The Paradox - What Should I Do?

[Samuel]

I'm a 16 year old guy and I am confused with everything. I have spent a year improving myself and have already seen some great results, but I am unsure of where to go next. The reason for my uncertainty is because I have noticed the paradox in all of this clearly now. On one hand I want to be a great student, have a successful career, lots of money, outstanding social skills, great family life, live in my dream country. On the other hand however, I know that I ultimately do not need any of this, and the only thing that is truly worth pursuing is enlightenment. The problem is that all this thought about enlightenment makes me very unmotivated to work on other parts of my life such as my studies and personal development because I know its not going to (ultimately) lead me anywhere. My main question then is, should I still work on the lower part of the hierarchy or not? Is this necessary to be able to live fully? 

[Henri]

@Samuel

A good question.

Where is life about? It`s about developing yourself. 

But that construction needs a good foundation, you can`t start with the rooftop.

This process is called life. It is there to experience, to wonder about, to love, to laugh, to live.

And... never underestimate your life. It is most precious. You never now what talents are hidden in you and what you have to offer to the world.

Existence is a fact, living is an art...  Live it fully!

[Samuel]

@Henri Thank you for the response.

[Huz]

Now is a good time to start!

I can only imagine if i started the shred of my ego at 16 because your mind is less corrupted by, and less immersed in, modern society, which is an amusement park for the ego. So the longer you in it the more you belief this is truly the only way to experience reality and the harder it is to escape. I see no harm in doing both personal development and enlightenment work simultaneously.

I remember when i was a kid that i actually used to ask the same questions as i do now in my non-dual work, i never pursed it back then because society told me otherwise and i thought that the answers laid in science. It wasn't until major emotional and physical tromour that i started to question "my" experience, and with the help of actulised.org. Your mind is a lot more open and free at a younger age so take advantage if it  

Edited April 3, 2016 by Huz88

[Samuel]

@Huz88  Thank you.

[Leo Gura]

@Samuel That is a great question. Very difficult for the ego to navigate it. It's the ultimate ego defense mechanism.

A major part of the enlightenment journey is resolving this for yourself.

You haven't truly grasped what enlightenment is about until you see the relative unimportance of all those lower-hierarchy pursuits. It's a real challenge. And it's the #1 reason almost nobody is enlightened.

It might take you years of "burning through karma" before those lower egoic needs lose their grip for you.

[Sri McDonald Trump Maharaj]

Plot twist: beeing a great student, having a successful career, lots of money, outstanding social skills, great family life, living in your favourite country will never really make you satisfied with life.

What I have found out is that I've had and I still have some "worldly pursuits" that can be good to get out of ones system. The thing you mentioned about beeing unmotivated is actually a sign of huge wisdom. And you are FUCKING 16, that is just great, REALLY great, maybe you should trust that.

I am in a similar situasition like you, I've also done self inproovment for about a year and it can feel wired especially when we are young, sometimes you fall asleep, sometimes you only care about enlightenment, eventually you come to a point of no return where you can not not try to wake up.

This video always grounds me, it's like my favourite video:

 

 

Edited April 3, 2016 by Sri McDonald Trump Maharaj

[key]

If the ego chased personal development with skills to use/have or play around with once enlightened, making a game of (me me me me me) would that be more benificial?

As you won't have any material desires ultimately why chase them now, provide your body with a plethora of resources.

learning/mastering/having - 

• Martial Arts, Yoga 
• Astrology, Geography, Nephology
• A foundation of money to navigate society more freely 
• Nutritional information, Food source
• Increased vocabulary/language skills
• Societies foundations of social practice 

Items such as these + whatever you see as benificial to you could motivate your ego towards its own demise, in turn helping your Self Ultimately once realised.

You need to speak the egoic language if you want more traction. 

Edited April 3, 2016 by Kenya

[Samuel]

@Leo Gura Thank you for the response leo 

Edited April 4, 2016 by Samuel

[Samuel]

@Sri McDonald Trump Maharaj Thanks! Great video.

[Consept]

I think the paradox is really what you've been taught to believe will make you happy (money, family, material stuff) conflicting with what deep down you know will make you happy.

In society were taught from a young age that material stuff or a family, job whatever, should be our main goal. Luckily for the government this ties up with what they want, people spending money and not making much fuss. I do see it as brainwashing and if you look at the films you watch, what your taught in school, what your parents tell you, everything is geared toward making you think that this is the right path, which is weird because why do they care so much about getting you on that path? 

So without a choice these ideas get imprinted on you, even if you think different you may think you're strange for doing so and want to be like everyone else. But when you finally realise 'wait I don't really need any of these things', then your eyes are starting to open. The only trouble is you've essentially been brainwashed so your paradox is really the conflict between that and getting to your real core, it's really hard to do, but once you've seen over the fence you can't go back 

[Samuel]

@Consept Very grounding. Thank you!

[Samuel]

@Kenya I like this! Thanks.