Ananta

I also don't dream and/or I don't have dream recall anymore. It's been many years (8, I think). Most likely it's that I don't have dream recall, since I hear everyone is suppose to dream. Anyways, it "normal" for me now, but when I think about others having nightly dreams and I dont, its odd. They deal with 3 states, waking, dreaming and deep sleep. I only have 2, waking and deep sleep. I'm glad I don't have a third anymore. .lol. It's hard for me to remember nightly dreaming also.

I actually don't take Self-realization (recognition of one's true nature) to be the same as enlightenment (full assimilation of that recognition), but I know some do.

I'm not really saying that you are liberated. Anyway, numbness is an object known to you. So what if you feel numbness? Why is it something "you" have to or even can, overcome?

Let me back track a moment... liberated people still have desire/fears, but they are non-binding, so they don't have to act on them, but they can or they can do something else. Also, habits that aren't opposed to dharma are fine.

So, you have no attachments? No habits, no desire, no fear? None. If this is true and you are Self-realized and you know you aren't the doer/enjoyer, then you're liberated (enlightened).

I forgot to answer the question. Yes, I do, but I flip back and forth between the "awareness channel" and the "person channel", depending on what's expected of me and where I'm at. Example- work can be high stress, fast paced and many thoughts arise to deal with the issues ( "person" channel). At home relaxing, low stress and low expectations. (Awareness channel).

If nothing else, at least you got a good laugh out of it.

Have you heard the saying from the Bhagavad Gita- "The one who sees actionlessness in action and action in actionlessness is wise". It means, "pure" awareness is actionless, always present and it permeates every-thing. "Reflected" awareness (objects- subtle and gross) is in action and constantly changing. When you can see they are "not two" seperate things (action and actionlessness). They are like the reflection in a mirror- how far is the reflection in the mirror, from the mirror itself? So, at any time, meditating or not, if there are thoughts/feelings/emotions, recognize and/or notice, if you can, actionlessness (awareness) in them (objects-action) and vice versa. So, they are you (created out of awareness, depend on awareness), but you are not them (pure awareness, substratum of all objects). Hope that made sense? Lol My point is you can allow them to be.

@Charlotte My answer is that It's not selfish for the apparent person to seek its true nature.

...and, @Ether you are absolutely correct it's not selfish.

Enlightenment is seeing that the selfish/self absorbed one is illusory...only "apparently" real.

Now you guys are just showing off

You got it!

♡♡♡♡♡♡ Ditto.

I don't know what this means?

@Faceless @robdl Nameste guys!

I see. Thanks for the explanation.

Yeah, well, I'm a smart cookie, don't mess with my past knowledge! Lol, did you like the ego in the statement!... bahaha!

What does knowledge psychologically mean, exactly?

@robdl You said I was walking along with you, as if all the info from my post came from understanding what you were saying. When actually I was giving my version that I had heard from Vedanta, when I realized it was similiar to what you were saying. Why is that a problem? If we never use memory or past knowledge, then that's called being a baby, cause we wouldnt know anything...nothing. I'm a nurse, I use past knowledge all day.

Did I offend you? My point was only that the concepts in that post I got from James Swartz. It just so happens that he and you meant roughly the same thing and that's cool.

@Faceless I want to totally "get" your version. I'm unclear still what one would do with thoughts that pull you from "what-is"? If my version is hypnosis. Example could be as simple as me thinking of wanting a cookie, but I'm on a diet. So, I desire a cookie! Or more complex, I'm at work and helping a patient that is being verbally abusive. So, have thoughts of escaping...fear.

I know it seems that way, but I got that from a James Swartz, a vedanta teacher.

You guys are tag teaming me! Anyway, for what you both are saying Vedanta would say that when the thought of objects, that have strong pull toward desiring/fearing, arise within the mind, then one needs to apply Self-knowledge to those thoughts (ie, I'm whole, complete, full, limitless awareness, therefore I don't need any object to complete me).

This!