WelcometoReality

Yeah, identification can take the form of anything or nothing, a teaching or a feeling. In that sense it's hard to point to. I use the word rigidness because identification is like rocks in a river. The water can flow better without them.

@PepperBlossoms Yeah exactly. It's not that one paradigm is true and the others are false. It's more like, that paradigm you are currently in will color experience to be perceived in a certain way.

It might seem like a never ending cycle of death and rebirth at some point. The ego constantly reforming its identity to maintain itself. ?

? And even that is saying to much. ?

That's a great realization to have. Procrastinating only prolongs the suffering. ?

@The0Self Was there any special technique you used for the grasping in the gut?

@Michael Jackson if you sit with the fear, meet it, it will start to dissolve. ?

Once you realize what it is at the most fundamental level everything becomes clear so no more questions is needed. If you really want to delve into these questions.. How do you know there is a universe that you are unaware of? You believe that there is a universe but you actually don't know that. What you do know is your direct experience.

@WokeBloke Good one! ? Can you also see that you aren't "generating" the thought?

Yes, another gateway into seeing it is to be conscious of all the things you do effortlessly in a day. Usually it's done while thinking about something else so you're not conscious of it but being conscious of it while it's being done can spark the realization that things are just happening. That can then carry over to the things that is done with effort and that even effort is just happening.

Yes I can only agree. Never been much of a formal sitter myself. I did do a 3 hour SDS which pushed me over the edge but mostly non-formal meditation, mindfulness and surrender. Now it seems like life is happening within meditation.

It is astonishing and really changes ones life when you understand how to do it. ?

Oh there's an app. nice I didn't know that. ? Yeah it can be hard in the beginning but will get easier the more you do it. And it's quite freeing in the end.

A good question to ask is: What's hindering me from enjoying this very moment?

Inquire into ugly, disturbing, confusing, cold. What make it feel this way? These are judging thoughts which arise. No need to do anything about them but see them for what they are. No need to tell him because the thought are not true. If these keep coming up then you might need to inquire deeper into the thoughts and feelings that are the basis of the judgements. If you're new to inquiry I recommend checking out this worksheet: https://thework.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/jyn_en_mod_6feb2019_r4_form1.pdf

Yeah, great book. ? My favorite verse is 22 If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked. If you want to become full, let yourself be empty. If you want to be reborn, let yourself die. If you want to be given everything, give everything up.

@SeekingFreedom It would be possible to get a glimpse or awaken but to stay awakened that person might need to drop alcohol. Or it just drops away effortlessly. Or alcohol will still be used. In short one could say that the outcome will vary from person to person. ?

Yeah, all words are empty. "Water" isn't ?. "Water" is just the representation of ? within language, a pointer to the actual thing. Just like @Someone here is a representation of a certain human body. This extends to thoughts as well. The thought of ? is a pointer to actual ?. And the thought of @Someone here is not @Someone here Yes but here it gets tricky because there isn't only an objective world that you see. The world gets filtered through your belief system (thoughts and feelings) of the world. So if you believe the world to be a fearful place then you will see a fearful world. And the same if you believe it to be a wonderful world. So if you don't like the world you see then you need to change your paradigm with emotional work. Ah yes, the names doesn't give it justice because the real Allah is beyond words. It must be realized to be understood.

Yeah, effortless action happens frequently in peoples lives. You've probably gone through the same aisle several times before so no effort was needed to do it. When effortless action happens the mind is free to do other stuff. The difference here is that you were consious of effortless action which means there was either no thoughts or a detachment from thoughts while this was happening. It's meditation spilling over to your day to day life.

@Adodd Seems like non-doership/effortlessness mixed with the observer-state.

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Aren't we all human? ?

You could try flip that statement around on yourself and see what comes up. Like this: Have I tried truth yet? Lol, I'm God sleeping.

Yes, well said. Ego needs something identify with to maintain itself which always is some kind of rigid stance. The way Frank talks about it doesn't give the ego anything to cling to which might be perceived as threatening. Ultimately all self reflection must be dissolved until there's no separate self, no god, no consciousness, no self awareness.

The mind is making the thoughts like the heart is making heartbeats.