Rethinking Enlightenment

[RossE]

I've been on this path for 4/5 months, had a few experiences, two big ones, but I've still never really taken what I learned and thought about its implications, until yesterday when it hit me.

The prospect of enlightenment really just fell on my lap for no good reason. None of my friends or family know of it and where I live I'm fairly certain meditation and non-dual practice is extremely rare. I don't know anyone else that meditates except from a yoga teacher that I know very obscurely.

In some ways enlightenment is a terrifying prospect. From what I experienced it's an end to all meaning, all attachment, the realisation that your mind has played so many tricks to prevent you from ever seeing this. It's the end of life as you know it. There is no going back after that.

It definitely has its positives - end of all suffering (which I've had a LOT of in my life), a freedom from the braces of the mind to do what you want, an embrace of life which is unparalleled with the egoic state. The end of suffering I experienced is certainly very attractive to me and I imagine most people.

In some ways though it is good being ignorant about how meaningless this all is as it gives your life an (albeit false) purpose.

I think I could be too far gone to turn back, but right now I'm not sure if I REALLY want enlightenment. I'm not sure if it's something I'm chasing to feel like I've made it or achieved something or if it is a genuine desire to get the benefits and take the huge lifelong hits that come with it. It's like a jump into a never ending hole which you'll never get out of.

How do I decide if this really is for me?

Edited December 30, 2016 by RossE

[Prabhaker]

5 minutes ago, RossE said:

It definitely has its positives - end of all suffering

It is an arduous journey. Dropping the clinging to the known is not easy. It is a struggle, it is an uphill task. 

[Bob84]

@RossE It is, but you are going at it wrong and are asking the wrong questions.
p.s. apologies in advance for pissing of your ego

[RossE]

@brovakhiin What's your motivation for wanting to know the truth?

[RossE]

@Bob84 I don't really understand what you mean in your first sentence - I'm not debating a strategy for enlightenment I'm debating if this is the right path for me. The ego is fine

[Deep]

6 hours ago, RossE said:

I've been on this path for 4/5 months, had a few experiences, two big ones, but I've still never really taken what I learned and thought about its implications, until yesterday when it hit me.

The prospect of enlightenment really just fell on my lap for no good reason. None of my friends or family know of it and where I live I'm fairly certain meditation and non-dual practice is extremely rare. I don't know anyone else that meditates except from a yoga teacher that I know very obscurely.

In some ways enlightenment is a terrifying prospect. From what I experienced it's an end to all meaning, all attachment, the realisation that your mind has played so many tricks to prevent you from ever seeing this. It's the end of life as you know it. There is no going back after that.

It definitely has its positives - end of all suffering (which I've had a LOT of in my life), a freedom from the braces of the mind to do what you want, an embrace of life which is unparalleled with the egoic state. The end of suffering I experienced is certainly very attractive to me and I imagine most people.

In some ways though it is good being ignorant about how meaningless this all is as it gives your life an (albeit false) purpose.

I think I could be too far gone to turn back, but right now I'm not sure if I REALLY want enlightenment. I'm not sure if it's something I'm chasing to feel like I've made it or achieved something or if it is a genuine desire to get the benefits and take the huge lifelong hits that come with it. It's like a jump into a never ending hole which you'll never get out of.

How do I decide if this really is for me?

Yes, the process seems scary in the beginning but eventually you will adjust to it. You can't force yourself to become enlightened it's just something that happens to you or it doesn't. Let your family and friends believe in whatever they want. Don't be scared just go along with what you're feeling. You can talk to us about anything you want.  

[Leo Gura]

Of course "you" don't want it. It's the end of "you".

Why would something want to die?

This is a highly counter-intuitive move, only for those with deep faith.

Once you die, however, it's all good.

If it wasn't like this, everyone would already be enlightened, and we wouldn't be having this conversation.

[RossE]

@Leo Gura One still chooses whether to practice or not though. At least it feels that way! I do see the benefits in taking the leap of faith but it has hit me how shit scary that leap is and the change it will have on my life. Points to why enlightenment is such a rare thing I suppose.

@Deep Cheers. So sit back, relax, and meditate

[99th_monkey]

You're not scared, not yet, maybe you never will be. Why worry about it? 

[Aware]

Let me pretend to be someone now, separated from you, or one with you.

 

On 30 december 2016 at 10:45 AM, RossE said:

I'm not sure if I REALLY want enlightenment.

Of course the Character is long not sick and tired of its own little game of pretending, it truly has no choice being in essence One. Illusionary self speaking here. Creation happend the other way round dear.

On 30 december 2016 at 10:45 AM, RossE said:

How do I decide if this really is for me?

Don't worry long long way to go, thinking its a decision. Guess what? You've got no choice but to cycle long before you end this game of free will game before you being finally in the end are unbearably tired of yourself, and you don't have any choice in this either!
 

 

Game on RoseE, Game On!

YOUR key: Decide not to decide. Leave it in the middle, the choice you think you have.
 

[Bob84]

On 12/30/2016 at 4:55 PM, RossE said:

@Bob84 I don't really understand what you mean in your first sentence - I'm not debating a strategy for enlightenment I'm debating if this is the right path for me. The ego is fine

Its kind of a mindfuck as the ego is asking if it should change into a diferent ego. Or seek something that it wants or values but is afraid of the path it might have to take. 

This is ego and doesnt really have anything to do with enlightenment.

One must not forget that enlightenment is not about learning something or doing something but instead unlearning and stop doing so much.

[Aware]

On 30 december 2016 at 9:21 PM, Leo Gura said:

Once you die, however, it's all good.

Readers! I am going to clarify. 
 

Quote

Death is one with Illusion.

 Game goes on. Heaven, hell or another earthy game. One is doomed to end its game where one exactly right now is nowhere else then now where ever that now is. End it now, don't wait for death. It is already.

IF one did not escape the hold of death, one remains with playing the game, also when physical garment is done, it doesn't stop. Death doesn't solve anything, it IS illusion all along, its one with illusion (its grips don't end by itself, it ends as a result of certain deeds and discipline). One must rid oneself of its grips which ends the pretending game of separation.

Waiting for the physical garment to be gone, now its all good, end of the game... This IS the illusion, death IS the illusion all complete. You can't see past death, because you must end its hold (ending the strong hold of illusion that death IS)! One ends being the results of his actions. The only thing that stops, is the idea of being a body... However this does not end the game of pretending, one games on also without that idea, being its results, and again one thinks: Oh at the end of the day, its all good... And streams again on, it doesn't end the game. Readers, Death IS illusion. The end of sense of self = End of the grips of Death. End of the grip of Death = End of the hold of illusion, End of Illusion means end of pretending game.

An example readers, if one takes drugs or psychedelics... I MADE IT!! Did you? Its a game within a game. It ENDS a certain hold of the illusion that you are NOT in a sort of game that is your life (which is a pretending game), yet you game on, the drug or psychedelics and its effects are not permanent. Same with losing the body. I MADE IT! End of the idea of body, its effects are not permanent, the game goes on!

You don't get the effect of psychedelics just on its own, you take one. Then you realize you are not living an actual life, but playing a game, the hold of the illusion that you are NOT playing a game ends. The psychedelic works out, end of story, game on!
You don't get an end to the illusion of pretending game, just on its own, you then live a right discipline. Then the hold of death (illusion that IS death), comes to its end. The discipline can be held up.

On 30 december 2016 at 9:21 PM, Leo Gura said:

If it wasn't like this, everyone would already be enlightened, and we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Readers!
You are already one with enlightenment. Therefor we do not have this conversation, therefor I do pretend having one now, with you.

Edited January 1, 2017 by Aware

[RossE]

@Aware Wtf you talking about dude

[Debil]

On 12/30/2016 at 11:45 AM, RossE said:

How do I decide if this really is for me?

@RossE Everyone wants peace and the higher your consciousness is, the more peaceful you become.

I don't think you need to pursue enlightenment, raise your consciousness to feel good and to enjoy life better, but if you happen to get there, it may present a new challenge as you may need to relearn how to live your life. It's scary, but after you do learn, you'll suffer much less if at all.

[Martin123]

@RossE If you truly "wanted" enlightenment, you'd be enlightened instantly.

[Martin123]

On 12/31/2016 at 11:02 AM, RossE said:

@Leo Gura One still chooses whether to practice or not though. At least it feels that way! I do see the benefits in taking the leap of faith but it has hit me how shit scary that leap is and the change it will have on my life. Points to why enlightenment is such a rare thing I suppose.

@Deep Cheers. So sit back, relax, and meditate

You choose to grow out of your suffering, you don't choose enlightenment. There are no practices towards enlightenment, there are only practices that make you more "ready" for it. Meditation has nothing to do with enlightenment, it had everything to do with self-improvement.

Edited January 2, 2017 by Martin123

[RossE]

@Martin123 I feel like we are getting off topic here, I could easily say "there is no self-improvement" just to split hairs 

Through meditation I can see how flimsy the separate self is and all the bullshit thoughts which create it. I also feel a lot better on an average daily basis. I'm happy with that.

 

Edited January 2, 2017 by RossE

[Martin123]

@RossE To attain enlightenment you simply need to become the person that is able to handle it. That´s the purpose of meditation. That is the self-improvement aspect.

[Aware]

@RossE Someone identifying being a body, never will grasp it. Just like picking food in a shop, he thinks he can get enlightenment out of a warehouse somewhere.

 

Don't worry, your body gets its enlightenment when it must go. Don't worry You will get enlightenment when the whole idea of death must go.

 

Untill then: Game on!

[abrakamowse]

On 12/31/2016 at 9:06 PM, 99th_monkey said:

You're not scared, not yet, maybe you never will be. Why worry about it? 

So true...

It's not you who is scared, because there's no you