Cathy92506

My take on this is that the mind is constantly producing thoughts. Our mind continually chatters. Awakening doesn't mean we are mindless zombies. It seems to me that one of the biggest misconceptions about awakening is the idea that people who are awakening somehow have silent minds all the time. We can do practices that help quiet the mind, though, but this isn't a prerequisite to the awakening process.

It seems to me that an asshole is quite identified with his own emotional baggage. And when he treats others poorly, he isn't even aware of how it affects the other person. It just feeds his own ego. But I think that people can understand the process of awakening and what it entails. And frequently fall back into their own patterns. It's like... they know the theory, they've even experienced it sometimes, but they haven't really integrated it deeply enough for it to stick when things get challenging.

I believe what you just described is a person who is awakening. There is no "spiritual jumbo gumbo" or lofty explanations. you are just "being."

I guess the "awakening" person practices it over and over. He may go down an emotional rabbit hole and when he snaps out of it the intense emotion lingers on. The "awakening" person would notice this and become puzzled? Why am I hanging on to this anger? Why am I identifying with it? All those other times I didn't. What I do is I write it down and process it. There is a reason it's "sticking." I learn and grow. One just gets good at doing it. I think that the "awakened" person is a spiritual fantasy. We are "awakening."

Yes, you've hit on something really important here - there's definitely no end to how deep this can go. I remember reading where Tolle talks about presence not being some final destination you reach, but more like... well, it just keeps opening up, doesn't it? There's always another layer to discover. And honestly, the whole "I'm enlightened now" thing has always struck me as missing the point entirely. It's like the ego's ultimate trophy - "Look what I achieved!" But if consciousness is truly limitless, then how could there ever be a finish line?

This is my view. Before Enlightenment I'm playing Monopoly and I lose. I'm all upset and angry. I'm experiencing the full spectrum of human emotion. I'm completely lost in them. When the game is over, I get up and leave, but I'm still angry that I lost. This feeling is added to the already crap I'm hanging onto. After Enlightenment I'm playing Monopoly and I lose. I'm all upset and angry. I'm experiencing the full spectrum of human emotion. I'm completely lost in them. When the game is over, I get up and leave, but I leave behind all that emotion. Whether one is unawakened or awakened, we all have thoughts and go down emotional rabbit holes. This is only being human. We can't avoid it. The difference is that the awakened person easily and effortlessly lets go of all that emotion. By the way, I believe that a person who is awakened is just a spiritual fantasy. Instead, we are "awakening."

A group of people claim that a certain person is "awakened" or "enlightened." You go visit him/her. What do you see?

I guess it depends on what you believe "awakening" means. For me, it's "Before Enlightenment: Chop Wood, Carry Water." After Enlightenment: Chop Wood, Carry Water." IT'S NOT: After Enlightenment: Chop wood, 40 minutes daily meditation, 40 minutes yoga, 40 minutes gratitude (etc.), and carry water. The difference isn't in the "mind chatter" but the state of consciousness. It's the ease and effortlessness of letting go of whatever emotional rabbit hole one is in and leaving it all behind and going on with one's day. So a person can have "mind chatter" all day long and still be awakened.