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Post by wei sa on Apr 7, 2016 1:40:20 GMT -5
Hello all seekers and finders (and those who don't feel the urge to seek since they've always been that which they would seek for  ), After wading through a number of mailing lists, facebook groups and such in search of an online community of sincere seekers/finders of self-realization, this seemed like the most real deal. Unlike many other places it seems relatively active and doesn't seem to encourage using concepts of non-duality as just another decoration of the ego (even though there still seems to be a certain amount of the need to "win" arguments, but can't be avoided I suppose!). So, very happy to have found this place and make acquaintance with you all! The story of my path so far: Around ten years ago (in my early twenties) I read Anthony De Mello's Awareness and a couple of years later started getting into mindfulness meditation (for mostly practical reasons at that point) and although these didn't really turn me into a "seeker" in any serious sense, perhaps some seeds were starting to grow. A couple of years later still I listened to Adyashanti's lecture-series Spontaneous Awakening and a bit later still started watching e.g. some of Mooji's videos on YouTube. What Mello, Adyashanti, Mooji et al were pointing at was always resonating with me, but some kind of proper Thirst hadn't really gotten hold of me yet. Then a couple of months ago I stumbled upon Paul Brunton's writings (through YouTube comments on a Mooji video I think  ) and googling for him, found the SpiritualTeachers.org website and looking into all these new teachers and the newfound TAT Forum sparked some kind of explosion in my conviction: even though I had already heard Adyashanti saying it, I now realised very palpably through all these different voices that self-realization is not only very very probably a real thing but also entirely attainable, and being convinced of this, it wouldn't make sense to just shove it aside like I had done earlier. So I suppose my hair got lit up and I became a seeker.  (Now, I realise many people would say that one doesn't get anywhere by putting mileage into "seeking" or identifying with being a "seeker", but I think at least it serves a kind of Nicorette-type of purpose for me now in severing some other, deeper identifications and realigning my priorities. And I do think I need to do some ninjutsu with my ego which is a big and stubborn bastard. I think I need to seek before I can stop seeking.)
Irony is, not long ago I was living in London where I could've easily caught Mooji or a Headlessness-workshop, but shortly before this conviction built up I had moved to China (Guangzhou), where I'm so far pretty isolated from any face-to-face -contact with seekers or teachers. Hence the title of the thread and my hunger for an online-community. I'd also be grateful for any tips on how to get in contact with any seekers or teachers in China (surely there must be at least some Zen-masters), although I'll probably start a new thread in the Spiritual Friends Locator-section (inactive though it seems, and knowing that I couldn't even register on this forum from China without using a VPN). Likewise, I'd be very interested in other forums, mailing lists, facebook groups etc that would be worth checking out for alternative communities. Another irony is that for the last eight years or so I've had ambiguous and gradually worsening issues with fatigue, which were diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome around two years ago. I noticed that Richard Rose wrote quite a lot about energy and conserving it, and this is a very pressing and literal issue for me now as in the worse days I have to build up a bit of energy to even get up from the chair to brush my teeth. Meditation is something I do horizontally now, which is a shame as I don't find it working as well that way (slips more easily into daydreaming or sleep). Perhaps at some point I'll also start a thread about seeking while being ill... Anyway sorry for being so wordy, but as I mentioned, I've not had the chance to seriously talk about these topics for a while, so a hunger has built up . I hope to become a moderately active member, although as I'm supposed to finish my PhD and hence am working from home, I need to be mindful of procrastination-traps. |
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Post by andrew on Apr 7, 2016 2:28:37 GMT -5
Hi!
In regards to your health issue, have you tried drinking 'golden milk' regularly each day? Made from fresh turmeric, it is very good for overall health and vitality. Have a look on google.
It's a good community here, we argue and fight at times, but if one can deal with that, it's a good place to converse about the kinds of subjects you are interested in.
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Post by maxdprophet on Apr 7, 2016 6:40:29 GMT -5
Hello all seekers and finders (and those who don't feel the urge to seek since they've always been that which they would seek for ), After wading through a number of mailing lists, facebook groups and such in search of an online community of sincere seekers/finders of self-realization, this seemed like the most real deal. Unlike many other places it seems relatively active and doesn't seem to encourage using concepts of non-duality as just another decoration of the ego (even though there still seems to be a certain amount of the need to "win" arguments, but can't be avoided I suppose!). So, very happy to have found this place and make acquaintance with you all! The story of my path so far: Around ten years ago (in my early twenties) I read Anthony De Mello's Awareness and a couple of years later started getting into mindfulness meditation (for mostly practical reasons at that point) and although these didn't really turn me into a "seeker" in any serious sense, perhaps some seeds were starting to grow. A couple of years later still I listened to Adyashanti's lecture-series Spontaneous Awakening and a bit later still started watching e.g. some of Mooji's videos on YouTube. What Mello, Adyashanti, Mooji et al were pointing at was always resonating with me, but some kind of proper Thirst hadn't really gotten hold of me yet. Then a couple of months ago I stumbled upon Paul Brunton's writings (through YouTube comments on a Mooji video I think ) and googling for him, found the SpiritualTeachers.org website and looking into all these new teachers and the newfound TAT Forum sparked some kind of explosion in my conviction: even though I had already heard Adyashanti saying it, I now realised very palpably through all these different voices that self-realization is not only very very probably a real thing but also entirely attainable, and being convinced of this, it wouldn't make sense to just shove it aside like I had done earlier. So I suppose my hair got lit up and I became a seeker. (Now, I realise many people would say that one doesn't get anywhere by putting mileage into "seeking" or identifying with being a "seeker", but I think at least it serves a kind of Nicorette-type of purpose for me now in severing some other, deeper identifications and realigning my priorities. And I do think I need to do some ninjutsu with my ego which is a big and stubborn bastard. I think I need to seek before I can stop seeking.)
Irony is, not long ago I was living in London where I could've easily caught Mooji or a Headlessness-workshop, but shortly before this conviction built up I had moved to China (Guangzhou), where I'm so far pretty isolated from any face-to-face -contact with seekers or teachers. Hence the title of the thread and my hunger for an online-community. I'd also be grateful for any tips on how to get in contact with any seekers or teachers in China (surely there must be at least some Zen-masters), although I'll probably start a new thread in the Spiritual Friends Locator-section (inactive though it seems, and knowing that I couldn't even register on this forum from China without using a VPN). Likewise, I'd be very interested in other forums, mailing lists, facebook groups etc that would be worth checking out for alternative communities. Another irony is that for the last eight years or so I've had ambiguous and gradually worsening issues with fatigue, which were diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome around two years ago. I noticed that Richard Rose wrote quite a lot about energy and conserving it, and this is a very pressing and literal issue for me now as in the worse days I have to build up a bit of energy to even get up from the chair to brush my teeth. Meditation is something I do horizontally now, which is a shame as I don't find it working as well that way (slips more easily into daydreaming or sleep). Perhaps at some point I'll also start a thread about seeking while being ill... Anyway sorry for being so wordy, but as I mentioned, I've not had the chance to seriously talk about these topics for a while, so a hunger has built up . I hope to become a moderately active member, although as I'm supposed to finish my PhD and hence am working from home, I need to be mindful of procrastination-traps. Welcome aboard visa. Hope you find what you're looking for. And good luck with the CFS -- that's a real bummer. If you learn anything helpful I'd be interested (brother in law). Methinks the procrastination angle is good in itself. It's a topic dear to me, with respect to seeking. How much of seeking is precisely about procrastination? There's avoiding stuff that needs to be done -- where the manifestation of procrastination can be anything other than the stuff that needs to be done. And then there's avoiding living itself, or being. Seeking is a manifestation of that. |
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Post by zendancer on Apr 7, 2016 6:52:32 GMT -5
Visa: welcome to the forum. I visited several famous Zen monasteries in Quangzhou many years ago, and there is much to see there, but the Zen Master I travelled with had a fairly low opinion of the teachers he encountered in China. From what I remember he slugged one of the Zen Masters that he considered unqualified during some dharma combat, which would be highly unusual behavior, to say the least.
Stick with Adya, Mooji, etc. They're all pointing you in the right direction. FWIW, the fatigue issue is sometimes helped by doing mindfulness during regular long walks. You might try that.
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Post by silver on Apr 7, 2016 7:45:02 GMT -5
Hi visa, and welcome - I spotted you the other day on NB, as well. |
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Post by wei sa on Apr 8, 2016 0:07:56 GMT -5
Thanks for the hospitality and for the sympathy and advice on the CFS! While it is indeed a bummer, I think it might also be a blessing in disguise, as it has forced me to re-evaluate my life, tearing down or subduing ambitions that were major ego identification factors. That is, I used to be a fairly ambitious guy with regards to career and such, and now I've had to accept that things are not likely to play that way. So at least it's softening the ego and teaching a bit of acceptance, humility and loosening of control and the feeling of not really having anything to lose. I suppose facing some major adversities often contributes to people becoming seekers, and likewise I'm not sure I would've ended up on this path without the CFS. In regards to your health issue, have you tried drinking 'golden milk' regularly each day? Made from fresh turmeric, it is very good for overall health and vitality. Have a look on google. It's a good community here, we argue and fight at times, but if one can deal with that, it's a good place to converse about the kinds of subjects you are interested in. Haven't heard of this golden milk, thanks for the tip Andrew! As for the argumentation, I don't really have any issue with it and I'm certainly not above it myself - I was just a bit surprised to see that people who I gather have made the full trip or at least have had some very transformational consciousness-experiences can still get drawn in to that - if the ego's dead, and there's no duality, then what's there pulling in to that loop? (But then again I never really understood what does it mean for the ego to die since this mind/body construct, memories and (at least vestiges of) personality survives...) Welcome aboard visa. Hope you find what you're looking for. And good luck with the CFS -- that's a real bummer. If you learn anything helpful I'd be interested (brother in law). Methinks the procrastination angle is good in itself. It's a topic dear to me, with respect to seeking. How much of seeking is precisely about procrastination? There's avoiding stuff that needs to be done -- where the manifestation of procrastination can be anything other than the stuff that needs to be done. And then there's avoiding living itself, or being. Seeking is a manifestation of that. Indeed I've learned many things about CFS - I pretty much took a year off my PhD to research it and perhaps went deeper in it than I ever did in my PhD But it's a long and complicated topic. The short answer is that I found Dr Sarah Myhill very useful - she's one of the handful of proper CFS experts worldwide and has written this book which I would recommend to every CFS sufferer, as well as having a lot of information on her website. There's also a very helpful facebook group called 'Support for followers of Dr Myhill's protocol'. But at the same time, I followed her protocol rigorously (or the best I could without actually meeting her) for many months and only got worse. l suppose some major pieces of my personal puzzle were/are still missing. Another avenue of investigation I'd recommend for any CFS sufferer is to really start looking into the topic of gut flora (see e.g. this article and this blog post) and start taking a package of probiotics (at least home-made kefir and sauerkraut). I also think investigating the angle of adrenal fatigue can be useful. Now that I'm in China I'm of course investigating the pathway of traditional Chinese medicine, but still a too early to give any conclusions on that. I can tell more via PM, but lot of what I know is from the Dr Myhill book, so that would probably be a better source. Procrastination is interesting, because it implies that you're still doing something, just not what you should be doing - focusing on secondary priorities instead of primary ones. Funnily I think one of my means of procrastination during my PhD has been spending time on spiritual issues, which in the long run is possibly more useful, and hence perhaps not procrastination at all . I understand that seeking can easily become a form of procrastination as well, but I think it depends - I think it serves a purpose for me now, in for example pushing me out of some previous comfort zones. But then perhaps the seeking itself becomes a new comfort zone and a form of procrastination, in which case the situation would need to be re-evaluated. Visa: welcome to the forum. I visited several famous Zen monasteries in Quangzhou many years ago, and there is much to see there, but the Zen Master I travelled with had a fairly low opinion of the teachers he encountered in China. From what I remember he slugged one of the Zen Masters that he considered unqualified during some dharma combat, which would be highly unusual behavior, to say the least. Stick with Adya, Mooji, etc. They're all pointing you in the right direction. FWIW, the fatigue issue is sometimes helped by doing mindfulness during regular long walks. You might try that. Mmm, yes, not too surprised about what you say about the Chinese teachers unfortunately. I think an association called Buddhist Association of China oversees all the monasteries etc, and I perhaps there's some politics involved in who gets to be the masters. Perhaps the government wouldn't be too thrilled of having the monasteries be places of serious self-realization related inquiry. Maybe a bunch of zen-masters went underground in the earlier decades of the communist regime (particularly cultural revolution) and maybe some are teaching with a low profile outside the established monasteries. And surely there must be some seekers holding regular jobs and such. But finding some (especially some who would speak some English) might be difficult! Hi visa, and welcome - I spotted you the other day on NB, as well. You mean NewBuddhist, right? Are you a moderator there then as I only registered and haven't posted anything? I think that was the second most interesting online seeker community I could find, although I'm a bit more drawn to the approach (I gather more the default here) of using any means available for the quest - buddhist, hinduist, taoist, unclassified etc - rather than identifying with any particular school. |
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Post by jan on Dec 7, 2016 13:24:31 GMT -5
Hi Visa,
I am brand new to this forum (or any forum for this matter). I am in Colorado, so unfortunately not China. I have two sources for you though, and thought I would write.
For your chronic fatigue: honestformulas.com - B Food formula is excellent for chronic fatigue. I have worked with many people around the world who have rave reviews about this supplement made from organic whole food, without anything else.
For your interest in Enlightenment: Look up Ellie Roozdar on youtube. She has a series of 9 videos, all less than 10 min each. The series is titled: "Who Am I" (of course it is...;-))
It is a most concise description of what one needs to do. It worked for me.
I came in through quantum physics and studying the real nature of the universe. -- This led me to J. Krisnamurti, Nisargadatta, Ramana.
The rest from the last century and those on the internet now are too "new age" for me. They all have their stories of war and being destitute, in prison, nearing suicide, close to insanity, etc. That may all be, it's of no consequence or help to those ready. I find it is just entertainment for the mind. -- My husband sent Ellie Roozdar's youtube link to me, and I found it helped "finish the job" that I started with all the gurus I mentioned above.
Perhaps by now you have found others in your area. I noticed this post was from April. But in case not, I hope this is helpful.
Best wishes,
Jan
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2016 15:03:26 GMT -5
Hi Visa, I am brand new to this forum (or any forum for this matter). I am in Colorado, so unfortunately not China. I have two sources for you though, and thought I would write. For your chronic fatigue: honestformulas.com - B Food formula is excellent for chronic fatigue. I have worked with many people around the world who have rave reviews about this supplement made from organic whole food, without anything else. For your interest in Enlightenment: Look up Ellie Roozdar on youtube. She has a series of 9 videos, all less than 10 min each. The series is titled: "Who Am I" (of course it is...;-)) It is a most concise description of what one needs to do. It worked for me. I came in through quantum physics and studying the real nature of the universe. -- This led me to J. Krisnamurti, Nisargadatta, Ramana. The rest from the last century and those on the internet now are too "new age" for me. They all have their stories of war and being destitute, in prison, nearing suicide, close to insanity, etc. That may all be, it's of no consequence or help to those ready. I find it is just entertainment for the mind. -- My husband sent Ellie Roozdar's youtube link to me, and I found it helped "finish the job" that I started with all the gurus I mentioned above. Perhaps by now you have found others in your area. I noticed this post was from April. But in case not, I hope this is helpful. Best wishes, Jan Good advice Jan Ellie is a powerhouse, she's a bit different as her thinking is that very very few people are ever ready for a true awakening see her batgap interviews. However she describes the awakening in pristine clarity. Not sure what Ellie is doing these days those youtube vids were done many many years ago. |
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Post by jan on Dec 8, 2016 21:51:53 GMT -5
Hi Awakesowhat,
Ellie is still available and extremely helpful. We skyped when I was ready and was looking for acknowledgement of my state from someone I respected. That was just this year.
Between Ramana, J. Krisnamurti and Ellie, I had everything I needed. --
I definitely identify with your screen name . . .lol
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Post by Deleted on Dec 9, 2016 0:28:02 GMT -5
Hi Awakesowhat, Ellie is still available and extremely helpful. We skyped when I was ready and was looking for acknowledgement of my state from someone I respected. That was just this year. Between Ramana, J. Krisnamurti and Ellie, I had everything I needed. -- I definitely identify with your screen name . . .lol Thanks good to know Did you find her helpful? I mean in a way that you could not have come up with what she did for you? Sorry I know the question is not framed properly . |
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Post by wei sa on Dec 9, 2016 0:47:51 GMT -5
Hi Visa, I am brand new to this forum (or any forum for this matter). I am in Colorado, so unfortunately not China. I have two sources for you though, and thought I would write. Hi Jan, welcome to the forum and thanks for chiming in! Thanks for the tip! I've been on some pretty comprehensive diet and supplementation protocols and experimented with many B vitamin products - different B vit complexes (e.g this one, which is also a raw whole food formula), sublingual B12 methylcobalamin, self-injected B12 hydroxocobalamin etc. I've never noticed a major difference when taking (or not taking) any of them, and since I also eat meat, I doubt that I'm deficient in B-vitamins. I suspect my CFS is a more complex, or at least different issue - sometimes they talk about a "multi-systemic inflammation". It would be worth trying, but the international shipping is $20 and taxes will be added as well, so unless they have international resellers, it's a bit much... Thanks for this tip also, I'll definitely watch through the video series. I have no idea if I'm "ready" to "finish the job" - if pressed I'd likely say probably not, but who knows. I think we often feel this way as we set up "to-do" projects spiritually to keep up the seeking and its future-projections or otherwise keep ourselves busy. Awakesowhat set up a thread for Roozdar on the "Spiritual Teachers"-section and I pasted this above quote from you there too, so you can also continue there if you prefer. BTW, do you find teachers like Adyashanti also too "new age" for you? In my view there are many very clear teachers active now, him being one example... |
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Post by jan on Dec 9, 2016 16:23:20 GMT -5
Hi Visa,
You know, everyone has a different "way in" and if Adyashanti works for someone, who am I to judge? I haven't seen his videos or read his books. I just learned that he existed.
The value of having someone in person to sit down with, if they are in fact enlightened, and if they present the concepts to you in a way you can understand it, cannot be overstated. I saw numerous videos of teachers with seekers, answering their questions, much in the spirit of satsang with the teachers of the last century. You listen and hopefully, if you hear / see something in that exchange that resonates with you, then it can be helpful. If you can try it at home, great.
More to the point, it seems there are quite a few gurus out there that have many videos of them doing the interview circuit or giving satsang. That's why I suggested Ellie's videos because they are completely different. COMPLETELY. So not to exclude what you can learn from other teachers, but to give you a foundation, Ellie is my recommendation.
As far as the critique that she doesn't think everyone is "ready" to awaken, if you look at one video where she gives percentages (she used to teach mathematics), treal number encompasses approximately 330 million people in the world today . . . even though a small percentage, quite a handful~ But aside from critiquing that point of view, if you look at the entire reason Pure Awareness enters into the agreement of the mind/body connection when a manifestation and comes to life, it is to enact the PLAY. What play would there be without players? So it makes sense that the majority of players here are happily playing in this eternally unfolding story. This is as it is designed. And what an amazing story to be in! -- I understand when she says if you have anything left you want to do, be passionate about, desire, -- just go do it! In other words, get it all out of your system, THEN with full satisfaction (or perhaps exhaustion) you come to this completely "ready" with nothing to hold you in the illusion.
If there is any speck of the ego that clings to the illusion, any desire, yearning it can keep you trapped. And then, people wonder why they cannot drop the illusion. You must be willing to let all of it go. If not, why not go enjoy the play? It is as it is meant to be. -- It's much more than this, but I believe this is what she is merely stating. 1-6% is ready to awaken, OR is ready to be able to make the leap from desire for the play, to desire for what is the truth of what makes the play even happen. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be in the play!
Well, so much for a "quick reply". -- Hope this was useful!
Jan
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Post by wei sa on Dec 10, 2016 5:29:12 GMT -5
Hi Visa, You know, everyone has a different "way in" and if Adyashanti works for someone, who am I to judge? I haven't seen his videos or read his books. I just learned that he existed. The value of having someone in person to sit down with, if they are in fact enlightened, and if they present the concepts to you in a way you can understand it, cannot be overstated. I saw numerous videos of teachers with seekers, answering their questions, much in the spirit of satsang with the teachers of the last century. You listen and hopefully, if you hear / see something in that exchange that resonates with you, then it can be helpful. If you can try it at home, great. More to the point, it seems there are quite a few gurus out there that have many videos of them doing the interview circuit or giving satsang. That's why I suggested Ellie's videos because they are completely different. COMPLETELY. So not to exclude what you can learn from other teachers, but to give you a foundation, Ellie is my recommendation. As far as the critique that she doesn't think everyone is "ready" to awaken, if you look at one video where she gives percentages (she used to teach mathematics), treal number encompasses approximately 330 million people in the world today . . . even though a small percentage, quite a handful~ But aside from critiquing that point of view, if you look at the entire reason Pure Awareness enters into the agreement of the mind/body connection when a manifestation and comes to life, it is to enact the PLAY. What play would there be without players? So it makes sense that the majority of players here are happily playing in this eternally unfolding story. This is as it is designed. And what an amazing story to be in! -- I understand when she says if you have anything left you want to do, be passionate about, desire, -- just go do it! In other words, get it all out of your system, THEN with full satisfaction (or perhaps exhaustion) you come to this completely "ready" with nothing to hold you in the illusion. If there is any speck of the ego that clings to the illusion, any desire, yearning it can keep you trapped. And then, people wonder why they cannot drop the illusion. You must be willing to let all of it go. If not, why not go enjoy the play? It is as it is meant to be. -- It's much more than this, but I believe this is what she is merely stating. 1-6% is ready to awaken, OR is ready to be able to make the leap from desire for the play, to desire for what is the truth of what makes the play even happen. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be in the play! Well, so much for a "quick reply". -- Hope this was useful! Jan Thanks Jan! I replied to you in more detail in the Ellie Roozdar -thread as most of the discussion is now related to her teaching... |
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) and googling for him, found the SpiritualTeachers.org website and looking into all these new teachers and the newfound TAT Forum sparked some kind of explosion in my conviction: even though I had already heard Adyashanti saying it, I now realised very palpably through all these different voices that self-realization is not only very very probably a real thing but also entirely attainable, and being convinced of this, it wouldn't make sense to just shove it aside like I had done earlier. So I suppose my hair got lit up and I became a seeker. 
