Life Purpose AMA

[Raptorsin7]

@RendHeaven People are already playing the games. Imagine learning to play in a way that makes you feel good and become happier, and also makes you better at the game.

The buddha used the breathe to enlighten people, I will use league of legends and video games as my vehicle.

[LfcCharlie4]

@RendHeaven Sometimes all it takes is planting a seed in someone's mind to get them started on this journey. 

Also, your case sounds like quite an addictive one, so it is best for you to quit video games for now, for many others they can play for hours all weekend and then not play all week if they're busy. It's a bit like all other 'addictive' activities and substances, some people can have 1 drink and go home, others can't just have 1 drink and end up spending all night in the pub despite needing to be up at 6 am for example. For example, with me I can play some Fifa with my friends occasionally in the evening for a few hours, come off, and then not play for months. Like before the whole Corona situation I hadn't touched Fifa since October, but I'll be playing regularly over the next few months, then once we're allowed back out and summer is here, I'll leave it again. 

It sounds you're the latter when it comes to Video Games, just like I am with junk food, so I simply don't start with it or ever buy it anymore. Therefore, as you said, at least until you can develop a healthier relationship with games. it's best to let them go and develop healthier hobbies and habits. 

In terms of @Raptorsin7 plan we've spoken in detail about it and to me it sounds awesome. Yes, the main purpose is around helping people awaken, but even just by getting gamers into things like meditation, mindfulness, healthy emotional expression, healthy living etc, you will create a much more positive gaming community that becomes a way of expressing happiness and having fun, instead of raging and racism every 10 minutes. 

Like most other hobbies, Gaming can be a healthy way to have some fun, but by most Orange companies these games have been bred to be addictive to maximize profits and in-game purchases, but, as society develops so will these games to focus on creating the best product and not just bleeding their customers dry.

Also, such a large proportion of young people play video games, having a business that helps people play them more consciously and develop themselves simultaneously is certainly what we need. E-Sports is a rapidly growing industry with people like Ninja doing advertising with global celebrities like David Beckham! Just like with most things, for the majority we don't need to get rid of Gaming, just 'upgrade' how we play it so it becomes an expression of happiness instead of a way to just rage and screams for hours on end. Teaching young people things like how to express emotions, breathwork to calm their anger, meditation, mindfulness, awakening, etc is extremely beneficial. At first, you may have to water down the teachings, but that's okay because even meditating to help reduce anxiety and anger is an amazing place to start, who knows, eventually it may lead to Self-Realization. 

I do have to agree though, like I said, that in your case it sounds best to drop the games. Maybe, this is something @Raptorsin7 could think about, in terms of helping people who are severely addicted to games, drop them and develop healthier habits for them, as like you said these games can be incredibly addictive. So I wouldn't say this can't work but of course, ideas can be developed and using Spirituality along with many other things to overcome addictions such as these sounds like a great Branch for this business to have. 

Maybe you can share how you are doing just this? 

[RendHeaven]

@LfcCharlie4 I think you've mischaracterized me as an "addict," missing the point entirely.

I also never wrote that games can be "incredibly addictive." I specifically said that they "lull you into unconsciousness."

7 hours ago, LfcCharlie4 said:

Also, your case sounds like quite an addictive one, so it is best for you to quit video games for now, for many others they can play for hours all weekend and then not play all week if they're busy. It's a bit like all other 'addictive' activities and substances, some people can have 1 drink and go home, others can't just have 1 drink and end up spending all night in the pub despite needing to be up at 6 am for example. For example, with me I can play some Fifa with my friends occasionally in the evening for a few hours, come off, and then not play for months. Like before the whole Corona situation I hadn't touched Fifa since October, but I'll be playing regularly over the next few months, then once we're allowed back out and summer is here, I'll leave it again. 

It sounds you're the latter when it comes to Video Games, just like I am with junk food, so I simply don't start with it or ever buy it anymore. Therefore, as you said, at least until you can develop a healthier relationship with games. it's best to let them go and develop healthier hobbies and habits. 

I do have to agree though, like I said, that in your case it sounds best to drop the games. Maybe, this is something @Raptorsin7 could think about, in terms of helping people who are severely addicted to games, drop them and develop healthier habits for them, as like you said these games can be incredibly addictive.

This whole analysis is very prescriptive based on the very little that I've shared about my gaming history.

Notice that I wrote "borderline addict," meaning not-actually-addicted. I used that language to emphasize the escapism and denial I went through. Yes, it's possible for activities to be escapism without necessarily being addicted to them.

For most people, in my experience, almost all activities in their life are escapism (including the most "important" things: school, career, friends, family, and spirituality). Even something as banal and innocent as owning a pet will turn out to be escapism on a deep level (the question is, will you see that for yourself and admit it? Or will you deny, deny, deny?). Noticing this subtlety does not mean you are addicted to your pet.

For me, putting down video games is not the problem. The problem is that I am not truly happy or at peace when gaming (because it 'lulls me into unconsciousness.' Ironically, I can be conscious of that happening!)

My original claim was that, "For some people, it's simply the case that video games are holding them back in their spiritual development." In hindsight I would actually change that statement to "For almost all people, [...]"

Notice, that statement says nothing about "Addicts."

Quite the opposite, actually. I meant something more like, "[regular!] people who mix video games and spirituality will stunt their growth in consciousness."

The reason I'm hammering on this 'addiction' point so much is because I felt in your post that what I was really trying to convey was batted aside and dismissed as, "Well, you're a special case. You were addicted! Other people are fine."

No! I was just fine (in terms of addiction)! Except I was not (in terms of consciousness)! Lol.

I'm concerned when you re-frame what I am saying into "the perspective of an addict," since that implicitly conveys that "this has nothing to do with the average person's experience." That's a great tactic to avoid self-reflection.

Furthermore, it's just not the case that this is an exclusive experience.

I can intuit (and understand through empathy) that almost everyone goes through this 'lull of unconsciousness' while gaming. (even Raptorsin clearly goes through this, if you read his journal)

Therefore, my suggestion was to quit muddying the waters. Commit to consciousness and drop the games, or stay within the realm of games and admit that you're really not all-in on consciousness. It's not that you can't do both... it's just that you are inherently limiting the results of your consciousness work, if you choose to do both (with equal intensity).

Insisting that you can do both without limiting your results is like (someone with a horrible metabolism) eating candy and going on a weight loss diet expecting their dream body. They can pretend that they are "striking a healthy balance," (and maybe they are!) but their body will never become godly, at least not in a sustainable manner. To get that dream body, this person would need to commit to weight loss and either cut the candy entirely or eat it once in a blue moon.

Edit: Of course it's not always a clear-cut binary. I imagine some extraordinary person could pull off gaming and spirituality flawlessly (in the same way that someone with an amazing metabolism can pull off eating candy with a six pack), but this is a very rare one-in-a-million individual. And I would hesitate before proclaiming, "That's me!!" Because everybody thinks that they're the special one. That's precisely ego. Extraordinary consciousness is not distributed so generously in the same way that a good metabolism is.

Now, everything I said flies out the window if you (and by you I mean anybody reading this, I'm not addressing anyone in particular anymore) manage to genuinely undermine the statement that video games "lull you into unconsciousness." That is totally possible from certain unattached perspectives.

But keep in mind, 'attachment' goes insanely deep. Just because you've dissolved a few layers, don't think you're unshackled. I don't merely mean "attachment to video games." I also mean attachment to: pleasures and desires, entertainment, activities and "doing," or "busy-ness," avoiding, any and all beliefs and meanings, purpose, identity, etc. These attachments all generally stem from an even deeper fear of: responsibility, pain, boredom, loneliness, silence, not-knowing, emptiness/being, directionless-ness, confronting evil, admitting your wrongs, being unloved, etc.

Yes, all of these things are layered and actively cloaked while we play video games, no matter how innocently or harmlessly that playing transpires. In self-actualizing and "raising our consciousness," our goal is to bring these attachments and fears to the forefront, and to release them. That process requires a willingness to give up your cloak. That's not to say the cloak is bad. The cloak is cool, and fun, and sometimes even good. But the cloak inherently blocks the light. That very light is what we're going for here. Likening video games to meditation and breathwork (yoga) is a far cry.

And be very careful about denial: "Well, maybe video games lull you into unconsciousness, RendHeaven, but not me and other people like me." If you are a gamer and that's your reaction to this post, you have so much further to go.

Lastly, a greater meta-point might be that everything I have said applies to pretty much any finite activity. I'm not just picking on video games. Imagine; "I'm gonna mash spirituality together with cooking!" "I'm gonna mash spirituality together with travel! "I'm gonna mash spirituality together with relationships!" "I'm gonna mash spirituality together with fantasy novels!"

These are all valiant ideas, and I'm sure they've been done by somebody somewhere. But understand that these ideals are inherently limiting (if not counter-productive) as a teaching, or a path. Be honest with yourself.

Edited March 19, 2020 by RendHeaven

[LfcCharlie4]

@RendHeaven Yeah sorry if I hammered home the addiction point, it just sounded like from my view you at least had an unhealthy relationship to games from your original post, sorry if that wasn't the post, I just think the way you described games as having a 'Choke Hold' on you sounded quite serious, that's all. Sorry if I misinterpreted it. Maybe I used the word addicted in a poor way, I just meant to the extent these games are seriously harming you in other areas of life, for example not working to play Video Games, not developing relationships, etc, etc. 

I don't know that much about that kind of gaming community in terms of LOL and the like, except a lot of 'typical' gamers end up playing for hours and hours, so I can, of course, see your concerns. 

By the way, I'm not denying the average person gets lulled into 'Unconsciousness' which I guess you mean relatively speaking 'lower consciousness' as watch any streamer and you'll see that's the case, but I have a HUGE issue with your last 'Meta' point as it seriously misunderstands embodying awakening, and I would class that kind of message to any seeker reading this as highly dangerous actually. 

'Committing to Consciousness' which by I guess you mean committing to awakening does not mean you HAVE to give up all of your hobbies and interests, while for a period of time this may be essential, to help you on the path, full Self-Realization is then followed up with full integration of this understanding into ALL areas of life, so in fact 'meshing' spirituality with things such as Cooking, Novels, Relationships is INCREDIBLY important and I can't stress this enough. #

Spirituality isn't some separate pursuit in which Enlightenment means all you now do is meditate and do nothing ever again, it is simply the realization of the truth of your own being, and the realization of The Absolute as EVERYTHING, including this laptop, games, food, etc, literally EVERYTHING that exists. Therefore, integrating this understanding of Truth, Love and Happiness is integral to embodying true awakening. 

If you make spirituality some separate pursuit, to me that is a huge mistake and you then run the risk of falling into the seeking trap and feeling you need to do hundreds of hours of every practice under the sun to have even a chance of awakening, which some people may need, who knows. 

True awakening means actually embodying the understanding in all areas of life such as relationships, activities, the food you eat, the lifestyle you lead etc. Yes, for a while you may need to drop certain activities such as Gaming, but it doesn't mean you can't return to these to use your terminology in a 'Higher Consciousness' manner and play the games without 'lulling into unconsciousness.' 

Just for example's sake I will show how to 'mesh' these activities- 

Relationships- Embodying the understanding that the so-called 'other' is literally YOU, and embodying your understanding of Love into relationships is key and will help you deepen and develop all relationships in your life significantly. Someone could certainly 'teach' about relationships from a 'Non-Dual' perspective. 

Cooking- This one is obvious, firstly, basing your food choices on foods that nourish your body and make you feel good, this is a clear form of Self-Love, to take it further, I would argue since you now know ALL living beings are YOU, you would at least limit the number of animal products you eat, to help minimize the exploitation of these beings. You could certainly teach nutrition and healthy living from a 'Spiritual' vantage point.

Novels - Again, if you were a writer you would simply use your understanding to permeate the core messages and stories in your books, to tell one that expresses Love, Happiness and Joy throughout. Funnily enough, a lot of stories do this anyways, as true creativity comes from The Absolute, and therefore, is filled with the inherent values of The Absolute. For example, Harry Potter's core message is Love is the strongest force in the Universe and will always be more powerful than evil in the end, is that not a incredible spiritual message? 

 

You see the understanding of your true nature is only the beginning of this journey. You then have the rest of your life for this understanding to permeate in all areas, and to express this understanding in a way that is unique to you, whether that is through being a Spiritual Teacher, through health& fitness, a therapist/ relationship councillor or a writer, or even a Coffee Shop worker who serves each customer with Love and treats everyone in a friendly manner. The most important aspect is where the motivation is coming from, and the consciousness behind the work. Activites/Relationships etc are no longer a source of happiness, but simply a means to express this happiness and love, and it can be done in infinite ways! 

Sorry if I came across harsh, I'm really not meaning to, it's just such a common misunderstanding that things 'aren't spiritual' when in reality EVERYTHING is The Self, everything is THIS, it is simply about 'upgrading' our desires and motivation behind this actions and then expressing this happiness and understanding in all areas of life. 

Once you are completely happy, at peace and fulfilled what is left but to express this in your life, and help others also understand this? 

Just so you know, I am not saying MANY shouldn't stop playing games, I did for a while, as it wasn't helping on my own journey, but post-awakening I have began playing again and merely see it as a fun way to have some fun! I no longer rage and scream like when I was 14 LOL, and simply enjoy the game. I mainly play sport games when I can't actually play sport (thanks Corona) and have some fun with friends!

Remember, life is to be enjoyed and fun It doesn't have to be a spiritual struggle!

[RendHeaven]

@LfcCharlie4 I'm sorry but you're preaching to the choir lol. I agree with everything you've said, and I don't think we really disagree about anything even though you said you had a "Huge issue" with my last point.

We are just speaking about different aspects of the same journey. I don't know where you are at on your own journey, but I find it sort of funny that you're explaining embodiment here specifically.

After all, this thread is about a yet-to-be-realized Life Purpose that attempts to "deliver consciousness to the unconscious."

It makes no sense to talk about embodiment. We're starting from ground zero, where a guy (Raptorsin) proposes to teach about consciousness to people who don't even know yet that consciousness is a thing

Within the metaphor of the 10 Ox-hearding pictures, I wonder if that even qualifies for stage 1 lol. It's more like stage 0.

I believe my point doesn't change. I've given multiple disclaimers about how everything I write breaks down at the highest levels.

4 hours ago, RendHeaven said:

Of course it's not always a clear-cut binary. I imagine some extraordinary person could pull off gaming and spirituality flawlessly

Now, everything I said flies out the window if you manage to genuinely undermine the statement that video games "lull you into unconsciousness." That is totally possible from certain unattached perspectives.

And I always pick my words with precision:

4 hours ago, RendHeaven said:

These are all valiant ideas, and I'm sure they've been done by somebody somewhere. But understand that these ideals are inherently limiting (if not counter-productive) as a teaching, or a path.

That is to say, if you intend to leverage "meshing" of finite activities (gaming, cooking, travel, novels, whatever) with consciousness work for the sake of teaching consciousness, your student is bound to hit a plateau (the "inherent limit").

I think I wasn't very clear about what I meant by "meshing." Hopefully this clarifies.

By no means am I suggesting the student should cease all activities! That's silly. You can still do your normal activities and be fully committed to awakening. The shift is primarily in priority and secondarily in behavior.

Contrast this with someone who claims that they are committed to awakening, but actually ends up unconsciously playing video games more than they actually do inner work. That's where the "counter-productivity" comes in.

And to anyone thinking, "Well, why not just be conscious while playing video games?" the untenability of that position is exactly what I was breaking down in my previous post. Thinking you can do both at the same time is naive, if you are still in the seeking stage.

Again, the seeker has not even glimpsed the ox yet. This is where commitment is necessary. This is where shedding is necessary. That's what this work is about. "Don't put the cart before the horse," as they say.

To bring it back to the OP, I was hoping that this dynamic we are covering now would be addressed - that in the "seeker" stage, this "mesh" of spirituality and gaming is limiting and counter-productive as a teaching and as a path wheres in the embodiment stage, absolute freedom is unlocked.

So that puts Raptorsin in an interesting position where he either has to push for this "post-seeking stage" of embodiment in his marketing and branding (very unlikely, since nearly nobody is actually there, although we all pretend to be there because we're fake), or more likely (but still unlikely), he must manage to communicate through his marketing and branding the early parts of the "seeking stage" while being fully aware of the self-imposed boundary and tether that is gaming.

Now that's interesting.

P.S. Leo has an extensive history with video games. I recall him maybe an year ago describing how video games no longer really do anything for him anymore now that he is so conscious, and so he doesn't really interact with them anymore. I'm not woke, nor am I at this "embodiment" stage myself, but I definitely have an intuition for what he means.

Once you're past "seeking," it's true that you can return to gaming with loving embrace. But chances are, you might actually outgrow it completely. Who knows, a stroll in the park might be more authentic for you at that point. The simple stuff, ya know? Why simplicity is so beautiful is still a mystery to me though.

Edited March 19, 2020 by RendHeaven

[RendHeaven]

1 hour ago, LfcCharlie4 said:

or even a Coffee Shop worker who serves each customer with Love and treats everyone in a friendly manner.

I've actually imagined myself doing this, it's a humbling image 

Edited March 19, 2020 by RendHeaven

[LfcCharlie4]

@RendHeaven Sorry! It sounded a bit like Nihilism at first glance as I thought you meant Spirituality can't be expressed in all areas of life, but I now realized you mean the seeking phase. And, I get you I guess I was more talking about a typical awakened beings embodiment, it's exactly what I'm trying to do in all areas of life is embody this understanding and love, even including when I play Fifa So, sorry the misunderstanding there! 

In regards to my own journey, I'll keep it brief, I worked with my teacher Ananda Devi 1-1 for 9 months to help work through any blockages, issues, confusions etc, and it always finished with a RASA transmission, and honestly, before that, I was a typical overthinking western seeker who believed they could figure this out with my mind! Self-Realization humbled me extreme amounts, to the point of realizing there is NO hierarchy and that The Self is literally ALL, and that 'I' am Simply The Self, although of course there is no 'I' to awaken, it is simply awareness becoming aware of itself as Rupert says. 

In other words, The Realization of The Truth of My Own Being has occurred, hence why I shoot towards embodiment as that's exactly where 'I'm' at. 

Please, don't think I'm trying to say 'look at me I'm so enlightened!!!' as like I said I'm not an enlightened person at all, simply the realization of my own being and nature of reality has occurred, as well as realizing things such as the true nature of Love, feel free to PM as I'd love to discuss more about your journey, and where you're at

All I will say, is to anyone reading this, KEEP GOING, absolute peace and happiness is worth whatever it takes, and beats ANY state!

Anyways, I now see your concerns, as a seeker, it may be best to stop the games for a while and like you said it may be like before the 1st Zen picture! So, I see the issue of teaching consciousness in this way so to speak, my 'hope' for this idea is introducing potentially 1000s into Spirituality/ Non-Duality through the medium of video games. Like I said, Non-Duality may be way too heavy for most to begin with so maybe it will have to be watered down to more mainstream topics like typical Mindfulness and Meditation to begin with. Maybe he could do sort of beginner streams, and then more 'advanced' Non-Duality streams for those wishing to dive deeper? 

I understand the Meshing point now, you meant as in helping seekers, often you do need a direct teacher I feel to go 'All The Way' so to speak, most modern teachers - Rupert Spira, Francis Lucille, Jean Klein, Ramaji, Nisgardatta Maharaj, Adya - all had some form of a teacher or 'help' along the path. But, maybe Raptors could also offer 1-1 teaching or group Satsangs for those who ask and are ready? 

And, yes for many who awaken they could drop gaming if it doesn't serve them anymore as Leo has done, and for others they may play in a more 'Conscious' way, either way as you said once someone is awakened there is complete freedom. Gaming won't be the same as it was before as chasing happiness and raging etc, more of an expression of the innate happiness and fulfillment within, and a simple way to have fun with friends. 

I guess Raptors could also help make gaming more conscious? Like help them express their emotions in a healthier manner etc, or maybe that's wishful thinking from my end, but I just see a HUGE group of people like 16-25 who could be attracted to spirituality through this, and nobody is really doing it, and it could help make the gaming community much happier and healthier if they go deep into this work, and many may drop games altogether like we mentioned. I've dropped things that no longer serve me in my own life, or I don't feel are an expression of this understanding of Happiness, Love, Understanding and Truth. But, some things came back naturally, maybe they are meant to be there right now. Like I said, absolute freedom allows us to do what we want, naturally and spontaneously! 

And, Post-Awakening in terms of work/ relationships etc, whatever we do will come from a place of Love and Understanding and wanting to be of service to help others, and that doesn't mean being a direct teacher always, you could be an athlete and express this as it's what you LOVE to do. I'm a BIG fan of beings doing what they love and expressing their understanding through that, whether it's Art, Sports, Coffee Shop worker or Conventional Teacher, here comes some New age optimism, but imagine a world where people dedicated their careers and lives to doing what they love?

And, yes serving coffee with love is amazing! 

P.S. Running in the park during this Corona stuff is an awesome way to start the day, get some natural light and some exercise, as is walking!

[Raptorsin7]

@LfcCharlie4 Thanks for the faith man it means a lot. I'm glad you see the potential in the idea like I do.

[RendHeaven]

4 hours ago, LfcCharlie4 said:

maybe it will have to be watered down to more mainstream topics like typical Mindfulness and Meditation to begin with. Maybe he could do sort of beginner streams, and then more 'advanced' Non-Duality streams for those wishing to dive deeper?

Sounds like you're proposing an ethical "bait-and-switch" of some sort!

Many times I wonder if that might be my calling as well.

Nonduality can be seen as a rather different "subject matter" from what most would consider "normal" - science, mathematics, history, english, etc.

All of these more "conventional" subjects arise from the thinking mind using symbols. Nonduality is the opposite of that, you might say.

"Nonduality" is not even a "subject matter" - it's not even a thing!

So how the hell do you share that with someone wedged in a web of symbolic beliefs? I mean I mostly hide my "spiritual" side in public, I know I will sound dysfunctional and crazy if I start talking about this.

It really does come down to individual bodhisattvas "watering things down" doesn't it?

I don't see any other way of facilitating a massive cultural shift.

Someone has to sort of "take the blow" - and sacrifice going all the way (not only in their personal growth - but also in their teachings) - for the sake of empathy by delivering a "kiddie version" of nonduality as though it were low-hanging fruit.

Even if they had reserved "higher teachings" for committed students, their split focus would be a hindrance.

And this archetype is nothing new, it's been around for millennia. But I feel that it might be more applicable to our current generation than ever before, given the sheer amount of comfort and distraction our society offers.

Alan Watts is a good example of someone like this. Amazing introduction to this stuff, but his speeches get repetitive and stop helping you once you outgrow them and commit to a personal journey.

And it's not uncommon knowledge that he was never truly "enlightened" himself - he was just more or less aware of his True nature, but apparently settled for a glimpse and had more of a focus on social impact.

Even Alan freakin' Watts doesn't seem to be enough these days though, I've tried encouraging people to check out his speeches and they would only make people more confused.

I used to wonder why cheesy group "mindfulness and meditation" centers existed, since those centers are never really serious about existential work and they usually just market as "stress relief," but now I understand.

[LfcCharlie4]

@RendHeaven Yes exactly that, and I would also propose this video by Rupert Spira explains is really well. 

It's all about meeting people where they're at, some people just want to meditate to reduce anxiety or manage stress after work and that's okay too, because like I said it's planting a seed at least, and regular meditation will start to help open gaps in between thoughts and maybe get them interested in going deeper, or maybe simply helping people with Anxiety could be their path in this lifetime and that's okay too, as dealing with Mental Illnesses is a critical part of life, and the path, although of course awakening can help with that too. 

Also, a lot of people simply just aren't ready to dive deep into the depths of their own being, but it doesn't mean you can't still help them, for example a stressed out banker, Mindfulness and meditation could still help him massively both in his personal and professional life, then who knows maybe in a decade he'll read I AM THAT by Nisgardatta Maharaj  

And like you say true Non-Duality literally can't be taught, even Non-Duality and Spirituality are simply concepts, all there is is THIS, but even that is saying too much. That is why Transmissions and silence have always been regarded as the highest teachings, it was Ramana who said 'Self-Inquiry is for those not ready for the silence' but Self-Inquiry helps people 'get to' that silence! 

But, even beyond that, post-awakening there is still room for personal growth and things such as Health& Fitness, Business teaching, etc, you are still a human and human life continues until this body is dropped, the evolution in the human dimension is never-ending. We still have personalities, an Enneagram type, relationships, jobs/ businesses. So, to me it's about finding something you LOVE and expressing the understanding in your unique way, whether it's a health and fitness business, a waiter or becoming a streamer/blogger if the motivation and desire behind it is from love and truth, I'm sure there are ways to make it work. 

And, in @Raptorsin7 case, it may take a fair amount of work and figuring out but I'm sure they'd be some sort of way of dealing with it. 

A random idea I had just now is creating an online course on 'Overcoming Video Game Addiction' and introducing concepts such as Meditation, Mindfulness, Exercise, Healthy Eating, Holistic Living etc in helping these young people overcome this addiction, I think he might have to pay me to become his business advisor at this rate  

Alan Watts is a great example, I actually think he was awakened, just not 'all the way' like say Ramana and Nisgardatta and Rupert Spira are, but I don't regard many teachers as fully self-realized. I think the best example right now as the perfect bridge is Eckhart Tolle, he's taken the western world by storm, made millions in the process and is introducing many to Non-Duality without even using the word! Simple words such as Presence& The Now, are allowing complete beginners to get a taste of truth. He was my introduction into this work, and to be honest I was a fanboy of his for a while when I was 16, and I'm certainly not saying he's not awake, he clearly is, again though awakening has many depths and your average westerner isn't ready for 'All that exists is The Absolute, the world doesn't actually exist how you think it does, and by the way you're not the Doer, never have been and The Absolute is behind EVERYTHING!' but many can comprehend 'All that exists is now, investigate time and see that the past and future are merely concepts' 

So, yeah, I feel watering down is actually essential to getting more mainstream audiences interested in this, I know in my own business I'm attempting to do this by helping to teach people to meditate by publishing Guided Meditations on Audible, among building a 'brand' of books around Spirituality on some of the topics we discussed. Eventually, I do want to become a 1-1 teacher (I think there's enough talking with a flower right now!) and help people directly awaken, but I also LOVE building businesses, and am only 20, and have a lot of integration work left. I also want to be more of a holistic teacher than just 'There's nobody there blah blah Non-Dual nihilism blah' and include things such as Holistic Living, Health& Fitness, Diet, Breathwork, Cold Therapy, how to deepen relationships, live in abundance etc so for now, building the online business it is!

Plus, if I manage to create financial freedom through my business (which I've had to change recently) then I would be completely free to pursue a fully passion-based business & 'teaching' and wouldn't have to charge much at all which would be ideal!

[Bazooka Jesus]

@Raptorsin7 Well, since you're mentioning it... I am really not sure if I might benefit from the LPC. I mean, I actually know what I am passionate about and have been trying to make a living from it in the past, but it seems that as soon as I turn any passion of mine into a job, it turns sour really fucking quick. For example, I have been working as a music arranger for a couple of years (since I am obviously pretty obsessed about music); but after three years or so, I started to truly hate that job. Hated, hated, HATED it so much that it was making me almost physically sick. And believe me, I have been endlessly racking my brain about all of the possible alternative ways that I could make a living creating music - but goddamn, as soon as I start to imagine what those kinds of jobs would entail and how my concrete everyday work life would look like if I pursued these careers, I immediately realize that it won't make me happy either and in all likelihood would drive me effing insane again in no time at all, so there's that.

So the question is: Is a Life Purpose Course going to magically solve this? Quite honestly, I highly doubt it; but then again, I cannot deny that I have been a pathological pessimist for my entire life, so I probably should not listen to my inuition anyhow when it comes to these kinds of things...

Anyway, right now, I am focussing on finding some random 9 to 5 job that at least won't drive me completely up the goddamn wall, but oh well, even that is easier said than done. GAH!

Edited March 20, 2020 by Bazooka Jesus

[LfcCharlie4]

@Bazooka Jesus If you're looking for a way to just produce an income so you're free to pursue a passion-based business or just passions, I'd recommend looking into online business if you have some spare money.

[Bazooka Jesus]

13 minutes ago, LfcCharlie4 said:

@Bazooka Jesus If you're looking for a way to just produce an income so you're free to pursue a passion-based business or just passions, I'd recommend looking into online business if you have some spare money.

...which I don't have, of course. Lol.

As a matter of fact, I have been trying to look into that; but how any of this stuff works is still a mystery to me. (One of my major problems when it comes to making a living is that I seem to be virtually unable to focus my mind on anything that doesn't actually interest me; so I am basically stuck in a catch 22 - no matter if I follow my passion or don't follow my passion, both roads seem to lead me to nothing but endless frustration; at least that's been my experience so far. Which naturally led me to believe that there are some deeper issues at work that I should be addressing first, which in turn brought me to this place right here and made me sink my teeth into self help, meditation, psychedelics and self inquiry. There you go, that is my life story in a nutshell. )

[LfcCharlie4]

@Bazooka Jesus Yeah man if you can' concentrate you're pretty screwed. 

Do you have ADD? 

What's your diet like? 

Have you heard of Dopamine fasting? If you're on your Phone, Netflix, Gaming etc 24/7 it screws your brains reward system, maybe look into that.

[Bazooka Jesus]

@LfcCharlie4 Do I have ADD? Perhaps I do, I don't know for sure. What I do know is that I have been an incurable daydreamer for all my life who could never force himself to give a hoot about the more mundane aspects of life, especially about the mechanics of money-making and that kind of stuff.

My diet is pretty decent for the most part; I am practically a vegetarian except for the fact that I eat a little bit of fish every now and then, and since I live in a place where fruits and vegetables are dirt cheap (read: perfectly suited for a chronically broke slob such as yours truly), I don't believe that malnutrition really is one of my problems. I have never been a gamer, and I definitely only use my phone if I absolutely have to (to this day, the concept of staring at your phone 24/7 is completely alien to me, but hey, different strokes for different folks I guess). However, I will admit that I probably spend a little too much time in front of my laptop chatting with all of you guys among other things, lol.

But then again, I also spend a lot of time doing pretty much nothing - unless of course you regard meditating, walking around aimlessly outside or sitting in the park & watching the grass grow as doing something.

Edited March 21, 2020 by Bazooka Jesus

[Raptorsin7]

On 2020-03-20 at 9:43 AM, Bazooka Jesus said:

Is a Life Purpose Course going to magically solve this? Quite honestly, I highly doubt it; but then again, I cannot deny that I have been a pathological pessimist for my entire life, so I probably should not listen to my inuition anyhow when it comes to these kinds of things...

Anyway, right now, I am focussing on finding some random 9 to 5 job that at least won't drive me completely up the goddamn wall, but oh well, even that is easier said than done. GAH!

I recommend pursuing awakening before pursuing life purpose. Once I had an awakening my life purpose just sort of came to me in a 4 hour float tank session.  I was already working on the life purpose course, but I didn't really know what life purpose was or how I was going to find it. After the awakening everything just clicked for me and it was clear what kind of work I want to do. I'm in the early stages so everything i'm doing is subject to change, but I think all the hardcore seeking I was doing made everything around life purpose easier,

How's the path going for you? Do you have a meditation practice? Are you working with psycs?

[Bazooka Jesus]

@Raptorsin7

Does this answer your questions?

[Raptorsin7]

@Bazooka Jesus How's your embodiment of that realization off the drugs?

What do you think your issue is then with respect to life purpose?

Have you seen Nahms thread on dream boarding. I wrote I have life purpose on the board, before I actually found my LP

[universe]

Do you want to create video games as well?

[Raptorsin7]

@universe  No. My near term goal is to become a writer and just express my thoughts about the path, games, different subjects that interest me etc.

Video games are just the vehicle through which I will gain readers and spread my content.