Key Elements

I'm saying backfire because "looks" can only go so far. If he doesn't gain the skill for that position, no one wants their company to be run down. Once you get a job in a professional setting, you may see this happen, or the ppl you meet along the way will tell you. The employer will say to the unqualified person, "You're not really cut out for this." And then they get laid off or fired. Anyway, the point is, like I was saying, your life is about you. The person who has it together knows how to make the wise decisions for his own life. The both of you are young and have a long way to go. You can't really say what are the results -- just try to make wise decisions. He's your brother. He's family. I hope the both of you end up working as a team, learn from each other, and help each other through life, instead of just being jealous and negative and splitting up for just that reason.

Ages 20 & 23 are young if you take into consideration the whole life. If he gets away with not having any skills and get paid a lot, it may backfire on him later on. It's really about discovering your interests and where you want to take those in life. Everyone has something they're good at. The question is: are you willing to discover it. I dunno if this is gonna make any sense to you now, but your life is about you, not you and someone else. Even if you get married, the main person in your life is still you -- although you're in a committed relationship.

Oh, this part is so interesting! Like you said in another post, Nahm, we all become the absolute in the end. I agree. They call the experience of the absolute in Zen: Riding the Ox Backwards. Backwards of what? Ride what? It might be backwards of "time," and you're riding this massive beam of light back in "time" from the absolute. Because in the end, we are already one and in peace. Everything has already been said and done. No need of experiencing the earth phenomenon like we're doing now. In the end, the ego and Lucifer are already defeated. Now, how do we get out of this strange loop? Just sharing thoughts.

Sounds very informative. I like what he said somewhere in the middle, "Be aware of unearned wisdom."

I like this one. As soon as you realize that you're in a strange loop, it's time to get uncomfortable and start something new. Repeat and go into a "higher realm" strange loop. Repeat. Keep going. Make sure it's a wise decision. That's how to accomplish things.

If you're not in the mood or not as focused as you should, just do it. It doesn't matter if it's slow. At least you did something during the day. Be aware of your health too. Doing something on a daily basis will slowly add up to something big.

So cute! Great analogy.

An enlightened person still has to live as a mind-body (ego) in maya (the world as we know it -- relative truth) after experiencing the no-self. He/she can now use this wisdom to improve himself/herself still living as an ego. The more the person is aware of this and practices this in the relative truth, the more the person is detached to the stories in the mind and the relative truth.

Then, do it in a public library where there are ppl. Seeing them will make you do something. Try the coffee shop in the bookstore. If you start to feel uncomfortable, get up and go to a book and browse. You may just need a change in environment. Go to an art gallery or a museum to do work if they allow that or if there's a quiet place to sit and work. If not, go back to the library or bookstore / coffee shop.

@Shin Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Do it now -- doesn’t matter how you are or feeling now. Go outside and do exercise -- walk up and down hills, walk up and down stairs, etc. We are nature bound anyway. We are not meant to stay indoors all the time. Spend time in the gym for not more than 1/2 an hr to do indoor exercises. Then, take your notebook or whatever tools you have and work on your life purpose or whatever work you have on a park bench outside next to the library or next to your swimming pool outside. At least you could hear the birds and be closer to nature.

This sounds just as complex as to what is going on in Myanmar (Burma) with the Rohingas. If you are just an ordinary person, living in a big city in India, especially in the south, you won't be facing such problems on a daily basis. You'll be living in a gated community. The worst that can happen is singing the national anthem in the movie theater for "your" country. I won't go into it because it's too controversial, political, and opens cans of worms. It's not what this forum is about. In order to be involved and seriously help ppl who are stuck in such situations, a life purpose is the way to go. Eventually, 'you' will run into a stage where you'll become a philanthropist, and then you can find ways to help out. You won't be stuck in a 9-5 job or other situations like that anymore.

There is no right or wrong. There is choice. Of course take into consideration radical open-mindedness, but not everything can be tried by everyone. One size doesn’t fit all. The decision to try whatever it is in life has to be a wise one and well thought out. Everyone doesn't have the same outcome / consequences, esp when dealing with the Absolute.

Yes. That's what it is. Everything, including yourself, is on the absolute level of things -- duality is part of non-duality. But, if 'you' are not aware of this, then you only have the perspective of seeing / viewing things at a relative level -- the body-mind (ego) in a separate world.

Enlightenment will literally reveal that everything is you. You'll see it and become it. If you become fully aware of this, and your life purpose did not take this into consideration, then you may change it or rearrange it to accommodate this. There are basically two things -- the 'experience of the no-self (seeing / being the Truth)' and then taking this 'experience' or 'wisdom' with you to fully master this life. A life purpose could help support and be a vehicle to you on this journey.

Swami Leonardo Baba

That's a really fun video clip. I'm looking for something very different and nuanced.

Non-humans sometimes do better. They accept each other regardless. We could learn from them.

Good point. Or, maybe perhaps "experienced" and hard to put it into words. But, life goes on. We're just presented with some wisdom to guide us through, and once we learned all our lessons, we move onto a better realm. At least that’s the best I can make of it. (I'm talking about our profile pics too.)

Fail early, fail often, fail forward...

We're getting too political here. This is a self-actualization forum.

@AlwaysBeNice I'm not talking about the physical being "shitty" and all that. It is still part of non-duality, and yes we are living in a world of abundance. I'm talking about the "spirit" or "soul" or "whatever you call that" not being influenced by the ego and actually knowing it's not going to be reincarnated for sure. Well, or at least having some hint of it.

The ego doesn't know that. It only sees and experiences the phenomenon and not interested in going beyond that.