Enlightenment Talk

Originally posted by teapot
Yes. My path is painful also. Both strengthening and humbling. Sometimes I am in awe of human complexity.

Enlightenment. To fill with Light.

I've no desire to 'train' myself anymore, nor to understand what 'it is all about'. Letting go and finding myself at the top of the mountain; the ecstacy, Joy with awe and wonder. And then what? Return to self, to life as normal and I find that though I am changed, my life, life itself (ie, the world around me), has not. And I still have to deal with that. And so it goes on and I must experience life in all it's complexities until I am released from the mortal coil, can shake off my dust and explore the Light without constraint. Until then? Do what I can to engender Light, in my life and when I have both the opportunity and the courage, to try and share this with others.

I can relate.

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
reply to post by blupblup

 

it's more the lack of words to describe it.

I understand that, I am not good with the written word and most the time quiet,

It's not even that I lack the words, or don't have the vocabulary needed, i just mean that the words don't exist to describe it.

It's like an emotion or sense or feeling, more than something trivial or an event or something which can be described.
This is exactly the reason i deleted my post.... because it sounded like the ramblings of a mad man....

anyway, peace

[edit on 27/3/09 by blupblup]

reply to post by blupblup

This is exactly the reason i deleted my post.... because it sounded like the ramblings of a mad man....

I would have liked to have read it.

Originally posted by teapot
Do what I can to engender Light, in my life and when I have both the opportunity and the courage, to try and share this with others.

I consider this perhaps the bravest, wisest choice of all, if such a thing can be measured. Perhaps it is in these moments when we break with it and say, "Such is their path and not mine," that the light breaks with it and we become free again to explore the possibilities.

What use is there in treading the paths mapped out ages ago? Should we admire them because of their antiquity? If one reaches the wisdom of the ages, then a new age must be born or knowledge is stale. Perhaps we should ask what new paths are there to tread. That to me is the quest.

Originally posted by Still_Learning

If you can, would you share any of your experiences or give me some advice? It would be much appreciated.

Yes, I've done "astral-projection" but its not that connected to this thread. I`ll say this much: I think you "leave" the "body" every night anway. What you mean by "astral projection" would then be the mind being aware of the whole thing instead of falling asleep. So the key is deep relaxation without falling asleep (which is the key to many other abilities as well).

Originally posted by visible_villain

"subtle impurities" manifesting as "external obsticles."

I don't even know what it really means. I've only mentioned this before to a very limited number of close friends, and am not even sure it's a great idea to mention it here. But, there it is. Whatever ...

I am sure this sounds pretty weird, and I am not even going to try to explain what the experience was like. It's one of those things you just sort of have to see for yourself.

Its alright to share even that here. I can appreciate it and would like to hear more.

Question: If you dont know what it means how do you know you experienced it?

Originally posted by Mr Green

This merging, absolute bliss with one, its amazing but what is it? With who/what am I merging with, the source, my higher self maybe my higher twin flame?

Maybe the wave is not actually merging with the ocean but realizing it already is.

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
Is there a wrong way to meditate?

Depends what you mean by "wrong" and what you mean by "meditate"

Originally posted by calihan_12
I have a question.

My boyfriend was in india for a year and was telling me of different types of meditation.. and one was that if you meditate and look at a white wall without blinking, for a good amount of time, you start to hallucinate, as though you were on acid or lsd.

What do you know about this type of meditation?

The white wall deprives the eyes of their normal distractions the same way a floatation-tank or other meditations would. When being "on empty" for a certain length of time, then "stuff" comes up, "perceptions" come up that are deeper than the surface-layer of everyday-sight-and-sound.

In short, your own nothingness causes all kinds of somethingness to pass through. Its not the main purpose of most meditations to trip out or get high, but it does happen as a side-effect.

Originally posted by blupblup

[edit to remove my own experience as when i write them down, they usually make me sound mental]

self-censorship not necessary here. We`re open-minded people.

Originally posted by Mr Green
its just an amazing place to reach, yet if you question what it is for a milli second it is gone. How wonderful it would be to be without limitations all the time.

In this post and in your thread on enlightenment I notice you often refer to it as something to "achieve" and "reach" and "attain".

May I politely suggest an alternative way of looking at it, using my favorite metaphor (the ocean):

An oceanwave does not need to reach or achieve being the ocean. It already is. It can never attain something it already is. Its the simplicity of this in which many people (waves) miss the obvious.

So rather than a "doing something to achieve something" maybe its more of a less-doing and more-being.

reply to post by Stormdancer777


Reading your conversation with TravelerInTheDark I´ll add this: Being in a lightweight state while at the same time having compassion for those suffering need not be a contradiction in my opinion.

I've never helped anyone by suffering just like them. I have on the other hand, been able to help and support while in a state of peace myself.

reply to post by Skyfloating

If you dont know what it means how do you know you experienced it?

A good way to answer your question, I think would be to take an example from school - In my case, I've taken a lot of math classes. I've sat in some lectures that pretty much made sense at the time, that is to say when the professor, certainly a genius himself, delivers the lecture, but then later, back at home trying to actually work through the proofs myself, the only thing which eventually became clear to me was that I certainly did not understand the material.

It's sort of the same thing here ... such an experience as the one I shared was definately experienced, but later when thinking about it rationally the analysis sort of turns into this circular exercise, like the proverbial dog chasing his own tail, if you catch my drift ...

HTH

reply to post by visible_villain


Understood.

"At that time it made perfect sense, but...."

Wow, such wisdom here. I am really enjoying this thread.

Skyfloating, the first time I was able to let go entirely while meditating, past the panic/fear waves, I experienced very specific 'images'. Does one need to have a deep understanding of sacred geometry and symbolism to fully benefit, or are these 'archetypes' beyond interpretation, and only understood intuitively or subconsciously?

Originally posted by Nox Vulpes
Skyfloating, the first time I was able to let go entirely while meditating, past the panic/fear waves, I experienced very specific 'images'. Does one need to have a deep understanding of sacred geometry and symbolism to fully benefit, or are these 'archetypes' beyond interpretation, and only understood intuitively or subconsciously?

My personal take on that "stuff" is that its more about enjoying than understanding it. I´d tend to say that its "understood" on another level and need not be studied. In fact...experiencing the geometry, like you did, is much more fun than studying it.

Originally posted by TravelerintheDark

But it does seem to have the opposite effect on a great many of us, unfortunately. We ride the dragon and then can potentially spend the rest of our lives chasing it's tail. Until we look up and see that it is always circling around us.

I agree. Most do end up chasing the experience itself, like an addict chasing a high.

It seems to me it is just a way of allowing one to see the truth, past the illusion, and that if it is effective, you need not have the experience more than once.

You take the truth that you were shown, or experienced, or realized, and then you live consistent with that truth.

Were you shown Oneness? Then why live as if you are in competition with "others?" How can there be "others" to compete with?

Do you think that you are "chosen" because you have had the experience? How can anyone be "better" in something inherently perfect and balanced?

Did you feel "bliss?" Then why stuggle and chase things, or run from them. Is not bliss peaceful? Non resistant? Accepting?

I think the experience is meant to give you guidance on how to live, not meant to make addicts out of us. I also think it is a mistake to think that having the experience means you are awake for all time. It is an awakening, but we can still doze off while living.

And the Ego can easily grab hold of the experience and that truth and twist it subtly into a lie, the worst of all lies, that "I" am enlightened.

Only the Ego says "I" and the Ego can never become enlightened. Enlightenment means not abolishing the Ego, or getting rid of it, only that there is a deep knowing that "you" are not "it." The Ego comes with you. It is a constant companion, in that sense, but it is not "you."

Originally posted by Skyfloating

self-censorship not necessary here. We`re open-minded people.

Oh i know mate.... as i said in my latter post, it's more getting the words to make sense or coherent, than actually worried or bothered about sounding mental.

Cheers for the comforting thought though

Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
/
Only the Ego says "I" and the Ego can never become enlightened. Enlightenment means not abolishing the Ego, or getting rid of it, only that there is a deep knowing that "you" are not "it." The Ego comes with you. It is a constant companion, in that sense, but it is not "you."

I agree in the sense that something that does not exist in the first place cannot and will not become enlightened.

reply to post by Skyfloating


Do you think that there is anyone to help? In other words, does your understanding of enlightenment include Oneness, or non-duality? Or is it undivided and non-dual?

And when you say that the Ego is "non-existent," I agree with that, if you mean that there is no "you" that is separate from the One, (for lack of a better word) and that the idea of a separate "self" the idea of "me" or "I" is just an idea, practical for talking and getting around, but ultimately an arbitrary and imaginary division. Is that how you mean it?