silent thunder

Never been much for tribal chest thumping. I'm from the Human Tribe. Tribal distinctions are the foundation for violence. One Race. One Breath.

I experienced a profound gift at the age of 4 and it rendered me incapable of fearing body death before I had a concept of death. For a while, I feared the death of my parents, once I discovered it, but my own body dying has never been a concern. Direct experience of awareness free of form was my gift. This body is a collection of patterns and systems that work (or not) for a time in conjunction. It's not me and its eventual dissolution has never caused fear. The body, in my experience, is an elaborate and intense experiential interface, an organic suit, and when I consider it, it's like a well worn and adored coat, but just a coat in the end... it's not who I am. It's not very important. Its cells and systems arranged as they are, still flow in constant flux for a short time and then the components break down and become other patterns. The skin I'm scratching now that two days ago was a salad, will soon fall off and be gone. I don't have any sense of loss when I shave my head, I don't collect the hairs, nor do I save my nail trimmings. The body that types these symbols is not the one that I had when I started this journey. It has been replaced piece by piece, in its entirety, several times, like Theseus' Ship. My Stepmother however... her death was 11 days long, filled with pain and the end was a crescendo of panic and fear. Her death was utter hell and then, mercifully, it was over. Her experience was not wrong, though I had so wanted to have better words to convey somehow my experience so that it could aid her, but we each walk our Path and her Catholic paradigm was full of fear. Yet I cannot find it wrong, even though I wished to lessen her fear and pain if I could. Then there was a friend who passed literally in my arms, in complete peace and contentment, no fear, no pain, just a profound release. Breath out, don't breath in, done. We all walk our paths and none of them are wasted, wrong, or useless. As to what actually happens after we die, I'm pretty much in resonance with Spotless' perspective. His words come closest to my experience of what may proceed afterwards. I'm deeply curious.

double rainbow

Well said Marblehead.

Ah yes, the hearken back to the 'good ole days', with their 'vote of control!' It plays more like a political tantrum thrown by the exiting generation, projected from the collective illusion of rose colored memory... When exactly were the 'good ole days'? Oh yea, when Great Britain was the foreign power, dictating policy across 2/3 of the world, it's 'colonial assets'. edit to add: Former British Colonies marveling that you can get Britain to leave with a vote.

No mate. I'm familiar with the practices and see it as legitimate. My response was to the comment below...

so how's that oversimplification and aggressive reductionism working out for ya?

I find the only work I can engage in of late is in letting go... simply and profoundly letting go. In this process, when all is allowed to fall away, that which remains is...

I wonder what bathrooms they used...

Not just the Japanese. Many cultures have had a history of gender bending, especially in theater, but not just there.

Fear and control and fear of the loss of control.

It is a very specific scent. The same every time.

Yea, Happy Solstice! It was a good one on the West Side. It's been hot here for the last few days, but as soon as that big Full Moon rose and the Sun set, the pressure dropped along with the temp and we spent the rest of the night in the heavy winds flying out to Sea. They're still with us today. Highly charged. Good stuff.

I'm with you on this. Seems more of a co-conditional arising, than a pinpoint origin.

You don't know who your Mum is...?

Great thread! Thanks for sharing.

Potent stuff. Thanks for sharing mate.

So it's not that I'm in love with you. Yet somehow when I'm with you, or I think about you, that which is love in me, naturally releases and encompasses my experience of the present moment and I say 'I'm in love'. It's not because you do certain things, or say the 'right things' to me, or about me, that 'make me love you'. Certain things cut through the fog of my monkey mind and shake me a bit and remind me of the love which is already present and I momentarily release my blockages on that love and it flows, naturally. Then I analyze this and say "you love me". Love just is... Do I really have to give myself permission to not need permission to be this love? edit to add: This came to me one morning while sitting, it was a note I left for my wife by the tea pot for when she woke up.

Rumors... echoes... of Love. Strong emanations. Continual vibrations.

man is pure and woman is impure? sigh... okayyyyyyyy

Wei Qi

Seems pretty clear to me that the source of psychological discord in the issue stems from the instances of twisted family members and the overall cultural atmosphere that is constantly reinforcing to the individual that they are evil, second rate citizens undeserving of equal treatment and fair protection under the law.

Good point dragon... and in the end, all our plans are really just intentional, projected illusions anyway. The conditions where you arrive and your reactions to them, which are almost wholly automated will dictate the experience. Keep the heart open and go man go!

Yea, in my experience there were times when I thought I was in the state of love, but it was a state of want, need and desire. If there is any sense of ownership, of debt, of give and take, then I am not in the state of love. When I have experienced Love, duality dissipates in the presences of love, revealing it as the illusion it is... Also one key feature I realized about this is that in loving there are two avenues, giving out love and for me, here was the kicker for a lot of years, freely accepting the love of others. So often, with my pride, it was easy for me to offer love, but when it was given to me, I would hold back, out of fear, or pride, and one day I realized, that the act of negating love that is freely offered, actually was a major block to me experiencing the state of real love. To cut off that flow in either direction, is to withdraw from the state.

For 11 years I cycled everywhere. Didn't own a car. God I miss those days.