This Quote is Amazing from Nisargadatta Maharaj

[Joseph Maynor]

A TEACHABLE MOMENT — making lemonade out of lemons here

Let me say this, for those of you that think you have no Ego or are trying to suppress or repress the Ego — you’re only denying reality.  We all have Ego.  All we can do is not identify with it.  And for all of you that are pointing my Ego out here — shine that bright light on your own too.  Stop pretending you are beyond Ego — that ain’t true.  And truth is what we’re interested in here.

Yes, my Ego got triggered on my initial posts.  When I read this last night, I was stressed, not in a good mood, and getting ready for bed.  So, I got triggered.  But it’s your judgments about that that show you are still clinging to beliefs about reality that contradict the truth.  It is you, you, you!  Learn something here about you!  Fingers point to you.  I’m glad this unfolded the way it did.  We all learned something about beliefs here.  Just because you are awake doesn’t mean you lack Ego and never get triggered.  Grok it!

I’m still gonna step away for a while because I need to focus on my life Purpose work without interruption for a while.  I’ll be back!  And yes, none of you will ever take my place around here haha!  Don’t even try (Strokes Ego).  

Video on point to watch:

 

Edited February 3, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[Omni]

Brother, no one here said or even implied we were beyond ego, I don't have anything to win or gain from my post, you've been here before I was ever a registered member, shit probably before I even started watching Leo.

I'm trying to point something out that has been an observation since the first time I encountered you on the forums.

Leo consistently talks about how Actualized.org becomes a trap just like everything else can, no one is attacking you - but your ego thinks otherwise.

am I in the wrong for the criticism I project? OF COURSE! I could make a list of my addictions for you! - but that solves nothing.

You can't mask your life purpose with addiction. If there's anything to learn here, it's gotta be a self reflective learning experience, not 'beliefs' or anything else. And this includes all of us here.

Good luck with your endeavors.

[Joseph Maynor]

Did any of you even read the original post — the Maharaj quote?  I recommend that you do so now.  My attempt was to share that with you.  It’s a very wise and succinct description of Enlightenment work.  Please read it.  I didn’t share that quote to get into this unexpected quagmire of beliefs and judging that this has devolved into.   But such is life.  The Mind cannot control reality, so always be prepared for the unexpected derailment of intentions and plans.   

What we need is not more beliefs and judgments, it’s more acceptance and compassion.  When you can be that, that’s the next level.  And you can’t rush this. It just happens when it does.  And by no means do I consider myself there yet either.  It takes a lot of time and a lot of Mindfulness and a  lot of acceptance.

Edited February 3, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[Joseph Maynor]

1 hour ago, Nahm said:

Nobody's winning here. We can do better than this guys.  

The only winning is increased awareness.

[Truth]

15 hours ago, Joseph Maynor said:

You’re no friend apparently.  Check yourself first.  You just projected so much on me you outed yourself.   You have no idea what you’re talking about.  It’s your ego that is at issue here, not mine.  By your tone I can tell you got a little sinister gratification in your post.  Have fun with that.

 

[Joseph Maynor]

Let’s bury the hatchet folks.  Can you do that?   He used the word “friend” in his initial salvo to me, that’s what prompted my response.  Friends don’t snipe at friends in that manner.  Using friend in that manner is not genuine.  This is one reason why anonymity is kinda shitty on this forum.  We would all be much more compassionate towards each other if we couldn’t snipe from behind a mask of anonymity.  But see — you can do that on here.  I don’t even know who’s behind these accounts on here.  Maybe it’s the same person often, who knows.  But it matters.  It matters if you wanna have a true community.   It’s the anonymity that makes the Internet so much less that it could be.  When you think no one is looking — are you on your best behavior?   Hell no.  If I was hiding behind a phony avatar and phony name, I know I wouldn’t be.  That’s one reason I didn’t want to use an avatar on here myself.   The point of growth is to be real, warts and all, not hide behind a mask.  That’s a problem.   Think about how different we would treat each other is we were all on a collective Skype call or meeting in person.   Now that poses a different issue because maybe the brutal honesty would be missing because of social restraint, and see that’s a problem with lack of anonymity on the other side of the spectrum.  So, there are pros and cons to all mediums for community.  I think the best bet is not to become too beholden to one medium of community and to diversify your holdings so to speak.  Otherwise you’re just gonna spin your wheels saturated in inauthenticity after a while.  And it will rub off on you.  You are what you consume.  What kind of bugs me about this place is I don’t know who I’m dealing with on here.  It’s that lack of authenticity that kinda sucks.  There are great things about this forum, but that aspect of it can be and often is a detriment.

NOTE: Not a single person has responded to the call of my question here, my original post.  Just read it and I’ll be happy.  That’s all I was trying to do is share that with you.  I found something that really resonated with me and I wanted to share it with you.

Video on point to watch:

 

Edited February 3, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[Joseph Maynor]

16 hours ago, MarkusSweden said:

Yeah, you are not very kind! All those 3000 post from Joseph and I haven't seen him judge anyone, not one single time. 

His journey might be linked to ego, but if that made him happy, friendly and in the end enlightened as well, what's not to love? 

Let people be who they are without judging anyone, that should be the frist step towards enlightenment! 

 

Compassionate and accepting of reality.  Good for you.  An example to us all.

Edited February 3, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[Truth]

@Joseph Maynor

[Joseph Maynor]

4 minutes ago, Truth said:

@Joseph Maynor

The person behind the mask is you, not me.  That much is obvious.   Am I right?  At least I am out in the open where reality more plainly rests.  You are hiding behind your accounts.  Now — how does that appear from my point of view?  I’m sure you never thought to wonder about that.  

Edited February 3, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[Truth]

50 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said:

Let’s bury the hatchet folks

[Joseph Maynor]

24 minutes ago, Truth said:

Yep.  I need a drink tonight.  I will go out and have one.  I’ll drink one to all of you.  May we all learn to accept ourselves and reality a little bit more and more each day by optimizing the use of the Mind.  And that Mind needs to be optimized, I’ll tell you what, mine included.  That’s my only real message and life purpose.  Have some fun tonight, it’s Friday night!  Don’t let this nonsense weigh you down.  I’ve tried to build a useful sandcastle with whatever shit-sandwich is here (my shit not-excluded).  I hope I was able to create something good and useful from the raw materials Reality has given me to work with.  I’m not going away forever, just for a little while.  I promise. I need to do a different kind of work now.  More focused work.  Cheers!

Edited February 3, 2018 by Joseph Maynor

[snowleopard]

3 hours ago, Joseph Maynor said:

So if we’re finger-pointing at errors

@Joseph Maynor Just emphasing the pointer in Nisargadatta's quote, no more no less ... Beyond that, there was no intention to make any other point. Apologies if that was misinterpreted.

Edited February 3, 2018 by snowleopard

[Torkys]

This will be my last (at least critical and judgmental) post on this topic because as long as anyone (including me) is criticizing is taking part in this bullshit-throwing contest and is throwing bullshit at themselves.

@Joseph Maynor You are still missing my point. All of your last (huge) posts point to the fact that you are just trying to defend your self-agenda by embracing everything that fits it and rejecting everything that doesn't (and I am committing the exact same sin). You justify your comments with the fact that you were stressed while still continuing to do it after this. You identify with life purpose so much that you are willing to unnecessarily suffer for it no matter what.

• I never said that I was beyond ego
• These are the most brutally honest and authentic answers you could get from me. Even if they lack compassion.
• I have shared some personal info here. If the fact that I am just the maturing 15-year-old with little life experience being controlled by hormones serves as a justification against me, feel free to use it that way.

And I am still aware of throwing shit at myself as well - and that anything I say isn't a justification and that all analyses are false. A part of me was suffering when I wrote this. You instilled some compassion in me finally. Thanks, Joseph!

[RunningWater]

Has anyone noticed how funny of a strange-loop this thread is ?   

[Sri Ramana Maharshi]

9 hours ago, Joseph Maynor said:

Ego is a part of reality.  Yours included.  Stop holding people to unrealistic standards.  You started this.  You posted an irrelevant personal attack on me that had nothing to do with my original question.  That’s Ego too.  I’m kinda glad you did because it’s become a teachable moment for all of us.  But that doesn’t make what you did right, at least insofar as this question is concerned.  So take that judging finger and point it back at yourself.

Or you could just shut down the computer and take an Ativan. This isn't Ego, it's simply what is happening now here. <gulp>

...as the sedative kicks in one begins contemplation of how important it is to maintain a light flexibility, tolerance for others, and an enjoyment and cultivation of one's sense of humor at all times. Brother, if you aren't laughing at about every minute at this point, this is going to be a hard path, with many mental institution visits along the way. It was here, until I somehow learned to laugh at myself and my more deparate attempts.  

Great Metta to you and all success on your quest for Being, and Sat-Chit-Ananda, or whatever the hell you're after!

Love,

Sri Beetle Baba

[Ocean]

@Sri Ramana Maharshi There does seem to be a lot laughter coming from me these days. We are so silly and if we can't see this, it will lead to a greater seriousness, all of which is ego's domain.

@Joseph Maynor  Emotional reactions to life is a great teacher. Wasting time on straightening others means one is not focusing in the right direction. Just like this post. The only difference is that it's coming from life not ego, as what it's suggesting will lead to ego losing it's power.

[Leo Gura]

[Sri Ramana Maharshi]

1 hour ago, RunningWater said:

Has anyone noticed how funny of a strange-loop this thread is ?   

Not trying to be a smarty-pants, but there was a thread elsewhere where a guy was complaining about his opinion of "what's wrong with this forum.."

Now setting aside the ridiculous nature of the inquiry for a moment, look at this here quote ^^^^  "Strange loops"  --- Common people.

Look up Martin Gardner's "AHA - Gotcha - Paradoxes to Puzzle and delight" and in the first chapter is a the paradox "This sentence is false". Back in 1985 when I was 10 years old, my aunt and uncle bought me that book, which I still read sometimes at age 44. There's nothing revolutionary or new about strange loops and there are paradoxes that would leave your koan muscles broken and whimpering. Ain't nothin' new, even though Leo gets up on his videos and presents it like it's Turkish Delight. Much of the impact of his more dramatic shit is contingent upon the fact that you guys are impressionable little young guys, and just haven't heard of a lot yet, nor been as hard working as Leo has in reading books. Reading books won't get you Realization, but it sure will show you that the concepts Leo brings to the fore have been tossed around since ancient times, and he is merely repackaging them for their most recent paradigmal incarnation/reincarnation for you guys.

This can be positive, until it starts sounding like the tautological echoings of Minah birds, and then the folks who could really contribute, who really have experience dealing with their defilements run for more stratified pastures. (I know, some dip shit is about to say, "What defilements?")

I've been wondering why there doesn't seem to be a lot of high quality Buddhist discussion on here/Vipassana/Jhana/Etc. It could be because that requires actual work, not copycatting, posing, and just bullshit like "standing in awareness" until you are magically "free". For many aspirants, the Vedanta dream of Eternalism, joining with God, or similar crap, is simply the ultimate ego dream of the survival sense transmigrating (requiring the bullshit substrate of a "soul") and eternal life. If we are going to entertain such chicanery, we might as well throw in the towel and return to God damn fucking church.    

Leo is correct that if you fall into "scientism" then you will be in the map trap, believing matter is real, etc. Yet he's deluded when he says that Materialism/Natural philosophy is harder to get "un-brainwashed" from than religion. No scientific body ever decided to pour molten lead into women's vaginas due to suspician of being witches. If it was that age, Leo would already be hanging upside down. Luckily rational minds usually prevent that these days, the very rationalism that Leo rants against as if he was raped by a scientist in his youth (hope that wan't the case). It's not that rational thought is all bullshit, it's simply that we must retain the non-binary functionality (Wisdom/acceptance of opposites) to know when to be rational and when to use our intuition...when to "let go" etc. Looking into your own heart will show this, not looking at the shapes of your peers.

Of course we have to laugh, and not take so many things seriously and this forum is really good for some deep deep belly laughs.

[Sri Ramana Maharshi]

5 minutes ago, Ocean said:

@Sri Ramana Maharshi There does seem to be a lot laughter coming from me these days. We are so silly and if we can't see this, it will lead to a greater seriousness, all of which is ego's domain.

@Joseph Maynor  Emotional reactions to life is a great teacher. Wasting time on straightening others means one is not focusing in the right direction. Just like this post. The only difference is that it's coming from life not ego, as what it's suggesting will lead to ego losing it's power.

@Ocean: Totally!

[Sri Ramana Maharshi]

9 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

Excellent!