Starkadr Posted Wednesday at 04:46 AM with good intentions: One thing that has always amazed me is learning to shoot free throws. When I began practicing I would only make around 10% of the shots I took. Which of course leaves 90% missed. By all rights I was practicing missing more than I was practicing making baskets, yet over time the number of shots I missed decreased while the number of shots I made increased. Not sure how that happened, other than I recently saw a post extolling the virtues of knowing your goals. Maybe that's the first step. When I was younger I wanted to be taoist. Something about the philosophy resonated with me, and of course there was my youthful dissatisfaction with mainstream religion (I'm very much a westerner). But I knew nothing of taoism other than the trappings of the religion and the textual gibberish that I was unable to pierce. Much like the Ethiopian eunuch from bible school, I was unable to understand what I was reading and desperately wanted someone to explain it to me. Eventually there came frustration and an abandonment of anything associated with religion, including taoism. I have seen the good religions can offer. However, as a student of the abrahamic religions feel that there is some disconnect between what religion now is and the deeper meaning of the texts. My intent is simple, and maybe by forming it plainly I will be able to get closer to the basket. I want to experience, not believe, what all world scriptures point towards. I want to know the moon and not just the finger. I don't have any well formed questions at this point, but would gladly welcome any insight from those who have travelled further along this path. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cobie Posted Wednesday at 06:50 PM (edited) Welcome to the forum Starcadr. Imo you have set yourself an excellent goal. I hope the forum will be helpful to you, and also enjoyable. Edited Wednesday at 06:50 PM by Cobie Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silent thunder Posted Wednesday at 11:41 PM (edited) 18 hours ago, Starkadr said: My intent is simple, and maybe by forming it plainly I will be able to get closer to the basket. I want to experience, not believe, what all world scriptures point towards. This bit in your sharing presented as a potential mark of your inroad to the path. Engaging in presence is a cornerstone of the foundation in each of the endeavors shared with me by the few masters I've encountered. Simple presence is far from simple, indeed, it is the most profound and transformative of experiences my awareness ever processes. Experience, presence and beingness are The Path to me. Intellectualizing about those experiences, may be a useful tool, or enjoyable diversion in attempts to share with others, or glean details of what arises in experience and presence. But the words shared and the word forms/concepts to me are always a shadow of sorts compared to the experiential awareness and beingness... as you say, as a finger pointing, but never the point. I'd say your draw to experience over belief, or thought forms is a strong benefit to finding your path. Seek out places, animals and people who engage your presence and settle into that for a starting point... Honestly, overly intellectual pursuits, while endlessly engaging to me and pursued for two decades and several higher degrees, have always revealed themselves to be a sidepath to my process in the end. Kind of like sitting and looking at a menu and expecting to derive nourishment from the pictures, instead of actually engaging in a meal. Now, taking my own cue... after all these words, I'm going to turn on some music and play with my cat... Welcome to The Bums! Edited Wednesday at 11:43 PM by silent thunder 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
