cetus

@Pox I don't know if your familiar with the guitar player/song writer/performer Billy Strings but I watched an interview of him earlier today. And in it he said he grew up in a household of musicians who partied and did drug a lot. His parents and their friends were doing a lot of meth. And he said he realized he had to get out of that environment and leave it behind or else he was going to either end up in jail or be killed. Sounds like it was a pretty rough bunch. Well anyhow, I wanted to share with you what he said about how he now approaches life: "I'm going through a part in my life where I'm looking through the windshield instead of in the rearview. It's a renewal, like a new day, morning light, a spider molting, or a snake shedding its skin. Now I'm just along for the ride."

I just checked him out. He has some interesting vlogs.

I hear ya. I'm well aware of N.J. Outdoor Adventures and Jarrod Tocci and the likes. I've been thinking a lot lately about selling my house and living the van/RV life again as I did in my early 20's. I loved it!

@Pox What skills do you have that come naturally to you?

@Miguel1 I'd certainly call that a mystical experience. Consciousness became untethered from the identity of the self. It does feel somewhat scary when it first happens. Kind of ghosty feeling like being eyes without a face.

It is very unlikely because they no idea what can be discovered. And even if somehow, they do so happen to get a glimpse of a higher level of consciousness. Unless they mindfully cultivate it, they slip back into a mundane state of consciousness.

Surface Dwellers

Remembering back to my first experience of non- ordinary consciousness it was a total game changer. More real than reality itself. How can anyone not be permanently changed after such a discovery? Edit" Could it be a matter of cultivation? Like a garden that needs to be tended to, or the weeds will surely take over- referring to those who remain 'unchanged'.

Nice. That in itself puts you at an advantage. Leo suggested Kriya Yoga for instance. Now you have a well-established background of meditative practice to compare with.

Hi Galyna. Its certainty has been a while. I can totally relate to what you're saying here. I remember a time early on when Leo just starting off. Before the forum even existed. I had my whole spiel about what enlightenment was. Then Leo replied, "This is all thought stories". Gotta love it!

It is simply returning to the mundane. Chop wood, drink coffee.

Starting a Buddhist meditation practice at the age of 20 is a lot different than starting at age 6. If you would have started then, your pursuits would already be aligned.

Here we have #10 of the Ox herding pictures "Returning to the marketplace" The journey is complete. Smoke em' if you got em'.

It's from his lecture "The Dream of Life"