Ananta

@Shanmugam So, you want to know if I'm enlightened? I think everyone is enlightened, because all are "the Self" (awareness). The only reason people don't recognize this is due to ignorance of their true nature, rajas/tamas (gunas) and mental tendencies/vasanas. Which is all the "illusion" of separation. Once, you know/apprehend your true Self (here 6 yrs ago) and that Self knowledge is firm (here-this year), the knowledge is always available (mostly) and you know you aren't the doer (this is interesting, because there's a sense of doership, but when looked at closer..no doer). Its like switching between the person channel and awareness channel (my teacher said something similiar). You don't always have the thought "I'm awareness" constantly running, but when called upon the knowledge is readily available. You play your role and do your duties (person channel), but when wanting completeness, perfection, ect. you tune into the "awareness" channel. Knowing how to navigate and switch channels is part of "assimilation" of Self knowledge. So, yes, Anna has emotions. They come and they go. Good example, tonight when I got home from work my husband told me my son who already has 2 car loans (and lives at home) bought a $30,000 truck yesterday . I yelled, "What!!!!" and I was pissed! It lasted 10 minutes, but now, it's gone. In conclusion, it doesn't matter what stage of Moksha I/Anna am at...I "got" the great cosmic joke. Essentially, none of this matters, except to remove one's suffering. There is no soul emancipation with any of this... how could there be? You are awareness and awareness is associated with the world, as well as being "all" the actors. If one actor dies, you'll be associated with another and so it continues.... Hopefully, your demand for an answer has been satisfied.

Actually, you said first- "They don't really feel those emotions like others do... It only appears such for the people who are watching them.. All the liberated person feels is ups and downs in energy, and a little bit of subtle sensations... In other words, their emotions are not really like the emotions of people who are unconscious." You seem rather "certain" in this paragraph you wrote. Yes, you then say, you were talking about yourself, but then in another post say, "I don't know what happens after Moksha". However, you used language in the excerpt above regarding a liberated person and said you were talking about your own experience. See your contradictions?? Lol... what is this an interview? Oh, that's convenient... Ok, make that my answer too, interview done...lol!

This seems to be the crux of your post. Suffering leads one to find a solution out of suffering. First, one tries to not suffer by finding worldly happiness in chasing objects (success, money, sex, power fame, ect). When you realize that these don't suffice, then the search is on! If you come across spiritual teachings and get hooked, you become a spiritual seeker and the story goes... Point being, it's generally the suffering that keeps reawakening someone to the spiritual path or is the initial awakener. So, no your life hasn't been a waste, it's gotten you to where you are right now. Which is to end your suffering. This doesn't mean the circumstances of your life will or need to change. It's the identification of who you've been thinking you are, that needs to change, to who you really are. Anyways, don't think of the past as a mistake. There are no mistakes. Most don't start seeking without some amount of suffering, it's the great awakener, therefore a gift.

Thanks!

@Shanmugam Sounds like you suffer from apathy... Pleasure and pain persist after Moksha! Difference is suffering ends. The feeling that you are in some foundational way diminished.

You may have painful emotions if your mom gets hit by a bus tomorrow... Emotions are like thoughts..out of your control and come/go.

Hmm, I think we had this same discussion on the other forum. It went no where on there and I suspect the same here. So, I will not comment further.

Oye, who/what are you defining as the perceptual field? Apparently, if its not what I said, then I do not understand.

Not sure what you mean by Self-aware, unless you mean AS the Self (awareness) you are aware OF them. Which is true and won't end, as long as you, awareness, are associated with the body.

That's because they've come full circle and know everything is "the Self"(awareness/consciousness). Therefore, all is one and there is nothing, but themselves. A movie created by them, starring them, that they are watching.

Because we feel off balance, however all these emotions are part of the human existence. Accepting them and not resisting allows them to move on much quicker. That's ego talking. Meaning, ego wants to not feel these things and so will chase objects to feel happy. How many so called enlightened people do you know ..well? You can't count those under a microscope during a Satsang. Emotions come and go, they're not a problem unless the ego grabs a hold of them. Nisargadatta is a prime example, many people have accounted that he was quick to anger, even yell at people, but would turn around a few minutes later and be laughing with them.

Yep, this ^^^ ....lol.

Oh, gotcha!... words can only be pointers when discussing spirituality, but I think the more specific one can be in a discussion the better, otherwise misunderstanding happens.

To me it's the most appropriate wordage, to you, it's annoying. I find calling awareness/consciousness "nothing" annoying, as if some-thing can come out of "nothing", but so what?

Ok, I was at work earlier while posting..it's harder to think..lol. I'll assume you mean by limited perspective, the body/mind? If that's the case (?), think of all apparent objects as being a hologram. An analogy- A room is filled with light (pure awareness/Brahman), then a hologram appears, "made of" light (awareness). Its superimposed upon/within the "light" in the room. Therefore, the light in the room is also "permeating" (Atman) the hologram. The hologram thinks it's an individual volitional entity, because it doesn't recognize it is made from/out of light. It doesn't apprehend the light in the room. All analogies break down at some point, but my point was to say the "real you" is the light in the room, not the hologram. The hologram exists (as its also awareness), but its temporary, therefore, ultimately its an illusion and dependent on the light itself for its apparent existence. So, all phenomena is a temporary "appearance" (created out of Brahman/awareness) due to the power of Maya and Isvara. Objects are superimposed onto/within Brahman, therefore Brahman "permeates" every-thing. When Brahman permeates a jiva/object, it's then "associated" with it, then its called Atman.

No one can know your subjective experience's except you and Isvara (God). Atman (awareness/Brahman) is what you "are", you realize this when you negate every-thing phenomenal, including..you..the apparent person, you think you are.

Atman is the portion of pure awareness (Brahman) permeating, enlivening and illuminating the jiva. The body/mind/sense complex is "within" awareness, as well as composed "from/ out of", pure awareness. No, you'll have to expand your question. I don't know what you mean by anti-perspective. What does anti-perspective mean to you? I don't watch Leo's video's, so I can't comment on it.

Atman=Brahman Atman is just the portion of Brahman that's associated with each individual "apparent" body/mind. Yes, it is. (The subtle body could be said to be a jivas soul. Depending how one is defining "soul".)

I wrote this in reply to a Vedanta teacher- "So, here are my thoughts, it seems that since the mind is inert and the Self doesn’t have a mind (is not an entity), neither by themselves could be enlightened. Being that the Self is not ignorant of it’s nature and the mind can’t know anything on it’s own. So, it must be the "combination" of mind illumined by awareness, that then is ignorant or Self realized and it’s the mind that benefits from Self realization, however the “benefit” is to realize, it’s really the Self/awareness and it (the mind/body/sense complex) is only an “apparent” manifestation of awareness itself. So, without the combination (mind/awareness), there wouldn’t even be “Self realization” or Moksha at all, as there would be no need for either one." Teachers reply- "You got it"

@Joseph Maynor Don't forget that for all the many people spouting they don't exist. I'm saying, yes, you do exist, as you experience, it's just that it's not "ultimately" real. I've said this countless times on this forum. Also, in another thread I recently told you- The world is illusion Brahman alone is real The world IS Brahman ~Ramana Maharshi

The key word in my sentence was that ...."ultimately"....it's illusion (Mithya). Reason being, Brahman only sees itself, from its perspective nothing is happening. From the "apparent" person's perspective there are indeed "others", objects and a world...they just aren't ultimately real.

@Shanmugam when peeps on here say it's "nothing", I find myself saying. No, it's not "nothing", it's no-thing. Drives me batty..lol.

Good to know.... how many that use the term on this forum know this? ...Dunno?

Lol, here I thought you were going to post some amazing pic of what you perceive as the .."void"...hehe. Seems many on here use Buddhist terms- nothing, void, emptiness. Where I'd say- whole, complete, full, non-dual, attribute-less awareness. Just an observation...

To me it's fullness, but yeah, go for it!