It Goes Deeper Than You Might Think...

[Faceless]

3 hours ago, Ether said:

@Faceless I feel so inspired by Buddha's story I swear! And i dont know why! And i dont wanna know why!

From the very limited amount that I know about Buddha I would say he was more my type of being as far as sharing on the workings of the mind. 

I feel like I understand him fairly easy even though I engage mosty by self inquiry. He seemed to go in great depth on motive, will, volition, desire, pleasure, and so on. His sharing seemed to be very practical and applied to daily life of human beings. Although I wouldn’t say I could necessarily learn about myself through him, I feel like the way in which he shared was rather unique from the rest that I have browsed upon he last few months. Only other ancient i seem to really share commonalitys is with Laozi. 

Edited February 24, 2018 by Faceless

[Joseph Maynor]

13 minutes ago, Faceless said:

From the very limited amount that I know about Buddha I would say he was more my type of being as far as sharing on the workings of the mind. 

I feel like I understand him fairly easy even though I engage mosty by self inquiry. He seemed to go in great depth on motive, will, volition, desire, pleasure, and so on. His sharing seemed to be very practical and applied to daily life of human beings. Although I wouldn’t say I could necessarily learn about myself through him, I feel like the way in which he shared was rather unique from the rest that I have browsed upon he last few months. Only other ancient i seem to really share commonalitys is with Laozi. 

Buddha is kinda like Socrates in that sense.  He was less metaphysical than one needs to be.  But he has the right skepticism about theory which is wise.  Most of what we believe is indeed humbug.  But the Buddha never found the unchanging Self that stands like a pillar in the midst of changing Maya.  Some people are a bit too pragmatic to see the bigger picture.  Buddha never found the Atman, the unchanging Soul.  Shankara fixed that lapse in theory.  I’m not saying Shankara is completely right, but he fixed that part of it.  Awareness exists and an unchanging, empty thing.  Timeless, spaceless, deathless, changeless, permanent.  See?  The Buddha didn’t see that.  He was too pragmatic.  Too scientific.

Edited February 24, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[Ether]

@Faceless Yeah, I havent learnt a lot about his teachings but mostly about his life

[Shanmugam]

27 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said:

Buddha is kinda like Socrates in that sense.  He was less metaphysical than one needs to be.  But he has the right skepticism about theory which is wise.  Most of what we believe is indeed humbug.  But the Buddha never found the unchanging Self that stands like a pillar in the midst of changing Maya.  Some people are a bit too pragmatic to see the bigger picture.  Buddha never found the Atman, the unchanging Soul.  Shankara fixed that lapse in theory.  I’m not saying Shankara is completely right, but he fixed that part of it.  Awareness exists and an unchanging, empty thing.  Timeless, spaceless, deathless, changeless, permanent.  See?  The Buddha didn’t see that.  He was too pragmatic.  Too scientific.

This is what most of the people think.. But this is not correct!

Read this: https://nellaishanmugam.wordpress.com/2017/09/21/buddhism-and-vedanta-are-the-same-a-detailed-comparison/

I wrote it mainly for hardcore Vedantins.. So, it may sound too theoretical. But I have clearly explained it in my book too.

[Ether]

1 minute ago, Shanmugam said:

This is what most of the people think.. But this is not correct!

Read this: https://nellaishanmugam.wordpress.com/2017/09/21/buddhism-and-vedanta-are-the-same-a-detailed-comparison/

I wrote it mainly for hardcore Vedantins.. So, it may sound too theoretical. But I have clearly explained it in my book too.

How was Buddha's latest years? Did he still meditate?

[Shanmugam]

1 minute ago, Ether said:

How was Buddha's latest years? Did he still meditate?

After enlightenment, Buddha was traveling from place to place and giving discourses.. There was no need for him to do formal sitting meditations after enlightenment. In fact, whatever quality is there in deep meditation is always there after enlightenment... 

[Ether]

1 minute ago, Shanmugam said:

After enlightenment, Buddha was traveling from place to place and giving discourses.. There was no need for him to do formal sitting meditations after enlightenment. In fact, whatever quality is there in deep meditation is always there after enlightenment... 

Did he never took vacations? Or just enjoy life? THats what i might do after i reach it, IF i reach it. ya knoooo

[Shanmugam]

Just now, Ether said:

Did he never took vacations? Or just enjoy life? THats what i might do after i reach it, IF i reach it. ya knoooo

When it comes to history,  no one can be 100% sure.  We can only reconstruct a hypothetical past based on historical method, which is something that historians use. So, in reality, no amount of historical reference can really reflect the past exactly as it happened, scene by scene!

There are many myths and stories about Buddha. Whatever historical information we have about Buddha has been made available by historians based on historical method. Buddha was living with his monks all the time, who had renounced the world. 

The whole point of enlightenment is to take a vacation; you get a permanent vacation from your thought story which allows you to enjoy each and every moment without worries! 

[Ether]

1 minute ago, Shanmugam said:

The whole point of enlightenment is to take a vacation; you get a permanent vacation from your thought story which allows you to enjoy each and every moment without worries! 

Bruh, you have no idea how much i used to crave awakening.

But I noticed that when I think: "Oh, in the future I will be so happy!", uncounsciously im neglecting the present moment. Why? The future doesnt exist, when it will be here, it will be the present moment, and uncounsciously you are saying the present moment is insufficient\not good enough cuz if it was why would i crave another state?

These days, I just let go of everything. Just observe.

[Shanmugam]

Just now, Ether said:

Bruh, you have no idea how much i used to crave awakening.

But I noticed that when I think: "Oh, in the future I will be so happy!", uncounsciously im neglecting the present moment. Why? The future doesnt exist, when it will be here, it will be the present moment, and uncounsciously you are saying the present moment is insufficient\not good enough cuz if it was why would i crave another state?

These days, I just let go of everything. Just observe.

You are doing the right thing! No doubts... 

Craving for enlightenment is also a craving... That is the final trap. Enlightenment is here and now... 

You shouldn't be worried about the teachings that are given to absolute beginners... Beginners are told to strive for enlightenment, crave for enlightenment and to do something about it. Once they are progressed to a certain stage and are ready, that is when they say "Your craving for enlightenment is actually what is stopping from enlightenment. You are already enlightened. It is here and now. You cannot do anything for enlightenment. Just let go"..

You have to focus on witnessing. I guess that is what you are already doing. Did you listen to the full video that I posted about witnessing?

 

[Ether]

@Shanmugam I watched a lil bit

[Ether]

@Shanmugam I still feel numb, maybe not enough time has passed. I guess i will keep on accepting\observing

[Shin]

Just have to see the dream as a dream

 

[Shanmugam]

@Ether Yes.. keep witnessing 

[Ether]

3 minutes ago, Shanmugam said:

@Ether Yes.. keep witnessing 

You are going to take youtubing\books seriously?

[Shanmugam]

Just now, Ether said:

You are going to take youtubing\books seriously?

I do whatever I do when I feel like it.. Whatever that happened in the last one year, I planned none of it.. I never knew I would even write a book. I have thought about writing a book about Jesus. But I have no idea when I will start writing it.. It may or may not happen..   I have to do a lot of historical research about that. But I never have a fixed agenda. 

[Ether]

@Shanmugam Yeah, I also try to let go of goals. I used to think "Oh im going to be a rapper when i get older". Now if that happens, it happens, if it doesnt, its ok too

[dude]

Created yesterday already 184 posts. You guys are on a roll hahaha

[pluto]

The homeless man who sat on the same bench at the park every day smiling in awe at everything he looked at as if he is continuously seeing life for the first time over and over again. That is Enlightenment and that can only exist in the in the complete present moment when you become wholly embodied in the awareness within.

 

 

Edited February 25, 2018 by pluto

[Preetom]

@Shanmugam

You're saying that after 'enlightenment', the inevitable growth is spontaneously happening at full speed without a sense of doer-ship. And yet at the same time, you feel totally complete, free and at peace right this moment. So the 'growth' you are having right now, It can't be any other way. (I hope I understood your words)

Now my first question is, what do you mean by 'growth' from post-enlightenment context?

is it things like emotional mastery, making spontaneous automatic healthy decisions, dissolving addictive behaviors, having the most appropriate response to every situation etc...Do these growths continue for lifetime?

I've read in Nisargadatta's book that every single movement of his mind and body is totally automatic and without second guessing...with a firm conviction that as a gnani, this is the best possible response to the present situation. Its like after you've swallowed the food, you don't bother to think about it. The food gets assimilated automatically. It requires zero conscious 'effort' from your part. But that doesn't mean Nisargadatta  became some zombie

 So does post-enlightenment growth moves towards this effortless automation more and more?

My second question is, do you have a sense that you've 'figured out' everything? Or do you feel that anything can happen in any moment and you can never know whats right up the corner but yet you've found peace in this insecurity..