Insights - 10 day meditation retreat. How LP relates to raising consciousness:

[ROOBIO]

So I came back from a 10 day vipassana retreat. The insights I managed to get from the direct observation of the present moment was insane.

I saw on the experiential level that there is constant flux within consciousness. There is no permanence and that every moment being experienced is different.

That there is no fixed self. Once you realise this your identity merged into the present moment. 

That the unconscious mind is responsible for the craving and adversion from certain bodily sensations. This creates deep sufffering within the mind. And responsible for all the dualities you create in the mind, like pain and pleasure, hot and cold, dirty and clean. You can break through all of these dualities and live in paradise through this technique.

That thoughts are constantly changing, but the story they portray creates a story which has the illusion of self imbedded into it.

That the sense of self is an illusory figure that arises within the set of perceptions within the present moment. It is a set of morphing emotions, feelings, and thoughts that create a belief system that it is a person/human inside the body looking out into the world. But this isn’t true they are just a set of perceptions existing with no obersever being aware of it.

That there are only perceptions with no perceiver.

That this level of equanimity is the source of true happiness. Not that addiction to pleasure-able sensations. You want a mind the is equanimous with the present moment. 

One thing is that I wanted to master this level of being and was thinking I should become a monk and teach later on.

However my passion is also to help wild animals and I am on the path to becoming a wildlife vet. 

I feel like I want to merge them together. Is it possible of becoming a wildlife vet and help raise the consciousness of society through that L.Purpose. I am trying to think of some ways.

Do you guys have any ideas?

[ROOBIO]

Yeah after this retreat I am so torn between becoming a monk in the Himalayas or becoming a wildlife vet

I have never felt feeling this confused before after a retreat

[SoonHei]

coin toss does the trick?

[Leo Gura]

13 hours ago, ROOBIO said:

I feel like I want to merge them together. Is it possible of becoming a wildlife vet and help raise the consciousness of society through that L.Purpose. I am trying to think of some ways.

Do you guys have any ideas?

Of course it's possible. Look at Steve Erwin as your role model.

He was basically the Jesus of animal conservation, giving his life for the cause.

[ROOBIO]

17 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Of course it's possible. Look at Steve Erwin as your role model.

He was basically the Jesus of animal conservation, giving his life for the cause.

Do you think Steve Irwin was conscious of what he was exitensitally or do you think he just has a compassionate identity/ego? 

It seems that even at the height of his fame he wasn’t corrupt as the profits he made went straight back into conservation and the purchase of land to conserve.

[Leo Gura]

3 hours ago, ROOBIO said:

Do you think Steve Irwin was conscious of what he was exitensitally or do you think he just has a compassionate identity/ego? 

It seems that even at the height of his fame he wasn’t corrupt as the profits he made went straight back into conservation and the purchase of land to conserve.

Obviously he wasn't anywhere near awakened, but his heart was in the right place and he was drawn intuitively towards Love, which resulted in his entire career and sense of life purpose. He's a great example of someone boldly following their LP.

A lot of people following their LP intuitively simply because it feels right, without an deeper existential understanding of why they're doing it. That's a fine way to get started. Later, existential understanding and consciousness work can be added on top of that to take your LP to crazy levels.

[ROOBIO]

13 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Obviously he wasn't anywhere near awakened, but his heart was in the right place and he was drawn intuitively towards Love, which resulted in his entire career and sense of life purpose. He's a great example of someone boldly following their LP.

A lot of people following their LP intuitively simply because it feels right, without an deeper existential understanding of why they're doing it. That's a fine way to get started. Later, existential understanding and consciousness work can be added on top of that to take your LP to crazy levels.

13 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Obviously he wasn't anywhere near awakened, but his heart was in the right place and he was drawn intuitively towards Love, which resulted in his entire career and sense of life purpose. He's a great example of someone boldly following their LP.

A lot of people following their LP intuitively simply because it feels right, without an deeper existential understanding of why they're doing it. That's a fine way to get started. Later, existential understanding and consciousness work can be added on top of that to take your LP to crazy levels.

Wow this is a great way from frame my situation. I find that it is difficult working on LP and Enlightenment work simultaneously. 

Whenever I do deep enlightenment work I struggle to focus on my LP and vice Versa. I think I am going to focus more on my LP as I am only 24 and will develop a strong grounding in it, this will also enable me to survive in society doing something I love. I will still be doing meditation and psychedelics but not as deep. 

Once LP becomes mastered will go deeper into enlightenment.

Feels like a weight lifted of your shoulders figuring this out but now i am even more scared to start and take action. I guess that is where the growth starts.

[Dinsdale]

In my experience it can be quite a challenge readjusting to "normal" life after a meditation retreat, though actually it's the process of readjustment which is most valuable. Integrating insights into daily life, noticing what lasts, maintaining that shift in perspective. I don't think you need to view this as separate from your interest in wildlife. 

Edited October 26, 2019 by Dinsdale

[ROOBIO]

5 hours ago, Dinsdale said:

In my experience it can be quite a challenge readjusting to "normal" life after a meditation retreat, though actually it's the process of readjustment which is most valuable. Integrating insights into daily life, noticing what lasts, maintaining that shift in perspective. I don't think you need to view this as separate from your interest in wildlife. 

Yeah this was difficult. It can become an addiction to want to stay in these states of altered consciousness. The key is to apply the insights into daily life as it is so easy to get back into the trap of ego/delusion.

I think what is helping me is when i meditate at home i combine vipassana with neti neti - makes it a lot easier to see impermanence, no self whilst interacting with others.