Sincerity

I was just talking about your statement quoted in my first reply. I don’t know what you’re responding to here.

Is what I said really something outlandish? What happens when you do just the bare minimum in life, in general? Does that lead to a good life?

I don't have a reference point for "enlightenment", and I doubt you do. I won't speak about something I don't have experience in. Though again: I reject the distinction of "an experience which is just this temporary futile thing" vs "a permanent enlightenment". Based on my best understanding, I believe that every experience affects you permanently, even to a small extent. My trips have affected me permanently. Literally every experience has. And regarding the "permanent enlightenment" - again, I won't comment. Define what seeking truth is to you then. To me, seeking truth is an energetic choice. One that I can make, and have, many times in my life. It's not about any action in physical reality in particular (like "taking a substance"), it's simply what you are guided to do if you are indeed acting on that intention. In practice this can take many forms, and it can include meditating while on a substance. From my experience, I am always effortlessly pushed towards doing a psychedelic trip at a particular time even when my rational mind is objecting to it. But when I see that effortless push arising in my mind, I recognize this energy for what it is and let it act through me. Because why would I block something that's light and effortless? And also, why would I insist on it? Both are incorrect. I simply have to let whatever wants to happen, happen. And from acting on that intention, immense beauty always emerges. Clear insights and profound realizations. Ones that affect me for a long time. This intention is not pushing me to only take psychedelics, of course. I can be guided by it throughout my entire day, every day. Whispering to you what's best for you to do at a given moment (I'm talking about the highest viable energy, NOT the path of least resistance). It's just letting Life guide you. What else to do but that? How else to arrive at truth? I don't know what "enlightenment" is referring to. I don't even know if it exists. But I've seen for myself that Experience is Absolute. That it's God. That literally everything taking place is God. Every interaction is with God. As God. So an experience is not just an experience. Experience is God. That's what I've seen dozens of times from genuine beginner's mind, so that's my understanding. I won't speak about anything else until I see something else. To be clear: I am open and I will let myself be guided to where the truth is. So far I was guided to what I mentioned above. These realizations have sunk quite deep into me now.

If all one does in a relationship is the bare minimum, they should have their relationship fall apart. Doing just the bare minimum is for the weak man. Or woman.

On a side note, this is the exact standard argument that "normies" have against growing understanding with the assistance of psychedelics. "It's just a hallucination bro! Just an experience! It doesn't matter, because the true reality is actually when you're not on a psychedelic! My standard daily state is the "correct" state, the only one from which truth can be assessed from! Why? Because it just is, okay? Just trust me!" This is literally the default position when you're not questioning it deeply enough. Again, state is inescapable. You are always in a state. The argument that you see reality in the clearest way from your daily baseline and all else is "an experience" is preposterous.

I see you added this just now, so I'll respond: literally every moment can be considered "an experience". This is something I said earlier which you didn't respond to. There's not a single moment where you're not in some sort of state and not being "in an experience". It's not just "what drugs do", it's every moment. I myself don't think in terms of "experiences" - that's a concept you keep insisting on (which to me is completely meaningless), and I'm wondering how you derived a bias against it. Considering what I said above.

@UnbornTao Uh huh. Okay, nevermind. 🤷‍♂️

Is it some outlandish concept to explain how you arrived at your conclusions? What you’re basing your understanding on? Besides „Ralston told me”? I’d have no problem explaining to you of how I got to my current understanding. And it’s not „I believe it because Leo said so”. Like come on, this isn’t serious.

@UnbornTao I’d be more interested to hear how YOU came to these conclusions yourself. Instead of referring to your authority figures and what they said. Did you derive it yourself? If so, based on what? Sharing your thought process would be nice (because what you have is indeed a belief system that you’re insisting on).

You can bet that bro will try to come back here eventually with another account. I would bet $50 on it.

Are you being sarcastic?

It’s def a minority. Most here are decent and thus „invisible”.

Engagement would definitely be easier if you replied to my arguments instead of linking me someone else’s response. But maybe you don’t care enough as well. That’s fine.

Yes And so are you.

I think it’s a turnoff when you share emotions from a position of weakness - that is, while still being under the influence of these emotions and needing to share them or get support. Compare that to sharing them after the fact while having distance to them. Speaking about them as something that took place, but you overcame it. Or, you can share current emotions from a position of masculine strength like „yes, it’s a bit difficult for me right now, but I’ll get through it. I know I’m strong, I’ll handle it, I believe in myself.” I did the last two with my ex and she was satisfied with it.

@UnbornTao Well, okay, I think I understand your position better now. And I don’t agree with it. But I don’t care to go over it anymore. Would be easier to discuss in person. It’s good that we have diversity of perspective here though. Contrast is appreciated.

I think there can definitely be overlap between insight and belief. Having what felt like a „profound insight” which later turned out to be false and based on fake foundations. I’ve had that in life. Being wrong is a bitch. 😆 But I wouldn’t draw insight as just a subset of belief. I think it can depend on 1) whether you’re approaching contemplation (especially on the fundamental) from genuine beginner’s mind and interest in truth and 2) whether your insights from this beginner’s mind repeat across time. I think genuine interest in truth for the sake of it is a mechanism that cleanses you of the corruption of invalid beliefs. Across a long span of time, that is. Doing the work to see truthfully and to throw all that isn’t true out, if you care about that. Having done that, I think the possibilities of true insight are real. And you’re obviously always still fallible, even if you care about truth.

God/Now is always elusive and non-solid. That’s true. But still, you can train yourself to know what to contemplate on and how to raise state to such a level that you have a profound awareness of God. I’m speaking from experience. You could do it too.

The goat is back 🔥

The same can be said for meditation. I don’t hope to awaken. I just do. Also, the same can be said for meditation and anything one does, basically. Yes, you can do things to experience effects from doing that thing. Memory is something deeper than „just conceptual”. It’s a profound thing. Yes, memory can be faulty. But you can also have clear memory and remember some things well. It depends on you. * * * * * I don’t feel you answered my questions regarding 1) there being different states and 2) state being an „attribute” of what. I feel like you avoid the simple truth that you are always in some state. State is inescapable. And dismissal of „experiences”, while it has a grain of truth to it, is also a bias and blindness of sort. All „experiences” affect you permanently, at least to a degree. And it’s also a bias to seek something permanent. Personally, I don’t seek „enlightenment”, I don’t hope to be done one day - I just love taking one step at a time. It’s a fascinating journey and I’ve had great success on it. I experience its fruits every day. At least that’s my impression. But honestly, I can’t help but feel like you’re deliberately covering your eyes from seeing some things. Well, maybe it’s just me.

Thanks for your perspective. What practices expand awareness, according to you? Does self-inquiry channel or expand awareness? Where did you get the distinction from? Have you validated it in experience? In my experience, focused contemplation on eg. „what am I?” leads to expanded awareness. After I shift in state (having focused for some time), I can let loose and bask in the glory of self-recognition (expanded awareness). Or go deeper.

What was the most difficult decision that you had to make in life? How do you feel about it now? Let's bring some more genuineness to the forum with this thread. I'd love to hear your serious answers. For me, it's breaking up with my first girlfriend after 2 years. We've lived together for 1,5 years and both grew a ton through the relationship. We love each other and had a good time together, but there have also been frustrations and arguments, often about the same things. I realized we're fundamentally unaligned in some important ways and it's time to let go and try something different. It's been very emotionally difficult, but I have faith in the decision. What about you?

My best friend (whom I met through this forum), my sister, maybe my ex-gf.

Well, I think you obviously can have genuine insights about eg. morality. If I contemplated morality, I would primarily focus on my behaviours and think whether they were right, good, loving. What made them loving or unloving? Are these assessment objective in any way? Does that matter? Why do I even care about morality? Etc. So yes, I think you can go deep into concepts once you bring them back into „reality” during contemplation. And if that’s done, you can have some great insights. Not absolute per se, but still true/wise. Simply don’t contemplate concepts „in a vacuum”. Think over specific examples.

I'd suggest you make sure to balance your insights out with no-self awakenings. There is nothing special about you in this way. You're not "better". This is the danger of ego hijacking realizations of solipsism. That's why I suggest the above. Friendly advice: you should ground yourself and go broader/deeper. Right now you feel unbalanced to me, reading what you're saying.