eputkonen

Yes - there is some risk. That is one of the values of having a teacher...he or she keeps you from going off the deep end (if that is where you are headed). Enlightenment is true sanity. To cease believing and being fooled by the illusions of the mind. Of course, anyone who is trapped in their own illusions/delusions deeply enough and if they vary enough from "norm" is considered crazy. For the enlightened...believing and being trapped by any of your own illusions/delusions is partial craziness.

The truth is ever present...and not gained. You simply lost the delusion. It is like looking for your wedding ring. Searching the couch, the bed, the car, the garage, and the various places you have been. Then to notice that you are wearing it. What was gained...nothing at all.

Who(?) found out that who(?) has this deep belief that whose(?) consciousness comes from whose(?) brain and that who(?) is separate from everything else? Who are you? Who are you really?

Good experience. I am happy for you. But you are that stillness.

@key, I would give you very much the same answer to the recent "What keeps you movitaved" question: Meaning is something the ego wants...because if things have meaning, and it does those things...then it has meaning and it is important. Meaning is not needed / necessary. You can just play and have fun. Children don't need meaning in order to play. (please read my post in the above topic for more information about this.)

@electroBeam, motivation and drive are something the ego wants. That is what is needed for work - things you don't want to do. Ask a child "what is your motivation or drive to play?"...and you will have a very confused child. Or you might get the reply...because it is fun. But what is play...but fun. So it is having fun for the sake of having fun. This is play...no motivation needed. Life can be like this too. You can do it just for the fun of it. You might think it would be fun to be a doctor (children play doctor and you can play doctor for real). But to play doctor in a hospital, you have to go to school...you have to get good grades...and so there is the pre-qualifying game of school that must be passed in order to play doctor in a hospital. And so you have fun in school, doing the "school work", because that is part of the game. This would be playing at becoming a doctor...as a pre-qualifier to playing a doctor in a hospital. Like all games...you sometimes lose. And so, while playing to becoming a doctor...you may run out of money and not be able to finish school..and thus not be able to play at being a doctor. That is OK...now play the game of finding financing for school or you could find an entirely new game to play. You can do whatever you want in this life. But do not put conditions on your happiness or enjoyment on only winning. The game - win or lose - is just for fun. It is not about future seeking...but present seeking. As for me, I am playing a mid-aged man who plays at being the husband to a wife and plays at being a father to a daughter. I play the game of corporate recruiting (playing as a recruiter) during the day...which funds (not unlike playing monopoly, life, cash flow, etc.) my house, cars, vacations, etc. I play at playing the drums at kirtans or drum jams whenever I see them available. I play poker in the bar league most Thursdays. I play at being a blog writer about nonduality and awakening. And more. I am having a blast and am enjoying myself immensely. Why do I do it? Because it's fun.

"To awaken, it does not matter what you do...it matters what you cease doing." "Upon awakening, you clearly realize that all of that time you spent in the process of freeing yourself from bondage was the delusion of bondage itself." "The secret is to simply enjoy what is happening." "You can't practice to become what you already are." "Happiness is something you are, when you are not making yourself miserable." "People never attain enlightenment…enlightenment happens to them." "Nothing is ever gained with enlightenment…it is only a loss."

You just need to be 100% devoted to the experience you are having while doing the task at hand. Not self-reflecting on its difficulty or that you don't want to do it. Not commenting, critiquing, or judging the experience you are having while doing the task at hand. In Zen, there is a story that goes... Someone asked a Zen Master, "How do you practice Zen?" The master said, "When you are hungry, eat; when you are tired, sleep." "Isn't that what everyone does anyway?" The master replied, "No, No. Most people entertains a thousand thoughts when they eat and scheme over a thousand plans when they sleep." So, when you are doing calc homework...the only thing you are doing is calc homework. If the only thing you are doing is calc homework...that is being present. Like a great dancer...when they dance...the only thing they are doing is dancing. Just do your calc homework...nothing else. Perhaps put in pauses from time to time...so there can be breaks with no-thought and just feeling the body and experiencing the environment.

@electroBeam, being present is great...but sitting and being present (meditation) is not the only option. You can mow the lawn while being present, wash the dishes while being present, etc. You can do work while being present. There is no reason why you could not do things (even work) and not also be present, peaceful, relaxed, and having fun. Sitting and doing nothing (i.e. meditation) for periods of time can be done too, but you can eat while being present, shower while being present, get dressed while being present...and continue on the whole day being present while doing things.

Most of the time. For me, it is the natural state. Presence is the norm. If don't find myself out of presence often. If I notice some sort of not enjoying what is, suffering, or not accepting what is...then that very noticing brings me to presence again. I get pulled out of presence most due to deep rooted conditioning that I am still not aware of. So when something like the above happens...I take a moment to delve into it and ask myself "what is causing this...what is the root?" And often, I see the root. Then it is a matter of questioning that understanding (belief, assumption, etc.)...because it is flawed or incorrect. When the issue is seen through, the understanding changes...and then the same situation in the future will not pull me out of presence. Then I continue on (in the day) in presence.

Who am I...that is the second "book" that starts on page 36 of my copy of The Collected Works of Sri Ramana Maharshi.

I would say pretty much anything by Ramana Maharshi: Talks with Ramana Maharshi The Collected Works of Sri Ramana Maharshi The Spiritual Teachings of Ramana Maharshi Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi Sri Ramana Gita I also like Bankei: The Unborn: The Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei Bankei Zen Also would recommend The Zen Teachings of Huang Po. It is very short, but I also like the Hsin Hsin Ming by Seng-ts'an (3rd Patriarch of Zen)...a free version is here. As for Spiritual Books for beginners - my first book was Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda...and I recommend it. I have been re-reading The Truth Is by Sri H.W.L. Poonja (aka Papaji...Gangaji's teacher)...it is good. Adyashanti has been mentioned...and I have read a few of his books, listened to a few of his audios, and watched a few videos...all have been good. Eckhart Tolle has been mentioned...and I recommend it for being present. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki is also very good. I guess these are my favorite books.

I live in Minneapolis, MN...but in a couple years I will be living in the Tampa, FL area. I visited Vancouver once...great city! May go back some day.

@Ry4n , the Five Remembrances are just some of the certainties of life. Much of our suffering is caused by denying the certainties of life. We suffer when we deny reality...reality always wins. Trying to accept them is pointless however...that is the mind trying to fake it. You either accept them or you do not accept them (there is no try) - based on your current understanding. If you don't accept them, then you need to delve into it further to realize the futility of not accepting and denying it...and the self-created suffering by denying it. Only through deeper understanding will you find you totally accept it. Otherwise you may find a split formed by the superficial understanding/knowledge of the mind, but in your heart you don't really buy it. So you may say "I realize I am of the nature to have ill health...there is no way to escape ill health"...and then suffer (beyond the discomfort of the actual illness) and not accept the next cold you have. Because in your heart/body, you don't think you should be ill (ever)...even though with this body, we will certainly be ill at times. There is a deeper level of understanding/realization that hits deep within the being...it become an undeniable certainty...and so you cease denying it and fighting against it.

No need to imagine...this is it.

Yes, sex can still be enjoyed. Don't fall for the myth and misconception that after enlightenment you could not enjoy a good meal, enjoy a sexual relationship, or otherwise do fun things. The difference is that you don't have to have it to be happy. There just is no attachment to it. Also, you would not try to manipulate another to have sex or manipulate another through sex. Sex can be a free expression of intimacy and love. It doesn't have to be a tool, a way to inflate one's ego or deflate the ego (if you are not getting any), or otherwise see it as a gain or loss. Sex that could hurt another would be avoided. After enlightenment, just as you can enjoy a beautiful sunset, enjoy an orchestra playing some well known and loved piece of music, or any number of other countless simple-pleasures there are in life...you can still enjoy sex. Of course, your sex life might end...who knows? Or it could ramp up and increase...who knows? It may be unchanged. Know one knows how a specific person's sex life might change.

It could be a distraction. But it could also be said that if the only purpose you have is enlightenment...it may help (some teachers have said as much). Of course, wanting and pursuing enlightenment too could be a hindrance (or so it can be argued - some teachers have said as much). Actually, this very question is a distraction that is hindering enlightenment. Instead of the questions, it would be better to just be still, be quiet, be present. Be still and know...that sort of thing.

Meditation is not about having experiences - why do you assume you are supposed to feel something different? Also meditation is more effective if you are not using it as a tool to get something...so meditation is not about growing. Basically, understand your assumptions and question them. No meditation is a waste of time. So in addition to other great comments...I would recommend investigating why you are meditating. What is your motivation and purpose of meditation? When you feel it was a waste of time or it sucked...investigate that. Why do you feel as you do? What are the assumptions and causes of the feeling? Gain an understanding about what is going on here.

If you have problems and you suffer, I don't suggest trying to make it more bearable by trying to remember all the people who had it worse. Furthermore, if you have to try to remember to bring gratefulness or humility into a tough situation to make it more palatable, that is the ego trying to fake it...because you believe you should. You are right...problems are of the mind. So I would suggest investigating problems, suffering, and other illusions. Not coat if over with some other story of the mind (another illusion) to make the original illusion more palatable. If you want to get to the root faster, inquire into this "I" that is suffering and has problems and complains. Inquire into this "I" that is fragile and should be living courageous. This is not a matter of perception, but understanding. Do you understand you are creating your own suffering? If so, why keep doing that to yourself? Enlightenment is the cessation of dukkha. Dukkha is often translated as suffering, but it can also mean discontent or dissatisfaction. So awaken, and there will be nothing to complain about...for you will be content and satisfied with what is as it is.

Being along has its pros and cons, but is fun. Being with others has its pros and cons, but is fun. Being alone is not better or worse than being with others...it is just different. It is not superior, nor inferior, nor equal.

For me, there is no path to enlightenment. Upon awakening, you clearly realize that all of that time you spent in the process of freeing yourself from bondage was the delusion of bondage itself. All that "progress" was yet another illusion of the mind...it did not help you see through the illusions of the mind. Enlightenment is sudden and complete (as they say in Zen). Once the bottom of the bucket falls out...all the water goes with it. I add...it should not have to be said that it never holds water again. Most (if not all) of the illusions and delusions of the mind are tied to this idea of "me". Just delve into that - who/what are you? Realize who/what you really are (deeply/wholely, not just mentally)...the rest falls away.

Top human pleasures for me: Soaking in hot springs in nature - especially if there is snow around Playing djembe and singing at kirtan (Healing Community Kirtan in Minneapolis - open format) My wife practicing reflexology on my feet Cuddling with my wife on the couch or bed.

The universe doesn't contain any suffering at all. The suffering you experience is a figment of your imagination. You created it...it is a mental fiction. Ever hear the phrase, "don't look or it will hurt more"? The hurting before you look is pain...that comes from the body's nervous system. The hurting after you look is suffering...mentally made up fiction beyond actual pain. As for pain...there is often shock when there is a lot of pain...and we often simply don't feel it. So the experience of "infinitely more pain" would feel like nothing at all. The body could not process it. Your mind is thinking up of "what ifs" that might happen...that is the mind's job, look for danger and contingency plan. It has it's place when you are trying to get a drink at a river and not be eaten by predators, but you have let it run wild. What is worse, you are believing the mind and worrying over the crap it is coming up with. Fear is just another form of suffering...you are making it all up and putting yourself through it.

I have realized that I can not be better or worse than I am. There is no such thing as better or best. But this is regarding being...who/what I am. As for my role in life, I can attempt to be the best in my profession (for example). Nothing says I can't try to be better or the best in the things that I do...but that has no affect on who I am. Also, my happiness is not tied to whether I become better or the best. I can still be perfectly happy not being the best or even known. When you see through the fictitious "me" and realize who/what you really are - then attachments fall away and the need for ego inflation ceases...but for fun you can still try to be a better golfer, worker, painter, or whatever you do. Whether you succeed or not in becoming the best is no longer important. Becoming better than you were is good enough.

You can't really fall back into delusion if the understanding was real - which is beyond a mental level. It is like seeing through a magician's illusion...now that you know the secret, the illusion never tricks you again. Whenever you are presented with the illusion again...you can appreciate and enjoy the illusion, but it does not fool you. There is an old Zen saying...once the bottom of a bucket falls out, all the water goes with it. I add that it should not have to be said that the bucket never holds water again. So if you fall back into delusion...who is being fooled? What is being identified with? Delve more deeply into the illusion/delusion of "I"...understand it for what it is.