Everything is a projection in consciousness, granted. But, only those beings that have a metabolism have consciousness. Only those beings with metabolism are self conscious. The rest is the playing field. A soccer team cares who wins. The field does not.
4 comments:
Hey,
I have a question.
You had many. Satoris.
And I guess you had a few realizations (that brought mor peace and relaxation) through the years that came out to be permanent and not go away like satoris.
When the permanent realizations "came" did you have doubts that perhaps it could be just another satori, and with time it will go away, but in the end it didn't?
Or was there no doubt that it's permanent this time.. and if so, how would you have known? Was thr r a huge difference?
Thanks in advance!
A satori and realization are different. A satori is an experience, usually ecstatic or extremely clarifying feeling. Realization is more subdued. It's more of an understanding. It's like a light bulb going off in your mind. It's simply a deep understanding that all is the One essence. Then it doesn't matter if you are experiencing oneness or not. You know you are an expression of the Oneness even if you are depressed. It's like knowledge. If you know 1 + 1 = 2, it doesn't matter how you feel. Happy, sad, anxious, you still know you are the One. The one thing it does bring is peace. You are no longer looking for bliss or experiences. You just observe and enjoy the peace, no matter what drama is going on in the world. I hope this helps.
When the realization occured to you, were you 100 percent convinced that it is permanent?
The simple answer is no. I understand where you are coming from. For years I chased the enlightenment experience. I was convinced that at some point I would have an experience that would be so powerful and overwhelming that I would know I was enlightened. Eventually, I gave up on chasing that. I determined that what I needed was understanding, or knowledge.
I was reading Robert Wolfe one evening and I suddenly understood in a way that I knew that I knew. It was a very quiet moment. No bells or whistles, no big emotional experience. There was a satisfaction like the the search was over. I went to bed and had a good night's sleep.
I think that people that are more experience oriented, or devotional might be the ones who have powerful experiences with a sudden change that feels permanent. That was not my experience. I am intellectual and intuitive. I pursue intellectually what I intuit. Most of my experiences were the result of reading the great sages.
My path was long and gradual. I had lots of experiences. A heart chakra opening put me in the hospital overnight. I didn't take that to be enlightenment, just a step along the way. At this point I have peace.
I don't think there is a final endpoint. I don't have any desperate need to search, but I am vastly interested in enlightenment and pursue everything I can regarding the subject. However, now it is out of curiosity and enjoyment. Not desperation.
Since everyone is unique, the experience of enlightenment will be different for everyone. And if you read widely, you might come to the conclusion that no one really knows what it is. There is no one definition. For me, what I looked for in a sage or a teacher was: authority with humility, peace and spontaneity.
In the end, we have to become our own authority on truth. When you feel that your search is over, perhaps that's the best clue.
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