BigSkyDiamond

The elements listed in the phrase above in bold, are familiar to me, except for sponsorship. I have not yeard of that, what is it and what does it involve? Also any recommended resources so that I can learn more on this. Thank you.

polarity thinking, polarized thinking in daily life is not intrinsic nor is it inherent. it is a choice. and it is problematic. Humans in daily life can choose to not engage in polarized thinking. Polarized thinking is a cognitive distortion. "Cognitive distortions are ways that we distort reality in our thoughts, making it out to be worse than it needs to be or truly is. Polarized thinking limits our perspectives, causes unnecessary stress, and hinders personal growth." source, article "Thinking in Extremes: A Guide to Overcoming Polarized Thinking"

I would be interested to hear more about Iona and this site mentioned. I visited Iona about 27 years ago and it felt signficiant but I was never quite sure how or in what way. I remember crawling inside a small cave at low tide and lying inside there for awhile, it felt wonderful. And I loved all the pink granite.

non-duality goes beyond both light and dark. it is before any polarity. polarized thinking is unbalanced, just as mood swings are unbalanced. black and white thinking is problematic.

with me or without it is such a relief to be free of it all

"judge not lest ye be judged" is in pretty much every holy book, for a reason for instance in the Pali canon: "Therefore, Ānanda, do not be judgmental regarding people. Do not pass judgment on people. Those who pass judgment on people harm themselves.". — Migasālā Sutta [AN 6:44] translated from the Pāli by Bhikkhu Bodhi

if you are asking the questions, since you are asking the questions, then there is a part of you that is ready

What is this; and why is it something to be avoided; and how does a person know if they are going down that path? Thank you.

a level of spiritual progress is indicated, when someone is able to step away from stances that are condemning and judgmental.

if someone puts forth destruction ("kill" "blast") through actions, intention, thoughts, words then that is what returns upon them this sounds like a recipe for putting self in harm's way

a related question, for anyone: how do you discern if someone is enlightened

my rule of thumb is that if someone claims to be enlightened, then they are not

i avoid using "spirit" altogether because it has too many secular meanings, and it is redolent of "ghosts" and the astral plane. i avoid using "soul" because it is for me too imprecise. so i tend to be wordier and more specific along the lines of "the part of the human that is infinte and non-physical" (in contrast to the human body which is physical and finite. "the part of you that existed before the body was born, and exists after the body dies" "spark of the Divine" "not bound by space or time or form" "immortal" and "eternal" are sometimes used, but at the level of the Divine spark, and at the level of the Divine, there is no time, so "living forever" does not really apply. good thread topic, you are asking good questions. looking forward to reading more.

Spirit and soul, what is it and what differentiates them? it depends on the tradition.

different traditions define "soul" in various ways.

unborn, unformed, uncreated, unchanging, no beginning, no end, no time, no space, no form always was and always will be the part of you that existed before the body was born, and continues to exist after the body dies. the part of you that existed before the universes appeared, and continues to exst after the universes are gone spark of the Divine

This bears repeating.

"The outer conditions of a persons life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs.” ---James Allen (1864-1912)

"knowledge" is intellectual "inner knowing" is NOT intellectual

no, no symbols either. symbols are limited in the same way and for the same reason that words and language are limited. the descriptors used in the list are "un" and "not" so not defining; but indicating what is not . . . . . . . . . . . . . unborn, unformed, uncreated, unchanging, no beginning and no end, no time, no space, no form. Always was and always will be.

inner knowing IS direct experience. not talking about "knowledge" there is a difference

inner knowing. i don't have a guru

whole world just one place plum cuckoo sees, sings, and soars, chasing cosmic dust

OK, I found it. Instructor has now moved to a yearly subscription plan, it also includes access to the book, and monthly classes.

Are the two DVDs still available to purchase? For Gift of Tao I and II. I am not finding them online. Thank you.