Raptorsin7

@Nahm I disagree. There is going to be a time, who knows how long, where @Kalki Avatar will be working towards stabilized enlightenment and in the mean time it's very much going to matter what your self image and subconscious are like. I'd recommend psycho-cybernetics it does a great job of going over the value of a positive self image. I don't think these two pursuits are antithetical to one-another, work towards enlightenment but at the same time develop a healthy self image.

@Ibn Sina Your friend likely felt threatened by your achievements, and now is responding to that feeling by putting you down. A lot of guys have a bro culture where they roast each other and they view it as a sign of there friendship, so it is possible this is just how this guy expresses his friendship, but you will be a better of judge of his motives than i could be. A lot of people in life are psychologically disturbed in some form of another, myself included, and it manifests in treating people in ways that rub them the wrong way, but the person engaging in the behavior is either unaware or they don't have the sense to actually care about how they are making others feel. I strongly recommend against scolding him, you will create unnecessary drama simply to prove to him and those around you that you are a no nonsense guy. Find a more diplomatic way to tell this guy to stop treating you like that, like maybe tell him you don't like that kind of joking around and it's not cool that he keeps doing it. This is very much a him problem not a you problem, but still take care when dealing with these kind of people you don't need to create unnecessary enemies in life it will only cause you hardship in the future.

@Dwarniel Yea that is my instinct as well. I don't expect to find someone committed to the path like me, but there will be girls who better embody healthy traits simply through a good upbringing, and also happen to be good looking and open minded haha.

@Devi Shanti It really depends on the girl. If she's a unicorn ,rich, beautiful, kind, open-minded, and intelligent then i'd defintely try the relationship. But for me 99% of girls who are celebate will be an instant turn off. Its too dogmatic, i can't think of a good, secular, reason why someone would remain celebate.

@Privet Yes

@Leo Gura But people will be more or less compatible with these kinds of concepts right? I imagine there's a spectrum whereby girls on one end will have personalities/lifestyles that are more conducive to this kind of work

@ajasatya Alright will do thanks

@ajasatya What kind of classes? I just started doing yoga, and I'm currently in law school so I spend a decent amount of time at my university but I don't really interact with people outside the law school. Right now i'm just focusing on going to class, studying, going to yoga/gym and trying to be friendly to everyone. I have no interest in cold approach due to my fear of looking like a creep and because I want to get know someone before I actually ask them out, so i'm not sure how long it will take to meet someone like this.

@system Thanks i just read it. I can't wait haha

@Meditationdude @Matt8800 What is the dark knight? I'm doing self inquiry work right now and I've yet to breakthrough but is something I should prepare for?

@Nahm Very well written! (: Your explanation of self inquiry was perfect, I feel like I know to where I go with my inquiry now. As for the concentration practice I've been doing a few minutes per day of focusing on a metronome before any meditation or study sessions so ill definitely keep that up. Thank you so much for your help, I see how much work you do on the forum and its very inspiring. I was worried no one was going to answer my question here haha. Good luck with whatever you're pursuing my guy

@Nahm Do you think its possible to achieve this state if it is viewed as an ability of the self/ego. This is how I view the non-dual state at the moment. Do you think its bad to view it as such?

@Nahm Can you produce the non-dual state mentioned above at will? Or do you require requisite conditions like @Serotoninluv

Not sure about what you're experiencing, but be careful not to get attached to pleasurable or interesting feelings that arise during meditation. Just be with the experience and don't attach or pull away. Just my two cents, but i'm not enlightened so take it with a grain of salt.

@Aakash Do you think my aversion to your ideas is based solely on my own ignorance? Can you not see that countless people throughout history have claimed to know god/truth? Why should I accept your truth and disregard the truth of the schizo homeless person shouting at me on the street? What you are saying sounds CRAZY. Think about whether or not what you say might actually be CRAZY.

@Aakash So synchronicity is god? That sounds so crazy man. I feel like the only people you will attract to this message are psychologically disturbed people. Maybe there is another way to relay this message or something. You seem genuine, but this makes me very uneasy. Good luck (:

Who's synchronicity?

What do you want me to do?

Does anyone have experience with Loch Kelly's meditation courses? I understood he teaches a variant of dzogchen, and given i've been doing self inquiry work i was wondering if his teachings could be useful. Also, if you have any useful guided self inquiry meditations i would appreciate that as well. Thank you.

I'm having difficult fully letting go during inquiry. When the mind gives the instruction to fully let go there is a lot of resistance, and it usually ends with a giant gasp of air after a few seconds of attempting to let go. After the mind says "let it go" there is a usually a few moments of what seems to be an attempt to surrender to the present moment but it only lasts a few moments. Does this sound like i'm on the right track with inquiry or have i hit a dead end? Any insights would be appreciated.

I am at a point in my inquiry where I cannot identify any experience as being "me" or "I". When the thought arises "I am ___" I can turn attention on the thought and in that moment the though feels different. I recognize clearly the awareness quality of experience, for example. when I turn attention on the feeling in my face/my head I can recognize that I am aware of this even though there is no actual person or self being aware. I have yet to have a genuine experience of no self and i'm curious what I should be doing in my self inquiry at this point to facilitate some sort of breakthrough. I have heard that no self can be recognized in each moment of experience, and in that sense it makes every experience profound and interesting. Will the awakening be clear in that there is no mistaking that I have recognized the intrinsic selflessness of consciousness or is it possible for someone to who have awakened this realization without a clear "aha" moment. Does anyone remember being at this stage of their journey, and remember what they did to move forward with the inquiry?

For those who have successfully woken up to the truth of no-self through self-inquiry or some other form, is the realization stable whenever you look for it or does it need to be consistently cultivated over time. How will I know when I've broken through or if I am just tricking myself into believing I've achieved something when that's not it.

Thanks everyone for the responses. Good luck with your paths (:

@Juan Cruz Giusto Haha when I achieve any sort of awakening I will definitely do a detailed post about everything I put into the process. Now I just I gotta make sure the universe doesn't kill me before I get there (:

I've been doing self inquiry for 1 hour per day and I've begun a concentration practice of 10 minutes of listening to a metronome three times per day. Furthermore, during my self inquiry I have been turning attention on the feeling of my head/ the feeling I am behind my eyes and I've been feeling pressure in my forehead for about a week now, which I hear is a good thing because of the effect on my third eye/ pineal gland but idk. I'm curious what to expect in the coming months, how will I know if I'm making progress and what positive things do I have to look forward too?