Toby

Have you even taken a look on what women actually work as a hooker/escort? How do you sense them energetically? How would it feel to pay them for sex? Beautiful? Good? Or bad and ugly?

Your profile says you're from Australia. Byron Bay: Isaac Shapiro. Sydney: Isira. Melbourne: Sailor Bob Adamson. They are all really really good, although I only met Isaac personally. Other than that I guess there are tons of teachers that come to Australia like once a year or that you can find on the internet or through books.

Get yourself a teacher. A real teacher.

http://www.soundstrue.com/store/guided-meditations.html

- too many teachers at once: energetically and from the approach might be highly confusing - too much listening to "spiritual people", either "veterans" or even "teachers": a lot of them are delusional or dishonest when it comes to genuine awakening and embodiment. doesn't matter if someone is meditating for 40 years. that doesn't say anything. but a newbie might impressed with all kinds of fancy words. - listening to false teachers/teachings: teachers that are either manipulative or just have a lopsided view on reality, e.g. emphasizing one particular view like "emptiness" or "oneness" - getting "stuck" on certain view-points or states. Or getting addicted to certain states. - too abrupt changes in life. sometimes it's better to keep it simple and grounded instead of possible overwhelment. these are some of the point that came to my mind.

One of Adya's teachers.

Are you talking about cities in the US or what country? @joegarland If US, maybe SF or something like that. You could hang out with Adya or Leonard Jacobson there. And you also have some famous Zen-Centers in California I guess..

The energy doesn't resonate at all to me. Imo it has nothing to do with truth or enlightenment. I don't state this as a fact, it's just my perception at this moment.

The spiritual search (I "stole" this from facebook):

I guess he talked about a Shinzen Young retreat at least once in his videos.

read the book "Making it stick" if you haven't already work with flashcards throw in some kinesiology-braingym-exercises or aquicalents like juggling nutrition/sport/meditation/taichi do speed-reading techniques for reading faster, at least for "preview"-reading of books/scripts. You can get apps for that.

If you have good links too, feel free to share. Please: 100% legal only. Osho: http://www.osho.com/iosho/library/the-books (ebooks) http://www.oshoworld.com (discourses as mp3, ebook, video) Jiddu Krishnamurti: http://www.jkrishnamurti.org (audio, video) Sivananda: http://www.dlshq.org/download/download.htm (ebooks) Vivekananda/Ramakrishna: http://www.belurmath.org/ (ebooks) Meher Baba: http://www.ambppct.org/library.php (ebooks)

@ZenDog sounds good. You can also go by train/bus there relatively easy. I know this from last year's retreat with Adyashanti, because it was in the same area (not the same retreat center though). I guess if your interest is waking up and embodyment it could be the best choice you can make. But you have to be clear that there is not formal sitting going on as it would be on a traditional Zen/Vipassana retreat.

If your language is german, you can check out the documentary "Alphabet" which deals with it. (I haven't seen it but heard it is a good film)

It's a very complex issue. There are already different approaches in different countries and also non-mainstream approaches. They have all weaknesses and strengths. The main thing is imo to not deaden the childrens creativity and curiosity, because by default they love life and learning. I don't think it's easy to come up with a "system" that fits everyone. I guess one of the next step of mainstream education that is affordable is to use things like "Khan Academy" and then transition to what kids want to learn and not what they have to learn - at their own speed. But even with that the question then is how to keep a group of classmates together, because for young kids this is also very important developmentally. Regarding meditation: there are already schools that use mindfulness-courses, even mainstream-schools afaik. But even there it's possible that for some it is not the right time and it would be better to do some sport or learn an Instrument or do something creative - if they prefer that.

@ZenDog that guy Karl Renz has meetings (in german) from friday-monday in the middle of may. He is highly respected - worldwide, his teaching style is best compared to Nisargadatta, UG Krishnamurti & Ramana. There are about three talks each day, you can visit any talk, whatever you like, you don't have to apply for it before. Each talk is about 12€ afaik. So if you have time (and not go to either 1 or 2 week on retreat with Isaac, because it's about the same time) it might be a no brainer to go there. But only if it resonates very very deeply with you. That's the most important thing. You can watch on youtube a bit to get a feel if someone might be good for you. There are so many teachers and possibilities, it's up to you where you are drawn to go.

Seems you open up threads like this every few days. If you feel drawn to do it, do it. If not, don't. Everyone has his own path. For example if I were to spend 4000€ I probably would go to 2x 2 week retreats of Isaac Shapiro, his intensives, 1 retreat of Adyashanti. And maybe there would even be a couple of bucks left to visit some talks of Karl Renz in Berlin in may.

Not every realised being has supernatural powers. Not every being with supernatural powers is realised. If you are interested in running you could check out Sakyong Mipham (son of Chogyam Trungpa) who afaik loves running.

Be still. Self-inquiry. Grace. Love.

He is - imo - talking about the death of self/consciousness as desribed by Nisargadatta, Bernadette Roberts, Adyashanti...

It's a manual for psychopaths/sociopaths imo. And even more sadly when you look how many people recommend it and give positive ratings on amazon. There are some good things in it but many things where one has to question the authors state of mind. A terrible book imo.

Apply some intelligence to your question. You are from Berlin as your profile says. So there are enough groups/centers in your own city that you can ask. Zen-groups, tibetan groups, maybe the rigpa-centre. That just what comes to mind and I'm not even from berlin. And there are plenty of monasterys/centers in germany you can ask too. Just tell them you want to do a retreat for some time and they might be able to give hints. You are not the first one who would ask them this question.

If I was 18/19 years I would go into a monastery for 3-5 years and then begin to study psychology/medicine. But I wasnt at the point I am now at that age so it is highly hypothetical. I believe some years in a monastery/ashram where one really studies the teachings can be the best thing one can do. Another option is to move to a city where there is Zazen 3-4 times a week and like weekend-Sesshins like every month or so. As a foundation that can be really good. Doesn't mean you get enlightened that way or that there aren't other/quicker ways.