To get enlightenment we must give up

[Alex bliss]

I feel like to get enlightened in this life time we must give up everything and live in a hardcore monastery because it's just not possible to have social life and also at the same time be successful in spirituality..it is only for those who are already in a high level of consciousness..For someone like me it's just not possible because I do self enquiry and the go out socializing and after I come back home my mind runs nonstop like it's almost impossible to calm it, specially when you hangout with my friends and have a great time the good times we had always comes up on thoughts...

[erik8lrl]

It is possible, you are already doing it. It is all love. Know that and just live. 

[Jonac]

Its certainly difficult to have a spiritual life and do your ordinary stuff, although some traditions teach how to combine it with mindfulness. Maybe you just has to feel the sensations after hangout with friends, just sit and recognized your wondering mind. With time you will choose what to do without any struggle, you will choose spirituality. 

[Alex bliss]

@erik8lrl but I'm living under my moms dad's home ..I don't have a job ..sooner or later I might have to earn a living on my own because who knows what life throws you into ...I am just not prepared for it .. also I kinda don't wanna live a stressful life so I really wanna go live in a monastery...

[erik8lrl]

@Alex bliss Then go live in a monastery, just know that whatever you are running away from is you, and it is love. Infinite love. 

[Angelite]

What is enlightenment to you? 

 

 

[erik8lrl]

Enlightenment is here right now. 

[Forestluv]

1 hour ago, Alex bliss said:

I feel like to get enlightened in this life time we must give up everything and live in a hardcore monastery because it's just not possible to have social life and also at the same time be successful in spirituality..

That is a common view by many. There is a path of personal renunciation. It is an essence of zen buddhism. There is certainly something beneficial of isolating oneself from wordly desires and distractions and practicing all day every day.

If someone is living in a hectic environment it can be much harder to quiet the mind and body. It is much easier to quiet the mind-body in peaceful nature than it is in a busy train station. 

1 hour ago, Alex bliss said:

For someone like me it's just not possible because I do self enquiry and the go out socializing and after I come back home my mind runs nonstop like it's almost impossible to calm it, specially when you hangout with my friends and have a great time the good times we had always comes up on thoughts...

Rather than saying "it's impossible", observe what is happening without any judgement or identification. When you spend time with your friends, your mind becomes highly active with thoughts. There is a desire to calm the mind and do self enquiry, yet are unable to meet that desire. There is frustration and a thought story that the only way to reach a calm mind is to live in a monastery. . . . Rather than engage in the story, you can deconstruct it, observe it and create a new story. . . 

First, self enquiry is an advanced practice. Generally it is not ideal for beginners because the mind will want to think, analyze and figure stuff out. You seem to have a desire to calm the mind. I would work on that. What types of activities help calm the mind? . . . Perhaps set aside 30min. each day to calm the mind. Sit and meditate. Do yoga. Walk in nature. Take a bath. Create a calm, peaceful setting. . . This is "calm mind" time. If the mind gets busy, just tell it that we are doing a "calm mind workout", there will be plenty of time for thought stories after our "calm mind workout". . . With practice, you will likely notice small "gaps" between thoughts. Those are golden. . . . I remember thinking "It's impossible to stop thinking. It can't be done". Yet then I was aware of a small empty "gap", between thoughts. That was the first indicator that stillness in the mind was possible. Then the gaps between thoughts got longer and I realized the mind was "slowing down". Sometimes there were 5 seconds between thoughts - enough time that I was experiencing reality without thoughts. Then the thoughts became less powerful. I didn't sit down and have tea with my thoughts. . . 

One can also try to do a solo retreat. If possible, get away from it all for a full day or weekend. Go camping in the woods for a couple days solo. As well, reducing phone and internet time can be helpful - and engaging in what is happening Now.  

[Raptorsin7]

Read Nahm's thread on using a dream board. It will help you.

[SoonHei]

Give up is what needs to happen... but not how you think...
Give up your identification as the one who says To get enlightenment we must give up

[Alex bliss]

To me enlightenment is complete disidention of body and mind and see it as not self ...I am not worried about seeing everything as one but as a beginner practitioner I give more importance on clearing up all the false beliefs of body mind as self and trying to hold on to the I'm feeling...Also I don't try to stop thoughts I just let it flow but it still takes up to its next day ..I don't use internet btw ..I just come here once in a while in a day... I try to be mindful by just sitting and once mindfulness is strong I practice concentration by staring at an object for 2,3 hours then I do self enquiry ..I use to do repitation of any word like buddha, for concentration but i stop doing it recently because it makes me believe that I can think or I'm the thinker and thoughts doesn't occur on it's on...but even if I stop doing it the feeling that I have control over thought still gets me until I mediate for a long time ?

[SoonHei]

@Alex bliss keep in mind. it's not that you're not the body / mind

it's rather that you are the body / mind... AND everything else.

You're not just the body/mind.

[Alex bliss]

@SoonHei brah that's what I said but first we need to hold onto the I'm feeling for a long period of time before transcending it ...it's a very slippery place that I'm feeling will take us to liberation when it get revealed on it's own ..just like nisargadatta said ...we are all one, I'm everything will not going to work as a beginner otherwise you wouldn't be able to do discernment ..it's very necessary to dis identify from body and mind at first then only the realization of non dual can happen..

 

[SoonHei]

@Alex bliss indeed. gotta run the race on a circular track. the starting point is the ending point.

[Nahm]

2 hours ago, Alex bliss said:

I feel like to get enlightened in this life time we must give up everything and live in a hardcore monastery because it's just not possible to have social life and also at the same time be successful in spirituality..it is only for those who are already in a high level of consciousness..

““It is easier to thread a camel through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven”. - Jesus

“Giving up everything” points to perhaps the core of all teachings, detachment. The detachment from all things is of the “inner game”, and is more accurately stated, the ‘detachment from the idea & belief that there are things, and that I am a thing’. One could give away all possessions, live in a monastery, go “hardcore”, and never realize, or even put a dent in, true detachment. One could live abundantly in a mansion, and have no attachment to, no belief in, things. In either case, what is pursued, and how self actualization is pursued, could very well be what led to the circumstance. There is no eye, nor needle, nor rich man, these too are already heaven. One could argue your social life is a teaching being missed. All that is not held apart, is revealed as teaching, truth, and is revealing of the true nature. By believing the duality social vs spiritual, much teaching is being missed. The calling in it too, is being missed. 

2 hours ago, Alex bliss said:

For someone like me it's just not possible because I do self enquiry and the go out socializing and after I come back home my mind runs nonstop like it's almost impossible to calm it, specially when you hangout with my friends and have a great time the good times we had always comes up on thoughts...

I’d suggest proper meditation every morning, and again in the afternoon, and inspecting & untangling beliefs. Self inquiry is better suited after, in addition to, these. 

1 hour ago, Alex bliss said:

I'm living under my moms dad's home ..I don't have a job ..sooner or later I might have to earn a living on my own because who knows what life throws you into ...I am just not prepared for it .. also I kinda don't wanna live a stressful life so I really wanna go live in a monastery...

Boy can I relate to this. Those key words reveal a fundamental shift in perspective is needed. The conditioning of environment & influence must be understood and recontextualized. What you think you’ve got to work with is a perspective about what you’ve got to work with. What you actually want, passion, inspiration, vision - these are what you’ve actually “got to work with”. They’re being undervalued, underrated, misunderstood, untapped into, and missed out on.   Maybe you do go live in a monastery...but it sounds like you’re choosing the lessor of two evils, knowingly in avoidance of what could actually be an amazing, fulfilled, enlightened life. Take five minutes today, and write down what you do want. Feel the difference. Not what people think, not what your parents think, or teachers, or your friends. What you want. 

2 minutes ago, Alex bliss said:

To me enlightenment is complete disidention of body and mind and see it as not self ...I am not worried about seeing everything as one but as a beginner practitioner I give more importance on clearing up all the false beliefs of body mind as self and trying to hold on to the I'm feeling...Also I don't try to stop thoughts I just let it flow but it still takes up to its next day ..I don't use internet btw ..I just come here once in a while in a day... I try to be mindful by just sitting and once mindfulness is strong I practice concentration by staring at an object for 2,3 hours then I do self enquiry ..I use to do repitation of any word like buddha, for concentration but i stop doing it recently because it makes me believe that I can think or I'm the thinker and thoughts doesn't occur on it's on...but even if I stop doing it the feeling that I have control over thought still gets me until I mediate for a long time ?

What “works” or doesn’t, doesn’t matter. What works for you, matters to you. What matters to you, is actually what will work for you. It sounds like what you’ve been doing, is not working for you. Honestly, it sounds like what you’re doing is dividing your life more than unifying, that it is creating suffering and holding “the answer” as something in a far off place, that once attained, will some how solve all your problems. A more direct approach, of letting thoughts go in daily meditation, purposefully bringing about more light & clarity to conditioning, and expressing what you truly want, might be more enjoyable, and also more fruitful to your life, your path, and your “problems”. 

13 minutes ago, Alex bliss said:

 first we need to hold onto the I'm feeling for a long period of time before transcending it ...it's a very slippery place that I'm feeling will take us to liberation when it get revealed on it's own ..just like nisargadatta said ...we are all one, I'm everything will not going to work as a beginner otherwise you wouldn't be able to do discernment ..it's very necessary to dis identify from body and mind at first then only the realization of non dual can happen..

It sounds like you’re saying I can’t start anything in life until I’m enlightened (have transcended the body mind). I think that’s a mistake. Life is a teacher.

@SoonHei Sorry for butting in. ??

 

[SoonHei]

@Nahm bruhhhhhh, never ever utter that S word to me again aite?? unsure even about what buttin in is lol but you da king! 

[Alex bliss]

Bruhhhhh 

[Nahm]

@SoonHei ??♥️ Lol. No kings. Ordinary peeps. 

[SoonHei]

@Nahm amen. i shouldn't be placing you on a throne now, should I?

will have to overthrow you anyhow