SOUL

As the personification of our sense of self the ego can be whatever one cultivates it to be instead of the ego compelling us to behave on it's behalf under duress. The ego is only a fraction of the human experience of consciousness but quite often it is the part with the loudest voice and it wants to be the only voice, many allow it.

There is a difference between suffering, the pain that can come in life and self suffering, the misery created by the self from only the imagination. Some might say, well, everything is only experienced through the imagination and yes, while that is the case there are some things that are only imagined. The ego will create distress, a suffering, to justify it's own identity and that is an unnecessary suffering. We can use the information gleaned from the past provided by self conscious through the ego without having to 'self suffer'. The distress the ego is creating it meant to compel us to behave in a way that reinforces the ego's identity system. We can actually cultivate an inner life where the self conscious is not creating distress and misery because of identity while still providing some information for guidance. So there is a distinction between 'suffering' and 'self suffering'.

@Razard86 ok buddy

@Razard86 whatev bro peace

You replied to someone who made a glib comment about the actuality of his enlightened ass. Your first post in the thread you created that I quoted in response was an eloquent elucidation on the topic of long replies to short comments, I suspect that you consider what you wrote wise insight or maybe not. Possibly the only time you addressed a point in our exchange you shrugged off saying your reply was only '15 lines' but it was mostly serious comments to a post that was less than 15 words of mostly humor. So you again had written some succinct wisdom about not taking oneself quite seriously thus I quoted you for it. You have such powerful wisdom that even you don't want any of that smoke. You then wrote stuff like quoted above once again carrying over from previous exchanges with your story telling about what you believe you know about me using the pretext of me carrying some grudge. Yet, I was quoting you in agreement so I guess it's an agreeable grudge? BE grudge? Hah enough psychedelic etymology. Maybe 'be'ing can help anything..anyhow, I root for your well being in whatever way it is. Peace In deference to the thread starter @BipolarGrowth I have submitted two individual posts in your thread at various points one in support and one in challenge of the thread topic. Nothing heard from you in reply even though I welcome the discussion so I just wanted to let you know I'm not trying to derail your thread with the most unwelcome discourse. Peace

So telling someone you suggest is vulnerable that death isn't real is more wise?

Telling people they aren't enlightened online is more entertaining to see than the ones posturing enlightenment online because it's the human animal trying to catch it own tail. Even though it's not hard to imagine there are some who think they know the lexicon and lean in to a few of the traditional concepts trafficked on the forum...so nobody knows your guru is a dog online. Nah, what I call liberation is an experience of well being, anyone can be it, I encourage everyone to be well. The whatever bullchit esoteric conceptualizations and heuristic complications is just distraction. People telling stories. Being presence is simple. Just be...well.

@Holykael That's quite a story you have there. Do you really believe that's what it is? Whatever story creates well being in you live it. Peace

Watch what? It's ok to say death isn't real but it's not ok to say it's eternal sleep? After dealing with muffugers like you my whole life I need a nap...a real long nap.

You believe you know but it's just your imagination. I've been focusing on the messages, the points and addressing them. You are focusing on me and creating a story about me that fits into what you want to believe while ignoring the points being addressed. You are defending identity through this instead of engaging in discussion about the topics.

Simplicity in being presence transcends the complicated activities of the mind.

I'm not just pointing to the attachment to self identity which creates the separation, it does, but also the personified sense of self, the ego, creates imagined hoops to jump through to get something imagines it doesn't have. So even if our attachment to self identity isn't strong and awareness is expanding the ego, the doer, thinks it's helping the awakening process by creating imagined requirements 'to do' for liberation that really have an opposite effect in our consciousness. Yea, one could say the ego hides liberation, the cessation of self suffering, behind these obstacles which then produces self suffering if one believes they are required to jump through the hoops to 'get it'. Cease believing in the obstacles and the hidden is revealed. Even "when that illusory believer gets out the way, liberation is already what IS!" is an imagined obstacle belief that there's an illusory believer hiding liberation that once we get it out of the way we become aware that it already is. It's a subtle perception that has profound effect. The illusory believer itself isn't an obstacle if we aren't attached to the believer or it's beliefs. Our mind has all sorts of useful beliefs that allow us to navigate the world but if one believes they must be removed along with the believer for liberation that is an imagined obstacle. I could even flip it onto my own words by saying ceasing to be attached to the believer and the beliefs is an imagined obstacle. Although, it isn't something to be done to attain, it is something not done, 'attachment', that reveals in our awareness, a 'realization' of it. Again this is a subtle perception that has profound effect.

I'm sure you believe that.

I examine the nature of the message and it's influence on the listeners behavior. Her message is much of the same self help basics with many 'ceremonial exercises' she has just slathered in her personal branding and styled in the new age motif. Many of the people who consume her content seem to have mostly well intentions for themselves and others. All those new age stories about aliens, channeling and psychic stuff can be a distraction but for someone unstable it can be quite problematic. She isn't alone in that, there are many of these types of self help personalities that feed egoic attachments often exacerbating the self suffering and inhibiting the healing process. Her brand of self help doesn't seem to foster much more toxicity than any other type. This doesn't mean her own life isn't a toxic mess but I won't cast aspersions about it. The world is an abusive place and there is a cycle of abuse that ensnares people into without them even aware of it and they will perpetuate it unknowingly. Some knowingly, too. People in general are pretty culty creatures in their psyche, some more than others and self help groups can have varying degrees of cultiness. I'm not going to judge how much or whatever. I always am particularly aware of the situation that someone emotionally or psychologically fragile will be exposed to teachers or teaching that are irresponsible with suicidal ideation. This particular series from what I have seen really seems like it's a hit piece that the producers of it deceived Teal and everyone involved about the nature of their intentions.

If one believes there is some condition to be met, some exercise to do or some thing to achieve then that is what is created to separate from liberation so it keeps one from it. It does not exist anywhere except in the imagination...there is no need for it so one can dissolve the attachment to that which keeps us separated from it. Easier said than done but alas this is because it's not something to do rather it's to not do, to not believe it to be true.

I think you missed the point Bernie was making, term limits are not the issue, it's the corruption that's the issue. Fresh faced newly elected politicians can be equally corrupted as ones that have been there for decades so are presumed to have more 'power'. In fact, new representatives that know they will be out again after two or three terms because of limits are more easily corrupted because they know they will be rewarded in the private sector after they leave office if they do the bidding of the money interests. It already happens with revolving door politics of lobbying and corporate board positions being handed to naturally defeated representatives. Term limits actually benefit the private wealth interests just as much as not having them, it makes no real difference to them either way. Let's not forget the Presidential term limits were instituted because a President was too popular with the people because he created policies that helped the masses, the poor and hard working class that actually gave rise to the most cherished 'American dream' economic era of the 1950s. So, the capitalists were upset they couldn't exploit the people as cruelly as they had been, they could only exploit them moderately or move their cruelty internationally. Ever since the 70s they have been working hard to remove all that progress and now we again live in a corporate hellscape. Or you could misinterpret Sanders' point so criticize him for an imagined binary of political positions, that's probably easier than actually understanding the meta-point he is making about the corrupting influence of money in politics.

Our ass is enlightened, it's our mind that doesn't realize it is. Joking aside a long time ago I had a similar perspective that it's easy to be 'enlightened' on the mountain top retreat when there are fewer challenges but can we be 'enlightened' in the middle of the city where it's a struggle for survival. So I sought for myself to be in the most challenging circumstances while still abiding in the presence of being I had 'on the mountain top'. Through this, though, I came to a realization that it was my conditional mind still searching for justification to be free from misery. As if my 'self' wasn't allowing my 'self' to cease 'self' suffering unless I succeeded in overcoming and completing the obstacle course my 'self' had invented. The imagination will create the conditions that separate the self from well being, hence the conditional mind is it's own obstacle course. So, you are speaking on some inspiring revelations in bringing awareness to not allowing conditions to become an obstacle to well being. Although, I would also like to make aware that the conditional mind can make a conditional obstacle out of the unconditional. I respect and honor your challenges with mental health. I, too, have some just like so many people do and I hope for all of our well being to be realized.

I'm honored to be your muse. Peace.

I'm speaking about something we all experience as human, we all have shadows at some point and the way to transcend them are to illuminate the consciousness. A consciousness illuminated from an absolute perspective of infinite points of light there can be no shadow. An attachment to separate self will cast a shadow in our consciousness just like the body casts a shadow on the ground. So this explains why a fully illuminated consciousness is called 'enlightenment' by the sages through the ages. This mysterious word becomes clarified. There are quite a many of us all throughout the world in small ways and in massive ways encourage each other to continue awakening. To continue illumination of our consciousness so we can have revelation in our awareness and elevation of our presence of being. I will not apologize for encouraging well being for anyone and everyone who seeks it but my apologies to you if my posts doing so disturbed your peace. I will stay away from your threads and won't quote you ever again if you really wish me to stay away. Peace.

I literally BAHAHED out loud.

Amen/Aho From well being there is fulfillment. Through presence of being transcend the primal want to cease the mind's craving and find liberation in awareness. Being at peace.

If you were really illuminated you would know there is no overcoming shadows, it's in full illumination that shadows cannot exist. I'm rooting for your full illumination as well.