Why?

[Astral_Anima]

Has anyone ever questioned why they study/practice what they do? I mean we all eat to survive, have sex either for the sensation or to have a child (or some other manipulative purpose), but why do we get involved in spirituality?

 

For most youth it's pushed upon them by social influences, most often parents. They're "taught" and encouraged to question certain obviously unknown topics such as afterlife and such things. They do it because it got acceptance from authority figures and probably keeps them together with whatever "group" they associate with. Perhaps we do it to be "different" due to rebellion. Maybe we do it to get laid by stupid women who think we're "deep" because we can talk like we know what we're talking about. Maybe it's to feel "superior" to everyone else.

 

However some of us find spirituality on our own, for various reasons. I for one found it because as a youth I was unable to fit into society, so I found comfort in pursuing something that made me feel superior to everyone else who made me feel inferior(through Christianity)...or at least that's how it started. But why do we practice today? What is our objective, our goal in spiritual practice? What do we hope to achieve or loose?

 

Now don't take this the wrong way, i'm not saying spirituality is pointless. I personally am involved in it for the exploration of truth, the pursuit of immortality and to give myself a sense of purpose which makes me Happier. I'm just curious why you all do what you do. Also what method(s) do you al practice to get you there?

Edited August 8, 2010 by Astral_Anima

[宁]

Has anyone ever questioned why they study/practice what they do? I mean we all eat to survive, have sex either for the sensation or to have a child (or some other manipulative purpose), but why do we get involved in spirituality?

 

Actually no, no one asked but you. Want a medal?

 

Joking aside, most complex questions have a simple answer: we get involved in spirituality because we have a spirit. It's the same way with being involved with eating: because we have a stomach.

 

[3bob]

There is no true rest, fulfillment and lasting satisfaction unless or until _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (fill in per your understanding)

 

.

[Vajrahridaya]

The reason I took up practice was due to the dissatisfaction with the answers to life's questions given by popular society. "Who am I?", "What am I?", "What is all this?", "Why all this?", "What is death?".

[therion]

I practice neigong to become the most powerful being crowning all creation.

 

I practice dzogchen to experience enlightenment/full awakening in this very moment.

 

The two seem to fuel each other like yin and yang making me very free and detached from the pathetic human condition.

[宁]

very free and detached from the pathetic human condition.

 

 

[goldisheavy]

Has anyone ever questioned why they study/practice what they do? I mean we all eat to survive, have sex either for the sensation or to have a child (or some other manipulative purpose), but why do we get involved in spirituality?

 

For most youth it's pushed upon them by social influences, most often parents.

 

What's pushed is religion and not spirituality. You are asking about spirituality, right? You have to make a distinction between spirituality and religion. Do you know the difference? Yes, religion is often pushed on the kids, just like political affiliation and many other things.

 

They're "taught" and encouraged to question certain obviously unknown topics such as afterlife and such things. They do it because it got acceptance from authority figures and probably keeps them together with whatever "group" they associate with. Perhaps we do it to be "different" due to rebellion. Maybe we do it to get laid by stupid women who think we're "deep" because we can talk like we know what we're talking about. Maybe it's to feel "superior" to everyone else.

 

Or maybe we are genuinely curious and the topics like afterlife are not obviously unknown, but are subject to logical inference, same as big bang and so on?

 

However some of us find spirituality on our own, for various reasons. I for one found it because as a youth I was unable to fit into society, so I found comfort in pursuing something that made me feel superior to everyone else who made me feel inferior(through Christianity)...or at least that's how it started. But why do we practice today? What is our objective, our goal in spiritual practice? What do we hope to achieve or loose?

 

I could always fit into society, but what I found is that I didn't enjoy it. Being able to do something and enjoying it are two different things. I find the way most of society thinks to be dumb and dead-end. Experientially I seek more freedom than I can currently enjoy. I find the body experience to be unnecessarily limiting.

 

Now don't take this the wrong way, i'm not saying spirituality is pointless. I personally am involved in it for the exploration of truth, the pursuit of immortality and to give myself a sense of purpose which makes me Happier. I'm just curious why you all do what you do. Also what method(s) do you al practice to get you there?

 

I don't want immortality. I want a decent life.

[anatman]

i don't pursue spirituality or religion,but try to make sense of here and now.if that means asking why,then so be it.

[voidisyinyang]

After a certain level of practice there's no turning back -- permanent psycho-physiological transformation. After that the continued practice is ontological (it's who you are -- reality practices you!) -- but it's also practical. Full lotus as complementary opposites works -- it clears out the blockages so that the mind is peaceful and can freely ponder reality -- and the third eye transmits healing light and electromagnetic blissful energy. The heart connects with the love of the universe -- physical reality becomes sensual -- there's communication with other lifeforms and things supposedly dead.... the future is accessed, the past is healed.

[Vajrahridaya]

I practice neigong to become the most powerful being crowning all creation.

 

I practice dzogchen to experience enlightenment/full awakening in this very moment.

 

The two seem to fuel each other like yin and yang making me very free and detached from the pathetic human condition.

 

Awesome!

[Vajrahridaya]

After a certain level of practice there's no turning back -- permanent psycho-physiological transformation. After that the continued practice is ontological (it's who you are -- reality practices you!) -- but it's also practical. Full lotus as complementary opposites works -- it clears out the blockages so that the mind is peaceful and can freely ponder reality -- and the third eye transmits healing light and electromagnetic blissful energy. The heart connects with the love of the universe -- physical reality becomes sensual -- there's communication with other lifeforms and things supposedly dead.... the future is accessed, the past is healed.

 

Ah! That's a very nice response. I like this. Though... just straightening my spine and sitting erect is fine enough, due to the fact that I physiologically can't get into full lotus. I guess some bad karmas play in there somewhere. My Hindu teacher praised full lotus as the supreme posture, but said you can attain enlightenment merely through direct and clear cognition of the nature of things, no matter what physical position.

[Astral_Anima]

What's pushed is religion and not spirituality. You are asking about spirituality, right? You have to make a distinction between spirituality and religion. Do you know the difference? Yes, religion is often pushed on the kids, just like political affiliation and many other things.

 

 

 

Or maybe we are genuinely curious and the topics like afterlife are not obviously unknown, but are subject to logical inference, same as big bang and so on?

 

 

 

I could always fit into society, but what I found is that I didn't enjoy it. Being able to do something and enjoying it are two different things. I find the way most of society thinks to be dumb and dead-end. Experientially I seek more freedom than I can currently enjoy. I find the body experience to be unnecessarily limiting.

 

 

 

I don't want immortality. I want a decent life.

 

You're right that was a sloppy post on my part. Religion is indeed pushed more than spirituality. I was referring to that yes, but more of a "mindset" or "believe system"...so yeah i guess a religion , but not necessarily an organized one, just a set of beliefs.

 

Yes the point is that we ARE very curious about such things, however the point being made is that sometimes people are taught to care more than they perhaps would if they questioned it on their own. I may ask myself..."I wonder what happens when I die?" then come to the conclusion that i'd rather focus on living whereas if someone else brought it up they may instill fear around the topic or impose their beliefs about it. Basically taking advantage of one's inherent curiosity.

 

Again, sloppy post, thx for calling me out on it, lol

[Aetherous]

I practice neigong to become the most powerful being crowning all creation.

 

There can be only one!

 

 

Personally, I started because I felt like it was the most important thing to do (had some misguided selfish desires, too). I was super passionate, willing to sacrifice everything for "enlightenment" whatever that was. Continued because it was what I was meant/told to do...the whole time I wanted to understand the human body, in order to help others heal. Now, I'm continuing this learning. It is the most interesting and fulfilling thing for me to do.

Edited August 9, 2010 by Scotty

[Vajrahridaya]

Nice Mudra there Scotty! I'm trying to remember what that one is called?

[rakushun]

Nice Mudra there Scotty! I'm trying to remember what that one is called?

I believe that is the mandala offering hand mudra. I think it suppose to represent mount Meru.

[Vajrahridaya]

I believe that is the mandala offering hand mudra. I think it suppose to represent mount Meru.

 

Yes, I've done that one during various Dzogchen group practice. Cool! Or maybe something similar. Maybe not that exact one. I've done many Dzogchen practices only once.

Edited August 9, 2010 by Vajrahridaya

[Aetherous]

It's in a lot of different traditions. In certain parts of Taoism I think it's called the "mount tai" hand seal for binding spirits. Besides Buddhism, I was also told it's part of tantra, and read here on the forum that it's in Bon.

 

I am not initiated into anything with it...I just like how fun it is to do! Quite the gang sign...

[goldisheavy]

Yes the point is that we ARE very curious about such things, however the point being made is that sometimes people are taught to care more than they perhaps would if they questioned it on their own.

 

So true. But isn't it like this with everything? How many of our desires are truly ours? What can we do? Other than giving people this warning from time to time, I don't see what else can be done.

 

It's a fair warning though. It's a good idea to make sure we actually want something for a legitimate reason and not because someone else thinks it's "cool" to want something, or to impress some girl or whatnot.

 

I may ask myself..."I wonder what happens when I die?" then come to the conclusion that i'd rather focus on living whereas if someone else brought it up they may instill fear around the topic or impose their beliefs about it. Basically taking advantage of one's inherent curiosity.

 

Again, sloppy post, thx for calling me out on it, lol

 

I am strongly opposed to fear mongering. At the same time, calm and analytical discussion and examination of fear is a good thing to my mind. Certainly fear is used to manipulate people for selfish and greedy purposes. That's something we should try to watch out for. I think the first best defense is to try to empower people. The more empowered a person feels, the less fear they feel. At the same time, the second best defense is to teach people not to grasp after the forms too much. The more one is grasping at some form, there more fear there is when some life situation or some idea threatens that form. And dying and death is also a life situation. So empowerment means we can go after our dreams, but non-attachment means we are mentally internally flexible, and various upheavals and challenges cannot smash our internal world.

Edited August 9, 2010 by goldisheavy

[voidisyinyang]

http://www.stewpig.com/contest/supernatural-contest-in-vietnam-17-pics/2010/05/12/

 

Why do they do it?

[funk~]

I got no particular reason, it's natural, something that comes out from myself..

[goldisheavy]

http://www.stewpig.com/contest/supernatural-contest-in-vietnam-17-pics/2010/05/12/

 

Why do they do it?

 

It's fun and maybe it gives people confidence that more things are possible than we normally imagine?

Edited August 9, 2010 by goldisheavy

[Vajrahridaya]

http://www.stewpig.com/contest/supernatural-contest-in-vietnam-17-pics/2010/05/12/

 

Why do they do it?

 

Awesome! HHA! What's the cause of the ability to cause the ability?

[Mokona]

I don't know what to call it. Hell, it might not even be spirituality that i'm after becuase the definition doesn't always fit and it is a very abstract area for me.

 

Really I first got into learning about death after one night I awoke to a feeling of emptyness and misunderstanding about death itself that wasn't covered by the Catholism's frilly angels and fiery pits of lava, which later lead me to run into large, strong entities that were probably the source of many of those angel or demon creatures anyway, I just feel that they are aren't presented very well in literature.

 

After I started meditating and learning about inner energy. I even started reading Jed Mckenna. After finishing all of his books and starting his method, I find that it is like dumping out all the BS in the mind that is possible to find and that it was too painful to hold a job and sh*t out everything I thought I knew but don't really know while trying to stay sane. But the process keeps sneaking back up on me anyway.

 

Learning about energy started causing exciting out of body type experiences and meditating near groups of people would fix their issues and make them happier, so I got into healing and exploring the energy body with NEW a bit. Trying Reiki, which is a disapointment as I feel that more can be done with intent and other methods than what is taught in Reiki alone, besides all the goofy advertising and crap that comes along with Reiki now-a-days.

 

I became very interested in out of body exploration and went to visit someone who proved his competancy to me. Through him I met a goddess, and was blown away for about two to three years under her influence. Which was fun, but who knows what it actually taught me, beyond the fact that it isn;t all that hard to influence or mess with the energy in others if you know how. Teaching wasen't her thing, as much as teasing, playing, and having a really good time was.

 

Anyway, so i'm still a white belt, who can't do much and studies a new book every few weeks and keeps trying to find those techniques that work best for myself, usually without much luck.