Being Spiritual

[Whitney Edwards]

Engaging in acts of kindness and compassion holds great importance in the quest for enlightenment in my opinion. 

Why? Kindness fosters connectedness. Connection with Others. Acts of kindness and compassion  foster a sense of connection and empathy with others. By extending kindness and compassion, we recognize the inherent worth and interconnectedness of all beings. This sense of connection can deepen our spiritual understanding and promote a sense of unity. You need that fabric of connectedness. I have seen great changes in my life since my compassion practice, especially loving kindness meditation. Any opportunity in this regard should not be wasted. In fact I would feel guilty if I did that. Anything that births itself from kindness will never be lost in vain. Kindness is a virtue, a gift that keeps giving. You'll never see it until it actually does. 

Kindness and compassion are considered virtues in many spiritual traditions. Cultivate virtues. Engaging in these acts helps cultivate qualities such as empathy, generosity, forgiveness, and love. These virtues are seen as essential for personal growth, spiritual development, and living a meaningful life. Bind them to yourself. See every act as an opportunity. 

Suffering exists due to a dualistic nature. Nothing is really separate. Alleviating Suffering. Suffering of some form will always exist though.compassion is often motivated by a desire to alleviate the suffering of others. By showing kindness and compassion, we contribute to creating a more compassionate and caring world. This can bring comfort, healing, and support to those in need, and it can also enhance our own sense of purpose and fulfillment. Why bother to alleviate suffering right? Welll... When you reduce the burden of suffering you stop the cycle of suffering. Again this is a principle of vompassion. Spirituality without compassion is like a car without fuel. You can't really go anywhere with it. It wouldn't make sense long term. In its absence, everything is egoic. 

We have an inherent self centeredness anyway. Practicing Non-Attachment is ideal.Engaging in acts of kindness and compassion can help us develop a sense of detachment from our own desires, ego, and self-centeredness. It shifts our focus from personal gain to the well-being of others. By letting go of self-centeredness, we open ourselves up to a deeper spiritual experience and a greater sense of interconnectedness. This also fosters our inherent non duak nature. 

[Whitney Edwards]

On 13/09/2024 at 4:19 PM, Buck Edwards said:

I'm slowly discovering new positive affirmations. 

One is "I woke up feeling refreshed."

 

 

On 13/09/2024 at 5:05 PM, Buck Edwards said:

The next affirmation is - I'm free. 

 

 

On 13/09/2024 at 5:17 PM, Buck Edwards said:

The other affirmations - 

I love my husband. 

I'm attracted to my husband. 

I'm in love with my husband. 

I feel hot for my husband. 

 

 

 

On 13/09/2024 at 5:23 PM, Buck Edwards said:

The next affirmation is - 

I feel free on this forum. I have a powerful grip now. I feel more confident and comfortable now. 

 

 

On 13/09/2024 at 5:30 PM, Buck Edwards said:

Move away from negativity and move towards confidence. 

 

On 13/09/2024 at 9:49 PM, Buck Edwards said:

I'll keep my anxieties at bay. 

 

On 14/09/2024 at 10:13 AM, Buck Edwards said:

Journaling is an effective technique for dealing with trauma. Much of my life has been dealing with trauma. 

 

 

On 14/09/2024 at 10:22 AM, Buck Edwards said:

A prayer for upgrading my knowledge database. 

 

 

[Whitney Edwards]

[Whitney Edwards]

 

 

Spirituality has been making an interesting comeback in recent years, or perhaps an entrée into the mainstream, with a new generation of young gurus and “spirit junkies” making it hip to be spiritual. Many of the lessons draw from religious tradition, yogic philosophy and meditation, and the idea of a greater, or universal, consciousness. One concept that’s been central, now and in some traditions over the millennia, is the idea of getting out of our own way, or giving up control to some higher power/consciousness/energy, whatever that may be. In other words, being “in the flow.”

 

 

Edited September 17, 2024 by Buck Edwards

[Whitney Edwards]

On 14/09/2024 at 8:25 PM, Buck Edwards said:

Spirituality has been making an interesting comeback in recent years, or perhaps an entrée into the mainstream, with a new generation of young gurus and “spirit junkies” making it hip to be spiritual. Many of the lessons draw from religious tradition, yogic philosophy and meditation, and the idea of a greater, or universal, consciousness. One concept that’s been central, now and in some traditions over the millennia, is the idea of getting out of our own way, or giving up control to some higher power/consciousness/energy, whatever that may be. In other words, being “in the flow.”

                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 14/09/2024 at 8:47 PM, Buck Edwards said:

But what’s really fascinating about this idea is that it’s not actually specific to spirituality: many people talk of feeling, under the right conditions, like they’re in the flow, as if something greater has taken over and they’re simply letting it happen. Writers, artists, musicians, designers, athletes, and many others have experienced this state of flow, or being in the zone.

 

 

 

 

[Whitney Edwards]

On 14/09/2024 at 9:02 PM, Buck Edwards said:

The simplest metaphor is that it’s like driving a car with one foot on the break and one on the gas. ” In the analogy, the gas is our brains’ the natural function, and the brake is self-referential processing. If you take foot off the break, the brain functions more effortlessly. Our brain is like ‘thank god, you got out of the way.’ And that’s when we get into the flow.

 

 

 

 

 

On 14/09/2024 at 9:30 PM, Buck Edwards said:

Meditation quiets the areas of the brain that are the equivalent to the “brakes”—the default mode network (DMN)—which helps us get into a flow state very quickly. To get out of our own way, and even out of more significant states, like depression, you have to utilize other methods besides your usual mode of thinking. What got us into this mess can’t get us out. Here’s the paradox: You’re the problem. You can’t solve the problem with the same consciousness that created it. Saying to yourself, ‘I’m going to make myself one with the universe’ is a futile task. It’s just like someone telling you to relax. It doesn’t work. We naturally let go, when we see how painful our usual process is.

 

 

On 14/09/2024 at 9:41 PM, Buck Edwards said:

 

This is such a beautiful home. 

 

[Whitney Edwards]

 

Maybe spirituality is an essence. Something that we perpetually live in. Maybe it's like resonance. When do we say someone is deeply spiritual. I don't know. I'm yet to figure out. And I want to keep learning. 

                             

I always wanted to live a deeply spiritual life and one day I'll succeed in doing that. I know this deep in my heart. 

 

 

Edited September 17, 2024 by Buck Edwards

[Whitney Edwards]

 

 

[Whitney Edwards]

2 spiritual practices 

Chanting 

A universal prayer 

 

[Whitney Edwards]

In traditional yog, the initial stages of yam, niyam, and asan purify the body and mind, removing toxins and harmful habits. Only after this purification process is one deemed ready for pranayam, the practice of controlled breathing, which channels the vital energy, pran and enhances spiritual growth. Attempting pranayam without first achieving this purification could have adverse effects. Therefore, in classical yog, it is important to progress step-by-step through these limbs to prepare for higher spiritual practices.

[Whitney Edwards]

Lately I've been into some cosmic stuff. Anything cosmic. Be it music. I literally dance to cosmic stuff. I am imagining myself as a bird with outstretched wings ready to fly. I'm looking into things that bring me closer to spirituality and away from materialism. All I can say it works. I'll also upload appropriate media  that goes hand in hand with my cosmic spiritual ideas.. More to come. 

 

[Whitney Edwards]

Some of our most profound insights come from profound situations. 

The unification of experience because it's produced by the same consciousness. 

a voice from the cosmic realm screeched at me and said "you are just a mortal. Your gregarious stupid narcissistic ego ruined whatever good I created in your name." peace closure seek. 

 

I think there are a lot of perspectives to life. One perspective does not encompass everything. 

 There's nothing like a hell realm. Just don't believe in it. 

 

[Whitney Edwards]

During the last session, 

The shackles of the mind were released. The conditions have been broken. It's amazing how much beauty has a reality around us, but we can not see it through our conditions. Everything was beautiful, vivid, amazing. My eyes were full of joy, life, innocence, happiness and gratitude for being alive. I felt the mind slowly sinking more and more in the present moment. I laid out on the lawn and looked up at the sky, it all became so obvious ... It was so obvious that I am not the body ... that it will soon die ... It's an amazing paradox. There is no such thing as human life ... We are a void that experiences itself through the human body. Woaaah .... I understood that there is only an organism and a consciousness that is perfect.

I decided to go home. All the time I was accompanied by the beauty that I admired. When I saw the sunset, I almost cried. This can not be described. So this is real reality? Does it have so much beauty in itself? It's hard to believe it ... I sat in my training room, turned on the music and immersed  in myself. I had some internal insights that were amazing. I experienced fractions of Samadhi's states when I was the whole moment, unidentified with my ego ... What a bliss ... For a second I felt the absolute of consciousness and tears came to me. It was indescribable.. I went to the mirror and looked into my eyes - shining with happiness, innocence and an inner child. Eyes of joy.

I decided to go outside. As soon as I opened the door of the house and saw everything, I could not believe in amazement. How all this is magical ... Amazing ... Mysterious ... The streets looked like on another planet ... This is another thing that can not be described ... All lights, stars ... our life is the greatest gift you can get, the biggest a form of love, just a question of whether human can notice it ... I thought about my life. 

 

Important Lessons.

Life is a present moment. Our human life is just a joke. We are a void that experiences itself through the human body. You have to accept death and live life to the fullest while our body is able to. Life is the greatest gift you can get. The largest form of love.
The emptiness that accompanies us has a huge amount of happiness and joy. Pure Hapiness is effortless when nothing is left but a calm mind.
Beauty is everywhere. The entire universe is a manifestation of love. It is sad that through the filters of the mind acquired by his human experience, man is unable to see the truth.

[Whitney Edwards]

Doing Kriya consistently, been practicing the beginner Pose for 80+ days, 10 min... get to Pranayama ASAP. I'm wasting time with all that beginner pose stuff. Pranayama is where the results lie. haven't found many reports on the long-term results of Kriya Yoga. Big claims but not really clear explanations of what changes.

Be you, be happy, be awake, be enlightened. 

Good things come to those people who wait. Who dare. Who want. Who work with commitment. Don't give up. Even in the absence of appreciation. 

Be awake be enlightened

If you're good, everything else is gonna be okay. Smell the flowers when you wake up in the morning. Things aren't as bad as they used to be? You see? 

 be enlightened

 

Edited January 18 by Buck Edwards

[Whitney Edwards]

I'm coming to this conclusion after intense contemplations that there is no good or bad. God is everything. 

God takes different forms. Healing forms. 

You losing money is negative energy. 

Different healing forms protect you from this negative energy. 

Your whole life is a spiritual process. 

And God is all about building character and building karma. And building wisdom as well. Your whole life is about building character. It's a spiritual journey that continues into eternity. 

Your character and your karma is molded through these different healing forms. 

Shiva takes different forms. 

 

[Whitney Edwards]

The nine tastes of breath may be practiced with or without the following visualization of the energy-channels. Visualize your body empty like a balloon. If you have received a tantric empowerment for a particular Buddha-figure, you may in addition visualize your form as that of the figure; otherwise, you may not.

Visualize your central energy-channel as parallel to and slightly in front of your spine, hollow, the thickness of a medium-sized bamboo, white on the outside and red on the inside. Its upper end curves like an umbrella handle, passing over the crown of your head and ending between your brows. Its lower end is four finger-widths below your navel. Visualize your right energy-channel (ro-ma, Skt. rasana, pingala) as red in color, the thickness of a stalk of wheat, starting six finger-widths below your navel, running close to the central channel and ending at your right nostril. Visualize your left energy-channel (rkyang-ma, Skt. lalana, ida) as white in color, the same thickness and length as the right one, and ending at your left nostril.

When doing the first three breathings in through your right nostril and out through the left, visualize the bottom end of your right energy-channel inserted into the bottom end of the left. When you breathe in, imagine your breath in the form of white cleansing rays of light passing down your right energy-channel and accumulating in the left, in which the energy-wind of the disturbing emotion of longing desire (‘dod-chags, Skt. raga) is blocked and frustrated. When you exhale through your left nostril, visualize your longing desire leaving you in the form of black rays of light.

During the second three breathings in your left nostril and out the right, imagine the bottom end of your left energy-channel inserted into the bottom end of the right. When you breathe in, visualize your breath in the form of white light passing down your left energy-channel and accumulating in the right in which the energy-wind of the disturbing emotion of anger and hostility (zhe-sdang, Skt. dvesha) is blocked and frustrated. When you exhale through your right nostril, imagine your anger leaving you in the form of black light.

During the last three breathings in and out both your nostrils, visualize the bottom ends of both your left and right energy-channels inserted into the bottom end of the central energy-channel. When you breathe in, imagine your breath in the form of white light passing down both right and left energy-channels and accumulating in your central one in which the energy-wind of the disturbing emotion of naivety (gti-mug, Skt. moha, closed-mindedness) is blocked and frustrated. When you exhale, visualize your naivety leaving you from between your brows in the form of black light.

Once you have completed a round of nine tastes of breath, do not repeat it with further rounds. If the first round fails to eliminate your gross mental wandering, another method is as follows. Breathe in and out both nostrils silently, not forcefully, with your in-breath the same length as your out, and without holding your breath. Concentrating totally on your breathing, count in your mind each round of in- and out-breaths as one for twenty-one rounds. As it is normally difficult to concentrate on even one thing at a time, by concentrating both on breathing and on counting, little room remains for extraneous thoughts.

https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/vajrayana/mahamudra-advanced/commentary-on-root-text-for-mahamudra-geshe-ngawang-dhargyey