How to Live Your Life After Enlightenment?

[GrowingUp]

Question: Let's say, for example, that you focused on "being" and you had an experience of enlightenment. Or could "be enlightened" at any moment.

I'm wondering how you would spend your time.

Meaning - There's a Zen proverb I like that goes ... “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”

Which I take to mean that the requirements to sustain life still remain even once you attain enlightenment. Life goes on.

You still drink. You still eat. You still take shelter. I'm guessing you still work and make money and pay bills. (or not. None of that is required, obviously, as "living" is not a requirement)

So I'm curious ... IF you do attain enlightenment, what next? Or what then?

If you see that the world is caught up in the chimp mind - and you're enlightened and focused on "being" - how do you spend your days?

Time will continue to click by I imagine. And your body will require water, food, movement I imagine.

IF you're enlightened, should you choose to live in a cave and just "be" on a minimal amount of water, food, and shelter - and just "be" until your body's expiration date?

Or - within the knowledge of "being"ness - you choose to pick something to do with your life - simply knowing you're playing "the game" and disconnected from what you think "the game" will get you?

My thinking was... I was non-existent for billions of years - and after my relatively short period of consciousness - I'll be non-existent again for billions of years. So I'm used to the concept of "non-existent" - but while I have this short blip of consciousness - it might be interesting (disconnected from any particular 'end goal') to just play within the realm of consciousness. Not really "because of..." anything in particular - but just because one can. A different experience gives you different opportunities.

I'm just wondering what the thoughts are around what you do with the time you're conscious - even while you choose to pursue self-inquiry and enlightenment. 

Thoughts?

[Joseph Maynor]

Look into Leo’s Life Purpose Course.  That’s one way to do it.  That’s been my path.

[GrowingUp]

I'm just curious - if your "purpose" is made up - does any "life purpose" work? Because if your purpose is just living/being - wouldn't anything else you add be "made up"? I'm just curious - because the message from some of the videos I'm seeing is that work, money, life, etc. is a distraction from "being" - but what do you do with the time while you're focused on being? If work, family, marriage, business, etc. is a distraction - can your "life purpose" be following a distraction? Or is that okay - as long as you also focus on "being" and understand that the distraction is just a distraction - and you're able to be above it. Kind of like getting really involved in a game - but knowing that it's all just a game that will soon be over - and if someone were to tip the table over and all of the pieces were to be scattered on the floor, you wouldn't care - because it's just a game. So you're both "IN" the game - and yet disconnected from it.

Is that making sense? Just trying to wrap my head about both choosing and living out a made-up "life purpose" while also hearing that everything within that "life purpose" is a distraction from being. Thoughts?

[cirkussmile]

Everything will become Truth and also what your heart is wanting. If you were lying to yourself before enlightenment than all of that would adjust itself. Many times it means people completely change their life 180 degrees. 

That means quitting unsatisfying jobs and start to share and guide to enlightenment.

 

[Joseph Maynor]

1 hour ago, GrowingUp said:

I'm just curious - if your "purpose" is made up - does any "life purpose" work? Because if your purpose is just living/being - wouldn't anything else you add be "made up"? I'm just curious - because the message from some of the videos I'm seeing is that work, money, life, etc. is a distraction from "being" - but what do you do with the time while you're focused on being? If work, family, marriage, business, etc. is a distraction - can your "life purpose" be following a distraction? Or is that okay - as long as you also focus on "being" and understand that the distraction is just a distraction - and you're able to be above it. Kind of like getting really involved in a game - but knowing that it's all just a game that will soon be over - and if someone were to tip the table over and all of the pieces were to be scattered on the floor, you wouldn't care - because it's just a game. So you're both "IN" the game - and yet disconnected from it.

Is that making sense? Just trying to wrap my head about both choosing and living out a made-up "life purpose" while also hearing that everything within that "life purpose" is a distraction from being. Thoughts?

My life purpose is to help myself and others increase self-acceptance and acceptance of reality by optimizing use of the Mind.  This is the work I am naturally doing anyway — it might as well be my career too.  

Find what it is that you’re already naturally inclined to do and turn that into a career.  You gotta have a job, so make it’s the best one you can.  What is your natural work?  That’s what Leo’s Course helps you find.  And it’s an intense course, going though a lot of stuff to help you find and implement your life purpose.  Best $250 I have ever spent by far.

Edited February 8, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[GrowingUp]

Okay awesome! I have a "life purpose" already (one that I'm very passionate about. I coach people to stop overdrinking) - but in watching some videos about how work, jobs, etc. are distractions from "being" - I was just curious about the thinking about putting so much attention into a purpose if it's a distraction from the work of "being" and enlightenment. I appreciate the feedback!

[Nahm]

@GrowingUp To me the chopping wood carry water is in regards to how you would be still living your life, outwardly appearing the same, but your experience is completely different. The first ‘chopping wood’, is like regular old just chopping wood, relatively mindlessly, asleep-  then after, chopping wood is an amazing, inexplicable, miracle. Same with water. Before, it’s just like... water, nothing notable, no biggie. After, that water is you! Impossible, except there’s the water!!! Lol.

 You’d still be free to do whatever you want, like you already are now, the difference is that you would know there is only you, so there’s nothing to fear, there’s no self doubt anymore. There’s also the serendipity, synchronicities, etc ?Ironically, a desire to help others with their consciousness kicks in, as that is the highest calling for the love which has become obvious as primary. 

I don’t see it that you weren’t for billions of years, and now are, and then won’t be. What you are has actually been perfectly consistent forever, including right now, and will also be forever. The illusion has us seeing things otherwise, seeing ‘things’ at all. 

There’s a purpose in that you are, but no purpose in anything you do (existentially). No reason not to create meaning and purpose in our lives in accordance with our authenticity though. That’s what we’re doing. 

Distractions, (imo) relative to Leo’s video, are in terms of a steadfast complete focus on raising consciousness. In those terms, they range from taking too long to shit, to a marriage. If raising consciousness is the primary desire, everything and anything is a distraction. The point (again, imo) is to realize the degree we are distracted. We are very very sneaky in distracting ourselves. This might help someone realize, for example, that jerkin it, or playing video games, is what’s keeping them from expanding their consciousness. Wasting time. 

Being - you’re never not being. Mindfulness & awareness should be practiced 24/7. Meditation is a time of nothing-but-practice. We can work, drive, converse, study, developing & pursing life purpose, etc...and be practicing mindfulness and awareness. 

 

Can you share with me the cliff notes on the work that you do? What have you found that really works in terms of helping someone out of alcoholism?

Thanks man! 

 

[GrowingUp]

@Nahm Ah, thank you for the additional info/explanation. That's very helpful.

As far as a short version of what works on changing a drinking habit, it's a combination of things. I first work on beliefs around alcohol (helpful vs. unhelpful thoughts) - because people build up a story around their drinking that actually makes it harder to quit (i.e. I have a disease, I'm an alcoholic, I'm powerless, etc.) So I first focus on moving them from "victim" to "owner" of the situation. Then we work on the fun part - which is to stop trying to resist the urge to drink via willpower - and allow the urges/feelings in each moment. 

It's funny - because I just saw Leo's video on addiction today about how all of these things are distractions from feeling - and that's mainly what I teach my clients. It's a distraction from psychological pain that the mind itself created. So when I teach clients to allow their urges and so-called "negative" feelings - instead of resisting or distracting (with alcohol) - it takes the energy out of the urge. Once they've allowed a certain number of urges, the urges start to dissipate and disappear - because the urge/feeling is no longer rewarded with alcohol.

It's obviously a bit of discomfort for a bit - because your limbic system really cranks up the anxiety when you don't respond to an urge - so that's why I equip my clients with ways to allow the urges and ride the waves all the way through. A little bit of discomfort is the currency for change. The side benefit is they also realize they can feel any feeling without "dying" - so it can also stop other addictive habits at the same time. 

Anyway - that's a short version.

Thanks again for the info. Much appreciated!

[SOUL]

Well, for one thing, watch that you don't chop your foot, it's a foot in unity but it still hurts.

[Nahm]

@GrowingUp wow man. It’s like I knew that stuff, but it just clarified in my mind a lot more. Thank you. I have some close friends in that process, and not that I’m about to ‘help them’ (not that I wouldn’t, I’ve tried, and would help in a heartbeat) but you eased my concern on their behalf a lot with the clarity. ??

[aurum]

@GrowingUp

However you want you've realized the freedom you've always had.

 

[pluto]

All is understood with Enlightenment. You will just "Know" and you will most definitely live more Wholly.