Bindi

It depends on your definition of the spiritual self vs my definition of the spiritual self. To me the spiritual self is a spirit body imbued with its own higher consciousness (which I term shiva and Shakti, established respectively in the head and the heart), which can exist and move independently of the material form. Once this spiritual self has been developed there is no transcending it, it is the culmination of the path within the material world. It acts in alignment with ‘the Dao’ but that’s the end point. The Self, as it operates here, is at best clothed in higher consciousness.

Perhaps the truest definition might be the Self is what is left when we die? It is very hidden here on earth. Perhaps here we are the Self plus our dual nature. Even if we can establish a higher consciousness (Shiva and Shakti) beyond karma, higher consciousness still remains the cloak that the Self wears and acts through.

It seems to me Nondualists want to dissolve their salt and have it too.

What part of the salt doll is personality?

I wouldn’t characterise alignment with the Dao as nonduality, as far as I can understand it alignment with the Dao is about making the spirit and the body one, divinising the human to reflect the Dao. The mundane ego “I” may be dissolved, but the ‘True yang’ or Yang Shen (or higher consciousness) replaces it. The outcome as I see it isn’t the erasure of individuality, but the embodiment of the Dao through a fully integrated human being.

I noticed yesterday that all old posts have disappeared, I had tried to find a quote from an old post of mine and only 3 pages of recent history existed. I checked another members history and found the same, I assumed it was to do with the daobum reset and that it was common knowledge as I don’t come on here very often.

I don’t know this experientially ant this point and I won’t believe it as an article of faith.

I’m interested in higher consciousness being established within, where the personal self is dissolved, and ordinary mind and form are transcended. I think this does completely change who you are.

Actually, I arrived here with an interest in some neidan images I had come across. Neidan is not nondualist, it’s a process that comprehends duality (yin/yang), stages of transformation, and embodiment. Remember the interests of the founder of this site? But having an interest in these things I’m now politely being shown the door? This board shouldn’t “represent non-dual views”, non-dual views are just the loudest voices. My beliefs are led only by my dreams and experience, and tend to align more with aspects of neidan and Sanatana dharma.

I had to look up Om Tat Sat, and came across Hari Om Tat Sat, which is what I’m getting at:

Would you equate ‘Spirit’ with the Shiva archetype within?

Feel free to share your thoughts on this here!

Gotama certainly thought karma was important to actually deal with. He said: Through many a birth I wandered in samsara, seeking but not finding the builder of this house. Painful is birth again and again. But now, O house-builder, you are seen! You shall build no house again. All your rafters are broken, your ridgepole shattered. My mind has reached the Unconditioned; I have attained the destruction of craving.” — Dhammapada 153–154 But his “Unconditioned” realisation left him with many conditioned beliefs such as: I don’t think it’s unreasonable that I think unconditioned should be genuinely unconditioned. Also I don’t see any reference to a higher consciousness that was installed. A Buddhist won’t see this as important perhaps, but it is something I’d look for in anyone who claims to be beyond karma.

To me a relationship holds the possibility of personal transformation. Some of the problems are mine, difficult to see and own but transformative if I manage to. Some of the problems are a partners problems, will he or she see and own them? That’s up to them. Like Nungali said, opposites attract, I think to give us a mirror that we can look into and with any luck start to see ourselves. The more opposite, the closer to reality.

How would anyone practically go about removing actual karma? Not conceptually, but energetically, directly. That seems like a good place to start.