I am enlightened. Sincere seekers: ask me anything

[winterknight]

1 minute ago, FoxFoxFox said:

@winterknight

By this you are referring to the teaching that nothing can be said about the Self, correct?

Right.

Quote

Going back to bliss, I still cannot say that I experience the bliss aspect of the Self. In retrospect I can say that what I experience during the states of "no-mind" or samadhi is complete detachment. There is sometimes uncaused joy, but that is more of a feeling in the body, and not what i would call bliss. What is obstacle here?

The bliss of the Self is not ordinary bliss. If you feel frictionless un-disturbance while going about your daily life, that's it. The state of samadhi needs to be recognized as constant, and not a 'state.'

[andyjohnsonman]

@winterknight Do enlightened beings know what happens after the body dies? I am really curious to know this thanks.

[FoxFoxFox]

@winterknight Okay, this frictionless undisturbance is there, but i would call it nothingness, rather than bliss. It is not pleasant in any way. Sometimes it is unpleasant, but that aspect usually goes away when inquiry is made into it. But it is never experienced as being actually pleasant, sometimes a gentle joy like i said. Really, it's neutral, like nothingness. 

[winterknight]

3 minutes ago, andyjohnsonman said:

@winterknight Do enlightened beings know what happens after the body dies? I am really curious to know this thanks.

No.

1 minute ago, FoxFoxFox said:

@winterknight Okay, this frictionless undisturbance is there, but i would call it nothingness, rather than bliss. It is not pleasant in any way. Sometimes it is unpleasant, but that aspect usually goes away when inquiry is made into it. But it is never experienced as being actually pleasant, sometimes a gentle joy like i said. Really, it's neutral, like nothingness. 

It is not describable as pleasant or unpleasant -- the test is if whether you feel the slightest trace of dissatisfaction or desire for something different. If you do, that's totally fine. It just means more inquiry is required. It should never be unpleasant. That shows some element of confusion.

When there is no trace of dissatisfaction left, that is It.

[FoxFoxFox]

@winterknight  Thank you. I believe the confusion with the "bliss" aspect was a factor. Some sages have a grand idea of what bliss is and believing that to be lacking ironically is the cause for suffering. 

[winterknight]

1 minute ago, FoxFoxFox said:

@winterknight  Thank you. I believe the confusion with the "bliss" aspect was a factor. Some sages have a grand idea of what bliss is and believing that to be lacking ironically is the cause for suffering. 

True. That the bliss of the Self is in fact supreme bliss is seen only if and when you fall out of it, so to say. If and when a mental disturbance arises, even a 'pleasant' one, it will seem clunky and clumsy compared to that utterly smooth, perfectly subtle non-experience, that perfect frictionlessness.

[andyjohnsonman]

@winterknight So reincarnation is a belief? How can you be sure enlightenment is the absolute truth then if there could be more truths revealed once the body dies. Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question. 

[Anton Rogachevski]

Does the enlightened one needs a sense of purpose to be fulfilled?

*deep bow

Thank you master for posting here, I'm in the process of reading all the thread, and I find much inspiration, wisdom and it gives me strength to stay on this path of no paths.

Edited December 12, 2018 by Anton Rogachevski

[winterknight]

3 hours ago, andyjohnsonman said:

@winterknight So reincarnation is a belief? How can you be sure enlightenment is the absolute truth then if there could be more truths revealed once the body dies. Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question. 

Don't worry, it's not a stupid question. The answer is that enlightenment is not a 'belief' or a 'truth' that can be disputed... it is beyond words, and when it is recognized, it will be understood exactly why it cannot be doubted. It is not a truth that is dependent on this body or this life.

2 hours ago, Anton Rogachevski said:

Does the enlightened one needs a sense of purpose to be fulfilled?

*deep bow

Thank you master for posting here, I'm in the process of reading all the thread, and I find much inspiration, wisdom and it gives me strength to stay on this path of no paths.

No, just being is purpose enough for the enlightened one. He or she may appear to do things in the world, but those are not necessarily reflective of an internal sense of purpose.

And you're very welcome. Blessings.

[iluminado]

After the death of the body/perspective, so to speak, does it really matter how one's lived his life? Ultimately speaking, what's the difference between a psychopathic serial killer and an enlightened human being?

[winterknight]

50 minutes ago, iluminado said:

After the death of the body/perspective, so to speak, does it really matter how one's lived his life? Ultimately speaking, what's the difference between a psychopathic serial killer and an enlightened human being?

Well, to an enlightened human being, there are no enlightened human beings, really... it's just a figure of speech. Indeed, one cannot even say that there are really human beings, bodies, or perspectives at all. So from the enlightened perspective, all of these cannot be said to exist.

But if you believe in bodies and perspectives, then karma is also true, and each person will reincarnate in a way that reflects the effects of their actions in this life and all previous ones.

[iluminado]

29 minutes ago, winterknight said:

Well, to an enlightened human being, there are no enlightened human beings, really... it's just a figure of speech. Indeed, one cannot even say that there are really human beings, bodies, or perspectives at all. So from the enlightened perspective, all of these cannot be said to exist.

But if you believe in bodies and perspectives, then karma is also true, and each person will reincarnate in a way that reflects the effects of their actions in this life and all previous ones.

It's not that I exactly believe it, but it was the best way I found to express the idea. So, is karma true to you?

[winterknight]

3 minutes ago, iluminado said:

It's not that I exactly believe it, but it was the best way I found to express the idea. So, is karma true to you?

It can be a useful concept in some contexts, but ultimately no.

[Bauer1977]

Hey Winterknight.... I just wanted to let you know that I thank you, and that I am very appreciative of your help. I studied Freud, Jung and David R Hawkins for 15 or 16 years, and I had hit a wall. I needed a new perspective to get over the hump, and you certainly provided that.

Before you ask me who the I is that is thankful and appreciative, let me save you the time by adding it here now.... I is God. Or actually, God is I. There seems to be a noticeable shift in me by reversing those 3 words. I think it has something to do with the fact that for me "I" meant my Ego for so long, that now by changing this statement to God is I, it reverses the direction of the energy. I is no longer the center of me looking for God. God is the center now, and is obviously the source and creator of my experience. So, it feels more appropriate to say "God is I".

Cheers, Ron

Edited December 13, 2018 by Bauer1977

[joeyi99]

Why do you recommend Self-inquiry over meditation for enlightenment?

Is Meditation (SDS) harder to reach enlightenment?    

[Anton Rogachevski]

What other things besides enlightenment and therapy could be helpful in the path?

[Preetom]

1 hour ago, Anton Rogachevski said:

What other things besides enlightenment and therapy could be helpful in the path?

According to the generalized instruction, anything that leads you towards a more quiet(as opposed to noisy, doubtful) and alert(as opposed to dull, blank) mind. From then on, self-inquiry all the way.

Edited December 13, 2018 by Preetom

[Anton Rogachevski]

5 hours ago, Preetom said:

According to the generalized instruction, anything that leads you towards a more quiet(as opposed to noisy, doubtful) and alert(as opposed to dull, blank) mind. From then on, self-inquiry all the way.

So just self inquiry? No other things besides this worth doing?

[winterknight]

9 hours ago, Bauer1977 said:

Hey Winterknight.... I just wanted to let you know that I thank you, and that I am very appreciative of your help. I studied Freud, Jung and David R Hawkins for 15 or 16 years, and I had hit a wall. I needed a new perspective to get over the hump, and you certainly provided that.

Before you ask me who the I is that is thankful and appreciative, let me save you the time by adding it here now.... I is God. Or actually, God is I. There seems to be a noticeable shift in me by reversing those 3 words. I think it has something to do with the fact that for me "I" meant my Ego for so long, that now by changing this statement to God is I, it reverses the direction of the energy. I is no longer the center of me looking for God. God is the center now, and is the source of the experience that is I.

Cheers, Ron

Wonderful. You're quite welcome.

8 hours ago, joeyi99 said:

Why do you recommend Self-inquiry over meditation for enlightenment?

Is Meditation (SDS) harder to reach enlightenment?    

I don't know much about SDS. But generally speaking you're going to have to go beyond a concentration practice to actively examining what the "I" is -- the problem is ignorance. It needs to be dispelled through looking inward, not just sitting -- that's why I recommend inquiry. You can start with SDS if you like that to build up your mental strength, and then move on to inquiry when you're ready.

7 hours ago, Anton Rogachevski said:

What other things besides enlightenment and therapy could be helpful in the path?

Whatever it is that quiets your mind and organizes your efforts.

Everyone needs some level of ideas about what the Search is -- some intellectual framework. Could be very simple, but some people want and require a lot more. So get that if you need it.

It's very individualized. Each person is a little puzzle that they have to solve themselves. What is distracting or bothering you? Deal with it one way or another. Could be diet or exercise, could be certain other people, could be any number of things. It's about being honest about what you want and feel and taking steps towards what you really want.

I also highly recommend what I call metaphorization -- which is the setting forth of your feelings in a way that describes what it is like to experience them. It could be done in words, or in drawing, or music, or any artistic medium. It's a way of discovering what you really feel and what you really want, and also of transforming pain into beauty.

5 hours ago, Preetom said:

According to the generalized instruction, anything that leads you towards a more quiet(as opposed to noisy, doubtful) and alert(as opposed to dull, blank) mind. From then on, self-inquiry all the way.

Yup

Edited December 13, 2018 by winterknight

[Preetom]

22 minutes ago, Anton Rogachevski said:

So just self inquiry? No other things besides this worth doing?

you won't be able to do self-inquiry effectively if your mind is not already relatively quiet and alert to a degree. Self-inquiry will make you take that final leap but first you have to get close to the chasm. 

Self-inquiry will deepen that mental quietness and alertness exponentially and finally lead to liberation.

If you can do self-inquiry steadily all waking hours(as it is prescribed originally), then go for it. But if it feels very boring, dull, conflicting, doubtful etc. most of the time then that means you gotta work through psychological, emotional, limiting belief deconstruction work to prepare yourself more. 

When self-inquiry feels joyful, relatively effortless then this signals that you can take it to the next level.

Edited December 13, 2018 by Preetom