I am enlightened. Sincere seekers: ask me anything

[SriBhagwanYogi]

I would like to read some books about self inquiry , what do you recommend?

[winterknight]

13 minutes ago, SriBhagwanYogi said:

I would like to read some books about self inquiry , what do you recommend?

My book, How to Find What Isn't Lost. Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi.

Edited December 21, 2018 by winterknight

[Bauer1977]

10 hours ago, winterknight said:

Who says the body is moving? It is only when the mind leaves that place which is “so still, it’s just being” that someone says the body moves... 

So what is happening, then? Well, it is only when the mind leaves that place that THAT question is asked...

The same is true of the questions about who is responding to questions here. 

OK, I get what your saying. If there is never a who, there is never an experience. So is the goal of Self-Inquiry then for the mind to never completely leave that place? I feel I already know the answer, but I want to see if I am on the right track or not

Edited December 21, 2018 by Bauer1977

[FoxFoxFox]

@Leo Gura

This thread has been incredibly valuable to me. 

[winterknight]

8 minutes ago, Bauer1977 said:

OK, I get what your saying. If there is never a who, there is never an experience. So is the goal of Self-Inquiry then for the mind to never completely leave that place? I feel I already know the answer, but I want to see if I am on the right track or not

Yes. Dare to relax totally -- that's what it comes down to.

[Bauer1977]

3 minutes ago, winterknight said:

Yes. Dare to relax totally -- that's what it comes down to.

Your awesome! Thank you for having such patience with me.... I am getting there, but I now know what to work on again for a while. I hope the negative things you sometimes deal with here never keep you from coming back and helping people like me. You really are very much appreciated.

[brugluiz]

A guy told me he doesn't need to meditate anymore. Is it possible to reach enlightenment and then you don't need to meditate anymore? Are meditative states possible to achieve through music and art for example?

[SoonHei]

@brugluiz

in asking of that question, it shows you do not know what meditation is

meditation does not equal sitting down cross legged or any other way and "doing" something

meditation simply means to take a back seat to what's happening

when one is enlightened, "she/he" are in a meditative state 24/7

[winterknight]

52 minutes ago, Bauer1977 said:

Your awesome! Thank you for having such patience with me.... I am getting there, but I now know what to work on again for a while. I hope the negative things you sometimes deal with here never keep you from coming back and helping people like me. You really are very much appreciated.

You're very welcome.

22 minutes ago, brugluiz said:

A guy told me he doesn't need to meditate anymore. Is it possible to reach enlightenment and then you don't need to meditate anymore? Are meditative states possible to achieve through music and art for example?

Yes, SoonHei says it correctly: the aim of meditation is to discover that as your constant nature.  That is the meaning of enlightenment. Meditation is not something separate from that.

You can have quiet-mind states through music & art, but because they will not last past the time you see that song or painting.

Educate yourself about the path & practice self-inquiry and you will understand what meditation actually means.

[Himanshu]

@winterknight What is Art? What is the purpose of Art?

[winterknight]

46 minutes ago, Himanshu said:

@winterknight What is Art? What is the purpose of Art?

It is the purpose of art to explore those questions.

For a seeker, the creation and appreciation of art can be a powerful tool to understand one's own mind and those of others, become more honest about one's feelings and desires, and discover beauty in painful experiences -- all this helps to quiet the mind and aids self-inquiry.

[Outer]

When there are no more thoughts, is there Enlightenment? What do you tell someone who has no thoughts?

Edited December 21, 2018 by Outer

[winterknight]

4 minutes ago, Outer said:

When there are no more thoughts, is there Enlightenment? What do you tell someone who has no thoughts?

Please relate these questions to your particular path and to the obstacles you are facing on it.

[Outer]

15 minutes ago, winterknight said:

Please relate these questions to your particular path and to the obstacles you are facing on it.

So we should go autobiographical but you can't?

I'm just asking if there's no thoughts, is there Enlightenment? Because that's what I want to know for the path.

[Psychonaut]

So whats your take on sex and sexuality in general? What should  one do and what not?

[winterknight]

16 minutes ago, Outer said:

So we should go autobiographical but you can't?

Yes, that's correct -- if you want my answers. The problem is that you ask a lot of questions without any context. I've answered many of them in the past, but I don't see much sign of your integrating my responses.

"How long is string?" "Is it good to talk?" That's in effect the kind of question you're asking.

The questions are based on misconceptions. If you want an intellectual framework, why not start with something like a good overview text like Drik Drisya Viveka or my book? 

Or if you must ask these kinds of questions, relate them to your path and give me your own thinking on them first -- how you came to that question, why it would even occur to you, what your own thoughts are on it, etc.

Quote

I'm just asking if there's no thoughts, is there Enlightenment? Because that's what I want to know for the path.

This is a question of just that type. "Thought" means many, many different things in different contexts. To the enlightened one even thought is non-thought.

Merely not having thoughts at one particular time is not enlightenment, though it may be a coma, or it might be deep sleep, or it might be nirvikalpa samadhi. If one never has any thoughts, then who is the thinker who is to be called enlightened or not -- who is the one who doesn't have thoughts? 

You are too concerned with the end goal of enlightenment and what it is "like" -- which is delaying you from actually simply looking inside and finding out what it is like for yourself.

Edited December 21, 2018 by winterknight

[winterknight]

1 minute ago, Psychonaut said:

So whats your take on sex and sexuality in general? What should  one do and what not?

From the spiritual standpoint, the goal is the quiet mind. A quiet mind comes from being honest about one's desires and following them. If you want sex, admit it and be open about it, and try to act in a way that pursues that desire. But do so ethically -- ethics also ensure a quiet mind, by reducing both inner and external conflict.

Now that said, if what you want is the spiritual above all -- if that is what you actually feel and not just tell yourself that you want -- then you could experiment with celibacy. Sex and relationships can consume a lot of time and effort and breed emotional attachments. That's why monks traditionally didn't engage in them. That energy could be used in the spiritual search.

So if you are open to giving those things up, try it and see what happens. You can always go back later if it isn't working.

[SoonHei]

32 minutes ago, winterknight said:

From the spiritual standpoint, the goal is the quiet mind. A quiet mind comes from being honest about one's desires and following them. If you want sex, admit it and be open about it, and try to act in a way that pursues that desire. But do so ethically -- ethics also ensure a quiet mind, by reducing both inner and external conflict.

Now that said, if what you want is the spiritual above all -- if that is what you actually feel and not just tell yourself that you want -- then you could experiment with celibacy. Sex and relationships can consume a lot of time and effort and breed emotional attachments. That's why monks traditionally didn't engage in them. That energy could be used in the spiritual search.

So if you are open to giving those things up, try it and see what happens. You can always go back later if it isn't working.

thank you. this is great!

[Forestluv]

13 minutes ago, winterknight said:

 If one never has any thoughts, then who is the thinker who is to be called enlightened or not -- who is the one who doesn't have thoughts? 

Your messages raise a few ideas in the mind regarding thoughts and the personality dynamic:

The direct experience of thoughtless being can allow light to shine in on the illusory natue of self concept. 

I imagine looking through a kaleidoscope that has various fragments    including memories, beliefs, sensations, feelings and emotions. The mind tries to link all of these fragments into a story and self concept of ‘me’. Who I am. What I value and need. . . Thoughts seem to be the “glue” trying to hold all the fragments into a coherent story and self image. Yet, this leads to internal conflict due to contradictions among fragments. The mind tries to hold it all together by seeking validation, avoidance, rationalization, blaming etc. Also, as the kaleidoscope turns, fragments disappear, appear, and get shuffled. Yet, the mind works to maintain a static permanent illusory image of “me”. 

The mind can get so immersed in the story that it assumes it is true. For a “beginner”, it seems anything that can shed light on the illusory nature of the story can be helpful. For example, “gaps” in the stream of thinking - like being in thoughtless awe observing the Grand Canyon. Or, thoughtless gaps of silence during meditation. These often go unnoticed by the personality. When noticed, thoughts like “whoa, that was strange. What just happened there?” may arise. Yet, these thoughtless gaps of silence are often subconsciously dismissed in favor of the security the story seems to provide. 

Yet with practice and tecnique, a mind can relax and the stream of thoughts slow, allowing for thoughtless gaps of silence to expand into periods in which awareness rests. From this stillness and peace, the relationship to thoughts “matures”. Thoughts are no longer glue trying to hold a kaleidoscope of fragments together to form an illusory image called “me”. From the place of still peace - thoughts, feelings, sensations are all arisings in the moment. Categorizing things as “thought”, “feeling”, “hearing” etc. dissolves and thought is non-thought.

As the illusory story of self dissolves, one can now view the kaleidoscope clearly. 

[Jeff Zhang]

With surrender of all attachments comes a field beyond all human matrix, even call it a "field" is still a matrix in human mind.
When the soul lies down in that grass,the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase "each other" doesn't make any sense.