Genuine Good-heartedness (now!).

[The White Belt]

Hey people.

I'm doing the homework assignment on Leo's last video. I have been looking into Sikhism, and Jainism. 

I see a correlation between them in terms of selfless action, serving others, not acting badly towards anybody be it with speech or actions, and genuine love and kindness. 

My question is how can I be selflessly kind? If I'm doing it for ultimate liberation then it's not selfless, is it? How do I radiate love and kindness without enlightenment? 

I'm not a mean guy, but sometimes I think things like oh, I could have been more helpful to that person, or I could have smiled more or been more enthusiastic in conversation, but sometimes I feel like i'm bending my arm up behind my back and have to will myself into these things.

And in the world of non-duality would it be wrong to say you should be kind? As opposed to what? If there are no opposites? No this is good that is bad? How can one act intuitively as opposed to forcibly before one has meditated enough to really hear what their intuition has to say?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Epiphany_Inspired]

All I can offer is my own (far from enlightened) opinion... I can easily Imagine, if you asked your questions to someone like the Dali Lama, what he might say....something like: "True compassion is always self-less, not self-ish"....and this makes a lot of sense to me...if compassion evolves beyond perceived motives, and into real of genuine caring, then it would be impossible for hidden agendas to lurk behind the scenes....that said, this may be another "fake it til you make it" scenario..... where we evoke our compassion regardless of our intentions, and eventually the power of compassion will overtake us, and any of our former selfish-ness...maybe think about serving the universe, and everything in it, instead of just humans, it might help you be more receptive to the true potential?....I don't know....

your non-duality question is for Leo, I have no base for perception...RE: intuition....mediation is important, but I truly believe anyone could tap into their intuition, separately.....it's more like mindfulness if you want a meditation connection....it is a matter of tapping into the awareness....you intuition is always speaking to you,,,,we just supress it....to hear what your intuition has to say, you have to become open to listening...start by listening to your emotions and notice how your physical sensations correspond...for me the most powerful intuitions are when something is a really strong "YES", or "THAT'S RIGHT for me", "I was meant to discover this insight", etc...(I get VERY obvious chills down my arms, but the sensation differs for everybody)...I personally still struggle with the opposite, things that are "not right" etc (because my fear levels are so high, I get confused with the other side of intuition).....but that side is almost universally felt in the pit of the stomach "I had a gut feeling that I should not move into that house"...etc....It sounds like you are heading in the right direction....enjoy your journey!

 

[Psychonaut]

Be real, gurl! It's that easy. Then your good heartedness will also be real. Super simple.

[Epiphany_Inspired]

I just had a realization that may help you @BeginnerActualizer .... Our brains are currently wired to jump into the past and future...(it just happened to me with this conversation....lol)......so, maybe....the next time that you "replay" a conversation or interaction in your head after and think:...."I could have said....I should have done" etc..(to be more compassionate)..instead go to the present, and without regret, send (mentally/ energetically) what you do want for that person, out through the universe (like a prayer, but not like the Madonna song, or a religious repent)....lol....a true heartfelt wish.....I know it sounds flaky, but I've had enough personal evidence to know it works....and being in the present moment as much as possible will help too....

 

Edited December 16, 2016 by Epiphany_Inspired

[Aware]

@BeginnerActualizer

On 15 december 2016 at 6:56 PM, BeginnerActualizer said:

how can I be selflessly kind? If I'm doing it for ultimate liberation then it's not selfless, is it? How do I radiate love and kindness without enlightenment? 

Please listen carefully.

You are awareness, which is all pervasive and selfless already, not limited to one body or mind, but pervasive to all bodies and mind. There for some behavior is in accordance, and other behavior is not.

When righteous student lives a life in seclusion from unwholesome deeds (leading to polarity, good and evil deeds) focusing on the all pervasive You (Awareness), living secluded from unwholesome behavior namely: unwholesome views, intention, speech, act, effort, livelihood, attention and concentration, the righteous student has but one goal, freedom of mind.

The righteous student is there for kind to others, to overcome his own anger not from a view it must reach enlightenment but knowingly that enlightenment is the discipline the noble student is already practicing, namely: Living in seclusion from unwholesome behavior. Enlightenment is an allround discipline, not an end station. There for after some hard work, the noble student realizes that love and kindness, is for the benefit of all, it never is or was bound to anyone.

And so it is, the noble student will eventually by living secluded from unwholesome behavior completely eradicate by lack of fuel the root of his suffering, namely: Desire.

[Leo Gura]

@BeginnerActualizer Be kind as opposed to being a prick

You're over-complicating it. The difference between acting out of selfish interest and altruistic interest is just obvious.

You feel a contraction whenever you act out of self-interest at the expense of others.

You know when you're taking too much pie for yourself.

Imagine how you would act if you believed that every other sentient being was literally, physically you?

You would exhibit great care, and tread lightly.

That would be the Jain ideal.

[kurt]

On 12/15/2016 at 5:56 PM, BeginnerActualizer said:

Hey people.

I'm doing the homework assignment on Leo's last video. I have been looking into Sikhism, and Jainism. 

I see a correlation between them in terms of selfless action, serving others, not acting badly towards anybody be it with speech or actions, and genuine love and kindness. 

My question is how can I be selflessly kind? If I'm doing it for ultimate liberation then it's not selfless, is it? How do I radiate love and kindness without enlightenment? 

I'm not a mean guy, but sometimes I think things like oh, I could have been more helpful to that person, or I could have smiled more or been more enthusiastic in conversation, but sometimes I feel like i'm bending my arm up behind my back and have to will myself into these things.

And in the world of non-duality would it be wrong to say you should be kind? As opposed to what? If there are no opposites? No this is good that is bad? How can one act intuitively as opposed to forcibly before one has meditated enough to really hear what their intuition has to say?

 

Thanks in advance.

These "paths" prepare the mind for enlightenment - they neutralize the likes and dislikes so that the vision of non duality is revealed in the mind naturally.  The point is not to try to manufacture contrived kindness or compassion, but to understand that every time you make a judgement about something you are violating "dharma" because you are attacking the Self, your self, God.  God is everything, it is nondual.  The ego is the thing that likes to "play God" by deciding what is right and what is wrong.  As you drop all notions of right and wrong your natural state will become peace, love, kindness, understanding, compassion naturally arises because your mind is not deluded by its likes and dislikes.

I dont know whether you have noticed this, but maintaining a dislike (in the hope that you think it will make you more holy) does not make you any more compassionate.  Its normal to dislike gross violations of dharma, like harm, yes harm is "wrong" but compassion should be your main focus if you want enlightenment, again not contrived compassion, but an understanding that people are victims of God's programming, nothing here is personal, although there IS freewill and that is the freewill for you to purify your mind and stop focusing on social or political issues (if thats what you are doing) because developing the ego is nothing to do with enlightenment.  But all the other gratuitious likes and dislikes need to go in order to realize nondual vision in your subjective experience.

Krishna (the personification of God) in the Bhagavad Gita says that "I am the mind that is not opposed to Dharma".  This means the enlightened mind needs nothing yet desires to contribute.  Its not really a case of saying there is no right and wrong, its just a case of getting rid of the arrogant ego that tries to impose "right and wrong" on Gods creation. 

Read between the lines when responding to me please, dont take what i say about "God" at face value  Ultimately there is no creation or God, there is just awareness, but if you take yourself to be a spiritual seeker then you need to purify the mind by doing these neutralizing practices.  Thats the "work" aspect of enlightenment.

Also, just mulling over what you said about the selfless thing, its not really about trying to be a helper of people, its more about just doing ones "duty".  In India nobody is thanked for doing what they do, because their society is built upon this notion of dharma, of contributing your part without making a song or dance about it.  This is a desireless way to live, and is conducive to creating the kind of mind capable of understanding nonduality.  

In the West, if we dont say thanks we are discredited, because there seems (to me at least) this idea of entitlement.  If we ask a favour of someone and they do it, were expected to roll out the red carper and thank them and owe them and such.  Because this is a dog eat dog desire-fuelled society, its self serving rather than duty oriented.  

I would not confuse altruism with selflessness, the selflesness being spoken of in the traditions and enlightenment cultures is just a lack of the conceit, the lack of "entitlement" that we westerners seem to have bred into us from day one.  Were taught that were "losers" if we dont get what we want, so it becomes a dog eat dog society.  Being "altruistic" is the same vanity taken to the other extreme.  I recommend heartily a visit to India, you can feel the sense of dharma there, but nobody is trying to go beyond that in an attempt to "help" others, its just a very casual I do my thing, you do yours but we both don't screw each other over to gain the upper hand.  Yes, there are lost of little tax fiddles and all the usual selfish stuff going on too, its not a perfect place, (because were human, and the Self is the negative stuff too) but the point is that it isn't about being a saint either.  Its just about not breaking the number one rule:  "no harm".  

 

Edited December 17, 2016 by kurt