ajasatya

very good. i like the approach that mentions suffering as the fuel for transformation. it's very realistic.

yes. you're strengthening the illusion of a self to be esteemed. if you want enlightenment, you'll need to get out of the comparing game altogether. if you want enlightenment, choose self-love instead. take good care of your physical and mental health.

@Sheeba you're very young but you deserve to know this: your relationships CANNOT give you happiness. you'll have to find it elsewhere. get ready for a huge fall.

@Socrates very nice! i hope you can manage to integrate the contemplative state in your daily life

your feelings resonate deeply with me. we're welcome.

@Ilyaa you're not scared of people. you're scared of yourself. sit down quietly, close your eyes and try to explore your inner space by letting thoughts come and go and watching your breathing process. there may be fear or some other form of emotional pain. you need to look deeply in you and search for the origin of those negative emotions. when they come up, face them until they vanish. nobody else can do it for you. i highly recommend this book.

that's healing. i save some of my sexual energy for interesting moments with my intimate loving partner. i don't use it with masturbation.

when spirituality goes in the opposite direction by luring human beings with luxury. that shit ain't going to make you awaken. instead, it will make you dependent on money and very restricted conditions of living.

i am pro practical conceptualization. mental masturbation drains vital energy though.

you have no idea what you're saying.

very good. excellent

it had been quite a while since i laughed so hard on the internet.

ehh? i didn't say that computer is useful for every human being. i said that models of reality are useful to build useful tools like a computer, a knife or a book.

mental models of Reality are useless unless you want to build something useful with them, like a computer.

@Principium Nexus if you feel joy, embrace joy. if you feel sadness, embrace sadness. running away is HELL. everything else is HEAVEN.

no. their happiness simply don't depend on companies.

@TRUTH_SEEKER from my experience, even though i'm heterosexual, there's no way other than learning how to be alone and becoming free from emotional dependencies. solitude is the strongest ally. ALL of your relationship problems come from your fear to be alone. grow up.

give up already. enlightenment is not for you. stop trying to define yourself. so much of you already. if you want enlightenment, then erase your self-image. let go of this neediness. i think you need a zen master who's able to hit you in the head.

@Leo Eckl hi there! first of all, i want to congratulate you because i'm very impressed with the sanity you're experiencing at your age. most people who come here seeking advice are quite broken inside but you seem to be pretty functional. secondly, i want to thank you because you inspired me (even more) to build a good family with a healthy atmosphere to be lived, even though you haven't said much about yours. third: your very parents seem to have their heads on the right places. ask them what they do to keep up with the proper mental discipline. fourth: the greatest realization for a man is learning how to let peace flood his heart. people will say a thousand things about enlightenment. but enlightenment is simply the ability to be at peace, to be completely present in every moment of your life. and it's a trainable skill. if you do so, the other segments of your life will go with the flow. your romantic life, your professional life, your physical health, everything will come with ease. i'm not talking from a theoretical level. i'm talking from personal experience. may you be at peace. ajasatya.

@lens your story resonates with a very much known one. there's a path to extinguish your existential crisis.

@Lou7 festivals are great. meeting people is awesome. listening to them is even better. i want to go to the sat nam fest someday. too bad we don't have it here in brazil.

@Mert you gotta do things that i'm sure you don't like yet. don't try to love others. first of all, you gotta love yourself. take good care of yourself. learn how to enjoy life. that's how i see the first commandment (love God above all). here are some practical tips on how to practice self love.

no. the main goal is to learn how to return to focus. that's what we practice. we return to focus a trillion trillion trillion times. once we're on the present moment, we just relax on it. we don't control focus. we don't control anything. just return to the present moment and relax. appreciate the sound of the breath. have you noticed its natural beauty?

no. i've read A LOT of them and they all suck. they're all useless. zen is supposed to be lived. just find a zen sangha and go practice with them. apply to as many retreats as you can. if there's no zen sangha near you, then i recommend reading this book. it contains instructions on how to practice zazen. if you read and don't practice, time wasted. a good balance for solo beginners is reading one chapter after each zen session. a zen session is composed by a certain amount of zazen (say 30m), followed by a certain amount of kin hin (say 10m) and then a certain amount of zazen (say 30m). that's how it's been practiced for almost 800 years. some retreats implement 40/10/40 sessions. a beginner should start with 20/6/20 imo.

this attitude is nothing new in the history of mankind. if you want to speak the "actual truth", go ahead and play the role of the clown. Truth cannot be spoken. if you really want to help people to experience Truth, then start a zen center and just teach them how to practice zazen. give them straightforward instructions like how to place the head above the spine and how to return to the present moment as many times as possible. nothing else. but unfortunately, i sincerely think you're unable to do that for now. you're still drunk in pride, trying to be the enlightened one who has the "actual truth" to be spoken. yes master, please, teach me.