UnbornTao

Thanks. I've always wondered about the assumptions underlying scientific thinking regarding some of these matters, so good luck with my questionnaire. No meaning and high joy at the same time. Also, money! Seriously though, good work. I hope you guys discover something.

Can't escape enlightenment. Poor-quality photo by choice.

This one? Book list - Joseph Maynor.pdf Oh, you also had an updated one from 2022.

Not at all - on my part, at least. I'm saying stop thinking about playing soccer and get into the match - so to speak. Once the match is over, we can have stimulating conversations about the nature of the cosmos and philosophy.

@TheEnigma Just take into account that your experience is all you have, and a change in state isn't an awakening. I see that you are critical and ask questions. If you ever decide to go down that road, also remember that you will be swept away by the shift in state. Keep the distinction above in mind, and if you want the advice of someone actually enlightened (which is important), you have Adi Da and Ralston explaining how this path is a trap and a slippery slope. I've tried them and deluded myself into thinking they were far more significant than they actually were. So that might happen to you too. The important thing is to move on from that fantasy if you're ultimately after the truth and not just a better experience.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), my cat is a dog.

The name @Willy Phallicus , poetic!

Fair enough. Still, remember to keep a critical eye.

Those questions are going to open Pandora's box. Again, there's work to be done in the domain of assumptions. There's no action you can take to get there because it's not a destination. It's not like something you do and take steps to arrive at, like writing a book. I think you're asking from a place of "tell me what to believe." Don't get confused by the barrage of fantasy that will be thrown at you. Do it yourself. Contemplate. That's the gist of it. If you want, study Ramana Maharshi. At the very least, it can be inspiring, and it will give your mind some authentic communications to focus on.

There's of course a lot of value in noticing and observing, though I'm not sure what you mean by 'indirect' here. This is why our spreading beliefs like "it's invented" doesn't provide us with any real understanding of the matter - unless and until it is seen for what it is, which is the tricky part. Even though you acknowledged the origin above, what follows sounds contradictory - as if you were both at the source and yet treating emotions as a third party outside the willful domain. It happens, and my choice is to deal with it, such as by letting it pass and by not identifying with it. The implication is that they simply occur, or exist outside of you, like the weather. It's not about control but about what you're doing, consciously or not. Think of it like choosing what clothes to wear: picking up a piece and wearing it (regulation) happens because of the first choice. And it's something continuous whenever it's being experienced. This may not be as straightforward as with our own emotions, but the good news is that we aren't at the receiving end of this process but are the main agent, whether we recognize it or not. Great actors work according to this principle. They go beyond mimicking an expression and don't wait around for "exciting" circumstances or stimuli to create enthusiasm. They actually are sad, angry, intrigued, confused, or depressed, depending on what is required of them. At will. That's their job. It's also possible for us to relate to emotions this way, moving one step at a time. For example, try creating enthusiasm now. Anyway, I lost track of the main topic.

You need to do work on dropping assumptions. But "awakening" is not the only focus. Also, there aren't many enlightened people to begin with at all. Maybe Leo, just maybe. You can always question. That's essentially the practice. Ask: "Who am I?" Be open and do that until you get it.

Intuition. You were a bit vague and it wouldn't be the first time an account does something like this. Just checking. Anyway, you can ignore me.

That's the bitch of it. No. You.

I think it'd be better to see them as an interactive, smart dictionary, search engine, or something like that. We're like kids stacking chairs in the kitchen, thinking we're in a space station.

This is not to say "be stupid" or "stop thinking." It's more like this: you can study how to drive a car your whole life, but the experience of actually driving it occurs in a completely different world from that kind of understanding. Or consider the difference between reading and accumulating knowledge about an emotion and actually investigating your experience of it. Something like that. Existence occurs prior to and independent of intellect. Meet it where it's at. A bit like the Zen sentiment.