Surya

So the younglings didn’t have to die? PM

Mhm, I intended to, but that was before I figured out how to link personal pictures to this website. Also, I figured it was no harm putting it out here, but sure, I am happy about doing it on pm. But ofc, only look into to it to the degree you feel like. I am happy that the chart has helped me find some confidence and direction tho, I feel strongly that my calling, so to speak, lies in teaching. The intro to the deep psych analysis was quite good tho, so let’s share it with all our fellow bums:

What did you expect?

So, I am journaling at this moment, and came to think about the concept of Euidaimonia. Lets go. For Aristotle, the good life is about striving to realise one's own potential in the best possible way. This is the purpose of all life. A seed can realise its potential and become a flower. For humans, it is about realising their potential as rational and thinking beings. Think of a flower. If you wather it, give it enough light, maybe feed it a little, then it will grow and bloom... Human beings can flourish like plants too Nigel Warburton Eudoaimonia is somewhat tricky to translate. Literally, it means “to live well,” but “human flourishing,” as in the quote above, captures its essence better. Don’t confuse this with being happy; it refers to a state of being. A state you achieve by acting virtuously. It should be noted that they did not use the word in the same way we use virtue today: ‘The Greek word for virtue is “ARETE”. For the Greeks, the notion of virtue is tied to the notion of function (ERGON). The virtues of something are what enable it to perform excellently its proper function. Virtue (or arete) extends beyond the realm of morality; it concerns the excellent performance of any function.’ Cognates (to arete) includes sanskrit Rta (from where we get dharma), avestan areta (order) and middle high german art (innate featureI). There seems sot be some kind of red thread here, namley cosmic law. If you live in accordancec to it, the gods will reward you. This would be (1) individual: As well as (2) universal (or close to it, anyway, as we share in being human): And how do we achieve this? Thats how God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. PS: This is not very in depth (very shallow acctually), and I would prefer to post this in the personal practice thing you got going on (but I dont have one). Anyhow, I hope it is of interrest to some of you, and feedback is always welcome.

I quite like this perspective: I know it is a little rude to dump a 25 min video here, but I belive it is very relevant to the discourse, and Id assume people here tend to enjoy the Watts.

Looking at the language used in the OPs link, as well as our vocabulary, it is kind of curious how the concept of light, shining, spark, radiating, halo, fire and related terms keeps coming up with when we are talking about the highest realizations: enlightenment. Why is that, do you think?

So, does initiation has to be people dressed in black robes and sacrificing babies, or can it also be like… you just sort of in?

Enlightened music videos, anyone? Near a tree by a riverThere's a hole in the groundWhere an old man of AranGoes around and aroundAnd his mind is a beaconIn the veil of the nightFor a strange kind of fashionThere's a wrong and a right Fireflies, a million little pieces Feeds the dying light, and brings me back to life In your eyes, I see something to believe in Your hands are like a flame, your palms' the sweetest pain Let the darkness lead us into the light Let our dreams get lost, feel the temperature rise Baby, tell me one more beautiful lie One touch and I ignite Like a starship speeding into the night You and I get lost in the infinite lights Baby, tell me one more beautiful lie One touch and I ignite One touch and I ignite One touch and I ignite Forgive me, my friends, but the lyrics combined with the visuals seems to me to have been made by people who has seen the sun.

Deleted, not fitting for the thread

Yes please, would be appreciated. Has a couple of practices I am «required» to perform, as well as I’d like to do some journaling, so could be great! thanks

Haha, my intro to the stone: Good suggestion, lets see if we can get a thread going.

Good day to you all, I've been lurking around the site for a few months, and thought it was time to join the conversation. You have to introduce yourself first, as per the rules. Of course, I could go through the routine of I'm x born in y, have z children and work in industry a, and in my spare time I like fishing and salsa dancing. But I thought I'd use this opportunity to reflect a little on the subject: introduce myself to me, if you know what I mean. I struck up a conversation with an Indian a few months ago. He asked me who I was. As I'm currently unemployed, I answered a little nervously: “you mean like work or education?”. Nono, he said, more like my interests, talents, passions, philosophy etc. I didnt know what to answer exactly, but we had a nice chat regardless and exchanged numbers. He called me some weeks later, and offered me a “job”. He felt that there was a great “market”/longing for the higher things in the place I live, and my God, is he right. Ive felt that longing for most of my life, and I can tell that more and more of my peers are getting fed up with the materialist worldview. “Hare Krishna, how are you?” he started. “I feel perfect,” and for the first time, I said those words honestly. I really did. That very same day I had been moved to tears about the mystery and beauty of this universe of ours, and felt a deep sense of unity. He went on to tell me that while he was visiting my town, he had been to a bunch of meetings, and gave me the same advice: expose yourself to the world, explore, go to meetings. Since I am local, he asked me if I'd knew any businesses, people, NGOs, what have you, that I thought deserved to be invested in. Prior to this, I'd been in quite a dark place mentally, and thought that there are a lot of suffering due to the way modern society functions. I mean, that much is obvious when you see how much pain suffering is around. Where I am from, more then half the population has some sort of chronic illness… But if you want to change something, you need a vision, right.. and I didnt have one. So yeah, thats kind of whats on my mind as I write this: who am I, and what do I want for the world and myself. I've always known that I am a “people person.” Man is the joy of man. So that is one thing, I want great and fulfilling relationships. With age I have also gotten to experience the tremendous joy and healing there is in service: both in “receiving” as a well as “giving.” Another thing I think is of tremendous importance, is practising religion in a communal setting. I am here thinking about the original meaning of the term, not dogma or a specific school. I use the term how the latin etymology implies re-ligio (again-connect). So I see it not as different as yoga, in a way, a repeated effort to reconnect with the divine/God. So, trough conversation with two friends/teachers, and some curious synchronisity, the subject of alchemy keeps popping up. The philosopher's stone in particular. So that is one thing Id like to explore with you. And yeah, we will see what happens. Looking forward to it regardless. I read “the alchemist” by Coehlo as a child, and enjoyed it thouroughly. Decided to pick it up again today tho. Read 50 or so pages this far. There are tons of beautifull passages to share, but I decided to leave you with this one: (p. 40 onwards in my edition)