Selflessness?

[4201]

9 hours ago, Flowerfaeiry said:

I want to learn to be less selfish. It's definitely something that can be learned, otherwise, how do people do it? 

You might want to ponder why you want that. You can learn to act more selflessly in order to be perceived more favorably by other people, so that your selfish objectives can be fullfilled. But learning a behavior pattern labelled as selflessness for a selfish cause is different than actually surrendering all of your desires.

How do people do it? Jesus did not wake up one day deciding "I want to be loved by everyone". He just started actually loving everyone and everything instead.

I can't give you a "how". Enlightenment / true selflessness cannot be written down and acquired as some sort of lesson. You already are truly selfless, it is your natural state. Yet through conditioning you have learned to care about this body more than the rest. It's a matter of unlearning that, not learning something new on top of that.

[Gnosis]

Selflessness is the result of complete surrender and a kind of brutal willingness to be with whatever life is.

There is no selflessness outside of motivation. It's simply a fundamental change in your motivation to live, to put it bluntly.

If you were to actually be completely without self, the term would lose all its context and there would be nothing to talk about.

[Gnosis]

It's not all it's cracked up to be.

[Flowerfaeiry]

19 hours ago, Breakingthewall said:

A course in miracles is surprising, fascinating. very strange and evocative.

Have you read the whole thing? 

[Flowerfaeiry]

15 hours ago, 4201 said:

You might want to ponder why you want that. You can learn to act more selflessly in order to be perceived more favorably by other people, so that your selfish objectives can be fullfilled. But learning a behavior pattern labelled as selflessness for a selfish cause is different than actually surrendering all of your desires.

Because it feels better and more fulfilling. I see what you're saying though, maybe I am doing it for selfish reasons. I don't know though. There seems to be a difference in quality to it. Still figuring that out. 

[Flowerfaeiry]

5 hours ago, Gnosis said:

It's not all it's cracked up to be.

I think there's a difference between sacrificing your needs for others and being truly selfless. It seems that you have to think of yourself first and transcend through that in order to be selfless. For instance, you can't just always favor other people at the expense of your own hopes, needs and desires.

[Gili Trawangan]

News flash: you're already selfless 

[Breakingthewall]

5 hours ago, Flowerfaeiry said:

Have you read the whole thing? 

No, 1/3 more or less, i read it sometimes, but short snippets randomly . I find it fascinating that in each line there are allusions that touch deep but not directly, speaking to your subconscious . the part where they speak of the father as infinite emptiness, his vibration is love, which they call the son (I think I remember) for example. I also find the story of how it was made fascinating: an atheist psychologist in the 70s who says she wrote it at the dictation of something superior. reading it certainly seems to be the fruit of genuine inspiration. 

For example, i just open randomly and i read this (sorry the bad translation)

 

The truth is exempt from illusions and, therefore He dwells within the Kingdom. 2Everything that is outside the Kingdoms illusory. 3When you discard the truth, you noticed it same as devoid of it.4 upon conceiving another kingdom to which you attributed value, you did not keep Enthusiastically, only the Kingdom of God, in this way, you carefully excluded part l. 5 What you have invented has imprisoned your will and you have once been sick, you now have to be healed 

Edited July 5, 2021 by Breakingthewall

[Guest EmptyVase]

MDMA at a techno festival sure teaches a lot about love and selflesness. 

[RickyFitts]

I think understanding exactly where the desire to be selfless is coming from on an emotional level is key - it sounds laudable, but if it's coming from a place of guilt, shame, or self-hatred, say, then it's coming from a wounded, dysfunctional place, and any subsequent selfless behaviour may simply be designed, unconsciously, to cover up those feelings.

[Flowerfaeiry]

11 hours ago, EmptyVase said:

MDMA at a techno festival sure teaches a lot about love and selflesness. 

I feel you 

[erik8lrl]

@Flowerfaeiry The most selfless way is one that is a perfect balance between selfishness and selflessness. Since that is the best reflection of your true nature. You, as God, are both yourself and others. To focus on only one of the two is a sign of unawareness of what you are. If you are everyone, including yourself, then there is no difference between selfishness and selflessness. Thus, it is best to remain in beingness and act on intuition (heart), which will always lead to a balanced act between the two without going to either extreme.