Forestluv

Paradoxically, it's also one of the simplest, easiest things. It's always here and now. We don't need to go anywhere or do anything. Unless we do. And most of us do (including myself).

I like to mix it up. Leo for the intellectual approach. Lisa Cairns for the heart approach. Adyashanti for a hybrid / humor approach. Adriene Mishler for a mind-body approach. The four of you keep me on my toes!

@David Turcot Too many steps removed. What is occurring PRIOR to your conceptualization of what god is?

We judge in the relative world all the time. He is tall. She is driving too fast. That was a great movie. Urban Meyer should be fired. What a beautiful sunset!! Any adjective, adverb or opinion is a judgement in a relative world. Now, some judgments can be harmful (she is such a bitch!!!) or benign (I think Kendrick Lamar is a better rapper than Drake). If we take a closer look. . . all judgments are relative and empty. NONE are True in an absolute sense. Delusion arises when we actually believe the judgement is True and Real. Take a look behind the curtain - what exists PRIOR to the judgement? Consider this hack: sit and wait for a judgement. A real juicy one. When it arises, observe it from a distance. Give yourself some space from the thought. See if you can notice it appear and disappear. If you can do free from attachement, you may realize that the appearance/disappearance of the thought has no more relevance, in an absolute sense, than the appearance/disappearance of a bird chirp.

This is sooo important for "the person" to understand with direct experience. Freedom, joy, peace etc. is NOT to be found in "the timeline". I catch my person doing this everyday and remind my self over and over. . . it's not to be found in a timeline - past and future are concepts. Freedom is whatever is happening now.

@Chrissy j I'm in the process of awakening. Based on how I resonate with awakened speakers, I'd say I've turned a corner and am at an immature stage of awakening. I'm at a stage where there is a sense of an "I am" that is free from, and aware of, all aspects of "the person". All feelings, thoughts, memories, the life story, opinions, beliefs, concepts etc. It is aware of all the conditioning my person has undergone. It is attached to none of it. This "I am" is totally neutral / empty and does not identify with "the person". It is no thing. However, the person keeps returning with various levels of identification. Sometimes there is nearly complete identification with the person, sometimes there is virtually no identification - and also everything in-between. I realized millions of years of evolution and a lifetime of non-stop social conditioning has created this person and it seems like it will take some time to recondition into my true nature. Recently, this "I am" has become aware of itself leading to an energetic shift. The seeking energy has dissolved. A new energy wanting to be the "I am" consciousness is emerging. There is a sense there the person can no longer return to how it was. A sense this "I am" will continue this process. I have found it's MUCH easier to de-identify with the person when the person is relaxed. Meditation, traditional yoga, kriya yoga etc. can help settle down the person and allow space. As well, psychology and personal development can help relax the person. Learning about why my person experiences anxiety, fear, jealousy etc. Observing how my character grasps at pleasure and avoids being uncomfortable. Learning how to sit and be still when my person is uncomfortable and wants to escape. All this promotes a more balanced, relaxed person, which allows for deeper revelations to appear.

I have a sense of an "eternal now". Yet here, you use past tense (have existed) which suggests a timeline of past and present. I'm coming to realize that the past is a concept and memories are appearances in now. When you say "have existed" are you using the conventional past tense or a form of an eternal now?

I've noticed some spiritual teachers use terms like "absolute truth" and "relative truths". It seems to be convenient for communication - if both parties agree on usage.

Prior to my last trip, I had been contemplating the concept of time and the nature of the present moment. I had no intention heading into the trip. It was like the teacher said "You want to know now? THIS is now". It got really uncomfortable to my person. I couldn't avoid, escape or distract from now. I couldn't make now stop. There became a balance between the anxiety of no control and surrender into what is now. It was as if years worth of surrendering to deepening layers were removed in an instant. Afterwards, it became evident that conceptualizing and listening to spiritual talks is a cakewalk compared to that.

Do you find it helpful to enter a trip with "an intention"? Perhaps requesting that one or more of those questions be addressed at a deeper level. For me, it seems like the trip generally does what it does - regardless of any intention I may bring. Yet, I've met others that resonate with intention.

I did an aya retreat in Peru that was amazing. Be careful tho - there isn’t any regulation and there are some shady outfits.

@blazed Perhaps try San Pedro Cactus?

Yes indeed. I had similiar mental blocks before letting go and experimenting.

Perhaps thats why some of my awakenings can be either terrifying or liberating to my person.

@ajasatya One of my biggest blocks was the belief that true freedom is dependent on circumstanes. That true freedom was to be found in certain states, places and times.

@Leo Gura As an aside, I’m impressed at how you are able to interact with people at their level of development/Consciousness. Its a skill I would like to develop.

That’s my current level of contemplation. I do realize tho that I made an assumption they exist in the example

That is so beautiful ?

It’s so straightforward to go beyond the ego with a psychedelic. It’s cheap, safer than alcohol and only takes a few hours. Why do so many “seekers” avoid it?

@Leo Gura A more basic example might be: Colors do not exist. The brain processes different wavelengths of light into the perception of what we call color. We have no idea if we all perceive the same at a wavelength of 690nm. Each indivudual agrees to call whatever they perceive “blue”. Some animals perceive fewer colors, other animals can see infrared, others can see ultraviolet- which humans cannot. The Mantis Shrimp brain is the world champion - it can create hundreds of colors humans cannot. So different animals perceive reality dramatically different. Who is “right”? Moreover, humans process less than 1% of sensory information in the environment. How delusional of humans to assume we perceive an accurate portrayal of reality! If a person was given less than 1% of the information of a newly-discovered planet - how accurately could they describe reality on that planet? If the “true” reality could be revealed, we would all laugh how far off we were. It would be the biggest joke ever. . .

Leo didn’t speak much about how much to write - if anything at all. He just mentioned writing the initial question and contemplating. I’m curious about the most effective balance between writing everything down to only writing down the deepest insights. Perhaps a good experiment for my direct experience ?

Awesome ? What would life be like without the back story? I wouldn’t be living my life. I would be life.

Perhaps watch Leo’s video on contemplative journaling or self inquiry. A good question might be “What is a question” The most satisfying answers come from within - from direct experience.

@zoey101 I’ve been there too. Most of it is programming/conditioning from my parents. I’ve found it helpful to relax the mind in meditation and observe the thoughts and emotions without identifying with them. As if I was watching a documentary of other people. Just watching without identifying can have a “Hmmm, well isn’t that interesting” kind of feel. Also, I changed the frame from “I hate myself” to “I lack self love”. Then my mind shifted from focusing on why I hate myself to how I could love myself. I’ve experienced realizations that the self is an illusion. Yet during my process of actualuzation, that self returns. At times, I’m aware if it and witnessing. Other times, there is immersion into the character. Immersion into The Story of me and my life. I’ve found it helpful to love this character. When the personality relaxes, there is space to experience what’s happening and for insights to arise.

I did the same thing. It helped to relax the personality. Yet, in the moment of truth - one either surrenders or resists. I would much rather have zero prep and surrender than a year of prep and resist.