How Long Does It Take To Be Enlightened?

[Electron]

@Ayla Do you mean that in a sense we are always talking to ourselves? 

[Ayla]

2 minutes ago, Sigma said:

@Ayla Do you mean that in a sense we are always talking to ourselves? 

Not in a sense... Literally  

Mind is "knitting" a story that you believe...and which you answer to... And other Minds are doing the same thing. But each of those minds are just talking to what they perceive in THEMSELVES, not in the other. 

[Electron]

@Ayla So this whole reality is me? Including you? 

[Ayla]

YESSSSSSS !  

[Markus]

10 hours ago, Ayla said:

Here's what worked for me as an invaluable "shortcut" : 

Try to catch the exact moment when you fall asleep. To be aware of it. To actually be present that moment. Do the same when you wake up. Catch the moment when mind starts.

When enough experience of this has accumulated and has gain a certain momentum, what you will realize is that mind is like a wheel. Something shifts "in you" that allows it to start and stop. This SOMETHING ... is who you really are

 

I'm having intense interest about hearing more on how to catch the moment when one falls asleep/wakes up. How did you do that?

[Ayla]

1 minute ago, Markus said:

I'm having intense interest about hearing more on how to catch the moment when one falls asleep/wakes up. How did you do that?

Being present. I do not know how to explain it. But it is similar with relaxation to enter meditation state. It takes a lot of practice and surrender. 

It also helps if you don't think that it is "you" who falls asleep  

[Markus]

 

17 minutes ago, Ayla said:

Being present. I do not know how to explain it. But it is similar with relaxation to enter meditation state. It takes a lot of practice and surrender. 

It also helps if you don't think that it is "you" who falls asleep  

Surrender..would surrender mean the relaxation of both the body and attention? It is difficult to describe yes, but do you mean what one could describe as "being aware of being aware" where you "rest" as awareness instead of having attention focused on any object? The kind of a state that you drop into when you ask "Who am I?" or "Am I aware?"

[Electron]

15 minutes ago, Ayla said:

Mind is "knitting" a story that you believe...and which you answer to... And other Minds are doing the same thing. But each of those minds are just talking to what they perceive in THEMSELVES, not in the other. 

@Ayla Wouldn't that also mean that we inherently and by default are inert to others?

[Ayla]

@Markus , your question has a very technical sound and a very "curiosity like" feel to me. I am talking about letting yourself relax enough to be able to fall asleep, but be aware enough to be present in that last moment of being awake. That is the difficulty of it - both in doing it and expressing it.

@Sigma, intellectually, your questions are very good also, but these things cannot be understood with the same tool that we're trying to kill  . Please, do not believe me. Don't believe a word I say! Try it for yourself. 

[Bruno]

I think the reason why Eckart got enlightened so quickly is because as you said, he was going through a long period of anxiety and depression, which means that his ego was going through a lot of tension. Then he just had a sudden realization and his ego shattered.

But I don't know, maybe he's not even enlightened at all, enlightenment is very hard to measure

 

[Emerald]

14 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

If you're looking for a pragmatic answer, the answer is, it's highly variable. Some people take decades, some people do it one weekend. I've met a lady who got enlightened in one weekend.

There are so many variables: your openmindedness, the degree of your intent, the quality of guidance you get, your childhood upbringing, your genetics, and even pure blind luck!

With quality guidance, high levels of intent, and lots of sitting, you could reasonably expect something like 2-3 years. But don't let that limit you. Whenever you actually sit down to do enlightenment, intent to become enlightened RIGHT NOW!

 

Did the lady give you details about her experience? 

[Emerald]

13 hours ago, Ayla said:

Here's what worked for me as an invaluable "shortcut" : 

Try to catch the exact moment when you fall asleep. To be aware of it. To actually be present that moment. Do the same when you wake up. Catch the moment when mind starts.

When enough experience of this has accumulated and has gain a certain momentum, what you will realize is that mind is like a wheel. Something shifts "in you" that allows it to start and stop. This SOMETHING ... is who you really are

 

I'm definitely going to try this in a systematic way. When I was a kid, I used to try to stay conscious as I fell asleep. I wasn't trying to get anywhere, I was doing it for fun. I also had a lucid dream a few weeks ago where I was dreaming but I was still conscious of the sensations in my sleeping body. This was the first time that this had happened to me.