UnbornTao

Everyone is a potential genius. But possibility isn't probability. Someone is a genius precisely because it is so rare. If everyone was one, we'd take it for granted. Every human does a damn good job at surviving, your mind is incredibly effective and seamless. The way your experience is created: perception, emotion, the distinction and worlds of self and other, language, context, mind, thinking, internal dialogue. There's a very deep fundamental genius to being a human. Of course, on the other hand, we can see people who aren't very bright, who lie, withdraw and ignore, aren't very self-aware, and are committed and attached to their ignorance.

Sorry, I meant neither has changed. Hopefully it's clearer now that I edited it. It is fascinating, although how realistic is it in the end? Would it be feasible in a century or so? Cultural transformation requires individual transformation. This requires personal responsibility, even if assisted by others. Who decides which direction to move towards? People may not want to follow the same path and goals as everyone else. For example, why hasn't any culture throughout history been based on honesty and truth?

Pursue both, if you want! Not mutually-exclusive.

Everyone is a potential genius, and at the same time it has to be developed. The probability of becoming a genius is slim, though.

"Sorry I wrote such a long letter, I didn't have the time to write a short one." Generally speaking, I get the sense that you write too much when it could've been expressed succinctly. I'm biased towards concise communication. Anyway, keep contributing to the forum, I appreciate the variety you bring to it.

Not necessarily. You seem to ramble on about every little detail you can think of. See if you can get it across in fewer words. Read my first post to you. Being concise forces you to become increasingly clear on what you want to get across. See if you can communicate without intellectualizing. I'm not saying communicate less. You can DM me, let's keep the thread on track.

Even if an expression comes from direct experience, it is received as hearsay by others. Not to say genuine insights haven't come from "religious" individuals, however they are independent from religion; they've contemplated some matter for themselves. Discovery comes from direct experience, not beliefs. Comparing belief systems is looking in the wrong place. It's like comparing how insights manifest. Is the communication sourced by genuine experience? Grasp the experience being communicated. Besides, you can have insights on your own, an invention isn't ultimately needed.

And even then... Human nature doesn't seem to have changed much, in the same way that our bodies haven't evolved much or at all either. What's changed has been mostly the environment we live in and the technology we use, with some learning added on top of our condition.

Cultish thinking does seem to be present in every area of culture. From an outsider's perspective, it is easy to see any sort of "spiritual" group as a cult. It is safe and warranted, there's a lot of crap that people invent. When the work is real and deep it gets weird for some people. Have to contemplate what a cult is.

Why isn't a person at a bar straight about his or her intentions? Why go through pretending to be interested in the other person when getting laid is why you're there in the first place? What if you were honest about it? "I want to get laid." We have to go through a game of pretension. Do you really care about the other person, or are you using the interaction just to have sex? I know that doesn't work, interesting to see ways in which being direct is discouraged and undermined in our culture.

Why are you posting here? What do you mean?

He even wears a robe that resembles rat's skin, so that everyone's clear his branch is Rat Buddhism. Seriously though, I'd say none. Buddha didn't invent buddhism. So, not about religion.

Sounds like some sort of emotional reaction on your part. People can be exceptionally skilful. I know it can be hard not to resent masters but once you pay attention, you realize that you can learn from them. In fact, it is likely the most effective way for you to learn. Being willing to learn from a master can make you feel like a little person, on the other hand, your ability can improve dramatically thanks to them.

Solid. If you want to improve your posts, be concise. You should use a more open or "wider" expression. No need to explain every little detail about something.

Eating habits seem to boil down to personal preference. There, strongest argument there is.

Ok.

Fair. That's an analogy, though.

Powerful quote that resonates with me: from a talk given 5/7/1989 Vernon Howard's Higher World - MP3 CD Volume 27, talk 679, track 25

I love words. If you think about it, why call it love if it's absolute? Why give it the name of a human emotion? Notice you're holding love as a relative. The word is popular, do we know what it is, though? Good advice.

You is a good one -- if coming from direct experience, as you say. If it's absolute, how come it is a facet of something else? Is love a part of god? This is for fun. Notice how fantasising may be less likely to occur with less common words such as truth, being or absolute as opposed to god and love. As a teacher, filling the student's mind with too much stuff can be detrimental to her own process.

What about Absolute or Truth? These leave the matter up for grabs, which is good. What do they try to point to unless you become conscious yourself? People hear love and will pursue their fantasies and expectations of what it means, since everyone assumes to know love. Calling it true or truth isn't fancy. A bit like the equivalent of calling stretching yoga. An open inquiry gets conditioned from the start with the result they expect to find. This is why I think it is misleading to call it love from the viewpoint of facilitation. Anyway, banana or truth, the key is personal consciousness.

You're already you. Why fear it? I keep thinking you're talking about something different -- states, maybe -- from awakening.

What is Maturity? is so good. Listening to it again. Several points hit home. The ability to compromise, refusing to engage in emotional manipulation tactics, sacrificing oneself for a greater purpose. Ironically (or not), I seem to be less mature in certain aspects now than when I was a child.

@Razard86 Good, thank you. What do you mean by communicating with the universe?

Why call it love if it's absolute?