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Post by andrew on May 31, 2024 16:01:13 GMT -5
Hey, just want to add that it's good to see a couple of new participants here. Always nice to see fresh perspectives!
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Post by laughter on Jun 1, 2024 13:09:17 GMT -5
Yes, you have to think in terms of abundance in broader terms, not just in terms of things, especially owning things. That will make you feel poor in the midst of abundance and miss the real abundance that is always there. Take Andrew as example, he continually lives in beautiful places without owning them. Now, in terms of ownership, he might consider himself poor, but in terms of experience, he might consider himself rich. Most of the abundance you can experience every day you cannot put a price tag on. And so most people miss it. Very weird!  I've had to think a fair bit over the years what 'abundance' means to me, and it does relate to simplicity. As the years have passed, I've found handling bureaucratic stuff more challenging. My organization skills aren't good, and I don't keep track of stuff well, I don't understand how things 'work' in the modern world very well. People can explain stuff to me, and if it's more than 3 sentences of explanation, I've usually forgotten what the first sentence was (though my long term memory is excellent). In one way, I'm not much better mentally equipped than a 5 year old lol. It's why I relate to homeless folks....I sort of 'get' how it is for some of them.  But I also resonate with a good standard of physical ease and comfort. So it does seem as if I've gravitated, or been guided, to a path that suits me. We are pet sitting again on the Outer Banks over the summer. Really cool house on the beach. And yet, while I'm always appreciative of what we've been given, I'm also sometimes glad that it's not mine to take care of permanently...it would just be too much for me. Simple and easy is how I like it.  |
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Post by Reefs on Jun 3, 2024 8:54:52 GMT -5
Byron Katie's method is just her unique style. If you question thoughts as she guides people to do, it can lead to the same place that Ramana Maharshi was pointing to. Different people can respond to different styles, at different times in their life. No reason to try to put her down, or put her in some box. One of the advantages of BK's style is that she does not posit in advance much about what you will find. Reality can be discovered just the same. Some non-duality followers keep repeating the concepts and try to talk themselves into a pale replica Reality, putting a mental value on some future "Enlightenment". That's less of a risk with a teacher like Katie who isn't trying (always in vain) to describe Reality. "I discovered that when I believed my thoughts, I suffered, but that when I didn’t believe them, I didn’t suffer, and that this is true for every human being. Freedom is as simple as that. I found that suffering is optional. I found a joy within me that has never disappeared, not for a single moment. That joy is in everyone, always."
- BK
I'd say this quote contradicts most of what you just said about BK.
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Post by sharon on Jun 4, 2024 10:05:56 GMT -5
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Post by laughter on Jun 4, 2024 11:31:03 GMT -5
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Post by Reefs on Jun 4, 2024 12:25:49 GMT -5
So Jeff finally agrees with me that his earlier books were total BS.
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Post by sharon on Jun 4, 2024 13:37:39 GMT -5
So Jeff finally agrees with me that his earlier books were total BS.
I thought you'd enjoy his new perspective! |
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Post by Reefs on Jun 4, 2024 14:02:19 GMT -5
So Jeff finally agrees with me that his earlier books were total BS.
I thought you'd enjoy his new perspective! Not really new if you are familiar with his older videos. The mea culpa thing is a reoccurring theme in Jeff's story and teaching. Quite obviously he's still seeking. There's a very old video though where he describes his first glimpse and what he is describing there is basically a CC. But CC is not SR. Not sure if he has realized that by now. |
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Post by andrew on Jun 4, 2024 17:01:38 GMT -5
I watched for 5 minutes. Maybe it's cultural bias, but I find him very likeable. Very open. I wasn't quite clear of the intention of the video, but maybe it comes clear after 5 minutes. |
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Post by laughter on Jun 5, 2024 6:45:30 GMT -5
I thought you'd enjoy his new perspective! Not really new if you are familiar with his older videos. The mea culpa thing is a reoccurring theme in Jeff's story and teaching. Quite obviously he's still seeking. There's a very old video though where he describes his first glimpse and what he is describing there is basically a CC. But CC is not SR. Not sure if he has realized that by now. In this vid he states that it was his expectation that the people he went to meet would be perfected beings. That's essentially an admission. He is a charismatic guy with a big heart, and his message is now one of positive humanism. Cool enough, for what it is, but he's expressing an obvious historical pattern of eventually recommending seeking for the sake of seeking. Don't think he's quite there yet (would have to listen a 2nd time, maybe I will), but I predict that's where he'll end up. If I were to speak with him I'd try to point using the distinction between pain and suffering. And yeah, if he spoke too soon in the past, how does he or anyone who follows him know if that's not the case now? |
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Post by stardustpilgrim on Jun 5, 2024 9:28:56 GMT -5
I would say this is an honest admission that Jeff realized he had his head buried in the sand, or as zazeniac would say ( ), up his arse. |
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Post by Reefs on Jun 5, 2024 10:22:26 GMT -5
Not really new if you are familiar with his older videos. The mea culpa thing is a reoccurring theme in Jeff's story and teaching. Quite obviously he's still seeking. There's a very old video though where he describes his first glimpse and what he is describing there is basically a CC. But CC is not SR. Not sure if he has realized that by now. In this vid he states that it was his expectation that the people he went to meet would be perfected beings. That's essentially an admission. He is a charismatic guy with a big heart, and his message is now one of positive humanism. Cool enough, for what it is, but he's expressing an obvious historical pattern of eventually recommending seeking for the sake of seeking. Don't think he's quite there yet (would have to listen a 2nd time, maybe I will), but I predict that's where he'll end up. If I were to speak with him I'd try to point using the distinction between pain and suffering. And yeah, if he spoke too soon in the past, how does he or anyone who follows him know if that's not the case now?
Bingo!
Although, if both Jeff and his followers would listen to their inner guidance, they could and would know, of course.
And we've seen it here before, too. Some people making a claim to ultimate truth, SR and stuff and then having to issue a correction several years later, because their perspective has changed, regretting their premature claims.
When it comes to SR, I'd say a good indicator for seekers that there is some monkey-minding involved in those full circle claims is when someone's teaching or perspective is slowly and gradually changing. Because SR doesn't happen that way. But rearranging of one's mental furniture happens exactly that way. SR is when lightening hits, when suddenly a switch gets flipped, a 'calamity' in UG's words. SR is not a nice journey thru different conceptual landscapes that brings you to ever new vistas, that's philosophizing. It's important to know that difference.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2024 13:41:50 GMT -5
I'm not familiar with this Foster dude, but I will say I respect that it takes some bravery to show his face and share his specific life journey in audio/video format like that. And admit to his mistakes, that all humans make in some form. Don't get too comfy criticizing from the anonymous sidelines!
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Post by Reefs on Jun 5, 2024 23:27:50 GMT -5
I'm not familiar with this Foster dude, but I will say I respect that it takes some bravery to show his face and share his specific life journey in audio/video format like that. And admit to his mistakes, that all humans make in some form. Don't get too comfy criticizing from the anonymous sidelines! I suggest you get familiar with Jeff's story and history. Then you will see that he had no other choice than to post that kind of video at this point in time. |
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Post by laughter on Jun 6, 2024 6:06:25 GMT -5
In this vid he states that it was his expectation that the people he went to meet would be perfected beings. That's essentially an admission. He is a charismatic guy with a big heart, and his message is now one of positive humanism. Cool enough, for what it is, but he's expressing an obvious historical pattern of eventually recommending seeking for the sake of seeking. Don't think he's quite there yet (would have to listen a 2nd time, maybe I will), but I predict that's where he'll end up. If I were to speak with him I'd try to point using the distinction between pain and suffering. And yeah, if he spoke too soon in the past, how does he or anyone who follows him know if that's not the case now?Bingo! Although, if both Jeff and his followers would listen to their inner guidance, they could and would know, of course.
And we've seen it here before, too. Some people making a claim to ultimate truth, SR and stuff and then having to issue a correction several years later, because their perspective has changed, regretting their premature claims.
When it comes to SR, I'd say a good indicator for seekers that there is some monkey-minding involved in those full circle claims is when someone's teaching or perspective is slowly and gradually changing. Because SR doesn't happen that way. But rearranging of one's mental furniture happens exactly that way. SR is when lightening hits, when suddenly a switch gets flipped, a 'calamity' in UG's words. SR is not a nice journey thru different conceptual landscapes that brings you to ever new vistas, that's philosophizing. It's important to know that difference.
Yes. Hard for someone who has never heard a melody to hum it. It's only human to project some of the shadows of the realization onto oneself, and the false movement of mind, the fake "I", can never express honesty. |
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