liminal_luke

Thanks, Cobie. No worries about supporting me or not supporting me. I am not lobbying for people to respond one way or the other, only passing on what Darius wanted to tell the board.

I´ve been in contact with Darius and he asked me to post the following apology for him (with permission from the moderators)... I am sorry. I got carried away and wasn’t thinking clear. In the heat of the moment, so to speak, I didn’t feel like I did anything wrong. The comment by blue eyed snake made me at least start to reconsider tho. Happily, luke contacted me by mail, and told me how I came across while remaining really civil about it, and I realize he is correct. I shouldn’t have said any of the things I did. I sincerely apologize to you all. I do not believe anyone are inheritley bad or wrong based on their background.

It can be wonderfully affirming to read about the contributions people in one´s in-group (whatever that happens to be) have made to the world. Perhaps this is why many gays get a kick out of watching the "fab five" give clueless heteros makeovers on the TV show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. I like the show too, nevermind the fact that my own style is woefully in need of an upgrade. Look at the amazing things my tribe members can do! The downside of public proclamations of fabulousness is that bragging brings out the naysayers. There´s always a Yin to take down the Yang (or vice versa if you prefer). Alas, such is the case here.

I had no idea Dostoevsky was still alive.

This feels very apropo this time of year when so many of us take stock of ourselves, discover perceived deficiencies, and endeavor to "improve." If I find fault with myself, I´m hardly easier with friends and family who often, in my thoughtful estimation, could use some improvement themselves. What if everything is alright just the way it is? Blasphemy, I know. Ironically, I believe that nonacceptance of the present moment is the biggest obstacle to change. Acceptance is karmic WD40, lubricating the wheels of positive transformation. The more I´m down on myself, the less energy I´ll have to metamorphasize into the thinner, stronger, even-keeled man I hope to become.

@Geof Nanto When I first heard about the new AI programs I was determined to stay away. But in the way of so many of my resolutions, that determination fizzled and now I ask Gemini all sorts of questions. I don´t think it´s as advanced as ChatGPT as it just seems to find things on the web that I could probably find myself, but it is an easy and fun way to get an initial take on a question. Anyway, I don´t really have any comments on the actual topic of this thread, but wanted to say that you seem very thoughtful about your use of AI.

Cultural appropriation is looked down on in certain circles but human beings have always burrowed from each other. Burrowed stuff is inevitably different from where it came from -- often worse, occasionally better, but always different. Chinese food in Mexicali is served with skillet-fried chiles and limes. Mexican restaurants in the United States, unlike in most of Mexico, serve a lot of margaritas. When my partner wanted to sell paintings at a local gallery here in Ensenada, Baja California he was told to paint pictures of naked women and portraits of Frida Kahlo because that´s what cruiseship passengers would buy. Yoga classes at my local gym likely have a different vibe than yoga in India. This is the way of things. There will always be traditionalists and innovators. Personally, I´m glad for both.

In old3bob´s defense, it´s been a very long year.

The 2024 Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog | Defector

Back in the day, I used to attend 12-step meetings. People would complain in the meeting about how awful their lives were and then we´d all go to coffee afterwards; I´d dish to my friends about how so-and-so didn´t really have it that bad and just needed to buck up. Taobums is kind of the opposite of that. People come on and say that they have an established spiritual practice, enjoy teaching others, and just generally seem like they´ve got their lives together. Then we all go out to virtual coffee and dish about how they´ve deluded themselves into faux-happiness and are actually mired in horrific denial.

The more I´m bound up with karma, the more I have to gain from present-moment consciousness. Being in the present moment is a powerful way to unhook.

Personally, I don´t know what happens after death but I do think it´s possible to have an informed opinion. Is it possible to remember past deaths? Is it possible to be in communication with loved ones who have died or trustworthy spirits willing to fill us in? Is it possible to develop a kind of intuitive knowingness that confers, well, knowledge? I like to think all of these things are possible. This said, there´s no doubt that, as you say, "what truly matters is what is happening in this moment."

The usual thing is to locate the transcendent above but I think we can reach the same metaphysical "place" by going within. Abiding in the center -- wherever that is! -- we arrive at a sort of inner heaven, a place where the polarity between inner and outer, breaks down and loses meaning. To integrate our awareness into the center is to transcend: it´s a singular process.

friends don´t let friends drink and post

In a sense, emotional processing work and nondual traditions are aligned. Emotional processing is targeted disidentifiction. We become aware of our emotions in order to skillfully avoid being emotionally consumed. Many people come to therapy, for instance, because they have trouble regulating their emotions. Perhaps they´re consumed by rage or envy or sorrow. It´s precisely awareness of these feelings, facilitated by emotional processing, that allows for a bit of psychic distance -- and distance that in turn relieves suffering. When I´m aware of anger, for instance, I can notice that I´m working with two parts: the anger itself, and the part of me that is aware of the anger. Awareness is not angry, it´s just aware -- a crucial insight. Realizing that there is a part of me that is separate from my anger allows for some degree of freedom, some degree of choice. I´m not compelled into a fistfight willy-nilly but can back up and think. This kind of targeted disidentification isn´t a full-blown awakening but it is a kind of enlightenment-lite.