Chrisrvra Posted August 21, 2014 I can feel and know that it is fact that the body can be develop and knowledge can accumalate over time but... is there such a "thing" as a spiritual development or is it a mere accumalation and the further development of the SELF and/or just intellectual rubbish? Â Can mediation be a way of escape and can it be a way to better the self even further by killing it and be reborn to become a bigger self? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soaring crane Posted August 22, 2014 Hello Chrisvra, and welcome to the forums! Â Please take the time to read the two posts pinned at the top of this Welcome page and take a look at the forum terms and rules. This covers all you need to know when getting started. Â For the first week you will be restricted to ten posts per day but after that you can post as much as you like. Â Good luck in your pursuits and best wishes to you, Â SC and the TTB team Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stosh Posted August 22, 2014 (edited) If ones spirit is an extension of ones body-brain , and the body-brain can be changed , then then potentially one can change spiritually. If the folks here thought the subject matter was rubbish , well then its likely they wouldnt have much to say about it. Meditation is restorative , destruction of the self is , self destructive. Â I understand the skepticism which you present , but youre going to have to relax a bit and see what it is you may be able to benefit from regarding the content of Taobums. Starting with so much amplified doubt its likely that you wont be able to find any changes within so youll walk away before you accumulate enough background to challenge the mindset you went in with. If the goals you have about the spiritual , are things youre certain of , then the pursuit of them has certain value to you. You can be certain of that at least..right? and you already know the answers you want to satisfy arent findable at 'wal-mart'. Â If it turned out that all that happened for you was that you spent some time chatting with folks that couldnt be of help to you , would that really be so bad? such a horrible detour? such a waste? I dont think so , youd at least have gotten enough info to make a sound decision rather than abort too soon. Edited August 22, 2014 by Stosh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chrisrvra Posted August 23, 2014 The question is.... Is the EGO the disease, and the cure is to get rid of it through mediation? Â I'm at the point where I know that the SELF is very tricky to dissolve... How can the SELF get rid of SELF? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C T Posted August 23, 2014 Ego. Disease. Riddance. Meditation. Knowledge. Self. Trickery. Dissolution. Self. Riddance. Self. Â A lifetime's work ahead of you, just with those eight words. Â You alone can do the work. Claim the responsibility. Â Be brave enough to admit your faults and limitations. This is the most valuable attitude on the spiritual quest. The journey is one of going inwards to uproot certain habits built over periods of unawareness. Without this courage, you will never find the answers to your questions, because your questions will be shrouded by your habits. In turn, your habits keep you from discovering your real nature. Â Admitting to yourself where you are stuck is not a weakness. Everyone knows this, but not everyone is interested to attend to this admission because its an uneasy assignment. Â Nobody ever said anything about the spiritual path being easy. Â Wishing you happy days ahead! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chrisrvra Posted August 23, 2014 Stosh.... When you said, Meditation is restorative , destruction of the self is , self destructive. Â Can you elaborate on that, it is not clear to me. Â When you say Meditation is restorative, I understand that it is healthy, but when you say it further that it is self destructive, I am lost. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thelerner Posted August 23, 2014 Hi Chrisrva, I assume when Stosh uses the word self, it should be looked at as 'ego' (I think). While I'm not as anti ego/thought as some, in the West we are to mind heavy and developing a quiet and excellent concentration is a step in the right direction. Â I find meditation restorative, it can act as a nice reset button but.. it can also be an escape if done too much or too mindlessly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stosh Posted August 25, 2014 (edited) Stosh.... When you said, Meditation is restorative , destruction of the self is , self destructive.  Can you elaborate on that, it is not clear to me.  When you say Meditation is restorative, I understand that it is healthy, but when you say it further that it is self destructive, I am lost. . I tried here to say what was basically true without biasing heavily for my own stance. This is the courtyard ,and I dont want to speak incorrectly regarding everyone elses views  Meditation can be done for various reasons , health-happiness , enlightenment , mental acuity etc. Spiritually some feel that meditation brings one back to a more core essence of themselves or Tao or God.  The Learner is right about my personal thing, that I personally dont wish to deconstruct my identity to the point where it goes away permanently. Others feel that there is great benefit to doing exactly that. I didnt want to exclude that since its a sentiment held by many. Edited August 25, 2014 by Stosh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nightswallow Posted August 26, 2014 The question is.... Is the EGO the disease, and the cure is to get rid of it through mediation? Â I'm at the point where I know that the SELF is very tricky to dissolve... How can the SELF get rid of SELF? As The Course in Miracles says "the Ego is insane". i feel that to be true and if one looks at the world, one can see all the insanity it has wrought. But yet..... as someone said to me, a few days ago.... it's not that we must destroy the ego, there is a place for it in the psyche but it needs to function without running amuck! I think the TCIM would say we must give it the "Miracle of Love" And yes......... meditation and awareness will direct it back to its proper place. Just my thoughts................. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nightswallow Posted August 27, 2014 Ego. Disease. Riddance. Meditation. Knowledge. Self. Trickery. Dissolution. Self. Riddance. Self. Â A lifetime's work ahead of you, just with those eight words. Â You alone can do the work. Claim the responsibility. Â Be brave enough to admit your faults and limitations. This is the most valuable attitude on the spiritual quest. The journey is one of going inwards to uproot certain habits built over periods of unawareness. Without this courage, you will never find the answers to your questions, because your questions will be shrouded by your habits. In turn, your habits keep you from discovering your real nature. Â Admitting to yourself where you are stuck is not a weakness. Everyone knows this, but not everyone is interested to attend to this admission because its an uneasy assignment. Â Nobody ever said anything about the spiritual path being easy. Â Wishing you happy days ahead! My thoughts exactly...... we must cross the barren dessert and climb to the top of the mountain to attain the True Self! The trials and tribulations along the way seem endless..... but they are not. One will eventually start to feel the "upward" pull and know then....... the path is true and all is not in vain, How does the saying go,,,,"Darkest before the Dawn." Hold tight to that which does not change! We are all "Fragments of the Divine"! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites