deci belle

Oh, ok, Breakingthewall— so upon return via seamless transformation, the psychological apparatus' quality of discriminatory consciousness has manifest as such …in terms of self-reifying terror (Yow!!), among other aspects of ordinary awareness solidifying the formal personality upon re-entry into conceivability). I don't cotton to "students" per se. It's just my predilection to operate in such a fashion; I just write about what I know in anonymity, relying on the integrity of dedication to sincere and deep study of the ancient classics of all authentic teaching by students of all abilities. My relationship to others sharing this affinity parallels my life-long profession in alpinism, in terms of my client relationships. I haven't had the benefit of a true partner in terms of climbing or glissé alpinism for what seems a lifetime. My undiminished passion for alpinism is still intact and I do have the benefit of a very high-quality client roster— mostly for above tree-line endeavor. I appreciate your sensitivity, Awayfarer~ I don't see a problem with publishing the post here on this forum. Since you found its relevance useful in the context of this thread, others sharing your resonance may feel likewise. Oops~ I failed to respond about the reference to a hexagram (ref: the wild west), Awayfarer. No, but there should be!! I was only making a sassy euphemism fit the context of negotiating realms beyond convention (but not the absolute). Now that's a path for which Breakingthewall may very well have the predilection (and a teacher) to do so. I do not. Complete Reality seems to be real enough for me. Even though I did camera for 25 years, I have had very little motivation to render my aesthetic vision or even partake of the medium in terms of the moving image. I don't watch movies at all~ and never did, simply because life is plenty real enough for me (the way I live it). Well, ok~ I own a copy of Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus, 1959), only because my guitar teacher turned me on to its sound-track, which is is the planetary epicenter of the Bossa Nova musical genre, with which I am joined at the hip❤︎❤︎❤︎!! I used to sing and play all those tunes in the Portuguese on solo classical guitar for 15 years, during which time I totally burnt out on playing it. Since then, I have been a student of rock and roll since 2005. I'm getting the hang of it playing Cramps, Brian Setzer, Stones and classic Sun Studios recordings. ed note: add last paragraph

I had a theme in my head last night to help me continue this, but it went away…

Someone asked me to "dumb-down" something I wrote. Fair enough. This is the opening line to the OP. In other words… with three alternate renderings: Ordinary pattern-awareness as perpetuated habitually by the person fomenting its endless streams of psychological momentum in all things, places and situations must not be conceived of as other than creative evolution itself. Creation is driven by pattern-awareness. Following thought unawares perpetuates karmic bondage to endless rounds of birth and death. ed note: delete last line

It is very difficult to motivate a moderator to let me change anything after a set period of time. They do it for me sometimes, though. I actually only have so much time to edit my posts to make absolutely certain that the intent and alacrity of my expression is absolutely intact (not to mention catching outright mistakes in syntax, grammar and the odd historical fact or quote, which I check). This is because authentic teaching is based on spontaneous all-at-once adaption to potential in terms of karmic (situational) evolution. I have to say the whole thing without leaving anything out. If the expression is partial, it's not as completely real as the milieu of Suchness requires. That is, my description will not serve as a faithful mnemonic as well as an effective talisman for those who follow. It is a VERY serious error to mislead people when divulging the Dharma— deliberately, lazily or even accidentally. So the literal, figurative and aesthetic requirements imposed by the content of my writing and my intended audience is what makes my posts so dense and even (hopefully not too) tedious, which is why alacrity is utterly essential. If it weren't for that, even those who have a perceptive affinity to absorb the subject matter nonpsychologically might be dissuaded. The fact is, this stuff cannot be effectively rendered intellectually by readers, so I deliberately starve the psychological apparatus …it's not even invited to this rave❤︎ Hmmmm, Breakingthewall~ I wonder what that is about… by the way~ you seem to be a very good sport …I try not to be too critical, but I want to avoid coddling anyone. Now, "having seen the infinity", seems to possibly be a psychological release of some sort. The reason I dare imply this in such a direct manner is that selfless awareness isn't relative to the person. So, if there is terror of annihilation, which IS understandable when approaching long-obscured, recondite aspects of one's mind, what you are describing still seems to be well within the realm of conscious knowledge, not the real knowledge of inherent enlightening function. But I might never know… Also, I need to ask you about the other part of your comment where you say that there were qualitative and comparative attributes active in your experience of "the infinity." While it is true that real emptiness isn't empty, that doesn't necessarily imply that there are "things" therein that "became a zero, flat, without dimension." How is that? Would you care to elaborate via PM? I have only experienced the state, an open, clear (no lights) field comprised of unified awareness and intimacy of accord in terms of ambience without psychological ripples, as it were. There has never been a "me" (the person), in my experience. I have heard that unsettling experiences should be cut off and not entered into again. Maybe it was something you ate? heehee!! (Just kidding!!) I have had strange, even inconceivable occurrences as myself the person, but I am able to intend boundaries in terms of a seemingly benign sparkly entity that has visited me more than once in the last 27 years. The first time I let it have its way with me, which wasn't untoward. But, I would prefer whatever it is to communicate something other than the "fizzy" feeling it makes when it goes inside me, before I let it "enter" again, so to speak. One must be very careful— it is truly the wild west beyond the realm of convention. It seems that your experience is relative to the person, though. If I am on the right track, and your experience is entered into by way of deliberate meditative concentration, you might consider corroborating further details (if you wish). You can PM me if you prefer, Breakingthewall. I have not resorted to the kind of poetry you express in quite a while, Awayfarer~ please do keep developing it. It is an excellent means to communicate one's grasp of subtle awareness, or at least where you are concentrating your subtle awareness and applied intent. Bravo, mon ami❤︎!! Also, I want to acknowledge that Mme Wise's contribution was very helpful in motivating me to bring to light the aspect of authentic teaching's treatment of illusion. The reason I need to mention it is because even though I am not cordial with her, her point is totally in the vein of acceptability in terms of provisional teaching relative to "personal liberation" where illusion is given a negative connotation (and logically so), which is to be gotten rid of as she correctly pointed out. I would hope that she start a thread on that subject and endeavor to describe just how one might do so. One could make a career out of that kind of helpful information! Therefore, since it is very rare for one such as myself, who is able to freely express manifold subtleties of enlightening activity, I must be VERY strict, at least at the onset, when one such as Mme Wise posts on my threads, because my content is so tenuously obscure as it is, and must be so very strictly presented to (hopefully) communicate the necessary approach to be taken by students, that volunteered content must be dealt with exhaustively before I can move on— which I would like to do. But I must admit that my responses to the posts by Mme Wise and Breakingthewall have been exhaustive AND exhausting!! But I don't mind— as long as the content is posted in utter sincerity. ed note: delete "personality" and insert "psychological apparatus" at end of 1st paragraph; delete last part of last paragraph

There is no problem (beyond one's habituated clinging to psychologically referenced rational dualistic intellectualism), because the actuality is that nothing doesn't exist. "Absence having no precedent" means there is no "nothing". There is no "it" to have something (or not) beyond (it). This is not a philosophical word-game. What this proves (by my description) is that nothing (no things) and not-nothing (things) are BOTH part of the dual nature of the created karmic realm and do not imply any aspect of intrinsic reality. Why? Because thingness and nothingness are both illusion. This means they do not exist in terms of absolute nature. In terms of the Absolute, there is no relative factor. That's why it is called the Absolute. The homeland of nothing whatsoever is void of "nothing" as well. The absence of absence is what proves the reality of enlightenment in terms of the absolute. In the ancient Sanskrit description of Shunyata (emptiness), found in the classic prose of the Heart Sutra, there is a mantra which surpasses the philosophic emphasis implied by the literal meaning encompassed by the term "shunyata": [Om] gate gate paragate parasamgate [bodhi svaha]. This translates as gone, gone, beyond gone, gone beyond. Obviously, there is no limit imposed by "emptiness" at all, much less by the "unlimited." Why? Emptiness, as such, does not exist in reality. Why? Emptiness as a factor of the Absolute would imply non-emptiness as well, and this simply is not the nature of reality, nor its essence. In this sense: "Beyond" is a relative term. The "unlimited" is not a thing. The absolute is actually experienced as is, being your selfless immortal beginningless aware nature without inside or outside. There is no nothing to begin with. Really. Reality has no limit. "The limit of the limitless" refers only to the inconceivable capacity of the nature of human awareness, which is unborn. True, there is no dimension— but your conception of this seems to be an actual point in space. "The unlimited", to use your term, has no distance. In other words, space is not a matter of breadth or expanse, nor is it (I can assure you) cramped. Why? There is no inside or outside. Aside from the nature of inconceivability, undifferentiated unity is just that: complete, whole, perfectly formless, beyond dimensionality. You will just have to experience it for yourself. Therefore: is trapped in intellectual reasoning which is simply the wrong tool to encompass the fact that there is no thing. "No thing" includes its dualistically implied nothing, as well. There is no thing. There is no dimension and no thing without dimension, no emptiness, no point, no beyond the imaginary point, etcetera. I only mentioned the reference to "beyond the limit of the limitless" so people would not be mistaken that the homeland of nothing whatsoever, in terms of "sudden enlightenment" is the ultimate limit of the absolute. Spontaneous selfless insight into the nature of the absolute is not defined (not limited) by sudden realization. The limitlessness of human being's selfless spiritual nature implies a profundity beyond the personality's psychological apparatus, but the extent of the spiritual (nonpsychological) nature of human being is only a very small and inconsequential aspect of the inconceivable nature of the Absolute. There is no end to delusion, but the absolute has no beginning because the Causeless is nonoriginated. THIS is your nature. It is necessary to dispense with intellectualism in order to experience reality— both before and in the aftermath of the sudden. When the psychological apparatus of the being that is going to die finally craps out, there you are, selflessly aglow. The whole point of authentic teaching divulging authentic practice of the Celestial Mechanism is that (hopefully) you will experience the absolute nature of reality (being your own mind) BEFORE you die. When you die, it's too late. Anybody can see the absolute when they die, but seeing reality requires that you are alive in your body and functioning in everyday ordinary situations in order to absorb delusion's unrefined potential for further refinement void of intellectualism by virtue of having awakened to your inherent enlightening function in the first place!! As for: As a manner of speaking, it is said that "the one bifurcates into the two and the ten thousand things manifest therefrom, but, in reality, the absolute does not precede the relative in terms of time. If it did, the absolute would be relative to time, and it's not. In terms of the absolute, there is no time in the same way there is no emptiness (no nothing). In the same way, the absolute and the relative are the same in terms of reality: they don't exist. That's why existence (illusion) is a mystery. It just is. The absolute is not a mystery. That's why it is said that Suchness is neither ordinary nor holy. In the same way, Dogen said "wood does not turn into ashes." Wood is wood and ashes are ashes. Dogen's (or my) writing may not help matters, but the fact is, the absolute and the relative are the same, not different, in terms of reality. How else would one endeavor to absorb potential (uncreated) from within the midst of delusion (created)? If it weren't the case, there would be no basis in reality for authentic teaching having been left behind by all prior illuminates in order to keep the knowledge alive. The real is only found by virtue of the false. They are the same for those who see reality. Those who see reality, see reality because… This means that by virtue of the real knowledge of "nothingness" being identical to "something" without generational attributes, one transcends creation. Since you yourself see in terms of karmic duality being generational birth and death, you follow creation along in terms of the laws of karma. What you see is what you get because karma and liberation are both a matter of the nature of one's selfless clarity in terms of pure awareness (or not). The clear rises and the opaque sinks. Awareness does as awareness is. If you don't see reality you go along with illusion. It's just the way it is and no one knows why…❤︎ I failed to acknowledge my appreciation of your deep comments contributing to this thread at the beginning of this post, Breakingthewall— before creating the first quote-box. I don't know how to place text above the quote-box once I create it~ I'm sorry!! …and you are most welcome, Awayfarer❤︎!! ed note: add 2nd half of 7th paragraph

Hi Breakingthewall— excellent comments. Yes, the vision of the dance is in perpetual subsumption, where the symbolic mystical vortex of particulate light and even more glistening dark elements churn tacitly in what taoist mysticism calls the liquid pearl. "Out of the dim void, a point of illumination hovers auspiciously in stillness." Existence, illusion; just this is truly the mystery of mysteries. The Absolute is no mystery. The homeland of nothing whatsoever is just the seat of selfless nonoriginated wonder… miraculously aware. Who knows? The Absolute is as far as human awareness can go. It is not the person. Taoism calls this the true human with no status. But there is always that which is beyond the limit of the limitless. Such is the realm of unknowability even beyond our puny human inconceivable nature. Having returned from the voidless void, where absence has no precedent, just here in the presence of inherent open awareness, one sees through illusion and gathers its potential. By virtue of the realm of karma itself, one joins in true partnership with the creative by seeing Change and thereby transcends its rounds of birth and death throughout endless cycles of creative momentum— thus, by somehow standing aloof in the midst of delusion, one "gathers" its potential, grain by grain, while biding one's time in the highest good of receptivity to incipient potential by virtuous nonresistance. Who knows the essence of reality? Only those with the eyes of subtle spiritual accord in reality to do so. Authentic practice is a matter of perpetually clarifying and preserving the fundamental. It's not somewhere else, but you (the person) are not it. When it's you and yet you yourself have never been such a one, you're close. It's a matter of intimate knowledge beyond judgements and opinions. Real knowledge is immediate and impersonal, independent of the thinker, the knower and the liver of life, so there is no how involved. Why? Because reality truly has no pattern, action relative to psychological process is eons away. In seeing the essence of reality, in terms of ordinary situations, one does not partake of relative manipulations, only adapting to present conditions without seeking honor nor avoiding ignominy— all the while abiding in clear, open sincerity. ed note: tweak 2nd paragraph; add starting with "…but you (the person) are not it", ending with …eons away." in 3rd

Mme Wise, though I can appreciate your contribution to this thread, I must tell you it is a fact that "you" don't end anything. It is only when YOU are ended, that delusion and reality are seen as they are, which is the same, ei: selfless. Intellectual activity defining the person is what perpetuates illusion as self/other. Awakening to nopsychological awareness allows one to see reality as is, which is unified. Therefore, there is no possibility, much less a need to "end" anything. As for the buddhist term "cessation", referring to the end of karmic momentum, it is only indicative of ceasing the habitual use of mind in terms of psychological pattern-awareness that perpetuates delusional relationships with "externals." As for externals, who is going to end their illusions, hmmm? So "ending" illusion is only in the mind of those who see reality. Such people see illusion for what it is: illusion, that's all. In seeing illusion as illusion, one then accords with one's inherent enlightening function and absorbs its potential without pandering to its created energy. Otherwise, illusion is the totality of existence— there's no end to it. It literally constitutes the entirety of all creation for all time. It is all there is, though its nature is nonoriginated. There is nothing "bad" about illusion, because illusion and reality aren't different. Illusion only resides in the self-conscious pattern-awareness of those ignorant of their enlightened true nature. Such ignorance is the obstacle to seeing reality and adapting to karmic evolution without going along in its creative flow rendering endless cycles of birth and death. At any rate, illusion never ends because it is all there is. As for creation's conditional dual nature pairing delusion and absolute, where's reality? It must be understood that reality is neither ordinary (delusional) nor holy (absolute). Reality is neither both nor neither as well. When an ignoramus says these words, he's wrong. When enlightening beings say these words, they're right. It's the difference between "borrowing" words and owning them. When you see your nature, you experience the absolute for the first time. It's you; you are NOT it. Why? There has never been such a one. In terms of the absolute, there has never been such a buddha. Illusion is only in the ignorance of not knowing you are ignorant of the nature of reality. That is, the absolute nature of reality is essentially the delusional nature of reality in terms of seeing reality. In other words, reality is only in the nature of the enlightening quality of seeing. Seeing is itself the seeing of the Dharma eye of the unconditional, not the seeing of the rat-eye of pattern-consciousness. The Dharma eye is NOT a thing— it is the expression of selflessly aware inherent enlightening function. It sees illusion as… illusion. It does not "end" it. How is that? Mind. Delusion is the human mentality habituated to perpetuation of the false self. Sudden enlightenment is seeing the absolute nature of human awareness for the first time. One only sees it once, not twice. The absolute and the delusional are both extremes of the same causeless reality. Clinging to or rejecting one over the other is itself delusional— even for those who have already seen their nature. Taoism's Complete Reality (Quanzhen) teaching is equivalent to Chan (zen) buddhism's teaching of Suchness. Both teachings are essentially identical in that true reality is nonoriginated, undifferentiated selfless unity. What would there be to end? Authentic practice of enlightening being is seeing through phenomena without denying its characteristics and activating the mind without dwelling on its contents. Transcendence is a matter of seeing through subjective delusion while dealing with exactly what delusion is: karmic momentum. One's OWN karmic momentum. Whose else would it be? Even a buddha's lifetime is karmic. How else would one endeavor to absorb creation's potential unless there is its momentum to work with in the first place, unless? There is no ending it. It is endless. It is all there is. This is the mystery. I'm very sorry❤︎!! Don't use the mind to end things, even formless things such as ideas or cravings. The third patriarch of Chan buddhism said, "Don't seek reality (by rejecting illusion), just stop views (relative to the personality). Strive to end the habitual use of mind which creates the illusion of "things" hinged to a false self-identity based on nothing but the perpetuation of self-reifying thoughts relative to the thinker, the knower and the liver of life. The Buddha said, "Reality has no such pattern." The essence of reality has never begun. The unborn is your own mind. How could measly human intellectualism endeavor to "end" anything? This isn't philosophy or clinical psychology, it is nonpsychological and therefore spiritual. Its inconceivability is neither good or bad, nor self or other— its use approaches the realm of wizardry. Human nature is a selfless, nonoriginated inconceivability. We are truly inconceivable beings. It is the way it is, and no one knows why. One would be wise to experience Suchness as it is. How wonderful would that be? ed note: add content below 5th line; typo, 6th paragraph; add "conditional" in first line of 8th paragraph, then split it to form the 9th; add "hinged" to 3rd line of penultimate paragraph

S'body said: Oh? Evidently you don't know what IS before time, or the nature of space. Nevertheless, the knowledge of such is meaningless because such experience is not relative to relativity. Meaning is only viable in terms of relativity, ie: eternity, creation, karmic existence, incremental rational pattern-awareness, which all falls into the realm of time. The OP exhibits its own self-limited reified perspective. Ultimately, one might endeavor to just step right over the whole realm of fascination perpetuating self-delusional eternity and express the liberation of true wonder. This is all suuuch a matter of "now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall…" As for myself, I'd love to turn you on …❤︎

Ain't it the truth, Breakingthewall— I read it over and over myself. Though the comment is very much appreciated❤︎!! Hongzhi (1091~1157), the third patriarch of Chan buddhism said, "Do not seek reality, just stop views." "Obviously there is no ego in the treasury of light of the vehicle of the unconditioned, no opinionated interpretations. Ego and opinions are different names of spirit heads and ghost faces. This is just the light alone, not setting up any opinions or views, from the idea of self and ego to the ideas of Buddhas and Dharma. Let us clearly hear transcendent wisdom being likened to an enormous mass of fire." Is it possible to assume that the Supreme Vehicle "vehicle of the unconditioned" quoted above, is made up of parts that would apply differently to conditional specificities? Suchness is only in seeing Suchness, no different than the scene playing out before your very eyes right now. "Adapting" to Suchness is just in seeing the essence of reality by virtue of delusion. What else would one see void of opinions and views? Delusion and enlightenment are none other than one's quality of seeing in terms of everyday ordinary situations. Ultimately, who's responsible? For those interested, consider the fashionably thin volume, Cultivating the Empty Field by Hongzhi, translated by Daniel Leighton, North Point Press, ISBN 0-86547-475-3 I'll pile it on a little higher… The Flower Ornament Scripture says, "This great light of the Lamplike Illuminate pervades the universe, without differentiating between mundane and sacred: thus "that Buddha has entered this hall" and the reception of "thus once I heard" is itself "having entered this hall". This is the same as saying reality is undifferentiated unity without clinging to extremes of ordinary and Absolute. It is also having penetrating Mind by Mind. Who else would it be? Who is reading these words? There is no other buddha. Mind is one. "Because this one light extends throughout all time, if there were any attaining it, then it would have to be twofold." The Scripture on the Miraculous Empowerment of Vairochana Attaining Buddhahood says, in the book on entering the state of mind of the method of mystical spells, "At that time the Blessed One said to the Thunderbolt Bearer, 'The will for enlightenment is the causal basis, great compassion is the root, skill in means is the ultimate." Here, the will for enlightenment being the causal basis is in sincere open wonder seeing potential by awakening to the nonpsychological through gradual cessation of pattern-consciousness. Great compassion has nothing to do with good, bad, right or wrong or self and other; it is cutting all the way through all dualities in a single stroke. This is the meaning of ruthless compassion. As for "skill in means", this is the ultimate capacity for formless spiritual adaption to conditions. The causal basis, the root, and the ultimate do not depend on the sudden. Why? Enlightenment is already your own mind right now. By gradual and sudden being one continuum, awakening to one's potential, it doesn't matter; actualizing one's inherent enlightening function and expressing sincere open authentic practice is simply arriving at such qualities without relying on one's own power. That is all. "O Master of the Secret, what is enlightenment? It means knowing your own mind as it really is. This is unexcelled complete perfect enlightement, in which there is nothing at all that can be attained. Why? Because the form of it is enlightement; it has no knowledge and no understanding. Why? Because enlightenment has no form. The formlessness of all things is called the form of space.“ I will end this buddhist scriptural account by adding that merely seeing your nature (seeing essence in terms of the Absolute) is not enough. Why would it be enough? Nothing was gained by it. Therefore the value of complete perfect enlightenment is in its application by virtue of everyday ordinary situations. This is why, in the fourth practical step of the taoist School of Complete Reality's spiritual alchemic praxis, one must then "shatter space and empty out openness." This means that once having witnessed the sudden (or any aspect of gradual authentic insight), one must then pass through it (that is, without positing self-reifying postures on top of experiential knowledge). Bodhidharma says to rinse off the soap of enlightenment. Dogen says one must remove all traces of enlightenment. Taoism says, once having used the real knowledge of nonpsychological awareness, one must then get rid of real knowledge (the taoist alchemic "medicine" symbolized by true lead). Only then is one accomplished, in terms of selfless (nonpsychological) adaption of enlightening qualities to realize formless mutual response by conditions through spontaneously sublimating oneself spiritually and physically, thereby to "plant lotuses in fire" and enter the Tao in reality. This is because potential is inherent in the situation, not the person. ed note: remove word in 1st sentence; add Hongzhi's dates of historical existence in 2nd sentence; add quote marks in 3rd paragraph; add "the fashionably thin volume" in fourth paragraph; delete redundant quote in 5th; add last six paragraphs

Setting the Standard Rising above one's ingrained sarcasm, indifference, apathy, intellectual conceits, self-satisfaction, guilt-trips and dualistic attitudes attributable to a lifetime's accretions of learned and inherited ignorance is accomplished by setting the standard by which to wrap up one's personal history for all time. Just set the standard above the selfish reifications based on your limited view of your own life's perceived experiences and motivations. It isn't a matter of condescension or condemning one's personally perceived indemnities and vulnerabilities in order to punish oneself or otherwise surpass them somehow. In transcending ego, there is no value judgement employed~ one simply arrives at a point of failing to posit circumstantial identities altogether by a process of refusing to entertain self-reflecting notions of thought and feeling at a subtle level of unbroken concentration over a very long period of time. What happens is, the intellectualized rationalistic self-reifying habit-function defining one’s personality eventually craps out on its own. The personality doesn’t go away— but by self-refinement, just the apparatus seemingly needing to sustain it does. Ego has real jobs to do, and sustaining the false identity isn’t one of them. So instead of harboring destructively self-reifying anticipatory consciousness by waiting for this to happen, it’s like wearing out a shoe. The world already provides the abrasive means naturally. Self-refinement is just adapting to this all-pervasive abrasive quality of delusional conditionality to get the desired result, which is the elimination of habit-energy in one's life that continuously wastes pure energy potential on superfluous ego-antics. Eventually, over a long period of time, the habit-patterns perpetuating the delusional faculties drop off one by one by the enlightening process dealing with everyday ordinary situations effectively. It is by the authentic practice of enlightening activity adapting to conditions with selfless spiritual subtlety not relying on one's personal power that refinement of the human mentality comes about. This enlightening process is the natural subtle capacity of self-refinement carried out by first learning to forget feelings by spiritual clarification. The basic inability to free oneself and to keep oneself free of cloying emotional consciousness is why one must learn how to maintain open sincerity. One immediately knows what is what without having to posit self-reifying (selfish) emotional postures relative to self and other. Stopping at sufficiency is essential to the development of authentic practice. When one gains insight, habit energy must be cut off deliberately, at first, or its momentum will naturally destroy that insight. This must be done over and over and over again at the precise instant that habit-energy appears in the aftermath of insight. It is accomplished simply by subtle observation. In noting the flow of conditioned thought and not following its stream unawares, the flow evaporates on the spot. Second, on must learn to forget opinions. Opinions of self and other must be forgotten. An ancient saying is that it is easy to forget one’s body, but very difficult to forget one’s opinions. One day, after a long, long time, you just …forget to remember. (That sounds like the lyric of an old Country/Western tune~ heehee!!) "Empty the mind and fill the belly.” This ancient taoist phrase means to empty the human mentality and see real potential. The process of self-refinement is getting rid of delusional consciousness and beckoning the real by sustaining open sincerity where feelings and opinions once crowded out naturally arising enlightening potential. When one learns to rest in the highest good of open sincere clarity, the real will alight naturally day by day. The achievement of enlightening experience is none other than an instance of having forgotten your lifetime up to that point which has the beneficial result of severing the root of compulsive action. The compulsion to act is the tap-root of karmic existential identity (being bound to endless rounds of birth and death in this lifetime) from time immemorial and beyond. Having the will to sustain a subtle consistency of psychological clarity and stillness over a long period of time arrives at the world-honored result. One spontaneous burst of inconceivable velocity cultivated by virtue of the unbending extreme limit held in an impersonal love so hopeless, death so open, and sincerity so world-shattering in scope that a spontaneously selfless movement extending beyond the blinds and bounds of conditioned awareness altogether is witnessed. In its aftermath, after a long time of advanced practical application of self-refinement induced by re-orienting one's sustained psychological and intellectual fasting in the course of assessing objectively and responding impersonally to ordinary situations, one continues to forget to bring one's conditioned personal identity along for the ride. And in endless instances, endless transformations, one leaves it for all time with respect to the incremental exigencies of karmic evolutionary nature. Such is the life of buddhas and ignoramuses. All phenomenon and gradual practice leading to sudden realization of nonorigination and beyond unfathomable worlds are one singularity; a seamless continuum. In a moment of having forgotten one's facetious identity for the first time, one's karmic debt of lifetimes of personal histories— is altogether forgotten along with all creation; in a trice, one's true original aware potential sees itself as having always been aglow without beginning. Here one surpasses in discovering the great matter of birth and death once and for all in the dim splendor of inherent Bright Virtue. Experiencing the Unborn, one discovers living awareness as the heart of non-being on the verge of action in perpetuity. This is the limit of the limitless, neither stillness nor movement beyond conception. It is another universe within one's innermost true self. There is no thing. Selfless open aware potential in pervasive suffusion by beginningless readiness that has never moved …a quickened energy hovering in stillness above the primal organization and its sprouts of cyclic existential process. There is no knowledge. Awake selfless non-being, aware, miraculously aware. In rising above habitual selfish views of one's ingrained sarcasm, indifference, apathy, intellectual conceits, self-satisfaction, guilt-trips and dualistic attitudes, one makes enlightenment the standard to die by. In taoist spiritual alchemy, the basic sequence of developing and stabilizing the authentic unity of potential in terms of conditional evolution is a long process. In this post, I have established the first two stages of developmental practice as clarifying the body of awareness and reforming the psychological apparatus of the being that is going to die. These two steps, carried out in one's life with unbending intent, establish the basis of fundamental accord in reality, wherein one arrives at seeing potential by nonpsychological awareness, which is the same mind previously (pre)occupied as the errant human mentality of psychological pattern-awareness. The false and the true arrive at Suchness; there is no other mind. Enlightenment and delusion have never been separate. Mind is one. The formal organizational overview of taoist spiritual alchemy is as follows: First, refine vitality into energy (the subject of this thread); second, refine energy into spirit; third, refine spirit into openness; fourth, shatter space and empty out openness; five, enter the Tao in reality. ed note: Split last sentence in fourth paragraph; add a bit at end of the 5th; add quip in 7th; change "binds" to "blinds" in 10th; add "I" and last two lines in penultimate paragraph

Merciiiiiii, Red-White-Light❤︎!! Writing about such matters is a most curious affair. Alchemy is just fusing the two things into one and then watching it poof just like it always wasn't, over and over and over again. ed note: just thinking how clever it might seem, I added the last line

In a prior thread, I used the ancient phrase "it has no location" in reference to the Center, which is the impersonal unity of the immaterial body of awareness. Another related alchemic phrase is to "float around in the center of the compass." That it has no location is not to mean that it is somewhere else. It is a teaching device to prevent misguided materialistic people from attempting to pander to the development and/or pursuit of derivative psychological spinoffs characteristic of habituation to pimping aesthetic naming and their values, indulging in self-reifying visualization practices, addiction to formal quietism or psychosomatic techniques (energetics) that only confuse the order of authentic practice by the mishandling of the terminology of alchemy only to fool themselves and others unfortunate enough to be misled by such calculated activity. The reason that [having] no location is emphasized, is because even though the effect of the Center is by virtue of having a physical body, and it is not beyond the body of the being that is going to die, there is nothing relative to personal aesthetic, mental or physical manipulation, deprivation or effort relative to the body, in private or in public situations, or is there any part of the body, physical, plasmic or subtle, that constitutes this Center of the immaterial Body of Awareness. Therefore consciousness itself cannot be construed to have any such personal attributes constituting it. Consciousness cannot have an appreciative or antagonistic perspective relative to itself or any thing. Consciousness has no point of reference such as sentient beings do. Why? Consciousness is simply the quality and capacity of one's selfless awake nature. It has no point of view. Consciousness doesn't see. It is seeing itself and is therefore selfless, uncreated; no different than true reality, nonoriginated. This is the inconceivable nature of ignoramuses and buddhas alike. Even in ordinary situations, they are hardly discernible to the awakened, but for tell-tale signs of karmic momentum, which cannot be stopped. In other words, this Center, being the body of immaterial awareness, is not relative to the physical body nor is it accessible in terms of any of the so-called "apertures" in the body used by the lowest of the low who employ perverted practices to "nurture essence", or else obscured by the attempts by some to posit identity values with respect to what it is. When people see this for themselves, they are liberated from the tyranny of psychological qualifications pertaining to self and other, including personalistic value judgements relative to self-reified projections identifying "creativity", "beauty", good and bad, right and wrong, and before and after. Liberation is liberation from having a self to posit as "self." This is realizing the nature of "awake" as itself, stripped bare, utterly naked with nothing to hide, nothing to show, and most importantly, nothing to know. To float around "in the center of the compass" is to be just this quality of awake in the very midst of delusional, situational, karmic existence. Applying the selfless intent of open sincerity liberated from habit energies relative to egoism hiding behind personal views and projections, and without dwelling on anything or clinging to anything is the highest practice of self-refining enlightening activity, in which vulnerability to what is, is the basis of carrying out subtle spiritual adaption in the midst of everyday ordinary affairs, neither courting perfection nor avoiding potential impurities in terms of peoples' habit-energy, or blind malpractice (agreeable or otherwise) constituting situationally karmic momentum.

is another way of saying that, for those who see reality, delusion and enlightenment are the same dancing in samadhi. In terms of the universal symbols employing the spinning wheel, svastika and savastika in both Sanskrit and north American Native wisdom traditions, as well as the taoist Tai Chi, and the Chan/Zen circle— all are figurative depictions of real vision into the nature of transcendent reality, hovering auspiciously in stillness wherein the elemental polar organization subsumes as an undifferentiated unity in perpetuity. How does one begin to approach reality in actuality? One must get rid of self-reifying tendencies and take up the Great Vehicle, the Supreme Vehicle. Though it is a very high order of buddhist practice, the Supreme Vehicle isn't buddhist, by any means. And where does it lead? It leads to the road's end. And there, you leave it, before stepping over eternity. I must add, though, that my descriptive tendencies aren't so much skill in prose-writing, but in deliberately choosing the words to describe exactly what I actually see. In this respect, I am only striving to be as accurate as possible. That my descriptions tend to align with those of similar or otherwise familiar writings of prior illuminates (as well as those on this forum who may intuitively recognize such descriptions as immediately resonant with their own wordless knowledge), simply proves their universality of expression by virtue of the real. To be specific, eternity (delusion) is an abyss roughly 4" (100mm) wide. It is as if a manageable bit of runoff from the heights containing endless space and numberless spinning galaxies that glint in a most erotically compelling fashion is below one, at ground level. The small shallow gutter at road's end containing the profound fathomless blackness of deep cosmic space flows naturally along from the highest mountain glacial regions as meltwater, just a bit of it, as much as it is, coursing matter-of-factly along into the lower regions, for as long as it goes. It's just that much. Spiritual adepts just step across the source of endless fascinations and alight the dusty path gradually rising ever consistently into the heights, the source of this abyssal trickle. Above, prior illuminates are seen on the same path observing, looking back, looking back over the long incline they themselves traverse without hurrying or lagging. Seeing one in brocade, with a hat in the ancient taoist fashion, they are themselves signposts along the way. Why is it so? It is because gradual practice and the sudden being a singularity, seamlessly leading to and beyond the aftermath of realization of nonorigination is itself further entry into inconceivability. Beyond which no one can know. It's not that there is a separate path beyond the barrier of eternity. As I said, it's only 4" across. If you can avoid getting lost in it, moment by moment, and moment by moment step over the bit of delusion before you, wherever you may be, the path of all prior illuminates opens up of itself in accord with enlightenment being void of deluded fascinations. It's the difference between the false and the real. It looks the same as always, only it's the path of all prior illuminates. It is erroneous to believe that the realm of enlightenment is other than delusional existence. In terms of time, it is always presently immediate. As such, just now is the freshest and most ancient characteristic of reality by all accounts. Such is the Supreme Vehicle of Buddhas and Tathagatas that it is void of all pattern. There is no relative configuration by virtue of nominal convention to cling to. It's just that the singularity of enlightening being is your own mind, same as before, yet void of fascinations relative to the person, the knower, the thinker, and the liver of life. The Buddha said so and so did the Sixth and last Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, Hui-neng, who was an illiterate woodcutter living in China during the T'ang Dynasty (619-906). The Great Vehicle, the end of the road, the abyss and the path itself is a simile, just as the entire oceanic horizon beyond one's capacity in "floating around in the center of the compass" is a 360˚vista beyond which is inconceivability itself. There is always that which is beyond— beyond even the Tao itself. No one will ever know the extent of its mysteries. If you have the audacity for the will to enlightenment, just take the forward step and accept your inherent enlightening function with hands open, sharing yourself freely according to conditions. Stepping beyond the compulsions of personal fascinations doesn't lessen the extent and power of the mystery surrounding you in the least. Don't be afraid of missing out on delusional karmic existence. All that is needed is for you to give up believing that the false identity of the person and its fascinations are real. None of it is real. Not a single shred of it is real. ed note: add last six paragraphs; swap out 5th paragraph; add "just" in 7th paragraph

Well, to tell the truth, the simile of the puppet has long been a problem for me, Ajai, until realizing the simile's point is that the innermost self "controlling" the puppet is a matter of what it is: potential in accord with reality— or else delusion, which is, namely, the point of illumination being the opening of the mysterious pass. The passage's point is not really emphasizing the manipulation of the puppet's action, per se. The point of "controlling" is emphasizing the illuminated incipient aware energy potential (up for grabs, as it were). Just seeing this point is "controlling" energy. That subsequent manipulative operation can follow, or not, is not the imperative aspect of concern in this passage. Now it makes more sense to me, because the emphasis of discussing the locus of import is in its transformative aspect where nonoriginated and creative dichotomize. This is the Center; the opening of mysterious pass. In coming to terms with the simile, I had long assumed its import as descriptive of the manipulative aspect. Now I have concluded that in describing its potential, "control" is not in manipulation of the puppet, but that the "mechanism" is itself the point of illumination.

Arriving at this center is a culmination of sorts~ but not at all a kind of "aha" moment. Don Juan Matus, Carlos Castañedas teacher of occult Nahual shamanism, typified such achievement as a gradual dawning after long and hard-won effort until one's capacity as such simply becomes one. It is not at all some kind of endurance race, a course of study, or even coming to understand anything. There is nothing to understand. The reality of such capacity is just seen as it is, and one is able to avail oneself of its properties, or not, at will. The Center's point of illumination by virtue of its incipient upwelling is open awareness not yet fallen into the Creative (the aspect of conditioned cogent momentum in terms of beginningless human psychological consensus). Dissolve that, and there it is: open, clear, untrammeled, sensitive and effective. It has never moved, and as such, since it is your own mind right now, neither have you. What is this if not purity and innocence before the first thought, before the first thought fallen into karmic momentum of time immemorial and beyond? Since existence is incremental, potential's basis is a patternlessness alternating as such a priori, yet it has never moved. It is Creation that manifests by virtue of unified formless potential. Spiritual adepts arrive at the basis of reality by clearing away all influence of habit awareness (typifying the vestiges of selfless intent being the signature of the absolute nature of reality latent in habit energy). As I have said many times before, delusion and reality are the same. What is the selfless intent of the absolute nature of nonoriginated awareness? It isn't a thing, such as god. God, the creator of eternity, doesn't have a job by virtue of nonorigination, in terms of any kind of speculative functionality by one's realization of what there isn't. Why? Awareness is not created. It is YOUR nature. IT's YOU. It is the quality of miraculously aware pure living uncreated potential. Beyond this it is impossible to perceive in terms of even nonpsychological awareness, which is itself already beyond the conceptual confines of pattern-based habit-consciousness of the personality. It is called selfless not because it is nice, or good, or "compassionate", in the Greco-Roman "western" sense, but simply because there is no self. There is no self. Awareness is itself no-self. Logically, one may suppose that there being no self, there is no being. It's logical, after all. This is true. Right now, just this absolute nature is the definition of here without the possibility of there. Therefore, we say that the void has no such void, that true reality is the absence of …absence. This is true absence. The absence of "no-self" has never been otherwise in terms of nonorigination. At this point of illumination before the first thought, one can sense, in spite of the scene before one, there is no thing. The impulse of life and its machinations compelling one to act, as if the puppet's action governed by one's innermost self has no instigator, is itself one's innermost self, now resting in the highest good, before the first thought. The most critical aspect of arriving at such open accord in reality, is not in "protecting one's tiny bit of enlightenment", but in just seeing what is without having to account for the person at every turn. Just this much is adapting to conditions in accord with true reality. Why? Because no-self IS true reality. Enlightening activity is in not acting in terms of the personality's habitual psychological projections. Just seeing what is, in terms of one's personal absence of personal selfhood, isn't something anyone needs to know. No one knows. Your personal selfhood has never existed, so its absence isn't a loss. Yet its functionality is optional in all respects. The "puppet" isn't what's acting. Action itself is "acting", since non-action is a matter of adapting selflessly. "Gesticulating in a hundred different ways, it is not that the puppet can move": the center is the basis of enlightening activity, yet enlightening activity does not depend on moving, and it doesn't depend on not-moving either. The point of the above passage quoted by Ajai, from Chapter 6 in The Book of Balance and Harmony, is not that the innermost self is good or bad or right or wrong, or enlightened or deluded— the point is that the innermost self controlling the puppet is where it's at. That point of "control" is the point of illuminated incipient aware energy potential. Seeing this point is "controlling" energy. This is the Center; the opening of mysterious pass. When one acts in accord with the time, in terms of the potential inherent in the situation itself, spiritual adaption is just by the power of potential. By not relying on one's own power, Power itself is immanent. Even so, "action" is almost universally a matter of seeing. No one knowing, in terms of seeing potential, is "floating around in the center of the compass." Who knew? ed note: remove comma after "one's innermost self" in 5th paragraph; add 7th pargraph

Yay!! Oh, I hope people will see your post, Ajai~ and begin to realize the profound origins of this word, Center. I don't know if I will ever become a wizard, but maybe~ someday… heehee!! ed note: add 2nd line

Yes, one's thorough return to this centerless center by virtue of spontaneously opening into refreshing innately familiar perpetual absence… wonderful insight into the whole elemental aspect you included, kbone❤︎!! Somebody wrote: So true. The words left behind by prior illuminates are indeed talismans for those who themselves step over the whole eternity of created fascinations without diminishing the wondrous gleaming of phenomenal nature, thereby to enter the path that follows the same dusty footsteps of the ancients, along an endless gradual incline. Their experience awaits us as our own and beyond. Evidences of efficacy leading up to and including the sudden are all such as they are, as simply as they are— and they should all be seen through, no different than anything else, and passed through as they are. What is most direct and imperative is to apply the experiential resonance of the body of wordless unified awareness in terms of adapting fearlessly to everyday ordinary situations. Though it is completely natural to meet situations spontaneously, if one cannot act on the knowledge, it is as if one had none. ed note: change "sudden" to "spontaneously" in 1st line

Thank you so much— and I appreciate the contribution, kbone! kbone wrote: This. I would add that my "borrowed" phrasing from the taoist alchemic lexicon is a device in itself, a tool, for those working with sustaining processes of self-refinement contributing to dissolving "the self-referential definitions that have formed the bars to ones psychological prison", that kbone laid bare, exposing the marrow of refining practice. Bravo! ed note: remove penultimate paragraph

Those who glibly claim to have "no practice" and trumpet simply living as "my life" are sadly deluded. This is because following random activity and calling that spontaneity, may be accomplishing "no practice", but this has no affinity with the function of subtle concentration observing mind and arriving at perpetual cessation of random consciousness. This is because "my life" at this point is not yet one's own, independent of conditioned existence. This is because "my life" at this point is bondage to karmic momentum where one follows thoughts unawares, only occasionally glimpsing moments of open lucidity and being thoroughly unable to sustain authentic acquiescence in perpetual inevitability. Such sustainability is not straying from the perpetual incipience of enlightening potential before the first thought. Until ignorant individuals arrive at the will to enlightenment and struggle deliberately for years to turn their lives around by reversing the light of their own consciousness, and finally arrive at the incipience of Complete Reality, will they discover for themselves that "my life" has no power in or outside of karmic evolution until it is blown away forever by realizing enlightening nature void of self. Until practice reaches the realm of unattributability, there is no autonomy because until one is finally and continuously aware of causelessness, one cannot transcend being bound by the conditioned self which constitutes the incrementally kinetic karmic matrix going through its inexorable cycles of birth and death in the perpetual revolving nature of created yin and yang (the oscillating polar nature of duality for agnostic readers). Obviously, it is only when individuals reach their serial impasses do they endeavor to deploy their defiant "my life" proclamations. This would be the very antithesis of the selflessly autonomous adaption of enlightening being in everyday ordinary situations unbeknownst to anyone which is the middle way whereby neither absolute nor mundanity stand. The "middle way" is a technical buddhist term of authentic teaching pointing to the nature of reality, which is immaterial. The definitive term is not relative to a sense of "moderation" per se, although in provisional teaching, this term is relevant to carrying out reformative practices. True effective practice is arrival at the subsequently permanent activation of reversal to illuminate enlightenment at its source and have that source void of self or other identify one's life. Those who fall back to the refuge of "my life" when it suits them are proving their ultimate ignorance of the source of spontaneity and their partnership as coeval with creation— and not subject to it. This is then where phenomena is empty and characteristics have their variables. Enlightening being is governed by random karmic activity in that selfless response has no set categories, only relying on the timing of heaven, the situations of earth, and the phantoms of self and other in concert as the creatively evolving karmic matrix alternates cyclically. Operating independently in the midst of bound creational influence doesn't mean existence is in isolation, as is what already constitutes the perspective of the deluded. It means one is dedicated to unmitigated vulnerability to such influence, as the essence of true potential is not relative to the person— it is inherent in the situation itself. That is, it is through our relationships that potential becomes apparent. That is not to say that unmitigated vulnerability is being a spineless psychological and emotional doormat for others. What is most critical in terms of true vulnerability to absorbing selfless potential is that one must stop letting the natural expression of true enlightening potential be a doormat for the false consciousness of habit energy. That means false identities of pattern-based ego function is ultimately subordinate to the impersonal nonpsychological enlightening function. Self-refinement is the long process of reverting the false identity from a position of dominance which obscures enlightening potential to a relational function in service of the subtle nonoriginated awareness. The person comes to assist the expression of Complete Reality by virtue of recognition of the true potential inherent in all created situational cycles through exercise of natural principles. In terms of the situation, such practice is called subtle adaption. In terms of potential, such practice is called the firing process of yin and yang, paying critical attention to the timing of the waxing of generative energy and the arising of the natural influence of each created cycle's killing energy. These two aspects of evolutionary and devolutionary process operate in both temporal and spiritual realms of manipulation. In taoist spiritual alchemy these aspects of enlightening practice are called the sciences of life and essence. In terms of the realm of enlightening potential, it simply is not and has never been an issue of good and bad, right and wrong, self and other or before and after. The issue is awakening to the the quality of awareness in which one assimilates in moment to moment adaption in everyday ordinary situations. It is the degree of variability between projections of self and other and the amorally selfless open sincerity of human being void of personality biases and inclinations. Enlightening function simply isn't the person, even though it is none other that who you really are. Arrival in terms of enlightening function transcends the puny morality of "my life" in that one sees through phenomena without denying their characteristics. You see through your life without denying its characteristics as well. Therefore one does not go along with conditions but subtly stands apart by not harboring ulterior motives in speculation on outcomes or for one's ego-securities, only adapting impersonally by assessing potential objectively in the midst of situational changes. The primal and temporal are originally not two. This is not beyond the function of enlightening being seeing through "my life". Complete Reality is one's function in terms of unity of absolute and conditional in one breath. Otherwise, what would be the point of seeing your nature? It is just to enable one to activate the real in ordinary situations unbeknownst to anyone. If anyone knew, it wouldn't be real~ nor would it be natural. "Nevertheless, it is necessary to wind up at the point where 'heaven is open, earth is broad, and all things are just as they are,' for only this can be considered attainment." ed note: add "at" in first sentence of 7th paragraph; split 8th paragraph in two

Via PM: Well, that’s a good point. But it is possible to actually gain insight into the degree of obstruction the situation can handle in terms of adapting desire by way of of mutual response. Taoism says to follow desire without stepping over the line. The line you don’t cross is in identifying desire as an obstacle, the source of affliction, when the source of affliction is in oneself. Adapting potential to situational karma isn’t easy, but it isn’t difficult either. Actually, afflictive desire is indicative of a hot-spot of potential on the verge of going into action— which is decidedly not how to handle potential. The way to deal with potential is in responding in such a way as to meet the exigencies of the situation without projecting pattern-based personality-issues and going off on tangents that introduce personal (selfish) influence on the situation relative to self-gratification— even if your only concern is escape. Let the situation contain itself within the confines of the situation, that’s all. Allowing potential to leak out relative to self-reifying pattern-consciousness is how ordinary people deal with situational momentum. Turn it on or dial it back. It's up to you how you subtly operate the sickness as the medicine. Typical buddhist method is simply in terms of observing potential, then observing mutual response. That’s all there is to it. Using potential is in not using it. Seeing potential is like a natural highlight on what’s important at any given time in terms of situational evolution. Objective observation without following thoughts unawares is the unexcelled method of spiritual adepts. Otherwise, obstacle are most definitely self-generated. Just by being present, you are absolutely culpable. There are no innocent bystanders. There are also no survivors. If you can be content with the inherent goodness of just being and enter a situation intuitively in its muddy stages (your natural ignorance stirs up sediment by it’s inherent instability at first) and then observe the situation clarifying itself, so you become a real part of the organic process. But there is no telling what will evolve. It's a matter of trusting your luck, neither courting honor nor avoiding ignominy, maintaining objective insight into potential. Sages start "work" in the incipience of a situation and wait. The 3rd hexagram talks about the difficulties. Also consult Chuang Tzu's "The True Men" for insight into those who may have plans and desires to carry into fruition. Nothing beats not having ideas. Selfish motives, however altruistic they may be, will never qualify as spontaneous, much less selfless. Spontaneity dwells in the incipience of potential; it is a matter of fluid selfless response to the time. That's why enlightening activity is adapted to conditions as they evolve within the natural timing of creation's trends. Meeting the needs of the times is the way to incur the least amount of obstruction. "Perfection is easy easy for those with no preferences”. But if there is monumental accord within the gravitas of the time, then response in accord with reality is that which arises incipiently within its potential. This is the way of sages. ed note: add "by way of" in 2nd paragraph; change "clarify" to "clarifying" in 6th paragraph

One must help oneself before one is able to truly help others without attachment to outcomes. I have one for you, Moksha: What is the dharma of buddhas? As for #2 and #3~ stop fishing, please. I said drop the pussy-footing around with psychologically-based aesthetic considerations having nothing to do with the spiritual. It's off-topic and has absolutely nothing to do with self-refinement as carried out by the audacious. Do not persist in your tack. The Dharma-eye is not the person. The true human with no status is not concerned with conventions of beauty of self-indulgent rat-eyes. The second chapter of the Tao te Ching states that when all the world knows beauty, but that becomes beautiful, this becomes ugly; when everyone knows good is good, this is not good. Do not speak for the likes of Consciousness— especially since you have not seen it. The truth is, THERE IS NO THING. You have absolutely no idea of what you are talking about… spiritual beauty as realized by Consciousness, indeed. What you are doing is rank virtue-signaling. Drop it. ed note: add last line

Ok, the purpose of achieving projections relative to one's egoic desires… that would be success? Don Juan Matus said that it doesn't matter whether one is successful or not in such contexts. What is important is that a warrior is geared for the struggle. That's all. An aspect of not-doing is doing something for the hell of it— not in terms of kicks or daring-do, but in term of not being attached to outcomes. That definitely does not apply to the purposes of egoic achievement, I suppose. ed note:add "egoic" in first line

Purpose? In terms of avocation? Good question. I don't know. I know it has no intrinsic meaning outside of cultural concerns relative to the psychological apparatus of the being that is going to die. Self-refining practice (deconditioning) is one in the same as its application. Without applying self-refining (enlightening) activity in terms of actual situations, it is impossible to assess the aesthetic (psychological content) import of embodying Suchness. This is because Suchness is being as is, neither ordinary nor holy. In doing so, projecting relative aesthetic concepts such as beauty, creativity, enjoyment and the like isn't on my map. I've worked internationally in fashion advertising and motion picture photography and have been guiding professionally (alpinism) for as long as that. I know it when I see it, and I know it when I don't see it. Being paid to see it is different. Enlightening activity is what it is, which is profound entry into the inconceivable nature of nonoriginated being. Let's not bring this discussion down to a level of aesthetic appreciation.

Moksha made a relevant comment on autonomy in response to my observational cue in terms of autonomy/monotony as a given— which actually ties into abrakamowse' query on arriving at non-compulsive activity or non-activity; that is, doing nothing but leaving nothing undone. What's authentically boring is nothing doing, and getting along with just that, as is. Boring is what it is, according with the time. My point is that when one is beyond compulsive influences relative to externals, action (or not) is not based on karmic momentum. Response is based on stillness, which is the seat of true spontaneity in accord with reality (potential). It was not my intent to make enlightening repose appear as unsexy~ but occasionally, such is the case— can you imagine how I manage in such instances? Well, obviously~ sporting higher or pointier footwear is key!! Karmically influenced monotony is either cyclical, in which case it is wise to adapt to that much boredom, or it is a matter of chronic affliction— when one is unaccepting of a lack of external stimuli, relative to one's conditioned nature. Again, it would be wise to adapt to such temporary states of affliction as a matter of one's ever-changing response in accord with the time in order to introduce guidance and insight by way of self-refining intent. Habit is itself is the obstacle to enlightening response. What's not habit? Viewing the world without views of self and other, comes to mind. Observing oneself viewing the world (with views or not) without further generating self-reifying psychological feedback is unexcelled practice. So the susceptibility to compulsive activity is the state of being influenced not only by the general tenor of karmic momentum, but by one's tendency to be so influenced in the first place. Stopping and seeing that much is also unexcelled practice. All I can say is that, in Moksha's perfect world, I would be a rock-star, since I have absolutely nothing better to do… pooh!! I got the guitars, the amps (obviously the talent), but do I practice? Yes, I do, but not like a fiend. I'm certainly not on the road to success, but I'm also not indulging in selfish opportunism— which means I have absolutely no ambition. That being said, the coalescence of a killer girl-gang is in the making~ time will tell… hehe. ed note: typo penultimate paragraph

Somebody wrote: A terrible start, indeed!! haha!! Actually you have brought out a few seminal points. Three, that I can see… First, the latter bulk of your note is, "why is the need, necessary?" Well, it just is, and precisely because up to this point in your life, you have ignorantly maintained the need habitually. Somehow you have finally become aware of an immense source of affliction and suddenly, at this point of your life, you are, for the first time, doubting the need's validity. We perpetuate this kind of activity our whole lives without ever wondering why we got into it and become slaves to its process. There is an ancient taoist fable illustrating this issue. A shepherd boy tasked with watching over his flock of sheep eventually teaches the sheep to sustain and protect themselves, so he can attend to spiritual studies. Eventually the flock and the boy come to wandering endlessly without much in the way of afflictions and find their way to a vast hillside with all the grass the sheep will ever need. There they stayed until the sheep, one by one, turned into little white boulders. Thus freed from his worldly responsibility, the boy left the lovely scene to explore to the ends of the earth while penetrating the mysteries of taoist immortalism. Just becoming aware (of being unconscious) of the draining mundanity of earthly concerns is a very essential and fundamental aspect of entry into authentic spiritual refinement. Until we do so, there is no way to realize how and what to get rid of in terms of that which needlessly wastes our allotment of potential. It's different for each individual, but the result of assessing the sickness called "my life" is the same. In buddhist teaching, it is said that we "use the sickness as the medicine." In other words, just DEAL WITH IT. Be aware that what you are dealing with is utterly void of meaning, and while you are continuously and subtly aware of its meaninglessness, just DEAL WITH IT. All that is required to begin authentic self-refining enlightening activity is to see through phenomena without denying its characteristics. Only deal with WHAT IS, without further projecting self-reifying thoughts unawares— which is what got you in the present predicament in the first place (other than being born and inheriting the ageless conventions of karmic psychological momentum. The necessities of temporal living are simply unavoidable. They are what they are. What isn't necessary is being unconscious in the process of accruing needless necessities along the way, which only serve as self-made obstacles to seeing reality as is. Secondly, you brought up the issue of compulsive activity. The need to interfere (in compliance with situational momentum) relative to pattern-based consciousness reifying the personality, is a massive obstacle to enlightening liberation. Such action only serves to perpetuate one's karmic bondage to random situational affairs as it blindly insinuates the compounded existence of the circumstantial identity-clusters defining the psychological apparatus of the being that is going to die. We do this out of habit. Somehow failing to perpetuate (feed) the habit results in aggression, boredom and subtle or not-so subtle degrees of psychosis. It's not nice to fool (or ignore) Mother Nature. This barrier is very real. One must actually have a tremendous capacity for fearless, audacious intent to see such breaks in habit-consciousness through, bit by bit, gradually working against the flow of beginningless karmic momentum. This is not an analogy. It is a very long process. Finally, the fact of the matter is that autonomy IS boring. But those who reach the other side ARE autonomous. Autonomy has no need for random stimulation. You want peace and calm? Good luck with that. You'll get that, but the work never ends. The alternative is self-pitying ignorance subject to the consequences of following thoughts unawares lifetime after lifetime. ed note: remove "the" in 2nd paragraph