Why were the highest spiritual teachings kept hidden/secret

[Neirong]

23 hours ago, manitou said:

 

I'd be careful on this.  There are many who have ascended because they have fought off their inner demons.  The instructor is within.

 

Without control, observation, or peer accountability, anyone could claim to be an enlightened master or an ascended deity. The internet is full of such individuals. There’s a famous saying: "I am controlling the world when the psychiatrist isn’t looking."
 

However, when subjected to adequate scrutiny, reasonable testing, and the involvement of genuine individuals with real spiritual accomplishments (siddhis), it becomes clear that what often spreads through online platforms is a severe case of delusion, schizophrenia, or acute mental illness. Unfortunately, no one seems to have taken even a single step toward genuine enlightenment.
 

In the end, it’s all just mental masturbation—a self-indulgent activity confined to the mind.
 

5 hours ago, Sanity Check said:

For the same reason most major breakthroughs in science were achieved by individuals working alone, rather than teams.

It’s the opposite. It’s like saying people who were never taught how to read or write could become great scientists.
 

There’s virtually no chance of making meaningful progress in spiritual cultivation without first establishing a solid foundation and mastering the basics.

You can explore it independently only once your competency reaches certain level. 

 

21 hours ago, Master Logray said:

But Buddhist monks customarily live in congregations/monasteries

It has also strict training/life regime and hierarchy system. Which makes sense if you want to see any results overtime.

 

[Master Logray]

I think this discussion on going solo and alone needs to consider the element of time and stages.  Take Taoist cultivators as an example, they need to go through stages.   In some stages, they have to mingle with the crowd (not only fellow cultivators).  It is to ensure their training and discipline would always be observed, but not only during meditation time.  Otherwise any mishap will derail the whole process and they never can do it again.  In the final stage being alone most of the time is necessary to go and maintain deep levels.   In the interim they jump in and out according to their teachings and current necessities.

 

Anyway I think those read a few books, listen to some podcasts and go some retreats then go directly into hiding and fasting mode is problem prone.  It is always better to be in a team or a community during the early and mid stages except those 1 teacher 1 student scenario.

 

[Master Logray]

I think this discussion on going solo and alone needs to consider the element of time and stages.  Take Taoist cultivators as an example, they need to go through stages.   In some stages, they have to mingle with the crowd (not only fellow cultivators).  It is to ensure their training and discipline would always be observed, but not only during meditation time.  Otherwise any mishap will derail the whole process and they never can do it again.  In the final stage being alone most of the time is necessary to go and maintain deep levels.   In the interim they jump in and out according to their teachings and current necessities.

 

Anyway I think those read a few books, listen to some podcasts and go some retreats then go directly into hiding and fasting mode is problem prone.  It is always better to be in a team or a community during the early and mid stages except those 1 teacher 1 student scenario.

 

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

@Neirong and @Master Logray make good points, before you can run by yourself, someone has to teach you how to walk.

[Lairg]

2 hours ago, Master Logray said:

I think this discussion on going solo and alone needs to consider the element of time and stages. 

 

A regular visitor came a few days ago.  When she stood at the edge of the patio looking down into the creek she stepped off the concrete and stood in the river gravel  I had put there, consciously pressing her feet into the gravel.  I had not seen her do that before.

 

So I tried it too and there was a distinctly better energy in the gravel compared to the concrete.

 

I asked her why she had done that on that occasion.  She said the voice in her head told her to do it.   I was pleased as I had had such assistance for a long time.  It was always valuable assistance - and on one occasion accurate a decade in advance.

 

It took me years to identify the voice in my head.  The source turned out to be well known to me and others.

 

 

Even though she and I were apparently solo in our inner process, we were being supported.

 

It seems that secret teachings can be provided at the right time without a  human group  process

 

 

 

 

Edited Sunday at 08:19 PM by Lairg

[Nungali]

Aha !   I was wondering what level the 'secret teachings' were at  with some here . 

 

Mine must be very advanced ......   I learnt that  river gravel is better to stand on than concrete some time back ..... but being  a secret information, I swore never to tell anyone else about it .  

 

It looks like Lairg  is gonna get hung from a bridge , upside down, at midnight .

 

For you others ;   'Sacred River Gravel '   $299  per bag - stand on it and watch your LDT rotate  left ,right,  up,  down and left  (again ) 

 

Send money plus $85 postage to   ;  Nungali   c/o  Daobums  -  online  (sometimes ) .

 

 

[old3bob]

24 minutes ago, Nungali said:

Aha !   I was wondering what level the 'secret teachings' were at  with some here . 

 

Mine must be very advanced ......   I learnt that  river gravel is better to stand on than concrete some time back ..... but being  a secret information, I swore never to tell anyone else about it .  

 

It looks like Lairg  is gonna get hung from a bridge , upside down, at midnight .

 

For you others ;   'Sacred River Gravel '   $299  per bag - stand on it and watch your LDT rotate  left ,right,  up,  down and left  (again ) 

 

Send money plus $85 postage to   ;  Nungali   c/o  Daobums  -  online  (sometimes ) .

 

 

 

heck, 85$ bucks for shipping is a deal.  Btw I could get people some larger river rocks (to go with the gravel) at about those prices, just don't use them in your fire pit since the moisture inside of them might blow them up when heated. 

 

Hey Mark how much for those Zen garden rocks?  Just a donation?

Edited Sunday at 09:15 PM by old3bob

[Lairg]

 

Quote

on the road less graveled sometimes one approaches a beckoning gate to another world, some parallel universe. to enter or not to enter is the question.

 

Quote

TO KNOW, TO DARE, TO WILL, TO KEEP SILENCE

 

Edited Sunday at 10:55 PM by Lairg

[idiot_stimpy]

Why do they say the highest spiritual teachings are self concealing/self hidden? 

 

Meaning its a secret that hides itself, no hiding needed from anything else.

[Lairg]

Many of the powers implicit in the human format await:

 

- control of relevant functions of the light-body

- discharge of personal karma

- right relationships with particular transcendent entities

- sufficient alignment with trans-galactic intent.

 

Partnerships and cooperation can then be established and the initiate is delegated limited decision-making to assist the local cosmos.

 

 

 

 

 

[doc benway]

7 hours ago, idiot_stimpy said:

Why do they say the highest spiritual teachings are self concealing/self hidden? 

 

Meaning its a secret that hides itself, no hiding needed from anything else.

 

When you “get it,” referring to realizing, direct understanding of, “the highest spiritual teachings” in Tibetan Buddhism, you realize it’s been staring you in the face the entire time. There’s never been a moment you were a hair’s breadth away from it, and yet you just couldn’t see it. If your karma is not right, you won’t get it, no matter how it is presented.

[Sanity Check]

On 2/23/2025 at 5:30 AM, Neirong said:

It’s the opposite. It’s like saying people who were never taught how to read or write could become great scientists.
 

There’s virtually no chance of making meaningful progress in spiritual cultivation without first establishing a solid foundation and mastering the basics.

You can explore it independently only once your competency reaches certain level. 

 

 

 

Contrast the examples you cite with christianity and organized religion.

 

With christianity the best chance a person has of learning anything relevant is to avoid group activities propagating hive mind based indoctrination. The same might be said of most forms of organized religion. Accepting the group format and their ideology will set a person back years, even decades, in terms of gaining knowledge and competence.

 

I can't comment on taoism or esoteric practices as I've never experienced them.

 

In examining basic taoist ideology, I'm left with many questions. The way I lived my life is 100% the complete opposite of basic advice taoists and esoterists offer. 

 

People turn to religion and spiritualism seeking answers. When they can't get answers that are satisfying they abandon the group setting and begin searching on their own. 

 

It seems that this trend of people like myself receiving unsatisfying answers to questions is becoming more defined over time. 

 

Not everyone wants to develop magical powers or open their third eye.

 

Some only want answers and to better comprehend basic principles at work.

 

And when those explanations of basic principles are not coherent or consistent, it raises questions and causes people to lose faith in the organized format of things.

 

 

[Master Logray]

On 2/24/2025 at 1:53 PM, idiot_stimpy said:

Why do they say the highest spiritual teachings are self concealing/self hidden? 

 

Meaning its a secret that hides itself, no hiding needed from anything else.

 

You change your question.   Back to the old question, I think most of the knowledge in this world is hidden, not only spiritual teachings.   Only when the Internet becomes popular, there is a substantial sharing of information - free.  

  

[-ꦥꦏ꧀ ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ-]

14 hours ago, Sanity Check said:

I can't comment on taoism or esoteric practices as I've never experienced them.

You do realise the vast majority of this site is about Taoism and esoteric practices?