Moksha

You can be sure of nothing, until you let go of you, and realize that You are everything.

People have awakening "experiences", but enlightenment is something different. It is a journey, not a destination. On awakening, it feels, in that moment, like the end of suffering. The more awake you are, the less you suffer, because you see reality truly.

The duration of a yuga isn't the point. Time is only relative, anyway. It is the deeper realization of the infinite cycle of creation and destruction. The Day of Brahma ends after a thousand yugas and the Night of Brahma ends after a thousand yugas. When the day of Brahma dawns, forms are brought forth from the Unmanifest; when the night of Brahma comes, these forms merge in the Formless again. This multitude of beings is created and destroyed again and again in the succeeding days and nights of Brahma. But beyond this formless state there is another, unmanifested reality, which is eternal and is not dissolved when the cosmos is destroyed. - Bhagavad Gita 8:17-20 Day of Brahma (in Hindu myth, a period of explosive expansion like the Big Bang dividing prakriti into the gunas; each Day lasts for 1,000 yugas, which equals 4,320,000,000 years; for this near-eternity of time the universe lives and grows; then it dies and lies dormant for an equal time, before the new Day dawns).

The soul of Star Wars is captured in the original trilogy, IV - VI. It is about good vs. evil, personal discovery and growth, and the ultimate connection between all things. Consciousness told a damn good story, there.

Nah, it was more of a parabolic curve. Fantastic > horrible < Ok.

Yobi One Kenobi? Works for me

Awakening is not about moving through stages; it is so much simpler than that. It is the direct realization that You are not your conditioned mind. You are not your habits, your compulsions, your eccentricities, your addictions, or your attachments. You are the endless screen, upon which these things project. Everything else is transient images. These images comprise the ego, and they continue trying to tell the story of You. In the moment of clarity, like intermission, the screen is clear. The ego scurries into the dark corners, waiting patiently for you to fall back asleep. And eventually, most likely, you will. The secret is to learn to stay awake. It's like turning the light on in a dark theater. But why did we want to go to the theater in the first place? Maybe movies aren't so bad, as long as you realize they are only movies.

I would tell the alien from Mars the same thing I would tell the human from Earth. Want to find God? Look within.

You let go of beliefs by realizing that you are the field of Awareness, across which beliefs come and go. You can allow them to arise and dissolve, without being defined by them. They are the result of the conditioning of your mind, and they are not you. Don't allow your attention to be pulled into their gravitational orbit. Awareness amplifies everything it attends. Instead of attending the beliefs, attend the space between the beliefs. Realizing that space will set you free.

Yes, within relative reality I usually avoid ultimatums like "there is no I", because they can be a copout. Just checking to be sure "you" understand that the I within relative reality cannot imagine and experience anything it wants, because it is still trapped in relative reality. Only what Tolle calls the "Deep I" can do that, because it is ultimate reality. There are a few cases where people surpass the ordinary bounds of relative reality, through siddhis and such, but they are rare.

@aklacor727 Only you can leverage peace of mind vs. love. Children are the closest I have come to unconditional love. Yes, they will stress you, and they will grow you. Growth cannot happen without stress. But how many people can you honestly say, you would give your life for? Children will create stress and worry. Guaranteed. And yet, who would you give your life for?

Isn't relative reality, in its subjective-directionality, hilarious and beautiful? Sorry bro, but Mandalorian is the ? Go Grogu!

As a dad, it is one of the most challenging, yet spiritually catalyzing things you can do. Kids will make you grow. They will teach you patience, selflessness, and unconditional love. Caveat: They will drive you crazy in the process ?.

@Elevated ? the Mandalorian, def better than SW 1-3. Looking forward to The Book of Boba Fett ⚡ God, I guess I really am a geek.

Fantasy > reality > fantasy.

If it brings you closer to You, karmic merit. If it takes you away from You, karmic demerit. Guilt is the best trap the ego has created. Instead of feeling guilty, go with what makes you feel integrated. What resonates with love and serenity?

I'm all about the Force. Unfortunately, George Lucas went to the dark side. Still trying to forgive him for episodes 1-3.

There is no I.

Consciousness in its ultimate formless state has no fear. Many of the forms Consciousness creates also have no fear, because they aren't evolved enough to feel emotions. The more awakened you are as a human being, the less fear you will feel, because you directly realize your identity as Consciousness. Nothing that is ultimately real can be threatened; only things that are relatively real suffer and die. Fear is just another form of attachment. The less attached you are to relative reality, the less fear you will experience, and the more free you will be.

@neovox I just finished Being Ram Dass. He talks about the transformation after a severe stroke, and how as he got older, it was the ultimate spiritual practice to simply love, despite his limitations. If you haven't read it, highly recommended. All the best on your health issues ?

To nobody in particular: Why is it so hard to understand that You created this reality for a reason? Why the craving to end it, when it is You that created it, in the first place? It sounds egoic, like you need to prove something to someone. If you are actually awake, why prove anything? Just enjoy the dream that You created, and honor it for what it is. Life has value. Consciousness created it for a reason. Celebrate it and make the most of it. Dream lucidly, and Be within the dream. ?

The guy never appealed to me. I care about integrity, humility, love, and wisdom. Not to discredit any insights he has given to others. There is no universal guru. Well, maybe a very small few...but not Tony Robbins

The ego loves to chase goals, which are always outside of itself, including the goal of enlightenment. Somehow, every goal, once achieved, is a disappointment. Nice insights on simply being present. Nothing else is needed. Less thinking, more being.

You can't go wrong with Eknath Easwaran. I have read his translations and commentary, on both the Bhagavad Gita and the Dhammapada. His insights elucidate the wisdom of the books themselves. On your question, perhaps the answer is not to read passively, in your downtime, but to Consciously contemplate. I don't know of a primer on how to do this, but can only speak to personal experience. I read a few verses at a time, providing plenty of space around the verses, and let the words simmer with my soul. I highlight what speaks to me, and keep a database of the passages that are most personally significant. It is more of a deep dive than a splash. Quality over quantity. If you feel the words as you read them, and resonate as you read, you will grow spiritually in the process.

Hey @Joshua Pryor, welcome to the forum @Nahm has a great list of meditation practices.. One of the most recommended meditation guides, which I am currently using, is The Mind Illuminated, by John Yates. Hope that helps!