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Post by andrew on Sept 30, 2011 13:11:41 GMT -5
was elsewhere earlier, prefer it here better First thought was, "I seek Truth". But Truth is a BIG word. Too big. Like it makes the totality of the universe insignificant in comparison. Then words like: This, Is, Be, I Am, Stillness, Awareness, Consciousness. All fine words, good pointer words. But they are Big too. Difficult to grasp. Unapproachable, like a mirage in the desert. So, failing at those, I started looking at something a little closer to home, something I could "do". I settled on personal honesty. There are no obstacles to being true to yourself. Only you stand in the way of you. No one can fix you, but you. An honest, ongoing, evaluation, is a good course. Start with an admission of not knowing. A wise man (Bart Marshall) once said, "As soon as I think I know something, I've strayed into error". Is good to heed that warning. Look at yourself until it hurts. Then look deeper. Looking is all you have to do. If something is false, it can not survive the scrutiny. Then forgive yourself. I like this a lot. This is how it has, and does, work for me. I went through a really abstract phase on my path a few years back and got lost in abstract concepts which mean a lot on one hand but mean nothing really in another. I eventually met someone who pushed me to work on stuff I could do something about. He pushed me to get very tangible. I really resisted it to start with because when we get tangible we become present. I loved the idea of 'the Now' and 'stillness' etc...but was resistant to being actually present. I wanted to flounder around instead. Personal honesty is a fantastic goal I think. For me, I would love to consistently relate to people and to life in general in a joyful, honest and loving way. I am clear about what that means and what it looks like which for me, is good.
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Post by popee2 on Sept 30, 2011 14:14:02 GMT -5
thanks andrew
I talk too much
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Post by andrew on Sept 30, 2011 14:18:42 GMT -5
You are an interesting person andrew. Of course all that I have to base that on is a few random thoughts of yours. No where near enough information to know you, but enough to respect you. And more than enough to hope you find the peace you are looking for. I used to be very lazy, and quite haphazard. I was floundering as well, jumping from one thing to the next, but never jumping in entirely. I did a lot of that, on one hand, and on the other hand, stuff too. I found that approach to be ineffective, I was never making any real progress. Then out of the blue, a sentence came to me, "admit ignorance before your next step". Those words wouldn't leave my mind, I was dwelling on that sentence constantly. Eventually I understood its meaning, my "personality" could never be "right". It shook me to the core, it took away something I had long held to be true, that my "identity" was not the final arbiter. It wasn't. Then I began looking at what my identity was made of - which turned out to be nothing. There is not one thing about myself which has any substance, its mostly just a collection of memories from the past. I wish you well, best of luck going forward. Thanks popee. I liked what you said here. Best of luck to you too ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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Post by popee2 on Sept 30, 2011 14:48:53 GMT -5
namaste
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Post by andrew on Sept 30, 2011 15:02:57 GMT -5
AUM I want gold beans bullets and farmland AUM I want gold beans bullets and farmland AUM .... Sorry, how many times do I have to say this for the secret to manifest? ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) When you dream of a life in which these things are present in your reality in the way you would like them to be, does it make you feel happy? What are gold beans bullets by the way? Do you mean gold and beans and bullets?
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Post by popee2 on Sept 30, 2011 15:23:42 GMT -5
sorry you got caught up in my silliness andrew
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Post by andrew on Sept 30, 2011 15:30:03 GMT -5
First off, it was a joke. tathagata knows what I meant, thought it might enjoy it, but looks like he's busy fighting the impossible fight. Besides, he's enlightened, so I don't think he appreciates my wit. lol You see, we're in the third inning of an economic and systemic collapse. There's an old saying, "proper planning prevents poor performance", so in that regard, holding gold, basic necessities, and farm land would be proper planning. Then there's The Secret, where the dedicated technique of mental projection will bring you what you set out to achieve. I'm not in that category of seekers, I'm in in for the righteous Truth. So technically, I'm focusing on the wrong things. I need to let it go, and reside in that cool breeze of perfection at my back. Got it? good LOL Oh sorry, I thought you were still talking to me, so I thought it best to reply. I think I got it ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
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Post by popee2 on Sept 30, 2011 15:35:39 GMT -5
you are a good friend and a caring soul
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Post by andrew on Sept 30, 2011 15:51:43 GMT -5
Yes! I hadnt noticed it as such but popping onto this thread has felt a bit like stretching my legs and taking a breather. I think I keep hitting quote because the quote button and the emoticons are about all I have worked out to do when writing messages on this forum. Its my way of showing off the few computing abilities I have hehe.
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Post by tathagata on Sept 30, 2011 16:06:03 GMT -5
AUM I want gold beans bullets and farmland AUM I want gold beans bullets and farmland AUM .... Sorry, how many times do I have to say this for the secret to manifest? ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) haha...if you do it that way you will only manifest the wanting of...more effective is: "AUUUUUUM I have gold beans bullets and farmland, and i'm so grateful for this"..... you get what you believe is an already accomplished fact. you did stumble upon a something here though...intoning the AUM with an emphasis on the UUUUUU sound opens the third eye, i.e. the witness...whatever you choose to witness manifests itself to the degree that you are in this pure third eye state of witnessing.
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Post by popee2 on Sept 30, 2011 16:10:41 GMT -5
forgiven
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Post by tathagata on Sept 30, 2011 16:39:57 GMT -5
was elsewhere earlier, prefer it here better First thought was, "I seek Truth". But Truth is a BIG word. Too big. Like it makes the totality of the universe insignificant in comparison. Then words like: This, Is, Be, I Am, Stillness, Awareness, Consciousness. All fine words, good pointer words. But they are Big too. Difficult to grasp. Unapproachable, like a mirage in the desert. So, failing at those, I started looking at something a little closer to home, something I could "do". I settled on personal honesty. There are no obstacles to being true to yourself. Only you stand in the way of you. No one can fix you, but you. An honest, ongoing, evaluation, is a good course. Start with an admission of not knowing. A wise man (Bart Marshall) once said, "As soon as I think I know something, I've strayed into error". Is good to heed that warning. Look at yourself until it hurts. Then look deeper. Looking is all you have to do. If something is false, it can not survive the scrutiny. Then forgive yourself. this is wonderful popee....and forgiveness is a wonderful technique of removing attachments too...a good practice is to continually forgive, both yourself and others...a guy pulls out in front of you in traffic, forgive him right away...your dog keeps scratching his ear in the bed while you are falling asleep, forgive him right away...someone is doing something self destructive or writes something you don't agree with, forgive them right away...and above all, forgive yourself continually on this path...especially when you find that you were clinging to something or being attached to some idea or thought or illusion...forgive yourself right away... because its easy to move from having attachment to some illusion to having an attachment to not being attached....just forgive yourself continually as the layers get peeled away. there is a quote by jesus in Mark 11:23-24 where he talks about belief and faith making reality...but almost imedietly after that in the same conversation he talks about the need to forgive others if you want to be forgiven yourself...so forgive everyone and everything, including yourself....you are perfect in every way...even in this moment if you are in struggle to open to your deepest true nature you are in a state of perfection. As to the writing and deleting of posts you make here...even when you cannot voice what you are thinking and feeling in a way that you are comfortable with this is a perfection.... Gautama talked about developing and having "Skillful Means" as a Bodhisattva, a helper of others to realize their true nature....part of developing skillful means is this process of learning how to communicate wisdom in a way that the person you are relating with can get a hold of, or let go of depending on what is appropriate for them at that time....you going through all of this...by starting a the ground floor and moving to the top floor consciously and in full awareness you are developing skillful means...in that later through the empathy of your own experience you can help others.
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Post by tathagata on Sept 30, 2011 16:50:48 GMT -5
First off, it was a joke. tathagata knows what I meant, thought it might enjoy it, but looks like he's busy fighting the impossible fight. Besides, he's enlightened, so I don't think he appreciates my wit. lolYou see, we're in the third inning of an economic and systemic collapse. There's an old saying, "proper planning prevents poor performance", so in that regard, holding gold, basic necessities, and farm land would be proper planning. Then there's The Secret, where the dedicated technique of mental projection will bring you what you set out to achieve. I'm not in that category of seekers, I'm in in for the righteous Truth. So technically, I'm focusing on the wrong things. I need to let it go, and reside in that cool breeze of perfection at my back. Got it? good LOL haha....being enlightened doesn't mean you are not in the world..."in the world but not of it" is a little closer to the truth...I still enjoy good wit, sex with the wifey, a good meal etc. lol...but there is just no attachment, only a continuous flowing/openness of death and life/being and nonbeing
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Post by tathagata on Sept 30, 2011 16:53:24 GMT -5
yes, that's right. ahh forgetaboutit, think I'd rather give that stuff away, than be burdened with defending it. think I'll be quiet now lol....forgive yourself...and then forgive yourself for not forgiving yourself lol much love
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Post by popee2 on Sept 30, 2011 17:31:09 GMT -5
timely words, thank you very much
much love, respect and appreciation
--------
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