Disagree with some of Leo's advice

[SBB4746]

I disagree when Leo says someone has to read 100's of books to escape the maze of life. In fact this can be a big distraction and be completely ego driven as the ego loves to gain "more" of things (e.g. More knowledge, more books) as it feels like it's advancing. I think number one thing is to have a deep curiosity as to what's true in ones experience. I guess books can help but someone definitely doesn't have to read hundreds.. got to realise a lot of these books are written by people with there own ideas which aren't necessarily true. Just a word of warning 

[cetus]

11 hours ago, SBB4746 said:

I disagree when Leo says someone has to read 100's of books to escape the maze of life.

@SBB4746 For most it takes much more than a sentence uttered. So 100's of books are sometimes needed. And for a very few, 100's of books are totally unnecessary.

 I'll give an example: "When you finally realize there is no individual there will be no questions to ask"

Are you enlightened now? Has the one who had a "deep curiosity" completely vanished? If so than you are one in a million. If not then reading is a path.

[MarkusR]

I 100% agree with you. I had the same disagreement when I heard Leo say that.

At the same time, reading deep books like book of not knowing can really open your mind to the depths of the ”maze”. Things you would have otherwise overlooked.

Just depends on the book; and in the end personal direct experience is always king.

[lmfao]

@SBB4746 honestly I have no idea whether what Leo said was right about 100's of books. I was initially confused listening to his videos because of the analogies of maze, rats and cheese but that was because I wasn't being "metaphorical" enough. There are an almost infinite amount of ways "cheese" can manifest. Common ones being wealth, validation, recognition, tasty food, sex, friends and etc. 

Edited August 26, 2018 by lmfao

[Preetom]

The books are necessary for starting and developing. To come out of this complacency and taking everything for granted. 

But when the pupil is matured, outside sources are no longer necessary. At some of the final levels, it's not about hoarding more stuff but to dig deep into a single thing. Ultimately all knowledge has to burn. The maze itself burns into ashes with it.

So it all depends on where you're at. Reminds me of the advice from Ramana Maharshi when asked about the necessity of books. He said that all real, wise books tell us to quiet the mind. If you're convinced and actually working on it then no further books are necessary. If not, then go read 500 books until you see there is no alternative to this work.

so the question is, are you gonna learn the easy way or the hard way.. 

[Salvijus]

I guess there's no hope for me then because I only read one book in my life "Inner Engineering" :D:D

 

[Nevon]

I think it take certain level of knowledge as foundation in order to escape the maze

Edited August 26, 2018 by Nevon

[GabrielWallace]

@SBB4746

I understand where you're coming from. But listen. Leo knows who he's talking to. It's true that not everyone who has ever 'escaped the maze' has had to have read 300+ books. There are many illiterate people in history who have become enlightened. Leo knows this.

But you're watching YouTube.

Don't misinterpret me - I'm not saying that watching YouTube is a sign of weakness or that it means you have an addiction or anything of the sort. What I'm saying is that the world in which you live right now is a carnival of whistles, rollercoasters, cotton candy and clowns. And even the most curious of individuals (indeed, especially the most curious) can get swept up in the clamor and craziness of it all, so enveloped in the whirlwind of immediate curiosity that you don't stop to question broader perspectives, alternative insights, or what's outside of the carnival. "What's true in one's experience" is likely to be an extraordinarily limited fragment of 'the maze' unless you expand your search.

Books are one such great way of expanding your search in a targeted, intentional way. One such way. Books can be used as tools within the maze, as maps... or even, in some cases, as weapons against the other rats. And yes, as you point out, books could divert us, puzzle us, and we could turn them into shiny objects of worship... But I think Leo was pretty clear about being selective and intentional about which books to use as tools, as well as being critical in our radical open-mindedness.

Books have the added advantage of cutting the chord that connects you to unnecessary distractions as you dive deep into a perspective that was specifically designed with the intention that you would progress through it in a linear way, thus guiding your consciousness through this new view of the world step by step, just as a well-structured melody sustains a listener's attention to the final note. This is beneficial because you're no longer bouncing around from curiosity to random curiosity - you are being lead by one who has already walked this particular path of the maze you happen to be reading about. Sure, it's great to be a lone explorer, but it's also fascinating when the maze has a tour guide who can silence the crowd around you for a moment.

The idea of reading so many books is to expand the sphere of your awareness. Your direct experience sharpens your awareness.

[Nahm]

@SBB4746 You’d have to believe you are in the ‘maze of life’.

[Leo Gura]

I guess I should have been more clear: solving the master does not merely mean enlightenment. It means solving the entire maze of your life, which is a far greater undertaking than just enlightenment. It includes mastery of relationships, career/biz, finances, art, health, emotions, etc. Even an enlightened perosn still needs to figure this stuff out, or at least to figure out that he is renoucing them.

Mastering the maze requires detailed knowledge of the maze, which can only be acquired through books. I don't just mean spirituality books. You don't need to read 300 spirituality books.

[SBB4746]

@Nahm I believe it's a maze 100%. Just most of my progress/insights hasn't been from reading books it's been seeing in my direct experience how my mind works. I've read a few of the good books and listened to hundreds of hours of enlightened teachers because it's what I like to do. Some of it has helped to see things in a different way but a lot has been a time waster. I just suggest people do what works best for them and not fill like reading 100s of books is necessary. I assume a lot of people don't even bother starting because Leo has set the bar way to high

[Joseph Maynor]

Look at all these people forming excuses not to have to educate themselves more hehe.  

Edited August 26, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[Leo Gura]

@Feel Good Learning on the job is fine and necessary, but it is too little picture. You need to read books to get the big picture of life. That is not something you can get from on-the-job learning.

Even just to master your career it will be important to read books from others in the field.

[GodMonkey]

You read books to in order to change. You are most likely not gonna remember 99% of the words that you read but you will be different for it.  

[SOUL]

There are no universal methods that bring about clarity in consciousness and well being in life, it's an individually cultivated experience.

[Omario]

@SBB4746Books can contain knowledge that is truth, certain books not all, and the probability that you will find this truth on your own is very low. Thus some truths are taught  and not self discovered  and you must be a student in order to learn them. The book is your teacher and you,the reader,are the student. So the more you read, the more you grasp the truth.

not books like harry potter or someshit, but books leo  recommends