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Da Vinci Some weeks ago Leo mentioned researching Leonardo Da Vinci because... That guy could learn and do anything. I thought... Wait a minute, I know barely a thing about this name... Let´s check him out... Have I been sleeping or why didn´t I know? Maybe because I am more attracted to people who are still alive... Like eh... Kesha Anyway, life has changed ever since... Profound proverbs #007 says that experience is a hard school, but a fool will learn no other way (an Irish proverb if we believe Leo which... We are lazy... And don´t care )... I don´t know in which fashion that is meant but I think Leonardo Da Vinci would feel like a pretty big fool hearing that because experience was his main learning method. He claimed to be a student of experience. Well, we would say he mastered observation (experience and observation aren´t quite the same, right?)... That is for sure... As for experience... We´re ALL fools then, aren´t we? So what I noted for myself is that Leonardo was a brain linker, a realist dreamer and an all force mobilizer. He used both of his hands even for fine motor work. I have felt like using them both in several occasions throughout my life but you need to keep up with that or it might just lead to great confusion (and fuck... that level of concentration... I´m jealous...)... I see potential in this being one reason for his changing character... That and... Heh, experience... He must have spent a big amount of his life in flow state, I think he experienced his work as very pleasant (most of the time at least), went into concentration and did not get easily out or back... And of course his dedication paid off... That reinforced his drive until the soup would get cold... The real hack though was if not believing that he is special then at least that what he is doing is, that his approach is (which it was...). It was not just about getting out of his low status, he mainly cared about becoming and being better. He enjoyed being ahead of others, he wanted them proven wrong, he... Had a big ego because he HAD to have one, he had no other choice rather than create the ways in which he would be in a position where he could be very confident about himself. He did not get anything for free after all... Even though his attractiveness came first I guess... He observed it would be better to preserve and perfection it, I guess... What else? Well, I don´t care if the special handwriting he used was comforting him, the side effect of others not being able to easily read what that man who was constantly standing, walking around and taking notes in a notebook comes in just too handy, if you´re asking me... People can be very annoying and curious... Another main insight. Da Vinci did not add or subtract anything to reality. He saw it´s perfection in awe and felt a need to understand it. Maybe when sitting down to execute he added light or shadow to a painting but you see... I don´t know if it was his projects or what was valued in art at those times but it had to look highly realistic and the best version of realistic. Not just a face for example but that face at its prettiest angle surrounded with the most complementing light, the perfect underlining Color... Well, a perfectionist, what else? But back to bare perception which is what he did first... He USED his senses, it´s like he drained them out. And by doing so he found there to be more to things. He found that mood, that soul, spirit, atmosphere, movement... Which is what set him apart from others. He was literally sensitive and his sight was a loving one. Patient. Mindful. Yes, that is the word and I think that it´s where things get slightly spiritual... Another note I took: Glasses. It´s like he had a variety of glasses or lenses to look at a task. Like he could say: "Shades vision on" or "architectonical zoom vision off", now "3D model in big"... He did not just master the ways of looking at ideas but he also mastered his switch of glasses... It´s less like one person with several brain functions/skills but more like one brain with several brain/person functions... Well, heh... Now I´m impressed. But look he was, as anyone who ever came up with the limitless drive to accomplish exceptional work, obsessed. Addicted. He WAS his state, he was his work. He was doing, even his thinking was doing I bet he forgot his own name more times than I will ever... But just because he did not write too often about his emotional world does not mean it did not exist rather than his agony and bliss by work. Also anxiety and fear of failure in his earlier years at least... It looks like he was good at linking and blending ideas. He was... Creative (of course). But he had bit of a comparative mind didn´t he? Quite measuring... Well, it had to for his work, be set in proportions and distances... Look, he was hard working. He was willing to do more in order to get more and he was interested in how far it goes... He worked with what he had and not with what he didn´t until he´d get what he wanted anyway. I´m not talking just about material, I´m talking about utilizing information, anything he came about to know... It´s what the fittest lower class people do (include me if you like)... Another thing is that he had no google, he carried that in his notebook and his mind. Define this, define that... Not just describe but define. As an artist he could had been satisfied with the surface of things but he went way beyond that, to the abstract, the function and then of course possibility of things. He was a philosopher at heart interested in the nature of reality, he knew how to ask questions. From that he built his understanding of the world from scratch. Once again, I am impressed. Well and... If one looks close, like Da Vinci, one might find patters there and the more patters one finds, the more analogies and even speculations one can make... Last note: Da Vinci= visualized genius. You see... So many multidisciplinary potentials of excellence walk on this earth... But that all needed skills get built, get mastered by someone and meet the eye of the average Joe? As rare as Da Vinci himself I´d say. You can SEE the fabric of mind in his codex, you can see both his training and his fruits of work. It´s all on paper. And it makes me wonder what came first... The idea and then the picture, the plan, the sketch or the other way round? Did he look at the basic notes and imagined up the complex, did he built in his mental map, onto memory? As a painter the drawing was part of execution but as an engineer it was part of planning. It was still an idea, just a picture, a page...

Hi guys, New to this forum, first post. I've been practising self inquiry for the last year pretty intensely. Before this year I saw anything spiritual as bullshit. I managed to take this year off and have focused on meditation (2 X 30 mins sessions daily) , long walks in nature while being PRESENT and self inquiry when I'm not using my mind for practical purposes. I feel very much as if I'm being lead down a path and helped along the way. I've had many beautiful experiences where everything was perfect and I felt bliss to be alive and present. I started the journey as a result of an Ayahuasca experience which showed me the "self". From there I researched and eventually found Advita and the "Direct Path". I now do an Ayahuasca about once a month and this has helped me a lot. I think I have Kundalini moving in me. I get very strong sensations of energy moving inside my head, back of my neck and light sensations from the base of my spine up my spine. I feel as if there is something like an energy moving inside of me. It can be pretty intense like a strong massage but from the inside. I'm practising non resistance and trying as much as possible to go with it. I live in Ireland and it's Mushroom season here so I decide to try them out. I took some many years ago but then it was all about fun now its about going in. I did a few trips on relatively small doses 2-3 grams which were lovely. Then last weekend due to a mix up I ended up with over a 5 gram dose. I wasn't expecting this level of trip and wasn't really ready. I got through it and managed to hold my space but it was tough. I felt like I was on the edge of the universe plowing into the unknown. It was raw and very uncomfortable. Then I sat and felt my entire being dissolve and regenerate. Then when I moved again I had lost my body. Everything was the same and everything was different (..before there were mountains ..) . I could see myself but it wasn't me. At one stage I merged into anothers body. This lasted until the next day and I feel its still there if I look. The experience was very weird and very very scary. I had to almost "glue" myself back together to feel normal again. I really didn't like the dis associative state at all and was literally praying like mad to come back. This has left me in a fearful state. Up to this point I felt love and kindness and help, this felt raw uncomfortable and was not at all nice. I'm now at a place where I'm, for the first time, questioning my "path". Does this path which leads to enlightenment ( I know it's not really like that but for the purposes of discussion) result in that dis associative state similar to what I experience on the mushrooms? If so I feel I might wish to slow down and hang where I'm at as the next "level" (if it's what I experienced) just doesn't seem that attractive anymore. I know this path is not for the faint hearted and I know that I need to lose myself. I thought I was ready for that but it seems maybe I'm not. Can I ever be ready? I know that the fear is the mind and I suspect that the mind is using this to avoid having to take "second place" but even now if I take the fear and go into it I'm not sure I want whats on the other side. I thought I wanted it more than life itself and now find myself a little confused about where I'm at and what I want. Any thoughts guidance greatly appreciated. Love

David Spero, love this guy bio http://www.davidspero.org/about-david-spero What I like specifically is the embodiment of the teaching being presented in such a fun alive character, being inclusive of not just non-dual realization, but the that vibrant aspect is also acknowledged as very valid, as well as the devotional aspect. Which brings a nice trilogy of the path, through silence - energy - devotion. So there is meditation, embodied passionate living and embodied emotional openness/devotion. For me it's very inspiring and reassuring to see such an evidently bright character that speaks about the truth of embodied bliss for over 10 years now, showing the same clarity, certainty and presence in his being and eyes, showing that this is indeed very real and lasting. I find all beautiful to watch, to me this human expression is pure art but here are some of my favorites

It's like tuning a guitar. Why tune a guitar? To hear nice music! If you love every last bit you are aware of in the now, there is no option but bliss. The trick is not to let the mind convince awareness with stories that what is right here right now is not loved. Awareness naturally merges with/loves everything, including that pain over there. Can we love the pain? Only if we remain as awareness! ? Separate from thought stories, Merge with Now, don't cheat on the now. Don't cheat on the now by believing the serpentine stories of mind. All is as it should be and que sera sera.

Hi arberor, Please pay attention that you describe your experience by opposite aspects: 1) The smallest thing (point). 2) The biggest thing (infinite expansion). By (1) alone you may feel claustrophobia. By (2) alone you may feel agoraphobia. In both cases you are in fight or flight state of mind (emergency state of mind, which may be experienced as anxiety). But you see dear arberor, (1) and (2) are actually two extreme aspects of the same thing. The same thing can be described (by using an analogy, which is not the thing in itself) as a sea, where its calm aspect is unbounded and non-local (known as (2)), and each one of its wavy aspects is bounded and local (known as (1)). If you get (1) and (2) in terms of a sea, you are not trapped anymore by emergency states of mind (you are the sea and you are your own Home (you are naturally fearless)). From this non-dual sea awareness there is nothing but an everlasting bliss.

Haven't heard the term bliss used related to life purpose before but i haven't been fearful to do what i wanted to do related to "life purpose" but i also think it might be because i might see passion as something else i see it as you need to get really good at something before you become passionate about it(craftman mindset vs the passion mindset by cal newport) and pratice to become better at what you do have never been something i have experienced as something to fear but it is something that is difficult to do(maybe only if i had to perform for other people as what i want to do is related to composing music)

Yes, I already said it a few topics back, I am experiencing most of the day bliss and love. You don't have to listen to me though, there are great Yogi's that have used this method all the way to self realization within 3 years usually

@Pelin @elias of course you need to be practical, but I think Leo's course teaches to Follow Your Bliss. Maybe you'll run in to some initial troubles, but you will find your object of mastery sooner, nail out your 10,000 hours sooner, and thereby unlock all the security/comfort/independence needs. So my advice would be to follow your heart first and worry about the independence etc later.

For anyone who has taken the life purpose course I'm assuming that maybe you had some trouble finding the right medium to work in. I'm experiencing this right now and I have a lot of resistance to actually going out and doing the thing I love to do the most. My greatest fear comes up as well as a lot of other excuses and rationalizations about how I have other priorities. Time and time again I've heard Follow Your Bliss and I know that's exactly what I need to do. Buuuuut, I'm scared in all honesty so I'd like to hear from you guys about some resistance or fear you experienced when wanting to follow your bliss. How were your fears related to following your bliss? Did you have any fears around your bliss or was it effortless? Did you ever reach a point where you just said fuck it and did it anyways? What happened and what did you realize after following your bliss?

Warning. Just out of the trip so expect lots of grammar mistakes. My hands are shaking right now! What I've seen can not be unseen. Part of me wants to but part of me is grateful for it. I started trip with powerful meditation and determined mindset to experience complete ego death. It happened. It hit me hardest possible and I completely surrendered. I could not even imagine that I had an ability to surrender so much. It completely destroyed me - I vanished. I had no past no future - only present. My consciousness become awaken. I was no longer body - I became awaken from my body. I saw all the figures and possibilities - it is limitless. I can't even describe all this as much as I want to. I experienced the unity of all the forms. I also saw how time does not exist - it's all about from which "angle" consciousness becomes aware of the form. In the middle of my trip I started to write in the trance. It was happening without me involved this is what I wrote: "all kinds of forms offer me hands to shake from all sides. They smile at me, they laugh at me some of them are sad. All there is is limitless game of forms. It has no beginning and no end... Time does not exist in this game of forms only "viewing" angle changes from which consciousness experiences these forms. Time is frozen - all there is is NOW! that is the only thing that exists and it is infinite! This game of forms is the most real thing there is and pointless illusion at the same time. It all happens in me. Who am I? I am all there is. why do I exist? only to exist. Experience is being! This is all pointless. does it scare me? it does not because pointlessness equals to absolute freedom. When there is no ultimate goal there comes the only, true unconditional freedom! Am I alone? No because there is no me and only thing there is - absolute infinity. Figures offer me hands to shake they are all me and they all have their ego sides. We met here in this dimension and we are all one. I am in the bliss and unconditional love to the unity of forms. It is such a bliss that it is killing me and I can't stay here infinitely - I need my form. Can I describe all this for ego dimension? No it is impossible : ( " I've seen there faces and figures which I've never seen in my life. Forms and figures were shaking hands and hugging each other. Everyone and everything was celebrating freedom from their ego sides including my true self. We all had understanding of our unity and that we are same consciousness. for solid 4-5 hours I was in this trance state and time to time I was coming back to my physicality. In that other dimension I also felt the unbreakable link and connection to my physical world sort as these two dimensions are one and ultimately connected. They are the two sides of the same coin! When I came back from this trance I hugged my room walls and felt unconditional love to them. I was so grateful that my reality exists in the exact form as it is.

Thank you for the experience of bliss! Better person?? According to who? You? Me? Some president? Some Guru? WHO!? - There is no who. Don’t look for joy, that’s procrastination. It’s not of this universe in that material way. It can’t be seen or found. BE loving, GIVE love, that’s YOUR joy! It’s an experience, not a college degree. You can do it now, right now, or you can proscastinate. Text something nice to someone. Start! The rest of your questions will disappear, as this IS tuning in to yourself. You’re gonna like the way it feels, it is infinitely guaranteed! In answer to your last question, I know much of what I am and what I am not, so much in fact, that I know what you are and what you are not. IF you’re thinking “he doesn’t know anything about me”, you’re right, within a material physical paradigm. The mindfuck that awaits you, is that I DO know - because I know that I - know nothing. Start small. Buy your grandma flowers TODAY. Tell the lady at the gas station you appreciate her work, and the place is nice. Look at your hand and recap all it has enabled you to do. Your feet?! The possibilities?! The miracle is discovering you’ve been in a miracle the whole time! The game has been afoot since you fell out of a vagina, assuming that’s even true.

@IAmJohn Let go of the idea of being a better person. Look for consistent joy instead. Trust your inner guidance. Tune into it and listen to it, take it’s direction above all thinking. If something feels less that joy, let alone terrible, then stop!, sit, and let go of that thought tree, plant another ‘wanted’ seed, breath, be patient. With regards to addiction to the experience of her - addiction is the opposite of connection. Look to her, or anyone else, for joyful experiences, not connection. Connect within, alone. Everyone is either asking for love or giving love. The experience as an entity giving love is pure consistent joy. It is selflessness, as in, the focus point is loving, not a thing that is receiving. Surrender your self in exchange for the experience. There is an experience of whole in no self, pure bliss. But to get there, there is an experience of the practices. This is the way to discover what you really are is whole already. You don’t need anything or anyone. Let them be the icing on the cake.

Everything starts with a vision, what isa good way to come up with a great vision? Many people in the past have what seems to me a Hugh sense of accomplishment by living their visions, or can we say by converting their visions to reality, Nickola Tesla comes to mind, Leo Gura comes to mind, it seems like when you truely know amd share your gifts in the world you contribute to society through your work you are living life to the fullest. My main focus now in this work is finding that one thing... I have a doubt that positive psychology itself has the power to transform the world, however I don't have a vision for the world, I have a vision for myself... I once read that leadership starts with self leadership... So all I'm going to do is follow my bliss and actually start talking action.... Self Actualization is a part of positive psychology.... And to act is really important... So whats my vision for self actulization? To master master mindfulness. To experience all of reality as it is... To live a life where money is never a problem ever again... To have amazing sex.. To have a life purpose, an impact statement, to complete the life purpose course in its entirety.. To travel the world experience the beauty of nature.. To master my emotions...

I do however experience loads of bliss, love, happiness, joy and ecstatic energies. However even if you don't experience all that, still doesn't mean you are any further away to become self realized. PS: check out AWA (michael langford) site for more

This or that it does not change the fact that we still live in this dimension and even after Enlightenment there is no escape from this body. If life was meant to experience in a relative manifestations why don't just fkin do it instead of trying to become god and at the same time dead god. Who said that becoming the god is the only viable true path? What if it is other way around. I had a discussion on this topic with my friend and he said yes even if it brings me eternal bliss it will kill me and I will no longer be a human. And with all the suffering and negative emotions I love to be a human because this is what makes me feel other positive emotions too and that's what make them so much more valuable... Maybe experiencing life is all that matters. And within this life you just try to be the best according to your views.

@egoless The explenation is that the killer is not who is evil the circumstances, his environment, his conditioning and thousands other reasons made him do this, a being in a state of peace or bliss will not do such things. What would you do, if you were in the shoes of such a person, maybe you would be doing the same thing after all you have been trough? Without the evil, people would not appreciate peace as much as they do now, what do you think make us stop those things like slavery and such? The evil comes back and back to show us how we can improve and become absolutely peaceful. The faster we learn our lessons the less evil there will be, so by fighting evil you will just produce more evil instead of going the path of peace, of non-violence.

You have to get a sense of what this is about and then just practice, do what works/feels good to you, then just keep going and the results will come and carry u forward, then listen to something sometimes if you feel inspired or you want to become motivated. But this is really not so much about learning, listening to stuff again and again can be fine to recondition the mind but it's not a very effective path as apposed to raw practice though it can supplement it if you feel lazy or if you feel like watching something, but indeed it can also certainly almost harm you if you are starting, live very much in the mind and want a solid grip/path on things. Because yeah, a 100 legit masters can say 200 different things on the same thing! And they are all true! And all false!! It's because this path is not about logic or relative truth, gotta learn to accept the paradox and go your own unique path, all words are relative at the end of the day. I know it's hard for us western geeks, but you have to learn to throw out the mind essentially, and use it well at the same time! "After enlightenment nothing is serious, everything becomes just play", so don't worry about it, this is about YOU! And your discovery of yourself! Beyond words right into bliss. - OT: If it's about picking a guru IRL (which would be a great idea), then look around and try to stick with 1 or maybe 2 I think, and learn to go deep with them, which is also more about friendship and love than actually learning.

I had this thought come to me while I was on acid. It felt like I was too aware of everything. I legitimately wanted to go back to sleep and become unconscious again. I feel like this now as well. I can't enjoy normal things that people do. Things like TV and video games do not hold my interest anymore. I just don't understand how normal people can enjoy these things. Also I seem to have no desire to pursue women anymore. There was a girl that I liked and instead of trying to pursue her, I seemed to be content in the fact that she had a boyfriend. My car also got totaled and I have no desire to get it fixed. I am just like okay, whatever, I'll just walk now. It really feels like reality is testing me. Nothing seems to be effecting me anymore. It is quite laughable, really, that I can be in bliss even if my external circumstances are shit. I love meditation, but now there seems like there is nothing left for me to do.

Look not going to get into ego games or the inner psychology of the issue. What I suggest is doing a physical activity you actually enjoy . For me it is cycling or simply taking long walks or swimming but the important thing is that you acutely enjoy it . We do things we enjoy more and with less subconscious resistance if we hold a affinity for them. Follow you bliss instead of forcing yourself to do something you truly do not want to do .... good luck

@Charlotte Yeah and this work gets you even more sensitive. Not all bliss and happiness as I expected.

I simply all the time put my attention on the I-feeling. This results in me feeling all the time bliss, love, joy, happiness and it is divine The self is eternal love

I am revealing the Secrets of Tummo meditation mainly known as Tibetian innner fire meditation. The title is not click bait, the instructions I am about to share with you are actually considered secret in the Tibetan Buddhist Vajrayana tradition. I studied the teachings of Inner Fire Meditation or Tummo in depth during my five years living and studying at a Tibetan Buddhist centre and got into a lot of trouble when it became known I was giving these instructions to beginners in my guided meditation classes. But this method is too good to keep secret and has enormous potential to heal, clear the mind, calm the body and bring tremendous joy and confidence into people’s life. I was reprimanded by the senior nun at the Buddhist centre I was living and teaching at and told not just anyone can learn these techniques because she said it was dangerous and years of preliminary training was necessary which included making ritualistic offerings to the Guru, thousands of prostrations and recitations of thousands of purification mantras. I pleaded with her that these simple instructions are so beneficial for people and anyway they are freely available on the internet and in book stores these days and are also very similar to the Pranayama breathing exercises I have learned doing general yoga classes. I also argued that the founder of the centre where we were at said that inner fire was a perfect practise for westerners, but it all fell on the ears of a fundamentalist traditional Buddhist nun and I was told to stop. This began my journey of teaching the Way Meditation outside of tradition and in a way that helped and appealed to modern. learned Tummo or Inner Fire meditation directly from a Tibetan Dzogchen Master Karma Lhundrup who was also breaking with tradition and teaching it to beginners. I also learned the details by reading extensively the works of Meditation Master and revered Tibetan yogi Lama Thubten Yeshe, he taught that inner fire meditation is a perfect meditation for westerners because it brings very quick results and it is like a recipe, when you put all the ingredients together it just works. I have had great results practicing inner fire and it has been one of my main meditation practises for over 10 years. I have in no way mastered the skills to the level of Tibet yogi’s who can withstand extremely cold weather scantly dressed, but I have had humble results of improved concentration and focus, more energy and confidence and experiences of blissful inner pleasure. More experienced adepts of inner fire meditation have been studied by scientist and the results were remarkable and unexplainable in western scientific terms. Herbert Benson is an associate professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School and president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He has studied extraordinary human potential since the 80’s and: “During visits to remote monasteries in the 1980s, Benson and his team studied monks living in the Himalayan Mountains who could, by g Tum-mo meditation, raise the temperatures of their fingers and toes by as much as 17 degrees. It has yet to be determined how the monks are able to generate such heat.” – See the Harvard Tummo Experiment for more info. “The meditators sit on the ground, cross-legged and naked. Sheets are dipped in the icy water, each man wraps himself in one of them and must dry it on his body. As soon as the sheet has become dry, it is again dipped in the water and placed on the novice’s body to be dried as before. The operation goes on [in] that fashion until daybreak. Then he who has dried the largest number of sheets is acknowledged the winner of the competition. Besides drying wet sheets on one’s body, there exist various other tests to ascertain the degree of heat which the neophyte is able to radiate. One of these tests consists in sitting in the snow. The quantity of snow melted under the man and the distance at which it melts around him are taken as measures of his ability.” Benefits of Inner Fire Meditation Improved Clarity & Concentration. Inner Fire Meditation requires visualisation, incorporating focussed attention and breathing exercises. In Tibetan Buddhism this is known as a fast and secret way to develop concentration because you you utilise your breath, imagination and attention all in the one practise. It also develops a sharp and clear awareness through raising the vitality and energy levels to heightened states of awareness. Improved Health and More Vitality. Inner Fire Meditation uses what is commonly know in India as Prana, or in Japan it is known as Reiki or in China it is called Chi. These mysterious forces within us are associated with health, healing and a long life. Usually we waste our energy through stressing and dissipating this energy in the pursuit of external satisfaction but Inner Fire Meditation harnesses this energy, grows it and uses it for spiritual development with the side effect of improved health and vitality. Opening the Chakras. Many people ask me how do I open my chakras? well, Inner Fire Meditation is a brilliant way to do this and is one of the main reasons for this practise. The main goal for the practise is to achieve enlightenment through clearing the chakras, entering the central channel and giving rise to special bliss and clarity which very easily understands that enlightenment is already our true nature. But even beginners have remarkable results. More Confidence and Power. Practising inner Fire Meditation connects the practitioner with the power centre of the second chakra which in yoga is associated with physical power, sexuality and creativity. It helps to focus and use nervous energy in a positive way to help build confidence and dispel confusion. In martial arts this is the centre where martial artist’s draw their strength from to perform amazing feats of balance, strength and busting through cement blocks with their strikes. And in Tai Chi this is where all the focus is held to develop graceful and perfectly balanced movement. Harnessing this inner power is harnessing the power to achieve all your goals and dreams and to gain the energy to reach your full potential. Inner Bliss and Joy. The energy you are cultivating is very joyful and blissful. This brings an enthusiasm for the practise that is not found in your usual ‘just sitting meditations’ which can become very boring. This inner bliss can even help to overcome addiction. If addiction is chasing pleasure then as Lama Yeshe says the bliss of inner fire makes all other pleasures pale in comparison. This inner bliss is the cultivation of the famous Kundalini energy which is a mysterious inner joy unlike that of external pleasures such as sex or eating chocolate. Also you can cultivate this energy anywhere at any time; I like to practice while driving and it’s also useful for when you are feeling cold or nervous as the inner bliss really does bring a real and tangible heat and confidence with it. Enlightenment. The ultimate goal of this practise is enlightenment -that is the union or Oneness with a divine nature. In Tibetan Buddhism the time of death is a very important time to practise meditation to achieve enlightenment because the clear white light naturally appears for everyone at the time of death. If through practise you can recognise that light as your own essence; enlightenment is easy. Inner Fire Meditation is a method to generate this clear white light during your lifetime so you don’t have to wait till death and merge with it while you are an individual to bring enormous benefit to your yourself and for others. Removes Obstacles. Inner fire meditation awakens a powerful inner energy which overwhelms the ego and takes over. It is said that practising this meditation regularly quickly removes obstacles to spiritual and worldly success. This meditation comes from the completion stage of Vajrayana which is a fast track method to enlightenment. Even though this has traditionally been kept secret and only given to the most advanced students many respected teachers are now saying that in this time of powerful negativity there needs to be powerful practises like this one given to the general public to help combat those negative forces. The Beginners Practice of Inner Fire Meditation Firstly sit in an upright and comfortable meditation posture- click here for tips on a great meditation posture . Visualise yourself as hollow, like a balloon. Your skin is glowing and brilliant and on the inside there is only empty space. Take a few moment to strongly establish this visualisation. Visualise a ‘central channel’ about a 1cm thick from your perineum to the crown of your head and two ‘side channels’ going in through the nostrils up to the third eye or eyebrow level and then going down either side of the central channel merging at just below the navel. All the ‘channels’ are hollow like plumbing pipes. Take a moment to establish this visualisation, it does get easier and even instantaneous with practice. See image. Even if you cannot do the former visualisation this next step is the most important in generating the blissful energy: Imagine your breath energy going down the two side channels and merging into the central channel just below the navel (about a few cm in front of the spine). Imagine a very small and very hot ball of light in the central channel and your breath ignites this fiery ball and makes it extremely hot. Now hold the breath there in that ball of heat at the navel, for 5-15 seconds (experienced yogis can hold the breath here for several minutes) WARNING: stop immediately and breath normally if you get dizzy or lightheaded. This next step is optional but helps to generate even more heat and focussed attention: As you are holding the breath inside the central channel at the small ball of heat just below the navel, draw energy up from below and down from above and lock and trap it in the ball of heat. Draw it up by activating the perineum muscle (like you are holding back from urinated), hold this muscle and lock it in. Simultaneously swallow some saliva down to get the feeling of pushing down on the ball of heat at the navel and lock it in. Experiment with this. You may wish to lock it in by drawing up from below first and then push down from above, or vice vera. Do what feels best for you to get the sense you are locking in a tremendous amount of energy in a tiny space at the navel. Now release all the energy you have created – straight up through the central and bursting out the top of your head like a fountain. As the energy rushes up through the central channel it blows away any blockages in all the chakras from the solar plexus, the heart, the throat, the third eye and crown chakra. this energy cleanses and purifies your entire body mind system. You can also imagine releasing the energy into parts of your body you need to heal. Repeat steps 2-6 …try Inner Fire Meditation for 2-5 minutes to begin with. Do not practice for extended periods of time until you become familiar with the practise and feel confident and strong enough to do so. This may have sounded complicated, but it is incredibly simple to practice. For an easy and modified version simply take long slow breaths right down into the navel area and hold it there for a short time and release it, this can also be enough to generate heat and bliss. This has been a brief and beginners overview of the Inner Fire Meditation method, but it can still bring all the benefits listed above if done regularly. For more detailed information and instructions including how this practice can lead to subtle clear light and enlightenment; I would highly recommend the book by Lama Yeshe “The Bliss of Inner Fire” NOTE: This is a practice using your own energy, your own breath and your own mind, that can bring speedy and remarkable results, in my opinion it should not be kept secret. Experiment to see what works for you – Notice the inner calm and space you can create whilst holding the breath. Notice the heat energy build up when you hold your breath and lock in the energy. And notice the relaxation and healing response when you let go of the breath. Even just taking long slow breaths and holding and releasing activates a calming response in the body and mind. I generally practice this meditation to clear my mind and relax my body before I settle into simply sitting meditation practise. It is written by Chad Foreman

Into the wild - the last moment when Chris realizes that "Happiness is only real when shared"... He pursued happiness into the wild, away from modern society, technology, burdens to feel the presence and get happiness from the simplicity of life and nature. The last moment though it seems like he deeply regrets his choice of ultimate loneliness. Is that true? Does true happiness only exist when shared with the loved ones? Then how does it correspond to Enlightenment idea. Enlightenment journey requires ultimate loneliness and it predicts unconditional inner happiness and bliss in the end of the road.. But, what if the inner happiness without loving and sharing it with others does not exist? It is so paradoxical but Enlightenment seems like the most selfish work one can do but at the same time it seems the most self-sacrificing/egoless work one can do... Maybe the Balance - The golden mean is the key to true happiness?!

@Preetom @Dan94 ?? I went Brian WIlson for years in a room with my guitar and caprice 24. So my advice is from the value of hindsight. Literally forgot my first name in madness and depression. Now, I play and sing and am legit not there / zoned / bliss. Hope it helps. Remember to stop and love right now. Always.

Hey, I'm somebody who works in Hollywood media (even though I always disdained it) and pursued music composition and videoart privately for 10 years, feeling very unsuccessful in my personal projects despite having a couple shows, and very ashamed of my professional impact throughout. I have been trying to recover from ongoing depression and anxiety for a very, very long time. The study and practice of personal development has been promising, but I can see the war between the following two paradigms is making my head spin in a lot of indecisiveness about how to make moves. I experience a lot of indecision and doubt when thinking about what I really want and how to get it, and then when I make moves, I very often regret them, and just basically live on a rollercoaster of psychic pain that I would quite like to jump off. I'm hoping someone has some insights into how to reconcile this, what is kind of THE big question in philosophy anyway: PARADIGM 1 (THE PARADIGM OF BEING A CHIMPY HUMAN) Human beings like and dislike certain things, and have social needs. Misery is the result of spending your time doing things that you do not authentically enjoy, and not having your biological and/or relational needs as a human met. Working in the media makes me feel ungrounded, cheap, anxious, lonely, depressed, and ashamed of the addiction, self hate, and lies I am contributing to. and Working on my own media ALSO makes me feel ungrounded, lonely, anxious, depressed, and also incompetent and Going out to art/media based events makes me feel ungrounded, anxious, lonely, and depressed, because the content does nothing for me, I am reminded of my disappointment in my own work efforts, and my interactions there relentlessly reinforce that I do not belong, do not appreciate, and am not appreciated and I have no real friendships, real romance, or way to successfully vibe with women, because my vibe is bad, because I hate my work, which also makes me feel worse in itself and The benefits of self help and spiritual practice elude me because the rest is creating too much anxiety THEREFORE I need to figure out what PURPOSE feels good and juicy to me and I need to figure out A WAY TO SPEND MY EFFORT / WORK that feels satisfying and joyous to do AND/OR I need to find fun / enjoyment, and the meeting of my relational needs somehow, regardless of my work, and then I’ll feel better about the work I already do, or have more clarity about what work I enjoy PARADIGM 2 (THE PARADIGM OF BEING A TRANSCENDENT GHOST) The pursuit of happiness in work, relationships, hobbies, drugs, entertainment, and other outer things is actually the source of suffering. You suffer precisely because you bought the lie that you need conditions to be met to feel good. The real and only cure for excessive suffering is to surrender your conquest, and float back to your default position of bliss, which is your deepest nature, and is spiritual, sentient, and eternal. Surrender is the only path to substantial peace, love, and inspired action in life. My career is actually a goldmine of creative and impactful possibilities. I am squandering a goldmine and a decade of developing skills because I don’t have access to inner love. and I am surrounded by potentially deep friendships, and it’s me that chooses not to develop them out of depression and detachment to inner light and Dating is not working out for me because women can immediately tell that I do not feel good, which is again because I don’t know how to spiritually fill myself up, not because my work life is a big gigantic failure on my part to succeed in the past, or find the “right” work for me now. and Of course spiritual practice is going to lead me there, dummy, just do it more and take it very seriously So, these two paradigms pointing in exactly opposite directions, I don’t actually believe either of them. Paradigm 2 is convincing because even when I’m totally alone in the woods, even when I have no work I have to do, even when i am surrounded by people, i still feel like shit. And so while I’m trying to take action to feel better and make a life I like, I’m simultaneously believing that absolutely nothing will do it. I want to add also that I've spent most of the last year saying no to jobs to work on myself and finding inner light, but I'm finding that my inner peace and my flow in my outer life has really gotten worse rather than better.