abrakamowse

What's your definition of God? Let's say you are a leaf in a big tree. Are you a leaf separated from the tree? Or are you part of the tree so you are also the tree? think about it, Alan Watts said something that made me think. You can't go to the space, let's say Mars without oxygen, food, etc... you need to take part of the "world" with you to survive. So, who are you? Are you everything? Or are you a separated thing from reality?

Great advice...

Physicists reverse time using quantum computer https://phys.org/news/2019-03-physicists-reverse-quantum.html

@Aaron p something similar happened to me in my first epiphany or awakening. I almost go crazy. It is hard for the ego (or for what we think we are) to have those realizations. The ego will fight and very bad against us, to avoid us know our true nature. And our true nature terrorizes the ego in such a way that if we are so identified with the ego, we will have psicosis, depression, no meaning, etc... What we really are terrorize the ego, because knowing who we are means death for the ego. In my case, what it helped me the most was mindful meditation. To sit silently and observe my thoughts, until my mind got used to that. So now, when a negative thought appear, I know that I am not my thoughts and that I am not the thinker of thoughts, so it is easy for me to ignore them. I feel free after that, there's no psicosis that can affect me, because I am the one who is aware of the psicosis in the mind. Lol... Hope this helps!

My take on past lives is that in reality God/Buddha/Brahman/Allah is living the life of everything. So, he is giving life to the universe and living it at the same time. Basically he is living again and again in the cycle of dying and being born. And you are awareness, you are being born again and again until you learn what you need to learn and you finish the cycle and go back to the source that is you. Your true self.

@Pouya Lol

That's great! Amazing... now go deeper!

Thanks @Shin "Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it."

Nice... I would like to have thoughts. How do you have "your" thoughts? I just can't avoid thoughts from appearing, they keep coming and going and I can't control them.

Everything we say it's not right or completely right. We want to label things, but we don't really know it directly. The idea of the ego being a devil can be helpful for some, not so much for others. That idea points to the fact that we are not the ego, and thinking we are an ego is what brings wars, fights and confusion. Saying that the devil is the ego is a finger pointing to the moon, not the actual moon. :-)

A healthy ego is a non-ego

In my case was not to be so attached to material things, also to know that we are all one made me have less conflicts with other people. Accept a lot of situations that seems "stressful" but they are not in reality. And it opened me to investigate ideas that before I wouldn't even explore, be able to see a situation from a lot of different points of view. And that gave me an understanding of why others react differently to the same situation. Also it helped me to be more calm and aware.

@Wisebaxter I found this text online and I think that maybe it can help you too. We have no way to know how we will become enlightened. So, the only thing we can do is accept that and do whatever we are doing without having a "goal". If you make it a goal it won't happen, I think... Read this and let me know what you think. http://realizedone.com/post/one-of-ramana-maharshis-students-papaji-discuss/

Probably my response will make you more confused hahaha... because I am really also doing, not doing... What I am working more now is in accepting everything as is. Not questioning anything, everything that happens I accept it and I don't try to do nothing. I mean, it's impossible not to do anything, but what I mean is to try to "flow" the best I can with what is at the present moment. And always focused on "presence", instead of "me". Seeing everything from a more open perspective. I think that's what Ramana refers when he says "abide in yourself"... I think he refers to the true self. Not the idea of "I".

God is beyond the I am, the I am is the way to God, to the Absolute who is everything, so is nothing too, because nothing is part of everything.

I had an epiphany, I knew that God was everywhere and everything. It was mind blowing. Everything looked more "alive", even rocks and trees where aware or had life. I saw the connection among everything... it was amazing, but... it began to fade away. Those are just glimpses, don't search for them. If they happen, just say thanks and keep meditating and doing self inquiry... They can become a trap too...

The first veil to vanish is ignorance; and when that is gone, unskilful behavior goes; next desire ceases, selfishness ends, and all misery disappears. -- The Upanishads

I agree, but I think is a good "finger pointing to the moon"... it's not the moon, but... it makes people think, or at least "entertain" the idea that matter is not really matter. I know it's hard for them to accept that consciousness is the source, but that's because they "think" and believe that they are "the thinker of thoughts". It's too hard for them to see that there's no thinker and thoughts just appear in consciousness.