SOUL

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.

It's just a bunch of individual traits that some prefer to believe are the only 'masculine' traits and then a veneration of those specific traits even though those are but a limited portion of the spectrum of traits to be found in our human experience. With a select demographic celebrating that specific recipe of traits and nothing else they only will call masculine. It crowds out any other consideration given to the other traits as having masculine influence on our well being. It limits the freedom of expression. It may sound like I'm judging it but I'm just describing it as I observe the habituation of it. I don't have a moral prescription for this dynamic just a heads up from one aware being to a fellow aware being. Traits have both masculine and feminine aspects of them if they even have that dualism at all.

It's all in your imagination and you are fighting with the shadows in your mind.

You say my analysis is coherent then go on to explain his work and the effects the same way albeit with admiration for the exploitation or at the very least a dismissal of the exploitation as insignificant. "He didn't cause the current state of affairs"(the human wound)", he just capitalized on it"(profiting off continuing to poke the wound and then pouring salt into it). "I can say this for countless people who speak, teach etc."(or anyone that professes to be teaching something)"So does my behavior then reflect on their teaching"(how oblivious they can be to his effect in their lives and unaware that others can see the effects in his followers) You have been thrashing around this forum for quite awhile going from inner crisis to crisis and in conflict with member after member. All the while spouting rhetoric from each of your 'teachers' and 'mentors' as you think it suits the defense of your identity you have with them and your attachment of your association with their work. Do you not realize this happening and that others can see it? You probably even fail to see how you've confirm what I said in disputing it even after me pointing it out to you. Again, good luck with all of that.

All all have to do is watch and listen to his student to see the fruit of his teaching. Thank you for confirming how oblivious they can be to his effect in their lives and unaware that others can see the effects in his followers. All it takes is 5 minutes to educate myself on him? Haha, well all I really have to do is observe his students to understand his teaching...or Leo's from his students...or anyone that professes to be teaching something. This doesn't mean every student is a perfect representation of a teacher's message individually yet from the effect it has on them in aggregate we can see the results of that teaching in reality...not just in rhetoric. Good luck with that.

Projecting much? I do realize it that's why I said it...or maybe you didn't understand that.

This is the succinct explanation except I'd amend it to exploitation of the human wound. He's exploiting the pain and suffering of all genders and yes, he's profiting off continuing to poke the wound and then pouring salt into it. There's no uplifting of spirit or awakening consciousness found in his message as evidence in his students. His 'teaching' is an appeal to the basest urges and his students are ones who aren't aware of their impulses enough to overcome them. I don't know for sure his 'teachings' because I don't listen to him but I've seen this play out many times before and I can simply see the results in his students to confirm it without actually reviewing his content.

Oh the irony...

The ego is merely the personification of our sense of self and it bases it's identity on the past experience of the being it exists within. As we accumulate more experience it gradually changes, it's impermanent in it's identity even as it strives for stable coherence in it's sense of self. This is how through the present moment, through our current experience, we can participate in the transformation of our ego's sense of self because we can orchestrate our experience. We can nudge the ego into identifying with what we place our attention on so cultivate it's growth. If we are in presence of peace, fulfillment and yes love, the ego will eventually identify with that presence we have in awareness. It will reflect this as it's self identity and in this harmony of well being the cessation of self suffering will be realized in our experience of 'mind'. Creating a dynamic of enmity with ego only perpetuates the conflict within us and further feeds the disharmony of ill being which fuels the self suffering. So if one seeks liberation from self suffering choose in every moment to be at peace with the ego even if we seek to liberate it too from suffering.

One little comment has you twisting and turning, you haven't learned anything about me and I'm not even sure you have learned anything from your own self. You keep projecting all this stuff onto me, reading stuff into my words that isn't there, while simultaneously accusing me of projection. It's the ego in your own mind trying to justify itself, you don't have to believe it, though. All of this to avoid answering a straight forward question? You could simply say something like that you don't care about the cessation of self suffering and only care about actualizing ego or whatever it is you genuinely believe, it's not that difficult. I'm not saying that's what you think, it's a hypothetical reply as an example so don't get disturbed about that either. I do have some insight into the acceptance and coexistent with ego while in liberation but you may not be willing to hear it from me at this point. I'd still like to hear your thoughts about it, I'm genuinely curious: "explain to me how personifying these archetypes helps you to cease self suffering so realize liberation."

Well, 'enlightenment' isn't attained, it is realized, so if you recognize that it isn't a conundrum.

I said "likely", it shouldn't be such a difficult thing to just say, 'nope, this is the only one' if that genuinely is the case. Very few people are a part of only one spiritual community, it's was an assertion made of the basis of the odds, on probabilities...hence 'likely'. If one assertion as simple as that can disturb your peace then you have alot of self suffering ego churning in your mind. Maybe you can label it and assign it an archetype to make your 'self' feel better about it's 'self'. Interesting how you chopped off the most of my reply and conveniently avoided replying to the genuine query I made so I will repost it for you to consider: "So maybe you can explain to me how personifying these archetypes helps you to cease self suffering so realize liberation." I don't even expect a reply, I just hope it can inspire some contemplation about it within you so that maybe at some point you may find value in the cessation of self suffering, maybe you can find peace in liberation. Peace.