Posted August 13, 2016 @Matthew Lamot You mentionned advaita in some other topic, and also with what you've just said, what books/sources would you recommend ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 13, 2016 7 hours ago, Lynnel said: @Matthew Lamot You mentionned advaita in some other topic, and also with what you've just said, what books/sources would you recommend ? Rupert Spira Jean Klein Greg Goode James Swartz Ramana David Godman (not strictly a teacher but is a very friendly guy and accepts emails from anybody interested in Ramana's Self Inquiry inquiry technique and is a recognized authority on his teachings) Swami Chimayananda Don't bother with the Western Q & A style Satsang, it is nothing more than entertainment in my opinion - anybody with a "ji" on the end of their name, even Papaji, even though he was Self Realized he never taught a person in his life, it was just woo woo transmission and ripped off from Ramana's highest teaching for the most advanced students who were naturally sattvic and burned most of their vasanas. Papaji was one of those sattvic students, but he turned the teaching of silence into a method that I think he imagined everybody was capable of accepting (which is not actually the case!) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 13, 2016 (edited) A great pointer is if a teacher treats you like you are already the Self, but also has a substantial teaching and not just an intellectual wearing down of your dualistic POV. You should experience a massive sense of relief with a teacher who doesn't utter nonsense like "ego" and "dogma". Then in my opinion you are onto something. If nihilism creeps in, and its always "you" who are the problem, along with the resulting depression, confusion, limitation, contraction, all culminating on the verge of giving up, then this is not a good teacher. Well, it's the right teacher for your current karmic situation, but like always, in the relative world there is such a thing as a "good" teacher, and a "good" student will attract a "good" teacher. Real Advaita teachers don't just teach "anybody" - it's interesting, because the tradition (and any other solid non-dual tradition) has a mysterious way of keeping unqualified people OUT. Qualified teachers attract qualified students, and there becomes this bond between the perfect match. But, if you are a dreamer then life will quickly let you know that this is not the place for you at the moment. It's almost like that cheesy "New Age" teaching that life delivers exactly what you need in the moment, and for you to burn your karma you must accept it as a gift without trying to change the environment, you go with it, but you still manifest, you still try because if you give up that is just resignation and not acceptance and grace. Not true student is ready for Self Inquiry if they are merely resigned and nihilistic. It should be a feeling of "I'm now ready to do this". You will mutually know if the situation is going to work between you and your teacher, because you will be compatible with each other. If your karma is bad then you will bring a teaching into your life that reflects that. If you are confused you will get more of the same, until you learn. Learn to listen to life and what it's telling you. Then when you are ready you will be ready to seriously look at what works, and do the work of translating your spiritual experiences into knowledge that transforms the whole being. If you are a quick fix person, you will attract Jed Mackenna et all. Vedanta is the pathless path. Unfortunately for the post-modernists out there who feel the need to re-interpret everything to suit their "non dogmatic" ego, the "Pathless Path" has only ONE TRUE meaning. Pathless means that in Non Dual terms you are always here, reality is no-dual. But it also respects DUALITY and there is a path for the Jiva, and it is a long one. Slow, steady and dedicated wins the race. Edited August 13, 2016 by Matthew Lamot Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 13, 2016 (edited) You see, in the old days of the Upanishads, most students were guided by a teacher, a teacher who was qualified to teach. It was a real tradition. Students had to practice a long time for Non-dual teachings, because their minds had to be ready to accept this experience so that it transformed into body wisdom rather than cognitive wisdom. Some people had to practice 12-15 years before they were allowed in on non dual. It was kept secret. Now, in this day of New Age bastardization and compulsive shallow congnitive Absolutization of the Relative, all that meaning has been lost and re-labelled "dogma". Everything now is dismissed as "dogma". This is innocent, but it is also ver ignorant. This happened because people listen to teachings that confuse relative and absolute and throw out the baby with the bathwater and screw themselves and the path because of the BELIEF that anything relative and meaningful is just "dogmatic". This is the problem here in these forums and in the New Age. It is the capitalist "quick fix" anybody can become "enlightened" fad of weekend Satsang. It's turned into like going to Church, except at least in organized religion you have some respect and reverence for relative duality! Now days the non-duality scene it just a big lie. So if you buy into the New Age lie, you will become an Absolutist who just walks around policing the language world and calling everything dogma and ego, but with no real understanding or transformation under their belt to back this up. Its just more ego pretending to be open minded. Edited August 13, 2016 by Matthew Lamot Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 16, 2016 On 11/08/2016 at 11:00 AM, popi said: I hate true love. Noone deserves it actually....but yourself. There's a certain irony to this statement. It is suggesting that someone has to deserve authentic love. Which would make true, authentic, love conditional on them deserving it. Which wouldn't make it authentic love at all. You're still looking at authentic love from the paradigm of traditional love. As something that can be given. Love isn't a giving or receiving. It isn't a transaction. Authentic love is an attitude to life and reality. It isn't an agenda-based action. It isn't an action at all. “If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.” - Lao Tzu Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted August 18, 2016 @username life is what you create it to be, your perception, your interpretations, your opinions on everything and everyone. Your world is created by what is created in your mind. Yes genuine love and relationships are possible but it is very rare to find. Like a needle in a hay stack. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
