dwai

I didn’t know that line was from Marcus Aurelius’ meditation. Thx for sharing “all of this has happened before, all of this will happen again”... The amazing thing about the show is how deep it went, from its start as a post-apocalyptic space opera to a pensive, deeply thought provoking meditation on human nature, society and religion. And then I realized I just repeated Creighton’s statement almost to the tee from the previous comment 😁

spot on! It only gets better — I must’ve watched the show 4-5 times at least over the past couple of decades. The ingenuity of it all never ceases to amaze me. Also watch the prequel (done after BSG) called Caprica. That too is an awesome show.

Just finished watching it. Very poignant and thought provoking. My personal favorite and multi-faceted show - Battlestar Galactica (reboot version). I’d even venture to say it is “enlightened” (at a certain level). It works at different layers, with great action and drama, it portrays many different schisms in a very beautiful manner.

FWIW, I still feel that this can be a good solution if implemented properly. Albeit it might result in a more formal tone and tenor, but over time, more gentle and compassionate exchanges might become the norm...

My friend’s dad was in a medically induced coma for more than 2 months, on a ventilator. After finally coming back home 4-5 months since his hospitalization, he is unable to walk as his leg muscles have atrophied. His wife also contracted the virus and after several months of being symptom free, has to go for lung treatment every 2 weeks as she has developed edema in her lungs. I know several others who have died from this disease. At what point do the idiotic conspiracy theories stop? Does it have to take a close friend or family member to contract the disease and face direct consequences for people to acknowledge the severity of this pandemic? Recently I saw someone post a statistic — only .01% of the world population will succumb to this disease. Wow! .01% is a small thing right? Wrong!! That amounts to ~ 800,000 people. How many of one’s own family or friends are the naysayers willing to wish such an end upon?

Take chyawanprash, a classic Ayurvedic jam. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/amp/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/herbs/chyawanprash/

Kundalini is neither blind nor just some inert force you can unleash inside a body. It is the creative force of awareness itself. It feels like a catastrophe because forceful means are used instead of skillful means, before the mind can be purified. The process of cleansing the channels etc is essentially a way to purify the mind. When the mind is sufficiently clean, Self realization becomes a possibility. It seems like such ideas are very impressive, but they are fallacious imho. There is no “my spirit” apart from me. But that me is not the conditioned personality but rather the clear light of Awareness, aka The Self. There is no place needed to inhabit that in which all things appear

The Self is not nor can it ever be constructed. Just the idea of “constructing” the Self is ludicrous because, “who constructs”? In an ever-changing world, the Self is the never-changing, always present reality. Channels, energy, anything that can be experienced or known is not the Self. That which knows is the Self. So systems which work with prana/Qi/neidan etc can only be preparatory stages, which work on purifying the mind via energy (mind and energy are tightly intertwined).

In our experience we will find four categories of individuals in this world -- pāmara -- The spiritually blind vishayi -- The spiritually inept jigñāsu -- The spiritual seeker mukta -- The (spiritually) liberated Isn't it strange to encounter some people who seem to be completely oblivious to spirituality in their lives, and live day-to-day in the quest of sense pleasures, wealth and the acquisition of more and more of the same? There is no scope for spirituality in these people, rather they move from sense reaction to sense reaction. Such people operate from the lower three chakras, but mainly the second and third chakras --- sensual desires and power/wealth/control/ego. Such people are called "pāmara" in the Vedantic traditions. Then we find many others, who are caught up in their lives and livelihood, though with a tinge of spirituality. These people have some spiritual inclination, even it is a token lighting of a lamp or candle at a place of worship or a daily prayer. These are called "vishayi". Then we find the rarer few who are genuinely driven by a thirst for spiritual knowledge, albeit with varying degrees of intensity. Such people undertake spiritual practices and maintain a regular practice etc. This category is called "jgñāsu" (the seekers). Finally, far and few are the muktas, the liberated ones. They shine their light and show us the way to move from darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge and Self-realization. Would love to read some thoughts on this subject

Based on my experience, the meditation seems to “cool the system” faster with the meditation. The workouts are meant to improve the cardiovascular function, help improve metabolic rate. Especially in these days of quarantines and self-sequestration, it becomes imperative to workout vigorously within reasonable limits Of course! Yes certainly that is the case.

My practice is pretty much the same (specifics are focused on based on season). The reason I mentioned this post workout meditation is because it hits deep stillness for me. It neutralizes the mental activity a physical workout generates. In the hindu/yogic energetic system we call such physical activity as rajas. The result of rajasic activity is to cause rajas in the mind. By allowing stillness to descend this is converted into satva.

I’m a wood rabbit. Thanks

I didn’t understand what you meant. Would you care to elaborate?

Why...are you suggesting that Psychologists don't know how to party?

Not meant to be a derailment, I just wanted to express my fascination at how much I learnt in terms of urban jargon (doxx, incel, etc etc) after reading this thread...I'm only partly jesting here...I had to google these terms.

For me it was to get an understanding of human nature (a perspective which rings true imho). If you know and understand things differently feel free to post about it. The OP is neither my personal position, not something I need to defend That’s just it about discussions, it doesn’t always have to be a combat or confrontational.

At what point do the incessant and tireless interactions on a forum like this actually become about "Self-introspection, self-improvement, and Self-realization"? Just curious...there is a propensity to (pardon the pun) "Rage against the Machine" (whatever that machine might be at any given point in time). But maybe the "RATM" phenomenon is avoidance of self-introspection? Could it be that the phenomenon is an excuse to shirk from self-improvement? Do people actually come here to share in the true spirit of free exchange of ideas, or do they come to challenge, duel, and win? And then, anything that is not "with me", becomes "against me".

An age-old dilemma. The effort is required to drop the conditioning of the mind But no effort is necessary once we can drop the conditioning of the mind The crazy thing is, when we realize what we truly are, even the issue of conditioned or unconditioned, mind or no mind disappears...

Haha and then I saw the Cow in @Taomeow's later post Had a good laugh... Tells me I should not be thinking about morbid things even though these are morbid times.

I see an entity hovering over an upside-down animal with one of its clawed feet exposed. Feels like its a cross between a bear and an eagle (talons and all).

Just take up a simple moving practice like taijiquan. Do it under guidance of a good teacher if possible (online lessons work for beginners too). Forget about dissolving for a few months and do a very gentle form of taijiquan — something focused on relaxation and release. I’ve written about my own practice and how I worked through some of the issues you mentioned in the OP here —

Most of us here have a practical background, having spent many years in the practice of a meditative method or art (e.g., qigong, yoga, taijiquan, etc). It is true that having a practice is essential for growth and learning. And yet, many seem to gloss over the role of knowledge. There are two kinds of knowledge -- one that is taught to us by another (such as a teacher, friend or some other medium -- book, etc). Let us call this "external knowledge" or "indirect knowledge". The other is the knowledge that is directly known -- usually as a result of a regular and diligent practice of the method of our choice. Let us call this "internal knowledge" or "direct knowledge". I've seen many practitioners of spiritual arts scoff at the external knowledge because it is considered somehow inferior to the "directly" known, internal knowledge that is supposed to be the fruit of our (glorious/valiant/heroic/add your own adjective here) efforts. And yet, we would not have embarked upon the path of our choice if we didn't have an external source of knowledge to guide us throughout our journey. It is quite possible that some people, due to their karmic influence are easily able to enter into deep meditative states. But that may not result in full awakening, without proper initiation into the external knowledge. The reason being, when the deep meditative states (samādhi) are entered, there is no mind involved (or minimal mind is involved). While repeated immersion into these deep states can result in thinning of the modifications of the mind, the mind still remains functional once one exits from such states. In the vedantic tradition, the entry into samadhi is called "mano laya" (or pausing of the mind). This is considered an intermediate stage of spiritual evolution. Once the practitioner exits from the samadhi, the mind resumes its functioning (perhaps with not as much vim and vigor as it did prior, but it generally tends to gather steam and pick up from where it left off eventually). The only way to cause what in vedanta is called "mano nāsha" (mind cessation) is to deliberately and methodically work with the external knowledge (as taught by the teachers and texts) and go through a process of intellectual assimilation. The mind has four components, namely the ego, the thought field, the storehouse of memories and impression and the intellect. For knowledge to be integrated, it has to be worked on with the cooperation of the mind (ego-thought field-storehouse-intellect). Key among them is the intellect. Whatever the intellect identifies with, the ego will do its level best to protect/maintain that. If the intellect identifies with the body, the ego will strive to maintain that identification. If the intellect identifies with the mind, ego will strive to maintain that identification. Therefore, the intellect needs to come onboard with the process of spiritual development. Once the intellect is onboard, all the other components of the mind will follow its lead. So with the study and contemplation on the external knowledge using the intellect, the intellect needs to be convinced of its 'place' in the grand scheme of things. When the intellect understands completely that it is merely a function of the mind, and that the mind is nothing but a process arising in awareness, the intellect will gradually relinquish its need to identify with anything. It might initially start by giving up identification with the body and the mind. Typically the intellect latches onto the idea of being "The Non-dual Self/Awareness". And it is a far better proposition that being identified with the body/mind. Then the seeker wants to constantly abide in this "non-dual awareness". Of course, life usually has other plans, so the feeling of non-duality, and the feeling of duality keep coming and going, oscillating between the two phases at regular intervals. This leads to great frustration in the intellect of the practitioner. And then one day the realization occurs, that what we truly are, is aware of both the duality and non-duality that seems to arise in the mind. And on that day, the intellect gives up completely, and the ego disappears, as it has nothing to defend anymore. This results in a fully non-grasping mind, essentially a mind that has ceased to operate as it used to before spiritual practice started. And therein is the direct knowledge or internal knowledge, which is nothing but that which is aware of both the apparent duality and non-duality.

I think it could be #1 just as easily. But if the prideful part is reduced, then can also be #3 and when it’s gone, can be #4. After all, what is the greatest wealth of all? Is it not Self-realization?

No "thing", in and of itself is good or bad (as we bums know). It is our own attachment to that which is good or bad. The coca plant is neither good or bad. It's "fruits" (coca leaves) can be used to produce medicine or highly addictive drugs. And like the coca plant, money too can be an addictive drug. Like the great bards of Pink Floyd once sang,

@manitou another really amazing book is "Tripura Rahasya" (Translated as "The mystery of the Three Cities"). Between that and "Yoga Vashishtha", pretty much everything that one could want to know about nondual practice is covered in the most beautiful, story-based manner.