old3bob

that applies to realms and beings karmically bound to those realms, not to the Self which is in no way bound.

We've heard a thousand things about enlightenment and related teachings but we haven't or seldom hear about the end of the cosmic cycle and what happens with all beings then? (although the historic Buddha mentioned it in a way or in passing to Ananda) So if all beings return to the great Tao, ready or not, at the end of the cosmic cycle then all beings will be enlightened per that returning ... (before it begins again) What does your teachings or system say about this?

My wording would be that the Self in all beings was, is, and always will be enlightened and realizes same, as for or while the conditioned earthly, astral and casual forms of beings veiled with those identities are not the eternal, unchanging Self, thus only the Self knows the Self by the Self, since our earthly, astral and casual identities can not reach it or realize it and remain so. (in such a timeless moment)

the Self which does not evolve nor have any need to evolve is complete, but the soul continues to evolve and develop thus becoming a more advanced matrix for Self to manifest through or work in various realms, that is until its evolution is complete and its identity then merges with the Self and it is no more... meaning being finished with evolution in the earth, astral, and causal realms. This is one take out of many. as to why manifestation in the first place mankind can not really say...or "God" can not un-cause causeless cause...

if you are just and only asking about AV then ok, but again it is just one of the schools of "Hinduism" which is vast ! And btw there are other schools that also refer to the Upanishads since no particular school has a monopoly on them. Not unlike in Daoism where no particular school owns the T.T.C..

it is one of the major schools in Hinduism which has several other major schools or branches; a little bit of study will start to answer your question - which is not unlike asking what is Buddhism which also has several major schools.

By the way many great masters in many great traditions have said that there's is the truest, for instance the historic Buddha said that, and so have various "Hindu" related ones, so all one can do is take all of it with grains of salt. (and find out first hand for yourself or what turns your crank)

all of the (many) Upanishads point the way, there are 10 major ones (depending on sources) often referred to and which can be easily found in commonly published books or most libraries. (and of course online)

how do you get rid of floating hair in such a soup

if I was fishing and caught one of these I don't know what I'd do!! They say its bite can take off fingers but it looks to me like its bite could also take off arms and legs! So it would stay in the water if caught, i can't imagine hauling it on board! has to be released from hook somehow?

I'm not familiar with using pokeballs as such a defense, aren't they small toy balls? I imagine they wouldn't like pepper spray if you had to use it?

quite the creature, I imagine once they reach a certain size no other creatures dares to mess them!

Oh hell, and God bless...

apparently not as bored as some experts

souls (bodies) are woven of light/energy, was shone that but don't remember too much now... strange to me that some folks deny soul?

agreed although not a "new" sense just way more developed from fairly normal intuition that most everyone has to "x" degree to full on 3rd eye vision as described by many masters, for example: "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" Matthew 6:22-23

I'd say mind/memory makes a handle (like various teachings) for It in what could be called the aftermath of crossing over and coming back to the world of things, but such is a still pointer as best as it can be... and useful up to the threshold which mind/memory can not cross. (for instance 2d is not 3d but can kind of point out 3d...)

"empty" is a piss poor word or term for many western way folks but it is often used by eastern way folks...to me it means no-thing and since mind can not wrap its head around no-thing why beat your brains out with clever speculations or definition's? can't force it, let it be...btw no-thing is beyond forms or things and in that way or sense is transcendent although connected. (also it is not visible to our regular five senses but it is visible to itself)

we've had a lot of first hand accounts from people where things went awry or worse who had good intentions and thought their teacher or themselves were on the right track via some positive results, but to me when walking a knife edge there are still tests for falling or getting cuts until that walk is finished even for advanced students or those far along on the walk... the saying/story about the "plans of mice and men" used as an analogy comes to mind.

We could listen to Chapter one of the T.T.C. as good at pointing to a beyond or the Tao that can't be nailed down via the term "mystery" regardless to me of what sounds like a just a philosophical/ materialistic take which could also be heard as a partial take or pov....

good question; I'd also say chapter 25 of the T.T.C. points that way. that particular part of the quotes wording that you copied is problematic to me in that mind in itself does not reveal the Tao or transcendent but when clear and still the Tao works (comes to manifest) right through it without any veiling, thus in such a case mind is a matrix for and with zero resistance to such working.

aka the "transcendent" in many schools that is beyond yet also within as the source of duality...

true enough, and there is the saying, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Math. 6:34 maybe another way to express the my previous ramblings is that our karma is in the wings (so to speak) until faced and corrected, but to face all of it suddenly could overwhelm most of us...and a warning for most of us is that in seeking enlightenment and or an enlightened teacher is that then instant karma may come into play...

are there warnings for icons used for obvious mockery, and implied or more round about attack comments from members? Apparently not here Steve.

again more double talk per your, "It is not inherently true, real or even important It's just another thought/story." by ST; so just another unimportant thought story dude so own that and I'd also suggest getting off your quasi-nihilistic sounding high horse!