Leo, what does your “mundane world” look like?

[Apparition of Jack]

@Leo Gura From what I understand you spend most of your time in your house / your meditation cabin these days since you’ve been able to set yourself up rather successfully and to continuously pursue awakening, but do you still have “worldly” obligations to family/friends that you engage in? Do you ever attend a cousin’s wedding, or a grandparent’s birthday, or have an old friend contact you online and ask to grab a couple of drinks to catch up?

If so, how do you handle these situations, do you just go along with the ride or do you use it as a chance to get some people thinking about self-actualisation? If you don’t do these things, how do your family/friends take it? Do they understand what you’re doing on some level or do they get annoyed with you for being some hippie hermit? What does “social balance” to you look like?

Edited December 11, 2019 by Apparition of Jack

[TrynaBeTurquoise]

This is an interesting topic. 

[Leo Gura]

Yes, I have worldly obligations. Mostly with my biz (Actualized.org) and you guys. Also a bit of family obligations, but not much.

I am not a social person because I find it too shallow and I like my freedom.

I don't need to talk much about these topics with people/family because I get it out via my videos. The videos are my outlet.

To me social balance looks like living in a cabin in the woods with maybe a girlfriend. And interacting with students via teachings or writing. I don't care for having a social life in the conventional sense.

Don't try to emulate this unless it feels natural to you. People have different social preferences. Mystics tend to have an abnormally high tolerance for solitude.

Figure out what you want. What I want is irrelevant to you.

[Consept]

Just curious but how would you meet a girlfriend? Asking as it can be difficult without socialising too much 

[LfcCharlie4]

Second what Leo said, as in find what works for you. 

Awakening doesn't mean you have to live in solitude, it might for some people of course. 

It could mean you throw yourself into the world and find a whole new group of friends, girlfriend etc. You don't have to talk about this stuff, I hardly/ never talk about awakenings, non-duality, personal dev with my mates because none of them ask/ don't want to hear it, just like I don't shove veganism down their throat. IF they ask about something I'm more than open to discuss it. 

It's more than okay to have interests outside of this btw, and once you 'finish' seeking unless you become a teacher of some sort you'll probably have an ordinary life. Like Rupert Spira and his teacher Francis Lucille NEVER talk about this stuff anymore as they have no need to and are 'normal' friends who often play tennis together for example. My teacher(s) live an ordinary life with each other, she actually has 3 kids, so that has its own challenges lol. 

 For me I'm an enneagram type 7 and LOVE socialising, I go out most weekends with my friends/ Girlfriend, but I work from home, so that's my main form of social contact. In the winter for obvious reasons I'm inside a lot, but in summer during Cricket season I'm outside most eveings and weekend so socialise even more, if anything this work has improved my social skills massively.

I feel people often underestimate how individual this work can be, depending on so many factors, so find what works best for you. 

One last thing is get out of your comfort zone, as a 7 I like to always be busy so I make sure to take time to spend alone and meditate and feel my emotions etc, whereas a 5 could hibernate all year so should really be going out socialising to improve their lives, its often the things we don;t want to do that will help us grow the most, and working with the Enneagram helped me understand why I didn't love meditation straight away and preferred reading/ watching to actually doing the work etc!

[Raptorsin7]

@LfcCharlie4 Can you explain the enneagram a little bit. How do you use it to improve your life? Or maybe pm me i don't want to hijack the thread.

Edited December 11, 2019 by Raptorsin7

[Apparition of Jack]

13 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Don't try to emulate this unless it feels natural to you. People have different social preferences. Mystics tend to have an abnormally high tolerance for solitude.

Figure out what you want. What I want is irrelevant to you.

Duly noted. I ask because as I continue on my own journey I find myself desiring these things less, and yet for a number of reasons I still find it more suitable to go along with them for the time being, so I was looking for examples of what a possible sense of balance between personal mysticism and worldly interaction could look like. I don’t think I’ll end up in a cabin in the woods any time soon, but carving out my own niche for myself in the society I live in is something I’m working towards.

Edited December 11, 2019 by Apparition of Jack

[bejapuskas]

@Leo Gura  Have you met any extroverted, actively socializing seekers on your path?

 

[SoothedByRain]

@Leo Gura Thank you for sharing Leo! Some completely useless information for you. I've called you Bald Yoda for years.

To Dagobah!

"Mudhole?! Slimy?! My home this is!" ― Yoda 

Edited December 11, 2019 by SoothedByRain

[CreamCat]

@SoothedByRain That place looks susceptible to robbery, theft, murder, and rape.

Make sure to have security robots there.

Edited December 11, 2019 by CreamCat

[Derek White]

@Leo Gura

On 2019-12-10 at 9:32 PM, Leo Gura said:

To me social balance looks like living in a cabin in the woods with maybe a girlfriend. And interacting with students via teachings or writing. I don't care for having a social life in the conventional sense.

Since you analyze culture, society and people, why not talk to more people? The media and internet could present you with a distorted image.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Derek White

[SoothedByRain]

@CreamCat Hence the pet dragon

Security Dragon!

I'd have to teach it to burn trespassers and not all the beautiful tree's . . .

Gotta partition dat reality

[Leo Gura]

Just to clarify, this also might change. There are phases in life when I am more isolated, and other phases when I am more social.

And solitude does not literally require a cabin in the woods. Solitude can be had in the middle of a busy city.

[undeather]

15 hours ago, LfcCharlie4 said:

Second what Leo said, as in find what works for you. 

Awakening doesn't mean you have to live in solitude, it might for some people of course. 

It could mean you throw yourself into the world and find a whole new group of friends, girlfriend etc. You don't have to talk about this stuff, I hardly/ never talk about awakenings, non-duality, personal dev with my mates because none of them ask/ don't want to hear it, just like I don't shove veganism down their throat. IF they ask about something I'm more than open to discuss it. 

It's more than okay to have interests outside of this btw, and once you 'finish' seeking unless you become a teacher of some sort you'll probably have an ordinary life. Like Rupert Spira and his teacher Francis Lucille NEVER talk about this stuff anymore as they have no need to and are 'normal' friends who often play tennis together for example. My teacher(s) live an ordinary life with each other, she actually has 3 kids, so that has its own challenges lol. 

 For me I'm an enneagram type 7 and LOVE socialising, I go out most weekends with my friends/ Girlfriend, but I work from home, so that's my main form of social contact. In the winter for obvious reasons I'm inside a lot, but in summer during Cricket season I'm outside most eveings and weekend so socialise even more, if anything this work has improved my social skills massively.

I feel people often underestimate how individual this work can be, depending on so many factors, so find what works best for you. 

One last thing is get out of your comfort zone, as a 7 I like to always be busy so I make sure to take time to spend alone and meditate and feel my emotions etc, whereas a 5 could hibernate all year so should really be going out socialising to improve their lives, its often the things we don;t want to do that will help us grow the most, and working with the Enneagram helped me understand why I didn't love meditation straight away and preferred reading/ watching to actually doing the work etc!

I like this one.

[Florian]

@Leo Gura But do you literally live in a cabin in the woods right now? Just curious

[SoothedByRain]

@Florian No. Leo lives in a penthouse on wallstreet. He is using all that patreon money to commision a death star, which he will move into upon completion. 

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by SoothedByRain

[LfcCharlie4]

@Raptorsin7 Most of it was from working with my teahcer, at this point I've only dived deeply into my own type to help with awakening. 

If you want to learn more defo PM me cos I don't wanna hijack the thread either, there's lots of great books. I'd also say just research the 9 types, you can do the Full test online as well, but I'm not sure how accurate that is. 

It's defo an amazing tool, for example Ramana Maharshi and Eckhart Tolle are Enneagram 9s hence the 'peace' vibe whereas Nisgardatta was an 8 hence the shouting and swearing, understand this helps you understand different teaching styles and personalities etc

[Leo Gura]

5 hours ago, Florian said:

@Leo Gura But do you literally live in a cabin in the woods right now? Just curious

Nope

Like I said. That's not necessary for solitude. Living in a cabin in the woods is impractical when I run an online business. And actually, it's impractical period. Hard to get food there.

[Deanna]

On 12/10/2019 at 9:32 PM, Leo Gura said:

 

Edited December 14, 2019 by Deanna