jse

All strays, from left to right: Simba (10y), Piggy (10y), Jade (8y), Lena (9y), Lilly (rip), Lucky (rip).

Ego is what separates us. Empathy is that which unites us.

@Lai , in our current society, the female equivalent of a pickup master is called a "slut". Society has made it too easy for females playing the pickup game. For a real challenge, I would recommend women move to Saudi Arabia and try the pickup scene there.

Paul Hedderman tells it like it is. Forget "the ego". Forget spiritual pursuits, which are hijacked by the self and just strengthen our illusions. If we could allow this message to get past our egoic defenses, it will save us a life of needless suffering.

Schizophrenia literally means the splitting of the mind, or a split personality. I would imagine that spirituality would be the opposite, the integration of all aspects of our being into One.

Can men and men just be friends? Can men and animals just be friends? As @Vaishnavi mentioned, it's an odd question indeed - it implies that women are primarily viewed only as romantic/sex objects by men. Perhaps the question needs rephrasing: Could pubescent boys and girls just be friends?

"Don't trust anyone over 30" - Jack Weinberg (now 76)

The world's woes has nothing to do with science, and everything to do with an unrealized mankind. Beware of confusing the two.

The spiritual ego is the sneakiest of all egos, taking possession of "advanced spiritual truths" at every opportunity so as to advance its own illusory agenda. My rough guess is that 80-99% of spiritual seekers (including myself) have fallen into this nasty trap. The self takes possession of well-meaning endeavors such as self-actualization, and twists these into mental activities in order to support the greatest illusion we'll ever encounter. History is littered with spiritual egomaniacs, and the current generation is no different. We'd do well to be aware of the pitfalls in cultivating a better/stronger self. Beware of any seeking, beware of "I", my" and "self" - these are ego's footprints. And beware of confusing the message with the messenger - these are not the same.

Actualization of the self - isn't this another way of saying, actualizing the ego*? Self-reliance - another way of saying, relying on the ego*? Self-esteem - attitude toward the self, judgment of the ego*? Self-importance - an exaggerated sense of ego*? Self-defeating - I'm beginning to like the sound of this. *Ego definition used here: the illusion of a separate self.

Get a lifeless job, seek a material life, concentrate on joyless pursuits, dwell on grown-up non-existing worries, stop playing, stop laughing, stop feeling. That should do it.

@John Flores , is this where the evil one (whose name shall remain unspoken) resides?

@username , I'm talking about the everyday down-to-earth healing Love for others, which most loving beings (such as babies) need at certain times. And for an example, offering your unlimited love to a psychopath will have the opposite effect to the good intention. The limited resource in question for this finite life is time, not love.

No. Not that I have "enemies", but I have enough trouble loving beings that truly deserve Love. And offering Love indiscriminately can have the opposite effect on narcissists and egomaniacs - they often take this gift the wrong way, feeding their ego instead of their heart. Your Love is your most prized "possession" - nurture and triage it wisely.

Yes indeed, Adyashanti sums it up nicely.

A friend just sent me this beautiful poetry (apologies if it's been previously posted):

Good point. At 31:18 Paul says:

This.

For "99%" of people in the world, their religion is $$$. "Forget spiritual pursuits" - emphasis being on the pursuit of anything, worthwhile or otherwise.

How about a list of enlightened dogs, anyone got one of those?

Get one of these hairy sweaters:

Yoga is so yesterday... Facebook is the new yoga.

They do eventually - death enlightens us all.

I was trying to be being kind - IMO "psychopath" is a better description. And as @Whywolf implies, it's only after repeated exposure to these entities that you realize their brains are really wired-up differently. There is no political correctness which can mitigate this severe antisocial personality disorder.