cetus

@Inliytened1 Here's something a little different. Check out a Rush cover band called "Dream Theater" doing Xanadu from the Fairwell to Kings album.

@Jack River The illusory nature of reality is everywhere the mind goes. Most won't leave home without it.

@phllip103 I like doing about 20-30 mins. of mantra meditation to still the mind than about another 20-30 of do nothing and mostly bask in the silence. Maybe a little contemplation too if something worth investigation so happens to arise like an insight for instance. Or just sit with it. But that's my practice.

@phllip103 It could be because you never really experienced true stillness before. It will all work out with some tweaking and with more practice.

@phllip103 How long have you been meditating?

@OneLittleHumanMind "I" is the loop.

If your desires are true to your being the're not going anywhere. And if they arn't true they will fall away on their own. Best to find out early as possable so you don't spend a lifetime doing something that wasn't true to your heart. If there is any reason for you being here it is to realize your full potential. Every aspect of it. Even things the mind can't percieve as possable. .

@Serotoninluv Wouldn't that be surrendering/letting go? Total acceptance

@Jack River As you know fear will keep you in the cluches of mind. Fear is it's weapon of choice.

@Jack River What he's calling "instinct" could also be fear/mind in disguise.

@Jack River Maybe. Choosing between instinct vs. enlightenment?

@ground What does this even mean? Sorry I'm truly clueless here. The first sentence is a given but the second I'm totally stumped.

@Pouya Your mind is building imaginary walls that keep you from seeing the truth that lies beyond them..

Put a cold compress on it?

@Aaron k Thats funny! But it should be put under the existing topic "Enlightenment Jokes". You can find it in the search bar at the upper right and add it to the collection.

@SoonHei Behind all of it there is silence. Beingness- the observer arising as the silence. On the surface there is cetus interacting with friends.

@lostmedstudent In the words of Nisargadatta "You will lose intrest in worldly affairs". But, that doesn't mean everybody loses intrest. I get together with friends and see it happening. Talking politics for instance and each trying to push their point of view on the other. And I just sit there and observe how each lives in their own version of reality. And there is nothing to be done but to except reality exactly as it is and watch the illusion of worldly affairs unfolding. But I know how you feel on a worldly level too. It's sort of like having to sit through one of those really bad "B" movies with lousy acting and a weak story plot. But wishing it was a better movie doesn't change anything that is happening on the screen. It only adds to your own suffering.

@andyjohnsonman Maybe you were ready to see and that was just a catalyst.

@Mikael89 The Taoist way of working smarter not harder.

There is a third choice too. "Work smarter not harder"

@Mikael89 This is my view on the subject. When you know it's all an illusion what difference does it make if you work to pay the bills. The only important thing is in knowing that it's all illusion.

@Mikael89 No problem. Yes it's all an illusion. But such is life. Or the illusion of life I should say.

@Mikael89 I'm sure he would say he didn't want to die getting his head kicked in by some street person. He certainly cared at that moment like he never cared before. You would'nt? Seriously?

@Mikael89 I had a brother who had exactly the same mindset as you. To a "T". He thought he was above the other "fools" that want to support themselves by working. He milked it for as long as he could living for free at the expense of others. All the while was told many times in his best intrest to get a job- but he wouldn't. Than one day life changed and ppl moved on and the free support he had was no longer there. And he asked "What about me? How am i going to survive?". The answer he got: We've already warned you many times for your own good but you didn't heed to our warning. So now you have no choice. He stayed with different friends for a while. But that got old and one by one they all told him not to come back. So he lived on the street for about 5 years moving from one place to another. Often getting his head kicked in by others surviving on the mean streets. He was dead in 5 years. And that was that. Kind of sad really. He had so much to offer too. A naturally talented artist. But he waisted all of it by doing nothing at all.