gatito

I just emailed the link to this video to a really close friend who's particularly interested in this Way. I think she'll love it. I found it very beautiful and very uplifting. Thank you

Aren't we always Awareness/Consciousness?

Yes, I know - it's just solipsism: an easy trap to fall into.

And yet if you examine your own present experience, you will find that there is no evidence for your own belief.

Loved it! Been doing a bit of research on Arnaud Desjardins to see if I can find the whole documentary- he was a very interesting man! Here's his Wikipedia entry for anyone who might be interested:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnaud_Desjardins And here's his Ashram:- http://www.amis-hauteville.fr/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/surfing/9261672/Surfer-rides-78ft-wave-to-Guinness-World-Record.html

Can't advise you I'm afraid but I'd like to wish you good luck. I really hope it comes together; I believe that people need to meet and share their friendships and common interests in person in order to take things further.

That's a really interesting take on things - I need to think about that. Can't argue with that one!

A bit too dark for me. How about?

Yes, that's a very good "technical" point. There never was, never is, and never will be any such thing as an enlightened person.

If the road to hell is paved with good intentions; presumably the road to heaven is paved with bad intentions?

That is amazing! I was struck by a sense of the similarities between this chantingt of this practice and the chants of Tibetan Buddhism. The authentic face of mystical Islam - people of Peace. Thanks.

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And it's particularly difficult when the words are written as cadence/tone/inflection are missing, not to mention facial expression!

Good point. And sometimes it's difficult to find the right thing to do.

I'd say you are wise to leave this stuff alone, except under the personal supervision of your guru.

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Well, that seems like a western scientific-type of model; however, it doesn't accord with my direct experience when I examine it (it being my experience). However, your own experience may be different to mine. My own direct experience is that thoughts arise, abide and subside. Where they come from (if indeed they come from anywhere) and where they go to (if indeed they go anywhere) is not something within my direct experience, so in this context (Advaita Vedanta), I don't find it a particularly useful model. A thought can be viewed as an object arising to awareness. Does it have an independent existence separate from consciousness/awareness? Is there such a thing as an unthought thought?

Thanks TI Namaste With Love g

Hey 3bob Could you clarify that please? I've absolutely no idea what you mean. What do we need to realise? What's a "mind" or a "thought area"? There are simply thoughts arising.

I'd broadly agree with Boyd although I thik that he misses the point. My copy of Patanjali is the Vedanta Press Edition (2007) - Translated with commentary by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood and I feel that it has a slightly different slant on Yama and Niyama. The back cover catrries the quote:- The Essence of Yoga "The Soul Does not Love; It Is Love Itself. It Does not Exist; It Is Existence Itself. It does not Know; It is Knowledge Itself." - PATANJALI Furthermore, if Atma = Brahman then there is only the Self acting on the Self. Perhaps, this should inform our interactions with others rather than the interpretation of ancient writings which were a "crib sheet" for teachings that were transmitted in person in a completely different cultural context. Anyway, just try controlling your thoughts. If you examine your thoughts, you'll probably find that like all appearances they simply arise, abide and then subside into Awarness Itself.

Namaste A hypothetical question, if I may? If I decided to give this a go I'm assuming that if I ran into any problems, you'd be happy to help me out in person if I was prepared to get on a plane to Oz? gatito

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