Joseph Maynor

How about this paradox -- you are both changing and staying the same. You could easily cling to the paradigm that the Now never changes and that all change is an illusion.

Our lives are similar to the dog's life.

Enlightenment is a pretty specific breaking away from belief as a source of truth, so unless he has done that, I would say no.

Being held back is spending a bunch of time swimming against the current trying to control reality -- instead of just accepting and loving reality.

In the sense of a person holding themselves back. What is going on here. Can you see under the hood of this problem? Video to watch if you're interested in Psychology:

My domain of mastery: Helping myself and others increase self-acceptance by optimizing use of the Mind. I've always struggled with self-acceptance issues. Feeling insecure, defensive, over-compensatory, nerdy, undesirable, neurotic, not attractive. Basically feeling not normal.

Your domain of mastery will be much more specific than that.

There's a certain education that one needs for Enlightenment.

This is good to read too: http://maryshutan.com/8-common-ego-traps/ http://maryshutan.com/8-common-ego-traps-part-two/

To me the relevant question is what thoughts and/or sensations is the word "God" being applied to.

You might be ready to watch this video.

Really? That's a pretty strong claim. In what sense?

No, but it doesn't surprise me that there is an energetic release when you work on the Chakras. The Ego does not want to see a lot of emotions, it would rather repress and avoid them. Working on the Chakras is a great tool for this work, as long as you don't form an identity out of the theory. Watch: NOTES The Lower Chakras: Root Chakra – Associated with survival and abundance in the physical world. Being grounded in reality. You feel valid to exist, you don’t feel like you need to prove yourself to others. Sacral Chakra – Responsible for creativity, instinct, desire, sexuality, relationships, emotions, your animal nature. Solar Plexus Chakra – Associated with self-efficacy, autonomy, assertiveness, self-acceptance. Heart Chakra -- Responsible for compassion, emotions, love, unity, and respect, deep relationships, compassion, love for yourself and others. Responsible for empathy, such as the ability to put yourself in others’ shoes.

Ya'll should watch this video. It's on point and I think it's one of Leo's best:

That's why clinging tightly to belief is antithetical to Enlightenment.

"Absolute certain knowledge" is a conceptual category. Keep that in mind.

Correct. The map is not the territory. That doesn't mean we throw the maps away. We just pull our heads out of the maps and focus on the territory. We are like a neurotic tourist with our face stuck in the map not noticing our surroundings.

Why do people who criticize have to be drunk? Isn't that a kind of demonizing of people who criticize? Maybe they're criticizing because they want to. So what. We all do it. Don't try to deny it.

Enlightenment is very different than any idea of Enlightenment.

Watch this one too if you have time:

That's what enlightenment leads to. Loose clinging to beliefs and suspension of beliefs. And a greater appreciation for the reality of the present moment: sensing reality directly. You don't throw your beliefs away or try to control reality. You just watch these things and don't make them mean anything about a separate sense of self. Let your beliefs and Ego do what they do. Do not repress these things. I think a lot of people make that mistake. That's a creation of Ego because you're identifying with thoughts and value judgments about reality.

Watch this video

Nice analysis. Instead of clinging to rules we just need to maintain awareness. A lot of time we go unconscious and that's where we get annoying. So, simply being aware of the egoic tendencies inside of you is what you want to do. Clinging to rules like "no criticizing" is gonna backfire because you're trying to control reality, which is the wrong approach. This is the Ego trying to control the Ego. What is happening here is the creation of the Humble Ego. That's no good. You're not really humble -- at least not all the time. Just watch reality. Try to accept and love all of reality, including the Ego. That's the paradox. This shit is tricky, and it takes a while to figure it out.

I've been addicted to music my whole life. It think it allows me to experience the full spectrum of what the emotions, fantasy, and the imagination have to offer. "Philosophy is the highest music" -- Plato https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_for_Ever