Leo's Blog Discussion Mega-Thread

[Leo Gura]

20 hours ago, OmniNaut said:

But somehow it slipped under everyone's radar.

Sorry we overlooked your post.

[gettoefl]

God is happy to delve into both the true and the false. When it explores the false, the only prerequisite is an exit plan that ensures a safe return to the true. Accordingly, each person holds within the memory of God and the assurance that the exit plan is accessible as soon as desired. The false is anything not entirely true; it is a mix of true and false, what we call illusion. Intelligence discerns between helpful and harmful illusions. Divine intelligence discerns between illusions that lead us toward the exit plan and those that do not. Absolute truth is absent from the false by definition but there are clear reflections within it, and aligning with these reflections is what triggers the exit plan. These reflections are deepened in practices like meditation, forgiveness, compassion, and faith. The illusions dissolve, the false yields, the true re-emerges.

[Nemra]

@Leo Gura, what is your relationship with illusions as a truth-seeking person? 

[WonderSeeker]

@Leo Gura, your blog post about bullshit books is on point.

As a social media ghoswriter, I have to say it's sad to see this dynamic play out.

A few years ago I was in the middle of writing a book while getting my masters of science. I stopped because I felt it was nowhere near the level it need to be for publishing.

I attended a local writing seminar to get help on it. The authors at the workshop kept saying to even be considered for publishing you need thousands of social media followers. And none of your manuscript can be referenced in your posts. 

Based on that I see why so many are barred from writing good books. That and why celebs with millions can chuck 10k at a ghostwriter only to prompt-engineer AI to whip something up for them.

All the more traps to be aware of as a consumer, writer, and philosopher in this twisted world we live in lol

[Yimpa]

1 hour ago, WonderSeeker said:

The authors at the workshop kept saying to even be considered for publishing you need thousands of social media followers.

Or the opposite can happen by sheer luck:

 

[Starlight321]

@Leo GuraI have a question about your blog post about buddhism. The last few buddhist posts of acomplished meditators who don't realize that they imagine their experiences and attainments are theravada buddhists who have a underlying materialistic assumption and are just interested in the ending of suffering. 

I was deeply into theravada buddhism and like how grounded the people are but I noticed that they are constructing a materalistic lens through description of dependent origination and their analytical process  in general and often don't know that they are doing so and they are often unable to change the lens to see things through another school pov.

What I also noticed is that thinking is highly discouraged as distraction and because there is a chain where one should believe what more accomplished persons have to say. Another thing is the disagreement what and who enlightened, especially in other forms of spirituality. 

But what about tibetan mahayana buddhism? My knowledge of their sect isn't too deep however they talk about the Self and have a closer relationship to the indian culture. I also know that they have a more idialistic hybrid stance. How would you evalue them? 

[Yimpa]

“There is no spoon.” 

[Leo Gura]

1 hour ago, Starlight321 said:

How would you evalue them? 

The bottom line is that if follow any dogma and do not think creatively for yourself, you will end up self-deceived.

I am tired of splitting hairs about this.

There is no way to Truth and God through dogma. People keep thinking they can get away with it, either through Buddhism or Christianity or yoga or some super-duper Tier 2 verison of Christianity. No!

You must think entirely original thoughts and you must think deeply and seriously. That's what I try to teach people how to do.

Edited Thursday at 12:49 AM by Leo Gura

[Terell Kirby]

50 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

You must think entirely original thoughts and you must think deeply and seriously. That's what I try to teach people how to do.

Not try, you are. I don’t claim to be completely free of self deception from following your work, but boy … I feel I’m in a much better position since I started 

[Jayson G]

@Leo Gura By the way, one really good resource is Spotify. I pay 10 dollars per month and can access tons of amazing books for a limited number of hours (It's plenty) .. So I end up going through tons of books, wherever I'm inclined. I'm looking forward to reading this book you shared, careless people. It's on Spotify, in a sense free for me. 

 

[Water by the River]

8 hours ago, Starlight321 said:

But what about tibetan mahayana buddhism? My knowledge of their sect isn't too deep however they talk about the Self and have a closer relationship to the indian culture. I also know that they have a more idialistic hybrid stance. How would you evalue them? 

 

Some of them like that. 

For Mahayana and Theravada:

https://www.actualized.org/forum/search/?&q=mahayana%20theravada&author=Water%20by%20the%20River

Well, there are many stages of "No-Self". Most of them are still quite separate-selves having No-Self experiences, or even cessations.

Cessations and prelimary No-Self experiences/states are not (full) Enlightenment, see Nagarjuna and Mahayana ever since. It is easy to bash these as not "God-realized" or whatever.

 

Selling very alive water by the River

[Water by the River]

The Supreme Source (link above, and quotes/excerpts below) is by the way no obscure or niche author or scripture, but the Kulayarāja Tantra, the "main Tantra of the early Great Perfection tradition", or Dzogchen.

"The Kunjed Gyalpo is the main tantra of the early Great Perfection tradition during the "Era of Fragmentation" (9th–10th centuries) period. As such, it is a key source for the early teachings of Dzogchen, ...."

from

 Kulayarāja Tantra - Wikipedia

And Dzogchen is, besides Mahamudra, the highest developed meditation system in Tibetan Buddhism. Ati-Yoga, the highest stage.

Leo Gura: Yes, Buddhism is precise in that respect. But I have not read any Buddhist description of God-Realization. And no Buddhist I talk to can properly tell me what God is.

Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, The Supreme Source:

"I am the teacher, pure and total consciousness, whence everything manifests. Pure and total consciousness is the supreme source, it has created the Buddhas of the three times, from it have arisen the beings of the three worlds and the whole animate and inanimate universe. [... ]

Pure and total consciousness has created everything and has not created anything. It has created everything because it has created its own nature, pure and total. It has not created anything because within it there exists no need to create. When my nature is not understood and the phenomena that manifest from me become the object of judgement, desire and attachment give rise to the creation of concrete vision that is impermanent and destined to vanish like a magical apparition, and one becomes like a blind man who does not know what is happening. [...I"

"As I transcend all affirmations and negations, I am beyond all phenomena. As no object exists that is not myself, I am beyond meditating on a view. As there is nothing to keep apart from myself, I am beyond a commitment to observe. As there is nothing to seek other than myself, I am beyond obtaining the capacity for spiritual action. As no place exists outside myself, I am beyond a level of realization to surpass. As I have never encountered obstacles, I am beyond [everything] as self-arising wisdom. As I am the ultimate unborn nature, I am beyond [everything] as the [true] subtle ultimate nature"

"I am called "the perfect condition" becauseeverything is contained in me. I am called "the source" because the teacher, teaching, and disciples arise from my three natures"

"I am the essence of all phenomena; nothing exists that is not my essence. The teachers of the three dimensions are my essence. The Buddhas of the three times are my essence. The Bodhisattvas are my essence. The four types of yogins are my essence. The three worlds, of desire, of form, and without form, too, are my manifestation. The five great elements are my essence. The six classes of beings are my essence. Everything inanimate is my essence. Everything that lives is my essence. All the habitats and the beings living therein are my essence. Nothing exists that is not my essence because I am the universal root: there is nothing that is not contained in me. The unborn, the wonder of birth, and the manifestation of energy are the three aspects of the three teachers: this is their condition."

"As the three times, past, present, and future, abide exclusively in me, all the Buddhas are in the same condition: this too is my essence. As I transcend the dualism of subject and object, like space I am allpervading, and I constitute the fundamental substance of all phenomena: my essence is pure and total consciousness. I, that am the source, abide in the single state, and in this same authentic condition the practitioners of the "four yogas"

"Realize my nature, the supreme source that is pure and total consciousness. Teach that all the phenomena of existence are only myself! If you transmit my teaching, all your disciples will realize my nature and will become this very nature.

"If my nature were to be compassionately displayed to the beings of the three worlds who have originated from me,....  Thus I, the supreme source, disclose my nature, displaying it to myself."

"Nothing other than this exists; none of the Buddhas have ever received a higher teaching than this from me, the source. Aside from this condition of equality beyond concepts, I myself, the supreme source whence everything arises, have absolutely nothing whatever to display to myself."

"Listen! As all of you are created by me, you beings of the three worlds are my children, equal to me, the supreme source. You are me, inseparable from me, so I manifest to you and through the five teachers of my natures I teach the single state of the five essences [of the elements]. I am the single state, I, the supreme source: you too are, you must become certain of this!"

"Listen, Sattvavajra! I will show you your own nature. You are me, the source. I am and have always been pure and total consciousness. What is pure and total consciousness?"

"Among all things existing in the animate and inanimate universe, there is not one single thing that has not been created by me, nor is there a cause that does not derive from me. Thus I am the essence of all, and nothing surpasses me. I am superior to the three dimensions, to the Buddhas of the three times, to the Vidyadharas, to the Bodhisattvas, to the beings of the three worlds, to the whole animate and inanimate universe, because I am the maker of all. Before there was any other teaching I, that am the source, pure and total consciousness, disclosed the teaching of pure and total
consciousness."

 

Bashing Buddhism as if it were one system and as if every have-awake Buddhist were fully enlightened is like bashing Christianity because not every member of every christian congregation is and behaves like a Jesus. The latter move would be less than smart marketing for Jihadists of any kind, at least in the perspective of humble yours truly. 

 

Frolicking around at the -ISM bashing by the River

 

Edited Thursday at 09:58 AM by Water by the River

[Yimpa]

Oh no, @Water by the River is back!

 

[Elliott]

https://www.actualized.org/insights/facebook-corruption-exposed

 

BlueSky, despite currently looking like Twitter, is intended to take Facebook's role.

[Leo Gura]

4 hours ago, Elliott said:

https://www.actualized.org/insights/facebook-corruption-exposed

BlueSky, despite currently looking like Twitter, is intended to take Facebook's role.

BlueSky is in no way replacing Facebook.

[Yimpa]

Facebook is BS.

BFS!

 

On 10/30/2024 at 7:01 PM, Yimpa said:

I’m at Target right now and a little kid keeps yelling “BULLSHIT. BULLSHIT. BULLSHIT!”

Story of my life 

Edited Friday at 12:23 AM by Yimpa

[Elliott]

2 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

BlueSky is in no way replacing Facebook.

The current bluesky is not how it's designed. Bluesky was started by Twitter, to be a Facebook of a sort. They're waiting to put all the features online, that's the monetizing part of bluesky, currently it's not monetized.

Edited Friday at 01:05 AM by Elliott

[Leo Gura]

@Water by the River Buddhist apologetics is like Christian apologetics.

Christians think that they can defend their dogma by finding one or two highly conscious Christians. Buddhists do the same. In this way the self-deception is sealed.

Edited Friday at 01:49 AM by Leo Gura

[aurum]

Respect for that ex-Neo Nazi. That's what a serious collision with reality and questioning your worldview looks like.

[Yimpa]

Actualized.org is the greatest self-deception of all time.

THE GREATEST SELF-DECEPTION OF ALL TIME!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

*walks off stage*

Edited Friday at 03:54 AM by Yimpa