seekingbuddha

Elsewhere, i have often mentioned in this forum this fact about fake teachers and westerners who go to eastern countries and follow their teaching/guidance. I have also said that for every Arhant (enlightened being) in the east, there are literally thousands of fake teachers. I stumbled across this video below, being presented by an american to the western society about 3rd eye opening....Watch this video first, and then on youtube do some research on the teacher shown in this video to find out for yourself. This teacher is a multi millionaire, (just like how Rajneesh was in the 1960s in USA). (swami nithyananda) This phenomenon is not only happens in west, but also in east. Be careful about who you listen to, and who you give your complete faith and dedication to. I have also seen another thread in this forum presenting video on Buddha Boy who is in Nepal. I got intrigued after watching the link i have given below.....Digging a bit into that story would reveal the nature of that boy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIIhrwuMcd8 (buddha boy video) Sometimes, this kind of teacher is not revealed well after his death. Here is a teacher who was worshipped as god by millions of people, until the day he died. The stories came out only after his death, because some powerful politicians were his backers (and probably getting kick backs)..... (sai baba india) All these 3 were revered teachers, with thousands worshiping them as enlightened.

Oh, oh, oh.... I am not haughtily disdainful - au contraire, I meant to ask an open minded question out of curiosity. I happen to believe in other worldly beings. I merely thought, one of those people that the question was addressed to would entertain the idea of adding to the discussion. Didn't realize that it would rise up strong emotions like these.

Thanks to the OP for this news item. Applications of advanced physics usually comes about after many years. I imagine a day, when people can design a device that can use & oppose the gravity waves using some clever mechanism. Then, we would not need fossil fuels. I can imagine a use in deep space travel, without the need for enormous amounts of fuel - spaceship would simply ride the wave. Sooner or later, we have to come up with energy sources other than fossil fuels.

OK. Hundred posts have passed by, and the topic has not yet covered the a subject that i was waiting for. I have couple of questions, since many have reported interactions with other dimensional beings (higher or lower). I think this topic should cover this part of the discussion as well. Have you had this interaction when you are NOT under the influence of substances ? If so, how did the other worldly being present itself ? What makes you so sure that it is not a play of the mind ? (hallucination or some such are commonly reported).

Something that came to my mind, when i read ......"So you seem to ask whether the lower beings/spirits can infiltrate a deity and then deceive one merging with a deity?"....... When there is clarity / concentration / wisdom of mind that springs from a wholesome foundation, there is no deception possible. Everything & every being is seen / known, for what it really is.

Since we are discussing karma, i have continued this discussion in the new thread that someone has started regarding "karma". We don't want to derail this thread topic.

This discussion is about karma, so i am continuing a discussion (from another thread) with "Spotless" into this thread: Spotless said "Ones entire Karmic Load is zero - ones propensities and the strength/compression/rigidity of them is ones Karma." Steve has posted a good point in this thread. What is being described as "propensities / proclivity / patterning" has a cause. The cause of these proclivities / patterns / compressions, is the actions and thoughts from the past. This is my way of understanding your views/words, within my foundation /framework (ie. the Buddhist faith regarding karma). There is no good / bad as you pointed out in the other thread, but as Steve pointed out here, there is action & consequences; simply and justly, as a law of universe, nature delivers these consequences. Buddhist philosophy accommodates rebirth and hence the concept of karmic repercussions carrying over into many lifetimes. It is not necessary that a action bears fruit within one life span. Consequence is simply a law of nature - similar to how the physical / material world has laws of physics. I lack the ultimate wisdom/Enlightenment, to directly see these things in my own mind/experience. So, i choose to trust in the teachings of the Enlightened beings who have seen these truths directly in their experience.

Since a man and woman appeared to you (in a dream, i am guessing)........ could it be to indicate that "you (maven?) are more experienced" than the other person who was working with you (a man i am guessing) ?? Perhaps subconsciously you held a feeling that your knowledge in spirituality and practices is better than the one who was assisting you ? What time of day did you do the visualization ? I am assuming it was during a meditation (or some such) ?

This thread title is misguided and wrong. Ask most people who are over 70 and who are suffering from illness of body that naturally comes to most of the older population - i bet most would say they do not agree with your thread title. There is desire to live long, only when you think that this life is your only chance to live. But if you subscribe to the teachings of spiritual masters then you would have faith that rebirth (ie. going to heaven or hell in christianity) is inevitable. Then, human time span does not matter all, because birth and death are simply events of the infinite ONE - and we are part of that ONE. Why bother about death or for that matter even living ? Note that i am not subscribing or prescribing nihilism or suicide. For me, all that matters is living without too much suffering, as long as it lasts, on earth.

I think you yourself answered your original question. This topic brings forth the importance of "sila (morality)" which is the basic foundation laid forth by all the highest religious/spiritual teachers that humanity has ever known. The foundation of righteousness/goodness/sila/morality is the protection/empowerment/preliminaries necessary, in order to know the answers you seek, without a hint of doubt.

Jetsun, Thanks for that wonderful quote from Tolle. It has expressed with clarity a feeling that i have not been able to express in words so clearly to even myself. I think the key word is found in the final sentence of that quote - "Purpose". In my contemplations, I have not been able to find any other "purpose" that is so luminous, as the "purpose of doing good to other living beings". This maybe just doing good to our family, or to our friends or to our nearby society, or to humanity itself (if one has the energy and ability to extend their reach that far).

Getting back to the original topic..... Spotless, thank you for your wisdom. I found resonance with the following words: "Try a diet of no judgement. Try a diet of no media when you can. If meditating is difficult go to a movie and listen to non-vocal music - choose a clean headspace - go driving." So, i will keep these in my mind. Ups and downs are waves of existence one must face. I will have to arouse energy to strive further in my path, and to integrate practices into my life. As you said, these positions/views have been built over many lifetimes and are not easy to let go. Sometimes i feel that it is ridiculous to think that one can overcome lifetimes of karma, with just my volition / free-will / energy / aspiration. Put another way, how can i think that my thinking/effort is enough to overcome the will of the cosmos/universe/God/karma/whatever-else-you-call-it. This has been a topic of my contemplations for some time now. I have found some answers/thoughts in this regard, but do not want to derail this thread further. Contemplations and theories should not interfere with practice and effort to further myself along THE PATH.

Those pictures seem like photo-shooed to create awe inspiring images ?

Wonderful to see your state of mind. I do not think this is PTSD in your case. I think a trauma can lead to one of 2 things: Negative states of mind, like Denial / depression / anger / PTSD etc. A trigger that tells us "hey, wake up and see through the fog of life". I would bet you fall under the second category. It has been my experience that, the deeper I delve into the mind and unleash this tranquility, the deeper rooted sufferings (that i have been withstanding for decades) come upto the surface. Then, i need to deal with tremendous amount of sufferings that i have been burying inside me (like you, i have an above average capacity to withstand suffering, and hence put up with more than i needed to, in life). Life and death do not seem to matter anymore, at some point. When you feel the ebbing away of the life force within, do not dwell on it - do not be in that rut. I think it is natural that as we get older, many of us instinctively & consciously feel that decrease of life-force. It helps if you have faith in after life / rebirth etc. Then, you can say that whatever you do or think from now on, will have "goodness as basis" (because this will result in a good rebirth). Spend your time reading or contemplating spiritual books/teachings. You need something that your mind can cling to, and strive towards. So, i suggest that you cling to the higher teachings of truly enlightened beings. Read their words (like Milerapa's songs or Carl Jung or J.Krishnamurthi or whoever else you like). In the absence of no clinging, you are experiencing that spaciousness and tranquility. Nothing wrong with it. As long as your remaining time is being spent for the well-being of yourself OR for others. You are simply dealing with the suffering that is deep within you, and it is better that your deal with it now, rather than carry it over to the next life (assuming that there is a next rebirth). Perhaps, craving for bliss or joy is creating the dilemma, this puzzle. In fact, i feel that this spaciousness, stability & tranquility that you feel may have subtle undertones of peace and acceptance; in fact this maybe better than the ups & downs of joy and sorrow. (If there is joy, it can not last forever ?) It maybe highly beneficial to talk openly to peers or a teacher, who has gone through what you are going through.

I was searching amazon to find a cookbook that is based on Chinese Medicine. Usually i give a glance to the most negative reviews on amazon, to get an idea about what people are complaining as lacking. I could not find a book that maybe useful to me (as a person who does not know TCM). I just need to get some basic ideas on which foods would be useful for which organs. I am looking to improve my digestion as a first step, which got totally out of whack after a gall bladder surgery. Here is the best seller list on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books/282878/ref=zg_b_bs_282878_1 Any suggestions for a commoner, who is looking to start cooking some chinese based meals on a regular basis ? I have access to good herbal stores and chinese groceries close by. Thanks in advance.

Thanks for that comments on porridge. I have had some pretty tasty congees when i travelled in asia. Need to look up some receipe online and start doing that. I have an automatic rice cooker that i can set up the previous night, and it will be ready in the morning when i wake up. It is lighter than oatmeal and hence makes for a easy start of day. I bought the "healing with whole foods" book, based on suggestion here - didn't expect it to be as thick as Bible :-) It seems like the only book i will need, in order to understand food approach of TCM, if only i can find a way to skim through it, for an initial surface level understanding..

Has anyone tried using Safari browser while trying to edit a new message that you are typing? I am tired of this after seeing this for many weeks now. It was not giving this problem before, but suddenly i am unable to highlight any text while typing a new post. If i try to highlight, the browser will suddenly jump to the bottom of the page, and hence i can not edit the current message that i am typing in the "REPLY" section to a thread. I noticed that this happens only when i have couple of paragraphs that fill up the visible portion of the REPLY section. I searched the net, without much clues on how to fix it, though there seem to be many others who have similar problem (but not exactly the same as i am describing). I am on Macbook running Mavricks with Safari 9.0.2 version.

I did not update my OS, but remember that i updated Safari to latest. Since i did not have this problem before few months, i suspect this is a Safari issue. I have searched the net a bit, and others have reported somewhat similar problem (but not while posting a message). It maybe the way safari is interacting with the Forum server, and it is possible that the Webmaster can fix this by looking at the HTML/JS code in relation with safari. This is very irritating and hopefully someone in this forum management will read this thread.

Thank you spotless, for bringing me back to contemplation. I understand most of what you said, though some words are beyond my experience level and hence beyond my understanding. I understand that it is a "choice" that we make to stay in awareness amidst the daily affairs in society. But, i do tend to get caught up, and get overwhelmed by the 6 senses when i immerse myself too deeply into usual daily grind. I guess i am not grown enough to withstand the onslaught of the 6 senses, and still dwell in those wholesome foundations needed for liberation. So, i spoke of my experience - it has been that my awareness/tranquility/stability/wisdom is directly proportional to the time i dedicate to meditation, away from the daily grind and household obligations. I am open to guidance from experiential wisdom.

Kundalini, what you are asking is easier said than done. This kind of deeply buried childhood emotions take lot of energy and time to deal with. You also need lot of mental fortitude to forge ahead, when these emotions surface - the typical response of mind is the usual....it will try to say that you can not yet deal with these emotions that are strong. So, take steps, knowing fully well that this is very time consuming and long process. When you are ready, you need to get committed to a spiritual path. My wisdom is that you will find more help in THE PATH, rather than trying numerous modern psychologists or western therapy approaches. After full commitment to a spiritual path with full faith, things will automatically start revealing. The fastest way to accomplish this probably not feasible for a lot of people. It would be to retreat into nature, surrounded by nature's beauty and solace, and spending time in contemplation for many months or years. This is typically not possible for a lot of people. So, the next best course is to take your time, and settle down for a long journey (in comfort) with your buddies who are hiding inside your mind :-) They will eventually resolve, since you seem to have started the initial steps already. As they say..... "Time heals".

Bud, nice and penetrating wisdom in that post. I do realize the truth in your words, but practicing those suggestions requires time devoted to cultivation. Otherwise, one gets caught up in the worldly affairs that drag awareness and other qualities down. That is why i mentioned in previous post, " ........this desire for withdrawal from the material world/activities." Perhaps this gets easier after one's retirement; after one has the basic needs of life (ie. food, shelter, clothing, medical needs guaranteed for rest of life). Being constantly engaged in the worldly affairs, directly results in compromise of the degree of awareness possible.

Orion, you said (in OP).... "I still only see the pointlessness (not in a depressed way, but in a temporal way). I have so much love and compassion for other people and living things, but it doesn't negate that I feel like having to live this life and involve myself in material world tasks seems pointless." I wonder how you overcame this mental state that says ...."Becoming engaged in the material world is pointless." From the numerous posts i have read in other threads, the standard reply goes.... "go for a walk or go to gym or do something". But, in your case, there is an undercurrent of pointlessness, in all activities. Since your feeling runs deep, i wonder what you collected as insights, in order to deal with this desire for withdrawal from the material world/activities.

I have not studied Daoist texts, but my belief is that all spiritual maters have advocated withdrawal from society. Buddha prescribed "renunciation" as the first step towards liberation of mind. Jesus took his disciples from family/society into a life unattached to their former social bonds. I can not think of a single Enlightened person, who has not gone through the phase of living "alone, away from society". These spiritual masters also understood that NOT everyone will be willing to break free of the bondages that we form in our minds - family, friends, money, work etc. Even when I see all this clearly, i have fear arising out of the factors of health/old-age/comfort that stop me from becoming a solitary monk. So, short of becoming a solitary monk, we have only one solution : Try to find the balance that prior post is talking about. Some sort of balance between our desire to lead a life free from suffering, and our desire to stay within the society and its bondages. Every effort in life needs time to practice and perfect. So, growth in spiritual realm also needs time commitment, which would not be possible for someone who is engaged in other activities (money making, family making, etc). It is wonderful if someone can see all this during their youth; because that is the time when one has the choice of NOT creating further bondages (marriage, child etc). But, the lure of opposite sex is strong during our youth.

Orion, What are the insights and practices you have gained from this thread, regarding how to maintain your heightened awareness and mind state, in light of daily sufferings that we face as part of life in society ? Have you gotten input regarding this from your friends who claim to live in blissful state frequently ?

This picture reminds me of the darkness (on skin and otherwise) that we can notice around a person who is struggling with drug addictions. I am sure many in this forum can sense the same, when they come across a random stranger, who is outwardly bubbly, normal and social, but has that darkness of addictions visible in their eyes. I also remember seeing a video of Adyashanti, where he says that "Ego starts from the abdomen area". Perhaps there is an inner organ in the abdomen area, that stores the negative feelings (like EGO) ? I wonder what TCM has to say about organs and what feelings are stored in each organ. I have contemplated the possibility that this subtle energy body is what is referred to as "the spirit" in Christianity.