If Reality Is Neutral..

[The White Belt]

Then why is it, that we feel out of sorts when we are sad, negative, angry, disappointed? Why do we pull ourselves back to happiness?

Even unconscious people know it's not right when they are stressed, anxious, unhappy etc.

This is the entire point of life, to be happy, why do we have this bias between equanimity, happiness, calm, peace etc?

Why are enlightened people so happy, so calm, so soothing, funny, all of these traits we know are good, if reality is nothingness?

[Spiral]

Humans are "designed" to prefer happiness and therefore we strive for it, although maybe I misunderstand what you are asking for.

If you mean why are we designed to strive after happiness, we need to it for biological reason, now why do things have to be that way? well... idk, that just how it is I suppose.

Edited July 25, 2017 by Spiral

[Nahm]

@The White Belt it is you who holds the beliefs and concepts which cause the sadness! let all thoughts, beliefs and concepts go.  let your past and future go! it's all illusion! it's all make believe! the rainbow that awaits you is you and it does not know sadness, only illusion! 

meditate and let go of all your intentions, all your dreams, everything you want, let go of yourself- it will all be waiting when you're done, just as you left it. 

 

[Shin]

Yesterday I was having a depression, except that I knew it was that, didn't bought into it, even laughed about it, and I was at peace.

Peace is different than happiness, it's subtler, less flashy, but that's what you really want, not happiness, hapinness is way too much associated with pleasure and having a high of sort.

You can't have constant happiness, at least not when you still think you're a human being, the whole seeking and hoarding of happiness is what creates sorrow in the first place anyway.

 

Edited July 25, 2017 by Shin

[The White Belt]

Why peace then? Why don't enlightened people have chaos? If consciousness is neutral...

[Nahm]

every spec of the illusion is relative.  u r absolute.  

[Joseph Maynor]

"Then why is it, that we feel out of sorts when we are sad, negative, angry, disappointed? Why do we pull ourselves back to happiness?"

There is no you to be happy.  That is the bad thinking.  You need nothing to be happy.  

"Even unconscious people know it's not right when they are stressed, anxious, unhappy etc."

"This is the entire point of life, to be happy, why do we have this bias between equanimity, happiness, calm, peace etc?"

Watch these two videos:

 

"Why are enlightened people so happy, so calm, so soothing, funny, all of these traits we know are good, if reality is nothingness?"

Watch this one:

And finally this one:

 

 

Edited July 25, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Ananta]

5 hours ago, The White Belt said:

Then why is it, that we feel out of sorts when we are sad, negative, angry, disappointed?

Because we feel off balance, however all these emotions are part of the human existence. Accepting them and not resisting allows them to move on much quicker. 

5 hours ago, The White Belt said:

Even unconscious people know it's not right when they are stressed, anxious, unhappy etc.

That's ego talking. Meaning, ego wants to not feel these things and so will chase objects to feel happy.

5 hours ago, The White Belt said:

Why are enlightened people so happy, so calm, so soothing, funny, all of these traits we know are good, if reality is nothingness?

How many so called enlightened people do you know ..well? You can't count those under a microscope during a Satsang. Emotions come and go, they're not a problem unless the ego grabs a hold of them.

Nisargadatta is a prime example, many people have accounted that he was quick to anger, even yell at people, but would turn around a few minutes later and be laughing with them.

[Shanmugam]

39 minutes ago, Anna1 said:

Because we feel off balance, however all these emotions are part of the human existence. Accepting them and not resisting allows them to move on much quicker. 

That's ego talking. Meaning, ego wants to not feel these things and so will chase objects to feel happy.

How many so called enlightened people do you know ..well? You can't count those under a microscope during a Satsang. Emotions come and go, they're not a problem unless the ego grabs a hold of them.

Nisargadatta is a prime example, many people have accounted that he was quick to anger, even yell at people, but would turn around a few minutes later and be laughing with them.

They don't really feel those emotions like others do... It only appears such for the people who are watching them.. All the liberated person feels is ups and downs in energy, and a little bit of subtle sensations... In other words, their emotions are not really like the emotions of people who are unconscious. Emotions of people who are unconscious are very solid, opaque and they get powered by thoughts and emotions back and forth for a while.. Emotions of liberated ones are like tiny bits of distant clouds which disappear without any effort. I would feel hesitant to even call them as emotions..

[Ananta]

8 minutes ago, Shanmugam said:

They don't really feel those emotions like others do... It only appears such for the people who are watching them.. All the liberated person feels is ups and downs in energy, and a little bit of subtle sensations... In other words, their emotions are not really like the emotions of people who are unconscious. Emotions of people who are unconscious are very solid, opaque and they get powered by thoughts and emotions back and forth for a while.. Emotions of liberated ones are like tiny bits of distant clouds which disappear without any effort. I would feel hesitant to even call them as emotions..

Hmm, I think we had this same discussion on the other forum. It went no where on there and I suspect the same here. So, I will not comment further.

[Joseph Maynor]

@Shanmugam

15 minutes ago, Shanmugam said:

They don't really feel those emotions like others do... It only appears such for the people who are watching them.. All the liberated person feels is ups and downs in energy, and a little bit of subtle sensations... In other words, their emotions are not really like the emotions of people who are unconscious. Emotions of people who are unconscious are very solid, opaque and they get powered by thoughts and emotions back and forth for a while.. Emotions of liberated ones are like tiny bits of distant clouds which disappear without any effort. I would feel hesitant to even call them as emotions..

I kind of agree with this.  I don't really have too many emotions anymore.  Last 30 days I've been 90% reduced in emotions, both positive and negative.

The emotions I do have are all traceable to the ego or the body.  My body wants more attention -- working out, diet, sleep, nutrition, etc.  So I get that screaming at me.  And then I get the ego causing some negative emotions due to believing in itself.  With those, meditation seems to rid those the best.  Just do nothing meditation 1 hour every morning.

Edited July 26, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Shanmugam]

Just now, Anna1 said:

Hmm, I think we had this same discussion on the other forum. It went no where on there and I suspect the same here. So, I will not comment further.

No problem... But let me ask you onething... Unless you yourself are enlightened, how would you know how enlightened ones perceive emotions in a particular way?

You may ask me the same question.. I don't really know how exactly the enlightened ones perceive the emotions, but what I stated was actually how I perceive those emotions... So, you can replace the word 'they' with 'I'... 

But I don't claim to be enlightened. All I know is I am free of the sense of separate identity....Since they should also be free of the sense of separate identity, I just infer that they should either perceive emotions the same way I do or not perceive them at all...But not perceiving any emotions at all seems to be something that is not in my understanding. So, I just said what is more likely based on my own experience.

However, I know perfectly well and 100% sure that what I described in my previous post is possible. Because that is how I experience life. Does it make sense?

[Ananta]

3 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said:

@Shanmugam

I kind of agree with this.  I don't really have too many emotions anymore.  Last 30 days I've been 90% reduced in emotions, both positive and negative.

You may have painful emotions if your mom gets hit by a bus tomorrow... 

Emotions are like thoughts..out of your control and come/go. 

 

[Joseph Maynor]

@Anna1 Not really.  The more enlightened you are the less you will create emotions.  You create all your emotions.

[Ananta]

@Shanmugam Sounds like you suffer from apathy...

Pleasure and pain persist after Moksha! Difference is suffering ends. The feeling that you are in some foundational way diminished. 

[Joseph Maynor]

@Anna1 If you have no ego you don't really make distinctions anymore.  Reality is just accepted as a whole.  A lot of shit came together for me after I watched this video.  Good job Leo!

Watch this video

 

Edited July 26, 2017 by Joseph Maynor

[Shanmugam]

@Anna1 I didn't say pain and pleasure doesn't persist... Read my post again

[Heart of Space]

Having an ego has an evolutionary advantage for human beings.  Without an ego all beings would be in such extreme peace they would not care if they could not get their next meal, sexual partner, or even their next breathe of air.  If you were in such an extreme state of peace you would have very poor chances of surviving and reproducing.  

Because of this, the ego is an advantageous creation for the soul purpose of making an illusory game of "I need (X) thing to be satisfied or happy."  In the short term, the ego rewards those who give into its wants, but in the long run it is a bottomless pit of craving and aversion.  This is the best way an organism with such a complex level of consciousness such as a human survives with the highest probability of reproducing.  

Seeing through this game will allow you to gain the peace that the ego promises but never delivers.  

Edited July 26, 2017 by Heart of Space

[Shanmugam]

@Anna1  You probably misunderstood what I said... Let me add some annotations and formatting

 

They don't really feel those emotions like others do...(they feel them quite differently) .. It only appears such for the people who are watching them.. All the liberated person feels is ups and downs in energy, and a little bit of subtle sensations.(which may be painful or pleasing).. In other words, their emotions are not really like the emotions of people who are unconscious. Emotions of people who are unconscious are very solid, opaque and they get powered by thoughts and emotions back and forth for a while.. Emotions of liberated ones are like tiny (painful or pleasant) bits of distant clouds which disappear without any effort. I would feel hesitant to even call them as emotions.. 

[Joseph Maynor]

@Shanmugam You have inner feelings but any conceptualization of those feelings or identification of those feelings is a thought-story.  The raw sensations are self-aware, that's it.