Some Questions about everything

[SpaceCowboy]

Hi all,

this field of consciousness, spirituality and enlightenment is in my opinion the most sensible way of making sense of reality. Yet, the deeper I go, the more questions seem to arise. In this post I want to brainstorm/share a couple of question that are keeping me busy. Feel free to think about them or respond to them, but please make sure you know what you're talking about (so you don't add to the already big enough confusion!).

1. If the only thing that exists is consciousness and nothing is hidden, where is the memory for our personality/karma? Where are all the subconscious beliefs until you make them conscious?

2. Is it correct to say that the only thing that is keeping us from enlightenment is untrue perception/misidentification?

3. Vedantic philosophy seems to the be most sophisticated and accurate spiritual scripture. Why don't we put more emphasis on that tradition here on this forum?

4. Many enlightened yogis seem to have special powers like the ability to give shaktipat or the abillity to instantly communicate with other yogis through a "yogic net". Many other realized beings, such as many neo-advaitans, Shinzen Young or non-traditional people like Peter Ralston or Eckhart Tolle don't report those abilites. Why is that?

5. Some say to become enlightened, you have to pull off every layer of your personality, like an onion. Some say, you can become enlightened right now, regardless of the personal/emotional baggage you are carrying. Is both correct?

6. What is the number 1 thing to leverage our growth in consciousness?

7. How can you grow your consciousness if everything that exists is only consciousness?

8. Why don't more enlightened beings leave their body (mahasmadhi) like Swami Vivekananda at age 39?

9. Is one's ability to love an accurate indicator of karmic progress?

10. Has somebody here on the forum accessed the astral plane?

[Guest Quanty]

26 minutes ago, SpaceCowboy said:

Hi all,

this field of consciousness, spirituality and enlightenment is in my opinion the most sensible way of making sense of reality. Yet, the deeper I go, the more questions seem to arise. In this post I want to brainstorm/share a couple of question that are keeping me busy. Feel free to think about them or respond to them, but please make sure you know what you're talking about (so you don't add to the already big enough confusion!).

1. If the only thing that exists is consciousness and nothing is hidden, where is the memory for our personality/karma? Where are all the subconscious beliefs until you make them conscious?

1st chakra and the rest of the body.

 

2. Is it correct to say that the only thing that is keeping us from enlightenment is untrue perception/misidentification?

Is the willing to let go of life, literally. Start blowing out the breath.

 

3. Vedantic philosophy seems to the be most sophisticated and accurate spiritual scripture. Why don't we put more emphasis on that tradition here on this forum?

Is not.

 

4. Many enlightened yogis seem to have special powers like the ability to give shaktipat or the abillity to instantly communicate with other yogis through a "yogic net". Many other realized beings, such as many neo-advaitans, Shinzen Young or non-traditional people like Peter Ralston or Eckhart Tolle don't report those abilites. Why is that?

I can, so i don't know about others, haven't been interested in others. 

 

5. Some say to become enlightened, you have to pull off every layer of your personality, like an onion. Some say, you can become enlightened right now, regardless of the personal/emotional baggage you are carrying. Is both correct?

It is an awakning, followed by thousands more, than the process of healing the body. Instant Enlightenment is only the Enlightenment of the EGO, like taking a drug state and come back. 

 

6. What is the number 1 thing to leverage our growth in consciousness?

Change.

 

7. How can you grow your consciousness if everything that exists is only consciousness?

One does not grow, one discovers. 

 

8. Why don't more enlightened beings leave their body (mahasmadhi) like Swami Vivekananda at age 39?

Belief system.

 

9. Is one's ability to love an accurate indicator of karmic progress?

Love can only be directed inwards, outwards is not love, is acceptance, compasion, etc. 

 

10. Has somebody here on the forum accessed the astral plane?

Yes. One gets bored after a while  

5

 

[SpaceCowboy]

@Quanty  So you are enlightened?

What is the best way to explore consciousness in your opinion? Meditation? Kriya Yoga? Contemplation? Psychedelics?

[Highest]

1 hour ago, SpaceCowboy said:

Hi all,

this field of consciousness, spirituality and enlightenment is in my opinion the most sensible way of making sense of reality. Yet, the deeper I go, the more questions seem to arise. In this post I want to brainstorm/share a couple of question that are keeping me busy. Feel free to think about them or respond to them, but please make sure you know what you're talking about (so you don't add to the already big enough confusion!).

2. Is it correct to say that the only thing that is keeping us from enlightenment is untrue perception/misidentification?

Yes, that is one of the reasons.

3. Vedantic philosophy seems to the be most sophisticated and accurate spiritual scripture. Why don't we put more emphasis on that tradition here on this forum?

I don't know, we should. The Vedanta is pure wisdom, pure truth.

4. Many enlightened yogis seem to have special powers like the ability to give shaktipat or the abillity to instantly communicate with other yogis through a "yogic net". Many other realized beings, such as many neo-advaitans, Shinzen Young or non-traditional people like Peter Ralston or Eckhart Tolle don't report those abilites. Why is that?

Most won't believe them, to them it is impossible or not real. The truth is quite the opposite.

5. Some say to become enlightened, you have to pull off every layer of your personality, like an onion. Some say, you can become enlightened right now, regardless of the personal/emotional baggage you are carrying. Is both correct?

Your consciousness has to be cleansed before you can become enlightened, this happens naturally as you progress in spiritual Journey. You can get a glimpse of the eternal truth right now if you are open minded, or if grace hits you while you meditate and observe your toughts.

6. What is the number 1 thing to leverage our growth in consciousness?

To believe that you cannot do it.

8. Why don't more enlightened beings leave their body (mahasmadhi) like Swami Vivekananda at age 39?

Maybe they are not ready, maybe they want to live their life fully and die naturally.

10. Has somebody here on the forum accessed the astral plane?

Yes, and OBE, lucid dreaming. It changes your perspective on reality, on what is real and unreal.

Sorry couldn't answer all the questions.

[Guest Quanty]

24 minutes ago, SpaceCowboy said:

@Quanty  So you are enlightened?

What is the best way to explore consciousness in your opinion? Meditation? Kriya Yoga? Contemplation? Psychedelics?

Learning to make the link between the Breath and the energy below (the Dragon). After, everything makes sense by discovery, at the moment. One will know what to do per example, at the moment that one does it. 

[SpaceCowboy]

@Highest @Quanty

Thanks!

[SoonHei]

seen some videos on YT where many enlightened masters say that 

THIS IS IT. It is THIS (pointing to the space/room/area around them) 

then they also say this, whatever THIS is, is unknowable. 

or speaking from the Oneness they say, I don't know what I AM or What this is... All I know is that it just is...

 

like are they trying to say that the entirety of universe, the ONE/infinite "structure" they dont know what all of it is, in itself?

also, from the oneness point of view (i assume that's the God point of view) - does Oneness/God not know "what" it / all this is? or how it came about or w/ever.

 

one common theme shared is that THIS is God expereicing the infininte possiblities which can exist - and that's just what that is

[tsuki]

3 hours ago, SpaceCowboy said:

1. If the only thing that exists is consciousness and nothing is hidden, where is the memory for our personality/karma? Where are all the subconscious beliefs until you make them conscious?

Asking questions about total, universal, substance is pointless. No answers can be given in this realm of generality.
That is because there is no way to create contrast to something else (not-consciousness) and in doing so, reveal properties of consciousness.
Consciousness has contradictory properties because, by definition, everything is made of it.

It is a way to conceptualize a world in which there is no perceiver, but only the perception. 
By inventing imaginary substance that everything is made of.
Unless you can observe this phenomenon yourself, no amount of talking can reveal it to you.

[Arman]

4 hours ago, SpaceCowboy said:

1. If the only thing that exists is consciousness and nothing is hidden, where is the memory for our personality/karma? Where are all the subconscious beliefs until you make them conscious?

Same place as everything else, the infinite field of consciousness 

4 hours ago, SpaceCowboy said:

2. Is it correct to say that the only thing that is keeping us from enlightenment is untrue perception/misidentification?

I'd say that is correct

4 hours ago, SpaceCowboy said:

3. Vedantic philosophy seems to the be most sophisticated and accurate spiritual scripture. Why don't we put more emphasis on that tradition here on this forum?

The most sophisticated and accurate teachings aren't always going to be the most appropriate for someone. Relevancy is going to come down to where someone is in terms of their consciousness and karma. Once the propensity for growth is there, then certain teachings or teachers are going to be fitted. Vedantic teachings are also limited by historical and cultural context and is easy to be misunderstood. At a certain level it can be useful but a noobie is going to struggle to make sense of it pragmatically.

4 hours ago, SpaceCowboy said:

4. Many enlightened yogis seem to have special powers like the ability to give shaktipat or the abillity to instantly communicate with other yogis through a "yogic net". Many other realized beings, such as many neo-advaitans, Shinzen Young or non-traditional people like Peter Ralston or Eckhart Tolle don't report those abilites. Why is that?

I don't think they necessarily happen to everyone for a start, but they can. At certain levels of evolution siddhis come up but they are more a consequence of the greater field of consciousness that works through the individual. They come and go and aren't always obvious. Typically people don't showboat these things and if they do it would be to their detriment. From a linear viewpoint, consciousness evolves through many stages and each stage has its own qualities as well as traps which can hinder someones development. Whether these teachers are currently embodied at certain levels of questionable. Without the appropriate framework of understanding, it's easy for people to think that non-dual teachers have reached some end point when in reality they may have stabilized a relatively mundane level where they can talk about teachings. For the record though I think the teachers you listed are integrous.

4 hours ago, SpaceCowboy said:

5. Some say to become enlightened, you have to pull off every layer of your personality, like an onion. Some say, you can become enlightened right now, regardless of the personal/emotional baggage you are carrying. Is both correct?

It would seem that both are correct - however the statement 'you are already enlightened' can only be confirmed through radically subjective experience. Until then it's mostly just a cool thing that people say. 

 

4 hours ago, SpaceCowboy said:

6. What is the number 1 thing to leverage our growth in consciousness?

Alignment of intent. Set your compass for the highest and everything else becomes reoriented in relation to that. Then even your mistakes are OK because they are within a context of your intent for only good. To be loving and kind to all things. 

 

4 hours ago, SpaceCowboy said:

7. How can you grow your consciousness if everything that exists is only consciousness?

Grow isn't the word I'd use. It seems reality is the evolution of infinitely unfolding creation through unlimited potentiality. Therefore in each moment you are the fulfillment of that potentiality. Growing is only an idea in the linear domain - from the larger viewpoint you could say that there's no such thing as growth, only infinitely unfolding perfection. 

 

4 hours ago, SpaceCowboy said:

8. Why don't more enlightened beings leave their body (mahasmadhi) like Swami Vivekananda at age 39?

They very likely do. How would you know though? After all, they'd be dead so they're not exactly around to brag about it and not everyone who reaches that stage has devotees. Most spiritual aspirants aren't in the public eye. Who could understand and verify such a thing? To doctors it would seem like heart failure or similar. 

4 hours ago, SpaceCowboy said:

9. Is one's ability to love an accurate indicator of karmic progress?

Yup

 

Edited July 13, 2018 by Arman

[robdl]

4 hours ago, SpaceCowboy said:

 Yet, the deeper I go, the more questions seem to arise. In this post I want to brainstorm/share a couple of question that are keeping me busy. Feel free to think about them or respond to them, but please make sure you know what you're talking about (so you don't add to the already big enough confusion!).

Are you separate from your questions/problems?  Or is thought-self (ego) perpetuating itself (i.e. "keeping itself busy") through conjuring problems/questions and then seeking knowledge to resolve them?

I have questions/problems.

vs.

"I" is questions/problems.

 

No questions means no questioner.  The questions sustain the questioner.

 

Edited July 13, 2018 by robdl

[Nahm]

4 hours ago, SpaceCowboy said:

Hi all,

this field of consciousness, spirituality and enlightenment is in my opinion the most sensible way of making sense of reality.

It’s actual, not a ‘way of making sense’. 

Yet, the deeper I go, the more questions seem to arise.

I hear that man. 

1. If the only thing that exists is consciousness and nothing is hidden, where is the memory for our personality/karma? Where are all the subconscious beliefs until you make them conscious?

You don’t ‘make them conscious’. You are consciousness. ‘Nothing is hidden’; because nothing is appearing as you & all this other ‘physical stuff’. It’s hard to find nothing when it’s appearing as everything. 

2. Is it correct to say that the only thing that is keeping us from enlightenment is untrue perception/misidentification?

Yeah, but replace us with me.

3. Vedantic philosophy seems to the be most sophisticated and accurate spiritual scripture. Why don't we put more emphasis on that tradition here on this forum?

Try it out for yourself. 

4. Many enlightened yogis seem to have special powers like the ability to give shaktipat or the abillity to instantly communicate with other yogis through a "yogic net". Many other realized beings, such as many neo-advaitans, Shinzen Young or non-traditional people like Peter Ralston or Eckhart Tolle don't report those abilites. Why is that?

Think through if they reported these things. Nails & a cross come to mind. 

5. Some say to become enlightened, you have to pull off every layer of your personality, like an onion. Some say, you can become enlightened right now, regardless of the personal/emotional baggage you are carrying. Is both correct?

Only you can become enlightened, no one else. Enjoy the adventure of how, it’s the trip of a lifetime. 

6. What is the number 1 thing to leverage our growth in consciousness?

Self Inquiry. 

7. How can you grow your consciousness if everything that exists is only consciousness?

By removing the veils you’ve added. Nothing grows. 

8. Why don't more enlightened beings leave their body (mahasmadhi) like Swami Vivekananda at age 39?

You don’t go to the park to say why don’t I leave the park. Maybe you do lol I don’t know. 

9. Is one's ability to love an accurate indicator of karmic progress?

You witness everything you say & do. You are your own karma. 

10. Has somebody here on the forum accessed the astral plane?

Twice out of body. Never on purpose though. 

 

[SpaceCowboy]

Thanks all <3

[Preetom]

@SpaceCowboy Excellent Thread! Thanks for posting these interesting questions. I'll be answering from all the theory I've gathered from non-duality Godfathers and my own glimpses. I'm not fully Enlightened yet. I'll be answering from pure non dual/absolute perspective (I've already broken the Truth by trying to talk about it lol) . Some things may sound very radical but I'm open to it for discovering these for myself.

21 hours ago, SpaceCowboy said:

1. If the only thing that exists is consciousness and nothing is hidden, where is the memory for our personality/karma? Where are all the subconscious beliefs until you make them conscious?

A: The very idea of a mind that contains all beliefs, thoughts, emotions etc is itself a thought and thus unreal. Ramana Maharshi told that search for your mind, you'll discover that such a thing doesn't exist. You're only conscious of your current thought, emotion that is arising right in this moment. The notion of a cumulative mind is an idea/model for relative transactions.

2. Is it correct to say that the only thing that is keeping us from enlightenment is untrue perception/misidentification?

A: Yes. According to Nisargadatta Maharaj, you're dilemma is a case of mistaken identity. That which is unborn and beyond death has somehow convinced itself that it is bound in a body-mind and it will die/suffer. That's the start of the whole chain of misperception. 

3. Vedantic philosophy seems to the be most sophisticated and accurate spiritual scripture. Why don't we put more emphasis on that tradition here on this forum?

A: It is the most direct literature. But it contains many philosophical jargon which is extremely difficult to get a feel of if you're not a native. Some modern non dual teachers like Rupert Spira, Gary Weber, Fred Davis etc have adjusted the vedantic philosophy in modern, secular expressions very effectively.

4. Many enlightened yogis seem to have special powers like the ability to give shaktipat or the abillity to instantly communicate with other yogis through a "yogic net". Many other realized beings, such as many neo-advaitans, Shinzen Young or non-traditional people like Peter Ralston or Eckhart Tolle don't report those abilites. Why is that?

A: Whatever superpower or state that comes along is an object/experience happening inside Consciousness. It is not THE CONSCIOUSNESS aka The Absolute. These powers/perceptions are like tapping into different realms but it's technically not any different form the realm in which you are right now. One can train for them or sometimes it can accidentally fall on one's lap. But when it comes to realizing the Absolute, they are irrelevant. From absolute perspective there is no difference between the stupidest act and some physic superpowers. Awake is Awake!  

5. Some say to become enlightened, you have to pull off every layer of your personality, like an onion. Some say, you can become enlightened right now, regardless of the personal/emotional baggage you are carrying. Is both correct?

A: Both is true from their own perspective. From Absolute perspective, nothing has ever happened to you. You are always you aka Pure Consciousness, no matter what you imagine yourself to be or how deluded you act. But it is a thought/ego that has mixed pure consciousness with objective qualities of limited experiences like body-mind. Its like a mixture of oil and water. The oil and water never mixed together but temporarily it seems to be one mixture. Thus comes practice/path. Through contemplative investigation you see through your untrue perception and realize you've never been anything but the Absolute!

6. What is the number 1 thing to leverage our growth in consciousness?

A: From my own experience, it is continuous self observation. Whatever feeling/thought/object in yourself that you feel like is you, observe that as an object in Consciousness while you remain as Consciousness. It's this vigilance of not attaching yourself to any object no matter how gross or subtle it is. In this process, you're directly taking the power back from your mis-identifications. There are other names for this practice. Self Inquiry/Resting as Awareness/Focusing on 'I AM' etc. This is all you need to realize the Absolute. You may or may not develop any superpower but that's irrelevant. A helpful hack for this work: DO NO TRUST ANY OF YOUR THOUGHT!

7. How can you grow your consciousness if everything that exists is only consciousness?

A: Once again, Pure Consciousness itself never rises or falls. It's a two way process. First you fix your mistaken identity and discover yourself as Pure Consciousness without any quality. Then you look back into the world and discover that all is a play of Consciousness thus the full circle of nonduality is completed. There is only one thing going on. Consciousness being itself. You being You.

8. Why don't more enlightened beings leave their body (mahasmadhi) like Swami Vivekananda at age 39?

A: Once again, these paranormal phenomenas are irrelevant for Absolute Truth. The realized one neither anticipates life nor death. 

9. Is one's ability to love an accurate indicator of karmic progress?

A: Yes. But love can be misunderstood word. It's more like an unconditional acceptance for reality as it is. Also it indicates a maturity to handle non dual Truths when you discover it. In this path, you'll return to the same Truths over and over again but your insight on them will be oceans apart as you keep on maturing. A non dual experience can ruin an ignorant fella who has a huge karmic load as he will be interpreting it in a wrong manner. The same discovery can be liberation for a mature one.

10. Has somebody here on the forum accessed the astral plane?

A: I haven't studied about astral planes so I got no idea. But I've had few wacky experiences in dreams, meditation, sleep etc.

 

Edited July 13, 2018 by Preetom