natural

11 minutes ago, manitou said:

 

 

That's the trick,  that's the practice, that's the goal.  I'm not sure it ever ends.  But there comes a point in time where the nuts and bolts of any particular path are no longer important.  It doesn't matter what path was taken to get there.  Once the mind, the fickle thoughts, have been tamed, yes, there is vanquishment.  Not 100% of the time, but enough awareness to pull them back to the place of Om when you see that you're letting your thoughts take you for a ride.  This can be done many times a day, if needed.  And it's fresh every time!

 

Needy ego is also vanquished in degrees.  Arrogance, assuredness, a sense of superiority - these things can be lessened if one earnestly works on diminishing them.  This is why it hurts to admit mistakes or to make an apology - because ego takes a beating.  But that is the very thing that ego needs - to take a beating.  Ego confirms wrongfully our sense of separateness from each other.  So does arrogance, so does head knowledge - they give the illusion of separateness.

 

 

 

 

Emphasis bolded by me.

The entire post deserves consideration, but I chose to place emphasis on key insights or path notes of a well traveled individual!

3 minutes ago, steve said:

 

How does one move from one moment to the next? Or is it that one moves continuously to the present moment?

Well, I for one move on pretty quickly when I have the runs.

Not speaking for others but I suspect its more common than we are willing to admit.

1 minute ago, Apech said:

what if one remains in the present moment but it turns out to be completely shit, wouldn’t you move to the next present moment.

Watchful waiting?

Many of my moments result in very satisfying bowel movements.

Afterall it shouldn't hurt to poo!

17 minutes ago, old3bob said:

did you mean to post the above on the other string?

I am not sure?

It was an attempt however, feeble or incorrect to be present in the moment?

I however remain open to suggestions, thank you in advance

1 minute ago, old3bob said:

did you mean to post the above on the other string?

it depends...

My nosy neighbor pounded on the front door and continually pressed my doorbell.

Upon answering the door, I was told a crow was attacking some small fledglings (birds of another species, cow birds to be exact) in one of my bushes.

Cowbirds are obligate parasites destroying other bird's offspring replacing their eggs with their own. 

Generally, I am lassize faire, live and let life follow its own destiny. 

But I sat on the porch for a bit with my canine companion, watching life unfold...

6 minutes ago, Apech said:

 

Yes but WHY? did the bee alight from a dandelion?

 

 

To cross the road.

2 minutes ago, steve said:

Wealth often brings misery, it’s fascinating.

Isn't

Just now, old3bob said:

"waste not want not" if safely edible.

 

Amen, amen and amen!

Honestly, I never broke bread or tried to eat their meager victuals, however true to my experience he and his family were extremely generous with sharing whatever they had.

Poor = great generosity!

I may have mentioned it before but in the late 70's my older brother carpooled to work with a fellow who was making the minimum wage and with 6 kids and a wife relying on him as the "bread winner" they would stop and collect roadkill as they went to work in the predawn hours...

1 minute ago, steve said:

I could never eat a crow.

They are far too intelligent and interesting creatures. 

this may date me, however if i recall correctly there was no bag limit nor a Sunday prohibition on hunting them

3 minutes ago, old3bob said:

eating crow does not taste very good ;-)

I will gladly take your advice on this, but wonder about how hungry one must be as well as wily one must be to eat crow.

Can some one please insert? embed Marvin Gaye,s  What's going on here?

Is it innate?  

Or learned?

My nieces are good at communicating through their use of words to a point.

Once they feel misunderstood or not respected, they resort to violence.

Biting one another.

9 minutes ago, steve said:

Full disclosure, I grew up in Baltimore. - home of Old Bay

I did as well but I did not find the post particularly flavorful   but rather bland.

On 4/20/2007 at 7:09 PM, Yoda said:

When going #2 in a portapotty, ego is what says, "That one is mine."

I am not sure I want to acknowledge that except it was a Yoda original!

Thanks both for the laugh and the memory!

12 minutes ago, ralis said:

 

One doesn't need to explore to be spiritual. I know a lot of spiritual persons that don't have a need to explore and that doesn't make them any different.

 

Do you spend any time in the natural world. Mountains, desert, forest etc.?

My two grandnieces (2.5 and 3.8) years old are natural explorers.

They stampede at the chance to splash in puddles, find treasures like a box turtle, or a tree frog etc. 

They appear pretty spiritual to me.

edit to add they are very tactile exploders using sight and touch primarily, but recognize a crows call or squirrels chatter as well!

I am just a roadside weed.

A dandy lion if you will... stoically maintaining my existence among the many slings and arrows getting exposed to all types of weather.

Perennial source of food nectar and pollen to a mix of creatures.

I don't concern myself overly with the mundaneness of life, I just strive to be me!

3 minutes ago, ralis said:

“Ordinary people”? Figures that your attitude/worldview would reveal itself here. 

Ouch, just ouch ralis, a bit dramatic?

25 minutes ago, Apech said:

I'm reading this thread through COVID brain fog - so forgive me if I miss the point or repeat.

 

Ultimately, whatever it is that we are ... or the reality which is ... is complete.  That is, it is a continuum and has no gaps, contradictions or error.  But in effect the transformations we are involved in inevitably involve struggle.  Struggle with fear for instance, or with stupidity and so on.  The non-duality of it all is that it can be both at once.  

 

... lost my thread ... please carry on ...

 

 

Hoping you get the healing rest and all the support you need!

3 minutes ago, Cobie said:

I live where ‘A Bridge too Far’ happened.  Some of my friends in their late eighties still sometimes talk about it.

Great respect to both them and you!

6 minutes ago, stirling said:

 

What I mean here is: It isn't possible to experience another appearance in consciousness/being's agency, therefore attributing agency to anyone/thing is an assumption. Many things that commonly happen are not attributed to the agency of the agents involved. A landslide or an ocean wave might be possible examples.

 

It is possible to witness that YOUR agency is an illusion. This opens the door for a variety of other related insights.

I am sorry but getting snake bit 5 times in less 3 seconds was no illusion by any means. 

A family dog grew blind deaf and my Mom asked me to check on him, I got down with him my best buddy for almost 20 years, and he turned on me faster than you could blink an eye.

Bit the living hell out of me, but we had to take care of him before I got stitched up and a tetanus shot , go figure, or not.

As a famous boxer said everyone has a plan until they don't 

1 minute ago, CozySpace said:

I had to deal with a raccoon in my back yard. I bet no one can top that.

Jeez I been bit or chawed on and argued with more critters than I can enumerate, lol. 

And I have the scars to prove it! LOL

2 minutes ago, stirling said:

 

 

I would consider these ideas:

 

If ""all things are empty of intrinsic existence and nature", who would have agency?

 

If you could witness that your agency was illusory (or that reality existed entirely WITHOUT agents/subjects) why would you imagine that other appearances in consciousness possessed agency?

 

Under what conditions would it be possible to witness the actions of another and be sure that they possess agency of their own?

"Under what conditions would it be possible to witness the actions of another and be sure that they possess agency of their own?

Preventing assault or injury to me would be a proper start.

Just now, Mark Foote said:

Terror in the anticipation, sure.  Not sure about when the life is actually on the line.

Terror is not a switch, one can turn on and off at will.

Anticipation adds to the terror for sure, and can create focus on in the here and now.

I  been there trust me on this.