"Ego", "Illusion"

[skydog]

i dont hold the view that the solution to everything is to pretend you dont exist.

 

Because one does exist, as a mind, body, spirit and everything.

 

To say one doesnt exist is deluded.

 

its like a childish argument one uses to say they are enlightened when they arent.

 

When the heart is open, one feels enlightened in heaven, loving everyone.

 

When the heart isnt, the brain can say "I dont exist, there is emptiness" but that is meaningless to me.

 

If everything is illusion, so is the illusion that everything is illusion, this is a negative and innaccurate view on the world, that in my opinion causes people to become ungrounded and suffer.

Edited July 15, 2013 by skydog

[skydog]

not directing this towards anyone...please dont misinterpret my intention.

[Flolfolil]

When the heart is open, loving everyone.

 

the brain can say "there is emptiness"

What if one likes to stay on the fence between those two extremes? It creates a feeling i quite enjoy. My emptiness doesn't spiral into depression and my happiness doesn't get too carried away

 

Do you mind if i alter your quote for my sig? If you would rather me not credit you for it that is fine too. i would like it to say "When the heart is open, loving everyone, the brain can say there is emptiness"

[skydog]

sure..lol

[Songtsan]

I guess the rules are for the Learners and once you are in charge of your vehicle you can go off road.

 

Also, there are always rules in the end - gravity, heat/cold, force, etc. reality rules. The mind has rules, the heart has rules, the body has rules, no one can escape rules. I always found that setting up an extreme system of rules, like some of the Buddhists who take hundreds of vows, will by nature force you to adopt a way, someone else's way - which is fine - I am not criticizing - I see the advantages, yet for someone who ends up breaking rules a lot, because of, well let's just say, crazy driving habits, constant failure to keep to rules leads to discouragement along the path. In order to bypass that, I adopted a new set of rules, which are another topic entirely, but they are so flexible that I cannot possibly fail. You guys all know what type of person I am like by now to some degree - I think you can figure out what types of rules I have for myself (I can't wait to see what types of comments this one brings)...

 

I think in the end that one should be careful in choosing rules - know what one is getting into first.

 

Like this - recently I decided to go vegetarian. Then when I find out someone is just going to throw some food out that has meat in it, because it is too spicy, I changed my rules to adapt, because I hate to see food wasted. So now my rule is never buy meat, never eat it unless it is going to be wasted. Flexibility in rules should eventually lead to the perfect set of rules for one's nature.

 

Here is another example. A few days ago, I decided to try not to get into personal arguments with people on this site. I found myself at it again with someone just last night. However I caught myself in my urge and backtracked. It seems to be developing slowly. These are what I call learned wisdom rules. Rules that evolve with the times.

 

Here is another one. I told myself that I would stop coming here to focus on my book. I lied, I came back real quick like. I am addicted to internet forums. This isn't the only one I go to either. However, I feel something bubbling up in me day after day - an almost repetitive, ever-strengthening urge to move on. I believe this will happen soon. In time I will naturally experience what I tried to make a rule of and failed, without making a rule. This is the Tao of nature I think.

 

This is why in the left hand Tantra path's they purposefully broke the rules - ate meat, drank wine, had group sex, etc. They were aiming at breaking the dry, dusty mold that had encapsulated their minds. When I say that Tantrikas of certain sects didn't have rules, I meant it, but I also didn't mean it - there are rules, (natural rules), and there are rules (imposed ones). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aghori for my type of style - no I was never initiated...Kundalini teaches me, because i wish to learn. She is the all-bringer.