UnbornTao

And yet, despite appearances, the points might still be valid. You're projecting that I'm saying something based on somebody else. Again, it depends on what you're pursuing and why. It's always useful to clarify that. Hearsay aside, we should ask: What is consciousness? What are states? What is experience? What I'm saying is that self-transformation and enlightenment are two different pursuits. It sounds like your priority is transforming your experience of life, which is worthwhile to do. States can be healing, transformative and influential in how life is experienced. Not saying pursuing one invalidates the other, in fact they complement each other. And then there's absolute consciousness. It is a possibility to be realised now, not an unreachable ideal different from or outside of, life. Go after both while acknowledging they're different pursuits. Being allows for states to exist, it precedes states. As this matter goes beyond self concerns, you won't find any value, use or meaning there and it will still be what's true -- when realized directly.

"Anything cumulative diminishes your perception." That's a good one.

Maybe there's nothing there, existentially. And we add to and superimpose on that. This is a deeper study, that of experience and concept.

@Socrates @koops thanks for sharing, by the way.

Reality is a fucking mystery. Adhering to materialism is ironically believing in magic: that somehow matter that is arranged a certain way sources and causes consciousness to exist. That's believing in magic. Of course the tacit assumption of any -ism is that we know what we're talking about when referring to consciousness. We conclude and make assumptions about it without direct experience into its nature.

Depends on what you're after. You'll go through states, that doesn't mean much unless you make it a big deal. I like being blissful and feeling good but states don't imply you're increasing consciousness. Are you for example any clearer on what state itself is? What insight or direct consciousness have you had? This is what I think is primordial. That's a laudable goal. Also, on the other hand, what is consciousness? What are mind and suffering? Before transcending anything we must first become deeply conscious of what that something is, otherwise we don't know what we're getting free from. I recommend to avoid taking anyone's words at face value, rather take an effective teacher's words as a way to ballpark your efforts. It sounds like you might be talking about what may better be called psychic phenomena. Self-survival and truth-seeking are different pursuits. In other words, what's true doesn't care about you. I agree that how you experience life is significant and that it is a very worthwhile study besides awakening, however those are different and it is useful not to confuse them. You can always ask: What is this experience about? Even: What are experience and perception themselves?

Approach.

Con-fusion: fusing with, fusing one thing with another, lack of distinction, conflating one thing for another. For example, our experience of fear is confusing, we confuse ourselves with the emotion, are carried away by it, and fail to make finer distinctions within the process of fear, like it being based on a future possibility, an unwillingness to experience something, an unwanted experience happening, and the possibility of that experience occurring in the future. We may also confuse possibility with probability, expressing one's opinions and another's in a sophisticated way with intelligence, etc.

@Dabidoe What is self? What is being you? Contemplating that goes first.

At the end of the day shifts in states are temporary whether magical, blissful and mystical. Pleasure and pain exist as the same dynamic. Don't get too hang up on the experiences and go after the truth.

The laundry.

Texts of that nature are not needed at all when it comes to self-transformation, depends on how you use them though. With enlightenment, no, because it is you and direct, best you can do is contemplate.

Okay, however keep to the question without jumping to conclusions, what you're looking for is a direct consciousness not an answer. happy contempltion.

Get what self and you are.

Paradoxically, even having to show up as the intelligent person might be motivated by a source assumption of being the contrary. If you assume something about yourself no matter how much external things you attain, it won't change what you're assuming. The thing is to recognize that's what you're doing and stop assuming it which is getting at the heart of the matter. I think this insecurity business goes right at the heart of what being a self is. Profound shit. But that's another topic, one that is worth personally looking into.

@Loveeee no insulting

I'm not conscious of the entire cosmos but thanks.

@HMD Find out who breathes (and perceives, emotes, etc.) and then tell me.

Holding that there's some "thing" might as well be a concept, too. "Concept" is also taken to be an object just as fear, joy, love or tree are. Concept is what creates and determines the experience of that "thing" for you. Without it, there couldn't be a "thing" there. In other words, our experience of everything is conceptually-based. We don't know what it is for and as itself. The "holding" itself is context which allows that "thing" to exist as itself in the first place. For example, language isn't just symbols, it is a contextual possibility that allows for the creation and existence of symbols. Without the context of language, communication, internal dialogue, math, knowledge or science can't exist. Context allows for the existence of whole worlds without which they couldn't even be conceived of; they simply wouldn't occur. Concept doesn't seem to be limited to language, and it is more than just a thought you have. For example, "self" may be a conceptually-based experience and yet it looks real and tangible for us. Concepts are imposed upon what's "real." Assumptions, a form of concept, in fact show up as "reality" for us. What language, context, experience, concept and perception are form the basics of our experience of life. It is an extremely worthwhile study which I'm currently pursuing mostly by means of personal contemplation. What is (reality) and what is concept?

@Loveeee What's your experience in the matter? The way I hear your posts on this thread is that you hold the matter as a cosmology. Go after whatever's true not after what's assumed or adopted, either from an internal or external source.

Stop pretending.

Don't take it on faith. For all we know it might be complete BS. Your experience is whatever it is. You feel bad about something, then acknowledge that, no reason to pretend it isn't there by adopting a belief that makes you feel good for the time.

Why? What do you mean?

Thank you!

The first one. I hear some of its points but still it doesn't sound like clear communication to me. Still think selling beliefs is common. But again, not to downplay the influence of beliefs, they can be powerful. For example, "framing" is useful advice, but at the same time it lacks grounding. "If wishes were horses, the beggar would ride." What did you take of it?