Moksha

Is light a particle or a wave? How much space does an electron occupy? How is awakening possible if there is no you to awaken? The mind loves to categorize, and is incapable of understanding paradox. It is easy to oversimplify reality by saying there is only God, and everything else is an illusion, but even that oversimplification becomes a duality, and fails to capture the incomprehensible paradox. It is called a Mystery for a reason. Reality is infinitely more, and infinitesimally less, than people are capable of understanding. Instead of constantly grasping with the conceptual mind, Be.

Reality is layerless, yet it includes all layers. It is formless, yet it includes all forms. It is nondual, yet it includes all dualities. It is nothing, yet it is everything. It is God, yet it includes all of God's creations. It is beyond the capacity of the mind to comprehend, and can only be directly realized. Lord of the gods, you are the abode of the universe. Changeless, you are what is and what is not, and beyond the duality of existence and nonexistence. You are the first among the gods, the timeless spirit, the resting place of all beings. You are the knower and the thing which is known. You are the final home; with your infinite form you pervade the cosmos. - Bhagavad Gita 11:37-38

Awakening only happens from within, when the aspirant is ready. No teacher, however great, can force someone else to awaken. At best, they point the way. All the effort must be made by you; Buddhas only show the way. Follow this path and practice meditation; go beyond the power of Mara. - Buddha

Thank you, and right back at you ?

Different gurus for different aspirants. There is no universal answer. Find the guru that speaks to your soul.

@acidgoofy The translation, and commentary, by Eknarth Easwaran are sublime.

Your dad is as real as you are, brother. We are not only the ocean; we are the waves on the ocean. The waves usually don't last as long as we might like. My "dad" died in December. We are born, and we die. But underlying it all, is God, who is You, and who created the waves that "we" are. Don't listen to the solipsists. It isn't just the ocean. It is also the waves. ?

Do you want to understand Consciousness, or would your rather realize Consciousness? If the latter, it doesn't get any better than the Bhagavad Gita.

Everything happens for a reason, but rarely for the reason you think. Your ways are higher than your ways.

The only blind spot is inauthenticity. Be true to who You are, in this moment, and you are golden. You don't have to be perfect, or ultimately Self-realized. Just be honest, and real. ?

@mandyjw ?

Observe. Has your monkey mind ever given you peace, for more than a moment at best? Realize that your thoughts are not You. They are clouds that come and go. You are the Sky.

Hard to choose, but I would have to say Van Gough. I've seen his paintings around the world, and have been deeply moved by many of them. I remember one time they had an exhibit in my home town. I found a painting of his, shortly before his death, and it captivated me to such a degree that I couldn't pull myself away from it. My two kids were young at the time, and they kept asking me when we could finally move on, but it caught my soul, and refused to let go.

Wake gently out of that good night, This me, forever You, and burning bright; There never was a was, but still it seemed, So real when I was me, within the dream. ?

It was part of You the whole time, it just didn't realize it

Never had your foot fall asleep on you?

Liberation is just another word for Awakening.

For me, it was the deep realization that my brain, unobserved, was only capable of producing suffering. The seeds of thoughts have never produced peace. The heart is closer to truth, but the spirit is closer still. When you are Consciously centered, the brain and the heart can be beautiful tools. When not, they are instruments of torture.

Do you see the human in you, and in the people you interact with? Do you see the Being in you, and in the people you interact with? Finding the Being in yourself is the first step toward realizing the Being in everyone else. When that happens, it is magical. Humans become humorous, with all of our idiosyncrasies. Beings become beloved, because they are us. What we see in others is, to a large extent, what we see in ourselves.

Would you rather know, or would you rather be? Knowledge is the currency of the ego. It is voracious, the snake eating its own tail, and it never ends. It will never be satisfied. Just be.

Anything, in excess, is unhealthy. That includes meditation and personal growth. Recreation is not only ok, but it is necessary. Recreation, in excess, is also unhealthy Why not try the best of both worlds? I recently played Walden, a Game, and loved it. Take the time to enjoy the reading rocks along the way, so much wisdom there.

Not specific memories, but some people are born with old souls. It is obvious, even when they are children.

God wrote Hamlet. I guess that makes Shakespeare divine?

Sapiens = thought = suffering. It's all about being.

Imagination is also reality, because it is created by God.