Sven

I also had to laugh at this “You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.” And then be like I hope that helped you to find your purpose

I can imagine your answer being of value only if you are assuming people actually do anything worth their time in the first place. There's for example plenty of people who spent the time apart from their job or education simply watching television or netflix series or random youtube recommendations or anything else which distracts them- time flies by for sure! But is watching television worth pursuing?

Watch the video if you feel like it, else the list in the image shown above (excerpt from Ted talk by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Flow & more, psychologist) Question is: How can you differentiate between the Flow state and Enlightenment? Please do not answer impulsively. I won't be glad seeing anything like "it's the same" or "it's completely different". If you are willing to answer, I want to hear arguments- and if not arguments, then your word on not being able to put it into words but yet having experienced "both" "states" and you feel like your experience is worth sharing in this context. That being said. If you regard the list in the image you can see that many of the factors named seem very much alike the ones named by people who have either woken up entirely or have had a (prolonged) experience of enlightenment. I am assuming you can see for yourself which ones correspond. As far as differences go, research points out that people usually experience the flow state when performing an action which is both challenging and demanding of (any type of) skill. Enlightenment on the other hand, is related to the dissolving of the self and has nothing to do with performance. So you could say they are actually not at all the same. It then follows for me that the flow state is just one of the many things which can be willfully chosen to be experienced once the self is dissolved. In other words, enlightenment > flow. There is much more to be said here, but I kind of lost my drift on writing here. Plus I would end up writing forever. At the same time, I am unsure as to how you guys will receive this subject. If anyone is interested in a serious discussion regarding this question of mine I would appreciate it! Thanks guys, keep rocking

What I would want to advice you is on something it seems you are already doing in a sense. That is, knowing what you don't know. Not-knowing is actually a much more open space or perspective to think from! It is relatively close to that which you started your journey for. Non-duality is something you say you don't know. This is great to hear, because before you start trying to figure out what it is I can still warn you. Because you will not be able to understand it with your mind/intellect/brain or the like! It has to be experienced. The same goes for many (if not all) matters of spirituality. This is why independant (google what it means precisely) research is important. This is to prevent you from walking into traps. But you seem bright my friend, I wish you the best on all this and remember to indeed laugh and look at the world from the kind of perspective your brother has. Beautiful story of yours, thanks for sharing

Yeah. As far as I know there is relative knowledge and absolute truth. We are looking through the lens of relative knowledge, from which the absolute truth seems just like another special branch of relative knowledge. But it is not, we have heard so many times by all the awakened teachers. So everything will seem strange until indeed there is no resistance to it. But then you wonder if that's actually viable... There's this quote from I believe the Bible "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don't toil, neither dothey spin." Meaning: Everything is provided for (thus drop your silly ego game, basically, and be free) On the matter of you not choosing to be where you are right now. That seems to be false as well. Everything is as it has to be, there is not at all anything wrong. Not at all. Okay then. Nothing wrong, what's next?... Nothing? What's the point of changing a situation if it's fine anyway? This is where Leo jumps in saying NO that's not true- There is more after enlightenment. You still have to go for a better relative situation. But how can you change your relative situation when you are inside it? Do you see where we go wrong my friend? Because not just you but me (and presumably over 90% of people on this forum) have this exact vantage point and it's not helping us. And I am confused about it all!

"After attaining enlightenment people usually go and tell/teach other people about it." You must be kidding. You respond without actually searching Ralston on the web? Because youre entire response would not be the same if you had

Youre commenting on only 1 half od the quote... the other was enlightenment. Because the relative world will never cease to exist. What youre suggesting is that once youre enlightened, then all you'll do is sit in front of a tree. That would be stupid

Hi guys. Lucid dreaming is a topic that passed my consciousness frequently lately. I personally believe that being able to indulge in infinite possibilities for creativity at night to be a very awakening practice, but I wonder what you guys think! Have you had a lucid dream? Yes? Did you cry (out of Beauty) when you had your first? (I did) Do you have negative experiences? Tell me your stories I am very interested Much love guys,

Wait you want us to write our contemplations here? That is a cool idea I'll wait for your reply if you actually want to do that.

"So enlightenment is not a state of being, but a feeling. One feels enlightened (...)" But no that would be impossible wouldn't it? I think it's impossible honestly. I think actual enlightenment is a story. But it's cool to think we could actually completely kill ourselves in a sense and thus remain just a free blow of wind. But eh, Peter Ralston has said many times that when he actually "became enlightened", he didn't tell anyone for days. Reason being there "not being anyone to feel the need to share". Sure his ego was so weak that it did not feel any need for anything. That is as close as you can become to enlightenment. But now, he does talk of his own enlightenment. So... He came back to talk about it? Basically that's what follows. But my perspective might be one without the proper direct experience. Either way by the way that website you linked seems cool I'll give it a read.

"What's the difference between mental alertness and awareness?" I think they might counter-intuitively be the exact same thing, but we cannot access that insight when our mind is working us instead of us working the mind. So firstly you figure out how to let go of everything or, in other words, just be aware of everything without judging. That is meditation, of course. Secondly, if step one is done correctly, from this empty space of clarity actually the most intense focus can take place. This state is called the flow state as you may already know. Either way, I am very, very interested in this specific question because scientific research is unable to determine what the resource is behind ego depletion (ego depletion is nothing more than simply losing focus). From a spiritual perspective we might say that that resource is just nothingness or pure awareness, but I do not know! I do not experience this in that way. About the positivity- as far as I am concerned there is no negativity possible whatsoever. Once the mind is clear and cleaned of bullshit judgments, beliefs and ideologies that do not support anything in the world other than pure neurotic behavior only positivity can remain. Because you do have a choice at that point.

I would categorize your books into specific categories and then read the books in the order of categories. And theoretically repeat that process once you've read all the books from all the categories you want to read from (which can of course theoretically be hundreds of categories) This would be a piratical strategy- see how you feel about that. Another option would be as is already stated above to just read whatever you feel like reading at the moment- don't think about it for too long and then go for it and don't look back. So those are two options. About Khalil Gibran, you can simply google him my friend?

I think Leo's video "Life Is A Maze" is a good video on this topic, actually Also Leo pinned a comment of his stating (quote): "Important Warning: Solving the maze does not merely mean enlightenment. It means resolving your entire life situation, finding your place in life." So do what you can with this information- maybe it helps maybe it does not I for one do not know

How old are you anyway

What is for sure is that you will always be able to keep practical knowledge like how to use language and do math. Therefore the worry to lose this knowledge should be considered without ground. Next consider these two seeming contradictions: 1 You take up beliefs from Leo ("Leo says we must...") 2 Leo says not to believe anything he says but instead, you should find these things out ourselves. Man, you got like a hundred things you believe just in writing your topic. You basically say there is an option to "loosely hold your web of beliefs" who says this is even possible? Memories fade out as you do not train your mind to be aware of them. So the only thing I can make out of loosely holding onto your beliefs is that you are going to intend to purposefully ignore certain ideas and thoughts (memories) until they are gone... It doesn't make any sense. Experience of what is true should be the only thing that matters. I think you are luring yourself into a trap but not noticing it. This stuff is counter-intuitive. SO all this being said consider everything above as 100% nonsense as I am not qualified to give you advice. But maybe you were pushed around a little enough so that you can get out of your current thought pattern and "move on"

And what's your game plan? Thanks for this post by the way

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_autodidacts So unless you doubt yourself in competence and motivation as stated above as well, there is no need to think that going autodidact is not a valid path... So why did you ask the question is my response

I am curious about how you say you "chose to be human at this time". Can you explain this further?

What is your goal?

This is great! Thanks

Booyaa... so you can't go back right? Makes me think of morpheus when he said there is always that splinter in the back of your head. Yeah no definitely no going back from a piece of wood in your mind itching there like no tomorrow

I do not think you should expect definite answers or explanations on this, it's only going to conceptualize it more and more if you try to understand it with your mind

It arrived at the door just now! My question: How should I read this book?

What is the best way to start the road to financial freedom? Thanks guys <3

@Strikr nonetheless, thanks for the post we all need to reset sometimes, until, well, you know...