eputkonen

It could be a distraction. But it could also be said that if the only purpose you have is enlightenment...it may help (some teachers have said as much). Of course, wanting and pursuing enlightenment too could be a hindrance (or so it can be argued - some teachers have said as much). Actually, this very question is a distraction that is hindering enlightenment. Instead of the questions, it would be better to just be still, be quiet, be present. Be still and know...that sort of thing.

Meditation is not about having experiences - why do you assume you are supposed to feel something different? Also meditation is more effective if you are not using it as a tool to get something...so meditation is not about growing. Basically, understand your assumptions and question them. No meditation is a waste of time. So in addition to other great comments...I would recommend investigating why you are meditating. What is your motivation and purpose of meditation? When you feel it was a waste of time or it sucked...investigate that. Why do you feel as you do? What are the assumptions and causes of the feeling? Gain an understanding about what is going on here.

If you have problems and you suffer, I don't suggest trying to make it more bearable by trying to remember all the people who had it worse. Furthermore, if you have to try to remember to bring gratefulness or humility into a tough situation to make it more palatable, that is the ego trying to fake it...because you believe you should. You are right...problems are of the mind. So I would suggest investigating problems, suffering, and other illusions. Not coat if over with some other story of the mind (another illusion) to make the original illusion more palatable. If you want to get to the root faster, inquire into this "I" that is suffering and has problems and complains. Inquire into this "I" that is fragile and should be living courageous. This is not a matter of perception, but understanding. Do you understand you are creating your own suffering? If so, why keep doing that to yourself? Enlightenment is the cessation of dukkha. Dukkha is often translated as suffering, but it can also mean discontent or dissatisfaction. So awaken, and there will be nothing to complain about...for you will be content and satisfied with what is as it is.

Being along has its pros and cons, but is fun. Being with others has its pros and cons, but is fun. Being alone is not better or worse than being with others...it is just different. It is not superior, nor inferior, nor equal.

For me, there is no path to enlightenment. Upon awakening, you clearly realize that all of that time you spent in the process of freeing yourself from bondage was the delusion of bondage itself. All that "progress" was yet another illusion of the mind...it did not help you see through the illusions of the mind. Enlightenment is sudden and complete (as they say in Zen). Once the bottom of the bucket falls out...all the water goes with it. I add...it should not have to be said that it never holds water again. Most (if not all) of the illusions and delusions of the mind are tied to this idea of "me". Just delve into that - who/what are you? Realize who/what you really are (deeply/wholely, not just mentally)...the rest falls away.

Top human pleasures for me: Soaking in hot springs in nature - especially if there is snow around Playing djembe and singing at kirtan (Healing Community Kirtan in Minneapolis - open format) My wife practicing reflexology on my feet Cuddling with my wife on the couch or bed.

The universe doesn't contain any suffering at all. The suffering you experience is a figment of your imagination. You created it...it is a mental fiction. Ever hear the phrase, "don't look or it will hurt more"? The hurting before you look is pain...that comes from the body's nervous system. The hurting after you look is suffering...mentally made up fiction beyond actual pain. As for pain...there is often shock when there is a lot of pain...and we often simply don't feel it. So the experience of "infinitely more pain" would feel like nothing at all. The body could not process it. Your mind is thinking up of "what ifs" that might happen...that is the mind's job, look for danger and contingency plan. It has it's place when you are trying to get a drink at a river and not be eaten by predators, but you have let it run wild. What is worse, you are believing the mind and worrying over the crap it is coming up with. Fear is just another form of suffering...you are making it all up and putting yourself through it.

I have realized that I can not be better or worse than I am. There is no such thing as better or best. But this is regarding being...who/what I am. As for my role in life, I can attempt to be the best in my profession (for example). Nothing says I can't try to be better or the best in the things that I do...but that has no affect on who I am. Also, my happiness is not tied to whether I become better or the best. I can still be perfectly happy not being the best or even known. When you see through the fictitious "me" and realize who/what you really are - then attachments fall away and the need for ego inflation ceases...but for fun you can still try to be a better golfer, worker, painter, or whatever you do. Whether you succeed or not in becoming the best is no longer important. Becoming better than you were is good enough.

You can't really fall back into delusion if the understanding was real - which is beyond a mental level. It is like seeing through a magician's illusion...now that you know the secret, the illusion never tricks you again. Whenever you are presented with the illusion again...you can appreciate and enjoy the illusion, but it does not fool you. There is an old Zen saying...once the bottom of a bucket falls out, all the water goes with it. I add that it should not have to be said that the bucket never holds water again. So if you fall back into delusion...who is being fooled? What is being identified with? Delve more deeply into the illusion/delusion of "I"...understand it for what it is.

Adyashanti has a lot of his stuff online for free. (especially youtube) Check out youtube. I am a fan of Alan Watts...he puts some complex ideas across very cleverly (and simply). Also there are talks by HWL Poonja, Gangaji, Byron Katie (for her method of dealing with our own crap), Eckhart Tolle (for being present), and many others. Find the names of speakers you like and there are lots of clips or full videos. Check out blogs like http://www.engagednonduality.com (this one is mine) and many others...try a google search. In this day and age, there is so much free information available...it is kind of staggering.

@The Universe, if awakening happens...it does not really matter what you do. For whatever happens, there is no way to be prepared. Don't worry about what happens afterwards...only the ego is concerned with that. Embrace not knowing, uncertainty, and spontaneity.

Can You Still Serve Yourself And Be One With Everything At The Same Time? @electroBeam, when you were a child...you would play imaginary games with imaginary characters...didn't you? When I was very young, I was (at that time) the only child and my parents were building a house...way out in the county. I spent many days...months in fact...playing by myself alone. I would create fantasies...cowboys one day...sailors the next...whatever seemed fun. Now, I was all of what was going on...there was only me...I even controlled what the imaginary characters did...and yet I could still serve myself in my part of the adventure. Sometimes the "bad" guys won a battle...but the war raged on. This is what made it fun. Now if children can figure this out this much...why not an adult who has realized his or her true nature? "In order to serve the body/mind, you need to think dualistically, and that is just laughable in the state of being one." - not laughable...realizing there is no other does not mean you can't recognize the illusion that is still is apparent and not be able to think about it. A mirage doesn't disappear just because you realize it is a mirage...you only realize it is not what it appears to be (water) even though you still see it. Dualistic thinking is still very possible. "So can you serve the body/mind and be in competition with other people, while being your true self?" Sure...why not? Imaginary cowboys and indians when you/I were playing alone as a child. There can be a competition and yet know it is all a play of imagination. The issue here seems to be you are trying to reconcile "being one with everything" and "being a separate self"...but who you really are (i.e. nonduality) is not "being one with everything" nor "being a separate self" nor both nor neither. This will not make sense to the mind.

You can not make a mistake...so no worries.

@Echoes , I have an analogy to try to put your comparison in perspective. Awakening (and nonduality) is about realizing you are dreaming, while metaphysical knowledge is about learning how to play well within the dream (although you may not realize you are dreaming). That is also the difference between enlightenment and spiritual powers...one who is enlightened may not have spiritual powers (and even if they do, may have no interest in them)...and on the other hand you have one who has spiritual powers and can do amazing things but still a trapped by the illusion (and suffering). Awakening does not bring knowledge of metaphysical mechanism or laws. Knowledge of metaphysical mechanisms or laws does not bring awakening. One is seeing through the illusion...the other is getting good at manipulating the illusion.

Right now, I am not trying to listen to the birds outside...and yet I hear them. I have no choice...I can't not hear as long as my ears are functioning. So listening might have been the wrong term and could cause confusion...I am hearing - not listening. Doing something would be trying not to hear what the ears are hearing. Doing something would be trying to not feel the air that may be moving over the skin and therefore sending the signals of this feeling to the brain. When I say "doing nothing", I mean doing nothing...but you have no choice but to be aware of what your senses are sending as long as you are conscious. This is not a doing...it is not a choice. Trying not to be conscious or trying not to be aware would be a doing.

When I "do nothing', I am aware of whatever is going on around me. So if birds are chirping, I listen to the birds. If a plane flies overhead, I listen to the plane. If I am "doing nothing" at a busy bus stop, I am aware of the noise of people and traffic. If it is quiet enough, I listen to my breathing or softer still my heartbeat. Really, it never is absolutely quiet at anytime. As for adding more sound by playing something in the background...I don't see why not. I also don't see any point in adding more sound either.

Way back, at the beginning of my spiritual search and studies...I joined a weekly meditation group. They were also interested in healing and so they got into past life regression. I explored many of my own (in relation to current blocks). Outside of regressions, I have had memories of past lives come to me as well. One experience in particular I will share. A friend from the meditation group introduced me to an old friend of his. This friend took an instant dislike to me and was actively mean to me whenever he had the chance. I thought the reaction was too strong to be something of this life, and I suspected a past life connection. The topic of past lives did come up, and this friend did not believe in it or that he has ever lived before. So I knew I could not work in any way with him directly. That night I decided to delve into past lives between us that might result in this instant hatred. I found two. I knew we are all connected on "higher levels" and so I decided to reach out to him on a higher level. I saw him before me in my mind's eye and I explained that i figured out the problem between us. I said I did not remember, but know I do and I was totally at fault. I asked his forgiveness and he seemed to nod. A year later, I met this friend of my friend again and his attitude was totally neutral. Eventually, he warmed up. Years later, as good friends, we were talking about how we met and he said he could never figure out why he disliked me so much when we met. He also said, he couldn't figure out why it was different the next time we met. I have had many experiences of past lives (that I remembered or had to look into to remember) that had effects and when I worked on it, the situation changed. So I would have to say, from my own experience - past lives exist and reincarnation exists. Nonduality does not exclude the happening of reincarnation, but I would say it just means there are dreams within dreams. I haven't had anything to do with past lives though in over a decade. Yeah, it happens...but it is just another trap and distraction. Now is more important.

I would recommend quit trying to become anything...instead just be quiet, be still, and be present. So deeply experiencing the present, that you don't refer to past or future (and so no thought, as thought is only about past and future). In the moment of mental silence, ask yourself but once - who/what am I? And then don't think, look for an answer, or make any effort. Perhaps it will reveal itself to itself. This is my recommendation, because usually we distract ourselves...always looking everywhere else. Here and now is where the answer resides.

While I agree the trap of 'seeing enlightenment as a goal in the future' exists, I do not agree with "there is not such thing as specific enlightenment." Enlightenment does have some effects in life. The end of suffering being one. When a seeing through the illusions of the mind happens...seeking, suffering, and other related effects of believing the illusions disappear. Enlightenment is sometimes called liberation, but the joke is that what is realized is that you were never in bondage in the first place. So enlightenment becomes a term for a happening...prior one believes they are in bondage and are seeking release...and after there is the understanding there never was bondage in the first place. Kind of like searching your house for your wedding ring, only to realize you never took it off your finger...it has always been with you. What was gained or what was achieved...nothing. What was lost...the delusion/illusion. With enlightenment there is a seeing through delusion/illusion...and the delusion/illusion causes suffering. No delusion/illusion, no suffering. So, if you are still suffering...enlightenment has not yet happened...you still are trapped by the illusions of your own mind. Saying you are not trapped and yet suffer is another delusion.