Is it true that this Universe wants the best for us?

[Truth Addict]

@Max_V

I see. But you also believe that pain is a bad thing. Who said that?

Pain exists for protection. Is protection bad?

[Max_V]

@Truth Addict Can you explain to me what you mean with “Pain exists for protection” ? I don’t necessarily mean physical pain, but emotional suffering. 

I don’t know if I believe that pain is a bad thing. Evil terrifies me, and I cannot understand it. Why does it have to exist?

[Leo Gura]

21 minutes ago, Max_V said:

Evil terrifies me, and I cannot understand it. Why does it have to exist?

Evil doesn't exist!

Evil if what "you" -- an ego self -- has labeled stuff which threatens your existence as an ego self.

Fortunately the ego-self is not real, so it cannot really be harmed. Harm is illusory. But it sure feels real from your POV. That's the power of ego. Ego imagines evil. This is the cost of being born. You can't be born without dying.

[SunnyNewDay]

2 hours ago, Max_V said:

@Leo Gura Then what do I do right now? Should I just suffer until I suddenly get insights and can move on?

Being like I am right now, automatically comes with the judgement that because I’m not where I want to be and as free as I want to be, until I get there I am flawed. 

You work through your personal issues. That can be through spiritual practices, therapy, opening up to friends, finding a life purpose and making your life stable financially, building strong relationships, being healthy, etc. The hierarchy of needs is accurate and so is the concept of the shadow. If you have a whole life and lots of stuff that needs to be worked through it's good to start there instead of going for some lawfty spiritual goal because it's very hard to have huge awakenings until you confront the other stuff. In fact a lot of spiritual awakenings and god will shine awareness on the stuff I mentioned you need to work on before going forward. 

[Nahm]

2 hours ago, Max_V said:

@Nahm Yes, but if that’s true and they are only sensations, why do I suffer through them?

Because the sensations tell you the thoughts are false, that there is a higher truth at play, but you aren’t listening to them. You’re mixing the sensations (heart burning, tight stomach) with the thought stories, and experiencing dread & guilt. This is rendering you helpless. 

The liberation in scrutinizing your direct experience is more freeing and radical than you have yet inspected. 

In misunderstanding thought & sensation, you’re avoiding the sensations, by mislabeling them as dread and guilt. They’re actually guiding you by Truth, always. Don’t power through them, stop and listen. 

 

 

[zeroISinfinity]

@Nahm Yeah they are Guiding you to the cloak of Love. Actually. 

[Nahm]

@Max_V  The sensations are direct connection with Truth/Love. If you don’t listen to Truth, it’ll turn your stomach. If you don’t listen to Love, it’ll burn your heart. Direct experience is nothing like living through thought stories. It is the clarity you seek. The inward path, into sensations, as such, will ‘set you free’. Begin being attentive to this mixing of sensation and thought stories. Notice thought stories take you for a suffering ride, via ‘you’ in the story, others, past and future. Learn to be present here now, but cutting all the false baggage. 

[Max_V]

@Leo Gura Then what is the correct response to hearing about what happened to that girl I mentioned. 

If Evil is just another concept we create, how do we approach acts like that?

[Max_V]

@Nahm Oke. I wil start noticing the distinctions between sensations and thoughts.

Although, this is very difficult to do in the midst of very turbulent emotions. 

@SunnyNewDay I am working on personal issues as well. Recently I got diagnosed with autism so becoming more understanding of what that means in how my body works is something that I am exploring right now.

But what you’re saying is still a projection into the future. It doesn’t help me solve how I feel NOW. It is something that I transform over time.

 

[Truth Addict]

52 minutes ago, Max_V said:

@Truth Addict Can you explain to me what you mean with “Pain exists for protection” ? I don’t necessarily mean physical pain, but emotional suffering.

Physical pain prevents physical death. It is love protecting us from getting killed.

Emotional suffering prevents ego-death.

54 minutes ago, Max_V said:

@Truth Addict 

I don’t know if I believe that pain is a bad thing. Evil terrifies me, and I cannot understand it. Why does it have to exist?

The reason why evil terrifies you is because in your mind it's related to death. Your mind associated survival with goodness, and death with evil. There is no evil. You decided to invent this idea and call it 'evil' and then you decided to associate it with the stuff that does not serve your survival, whether physical survival or egoic survival. This decision is merely a programming that you've learned from your culture while growing up.

You can undo that programming and see things as they actually are: void of evil, and full of love.

[Nahm]

10 minutes ago, Max_V said:

Oke. I wil start noticing the distinctions between sensations and thoughts.

Although, this is very difficult to do in the midst of very turbulent emotions. 

That is yet another thought story about you in the future.  You are not in that story, you are not in the future, you are awareness present right now - aware of that thought. Notice the relief in being aware of this.

Meditation slows the mind down, and you can see “the mix” coming a mile away. 

“The mixing” actually causes the turbulence, creates it. 

Stay with the sensations, not the thought stories. One is always true, the other is never true. Have the balls to Listen.

You are directly aware of thoughts, you are directly aware of sensations. In mixing them, you forget you are what is, aware of thoughts & sensations. 

[Truth Addict]

17 minutes ago, Max_V said:

@Leo Gura Then what is the correct response to hearing about what happened to that girl I mentioned. 

If Evil is just another concept we create, how do we approach acts like that?

First of all, acceptance.

Then doing whatever feels right.

[Max_V]

@Nahm Thank you for all this.

I haven’t been here in a while because I was discovering a lot of stuff. Finding out which way to go. And then learning about having autism confused me even more.

It’s always comforting and relaxing to talk to you.

[Nahm]

@Max_V You too! Thank you! ?? 

 Meditate every day,  notice when you’re mixing, relish in the great feeling of presence, & liberation from thought stories. Perception will change, fear will be understood and reduced.  Insights will come more often and you will begin to see the connection between them and sensations and thoughts stories and clarity. Things like retreats, trips, more intense practices, etc., will become much more approachable, obvious next steps. 

[Leo Gura]

33 minutes ago, Max_V said:

@Leo Gura Then what is the correct response to hearing about what happened to that girl I mentioned. 

If Evil is just another concept we create, how do we approach acts like that?

With love, empathy, and compassion.

Confront reality as it is. A big part of reality is that it can be ruthless and tragic. That's what makes it feel "real".

Embrace the tragedy of it. That's part of its stark beauty.

[SunnyNewDay]

23 minutes ago, Max_V said:

@Leo Gura Then what is the correct response to hearing about what happened to that girl I mentioned. 

If Evil is just another concept we create, how do we approach acts like that?

you treat it as evil. because evil does actually exist (from your perspective and the collective perspective we share). evil is most definitely real in the human world. don't take all this spiritual existential stuff so literally or even something that can grow you or help you process this stuff and fix your emotions or your mind or whatever you are working on. A lot of the stuff said in this thread is only true when it is an experience you realize for yourself. if you have personal issues and you want to make NOW better then start reflecting on what you're feeling and thinking and finding what you feel i keeping you from enjoying the NOW. The answers don't lie in theoretical spiritual talk but in the practice itself for whatever problem or question you're addressing.

[Aaron p]

I'm pretty sure God wants the best for us all yes. However this question is being asked from a dualistic perspective. Remember, nothing exists. And remember, don't believe me.

[Max_V]

@Aaron p Yeah, I don’t know if that is true 

[Nahm]

@Max_V Are you seeing, even a little yet, how you are misunderstanding the sensations? How they are telling you “that’s not true”? 

As in, “Does the universe want the best for us”...

Only in misunderstanding sensation & thought, could you believe you are separate from the universe, and that the two of you have separate intentions. 

“Your” sensations, are the universe (already). 

[zeroISinfinity]

God works in mysterious ways. ??‍♂️