UnbornTao

You're talking about two different things, one of which is relative. Meaning isn't found nor inherent, invent the meaning you want as it is helpful for living a happy life. I'd avoid bringing up belief systems such as nihilism, solipsism, etc. already. None is true. This absolute stuff must be grasped directly, no use in discussing it on end.

shit happens, too, not denying that. You're right that it does, what I said doesn't contradict being intelligent about your life. You're holding unfortunate circumstances as fixed or objective and relationship as a superficial self-manipulation done after the fact, from what I gather from your post. A wealthy man may be miserable despite his lifestyle and a poor guy living austerely and with little possessions may be content and satisfied. This shows a curious dynamic: relationship to circumstances is primordial rather than circumstances themselves. Circumstances don't seem to be fixed, what you find depressing another may for example find adventurous or some such, etc. Your relationship to it might determine your experience of it.

My point was be open when wondering about who you are. Thanks for sharing.

You live however you want, that's what you'll do anyway. In any case, contemplation is fundamental, it isn't thinking although thinking will occur. It is setting out to experience what's true, an essential tool for discovery. Study, contemplation and practice are foundational for any multi-dimensional pursuit. It's wondering, opening up your body-mind in order to have insights and breakthroughs into the nature of things. It's perhaps about being silent, "waiting", allowing what's true to come to you, so to speak. Any experience can be contemplated as it is lived. For example, have fun and ask yourself what fun is.

What being are you referring to? Could it be perhaps a feeling-sense of being located behind the eyes and between your ears? Keep asking: who am I? Focus on getting who you are, and hey, remain open. Maybe you turn out to be a carrot or something, you don't know.

Again, I'm not saying that. Basically what I'm saying is that it is possible to realize the absolute while living life.

There are not objectively bad circumstances. If something happens why does that have to mean anything? Are you being honest? You're claiming your life is hell, is that true? When you stop claiming and believing that life is this or that, what that does leave you with? I'm inviting you to look in this direction; that your assessment is an interpretation, and that you can change it. Start by allowing your experience to be what it is, including struggle, joy, etc. Allow yourself to feel it completely without acting it out nor suppressing it. Once it is allowed to be, it'll tend to disappear naturally, and something else will come up. Enjoy the ride. It isn't so much about what you do but about your relationship to it.

You're actually projecting and not listening. Just clarify what you're doing and why. "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust.

It's a matter of personal understanding. Have several direct consciousness otherwise all of this is nonsense. If it's true when directly realized that won't help you get laid or make you rich but it's what's true.

What's significant in life must be created by you; otherwise, you'll end up living an inherited life. Play a game worth playing that is bigger than you and that causes you to be authentic.

Can you elaborate? I can't say whether you're being sarcastic or not.

You can't transcend anything you're not deeply conscious of. It isn't about running away from anything but understanding it deeply. Don't put the cart before the horse. So wonder about stuff. Question the nature of mind, perception, suffering, happiness, etc. Have breakthroughs and insights into these matters. And pursue self-transformation at the same time.

And yet, despite appearances, the points might still be valid. You're projecting that I'm saying something based on somebody else. Again, it depends on what you're pursuing and why. It's always useful to clarify that. Hearsay aside, we should ask: What is consciousness? What are states? What is experience? What I'm saying is that self-transformation and enlightenment are two different pursuits. It sounds like your priority is transforming your experience of life, which is worthwhile to do. States can be healing, transformative and influential in how life is experienced. Not saying pursuing one invalidates the other, in fact they complement each other. And then there's absolute consciousness. It is a possibility to be realised now, not an unreachable ideal different from or outside of, life. Go after both while acknowledging they're different pursuits. Being allows for states to exist, it precedes states. As this matter goes beyond self concerns, you won't find any value, use or meaning there and it will still be what's true -- when realized directly.

"Anything cumulative diminishes your perception." That's a good one.

Maybe there's nothing there, existentially. And we add to and superimpose on that. This is a deeper study, that of experience and concept.

@Socrates @koops thanks for sharing, by the way.

Reality is a fucking mystery. Adhering to materialism is ironically believing in magic: that somehow matter that is arranged a certain way sources and causes consciousness to exist. That's believing in magic. Of course the tacit assumption of any -ism is that we know what we're talking about when referring to consciousness. We conclude and make assumptions about it without direct experience into its nature.

Depends on what you're after. You'll go through states, that doesn't mean much unless you make it a big deal. I like being blissful and feeling good but states don't imply you're increasing consciousness. Are you for example any clearer on what state itself is? What insight or direct consciousness have you had? This is what I think is primordial. That's a laudable goal. Also, on the other hand, what is consciousness? What are mind and suffering? Before transcending anything we must first become deeply conscious of what that something is, otherwise we don't know what we're getting free from. I recommend to avoid taking anyone's words at face value, rather take an effective teacher's words as a way to ballpark your efforts. It sounds like you might be talking about what may better be called psychic phenomena. Self-survival and truth-seeking are different pursuits. In other words, what's true doesn't care about you. I agree that how you experience life is significant and that it is a very worthwhile study besides awakening, however those are different and it is useful not to confuse them. You can always ask: What is this experience about? Even: What are experience and perception themselves?

Approach.

Con-fusion: fusing with, fusing one thing with another, lack of distinction, conflating one thing for another. For example, our experience of fear is confusing, we confuse ourselves with the emotion, are carried away by it, and fail to make finer distinctions within the process of fear, like it being based on a future possibility, an unwillingness to experience something, an unwanted experience happening, and the possibility of that experience occurring in the future. We may also confuse possibility with probability, expressing one's opinions and another's in a sophisticated way with intelligence, etc.

@Dabidoe What is self? What is being you? Contemplating that goes first.

At the end of the day shifts in states are temporary whether magical, blissful and mystical. Pleasure and pain exist as the same dynamic. Don't get too hang up on the experiences and go after the truth.

The laundry.

Texts of that nature are not needed at all when it comes to self-transformation, depends on how you use them though. With enlightenment, no, because it is you and direct, best you can do is contemplate.