The Paradox of Seeking and Realizing

[JustinS]

Upon realization, one looks back and wonders how and why does the seeker even come to exist? For Truth? Only to realize that once the seeking has stopped, that was liberation. To realize who and what you are. Prior to this the 4 or + years of seeking just seemed like a bad dream, yet felt so solid and real. It becomes a bad joke and there is nothing to do but laugh! But of course, PARADOXICALLY much hard seeking and yearning is needed in the beginning. To the "awakened" state, seeking just seems like a bad joke, but to a seeker, it's either life or death, a deep deep yearning. <- This deep yearning can confuse the "awakened" state, as like "for realz dude?" (This is not a disclaimer for seekers to give up there search, but at the same time it does!) I'm so confused about this and that's why I'm making a post about it!!!! HAHAHAH! 

Enlightenment is just a concept that the ego attaches to as something solid or an attachment one could acquire. But it's just giving up the pretense of becoming anything. This probably doesn't make any sense to a seeker. 

I am not saying I'm the slightest awake or my ego is just tricking me but for once in my life of 4+ years of meditation, I have no desire to meditate or look into spiritual teachings. Now reading or watching videos of teachers talking about enlightenment is just the most obvious thing ever. I don't know if this is the side effect of awakening but for the first time it just clicks and there's this deep knowing of the obvious. 

Edited January 21, 2018 by JustinS

[Joseph Maynor]

Here's a great paradox for you to consider: The paradox between Self-actualization and Enlightenment.   

Edited January 21, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[JustinS]

@Joseph Maynor self actualization = nothing to something to nothing. Enlightenment = nothing to nothing.

[JustinS]

This all happened after my kundalini awakening + mdma a few days ago. Awakening through utter forgiveness and yearning for Truth. I don’t think this is still the after glow. I now sometimes feel sick to the stomach cause my mind and body is utterly confused at this utter blankness but at the same time my intuition feels at home. Body alignment is something that just needs to catch up and burn away the false. A clenching of the stomach where it seems my fears and uncertainty are embedded. Like a really long supreme scream the ride. 

Life has only truly just begun. Hahahaha!

Edited January 21, 2018 by JustinS

[JustinS]

Who would you be if you were to forever give up your search for enlightenment? How would you feel in the gut? Empty? Feel into that. Give up everything. 

[Joseph Maynor]

The Mind is never where you're gonna find Enlightenment.  

[Leo Gura]

I don't get why you guys tie yourselves in knots over this seeker issue. OF COURSE the point of all seeking is the end of seeking!

It's like you got in a car to go to New York and then once you got there you make a big fuss: "What??? That's it??? No more driving??? But why did I drive then???"

You drove to get to where you got.

P.S. But also, there is more driving to do! Don't think you've reached the end. You have not 

[Joseph Maynor]

26 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

I don't get why you guys tie yourselves in knots over this seeker issue. OF COURSE the point of all seeking is the end of seeking!

It's like you got in a car to go to New York and then once you got there you make a big fuss: "What??? That's it??? No more driving??? But why did I drive then???"

You drove to get to where you got.

P.S. But also, there is more driving to do! Don't think you've reached the end. You have not 

I like this paradox -- one must both seek and not seek Enlightenment.

Video I like:

And this one:

And this one:

 

Edited January 21, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[tecladocasio]

@Leo Gura yes , we reach the end leo ...

 

[JustinS]

@Leo Gura Forever in gratitude Leo. Thank you!! ? ?

Becoming a seeker was the worst thing and yet the best thing anyone could possibly do. Yet, if someone told me “should I start seeking?” I honestly would not know what to say. 

Seeking enlightenment in a way causes so much duality, separation, and suffering, like a child taken away from it’s mother, to the point you just break. You are intentionally expanding this duality between the seeker and the sought, causing immense longing and forgiveness to the point where you’d just give the whole damn thing up, and the child finally resting with the mother in a littler more deeper way than prior to awakening. 

 

Edited January 21, 2018 by JustinS

[DocHoliday]

1 hour ago, JustinS said:

@Leo Gura Forever in gratitude Leo. Thank you!! ? ?

Becoming a seeker was the worst thing and yet the best thing anyone could possibly do. Yet, if someone told me “should I start seeking?” I honestly would not know what to say. 

@JustinS That's a good question. I personally think it depends whether or not the individual is already living a happy and fulfilled life. When you advertise "the path of seeking" and "enlightenment" to those kinds of people, it will only confuse them and they will be probably repelled by it, but I guess in the end everybody who wants to seek, will ultimately start to seek on their own. That's why spirituality and enlightenment mustn't be preached to others as if it's the thing everybody ought to do. It's normally been said that when the teacher is ready, the student will appear, but I think it also goes the other way in the sense that when the "student" is ready to be taught, he will find the teacher or the teaching, more or less. But as always, "The fool who persists in his folly, will become wise" ~ William Blake. So one way ot the other, at some point realisation (of any kind - not necessarily enlightenment) will occur. 

Edited January 21, 2018 by DocHoliday

[snowleopard]

@JustinS  Isn't it just the difference between desperately seeking with some ill-defined expectations and identifications attached, rather than wondrously expressing/exploring the Divine dreamtime ... with no actual dichotomy between diviner and dream ... all there ever is, has been, or ever will be?

[JustinS]

@DocHoliday Yes, this individual, with much success and fulfillment one day may feel some emptiness that just creeps in out of the blue. At first, he just ignores it, but then it’s there again and again time after time. He starts to question himself, “hmm what is this?” He looks inwards and begins the search and after years to no prevail of filling this emptiness with answer, he just gives it up, then smack! Aha! It’s here. Now his work in the world and the fulfillment that may bring is secondary and not so much result orientated, he has become a true unconditional giver. 

[JustinS]

@snowleopard Yes! Without so much of the suffering and pretending. Believed pretention = suffering. The divine will punish you for that lol! 

Edited January 21, 2018 by JustinS

[snowleopard]

16 minutes ago, JustinS said:

The divine will punish you

Masochist !  

[SOUL]

Paradox is just an ironic dichotomy.

The yearning you speak of is what Buddha meant by desire, it manifests as an existential emptiness longing to be filled. Our body needs nourishment and it drives us with an urge to seek out food, we need to propagate so there is an urge to seek out a mate but in our consciousness, in the mind, this is an impulse to seek out meaning.

Contentment in being ceases the spinning of this cycle in our awareness, it's the middle way that transcends the duality. It's an enjoyment, fulfillment  and peace that has no opposite because it isn't conditional to be, it's present in every moment that now offers to be it.

Edited January 21, 2018 by SOUL

[JustinS]

@Mighty Mouse It certainly does not exist but I had to find that out for myself. And yes you can’t pretend that you’re there as thats also just believing and more concepts. It’s the end of concepts and clinging to experiences. It’s a thin imaginated veneer in front of our eyes. How does one get here to there? Run, run, and run for thousands of miles til you drop dead and stop and see. See the ignorance and laugh! AHA!

 

[JustinS]

Seems like there’s this balance that has to take place. A deep yearning for truth will eventually ripen you, and once the fruit is ripe, juicy, and sweet it will naturally want to plunge down onto the Earth’s ground and rejoice back into the whole, which of course was never separate. The fruit that initially formed on the branches, young and ignorant, needs time to ripen. When the fruit has developed faith and trust upon maturing (ripening) it will fall with grace and gratitude back into itself. ?

[JustinS]

Haha love this, 

“When someone asks me who they are, or what God is? I smile inside and whisper to the Light: "There you go again pretending." - Adyashanti

[phoenix666]

this discussion reminds me of there is no path nut only a fool doesn't walk it. it's exactly about this paradox, isn't it?

it's confusing for me when teachers say to 'stop seeking'. I get where they come from. the cycle closes, we end at the beginning, we are already there. but there is a whole world in-between that realization. if I 'stop seeking' I'd just slip back into my old life. living in a hamster wheel, running from one short term pleasure to another, stuck in career, money, competition, partying..