• Philosophy and Spirituality
    Welcome Guest
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Threads of Note Socialize
  • P&S Moderators: Xorkoth | Madness

Enlightenment

I have a He and he mostly regards me as his personal servant. Sometimes he descends to giving me some attention. But he likes going out to show off and greet people, he seems to genuinely love people.

I notice cats have two sides and you can see them switch between ego and their higher/divine self if you watch them. When they're in the ego their like little devils and think it's just fun to scratch you but they can also have this innocent, baby-like expression on their face and dwell more in the higher self then.
 
Last edited:
The Six Levels of Consciousness

1. Life happens to you.
2. Life happens by you.
3. Life happens in you.
4. Life happens for you.
5. Life happens through you.
6. Life is you.
 
Foreigner said:
In other words psychedelics (and certain spiritual practices) can make you feel like you've transcended something, even though there is nothing to transcend. There's no higher or lower, there's nowhere to go. You can't get anymore into it than you already are in this present moment. You're already there and always are there.
Click to expand...

Enter the spiritual by-pass. Well said :)
 
These are also known to be sayings that the left-hand path likes to make use of.

"You're already enlightened" "There's no such thing as enlightenment" "You don't need to do anything to become enlightened" and confusing/paradoxical things like that. This is a form of irony certain spiritual leaders like to embrace, but it gets a bit old after a while, and it's not entirely accurate.

In one way it's right, as in the understanding of the Advaita tradition and your true, unchangeable self which is always there. But, seen in another way, we're not all equally enlightened and there are things to be done.
 
; nothing is entirely accurate or inaccurate it just IS ....

how do you know there are things to be done? how do you know karma is real? Why do you feel the need you have to DO something?

How could you possibly know anything at all?


Seriously I've been on the spiritual path(whatever that even means) awhile and if anything it makes me realize seriously

I DONT KNOW SHIT, then realized NOBODY else does either.


any method or thing to do that will supposedly help you achieve enlightenment IMO is just another TRAP.


i don't think many really fully realize or embody(to be) what the "I am already enlightened" means....


Ninae, haven't you heard the phrase before enlightenment chop wood carry water after enlightenment chop wood carry water?


Enlightenment(a silly word / concept) is truly LAUGHABLE at best.


Have fun though continually seeking it and let me know if you ever find what your looking for ;)
 
Last edited:
Yea, that's one of those cliches. I get it. I think many misunderstand that quote, though.

I'm just not that keen on those type of teachers that come across as stereotypes of what an enlightened person should be like. So everything they say has to be confounding and raises even more questions. The real masters have answers and a kind of freshness and unpredictability to them, in my opinion.

Even Jesus could speak in riddles, but he gave clear answers, and there's a real uniqueness to his sayings,
 
Last edited:
Unique indeed^

I have to say, the only time I think I ever felt like I met an enlightened person was when I was 6 years old.

I was at a fair. I heard the most cystal clear voice from behind me. It was a man I had not known, but he seemed incredibly familiar. My mother was a bit taken back. He was bald headed, old. He was in a wheelchair, I seem to recall someone pushing for him.

What stood out most was the indent of a boot in the side of his head, like someone had stomped on him.

He looked at me and tossed my hair, gave me a 50cent (United States Half Dollar) coin to me and my sister, and smiled the most warm smile I have seen yet.

We said thank you and I have been puzzled ever since.

Even now I have images of him flash in my dreams. I wonder if my sister remembers...?

Not an impressive story. Just an old man doing something nice.
 
I think the reason people find it so hard to accept Christ is that he talked completely from the perspective of the higher self. This the ego can't not only not relate to, it perceives it as a threat to its very essence.

Which it is, in the sense there is no more ego when the higher self has been realised, but your perspective will be completely switched then. It's a difficult one for the human being to get its head around.

I think the main obstacle is that people don't know they're being asked to give up the ego to replace it with something better. They feel like they're being asked to give it up for no reason, and that feels completely unnatural.
 
I don't think the ego is a bad thing... it just is. If you're inhabiting a body, ie, currently living as a life form, you're going to have an ego, it's what makes us what we are, rather than the universe in its raw awareness form. I think it's a mistake that people make to think they need to (or even can) eliminate the ego. Of course, it's good to be able to realize that you are an egoic being, and by doing so, suppress it at times in order to live a better life and be better for others. When I began exploring my consciousness I was always trying to remove the ego, but now I embrace it, while maintaining an objective oversight over it as much as possible. I am my ego, inhabited by the universal observer consciousness. Without my ego, I am not Xorkoth, I am no one and everyone. We can suppress the ego to a dramatic degree for short periods of time, and gain insight and perspective, but we cannot remove it and replace it with something else, that's not how life works. To live a life as a material, differentiated being, the ego is inseparable, necessary, and beautiful.
 
Yes, but I don't think that's quite how it works...I don't think that's what Adyashanti is talking about.

And in spiritual sciences like Theosophy you also learn that aspirants go through different initiations on their journey, where real things happen, like their lower bodies (i.e. the ego) being burned up at a certain point so they can live as pure spirit.

You might say that's not what interests you or what you want from life, but that's not the same as it being how things are, or objective reality. It's funny how everyone seem to think these things are a matter of opinion and we just get to decide for ourselves what is true, but I guess with our ignorance we have that convenience.
 
Last edited:
Ninae said:
And in spiritual sciences like Theosophy you also learn that aspirants go through different initiations on their journey, where real things happen, like their lower bodies (i.e. the ego) being burned up at a certain point so they can live as pure spirit.
Click to expand...
So, is there any empirical evidence behind any of the things this supposed "science" "teaches"?
 
But in order to be able to say "I", it's coming from an ego place. The ego is simply the subjective sense of self, the thing that produces the illusion of separateness. Ego is about more than just your "lower body", it is the very thing that makes you human. You can connect to the higher self but still be an egoic being. In fact it's the only option. I think the idea that ego is "bad" is a mistake that a lot of people make. It's probably because of the multiple ways the word is used. When someone is being thoughtless or selfish we often say they're being egotistical, but that doesn't mean that the ego is only responsible for these negative behaviors.
 
Last edited:
I think there is a form of evidence, but it has always been a secret or hidden science, and we don't have any tradition for portraying it that way.
 
21) My mother taught that grief, and selfish love, and hopes and fears are but reflexes from the lower self.
22) That what we sense are but small waves upon the rolling billows of a life.
23) These all will pass away; they are unreal.
24) Tears flow from hearts of flesh; the spirit never weeps; and I am longing for the day when I will walk in light, where tears are wiped away.
25) My mother taught that all emotions are the sprays that rise from human loves, and hopes, and fears, that perfect bliss cannot be ours till we have conquered these.

- The Aquarian Gospel
 
Last edited:
Xorkoth said:
But in order to be able to say "I", it's coming from an ego place. The ego is simply the subjective sense of self, the thing that produces the illusion of separateness. Ego is about more than just your "lower body", it is the very thing that makes you human. You can connect to the higher self but still be an egoic being. In fact it's the only option. I think the idea that ego is "bad" is a mistake that a lot of people make. It's probably because of the multiple ways the word is used. When someone is being thoughtless or selfish we often say they're being egotistical, but that doesn't mean that the ego is only responsible for these negative behaviors.
Click to expand...

Eventually ego collaborates with the higher self and universal consciousness, rather than working against it. It comes after a great deal of inner work and personal surrender.

It's important not to totally abdicate oneself to the Absolute because it destroys the individuated human experience. Ego is needed. I disagree with the advaitas for this reason. Their teachings ring hollow, and are lonely IMO... because they are constantly trying to suppress personal consciousness. Their followers become like melodic drones.

The inner essence is an individuated aspect of the Divine, it can't be totally sublimated. Only death really accomplishes that. A lot of people try to do this with drugs like LSD - I used to do that - but it only makes it harder to carry out the personal will.

Ego is part of the bodymind and we need it to survived. It is part of the consequence of a denser material existence. If you work too hard at dissolving in then your connection to the material world is left severely weakened in a detrimental way.
 
Yes, well said.

The ego can learn to see the advantage of at least opening itself up to the higher self if its educated on it. Especially if it gets a glimpse of what it really feels like. That's why mind-expanding drugs can start off the process for many.

The heightened feelings of bliss, peace, and love only come about through unlocking planes of consciousness that already exist within you as a possibility. They don't come from the actual drug, although that's how people perceive it.
 
"There is nothing new to gain. On the other hand, a man must lose his ignorance. That is all."

"Correcting oneself is correcting the whole world. The Sun is simply bright. It does not correct anyone. Because it shines, the whole world is full of light. Transforming yourself is a means of giving light to the whole world."

"All unhappiness is due to the ego. With it comes all your trouble. If you would deny the ego and scorch it by ignoring it you would be free."

"Forgetfulness of your real nature is true death; remembrance of it is rebirth."

"Your own self-realization is the greatest service you can render the world."



- Ramana Maharshi
 
Sri Ramana Maharshi: The Sastras say that one must serve a Guru for twelve years in order to attain Self-realization. What does the Guru do? Does he hand it over to the disciple? Is not the Self always realized? What does the common belief mean then?

Man is always the Self and yet he does not know it. Instead he confounds it with the non-Self, the body, etc. Such confusion is due to ignorance. If ignorance is wiped out the confusion will cease to exist and the true knowledge will be unfolded. By remaining in contact with realised sages the man gradually loses the ignorance until its removal is complete. The eternal Self is thus revealed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top