buddhist authors. Loch Kelly's "Shift Into Freedom" is a gold mine of wisdom and practices. Shinzen Young's "The Science of Enlightenment" is another good exploration of the path.