Best Beginner Non-Dual Technique/Teaching?

[Matt23]

I want to do some basic enlightenment sessions with people.  I'm wanting to know what you all found to be the most helpful techniques, teachings, metaphors, and approaches in the beginning stages.  

I've been doing enlightenment/self-inquiry work for about two years now (meditation for about 5) and have experimented with a few techniques.  

What were/are you favorite techniques?

What were/are your favorite/most helpful teachings/philosophies/concepts regarding enlightenment that were taught to you?

Even attitudes and demeanors teachers took would be appreciated.

Cheers

[LfcCharlie4]

@Matt23 firstly, are you enlightened before teaching? 

One of the biggest worries for me in the Non-Dual community is the blind leading the blind. Basically people who aren’t even awakened/ fully awakened teaching people which brings with it a lot of risks.

also, a lot of teachers tend to then lose focus on their own development and “crystallise” where they’re at often, so that’s something to consider.

Most people will need some sort of theoretical Non-Dual understanding etc 

Things that helped me most-

1) Working 1-1 with a “Fully” awakened teacher (I class this as LOC 1000)

2) Spiritual Transmissions/ RASA 

3) Enneagram work to learn my biggest pitfalls in awakening

4)  Foundational Meditation/ Self-Inquiry work of course

5) Guided presence meditations, hard to explain mind of like walking through your true nature as presence 

There’s a lot more that helps on the path, but this has helped the most in my own awakening process. 

Good luck!  

[Matt23]

@LfcCharlie4  Thanks for the input.  Yeah, I've never had an enlightenment experience.  I've got practice and theory.  I figure it'd be worth it to introduce people to the concept and get them aware that it's a possibility.  I'd be a messenger I guess, giving people sources, teachers, techniques, theory, while emphasizing I've never had an experience and don't even know if it's true.

[Forestluv]

If someone is genuinely ready for nonduality, I would recommend a psychedelic. It has a very high probability of inducing a direct nondual experience and will teach them more about nonduality in 6 hours than you could in 6 months. 

Imagine going back in time 300 years and trying to explain electricity to someone. One approach is to spend months trying to explain it through concepts and having them self inquire “what is electricity?”. Another approach is to turn on a lightbulb and stick their finger in an electrical outlet.

[Nahm]

@Matt23 I don’t mean to sound critical, but wouldn’t you want to first find out if it’s true?

[Raptorsin7]

@Matt23 I would not teach until you have some genuine experience with non-duality first. Maybe you can teach about meditation, but until you actually experience non-duality please do not teach it.

[Esoteric]

@Matt23 Sounds like you are well on your way developing a very unhealthy spiritual ego. Good luck with that.

[LfcCharlie4]

@Matt23 Yeah no offence mate, to me that's like teaching someone to cook without ever cooking yourself, but you've read cookbooks. 

I don't mean to shoot you down and by all means, introduce people to this, but I don't think you should really begin teaching until you're at least enlightened yourself, also, 2 years is a long time to be at this with little results in my opinion. 

Psychedelics could give you insights but in my opinion, there's much more 'efficient' ways to help you grow spiritually and actually permanently embody awakenings.

I've worked 1-1 with a teacher since February and my growth has been amazing, the Spiritual Transmissions have been amazing. 

Good luck on your journey, but please don't teach until you are actually awakened yourself. 

[inFlow]

@Matt23 My path was:

#1. Listening to all of the videos Leo has uploaded. Than re-listening to some of the really important ones at least 5 times. (You need theory)

#2. Developing mindfulness. Meditation, body-scan-awareness, and the most growth had came from Kriya Yoga ( I always stress how important yoga is)

#3. Self-reflecting, being mindful how I'am a liar, a manipulator, how I avoid the hard stuff, etc.

#4. TAKING ACTION this one is huge. The best growth.

#5. Only trusting direct experience. Everything else are just concepts/mental-masturbation/brainstorms.

Also reading books is quite important, you have to develop your ego in the RIGHT way, this will be rewarding after some awakenings.

[Matt23]

@Nahm I get that logic.  It's like who would go to a sex therapist who's never had sex?  On the other hand, I've been doing self-inquiry for a few years now and feel it's helped me in life.  Especially with letting go of pieces of myself.

@Raptorsin7 Makes sense.

@Esoteric  Yeah, I've thought about that.  I find it's hard to know.  Though, I don't reject the idea.  I've been doing sentence completions (originally learned from Nathaniel Branden) and I've had "Teach self-inquiry" come out for several sentences asking about my life purpose and what I should do with my life.  But, point taken.

@LfcCharlie4  Hmm... yeah it's felt like a big grind.  I might have more baggage or shadow to deal with than most.  I dunno.  I've heard Ken Wilber talk about how it's hard to "Wake up" if you've got a lot of shadow issues.  I've definitely had my fair share of mental health problems.

In terms of psychedelics, I've done Ayahuasca, Iboga, LSD, Peyote, and some mushrooms.  I've kind of played it safe with them due to my mental history.  I've started microdosing at the moment.  Do you have any advice or thoughts on mushrooms and Non-Duality?  Particularly with people who've had a history of mental instability?  I'm always debating whether I should just "send it" and go for a bigger dose in the hopes of getting an insight.

@inFlow Cheers.  

 

Thanks everyone.  Will consider all.

[Nahm]

@Matt23 I hear ya. I still vote have sex.

[cetus]

On 11/23/2019 at 11:45 PM, Matt23 said:

What were/are your favorite/most helpful teachings/philosophies/concepts regarding enlightenment that were taught to you

"For those who have ears let them hear".

All the teachings one would ever need are already here for the taking. There is only one teacher. That is you.

[Matt23]

Letting out frustrations : Releasing the victim

Ugh...I'm trying so hard... it feels like everyone's having these insights and experiences and I'm just not good enough to do it.  I feel so inadequate at all this.  It's so hard.  I don't get it.  I do self-inquiry, meditation, psychedelics, retreats and I'm plagued by addictions and emotions.  So then maintaining a long-lasting practice has been so difficult.  and ugh!  I don't know what the fuck to do.  If two years is a long time, fuck.  I feel like I've been at this for a long time and have put so much effort in and been through so much shit and am still at the starting point.    uggghhhhh.  What the fuck do I have to do!

I don't understand.  This work fucking sucks.

[VeganAwake]

16 minutes ago, Matt23 said:

Letting out frustrations : Releasing the victim

Ugh...I'm trying so hard... it feels like everyone's having these insights and experiences and I'm just not good enough to do it.  I feel so inadequate at all this.  It's so hard.  I don't get it.  I do self-inquiry, meditation, psychedelics, retreats and I'm plagued by addictions and emotions.  So then maintaining a long-lasting practice has been so difficult.  and ugh!  I don't know what the fuck to do.  If two years is a long time, fuck.  I feel like I've been at this for a long time and have put so much effort in and been through so much shit and am still at the starting point.    uggghhhhh.  What the fuck do I have to do!

I don't understand.  This work fucking sucks.

Matt think about who is trying to become awakened...

The character otherwise known as the false self cannot awaken. It doesn't have the ability to awaken because this character is a fictional entity created by the ego construct. Yes there is a real human body/mind but there is NOT a character named Matt which you are trying to awaken.

Do you see the problem? You are trying to awaken an illusory sense of self.

The person you described as inadequate and plagued by addictions and emotions is an illusion.

Your true self is what does not change its what is always here it's the pure conscious awareness that you need to notice and realize as your true self.

Here is a video called the illusion of "I" and I would also like you to watch the movie: Samadhi (Maya the illusion of self) on YouTube okay...... trust me on this one...❤

Good luck Oneness!! Become aware ? ❤

 

[WelcometoReality]

@Matt23 Are you trying to hard? Trying to get there? Forcing yourself to do certain techniques?

How about trying the other way. Relax into it and let it come to you instead.

[Raptorsin7]

@Matt23 You have come to the right place. Keep posting all the time, ask questions, try and learn from people further along the path than you. Find a technique or a post that feels right and run with it. Check out Nahm's thread on using a dream board.

[Nahm]

@Matt23

Relax & gently scrutinize the thoughts. The “separate self” is only sustained in thoughts. Self referential thinking, and ‘outside force’ narratives. That’s all. Less thinking, more loving and relaxing, and guiding thought via feeling. 

7 hours ago, Matt23 said:

I'm just not good enough

Who says this about who, are you not simply you?

7 hours ago, Matt23 said:

I'm plagued

It is the thinking & believing of such things to be let go. There’s not a thing “wrong” with you, sans the thoughts there is. 

[Matt23]

Sum of below:  I think I try too hard and resist taking it easy since I feel "I" have to do it for validation since I perhaps didn't get that validation growing up.  So I create difficult obstacles to overcome so I can feel a surge of ego-gratification and "I'm here" and "I can do it."

@WelcometoReality Yeah, I probably force things a lot.  While watching the video above, I though "Maybe I'm using enlightenment to escape reality, which is the exact opposite direction to enlightenment."  There's almost a part of me that doesn't want it to be easy or simple.  It's like the part of me that struggles gets gratified and acknowledged when things are hard.  Like that belief that things are hard is working to be confirmed.  It seems also that there's a part of me that wants to do it alone and by myself, like I'm using this enlightenment project as a way to validate myself.  As a way to show myself that "I can do it."  When you said ...

On 11/28/2019 at 11:27 PM, WelcometoReality said:

Relax into it and let it come to you instead.

I felt a little deflated.  Like "I had to do it" and letting go and relaxing doesn't acknowledge my self.  It too easy or something.  

I think I've made myself to be a fighter, a survivor, someone who has to try really hard.  This goes completely counter to easing into things, letting go, and letting it come to me.  

It's like "If I'm not doing it, if I'm not the one who does it, if I'm not the one who's hard work got him enlightened, then it's not very satisfying or affirming."

Like I'm using enlightenment as a self-validating project.  Probably because of not feeling capable in life or that I can't do it or something along those lines.

Ahh!  haha, I hate the idea of taking it easy, and yet I hate feeling miserable from trying too hard!  haha  

 

I also have this idea that I need to fix me.  Like that's a big part of my identity.  The one who needs fixing.

 

I think I might do all this stuff to try and feel important because I never felt important growing up or got that recognition or validation.  So I try to be serious, take myself and life seriously, and try really hard at things to gain approval and validation from others.

Maybe i never felt validated as a person.  Never felt acknowledged.  Ignored.

I have this notion that I'm not good enough, so I created another part which is good enough.  But, this good enough part of me only gets validated when it does "good" things, like work hard and overcome obstacles and struggles.  Like I can't accept things being easier than they are, or easy at all, since then that big part of me wouldn't be validated or continue to be.

I think the belief that "I'm not good enough" comes into play since if I relax, let go, and be myself as I am, that's not good enough.  So I have to try hard to not be myself since I'm not good enough.  I think I have to let that belief go and be myself more.

[Forestluv]

@Matt23 I wonder if it might be helpful to step outside of it for a bit into something relaxing and enjoyable without pressures to make progress. Last summer, I noticed myself getting really intense and felt pressured. I decided to take a spontaneous solo trip to take a break and change the environment. I had no expectations of growing or making progress.  I spent all day hiking, relaxing and sitting in nature. Things started to feel natural and spontaneous again, being now.

For me, a little bit of pressure,  intensity and discomfort can be good. Yet there also needs to be relaxation and enjoyment. It’s hard for me to be going with the flow of Now when I’m caught up with this, that and the other thing.

[LfcCharlie4]

@Matt23 if you have enough money, go and work with a teacher 1-1, that’s what I did in February and in combination with RASA I’ve developed more than I ever would’ve in thid lifetime without them in just 9 months! 

I can recommend Ramaji and Ananda devi, if you wanna knownmore message me as I’m not allowed to post links here apparently! 

A lot of people here are in your shoes and I was earlier this year, it will prepare you for your awakenings, however without intervention you might not get very far alone.

think of someone who isn’t great at sport trying to teach themselves, when an amazing coach is only a click away, how will they reach their potential quicker?