Hero in progress

@Bodhi123 @Bodhi123 Hi, I understand what your saying, I am not saying all suffering is illusion, suffering is very real, whether you can transcend all suffering completely through very masterful levels of consciousness is another conversation. The insight I had is everything comes from nothing, like everything is just made up, created, and that good & bad don't have any existential nature from the beginning but come much later through sentients & thought and don't exist outside of that. This is why the true self does not judge, it has no preference over one thing or the other, because it is not a organism that needs to persist and survive. Its very difficult for us to understand, because all we can refer to is our experience of reality & outside of the human perspective could be very different.

@Bodhi123 you just answered it yourself my friend, "we live in the relative world" Relative is relationship, this & that, me and you, the great people of Oroville and flood, see? relationship. On the absolute level if the whole human species dies, it isn't bad, because the absolute, is literally what is absolutely true! that is reality is nothing, and from there good & bad have to be created or invented. I see what your saying, but even a collective "bad" happening is still relative, and only that meaning is derived from the situation because is is detrimental to the well being of the collective people of Oroville, and because of that then comes a preference for it not to happen, thus if it does happen its given the term bad and experience it as such. See?

@Nahm yeah like when you believe something, you experience it that way, you literally Believe it into existence. And even after seeing that's the case, I am still full of love, and reality is still as beautiful.

I heard Alan watts talk of this and he said something of the following. We know we exist as a ego through 1. The self image 2. Chronic muscular tension So first of all the self image, that we have of ourself, you know that image you experience in the minds eye, that self image, wants to look good, be validated, there will be beliefs that have been picked up throughout experience, such as I am a loser, I am intelligent, I am ugly, I am good looking ect. But this self image is not us, it has no information about how the body/mind organism functions or how our heart beats or how are blood is circulating and so on, none of this is included in the self image. So our real self, as a human organism is a very different thing that what the self image is, the self image has been formed and created by how people have reacted to us and so on. Chronic muscular tension In the last enlightenment, the body was completely relaxed to the point the body couldn't be felt but normally the body is always unconsciously tensing in some way, like Alan watts said, when one is trying harder to Focus and look at something more we frown and that has no real improvement on our seeing anyway, but you can see from this simple example we are in a habit of tensing and tightening our body and face up and this gives us the sense, along with the self image that we exist as a separate entity inside the confines of the body.

The beauty of nature Animals Human kindness When you listen to a brilliant song and you get goose bumps Hearing the birds sing in the morning The colour of the sky Humour And when you eat a wonderful meal and it hits the spot Being Love Peace And this forum so I can connect with you wonderful people

@Colin Thankyou I will be sure to checked that site out. And absolutely there can be times of struggle, the love of our infinite being will help see us through. With love my friend

@Colin Wow Thankyou for sharing that profound experience with me, life is a wonderful gift, and I am glad I am here with you and everyone else to share this with. I am so happy to come to the realisation that the fundamental nature of reality is goodness and love, that is the instant message I got when I surrendered, I was told not through mere words, but through a message of love that peirced through my body.

@Colin no I haven't checked that out yet, what's it under?

@Nahm love & peace my friend x

Ramakrishna- God is in all men, but all men is not in God. That is why we suffer. Krishnamurti- It is no measure of health, to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. Eckhart tolle- Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Meister Eckhart- It is only the hand that erases that can write the truth. Marcus Aurelius- Everything we hear is a opinion not a fact, everything we see is a perspective not the truth.

@Live Life Liam Thankyou

@WouterWe are in a dream right now, a dream of separateness, waking up, let that be your focus, What you are is right now, if you see it as a big aspiration forever, you will never come to truth. the disconnectedness comes from thinking, comes from thinking about other, when we think about other we separate ourself from Other. Because we are seeing other from ego. And of course I don't know your situation, and I do apologise if I am miss interpreting the reality of your situation, maybe it's best you enquire into that yourself to see exactly why you feel a certain way in regards to what we are talking about, your family, your friends, and what they would think? not knowing whether to tell them or not. Its best you try to be as honest with yourself as you can. enquiry is the key to the door to the light.

Bodhidharma - "If you use your mind to study reality, you won't understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you'll understand both." This is a great quote by the zen master, bodhidharma. Thoughts come & go you stay. emotions come & go you stay. Sensations come & go you stay. Image of you, come & go you stay. Story of you, come & go you stay. That which doesn't come and go is you. Its really that simple. Awareness naturally Gives attention to the comings and goings, pull identity back from these comings and goings. That which you are trying to look for is that which you are already looking from. Truth is so simple, effortless.

@Wouter What I would do is, observe the fear of being judged & seeming unusual to other people and let that observation, increase awareness. In that very moment you get a sensation dont you, that sends you a message, probably something like " Oh what if they think I am weird" right? And "what if they don't approve of it, ect. So you feel inauthentic and feel like you are hiding. Be awareness of this only and do not muddy the water of this, let it come, be aware of this fear of Disapproval of other people, which many have. How long are you going to buy into this paradigm of giving others so much power over you, outside of the thinking about it, it doesn't matter what others say or think about you. Only matters to the conditioned mind, thought. You are not this, you are something far greater, to find your way back home is what is important, not what other people think about it, you are on your own path to find truth, to live in accordance to truth, Others are on there own path, what they think only comes from ignorance. You find truth from observation of mind and behavior of yourself, to really see what's going on. What is the truth outside of limited thinking, and truth will emerge.

@Mondsee From the bottom of my heart my friend, take all this seriously if you have any sense that there is more to all this. To wake up from a dream inside the dream is something so unexplainable and can only happen, if something in your heart calls you to this, I hope you can find your way home. The truth of what you are is benevolent and beauty If there is a intuitive knowing that what I say has got some depth to it, because it comes from my heart and your heart. If something pulls you to the light of your own being, what you really are, then go for it buddy There's worse things one can do with there life. If you look at all the masters who are fully awake! They all agree! No matter from what time period, or what culture, doesn't matter they all agree they are all pointing to the same truth, you are consciousness itself! And you can only really know what thats Gona be, when you wake up to that! Its happening right now! Always. Peter Ralston The book of not knowing, That book is gona be a good start. And leos self enquiry aswell.

@Mondsee See this is the thing, anything I say to you is just going to become a idea, and that keeps you in the pull of thoughts. But I will give a concept in regards to the human body as a machine. The human is very mechanical, running on patterns and habits, so in that sense yeah sure. But don't get to caught up on that. Maybe download leos self enquiry video in mp3 form, and really really look into it for yourself. Do it over & over again but each time look like its the first time your looking, look intensely. If you really want true liberation, true awakening! Like Peter Ralston, this guy is a true sage, he has such profound understanding, and that comes from being aware & enquiry, for years! Thoughts are like little dreams that have such a illusory pull, and you just doing the do nothing meditation, isn't going to be enough if I am honest mate. Not many get enlightenment because people just dip there toe in the water so to speak. But anything is a start.

@poimandres

@Loreena very beautiful pictures.

This first picture was taken In 2003 it's been known to be called "Gods eye" We are in a vast & beautiful dream! From the vastness of the cosmos, to the tiny beautiful details of this dream, that which is the driving force of everything, is more profoundly intelligent than we can comprehend. The fundamental nature of this dream is without form, we know that, nothingness, but I think really its so much more than mere nothingness, it is beyond our limited understanding as humans, but chances are it is truely unlimited in every way, and the best way I could describe it is "Magic" To the true beauty of this earth, to the unfathomed depths of space, count yourself lucky, that we are awake and conscious of anything, let alone this wonderful life. We are all one. I hope you enjoy it. Like he's said in the movie American Beauty, there is "A incredibly benevolent force that wants me to know there is no reason to be afraid" The Light of God is already within you.

@Mondsee okay, so its the first time you have tryed it, it may take you a lot more time intill the monkey mind subsides, and it may feel like you are the one thinking because, this has been your way of being your entire life, identified with thoughts, so it may seem like you are day dreaming at first. If you think its you thinking, then try this test, sit down for 5 mins and before you start, commit to yourself that for the next 5 minutes you are not going to think at all! See how long last before thought comes. You think its you thinking because there is a entire collection of concepts you have about yourself, so it creates the experience of a thinker (you) But there is in fact no thinker, just thought. Observe this.

@ExtraAwesome Dont worry my friend, the ego will try to reinforce itself over and over again, just keep going, eventually the power of awareness will prevail.

Self enquiry We already are consciousness, But there are very subtle channels of thought that identify us with stuff, that we are asleep to That are somehow keeping us asleep. Consciousness is identified with various things in experience, such as body, thoughts, emotions, sensations, beliefs, ideas, voice, self image, even a post on this forum is a extension of ego, possessions and so on. Thoughts You don't think all the time, thoughts come and go, happy ones, sad ones, funny ones, judgments of others and so on, they are not what you are fundamentally obviously, you don't really believe you are the thought do you? No you say I thought or I am thinking. When thought is not you still are, so thought is not you, if you choose to identify with thought, the thought then becomes a extension of I. emotions Emotions again, come and go, sometimes, you feel happy, sometimes you feel sad, sometimes you feel jealous or angry, but again you would say I feel angry or I feel happy, people even say "I am angry" like me and anger are the same thing, so clearly there is identification with the emotions that arise for most people. But emotions change all the time, and you still are regardless of what emotions are perceived, so emotions are not what you fundamentally are either, again if you choose to identify with what ever emotions arise, they have become a extension of I. Sensations, Sensations can be anything from, the heart beating, to the feeling of your feet, hands ect. Even things like a itch or some pain that's felt. Again they all come and go, sometimes you feel the sensation of being uncomfortable sitting in your chair, or you may feel cold one moment and warm the next, sensations vary, You would say I feel. so again the sensations of your body, such as your feet or hands or bum, isnt what you are fundamentally, because they always change, they come and go, so when you choose to identify with your bodily sensations, they become a extension of I. Same with beliefs, they become a extension of I, I believe in god, I believe the next door neighbour is a asshole, Same with possessions, like car, phone, house ect, you say its my car or my phone, so possessions become a extension of I. Self image is a big one, because its in your head all the time, its got a feel to it, and it gives you a sense that your someone, but if you look straight in front of you for a min, without moving you may get a moment, were that picture and feel of you, that image will cease and you will see image can't be you, it comes and goes, and also its being put in front of you so to speak, and by definition if its being shown to you, its not you is it, you are that which sees it, experiences it. But again this is normally identified with without you even knowing, and again it becomes a extension of I. You gona find yourself, by eliminating all that is not you, it can be difficult because your in a habit of identifying with everything in the experience of being someone. But you are not a experience. You are that which is conscious of experience. Consciousness itself.

@username i will try to give you some very simplistic advice my friend, because the biggest motivation for enlightenment work in my case, was insecurity, I have acne and that is why. First of all identity why you are insecure, there is a reason. Now that insecurity is going to be your liberation, as rumi said "pain is were the light enters you" I know it can be hard, but the very sensation of insecurity is going to be your new best friend. You want to know if you can eliminate it through enlightenment, yes you can!! absolutely. But it will never leave, by you resisting it! By trying to run away from it. That's what you are doing anyway, and that perpetuates it. Feel into it from now on, the raw sensation of insecurity, how it arises, how it feels, when arises. Ect Don't be insecure about being insecure, if you're insecure then that's what Is, you transcend it by being one with it. not creating a division of the insecurity and The Entity that is running away from it or resisting it. This is all very difficult to explain. because the work happens not through thinking about it trying to figure out how to get rid of it, but shine awareness on it! Every time! You might learn to love it

@Inglorious If your starting out and you find it difficult to meditate with noises, then do it in a quiet place. But otherwise meditation with sounds in awareness can be beautiful, things like birds tweeting & cars going by.