ajasatya

it had been quite a while since i laughed so hard on the internet.

ehh? i didn't say that computer is useful for every human being. i said that models of reality are useful to build useful tools like a computer, a knife or a book.

mental models of Reality are useless unless you want to build something useful with them, like a computer.

@Principium Nexus if you feel joy, embrace joy. if you feel sadness, embrace sadness. running away is HELL. everything else is HEAVEN.

@TRUTH_SEEKER from my experience, even though i'm heterosexual, there's no way other than learning how to be alone and becoming free from emotional dependencies. solitude is the strongest ally. ALL of your relationship problems come from your fear to be alone. grow up.

@Leo Eckl hi there! first of all, i want to congratulate you because i'm very impressed with the sanity you're experiencing at your age. most people who come here seeking advice are quite broken inside but you seem to be pretty functional. secondly, i want to thank you because you inspired me (even more) to build a good family with a healthy atmosphere to be lived, even though you haven't said much about yours. third: your very parents seem to have their heads on the right places. ask them what they do to keep up with the proper mental discipline. fourth: the greatest realization for a man is learning how to let peace flood his heart. people will say a thousand things about enlightenment. but enlightenment is simply the ability to be at peace, to be completely present in every moment of your life. and it's a trainable skill. if you do so, the other segments of your life will go with the flow. your romantic life, your professional life, your physical health, everything will come with ease. i'm not talking from a theoretical level. i'm talking from personal experience. may you be at peace. ajasatya.

@lens your story resonates with a very much known one. there's a path to extinguish your existential crisis.

@Lou7 festivals are great. meeting people is awesome. listening to them is even better. i want to go to the sat nam fest someday. too bad we don't have it here in brazil.

@Mert you gotta do things that i'm sure you don't like yet. don't try to love others. first of all, you gotta love yourself. take good care of yourself. learn how to enjoy life. that's how i see the first commandment (love God above all). here are some practical tips on how to practice self love.

no. the main goal is to learn how to return to focus. that's what we practice. we return to focus a trillion trillion trillion times. once we're on the present moment, we just relax on it. we don't control focus. we don't control anything. just return to the present moment and relax. appreciate the sound of the breath. have you noticed its natural beauty?

no. i've read A LOT of them and they all suck. they're all useless. zen is supposed to be lived. just find a zen sangha and go practice with them. apply to as many retreats as you can. if there's no zen sangha near you, then i recommend reading this book. it contains instructions on how to practice zazen. if you read and don't practice, time wasted. a good balance for solo beginners is reading one chapter after each zen session. a zen session is composed by a certain amount of zazen (say 30m), followed by a certain amount of kin hin (say 10m) and then a certain amount of zazen (say 30m). that's how it's been practiced for almost 800 years. some retreats implement 40/10/40 sessions. a beginner should start with 20/6/20 imo.

this attitude is nothing new in the history of mankind. if you want to speak the "actual truth", go ahead and play the role of the clown. Truth cannot be spoken. if you really want to help people to experience Truth, then start a zen center and just teach them how to practice zazen. give them straightforward instructions like how to place the head above the spine and how to return to the present moment as many times as possible. nothing else. but unfortunately, i sincerely think you're unable to do that for now. you're still drunk in pride, trying to be the enlightened one who has the "actual truth" to be spoken. yes master, please, teach me.

@MiracleMan there's a middle way between "I shouldn't be doing this" and "I love you". just watch your breath.

i went through the same process and i could not stand gyms anymore. but i also realized that a healthy body would improve my daily experience of life. so i noticed that i needed to exercise the body while immersing in a mindfulness training. there was no other option for me because everything else felt like a waste of time. so i choose hatha yoga. been practicing consistently for 2 years.

@ArasH nofap is godlike if you cannot live without masturbation.

because they want to achieve something. maybe they're feeding their spiritual ego, trying to become special. maybe they're trying to achieve some intellectual comprehension, diving in mental masturbation. maybe they're simply not practicing meditation at all.

it's not presumptuous as long as your daily experience of life is consistently conscious and content. no more existential fear of death; no more impatience; no more self-sabotage; no more greed, anger, jealousy, anxiety, regret; no more thirst for spiritual knowledge and a complete surrender to the unsolvable mystery of the mental-immaterial present moment.

accept people as they are and be compassionate for they're always struggling with endless mental battles. be present and free yourself from destructive patterns by implementing a healthy way to live.

you tell me. take a leap of faith and try it yourself.

too much conceptualization. too little living and experiencing. you have a titanic intellect and the wisdom of a poop stick. have you ever planted your own food? have you ever striven for raw survival? go live, kid.

retreats (2~3 sesshins in an year) long meditation sessions in group (zazenkai once in a month) long meditation sessions alone (strong determination sitting) periodic zen sessions in group (regular zen meetings once in a week) consistent practice of asanas as taught by iyengar (hatha yoga) kriyas as taught by yogi bhajan (kundalini yoga) singing the mahamantra with krishna devotees (bahkti yoga) contemplation (just going to a random place and doing nothing at all) gradually transform my life in an endless meditation (24/7 mindfulness) but if i am to choose one, i'd surrender completely to zen and just go live in a zen monastery. it was extremely hard in the beginning. extremely hard. the discipline i needed was enormous but nowadays it feels effortless.

very good. i think he's going through an awakening episode. talk to him and open your heart completely. humble yourself down in a way that he'll feel as if he was talking to someone who's felt like that before. tell him about your own difficulties and how you're growing out of them, so he won't feel alone and it will be easier for him to accept himself the way he is. and when he talks, just listen deeply. listen and listen deeply. listen with compassion. don't interrupt to say that he's wrong. this episode may be a predecessor of an awakening. if he gets to know how you deal with your suffering through meditation, it may inspire him. but don't expect this to be true.

set all scriptures on fire break free from knowledge burn it all

@Jordan wang it will never work until you learn to fully appreciate the presence of a woman. nothing more than that. just her presence. do not listen to demanding thoughts.

let it eat you completely then. don't avoid these experiences. these moments of absolute pain/honesty are extremely rare. you're being blessed. i am saying these words because i know what you're talking about. we're both very very very lucky guys. sit quietly and summon boredom. you need to investigate the very root cause of your suffering. don't read about it. don't watch youtube videos. external help won't work. all i can do is try to inspire you to have enough courage to face silence. if you manage to get used to silence and transform boredom into freedom, you'll become invulnerable.