Ananta

Hallucination is preceiving something that not actually there. Where illusion, imo, is more appropriate, because the preceiving is correct, but what is preceived is a mirage, an appearance. It's a superimposition upon awareness, that makes awareness "appear" as something it isnt. So, it "exists", its experienced, it's just not ultimately "real". Also, ultimate reality, pure awareness is not "nothing", it is no-thing, there is a difference.

@kieranperez I'm a nurse and I say if you're on medication best talk to you doctor before trying to ween off of medication, for any reason. I'm on medication and it hasn't hindered me in any way.

"I" know I exist and I'm aware, I experience this...don't you? Somewhere along "my" journey I fell into the "I don't exist camp", it's part of the process I guess. I came out of that "idea" and realized, ah, actully I do...it's just not ultimately real. One day this body/mind will be 6 feet under.

@Prabhaker thanks, the story in my view is a tad different then Osho's. Either way, thanks. Btw, sorry for thinking you were someone else a while back. My mistake.

Do you have any other proof of this conversation other then from the mouth of Osho? As he obviously wasn't there to know.

Is this a Buddhism phrase? I'm a Vedantin. Anyways, we would say "seeing action in inaction and inaction in action". Which means Brahman is unchanging/still, while action (the phenomenal world) is changeful (action). So, Brahman is ever present, the background/substratum, attributeless, full, complete, awareness. The phenomenal "apparent" world "appears" within Brahman/pure awareness. So, Brahman is real, the apparent world depends upon Brahman for its "apparent" existence. As it is created out of/from Brahman.

Most mis-understand this, so wasn't going to get that deep, but since you brought it up! The "apparent" phenomenal world can be nothing other then, Brahman, because there is nothing but Brahman. However, it's "created" out of the substance-less substance which is Brahman. But, Brahman is not the world. So, to recap, the world IS Brahman, but Brahman is not the world.

It's the play (Lila), the "apparent" phenomenal universe, afterlife, channeling, NDE's, whatever...it's all included...why wouldn't it be. To throw some Vedanta in...it's Isvara creation, "all" of it. Oh, it absolutely is! Enlightenment is for the mind, intellect to be specific. Once Self knowledge removes ignorance of one's true nature and this knowledge is "firm". You see it was/is just a big joke. Awareness playing hide and seek with itself. Just my 2 cents.

It (the body) is an appearance "within", you, awareness. You (awareness/consciousness) don't move-you are ever present, the body (as well as all objects) moves within you.

Absolutely!

Yes, it's definately a karma yoga situation. Either stay struggling in a dysfunctional mess where one is bound to suffer or let the results of actions take there natural course and be ok with the results. I stopped struggling, stopped trying to change her, stopped asking for her to give...what she's incapable of giving. It's a relief really. I hold no resentment or anger towards her, so it's not like that...I just let her go.

She's an alcoholic also, so, yeah, bad. Anyways, sorry for your ordeal with your family also. Seems you've been able to work something out, so you can have contact, but it doesn't affect you anymore. That's great. I tried that for many years, just wasn't in the cards for her to stay in my life. I'm at peace with it. She knows if she ever stops drinking I'll talk to her again. She said, that will never happen. So, she made her choice.

Yep, this is what I did. It was dysfunctional mommy who created inappropriate guilt. In a vicious circle, kinda like the cycle of abuse, but she was verbally abusive, then honeymoon phase, ect Took years to figure out why I always felt quilty for everything, you'd think it would've been obvious, it wasnt. Finally, I figured it out. There's much more to the "story", but you get the gist. I had therapy many times in my earlier 20"s, a few times in my 30's. I'm 47 now, got over my mommy issues awhile ago. Finally, after many warnings of my boundries, mommy had one of her outbursts "your a stupid bitch, I hate you, fuck you!" on Christmas eve (she loves ruining holidays), a year and half ago. Needless to say, that's the last time I've spoken to her, as I've gone no contact and she's blocked from contacting me. Toxic peeps have no business in my life anymore, no matter there biological relation.

And there you have it, case closed.

@Prabhaker it's still a joke. It's a guy with a jacked up fake microphone and a fake reporter.

Most would consider one's defining characteristic combination as one's ..."personality". To my knowledge, Carl Jung made some kind of reference to Self (capital S), but that's psychology, not spiritually.

It's a switch in "identification", knowing/realizing the truth of who you are and priorities/behaviors can change over time (or not), but otherwise, you still have thoughts, feelings, emotions, issues/challenges, sickness/health, job/career, family, vacations, ect. You know that although that these things exist, as you experience them, they ultimately aren't real. What's real is what never changes, you, pure awareness.

I know this wasnt directed to me, but thought I'd give my take, if you don't mind. The self (lower case) is the false-self, which is the same thing as ego. It's the "I-thought" that arise with reference to the body, to experience (subject-object) and prior to "enlightenment" falsely identifies itself with awareness/consciousness. Which makes it (ego) think its an independent, individual, "person". Where as after enlightenment you know you "are" awareness/consciousness which is the background/foreground, permeates everything and from which everything is created, including the apparent person you think you are. So, that "one" aspect of ego dissolves, because there is a switch in identifying as the "limited person" as self, to identifying with "awareness" as Self. The other 2 aspects of ego (I-thought) continue to arise after knowing/realizing your true nature, as awareness. Now, in the spiritual community, the Self (with a capital S), means Brahman or pure Presence or pure Awareness, or Consciousness. This has been my experience.

It's a joke. See the cardboard pieces, taped around his microphone?

Can anyone sum up, briefly, what a zen devil is suppose to be? No, I don't want to watch an hour long video, I don't care "that" much. I hadnt heard the term, until coming on here. Oh, also, what's shadow work? Identifying aspects of ego your not aware of? That's my guess...

Fair enough! Can't hurt, right? ...

This forum really needs a "lol" button!

Omg, James did already reply to you. Went to your blog and found the last article and here was his reply- "James Swartzsays: June 20, 2017 at 6:17 pm Hi Shanmugan, Intelligent dispassionate blog. I don’t disagree nor do I completely agree with your points of view. The Enlightenment Quiz is just a teaching tool and a joke. Nobody is ‘enlightened’ including me, although I not unenlightened. My only claim is that I am the Self which is in line with the teachings of the Vedanta sampradaya. The criticisms of other so-called teachers is not specifically about the teachers themselves but about the lack of a complete teaching that provisionally accepts duality and bridges a logical bridge to non-duality and self knowledge. I also make the difference between my opinions and the teachings of traditional Vedanta, although I have considerable contempt for so-called teachers, like Osho who I met, who violate dharma and dualists who imagine that they are non-dualists. You must be aware that Vedanta is a critical teaching tradition and attack non-Vedic or hertodox Vedic systems on the basis of an analysis of the sruti, which we accept as a valid means of knowledge for the Self. Evidently the criticisms I level are reasonable because I have been told by thousands of people over the forty five years that I have been teaching that they were what attracted them to Vedanta. The basic problem with the modern spiritual world is anti-intellectualism; most teachers and seekers don’t know how to deal with their thoughts so they try to dismiss them without inquiring into their basis." James

@Nichols Harvey I suspect it was because of me being on here.

@Outer Here is a retreat of his on Youtube- WORKSHOP - PRACTICING VEDANTA - JAMES SWARTZ - WESTERWALD GERMANY - There are 16 parts (watch in a row). My guess is there is more then 20 hours of Vedanta teaching. If you are a serious inquirer, if not, not a problem. Just watching a random video of his won't make much sense, without the basics of the teaching first.