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358. Understanding Islam "Half of disbelief in Allah in the world is caused by people who make religion look ugly due to their bad conduct and ignorance." Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali The core of what Islam is is lost on 99.9% of people and lots of energy is wasted on the science and religion debate. We're not taught about this in school in West. Factors: Xenophobia, fear of foreigners, tribalist mentality going on in the West and Middle-East. Root: Not understanding the roots of religion and mysticism. Islam = submission in Arabic language. The total surrender of one's ego, sense of identity to Truth, Reality, or God. Other synonyms: obedience, peace, purity -> which follow submission of your ego to God. It's self-transcendence, the same as is the goal and objective of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Yoga, Zen, etc. Simply framed in the style of the middle-east, from their cultural point of view, based on their values, traditions, and history. Muslim = one who submits to God. Many Westerners don't understand that Islam is not a separate religion from Christianity or Judaism. Islam recognizes Christian and Jewish prophets like Jesus, Moses, David, Abraham, etc. It also recognizes the validity of Christian and Jewish sacred texts like the Torah and others, it builds on top of them. Islam is like the third incarnation of Judeo-Christianity. Judaism -> with Jesus comes the Christian incarnation -> with Muhammad, around 600 AD, the third. The additional extra little twist that Islam adds on top of the Judeo-Christian philosophy is that Muhammad was the final or the last prophet. Just like most religious traditions they try to get a monopoly over the Truth, which is completely antithetical to the Truth. There will never be such a thing as "the last prophet", everyone can become enlightened right now and be a prophet. There are hundreds of prophets alive that you can go speak to and visit and at the very least they're as equally spiritually enlightened as Muhammad was. Many Westerners also miss that Allah is just another name for the Christian God. There's a lot we can learn from studying the history of Islam, its origin story, the biography of Muhammad, and the developments of the tradition. We're not taught well about it in the West which is where the xenophobic reaction against it is coming from. There's something to gleaned from almost every mystical tradition and every religion if you know how to see the truth and ignore the corruption and minutiae. Corruption is a problem that runs rampant throughout every facet of human life. Not just in all the religious traditions, but even in science and academia. Jihad = struggle Not the struggle to kill your enemies, fight over oppression or evil. The struggle with yourself, your own ego, and the evil inside of you. Lesser jihad = external struggle, fighting enemies abroad, the infidels and enemies of Allah Greater jihad = spiritual inner journey to self-realization Inner and outer, lesser and greater are dualities which ultimately collapse and break down. Really there's only one Jihad, the struggle with the self. You fighting enemies out there somewhere is you really just fighting with yourself because there's nothing but Allah. Allah can be ignorant or Allah can be awake and stop fighting with himself. But when Allah is ignorant and stuck inside of Maya or illusion then he thinks that there's separation and boundaries, us-versus-them and believers as well as disbelievers who need to be punished and fought for threatening the believers. Fully awakened Allah is not frightened by anything and his faith is unshakable. It's not faith anymore but being/direct consciousness. Allah is Allah, you can't shake Allah when you realize that you are Allah. It's all about overcoming your own inner self-deceptions to ultimately transcend the ego and to realize the Self, the infinite Self, which is what Allah is. And this is self-actualization, Jihad is nothing other than what Actualized.org is about, the essence of every single spiritual path and self-help, personal development, and self-actualization. Actualized.org is a modern version of Jihad, framed in a culture and in a way that is suited to the 21st century, materialistic, rationalist, secular, Western mind. What else is Jihad? Zen, neo-Advaita, Vedanta, Yoga, self-help are all Jihad and Jed McKenna's work is an especially potent form of Jihad. The other spiritual traditions tend to emphasize the Jihad component less, trying to trick the ego into doing spiritual work. The ego will only understand what it really means to die after it's dead. The more you emphasize Jihad the smaller your spiritual audience will shrink and the less you emphasize Jihad the more people will be attracted to you because they want to have a spiritualized ego. The devil turns everything backward and inside-out so when you hear jihad in the news or in the mainstream culture you hear it as the exact opposite of what's being described here. Jihad is selfishness and people engaging in violence, warfare, hatred, condemnation of other groups, judging others, and waging jihad against them. The Mechanics Of Evil: https://youtu.be/rVcxIamwO5g The devil works through illusion and self-deception and so he takes the most Truth, the most potent forms of spirituality, and corrupts them inside out which is exactly what happens with Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and all the other isms out there. The greatest threat to the devil is the Truth so he has to take control over any mechanisms which might reveal the Truth too directly. When a spiritual teaching is too direct it gets corrupted and the more mainstream it gets it becomes the enemy of its own success. Allah = God = Absolute Infinity Not God as a bearded man in the clouds, but God as direct experience. What science calls reality is what Islam calls Allah. What the atheist calls the Big Bang, objective physical reality, is what the Muslim calls Allah. But the atheist and scientist aren't conscious of the full significance of what the word reality really is. (Absolute Infinity) In Islam there's "the 99 names of Allah," which are titles given to Allah describing the various properties and characteristics of Allah: The Beneficent/ All-Compassionate/ Most Gracious/ The Most Merciful/ Ever-Merciful/ Merciful/ Most Clement The King/ Lord/ Sovereign/ Dominion/ Master [also means "the God/ Lord, the One and Only", "Possessor of Supreme Power or Authority"] The Holy/ All-Holy/ All-Pure/ Sacred/ All-Sacred The Giver of Peace/ Peace/ All-Calm/ Ever-Tranquil The Granter of Security/ the Giver/ Faith/ Supreme Believer (of Belief)/ Giver of Belief/ All-Assurer The Controller/ Absolute Authority Over All/ Guardian Over All/ Absolute Master/ Eternal Dominating The Exalted in Might and Power/ Exalted/ Powerful/ Almighty/ Mighty The Omnipotent/ Supreme Power/ Possessor of Having All Power/ Strong The Possessor of Greatness/ Supreme/ Justly Proud The Creator/ Creator of the Universe/ Maker/ True Originator/ Absolute Author The Initiator/ Evolver/ Eternal Spirit Worshipped By All, Have Absolute Power Over All Matters, Nature and Events The Fashioner/ Shaper/ Designer/ Artist The Repeatedly Forgiving/ Absolute Forgiver/ Pardoner/ Condoner [He Who is Ready to Pardon and Forgive] The Subduer/ Overcomer/ Conqueror/ Absolute Vanquisher [Possessor of Who Subdues Evil and Oppression] The Absolute Bestower/ Giver/ Grantor/ Great Donor The Provider/ Sustainer/ Bestower of Sustenance/ All-Provider The Opener/ Opener of the Gates of Profits/ Reliever/ The Victory Giver The Knowing/ All-Knower/ Omniscient/ All-Knowledgeable/ Possessor of Knowing Much of Ever Thing/ All-Knowing The Restrainer/ Withholder/ Straightener/ Absolute Seizer The Extender/ Expander/ Generous Provider The Abaser/ Humiliator/ Downgrader [Possessor of Giving Comfort, Free from Pain Anxiety or Troubles] The Exalter/ Upgrader [of Ranks] The Giver of Honor/ Bestower of Honor/ Empowerer The Giver of Dishonor/ the Giver of Disgrace The Hearing/ All-Hearing/ Hearer of Invocation The All-Seeing/ All-Seer/ Ever-Clairvoyant/ Clear-Sighted/ Clear-Seeing The Judge/ Arbitrator/ Arbiter/ All-Decree/ Possessor of Authority of Decisions and Judgment The Just/ Authorized and Straightforward Judge of Dealing Justly The Gentle/ Benignant/ Subtly Kind/ All-Subtle The All-Aware/ Well-Acquainted/ Ever-Adept The Forbearing/ Indulgent/ Oft Forbearing/ All-Enduring The Most Great/ Ever-Magnificent/ Most Supreme/ Exalted/ Absolute Dignified The Ever-Forgiving/ Oft-Forgiving The Grateful/ Appreciative/ Multiplier of Rewards The Sublime/ Ever-Exalted/ Supreme/ Most High/ Most Lofty The Great/ Ever-Great/ Grand/ Most Great/ Greatly Abundant of Extent, Capacity and Importance The Preserver/ Ever-Preserving/ All-Watching/ Protector/ Guardian/ Oft-Conservator The Nourisher/ Feeder The Bringer of Judgment/ Ever-Reckoner [the One Who Takes Account of All Matters] The Majestic/ Exalted/ Oft-Important/ Splendid The Noble/ Bountiful/ Generous/ Precious/ Honored/ Benefactor The Watchful/ Observer/ Ever-Watchful/ Watcher The Responsive/ Answerer/ Supreme Answerer/ Accepter of Invocation The Vast/ All-Embracing/ Omnipresent/ Boundless/ All-Encompassing The Wise/ Ever-Wise/ Endowed with Sound Judgment The Affectionate/ Ever-Affectionate/ Loving One/ Loving/ the Lover/ the One Who Tenders and Warm Hearts The All-Glorious/ Majestic/ Ever-Illustrious [Oft-Brilliant in Dignity, Achievements or Actions] The Resurrector/ Awakener/ Arouser/ Dispatcher The Witness/ Testifier/ Ever-Witnessing The Truth/ Reality/ the Only One Certainly Sound and Genuine in Truth The Trustee, The Dependable, The Advocate The Strong The Firm, The Steadfast The Friend, Helper The All Praiseworthy The Accounter, The Numberer of All The Originator, The Producer, The Initiator The Restorer, The Reinstater Who Brings Back All The Giver of Life The Bringer of Death The Living The Subsisting, The Independent The Perceiver, The Finder, The Unfailing The Illustrious, The Magnificent, The Glorious The Unique, The Single The One, The Indivisible The Eternal, The Absolute, The Self-Sufficient The All-Powerful, He Who is able to do Everything The Determiner, The Dominant The Expediter, He Who Brings Forward The Delayer, He Who Puts Far Away The First, The Beginning-less The Last, The Endless The Manifest, The Evident, The Outer The Hidden, The Unmanifest, The Inner The Patron, The Protecting Friend, The Friendly Lord The Supremely Exalted, The Most High The Good, The Beneficent The Ever-Returning, Ever-Relenting The Avenger The Pardoner, The Effacer, The Forgiver The Kind, The Pitying The Owner of all Sovereignty The Owner, Lord of Majesty and Honour The Equitable, The Requiter The Gatherer, The Unifier The Rich, The Independent The Enricher, The Emancipator The Preventer, The Withholder, The Shielder, The Defender The Distressor, The Harmer, The Afflictor The Propitious, The Benefactor, The Source of Good The Light The Guide, The Way The Originator, The Incomparable, The Unattainable, The Beautiful The Immutable, The Infinite, The Everlasting The Heir, The Inheritor of All The Guide to the Right Path The Timeless, The Patient These are the properties of reality when you have direct consciousness of what reality is as a whole. Not just some fragment in the way that science for example studies it or the way that atheists understand it. When you directly experience your true nature as Allah you'll understand that all of these properties perfectly describe Allah. We're going into such detail is because we don't want to lose the core that's containing some deep truth besides all the corruption around it. In the West, we often just get to see the corruption and therefore can't understand why people aren't just giving it up. Now of course that truth is equally there in many other traditions through many other forms. Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Yoga, Zen, Shamanism, psychedelics, contemplation, meditation, etc. Islam is certainly not the best way, not the only way. The 72 virgins: The Arabian prophets who experienced Allah came up with this metaphor because it was very appropriate for the culture, time and context. This metaphor of the 72 virgins is perfect for the context in which Allah was developed, in 600 AD Arabia. After you experience Allah directly for yourself you'll see this metaphor for the magnificence of Allah as very accurate. The mistake people make when thinking about religion, spiritual and mystical religions is they take them out of the historical and cultural context. We assume that just because the world is globalized we all understand each other globally. But we don't even understand 1% of the cultures existing today let alone the historical evolution of them. No depictions of Allah: The map is not the territory! The mind gets hooked on images and icons and then starts to worship those. Allah is not any particular image, icon, or form. Allah is the Formless, Nothingness, Infinity is Nothingness. So to maintain the purity of the teaching you don't want to corrupt the teaching by putting pictures of Allah everywhere, because people will start to worship that rather than seeing Allah as what's here right now. All the art that has been done around Christianity has actually done a great disservice to it. All symbols are not the Absolute. Islam does have geometric patterns as art and this is one way to depict Allah without anthropomorphizing Allah the way that Christians do. These fractal patterns align very well with what's seen on psychedelics. Forgetfulness: Praying five times a day. We fall back asleep so easily, the human mind falls back asleep into complacency and into materialism. You have to keep being mindful because you'll go from mindfulness to mindlessness. It's so that you don't get so wrapped up in your day doing practical and materialistic stuff the way that most Westerners do. Interrupting your day five times to focus on the more subtle and spiritual aspects of life. Reflecting on: death, the suffering of humanity, the pursuit of materialistic pleasures, true happiness. Muhammad: The prophet who channeled the Quran from a higher source. Was he enlightened? There are various degrees and facets of enlightenment so it's a question of degree. It seems like he had an understanding of the Absolute from direct experience since. He meditated by himself in a cave according to his origin story and it seems like he had mystical experiences throughout his whole life. He composed the Quran for around 30 years after his initial awakening. Supposed to have communicator channeled the angel Gabriel. It's illuminating to learn about the historical facts we know about Muhammad's origin story. Eye-opening to see the context and culture he was dealing with at the time. Don't get lost in the minutia of debating about little details about Islam. Go to the big picture, otherwise, you'll get lost in the minutia. Most of the Westerners who like to debate and criticize Islam do so without ever having a direct experience of Allah. (Bill Maher, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, etc) This doesn't invalidate all of their criticisms and some of them are totally valid. But corruption is not a problem exclusive to Islam it exists all around the world, especially in the U.S. government. It's a problem of ego, dogma, and fundamentalism. Why is Islam so corrupt and archaic? Every spiritual teaching has to be suited to the era, the culture, the geography from which it came about. This one is suited to 600 AD Arabia. If Islam was invented today it would look like Actualized.org and conversely if Actualized.org was invented in 600 AD Arabia for that era, culture, and geography it would look something like Islam. The problem is people cling to spiritual tradition and try to maintain and apply it to today. Society has evolved and these spiritual traditions also need to evolve. Spirituality is about the present moment, the Truth. The obstacles preventing you from connecting you to the Truth that exists today in 21st century America for example are very different. (Porn, YouTube, video games) The mind being ideological and not letting the tradition evolve as they need to is also present in Christianity, Judaism and even in science and atheism. They cling to their dogmas and paradigms just as much. 600 AD Arabia was very traditional, conservative, tribal, and combative, lacking a unifying element. Islam brought peace and stability to a region that otherwise was slitting each other's throats over family feud's going back hundreds of years. It taught that there's something larger that's connecting all of these tribes together. That was a huge technological innovation at the time! Today we think of technology as computers, the internet, and smartphones, but some of the biggest innovations in technology weren't machines but social, cultural, spiritual, and religious innovations. Now when you bring that technology into today without adjusting it and too literal and Orthodox about it you're going to bring that culture and the problems of 600 AD Arabia into today's world. The mind has a big problem with evolution because the whole point of the ego is to prevent evolution. The more you want to maintain your Orthodoxies the more it backfires. What's wiser is to understand the heart and core of it and throw away the dogma. The selfish mind is materialistic and wants to find authority figures that it can latch on to in order to get a sense of reality and stability. But to awaken is to realize that there is no stability at all and that Allah is infinitely groundless, with no beginning or end to it, and that there's no foundation to anything and therefore you're completely liberated. The devil has co-opted the teaching precisely so that it leads you in the exact opposite direction of awakening. That's why you see so much hypocrisy within religion. Not because the religion is false, but precisely because it's so true and the techniques are so powerful that they need to be corrupted. Is this a defense of Islamic fundamentalism? No, this is about developing a higher understanding. Understanding that all religions, traditions, and even secular foundations and organizations basically have one common goal. With that understanding, you soften with compassion and stop playing tribal and ideological games to snipe at the other side. West and the Middle East are both trying to realize truth but in different ways. Isn't Islam dangerous? Consider that actually the greatest danger to the world is the opposite, materialism. Rampant secularism, rationalism, corporate greed, nuclear war, global warming, artificial intelligence which are all fueled by those. We have record numbers of depressed people, suicidal people, PTSD, relationship and marriage problems, etc. All this is coming from materialism and a lack of self-actualization. This seems to only be getting worse because Western society is becoming more and more materialistic. In a sense, the Islamic radicals have a reason to be concerned. They fear this same thing taking over their region, village, city or country. Let alone all the ways in which the Western powers metal in Middle Eastern affairs, geopolitics or manipulating of elections, etc. Our superficial solutions and knee-jerk reactions to go bomb somebody, to attack or criticize somebody, could actually be backfiring on us and contributing to the problem. First, you need to understand at a very deep level why fundamentalism exists in the first place. It's a condition of the egoic mind. Materialist egoic minds are fundamentalist. We have a lot of fundamentalism here in the West it just takes a different style. The most prevalent form of it in the West is capitalism. The solution is to start to see that it's the ego-mind that's responsible and to start to see that it's all happening within yourself. You're not separate from it and are contributing to the problem. You as the American or European taxpayer. The ideas and opinions you hold, how you understand yourself and the world is all contributing. This corrupting force is within you, you are the source of the corruption, you are the source of the evil. And that is not going to stop no matter what you do externally until you take care of your ego which is what Islam is trying to get you to do. A lot of Western secular, rational, scientifically minded people think that they're immune to the problem of fundamentalism which makes them all the more susceptible. Because they're thinking fundamentally that they're immune and not fundamentalists. Regardless of content, the whole point of fundamentalism is denying that you're a fundamentalist. The West is committing the very same problem that the Middle East is committing, waging a lesser jihad. The U.S. is waging a lesser jihad against the jihadis in the Middle East and the jihadis in the Middle East are waging a lesser jihad against Western powers creating a family feud. The solution is to go meta and see the commonalities in the same way that Muhammad introduced Islam in 600 AD Arabia to elevate them to seeing commonality where before there was infighting and tribalism. The same thing now needs to happen between Islam in the Middle East and the West. All external fighting is really just a distraction from the greater jihad of turning inwards. The lesser jihads are precisely because these people do not engage in the greater jihad. The devil is inside of you, you are the devil, wake up to that and take control of the real problem. Homework recommendation: "Teaching Company" lecture series called "Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad". 40-hour long lecture series covering these four religious leaders. Start and focus on Muhammad first. It has 10 videos on his origin story and how he founded Islam and the trials and tribulations he had to go through.

I don't know if it happens to you, I would say yes, in my case the problem has been a long time that I believed that many things in my life should not have happened, should be different. This creates a constant background distortion that is anxiety. imagine that what should be is one track, and what is and is another. if they are not exactly the same, there is distortion. To match them, you have to understand one thing very clearly: absolutely everything that has happened to you and you are is perfection. there is not a comma to change or a millimeter to move. any pretense of it is a huge lack of humility, ego in its purest form. It may sound very obvious but it is not really easy to see. The idea yes, but not how real is it. you are the reality, completely perfect. the idea that something should have been different is madness, delirium. There isn't "should be", doesn't exist such idea. If you can see it, you will see how absurd it is to have "dark spots". I don't know what is the technique to see this, I saw it clearly for the first time with mushrooms, the reality that arises from the nothingness like a miracle should be different?? suddenly, in a moment, all thinking about my story stopped. lost its strength. then he came back but after a while of meditation it becomes evident again. is liberation

@martins name I don’t really understand why people get so attached to meaning: where does meaning come from? If you look up a word in a dictionary you get more words. Even if someone points to a dog and tells you the word “dog”, that process involves drawing a distinction between the dog and it’s surroundings and a whole lot of other meanings your brain/mind presupposes. Meaning comes from meaning which comes from meaning ad infinitum: it is a strange loop, and just like the strange loop of “I”, it is ultimately an illusion. Here’s another way to look at it: why must the ground of everything be nothing? Because if the ground was something that something would have to be something and not anything else. Nothingness (real nothingness, not just a concept), isn’t anything and thus can be anything. Similarly, it is only through meaningless that there can be infinite meaning. So is there meaning? Yes and no and you are God so you decide; personally I find Nihilism liberating and a source of great happiness.

I have this realization some months ago after "trying to get Enlightened" with 5-MeO and realizing that I am not the one who is going to get Enlightened, since "Nothingness/Presence/God" is already "fine" so I need to work on myself (on healing my ego and so on). But...not sure how to do it. Will try what you said, but I have this limiting belief that my mental structures are very rigid and solid and sometimes I get depressed because it seems nothing changes.

In 2009 I took about 5 gms of mushrooms on the beach of the Oregon Coast. I felt a pull from my chest, that I naturally resisted. But I had the thought, "lets see what happens if I stop resisting it?". Once I did I left reality and went to the place of white nothingness, and knew that it was all one. I knew that there was no separation of anything, and that it was inconsequential if I went back, as it didn't matter, as it is the same thing. This was my very first Spiritual/Mystical/Awakening experience, a decade before I learned what any of that meant. Weird thing was, that day, I could have an Awakening at will, meaning I could choose to leave my body and go to the place of white oneness, by choosing to do so. I did at least 5 times throughout the evening. Each time longer than the last. The last time I did, I was gone so long, hours, that it was night time by the time I came back. My legs were so numb, I had to rock back and forth, to get the feeling back in my legs, to be able to even walk. That night, my girlfriend and I were able to talk to each other through thought (telepathy). And I was able to manifest impossible things to happen at will. Such as, it was then nighttime and dark out. There was miles of dunes ahead of us. I said to my GF, telepathically through thought "we need to find your sandals", as she had taken them off somewhere on one of those thousands of sand dunes. At that moment, I stopped and looked down, and they were there in front of me. Crazy day for sure. It wasn't till a decade later did I learn about Spirituality and Nonduality. Now that day on the beach makes much more sense as to what happen. My question is, has anyone ever heard of someone being able to, on a psychedelic, be able to have numerous Awakenings at will, to be able to go back and forth by choice, and stay as long as you want? How common is it to have telepathy when on a psychedelic?

You said it yourself: cos We are Infinite. Ta-daaaa. If it was NOT possible to <'fuck up, feel pain, be bad, be selfish, be evil, suffer'> then, oh dear God, We wouldn't be Infinite & Eternal -- but We ARE! The lesson in this life is for you/me/us to fucking understand that We do NOT want all this unconscious, ignorant, selfish, evil devilry (being asleep) anymore because IT FUCKING HURTS in the end <3 I don't want to suffer anymore. I want peace, goodness, happiness, love, contentment and joy for every sentient being that I am in the whole universe. Consciousness. Being awake. Knowledge. Selflessness. Cosmic Consciousness. Oneness. Love. But it takes a lot of ignorant devilry, pain, fear, anger, shame, suffering ... and conscious effort to get there, because ignorant, unconscious, selfish devilry is also kind of exciting, right (?), and it seems like the essence of 'fun' to Us. But I'm fucking tired of it now. Seems like many children on the planet are starting to grow tired of egoistical behaviour. But you cannot fuck around with survival. You gotta satisfy the bottom 4 levels of Maslow's Pyramid of Needs before even being able to start acknowleding that you were programmed to survive and that you have followed this social conditioning your whole life, more or less. The most 'sneaky and intelligent way' for the 'ego' to perform devilry is to perform it without acknowleding it. We are all often acting primarily from a place of ego in so many small and big ways while simultaneously believing we are acting from a place of charity and integrity. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions". “Kindly let me help you or you will drown, said the monkey, putting the fish safely up a tree." The thing is though, try to imagine what it would be like if all that existed was 'obvious Heaven' -- omniscient, unselfish, blissfull beings just flying around in Paradise. No pain, no suffering, no devilry. Just pure Love, Joy, Happiness, Goodness, Contentment for You and Everyone. After an eternity of this, don't you think you would start to be fucking bored? Maybe You would want to imagine a chaotic dream where You *forgot* You were God, and where you didn't know shit about what would happen, since the world inside that dream would be filled with chaos, evil and death. Wouldn't that be exciting? I mean it's just a dream right; only it gets more exciting: because you willingly forgot it was just a dream! Wouldn't it be a fantastic dream if it was possible for You -- as 'an imaginary, internal, separate self' stuck in 'a chaotic, physical, external world' -- to get all this "anxious chaos & ignorant, selfish devilry" 'straightened out' to "calm order & conscious, selfless goodness & love" ? ... Just like when you take a deck of cards and shuffle them into disorder and chaos, and then shall try to bring them back into order and harmony. That's fun, that's exciting... Will the (imaginary) evil win? Or will Love win? Let's see! Let's play! Lila - Divine Play. It's all just God/Love though, remember? ;-) <3 Most people don't, which is exactly the point! Awakening/Spiritual Enlightenment is God allowing Himself to "wake up" through a small amount of dream-characthers inside His Dream. Hehe :-) <3 ;-) Love is Awareness is Boring is Ignorance is Exciting is Bliss is Fear is Suffering is Healing is Awareness is Love An infinite strange loop. The serpent eating its own tail. Meet Me "in the middle" of all these seemingly polar opposites: good - bad ... selfless - selfish ... love - hate ... excitement - boredom ... being - non-being ... peace - fear ... happiness - misery ... expression - depression ... harmony - chaos ... infinite - finite ... eternity - transient ... light - darkness ... consciousness - ignorance ... freedom - captivity ... invulnerability - helplessness ... perfection - imperfection ... control - impotence ... truth - falsehood ... courage - fear ... innonence - lust ... non-attachment - attachment ... humility - pride ... serenity - anger ... authenticity -- deceit ... play - seriousness ... life - death ... dream - real ... emptiness - form ... nothingness - nouns ... movement - stagnation ... one - many ... contentment - dissatisfaction ... enough - lacking ... heaven - hell ... profound - mundane ... music - silence ... beauty - ugliness ... now - past ... now - future ... equality - difference ... unique - common .... soul - ego ... awake - asleep ... forgiveness - judgment ... letting go - holding on ... encouragement - blame ... trust - reject ... absolute - limited .... imagination - dullness ... mystical - understandable ... mind - matter ... mental - physical ... thought - material ... idealism - materialism ... non-duality - duality ... spirituality - earthly ... magical - typical ... god - devil ... fate - coincidence ... free will - determined ... actual - theoretical ... experience - conceptual ... inner - outer ... groundless - grounded ... unlimited - limited ... unbounded - bounded ... freshness - old ... self-evident - paradoxical ... unity - opposites ... inexplicable - explainable ... purpose - accident ... meaning - nihilism ... growth - mistakes ... whole - deficient ... interconnected - disconnected ... gifted - cursed ... blessed - mortal ... creative - useless ... intelligent - simple-minded ... illusion - human ... transcendental - egoic finite mind ... nirvana - samsara ... play - survival ... balance - battle ... sincerity - game ... symmetry - confusion ... natural - artifical ... unforced - enforced ... liberated - ruled ... emancipated - dominated ... responsible - victim ... reflection - put-down ... self-governed - enslaved ... listening - disregarding ... open - closed ... redemption - being lost ... tolerated - blocked ... giving - losing ... ineffable - logical ... surrendering - resisting ... supportive - careless ... mutualism - antagonism ... reciprocity - hostility ... conciliation - alienation ... synergism - noncooperation ... warm - cold ... symbiosis - conflict ... tranquility - agitation ... neutrality - egoism ... magnanimity - vengeance ... self-sacrifice - egomania ... soft - hard ... sacrificing - self-indulgence ... charity - exploitation ... compassion - heartlessness ... artlessness - pretentiousness ... light - heavy ... candidness - deception ... divinity - atrociousness ... unwearied - tired ... overflowing - lifeless ... lively - inanimate ... vibrating - motionless ... energetic - stagnant ... wavy - straight ... concurrence - asynchrony ... linked - fragmented ... reciprocal - separate ... unified - divided ... whimsical - fixed ... alterable - established ... healing - suffering ... transformative - destructive ... laid-back .. expressive - depressive ... bold - shy ... calm - traumatized ... sobriety - addiction ... adventurous - scared ... audacious - fearful ... bravery - cowardice ... acceptance - denial ... innocent - ashamed ... forbearance - anger ... acknowledgement - contemptuous ... fertile - infertile ... admiration - condemnation ... significance - worthlessness ... gracefulness - crudeness ... fondness - loathing ... approve - blame ... respect - scorn ... integrity - hypocrisy ... appreciation - envy ... self-esteem - self-loathe ... humbleness - hubris ... mercy - coldheartedness ... kindliness - enmity ... let go - cling ... affinity - aversion ... passion - abomination ... concurrency - resistance ... concordance - discordance ... virtue - atrocity ... clarity - murkiness ... tenderness - harsh ... keenness - nonchalance ... awareness - apathy engaged - inert ... wide-awake - absent ... lucid - distracted ... mindful - abstracted ... meditative - overlooking ... focused - scattered ... contemplative - unreflective ... bright - dim ... pure - impure ... mesmerized - inattentive ... renew - remain ... embrace - bypass ... cheerful - melancholic ... optimistic - pessimistic ... celebrate - mourn... attend to - neglect ... deliverance - deadlock ... fulfill - fail ... fruitful - barren ... attainment - defeat ... wonder - expect ... question - answer ... curiosity - conformity ... amity - bitterness ... unassuming - arrogant ... observant - oblivious ... synchronicity - chance ... entanglement - loneliness ... indefinite - confined ... exploration - conclusion ... honesty - biased ... content - greedy ... silent - noisy ... Lila (Divine Play) - one-upmanship When the finite, egoic mind is fully dropped there is just seen to be: Goodness, Selflessness, Love, Excitement, Being, Peace, Happiness, Expression, Harmony, Infinity, Eternity, Light, Consciousness, Freedom, Perfection, Control, Truth, Courage, Innonence, Non-Attachment, Humility, Serenity, Authenticity, Play, Life, Dream, Emptiness, Nothingness, Movement, Oneness, Contentment, Enough, Heaven, Profound, Music, Beauty, Now, Equality, Uniqueness, Soul, Awake, Enlightened, Forgiveness, Letting Go, Faith, Encouragement, Trust, Absolute, Imagination, Mystery, Mind, Mental, Thought, Idealism, Non-Duality, Spirituality, Magic, God, Fate, Free Will, Actuality, Experience, Inner, Groundlessness, Unlimited, Unbounded, Freshness, Self-Evident, Unity, Inexplicability, Divine Purpose, Meaningful Growth, Whole, Interconnected, Gifted, Blessed, Creativity, Intelligence, Illusion, Transcendence, Nirvana, Play, Balance, Sincerity, Symmetry, Natural, Unforced, Liberated, Emancipated, Self-Responsible, Self-Love, Listening, Open, Universal Redemption, Divine Tolerance, Ever-Giving, Ineffable, Divine Surrender, Nurturing, Universal Support, Unleashed, Mutual, Reciprocal, Conciliation, Synergy, Warmth, Symbiosis, Tranquility, Neutrality, Magnanimity, Self-Sacrifice, Softness, Charity, Compassion, Artlessness, Light, Candid, Divinity, Unweariedness, Overflow, Aliveness, Vibrations, Energy, Waves, Concurrence, Linked, Unified, Whimsical, Alterable, Healed, Transformed, Laid-Back, Expressive, Boldness, Calmness, Sobriety, Adventure, Audacity, Bravery, Acceptance, Patience, Forbearance, Acknowledgement, Fertility, Admiration, Significance, Gracefulness, Fondness, Approval, Respect, Integrity, Appreciation, Self-Esteem, Humbleness, Mercy, Kindliness, Let-Go, Affinity, Passion, Universal Familiy, Divine Concurrency, Concordance, Virtue, Clarity, Tenderness, Keenness, Awareness, Engagement, Wide-Awake, Lucid, Mindful, Meditative, Focused, Contemplative, Bright, Pure, Mesmerizing, Renewal, Embracing, Cheerfully, Optimism, Celebration, Attending, Deliverance, Fulfilled, Fruitful, Divine Attainment, Wonder, Questioning, Curiosity, Amity, Unassuming Observant, Synchronicity, Universal Entaglement, Indefinite Exploration, Honesty, Content Silence, Lila (Divine Play). See: Love ya all.

In Buddhism they Believe in reincarnation and karma. You keep incarnating after death until you pay all your karma and then you stop and cease to exist completely. That state of cessation and nothingness is called "nirvana ". It's basically a form of salvation and being free from the sufferings of life. (because according to Buddhism, life is suffering). What do you think of the Buddhist narrative? And what is your own definition of nirvana?

Is it not that everything is awareness in different modifications? How else does it work together? Scientist is moving towards conciousness as fundamental which sages has been saying for centuries. Nothingness is concious apparently ? Since it is outside of space and time there has never been a time where it was not concious or aware. It is conflicting sides, some say conciousness is fundamental and some say nothingness. But are they not actually the same when we really dig into it? Not two. Sure but that postulates an unknowable universe which we can never confirm tho. Only knowing is and that is conciousness. Same with cessations, what knew that cessation occured? You get me? Awareness is a non personal presence, it takes forms of ego and perception but that is just a fantasy that thoughts made up. Infinite conciousness is something that can be nothingness and everythingness. That makes more sense to me. Like Leo says, different states of conciousness. Some would disagree to this tho. If infinite conciousness is the ground then it has limit it self off from other possibilitys in order to have the experience it has now. The universe. Possibility does not necessarily mean actuality

Godhead is the ineffable ABSOLUTE, the VOID, only is what it is in itself. Or Mind in itself. Then it has an active part which is GOD which is the creative part. It is all Mind, either Godhead/nothingness/void. Or GOD, infinite imagination, infinite thought, infinite energy. Conciousness is what IS, Being is. Non being - being Formlessness- form There is only two different sides of the same coin. Zero/one. The sages throughout has called it the Absolute Awareness, where there is no me/we/subject/object. Thats the field of being which is everything. Godhead has a being which is unknowable, mind in itself without anything else. Godhead transcends being and non being, existence or non existence. To "us" the godhead is as it were not. But it is being as it is without anything added to it. The source of all is the ineffable godhead. Mind/conciousness is fundamental reality. Some call it nothingness, some call it infinite conciousness, godhead etc, tao, the Absolute. It has an active and a non active part. Thats the only way to reconcile both this views. Mind in itself is unknowable but the active part is the universe. But to say that the fundamental reality is an unconcious principle we err greatly.

It is hard to get clear answers on what people believe actually. Is consciousness fundamental reality in your opinion, or is consciousness something which fundamental reality does/is? In the former case, do we suppose things like atoms have some basic level of consciousness? Leo says infinite consciousness often, but then when discussing the "Godhead" seems to describe it as a sort of infinite singularity which I find makes a lot more sense. There are passages in religious doctrines which state that "It" is beyond even labels like awareness. Nothingness seems to marry easier with ideas of the big bang etc, and the discovery and measurement of things we can only record with tools. Like, things could then exist without a conscious observer or the universe needing to implement alterations and laws retroactively. If the Godhead HAS consciousness then this is all easy to explain. If it IS consciousness, then it is more difficult to suppose things are existent before any conscious mind becomes aware of it. I just finished a book called "God is Nothingness" but find the appendix sort of buffers the opinion expressed in the rest of the book.

What about peeing? Why is thinking so important, it is such a small portion of our experience! There is a pee-er. The one out of which the pee comes! Aha! But have a look at this here - the game of life. The original entry can be different, causing different results in the game later on. In some of those the game continues indefinitely, in others it completes quicker. In third, it can create a whole other game of life on a higher level(the video posted) Now what I claim is that perhaps the Universe or God is more advanced than you and actually has a choice what game of life to put forward and where it will be headed. You can tell me all about how your thinking comes out of nothingness and not a thinker, but you cant tell me why events in the world happen as they do. You can't tell me why we use electricity, how we are advancing the way we do and how we "evolve". You can tell me only about your direct experience, you cannot tell me anything about the game of life. You can talk to me about what its like to be one character inside the supreme game of life, and honestly, we have no clue what it is to be outside of the game of life, thats how huge it is. Here is a 2d representation:

@RMQualtrough Yeah don't believe a physicist to tell you what nothingness is. If you're into philosophy I scrolled past this thing on Google called Ontological Nihilism. After an awakening experience I was googling my thoughts and found it. Can't say I know anything about the philosophy, philosophy like that isn't my thing

@RMQualtrough sorry man I accidently edited your post, I think you have to reply to @TreyMoney again, sorry ? Oh no man he does not equate nothingness with conciousness, nothingness is the Absolute Infinite non being. The godhead, is so nothing that it enables everything, pregnant with infinity of something but it always go back to nothingness. Nothingness is the ground for everything to be is what he is saying

I saw this actually and was going to purchase it I saw it proposes nothingness is in fact just consciousness though. And I mean it is infinite consciousness LOL but like, the precise metaphysics and mechanics of the hows and whys are important to me (I'm more of a philosopher than a self-improver), and I feel that it is not "just" consciousness but all things. I am judging based on a review I read though. ---

So I just discovered this and I'm pretty excited, always had difficulties keeping up a journal so I think this is a great opportunity. Since this body was born I have endlessly searched for the Truth. Almost everyone searchs enlightenment for a reason, I have absolutely no idea why, I didn't even choose this, it feels like it choose me and till it's not complete it will be with me. My main concern is that I always have been so puzzled about existance about all this that just appeared and seems like it had some kind of order and sense and I can interact with it. Everyone feels like this shit is all normal. I always have been like wtf??? For real, from nothingness you have this? And then u say it's all cool, I just appeared here that's all I know and I have to live, with other beings that seem to be alive as me. Idk, it always seemed very rare to be alive for me, it is a very curious feeling for me this existance. So I will just write here my journey and when I stop writting, well u know what that means. (PD: Deep respect is expected to all that read and write here. It's not a shit u read online, it's my life, it could be your live, one thing is to see another to experience, be mindful, compassionate and loving. Lots of love and welcome beautiful soul)

@RMQualtrough my dear friend, I do not know you, but we are very like minded. I define spirit as the nothingness from which everything arises and to which everything ultimately returns. I define spirituality as having reverence for that absolute, eternal, infinite, objective, ultimate nothingness. A cute little AEIOU mnemonic. The Buddhist saying "Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form" perfectly encapsulates the idea of everything being nothing. Nothing is the only thing, which is simultaneously everything. That may seem like a duality, but only from our unenlightened pov. "Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes." - Walt Whitman Nothingness is Brahman....undifferentiated, undivided, indivisible, indescribable, devoid of attributes or characteristics. Somethingness is Atman....differentiated, divided, divisible, describable, containing attributes or characteristics. Brahman is truth. Atman is false. Atman is everythingness. Everything is Atman. I am Atman. You are Atman. Rocks are Atman. Brahman is nothingness. No thing is Brahman. I am not Brahman. You are not Brahman. Rocks are not Brahman. (which is why I vomit in my mouth a little, every time Leo says He is God, or You are God!) But ultimately, Atman, (which is everything), is also nothing fundamentally. (Duality) And if Atman is nothing, and Brahman is nothing, then Atman is Brahman, and nothing is nothing (Non-Duality). I hope this helps....but if not, just ignore it. Cheers to health, wealth, peace and love. Trey

If you like this theme of nothingness I can suggest a book that goes right up your alley so to speak. God is nothingness- andre Halaw

@Nahm Do we perhaps all mean the same thing? Thank you for the reminder that mind EQUALS matter. When conceptualizing things in sober life that tends to be done by heirarchy. E.g. "appearances IN mind". I like the term nothingness because of the implicit answer to most difficult metaphysical questions. If the term "everythingness" is used (nothingness = everythingness, infinity), a typical person may ask "where did the everything come from?" If the term "nothingness" is used, the question is defeated. They mean the same thing because there cannot be literal nothingness, but that is WHY there is everythingness? But yeah to me it seems like in this paradigm, consciousness is simply an ASPECT of the infinity, of this eternal and infinite nothingness/everythingness. All things are equal to (literally ARE) that Source. Godhead. Void. Etc.

@RMQualtrough Might sound redundant or even critical, not meant that way… if everything is said to come from nothing, or if nothingness is a foundation, then these are properties, features, facets, aspects, etc, and nothing is no longer nothing, but is now misappropriated as “that which” is two, -and- has properties, features, facets, aspects, etc. (As pointings of course, great, no ‘issue’.) If there is one thing in or by which infinity resides, then there is either not that one thing, or there is not infinity, or there is neither… but by definition there can’t be both. Yes on the “deep sleep” pointing. When one is “awake” God is asleep, so to speak, so all “awakenings” are seen as delusion / duality. That appears to be a very ‘way down the path’ comment or perspective, but that is the ‘sneakiness’ (if you will) of now, or we might say, of now vs experience, in the opening the door sense to identifying by “a past” or “a future”. Because deep sleep is being said to be a property of nothingness, which is then no longer nothingness. Even ‘literal’ upon nothingness implies a ‘not literal’. Otherwise, if I am caught up in language here and that is precisely what you’re saying, then just - yep. Because ‘it’ is never things, ‘consciousness’ is kind of the ultimate pointer, such that consciousness can inspect and realize there is no actuality of separation / things. Also, consciousness, or awareness, points to the most prior, and then the label also goes. What is or would therefore be aware of awareness, or conscious of this consciousness (minus the dualistic implication via language there). Also - the instant consciousness realizes it is consciousness which can never come, go, awaken, fall asleep, yada yada, eternity is ‘realized’. Even ‘the underlying’ must go. It is not possible to have mind before matter. Matter = Mind. Mind = matter. ‘Matter’ is just a thought, a label. Inevitably, so too is Mind, as in finite and or infinite. Points back to the ultimate pointing of “consciousness’. Again though, might be saying the same thing here… and also, me saying whatever seems to be being said must also be ‘seen through’ / cancelled out. Not a word of it is true. It’s literally being made up ‘on the fly’. Edit: reply to your last comment… there are no “humans”…there is no “relative viewpoint”… there is no “void”! That is all consciousness… and even that label (consciousness) must go.

I found this by Alan Watts: Which seems similar. I see he followed Buddhist teachings. That sounds like the Nothingness/Everythingness I mean. I see why it might be labelled consciousness considering it is impossible for humans to experience anything outside of our relative viewpoint (even in a void trip). But why should consciousness not merely be something that the everything IS. Rather than the everything being something consciousness is?

"Taoism and Buddhism believe that the universe is created or originated from "Nothingness" or "Emptiness". It is interesting that the modern science also proposed that there is "nothing" before the creation of universe. ie. Before time and space exist, there is "nothing". Buddha had all sorts of quotes on emptiness or nothingness. Jainism also points to nothingness as ultimate reality. Check out: AjataSunyata project by Robert Wolfe ❤

@Nahm The foundation is what I am trying to say is literal nothingness. Everything exists there all at once by the mechanism outlined by Mason. From Nothing comes Everything I think... Things don't come and go because there's only one thing fundamentally where infinity resides. Which is this nothing/everything conglomerate. I heard someone verbalize a similar idea. That intuitively we BELIEVE we come out of reality into a dream and then into deep sleep. But they proposed it is the other way round, and deep sleep is in fact the natural state where we in fact always are and all things are. That seems correct. Why that deep sleep cannot be literal nothingness (which is literal everythingness at the same time, that is the catch) I'm not sure. I like the loose ends tied up if it in fact is that way. I have heard some other users discuss similar thoughts but I am not sure what religion or philosophy reflects such a thing. I don't know why it has to be consciousness and why consciousness cannot merely be one of the infinite things "it" is. That is, all things exist simultaneously from this source. Similar to neutral monism. NOT the same as it but similar. It is still possible to have mind prior to matter. And the underlying something is just "____". There's no term. Just a literal nothingness which is an everythingness.

You couldn't ever find it, only by inference. What is observer without observed? Some Buddhist traditions tie the two together for the reasoning that they are necessary as a pair (I may be wrong?). We can say for example that a rock is consciousness (as are landscapes in our dreams), but prior to relative experience, if we envision a universe of nothing but rocks, the observer is dormant as we would be in deep sleep or under general anaesthetic. But these things and this universe still exist. It seems more basic if awareness is a property OF the nothing, that can go into and out of "deep sleep". When there is experience it wakes up, when there is no experience it rests. That way there is no "what caused THAT to exist?" because it is a something, and people like somethings to have an explanation. Nothingness does not need an explanation for how it exists, because it doesn't. It ties up some things neatly. I like this theory presently but I am subject to change a lot (lol).

@Nahm Usually they say nothing then later are like "the nothing is consciousness", which isn't actually literal nothingness (since consciousness is something which exists). I am searching for total non-existence as fundamental. Infinite everythingness is rather the opposite of limitation I feel? Unlimited things it can be. To me it feels like nothing having to REMAIN as nothing would be a limit. Nothingness without limitation or boundary on the other hand can be anything as there's nothing stopping it from doing so, and no finite boundary to stop it from being infinite and as such then being everything?

Even ‘can be anything’ would be a limit. Yes, pretty much every religion. God = no thing, nothing, nothingness. But then likewise “necessitating infinite everything ness” is a self imposed limit. If there is a nothing, that is a duality. If not, there isn’t.