UnbornTao

Care to (respectfully) elaborate?

Play nice guys

This one

Wasn't it called ultimate guide to enlightenment or something similar?

"It’s a tremendous plan, believe me—nobody’s ever seen anything like it. People are saying it’s the greatest plan ever. It’s huge, folks. It’s going to be incredible, you won’t believe it."

Ketchup or plain?

A (former) senator vs a criminal.

Surely you've considered Sam Harris already.

93 years, long life.

@mmKay

Thanks for that, appreciate it. Enjoy!

One thing is what you "say" (think, believe, intellectualize, speak about), and another is what you actually experience, live as, and do. Notice the discrepancies between the two.

@Thought Art What was your experience of chi like before having heard of it? I think he uses and speaks in terms of chi sometimes, or with different terms. By saying it is an invention, he doesn't mean it is wrong. Like Kundalini, it might be valid, but that is an idea, a system. A thought or interpretation about what some feeling or experience means.

Don't jump to conclusions or intellect, but contemplate, while not knowing what it is: What is the object? A direct experience is needed.

@Thought Art You took that chi segment personally. By invention, it is likely meant that it isn't something "stumbled upon" as an objective occurrence (like a rock), but as a conceptual overlay on experience, just as mind, language, martial arts, culture, etc. For example, what was your experience of chi like before you heard of the concept (externally) and adopted it? Doesn't it exist as a rather abstract distinction? That it is invented doesn't have to undermine its value and contribution, which is mentioned in the video. That doesn't have to take away from one's engagement in it. Also mentioned is that it is healthy and useful, so why would one get depressed about it and stop "doing" it because of its constructed nature? That's the "insanity" that was brought up. Obviously, this point is easier to see with physical objects. Does this mean that we have to stop using forks (metaphor for inventions)? A bunch of stuff is invented in our world. We live as though they are objective realities even though they are constructed. That is, they don't exist by themselves but by our own activity.

Definitely.

Maybe that's the observation we are supposed to make (that we don't truly know what it is directly), and bask in that, contemplating what the object is as itself. We perceive it. We hold feelings about it. We think about it. We refer it to ourselves. But what is it? Something to look into.

Trying too hard to logically make a decision here might not be the best approach. Your mind can find good reasons for both. Which one do you like the most?

@Keryo Koffa I was simply pointing to our experience of these things, hopefully in an attempt to deepen it (the experience). Thanks

Does he like pets? What about adopting a dog for him? Maybe help him introduce new and interesting hobbies into his life in order to add variety to it. You could suggest cooking a meal together, learning to play the guitar, among many other activities, to open new avenues for communication and deal with this dilemma down the road. This could help guide him towards a more positive life direction, to start with. In a sense, it'd be adopting an indirect strategy rather than a direct one.

That's good, and also what would coming from a grounded experience look like? We certainly distinguish, albeit sloppily, a thought of an apple from our perception and feelings about it. Which is which? It's late, might elaborate tomorrow.

Stop Avoiding Pain A few consequences of avoiding pain: Numbness; decreased sensitivity and awareness Lack of depth and profundity Childishness A growing shadow Weakness and fragility Loss of presence and vitality Addiction A reduced capacity for wisdom Therefore, contemplate, and embrace, pain. What exactly is the "ouch!" in your experience? What function is it serving? Can you notice how you might be conceptually superimposing mental "stuff" onto the raw sensation? What is the relationship between what you do with your mind and the degree of pain you experience? Does a willingness to look directly into your suffering (a form of pain) reduce its impact somehow? Here are a few suggested practices to begin exploring your experience of discomfort—and therefore, of pain: Cold showers Semen retention (for men) Fasting Intense meditation Physical exercise Deep stretching Doing nothing—sitting alone in a room for several hours Eliminating an addiction

Sounds about right. Always talking about beliefs... So annoying. On another note, there's also the influence of beliefs, in that they are not recognized as such and so are taken to be true in themselves. Some may be justified and valid, too.