What are the lessons you learned in your spiritual journey?

[Shad282]

What are the lessons that your spiritual journey taught you and changed your understanding perspective regarding spiritual practices like, enlightenment, kundalini, third eye, TCM....etc ?

 

Thank you for sharing.

 

[RiverSnake]

It's all a game, play it well. 

[qicat]

1. Experiences are real to the one who is experiencing it. Hold the space for those who need it, don't question their reality. 

2. There is a structure and science to the process, unfortunately, the knowledge of it had been modified/lost/hidden/etc. No single person holds the ultimate knowledge ( keys) to the process, thus, choose your teachers wisely.

3. Dreams are real. 

4. Live beings have a glow around them, ghosts don't.

5. If it "feels off", it is "off".

6. Don't judge "energy junkies", when you taste it, you will understand that "it is better than sex, it is better than drugs, it is better than alcohol"... 

7. 99.99% of humans have heavy/dirty/low energy when you dig deeper...

8. Connect to me at the heart level, don't look at pretty face ( butt) or brains... 

9. Old-wives tales, myths and fairytales are surprisingly full of useful information...

10. Good TCM doctor can literally save your life in the process. Bad TCM doctor will load energetic crap on you and sell you herbs you don't need. ( personal experience) 

11. It's hard for men get past first dantian  ( stuck on sex), it's hard for women get past second dantian ( stuck on emotions). ( if you know any remedies, do share...)

 

12. Cats can roam anywhere they want. 

[silent thunder]

for me, the action of returning to source is of letting go, releasing into natural being... sinking into presence and awareness and dropping all else.

 

silence, breath, emptiness and clarity are deeply healing, free and ever present.

 

use what presence, focus and energy I have to heal, nurture and love. 

 

retribution is a useless exercise that amounts to little more than spiritual self immolation, forget/drop/release wrongdoings and cultivate authentic presence now...  this leads naturally to healing, nurturing and love.

 

there is no external validation, or secret knowledge beyond my sense of my self that is closer to source, than what naturally occurs in every interaction in this soup of life.  don't chase, release and be.

 

life is soup, it's fluid.  i too am a fluid, a flowing verb, not a static noun...

 

there are no accidents. 

 

there exists no thing that is independent of other things... nothing anywhere is independent.  one life.  all in all.

 

things are very suspect as things... solid is an illusion of perception

 

suffering is a crisis of perception

 

i don't believe everything i think... just because i thought it and even felt strongly about it, doesn't make it real, true, or important... they're just thoughts, let go, release and be

 

when sensory input is available, it will tend to want to dominate awareness, cultivate effortless being, silence, radical acceptance

 

let go, release and be as is natural.  there is no need to chase external validation, or secret knowledge, such things are inherently valueless, circular, self feeding loops.

 

cultivate the whole of the self, to transition to the self of the whole

 

the only authentic thing i have, is my authentic presence and awareness.  it is the only real thing I can offer to anyone.  it is valuable beyond measure.

 

edited: to change the word valueless

Edited February 6, 2017 by silent thunder

[liminal_luke]

for me, the action of returning to source is of letting go, releasing into natural being... sinking into presence and awareness and dropping all else.

 

silence, breath, emptiness and clarity are deeply healing, free and ever present.

 

use what presence, focus and energy I have to heal, nurture and love. 

 

retribution is a useless exercise that amounts to little more than spiritual self immolation, forget/drop/release wrongdoings and cultivate authentic presence now...  this leads naturally to healing, nurturing and love.

 

there is no external validation, or secret knowledge beyond my sense of my self that is closer to source, than what naturally occurs in every interaction in this soup of life.  don't chase, release and be.

 

life is soup, it's fluid.  i too am a fluid, a flowing verb, not a static noun...

 

there are no accidents. 

 

there exists no thing that is independent of other things... nothing anywhere is independent.  one life.  all in all.

 

things are very suspect as things... solid is an illusion of perception

 

suffering is a crisis of perception

 

i don't believe everything i think... just because i thought it and even felt strongly about it, doesn't make it real, true, or important... they're just thoughts, let go, release and be

 

when sensory input is available, it will tend to want to dominate awareness, cultivate effortless being, silence, radical acceptance

 

let go, release and be as is natural.  there is no need to chase external validation, or secret knowledge, such things are inherently valueless, circular, self feeding loops.

 

cultivate the whole of the self, to transition to the self of the whole

 

the only authentic thing i have, is my authentic presence and awareness.  it is the only real thing I can offer to anyone.  it is valuable beyond measure.

 

edited: to change the word valueless

 

Thanks!  Going to go practice (letting go) now.  LL

[CloudHands]

Hardenning things is a useful (necessary?) pragmatic choice but is -ultimately- a sign of weakness.

 

Hardenned things haven't took there original form back.

 

Face yourself in relation with your past, in relation with others and face others in relation with yourself. Then stop.

 

You can learn a lot when difficulties show up, seize it. That's the picture you want to delete, the reality you don't want to see. If you can deal with it... GOOD.

 

It's because it's difficult that it's valuable.

 

Accurate trust is fluctuating. Don't take anything for certain or definite. Still, be confident/open enough to allow the light to show up.

 

Cultivation helps a lot. Roots (in the broadest meaning) grow.

 

We are not all on the same level, adapt to anybody.

 

It's not because you think you are loose that the job is done.

Still, you did the work.

[dwai]

1. There are a lot of lessons still to be learnt.

there is a very subtle but clear difference between participation and observation in the context of meditation. When we are observing (like mind is observing), there is a recognition of things like emotions, feelings, experiences etc but no experiencing. When participating, these experiences are happening to us.

We can meditate all the time. What we do in our meditation seat can be done all the time. 

The meditation is to let the mind rest in the witnessing awareness, without attachments.

Attachments can be subscription to particular mental positions or rejection of particular mental positions (taking sides).

Happiness, bliss and joy are in this non-attachment. When we let the mind rise and venture out of the stillness of the witnessing consciousness, all the "nasty" things happen to us.

We should not reject someone's experiences because it doesn't match ours. It's better to take the position "I don't know...let's wait and see".

The secret to being "empty", "free", etc etc is very simple and easy. Yet it is very hard to get to because we are conditioned to seek external objects and gratification in them. However, it is easy because it is always there within us. All it needs is a shift in perspective and identification -- from the body and mind to that awareness that is witnessing all that is happening to the body and the mind. 

Time is inconsequential. 

There is no point in trying to hurry towards "enlightenment" or any other thing. All things will happen as they are meant to happen - when the time is right. 

When the mind deviates from the witnessing consciousness, don't fight it. Just bring it back by first finding the witness and then go back to rest in it, lovingly.

Trust the masters who have said all this to us over the ages. They knew what they were talking about. But do find the "witnessing consciousness" first, so that all their words suddenly start making sense. 

[qicat]

the cards are dealt to you at birth: 

 

 

maybe...

 

but then, what about energy ramification with some tools ( think vedic astrology stones/mantras/etc recommendations)?

 

I would not mention "free will" here, but... 

 

everybody has a joker in their pocket, they just don't know they even have that secret pocket...

[Jonesboy]

It's all about letting go, every single bit of it.

[Prasanna]

• The first thing I realized in the spiritual path is that the path is unique for everyone, that is, there is no one common remedy for all.

Result orientation or anxiety to achieve the ultimate Self Realization itself will prove to be a resistance to our spiritual evolution. Therefore, we must have a good understanding that mere taking to spirituality is itself a very great blessing and accomplishment since we know that the truth we are seeking is not there in the worldly pursuit. Turning to spirituality itself is half the job done. No true spiritual aspirant must have result orientation in any period/point of the spiritual pursuit. It is better that the spiritual development be gradual and not hurried. We should see to that neither we are complacent (lazy) nor be over enthusiastic or excessively excited.

Satsang or company of the good, noble, righteous, virtuous and wise spiritual people, gurus, true benefactors is essential for the pursuit

Spiritual development is marked by one's level of objectivity, self sufficiency, humility, non-hatred for all the beings, self control or control of the senses, etc. 

Fixation of higher, selfless, noble ideals beyond our egocentric desires and ego boosting selfishness is vital. That should be followed with perseverance, consistency of purpose, dedication and devotion till the ultimate ideal is achieved.

The optimal progress is achieved only if we feel the pinch slightly when pitching up our intermediate goals in the path and never ever by overexerting or over burdening beyond our capacity. Over burdening and over exertion will only result in quitting the pursuit abruptly there itself.

Acceptance of personal ignorance and wise counsel of a  Guru or spiritually evolved person is necessary for progress in the spiritual path. A wise guru or a spiritually evolved person will be able to find our blind spots and areas of ignorance easily.

Gratitude towards the Divine Providence, the Gurus, the spiritually evolved people, true benefactors can take us to our zenith of spiritual experience. Count your blessings always. The air we breath, the sun light, the water, other essentials are for free or for a pittance. We have been provided with a life without any utility tag by the supreme creator, but we make a mess of our life by our egoism, selfishness, sensuality, materialism and utilitarian/secular pursuits. The law of life is that we make ourselves or we mar ourselves,nobody else and nothing else can truly affect us. We always get what we deserve and what not we desire. We need to perform actions in such a way that we deserve the grace and blessings of the almighty for ever.

We must grow up from desire, envy, jealousy, hatred, pride, greed, anger, pretence, etc. to revelling in the welfare of all the beings.

We must genuinely feel from the depths of our heart that we all beings are one family of that supreme reality and always promote love for each other. "Vasudeiva Kutumbakam"

Edited February 9, 2017 by Prasanna

[thelerner]

Near the end of cooking, adding vinegar to a pot of soup brightens the flavor. 

[dwai]

Near the end of cooking, adding vinegar to a pot of soup brightens the flavor. 

 

I've never tried that...but now I know

[Shad282]

Thank you people, for sharing your precious and enlightening lessons

[Pilgrim]

Don't be too serious.

[Pilgrim]

I've never tried that...but now I know

Did it work?

[lifeforce]

The older I get the more actual reality of this place in which we live reveals itself. Love definitely does NOT conquer all. There is no such thing as unconditional love. There is evil in this world, lots of it. Unless we build self-defence mechanisms, (physical, spiritual and mental), our destruction is assured.

[dwai]

Did it work?

Added towards the beginning recently..made things a bit sour, but that is a welcome taste to me

[MooNiNite]

Rely on no one and no thing.

 

Movement

 

External truthfulness is internal truthfulness.

 

True self is true life. 

 

Nothing is completely true.

[Stosh]

That the world often runs in reverse of what we are led to consider it to.

Ex: We are often our worst enemy , sharing our opinions is a threat , and so forth. 

[Pilgrim]

Added towards the beginning recently..made things a bit sour, but that is a welcome taste to me

I added a small amount to some peas it did increase the flavor some.

[Vajra Fist]

Reflect each morning on your own mortality. Reflect with gratitude each evening for the kindnesses of others.

[blue eyed snake]

humility