Critique Against Actualized.org and Leo's Work

[LfcCharlie4]

4 hours ago, martins name said:

In Ken Wilber's book "The Religion of Tomorrow" he quoted a trial where there were two groups of monks in the same monastery, one trained with weights during their time there, one didn't. The ones who trained progressed faster spiritually. 

You also get to have more tantric sex with a bod like Kens. Damn he was sexy

 

In terms of a natural physique from someone who isn't dedicating their life to lifting / competing, it doesn't get much better than this. 

@samijiben I agree with you to an extent, but what I have found is that awakening / spirituality tends to lead to naturally dropping things that don't serve you / you don't enjoy. 

For example, say you're only going to the gym to impress girls & you hate it, you'd probs end up dropping it with some inner work & finding something else you love. 

Whereas, if you actually love / enjoy training, you'd likely keep it up post-awakening as it is serving you. 

Same goes for most sports, I heard a funny story once about a Guru in India who was visited by an American wanting to open 'enlightenment schools' in California. 

The guru answered the door & welcomed the man into his home, for several days they simply watched Cricket (biggest sport in India & goes on for up to 5 days) & the guru was even drinking beer, the man then asked, 'so when can we start the teaching,' and the Guru responded- 

'This is the teaching, I'm doing what I love and enjoying my life, what more do you want?' 

 

[James12345]

4 hours ago, Vision said:

What do you expect from philosopher lol???

[Mu_]

11 hours ago, samijiben said:

I want to level a critique against Actualized that I guarantee you've never heard before. This has recently been brought to my attention.

I should preface by expressing my appreciation and gratitude for your work, Leo. I speak on behalf of your audience and the members of this forum when I say your work has transformed my understanding of myself and reality in a positive way. 

With that being said, I believe your philosophy leaves out an integral component of spirituality: that of physical health. Now I know what you're thinking: spirituality is all about transcending the physical body. But transcendence does not mean ignoring what you're transcending, it means including it while also moving on to "bigger and better things." 

Let me specify what I mean when I say physical health. I do not just mean eating healthy and working out. I mean pushing your body to extreme limits, whether that's by lifting heavy weights, doing high-intensity training, running hard, rowing, boxing, swimming, playing tennis, playing basketball, or essentially any sport that you do not just play for shits and giggles but to train the body and reach excellence and peak-performance while testing your physical limits and pushing yourself physically in the face of adversity. I think running long-distance best exemplifies this.

Then again, maybe as an athlete I am being biased and can't see it. But I think extreme physical endurance and strength are crucial to spirituality. 

While I'm all for physical health and challenges and enjoy them myself, think about this.  Why would something called "pushing ones body" be any more significant to something called "enlightenment" anymore then sleeping all day or doing as little with the body as possible?

Why not how far you can stick a hose in your butt be a measure of getting closer to or important towards "awakening".  Why not how long you can pet your cat in one sitting?

 

[Average Investor]

10 hours ago, samijiben said:

Goggins has been a huge influence for me. Whoever says pushing your body is unhealthy is unhealthy.

That is coming from a guy who literally destroys his body to do that lol. 

[taotemu]

Our bodies are a meat suit.  Nothing wrong with keeping it healthy.  But if that is your only focus then when age eventually wins what are you left with?

 

[Matt23]

8 hours ago, martins name said:

... trained with weights during their time there...

I also wonder how intensely they trained.  I doubt it was doing david goggins style workouts.  

@samijiben Ya.  No don't get me wrong, I think physical health and fitness are positives usually, when calibrated to each individual.  Even for emotions and one's psychology they can help.  But my argument was with the beefcake, do-marathons-till-you-break-an-ankle-and-keep-running, navy seal, spend-all-your-time-and-energy-working-out, and pushing-your- body-to-the-max-all-the-time styles of fitness.  

[Matt23]

8 hours ago, SQAAD said:

I think people are judging others by their own standars

Maybe.  But also I don't think suggesting or giving one's opinions about a topic (like how I don't think pushing one's body to the extreme is necessarily very healthy) is the same as demonizing people who do that.  

Like you can caution people about the downfalls of a certain way of doing things yet still not judge or demonize people who do that.  

[Ilan]

15 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Realistically, maintaining a body like that is going to turn into a waste of time.

You should have better things to do.

Who are you trying to impress?

Women. What did you expect ? 

[roopepa]

13 hours ago, Brandon Nankivell said:

Ripped Maharshi.

Stories tell that Neem Karoli Baba would burn through other people's karma by eating food.

Dude died from a diabetic coma. What a selfless, fat angel.

Edited August 17, 2021 by roopepa

[Matt23]

5 hours ago, roopepa said:

What's up with those arms tho?  

[SQAAD]

Caring too much about the physical body is a sign of low consciousness. I used to be like that but I realise that it's a stupid game that can't be won no matter what bc your body is deterioration and going straight to the grave. People obsessed with their physical appearance suffer enormously and it's not even funny. I speak from direct experience 

Edited August 18, 2021 by SQAAD

[OctagonOctopus]

The way I look at it is that I am working out so that I have a decent body structure in order to allow me to relax deeper in my introspective activities. 

It is harder to relax if you got small muscles, they wont be able to keep the structure of your body aligned as well. But if you got too hard with it you end up building muscles that are chronically tight. So I mostly just do light weights from time to time. Light weights with lots of reps has been shown to be better for building structurally sound relaxed muscles. 

[Goldzilla]

7 hours ago, SQAAD said:

Caring too much about the physical body is a sign of low consciousness. I used to be like that but I realise that it's a stupid game that can't be won no matter what bc your body is deterioration and going straight to the grave. People obsessed with their physical appearance suffer enormously and it's not even funny. I speak from direct experience 

Another lie. Healthy inside will reflect outside. Let's skip the aberations of what gym, diets and society does. I speak about proper living, outside in nature, outside the city. 

[Pateedm]

On 8/17/2021 at 7:38 PM, Brandon Nankivell said:

Ripped Maharshi.

?

[Inliytened1]

On 8/17/2021 at 2:29 AM, Leo Gura said:

Realistically, maintaining a body like that is going to turn into a waste of time.

You should have better things to do.

Who are you trying to impress?

This isn't directed at Leo...but actually once you get ripped and in shape maintaining it is the easy part.  It's getting there in the first place that takes commitment and discipline..but once you are there it's not that bad to maintain.   Once you realize that eating McDonald's ain't gonna get you anywhere, you will ultimately wanna change your ways to a healthy lifestyle anyway so you are gonna pretty much forgo the crap and have a clean diet anyway going forward..so this will become a lifestyle for ya regardless.

[jimwell]

On 8/17/2021 at 3:26 PM, SQAAD said:

I think people are judging others by their own standars.

Leo does not have the body type to be muscular. Some people are more genetically gifted to have big , nice muscles without even exercising. Leo has been gifted to be more mental and that's where he focuses the majority of his time. If he had different genetics for muscles then he might cared more about having big round muscles.

Someone more physically gifted would probably want to enhance more his physique just like a philosopher or knowledge-junkie wants to learn even more. Some  people chase more power through the gym while others through the library. They are both egoic activities i think.

My point is that people do what they are good at. If you have a nice body and get compliments about it, you'll probably want to enhance that by going to the gym. If you have tons of knowledge and people are impressed by you, you'll probably want to be learning even more. If you are very good at math and people give you compliments about it, that's what you'll pursue.

Leo has gotten love and compliments for his mental achievements, not because of his body. He doesn't have motivation to develope a ''nice''(by someones else standards) body.

These are all projections. The best form of self-actualization or self-development is all-encompassing. It encompasses many domains; spirituality, mind or intelligence, emotion, and body. Rhamana Maharshi might have been the most conscious human has ever lived; but he was NOT well-balanced.  

[Matt23]

Obviously extreme fitness isnt for everyone.

But also, I notice my body feels tremendously better and more relaxed and even my mind is more clear when i do some sort of disciplined exercise routine.  Doesn't have to be huge amounts though.

[SLuxy]

@Ilan As impressive as Goggins is, its extremely likely that the dude is driven by a lot of unresolved trauma.

[mandyjw]

Do some volunteer work for a Hospice group and you might see the flaw in that assumption.