Key Elements

I agree. I do believe there are healthy / tactful ways of expressing it through a life purpose. It's not possible to go around telling ppl about it.

"We walk this earth together, but the spiritual journey is walked alone." - Buddha

I get what you're saying. Ramana is just saying it in his own words and his own way. Some ppl get it right away because they already experienced the big E. So, when they hear a lecture, teaching, metaphor, etc about it, they are initially surprised by it. They want to know more about what it is. Some ppl call this "awakening." The big E is when the person has walked his/her full path and applied it in life.

I noticed something going on in this thread, and I would like to go back to the original post. It is best to express whatever it is that you've learned from your experience in your life purpose in a tactful manner. If you go around telling ppl about it in society or where ever, the chances are, you won't get the right responses. And, yes, the topic of enlightenment is different from other topics, like psychology and psychiatry. Make sure you understand the definitions correctly and go seek help in the right places accordingly. Back and forth debating and ridiculing doesn't help. It's just a distraction from the real work--a waste of time. If you said it in your life purpose in a tactful manner, it gives the other person(s) the freedom of choice to choose to listen to you or not. It also attracts the 'right' ppl -- those who are ready to hear it will respond properly. Also, the message has nothing to do with being Zen, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, or any other religion or not. The message is just the message--a pointer. Are you able to see it and apply it? That's the question.

He explains it here. If you are able to relate to what he is saying, that's what it is. The question is, are you able to apply whatever this is in life? For example, how are you going to apply this to improve a stage orange society? It's quite a journey, and a life purpose is the vehicle.

Where are you at on your path, and what do you recommend (if anything)? Tell us a little more about your path.

Does karma play a part in this? If you're correct, everyone would have been a superhero, just like, you know, superman.

This is just for fun, not to be taken seriously, but it's still interesting.

I like how the Bhagavad Gita was applied to Mahabharat--when Krishna was reciting some of it to Arjun because Arjun was full of fear and horrified to participate in the war. But, life must go on. Life is a school, even though your lessons in life are meant to be adverse. I like a variety of different sources from all over the world. That's what helped me to understand better.

Practicing the flow of impermanence in daily life.

Everyone has a different question and a different test. I'm glad Leo did The Ten Ox Herding Pics.

It doesn't matter. It's the same thing. Truth is truth. Everything is interconnected. If you do know the truth, like you said, why do you suppose that it's called Riding the Ox Backwards? What does the word backwards mean to you? What is it pointing at? Surely, if you are enlightened, you will have something to say about that.

Leo covered the 10 Ox Herding Pics already in one of his video. What does the term 'Riding the Ox Backwards' mean to you? Describe it.

There was a movie playing in the movie theater. I saw this months ago. Now it's probably on Netflix or YouTube or wherever. I went to see it in a Century theater (here in the US). It's not mainstream for the US. Movie name: Padmaavat. Yes, it's a true historical story. Although, I doubt that everything portrayed in the movie was accurate. But, it's more or less like that historically. Life was harsh back then. It's totally not like that nowadays in modern India. Yes, they were very much interested in non-duality back then. You could tell in the beginning of the movie when the queen was talking to that fake guru. I did notice that she said that life is maya. Hmm...I also noticed that the queen thought that the 'skill' is very important. That's what she was telling the fake guru when she was questioned by him. Since she was part of the Rajput caste, she was practicing her skills as a warrior / fighter / hunter, and having a strong personality -- part of her life purpose. All of these things interconnect. Buddha was part of the Rajput caste. Boy, did he totally changed his life purpose to monk/enlightenment. He did not do warrior/enlightenment as a life purpose. He completely "came out" of his caste to Brahmin caste. In those days, it was not easy to do. That's probably one of the reason why he's so famous.

You know what, this is an interesting topic. But then, anything awesome you do in life will not be reached without going through a process. It could mean interconnected processes. Usually, when a person goes through the process, it will raise eyebrows. Most can't relate cause they've never done it. Most ppl just seek happiness for comfort and short term. Anything long lasting and fulfilling will not be comfortable at all.

LP. Why? A great relationship can last a lifetime, but in the end, the ego (body) dies for real, and you may be left alone by yourself. If you did LP/entrepreneurship, you could retire young. LP could include the whole Maslow. It's also used as a foundation to support your relationships.

One thing I have to make clear of what I said. I'm not labeling the plant, The Brahma Kamal Flower, as a religion or a race. That's ridiculous! It's a plant--a flower, native to the Himalayan region of India. At first, I thought nothing of it. Everyone I knew there told me it's an auspicious flower. I was like, "Okay, cool." That was it--nothing more. But then, to my surprise, it turned out to be a pointer for me. Now, I doubt that the only pointers in life are man-made objects. It could go beyond stuff written in books, lectures, art, life purpose, etc. Another thing, yes, it does work differently there. I never said that one country is better than the other. Again, that's ridiculous. Something working differently, like culture or a system doesn't mean one is better than the other. I'm talking about how does it work. And that's another thing. It's almost impossible to communicate what's going on with someone who has not traveled and stayed--"always comfortable in my own little well," says the frog living in fairy tale land hoping a princess will come and kiss him. It really does help to know how does complex systems / societies work rather than just assuming you know just cause you read a few books. The plant has a Christian name--Star of Bethlehem, if you prefer to call it that. I'm not 100% sure. But, for me, it doesn't bother me what religious name it's called, whether or not it's Hindu or Christian.

@Goutam nimmakayala Most often it takes travelling, migration, and living for years in two very different parts of the world to fully understand things in life. Spiral Dynamics is one of them. Imagine applying it there and in the US. Unfortunately, most ppl, the vast majority, don't want to step outside their comfort zone. I heard there are only 60K ppl living in India from the US. They had the guts to stay there for yrs. They already know that India is the "biggest democracy in the world," and how that works. And, that's at a very, very, very basic level of understanding. Prime minister instead of president. Chief minister instead of governor. Networking for entrepreneurship and life purpose is awesome. Even PM Modi encourages it. Because of this, it's easier to get a white collar profession there. More affordable standard of living. So, it can be easier to go from middle to upper class there. Very recent currency change and a new state has formed -- Telegana. As for spirituality/non-duality... Sometimes, for example, what you're looking for in life to help you understand life and beyond isn't a teacher. At first, you may be looking for a teacher, but along the journey, a plant, for instance, may have turned out to be the biggest indication and pointer to something significant in your life.

@CreamCat @Michael569 thanks!

Well, it's not so easy for me to come up with a quote like that. Life itself is a concept. If I had to say something on my own, this is what I would come up with: Life is but a dream. Therefore, your calling is but a dream. You'll clearly see that everything is you and maya once you've had the deepest awakening. Since life is meant to be lived, the embodied ego makes peace with itself by finding its calling and impacting others to find their calling and to help awaken them. When it comes to LP, I like this quote better: Your 'calling?'