LfcCharlie4

@Raptorsin7 I had glimpses but I was not stabilised in non duality at all no, I was a non dual addict watching video after video and reading book after book getting nowhere! In terms of integration I receive RASA every 2 weeks and integrate each session as I go, I have not reached the end of seeking yet, I am close but am struggling with letting everything go, most people will not reach this point alone, there isngreat depth to awakening and one simple awakening or LSD trip won’t do it. Integration is key, even after full self realisation, integration could take several years to clear up your “shit” and fully integrate everything into your life, glimpses are the fun bit, but post integration is where awakening stabilises and gets even more fun each time

@Matt23 if you have enough money, go and work with a teacher 1-1, that’s what I did in February and in combination with RASA I’ve developed more than I ever would’ve in thid lifetime without them in just 9 months! I can recommend Ramaji and Ananda devi, if you wanna knownmore message me as I’m not allowed to post links here apparently! A lot of people here are in your shoes and I was earlier this year, it will prepare you for your awakenings, however without intervention you might not get very far alone. think of someone who isn’t great at sport trying to teach themselves, when an amazing coach is only a click away, how will they reach their potential quicker?

@NormanN yes sorry what I meant is there is a definite end to seeking where you are fully at rest in the absolute and seeking is over, and life can truly begin. of course there is an ever deepening to life and your work and your work on a human level as this doesn’t end until you die of course! But there is a definite end to the seeking part of this journey, or what would you be seeking? That end is full self realisation and stabilisation in the self. If you wanna read about that check out Raman, Nisgardatta and Ramaji.

@Arcangelo yes maybe toxic was a bit far, and Psyches can certainly be a great help! However, I don’t think you NEED them to go to the deepest depths that Ramana, Maharaj, Rupert etc have reached, although for many westerners in particular they can give great insights. im just biased and prefer a slightly more efficient method that I’ve used although it may cost slightly more.

@TRUTHWITHCAPITALT ffs this attitude is toxic, I respect Leo’s path and teachings but you don’t HAVE to do what he does, he’s one teacher of 1000s and one of the only one preaching Psyches. there are lots of ways to have direct experience of the self and embody your enlightenment. Psyches are 1 tool, and for this guy who’s on SSRIs and may be under 25 you shouldn’t recklessly recommend them, people forget these are still drugs. @Fede83 as others said foundational PD work will be great for you and I’m glad to hear you’re doing a lot better mate! If you are depressed I would say stay away, I’ve known friends near me to have issues with LSD, such as spending time in mental homes due to trips, people forget these are drugs and aren’t magic pills and need to be respected, especially if you have depression. There are many ways to awaken, how do you think 1000s of people have without Psyches?

@NormanN yes that’s exactly right! If any teacher tries to tell you need them and that you must listen to them, I see that as a major red flag usually, even enlightened beings can be narcissists and have huge issues still! Like I said enlightenment doesn’t mean full self realization and in my experience it is clear there are various stages and depths to awakening. And then there’s integration which is a whole other ball game!

@VeganAwake yes exactly!!!! and then when the seeking and resistance stop you can just embrace this as it is and you won’t even need to think about consciousness spirituality etc it’s all dropped and you just live! Once you’re fully stabilised in the absolute unless you’re actively talking about this on somewhere like here, or teaching etc, you will get on with life and do whatever you want. after enlightenment chop wood and carry water p.s. glad I could help you trip, you seem more and more awake every time I speak to you! This is it remember, it really can be that simple

I haven’t read the thread but just from your post I can tell you it goes deeper than realising duality doesn’t exist. In fact eventually you’ll stop seeing duality as a problem and realize this ugly dual world as it is is completely perfect, and this truly is it. A french teacher was quoted saying everything has “infinite precious value” and that completely resonates with my experience as I go through this stage of awakening. The self is beyond duality and beyond non duality, beyond spirituality and materially, all of these are concepts that eventually must be thrown in the fire. When you see this duality is no longer subtly rejected as it is even for enlightened teachers. Duality is embraced and you are finally completely free to live life as you truly desire, whether that’s going to start the business of your dreams with your family, or going to live in an ashram forever, you are finally free. To me, life only truly begins at full self realisation. It goes full circle, non-duality is the medicine for duality but when you are no longer sick (and self realised) you no longer need the medicine and you embrace this world As it is right now. but of course, it’s very different to pre enlightenment duality, yet it’s the very same world. what a paradox.

@NormanN Yes I completely agree, but if a teacher decides to specialise in pure self realisation e.g. Ramana Maharshi and that’s all his students want that’s great! However, for me I wanted more as a westerner. Ramaji and Ananda Base their teaching on LOC 1000/ Self Realization, but cover a HUGE range of topics in the 1-1 sessions and satsangs. I don’t know anyone covering things like Sex& owning your sexuality as a self realised person, relationships, manifestation, life after awakening etc, I’m obviously biased but in terms of the full picture they’re pretty good. they still have blind spots, for example you wouldn’t go to them for nutrition advice as that isn’t an area they have mastered but in terms of self realisation as a westerner and a Tantric approach to life it’s pretyy amazing.

Maybe some people have but I'd say there's quite a low chance, hence why millions end up stuck in satsang for decades with little growth yet have read every non dual book going.

@NormanN Yeah I guess, but then you also run the risk of being sucked into a cult like organization e.g. Mooji/ Bentino, you can still learn from them and if you feel drawn to them I guess go with them, but I think while you need to be careful it's simply fact some teachers are better at their job than others.

Yes it seems like the best way overall, but just not complete. I would just add like in any field, some teachers will be 'better' at their job than others, so just keep that in mind, just because it's non-duality doesn't mean all teachers are created equal is all I will say. Do your research, find one or a couple you resonate with and learn and emobody all you can from them, but always remember you are your own guru and don't follow them like a robot. For example they might be celibate, but that doesn't mean you have to be (common in more eastern teachings!) I can recommend my own teachers as they are the ones who have made me progress 1000000x more than any others, but their methods may not work for you.

@JustThinkingAloud When training others you have to be careful, many of those with organizations have trained people who are clearly not enlightened and this dilutes the teaching, luckily with RASA they only 'train' people to give it once they have completely finished seeking, reached LOC 1000 and began their integration process, but I guess that's different as it's not the person giving the transmission. @NormanN It's not completely black and white, but I would say yes 1-1 with transmissions for those ready is ideal, but like I said whatever you resonate with go with that, really it doesn't matter what's best for everyone but what's best for you.

@integral Thank you I'll have a look more into it mate!

Link to look more into it and research more/ purchase it? How often do you use it etc, would love to know more.

Inquire, then abide. From the man himself- https://hridaya-yoga.com/hridaya-yoga-articles/the-self-inquiry-method-of-ramana-maharshi/ I can also recommend a book I'm currently reading, but not sure if I'm allowed to, it's not on Leo's book list though.

@NormanN If you want an optimum method to teach I would say 1-1, I gained nothing but prep before working with my teacher 1-1, this includes a transmission, which I believe is the most effective teaching when a seeker is ready, so relatively speaking I believe these have 'higher value', however this doesn't mean mass and group teachings have 0 value, just less effective in my opinion. I doubt someone will become fully self realized just by going to retreats and reading books, for example Rupert says how he sees similar faces at his retreats, Adya said at his old Zen centre hardly anyone was actually enlightened and if they were a business and enlightenment= profit they'd be out of business quick! If you're asking me what I recommend, find a teacher(s) you resonate with, learn from them, and when you are ready find a teacher who gives transmissions, as this has what has worked for me. I'm guessing as most here your path is psyches?

@NormanN No, the words have a purpose, you couldn't just stare at some random guy on the street and they'd become enlightened. The words are useful until they are not, just like effort is useful until it is not. There is not one teaching for all, every person is unique and should be treated this way, your process will be hugely different to mine- different questions, blockages, different personality etc etc And, yes it is unlearning and the removal of all concepts and beliefs, some will come back that are useful eventually. We are already enlightened yes, but most of us need to work through a lot of stuff to get there and have many awakenings and integrations (not emphasized enough here) until we are 'finished' seeking. Then the never-ending depth continues, but it's different Like I said hard to put into words! When you are ready, I recommend finding form of non-verbal teaching such as a transmission, it's what helped me, but for example this time last year I would not have been ready for it, so all the pre-enlightenment seeking plays a role, as it can be said to preparation if you like.

@Angelite Well yes presence is all quite simply. And, being in the presence of a teacher who has realized this will only heighten this in yourself, we are always presence but occasionally forget @NormanN If I'm honest, the true teaching is in silence, therefore, anything said is actually a disservice to the absolute, but Ramana realized many were not ready for silence, so 'invented' self-inquiry and so forth. The words are merely a tool to this silence, there you will be amazed with what you find.

@Serotoninluv That's a beautiful story <3 Honestly, realizations like that can really change you and radically shift your perspective. I hope your friend has learned to enjoy the now more! He sounds like I used to be! Maybe he's an Enneagram 7, for most 'Normies' if you can learn the Enneagram and help people find their types and show them their blind spots, that will help them trmendously, as most will think your bat shit crazy if you start with the Non-Duality. (Unless you're tripping or taking MDMA together or something)

@Nahm Yes I do merely think we are talking here and misunderstanding each other due to the duality of language, What I'm saying is I've been through the not this not this stage of awakening. There's something beyond that, it goes from I'm nothing/ I'm the one aware of it all, to I'm everything/ I'm God, it then goes further than that even to realizing the Self is all, the very world is the self. Of course I'm reducing things here, and you're not wrong at all. However, what I'm trying to say is it goes deeper. Yes I'm aware you're not mario, and I personally have been through the non doership stage, to realizing the Universe is the Doer, it always has been, 99.9% of people just aren't aware of this, but that doesn't change the fact it is. Just how 99% of people believe themselves to be merely a human and a body, what I'm saying is you're still having a human experience with a body, you will know yourself as the Self, but the paradox is you will become yourself as a human even more so, it's hard to put into words and would be much easier over a call or in person, I now see the struggles of non duality teacher and writers haha. Yes people need to go through the stage of realizing they are more than merely a human, but it goes full circle as I said and you come right back to this, this as it is, and it's the same, yet it's more beautiful than ever, again impossible to word. I'm sorry but if you still believe the world exists you have further to go, that is a marker of a fully self realized being such as Ramana, Nisgardatta, Francis and Rupert Spira. There is nothing but the Self, that is my experience, therefore, there is no world as it is the self, to Quote Ramana himself. 'What exists in truth is the Self alone. The world, the individual soul, and God are appearances in it like silver in mother-of-pearl. These three appear at the same time, and disappear at the same time. The Self is that where there is absolutely no “I” thought. That is called “Silence”. The Self itself is the world; the Self itself is “I”; the Self itself is God; all is Siva, the Self.' The self is all, that is what i mean by there is no world, because there isn't a world out there, there is just the Self, and this gives you complete freedom in the Human realm to be as you are and flourish, living from the Self, the paradoxes make me laugh. P.S. I wasn't meaning to attack you about the flower etc, I was merely stating that these satsangs have people come for decades and not awaken, they have their value but their are much better ways for dedicated and sincere seekers who are truly ready. Maybe they aren't ready in this lifetime amd that is fine

@NormanN Because it has transformed my existential experience, like @Angelite says even being in the presence of Anada for 45 mins helped so much as she is an awakened being. You also get to ask questions related yo YOUR process, not some random guy at a retreats process, that's the biggest difference for me, your sticking points will be so different to mine etc, the presence helps but it's not the full picture ofc. And they don't control you're awakening you do, you finish when YOU say you do, you will know in your own direct experience when the seeking is over, and whether you have awakened and are living in non duality. Are they perfect? Of course not. Like you said they merely support the awakening. All I can say is try RASA for yourself I was skeptical and held off for 4 months or so before pulling the plug, and boy am I glad I did, life is very different now than it was in February.

@NormanN Defo, only work with teachers who resonate with you, as that's who will help you most and what you need. If something feels off it isn't for you right now, I first heard about mine last October, but I wasn't ready and instead became obsessed with Rupert Spira, after listening and reading him for a few months, I felt a calling back to my now teacher and it was honestly the right time, weird how life works.

Yes 100%, the whole teacher and the flower model really doesn't work that well imo, most teachers awakened spontaneously or through working closely with a teacher- Rupert Spira, Francis Lucille etc etc. I personally work with a teacher 1-1 ad have done since February and it has spearheaded my growth to depths I never believed possible, and without it honestly I think it still be stuck as a hardcore seeker. Think of it like this in Sporting terms, lts say for Football (Soccer wrong word but hey) if you have a coach try and teach the whole team each individual is going to get much less out of it, they'll of course get some value, however if the coach works 1-1 with specific players they can work on their individual weak spots and strengths. It's no different spiritually, even with Leo I feel for him he has 1000s of seekers here each with their own questions and problems, one man can only do so much, if he was to work 1-1 regularly with say 10 students at a time, he'd actually have much greater chance of these people awakening, the same with Rupert, Francis etc. Ramaji and Ananda Devi do just that and honestly they've helped to awaken so many people in a short period of time using 1-1 teaching and RASA, without it I wouldn't have awakened, maybe some experiences from Psyches, but nothing compared to what my existential experience is now!

@Nahm From the absolute perspective yes, however when fully self realized one becomes more human than ever. You still have a personality, you will still have a body, you will still have desires and human needs- water, sex, food etc. If you are not human in this realm I ask you to stop eating and drinking for a month then, as if you're not human you would not need to? Yes, me, you and literally everything is nothing but the Self, the world doesn't actually exist and is merely The Self, when I look around I know everything to be The Self as Ramana called it. However, until this body dies you are living a human experience, and for me awakening has only made me more human and more able to be my self. To me life only begins at full self realization, we are then free to live how we wish to. But, please stop spouting non-dual stuff such as 'We are not Human' this only confuses people and I know it confused me in the past, yes absolutely this is correct, but it just leaves people confused thinking becoming enlightened means you won't have a body or will have magical powers etc. I would love to know how many people actually awaken via teachers and their flower talking, these videos have their place, but imo SO MUCH MORE is actually needed to genuinely awaken. This is it, this very moment is it, it goes full circle