Natasha

@aryberry Did you know that Buddhist monks and hippies are the happiest people on earth according to an extensive research with brain scans? They also found that the more ambition one has, the more their happiness levels drop. Achievement, success, doing don't equal peace and happiness. The secret is indeed in Being, acceptance and contentment with the present moment as is. More you accept and live it, more space you create in your own life to actually want to focus on your the inner, creativity, growth, utilizing your talents, etc. Those don't have to be huge. Just being that presence in someone else's life who is struggling/ suffering, can be enough of contribution. Always live your peace.

I don't use psychedelics. Was just a symptom of my at times careless spelling

@Feeble Dave I'm no neuroscientist, but would imagine any psycodelic would have capacity to gradually alter brain chemistry to some degree. The side-affects may not be noticable right away, but down the road they quite possibly may be.

@Frode Great review, thank you for sharing!

@PureExp Great info. Thank you for sharing!

@John Flores You understand that they are 'giants' only from the ego's perspective (the mind), right? Shine light of wareness onto the 'giants' and you will find they're just scared little puppies on the inside. Chasing their tails and having an urge to fight speaks more of small, not giant.

Observe, don't absorb. We are essentially awareness 'observing' the relative/ object world. The shift towards enlightenment happens when you're able to 'see' past what the ego can see. Awareness becomes self-aware, so to speak.

@Siim Land Interestingly, when I eat a big healthy dinner, I don't even feel hungry till the following afternoon. I would have a green smoothy for brunch though, and do drink lots of alkaline water too. Would that be ok?

@John Flores It's all just happening and no one is doing it. Suffering is only 'real' to our mind. Transcend your mind/ understanding/ ego, and peace will be available to you. But I'm there with you - still tend to suffer with those who suffer, but with a perspective. Someone once said that a mark of an enlightened is that they feel deeper and move on faster. Detachment is a beautiful thing.

I (my ego) see eveything as more of a miracle rather than a joke. But both of those labels are meaningless in raw reality anyway.

Good insights on how ego can be of service

No pain, no gain... is old ego game

Good one

That's the ego (being dragged).. the real 'you' is the camera observing...

@isabel These will help put things in perspective.. watch all 3

Girls can rap it too! Shameless Miley takes on saintly Joan of Arc

'Blank'... mind-less observation..

@Piotr This one is for you and all the other poetry lovers

@Zane Good idea! Will put in a new video suggestion on the ERB website

Albert Einstein vs Stephen Hawkins.. this is hilarious!

@Matthew Lamot "At this point everything stops and there is a subtle shift in awareness in which the foreground becomes the background, and the background the foreground" - from 'What is Advaita Vedanta'. This describes the shift I had a few months ago (before this forum even existed and before I was familiar with any teaching at all). It just happened one day and it's permanent. I never claimed to be enlightened, though... perhaps just awakened Thank you for the James Swartz/ Neo Advaita link. Will read it shortly.

Epic Rap Battles of History vids are hilarious

@Matthew Lamot Ok, thanks. Just re-read the article and still don't see any critical contradictions between its content and the material presented by Actualized.org and other sources. I do agree, however, a good enlightened teacher would be quite beneficial for guidance and to help grow awareness

@Matthew Lamot I just read the article you linked 'Advaita Vedanta' and I don't see how what it says is much different from what I hear in Leo's material and other sources/ articles, books, videos. What exactly is the problem? Also, according to the 3 stages of enlightenment as it's described in the article, I could be considered enlightened. Cool! I know there is more work to be done on my ego (ego shadow). This is what I'm working on. Currently reading 'Discover Yourself' by Dr. Paul Brunton. What do you think of his work?

Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates