UnbornTao

The fear that you have is irrational and unfounded. You've adopted on faith a concept of hell from an outside source, and now you worry about what could happen if it is let go of. First notice that at some point you didn't have such belief. Whatever you are must exist prior to mind activity.

That's already in some level a confession of interest in what's true, and a good starting point since you're questioning and being honest! What else is there to pursue? True in all regards, existential, experiential, absolute and relative. What's effective? What's true? What's factual? Mastering a skill, an emotion, your mind, itself requires unearthing what's real about your chosen field and, learning and perceiving reality accurately. And what's absolute requires direct consciousness.

Be honest and keep moving towards that.

In short, be what's needed. A teacher is there primarily to facilitate learning. What works best for that purpose in any given situation? In retrospect, we might find that the uncompromising teachers were the effective ones, the ones from whom we learned the most; their main service was to our learning rather than to our immediate desires and preferences. Contemplate what makes an effective teacher and become that.

@Ulax You really are passionate about IFS.

You take souls, hell and suffering for granted. What souls? Where exactly? Suffering what, how and why? This isn't to invalidate mental illness or pain, but the ultimate truth is a different domain. Why do we want to link the ultimate truth to other things? Contemplate what suffering is and to whom it is presumably inflicted upon.

Overworking yourself to Nirvana.

What is happiness? Something to contemplate.

I mean, the alternative doesn't.

@Danioover9000 Come on, cut it out.

"What's true regardless of my predispositions?"

How come we say things such as the art of war, the art of contemplation, the art of seduction?

@Water by the River It isn't an ideal. Grasping what you are doesn't necessarily transform your self or your experience. Transcending suffering is not the same as getting enlightened, as the former relates to relative existence. For example, Nissargadatta, being enlightened, was addicted to tobacco, and there was emotional pain behind this drive.

@Dodo To be clear, I was being sarcastic. I don't know what I'm talking about.

The Church of Shitology.

Speaking of astrology, I received $20 in an esoteric cryptocurrency three years ago. I opened my wallet yesterday for the first time since then, which goes to show my level of interest in crypto, and to my surprise, it had grown to $300. It was sheer beginner's luck. So, my best investment advice is to have no idea what you're doing.

None. Every one of them is a failure to personally grasping the absolute. The spirit of Zen is probably the "purest" or clearest one. But it is pretty rare. Plenty of crap passes as Zen nowadays. To conclude: none.

"I'll be right here."

Don't confuse a breakthrough with a breakdown. Btw, moved to Mental Health section.

Upsides: It's a spiritual forum Downsides: It's a spiritual forum

@Water by the River Enlightenment and transcending suffering are different pursuits. Trying to dissolve suffering is still a form of suffering.

Macho macho man

Seems to be mostly unnecessary and self-created. But the reality of this eludes us.

AVOID. Stick to the relatively safe psychedelics.