Truth Addict

Leo is not enlightened. He admits that by himself. The tragedy, though, is that you're still focused on others, not listening to yourself.

Deluded chimp here.

You 'knows'.

Then maybe you'll never be able to live up to your vision. Your view is so contracted, and you want to see other people enlightened while having a profession? Perhaps that's why there aren't many enlightened professionals to begin with, because they're just like you, they want others to work and make the world a better place while they're lazy to even entertain a piece of wisdom. The main reason for why there aren't many professionals in the world is because they're focused on others more than on themselves.

It's a paradox. Focus on yourself, not others. Everyone is enlightened, except you. You are the only deluded one here. (I apply this to myself).

@Ibn Sina The good news is that everyone is enlightened. The bad news is that you're the only obstacle. Life is harsh whether everyone is "enlightened" according to your ideals or not. It cannot get any better. I mean it certainly can but you will not be able to see it because you are the obstacle to that seeing. In other words, once you have succeeded in applying the changes you want, you will start chasing another goal, you will start seeking another change, and so on for the rest of your life.

It has a second part.

The word 'ego' or 'devil' is mostly used to assert rejection to a certain quality of (oneself or others') personality that one is sick of and wishing to change. For example: I don't like your tone while you're talking. So, I call you arrogant, and an ego.

It gets tricky, but I see what you mean.

Assume whatever you want, it's none of my business. I was/am not trying to convince you of anything, just so you know.

It can also be expanded to include the possibility of various degrees of drinking, for example: does suffocating oneself with water jive with staying alive? And the answer is, obviously, yes. It's about conscious balance.

Because I don't have the answers.

Okay, but why remove it out of the picture? (let alone the paradoxical process of removing what never was).

'Everything is perfect' is a pointer, not the actual case. Everything is both perfect and not perfect, and neither. Depending on how you look at it. Once you have seen the pointer as it is, you will be able to see what it's pointing to. Why go to the toilet? No. It's not possible to 'move away' from the love/acceptance because love/acceptance is all there is. Even the thoughts, the resistance, the 'moving away', and the desires; are all love/acceptance. Not disagreeing with what you're saying, but asking a genuine question: Is the 'ego' that you're talking about a pointer or an actual thing or both or neither? @Aakash Interesting update! Yet, there's more.

You're basically asking us to point you towards an ideology.

@ajasatya @FredFred You heard me.

@StarStruck Perhaps if you change your maps, it will.

@Bill W I am probably the most humble guy in the world. Suffering taught me humility. But I won't lie to fake humility. It is what it is. It's obvious when you're an adult and others are toddlers. I was not trying to prove that my opinion is true, but y'all are asking me. The problem is on your behalf, not mine, my friends. That's the pre/trans fallacy.

It's as accurate as an analogy can get.

Does drinking water jive with staying alive?

This feeling of "cultishness" is not something objective or inherent in the groups themselves, but rather a projection from yourself. Examine the feeling closely, what do you see? I could tell you how, but then how would you know that I'm not lying to you or deluding myself? Do you see the problem here? You don't know until you know.

@Mu_ I don't have the numbers, but I have my personal experience. And compared to other people who hadn't suffered like I did, it's quite obvious to me how stuck they are. The criterion is very simple; if you're not done seeking, then you're not enlightened. (@Bill W Here's your answer) @ajasatya Like the OP said, this is a thread for criticising Zen, not for motivating people for joining in. I criticised it by my own biased opinion.

@Inliytened1 No you are NOT Channeling anything! Stop bullshitting yourself. ?

Good for you. I love sleeping

I mind. Do you?