Posted December 3, 2018 6 hours ago, Sashaj said: @winterknight If you could ask 3 questions to help you ascertain how much a particular seeker "gets it", what would they be? 2 hours ago, winterknight said: There's no way to do that. Anyone can parrot answers. You have to look at them in context and use intuition. Phrased another way, is there anything a seeker may become aware of that is indicative of "getting close"? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Serotoninluv said: Phrased another way, is there anything a seeker may become aware of that is indicative of "getting close"? Yes -- greater mental peace -- a dropping off of various desires and more contentment. At the same time, an increased intensity of striving for liberation. Edited December 3, 2018 by winterknight Website/book/one-on-one spiritual guidance: Sifting to the Truth: A New Map to the Self Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 Have you read Jed McKenna, if so, what do you think of the books? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 What role did your intelligence play in your own Awakening? I assume you are in the 99th percentile or higher. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 30 minutes ago, Outer said: Have you read Jed McKenna, if so, what do you think of the books? Read a little of his first book... it seemed fine. He's a little bit too "cantankerous cynical old sage" for my taste, but... 28 minutes ago, Outer said: What role did your intelligence play in your own Awakening? I assume you are in the 99th percentile or higher. Heh. If that's true, it probably brought as many problems as solutions. The flight-to-over-thinking can be an incredibly powerful defense mechanism. Website/book/one-on-one spiritual guidance: Sifting to the Truth: A New Map to the Self Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 3 hours ago, winterknight said: Yes -- greater mental peace -- a dropping off of various desires and more contentment. At the same time, an increased intensity of striving for liberation. To "beginners" that sense of striving for liberation is often self-seeking striving for relief of uncomfortable thoughts / feelings. After working through one's psychology and a practice of meditation / inquiry, would you say this striving becomes more mature? In a sense, there is a energetic shift from self-seeking relief to self-transcendent liberation? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 (edited) 19 minutes ago, Serotoninluv said: To "beginners" that sense of striving for liberation is often self-seeking striving for relief of uncomfortable thoughts / feelings. After working through one's psychology and a practice of meditation / inquiry, would you say this striving becomes more mature? In a sense, there is a energetic shift from self-seeking relief to self-transcendent liberation? What is liberation if not also self-seeking relief? The very idea of liberation is based in the concept of bondage, which is an egoic concept. That means both liberation and bondage are egoic concepts. Hopefully as seeking matures, the other, "lesser" desires for money, power, status, sex, etc. gradually weaken, and a single overpowering desire becomes stronger and stronger -- that wish for liberation. That's why I always encourage people to be honest about their desire. The faster they are honest about their desire, the faster they can pursue them, and then see how empty they are, and their desire can evolve -- to a taste for something that lasts. Now obviously, as one becomes a more mature seeker, one experiences longer periods of peace. That desire won't be there during those times of peace. That's what peace means. But if it falls away, the intensity of the desire to get back to that peace -- again, the desire for liberation -- will be fierce. The deeper and longer that peace lasts, the fiercer desire to get back there if it seems to disappear. Then eventually that state of Peace simply is recognized to be one's unchanging nature, and the desire for Liberation is realized to have been impossible & incoherent. Edited December 3, 2018 by winterknight Website/book/one-on-one spiritual guidance: Sifting to the Truth: A New Map to the Self Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 13 minutes ago, winterknight said: What is liberation if not also self-seeking relief? I think "self-seeking relief" would need to be a broad umbrella. It seems most beginners seek relief from unpleasant things like frustration, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic memories etc. Yet later on, self surrender also includes surrendering love, joy, happiness etc. Complete surrender of every thing, whether "good" or "bad". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 16 minutes ago, Serotoninluv said: I think "self-seeking relief" would need to be a broad umbrella. It seems most beginners seek relief from unpleasant things like frustration, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic memories etc. Yet later on, self surrender also includes surrendering love, joy, happiness etc. Complete surrender of every thing, whether "good" or "bad". Why does one want to surrender all these "good" things? Only for the sake of peace. Which implies that there is un-peace. Which means that these good things aren't so good as they seem. So long as there is a desire for liberation, there is the sense of un-peace, one way or another... attachments to love, joy, and happiness are problematic because these things are partial, prone to loss... which means they have poison in them. Website/book/one-on-one spiritual guidance: Sifting to the Truth: A New Map to the Self Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 13 minutes ago, winterknight said: Why does one want to surrender all these "good" things? Only for the sake of peace. Which implies that there is un-peace. Which means that these good things aren't so good as they seem. So long as there is a desire for liberation, there is the sense of un-peace, one way or another... attachments to love, joy, and happiness are problematic because these things are partial, prone to loss... which means they have poison in them. There was a door by which peace must be surrendered to continue on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 @winterknight I have a personal question (relating to myself) I'd like to ask. Do you mind if I pm you? (I understand if not) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 @winterknight Not sure if this was asked before but... Do you think that you could face stuff that most people would get nervous or fearful without feeling any nerveousness? Like if you had to make a speech in front of lots of people or a more extreme example would be if you were about to be killed... do you think you could stay in that peaceful place? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 (edited) 31 minutes ago, Charlotte said: @winterknight I have a personal question (relating to myself) I'd like to ask. Do you mind if I pm you? (I understand if not) Yes, feel free 18 minutes ago, Nexeternity said: @winterknight Not sure if this was asked before but... Do you think that you could face stuff that most people would get nervous or fearful without feeling any nerveousness? Like if you had to make a speech in front of lots of people or a more extreme example would be if you were about to be killed... do you think you could stay in that peaceful place? This question is due to the identification of me with the mind. It is not I who must make that speech. That’s the mind, and it is the mind who is in peaceful places or in unpeaceful ones while making it. I AM the peaceful space in which nervousness or fear may or may not appear. The appearance of the nervousness does not affect the peacefulness of the space anymore than the reflection of lightning hurts a lake. Actually in that space, neither fear nor the absence of fear appear. Edited December 3, 2018 by winterknight Website/book/one-on-one spiritual guidance: Sifting to the Truth: A New Map to the Self Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 Why are you communicating who you are? Or what you are? Isn't all just Maya? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 3, 2018 @winterknight I understand your answer and I agree. But from a more regular standpoint, just talking like regular folk... how do you think you would react to what would normaly be a frightening situation? Just out of curiosity I ask, I know its fundamentally an unanswerable question and no one can really know how they will react to things in the future... I am just asking for fun and want to hear your response just for giggles Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 4, 2018 (edited) You might claim that it isn't a riddle. But it is a question that does not have an answer, and the search is exhausting. The truth is that there is no source of "I". "I" is either nothing or everything. I just is. When I say "I", I truly don't know what "I" am referring to. God maybe.... Edited December 4, 2018 by Bauer1977 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 4, 2018 @winterknightcan a dog get enlightened Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 4, 2018 3 hours ago, Outer said: Why are you communicating who you are? Or what you are? Isn't all just Maya? If it's all just maya, isn't my communication also just maya? 3 hours ago, Nexeternity said: @winterknight I understand your answer and I agree. But from a more regular standpoint, just talking like regular folk... how do you think you would react to what would normaly be a frightening situation? Just out of curiosity I ask, I know its fundamentally an unanswerable question and no one can really know how they will react to things in the future... I am just asking for fun and want to hear your response just for giggles Less fear than the average person, but probably still some residual animal fear 2 hours ago, Bauer1977 said: You might claim that it isn't a riddle. But it is a question that does not have an answer, and the search is exhausting. The truth is that there is no source of "I". "I" is either nothing or everything. I just is. When I say "I", I truly don't know what "I" am referring to. God maybe.... You don't know what I you are referring to because you are trying to think your way to it. When you say "I" -- it is pointing to something that cannot be thought. If you try to think about it, the very effort to think your way to it will prevent your seeing it. When you wake up in the morning and there's a moment just before you remember who you are -- that split second of blank awareness -- that's the I. Just stop thinking. That silence that seems like nothing at all, that feels totally insignificant and unexciting? That's I. 57 minutes ago, Karas said: @winterknightcan a dog get enlightened actually in mythology and scripture there are records of animals getting enlightened, so maybe Website/book/one-on-one spiritual guidance: Sifting to the Truth: A New Map to the Self Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 4, 2018 @winterknightwhat is suicide Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 4, 2018 5 minutes ago, Karas said: @winterknightwhat is suicide I'll paraphrase Ramana Maharshi and say that the real suicide is not knowing who you really are. Website/book/one-on-one spiritual guidance: Sifting to the Truth: A New Map to the Self Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
