UnbornTao

Couple of quotes: It's likely that many of you will overlook or even outright ignore this topic, which partly explains the issue of poor listening.

Masturbation Awakening™

What is this referring to? Anyway, do the exercise:

@No1Here2c Those are ideas, intriguing ones perhaps, but ideas nevertheless. I'd focus on removing beliefs rather than on piling up more so-called knowledge. Just be real with yourself, and move in that direction. I think it'd also be useful to get increasingly clear on the difference between mind activity (such as holding an opinion) and objective reality, or what's actually going on. This is key.

Yes, turn to the dark side.

Either that, or he finally attained Nirvana.

Amen! Praise the Lord.

It's certainly not an intellectual process. Be brutally honest with yourself. That's the first step, and essentially the only one. Don't pretend one thing is another, or that something is happening when it isn't. Don't misrepresent. Pay attention, listen to feedback, stay open. Ask yourself: is this a belief - something that requires a mental leap? Do I just want this to be true? Take Adi Da as an example. We grant that he actually knew what he was talking about. The word actually matters - it's what earns him our respect. So when he asserts that psychedelics don't increase consciousness or lead to enlightenment, what do we make of that? After genuine consideration: even if we think we understand what he's saying, we're probably wrong. So we take him at his word - not blindly, but in a specific sense: we acknowledge there's something we're not currently getting. That we don't truly know what he means by enlightenment or realization. That our own awakenings may be something else entirely, if we believed the substances lead there. In short: realize what he realized. Which, to be clear, no one does. If you think you do, you may be deceiving yourself in a fairly significant way - and the fundamental difference in stance on this topic is itself the evidence of that.

I'd avoid confusing consciousness with a breakdown; the latter is a function of the mind, not of the truth. So drop that insanity nonsense, too. You might find Ramana Maharshi's teachings useful, even if just for intellectual stimulation and inspiration. Besides, the guy was sane as fuck.

Breathe, and look into it. Start with your own experience. You could even begin by asking yourself what questioning is. But hey, go get some sleep first. You'll feel better afterward.

I just read it. Just toss it and go after what's true, not believed.

Empty your cup and find out for yourself. And make sure you do both. It's okay either way.

Your state doesn't change what's true; otherwise, it wasn't true in the first place. You can be drunk, angry, afraid, feeling one with the universe, curious, or jealous - and, at the same time, the truth wouldn't care about that, so to speak. Think of it as a state of mind. Consciousness may not be a state, after all.

How long have you been working on the exercise?

@Breakingthewall It wasn't personal, to be clear. First, I was pointing out the stupidity in thinking you understand what's being conveyed. Second, confusing musings and intellectualization with what’s being discussed. But I've realized that exercises are far more useful than… well, just jerking off. And don't worry, you haven't been blocked.

An explanation is just that. What's true precedes state. I was attempting to destroy your belief, probably picked up from here.

I think I understand what you mean, but I'd consider that worry unwarranted here. Listening is not about you! It's about the other person's experience.

As a side note, before uploading them, you might want to consider optimizing any images or GIFs using an online tool or software. This can help reduce storage usage over time. I had to clear out and optimize some files from my account because the storage was already full.