A Boner For Enlightenment.

[Jonathan]

   I watched Leo's video on Enlightenment and instantly knew that I had drop to everything and focus on Enlightenment. I've already spent the last 6 months doing 1-2 hours a day of meditation and/or self inquiry a day. After watching this video I felt like I was an extreme fool. I had been called out. I had been called stupid. Even with all the effort I had put in, I had been made to feel as an idiot wasting his time, and for me, this was enough. The last 4 days I have meditated 5-8 hours a day. I will do this until I'm enlightened. I have vowed it. Anywho, I'm curious what sacrifices have you guys made to spend the time necessary to sit and realize your existential nature. For me, I've given up everything. Drinking, weed, gaming, friends, family, and doing - at least this stuff seems like everything to me. I do know that these things will be here when I'm enlightened. These things will be here when I get back. 

  What've you been through? What've you given up? What've you had to shed to really stick to this path? I appreciate all your responses in advance  Thank you

[Azrael]

6 hours ago, WhoisJon said:

What've you been through? What've you given up? What've you had to shed to really stick to this path?

Personally, the only thing I really gave up is spending way too much useless time hanging around with friends doing nothing. I used to do this every evening before I started this search. Now, I use a lot of this tome for meditation or even other productive goals. Was a little strange at first but I shifted that slowly with time and now I cannot think to go back.

I still do all the other bad things you decided not to do anymore. I'm still a mean asshole sometimes, I still eat salt and sugar, I still do the good stuff and so on. I quit smoking and biting my fingernails, however this came naturally with meditation. I would've never stopped smoking because of all the people's standard excuses: health, smell, the cost. I was way too much in love for that silly excuses.

But meditation decided otherwise a year ago and I'm very okay with that. My parents are as well. But basically you have to ask yourself why do you leave all these things behind. Are they keeping you away from seeing your own nature? Is your job keeping you away? Your spouse? Spicy food?

As we know they can be, of course. But you won't get enlightened if you really like all these things and cut them out because you think you have to. You will do this for 1 or 2 months and then come back because it's too hard. And then you'll maybe quit the whole thing.

The wisest thing I can say about this is: If you really wanna quit on drugs, bad food, all the goodies that society gives you to keep you busy, build enough awareness and slowly let them go. Not with conscious effort but let your intuition chose when it's time. This way you'll not suffer and have much easier ride. And never say to yourself: "I will never do ... again". Your ego will call this statement way too often in interesting moments of you life.

Anyways,

[askdfjnak]

6 hours ago, WhoisJon said:

What've you been through? What've you given up? What've you had to shed to really stick to this path?

For me I think it would be more accurate to say that many things have been taken from me. 

7 minutes ago, Arik said:

build enough awareness and slowly let them go

As my awareness has increased it has become harder and harder to keep doing stupid shit.

Things I've "given up":

All social status - Friends, Family, Facebook, Facebook Page, YouTube channel.

Drinking, weed, TV, porn, most internet content 

Dropped out of university even though I was doing great

Lived on the streets for a few months before moving back in with my parents - I had money for food but I slept outside.

Swallowed the acid of truth that Leo spoke about; became completely honest with people. - This was probably the hardest thing I've ever done because I was/am a master of lying.

 

Things I've started doing:

Daily sds 

Got a job as a farm laborer - very humbling work

I no longer disagree/argue with people or the world.

 

I'm pretty sure I won't stay on this forum. I already know I'm wasting time lurking here, but I'll give it a fair go.

[Dodo]

8 hours ago, WhoisJon said:

   I watched Leo's video on Enlightenment and instantly knew that I had drop to everything and focus on Enlightenment. I've already spent the last 6 months doing 1-2 hours a day of meditation and/or self inquiry a day. After watching this video I felt like I was an extreme fool. I had been called out. I had been called stupid. Even with all the effort I had put in, I had been made to feel as an idiot wasting his time, and for me, this was enough. The last 4 days I have meditated 5-8 hours a day. I will do this until I'm enlightened. I have vowed it. Anywho, I'm curious what sacrifices have you guys made to spend the time necessary to sit and realize your existential nature. For me, I've given up everything. Drinking, weed, gaming, friends, family, and doing - at least this stuff seems like everything to me. I do know that these things will be here when I'm enlightened. These things will be here when I get back. 

  What've you been through? What've you given up? What've you had to shed to really stick to this path? I appreciate all your responses in advance  Thank you

Can I ask you a question, I am really curious, how do you support yourself if you meditate 5-8 hours a day? I mean I guess you gotta become pretty rich to go for full enlightenment mode like you did there. Or you work 8 hours, meditate 8 hours and sleep 8 hours?

(I guess it's doable but if that's the case u must be a machine :D) 

Edited April 12, 2016 by Dodoster

[step1]

2 hours ago, Mutupo said:

For me I think it would be more accurate to say that many things have been taken from me. 

As my awareness has increased it has become harder and harder to keep doing stupid shit.

Things I've "given up":

All social status - Friends, Family, Facebook, Facebook Page, YouTube channel.

Drinking, weed, TV, porn, most internet content 

Dropped out of university even though I was doing great

Lived on the streets for a few months before moving back in with my parents - I had money for food but I slept outside.

Swallowed the acid of truth that Leo spoke about; became completely honest with people. - This was probably the hardest thing I've ever done because I was/am a master of lying.

 

Things I've started doing:

Daily sds 

Got a job as a farm laborer - very humbling work

I no longer disagree/argue with people or the world.

 

I'm pretty sure I won't stay on this forum. I already know I'm wasting time lurking here, but I'll give it a fair go.

Wow that's quite some sacrifice.  :)  Where do you live?  I'm trying to get similar work to you but I live in a major city in England where 99% of the jobs are within an office, so getting away from society is proving very difficult for me.

[Jonathan]

@Arik I've experienced something similar. I'd spend a lot of time bull shitting with friends, and my brothers. Smoking tons of weed and a pack a day.

 lol..We used to be a little more hardcore when we were teenagers (I'm 22 now) and dropped lots of acid and took a lot of esctacy. Would listen to Alan Watts all day and created a very strong spiritual ego in which I was a happy carefree hippy. After doing that for a long time I ended up over doing it one time. I was high as fuck on water fasting(all senses were on overdrive and quite heightened) and my friends wanted some chill company for drinking. I decided to stop my water fast with some vodka and it DESTROYED my body. I was so sick. All the heightened senses I had while on the water fast have never fully vanished. I become extremely sensitive to everything. Light, sound, smells, emotions yada yada.. I couldn't work anymore, I couldn't be around people with perfumes or deodorants on, I couldn't be around people with heavy emotions.(Even the slightest bit of annoyance or anger in someone would cause me to feel those emotions VERRRY strongly, and I decided to avoid people like the plague) Anyways, it's been 3 or so years since all that went down..I became a health nut and learned all about fruits and vegetables. In the last year or so I've become a lot less sensitive due to just being health conscious. Unfortunately I don't think my body will ever fully recover. Shampoos, deodorants, detergents, soaps, (the list goes on) all cause me to get a throbbing headache, sinus issues, throat can swell up, mouth n' eyes sting, and then the mental symptoms of inattention and inability to form sentences at a normal pace. All of this made me very suicidal, daily. Fortunately with some good luck I've listened to some wise folks talk about finding contentment in the despairing moments of life. Now I'm pretty hell bent on being drug free (even though I live in Colorado and weed is legal here.) and staying on a strict path of being. At least until I grow the "beingness" in myself to be strong enough that I can "be" when everything around me is chaotic. Hahaha, my apologies for the life story as I know it can be quite annoying when someone starts speaking about themselves in a lengthy manner. I just don't talk about it much and I was moved to say something today.

   Anyways, I can definitely still be an ass hat and an ignorant buffoon. I'll still speak more than I should, or be silent when I know I should speak. I figure all of this stuff will be worked out once awareness in me has realized itself. If it doesn't get worked out, maybe it shouldn't be  I've already become quite the shape shifter and it's becoming easier and easier to wear the mask of acceptance, tolerance, unconditional love and appreciation. Somedays I don't put on as good a show and I'm an asshole. Fortunately I'm quick to admit my faults, and I apologize swiftly. 

    Also, I understand your sentiment regarding raising your awareness and letting things fall away. Maybe like a tree would shed its leaves when the season changes. Raising of awareness being the change in season (: I've always been nearsighted so I'll probably fall back into various traps but something in me will find its way back. Anyways, I appreciate your reply man. Thanks!

 

[Jonathan]

@Dodoster I live with my parents and don't work. I've got plenty of free time. If you read a little of what I wrote to Arik, you'll see why they're slightly sympathetic to me staying there. I might've not been as clear  as I could've been in that post, but I'm sensitive to most scents one would use to cover up scents. Or scents used to make things smell better. Most (not all) cause me to become ill. Fortunately it's a bigger blessing than a curse. I may not be able to do 80% of what the average Joe likes to do(I'm quite limited in what I can do if I want to avoid symptoms appearing), but It's made it an easier decision to choose the path to enlightenment. Anyways, I never doubt that the day will come when my parents good grace will fade. I very well might have to live on the streets or find a wiser way to support myself. I doubt I'll be able to meditate as much when that occurs. (I kind of hope I'll be enlightened or at least somewhat close in the next few years. I'll give up meditation and pursue financial security and the normal stuff. I'll also try to figure out if I can ever fully recover from my sensitivities.) Right now though, I'm beaming like a ray of sunshine with how much meditation I'm doing. I think I'm getting semi close to figuring out this enlightenment thing. Or at least whatever I am, is close to cracking this case. (Maybe a hint of self deception, I could be decades from the truth lol.)

Edited April 12, 2016 by WhoisJon

[Jonathan]

@Mutupo Taken from you? I hope it wasn't too harsh a process  Or if it was harsh, that you've come out better for it.

  Thanks for your reply! It's always refreshing to hear a little tid bit of someones journey n' process. I appreciate it

Edited April 12, 2016 by WhoisJon