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In other words, are you willing to give up your mind to have a direct experience of what you really are? when mind arises, ego arises by the sense of delusion because the very thing you look at becomes distroted into duality and you are not looking at it for the same thing that is yourself- which is you. This is what it means to learn who you are, the deeper you go , the more illusions you break the closer you get to a full enlightenment. Nobody said it was going to be easy, but at some point you have to decide to make a conscious effort until then you can get away with just learning and breaking through barriers unconsciously by tagging everything to the self of illusion (ego) but really i would call it mind.

Ohh boy where do I start okay? Problem – the problem is even after full enlightenment and one realises everything Is indeed an illusion, it is in itself is freedom from bondage as you understand yourself as the big self. Continuing along this notion even realising full enlightenment does not garuntee one thing. It is how to live life after this must be done according to adhering to the strict disciplines of methods and techniques one used to get to where they are now. The problem that continues to follow is there embodiment. If we consider non-duality. It means one … there is no need to go out there and solve problems and raise other you’s consciousness as you have declared that everything is beautiful and perfect. ON THE other hand, the problem I proposed above has not been solved. Let me continue with an example through method 1) Look at your watch or clock 2) Notice the tick moving in the actual present moment 3) Observe the illusion that is time 4) 1s 2s 3s 4s 5s 6s … 1m 2m 3m 1 hour 2 hour 3 hour 1 day 2 days 5) This Is direct experience and observation 2nd example 1) Look at the mcdonalds sign or your favourite food 2) Notice that it is just a pixel on a screen or the very thing infront of you 3) Observe the illusion that is what you are looking at colours, shape, etc.. etc. 4) Question what is the illusion that my mind is psychologically producing 5) This is the self-deception that leo is talking about 6) This is direct experience and observation You see the part that is missing for full buddahood is the that saying everything and nothing is an illusion in your conceptual direct experience Example … I see illusion , I see illusion, I see illusion is what your mind is probably conducing in these states of very high conscious levels that you are currently at. However, there are still millions of levels higher to go within your direct experience. The method I am talking about is the method of observing something for thousands of hours to see the illusion itself. Once you see the illusion , it gets embedded in your awareness completely and not conceptually. Yes it is true we are one thing but there are still alternating levels of seeing the present moment that is now To express this mathematically My consciouslevel I---------------I--------------------I--------------------I---------------------------I LEO’s current level I------------------------------------------------I------------------------------------------------I Yousefs current level I-----I----------I--------------I-------------I--------------I-------------I------------------I-I-I-I Nahms current level I----------------------------------------------------I---------------------------------I------------------ Ivankiss current level I----------------------------I----------------------I------------------------------I------------------I Anton current level I------------------I------------------------I------------------------I------------------------I------- Pretoms current level I-----------------------------I--------------------------------I----------------------------- (don’t take them personally, I have no way to actually state what they are, they aren’t even assumptions. Just merely using names for demonstration purposes) What this shows is that our conscious levels are varied even though we all know the same truth and are at the same exact place, I personally feel in our embodiment Buddah current level ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These I signs represent the now, we are all in varying degrees of now. The path to buddahood itself requires you to continue to break illusions by directly observing the illusions for hours on end until every self-deception is embodied at a cellular level. THIS IS DEVELOPMENT the stage after enlightenment- which we all know is not the final thing so per say. This is what it means by raising your consciousness daily - Eating 1 or 2 times a day - Sleeping at 10pm and waking up at 5pm - Continue meditating and self enquiring into nothingness This is one type of buddah because they are increasing all of consciousness by their very own practices, this is what true non duality means. There is no need to produce life purposes like the one I have chosen for myself to build schools in third world countries as some of you may have read. This is contradictory to true non-duality. BECAUSE you can do the exact same thing by being consciousness itself and raising your own consciousness. You will be going into a deeper now. What you will find is you will start to develop psychic abilities by definition of not knowing what it is but really it is just different levels of consciousness through development of self and direct observation of illusions. Consciousness is infinity and so is nothingness. But separating what is actual now from psychological nows will raise your consciousness higher and higher and higher and higher. Until well I can only hypothesis the more you let go and do this life long practice by yourself. You will discover consciousnesses that are not even currently available to humanity and be able to explain them as illustrations through your direct experience. My point or solution is: the road is infinite there is no end what ever stage you think you are at now, there is always a greater now to observe. Observation is awareness and the only tool by which direct experience can arise. So I conclude: it is a choice that one must wake. Dive into infinity or stay at their currently level to fulfil their life purpose. Some may even create the life purpose to attain buddah hood which is a term for the highest possible state that one achieved in this lifetime. The unfortunate thing is that if you stop, this is a self-deception you are implying on yourself. Enlightenment was seeing past the illusion Development is diving into the dark without knowing what to expect This is indeed the deepest insight I can give YOU guys, I have decided that I have gone as far as I need to complete my life purpose. But imagination is infinite, this is truly and is only the start of the road to infinity when you have broken the barrier to an enlightenment. There is always one more step you just have to keep inquiring to find out what it is ? happy new now. i can't help you past this point, its just down to your radical openmindedness and direct experience to see if its correct or not! aswell as the path you wish to take in your lifetime. ALL I KNOW is were all in this together by definition ahaha :') i love you all

@PreetomUpon non duality, the realisation of and abiding in “nothingness”. Due to the nature of my experience itself and the path that led me to that experience. My teachers, advaita Vedanta and etc. I realized something. Something that was thought of and expressed in a contradictory fashion. “I am eternal and everything” & “I do not exist”. I thought nothing of this contradiction. My experience seemed unquestionable. More real than anything I had ever experienced. Time passed. I got and completed my kundalini process, got involved with esoteric vajrayana practices (that I would highly advise against), and proceeded to realise the massive difference in depth between teachings and teachers due to the immense change in the nature of my non dual experience. Some teachers and most people not in non duality describe this immense change in depth and experience as a “deepening”. I can only assume those that say that haven’t been through what I have been through. It is much more. Much much more. In each state, each level of depth, different conclusions and beliefs, and ideaologies were formed. Different interpretations of my experience. Of reality. Of everything. The Buddha went through this as well. He realized nothingness. That was the first step in his journey. This realisation wasn’t a glimpse. The full thing, but he was through it. As he saw through everything that came after. It wasn’t until full enlightenment that he gave up the ever so convincing eternal self up as another delusion. A misinterpretation of the truth of Anatta. *sadhguru tone* Anatta means... there is no unchanging thing that can be called a self. This does not merely apply to a human being. It applies to those who say they are the eternal self as well. Such people simply misinterpret and filter the truth of non self through their contracted system and come to a contracted conclusion. Far from true enlightenment all of them. Anatta also denies the reality of a soul, an individual essence, unlike less nuanced traditions, however it does not deny the reality of seperation, if you live as a separated self. That is your reality. This is just obvious. Denying it is foolish. Your separated self, however, is just a part of a process. Not an unchanging thing. That is the problem with some non dual teachings as well. They trade the unchanging seperate self for an unchanging “witness self”. Nothing is unchanging within this world. Including any sort of self. Which can become just another thing the seperate self that thinks it’s moved beyond tells itself. Just to clarify and to elaborate : Most that experience non duality, are still individuals experiencing non duality. Non duality is filtered through their karmic conditionings, and produces a state that is very convincing, but is ultimately another delusion. As a result their conclusions are half baked, their teachings one dimensional. Only those that completely move beyond the limitations of the karmic body, and it’s filters see the truth of Anatta.

A very beautiful short 10 minute film on a Chan Buddhist Master. Chan, for those that don't know, was the Chinese version of Zen when Bodhidharma brought the teachings of Buddhism over to China. Or I should, Zen is the Japanese version of Chinese Chan Buddhism. This video really reflects what I love about (Zen & Chan) Buddhism so much - it's raw simplicity. There's no fancy gurus in decadents beads, and powder, piercings, holy men/women talking about God and all these fancy things. Sure that has a place but there's something about that raw simplicity and richness that I see Chan/Zen really brings to life. I don't resonate much with the group meditation as that's a real distraction for me and I do feel like I get something out of yogic pranayama, mantra, and I think what's great about yoga is the numerous different types of sadhana but I do see the other end of the coin of just having 1 or 2 simple yet profound practices that, to me, is what really makes Buddhism so beautiful. The word that I really like to describe Buddhism is "naked". You are not in that monastery to be anybody important, special, cool, smart, wise, etc. You are stripped of everything, left with nothing but your chores, daily duties and disciplines, meditation, and your koan. Which is something I deeply want. To be naked. To be a nobody. It's funny because I want to become a sage that delivers deep insights, wisdom, healings to people, awaken people, and so much much more in the coming years but I also don't want to do any of that at all. I don't want to be anybody special whatsoever that get's recognition. I honestly don't care about that at all. I'm not really someone that's ever cared about "saving the world" per say and I think it's important I'm honest about that with myself about that. Just in the sense that I've never had that kinda motivation. It's kinda like the 10th Ox Herding Picture. That picture really touches me. He's not out there crusading or trying to change the whole world. Just a simple man whose available to others out of love and only love if they need or want it. It's been a real conflict with trying to formulate a life purpose with this conflict because in the end I do want to have one, but I know I need and want to go inwards first and face that challenge, that commitment and wanting to know, "find", and discover God and the deepest truths and powers (from "full" enlightenment, to no-mind, to siddhis - not because I want to be flashy but simply because I want to know the deeper dimensions of what's real and what's possible - akashic records, so on and so forth to other wisdom like philosophy, psychology, etc.), emotional/psychological/spiritual/moral purification, and so on but also, how does someone in the West really do such an abstract, difficult thing? Even logistically for that matter. We in the USA have a lot of advantages (to the point it's becoming a problem) but it's not like for example India where you have like the Himalayas and spiritual infrastructure that's been around for tens of thousands of years with gurus (yes I know people are saying there's a lot of corruption with gurus and stuff) where people can pull an Om Swami and live in a cave and that start a small ashram for very cheap or something (pulling an example out of my ass so apologies for not bringing up better one's). Anyways... sorry for the ramble! Enjoy the video!

He is talking about the difference between seeing the Ox and taming the Ox. But even aside from all of that, there is still another dimension: development. Full enlightenment does not guarantee development.

Here is my sincere best advice, which comes from my own experience. It is an exercise from a video of Leo's (I'm sorry I don't remember which one) I will sketch it as best I can, and if someone knows the video, please link it. I think it works much better when someone like Leo instructs you directly Here is how I remember the exercise: Sit down, close your eyes and visualize the most amazing loving memory of this person you are or were in love with. Now, change the object of that love to be the one who is sitting and thinks it has all sorts of problems (the one you feel is you). The one who is lonely. The one who is irresponsible. The one who is afraid. The one who is angry. The one who is jealous. The one who is sad. The one who is guilty. The one who blames. And so on for various negative habits and emotions --------- This was one of the most life transforming exercises I have ever done, and I have done hundreds. I encourage you to try it. It took me out of codependent relationships to interdependent ones and even full enlightenment, in synergy with other good habits. It works since conscious will can redirect love anywhere. Superb powerful stuff

Nope. Actually, every time you have sex - your full Enlightenment is postponed for another year. truth be told .. sorry fellas...

Thank you. Maybe I´m deluded by the ego and trying to simulate a full Enlightenment in the mind. I really appreciate all of the feedback. I´m really commited to accepting truth, as it is happening.

I see that on this forum a lot of people use input from different religions interchangeably. This is understandable as a lot of concepts used in Hinduism are also used in Buddhism. For example, non-duality is a part of Hinduism as well as Buddhism, however how this non-duality is seen from both religions is quite different. Non-duality is used in a lot of religions or streams as one can see on wikipedia, most of these are based on Hinduism or Buddhism. There are some fundamental differences between Hinduism and Buddhism and if someone doesn´t know these, he will probably get confused if he uses input from different religions to achieve´enlightenment.´ Enlightenment in Buddhism is different from enlightenment in Hinduism and if one doen´t know the differences they will be misguided. Therefore I will name some important similarities and differences. I am familiar with Buddhism, however, I am not that familiar with Hinduism, so if someone can complement or correct me, that would be nice. Similarities Both religions see the self (Atman) as cause of suffering. Therefore, in both religions, seeing through the self is part of the way to enlightenment. Before you attain insight in the self, this self consists out of your body, your psych (thoughts, etc) and possibly your soul (depending on your worldview). Differences In Hinduism they hold that there is a soul or self in every being. Atman is often refered to as a soul of an individual and is within Brahman. Other religions or streams refer to Brahman as infinite consciousness, absolute infinity, or god and is the cause of everything and everything is in it. Brahman is the cause of Atman. So in Hinduism part of the self stays, namely the soul, and there are two absolutes, namely Brahman and Atman. Buddhists see that everything of Atman (thus including the soul) has a cause and that this cause lies in ignorance, or not knowing. This ignorance or not knowing refers to the cause of the self and the nature of reality as a whole. If you gain insight into the cause of the self, which is the nature of reality, one removes the first cause and the whole of Atman is dissolved. For a buddhist, any attachment to something absolute is caused by ignorance or not-knowing and is an illusion and a cause of suffering. They see that the nature of reality is of dependent origin and everything is relative. Everything is dependent upon something and something is dependent upon everything else. A flower is only a flower because there is a universe, time, matter, gravity, a planet, a soil, water, sun, etc. So, buddhists see that without a reality there is no consciousness and without consciousness there is no perceived reality. However, reality, without us perceiving it, exists, so existence is not dependent upon consciousness, only our reality. Space is dependent upon time, matter is dependent upon gravity, life is dependent upon its surrounding, etc. There is no absolute in buddhism. So, for buddhists, holding on to Brahman or Atman is a piece of the self that remains, as it is the belief, out of ignorance or not-knowing, in the soul and an absolute consciousness. So for a buddhist, people who believe in a soul or absolute consciousness are people who have not attained full enlightenment yet and still suffer. How do they suffer? Well, if you believe in a soul or absolute consciousness, this comes from your interpretation of what you experience, which comes from your desire for meaning. This desire for meaning is the cause of your suffering, because when you have a desire you are unsatisfied. So, you hold on to this soul or absolute consciousness, they are who you are. So, you are still something, although this something is formless. This desire is also the cause of negative emotions, like agitation or doubt, which can be triggered if you are confronted with information which conficts with your belief, like this text. There is something you don't know.. This will eat at you.

@Tony 845 Expand your understanding to take this seriously. At the precise moment you reach a full enlightenment, ie a non-dual state, you'll realize you created every "neuron" in your brain using infinite intelligence to keep the illusion, and that there is no difference or distinction between your brain and your meditation cushion. You see, your physical neurons rewiring doesn't cause the perception changes. Your consciousness elevates and you'll rewire your neurons whenever a neuroscientist brain scans you, just to fit the bill. Did your neurons actually rewire unless you directly perceived it? Think of how radical that is. Our bodies are direct projections of our consciousness. Not the other way around...

If you thinking that every realization you gain in the cultivation path as an enlightenment then you are more or less correct. But an full enlightenment example to a Tataghata level are two ways to gain. Exmple Buddha Shakyamuni used 6 years to reach full enlightenment to tataghata. But if the enlightenment is Arahant it can less time. And it also depend on your frutaition of inner wisdom. Samadhi is only one stage of enlightenment.

You can measure your spiritual enlightenment by how quiet your mind naturally is, and how open your heart feels. The heart is meant to always feel warm like a expanding bubble of bliss. When I did SDS or do nothing it didn’t awaken this, my consciousness stayed predominantly in my head where the ego identification is. Then I gave this up after a year of meditating and practiced Matt Kahn’s techniques to stay heart centered and love whatever arises. This lead to experiences of having no body, and feeling the heart blossom basically. Yet I knew there was more, and then I found other teachers that lead me to feeling the movement of air in my chest cavity which is where I’m at. All practices will ultimately lead back to the heart. It’s the only way to reach full enlightenment. Nearly all spiritual teachers have not reached this place, and still have an ego (one that talks and walks in a spiritual way). So I recommend you give up SDS, it isn’t direct. SDS has greatly increased your concentration levels so if you change your meditation to the rising and falling of the chest for 2 hours you would make massive progress. Let go of your emotions, and thoughts right now. Simply feel the breathing chest. The reason people find this challenging is because a doubt will arise about the technique or a fear; don’t listen to it, keep focusing on the breathe even if it says SDS is more effective. This is the most effective technique. It is the gateway to becoming one with your true self which always experiences a steady stream of bliss and love. Enlightenment and seeking begins and ends here. Don’t limit yourself, always stay in the breathing chest. It will reveal its magnificence very quickly. https://channelhigherself.com/blog/types-of-higher-self-meditation-practices/

Also depends how you define "anxiety" and "depression." Let me define them very carefully here: Anxiety and Depression as in DSM-IV (i.e. actual full blown disorders)? Not in full enlightenment where shadows and projections have been withdrawn and there's no repression of negative emotion. Normal negative emotions of sadness, fear, anger that arise and depart? Yes. Anxiety and Depression disorders only exist because of repressed content.

Hey Leo, you’ve talked in the past about third eye openings while on 5-MeO and it’s also seems to me paranormal abilities and powers like siddhis really become possible once the third eye opens (though, that doesn’t seem to be an across the board result for people). Have you found at least in any of your research and findings that 5-MeO can activate those sorts of things? If so, do you think those kinds of powers are more accessible than if one just pursued and mastered yoga? Keep in mind: I’m more interested in enlightenment than powers. I’m just curious because hey, if it’s possible, why not get “full enlightenment” and access the highest possibilities a human being can have?

That's kind of what I figured, although I had heard of attempts from people like Tom Campbell to use consciousness and virtual reality to do so. Or at least say that these laws and strange behaviors point away from materialism and into something bigger, I wasn't sure your take on it. One last question if you wouldn't mind answering something more personal. If there was one defining moment or day in your life that contributed the most to you eventually becoming enlightened, what was it, and what lesson could I Iearn from it as someone seeking full enlightenment?

I see. It's a very abstract thing isn't it. So, you consider full enlightenment is the complete embodiment of the Truth and allowing that to impact every aspect of your life, resulting in you not only 'knowing' the Truth, but being it.

Kundalini dissolving into reality gives full enlightenment. If you have active kundalini, i sincerely recommend you seek out a qualified master.

If Leo becomes fully enlightened he will see that he was just preaching his own interpretations. He then has some explaining to do if wants to help others go further. A big chance he will lose a lot of followers, who cant follow the u-turn. However, because Leo is so convinced of himself I dont see him reaching full enlightenment real soon. I dont know if he is even searching or trying anymore. He achieved a lot up until now though, made a lot of helpful videos, courses, etc. Created a strong community. Now there's the danger of becoming a self-convinced guru. Happened so often in the past with others. After enlightenment there is just as much to do as before enlightenment.

That you dont know this means that you are only enlightened in the western sense of the word enlightened, with which I mean; the realization of non-self. There are several people on this forum who also reached this state from my interpretation. This state is however only half of the insight, or half of the path to full enlightenment, as thought by the buddha. But congrats, enjoy and may you be well.

It's really interesting and really funny you say that because that's always been something that I found crazy about your work and I'm actually astonished at how you manage both. I mean, most people go through the whole enlightenment truth endeavor then start the organization, the ashram, the business, the teaching, etc. and with you it's backwards and I'm personally astonished at how you manage both. I actually question now how much of my framework of how I want my life purpose to play out is a limiting belief because the center piece of my life purpose is "full" enlightenment because hey, that's how it's always been done. Buddha, Osho, Sadhguru, Krishnamurti, Alan Watts, Zen masters, etc. and that whole way of seeing it really frustrates me because it feels like I have to wait years before I hammer my foot on the gas pedal and floor it in pursuit of Truth even though this is the thing I want to do now and make an impact on the world with and spend my time mastering.

rasa works on the premise that you have already been burning for enlightenment for some time and have given yourself permission to attain it. people who find success with rasa are typically the type who have already done a lot of work i say get it and see what happens. it ain't that much money. worst case scenario is u just aren't ready to awaken so u don't and like i said earlier, i disagree with ramaji and others who claim 1k is full enlightenment. myself i take this passage from the Dhammapada literally: "He who knows his former births, who sees heaven and hell, who has reached the end of births and attained to the perfection of insight, the sage who has reached the summit of spiritual excellence — him do I call a holy man." in other words, unless you're truly omniscient, u ain't a Buddha

@Moody after i hit 1000 i actually kept up practice and now i'm convinced that 1000 is not full enlightenment. RASA does work for getting u out of the normal band of consciousness tho

From Leo's latest video.. Does coming to compete self realization / full enlightenment (like mooji/osho/sadhguru/Buddah etc ) end your infinite movie watching/living cycle??? End In a sense that , "they" will always be watching experience as the witness (even if there is more reincarnation after the death of their physical body) And Will A natural death at the end of your life, without realizing the Truth, keep you in the loop of reincarnation? Is enlightenment the complete way out, permanently? Or it's just something which one needs to do in each reincarnation I guess it's paradoxical question I'm asking as there is only ONE But the ONE living as Mooji right now, has that particular ONE freed itself from the loop to now merge with God n enjoy the movie eternally?

Okay. So I'm living at home at 23 right now and trying to figure out a way to first get out of here. I really don't want to keep working in low end retail jobs where I'm only being paid $13 p/hour here in San Francisco where it's impossible to get hours. I feel like the longer I've been doing this the more I've gotten comfortable doing this. I know @Leo Gura has suggested before that it might be worth picking up a valuable skill like programming and working in that domain for a bit because my metta plan is to eventually renounce and pursue full enlightenment and God and surrender everything and then come back (I don't want to go into the full details of that since that's a whole long forum thread in itself but if you want to know my rough plan - read the monk memoir in the booklist in the enlightenment section). I'm on Lynda.com right now and looking at all these courses and I know it's a good resource but the reality is - despite the fact that I'm committed to renunciation and doing this down the road and God is what I really want (to be my real offering and service to the world when I come back to serve my real hero's journey) - I'm not turned on by any of this stuff. I'm moving into Stage Green now where I've been craving to be more artistic and free from this left brained approach to work. Right now I really want to get more life experience, travel, invest in my own self-education since I didn't have that in college (particularly since I dropped out after Freshman year), etc. Could really use some outside opinions on this. I also don't want to have a business right now to start because I think that'd be too much on my plate emotionally more than anything. Also because I don't want to invest in just some bullshit business that I'm not clear on or don't give a shit about. I feel like I'm being idealistic but the authentic motive and intuition is there. I just don't want to plug myself into this pragmatic system doing hyper left brained work.

Read the monk memoir on the booklist in the consciousness and enlightenment section. I think this is a good idea for you but also understand that this action needs to be fueled by a positive motivation. That doesn’t mean there won’t be fear but you “yearn for God” and are willing to surrender everything. @ajasatya said it best about the ego relenting at the end of his post. Don’t do this for escapism and also build momentum into this. Also, being a monk doesn’t necessarily mean go live in a monastery. It may mean that but you can be in Zen for example where you can actually leave the monastery eventually to do your own thing. Or you live in a cave and take the vows of say a Tantrik yogi/monk who may or may not have a guru and pursue hardcore full enlightenment until you have been permeated by God in your psyche, actions, and body and then return to the world and start say a healthy spiritual community like that I’d say Sat Yoga in Costa Rica run by Shunyamurti that has a wisdom school, an ashram, runs retreats, etc. which demands enlightened leadership (which does take money) or you may decide to not return to the material world and live in a hut like Zen Master and famous poet Ryōkan. Or you may have a tiny ashram somewhere.