Ishanga

Yes agreed, I was just relating it too siddhis. Ppl in the west bastardize everything from the east, with Tantra they think it is about Sex, but its about using it too transform, but ppl will use it for pleasure and when that happens the ability disappears! Its like the dark side of the Force lol!!!

You cannot be intouch with Truth/Reality and be in a Suffering state, so that is the logic I believe.. Just imagine if You did not suffer at all? I would imagine Enlightenment would happen pretty naturally for You!! Pain is different from Suffering, especially Self Suffering as is the case with the majority of ppl, they do it too themselves, reacting to life, not living life!

I did Security for 20+yrs, seen most everything one can see in that job, worked all sorts of public sites, hospitals, hotels, malls, etc... I trained in Martial arts, taught it too, since 1988, so even with all of that, when stuff was about to pop up of course Your peeked in adrenaline mode and ready to fight or flight, but luckily for Me nothing got too serious ever, lol, but when I got into Yoga and Spirituality yeah I didn't feel like I wanted to do that sort of work anymore, I felt like I was holding back for the other persons sake, not for mine, so that is dangerous, and since things out in the world are getting more messy and violent, ppl will stab You just for looking at them the wrong way, never mind being a security guard and they are drugged up or drunk and you have to deal with it, so for me I just got out of that sort of work because of all the crazy and my internal Experiences coming forth, it was a bad match up for sure.. Today You have to have more of a killer instinct feeling, Yeah You don't want to do it, but if it happens You go all out, and that is no fun to deal with, legally and otherwise!

You have a certain sort of Enlightenment look or how one should be or what Enlightenment actually is, but maybe it is slightly different for ppl.. My interpretation of Enlightenment is that it is the highest possibility and potential for someone to have as an Experience, how that is Expressed is for sure different for Everyone, as well most ppl that get to the Enlightenment Experience also physically die at the sametime, so mostly only Masters or Guru's stay around to do specific work or purpose (Many are just here to balance the Karma of the world).. For eg Eckhart Tolle IMO is not Enlightened, he's a Saint or Sage of sorts, has a teaching and shares it but is not an Enlightened Master of sorts, compared to Sadhguru or Swami Rama or someone like that...

Here's the Secret Sauce! The essence of what we all are, all Life that is, is the same, call it the soul, atman, Life Force, Source Intelligence, God, Absolute, whatever, but the essence of what all life is is the same... Our Bodies, Mind, Karmic makeups are different, via all this an individual Ego and/or Identity is formed. This gives all life, especially Humans, that sense of Separateness.. Separateness is here for Us to play the game of Life, so Absolute/God/Source can know itself, it cannot know itself if it is complete and One, in a Oneness Experience per say even though it is not Experiencing or capable of it.. all its capable of is Potential and Possibility, so that is Us here, feeling Separate from everything else, even our true self, but knowing deep down that it exists, that we are one and the same, its just a matter of How to Experience this... Don't deny the Body/Mind level of Awareness/Consciousness, it is very real, but we can Experience more than this, only Humans can experience what Absolute Is...If You deny this level of Experience, then Your falling into insanity, Your intellect/mind will try to figure it out, but it can't and that will take Your life away from You and then it starts over again once Your body dies, so don't deny it, just find out for Yourself what is what...

Spirituality comes in different forms, and it basic meaning is not about Understanding of Reality, You or anyone will not "Understand" Reality because it is too complex to Understand, once You think You understand, then something else will pop up and once again You will not Understand, its like a never ending fractal.. Spirituality is about touching that dimension of You that is beyond the physical, so what the monk are doing with their sort of Sadhana is just that, a certain way to go beyond the physical, its not too Your liking, or mine, so we call it "anti Spirituality" but if we do this, judge it, then we become blind to what it has to offer and where it leads too, so don't fall into that sort of trap of thinking You know what Spirituality is all about, none of Us do really, we know basics, thats all, Guru's are here to teach us certain things, and too be an example, there's lots of them because there are lots of ppl with varying karmic makeups and personalities/identities, that's all, in the end they are the same, with the same message, You can go beyond the Body and Mind and find out what You truly Are!

Excellent!!!!

Yes was just going to say this.. Semen is life giving force, so as you said if it is not used, and one of doing Sadhana/Spiritual practices that life giving force is used elsewhere, its like a physical representation of Kundalini, which in its most basic form is semen, as well as the basic structure of the body, which allows it too survive another day... Tantra is the sec that is known for sexual practices, but its not about sex for pleasure, its about using sex to bring about Spiritual insights, semen retention is just one of them and yes they have techniques where a Man can orgasm without ejaculation and orgasm as much as a woman could, one after another after another, since there is no release of semen one can have multiple orgasms over and over again if they master the technique, problem is if You get addicted to it, like other siddhis, the power will go away if misused...

Yes... My understanding is that there is Me, it is not the Body or Mind, so I am not identified with either, when that Happens there is a space btwn what is Me and what is not Me, so I like to say that the volume of the mind chatter or past/future rumination is not so loud for Me, it gives Me a chance to respond better with more clarity to what is NOW.. And Yes, most mental suffering is living in the past or future too much mentally/emotionally. If Your past orientated then You get bitter, angry and depressed.. Future orientation is Anxiety, Fear Experiences.. MInd is past/future orientated, So something else is NOW orientated, whatever that is is YOU!

Pain will happen, physical pain for sure, Emotional Pain is a choice.. Suffering is different from Pain, Pain comes then goes, or it should..Suffering, which is mostly Emotional in our Society today, is continued experience of Pain over and over again, this is Unconscious Action, if You make it Conscious action, then would You choose to Suffer? Probably Not!

Yes, as well as Realizing "I am not my Emotions" and that I am creating them, but mostly Unconsciously. So its just a matter of making it a Conscious Action, which is what Responding means! If You Consciously control Your Emotions, then the question is which Emotions do You want to Experience, Peace, Love, Joy, Excitement, or Bitterness, Anger, Guilt, Anxiety/Depression etc...? Also, which Emotions Empower You, Which ones disempower You?

Yes, as well as not using the language or words like "failure" or "setback", In Life there are not failures or setbacks, there are just situations... Generally we are ruled by Expectations, so we set up a goal or task/event, expect something to happen a certain way (this is living emotionally in the future, which does not exist!), then go do it and find out things did not go how we Expected.. So ppl are already setting themselves up for failure by Expectation, or living in the future emotionally... One should set goals yes, but live Now and Respond to Now as it is, then You have more Clarity and can use all Your tools, intelligence/experience etc to achieve the goal...

With the past, You either become Wounded or Wise from it, if someone experiences allot of failure and setbacks, losses if You "react" then you will probably suffer it via emotional pain (Wounded), if You respond to it likely You will become Wiser from it, so that is the choice.. If I go down a path and trip over a bump in the road, the next time I go down that path I will avoid that bump and not trip over it...

Its okay to share One's experiences in Spirituality, its okay to share what to do's and not do's, its okay to debate and such, but a balance has to be in place, and it shouldn't really affect how You feel about things basically, one will not progress down the spiritual path via participating on forums, or debating and reading stories of others experiences, it can only inspire or uninspire really.. The real work is within Your own Being and Doing... I find lots here are too into this place and they luv the drama of arguing and finding conflict, it makes their hearts beat and is ego driven!

No culture has taken it as far as India/Bharat has, they delved into Spirituality (that aspect of You/Us that is not physical in nature) more than any society ever! They have made it a precise Science (Yoga), and anyone can use it, not to just become or realize Enlightenment (don't even think of Enlightenment if You are not naturally Peaceful), but just normal Wellbeing, just doing Hatha Yoga is good for Your Health, the basic Sadhana practice improve Mental Health, and the basic philosophy and intellectual tools make Stress not possible for one who is familiar with them!! What the shamans do, in Africa and other places doesn't compare really, its not nearly as in-depth and sophisticated as Indian Spirituality imo!