UnbornTao

When you begin to set aside everything that isn’t a direct apprehension of a thing's nature, what is it that you truly know relative to it? What comes to mind when you encounter that thing?

Highly biased, low-quality.

@Osaid You seem to be holding enlightenment as something experienced. Experiencing is indirect as it is a process mediated by biological senses. You perceive, say, a pencil, but what is it? It can be easy to confuse state, beliefs and unusual experiences with enlightenment, it's better to remain open and to keep contemplating.

At last.

Speculation and make-believe, it seems to me.

What is this discussion grounded on?

Hey, relatable. Actually recently added an article to my reading list on this topic: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/25/style/sleep-problem-late-night.html You can bypass the paywall with a browser extension.

Experience is a process and about something, direct consciousness is realizing what the thing itself is. For example, we experience objects through our senses, and yet seem to be unconscious of the nature of object-ive reality, what objects are. That we perceive something doesn't imply we are conscious of what it is existentially. It is absolute, not an experience.

Experience is indirect. I'd refrain from conjuring up cosmologies around this topic however convincing they are; direct consciousness is what does the trick.

Replace "Gordon Ramsey" with "all of humanity".

You're exchanging opinions and beliefs, which is fine. @Osaid enlightenment ain't an experience.

@Yimpa go ground yourself.

If they ask and are open to it, you might as well share some of them. Aren't universities supposed to be comparatively open environments?

Or, metaphorically speaking, the creation of self is hell.

Fine, then contribute positively by engaging in mature exchanges, not so much reactivity.

@bebotalk sounds like you might be hurt in some way and might be venting. Just don't go around looking for fights and blaming others, whatever you feel is OK. Again, ask yourself why you started this thread. A better place to vent is the Journal section.

Stop the childish emotional reactivity. Reframe the conversation so that it achieves a fruitful end, reflect perhaps on why you're posting, and be clearer on what you mean.

Integrity is a function of keeping your word. Whenever you give your word - even casually - keep it. Otherwise, don’t give it in the first place. You don’t need to commit to anything; you can stay bound to your impulses, chasing gratification and avoiding discomfort. But that leads to a disempowering experience. Each time you fail to honor a promise - even one made only to yourself - you sense it. Being out of integrity becomes “evidence” that you’re someone who can’t be trusted. You can build your sense of personal integrity by making relatively small commitments you’d feel ashamed not to fulfill. For example, tell yourself you’re going to do something you want - like meditating daily for five minutes, or even just ten seconds - and follow through. Doing this will deepen your presence and increase your self-esteem over time; your word will begin to carry power. As someone who operates from this principle, you’ll need to be mindful of the commitments you make - because you’ll know you’ll follow through.

Decide for yourself what sport you like. Does tennis cause head injury? Soccer, basketball, etc.

Might be enlightened, doubt it, not interested. You'd be better off studying Ramana's material. Why not study the best material?

@StarStruck That's probably why it doesn't let you make pictures of people. I've found Copilot to be a bit more restrictive.

What do you mean? You seem to be essentially asking: Can I lie my way into what's true? We may understand something intellectually but fail to experientially reproduce the insight. There are also degrees of understanding. It is common for us to pretend to be honest in order to serve one's self-agenda, which is basically a form of lying. So, contemplate what being honest is. Tell the truth, mostly to yourself. For example, why did you ask such a question? Do you feel constrained by honesty, where lying could more easily provide you with what you want? Which social lies? You could also ask: What is social?

Looks like him but it's supposed to be Carl Jung.

Answers are irrelevant when it comes to contemplation; insight is the goal. People often confuse two similar expressions as if they arose from the same understanding. Are you conveying an authentic experience, or passing down hearsay in the hope of convincing yourself and others of its validity? Parroting is much easier, so it is the most common approach. It is a subtle form of self-deception. For example, we might hear claims such as “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.” Yet without the direct consciousness that gave rise to such a statement, can we truly say we grasp what it's pointing to? Do we have insight into the matter? Make the work yours.

@StarStruck Did you use Copilot? It seems to be more restrictive. GPT came up with this: