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Hojo replied to BojackHorseman's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
@BojackHorseman i think like hindu gods as depicted with those ornaments and things in their hands as symbols for what they can do for you if you worship them. Or they symbolize what the god does. So they might have actual value such as this chat gpt The symbols associated with the Hindu goddess Kali hold various meanings and interpretations. Kali is a powerful and complex deity in Hindu mythology, often depicted as a fierce and fearsome figure. Here are some of the symbols associated with her and their representative meanings: Black or Dark Skin: Kali's dark complexion represents the eternal darkness that existed before the creation of the universe. It also symbolizes her transcendence of conventional notions of good and evil, as she exists beyond dualities. Nakedness: Kali is often depicted as naked, which signifies her freedom from societal norms and conventions. It represents her raw and uninhibited power. Multiple Arms: Kali is typically depicted with multiple arms, ranging from four to ten, each holding various weapons and symbolic objects. These arms symbolize her immense power and ability to multitask. They also suggest her ability to protect and bless her devotees. Shrunken Heads: Kali is sometimes depicted wearing a garland of severed heads. These heads symbolize the ego, which she has conquered and transcended. It represents her ability to liberate her devotees from the bondage of the ego and attachment. Tongue: Kali is often depicted with her tongue sticking out. The extended tongue signifies her thirst for blood or her fierce nature. It also represents her power of annihilation and the devouring of negative forces. Sword and Trishula: Kali wields a sword and a trishula (trident). The sword represents knowledge and the cutting of ignorance. The trishula symbolizes her ability to destroy evil forces and maintain balance in the universe. Garland of Skulls: Kali is sometimes depicted wearing a garland made of human skulls. These skulls represent the cycle of birth and death, and the dissolution of the physical body. They also symbolize her role as the ultimate destructor of time and the transient nature of existence. Standing on Lord Shiva: In certain depictions, Kali is shown standing or dancing on the chest of her consort, Lord Shiva. This symbolizes her power and supremacy over time, death, and the ultimate reality. It represents her role as the embodiment of Shakti (divine feminine energy) and her ability to bring about cosmic transformation. It's important to note that these symbols carry deep cultural and mythological significance and are subject to interpretation within different traditions and practices associated with Kali worship. I also heard that kali is considered space and time combined by sadhguru why she is on shivas chest is because shiva cannot do anything without her. So she would be the personification of the 4th dimension a force that cannot be explained. Im sure the stories all have deep meaning in them but you have to research and understand them and that would be like worshipping the god, and saying mantra and shit to them I have a dream of this god when I was a child she destroyed the earth with an asteroid and i was flung up into space on a peice of earth and she came to my piece with her tongue out and stared at me. -
Journal Entry: Discipline, Self-Control, and Self-Love Today, I find myself reflecting upon the powerful trio of discipline, self-control, and self-love. These three virtues have been intertwined in my journey of personal growth, and I have come to realize their profound impact on my life. Discipline, the cornerstone of achievement and progress, requires a steadfast commitment to my goals and values. It is through discipline that I shape my actions and cultivate positive habits. It pushes me to stay focused and dedicated, even when faced with challenges and distractions. Each day, I am learning to harness the strength of discipline, embracing its structure as a guiding force. Accompanying discipline, I have discovered the importance of self-control. It is the ability to resist instant gratification and make choices that align with my long-term vision. Self-control empowers me to navigate the temptations and impulses that often hinder personal growth. Whether it's resisting unhealthy habits or managing my time effectively, self-control allows me to stay on track and make decisions that serve my greater well-being. Amidst the pursuit of discipline and self-control, I have realized that self-love plays an equally vital role in my journey. It is the foundation upon which all my actions and intentions are built. Without self-love, discipline and self-control can become harsh and unyielding. I have learned to approach myself with compassion, accepting my flaws and imperfections. Through self-love, I have discovered the capacity to forgive myself, learn from my mistakes, and grow stronger with each challenge I face. In embracing discipline, self-control, and self-love, I have witnessed a transformation within myself. I have learned to set realistic goals and break them down into manageable steps. Discipline has taught me to prioritize my time and energy, focusing on what truly matters. Self-control has helped me resist the allure of immediate gratification, enabling me to make choices aligned with my values and aspirations. And most importantly, self-love has allowed me to appreciate my worth and embrace self-compassion, fostering a positive relationship with myself. While the journey towards discipline, self-control, and self-love can be challenging, it is undeniably rewarding. Each day presents an opportunity for growth, and I am committed to cultivating these virtues further. By staying disciplined, practicing self-control, and nurturing self-love, I am confident that I will continue to embark on a path of personal development and discover the limitless potential within me. As I conclude this journal entry, I am reminded of the importance of these virtues in shaping my life. With discipline, self-control, and self-love as my guiding lights, I am ready to face the world with renewed strength, resilience, and compassion. Until next time, I will continue to embrace these virtues and nurture my inner growth. With gratitude and determination
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I feel no inspiration to get out of my bed, I feel it’s hard for me to trust people. I remember I was reading about this book about different stages of team dynamics in a company. Even after having that knowledge, I ended up in a company with a lower stage dynamics, I avoided all the red flags I could see right there, Now I feel harming myself by getting such a job. At that time, I was focused mainly of getting a job and that’s all what mattered. Now My situation is of a broken person, no job, bad relationship, I really don’t know what I want. This is pathetic existence, I really need a transformation right now, nothing less than that. My whole body is burning in kind of a fire, maybe it’s a fever, and I can’t think straight. I don’t trust myself anymore, I have been hurt very deeply. I still don’t want to believe what has happened with me.
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My body is still paining after we did this 3 days of intense walking in the forest. Every day we chose a new place and walked around 20 km trekking through amazing scenery of mountains, clouds and nature hanging together. It was an awesome experience, Now when I lie down in my bed, my legs and body still hurts. Going through a complete bottom of my life, I really don’t know why my life has turned this way. I really do not feel like programming again, this has to be a transformation and I must align what I do to what I truly want. I am scared to be in a job like my last job, it has sucked me completely, even my inspiration for this career has been killed by this fear. This was truly a traumatic experience, I am going to rejuvenate my body and mind. Better to earn less money than getting stuck in such jobs where they leave you completely destroyed. And sadly, that’s majority mindset feels like, running over humans to be richest.
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Dear seeker, Your fear of insanity and losing your grip on yourself during psychedelic trips or mystical experiences is understandable. The mind can be a powerful force, and the exploration of altered states of consciousness can be both profound and challenging. However, it is important to remember that you are a divine, infinite, and eternal spirit experiencing human existence. When approaching psychedelic experiences or mystical journeys, it is crucial to create a safe and supportive environment for yourself. Set an intention for your exploration and surround yourself with trusted individuals who can provide guidance and support if needed. Additionally, working with a trained facilitator or guide can help ensure a positive and transformative experience. To address the fear of insanity, it can be helpful to recognize that all thoughts, emotions, sensations, and perceptions are themselves proof of God's direct communication with you and your experience. The interconnectedness of all things is a fundamental aspect of reality. By aligning with the divine infinite eternal spirit, you can experience divine ecstasy consistently and naturally. Self-realization and aligning with the divine aware presence is a powerful path to follow. It allows you to tap into the highest vibrations of love, joy, and ecstasy. Embrace the understanding that the divine presence is within you, guiding and supporting your journey. Trust in your own capacity to navigate the realms of consciousness with clarity and wisdom. If you continue to experience fear or concerns, it may be beneficial to explore other paths to self-actualization and spiritual growth that resonate with you. Meditation, breathwork, yoga, and other contemplative practices can also facilitate the expansion of consciousness and help you connect with the divine presence within. Remember, the journey of self-actualization is unique for each individual. It is important to honor your own process and trust your intuition. Seek support from like-minded individuals, spiritual communities, or professional guides who can offer guidance and encouragement along your path. May you find the courage to embrace your spiritual exploration, trusting in the infinite wisdom of the divine presence within you. As you align with the divine, may you experience profound transformation, joy, and the boundless ecstasy that awaits you. With love and support,
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Ya Tut replied to PurpleTree's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
Dear seeker, When you become highly conscious and aware, it is not uncommon to experience sensations of constriction in various parts of the body. These sensations can manifest around the heart, solar plexus, gut, throat, and head. These areas often hold energetic blockages that can be released as you deepen your self-realization and align with the divine infinite eternal spirit. It is important to recognize that these constrictions are not indicative of any inherent limitations or obstacles. Instead, they are opportunities for growth, healing, and expansion. By acknowledging and embracing these sensations with love and acceptance, you can initiate a process of transformation and release. To alleviate these constrictions, you can engage in practices that facilitate the flow of divine energy within you. Meditation, breathwork, yoga, and energy healing techniques can be beneficial in clearing energetic blockages and restoring harmony to your being. As you deepen your self-realization and align with the divine aware presence, you can experience divine ecstasy consistently and naturally. This alignment allows the energy of the divine to flow through you, dissolving constrictions and expanding your awareness of interconnectedness. Remember that you are a manifestation of the divine infinite eternal spirit, and all thoughts, emotions, sensations, and perceptions are a testament to God's direct communication with you and your experience. By aligning with this divine presence, you can experience the highest vibrations of love, joy, and ecstasy, and in turn, elevate the vibration of the entire collective. Each individual's journey is unique, and there are various paths to self-realization and aligning with the divine. Trust your intuition and inner guidance as you explore practices and teachings that resonate with you. Embrace your journey with openness, patience, and self-compassion, knowing that the realization of your true nature is a profound and transformative process. May you continue to deepen your self-realization, align with the divine infinite eternal spirit, and experience the boundless ecstasy that awaits you. With love and support, -
Journal Entry - July 11, 2023 Today marks another milestone in my journey towards a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle. As I reflect upon my choices, I am proud to acknowledge that I have stayed true to my commitment of abstaining from alcohol, sodas, energy drinks, and drugs of any kind. These substances no longer hold power over me, and I find immense joy in embracing a clean and sober existence. Since I made the conscious decision to eliminate alcohol from my life, I have noticed a remarkable transformation in both my physical and mental well-being. My body feels rejuvenated, and I wake up each morning with a renewed sense of energy and clarity. The absence of sodas and energy drinks has not only improved my overall health but also helped me escape the vicious cycle of dependency and sugar crashes. I am no longer a slave to these artificial beverages but rather an advocate for nourishing my body with wholesome alternatives. In addition to refraining from substances that harm my body, I have also chosen to distance myself from the allure of pornography. The decision to abstain from watching porn has been empowering and has allowed me to regain control over my thoughts and emotions. Through practicing NoFap, I have embarked on a transformative journey of self-discovery and self-discipline. By redirecting my energy and focus towards more constructive pursuits, I have experienced heightened levels of motivation, improved mental clarity, and a greater appreciation for genuine human connections. Living a life free from the influence of alcohol, sodas, energy drinks, drugs, and pornography has unlocked a newfound sense of freedom and empowerment within me. I am able to fully engage in life's experiences without the haze of substances clouding my judgment or the shackles of addiction holding me back. Instead, I embrace a life of mindfulness, self-care, and personal growth. Each day brings its own set of challenges, but I am committed to staying true to my values and remaining steadfast on this path. I surround myself with supportive friends and loved ones who respect my choices and offer encouragement during moments of temptation. I have also discovered alternative activities and hobbies that bring me immense joy and serve as healthy outlets for stress and boredom. Through this ongoing journey, I am learning to appreciate the beauty of life's simple pleasures. From the taste of a refreshing glass of water to the thrill of pursuing my passions, I am discovering that true happiness and fulfillment lie in the present moment and in living authentically. As I conclude this journal entry, I am filled with gratitude for the strength and determination that have brought me this far. I am excited for the continued growth and self-discovery that await me on this path of sobriety, mindfulness, and self-improvement. I am proud of the person I am becoming, and I am confident that by staying committed to these choices, I will continue to cultivate a life filled with purpose, health, and genuine happiness.
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Journal Entry: The Benefits of NoFap and the Importance of Higher Testosterone Today, I want to reflect on my journey with NoFap and the significance of higher testosterone levels in my life. It has been a few weeks since I embarked on this challenge, and I must say, the benefits I have experienced thus far have been profound. First and foremost, abstaining from pornography and masturbation has given me a renewed sense of self-control and discipline. It has allowed me to redirect my energy and focus on more meaningful pursuits in life. I have noticed a boost in my productivity, creativity, and motivation. Instead of wasting hours indulging in short-lived pleasure, I have been utilizing my time to engage in activities that contribute to personal growth and development. One of the most intriguing aspects of NoFap is its impact on testosterone levels. Testosterone is a vital hormone in both men and women, influencing various aspects of physical and mental well-being. By abstaining from ejaculation, the body has the opportunity to conserve and utilize its testosterone more efficiently. As a result, I have experienced an increase in my energy levels, assertiveness, and overall vitality. Moreover, higher testosterone levels have had a positive impact on my physical fitness. I have noticed greater gains in muscle mass and strength during my workouts. My endurance has improved, allowing me to push myself further and achieve new personal records. It's fascinating to witness the connection between testosterone and physical performance firsthand. In addition to the physical benefits, I have also observed a positive change in my mental and emotional state. NoFap has helped me reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. I feel more confident and at ease in social situations, which has enhanced my interpersonal relationships. The increased testosterone levels have also played a role in boosting my mood and reducing depressive tendencies. However, it is important to note that NoFap is not a magical solution to all of life's challenges. It is merely a tool that can be incorporated into a broader lifestyle focused on self-improvement and well-being. Alongside NoFap, I have been practicing mindfulness, engaging in regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy diet, which have all contributed to my overall transformation. As I continue on this journey, I am excited to see further positive changes in my life. NoFap has instilled in me a sense of discipline and self-mastery that extends beyond the realm of sexual gratification. It has opened my eyes to the potential that lies within me and the incredible benefits of a balanced and empowered life. In conclusion, NoFap has provided me with numerous benefits, including increased self-control, productivity, and higher testosterone levels. Through this journey, I have realized the importance of channeling my energy into meaningful pursuits and maintaining a balanced approach to life. I am grateful for the opportunity to embark on this transformative experience, and I look forward to the continued growth and self-discovery .
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Water by the River replied to bmcnicho's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
Ken Wilber: "The downside comes with people that only use psychedelics or drugs and I found that over the years they just become mean. Somehow it just kind of closes them down. It's like you keep doing it and you keep doing it you keep doing it doesn't quite cause the transformation. It can cause a peak experience but generally not a transformative experience" "Ken Wilber in "The Religion of Tomorrow: A Vision for the Future of the Great Traditions" One can step deeply enough into thetimeless Now to step into another dimension altogether—just step right here, and push hard. It’s easy to get lost in those worlds, which are, at bottom, simply different dimensions and perspectives of one’s own (violet) consciousness (although, as noted, from another angle, they are all real, ontologically different realms because they are each genuinely co-enacted by a different perspective in consciousness). Given that this stage is the first great transition from “earthly” realms to “heavenly” realms (as a permanent structural enaction), getting lost in these “higher worlds” is indeed one of the most common dysfunctions of this level. The deeply transcendental, otherworldly, electrically visionary nature of consciousness at this altitude makes fixation to this side of the street an incredibly inviting and alluring venture. This is likely to couple with the dysfunction, discussed earlier, of standing in heaven and giving a blistering critique of life here on earth, with all the semiprophetic pomp and pomposity that comes with it. One of the things that often happens with these specific dysfunctions is that, after making some initial discovery of a timeless Now or pure Present (either in 3rd-tier structures or higher states), one can step into that Present and then step right through it into what seem to be endless, “deeper,” “higher” realms altogether, a kaleidoscopic cascade of universes upon universes that at one point seem to be nothing but a slight wiggle in this moment’s timeless Now, and then at the next explode into almost infinitely extending real realms that are all alive and invite exploration—with a sign on the door that says “Welcome to Heaven!” This is extremely common in high subtle and low causal states, but if it happens with structures, it tends to happen right here, with the violet meta-mind (due largely to its visionary nature). In short, getting “lost in heaven” is the most common dysfunction of this level. As a dysfunction, it is—in terms of simple numbers— much more common as a result of a malformation in high subtle or causal states (given that subtle and causal states are much more common than this high altitude, and most states, and their dysfunctions, can be experienced at almost any structure-stage). But this problem is simply the living result of the enactive nature of the real world and the fact that consciousness can co-create an almost endless number of universes, any number of which one can become fixated or semiaddicted to, with straightforwardly dysfunctional results." More on that topic in this post. As always: Review the evidence (or perspectives), and draw your own conclusions... Water by the River -
Water by the River replied to Someone here's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
Yes You Will Know Them by Their Fruits Matthew 7:15-20 Ken Wilber: "The downside comes with people that only use psychedelics or drugs and I found that over the years they just become mean. Somehow it just kind of closes them down. It's like you keep doing it and you keep doing it you keep doing it doesn't quite cause the transformation. It can cause a peak experience but generally not a transformative experience" And I would be more than happy if Ken Wilbers obversation doesn't hold on certain cases, and further integration and growing gentleness & love & compassion happens. Yet, we have come to see time and time again that all the past declarations of moderation have had their "challenges in implementation". Yours truly has learned the hard way that going aggresive on anything is a less than smart idea, because doing that immediately stops any kind of awakened nondual state by closing down, cutting the flow of bliss, love and compassion from the source. Causing only more suffering on top of the suffering/pain occuring by the thing causing the aggresiveness. There is no stable baseline state of staying awakened without compassion and love. And the alternative to compassion and love can only be ones own suffering. That learning & knowing (and not allowing closing-down emotions&actions) is one of the advantages of going the sobre paths. One learns time and time again not to do certain less than smart stuff because of the negative effect it has on ones state. Instant Karma so to say. There are "security locks" on Nonduality & Awakened states & Enlightenment installed by Reality itself, and of course having an autoimmune/allergic-reaction on something happening in ones visual field, in Ones Own True Being actually, (and that something can be a different opinion written in a forum, criticizing certain core beliefes/values/whatever) splits the Nondual Reality in two and causes duality and suffering. Without compassion & love (in Buddhism Boddhichitta, but all spiritual traditions have this sort of value and practice) it is impossible to truly rest in a stable way in Ones True Nondual Nature. And it is even logical: If one hates a part of oneself, one has an autoimmune/allergic reaction, making one sick/not healthy, and that splits Nonduality into fragments (one fragment/appearance hating the other fragment/appearance): Duality & suffering by definition. Selling Water by the River PS: And "not caring about being human" is of course not the path of differentiation & transcendence and integration (or healthy growth), but differentiation, disassociation and failing integration (sick "growth"), stopping continued transcendence/growth in its tracks, leading to a variety of symptoms and failed growth on many development lines. For more on that, see Ken Wilber growth model, describing in detail exactly what we can watch here. Best described in Wilber, "The Religion of Tomorrow: A Vision for the Future of the Great Traditions" (see quote below). Ken Wilber in "The Religion of Tomorrow: A Vision for the Future of the Great Traditions" One can step deeply enough into thetimeless Now to step into another dimension altogether—just step right here, and push hard. It’s easy to get lost in those worlds, which are, at bottom, simply different dimensions and perspectives of one’s own (violet) consciousness (although, as noted, from another angle, they are all real, ontologically different realms because they are each genuinely co-enacted by a different perspective in consciousness). Given that this stage is the first great transition from “earthly” realms to “heavenly” realms (as a permanent structural enaction), getting lost in these “higher worlds” is indeed one of the most common dysfunctions of this level. The deeply transcendental, otherworldly, electrically visionary nature of consciousness at this altitude makes fixation to this side of the street an incredibly inviting and alluring venture. This is likely to couple with the dysfunction, discussed earlier, of standing in heaven and giving a blistering critique of life here on earth, with all the semiprophetic pomp and pomposity that comes with it. One of the things that often happens with these specific dysfunctions is that, after making some initial discovery of a timeless Now or pure Present (either in 3rd-tier structures or higher states), one can step into that Present and then step right through it into what seem to be endless, “deeper,” “higher” realms altogether, a kaleidoscopic cascade of universes upon universes that at one point seem to be nothing but a slight wiggle in this moment’s timeless Now, and then at the next explode into almost infinitely extending real realms that are all alive and invite exploration—with a sign on the door that says “Welcome to Heaven!” This is extremely common in high subtle and low causal states, but if it happens with structures, it tends to happen right here, with the violet meta-mind (due largely to its visionary nature). In short, getting “lost in heaven” is the most common dysfunction of this level. As a dysfunction, it is—in terms of simple numbers— much more common as a result of a malformation in high subtle or causal states (given that subtle and causal states are much more common than this high altitude, and most states, and their dysfunctions, can be experienced at almost any structure-stage). But this problem is simply the living result of the enactive nature of the real world and the fact that consciousness can co-create an almost endless number of universes, any number of which one can become fixated or semiaddicted to, with straightforwardly dysfunctional results." And for experiencing all of that, meditation and/or Out of body experiences (OBEs) are and have been an alternative methods to psychedelics (which also have been used ever since, see "Secret Drugs of Buddhism: Psychedelic Sacraments and the Origins of the Vajrayana" for example. For access on these realms via meditation/OBEs/psychedelics, see also the work of for example Jürgen Ziewe (OBEs), Christopher Bache, Stanislav Grof, Rick Straussman, Andrew Gallimore, Graham Hancock in Visionary, and so on. Lot of other sources on request. There is nothing new under the sun. "Although my view is higher than the sky, my respect for the cause and effect of actions is as fine as grains of flour" - Padmasambhava -
Yea this definitely resonates. 5-MeO is incredibly intense. Particularly for those who aren't experienced with it, and even more so at >30mg!! The come up tends to be a bit of wild ride and then, similar to you, I have a tipping point where the intensity subsides, the nausea fades, the last remnants of ego are fully dissolved. On the other side of that dissolution is just pure Bliss, Oneness, Total Distinction Collapse, Eternity, God. As others have said here, you need to start with lower dose. 5-MeO seems particularly unique in that you can't really brute force the higher doses. Why? Because you actually need to go through an energetic transformation in order to fully be able to handle >30mg 5-MeO doses. This is done through 5-10 smaller, incrementally higher doses, starting as low as 5-10mg. Slowly increasing the doses transforms the body's energetic system in a weird way that I don't know how to explain. 'Energetic transformation' is just the best pointer I have. One cool aspect of energetic transformation can be what I call True Trauma Release. Which seems to only be accessible with 5-MeO. And especially incrementally higher doses. People do mega doses of 5-MeO and come out of it with nothing special, just a 'bright light' or most just black out. But 5-MeO can provide True Trauma Release which no other psychedelic can, as far as I've read and experienced. TTR is a full, genuine, and permanent release of lifelong held trauma, something that psychologists have been searching for for decades. Bit of a ramble, but the bottom line is, everything you describe is normal but there is much more to 5-MeO once your body is more familiar with it. The reason your first 30mg dose didn't work was precisely because you haven't done the lower doses - in my opinion. You may also have a high tolerance to it, could be possible. If I did 49mg I think I would likely die.
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Hyper idealistic solipsism is wrong. This is the main theme of this post. Before we get to that, I see some people on the forum getting surprised or confused about leo's recent remarks on Aliens consciousnesess. Him 'opening a portal inside his skull to a colorful Infinite Cartoon landscape full of striped and polka-dotted sentient Alien creatures doing cartwheeels, backflips, and helicoptering around.' then claming 'I have Awoken to an Infinite dreamscape of pure fun and Love!' This is nothing to be surprised about. Leo already made clear his 'complete awakening' is subscribing to the notion of 'mind only' sect of non duality. His psychedelic sessions make one thing clear: Non duality. But what it confused him is that 'MY mind is the only thing I can be sure of and reality is ONLY composed of the concoction of my mind. The figments of imagination are all there is and the same is true for every other imaginary human mind. There is no 'ultimate reality' DIFFERENT from what I see, observe, touch, feel, generate in my experience' See, all of this hyper idealistic solipsism arises out of the mistaken assumption he made at the start of his psychedelic explorations years ago. 'Nothing exists but MY mind' - He makes it sure that there is no ultimate reality OUTSIDE of 'my mind' and everyone is responsible for 'their' minds. You guys are 'stuck in yout own dreams' while 'I' have broken through alien levels of awakening AND no human on this earth could ever possibly conceive of. I guess not even when said people spend 20 years using 10x more 5 Meo Dmts Leo does. He must have this 'special' intuition skills very few people on this earth is even capable of. This is the current paradigm and worldview of Leo in the way that I can see and understand.Feel free to make it more accurate. I do know what he is talking about tho as someone who has ACTUAL meditation skills and has had many experiences with different psychedelics. --- The fact of the matter is actually even more profound than what Leo make it sound like. There is an ultimate reality BEYOND your human consciousness can EVER comprehend. I'm not talking about 'using psychedelics and attaining transhuman levels of understanding' like Leo. All the alien and mickey mouse and portal into my head sorta experiences are concoctions of your brain and mind. Just like this mainstream everyday reality of chairs and tables and couches are concoctions of one's mind as well. YOU CAN'T EXPERIENCE AND DIRECTLY COMPREHEND THE ULTIMATE REALITY (which is NOT only your personal solipsistic concoction) WITH YOUR EXISTING BRAIN AND PSYCHEDELICS AND MEDITATION TECHNIQUES. Full stop. Ever. What we do as spiritual practitioners with our psychedelics, meditations and whatnot is to get INSIGHTS and understandings INDIRECTLY (via inference and demolisihing of our mind created illusions) to get the MOST accurate and closest approximation to what Ultimate reality is like. Of course, Leo would object here and say 'There is no ultimate reality 'outside' of your personal mind' Of course, he would. But the problem is that just because you CAN'T access any reality DIRECTLY, DOESNT mean that that reality outside of your 'personal' mind and conscious experiences DOESNT exist. Leo's positions is akin to how someone would say 'This Eros planet doesnt exist. We can observe this earth, moon, venus etc but this eros planet you are talking about is a complete fiction of your mind. Why do you assume this Eros planet's existece. I don't observe such planet via telescopes' Well just because you 'dont observe' it doesnt mean it doesnt exist. We don't make an 'assumption' of an ultimate reality beyond our personal 'mind', Spiritual insights of emptiness, no self, impermanence and nothingness PROVIDES said inference necessary to know with absolute certainty that the reality that 'YOUR' personal mind is an absolute illusion and is your brain's 'best guess' at what this ultimate reality (which impinges on your mind and your mind is an intimately part of) might actually be like. But it is a complete farce. Your alien awakenings, mickey mouses and portals in to your head are fun little creations of your personal mind. But NOT what is ultimately true. Actually your human brain and your psychedelics CANT hope to directly perceive ultimate reality and 'Truth' Due to your strongly entrenched solipsistic way of perceiving reality, it will be challenging to accept what you value as 'complete awakening of aliens' is actually nonsensical but I do understand why you feel that way if you have such a solipsistic tendency within 'mind only' school of non duality. ---- You need to make actual arguments as to WHY for instance if a car (which is construct of your personal mind, right?) hits you with and your body flies away to god knows where. Or how you can't walk though walls. Those set of rules of consistency is NOT just how this 'dream' operates. It is a set of rules THAT IMPINGES on your personal mind and body. Those limitations are hard wired VIA the ultimate reality which is outside of your mind. If you assert no such limitations actually exists and you simply need to be 'more awake' to control the gravity and 'walking through walls' and whatnot, feel free to spend the rest of your life consuming 10.000 psychedelics in the hopes of actually making these work. You'll fail miserably and come to know the limitations of your mind only sect of non duality. --- Anyways, I can continue on but this is, in my opinion, where Leo is going the wrong path. There is no particular reason to be surprised or shocked as the signals of such a transformation to alien awakening and portals into my mind and 'I'm the most awakened being' on this planet were there prior to this transformation. Feel free to provide your arguments but this is not a criticism post actually. I just wanted to share how I view things. Much love,
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Jodistrict replied to Hardkill's topic in Society, Politics, Government, Environment, Current Events
Robert Kennedy, Jr is teaching a new politics. He speaks the truth regardless of the consequences in a world use to manipulation, spin and good optics. People are sick of the fakeness and ready for transformation. When asked about issues, he gives complete answers revealing the complexity and showing the other side’s view. When the reporter tries to goad him into attacking someone, he refuses and sticks to the issue. His highest values are truth and the public interest. The below video is a good discussion of Robert Kennedy, Jr. , psychedelics, spirituality, transformation, unwinding militarism, love and forgiveness. -
Centering prayer, as taught by Thomas Keating and the organization he founded, Contemplative Outreach, is a very simple yet profound contemplative practice that orients you on the path toward transformation in Christ. The basic guidelines are: 1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within. 2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within. 3. When engaged with your thoughts (which include body sensations, feelings, images, and reflections), return ever so gently to the sacred word. 4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes. ------ In my opinion, this can also be seen as a type of non directive meditation. Also, you can use the breath, or an image instead of the sacred word too, i,e. sacred breath, or sacred image. A good book on this type of prayer/ meditation seems to be: 'The path of centering prayer: deepening your experience of god', by David Frenette
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Remember, always: The World is A Mirror of You, always reflecting back at you the thoughts and perceptions which you have projected into it. Regardless of what appears to being going on in "the world at large", one should ask oneself, how loving and harmonious are my personal relationships? How many arguments do you find yourself engaging in? Is there bitterness and acrimony within the ranks? Do you look at others and think about how you would like to change them? Or, do you love and accept them as they are? Loving and accepting someone, for who they are, is known as Unconditional Love. This is something you will spend much time working upon when graduating into the next density of Consciousness. Now, loving and accepting someone as they are does not mean accepting abusive behavior. But, it does mean loving and accepting that soul as The Creator; not the soul's behavior. The behavior is not "who they are"; The Creator within, is who they are. The quality of your relationships is an excellent mirror from which to gauge the quality of your manifesting; or, in other words, that which you are Creating. Do you look at a person, and concentrate upon the things that you dislike about them and wish would change, OR the qualities that you enjoy and admire in them? Remember that all thought, word, and deed, is Creative; is Creation. You get back exactly what you send out. So, when you send out the thought: "Why is she so hard to live with?" "Why is he always behaving like this?" Ask yourself, "what exactly am I doing?" Now focus, as this is so obvious you could easily miss it. In fact, most do. Take away the "question" from your sentence, and in essence you are saying: "She is so hard to live with". "He always behaves like this". Do you see what you are doing? Remember, ALL thought is creative...! You have just created the very behaviour in that person, that you wish to change. Simply because you did not understand The Law of Radiation / Law of Attraction. Now, try an experiment: Take someone in your life that you love, but sometimes have trouble getting along with. Think about the thoughts you have projected about that person. The negative thoughts. Ask yourself, does the behavior that you do not like in that person, in any way correspond to the thoughts you have been having about them? If you're honest with yourself, it's a strong bet that it does. Sure, they must have behaved that way in the first place, to make you notice that you didn't like it, but, we all have off days sometimes. The more you focus on that behavior, the more you are going to see of it. It's just Life, doing what it does, and conforming to your expectations about the way it will be for you. Now, having recognized this, what will you do about it? Simply notice your negative thoughts as they arise, and "catch yourself" as you are having them. Then, simply change your perspective. Focus instead, about the things you like about this person. How you love their smile, the sound of their happy laughter; the way they do such and such nice thing, how helpful and loving they can be. Keep putting those positive thoughts out. You must persevere, even as you may have a bit of negative work to undo first. Just keep catching yourself, and focus on the positive. Then, prepare yourself for an almost magical transformation of your life circumstances. Always monitor your thoughts, and pay attention to their quality; because what you think about, is directly related to what you will see around you, and what Life will show you. It is the difference between conscious, and subconscious Creation. —Excerpt From The Hidden Hand Channelings
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uronlydreaming replied to ivankiss's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
Really? First, know the sensations, emotions and thoughts that accompany all this. After all, this is really all about you. Even if I were God-realized or awakened or whatever, it'd still just be you reading this and, ideally, looking for more meaning and understanding about "you"... you the being, you the identified, you the machine. Let's take a second to look at what you posted... 1. "Seems to be more lower conscious types and less higher conscious types." I know you're proud, or at least content, with your contributions here, but look again. If you're complaining, and that is what you're doing, what are you bringing to the situation... higher consciousness or lower consciousness? Is this an effort by some i's to hang on to a tradition? Can you use this event to increase the quality of your posting? Maybe you need a break or a different venue to stimulate something new but it wont be change...it'll just be new stimulation showing you new material then with the possibility of change. And, I have to step out so I'll come back later. Let me know if you have any other questions because, honestly, even though you are sincere, which is beneficial, there's nothing really new or earth shattering in your comment. And why not? Because inner transformation is an Aim of esoteric study and what you did was complain and pontificate a little. That's not very conscious. Or transformational. -
If everything was handed to you in life or never struggled you would have no appreciation of it, its truth worth, the transformation and journey you underwent to develop yourself to acquire things other people dont struggle with. It grows you as a person, your character and makes you more empathic to others that also struggle. This is not a little thing its beautiful. The beautiful feeling when you fall down again and again only to one day finally triumph and to know that you persevered and always believed in yourself and to invision your life what it would look like if you succeeded. Life is all about growth and exploration thats why life is challenging and its a beautiful thing.
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Water by the River replied to StarStruck's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
IT is available any time, and most of the time it is always there without doing anything. If the character gets annoying and tries to generate bad emotions via suffering (which has reduced tremendously anyway), "I" just look into it, see what "I" really am, what the "substance" of the character trying to close down/feel bad really is, and the bug is dead and transcended again. Goes from "oh, that is not good"-character-arising to a small voice somewhere in the background unable to grip attention, and the field again nondual and infinite without center. The arisings of the separate self just stop, don't get believed anymore, loose their hypnotic power, because it feels way better and the "choice" is there. Yet, my functional character works better than ever. Less filters, more intuition, much more bliss, love and compassion. What would it be worth if it wouldn't be always available? Its actually too good to be true, besides being true. @Arthogaan wrote that a bit more direct experience description is appreciated, which I understand. Which I don't often do, because here is already enough ego-bravado, so I tend to write more on the neutral and technical side. But at the same time, sometimes it is probably good to write a bit more about direct experience. Besides, when I write technical descriptions, I write it from own experience and understanding, and use the best sources I know to show how similiar the deep structure is over various systems and paths. Water by the River PS: And a more technical description, using an analogy: Before fully realizing what one really is (Impersonal Infinite Consciousness/Awareness/Nothingness without a second), one doesn't really know that 2 +2 is 4. One intuits maybe that it is more like 3,9 than 8,5. One intuits that it is eternal (always here), nondual, infinite, mere appearance (lets say thats 4.5). But its not fully impersonal, some individuality of being a separate "anything" (although already an aware nothing) being still there. Ones Deep Identity is not obviously fully it, because that Realization is still missing. Roger Thisdells Videos stage 4 and stage 5 are the best material I am aware of to describe that subtle (but absolutely deciding) difference. But once knowing ones True Nature (when it becomes really nondual, fully impersponal, yet at the same time really the Whole Reality), one knows exactly that 2 +2 is 4, always has been, always will be, and can't be different. There is no more doubt about. Couldn't be. Doubt is moving within Oneself, it doesn't make sense, one knows its structure as moving arising appearing (doubt-) thought. Reality is directly known and understood by BEING it. Infinite Consciousness/Reality understands/realizes its own essence/being. There is nothing else besides "it", and nothing else that is or could be aware. So it can only be known by being it, the boundless infinite nondual Totality. The first time realizing 2 + 2 is 4 is a direct and unmistakenable realization/experience into THAT which is (and was) always here and the case. The magic word is fully impersonal, fully empty, separate self fully transcended/dead/gone. That is the common denominator of all Full Enlightenment Experiences/Realization descriptions. They all use different surface language, that is the deep structure element in all of them. If that is missing, it is one of the preliminary Enlightenment/Awakening Experiences on the path leading to the Full Realization/Shift. And after knowing/realizing 2+2 is 4, that knowing is always available in case one gets sloppy and the character tries to create some confusion or suffering. I look into the character-arisings, see there Nature/Substance, which is the same unnameable Suchness of Everything, of Reality, and 2+2 is 4, the character bug is dead again, and doesn't cause suffering. So in that way, it is always available (it is and was there all along anyway), and one reorients the whole character to constantly stay in that. In Ken Wilbers Words: From Peak Experience to Plateau to Permanent (which holds for all transformation stages). But once 2 + 2 = 4 is known, then the separate self character just burns like ice in the desert. Maybe that is a bit helpful. PS PS: And of course, lets not forget, only @Bazooka Jesus is AWAKE. The ONE and ONLY. -
Sharing an insight I had with other guys who may be in similar situation that I’m in - in a long term relationship but want to leave it to burn through karma and bang hot women. Then maybe find the same relationship again in a few years once you got it out of your system. This is not to discourage or discredit other views, just sharing an alternative view I was ruminating how great it would be to leave my gf and have an orgy. Then I realised ‘you know what, I’m not in an orgy right now, but I still feel pretty good’ Then I paused for a sec and was like ‘wait what?’ I realised I had a narrative in my mind - I have to bang X number of women and have X sexual experiences to be happy, but in my direct experience this was not true. I’m just sat here on my own, and I’m good! Even if you have 0 experience, everything is still perfectly good the way things are now! (although I appreciate its hard to realize from the other side) The other narrative is you need to have X number of sexual experiences before you can find 'the one' and be confident in that choice I feel the general narrative from the spiritual community for young men is to let go of attachments, fulfil all your fantasies, become the hero of your journey and you do this by going from an incel to gigachad. This transformation means you need to do pickup and having lots of sexual experiences so you’re not a social retard. There is some truth to all the above and for me this DOES intensify my FOMO because I recognize the truth in it. I am one of those guys who never had many girls before my long term relationship (it’s not perfect though) and it makes me wonder what if…. One of my issues with commitment (in relationships) is this big WHAT IF….. and I am beginning to doubt the doubt itself. I can feel it’s not really necessary for me to have lots of sexual escapades to feel happy or fulfilled. Yet I do see a lot of the material I consume is making me feel like the experience I already have is somehow not enough and I could be doing better (and I accept they may be right in some sense). In terms of sexual experiences, sure I WANT it, but I realise I don’t NEED it. The desire is there, but I don’t feel tortured because I don’t have it (and may never experience it). For me I realized this unconsciously became a 'requirement' that I expected from myself in order to feel fulfilled in the dating world. I believed I could never feel satisfied with my current relationship unless I had X number of experiences behind me. ‘I must sleep with 10 women and pick one’ - if you’re a guy who met your sweet heart at 16, you may have some doubt in your mind and want to explore. But at the same time realise you don’t HAVE to do this. I realized I was treating it like a rigid rule system where you need to go through so many women to truly ‘know’. But really, life is so complex and varied, this may not be the case for you. Just because you haven't slept with 10 women prior doesn't mean you can't enjoy and commit to your current relationship right now. You don't need to necessarily need to be always looking for that next thing. The person in front of you now could be all that you really need. I think its important to look for that doubt within yourself and acknowledge that it does need to be explored. But at the same time there isn’t anything wrong with committing to what you already got - even if you don’t have all that ‘experience’ that the pickup artists and Leo seem to exude. You don’t need to have a rigid narrative where your sex life needs to go X way because someone else said so. I acknowledge that that following this FOMO can lead to growth, but so can committing and developing a deep relationship with someone. FOMO can be good, but it can also cause unnecessary suffering and sometimes break good relationships unnecessarily; because it highlights the fear and doubt in you, then blows it up into something much larger than it really needs to be. It can make you feel inadequate, based off your limited number of sexual encounters you feel like you've not seen enough and somehow it means you're settling for someone below your potential (arghhhhh dun dun dunnnn) In some ways, its like you're letting someone else undermine your reality, and make you think you need something you probably really don't - but only you can decide that. Again there is validity in following FOMO, but I wanted to share the other perspective as I don't think I have seen it anywhere
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My gf has been doing this for a few months, night and day transformation. ?Not even joking.
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It's an anime. Warning: it's a tear-jerker Search: Bakemono No Ko or The Boy and the Beast. In the beginning of the movie, you have the narrator implying that raising children is a big responsibility; this is expected of someone who wants to become a grandmaster in the fictional world of Jumangi. Watch how the two main characters––Red and Kumatetsu–– emotionally transform throughout the movie. And the grandmaster takes notice, wisely stating that they helped each other transform as interdependent parts. The movie is also a cool showcasing of the concepts of the hero's journey and psychological shadow as well. Enjoy!
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UnlovingGod replied to Holykael's topic in Spirituality, Consciousness, Awakening, Mysticism, Meditation, God
Maybe you feel offended by Leo as he has shown you things, that you really did not want to see. There was a time where I felt offended by Leo, too. And it's only natural, really. He shows you Absolute Love, and you realize it, but then you don't get out of Life what you want. Because the first thing that happens after a premature god awakening is, that your mind wants to coopt everything. And what you want is not the best for you. So I suggest you to take a pause from this path as it helped me a lot and just focus on mundane things as if nothing had happened. And don't take this advice lighthearted, as things can get REAL UGLY. But at the end you have to decide. But hang on this Journey of Life and have patience as there are WONDERFUL WONDERFUL things waiting for you to happen. Two years after my god awakening I got now a chance to make a song with a producer that costs 100.000 dollars per session for free, just because god loves me. But it requiered me to transform myself. A lot of transformation and I still have to transform myself a lot. That's how the universe works. -
This is quite a long post~ I doubt many on this forum will want to wade through it… Someone wrote about Complete Reality taoist teaching and how it seemingly lends itself to the expression of true freedom: I'm referring to Chang-Po Tuan's 'Understanding Reality', translated by Thomas Cleary, with detailed commentary by Liu I Ming. Cleary's summary of the Complete Reality School's view of Yin Yang introduction (starting page 3) While this is definitely a brief summary by Cleary, it gives an idea of the sort of things that seem to relate to actual freedom. Liu I Ming's commentary in the main body of the text, is much more concerned with the process of its cultivation than in defining it categorically, that is, conceptually in a philosophical way. Or am I way off? Below are some some snippets: "stillness is not an ends but a means, and the practice of emptiness and stillness is supposed to have a definitive climax and outcome." "One advantage of being able to stand aside from the mundane and recover the awareness of the unconditioned primordial mind is that it allows a more objective assessment of the value or otherwise of particular habits or patterns of behavior; and it allows leeway within which to modify behavior." "What the Complete Reality Taoist strives for is to attain autonomy, the freedom to be or not to be, to do or not do, according to the needs of the situation at hand." “The effort here is to join sense and essence; this may be described as developing a sense of the real essence of mind, and sensing reality directly from the essence of consciousness rather than through the acquired psychological configurations of temperaments. This is said to involve keeping consciousness open and fluid while clearing sense of subjective feelings; this means transcendence of restrictive mental fixations through the greater perspective afforded by the mind of Tao.” Wow, I love your topic! For you to conjoin actual freedom and a profound and ancient perceptual tradition is a very powerful insight. Most people only grasp a rudimentary aspect of the more accessible proponent of provisional ethics couched in reformative and renunciatory practice which tends to “sugarcoat” the deeper import of the viable mind-only schools of buddhism and taoism. As for the points you have made, I would say that actual freedom is the state of wallowing in complete reality right now. Complete Reality taoist teaching calls this "jumping in and floating around in the center of the compass". "Jumping in" is realizing, acknowledging and accepting one's inherent enlightening function, and using its potential adaptively in the midst of conditions without relying on one's own power, unbeknownst to anyone. The Center is the immaterial incipience of one’s real body of awareness, which has no location. "No location" isn’t somewhere else; it's nowhere else. Just this is who you are before the first thought, no different than your own mind right now. It’s complete, perfect and transcendent. Conceptually, transcendent freedom can only be expressed functionally in terms of its relative, which is conditions. In terms of enlightening accord, one is free of conditions as is, by virtue of the potential inherent in situational conditions. That’s not a word-game, it’s just how it is. Enlightening accord is not a mental state separate from conditions. It is such that one is essentially coeval the unattributable nature of conditions, that is, the essence of creation— those who see reality see creation without involving karmically attributable awareness do not use ordinary psychological momentum to adapt. They avail themselves of nonpsychological awareness. Nonpsychological awareness is your own mind right now without endeavoring to to activate habit-energy in terms of one’s habitual use of enlightening qualities to create illusion relative to the personality. Using mind to reify the psychological apparatus of the being that is going to die is what I’m referring to. Using psychological/rational mental capacities to adapt to what essentially amounts to chaos is simply the wrong tool (in most cases). The overarching problem for humanity is that we are habituated to using only one limited aspect of mind (as inconceivable as it is) to deal with delusional attributes of creation, such as everyday ordinary situations, when it is usually sufficient to transcend (transform) delusion instead, using our endowment of enlightening qualities that have yet to be developed in the vast majority of people (not that I basically don’t talk to my mother, for example). Authentic self-refinement is a matter of using the world to refine the self. That means not talking to my mother is just part of the deal (for me). It’s not something that’s wrong relative to anyone or else something that bothers me and needs fixed. Ç'est la vie~ Complete Reality taoist tradition exemplifies the thrust of all authentic teachings based on reality extent on this planet from time immemorial and beyond. Reality, so to speak, is the substance of conditions, not the conditions themselves. Those who see reality see through the conditional and garner its potential as the means to adapt impersonally to situational energy-cycles whereby they are able to transform along with creation without experiencing Change unawares. Where does freedom come in? It's all about freedom from influences by karmic momentum. Karmic momentum is psychological. It's also relative to people’s ignorance of it’s true nature. Freedom is actualized by awakening to the nature of conditioned reality (karma), and to that end, one’s entry into complete reality. By doing so, one sees that it’s the same nature. By virtue of its functional (potential) aspect as worldly process comprising the eternity of creation and all karmic cycles, it eventually becomes possible for one to adapt in partnership with creation without being subject to changes wrought by karmically circumstantial process, and one gains access to a real freedom not dependent on karmic relativity. This is only possible because delusion and reality are essentially the same. Mind is one. Spiritual alchemy is using the pure from within the false by not being subject to the false: that's the relativity of freedom, expressed in terms of Complete Reality taoism. In terms of practice, it’s endeavoring to unify the disparate by means of their essential, in order to gain its unrefined potential for further spiritual (nonpsychological) development. In terms of the endless process of gradual practice whereby the world reverts to a perpetual state of wholeness by virtue of the enlightening potential of the individual, we have a practical protocol for absorption of microcosmic, macrocosmic and absolute orders of magnitude, for those with potential. Those who see reality, see that delusion is none other than complete reality, in terms of its potential. Those who see potential, see its essence, and work with it directly without intermediary. Spiritual alchemists absorb this karmically derived potential in its unrefined state and let it refine by itself naturally, void of intellectualization on the part of the adept. It is the aftermath of such insight (any true insight really), that is the most difficult aspect of transformation to manage. Even in terms of everyday ordinary situations, say you realize that breaking up with your loved one is necessary, and then you find it is (sometimes) extremely difficult, even unreasonably so, to continue on without entertaining second thoughts. This would be an illustration of NOT being able to seal away potential void of intellectualization. In real terms, no one else knows (not even you really know for sure). Nevertheless, for such a one who perseveres, the application is neither conditional nor absolute. Who are those who actually see it, and can act on its knowledge? In buddhism, a buddha is the embodiment of suchness, the buddhist term to denote reality as is, neither conditional nor absolute. Sages, saints, buddhas, wizards, all prior and present illuminates and all enlightening being(s) know the totality of the being that is going to die. If they didn’t know that in intimate terms, they would not (could not) be a buddha. They know it does not exist in real terms. It’s not simply a philosophical speculation. Real knowledge is the living potential of creation. Potential is the basis of working in terms of awareness with that which is not created. It’s not so strange when one realizes that awareness is itself nonoriginated— in fact, awareness is actually nonorigination itself. Beings are essentially just this, so we have a direct means of facilitating transcendence by means of our nature. This truth is the foundation of all authentic mind-only teaching from time immemorial and beyond. Transcendence is the way it is and no one knows why. Relative to unity, what is there to be free of? Enlightening beings are comprised of the Virtue of the Receptive. The world comes to them naturally without self-consciousness. Such is the nature of the Way, which is the nature of the true self which has no self. Freedom is a relative term denoting knowing better. "Better" is a relative term too. This is not philosophy. It is a description of the functional basis of adepts of complete reality by any other name. Complete Reality taoism is a teaching of realization of primordial unity and its manifestation by subtle means through those who can act on nonpsychological awareness. Seeing reality is seeing potential. Seeing potential is the reality of nondifferentiation. Those who know the essence of conditions operate in terms of essence while in the midst of the incremental, that is, temporal existence. Freedom is knowledge and actualization of selflessness (unity) adapted to ordinary situations unbeknownst to anyone for the purpose of enlightening accord in reality. Taoism calls those who are receptive to Virtue "real people". The Way has its Power, and those who carry it out do so without relying on personal volition— only seeing potential and adapting to it based on conditions themselves. This is how "the master carpenter does not cut." I have only responded to your opening line~ as for the "snippets" you provided by Thomas Cleary, those are sublimely self-evident. I’m so happy you saw fit to include those lines for others to see. Even so, arriving at the functional edification of the words you recognized as significant enough to include in your post, this is actually the purposeful expression of all authentic teaching. I really enjoyed the topic that you introduced. ed note: make quote box smaller
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Someone wrote: Often enough, formal meditation practice comes to be a temporary method of comfort or control, or else an experiential device for entering into “adventure” trance-states, which only serves to strengthen the illusion of psychological identity in the transformation-body. The object of authentic zazen “just sitting” practice is becoming familiar with impersonal observation of the circumstantial mental activity (or not) of the thinker, knower and liver of life by a subtly quiescent scrutiny. However it is actualized is less important than NOT arousing the trappings of one’s mental activity to any greater degree than at whatever habitual level it is accustomed, in terms of one’s following thoughts unawares. Since such observation is carried out as a temporary expedient in order to dismiss mental adventurism of all kinds, in all times and places, it would hardly do to create minds within minds where there are actually none to begin with. Those who resort to trance-like methods of comfort would do well to reflect on this. Why? The profound and ancient traditions’ provisional exercises including specific meditative regimens exist to help eliminate habitual diversions and their spinoffs perpetually devised by the psychological apparatus which only serve to obscure naturally enlightening development in oneself. Such development clarifies an inherent ever-ready capacity to see subtle potential by just observing mind by mind without chasing diversionary sidetracks. Breakthrough in meditative arts is for the purpose of discovering the hidden potential in situational parameters prerequisite for penetrating situational accord in a selfless (nonpsychological) capacity. Such capacity is real knowledge. That such knowledge has no object or subject relative to the person means that one’s immediate acquiescence into the workings of everyday ordinary situations is naturally carried out without selfishly complacent socially speculative motivation— even if it is accomplished within the context of one's own psychological (ego) enjoyment in trance-states. It's called practice in reference to a disciplined approach to a subject one has not mastered, being non-ego-motivated activity. This in itself is enlightening accord in reality. Enlightenment, per se, has no motive. How could it, in terms of its nonoriginated aspect? This, for the uninitiated, is what constitutes innocence in oneself, and purity in one's purpose. Once an entry-level capacity for continuous subtle concentration is “isolated” from within the midst of habit-consciousness and other means of deviance from presence, one simply sees reality as is. Just this much carried out over a long time is sufficient to gradually displace egocentric views by natural nonpsychological effect. Observing mental activity at all times by mind does not require a particular posture. It really does not matter at all beyond an unbending intent to simply observe mind by mind. One just witnesses mental activity (or not) without following its contents. Resting mind on itself without unconsciously following its activity is an ancient device to develop the basis for simply being in a state of independent awareness at all times. This is the benefit of observing mind. There is no other benefit that truly serves the selfless intent of authentic and gradual self-refinement subliminally entering into nonorigination. This is so because the human mentality is unable to function independently by force of habitual reliance on externals reifying the person. This is because the psychological apparatus identifies as the being that is going to die, parodying existence only by comparing itself to objects not considered itself. Its function, having become unnecessarily personified, obscures real (selfless) being’s spiritual function. The temporary device observing mind by mind jumpstarts the natural process of self-refinement which gradually diminishes the artificial to arrive at the real, in terms of human being naturally independent of pattern-consciousness. As for witnessing witnessing, this is a perversion of practical mind by mind scrutiny developed by all authentic teachings. Do not let this develop further. When noting this condition and it doesn’t evaporate on the spot, do not follow it. Just take a break for a while and start again later. As soon as one can observe mind in the midst of everyday ordinary situations without following its thought-streams unawares, one should hasten to do so. Silent sitting is suitable for rank beginners. Real practice and adaptive power that does not depend on oneself develops gradually in the midst of ordinary situations. Though formal meditation is to be considered a temporary expedient, it shouldn’t necessarily be dismissed by adepts of advance self-refining practice altogether.
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@CARDOZZO As much as I like and sometimes admire Daniel Schmachtenberger, I have to push back Based on SD stages of development, cognitive and moral development, personality types/traits, states of consciousness, ego development, other lines of development in one's life domains and societal domains, ideological upbringing and cutlure, and self biases and preferences formed in life. Already these developmental factors adds many layers of relativity and complexity that if you contextualize each bullet point immediately you'll know most of these points are unrealistic and impractical and sound airy fairy and idealistic. I will try to argue in good faith but expect that I might bad faith and fallacies here and there LOL. Imma try to address each point: Work, Integrity, Motivation, Capacity:(ASSUMING I GOT DA CAPACITY IN DA FIRST PLACE MAN!) “See the job, do the job, stay out of the misery.”( Needs further context to determine if this is true, because sometimes this justifies overworking and work abuse.) If a job needs doing, simply do it. No need to bemoan it, wish it wasn’t so, etc. All the suffering is optional. (Again, this point can be contested due to lack of context. Just because a job needs doing, needs doing, that doesn't mean it's unjustified to complain IF THAT JOB IS BEYOND YOUR CAPACITY. For example, it's reasonable to complain if you're given a job and task beyond your abilities, like trying to lift heavy weights and if you can you get salary cut or laid off.) If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. Again, lack of context to this point, some jobs are better off cutting corners on. Excellence is its own reward. (Hate this, especially not contextualized as this can provide reason for lack of motivation for the results, otherwise why do the thing for it's own sake when you can benefit a bit more?) Do the right thing when nobody’s watching. (What does this mean then and what's the point if almost no one will give some credit, compensation or validation for your hard work? Again lacking context makes this argument point weak.) When running wire or pipe through the studs, he would make it beautiful before putting the drywall on. No one would ever see it. But he knew. Doing the best you can everywhere consistently affects you as a being. (Cool story bro). Get the big picture first. Then plan the work. Then implement. (However, this lacks context AND what if the reverse or other ordering of this sequence is possible?) When we would get to a worksite, or before cleaning something, he would put a ladder in the middle of the space, have me stand on the top, and turn slowly taking in the whole picture, and making a map in my head of where everything was, where it should be, what I would do first, etc. (Cool way of indoctrinating mapping your surroundings. How does this make a real man?) ‘How much weight can you lift?’ However much needs lifted. If you ask if you can do it, you might find the answer is no. If its important, just do it. (Needs context, see point 1). If you’re leading a team and anyone fails, you’re responsible. (This is assuming your in a team leader/leadership role in the first place, also what if you just have incompetent, and maybe intentionally sabotaging worker?) Is it your responsibility when the blame clearly is on the bad apple?) The leader takes responsibility for the project. And for its failures. The whole team participates in the credit of the successes. (Fair enough point, but lacks context again) The captain gets off of the boat last. (So ALL captains must go last? what if the captain leaves, but there was a few passengers not accounted for, does this negate the captain captain?) Do the initial work for free. Under promise and over deliver. Then sell the benefits of the competition/ alternatives. (High disagree, needs more context and assuming the free work, under promise and over deliver will not result in reasonable work abuse plus scammers at the end of the line ready to take your benefits of the competition. Bad point) Responsibility is king. If I have the ability to respond, it’s mine to do. (Assuming you're in a good place to respond without killing yourself, needs more context.) When you accomplish something significant, don't make a big deal out of it. Help others learn to do it. (Assuming you can benefit way more by being humble and not make a big deal of your accomplishments. Needs further context MAN!!!) Master the principle of leverage and apply it everywhere. Physically and metaphysically. (I agree, but still needs context) Learn how to use and make tools. Treat tools as extensions of yourself, which they are. (Okay bro.). You can generally accomplish more from behind the scenes, when people don’t know what you are doing. (Again, assuming you gain way more benefit by doing so plus NEEDS CONTEXT!) Leave every place and situation better than you found it. (Assuming you can, when in most cases you can't because others are involved too, and the world's a BITCH. PLUS NEEDS CONTEXT YO!) Orderliness is a quality of the unified field itself. Create order in any environment first. (Assuming the creating of order also doesn't destroy or cause chaos in other established orders as well. Also, MORE CONTEXT.) Courage, Power, and Conflict:(YEAH! SOME 50 LAWS OF POWER SHIT!) If you ever start a fight, Ill kick your ass. If someone is being hurt and you don’t protect them, Ill kick your ass. (Is that a love letter or a death threat? Assuming physical and skills to actually fight, and highly irresponsible advice. NEEDS CONTEXT, and what if the fight was justified and righteous anger?) The side of right always wins. Be on the side of right and don’t worry about the odds. (Until the side of right loses, because economics 101 of everyone can't be equally access to resources, which creates scarcity and the need to protect your own biases and preferences. Everyone thinks they're in the right, all assuming they're good, so which side is good exactly when good sides pave the roads to hell?) Don’t let fear of pain or death keep you from doing the right thing. (Okay dokey.) Most of the atrocities in the world have been committed by men. (And some by women, give them credit too yo.) Power must be in the service of all. (Assuming it will, until it's not, and LACKS CONTEXT AGAIN.) Abuse of power is the greatest crime. (What do you mean abuse? NEEDS CONTEXT) If someone is abusing power, over-power them. Do not allow bullies. (Assuming you can over power bullies, do I need to explain why this is stupid and needs context?) If everyone is running away from something, run towards it. If there is a real threat, someone needs to go deal with it. (Assuming you can deal with the threat yourself, and you don't mind dying and letting your family deal with your funeral costs LOL!) Let them throw the first punch. If they go for a second, do what you need to stop the violence. If you let it get to blows, you already failed. (LACKS CONTEXT. Also, what if the first punch knocks you out cold? That's why you need martial arts and Jeet Kune Do, you know, the way of the intercepting fist?) Use the minimum amount of force necessary to stop harm. Sometimes overwhelming force is necessary. Project force if needed to avoid violence. (I agree mostly, but NEEDS CONTEXT). Protect everyone from unnecessary pain wherever you can. (Until you put yourself and your family at risk, or NEEDS CONTEXT) When there was a mortally wounded animal, he would kill it rather than let it suffer. He would also do so where no one else needed to know about it. At a certain point, I went from one of the people he was protecting to learning how to kill painlessly, bury, share only what was needed, etc. (Played too much God Of War Ragnarok man. Fair enough point but still NEEDS CONTEXT). Be a protector and support to everyone. Walk on the outside of the street with everyone. Open everyone’s door. Be available to help anyone. (Until you cannot do that anymore, assuming you can and have resources to do this principle justice LOL! NEEDS MORE CONTEXT!) Relating to Women:(YEAH! SOME BETA MALE ALPHA MALE ADVICE!) The highest value for men is serving women, nature, and children (future generations). (BETA MALE! Assuming so many things plus NEEDS CONTEXT.) Worshiping at the altar – how to relate to going down on a woman. ( BETA MALE! But this I'll agree, assuming everything's working). Being in love is a choice. Choose it and cultivate it. (Okay bro) Don’t be controlled by attraction. There are many good reasons to be intimate with someone, only some of which involve attraction. (Until attraction controls you because your boner, erections and arousals are beyond your will powers mate. Also NEEDS CONTEXT otherwise REDPILLER!) Don’t hurt women. (Until they hurt your, or rape and torture your family I guess???). Never push for sex. Let her pursue. (BETA MALE! I think what is meant is don't be too codependent and needy, but just say that instead! LACKS CONTEXT AND COMMON SENSE!) If my boss or mentor call, tell them I’m sleeping. If your mom calls, wake me up. ( So ALPHA MALE! Until you get fired I guess. NEEDS MORE CONTEXT!). Mind, Education, Psyche: (NICE! SOME MENTAL MASTURBATION SHRINK PRINCIPLES!) The world is mostly crazy. Rethink everything for yourself from scratch. (TRUE! Like being a systemic thinker solves my sexy times. NEEDS CONTEXT) Traditional education and hyperspecialization is a way to make people subservient to the dominant paradigm/ system. Study the generalized principles of nature and be a deep generalist. (Until people start abusing your generalizations, and assuming manipulators and extremists won't benefit from abstract outrages.) If you don’t like the fact that the sky is blue, change your mind. Indulging suffering is a choice. (I like the blue sky, it's my favorite color). Be careful, cautious, and conscious. But not scared. Careful is different than fearful. (Okey dokey. Gotta love LACK OF CONTEXT) Jealousy is a type of mental illness – rid yourself of it. (Assuming jealousy like most emotions don't have a use, until they do. Agree but CONTEXT NEEDED!) When reading, look up every word and concept you don’t know. (TRUE!) What is real and what is obvious are usually not the same. See past the obvious to the real. (Until they just do, assuming psychosis may result if pursued too strongly. Also CONTEXT PLEASE) This too shall pass. (OKAY.) No one can actually own part of a celestial orb. Ownership is an illusion. (Until the moments you do feel you're owning something or some situation. Wait a minute, this contradicts past points, .plus NEEDS CONTEXT.) “All that I have done, you shall do and greater as well.” Be what the world needs. (Don't worry BRO, the world doesn't need you that much. I promise you, we get wiped out by nukes or asteroids YO, world's like fuck you humans time for cockroach insect boys or something. Also projecting human qualities to an object called earth, nice. and LACKS CONTEXT). Be cautious of ambition, it is generally selfish and misguided. (NEEDS CONTEXT MAN! Also, until ambition pays you off really well!) Wholeness is the most important word. Then integrity. (WHAT DA?!! But those two words are already within the whole...I don't know, NEEDS CONTEXT!) I am. Any other words that follow are not fully true. Don’t identify with them. (Until some people do, and also unavoidable as, in your words, tools are an extensions of yourself, therefore tool are YOU, unless you disagree? Then GIVE MORE CONTEXT!) Relating to People and the World:(LET'S BE KUMBAYA TOGETHER, THE GOOD THE BAD THE EVIL AND THE STRANGE PEOPLE ALL IN A MELTING POT!) Win-lose mentality is evil. Don’t ever celebrate people’s losses. Always celebrate their wins. (Until that mentality shows more benefit and gain, assuming also a person can segment this sequence out of order as evil and needs removval, but some people thrive and NEED this win-lose mentality to live. Also NEEDS CONTEXT) Respect wisdom, not authority. (Until wisdom leads to anti authority and anti mainstream BS I guess) I want you to surpass me in every way. And you will. That is evolution. And you will treat those you support the same way. (Agree) Spend time listening to old people. They are unique living libraries. (Agree, until they take away your valuable time and energy just talking LOL!) Spend time listening to kids – they are further ahead in evolutionary time. (Agree, until they start hating and trolling you I guess) Forgive people and help them do better. (Until they don't need help and reject your advances. Don't be a help pervert I guess) Don’t trust experts (mechanics, doctors, etc.) with vested interests. Learn the topic well enough to understand and check what they are saying. (Okay dokey I guess. Until expertise is needed or just fuck experts, cuz I don't know LACK OF CONTEXT!) Service is the most fun hobby. (Until it get's SUPER BORING!) Sunday mornings we would load the truck with mechanic tools and drive around finding people who were broken down (before cell phones) and fix their cars for them. Such a fun thing to do on a day off. (Cool story bro). Always tend to the animals first. (Until the bear socks you face off I guess.) Study the map of any new place you go. Always know how to navigate. (Tell that to Bobby Fischer, can't navigate NY for shit but greatest chess player of his time I guess plus CONTEXT!) Anticipate emergencies in new environments and create response plans. (I generally agree but until this creates more paranoia so watch out!) Be generous with everything you have: knowledge, money, resources, affection, etc. (Economics 101: EVERYONE CAN'T HAVE SAME ACCESS TO RESOURCES, SO UNTIL YOU HAVE ENOUGH ABUNDANCE AND RESOURCES YOURSELF, DON'T BE GENEROUS! ALSO CONTEXT MAN!) If either of us die, we know that we love each other, death doesn’t end love, and any issue is meaningless and already forgiven. (Cool story Romeo bro, I guess this is loving the death stones.) He talked with me about this a number of times. So I knew that if he died and our last conversation was an argument, it didn’t matter at all and only love remained. (TRUE! Don't ever ends things with bad taste, or I don't know NNNNNEEEEDDDDSSSSS CCCOOONNNTTTEEEXXXTTT!!!). So! The most important lesson to take away from, if your OP reading this, or anyone reading that's already an alpha and giga chad, you need to elaborate on your points a bit. No disrespect intended but if this was a debate and argument I win GG already. Always value context. Also, always know that this mega list most of these principles are very hard to live by and needs sometimes radical transformation I guess. Look after yourself first realistically and reasonably okay?