"In a very strange sense, paths of enlightenment are an attempt to escape from what is already always going to be the case, a vain attempt to find reality elsewhere, someplace or state that is better than now. When the search finally exhausts itself is when the result comes."
Well said. Self-realization is a confounding process. Never made any sense and never will. But it works! Almost as if that recognition, acceptance and eventual surrender into paradox becomes the fruition of the path itself. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Xenophaneros Anartaxius" <anartaxius@...> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "richardwillytexwilliams" <willytex@> > wrote: > > > whynotnow7: > > > Of course, once the soul is free, it can go anyplace, > > > do anything, think anything, say anything, so it is > > > probably likely that if a liberated soul is on here, > > > they will speak freely about anything they wish to > > > speak about. Nothing to sell. Not above or below > > > anyone else. > > > > > Also, there is the notion that everyone is already > > 'enlightened' from birth, but many are not 'realized'. > > This notion is interesting because it basically states that reality is here > all the time and we are just mis-perceiving it somehow. We can ask the > question 'if reality is not here all the time, where would it be?' This is > the problem, thinking that reality is somehow not what we are, somehow not > where we are. > > > If being in the enlightened state is a normal state, > > then all you have to do is realize it. But, is this a > > physiological transformation or a mental transformation? > > > > If physiological, then what physical process do we > > employ in order to gain the realization of our own > > enlightenment? If mental, what thought could cause our > > mind to realize it's own full potential? > > Some would say the mantra is a thought that could cause the mind to rise to > its full potential. I have nothing against this idea. It is thought that got > us into the mess of illusion. The use of a mantra is a strategy for getting > us out; the actual mantra may not be the critical aspect of this. Other > systems without mantras also have historically worked out too. These > procedures do seem to have an effect on the physiology. The transformation is > very mysterious because as reality is always present, when the transformation > occurs nothing could actually have happened. This intellectually defies > logic, but realisation is not a matter of logic, logic is only required in > the attempt to understand all this. As if a wearer of eyeglasses forgets he > or she is looking through them, searches for them having forgotten they are > already in front of the eyes, and then suddenly realises they were there all > the time. > > > The physiological path of realization would probably > > involve some physical type of yoga technique. But, a > > purely mental realization would require a simple > > 'turning about in the seat of concsciouness', by perhaps > > just entertaining a particular thought. > > > > But, the real question is, are we free or bound? If > > bound, by what means can we free ourselves? If free, > > there would be no need of a yoga anyway. > > Maybe this isn't a real question. Freedom and bondage are a pair. The > realisation that there are certain aspects of life that bind us are > inevitable frees us from the need to try to escape those bindings. We no > longer waste energy and time at an impossible task. In a very strange sense, > paths of enlightenment are an attempt to escape from what is already always > going to be the case, a vain attempt to find reality elsewhere, someplace or > state that is better than now. When the search finally exhausts itself is > when the result comes. > > > Either way, you're only going to get as much > > enlightenment as you are going to get, so it may be > > useless to strive for it, at any rate. > > Striving gives a certain impetus to the process, like diving off a diving > board into a pool. Once the board takes over, striving no longer has any > effect on the result, but one had to do something to start the process, but > how long it is going to take to completely let go is anyone's guess. > > > So, just Be - it's that simple. > > I would agree, but just saying that never quite seems to work for most > people. This is why we see so many systems for 'self-development' have > arisen. There are many catalogues of spiritual type courses and paraphernalia > floating through the world's mail systems. > > Chakra Massage Gem Stones with Diamond Dust Coating > Self-Realisation Tablets with Life Spring Water from the Andes > Inward Impaction Meditation > iSelf Computer Monitor with Cashmere Dust Cover > Mega-Self Expansion Exercises Retreat > Devotional Metaphysics Training (with free placenta handbag) > Mindfulness Garbage Disposal Awareness Seminar > Taking the Woo Woo to just Woo Course taught by Mahaswami > Boundary Attenuation Transformational Prayer > > The list goes on and on. >
