Toby

The problem is it is very very hard to spot ones own delusions without a competent teacher. Even or especially in "advanced" "stages". Over and over again there are people that say "I'm enlightened" or "I've arrived" but they might not be aware what they experience is not the full picture or they might even be fixated / identified with a position. Sure, life is a teacher itself but it all is much easier with a teacher in human form. Even if he / she is ultimately you and directs you towards you.

There was even a report (assuming it was true) of a woman online some years back in a forum where she told that Eckhart made a move on her (in England after his shift) and - although she liked spending time with him - rejected him. So, it doesn't matter if someone is "enlightened" or not, clear in his intention or not, needy or not (could even be that you are awake AND needy) - there is always the other person that can say yes or no. Nothing to take personal.

4 weeks is enough time to judge if you want to get to know somebody or not. Just tell her you are not interested in wasting your time.

@Shin After reading this in "The Power of Now" I decided to look for a teacher:

Breathing is pretty awesome.

never gets old

Won't watch the video because the tone of the voice doesn't resonate with me but for me what was very valuable regarding the "true teachings of Jesus": - Adyashanti - Resurrecting Jesus audio - Leonard Jacobson - Liberating Jesus DVD

http://non-duality.rupertspira.com/read/is_awareness_the_same_as_consciousness There is no end-goal in Advaita. And the "no self" thing is only an aspect of "Advaita". It is not the full picture and no teacher I respect said anything to the contrary.

It mostly is genetic. So nutrition and everything else will only help to a degree.

Well, watched some minutes more. Of course what he is describing is the quality of "chit" ("sat-chit-andanda"). Of course that is not final reality. Rupert would say the exact same. It's the kind of "'I-AM-consciousness' arises and subsides in Awareness".

1-2 minutes in, he thinks about "pure consciousness" as something individual that "someone" has or doesn't have and can do something with it. That's already wrong. No need to watch further for me.

Why would he be present at retreats and workshops that are not announced on his own website? Rather seems that some other guys that were authorised to teach in his name run workshops on their own.

Effortless and choiceless awareness is our real nature. If we can attain it or be in that state, it is all right. But one cannot reach it without effort, the effort of deliberate meditation. - Ramana Maharshi

Found this one the other day on facebook (both don't teach nirvikalpa samadhi as the final state)

Unfortunately she is nowhere near where I live and travelling to Utrecht would cost me like 150€. Not that exciting to spend that much for it.

Problem is: most people here never or seldom sat with "gurus" or true teachers and will not be able to tell anything about it. From my own experience: yes it is better to "stick" with one, because it is energetically way easier and it is easier to go deeper. But if that doesn't really happen, it happens in a different way. There is no right or wrong way I guess. Depends on the "individual".

Yes and no. Some are full of sh*t and are not "testing" students. One example is a german zen priest (I don't know if he was acting as a teacher though, but he was practising since 1977) that just got sent to prison for 7 years for sexual abuse of children. And unfortunately there are many many cases like that where "teachers" exploit their position for their own gratification.

Maybe it's just ones perception that someone is arrogant. Maybe it's also that this someone isn't enlightened or not that enlightened as one thought. If for example someone abuses their students sexually it's pretty much clear that there are areas in their lives that are not "enlightened".

Reminds me of that

Yeah, read here and there through his book "Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation". Have no opinion about it right now though.

You want practical tips? Man you are from London. Register for the Adyashanti retreat. Visit a Jan Esmann intensive. Go to Rupert Spira. Read Nisargadatta, Ramana. Apply their approach. Meditate and inquire. That is as practical as it is gonna get.

@How to be wise Well, if I remember correctly Ramana said that the state where there can be thoughts (with no attachment of course) is even "higher" than "no thoughts".

I can recommend this https://www.soundstrue.com/store/healing-the-core-wound-of-unworthiness.html to see that unworthiness in whatever forms it manifests is nothing personal.