Nahm

@Preetom On point! Great post.

@Truth Addict How long have you being doing daily meditation? What other practices have you been doing? I wouldn’t meditate to get to enlightenment. Eventually, you’ll have little to no monkey mind, then no chatter in there at all. At that point, take a trip, or buckle down with the practices for the long haul. If someone has yet to have an enlightenment experience, and it trying to, that is the mind pushing it’s agenda, in a sneaky way, but the mind is pushing a concept or idea of something it has no experience of, thus confirming a falsity, and keeping the actual experience away. You could be looking at years of practices, even with trips. It’s very worth it, imo.

@Speedscarlet There have been some forum members, a couple fairly recently who took a trip there. Check out the trip reports, try the search tool too, should find a few. Also, here’s an article that I think is insightful. I have not ‘been there’ myself. f you make it there, please get back to me regarding my wife’s lost wedding ring. Thanks! ? http://www.akashicrecordsofsouls.com/read-akashic-records/

@spicy_pickles Great that there is release happening. Do you meditate every morning? For how long? And how long have you been doing daily meditation for? ?

@egoless That’s so awesome to hear. So happy for ya!

@Ilya DO. THE. PRACTICES. ❤️

@Ilya Forget the apple. What about, the word, life. What about the word, love. Practices. Awareness. Consciousness. No substitutes.

The theme for consciousness work is practices of awareness and self inquiry, it’s done alone, it has nothing to do with anyone else. I for one, do not see a general message from the forum to be less social. We may need to ‘go away for a while’ to do the inner work, we may need to get some distance from people who we have been suppressing our own suffering with, such as with alcohol, etc. But, as we do the work, all things societal are renewed. Awareness is good for everything! Consciousness work may make for a temporary hermit, if you will, but the long term point is not at all to be removed from society, unless of course, one wants to do this, like ‘live in a cave’. The point, is complete Self realization, and Self actualization - to be what you really are, to have the freedom of mind to create the life you actually want, to be without mental resistance, and living in the euphoric satisfaction of knowing you are living THE life you want, pursing what you want, having the quality of life you want, learning what you want, having the significant other that you have true love with, or being a completely free bird if that is what’s wanted - overall, to be unconditioned, and liberated. Go to the main categories page for the forum. Consider this when looking at the categories, from the bottom to the top. In a way, they are like a staircase. The parents situation is rough. My parents are not open to personal development, well being, etc. They are rock solid on Catholicism, prescriptions, and surgeries. It does nothing for them, but they aren’t coming out of the heaven / hell complex any time soon, likely never. They eat poorly, (lots of sugar), their weight has affected their health for many years, they don’t exercise, nor meditate. Their internaltizing and self talk is unhealthy. Their perspectives on each other, blame, etc, is unhealthy. Once and a while it even gets physical. I tried helping on any front for many years. Tried everything. The power of the ego in disregarding the consequences of it’s own actions, in terms of getting clarity and making some changes towards health, are astounding. I find it very true, as we see here on the forum, that all the answers and plenty of help, love, and encouragement are readily available. Yet, if someone is not ready to take a look at themselves, they will not. They will craft from their frame of reference to construct a wall around looking within. The ego uses these offerings as material to solidly it’s false existence, it’s own pretenses, paradigms, etc. The bottomless pit you referenced, that’s were I was headed with my parents. I came to a place where it was a tug of war between trying to help, being patient, compassionate...and them not changing a thing, health declining more, and me helping more. It could be consuming. There are things in place for this, social security disabity; couseling, in home care, etc. Where you put yourself, your amount of efforts and involvement, that’s a total one off. Only you can navigate that for yourself. Like anything, talking about it (like this), reading up on it, doing your practices - it all helps, and maybe even, the growth for you to experience is the extent you can not help someone who will not receive the help, nor help themselves. It’s grey and dynamic. It could drive one person into depression, and reveal a life purpose for another. Practices and awareness work, are where it’s at for you.

@Sahil Pandit ? slow & steady on the psych’s imo. Sounds like you’re playin it smart.

@egoless Puzzled is good, it is progress. If we don’t go through confusion, we’re not expanding. Of course if reality is perceived as real it would seem that it should not exist in that form, because in truth, it does not. Happy for you man. Practicing? I hope so.❤️

Awareness of the suffering of animals comes with more consciousness that I suffer. Awareness the suffering is not real comes with more consciousness that my own suffering was not real. Awareness the animals, and everything else, is a complete fabrication and illusion, of your own, and therefore letting all things just be as they are, comes with more consciousness, that there is no self.

@MarkusSweden This is a great example of how important the practices are. Awareness alone will resolve this. Your answer is right here, you just aren’t aware of it yet, because you haven’t had the corresponding experience of raising the awareness yet. don't try to tell me it doesn't exist, that I already know. But show must go on, the role must be played, now how do you feel about it? We do that all the time. That’s how deep self deception is. In sales, when a customer tells you “the one thing I won’t do”, they’re helping the salesperson out by letting them know the one thing that is their issue, or where they’re stuck. Same as when a person tells their therapist, “I don’t want to talk about that”, now the therapist knows where they’re stuck. So you have to reverse all engines, let go of the momentum of that state of question - and open up the mind. I think a helpful perspective would be - maybe, I have an understanding what no self means, but that meaning is limiting to my awareness, maybe this is why the practices are the theme. You discovered an inconsistency in your own life, now become aware of what it’s pointing to. Only practices will do that, short of a trip any time soon.

@Vingger Words hold no meaning, only distinctions from other words, we assign meanings (loop), we are makers of distinctions. . It can be helpful, to see that the illusion is all of one fabric, so to speak, so that which is not relative (absolute) shines light on the inherent short comings of nihilism: According to Derrida and taking inspiration from the work of Ferdinand de Saussure,[14] language as a system of signs and words only has meaning because of the contrast between these signs.[15][13]:7, 12 As Rorty contends, "words have meaning only because of contrast-effects with other words...no word can acquire meaning in the way in which philosophers from Aristotle to Bertrand Russell have hoped it might—by being the unmediated expression of something non-linguistic (e.g., an emotion, a sense-datum, a physical object, an idea, a Platonic Form)".[15] As a consequence, meaning is never present, but rather is deferred to other signs. Derrida refers to the—in this view, mistaken—belief that there is a self-sufficient, non-deferred meaning as metaphysics of presence. A concept, then, must be understood in the context of its opposite, such as being/nothingness, normal/abnormal, speech/writing, etc.[16][17]:26 Further, Derrida contends that "in a classical philosophical opposition we are not dealing with the peaceful coexistence of a vis-a-vis, but rather with a violent hierarchy. One of the two terms governs the other (axiologically, logically, etc.), or has the upper hand": signified over signifier; intelligible over sensible; speech over writing; activity over passivity, etc. The first task of deconstruction would be to find and overturn these oppositions inside a text or a corpus of texts; but the final objective of deconstruction is not to surpass all oppositions, because it is assumed they are structurally necessary to produce sense. The oppositions simply cannot be suspended once and for all. The hierarchy of dual oppositions always reestablishes itself. Deconstruction only points to the necessity of an unending analysis that can make explicit the decisions and arbitrary violence intrinsic to all texts.[17]:41 Finally, Derrida argues that it is not enough to expose and deconstruct the way oppositions work and then stop there in a nihilistic or cynical position, "thereby preventing any means of intervening in the field effectively".[17]:42 To be effective, deconstruction needs to create new terms, not to synthesize the concepts in opposition, but to mark their difference and eternal interplay. This explains why Derrida always proposes new terms in his deconstruction, not as a free play but as a pure necessity of analysis, to better mark the intervals. Derrida called undecidables—that is, unities of simulacrum—"false" verbal properties (nominal or semantic) that can no longer be included within philosophical (binary) opposition, but which, however, inhabit philosophical oppositions—resisting and organizing it—without ever constituting a third term, without ever leaving room for a solution in the form of Hegelian dialectics (e.g., différance, archi-writing, pharmakon, supplement, hymen, gram, spacing).[17]:19 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstruction

@Dan Arnautu Do you write songs? Just wondering. I write songs, just for me. Just for the process, the experience. It’s a ‘me’ place to go to, that’s really connective. Three chords and the truth are powerful.

@Leo Gura LOL. If the teeth fit...

@egoless You’ve done a lot of ‘the work’. You’ve had a lot of glimpses. Keep to the daily practices, dull out the sounds from others who have not done ‘the work’, you’re doing great dude. Life is a miracle man. You, are a miracle. Careful not to think too much, easier said than done, but @Faceless is right, any thought out conceptual understanding of this biggest picture you’re seeking, just is not it. The actuallity of reality will not fit into thinking, or concepts, no matter how perfect, and often this is counter productive, because we think we’re ‘getting it’, and fooling our selves via ego. Let loose, keep daily practices, have faith - life will reveal all to you in perfect time. Got to trust in that. The fulcrum, the hinge point, the pivotal thing to make sure to be aware of, above all else, imo, is the inner self talk. Make a practice of thinking well of yourself, appreciate that you exist. It is true, that simply because you are, the universe would be incomplete without you.

This ‘fall out’ so to speak, I’ve been through it too. I’ve went a few months not even playing my guitar too, I feel you on that, cause it’s like a life line in a way, but this is deep purification in my opinion. It the rough part, but it’s a necessary part of the bigger process. Life is giving gifts, hard to see it that way now. Yoga & home routines, vs any pressure to be adding muscle, is a good experience in the long run imo. Life’s giving you this. Looking for happiness from the lessons, or anything else, it’s a rollercoaster. You can be in a state of love, happiness and appreciation just sitting, doing nothing, life is showing you this now. It’s rough, but what a gift the universe is giving you at such a young age, you’ll see this soon. Same with attachment feeling good from scheduling your day and needing to adhere to it. There’s a deep nuance you’re being given in this. Of course it’s great to plan and execute, but the deepest bliss is in the now, with no need for attachment to anything. Just that you are, is enough. You, being, is enough. Again, it’s rough, but life is giving you these gifts. All part of bigger processes, and man you are doing well for yourself dude. Watch for beating up on your self, inner thoughts wise. Progress, of course, but let go to man. You’re only young once, and nobody said you’re supposed to nail every aspect every day. Ya need some silly, some no seriousness, some spontaneity, some care free - in life. When you are, and you return to the things you love in your life, oh my God dude, it’ll be more delicious than ever. The foundation will be more solidified. You’re creating you. You are an unstoppable force. You’re gonna enjoy so many fruits from your labors, and you’re gonna help so many people. You’re hittin the practical notes, the passion notes, the determination, the skill sets, my God man, what a beautiful life you’re creating! Trade your habits for the now. All the practices will naturally return, and your love and appreciation will only deepen. And give love, especially in little situations, like the old guy you wouldn’t otherwise relate to, or really notice, behind the gas station counter. Be mindful with people, be encouraging. One moment, at any given time, any given day, living from the heart, can just show you how deeply wonderful this life is. Just straight outta the blue, it can open you right up to the miracle life is, and the wonder you are. I mean, look at @Leo Gura for example. He just recommended Matt Kahn. There’s hope for us all! ❤️

@Joseph Maynor ❤️

@Heart of Space He knocked me in the feels with the first line. I had to send it to you.

@egoless I did daily practices for 20 years, med, fitness, learning everyday, I never gave up on anything or anyone wether I knew them or not, and took maybe 20 trips. Hope that helps.

@pluto whooooaaaa. That was a good one. @Shin❤️ “What the.....did I just?............holy............holy shit.....wait!....what?!................................wow..........oh my God.................................(actual silence).................”. —Misc. Human

@kieranperez The theme, is awareness. You’re changing as we speak. Awareness man. Practices. It can be easier to change character flaws, but it would still be tied to awareness, and the best time to start will never change. It’ll always be now. Add one practice to your day. Just 5 minutes. One little change at a time.

@egoless We figure it’s like other “things” that “come from somewhere”, but it just isn’t. Like a lepton to Canis Majoris. It’s really out there.... or in there...and both....... but of course more specifically, neither. Lol. It Is!

@Sahil Pandit Sounds good. 4-5 hours....that’s maybe 1, 1.5, 2g you thinkin?

@Heart of Space I think people love him or hate him, lol, but....this just might your shit, as of late. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uJpvUTDB4Ps