Spiritual Gymnastics

[r0ckyreed]

I am coining the term spiritual gymnastics. I had an insight while reading If Truth Be Told By Om Swami. He talked about monks engaging in intense sadhanas to the point where they would push their bodies and minds to the limits such as meditating in the ice, fasting, etc. 

As I was reading this, I had an insight that none of this has to do with enlightenment/awakening. It is no different than a body builder going to the gym or a marathoner running 150 miles. None of those intense meditations have to do with enlightenment - understanding reality. They are all about transcending the body/mind and pushing it to its limits.

I see the spiritual gymnastics game being played. Monks were amazed by how many days in a row Om Swami was able to meditate. But no monk stressed the extent of Om Swami’s understanding/insight. Buddhism is spiritual gymnastics. It’s not about truth/understanding. It’s about who can tolerate and transcend suffering the most. All of their rituals, tantra, and Tumo meditations are about gymnastics not truth.

All of this semen retention, laying down on nails, walking on fire, meditating in the winter, chanting a mantra, etc. is a form of spiritual gymnastics. It’s fake spirituality.

 

[Ishanga]

2 minutes ago, r0ckyreed said:

I am coining the term spiritual gymnastics. I had an insight while reading If Truth Be Told By Om Swami. He talked about monks engaging in intense sadhanas to the point where they would push their bodies and minds to the limits such as meditating in the ice, fasting, etc. 

As I was reading this, I had an insight that none of this has to do with enlightenment/awakening. It is no different than a body builder going to the gym or a marathoner running 150 miles. None of those intense meditations have to do with enlightenment - understanding reality. They are all about transcending the body/mind and pushing it to its limits.

I see the spiritual gymnastics game being played. Monks were amazed by how many days in a row Om Swami was able to meditate. But no monk stressed the extent of Om Swami’s understanding/insight. Buddhism is spiritual gymnastics. It’s not about truth/understanding. It’s about who can tolerate and transcend suffering the most. All of their rituals, tantra, and Tumo meditations are about gymnastics not truth.

All of this semen retention, laying down on nails, walking on fire, meditating in the winter, chanting a mantra, etc. is a form of spiritual gymnastics. It’s fake spirituality.

 

Spirituality comes in different forms, and it basic meaning is not about Understanding of Reality, You or anyone will not "Understand" Reality because it is too complex to Understand, once You think You understand, then something else will pop up and once again You will not Understand,  its like a never ending fractal.. 

Spirituality is about touching that dimension of You that is beyond the physical, so what the monk are doing with their sort of Sadhana is just that, a certain way to go beyond the physical, its not too Your liking, or mine, so we call it "anti Spirituality" but if we do this, judge it, then we become blind to what it has to offer and where it leads too, so don't fall into that sort of trap of thinking You know what Spirituality is all about, none of Us do really, we know basics, thats all, Guru's are here to teach us certain things, and too be an example, there's lots of them because there are lots of ppl with varying karmic makeups and personalities/identities, that's all, in the end they are the same, with the same message, You can go beyond the Body and Mind and find out what You truly Are! 

 

[theoneandnone]

Technically all spirituality, religion… science it’s all gymnastics and masturbation it’s apes running around figuring out what this is all for. This song describes my life perfectly!

 

Reminds me of this bare naked ladies song: 

 

[Carl-Richard]

How long can you meditate for?

[Hojo]

Its not fake spirituality you are strengthening yourself so that you can be a tree. How long is a tree stuck outside in the cold?

[r0ckyreed]

5 minutes ago, Hojo said:

Its not fake spirituality you are strengthening yourself so that you can be a tree. How long is a tree stuck outside in the cold?

It’s no different than David Blaine holding his breath underwater or David Goggins running 240 miles. It’s gymnastics. A monk is basically a David Blaine/Goggins for meditation. They meditate but do they realize they are God? Probably not. Look at Wim Hof. He’s doing spiritual gymnastics but he’s not enlightened.

Edited 2 hours ago by r0ckyreed

[Ishanga]

6 minutes ago, r0ckyreed said:

It’s no different than David Blaine holding his breath underwater or David Goggins running 240 miles. It’s gymnastics. A monk is basically a David Blaine/Goggins for meditation. They meditate but do they realize they are God? Probably not. Look at Wim Hof. He’s doing spiritual gymnastics but he’s not enlightened.

You have a certain sort of Enlightenment look or how one should be or what Enlightenment actually is, but maybe it is slightly different for ppl.. My interpretation of Enlightenment is that it is the highest possibility and potential for someone to have as an Experience, how that is Expressed is for sure different for Everyone, as well most ppl that get to the Enlightenment Experience also physically die at the sametime, so mostly only Masters or Guru's stay around to do specific work or purpose (Many are just here to balance the Karma of the world).. For eg Eckhart Tolle IMO is not Enlightened, he's a Saint or Sage of sorts, has a teaching and shares it but is not an Enlightened Master of sorts, compared to Sadhguru or Swami Rama or someone like that...

[Natasha Tori Maru]

*IS* it fake though - or part of a process?

Do you not think these are all state changes? Which, when controlled, could quite possibly contribute to realization. Maybe we just do not understand mechanisms

No guarantees.

[Hojo]

@r0ckyreed yeah but the body is enduring its like training yourself to not move under extreme conditions. There are lots of uncomfortable energy states and they are training their soul to endure them. Once you get passed the extreme uncomfortable energies you merge with them.

Imagine you die and want to live in frozen land but you cant your soul or energy freaks out when it touches it. Well you can become a human and train yourself then go there after.

When you leave the earth there will be many uncomfortable energies. You want to become like a tree. It dosent move when you rip its limbs off it just sits and endures and accepts.

Edited 2 hours ago by Hojo

[UnbornTao]

Jerking off your way to enlightenment. 

[Carl-Richard]

1 hour ago, r0ckyreed said:

Look at Wim Hof. He’s doing spiritual gymnastics but he’s not enlightened.

I see Leo contemplating reality but he is not enlightened.

Edited 1 hour ago by Carl-Richard

[Yimpa]

1 hour ago, Carl-Richard said:

How long can you meditate for?

I meditate time into existence, therefore I am time itself 

Time to let go of time.

Edited 1 hour ago by Yimpa