How to be wise

@Martin123 A lot of people practice kundalini yoga. If you go to YouTube you'll see all sorts of people practicing it. But clearly most of these people are not enlightened. In their YouTube videos they tend to be highly materialistic and have never mentioned the concept of no-self. So why is that? Does Kundalini yoga really produce enlightenment? You've been practicing it for two years. Are you enlightened? Did you reach enlightenment with Kundalini or with another method?

Why is kundalini so dangerous. What risks does it pose medically?

I remember shinzen young saying that he went to a therapist recently despite having become enlightened long time ago and has been doing zen meditation and contemplation for decades. Why does he still suffer from the mind? Is emotional mastery really possible?

I understand that enlightenment isn't enough for emotional mastery. But this guy has been doing serious consciousness work for basically his whole life. It kind of demotivates me from carrying on this work.

@Pierre @Joseph Maynor I'm using Byron Katie's self-inquiry to achieve emotional mastery. In the inquiry, you first ask the question 'is it true?' So that's what I was trying to answer. By concentrating on the thought, I was hoping to get insights into that thought and to answer that question. But does it work is the question, or should I be contemplating it instead. @Nahm That thought has been causing me a lot of suffering recently, so I wanted to resolve it.

What's going to happen if I concentrate on the thought 'The teacher doesn't like me' for a long time? Am I going to detach from it, or is it just a waste of time? I've been concentrating on that thought for five days with one hour each day, and I basically got nothing. I usually feel better in the meditation, but I had no insights, and I usually feel bad soon after I finish the meditation. Is concentrating on thoughts a bad or long way of detaching from the thought. Is it better to contemplate the thought instead?

I was amazed to have found this. Nisargadatta shares his knowledge on enlightenment.

That guy always looks angry. Even when the translator told a joke, he was still angry.

Will it slow down my growth if i have been doing self inquiry for three months and then suddenly change to mindfulness meditation. Will it be slower to get to enlightenment if you keep changing techniques.

Skip to 18:35. Byron Katie describes how she ran off to the desert after her enlightenment to get away from society. But I noticed that this was a common theme for enlightened people, Ramana Maharshi comes to mind. So why do they decide to do that. Why do they run away from society after spontaneous enlightenment?

@Leo Gura A while back you released the episode '10 important things you don't know you want'. Ever since, I have used that as my life map. Do you think more should be added to that list? How many of those ten things do you feel you attained?

Yeah I noticed as well. He did a speech in oxford, and in the speech he asked a few rhetorical questions, and he expected people to reply. For example, when he says 'isn't that so?' He kept repeating it till people replied. Then he got so frustrated and was like to the audience 'are we in talking terms or not?' But Byron Katie actually achieved full emotional mastery. It's quite interesting because she said she worked on and achieved her emotional mastery whilst she was in the desert by herself, and not in her enlightenment experience.

No they don't. Ramana Maharshi spent the rest of his 54 years on that mountain. By the way, what is vasanas? Her own words were: "to get away from people." Actually, a lot of people in the moment of their enlightenment leave society and never come back in their entire lives. Think of acestics.

I know he's the most famous. By the way, he's not alive. Unless you think he was revived.

Just curious. Who do you think is the most enlightened person you're aware of alive today or 100 years ago. I want to be inspired.

How about the insight that absolutely nothing is true. Have that one first. Then I'll see you in the Tibetan caves.

Become enlightened first. You will probably run off to the Himalayas.

'Missing out' is another illusion. In reality, you can't miss out on anything. You won't be happy until you realise that. 'No self' isn't important for you. You would much rather worry about the illusion of 'missing out' than the 'true self'.

In this audio, an enlightened master works with some people who are craving enlightenment and shows them why they shouldn't be desperately going after it. Amazing video.

This is Byron Katie's newest book. I feel that this book will really help most of you out with emotional mastery and enlightenment. Make sure to check out:

The realisation of the self is a good thing to pursue, but clearly you will benefit more from the realisation of the truth of your 'wants'. All of your 'wants' are false. That is your enlightenment. If you're going to pursue anything, pursue that. Free yourself from the illusion of 'wants'. Then you will be happy.

No you don't! Hard to believe I know. But just realising that is enlightenment.

It's best to question your wants before starting. Just to detach yourself from the result. Then pursue whatever you 'want'.

'I want to be happy' is not true, as you'll see with some investigation. Nothing wrong with motivating yourself with that, but just keep at the back of your mind that it isn't true.

@Ether yes. Desire with no reason 'why' you want it.