SOUL

I totally got distracted and meant to offer on the topic, @kev014. that in Jesus' commonly accepted biblical words I do hear a message that speaks to the cessation of self suffering... in a western theology way. Yet, religion often gets manipulated by humans to empower themselves through exploiting others. They do that through mental, emotional and yes, physical abuses with every societal tool at their disposal.

@Truth Addict In my own experience it has nothing to do with being opposed to using the word devil, it's just I'm aware of the mindset that results in it's use and the effects from it so I will speak about it. Even using it in context of 'zen devil' that is tossed around here constantly is misused. Someone else isn't a zen devil to another, it's one's own experience which becomes a conceptual trap that is it. Our own mind's attachment would be the 'devil' in it's more traditional use.

If you believe every concept is dualistic it is dualistic.....for only you and those that agree with that belief. It's your mind that sees the dualism in it, it's not inherent in concepts, words, the world or existence. A chair is a chair in concept, word and function but a banana isn't the opposite of it because a chair isn't a banana. Chair doesn't have an opposite, the absence of a chair doesn't exist, it's not a dualism. Truth and true have opposites inherent in their definitions, like good, right and any of the morally loaded words. Sure, there are some dualities, there are some trinities, there is unity and all the other 'ities'. All perceived difference or separation doesn't form duality. It's not surprising that someone would get caught in the conceptual trap of the consciousness' hierarchical mythos of deity when the mind has repeatedly been primed for it, some would call that makyo even.

So you are saying the dualism and demonization is a reflection of Leo's own state of consciousness... hmmm hah

Oh look a sock puppet appears to defend the master, how quaint.... it's still dualism even if you want to feign cognitive dissonance on the moralizing.

It perpetuates dualistic mindset by empowering the separation in demonizing others. It's the same thing they do and doing it back doesn't stop the wheel from spinning. It is what it is and it explains itself. There are people who are intolerant of those that don't share the exact same ideology and their behaviors are abusive in how they terrorize, brutalize and discriminate against them. See how accurately I described the scenario so simply without moralizing.

Why call anyone a 'devil'? Yet we are all 'god', right? Imagination gone wild. This sounds like just more dualism so awaken and transcend the mythical mind.

This. @Max_V It doesn't matter how much or little content you have, there are no requirements to adhere to. You are creating the hoop to jump through then judging yourself for not jumping through it. Don't let others convince you one condition is any 'better' or more 'right' or 'true' than another. To cease self suffering just sever attachment to any condition or circumstance, be at peace with simply being present no matter the amount of content that happens to be passing before your eyes or through your mind at any given moment and your liberation from self suffering will be abiding.

I appreciate the kind words, @Aakash , and I'm glad you found value in it but it seems I turned up the volume on experience too high for this thread because I got warned....welp. My apologies to the thread starter for hijacking the thread on enlightenment with my own experience of it, I didn't mean to interrupt.

For my own experience liberation isn't about consciousnesses or awareness, any clarity or expansion of those are an expression, a byproduct of liberation. What is my experience of liberation is the freedom from self suffering so this is the source of well being. Since my well being is ever present through just being present if my body is hungry I feed it, or not because I have no attachment to the feeling of hunger or satiation as the source of well being. I experience them and the body has many urges and impulses but my well being isn't dependent on them. So you may ask why do I do anything then? With well being, the joy and peace, that which is called bliss is ever present so if I do or don't do it still is. This way everything I do or not do is an expression of that well being and through this only what resonates with that well being will be what I do....or not do. Of course, sometimes the world requires me to act in ways that may not resonate with well being. If my well being was dependent on my actions then that bliss would be transitory and not really bliss at all. This is an indication of genuine liberation because if we experience it through all manner of circumstances, it's genuine. Regardless of what's 'real' or an 'illusion', which is just another mistaken perception of dualism, what is just is what is. If you're hungry then eat...or not, sometimes fasting is more satisfying than stuffing the belly. Genuine liberation isn't contingent on circumstances aligning in one way or another, it transcends circumstance.

That's simple, it isn't a dualistic world, dualism is a mistaken perception of the world within the cognition of the mind.

Now is the only way liberation can be and I have been it for decades now.

It's encouraging that there are those who are awakened enough so are aware of the absolute nonsense of it. Liberation from self suffering is a simple expression of being present, all this chatter serves as more of a distraction from it than a guide to it.

Well, attention isn't really an equivalent of awareness since we can have much attention on a specific something while simultaneously being unaware of the broader perspective. The physical limitations you are talking about effect attention, focus, alertness and things like that but we can do or take things that will improve them without actually expanding awareness. These 'degrees' of awareness aren't defined levels or anything like that, all you are doing is stratifying it yourself, it doesn't have any inherent degrees, levels or any separations. Even unawareness isn't a separate thing from awareness, its merely the absence of awareness and doesn't exist as a thing on its own.

Well, insight is that illuminating effect in the experience of consciousness Belief is the trust one exercises in the experience of consciousness.

That word enlightenment has so much baggage with it but l have found in my own experience that they can awaken us in an instant compared to many years of 'practice'. Although without a deep realization of those lessons the awakening can be fleeting and hollow so can become an obstacle as the ego may fixate on that past experience instead of on the present potential. Attaching to the past experience even if it was of an awakening nature can still cause self suffering so hinder liberation.

Well, I understand that he has gradually migrated from personal development to consciousness work and he continued with his instructional behavior into an area of experience that is a challenge to communicate in. I don't wish to criticize him for it because there is value in the encouragement that his work has. Although if he is trying to tell others what is "the truth" and suggest that what isn't in line with that is "false" then he might be a hindrance to some who have a differing experience and aren't awakened enough to recognize it's being an obstacle to liberation for them.

Words are useful for encouragement and leading someone to self examine but trying to describe the indescribable and explain the inexplicable often serves as a distraction. Each of our experiences on this path and in our work is so unique to us that trying to tell someone else what is or isn't really is an exercise in ego.

Consciousness may not have states, degrees or levels but what gives the perspective of them is unawareness. As an example the ego sees separation through identifying because it is unaware of being one. So when someone would say they are raising consciousness it is through becoming aware by transcending unawareness. When we refer to attention, focus, understanding, wisdom and such things these are expressions of consciousness.

I'm always amazed at how much people talk about something that can't be communicated.

To genuinely realize being one then create any discord is this...

If you keep talking this way with others it exposes your own limiting beliefs.

@Joseph Maynor Pellucid.

If I existed I would be offended but since I don't.........hah