Joseph Maynor

Regarding the reactivity blog post. I feel like nonreactivity is a great ideal, but we all react. Pay attention and honor your reactivity. But yes, reactivity allows others to get under your skin and a have a certain power over you. This is a nuanced topic that I've never seen anyone really deal with adequately.

Pacific Coast Highway is amazing! If you're in San Fran, do a little trip south to Pacifica. Beautiful. They have the world's most famous Taco Bell there on the beach. There are so many places I can recommend. https://www.roadtripusa.com/pacific-coast/ https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g32842-d1051970-Reviews-Taco_Bell_by_the_Sea-Pacifica_California.html

Why is the mind seen as a cause of not being free?

I'm sensing you don't like mind. You see it as a problem to be overcome.

This is similar to Spinoza's Epistemology: (different ordering though) 1. Intuition -- Consciousness of God/Nature in the Light of Eternity (Corrects both Reason and Sense Experience) 2. Reason -- Corrects Sense Experience 3. Sense Experience -- This is where the human ordinarily knows thru Thought and Extension, including emotions

If there were no finite, how could the Creator create in space and time?

Are we the same? How can we know this?

I find it amusing that saying I'm the Creator gets a side-eye even from spiritual people. I get it, it's a radical insight.

Maybe the answer is it both does and doesn't matter paradoxically.

And then the follow up question is are You the Creator?

I am the Creator.

Interesting insight. You might want to drill down a bit more on this one. This topic has fascinated me now for a while.

I'm not discounting emotional spiraling and blaming, because those are here too and I still do it. But often the wise friend of mine will get me out of the emotional quagmire by guiding me to considering a larger system at work which is causing the problem or impasse. Then, this releases suffering immediately because I realize nobody is at fault, it's a system issue. Then I can plan accordingly. It takes it to a level where optimism and calm returns.

Wisdom is neither accepting nor rejecting thoughts but properly considering them IMO. Sometimes this means finding the meta structure that the thoughts are revealing that take you beyond suffering toward planning and creative action.

When does death come?

Chinese mixed with Indigenous people. What's cool about Taiwan is all the temples are still standing. The Japanese influence is also present as well as a Western influence. Culturally, Taiwan is very different from China.

This is kinda funny because this was the advice I was giving you about the neo-advaita beliefs like a year ago.

This is what is conventionally thought, yes.

Yes, including the I.

This seems like arguing and debating.

Can you walk a path that you don't first know?

I'm an INFJ.

The sample size doesn't represent all the people who are into this work. But I think you are still right.