dwai

I've got plenty of threads in the Hindu sub-forum on this subject. If I go into why here, it will end up becoming another bone of contention I certainly didn't mean it to dismiss and disregard anything. But don't you think the onus of how we feel about something is primarily on us? Feeling is a state of mind, right? We can choose to react to something, or not. Depending on 'others' to determine how we feel seems self-disempowering to me. Especially in situations where we have control - for e.g. on a board like this -- which gives us ability to simply ignore someone who's trolling us. But also generally in life, if we depend on others for how we feel about ourselves, we might end up with a very chaotic quality of life. I'll be happy to explore this topic on a separate thread if you want to start one

Its not for me to say what it is -- I think it varies from person to person, depending on their individual journey and story. What I've seen is that, it is simply a failure to recognize that me and the 'other' are not separate in essence (though the body-mind certainly is or appears to be separate). Yeah I know...the previous sentence can send certain individuals into bouts of apoplectic rage...but they need to investigate -- why is it that the words of some random stranger on the internet is capable of creating such extreme reactions in them? I think people seek energetic reactions from other people -- there certainly is exchange of emotions/feelings in our social interactions. What are those if not energy patterns being evoked, thereby causing thoughts, emotions and feelings? That's why trolls troll. They get energy out of the reaction of their victims. They get a high from being able to elicit reactions, hiding behind the anonymity of the internet -- perhaps because their personal lives are not very pleasant, or eventful. Maybe they are sad little individuals sitting in their mom's basements trying to muster up enough courage to go out and face the world. Erroneously they think that some day, after they've acquired enough 'power' through their trolling activities, they can step out and face the real world without fear. PS. -- so that its not mistaken as such, I had neither Earl nor Gendao in mind when I was referring to trolls it is very clear to those with discernment, who those trolls are

I know that it might feel good to get angry, retaliate and hit back at those who seem to be baiting us. But maybe we need to also look inward, and check whether there is something in any particular interaction that triggers our ego to react in a massive way. Not taking sides here...since many of us come here for spiritual camaraderie, maybe we should practice being patient and compassionate and practice loving-kindness? And then, if someone is hell-bent of annoying you, simply put them on your ignore list (I've got a few specimens on said list )...problem solved...

I'm game for the noodles...though I prefer Beijing style Noodle-soups. I'll pass on the cold beer for a plain club soda with a wedge of lime

I have spent many years studying this subject. it is clear that you are incapable of (and unwilling to) rebut the scientific evidence provided in the video. If your mind is so closed, what is the point of posting polemics? I’m not interested in wasting my time on such activities — and you go on my ignore list.

Actually Indian history is very well documented -- only not in the way westerners can recognize. Did you actually even watch the video? The problem is geologists and evolutionists don't seem to be getting across to historians who wrote about ancient India. Can you dispute the methodology or claims made in the video? That's what happens when people don't have substantive arguments to counter a position -- they'll resort to polemics, sort of like what you're doing.

And upon initial recognition of the truth, one may give in to wave after wave of paroxysmal laughter

That was very strange -- "lets start with a false assumption and not entertain any other data" -- and when that was challenged, delete the thread!

Human history is certainly older than what is taught today. The biggest problem with studying history is the unscientific insertion of the Biblical creation myth, which messed up study of the chronology of civilizations and still passes off as 'gospel truth' today in the academic circles.

It was! Found the perfect place for a small cabin...overlooking the greater Himalayan ranges. It is located in the Kasar Devi Ridge in Middle Himalayas -- the region is called Devabhumi -- Land of the Gods -- potent with spiritual power, vibrating and transcendent. Who knows...maybe someday...I'll find myself there...

*bump* -- https://bit.ly/36Zokt8 The giveaway is still open -- 100 copies of my book up for grabs in ebook format.

That’s an interesting combination. How about using “unperturbed” or “undisturbed” ? OTOH, Wikipedia has a good explanation of the term —

Good question. I'm not sure why. I think the problem with translating sanskrit to English is that there are a lot of untranslatable words. No one single english word can explain what vairāgya means. WRT Ramana Maharshi's statement -- it is advice for the seeker to stay unperturbed by whatever happens in life. Neither get attached to anything (Let what goes go), nor avoid anything (let what comes come). By being this way, the seeker develops 'vairāgya' (which can loosely be translated to detachment or indifference even).

The problem with chronically adversarial personalities is that they will not actually take the time to understand the perspective they are knocking, and instead continue to make noise. Here's a little throwaway article from me to such individuals -- This is one of the methods employed by Advaita Vedantins to help the seeker realize the truth. May you grow up and realize your True Nature https://www.medhajournal.com/close-encounters-of-the-fourth-kind

WRT indifference -- It is referring to the condition of detachment, where one doesn't experience 'rāga' or 'dvésha', i.e., craving or aversion for anything. This is the condition which Ramana Maharshi describes in his counsel - "let what comes come, let what goes go". WRT "Separate from all" is an initial step required to shift the identification from the states that appear as waker, dreamer and deep sleeper, to the underlying awareness in which these states arise and fall. As maturity of realization develops, the seeker points out, just like you did - nothing is apart from you, the real Self.

Space and time don't really matter when we realize the Oneness underlying all manifestation. We can share presence with each other, uplift those who are stuck in more worldly realms if necessary -- sometimes just to give them a taste of what this Oneness can bring. Some of those who have experienced the shared presence with an illuminated person might stay that way for a long time. Some others might get scared...don't be afraid. Just open your heart and your mind. It is your own Self that is shining forth through those that you think are "others". When it first happened to me, my mind was going, "No way...this can't really be happening...am I dreaming?!?" And then it became a natural way to be...realization triggered realization...

Differences are a result of karma and constitution that manifests in different names and forms. One might choose to remain in a mountain cave, another amidst the hustle and bustle of a city. The veracity of one’s realization is first manifest in the life of the body-mind unit. The thought “I am in bondage” and the thought “I am liberated”, the one who knows them both to be just appearances in the mind, is the One who is ever free. It’s true that this kind of “riddle-talk” can drive the materialist crazy. 🤪 And trigger waves of beatitude in some others. And yet, the One who understands is present in all — the materialist, the alchemist, the idealist. 😇

Here is how to end the tyranny of the mind.

I have author copies I can send if you give me your postal address.

🙏🏾 My regards to you and your mother. I’m glad you both are enjoying the book. 😍

*bump* don’t forget — my giveaway starts today,

The “dirty” or “clean” has as much to do with intention as it does with what we’ve been feeding the mind. If the intention is sincere and pure, half the battle is won. Success is only a matter of time and effort. If the intention is insincere and with the sole objective of putting someone or someone’s tradition down, the end result is that of a dirty pot.

The Swami gives an interesting example of how different people approach knowledge/a teacher. An upside down pot — this pot is closed effective, and you can’t fill it with water. A full pot — it is already full, no matter what you put in it, will flow out a leaky pot — whatever you put into it, leaks out. a dirty pot - the inside of the pot is dirty, even the purest water you put into it will become dirty. an empty pot - this is a clean, empty, non-leaky pot which is set up in the right direction — so it can receive the water. Our minds are like one of these many types of pots. If you want to learn something, be an empty pot. It is easy to criticize a teacher or a tradition when you don’t agree with it. But in order to properly critique it, you have to understand what and why it teaches something in a certain way. I find anonymous internet handles sniping at genuine teachers and traditions to be worthy of contempt, because there is nothing more cowardly than that. Such people, to be taken seriously, should put their money where their mouth is, not hide behind internet handles - share their credentials, lineage and first prove their caliber. Otherwise they don’t deserve anymore attention or response than a summary dismissal.

Oh I’m comfortable sharing my experience - he is a loving, Kind, gentle and brilliant exemplar of the Truth. What else does one require? The order he belongs to does selfless service wherever they go. He used to train novice monks of that order - Hence he has the same spirit of selfless service. Can you imagine how boring and monotonous it must be for a teacher to travel constantly, teaching the same subject over and over again? Yet, I’ve never once seen him be tired or exasperated — I’ve seen him in person many times. Always with loving kindness, a sweet sense of humor and the kind of clarity that makes you go “wow!” each time you hear his words (no matter in person or on a video or a podcast). Remember, these are profound spiritual truths, and they have the power of absolute reality behind them — the medium is irrelevant. Only, the clarity of the mind listening to the teaching matters. The truth he teaches won’t give one psychic powers, or the ability to bend the laws of nature. He only points to the true nature of each and every individual who thinks they are separate beings in a materialistic universe. And that true nature is The pure nondual consciousness, which manifests as the universe and its members. Like waves of an ocean are made of water. Knowing this, takes one beyond craving and avoiding — Which is the root of suffering. By transcending what we call rāga-dvésha (like-dislike/craving-avoiding), we can transcend suffering. What is more liberating than that? This teaching is something that will attract the Individual when the time is right. For some it might take a few more roundabouts