Codrina

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About Codrina

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  • Birthday 01/26/1988

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  1. Interesting
    Will enlightenment bring us happiness?
    Enlightenment is merely a myth to the distraught seeker. The myth keeps hope alive and hope is fodder for the seeker. The seeker is on a journey in time, it is a denial of all there is, it lives in a dream of what has been and what is to come. It doesn't know what this is, but it hides that by living in it's stories. There is simply what is happening, what is happening is always what is longed for, appearing as change, appearing as words, as sitting on a chair, drinking soda, watching tv, looking for enlightenment, being hopeful or hopeless. Looking for enlightenment or some sort of escape is giving what is happening a reality that it does not have, it is dissatisfying. Freedom is poverty, the loss of the need for specialness, for betterment, it is the total release of the need to change what already is all there is. 

  2. Good string of thought
    The ultimate truth theory plus me quitting the forum(please delete my account)
    I really like the way this fellow spiritual seeker puts it:
    What dangers have we? Escape? Demigods?
    Without Samsara, there can be no ecstatic relief in Moksha to experience the appreciation of Nirvana. Think of it as a staple?
    You take sentient space as your canvas and dab different colors of your energies into an aurora borealis of galaxies within galaxies run riot. You juggle your boundless light into finite holding patterns, invent the eclipse, take gravity for a spin, shoot stars at moons. You explore the magnetic, intrigued with the opposite dynamics of its poles. Something there.
    But what of the art or the artist without an other? How much joy can be had as an onanist? A mere puppeteer, staging, without an audience. As a Jin, you materialize everything you imagine, but what delight being the author of the book you might hope to enjoy if you can't sneak up on yourself to surprise yourself? Ever behind everything, controlling, where the fun? Where the hope for something more ecstatic? And what is ecstasy without the contrast of agony?
    Eternity is a long time to be alone. You decide to take a gamble, and so became a gambler. Realizing the only way for YOU to actually experience a real thrill is to find a way to divide your infinite self up into other infinite selves, different loci of relativity, conscious identity encentered in each, and somehow pinch each off to experience all otherness around it as off-centered. Differences arise everywhere in between different placings of conjunction, relativity, and each more vitally real to each, AS SELF, moreso than anything other?
    You have Divided Yourself Up. For SOMETHING MORE'S Sake. And you're now fully immersed in the plural, invested in each, and playing a Game of CHANCE with or against All the Odds of yourself. Your sanity became schizophrenic, fragmented, to descend and find itself actually strapped and trapped into today's present madness. Demigods as semi-gods.
    AND HERE YOU ARE. All YOU. Can you self-deny this?
    And the stakes of this your gamble real: Get your Shit back together Quick or lose Your EVERYTHING. You had to birth Hope to Win Back that now possibly Lost. And you put a Lot of Eternal Time into this one.
    Fuck it! --- Champion the Rapture of your Infinity, regain your Sovereignty? Individuate to TRIUMPH! --- Or experience the self-inflicted Agony of Divine Homicide? The way it's all going down, sure looks like it's leaning toward the latter at the moment.
    Then, may be, back to Square One. Eventually? Hopefully? No Guarantee we know of. But same predicament, unfortunately, if so. No escaping Cosmic Sufferings to feel ALIVE. But --- BY GOD! --- Win or Lose, is this, tick tick tick, NOT an Adventure?
    Will you prove a Winner, or a Loser? What Ending are YOU foreseeing? You got any Say in the OUTCOME?
    Disconnect all you please, but none are exempt.
    "No one here is leaving, and that's as sure as Hell!"
    https://www.quora.com/What-sort-of-dangers-might-there-be-in-becoming-enlightened-and-escaping-the-well-known-routine-of-samsara-Might-enlightenment-be-just-another-level-of-a-longer-samsara-with-much-more-dramatic-cosmic-sufferings

  3. No shit
    How do you organize your mind?
    Organize? Yeah, right.
    The best I can do is what I started to do over a decade ago...and still do.
    If a thought comes into my mind that I do NOT want.  ( ie, A memory from 20 yrs ago...when I was an a** last week...)
    anything that makes me feel shame ---I say, NO!!! or STOP IT!
    I will not tolerate unwanted , useless, and worse, negative thoughts in my head!
    So far so good,  hmmm ..its been 15 yrs now.!  I'm the happiest person I know.
    You must desire this - that is the key...focus and desire.

  4. Wisdom
    Enlightenment Vs Life Purpose Contradiction
    @ArchangelG What is the LP of a river? We could say that it provides a home for aquatic plants and fish. It also provides water and food for trees and animals. It provides humans tranquil scenery for relaxation. It provides entertainment for people in rafts. That’s a lot of responsibility for the river. And at times, people dump waste in the river. Beavers build damns in the river. Sometimes there is a drought and the river is a low trickle. Other times there are storms and the river is raging. 
    And through it all, the river flows. . . 

  5. psychology
    I think I have Borderline Personality Disorder. Advice? Tools? Books?
    There's a lot of healing to be had in self study. Diamond Approach Online Glossary is a good place to do it. IMO
    Ill leave a couple excerpts and a link. Hope this is some help,,,
    Essential Development Involves Confronting Rips in the Structure of the Personality
    Narcissistic pathology, borderline syndrome, and the psychoses are nothing but failures and deficiencies of the structure of the personality itself, as is becoming understood now in depth psychology. The work on essential development involves actually confronting and softening this same structure. It does not only modify it but in some sense actually dismantles the ego identity and reinstitutes the lost identity, the true, high self of the essence. This is bound to bring to consciousness all the conflicts, fears, distortions and deficiencies in the structure.
    We are not here lauding weak or deficient structures of the personality; borderline tendencies and psychosis are not essence. They are just rips in the structure of the personality itself. Actually, the personality must be somewhat stable but flexible for the work of essential development to be possible. Otherwise, the conflicts and fears will be too quicklydisintegrating, and the person will not be able to tolerate the process.
    Essence with the Elixir of Enlightenment, pg. 119
     
    Everybody has Neurotic, Borderline, Narcissistic and Psychotic Features in His Personality
    However, even neurotic and normal personalities have features similar to these severe pathologies. Sometimes the difference is only in the degree of pathology. The extent of the presence of borderline, narcissistic, and psychotic features in neurotic and normal personality structures is just beginning to be acknowledged in psychological circles. It is still very far from being seen objectively. From our perspective, everybody has neurotic, borderline, narcissistic, and psychotic features in his personality, each stemming from its
    developmental anlage in the process of ego development. People differ in the preponderance and intensity of the different developmental features in their personalities. Diagnosis in terms of neurotic, borderline, and so on is useful only for the practical purposes of applying technique and judging what is the best sequence of development for a particular student. For instance, a normal person with borderline tendencies might need to deal to some extent with some of the features of his ego structure before it is possible or even desirable to deal effectively with his superego.
    Essence with the Elixir of Enlightenment, pg. 135
     
    https://www.diamondapproach.org/glossary/refinery_phrases/borderline
     
    Personally, I had to work on 'the grandiose self' and schizoid coping mechanisms
    https://www.diamondapproach.org/glossary/refinery_phrases/grandiose-self
    https://www.diamondapproach.org/glossary/refinery_phrases/schizoid-defense
     
    Good luck,,,

  6. psychology
    Whicky-Whacky
    Main topic of my previous journal was NoFap, I exhausted it and I want to start a new one, just to unload ruminations of my mind time to time.
    Watched couple of videos of Ken Wilber. I would call what he talks about there a Spiral Imbalance - a lack of integration of previous Stages of the Spiral.
    What does lack of integration really mean? It means that you identify with some behaviors and beliefs of the previous Stages, meaning that you consider it normal and "how things should be". You can overgrow those traits of the previous Stages by becoming aware of them and by disidentifying, but I'll address this process later.
    First I want to give some examples of those repressed subpersonalities:
    Purple. On this Stage main concerns are survival and safety. In the modern world this Stage mostly manifests itself in infants. Possible repressed legacy and manifestations:
    Oral fixation/neediness: when a mother feeds her kid he feels loved, cared and protected, but at some point it's time to separate from her and if this process goes wrong for some reason the kid suppresses his needs instead of overgrowing them and it becomes hidden infant subpersonality, meaning that you feel like an infant inside and are not aware of that. In adult life it manifests as the desire to be completed by the love of other people, low self-esteem, or addictions as a mean to satisfy the suppressed need for love by other sources of pleasure. Anxiety: I have a good example in my own development, when I was little kid (1-2 yo) my father accidentally dropped stroller with me inside when he was going up the ladder, in that age it's life and death situation so I couldn't handle the amount of stress, repressed my feelings and now in my adult life I can get easily anxious in situations that are not really threatening. The need for safety wasn't properly satisfied and transcended during that Stage. Indecisiveness and lack of assertiveness: this one comes from separation issues, when a toddler learns to crawl he would crawl couple meters and look back at his mother, if she follows him with her look he feels safe and crawls some more, then looks back again and so on. If mother doesn't pay attention on him his ability to become independent safely vanishes and he becomes afraid to explore the world by himself. Sexual repression: at some point kids explore their testicles and if during this process parents don't let them to do so it may result in sexual repression in adult age. Beige. On this Stage main concerns are bonding with people, trust and cooperation. I would say that mostly this stage manifests itself in kids below the age of puberty. Possible repressed legacy and manifestations:
    Social anxiety/pathological agency/trust issues/attachment issues: if your caregivers don't treat you well you don't satisfy the need for trust and later in life you expect other people to treat you bad even if it is not the case. Fear of asking for help/unhealthy independence: if your caregivers often refuse to help you you learn that it's not OK to ask for help and become afraid to do so when you need it or have problems with accepting help when people offer it to you. Selfishness: if you try to do something good to your caregivers and they don't appreciate it you learn that giving is not a good behavior. Blaming yourself for suffering of others: if your parents always treat you poorly when they are in wrong mood you start to believe that happiness of others depends on you and become people pleaser. Red. On this Stage main concerns are domination, superiority and adoration. I guess mostly it manifests itself in early puberty in blue and orange societies, most of bullying happens during this age. Possible repressed legacy and manifestations:
    Winner subpersonality/narcissism: for example, if your father always dominates you and never lets you win or expresses his adoration you repress the need for superiority and try to always overcompete everyone and be the best despite possible damages. Douchebag subpersonality/poor boundaries/passive-aggressive behavior: if your parents don't let you express anger and just generally don't let you express yourself emotionally you can become very timid and start to tolerate bullshit of others that shouldn't be tolerated. Blue. On this Stage main concerns are order, goodness and saintliness. Possible repressed legacy and manifestations:
    Contro freak subpersonality: unproductive obsession with control and order. The preacher: telling everyone what is right and what is wrong. Black and white thinking: nuff said. Saint subpersonality: always be good, don't hurt anyone, don't embarrass yourself, don't do shameful things (hello another chunk of repressed sexuality). Orange. On this Stage main concerns are achievement, prosperity and status. Possible repressed legacy and manifestations:
    Achiever subpersonality: keep achieving even if it takes sacrificing your health or work your stupid highly payed high status job that you hate. Materialism: who gives a fuck about anything that doesn't bring material results? Rationalism: why caring about others unless it brings some gain for me? Green. On this Stage main concerns are fairness, mutual respect and compassion. Possible repressed legacy and manifestations:
    Idiot compassion: feminine compassion in cases that require masculine one. Useless negotiations: trying to negotiate with dysfynctional/underdeveloped elements instead of metacommunicating. Now to the disidentifying part. First thing that you need to do to disidentify from some sort of the Spiral Legacy is to identify it, it takes observation of your patterns of thoughts and behavior and ideally input from other more developed folks like therapists, friends, spiritual teachers, coaches. I think the most problematic parts are from purple to red, because the earlier the stage - the more deeply it's ingrained in your unconsciousness.
    A good technique I've learned from some psychodynamic therapy video that can be used to overgrow your patterns involves ridiculing these traits in yourself in a kind manner. Here are couple examples:
    Neediness: imagine yourself like you're an infant and say something like "where is my mommy? where did she go? please complete me! feed me! mommy!". Trust issues: EVERYONE IS A FRAUD! OH GOD THEY WANT TO FOOL ME! EVERYONE WANTS TO GAIN SOMETHING FROM ME! THEY MANIPULATE ME! JESUS YOU CAN'T TRUST ANYONE THESE DAYS! I'M GONNA BE ALONE FOREVER AND NEVER TRUST ANYONE! I WILL LIVE IN SOME CAVE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE! The preacher: YOU DO THIS THIS WAY! LISTEN TO ME! HEY! THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY AND THE ONLY WAY! EVERYBODY LISTEN TO ME I'M A PROPHET! I KNOW IT ALL! THIS IS HOW IT WORKS! DON'T YOU EVEN ARGUE WITH ME! I'M AN ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY! I WANT EVERYBODY TO LISTEN TO ME! SAY WHAT I SAY! DO WHAT I DO! THINK WHAT I THINK! I'M SO FUCKING RIGHT! Achiever subpersonality: FAME! FAME! SUCCESS! STATUS! GAIN! MORE! I WANT MORE! BETTER RESULT! MORE SIGNIFICANCE! I WANT TO BECOME THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FUCKER IN THE UNIVERSE DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS PLANET WILL GET BURNED BY THE SUN! I guess you get the idea, it's important to distinguish what I have just described from judgement, judgement of some of this traits in yourself will only lead to more repression so you need to ridicule it in the kind way, because this is how you overgrow outdated perspective, not because someone told you to do so, but because you start to realize how silly and meaningless it is to hold onto this view.

  7. Wisdom
    We are all God talking to God's own self.
    @rememberHey Remember, it's me and you again. Let's not fall out again. Can we just agree to disagree. Yes and No are still (yes AND no) to the biological quantum computers (read up on how quantum machines work) They don't make any sense at all. They compute that right is wrong and wrong is right if you listen to them long enough. Your consciousness state is split between these two conflicting views hence the dual mind. We are separate from them. We are spirit.God is unity in unitedness i.e. not separate. You can prove this by trying to bring yourself into the moment and stay there. If you cant stay there your consciousness has split again.PEACE.

  8. Wisdom
    We are all God talking to God's own self.
    yes we are, fragmented god consciousness. yes and no are still yes. there is no double minded thinking if no one cut your mind into two pieces. god is unity in separateness, you could also say. trying to split of one from the other neglecting their unifying dance. true separateness would be denial of unity not its acceptance. but the question is not about separateness or unity it is about the dance. and where you make the separation, it’s not between two hemispheres but between them and the heart. unity in separateness can only be found there.

  9. Wow
    Nothing matters!! (vegans highest teaching)
    Here’s an incredibly important counter point: 
    How many sides does a circle have? 0... right... but we notice:
    triangle: 3 sides
    Square: 4 sides
    Pentagon: 5 sides
    Hexagon: 6 sides
    etc.
    Interestingly, as a polygon’s amount of sides increases its shape naturally starts to transform into a circle. So using our implicit mind abilities, we can see that as a polygon’s number of sides moves towards infinity, it slowly transforms into a circle meaning that an infinite amount of sides and and a 0 amount of sides are mathematically equivalent. 
    This has massive implications on the nature of dualities like “no meaning” and “meaning.”
    Sure what Vegan man writes about here is correct, but it’s still a dualistic perspective which must acknowledge and integrate infinite meaning. No meaning is precisely infinite meaning. Your life is so fucking sacred, so fucking precious and until you can become conscious of this inner divinity, you will not truly understand what no meaning really means. 
    Everything is absolutely infinitely meaningful, perfect, empty, and absolutely nihilistic. ❤️

  10. Wisdom
    Nothing matters!! (vegans highest teaching)
    No meaning means everything is already forgiven, everything is loved and there is nothing to gain. The reward of work is the work, ain't it? That makes everything incredibly meaningful. It's like the death and birth of every new moment. Thank god every moment dies into meaninglesness. It makes the universe incredibly meaningful.

  11. Wisdom
    Nothing matters!! (vegans highest teaching)
    The claim is "Nothing Matters"
    Nothing in the universe has any meaning, purpose or value whatsoever.(this doesn't mean there won't be consequences for your actions... what it means are those consequences don't mean anything either)
    I don't mean this just Absolutely speaking, I mean it in every possible way that anything could mean anything(which it doesn't)....including relative.
    It doesn't matter whether you sit on your couch and eat cookies until your age 42 and die of a heart attack or you become the President of the United States and save the planet from the third world war nuclear attack.
    There is no one here for it to matter for...
    This isn't bad news... this is pure unconditional freedom for No One.
    Nothing you do has any significance. You are just one individual among a species of primate with billions of relatives living on a tiny rock in the middle of nowhere. So why do you worry all the time?
    Why do you fret over what other insignificant primates think about your own insignificance? Who cares what they think? The rest of the Universe certainly doesn’t.
    Why do you panic about deadlines and let that panic paralyze you? Trust me, your work is not worth the panic. Your work doesn’t matter. There’s no point in getting all worked up about work.
    Why do you care so much about getting money? So that you can buy things that don’t matter? If you have enough food to eat, what’s more money going to do anyway?
    Why do you hold on to the hurt from when others have wronged you? What they did has no significance at all. Let it go: set it adrift among the stars and all the empty blackness.
    There is a certain usefulness to the nihilistic vertigo that comes from casting your gaze across a cosmic scale. We silly apes spend so much time fretting and worrying about our imagined importance that we miss out on The Thing.
    The Thing is life is a remarkable and unlikely gift. It doesn’t matter if you are religious or anti-religious, or some more reasonable perspective in between–life is a gift. Some of the power of the Universe coalesced into a little bit of matter and energy that can know it’s here: you. You can see a sunset, climb a tree, kiss another living fragment of the Universe, and laugh. Even more powerful is your ability to extend grace, friendship, and kindness to other bits of the Universe. You can’t do a single thing of cosmic importance. 
    So tell someone to have an amazing day. Tell a stranger that their shoes look awesome. Embrace your smallness when you think about your problems and stress, but own your incredible power when dealing with other living things. You are small, but you are very big to other small things.
    Enjoy the freedom that comes with being alive. Don’t let the grind of all our imaginary importance take away The Thing.
    " Nothing real can be threatened, nothing unreal exists, herein lies the peace of God"
    - A Course in Miracles
     

  12. Wisdom
    Does God Need Us?
    @QandC
    Do you find a distinct separation between you and perception ?
    Where does perception end, and the knowing of begin? 
    Where does the knowing end, and perception begin?
    Don’t just think about it conceptually, look now in direct experience.
    What is “sound” but vibration? What is an “ear”, but vibration? What is a “tree” but vibration? What is a “thought” but vibration?
    What is “reality” but vibration?
    What is vibrating? 
    Clearly, you, as you can not be found.
    Unless you believe the vibration (“thought”)... “I’m separate...non-vibration, ‘physical’, apart from the rest”. 
    Such is the tree, which falls in the woods. 

  13. Wisdom
    Time (what it actually is)
    "Time is an illusion. It doesn't exist."
    Must've heard that a million times. 
    If you're anything like me; stuff like that never really clicked with you. I've always felt like there's much more depth to everything. Everything people like labeling as "illusion" and whatnot. To me that seems like an easy way out. An excuse for justifying denial. A ticket for escaping what is. 
    Never really resonated.
    The best way to come to know time, or anything else for that matter, is to befriend it. Instead of being in denial about it.
    So I became friends with time. I let it do its job. I do not run from it. I am not chased by it. And here's what's been revealed to me;
    Time is a side-effect of consciousness shining through billions of frames per second.
    Billions of frozen, static snapshots. Billions of perspectives that are looking at the same "thing", from different angles and dimensions. Billions of perfect and complete moments that are in actuality whole realities. Parallel realities. It's truly mindblowng.
    Time is not linear. It does not go forward nor does it go backwards. It goes nowhere. It's just an effect. A lag in your perception.
    It seems as if it was linear because the shifts in-between each and every one of those frozen snapshots are not that significant. In other words; the change from one moment to another is not that noticable. It does not stand out. It seems ordinary.
    Whereas if you were to shift from being in your room one moment and being in Paris the next moment - the shift would be very noticeable. Linearity would not be experienced at all. That's what people would call "time-traveling" or "teleportation". But it's nothing but a big shift. A jump between timelines and parallel realities.
    You're already doing this, all the time, automatically. You're shifting constantly. It's not something you must learn. Rather; it's something to become aware of.
    And in case you've been wondering how come you cannot shift from being in your room one moment and being in Paris the next; it's because you reaaally, truly believe you cannot. It's that simple.
    Belief is the barrier. Literally. 
    It's all here now simultaneously. Every possible configuration of time-space reality. It's just that you believe you are where you are and in order to shift from A to C you must go through B. That's what creates the experience of linearity. 
    Breathe and wave your hand in front of your eyes for a while. You might connect the dots and realize what I'm trying to say here. 
    The past is not gone. The future is right here. It's all right here. It's just a matter of what you're tuned into. What's passing through awareness. 
    One moment at a time.
     

  14. To read
    Mooji just exposed as a abusuve cult leader?
    When you're ready to stop fucking mentally masturbating with these fucking new age "guru" bullshiters who just sit there and their abstract ideas and DO SOME REAL FUCKING WORK, GO READ THIS https://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/ryo/index.htm

    "
    Until the Candidate masters this instruction, or at least until the truth becomes fixed in his consciousness, further instruction is denied him, for it is held that until he has awakened to a conscious realization of his Actual Identity, he is not able to understand the source of his power, and, moreover, is not able to feet within him the power of the Will, which power underlies the entire teachings of "Raja Yoga."
    The Yogi Masters are not satisfied if the Candidate forms merely a clear intellectual conception of this Actual Identity, but they insist that he must feel the truth of the same—must become aware of the Real Self—must enter into a consciousness in which the realization becomes a part of his everyday self—in which the realizing consciousness becomes the prevailing idea in his mind, around which his entire thoughts and actions revolve.
    p. vi
    To some Candidates, this realization comes like a lightning flash the moment the attention is directed toward it, while in other cases the Candidates find it necessary to follow a rigorous course of training before they acquire the realization in consciousness.
    The Yogi Masters teach that there are two degrees of this awakening consciousness of the Real Self. The first, which they call "the Consciousness of the 'I'," is the full consciousness of real existence that comes to the Candidate, and which causes him to know that he is a real entity having a life not depending upon the body—life that will go on in spite of the destruction of the body—real life, in fact. The second degree, which they call "the Consciousness of the 'I AM'," is the consciousness of one's identity with the Universal Life, and his relationship to, and "in-touchness" with all life, expressed and unexpressed. These two degrees of consciousness come in time to all who seek "The Path." To some it comes suddenly; to others it dawns gradually; to many it comes assisted by the exercises and practical work of "Raja Yoga."
    The first lesson of the Yogi Masters to the Candidates, leading up to the first degree, above mentioned, is as follows: That the Supreme Intelligence of the Universe—the Absolute—has manifested the being that we call Man—the highest manifestation on this planet. The Absolute has manifested an infinitude of forms of life in the Universe, including distant worlds, suns, planets, etc., many of these forms being unknown to us on this planet, and being impossible
    p. 1
    of conception by the mind of the ordinary man. But these lessons have nothing to do with that part of the philosophy which deals with these myriad forms of life, for our time will be taken up with the enfoldment in the mind of man of his true nature and power. Before man attempts to solve the secrets of the Universe without, he should master the Universe within—the Kingdom of the Self. When he has accomplished this, then he may, and should, go forth to gain the outer knowledge as a Master demanding its secrets. rather than as a slave begging for the crumbs from the table of knowledge. The first knowledge for the Candidate is the knowledge of the Self.
    Man, the highest manifestation of the Absolute, as far as this planet is concerned, is a wonderfully organized being—although the average man understands but little of his real nature. He comprises within his physical, mental and spiritual make-up both the highest and the lowest, as we have shown in our previous lessons (the "Fourteen Lessons" and the "Advanced Course"). In his bones he manifests almost in the form of mineral life, in fact, in his bones, body and blood mineral substances actually exist. The physical life of the body resembles the life of the plant. Many of the physical desires and emotions are akin to those of the lower animals, and in the undeveloped man these desires and emotions predominate and overpower the higher nature, which latter is scarcely in evidence. Then Man has a set of mental characteristics that are his own, and which are not
    p. 2
    possessed by the lower animals (See "Fourteen Lessons"). And in addition to the mental faculties common to all men, or rather, that are in evidence in a greater or lesser degree among all men, there are still higher faculties latent within Man, which when manifested and expressed render Man more than ordinary Man. The unfoldment of these latent faculties is possible to all who have reached the proper stage of development, and the desire and hunger of the student for this instruction is caused by the pressure of these unfolding latent faculties, crying to be born into consciousness. Then there is that wonderful thing, the Will, which is but faintly understood by those ignorant of the Yogi Philosophy—the Power of the Ego—its birthright from the Absolute.
    But while these mental and physical things belong to Man, they are not the Man himself. Before the Man is able to master, control, and direct the things belonging to him—his tools and instruments—he must awaken to a realization of Himself. He must be able to distinguish between the "I" and the "Not I." And this is the first task before the Candidate.
    That which is the Real Self of Man is the Divine Spark sent forth from the Sacred Flame. It is the Child of the Divine Parent. It is Immortal—Eternal—Indestructible—Invincible. It possesses within itself Power, Wisdom, and Reality. But like the infant that contains within itself the sometime Man, the mind of Man is unaware of its latent and potential qualities, and does not know itself. As it awakens
    p. 3
    and unfolds into the knowledge of its real nature, It manifests its qualities, and realizes what the Absolute has given it. When the Real Self begins to awaken, it sets aside from itself those things which are but appendages to it, but which it, in its half-waking state, had regarded as its Self. Setting aside first this, and then that, it finally discards all of the "Not I," leaving the Real Self free and delivered from its bondage to its appendages. Then it returns to the discarded appendages, and makes use of them.
    In considering the question: "What is the Real Self?" let us first stop to examine what man usually means when he says "I."
    The lower animals do not possess this "I" sense. They are conscious of the outer world; of their own desires and animal cravings and feelings. But their consciousness has not reached the Self-conscious stage. They are not able to think of themselves as separate entities, and to reflect upon their thoughts. They are not possessed of a consciousness of the Divine Spark—the Ego—the Real Self. The Divine Spark is hidden in the lower forms of life—even in the lower forms of human life—by many sheaths that shut out its light. But, nevertheless, it is there, always. It sleeps within the mind of the savage—then, as he unfolds, it begins to throw out its light. In you, the Candidate, it is fighting hard to have its beams pierce through the material coverings When the Real Self begins to arouse itself from its sleep, its dreams vanish from it, and it begins to see the world as it is. and
    p. 4
    to recognize itself in Reality and not as the distorted thing of its dreams.
    The savage and barbarian are scarcely conscious of the "I." They are but a little above the animal in point of consciousness, and their "I" is almost entirely a matter of the consciousness of the wants of the body; the satisfaction of the appetites; the gratification of the passions; the securing of personal comfort; the expression of lust, savage power, etc. In the savage the lower part of the Instinctive Mind is the seat of the "I" (See "Fourteen Lessons" for explanation of the several mental planes of man.) If the savage could analyze his thoughts he would say that the "I" was the physical body, the said body having certain "feelings," "wants" and "desires." The "I" of such a man is a physical "I," the body representing its form and substance. Not only is this true of the savage, but even among so-called "civilized" men of to-day we find many in this stage. They have developed powers of thinking and reasoning, but they do not "live in their minds" as do some of their brothers. They use their thinking powers for the gratification of their bodily desires and cravings, and really live on the plane of the Instinctive Mind. Such a person may speak of "my mind," or "my soul," not from a high position where he looks upon these things from the standpoint of a Master who realizes his Real Self, but from below, from the point-of-view of the man who lives on the plane of the Instinctive Mind and who sees above himself the higher attributes. To such people the
    p. 5
    body is the "I." Their "I" is bound up with the senses, and that which conies to them through the senses. Of course, as Man advances in "culture" and "civilization," his senses become educated, and are satisfied only with more refined things, while the less cultivated man is perfectly satisfied with the more material and gross sense gratifications. Much that we call "cultivation" and "culture" is naught but a cultivation of a more refined form of sense gratification, instead of a real advance in consciousness and enfoldment. It is true that the advanced student and Master is possessed of highly developed senses, often far surpassing those of the ordinary man, but in such cases the senses have been cultivated under the mastery of the Will, and are made servants of the Ego instead of things hindering the progress of the soul—they are made servants instead of masters.
    As Man advances in the scale, he begins to have a somewhat higher conception of the "I." He begins to use his mind and reason, and he passes on to the Mental Plane—his mind begins to manifest upon the plane of Intellect. He finds that there is something within him that is higher than the body. He finds that his mind seems more real to him than does the physical part of him, and in times of deep thought and study he is able almost to forget the existence of the body.
    In this second stage, Man soon becomes perplexed. He finds problems that demand an answer, but as soon as he thinks he has answered them the problems present themselves in a new phase, and he is called upon
    p. 6
    [paragraph continues]"explain his explanation." The mind, even although not controlled and directed by the Will, has a wonderful range, but, nevertheless, Man finds himself traveling around and around in a circle, and realizes that he is confronted continually by the Unknown. This disturbs him, and the higher the stage of "book learning" he attains, the more disturbed does he become. The man of but little knowledge does not see the existence of many problems that force themselves before the attention of the man of more knowledge, and demand an explanation from him. The tortures of the man who has attained the mental growth that enables him to see the new problems and the impossibility of their answer, cannot be imagined by one who has not advanced to that stage.
    The man in this stage of consciousness thinks of his "I" as a mental thing, having a lower companion, the body. He feels that he has advanced, but yet his "I" does not give him the answer to the riddles and questions that perplex him. And he becomes most unhappy. Such men often develop into Pessimists, and consider the whole of life as utterly evil and disappointing—a curse rather than a blessing. Pessimism belongs to this plane, for neither the Physical Plane man or the Spiritual Plane man have this curse of Pessimism. The former man has no such disquieting thoughts, for he is almost entirely absorbed in gratifying his animal nature, while the latter man recognizes his mind as an instrument of himself, rather than as himself, and knows it to be imperfect
    p. 7
    in its present stage of growth. He knows that he has in himself the key to all knowledge—locked up in the Ego—and which the trained mind, cultivated, developed and guided by the awakened Will, may grasp as it unfolds. Knowing this the advanced man no longer despairs, and, recognizing his real nature, and his possibilities, as he awakens into a consciousness of his powers and capabilities, he laughs at the old despondent, pessimistic ideas, and discards them like a worn-out garment. Man on the Mental Plane of consciousness is like a huge elephant who knows not his own strength. He could break down barriers and assert himself over nearly any condition or environment, but in his ignorance of his real condition and power he may be mastered by a puny driver, or frightened by the rustling of a piece of paper.
    When the Candidate becomes an Initiate—when he passes from the purely Mental Plane on to the Spiritual Plane—he realizes that the "I," the Real Self—is something higher than either body or mind, and that both of the latter may be used as tools and instruments by the Ego or "I." This knowledge is not reached by purely intellectual reasoning, although such efforts of the mind are often necessary to help in the unfoldment, and the Masters so use it. The real knowledge, however, comes as a special form of consciousness. The Candidate becomes "aware" of the real "I," and this consciousness being attained, he passes to the rank of the Initiates. When the Initiate passes the second degree of consciousness, and begins
    p. 8
    to grow into a realization of his relationship to the Whole—when he begins to manifest the Expansion of Self—then is he on the road to Mastership.
    In the present lesson we shall endeavor to point out to the Candidate the methods of developing or increasing the realization of this "I" consciousness—this first degree work. We give the following exercises or development drills for the Candidate to practice. He will find that a careful and conscientious following of these directions will tend to unfold in him a sufficient degree of the "I" consciousness, to enable him to enter into higher stages of development and power. All that is necessary is for the Candidate to feel within himself the dawn of the awakening consciousness, or awareness of the Real Self. The higher stages of the "I" consciousness come gradually, for once on the Path there is no retrogression or going backward. There may be pauses on the journey, but there is no such thing as actually losing that which is once gained on The Path.
    This "I" consciousness, even in its highest stages, is but a preliminary step toward what is called "Illumination," and which signifies the awakening of the Initiate to a realization of his actual connection with and relation to the Whole. The full sight of the glory of the "I," is but a faint reflected glow of "Illumination." The Candidate, once that he enters fully inter the "I" consciousness, becomes an "Initiate." And the Initiate who enters into the dawn of Illumination takes his first step upon the road to Mastery. The
    p. 9
    [paragraph continues]Initiation is the awakening of the soul to a knowledge of its real existence—the Illumination is the revelation of the real nature of the soul, and of its relationship with the Whole. After the first dawn of the "I" consciousness has been attained, the Candidate is more able to grasp the means of developing the consciousness to a still higher degree—is more able to use the powers latent within him; to control his own mental states; to manifest a Centre of Consciousness and Influence that will radiate into the outer world which is always striving and hunting for such centres around which it may revolve.
    Man must master himself before he can hope to exert an influence beyond himself. There is no royal road to unfoldment and power—each step must be taken in turn, and each Candidate must take the step himself, and by his own effort. But he may, and will, be aided by the helping hand of the teachers who have traveled The Path before him, and who know just when that helping hand is needed to lift the Candidate over the rough places.
    We bid the Candidate to pay strict attention to the following instruction, as it is all important. Do not slight any part of it, for we are giving you only what is necessary, and are stating it as briefly as possible. Pay attention, and follow the instruction closely. This lesson must be mastered before you progress. And it must be practiced not only now, but at many stages of the journey, until full Initiation and Illumination is yours.
    p. 10
    RULES AND EXERCISES DESIGNED TO AID THE CANDIDATE IN HIS INITIATION.
    The first instruction along the line of Initiation is designed to awaken the mind to a full realization and consciousness of the individuality of the "I." The Candidate is taught to relax his body, and to calm his mind and to meditate upon the "I" until it is presented clearly and sharply before the consciousness. We herewith give directions for producing the desired physical and mental condition, in which meditation and concentration are more readily practiced. This state of Meditation .will be referred to in subsequent exercises, so the Candidate is advised to acquaint himself thoroughly with it.
    State of Meditation. If possible, retire to a quiet place or room, where you do not fear interruption, so that your mind may feel secure and at rest. Of course, the ideal condition cannot always be obtained, in which case you must do the best you can. The idea is that you should be able to abstract yourself, so far as is possible, from distracting impressions, and you should be alone with yourself—in communion with your Real Self.
    It is well to place yourself in an easy chair, or on a couch, so that you may relax the muscles and free the tension of your nerves. You should be able to "let go" all over, allowing every muscle to become limp, until a feeling of perfect peace and restful calm permeates every particle of your being. Rest the body and calm the mind. This condition is best in the
    p. 11
    earlier stages of the practice, although after the Candidate has acquired a degree of mastery he will be able to obtain the physical relaxation and mental calm whenever and wherever he desires.
    But he must guard against acquiring a "dreamy" way of going around, wrapped in meditation when he should be attending to the affairs of life. Remember this, the State of Meditation should be entirely under the control of the Will, and should be entered into only deliberately and at the proper times. The Will must be master of this, as well as of every other mental state. The Initiates are not "day dreamers," but men and women having full control of themselves and their moods. The "I" consciousness while developed by meditation and consciousness, soon becomes a fixed item of consciousness, and does not have to be produced by meditation. In time of trial, doubt, or trouble, the consciousness may be brightened by an effort of the Will (as we shall explain in subsequent lessons) without going into the State of Meditation.
    The Realization of the "I." The Candidate must first acquaint himself with the reality of the "I," before he will be able to learn its real nature. This is the first step. Let the Candidate place himself in the State of Meditation, as heretofore described. Then let him concentrate his entire attention upon his Individual Self, shutting out all thought of the outside world, and other persons. Let him form in his mind the idea of himself as a real thing—an actual being—an individual entity—a Sun around which revolves
    p. 12
    the world. He must see himself as the Centre around which the whole world revolves. Let not a false modesty, or sense of depreciation interfere with this idea, for you are not denying the right of others to also consider themselves centres. You are, in fact, a centre of consciousness—made so by the Absolute—and you are awakening to 'the fact. Until the Ego recognizes itself as a Centre of Thought, Influence and Power, it will not be able to manifest these qualities. And in proportion as it recognizes its position as a centre, so will it be able to manifest its qualities. It is not necessary that you should compare yourself with others, or imagine yourself greater or higher than them. In fact, such comparisons are to be regretted, and are unworthy of the advanced Ego, being a mark and indication of a lack of development, rather than the reverse. In the Meditation simply ignore all consideration of the respective qualities of others, and endeavor to realize the fact that YOU are a great Centre of Consciousness—a Centre of Power—a Centre of Influence—a Centre of Thought. And that like the planets circling around the sun, so does your world revolve around YOU who are its centre.
    It will not be necessary for you to argue out this matter, or to convince yourself of its truth by intellectual reasoning. The knowledge does not come in that way. It comes in the shape of a realization of the truth gradually dawning upon your consciousness through meditation and concentration. Carry this thought of yourself as a "Centre of Consciousness—
    p. 13
    [paragraph continues]Influence—Power" with you, for it is an occult truth, and in the proportion that you are able to realize it so will be your ability to manifest the qualities named.
    No matter how humble may be your position—no matter how hard may be your lot—no matter how deficient in educational advantages you may be—still you would not change your "I" with the most fortunate, wisest and highest man or woman in the world. You may doubt this, but think for a moment and you will see that we are right. When you say that you "would like to be" this person or that, you really mean that you would like to have their degree of intelligence, power, wealth, position, or what not. What you want is something that is theirs, or something akin to it. But you would not for a moment wish to merge your identity with theirs, or to exchange selves. Think of this for a moment. To be the other person you would have to let yourself die, and instead of yourself you would be the other person. The real you would be wiped out of existence, and you would not be you at all, but would be he.
    If you can but grasp this idea you will see that not for a moment would you be willing for such an exchange. Of course such an exchange is impossible. The "I" of you cannot be wiped out. It is eternal, and will go on, and on, and on, to higher and higher states—but it always will be the same "I." Just as you, although a far different sort of person from your childhood self, still you recognize that the same "I" is there, and always has been there. And although
    p. 14
    you will attain knowledge, experience, power and wisdom in the coming years, the same "I" will be there. The "I" is the Divine Spark and cannot be extinguished.
    The majority of people in the present stage of the race development have but a faint conception of the reality of the "I." They accept the statement of its existence, and are conscious of themselves as an eating, sleeping, living creature—something like a higher form of animal. But they have not awakened to an "awareness" or realization of the "I," which must come to all who become real centres of Influence and Power. Some men have stumbled into this consciousness, or a degree of it, without understanding the matter. They have "felt" the truth of it, and they have stepped out from the ranks of the commonplace people of the world, and have become powers for good or bad. This is unfortunate to some extent, as this "awareness" without the knowledge that should accompany it may bring pain to the individual and others.
    The Candidate must meditate upon the "I," and recognize it—feel it—to be a Centre. This is his first task. Impress upon your mind the word "I," in this sense and understanding, and let it sink deep down into your consciousness, so that it will become a part of you. And when you say "I," you must accompany the word with the picture of your Ego as a Centre of Consciousness, and Thought, and Power, and Influence. See yourself thus, surrounded by your
    p. 15
    world. Wherever you go, there goes the Centre of your world. YOU are the Centre, and all outside of you revolves around that Centre. This is the first great lesson on the road to Initiation. Learn it!
    The Yogi Masters teach the Candidates that their realization of the "I" as a Centre may be hastened by going into the Silence, or State of Meditation, and repeating their first name over slowly, deliberately and solemnly a number of times. This exercise tends to cause the mind to centre upon the "I," and many cases of dawning Initiation have resulted from this practice. Many original thinkers have stumbled upon this method, without having been taught it. A noted example is that of Lord Tennyson, who has written that he attained a degree of Initiation in this way. He would repeat his own name, over and over, and the same time meditating upon his identity, and he reports that he would become conscious and "aware" of his reality and immortality—in short would recognize himself as a real center of consciousness.
    We think we have given you the key to the first stage of meditation and concentration. Before passing on, let us quote from one of the old Hindu Mastery. He says, regarding this matter: "When the soul sees itself as a Centre surrounded by its circumference—when the Sun knows that it is a Sun, and is surf minded by its whirling planets—then is it ready for the Wisdom and Power of the Masters."
    The Knowledge of the Independence of the "I" from the Body. Many of the Candidates find
    p. 16
    themselves prevented from a full realization of the "I" (even after they have begun to grasp it) by the confusing of the reality of the "I" with the sense of the physical body. This is a stumbling block that is easily overcome by meditation and concentration, the independence of the "I" often becoming manifest to the Candidate in a flash, upon the proper thought being used as the subject of meditation.
    The exercise is given as follows: Place yourself in the State of Meditation, and think of YOURSELF—the Real "I"—as being independent of the body, but using the body as a covering and an instrument. Think of the body as you might of a suit of clothes. Realize that you are able to leave the body, and still be the same "I." Picture yourself as doing this, and looking down upon your body. Think of the body as a shell from which you may emerge without affecting your identity. Think of yourself as mastering and controlling the body that you occupy, and using it to the best advantage, making it healthy, strong and vigorous, but still being merely a shell or covering for the real "You." Think of the body as composed of atoms and cells which are constantly changing, but which are held together by the force of your Ego, and which you can improve at Will. Realize that you are merely inhabiting the body, and using it for your convenience, just as you might use a house.
    In meditating further, ignore the body entirely, and place your thought upon the Real "I" that you are beginning to feel to be "you," and you will find that
    p. 17
    your identity—your "I"—is something entirely apart from the body. You may now say "my body" with a new meaning. Divorce the idea of your being a physical being, and realize that you are above body. But do not let this conception and realization cause you to ignore the body. You must regard the body as the Temple of the Spirit, and care for it, and make it a fit habitation for the "I" Do not be frightened if, during this meditation, you happen to experience the sensation of being out of the body for a few moments, and of returning to it when you are through with the exercise. The Ego is able (in the case of the advanced Initiate) of soaring above the confines of the body, but it never severs its connection at such times. It is merely as if one were to look out of the window of a room, seeing what was going on outside, and drawing in his head when he wishes. He does not leave the room, although he may place his head outside in order to observe what is doing in the street. We do not advise the Candidate to try to cultivate this sensation—but if it comes naturally during meditation, do not fear.
    Realizing the Immortality and Invincibility of the Ego. While the majority accept on faith the belief in the Immortality of the Soul, yet but few are aware that it may be demonstrated by the soul itself. The Yogi Masters teach the Candidates this lesson, as follows: The Candidate places himself in the State of Meditation, or at least in a thoughtful frame of mind, and then endeavors to "imagine" himself as
    p. 18
    [paragraph continues]"dead"—that is, he tries to form a mental conception of himself as dead. This, at first thought, appears a very easy thing to imagine, but as a matter of fact it is impossible to do so, for the Ego refuses to entertain the proposition, and finds it impossible to imagine it. Try it for yourself. You will find that you may be able to imagine your body as lying still and lifeless, but the same thought finds that in so doing You are standing and looking at the body. So you see that You are not dead at all, even in imagination, although the body may be. Or, if you refuse to disentangle yourself from your body, in imagination, you may think of your body as dead but You who refuse to leave it are still alive and recognize the dead body as a thing apart from your Real Self. No matter how you may twist it you cannot imagine yourself as dead. The Ego insists upon being alive in any of these thoughts, and thus finds that it has within itself the sense and assurance of Immortality. In case of sleep or stupor resulting from a blow, or from narcotics or anaesthetics, the mind is apparently blank, but the "I" is conscious of a continuity of existence. And so one may imagine himself as being in an unconscious state, or asleep, quite easily, and sees the possibility of such a state, but when it comes to imagining the "I" as dead, the mind utterly refuses to do the work. This wonderful fact that the soul carries within itself the evidence of its own immortality is a glorious thing, but one must have reached a degree
    p. 19
    of unfoldment before he is able to grasp its full significance.
    The Candidate is advised to investigate the above statement for himself, by meditation and concentration, for in order that the "I" may know its true nature and possibilities, it must realize that it cannot be destroyed or killed. It must know what it is before it is able to manifest its nature. So do not leave this part of the teaching until you have mastered it. And it is well occasionally to return to it, in order that you may impress upon the mind the fact of your immortal and eternal nature. The mere glimmering of this conception of truth will give you an increased sense of strength and power, and you will find that your Self has expanded and grown, and that you are more of a power and Centre than you have heretofore realized.
    The following exercises are useful in bringing about a realization of the invincibility of the Ego—its superiority to the elements.
    Place yourself in the State of Meditation, and imagine the "I" as withdrawn from the body. See it passing through the tests of air, fire and water unharmed. The body being out of the way, the soul is seen to be able of passing through the air at will—of floating like a bird—of soaring—of traveling in the ether. It may be seen as able to pass through fire without harm and without sensation, for the elements affect only the physical body, not the Real "I." Likewise it may be seen as passing through water without discomfort or danger or hurt.
    p. 20
    This meditation will give you a sense of superiority and strength, and will show you something of the nature of the real "I." It is true that you are confined in the body, and the body may be affected by the elements, but the knowledge that the Real "I" is superior to the body—superior to the elements that affect the body—and cannot be injured any more than it can be killed, is wonderful, and tends to develop the full "I" consciousness within you. For You—the Real "I"—are not body. You are Spirit. The Ego is Immortal and Invincible, and cannot be killed and harmed. When you enter into this realization and consciousness, you will feel an influx of strength and power impossible to describe. Fear will fall from you like a worn-out cloak, and you will feel that you are "born again." An understanding of this thought, will show you that the things that we have been fearing cannot affect the Real "I," but must rest content with hurting the physical body. And they may he warded off from the physical body by a proper understanding and application of the Will.
    In our next lesson, you will be taught how to separate the "I" from the mechanism of the mind—how you may realize your mastery of the mind, just as you now realize your independence of the body. This knowledge must be imparted to you by degrees, and you must place your feet firmly upon one round of the ladder before you take the next step.
    The watchword of this First Lesson is "I." And the Candidate must enter fully into its meaning before
    p. 21
    he is able to progress. He must realize his real existence—independent of the body. He must see himself as invincible and impervious to harm, hurt, or death. He must see himself as a great Centre of Consciousness—a Sun around which his world revolves. Then will come to him a new strength. He will feel a calm dignity and power, which will be apparent to those with whom he comes in contact. He will be able to look the world in the face without flinching, and without fear, for he will realize the nature and power of the "I." He will realize that he is a Centre of Power—of Influence. He will realize that nothing ran harm the "I," and that no matter how the storms of life may dash upon the personality, the real "I"—the Individuality—is unharmed. Like a rock that stands steadfast throughout the storm, so does the "I" stand through the tempests of the life of personality; And he will know that as he grows in realization, he will be able to .control these storms and bid them be still.
    In the words of one of the Yogi Masters: "The 'I' is eternal. It passes unharmed through the fire, the air, the water. Sword and spear cannot kill or wound it. It cannot die. The trials of the physical life are but as dreams to it. Resting secure in the knowledge of the 'I,' Man may smile at the worst the world has to offer, and raising his hand he may bid them disappear into the mist from which they emerged. Blessed is he who can say (understandingly) 'I'."
    So dear Candidate, we leave you to master the
    p. 22
    [paragraph continues]First Lesson. Be not discouraged if your progress be slow. Be not cast clown if you slip back a step after having gained it. You will gain two at the next step. Success and realization will be yours. Mastery is before. You will Attain. You will Accomplish. Peace be with you.
    "

  15. To watch
    Sailor Bob / Non-Dual Master!!


  16. To read
    If life is a game
    @Chives99 good point. if you think that you can win and as a consequence that you can lose, there will always be fear. all finite games are based in fear. paradoxically, true motivation can only come when you let go of the idea that you can win.
    I highly, highly recommend reading 'Finite and Infinite Games' by James P. Carse. It's my favourite book.
     

  17. Warrior in a garden.
    Warrior in a garden.
    I wanted to summarize this short video. Today, I did it.
    To become a warrior, you must learn how to garden. Your garden has 4 sections. mind body relationship work/creativity/business Your job is to tend to every section everyday. Stop looking at other people's gardens unless you are learning techniques from them. Just focus on your garden everyday. If a disaster destroys your garden, continue as usual. If someone comes in your graden and stamps all over your garden, Why did you let that happen? Continue on as usual. Don't believe there's some magic technique for your garden. You can't drown a section of your garden with a fire hose one day and expect to have a magic tree pop up by the next. There are no magic beans. Fire hoses don't help. It will always take time. If you tend to all four corners of your garden diligently, patiently, persistently, and playfully, your garden will turn strong over time. the garden becomes more beautiful. This beauty is obvious to yourself and everyone around you. This beauty permeates your entire garden and is truth. This truth is spirit and love. You will only notice this if you drop bullshit and tend to your garden. No psychedelic, no government, and no lover tend to your garden for you. You do it for yourself. End the day, knowing you tended to your garden. It's better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.

  18. To study
    Scott Young has good articles about goal setting, career, and productivity.
    I got to know Scott Young years ago. Today, I browsed his blog and found useful articles on https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/articles/
    In particular, I found those useful for my situation.
    The Best Career Articles If you want to be an author, don’t start writing (and other strangely useful career advice) What Do You Want to Do With Your Life The Interview Method: Why Our Assumptions About Success are Often Wrong Fantasizing About Retirement? Here’s How to Build a Career You Won’t Want to Quit You Need to Negotiate Your Lifestyle The Best Articles on Goal-Setting Set Goals in the Middle Two Types of Growth Show Up, Every Day Why It’s So Hard to Stick to Your Goals (And How to Make it Easy) On Keeping Your Word  The Best Articles on Productivity How to Finish Your Work, One Bite at a Time How to Be Prolific What is Productivity Guilt, and How to Prevent it? Make Your Time Top-Heavy Rethinking Discipline The Best Articles on Learning How to Start Your Own Ultralearning Project – PART 1 How to Start Your Own Ultralearning Project – PART 2 The Complete Guide to Memory How to Learn a Language in Record Time The Feynman Technique Five Scientific Steps to Ace Your Next Exam I immediately made a project to read those articles. Just make sure to supplement these articles with Leo's videos. Without Leo's personal development techniques, none of those articles above is going to help you. Personal development is more important than career development.
    I cannot stay complacent for long.

  19. To watch
    Jamie Wheal - this is what a highly intelligent, deep stage yellow thinker looks like
    Gonna watch some of his videos ?

  20. How to
    To much Routines
    1. Collect Habits
    -any ideas/tasks/jobs that come to you need to be written down on paper, carry around a notebook always.
    Writing down your Ideas
     
    2. Process Habits
    -all about decision making when it comes to processing your inbox. Don't delay.
    Making Quick Decision & Putting things where they belong.
     
    3. Plan Habit
    -write down the top 3 tasks you need to complete each day. Get them done first thing.
    Identify the BIGGEST TASKS for the week ( BIG ROCKS).
     
    4. Do Habit
    -Complete the tasks from your list one by one. Never try to do more than one at a time.
     
    ONLY FOCUSING ON ONE TASK AT A TIME. (quality) Select which "BIG ROCK" you're going to work on. Set-up a "WORK ZONE" by eliminating distractions such as cell phones and email notifications, especially youtube or turn off the Internet. Setting a timer If interruptions occur, don't deal with them as they come in. Simple write down the distraction on your notepad and you can deal with it when you're done. Don't forget to take little break, relax for a few moments, get some fresh air, stand up and stretch.

  21. Freewill
    Freewill
    I believe reality is predetermined. NOT in the mechanical sense of Laplace though. Stephen Wolfram has described how even simple systems have computational irreducibility, which means that it's impossible, even in theory, to predict their future behavior. The only way to fully know the future is to do the actions in the present moment to make the future manifested. This includes our own choices and actions. We cannot "cheat" and jump ahead into the future.
     

  22. Wisdom
    Does any body know any high conscious way to entertainyourself and relax after work?
    Ideally you'd get to a point where you are satisfied with just sitting silence. But that's a tall order to fill.
    I like to take late night drives around town and look at the city.
    Act activity you do you're gonna eventually "wear out" unless you're able to be satisfied just sitting in silence like a cat.
    The ego-mind constantly craves stimulation, excitement, and newness -- which creates suffering. A large part of the function of meditation is to train that out of you so you can be more cat-like and thrive off of presence and being alone. But again, this takes lots of training and it will come with suffering through lots of boredom which the ego-mind will create.
    Imagine a state of mental development in which you are happier sitting like a cat than others are playing video games, watching movies, smoking pot, or having sex. Can you see how powerful this would make you?

  23. Seeking is a distraction
    Seeking is a distraction
    @Surfingthewave That read like a poem, Love it.
    There's an interesting paradox here. How can anything be away from what is? Anything that is, IS. Searching and seeker are part of the "ISness'. Even though the seeker is under the illusion that there is a result that can be attained after a specific effort that is better than what they already have, they are still acting out what IS. How can anything in existence not BE.
    Everything simply IS, but not everyone has an embodied relationship with this realisation. This is what spiritual practice can cultivate.

  24. Good insight
    Nothing Now
    I was sitting on a hill under a small oak tree, looking out over a dimly lit city. It was dark and a cool breeze blew softly on my face. I had come to do self-enquiry but the mind seemed to be pulling towards contemplation. After acknowledging there was no control in the matter, the mind began to wander.
    The thoughts followed a familiar trail into the existential void and a question arose. “If there was not Now, what would there be?”. To which the answer was “Nothingness”. If there is not now. Then there is nothing.
    "Then what is Now?" When duality breaks down. When there is no perception of opposites, then everything merges into one. "Now is Everything"
     If now is everything, then now is also nothing. “Now is also nothingness”
     If the only alternative to now is nothingness, and now is also nothing. Then no matter whether you are in the now or nothingness there is still nothing. There is no escaping nothing
    Direct experience is far more important than this kind of thinking, but I always enjoy new ways to conceptualize the illusion of existence.

  25. Good questions
    Questions About Living Life? - Ask Here
    How can I tap into infinite creative intelligence and get answers?  How to go META and get a big picture understanding of my life (why I am the way I am) and of the world (why the world is the way it is)?  How to know if someone is as evolved as they seem / claim to be?  What is time? If it's an illusion, why does it persist? What is creativity?  How can I be sure that what I am doing is actually good for the world? (For ex: Is it sufficient to ask: Does it support life?)  What are the highest goals humanity should strive for? What is the greatest good that can be achieved by, say, the end of this century?  What are the universal spiritual laws? (For ex: Every action has its consequences)  How do personal values evolve over time?  What are some models to map my personal evolution? (Other than SD and Cook-Greuter)  How to integrate logic and intuition in everyday life?  How to integrate masculinity and femininity?  What are the deeper dimensions of effectiveness? How to become more effective at bringing change within myself and the World? How to reconcile non duality with life purpose?