I've always found the most gratification in not knowing what the future holds. Otherwise, my immediate experience becomes filtered by a mental construct that has no existence beyond the confines of my conceptual mind. Who does the sense of being resonate with? Travis
I wasn't implying that you were being a smart ass or dishonest -- I'm sorry you interpreted it that way. My question was an attempt to produce a recognition on your part that "I am" is in and of itself an addition to a pure state of being. Travis
Oh I didn't. I was actually saying that I wasn't being a smart ass by saying I didn't know. Just making sure. I probably should have worded it better. So, in your opinion pure state of being = nothingness?
Hmmm...I'm not sure I would use the word "nothingness", just because of its nihilistic connotations -- but really it is a type of nothingness in some sense. A pure state of being is transcendent of the subject/object paradigm. As soon as there's a subject ("I") then anything beyond the boundaries of that subject becomes an object. The illusion of separation and all that it entails has been born. Travis
You seem like a nice guy zen -- alot of wisdom and a good heart. Why diminish yourself by resorting to spitefulness when you feel threatened? Travis
OK, now I'm not meaning to but in; but, I've gotta ask - from your standpoint, radareyes, the "pure state of being" would only BE - if it is alone then, right? Because the moment a pure state comes in contact with another pure state, it just all blends??? I'm for real - in that I've read thus far, and now in spite of myself (lol)want to try to understand what your viewpoint is.
At the risk of going off topic ... did you all know that in 450 billion years our milky way galaxy is gonna collide with the andromeda galaxy. Suns and planets are gonna be pulled and thrown all over the place and the two black holes at the center of each galaxy will merge into one.
Newport Smoker, I have been living with bipolar/manic depression for a very long time. (25 years or more). I, for one do not do not suscribe to the drug 'em all mentality that shrinks today hold to. If you think that talking to a shrink might help you, then by all means, go and talk to one. But keep in mind that doctors get huge kickbacks and perks from pharm companies in return for pimping thier products. These products have actually been shown to INCREASE the suicidal patterns in some adolescents. While these hypocritical bastards are pimping ther poisonous wares, they will ignore the medicine that is safer and less evassive to the brain chemistry, because there is no multi-billion dollar industry pushing cannabis to depression patients. Pot is not a gateway drug. Prozac is. My humble and sincere advise to you, my friend, is to learn how to love who you are before you go drugging yourself into somebody that you're not. You are not alone.
A pure state of being is entirely transcendent of external conditions. In other words, someone who has attained such a state could be a hermit, isolated from all contact with people, or they could live in a densely populated urban environment. As far as the "blending" issue that you bring up goes, there can be a recognition that what you might call the "energetic signature" of the vessel (body/mind/emotion/personality etc.) being embodied by the pure state of being is influencing or intermingling with the energetic signatures of other vessels, but the pure state of being itself is omnipresent. There is no distinction made between it and any other aspect of existence. Travis
I AM = the best that the human mind can muster in describing the state of pure Being, the God-self. The "I" represents Being. The "Am" represents non-static expression. THE WORDS ARE INADEQUATE.. but it's all we've got as far as words. Correction... it may be closer to the truth to point to what is NOT true rather than attempt to capture (in words) what IS true. True knowing can only come through revelation and is BEYOND the understanding of the mind in its mental capacity. It can be known, however.... by the "heart" or rather the deeper realm of Being that we are. Attempting to accurately define the truth in words will only lead to further distortion and separation from the awareness of it, because that's what the mind does... it distorts and separates. All the words I use have an inherent built-in flaw. The moment I use them they become WRONG. It's good to keep that in mind when speaking.
I AM may (and I use that word very loosely) be the most concise form of describing the state of pure being, but conciseness isn't necessarily best. True. It also may be closer to the truth to point out what IS true. This depends a great deal upon the person being exposed to the higher knowledge. Absurd. But I think what you mean to say is that interpreting words as truth in and of themselves will only lead to further distortion. The mind only distorts and separates when it has yet to be subjugated by the heart. Otherwise, it's like clockwork. When one speaks from a pure state being, this universal truth is embodied. Travis
Yes. AND... I also meant that truth can't be defined. Another way to describe it is Left brain/ Right brain. The left brain analyzes and separates... whereby truth becomes distorted. This is the story-telling mechanism. The right brain operates on a different level of reality. It knows... creatively and wholistically. The dominant arena must be the right brain.. the knower... and the mental capacity (left brain) must be its servant. (Not the other way around.) As you say, subjugated. yes. but not always recognized.
Which should go without saying. However, the evolution of consciousness can be facilitated for some by the creation of a conceptual facsimile of truth that can ultimately only be realized experientially. In Hinduism, this path is known as Jnana Yoga. From what I know of neuroscience (which isn't much) the left brain and right brain are complementary, not hierarchal, in nature. This would suggest to me that a pure state of being would utilize each side of the brain equally. After all, rationality isn't hindered by higher consciousness, it's enhanced. But perhaps you were just using the left/right brain dichotomy as a metaphor. What use is recognizing the inherent fallibility of words when words have ceased to obscure the true nature of one's being? Travis
heh. so should a lot of things. lol! hence all the blah blah blahbbing of the enlightened masters. hahahahaha! I will go no further in using the brain neuroscience as an example at this point, since I'm too ignorant on the subject. But yes, I was mostly referring to it as a metaphor. It makes sense that whatever mechanism allows for wholistic awareness would need to take precedence over any logical framing of that awareness. At that point, none whatsoever.
Indeed. Not too many enlightened masters espouse Jnana Yoga, actually. It's not accessible enough for the general public. Most of the "blah blah blahbbing" that I know of comes from charlatans posing as masters from Bhakti (devotional) yoga traditions. Naturally. I disagree. The recognition of the inherent fallibility of words would benefit those who have not yet realized that fallibility. Travis
Ok, I know nothing about Jnana Yoga so I have nothing to say about it. They all blah blah blah.. it's just some of the blahs actually point beyond themselves, others don't. You said "What use is recognizing the inherent fallibility of words when words have ceased to obscure the true nature of one's being? " So I took that to mean that WHEN words have ceased to obscure the true nature of one's being then at that point their meaning is irrelevant and realization of their fallibility is inherent. But perhaps we just misunderstood each other's meaning there. I agree with what you said above. Edit to add I think I know where the misunderstanding came in. When I said earlier in the thread that it's not always recognized I meant not always recognized BY OTHERS.