UnbornTao

Those assertions sound too airy-fairy. Why bring up the absolute when talking about pleasure and pain? Why conflate them? If there's pleasure, there has to be pain. They co-exist as the same dynamic. Consider that pleasure is based on pain -- the motivation itself to pursue pleasure is already based on the assessment of a presently painful or "less than" condition. As hearsay, I can say that pain is a thought. Now, in order to really grasp that point some serious contemplation is needed on my part. So I better get to work.

@Leo Gura geez and I thought that it was a silly American fad. People get stuck in stupid stuff.

Spot on. Clear example of how destruction is easier and more convenient than creation.

I wouldn't lean only on inspiration because it generally doesn't last for very long. As any other feeling, it comes and goes. It's useful as a compass. It needs to be something you like, and that's for you to figure out and decide. Once you're clear, intent to master it. Pursuing mastery isn't a fantasy, will kick your ass, and it's the way to be happy with whatever you pursue. It boils down to creating your life around what you want. Make sure that it is what you want. If you want to be a writer, then that'd be the way to go!

Activities that create unnecessary suffering: Resisting your experience Comparing your experience to a future, so-called better one Comparing your life and self to those of others Identifying with meaningless or trivial things Pursuing ideals Desiring what you don’t have Living as if your actions were inconsequential

+4

appreciate it.

What about legumes? Don't you dare take away chickpeas from my life.

Become conscious of the absolute. Test whether relative stuff can affect or produce enlightenment. You may have experienced insights but not enlightenment. Relative stuff such as a dramatic state or shift in experience might have been confused with an enlightenment. Ask yourself: What am I conscious of now that I weren't of before? Direct consciousness is pristine and self-validating. If genuine, there's no room for doubt regarding what you became conscious of, which isn't to say that there isn't more to realize regarding the subject matter or that deeper consciousness can't be accessed.

Avoid Windows Use Linux.

Just don't confuse this exercise in extrapolation with actually being conscious of whatever is the case.

Consider that you even manipulate yourself. Emotions, for example, are a manipulation on your part to act a certain way. You can also manipulate in a straightforward way and even in ways that may benefit another. I don't think manipulation has to always involve lying. That's one aspect. Another distinction we can make is communication -- honestly sharing your experience as it is to another with the intent for it to be grasped by the other. What another does with it is up to them, not you. We could say that you manipulate in order to get a lollipop. Sometimes this may involve breaking your integrity, hiding things, pretending and other forms of lying. Communication, on the other hand, is about your experience itself. When you communicate instead of lie, you may not get the lollipop (gaining approval, being liked, etc). What you do gain is your vitality and integrity as a complete human being, you "keep your feet on the ground", so to speak. You're more powerfully present.

Yes. If you can, also get the sequel for playstation.

I've experienced the same. I love winter and cold though. However, where I live cold means 14ºC or so.

Going through that again would be dramatic... Pretty much. Presumably, there's also a Jak & Daxter movie in the works lol. Childhood nostalgia.

Watching the premier now. Now we need a good Uncharted adaptation.

You. Ta-Da!

What is power in the first place? Usually it is held as a negative: ruthless manipulation, bullying, toxic competition, egotism. Still, your image of what a powerful person looks like may, as with any image, be limited and not representative of reality, in this case that of being powerful. Currently, I'd describe power as the capacity to accomplish goals effectively. For the sake of the argument, based on this definition, power is not what we think it is since it can manifest in many different ways. Words such as "empowering" are considered extremely positive. Why? This may not help much since it doesn't deal directly with this thread but knowing what power is essential before going about pursuing it.

@Asayake you're in favor of white, added sugar? Not all sugar is the same as far I know.

Organic pesticides for breakfast. Seriously though, I heard from Michael Greger that if the matcha is sourced from China, it likely is contaminated with lead.

Even 100% raw cocoa powder? fuck

Only the truth is true. No belief, whether religious, social or scientific, is true in and of itself. What this inquiry misses is that whether we subscribe to Y or Z, in the end we still fundamentally don't know what's true. In our experience, we just exchanged a set of beliefs for another. The point is to directly know and realize what is true, not to adopt a set of thoughts, usually from another, that you like and feel validated by. Ask yourself: Am I deeply and directly conscious of the absolute? In my experience, have I realized, without the slightest doubt, what the absolute, life and reality are? That should open up some doors for contemplation, and offer an opportunity for deeper self-honesty.

"Thanks for coming, bye"

Best to start with the question, What is a body? It does seem to me like an essential vehicle for experience, much like there has to be hardware for the computer's software to be installed. I'd also say that the body is an object. But once again I haven't become conscious of what it is. So grasp what it is for yourself.

Not sure. One of my favorites, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. Loved it.