SOUL

Actually, we all are aware of being present now to some degree but the first word in that description is the challenge. Are we doing it infinitely or mostly or partially or barely? This is how the consciousness work can influence our experience of awareness in being present. Although, the challenging nature of the work doesn't change the simplistic nature of the task.

I prefer the short explanation: Infinitely aware of being present now.

It appeared in your op as if you were associating emotions with 'fake' action and that would be an inaccurate representation of life. Our actions typically have both 'real' and 'fake' motivations, inspirations and imaginations often simultaneously within the very same source of them. Since many in the mystical community would say all of life is an illusory experience wouldn't that imply all we do isn't 'real' anyway? What I'm just trying to convey is that painting things into black and white terms is just more dualism theology so I would suggest a more holistic approach if one wants to be authentic.

Emotion plays an integral part of life with love, passion, fear, pain and desire giving a sensory basis for our experience as animate beings.

What is the significance of the silence in between words? What is the significance of the sounds that make up words? What is the significance of the vibrations that make up sounds? What is the significance of what vibrations bounce against to create sounds? What is the significance of vibrations doing the dance that they do? What is the significance of something filling nothing to create everything? What is the significance of asking these questions rather than the peace with just being present?

The issue I see is people have their preferred paradigm perspective and they want to filter everything through it in calling their own preferred paradigm perspective 'reality' and 'truth' but the others are 'illusion' and 'false'.

@Nahm Absolutely, although the self-mortification and self-denial in his day is the no self, ego death and 'you do not exist' teaching of this day. The middle path teaches us to not be obsessed or identified with self or no self, with ego or no ego but instead to attune our awareness in the present moment of just being. In the in the simplicity of this middle path we find inner peace. I speak this from experience right now not from a teaching.

So you are suggesting that upon awakening Sidhartha first talked about something not related to his own pursuit, not related to awakening? Being too preoccupied with the 'pursuit of what we are' as nothing or something is exactly what this wisdom is speaking to right now.

@Nahm The illusion of atoms is both being empty and full, being both something and nothing, the ones who are awakened to the middle way are liberated from that illusion.

Thousands of years ago a seeker was lost on the path between the extremes of self indulgence and self mortification, of living to the self and dying to the self, but then was awakened to the middle path and liberated in enlightenment. Awaken to being in the moment of nirvana.

The brain has evolved to create conceptualizations in an effort to understand 'what is' and that is it's 'what is' state of mind. Our awareness is observing this state of mind but it isn't in itself that state of mind. Ultimately what is called enlightenment is the clearing of awareness so it isn't subject to and dominated by the ever-changing state of mind so it stays present in the moment simply being.

So to illuminate and clarify this all what we seek in experience through what is called 'enlightenment' is to be present in the moment just simply being with all the ideas and concepts of non-duality, no mind, 'you do not exist' and truth with a capital 'T' that are typically associated with the 'enlightenment' serve to be additional distractions of illusory perception and not distinct characteristics of the experience sought.

The separation between mind and 'no-mind' is an illusion and the distinction between them doesn't really exist in perspective just like the mind's formness of duality and 'non-duality' is an illusion with no distinction.

Duality is a transparent illusion in the mind so non-duality is equally an illusion.

If glass is sand before and after is it ever really glass? hehe

Time is change dancing with now.

Glass is made of sand but when it's broken glass doesn't turn back into sand.......

Why don't you ask it? I did.... and we laughed and laughed..... it's an inside joke.

Duality exists.... just like unity does and trinity and quadity? and on and on and on all the way to infinity so all the ones that aren't duality count as non-dual. For whatever reason our minds have a propensity to see things as duality and even be fixated on it when really it isn't it at all and this could explain why some get equally fixated on non-duality to break free from it. Although to me that would be akin to being consumed with a theory of non-unity, non-trinity or even non-infinity....sure, the mind doesn't typically have those other paradigms gripping it like duality does but to set oneself against something is continuing to give power to it in our mind. In an epic form of irony one creates a duality by being in opposition to it so to drain it of power in one's mind we shouldn't set ourselves against it, just accept it because it is merely one of many forms that exist in the finite of infinity. I didn't watch the video but non-duality undoubtedly includes duality other than the obvious terminology of it, it's setting oneself against it ideologically. So as an alternative one can seek unity with infinity and remove the focus on that other altogether.

So many traps in your sig by the way.... just sayin'....

Trap Every way, even a theory that theories trap can trap. Being present realizes enlightenment not theorizes it.

I like his approach, very down to earth and genuine, but his ideas are pretty much the typical rhetoric found in 'non-dual' belief paradigm. Though, he sure does work that 'selfing' angle pretty hard...hah

Yea, it seems pretty much that you are seeking fulfillment through accomplishment which in itself isn't a negative thing but it can lead to the cycle of feeding desire, it's an craving that won't be satiated. Once you can orient consciousness to contentment in just being you will have a fulfillment that transcends accomplishment so they will be added to an unwavering peace and can be fully enjoyed.

There is no truth with a capital 'T', this is just a misuse of the word truth to satisfy the ego's desire to 'know' the answer to the 'big questions' which is really no different than it's desire to 'know' the answers to all the little questions, too.... the ones of the little 't' truths. So one can have a fulfilling life without seeking it.

@beastmode I don't ascribe to any 'ism' so I am not an 'ist' of any kind. Besides, skepticism is very much a belief paradigm itself, ironically, even in it's trusting in doubt as a useful tool.. A belief is just the mind's way of trusting it's own perception even if that belief is that one doesn't trust their perceptions. It really is impossible to rid the mind of 'belief' otherwise we'd not even be able to navigate this world enough to survive in it, 'belief' is a psychological requirement for any action that isn't an involuntary one that happens without us being aware of it. So, what one may strive for if 'belief' is viewed as some sort of negative, which itself is another belief, would be to take the Occam's razor approach to it. That is to hold the the smallest leap of belief or number of beliefs needed to just be.