Toby

@Outer good video. Another good one here:

I don't know, maybe it's indeed INTP but to me he appears more a J than a P.

For me I like Advaita and Zen also the best. Zen also has a lot of Taoistic influence obviously. But there are gems in every tradition. Tantra as taught by Osho has it's moments, but there are also Christian Mystic (e.g. Bernadette Roberts) and Sufi (e.g. Irina Tweedie) approaches that I like.

Ok. I write how I write and when I say "often" I am not referring just to myself but also other people. I've seen enough people that brought traumatic events or episodes up in "Satsangs" or other group settings. Or I spoke with other clients. And I also worked with people even though not as a therapist.

Look. I know what I am talking about from direct and my own experience. But I am not willing to disclose every private detail of my life. I agree with you that trauma and let's say integration is a very important part on the path. I can only say that I am not a therapist myself but I studied a lot of approaches in depth regarding trauma because it was necessary for me. And I took enough therapy sessions to be qualified to make a statement about trauma relating to spirituality. But I am not going into details here, because it might even trigger myself or others even though in my story there was no sexual abuse.

It is often not the situation what is traumatic but the reaction towards it. Some people are more resilient psychologically and physiologically than others. Minor things could be traumatic to someone while "major" things could not be traumatic to someone else. In fact there is a spiritual teacher (Isira) who - afair - woke up during being raped at 16 or something because she was able to surrender completely to the situation.

Healthy ego? Egos that are altruistic, loving, caring, can set clear boundaries and say no, are honest.

A good teacher knows how to deal with projections, idealisations and attachments from students. They point you back towards yourself. Not wanting to commit, wanting to do it alone could easily be the ego - at least that is my experience. But overall life plays out different for everyone, some might not need a guru to awaken, but I actually have not heard of anyone who deepened what they experienced without any form of guidance. Good example is Eckhart Tolle. His story goes that he was a little bit anxious, depressed and suicidal and then just woke up. The truth is he studied philosophy, psychology, mysticism, went to small religious groups and did the ACIM before his shift. After his shift he studied with several teachers (e.g. Barry Long) and monks. He also felt drawn very much towards Ramana Maharshi and Jiddu Krishnamurti.

There is some truth in what is written. The method: stay in awareness is the same as Nisargadatta or Ramana would prescribe as the shortest way too. Some things also sound true. What seems very off (to me) is why would someone enlightened take such an interest in New Age bullshit? Channeling, Crystals, Frequencies, Subtle Realms, "Keys", siddhis, ... This does absolutely make no sense to me.

Seems legit.

Do you recognize intermediate/"subtle"/"causal" realms (as high as they might be) also as illusory?

that's my gut feeling here. But of course, could be a projection.

Did you recognize yourself as that which does not expand or contract, which does not come and go? Yes or no?

When you are really conscious you would read the comments without resistance.... see how quick you can turn other people's arguments around.

I'm not so sure about this. How would you explain "Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form."?

Ask him if he could hold this forum/the people here in his heart for a few seconds. That would be great.

You are missing the third step of the saying: The world is illusion. Brahman alone is real. The world is Brahman.

You can only reach something in the dream. And what you can reach, you have to lose again. And the loser you can lose, will pop up again….Nothing has to go, nothing has to come. You are still in that idea that something has to change for you to be what-you-are….Inspite of all the happenings, inspite of all the presence and absence, whatever can be or not be, you are That. --Karl Renz

No, please don't waste time asking him our questions. Ask him your questions if you have one or just be still with him. That's the best way imo.

Actually a good question. Maybe just do what's necessary and what you can do and otherwise just feel the turmoil and trusting that everything is ok. Sounds easy maybe because I'm not in the situation myself. I actually have no good idea.

Letting them come and letting them go. Everything real and important will stay - even if it seems you loose it.

So, I was playing a little bit around with a web-framework today and created this little map here: http://advaitablog.webfactional.com/ You can find a selection of mostly Advaita-teachers here in Germany and Europe. If you resonate with Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj or Papaji you could check them out.

Well it's nothing new or unusual that people go into psychotic breaks or episodes during retreats or during sitting with a teacher. It can bring up a lot of energy and unresolved patterns.

What country exactly are we talking about here?