Thrill of the hunt!

[not-a-faerie]

8 hours ago, rachMiel said:

anything that threatens to end that hunt, the arising of spiritual clarity for example, is to be avoided at all cost!

this is a good point

 

the stoics teach the obstacle is the way. Literally. If there is n obstacle, the only two paths we can take is either to let it block us and look for a different path without it, or to face it head on and dive right in to the obstacle and let its existence be our path forward. Then, the obstacle directs our attention, our path. the obstacle is the path itself. 

[Bazooka Jesus]

11 hours ago, rachMiel said:

You're saying the ego is the Quester? Is it possible that the Quest is driven by the Truth (ground, universe, God, whatever word works) itself? 

Usually people get into spirituality because they want to escape suffering. So initially, it is regarded as a way to improve life, which is of course a purely egotistical pursuit. The "rude awakening" happens once you realize that spirituality is not about improving life but about simply recognizing it for what it is.

[Bazooka Jesus]

12 hours ago, Princess Arabia said:

I'm just saying that the Ego is the same as God. God manifested.

God and ego are not the same.

The ego is a kind of focussed tunnel vision which makes the game of (human) life possible; you could say that it creates an illusion of finitude and of "this is better than that" in order to enable certain experiences. God on the other hand is boundless awareness aka. the All That Exists which has no focus, preferences or qualities. And in order to be able to tap into the boundless awareness which is the ground of everything, you need to be able to transcend the tunnel vision (which doesn't mean getting rid of it but making it transparent, so to speak).

So yes, it is not wrong to say that the ego is a manifestation of God, but equating the two can lead to dangerous delusions.

 

Edited November 19, 2023 by Bazooka Jesus

[Bazooka Jesus]

8 hours ago, Osaid said:

If you are following teachings or teachers that don't know what they are talking about, it can become a serious red herring and waste a lot of time. It can feel like you're making a lot of progress, but you're not. You get a lot of smart and clever ideas about reality, which feels like progress, but they are simply ideas and unrelated to what you are.

Exactly.

[Princess Arabia]

4 hours ago, Bazooka Jesus said:

So yes, it is not wrong to say that the ego is a manifestation of God,

Ok, then, so there. I understand the difference. 

[rachMiel]

5 hours ago, Bazooka Jesus said:

Usually people get into spirituality because they want to escape suffering

And that is true for me, too. Way back when I turned to Eastern wisdom (of various ilk) to help me understand and cope with suffering. But at some point the impetus seemed to change, I felt a "call from the Universe" to "come home." Sure it might be fantasy, a fairy tale to keep me warm on a cold winter's night. But it might also be 'real' in whatever way things are real in this arena. 

[Bazooka Jesus]

51 minutes ago, Princess Arabia said:

Ok, then, so there. I understand the difference. 

Good. Got me worried there for a second!

[rachMiel]

5 hours ago, Bazooka Jesus said:

So yes, it is not wrong to say that the ego is a manifestation of God, but equating the two can lead to dangerous delusions.

Makes me think of this from Advaita: You cannot experience brahman, but everything you experience is brahman. 

[Bazooka Jesus]

6 minutes ago, rachMiel said:

Makes me think of this from Advaita: You cannot experience brahman, but everything you experience is brahman. 

The world is illusion. Only Brahman is real. The world and Brahman are one.

Wonderfully paradoxical, isn't it?

[rachMiel]

2 hours ago, Bazooka Jesus said:

Wonderfully paradoxical, isn't it? 

Things are not what they seem, nor are they otherwise.  

[Bazooka Jesus]

11 minutes ago, rachMiel said:

Things are not what they seem, nor are they otherwise.  

Exactly.