SOUL

I'm already on that train of thought... er... um... balloon of thought! I am fully aware of the nature of speaking the unspoken, of teaching the unlearnable and expressing the inexpressible state of just being present. Although, I find that people are consumed by making it more and more complicated with their methods and techniques and layers upon layers of concepts instead of simplifying it. Why? The ego needs to be kept occupied with the activity and achievement of the path instead of just 'being' it.

Thought is more than just a measure, it's more than a concept or a label or an identity or a feeling or an urge or any of the ways thoughts appear to us, thought in all of it's forms is our subconscious mind communicating something to our conscious mind. So as long as we are biologically alive there will be some involuntary communication going on and our consciousness work is merely cultivating the nature of this activity within our mind. Even if we create an 'unspoken' language of silence through erasing the line between the subconscious and conscious mind if we ever are to communicate it to another about this silent song in us there will be some form of thought manifesting in the mind to facilitate this... or we can silently be it without communicating it to anyone else leaving our mind to be just as silent as our mouth. Consider that the next time you want to tell someone what you have in your being. ... and of my own way? I'm at peace with thoughts that may come to mind... they can be entertaining. It is not a belief of mine that absolute silence is any more of precious to be than any other so don't desire it. I accept what is....sometimes that can be a little noisy. I am inspired through music too and music isn't silent either. Just a thought.

Why does it have to be so complicated to just accept "I am that I am"? Oh that's right....the 'need' to keep the monkey preoccupied with something.

@Buba This experience you are having is the way it goes. We awaken to that contented state of fulfilled being but our "default mode" is still in the discontented state of yearning, so we get a glimpse of it, a taste of that which is possible for us. If you want to find that fulfilled state as a default mode you will have to take on the task of teaching the subconscious self to be it. Like a parent teaching their child when the ego self comes to you crying 'I want' from that place of desire teach it to be satisfied, tell the ego 'I am contented', 'i am fulfilled', 'I am at peace'. Continuing to affirm satisfaction in life and not agreeing with the ego's identity with desiring eventually that fulfillment will be reflected back by the ego as it's default mode. Does that mean that yearning will never return? It will revisit the mind less and less over time to the point when it does pop back up it will seem like a hollow memory of a time when we did feel that way, a reminder of far we have come in being present and fulfilled in the moment. The challenge is finding the motivation to be active in life without the hunger, it will reveal how genuinely inspired you are to do what you do.

Why do people say 'I was enlightened" or ask "when were you/they enlightened"? Why use a past tense word on a present tense state of being? The 'time' that enlightenment is realized is now so referring to a present state of being in consciousness by using the past tense of the word is revealing. It's not particularly about the word because those are just labels, it's really more about the tense used as it reflects the view of it in the mindset of those using it being an obstacle to realizing awakening in the present moment. It's not something that "happened", it's presently "happening" and that ever present happening is our evidence of the experience.

B-b-but baby....it wasn't me .... it's alien hand syndrome.... Plus, there is already a significant dogmatic spirituality present, might as well go full on theocratic control over it...right?

I dreamed I was a unicorn one time but I won't my breath waiting on that.

What's the issue with some dopamine now and then? Why create a mindset that natural life is 'bad' and merely experiencing it a 'wrong' act? Oh no, better not actually live life or you will be doomed, doomed I say! DoooOOOOOOOOOOOooooomed!

Chasing experience of the present to get understanding so that one can know it as truth is like trying to capture now in a clock.

Don't obscure what it really is by a word side step.... it is dualism mindset from the purportedly 'non-dual' practitioners. I could tick off a list of examples of this within the commonly accepted enlightenment theology but instead of potentially igniting a non-duality skirmish I will just say that dualism is deeply ingrained in our subconscious psychology so if one wants to transcend that mindset then awareness of it is powerful. Yes, awareness fluctuates but I experience thresholds of awakening that once 'seen' they cannot be 'unseen', though can be ignored.

@Shroomdoctor I don't know that it is a matter of being "wrong", it's just doing something and learning from the experience, what's so "wrong" about that?

I definitely employ a woo-free spirituality approach but what can't be overlooked is the venue for the ideas. If someone is looking for the key to their inner peace a physics forum probably won't be appropriate, we probably won't find finances insight on the mechanics forum and we don't come here to find out why our car won't start. Have an understanding of the potential from the venue and what it will offer as insight. This venue is for the exploration of consciousness work and some people are pragmatic minded while others are magical minded, some religious, others skeptical, the variations are infinite. It's really a matter of fine tuning our own 'useful' detector to discover what is of value to us and work with that. It's beneficial personally and for the community though if we don't form a judgement or attitude towards what isn't useful or doesn't work for us. Oh...and there is scientific evidence of 'chakaras' but that doesn't mean every magical concept someone has about them is accurate.

@Annetta The present keeps unfolding a moment at a time and change is it's garb. In all of the potential variables it can be radical or subtle or even imperceptible but change it does. Like a cultivator of being now tending the garden of experience sometimes those ties will flourish and other times need to be pruned so it can be healing or painful.

Yes, in a variety of ways and kinds.

That title though.... it had a bunch of interpretations pop into my head all at once and I laughed at the absurdity of it.... Then the actual topic wasn't any one of those...haha, I'm can use both hands and am better with one for some things and the other for others. What does that mean? Who knows...huh

Ironically enough there are two beliefs baked right into this statement, one, that truth cannot be reliably ascertained through the mind and secondly what true skepticism means.

It's really very simple, just accept what is.

@Dodo This is what you accept exists and though it works for you it by definition is a belief even if you don't believe it to be it.

Again that is just another belief about belief that isn't the actual definition of it. The definition and in practice it is just accepting something as true or exists and it doesn't depend on whether someone knows it is true or not or even depends on if it is true or not just that one accepts it to be true or exist.

I still find it humorous that people with the belief they have no free will are forced to choose to tell others that they don't have it either.

So what you're saying is that your belief that "all beliefs are blind and groundless by definition" is blind and groundless. Which is interesting because you believe this to be a true statement and the actual definition of belief is accepting something is true. Although, the definition of belief does not mention or imply that the acceptance is blind and groundless so your belief really is blind and groundless but not the actual definition of the word belief or necessarily accurate about others belief. There definitely is some ironic humor in this.

All, none or neither of those.

.......@snowleopard

@Nahm Observing what is doesn't make one right.

You have at least one point, though.... it's just your opinion.