Key Elements

What you said here is interesting. I didn't forget it. Yesterday, I was on the bus coming home from work. My co-worker was sitting next to me. She was telling me about a guru that she met. The guru had the ability to travel outside his body anywhere in the world. The guru's wife also gained this ability through meditation. But, it was different for her. When she tried it after a few times, her soul didn't return to her body. So, she died. Well, that's sad. What came to my mind when I heard this was, we can't go to the extremes of anything. Although, meditation has its benefits, overdoing it is also overworking yourself. Things have to be balanced. Another thing that came to mind was, like I said and learned, we still have to live this life to the best of our abilities and to the fullest. We still need to learn all our lessons, grow, and move onto a better place. We still have Maslow and self-transendence being only at the tippy-top of the pyramid. We can't ignore all the foundation at the lower stages of the pyramid. That's where all our lessons are. And, we can't forget to factor in karma. It works in subtle ways. It seems like it gets better when we are able to gradually learn our lessons on Maslow.

To me, it's a non-quitter guy who is also radically open-minded, honest, and kind. Understanding of other cultures deeply. (Coming from a woman's perspective.)

An enlightened person won't come up and tell you that, "I'm enlightened." The person would be too humble. That's part of the definition. You could tell by the person's actions. Here's a story: 1) https://youtu.be/x8aN9O73lgg 2) https://youtu.be/0PQonSiGkVE 3) https://youtu.be/Ozca_5ifwQ0

Well ok, picture this: there is no past, present, or future. Why? It's all in our heads. We think too much as we go about our day. This could lead to overthinking and stress as we go along. We think like this: What are we going to do when we get home? What are we going to do over the weekend? This person didn't do a good job at work...etc. These thoughts are just thoughts. They don't exist. If we knew that, if we practice that, then we are free. We often forget who we are. All these thoughts don't really count. We don't actually exist. We are just here in this "illusion" to learn our lessons. What will count the most is what we do in the "present," which adds up, which is a very narrow frame of "time."

Hey folks, I would like to share this thread here: It's an attempt to describe the lifestyle and some of the qualities of an enlightened person. A story: 1) https://youtu.be/x8aN9O73lgg 2) https://youtu.be/0PQonSiGkVE 3) https://youtu.be/Ozca_5ifwQ0 Traps: https://youtu.be/i288Lnb7NOk

Congrats. Do your very best. Give it your all. Children are great teachers. You'll learn a lot from them. Hang in there. Children help you become actualized very quickly because you'll have to adjust to the shift in paradigm. They will grow and change. Adjust, grow, and change along with them to help guide them well. Set good examples. My children are teens now. I'm just speaking from experience. Best of journey to you.

In Computer Heaven: The management is from Intel, The design and construction is done by Apple, The marketing is done by Microsoft, IBM provides the support, Gateway determines the pricing. In Computer Hell: The management is from Apple, Microsoft does design and construction, IBM handles the marketing, The support is from Gateway, Intel sets the price.

A man died and arrived at the pearly gates. The Lord himself came out to greet him. The man asked the Lord about the nature of heaven and hell, to which the Lord replied, "Come, I will show you hell." Together they entered a large room where a group of people sat around a huge pot of stew. Everyone there in hell was starving and desperate. Each person held a spoon that could reach the pot; but each spoon had a handle that was too long, making it impossible to feed themselves. So, the suffering was terrible. "Come, now I will show you heaven," the Lord said. They then entered another large room which was identical to the first: the pot of stew, a group of people around it, and the same long-handled spoons. But there everyone was happy and well-feed. "I don't understand," the man said. "Why are these people happy and well-feed when the people in hell were so miserable?" The Lord smiled, "Ah, it is simple," he replied. "Here in heaven they have learned to feed each other."

Nice pic. Why does this happen? Cause no one wants to get with a stranger. Those who do, it doesn't last long. You can't even be a stranger to yourself. You probably won't be happy with life. It's worth the time and effort to develop yourself, get to know yourself, and then find a suitable partner.

I believe you should live each day as if it is your last, which is why I don't have any clean laundry because, come on, who wants to wash clothes on the last day of their life?

I watched Mahabharat, the popular TV series, and thought that Bollywood's portrayal of Krishna is too grandiose. In real life, he was probably a humble man serving Arjun to change the course of history into the more positive. He may have forseen human history; that's why he was helping Arjun. Btw, Happy Shivratri @Prabhaker Hmmm...what do you think of Shiva? And, the other two?

@ElenaO Make it a point daily, starting today, to gradually step into the lifestyle you'll eventually love.

"When you start seeing your worth, you'll find it harder to stay around people who don't."

Although I get what you're saying, I'm not sure if this applies to every single person in the world.

There is no you. There is no time. There is no distance. How would science explain a Satori? Have a look at it from Light's point of view in the clip below:

It got crowded in heaven, so, for one day it was decided only to accept people who had really had a bad day on the day they died. St. Peter was standing at the pearly gates and said to the first man, "Tell me about the day you died." The man said, "Oh, it was awful. I was sure my wife was having an affair, so I came home early to catch her with him. I searched all over the apartment but couldn't find him anywhere. So I went out onto the balcony, we live on the 25th floor, and found this man hanging over the edge by his fingertips. I went inside, got a hammer, and started hitting his hands. He fell, but landed in some bushes. So, I got the refrigerator and pushed it over the balcony and it crushed him. The strain of the act gave me a heart attack, and I died." St. Peter couldn't deny that this was a pretty bad day, and since it was a crime of passion, he let the man in. He then asked the next man in line about the day he died. "Well, sir, it was awful," said the second man. "I was doing aerobics on the balcony of my 26th floor apartment when I twisted my ankle and slipped over the edge. I managed to grab the balcony of the apartment below, but some maniac came out and started pounding on my fingers with a hammer. Luckily I landed in some bushes. But, then the guy dropped a refrigerator on me!" St. Peter chuckled, let him into heaven and decided he could really start to enjoy this job. "Tell me about the day you died?", he said to the third man in line. "OK, picture this, I'm naked, hiding inside a refrigerator ..."

Interesting...could you pls explain or give a few examples? I'm still not clear on this. I thought everything happens for a reason. Try your best in this life. Learn your lessons. Life is a school. Become a "teacher." Set a good example in your own ways, and move onto something better.

@Prabhaker Hmm..how is the example I have just given wasting spiritual energy? You'll lose your soul just for doing that?

Interesting example. I used to like this character a lot as a child - used to get those Pez candies with a green Yoda head. Yoda reminds me of this Zen story: The Moon Cannot Be Stolen Ryokan, a Zen master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing in it to steal. Ryokan returned and caught him. “You may have come a long way to visit me,” he told the prowler, “and you shoud not return emptyhanded. Please take my clothes as a gift.” The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away. Ryokan sat naked, watching the moon. “Poor fellow,” he mused, “I wish I could give him this beautiful moon.” There's nothing wrong with living a simple lifestyle. Just exercise and eat healthy. Live where there are lots of trees. Stay strong. However, inspite of all this, some ppl still suffer. They don't just die in their sleep in their old age. Looks like we still need good health care. We're still not at the stage where everyone is getting equal and outstanding health care as a society.

I'm not saying to dominate others or to become popular. Let's say a person has the power to light wood and make fire without any tools. If he's stuck in the middle of the forest in snow for some reason, maybe his car broke down, then he could make fire until help arrives. I'm saying along those lines.

I'm not saying to go around changing others or the world. You can only set an example for them if they notice you. I'm only saying that things happen for a reason - like a rabbit is born with speed for a reason - to outrun a fox in case danger comes along.

I understand this part. Something else came to my mind: "With great powers come great responsibilities." -Spiderman's uncle In other words, there is karma. Life throws things in our court. Maybe a big responsibility is coming our way if we have such thing as powers. The universe could work this way. There are reasons why things are the way they are - to give us lessons so we could learn and move on. Just like a rabbit has speed so that it could outrun the fox.

I would like to ask you something here. Why is it not good to have any kind of powers? Even if it comes automatically? I mean, you could be humble about it, like Spiderman or Superman or Wonder Woman. They want their powers to remain hidden. If they need to use it, they will. Otherwise, they just consider themselves like anyone else. It's the same as having a Satori experience. One does not have to go around telling everyone. Just use the wisdom wisely and teach peace in your own ways. Oh man...I feel like sharing the theme song to the old Wonder Woman song. Here it is. To me it's funny and cool.

@BeginnerActualizer It depends on how the person does the life purpose. Osho eventually started a Ashram. He wrote books and has his own personality and preferences mix in those. The same goes for Sadhguru. We get different impressions when we go into both of them. Same goes for the other two you've mentioned. If you go into your own life purpose and mixed in spirituality, it will give it it's own flavor. Osho and Sadhguru are full fledged spirituality. They live different lifestyles.