Davino

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Posts posted by Davino

  1. Posted

    But the most consistent theme which can be taken as Ma’s continual message was the repeated statement that all is a manifestation of the Divine. All that we experience, see or hear is only God in His manifest forms. 

     

    “The Universal Body of the Lord comprises all things — trees, flowers, leaves, hills, mountains, rivers, oceans, and so forth. 

    A time will come, must come, when one actually perceives this all-pervading 

    Universal Form of the One. The variety of His shapes and guises is infinite, uncountable, without end. 

    Just as ice is nothing but water, so the Beloved is without form, without quality, and the question of manifestation does not arise. When this is realized, one has realized one’s Self. For, to find the Beloved is to find my Self, to discover that God is my very own, wholly identical with myself, my innermost Self, the Self of my Self.”

     

    “In all forms, in all diversity and disparity is He alone. The infinite variety of appearances and manifestations, of modes of becoming and states of being, of species and types, all the numberless distinctions as well as all identity are but He Himself. All things are but an expression, a guise of the One.”

     

    - Anandamayi Ma

    The Teachings

    Swami Mangalananda

  2. Posted

    The Great Void (Mahashunya) is only His manifestation. The great void is not synonymous with nothingness. What is, what is not. Again, everything is there and not there. Negation of naught. Negation of everything. To obtain everything by way of losing everything – that too is required – MA.

  3. Posted

    14 hours ago, UnbornTao said:

    As a sidenote, Ken was influenced, among others, by Adi Da and Franklin Merrell-Wolff, which is interesting.

    Adi Da is a Titan of Consciousness. He messed it up with his community though, which just made his teachings unpopular. Which just goes to say, how hard it is to manage people even though you may be a God-Head walking arround.

    His teachings are rather advanced but just try to get his vibe and his process to guide someone. Another unsual thing about him is that in his last years he decided to talk as God or Consciousness itself, which also makes it even harder as you are used to listen to people talking from the standpoint of being a human, so you can misinterpret him as egotistical, when after many years he decided to be just authentic and talk like God. Well anyway, if you are interested it takes some time to get what he is saying and get used to his style. I've studied up to this point so many masters you wouldn't believe and I can say that Adi Da is an absolute Titan of Consciousnes. 

     

  5. Posted

    3 hours ago, r0ckyreed said:

    What’s the difference between having another awakening vs having another insight? 

    Having an Awakening is to wake up to a completely new state of consciousness never before accessed.

    Insight is to see clearly into the nature of something. To see something for what it is. Direct Cognition. Pure Understanding. Becoming conscious of something which you were previously unconscious of.

  6. Posted

    Happy to learn more about Malta. I visited the country many years ago and really enjoyed the military christian architecture. Normally or you have a military design or a religious/christian design but Malta has a unique blend of military religious architecture that I enjoyed very much.

    It's probably the country with the best stairs of the world. As it was for centuries a heavily militarized zone, people used to wear heavy armor arround the city. Poorly built stairs were a huge problem as ankle sprain were common among soldiers. This lead to an altogether peculiar detail on stair design that has been carried up to modern times. It seems stupid but Maltese people really have superb stairs. I haven't been able to look stairs in the same way after going to Malta.

    I also talked with an elderly man in the street. He explained me how everything was much better when the british were arround. To which a young girl walking by said, oh yes the same old discourse. It was funny to understand the politics of such a country and see that many things correlate among nations.

    Also be careful, don't go drinking tap water on your hotel or you could end up staying there for the rest of your vacations! 

    It's a good place for tourism but it's a little island, so you may feel claustrophobic if you stay too much.

     

  7. Posted

    On Prayer 

     

    Question: Why should one pray to God at all? He in any case does all that is necessary. 

     

    Mataji: Yes, this is also true on one level. But prayer is good, for to pray means turning one's thoughts to God. 

     

    There are various kinds of prayer. At first, man prays for material things like wealth, health, family, position, etc. On that level, if he did not pray for these and similar boons, he would not remember God at all. To be reminded of Him, no matter from what motive, is beneficial. 

     

    Then there is a stage, especially in the line of Bhakti, when prayer spontaneously flows from one's heart. One yearns and pines for God and cannot help praying:

    "I cannot bear to be without Thee, 

    reveal Thyself! 

    When will Thou bless me with Thy vision?" 

    It is like a fever that cannot be allayed by anything but union with Him. 

     

    The first type of prayer is of the ego; the second is still of the ego, but of the ego that is about to disintegrate; when its prayer is fulfilled, there will be no other prayer. 

     

    There is another state when one prays: 

    "Do what Thou wilt with me. I am a tool in Thy hand, only vouchsafe me the strength to endure whatever Thou mayst require of me."

     

    There is a further state when one does not pray at all. 

    One feels: "God does all that is necessary, so, for what am I to pray?" 

    Then in the firm belief that He provides for all the needs of His creatures, one becomes free from worry and remains absorbed in deep meditation. 

     

    - Ma Anandamayi

    As the Flower Sheds its Fragrance. 

    Dairy Leaves (Part II: Satsang at Solan May-June 1955). Atmananda

  10. Posted

    Flowers and fruits come into existence only because they are potentially contained in the tree. The tree comes into existence only because it is potentially contained in the seed. Where do seeds come from? Please tell me
    Therefore, you should aim at realising the One Supreme Element which will throw light on all elements.

     This world is itself but an embodiment of want; hence the heartache due to the absence of fulfilment must needs endure. This is why it is said that there are two kinds of current in human life:
    one pertaining to the world in which want follows upon want,
    the other of one's true being.

    It is the very nature of the former that it can never end in fulfilment; 
    on the contrary, the sense of want is perpetually re-stimulated. 
    On the other hand, the latter aims to bring to completion the activities of man's true being, to establish man in his divine nature. Thus, if he endeavours to fulfil himself by entering the current of his true being, this current will eventually lead him to the perfect poise of his own true being.

    - Dailogue and Discourses with 
    Ma Anandamayi. (Richard Lannoy)

  13. Posted

    Ma Anandamayi revealed that one means for attaining the illuminating knowledge of the Self is through profound awareness 
    of the life-breath. 
    Thus, she has said:
    “The Self, or God is unknowable to the ordinary intelligence, but 
    He is not unknown to us as the life-breath. 
    If one uses the rhythm of one’s breathing as a support in meditation, this increases one’s power. 
    Therefore, one should daily sit in a meditative pose in a solitary place and turn the mind inward, and repeat the mantra in rhythm with one’s breathing, without straining, in a natural way. 
    When through prolonged practice, the Name becomes inextricably linked with the breath, and the body is quite still; one will come to realize that the individual is part of the One Great-Life that pervades the Universe.”

    - Mountain Path. July 2011.
    Anandamayi Ma
    The Teachings
    Swami Mangalananda

  15. Posted

    I think this post about Kindle Direct Publishing is directly relevant to anyone interested in writing a book:

    Quote

    Kindle Direct Publishing is a new business model for independent writers that allows printing on demand and outsorcing of the technicalities to Amazon.

    Here is a quote from their help web: "KDP prints your book on demand and subtracts your printing costs from your royalties. That means you don't have to pay any costs upfront or carry any inventory."

     


     

     

  18. Posted

    @Leo Gura

    Amazon now offers Kindle Direct Publishing: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/

    It is a new business model for independent writers that allows printing on demand and outsorcing of the technicalities to Amazon.

    Here is a quote from their help web: "KDP prints your book on demand and subtracts your printing costs from your royalties. That means you don't have to pay any costs upfront or carry any inventory."

    This may be worth investigating. I know several people that are satisfied with the service. Amazon is investing higly in KDP, as books are an important part of their market and even have a current monopoly (68% share) on ebooks.

     

    Here I found a good analysis of benefits and drawbacks on the subject:

    Quote

    Amazon KDP benefits:

    There was a time when writers would chase publishing houses, hoping one of them would pick their book up. Thanks to Kindle Direct Publishing, this is no longer an issue. 

    It’s easy

    You may ask, is publishing on Amazon easy? It definitely is. 

    Amazon KDP has a simple, user-friendly interface with useful prompts, demonstration videos, forums, help centers, and FAQs. Even if you’ve never published a book before, there is nothing to worry about. Amazon will guide you through the process step-by-step. You can publish your book in a matter of hours. 

    Wide reach

    As a self-publisher, you want your book to be available to the masses. This is probably Amazon’s biggest strength. No competitor comes close to its huge customer base.

    Furthermore, you can select the territories you want to sell your book in with just the click of a button. You can even handpick the distributors you want to work with, right from your Kindle dashboard.

    Once you’ve published your book, you can ensure it is visible to readers by using targeted Amazon Ads.

    Does Amazon KDP print books? 

    Publish in multiple formats

    As a Kindle author, you can offer electronic versions (ebooks and audiobooks) as well as physical copies of your book. 

    Amazon is essentially a one-stop shop for publishers. All you have to do is upload your manuscript, and it will take care of the rest - printing and delivering your book for you at your maximum convenience.

    Higher royalties

    KDP offers higher royalties than most self-publishing platforms. You can enjoy up to 70% royalties on each ebook sale. However, there are some conditions you must meet. Print books come with a fixed 60% royalty rate, unless you decide to sell your books through Amazon’s Expanded Distribution Network, in which case you get a 40% share. 

    Timely payments

    Amazon pays you monthly, sixty days after the closing of the sales month. For example, if you sell 10 books in January, you’ll be paid for them in March. While this makes for a long initial wait period, once you get over it, things flow smoothly. Rest assured, you’ll face no delays in the release of the payments. 

    Complete control

    If you have ever approached traditional publishers, you’d know about all the demands they make before agreeing to publish a book. Everything from the cover to the content of the book can be challenged. And so, until you satisfy them to the tee, you can’t really expect your book to be published.

    Amazon KDP fixes these issues. As an indie author on Kindle, you have complete creative control over your book. You may work with reviewers, designers, editors, etc. but you always have the last word. 

    Quick turnaround

    If you have the manuscript of your book ready, you can go live with your book listing in less than 72 hours. Amazon KDP has managed to streamline the book publishing process to a few simple steps that anyone can follow. 

    Access to analytics

    One of the biggest benefits of publishing a book on Kindle is that you can track sales data and adjust your marketing strategy accordingly. Amazon KDP offers an easy-to-use dashboard that gives you a bird’s eye view of your daily sales, earned royalties, Kindle Unlimited activity, and much more.

    This data can provide insight into what your readers are responding to and how your marketing campaigns can be tweaked to increase sales. 

    Amazon KDP drawbacks:

    Like we mentioned earlier, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows when selling books on Kindle. The platform comes with a few challenges too. 

    Here are some of the cons of publishing on Amazon KDP:

    It may take some practice

    While the process of uploading a book on Amazon takes a few minutes, writing and listing the book can be a harrowing task. This is especially true if you have a limited writing experience and don’t know much about how online marketplaces work. 

    If you are a newbie, you will likely require assistance from other professionals like editors, proofreaders, cover designers, photographers, etc. You might even need help with Kindle SEO to optimize your listing. 

    Intense competition

    Amazon is massive. And while this gives self-publishers access to millions of readers, it also means you face intense competition. 

    As a self-publisher on KDP, you must understand the importance of niching down and familiarize yourself with the concept of keyword research.

    Lastly, you must incorporate Amazon Ads into your promotional strategies to beat your competitors. 

    The 70% royalty program isn’t for everyone

    A lot of self-publishers choose Amazon to reap the benefits of its 70% royalty programs not realizing that there is a criteria they need to meet before qualifying for it. 

    For example, the 70% program is only for books that are priced within the $2.99-$9.99 range. If you price your book higher, you won’t qualify for it.  

    Pre-orders aren’t for paperbacks

    When you’re an established author, Amazon’s pre-orders are an excellent way to create hype for your book. Sadly, pre-orders on Amazon aren’t available for paperback copies. Anyone who wants a physical copy of your book will have to wait until it is published.  

    Interactive content is limited

    Authors publishing ebooks have the luxury of incorporating widgets and other fun stuff in their content. Unfortunately, Amazon only provided limited interactive features for ebooks. If you’re hoping to engage readers with sophisticated media then Amazon may not be the best fit for this type of execution.

     

     

  19. Posted

    I've lately found a renewed appretiation for hippie juvenile love and just positive wishing for all humanity. In stage yellow this was seen to be brutally naive, however now I see it as just a great attitude of mind towards reality and others, that needs not to be confused with the also undeniable crudeness of life.

    This welcoming, loving, open and embracing attitude can actually make your everday life much more joyous, if you are construct aware enough to not trap yourself into any utopian bubble, divorced from reality.

    So Peace & Love comrades!xD

  24. Posted · Edited by Davino

    I've always come to appreciate the richness of diversity in mods. They all contribute in unique different ways. Having mods with different points of view and personalities, all together contributing towards a healthy and conscious community.

    Thanks for being yourself and making Actualized.org forum a better place:x❤️

  25. Posted · Edited by Davino

    Oh yes, this will do it:

    Didn't remember it was this Profound

     

    This quote in the end 1:19:33 

    Quote

    That's Why I am here. To Lead you to God: By Becoming God, before your eyes. It's not easy, there is a lot of work ahead = So watch it happen. Watch me struggle through it, because you will struggle through it, as much, or more, than I do so.

    In fact, it gave me good vibes of the final punch line he used to do after finishing the chapter. I remember he changed it because people did not see it but man if they were powerful.