zazaza

I used to be troubled by the legend of the Buddha leaving his wife and baby. How could he do such a thing? Having a son of my own, it seems clear now:

 

His love for his family pushed him to solve the mysteries of life and death. Seeing his baby son, knowing that he, too, would be subject to old age, disease, and death, he felt compelled to do something.

 

Both his wife and son are counted among the arahats. So if you buy into Buddhism, and achieving nibbana is the highest thing possible, then he gave far more to his family than he took away.

 

Just my thoughts.

my dear forest

that's a beautiful theory, and it's been written very well too. (now, please don't allow the ego to take pride in that. not saying i see ego in your post, for all i know you are in nirvana and i pray to god that you are or will be soon. )

i'm not sure whether that theory is close to the truth,

but it's a good example of how sometimes a smaller evil is necessary to create a greater good.

may all beings be happy!

how are you making it real for you? Why...because it gives credibility to what you are talking about.

would it really?

or would it just give rise to another subjective opinion?

truth spoken through the mouth of a fool is still truth nonetheless.

----------------------------

at this point in time, we obviously differ a lot in our views.

my apologies to you as well if i have unknowingly made a mistake.

Joy to all who abide in peace and tranquility.

And peace and tranquility to all who do not abide in it yet.

I agree. So what about today? That was then and this is now. We don't live in those times. What will you know and do differently when I tell you that women would today be repelled by a man who put his career (even if it is a "good" or "spiritual" career) first?

 

I can tell you from experience...in counseling many women... you will attract women who despise themselves in the name of God and think they have no worth...only the worth their husbands/ boyfriends/ their perception of a patriarchal divine gives them. Many, many men like that kind of slavish devotion. Do you?

No offense my dear mama,

but I don't believe your opinion is the opinion of all women in general - and even then,

their opinion does not say all that much about something being right or wrong in the grand scheme.

The average man marches along blindly, living his life without examination to the principles he espouses or admires without deeper introspection of how it affects him or his relationships to others and the world. There is a different way. Not my way, that's for sure. but other things to contemplate. What we don't know that we don't know is so large. The more I learn the less I know.

Dear mama,

i could reply to every thing you and others bring to table,

but i can see that it will only lead to further arguing.

I see you and santi teach, and you are both older than me...

but being older and being a "teacher" does not mean you know better...

i have a mind of my own and we are free to disagree.

even though i think both your replies to me have been a little condenscending,

i wish both of you and all that is around you good luck and much happiness.

we are all brothers and sisters after all.

the ones who hold wrong views will soon or later realize their mistakes.

may all beings be happy.

Putting a "career" above family and wife ( feminine/goddess concerns) is repellant to those women of deep consciousness and infinite love that a man could wish to partner with.

whether a particular thing is good or bad in the grand scheme of things is not

decided by the fact whether someone is repelled by it or not.

even if his kids really suffered from his departure so incredibly much (something i'm not convinced off because

as you say yourself, it's long time ago and we'd have to see the specifics of the situation to really have a good

view on it), then that sacrifice was worth it imo.

Gautama had and still has a positive impact on this world on a very large scale.

becoming Buddha in a CAVE/MONASTERY is much easier than to do it as you feed kids & work.

Many people will probably claim that they can't become a buddha "because of their family" or "because of this or that". There will always be something to put blame on, because that's easier than taking responsibility for one's own mind, here and now.

A bad excuse if you ask me. But your opinion obviously differs,

which is fair enough.

Also there is no "MASTERING THE MIND" there is simply realizing the HEART/MIND connection.

If nitpicking is the game, I can continue by saying there is no "heart mind connection" either.

You understould what i meant with it, and i suppose most people will.

 

Well it shows how much you actually understand zazaza.

More power to you if you feel this way.

 

But nothing could be more farther from the truth with this statement.

Not sure if you interpreted that right,

I meant in terms of difficulty... mastering the mind is much more difficult.

Compared to keeping the mind under control,

going to work and feeding the kids is a very easy task

Which Buddha abandoned his family to pursue enlightenment? How many male teachers or aspirants abandon their families to do this? I really get annoyed at people who say they have to go live in a cave or an ashram for the rest of their life to pursue spiritual goals if they are abandoning their householder/family duties to do so. They mouth such spiritual platitudes such as "God is the more important to me than my family." Uh...no...God is in your family. God is in All Things. The hardest path, IMO, is to have an effective spiritual practice while living with your family. The Divine may be number one in your life but the Divine is wherever you are at...not in India, or Tibet, or China...or whatever. God is present where ever you are.

Buddha was royal family, i'm sure his kids and wife had plenty of money and good company around.

If buddha had not left his family, he might not have succeeded in what he did succeed.

In a time of hinduism and corrupted dharma systems he extracted the true from the fake.

Not only did he bring spiritual enlightenment to himself...

but help bring it to many many people as well.

I agree, taoism has some good elements... so does yoga...

but the core of buddhism is exceptionally clear in it's theory,

and they have very practical instructions for meditation.

Ofcourse buddhism is not perfect, and ofcourse there are many styles of buddhism that have become corrupted...

but some styles are still very very pure for example: Samatha Vipassana meditation (Mindfulness In Plain English - PDF)

Compared to mastering the mind and staying master of it,

going to work and feeding the kids is a very easy task.

If you ask me, buddhist nirvana... yogic self realization... and taoist-non-self...

refer to that same surpreme state of liberation.

Once you have had even just a taste of that,

you would understand why it is called unexcelled.

i used to not be able to sit on a chair because my PC contracted spontaneously,

and sitting down caused pain. i had trouble pissing too.

make sure u have enough magnesium and potassium (for muscle relxation).

i healed my PC-muscle problem by stop doing kegels, and by masturbating now and then..

always ejaculating, although i'm not sure if this plays a role.

too much or too little masturbation(or sex) can cause problems.

like any other muscle in the body, if there's too much or too little exercise it can go loopy.

putting warm cloth on the place where your pcmuscles are approximately at,

might help to heal quicker. heat makes bloodvessels dilate and stimulates bloodflow.

be careful with the warm cloth though because i guess it could work against you as well.

too much = too much

You will never understand Muhammad p.b.u.h nor Buddha p.b.u.h, Nor Allah, nor TAO etc with the "mind" or "intellect" only with the HEART.

Like Wise!

Mind and heart are one.

If you don't open your mind to truth you won't be able to open your heart either.

Goldisheavy's replies contain a lot of truth imo.

this is a request to everyone in general, and nobody in specific

please do not seek to profit from your brothers and sisters,

we are all equal and we want to live in peace.

let's please help eachother honestly and generously.

Sage advice for a teenager... go get hammered and screw your lights out! Sounds good to me!

not really.

it's not good to allow the demons get (too much) power over him

15 years old, excellent age. congratulations for being so young...

i wish i was the same age. (i'm 25)

i suggest you make an effort now to

become aware the power of desireforpleasure and fearofpain have over you,

and that you take the power back.

nevermind too much the pleasures of the flesh and of the mind,

because they are unsatisfactory.

on the otherhand, it won't hurt to find a girlfriend,

have some sex and perhaps (in a few years???lol) experiment with some alcohol

so you at least know what the pleasures of the flesh are like.

ur brain's still developing a lot tho so be careful with the alcohol

becoz its not good for the brain, even when it is already "fully developed"...

is it ever?

so don't use it in too high doses and don't use it everyweek ...

i'm guessing if u felt the alcohol high around 20 to 30 times in your youth

that should suffice. the high of meditation is better for your mind and body.

maybe you don't need to experience the alcohol high ever... i dunno.

i suggest you also read the thread "Meditation driving me nuts"

at http://www.thetaobums.com/Meditation-drivi...uts-t12875.html

especially my post

Any true master shaman healer will also freely tell you that if you use drugs without divine protection, you can be killed!

how so?

"Psychedelics are potentially hazardous, potentially entertaining, and under optimal circumstances can be educational although the price can be very high."

Very well put.

Also, I didn't take drugs.

what ticked you off then?

a certain spiritual technique? or did it just happen out of the blue?

arg, if i didnt have these damn bones i could do lotus lol

i can't do lotus either,

but i don't think it's important.

i don't believe it's healthy to sit in one same position for a very long time.

if my suspicion is correct, this probably increases the chance for production of a deadly bloodclot.

i think it is important we sit with a straight back,

so we don't put unnecessary pressure on our organs.. and so the bodies energy can flow freely.

and for meditation,

it's also important to not lay down and enjoy the relaxation of being in a lazy position,

because when your enjoying the body you're also identifying yourself with it.

thus, uncomfortable body positions can be good for development of the meditative state,

as it can show you your identification with the body.

on the other hand, if you are laying down in a very crappy position

but you're not identified with the body... then your bodies position will not prevent you from

being in the surpreme state.

the theory behind "men who masturbate now and then have less chance for prostate cancer",

is because when the prostate gets squeezed there is more blood circulation there...

so things get refreshed.

Damn Zazaza, that quote you linked by Nisargadatta has me considering even more what i had been considering.

Atm i play a online game with friends quite alot. They got me to start playing agian and would hate if I quit playing so thats been the main reason for me continuing(tho i find it plenty enjoyable).

 

That quote has me feeling like i haven't been putting out nearly enough effort. hmm

trying to keep ourselves entertained costs a lot more effort than just "letting go" (by entering the meditative state)

not doing is a lot more pleasurable than doing pleasurable things.

it is very strange how being meditative seems so hard and boring,

when it is the exact opposite. i believe the fear of letting go is at the basis

of that false idea about the meditative state.

In losing, much is gained,

and in gaining, much is lost.

About playing games and any other kind of entertainment:

Question to nisargadatta: How does one reach the Supreme State?

Answer by nisargadatta: By renouncing all lesser desires. As long as you are pleased

with the lesser, you cannot have the highest. Whatever pleases

you, keeps you back. Until you realize the unsatisfactoriness of

everything, its transiency and limitation, and collect your ener-

gies in one great longing, even the first step is not made. On the

other hand, the integrity of the desire for the Supreme is by itself

a call from the Supreme. Nothing, physical or mental, can give

you freedom. You are free once you understand that your bon-

dage is of your own making and you cease forging the chains

that bind you.

everything that is received through the 5 senses is being paid attention to

automatically by each of us, but the focus of attention keeps on jumping from

one point to the next.

to me the phrase "being meditative" means to start focusing attention on everything

that we think ourselves to be.

this way we indeed switch into "observation modus"...

by observing it becomes clear that that we are not that which we are observing.

everytime you dis-cover some new concept you thought yourself to be,

there is less "mental baggage" you have to carry... which means

you feel more free, more happy and more energetic. (you become conscious of the kundalini, etc)

when everything you are not has been dis-covered,

the truth of "no-self", "emptiness" or "The Self" (with a capital S)

has been fully realized.

Meditation is a deliberate attempt to pierce into the higher states of consciousness and finally go beyond it. The art of meditation is the art of shifting the focus of attention to ever subtler levels, without losing one's grip on the levels left behind. The final stage of meditation is reached when the sense of identity goes beyond the "I-am-so-and-so", beyond "so-I-am", beyond "I-am-the-witness-only", beyond "there-is", beyond all ideas into the impersonally personal pure being. But you must be energetic when you take to meditation. It is definitely not a part-time occupation. Limit your interests and activities to what is needed for you and your dependents' barest needs. Save all your energies and time for breaking the wall your mind had built around you. Believe me, you will not regret. (413)

 

A quiet mind is all you need. All else will happen rightly, once your mind is quiet. As the sun on rising makes the world active, so does self-awareness affect changes in the mind. In the light of calm and steady self-awareness, inner energies wake up and work miracles without any effort on your part. (311)

 

Until you are free of the drug [of self-identification] , all your religions ans sciences, prayers and yogas are of no use to you, for, based on a mistake, they strengthen it. (443-4)

i believe the kundalini is already present in each of us.

it is inside every fear of pain and desire for pleasure,

it is present in everythought and in every fibre of ourself...

but because we are all caught up in our mental games,

we're not conscious of it.

The difference between acid & meditation is that with meditation - the results come much more slowly and you can controll it.

 

With LSD, there is no controll.

That's not true. Except the odd exception, almost everyone can control themselves.

When one believes he cannot control his mind, then ofcourse his mind will control him...

UNTILL he retrieves faith in himself.

I guess one of the biggest problems with LSD is that if someone is sensitive to psychosis that it could bring it out for long periods of time - or very rarely: permanently.

I have had several incredibly terrible psychedelic trips in a period of only 6 weeks,

during the time of these bad trips (8 hours each) i had totally lost it - i was psychotic.

but always after the drug wore off, i became normal again.

(even though during the trip, i thought i had been insane for maybe years already)

a very small percentage of all people who get psychotic during the trip don't come back to normal

immediately after the drug wears of.

why? something physical? something mental?

evidence suggests that had a person not taken LSD or mushrooms, then cannabis or alcohol...

or perhaps even sobriety would have possibly lead the person subsceptible to psychosis

to eventually become psychotic.

people say that intense or traumatic experiences brings out psychosis in people subsceptible to them.

in that case you can't really blame the drug, as the drug would have just been a catalyst.

contrary to these beliefs,

i believe that drugs like lsd bring out psychosis in people where otherwise it would not have happened.

but it really does not happen all that much!

is the risk to have that spiritual experience worth it though? maybe.

if u really want that spiritual experience fast, i think it's better to try the other -non drug- ways first

because they are probably safer. (although i have heard of people becoming psychotic during yoga sessions too, cause they couldn't ground the energy )

In some people, simple meditation techniques, chanting mantras (power sounds), basic breathing practices, or sitting in the presence of a powerful spiritual teacher can activate kundalini. So can sexual orgasms, ecstatic religious experiences, trance dancing, and psychotropic drugs. Although these latter stimulators of kundalini generally don't result in a sustained arousal (that is, the energy becomes naturally dormant again after the experience ends)

for the people who become psychotic from drugs

antipsychotics might slow down or prevent the natural healing process of the brain.

on the other hand, sometimes a psychosis is really too much even for a day.. and then antipsychotics are the first choice,

but they should be used for as little time as possible.

so in these worst case scenarios, i would suggest 1 week of antipsychotics maximum...

then be sober for 1, 2 or 3 weeks and if psychosis still exists too strong try antipsychotics again for another week.

before trying antipsychotics,

the psychotic person should practice meditation to try and ground himself.

an energy healer might help to ground too...

Don't get into complicated discussion with simple minds.

If you notice people can't handle the truth, tell them they 're right even when they're wrong

and wish them well

This is a good thing to discuss.

 

Is it actually unhealthy to expose the skin to cold? Especially if the interior is kept warm (like jumping in the snow after being in a sauna for a long time)?

 

It seems to me that if you're already warm, then a little bit of cold on the skin causes the blood to move...you turn red. This is a good thing, I think.

 

I'm interested in hearing what others think of this.

when first the body is extremely hot and immediately afterwards it is extremely cold,

then the heart must pump unnaturally fast to adjust to an unnaturally quick change in temperature.

Its very invigorating.

So is sniffing a big line of methamphetamine,

but it is much healthier to slowly build up the heartrate rather than having it go very fast

in very little time.

~jk~,

 

I did the 5 Tibetans for about 2 months many years ago, and didn't notice much. You seem to be saying that the 5 Tibetans opens up/raises Kundalini flow? Can you tell us more about this?

i suspect that there is not a 100% success rate with any of the methods for kundalini activation,

or perhaps there _is_ a 100% success rate but for some people it takes longer.

for many different possible reasons,

some people will probably have a kundalini activation much more quickly than others.

i would suspect that if you want kundalini activation badly,

then during your practice you will probably be focusing on wanting to have quick effects.

in many cases, when people want things to happen nothing happens.

when they adopt the attitude of "if this is all there is, i'll just accept it as it is"

...then stuff started to happen.

when people r too focused on "wanting to get something out of their practice real fast",

they they could easily miss the fact the very energy they want to come in contact with is already there,

because they are looking at the finger instead of at the moon

i would suspect that practices designed to activate kundalini can actually become a hindrance

to kundalini activation for that reason.

what i've written below is just some speculation of mine

i have come to suspect the following as a possibility (i'm not sure, but i guess this is possible...)

kundalini could be active in everyone, but not everyone gets the typical kundalini experiences... (?)

in people where kundalini is experienced as dormant, this could be because their mind is too caught up in the

mental fantasies, and for this reason they don't notice "all the energy" from their amreadu active kundalini which they believe is inactive?

maybe in people with "inactive kundalini",

the kundalini energy is unconsciously massively being wasted into thoughts and emotions.

when they would stop unconsciously investing so much energy in thoughts and emotions,

energy gets freed up and becomes more noticeable again.. and it can consciously be invested in new activities.

how can one be sure that his active kundalini

is not caused by spontaneous shaktipat already?

in the case of carcrash and anxiety related kundalini activations,

maybe there was also a spontaneous shaktipat that preceeded the kundalini awakening?