Mada_

@Gili Trawangan I can relate to the point of art helping to transcend the ego. When listening to some really beautiful jazz this morning I felt my ego took a backseat. Can you perhaps provide an example of a work of art that has had such an effect on yourself? @rNOW I am familiar with Banksy's work; this is a good point, Banksy's art presents a clear and powerful message aimed to service the world. Thankyou for your replies <3

@Knock Good points friend, thankyou for this. Inspiration is an important point which I am overlooking. Nature is my biggest inspiration in life, so I could share this with people.

The digital timers I buy often break easily. Does anyone know of a digital timer, available online, that has been reliable for you?

@Mu_ Thankyou friend.

What are your experiences with enemas? Is anyone averted to them? If so, why?

So right now I am working on the life purpose course, I am doing all of the exercises, over and over doing the best that I can to get them right. But there's subtle parts of the course, not the specific action steps, but subtle aspects such as the implementation of a general journalling habit or personal visioning habit (I assume this does not constitute as leaked material, delete if not allowed x) that sometimes I feel get shown 99% commitment e.g. "Oh well I contemplated a different topic that day so that counts as me journal-ling." I want to do the course with 100% attention and focus, not 99% focus. Lately I've been backsliding hard on some addictive tendencies in terms of food, I give into actually buying unhealthy food when I am out which I have not done before. I'm lean, and pretty muscular, energy levels are good when I sleep right. I mostly eat meals that are super healthy, my only issue is sugar addiction and lashing out when I'm in a bad mood. But today, after reading a book on the immune system and healthy eating, I was able to connect some dots, and consider the point that if I do not get my nutrition in order, well, I will be debilitated and die. So it seems wise to continue gathering information, taking the action steps, and then implementing this. I also have a really difficult relationship with my brother. I believe he constantly attempts to manipulate me, he talks a lot of shit, and he is overall shallow, boring, lazy, materialistic and just starkly contrasts my values. His neurosis irritate me, he doesn't think before he speaks to me, he just blurts shit at me (I can see my nature these are very debatable criticisms, what I have written demonstrates my general attitude towards him.) Once I was in a situation where he was in my vicinity, this was after finishing a Shambhavi (yoga/meditation) practice, and I felt joy and attempted to surrender to it, resulting in me laughing. He then decided that I was going insane and tried to convince me of such. I tried to defend myself, but it came out as me just bullshitting because there wasn't really anything to defend, the situation spoke for itself, and my speech did not do it justice. So now he seems to think I am going insane, and he seems to think that I am some kind of social recluse because I only rarely see friends and don't go to the pub, and I haven't been vocal about beginning a career. This creates a really tense, mechanical and uncomfortable environment between us; like sometimes we have passing chats and then we make progress e.g. Once I outlined how I thought we both attempt to impose our values onto each other, yet this will never work as out values are differing and subjective. This seemed to dampen the fire quite a bit. - My brother isn't so much a toxic person; I think I personally just try to avoid materialism and drinking alcohol, and he does both those things. These things are not bad, I just don't want to be around me because it is kind of boring. So in this way I find it difficult to respect people, or I have given it enough time to find such understanding really truly in my experience. So on account of such opinions I hold, and there is quite a few, it makes me want to go deeper into the work of Byron Katie (or do more emotional mastery inquiry), I have done some before, but struggle to keep it up e.g. I end my sessions early often as I try to go as deep as possible, but there are other things that I want to do e.g. Yoga, journal-ing, reading that I see as equally as important. So yeah I get to 'have a look' but it is not the process finished in its entirety. I have just finished high-school, I'm working 18 hours a week with good money. I'm in the perfect situation to do the life-purpose course time wise, I feel like I've also got time to set my health straight. I can look deep within myself, I can look for meaning deep within myself, in fact I've done just one exercise like 5 times just so I could get it right. My thinking about going forward: I could even read a book on speed reading first, then finish and implement the book on health, by then I having a solid and steady reading/research habit that can be continued following other endeavours (something critical that I am spotty on at this moment). Then I was thinking get my sleep schedule in order so I'm awake and constantly energised in my life. Followed by some solid, committed "work" (of Byron Katie), and also some radical honesty which is something that I have not looked at yet, and I think this could really help the course. - But then I am also aware that I am pretending life is a linear process. Procedures tend not to work, yet perhaps I just have a narrow view of procedures, and execution is just changing implementations relative to the idea of my goal. Is there something apparent that I am missing? What would be some drawbacks to alternating my attention between emotional mastery, focused course work and yoga/spiritual work? One I can see is that often I am not organised enough with my time, so then sometimes it means that I sleep less, which brings me back to the idea that I get my sleep in check before I commit to the course/other work. It seems as though it would be better to do the work if I were healthy, emotionally grounded, at least mended the relationship with my brother. But isn't backsliding inevitable? Is there a person who exists that does not slip up? Is it possible to change permanently?

Then why does Sadghuru starkly demonise doing yoga without initiation?

If so, what did you think? Would you recommend it?

I had this insight today - there is not "right" way to eat, hence why different people eat different things, "thriving" is relative. However when I drink an orange juice for the sweetness and the cool, refreshing sensation on my tongue, I undermine my primary intention of prosperity, an intention that could go without such pleasures. Thank you for sharing brother!

I think I have also had a similar experience; thank you for reminding me, I take for granted my experiences of love.

Perhaps combined intricately, like flour and water.

There has been a few months gap between beginning the course and where I am now. I have taken quite detailed notes of the core concepts, and on the second pass of the values section. Because there has been this gap, would it perhaps be a good idea to begin the course again, as I want to do the course as thoroughly as possible. Thanks. @Leo Gura

Here is a question: What is there to want other than consciousness, this, and/or an alien banana peel (etc.)? I cannot find want, but there is a force that drives this. And so I conclude that I must align with whatever is true. My question is, why would you do anything else? - I have so many objections: I am deluded (probably true), I do not deserve it as I have not done enough work to subscribe to any insight; all insights are illegitimate because of this, I am not psychologically ready nor physically ready, I have do not have any success so I will constantly be faced with the pressure of leaching on society as opposed to pulling my own weight. (I am working on all these things at the moment) - Perhaps I'm talking shit. And I assume I am in dangerous waters as I came to this conclusion in my notebook and not looking at my hand, but then again I do look at my notebook.

If reality was that way, then society would already know about it.

For me it was one of the enlightenment videos, and after he finished explaining what it is and how important it is, he said "maybe you're too stupid to understand". And it was like he reached in my mind and pulled it open, like "oh, perhaps there's something I don't know, that overrides everything that I thought was important". Opening someone's mind is probably the greatest gift you can give to someone, it gives them the power. So thank-you @Leo Gura ---- Was there a distinct moment you can recall, when you got reeled in?

Awesome! Thankyou for this

I finished my last exam today. I feel a surge to vision, and continue contemplating what I want out of life, really get that down. What would you have done differently when you were your most free in your life?

Sorry if it came off that way, I just saw an opportunity to look for the funny. Perhaps inappropriate given the general consensus of the thread.

(Delete if not allowed) A few weeks ago some people on here were talking about a meditation system that had levels; one person mentioned that he was a level 8 meditator within a system of meditation, and was giving advice to another user on the system; stating that the practices would require a 4 hour daily commitment. He also mentioned that using such techniques, involving one-pointed focus, that one could break through to enlightenment after developing this ability (I have probably skewed what was said but this is what I inferred). Does anyone know what I am talking about? Peace and thanks.

"Intelligence is the ability to change" - Albert Einstein

But Leo, I was going to make trading cards...

@Matt8800 Great! thank-you for this

Hey @Matt8800, thanks for sharing, very helpful! What constitutes incorrect body-scanning ?

My ego is not comfortable going through the process in a family environment, it is terrified of being perceived as insane on account of lots of laughter. Perhaps it would create a more open environment. I am 18 and don't have a job at the moment, in my last year of high school, so it doesn't look like I'm going to be moving out anytime super soon although I aim to do so ASAP.

When I sit down to meditate, I feel heat in the right side of my chest. It scares me as I don't know whether it is safe to continue with the meditation, Tara Wells' book says "heat without bliss can be dangerous", but it doesn't say how. I get really scared, and then I get up and eat a whole bunch of weird food. I don't really know what to do. Perhaps I could start by deconstructing the beliefs that I have around it, and do more contemplation on the topic of Leo's survival video.