UnbornTao

@Ishanga In your example, it was after his major breakthrough, not before. He was just a normal teenager living a normal life. If one doesn't care now, then such reasons are merely excuses - "Someday, maybe, when the right conditions are met." There's no such thing as the right conditions; it's true now. Maybe you can't do an intensive monthly retreat at home, but you can always contemplate, regardless of life circumstances. And life doesn't stop, until it does.

Why separate them? It's a false dichotomy and an excuse. It's best to eliminate whatever notions and ideas we may have of enlightenment. I suspect you're holding it like a sort of ideal or fantasy. Monks still have to clean up, cook, and maintain the monastery, while pursuing enlightenment.

@Optimized Life It's okay, man. I'd recommend keeping one's word when we give it - if we want it to have power. Otherwise, it's best to admit there was no intent in the first place and move on. No need to beat yourself up. Avoid wasting energy on excuses or justifications. That's healthier and more functional. You can always create real intent, too, which requires doing whatever you set out to do. Good luck.

haha

I wonder whether they can top Red Dead 2. Apparently, Dan Houser hasn't had anything to do with this GTA.

It's best to leave it open and not confuse whatever notion we come up with with the actual realization or breakthrough. So if it's about becoming conscious of the absolute nature of something, grasp that deeply - and then you'll see for yourself and naturally lose interest in speculating about it.

Another perspective is that life isn't going anywhere, even as circumstances change.

We got GTA VI before ES VI.

Standing on your present experience, what new thought, observation, or insight can you generate? What is taking place in your experience that you are not yet aware of? Generate a new insight for yourself - one arising from experiential openness rather than from the insidious domain of "second-hand knowledge", which comprises everything you think you know. Consider that genuine openness may be grounded in "nothing." Make an attempt to experience or reach that "place", and then inquire from there.

Pretty much what zurew said above. You notice that your actions have consequences, so pay attention to that fact and own what you do.

GTA VII - AI Edition.

Does it really matter? It boils down to an estimation you make. We're not even clear about the subject that supposedly has - or lacks - free will. To use a metaphor, you're already the source of your experience, like a video game developer creating their own game. Owning your actions and becoming responsible for your life is an empowering stance to adopt. Responsibility doesn't mean blame, though - and neither does this imply that you're actually responsible for everything that happens in life - it simply means that's the attitude you take on.

@Rigel Obviously trolling.

As long as it works...

Stop lying.

In life? Survive lol

This is the one that came to mind. Hard to decide, though:

From ChatGPT: In common parlance, one might say: "I farted."

Go for it. Maybe create a week-long intensive solo retreat with the intent of discovering who and what you are. Although "who you are" isn't exactly an enlightenment question - it's more like an insight or relative realization. The nature of the entity asking the question ("What am I?") is the enlightenment question, but this doesn't matter too much as long as you grasp the subject of the question.

A "should" will necessarily be based on some value system, likely inherited from one's particular culture. I'm not making a case for or against veganism; just looking into where the question might be coming from.

Fucking cappuccinos.