UnbornTao

In either case, it is irrelevant what is believed when it comes to the truth. What is God? Is there a God, or a lack of God? Chances are everything that comes up in regards to that is a rumor for you, and also for the person promoting it. And there's nothing wrong with just admitting one has no idea (this raw fact may be disguised with isms and other mental gymnastics). Otherwise, you'd be expressing your own ignorance by pretending to know, which wouldn't contribute -- and might undermine -- any kind of inquiry into the matter.

I probably stumbled upon the Tao Te Ching or a Buddhist book while browsing the Amazon bookstore out of curiosity. That was likely my first "formal" exposure to the subject, although as a child, I occasionally had moments of deep wonder about my own nature.

It’s not that the truth invalidates you; it’s that it only serves itself, and the offense is of your own making, based on how you relate to it. This presupposes that you’re taking yourself seriously and giving what’s true a backseat.

That should have been the name of the second channel.

Is systematizing "contemplation work" actually necessary? It should be allowed to occur organically, otherwise it is not contemplation. This point isn't about any particular teaching. Any attempt to intellectually piece things together will be inaccurate, and it can't be a consciousness of the truth. Not only is it undesirable, but attempting it is counterproductive, since we would now be comparing sets of presumptions with each other, as if we were in touch with what's being conveyed by presumably authentic sources. And generally we don't seem to notice that we're doing it, conflating that with an open study. So—Zen stick.

Start “from scratch,” with nothing to stand on but your own experience. Face the blank page, so to speak. No external input of any kind--no borrowed ideas or extraneous concepts. Simply confront the experience at hand and convey it as it is--without distortion, preference, withdrawal, or bias. There are many ways to approach this exercise, but one I favor involves exploring what true creativity is. Also, choose a concrete subject beforehand so that your mind has something to focus on--for example, your experience of an emotion.

MONEY!

@Someone here Real questioning is experiential and not vague. It seems to me that you often just want to debate and pass the time. Nothing wrong with that, but if you want to get more serious, I'd suggest contemplating 'Who am I' in addition to an aspect of experience, such as perception or an emotion. Hope that helps.

Make that $6200.

It is fine but not the reason why I post for the most part. Why are you asking?

@Someone here It was an actual question, hopefully in order to move us toward increased consciousness. But entertainment is fine.

I wouldn't frame it as a negative per se. Leisure and socialization have their place -- to a certain extent they're necessary. Life might consist mostly of mundane moment after mundane moment. Here's a great quote that relates to this sentiment: By J. Krishnamurti.

Probably, if you pay attention, you could respond the questionnaire in way that aligns with the result you want.

A new thought is that it might not be an experience. If we want an answer: Mu. How's that?

I've got to sell an energetically charged rock for $1,600 -- supercharge your meditation by a factor of 100!

Nice.

Being bored for days at a time, the ultimate spiritual practice. And the most painfully mundane.

So what are you asking in this thread? Leave the absolute aside as the chitchat doesn't seem to help at all. It is an unknown possibility for us. Talk is easy and isn't the same as coming from a consciousness of what's what, and recognizing this difference can be tricky -- that's essentially my point here. But again, ask in a way that's real for you in your own experience and that would help you move toward something more genuine.

Cheer up. The role of yourself in creating whatever is experienced shouldn't be overlooked.

Stolen from admin.

You must see this is as a feeling you are generating, perhaps having to do with hopelessness, maybe in order to justify or defend a complacent attitude. But that's up for you to find out. A question that can be can continually asked is "What is this in front of me?" This referring to your experience of anything. "Is limitation bad, or is it rather a necessity for anything to exist? How could a possibility be actualized without limitation to ground it in reality?" Maybe the expectation that our every desire must be fulfilled sets us up for endless disappointment. "Is it possible for one to be happy and experience suffering -- or pleasure, joy, boredom, and so on?"

You are putting the cart before the horse. Once you realize that you truly don't know what anything is, you can begin questioning what's in front of your nose (experience) and move forward from there. Investigate this and that, generating insights, until you become a "Buddha". Then, you can return to the world to wrestle and dialogue with us.