Preetom

1) simplify life. Only do a set of activities regularly. Minimize distractions. Just resting in the free time is a way better strategy. 2) watch your thoughts. Make sure you aren't investing too much thoughts in worrying and daydreaming about situations. Also notice if you're always investing in living up to a certain self image or patterns you have. These are huge energy drainers. Hope you get some ideas for your solution

@lmfao I see it like this. Pre-Egoic State(Newborn babies and animals) <---> Ego <---> Post-Egoic State(All consciously Enlightened people) Both pre-egoic and post-egoic are Enlightenment in the sense that there is no separate self apart from the totality of nature, but there are qualitative differences. In the post-egoic Enlightenment, higher functions of nature like intuition, higher reasoning, creativity etc can manifest itself. But in pre-egoic state, mostly it is limited within survival instinct. If we look it at this way, it's quite clear that all separate selves are moving towards to dissolve the separateness. It doesn't matter which direction it takes, animalistic pursuits or higher consciousness pursuits. This is exactly why Ego can't stand still in present moment. It must be on a movement. In fact, the ego is not an entity but this very activity or movement. A person can pursue animalistic tendencies and devolve continuously into an animal (probably as an animal rebirth). Or he can pursue higher Consciousness and reach post egoic Enlightenment.

It's because language itself is found to be groundless and part of the appearance if it is poked enough times haha...

@lmfao You've landed on a powerful insight. All of experience is just an appearance of Consciousness/Absolute. It is all effortless and causeless precisely because it's all an appearance. There is no ultimate engine driving it. Here are some ideas that came up while reading your post. You might see a scene of galactic explosion, a play of innumerable energy on TV screen. But on TV screen it's only an appearance and there is no energy involved. In appearance, there seems to be a linear time stretched in infinity but in experience it's always 'now'. In appearance, there seems to be infinite space in universe but in experience it's always 'here' In appearance it seems that everything is governed by causality, but in experience it's all ever anew. The more you poke 'reality', the more of a dream it presents itself as...causeless, flimsy appearance with absolutely nothing as it's substance Reality only looks like a 'thing' from the point of view of an individual subject/perceiver.

Have you noticed this yet? While dreaming, that dream feels legit reasonable. Flying, talking unicorns, sky shattering, monsters chasing, space/time shifts etc All of it feels real and reasonable. No one ever says "Why aren't things conforming to Newtonian Laws??? I REFUSE TO PARTICIPATE IN IT" It all feels whacky and unreasonable the moment when we contrast it with our waking state reasoning and interpretations. So from where does all our vanity come? Do we really 'do' anything? Or are we just fishes in the sea, swimming (more like getting swum) along the torrents but deluding ourselves with the idea that we are producing and maintaining the hydrodynamics of the sea?

Give us a shout out whether you like it or not

@Rilles I remember reading along these lines in a Eckhart Tolle book. Basically, enlightened people are the most 'unpredictable' species. Even an enlightened fella him/herself doesn't have any preconceived notion about what he/she will or will not do in any situation. That's what makes enlightenment totally spontaneous and authentic. It never leaves any trace and excess junk of personhood, beliefs, guilt, shame, doership etc. Like a perfect fuel, the action of the enlightened burns completely leaving nothing behind. In the fight situation, the body might definitely protect itself. But there wouldn't be any reaction or resistance to whatever that might come up.

I've read Rupert Spira's some other books. But most of them are written transcription of the guided meditations and lectures he gives on retreats. But this book ''The Nature of Consciousness'', he really put everything in his understanding to finish this masterpiece.

@Charlotte Yes that's the one @Rilles Do it! you won't regret it

Save yourself from all the unnecessary confusion. Note that confusion and not-knowing are not the same thing! Goes to the very heart of the limitation of thoughts.

Your worldview will change radically on 'these areas'. But it will not be like installing a set of beliefs and definitions. Or like upgrading your states from 70 to 100. Then see whether a thing can stand like before if it is actually seen in a new light. That's something you'd have to go to that 'place' and see for yourself.

That's your call. You might have a few extra senses I don't have. But that doesn't matter. Inquire into whatever you got now

What are thoughts but mental images(color) and narratives(sound)? What are emotions but sensation/feeling? I simplified the entire realm of experiencing for Self-inquiry, for the neti neti process. I am not interested in their intensity, density, texture, brightness etc. It's all just color, sound, sensation. No inside & outside dichotomy allowed. The search is not in the realm of color, sound and sensations. So I deliberately made up this simplified practice strategy so that I don't chase some vision (color), some rationalization and mental explanation (sound) or some exotic feeling/high (sensation). It becomes a lot easier to decrease the obsession with thoughts and experiences and relax the attention on itself if you start seeing experience in this simplied manner. Shinzen Young's ''Mindfulness with Labeling" uses this same strategy. Divide and Conquer After all, that fictitious ego is all about hiding amidst a shit load of junk and complexity. That's where it thrives! Simply, divide, break down, reject things, neti neti....and that ego is gone as if it never was!

gosh you and you're memes.. @Enizeo Glad that you found it helpful!

@Charlotte Yes do continue with the self inquiry. Your insight proves that it is doing it's job. That being said, let's do an experiment You've just described an insight beautifully. Now I ask you, How do you know all these things? What 'knowing' was there to register all these things? Isn't that same 'knowing' present right now, knowing all your current experience? Have you ever come across multiple 'knowing's? Isn't it the same 'knowing' that knows the absence of experiences in deep sleep? Even if you have an insight and say 'there is no me!', isn't it the same 'knowing' that registers it? Does this 'knowing' come and go, like states of mind come and go? This 'knowing', how far is it? How many steps do you have to take right now to be aware of it? What is the nature of this 'knowing'? Isn't this 'knowing' what you've been after all along? A 'knowing' that is ever present, unchangeable, independent of time, space, objects. I'll leave you with this

I've simplified the whole process to it's bare minimum. Think about this. You only have 3 elements in the entirety of your experience. This is all you see in your 'universe'. 1) Color (all visions) 2) Sound (all sounds) 3) Sensations/feelings (however gross or subtle) Have you ever come across any experience that is made out of a 4th element? Could you ever have an experience which has a 4th element? Now ask yourself and really find out, what that 'glimpse' was made of? was it a color? a sound? a subtle sense? a specific combination of these things? What you are in search of, is none of these 3 things but the 'knower' of them. No particular color, sound or sensation can exclusively possess your eternal 'Self'. Usually this is what happens. When we have a real 'spiritual glimpse', it is actually a resting in infinite Awareness as we truly are. In that non-objective 'experience', the mind and all it's interpretations are absent. But then, once again the mind does come up. The mind can't make sense of what happened so it relates that 'glimpse' with an objective and exotic 'experience' and thus the same conditioned movement to search and regain happiness by recreating that exotic experience begins all over again. Same thing happens in deep sleep. In deep sleep, the mind is absent. But in the morning we ask the mind about it. How can mind explain if it wasn't present in the first place? It usually just labels the experience of deep sleep as insignificant and not worth looking into in order to move on with it's conditioned activities. Ask yourself, by trying to regain that 'glimpse', what are you searching really? Are you searching for a color, a sound, a sensation? Aren't you just as much present right now as when the glimpse happened? Aren't you just as much aware right now as when the glimpse happened? Aren't you the same you all throughout this time? What is this continuous element? If it isn't a color, sound, sensation, then what is it? My point is, don't suppress this tendency to regain a 'glimpse' by brute force or rationalizations or just because some guru forbade it. Look into it. Inquire into the truth of the matter. All the best

@PsiloPutty @SoonHei Check out a thread made by @AleksM. Talks about constant breath awareness as a method to awaken. He did it himself and shared the experience.

Leo's ''Advanced Tips for Self Inquiry'' is there ------> https://youtu.be/Y23xkd2kqlo But here I'm summarizing 5 principles from Vedanta that must be followed if you don't want to derail your self inquiry. This is Not a guide of possibilities, but of certainty. If you've decided to go for the Truth through playing the game called Jnana Yoga/Self Inquiry, then you better play by the rules! 1) The Principle of The Self/Brahman/Absolute: The whole game is founded on this premise. There is an Absolute Reality. It is absolutely independent of all time, space, causality, objects. This statement also means that no particular time, space, cause or object can exclusively possess this Brahman. This Brahman is the ONLY Reality there is. And You are it! 2) The Principle of Causeless Ignorance (Also known as the 'Illusion' of Ignorance): THEN WHY THE HELL DON'T I FEEL MYSELF TO BE THIS BRAHMAN? Ans: Because of Ignorance (through oversight/ignoring) WHEN DID THIS FUCKING IGNORANCE BEGIN? Ans: Ignorance is always causeless/timeless. Lets say you don't know German. So how old is your ignorance of German Language? It has been there for eternity...Until you finally know German. So the Truth that you are Brahman is veiled by a false knowledge which is identification with things that is NOT Brahman. That means, exclusive identification with particular time, space, objects etc. 3) The Principle of The Absolute vs The Relative: You can never interchange or superimpose the implications and perspectives of one on the other. It's a big NO NO. That means you can't superimpose the limitations of the Relative (body, mind etc) on the Absolute. Similarly, you can't superimpose the qualities of Brahman on a particular relative object exclusively. 4) The Principle of Correct Knowledge Vs Ignorance Driven Actions: This is worth contemplating until it drills deep down. This principle says that this Absolute cannot ever be realized through any amount or any particular type of action. Either the correct knowledge is there or not. The 1st trap in all of Spirituality is mistaking the mirage to be the Absolute Reality. Once that 'drop' of false assumption happens, an infinite spiral of delusion follows from there. So if at first, the mirage called body, mind, world are taken to be REAL; then the whole project becomes about 'improving' that mirage. Thus an infinite number of mantra, yantra, tantra, karma, dharma etc follows. A classic example of Vedanta is used here to further explain this principle. Lets say you go in a semi dark room and you mistake a rope lying on the floor as a snake. The moment you make that false assumption, you might start an infinite chain of actions from that point like jumping in fear, running away to inform others and bring reinforcements, frantically searching for a stick or weapon, losing sense and dropping on the floor etc and etc; but notice that none of that action will actually correct your false knowledge of seeing a snake in a rope. So any action made after that 'drop' of false assumption, is considered ignorance driven action and none of that will give the Correct Knowledge. 5) The Principle of Letting of the Map: Knowing this, let's say you engage in Jnana Yoga (Self inquiry, Contemplating on the 3 states, Seer-seen distinction, Eliminating the 5 sheaths, Deconstruction etc whatever method you choose) and finally attain that Correct Knowledge. You are back to Principle 1. Now you know you are Brahman. Ultimately, at this point, even identification with all the scriptures, methods, disciplines etc need to be relinquished. It's like using your map to go to a place and then throwing away the map. All the concepts of Vedanta you used need to be given up. Your solace is in the Brahman, not in the methods, scriptures and hearsay. You know that your method did not 'produce' Brahman. It was the only thing all along. Just like switching up the light and correcting the false knowledge of seeing a snake in a rope, you know that neither the switch nor the light produced the rope; it was there all along and there was never a thing called a snake. You throw away all maps. Only the correct Knowledge prevails. Notice that this is why it is called the illusion of Ignorance; not something that actually is. Pro Tip for Self Inquiry (A Bonus): During self inquiry, you are looking for pure Consciousness. Vedanta gives a straight forward definition of this. Anything that is seen or known is not it. Anything perceivable or conceivable is not it. So remember this principle. It'll save you from a lot of circle jerk and mingling with what is known. Your search is not in the realm of 'known' but that which knows. Another key which Leo mentioned, It's all right here. You don't have to go somewhere else or 'figure it out'. Hope these principles help you in someway. It's crucial if you're serious about Enlightenment work. Learn to play by the Rules!! Note: All of it was summarized from an amazing lecture of Ira Schepetin ----> https://youtu.be/hQ9G8BZ8bfc

@Rilles You're welcome @Flammable Thanks! I love that signature of yours hehe

@Robert The shared content was the video, not the title. The topic was about seeing the mechanism of why questions, not running after 1000 whys

Sharing 2 quotes of the Buddha. Great insight into how self-inquiry progresses "In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. That is how your should train yourself. When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then there is no you in terms of that. When there is no you in terms of that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of suffering." - The Buddha ''The very idea of existence implies a dwelling place, therefore its clinging. Both 'is' and 'is not' are a dualism that has no room in true mind (subtle consciousness, the mind without beginning) " - The Buddha

Reminds me of the saying that it's not what you don't know that gives you trouble but the things you are so sure of and take as obvious that come back to bite your ass

@Robert The point is not to disregard them but to actually see their limitations. Any position taken without honest inquiry would be another stupid belief

Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream, Merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream

Worth contemplating over and over again. Thank you!