Posts by Betty Chavez2

NOTHING, NOWHERE, NOTHING EVER...

Kevin Ruiz36 said:Did Krishnamurti ever actually live in extreme poverty to know if there's anything noble about it, or did he just sell his philosophy while living comfortably in abundance?

I don't think poverty helps anyone grow spiritually either. Honestly, everyone should be living in abundance—there's enough for everyone to have that kind of life.

There's this thing Martinus calls a 'fake business principle' that only works because of the 'bank account.'
As long as life is built on those two things, we'll never reach an ideal society where everyone lives in plenty.

That fake principle lets wealth get distributed unfairly, letting some people get rich while others live in poverty or even face starvation.
It was cooked up by the wealthy who write the laws, and they aren't going to let it go easily. But as consciousness evolves, we'll eventually see this principle and the whole bank account system phased out.

That's really the only path to peace. Without justice, you'll never have peace.

So, if someone claims to be spiritual, they need to care about everyone's well-being. Getting rid of that fake business principle is the foundation for actual world peace.

Kevin Ruiz36 said:One principle of the Law of Attraction is giving. To receive on a massive scale, you have to put something out there first. You look at how much influence and wealth certain Jewish communities have built up; their faith emphasizes the moral necessity of charitable giving through Tzedakah. It’s a cycle where the money they give comes back multiplied, allowing them to keep more while still being able to donate even larger amounts. It's the Law of Attraction in action. There's a similar concept within Christianity, though it's mostly practiced by specific groups who follow certain mathematical principles when donating. They believe that giving a calculated amount can trigger a windfall that scales into millions or even billions—what some call giving and receiving in Christ. Essentially, you can multiply the energy of your donations through a specific principle to manifest significant wealth.

Reality, truth, is not to be recognized. For truth to come, belief, knowledge, experiencing, the pursuit of virtue—all this must go. The virtuous person who is conscious of pursuing virtue can never find reality. He may be a very decent person; but that is entirely different from being a man of truth, a man who understands. To the man of truth, truth has come into being. A virtuous man is a righteous man, and a righteous man can never understand what is truth because virtue to him is the covering of the self, the strengthening of the self, because he is pursuing virtue. When he says “I must be without greed”, the state of non-greed which he experiences only strengthens the self. That is why it is so important to be poor, not only in the things of the world but also in belief and in knowledge. A man with worldly riches or a man rich in knowledge and belief will never know anything but darkness and will be the centre of all mischief and misery. But if you and I, as individuals, can see this whole working of the self, then we shall know what love is. I assure you that is the only reformation which can possibly change the world. Love is not of the self. Self cannot recognize love. You say “I love”; but then, in the very saying of it, in the very experiencing of it, love is not. But, when you know love, self is not. When there is Love, self is not. — Krishnamurti from the book The First and Last Freedom
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From the book The First and Last Freedom

Here’s an excerpt from Srimad Bhagavata about how nature acts as the 'supreme guru':

When responding to the king, guru Shri Datta explains that "nature" is essentially the "supreme guru" of the universe. He goes on to describe the 24 different teachers from which he drew his wisdom:

1. Earth, 2. Air, 3. Space, 4. Water, 5. Fire, 6. The Sun, 7. The Moon, 8. A Pigeon, 9. A Python, 10. The Sea – the Ocean, 11. A Mosquito, 12. A Black Bee, 13. An Elephant, 14. A Honey Gatherer, 15. A Deer, 16. A Fish, 17. A Courtesan, 18. A Crow, 19. A Child, 20. A Young Woman, 21. A Snake, 22. A Blacksmith, 23. A Spider, 24. An Insect and a Worm.

Check this link for a deep dive into each of those 24 teachers.
Obviously, we can pick anything and find a lesson in it... just find some trait in a being or object and learn from it.

Life is structured so that everyone ends up in circumstances perfect for their own growth. You could call it God's grace.
Life forces tasks and obstacles on everyone to overcome, making evolution and progress feel completely natural.

I remember talking to a friend who was a world-class violinist once. He told me that without a teacher, you'll never reach mastery. I started teaching myself classical guitar and ended up picking up technical flaws that were nearly impossible to fix once I finally joined a music school. It wasn't easy for me, or for the instructor. I still play solo today, and I know it would be much easier if I had a mentor. A teacher gives you drills, etudes, and actual advice. Even just being around them matters—you see them play and suddenly you want to hit that level too. They call it 'mirror neurons.' We just say 'you are who you hang out with.'

We can apply all of this to 'spiritual' life, though I don't really see much difference.
Looking at what's written above, the only thing I'd say is that it's always good to have someone there to help and offer solid advice.

Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita that whatever people do, they should follow my path. This implies that spirituality doesn't really exist as a separate thing; life itself is the teacher, and we are constantly progressing through everything we do. Of course, following dharma—the natural laws, the path of righteousness—is vital.

A teacher should be like a best friend, not some dictator... like Lao said, 'the best rulers are barely noticed.'

Paul Rogers94 said:At one point, he tells a student—roughly this: once you leave here, do whatever you want. Smoke, drink, screw around... there’s zero risk of those things touching your true self. However, living within that "self" is what puts your habits at risk.

Essentially, virtue is just a natural byproduct—the scent, if you will—of actual insight. Simply mimicking virtue—forcing it—leads absolutely nowhere regarding true realization...

The right way would be to experience samadhi (transcendental consciousness) through meditation and practice while simultaneously cultivating virtues, because they feed into each other: experiencing samadhi makes following virtues easier, and practicing those virtues makes reaching samadhi easier.
To put it simply: samadhi, the yamas, the niyamas, and all the other limbs of yoga develop together.

Andrew Gomez6 said:Sorry I’m just now getting back to you, I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately. I ended up going off on him pretty hard, making some really nasty comments about his skin tone and how his voice sounds like some little kid...🕺

In the Bible, it mentions you reach a spiritual teacher through "respect, inquiry, and service."

If there’s no respect, why even bother asking them for anything? The connection just isn't there.

You have to approach a teacher with respect first if you want them to actually accept you. That's the whole issue here.

So, you need "true gurus" AND "true students" for the communication to feel natural and easy...

nimblewolf11 said:Honestly? It’s nothing more than an illusion—just a version of reality that *feels* true, but isn't.

Within that understanding, there lies a massive, infinite, and truly indescribable love... so much so that even the word "humility" loses its meaning... because once we melt into that Unity and bliss, only Unity remains.

Pure sentimentality.

You could say that about any "reality." Truth is subjective, and a person's relationship with God is deeply personal—there's nothing pathetic about it.

Basically, nobody needs to look down on anyone else, nor should they feel inferior. Even your connection with God should be based on Oneness...
If that's how you look at it, then any kind of humility is just fake, masking actual fear.

Sandra Murphy33 said:We owe our humility to that greater force we can't always wrap our heads around—call it God, the Universe, or simply Life itself—but we certainly don't owe it to other people.
That’s how I see it, at least.

A human is just a human, and God is God.

That’s what true humility is all about.

We're just a single drop, and He is the entire ocean... and that's never going to change.

There's this massive, infinite, indescribable love in that realization... honestly, the word "humility" doesn't even cut it anymore... because once you dissolve into that Unity and bliss, there is only Unity.

Elizabeth Castillo87 said:Yeah, but honestly, every single religious leader I’ve ever come across—and I mean everyone from the local preacher to those high-priced gurus out in California—doesn't actually promote that sense of Unity. Instead, they just sit there letting people shower them with gold and expensive gifts.

That's an internal state, though. You can't exactly spot it from the outside.

...and not everyone is like that. The spiritual teacher Martin was the literal embodiment of everything Christ taught; he lived such a humble, simple life. Even as a kid, he’d always ask himself, "What would Jesus do if he were in my shoes?"

Elizabeth Castillo87 said:So, what’s the deal with humility? I mean, where does it actually show up in the Gospels? Aside from when Jesus was washing the disciples' feet or basically handing himself over to be executed, where's the humility? Most of the time, he was busy teaching about love or healing people, sure, but let's be real—he was throwing threats around too. Since when does pulling off miracles count as being humble, right?
And where exactly did Muhammad show humility?
Where was Buddha being humble?
Sometimes I get this nagging feeling that "humility" is just an expectation placed on followers, especially women. I mean, look at Mary. The Gospels make it clear that while the apostles were busy scattering in every direction to save their own skins, it was the women who stayed by Jesus' side at the cross. You want to call that humility? Or is it something else?

Humility should first be an internal state where we submit to God's will—a state where our own will becomes God's will, where there is zero resistance and everything flows naturally within an inner current of bliss where two become one in Unity.

Michael Gonzalez77 said:So, is peace really the same thing as the "kingdom of God"? Peace is just the starting line, not the finish. Only someone who actually has peace inside them can develop any real quality of life—you know, being able to sit down to a meal or do your job right without everything falling apart.

People throughout history, all over the map, and even today, have had inner peace and lived their lives, but they wouldn't necessarily call that finding the "kingdom of God."

Is there something deeper than just being peaceful? My dog is peaceful, and my neighbor's parrot is peaceful too. Is there more to it than that?

There is.
Bliss.
The foundation of peace is bliss. That’s our true nature, the nature of every living thing... that's what the "heavenly kingdom" actually is, deep in our hearts.

David Vaughn75 said:Look, if you honestly think being a wild animal sounds better, I’m sure merciful God will be happy to grant that wish and drop you straight into a beast's body. 🙂
But let me tell you—you aren't going to enjoy it one bit.

The truth is, any kind of life lived without God is going to suck. ☕

Just another illogical Kali Yuga theory...
Why would an advanced being like a human ever reincarnate into a lower form?
It’s always just a way to condemn someone and toss them into hell—telling people they'll burn forever or become animals.

The reality is this: every being is constantly evolving within circumstances tailored for their own growth. That’s where God’s mercy actually shows up.
If a being does things that seem "monstrous" to a more advanced being, it's just because they don't know any better; they're acting based on their own level of consciousness. There's no need to judge anyone or send them to hell.
God isn't out there punishing people; everything just follows the law of cause and effect. Nature or God doesn't punish—they provide the best conditions for development, which is the whole point of life: progress and growth toward divine consciousness.

The whole process is automatic, providing the optimal environment for evolution. It makes zero sense for a developed human being to suddenly drop down into some animalistic existence...

And please, stop citing the Vedas or Srimad Bhagavatam as if it's absolute fact. Who knows who wrote, edited, or copied all that stuff through the ages? Now everyone just parrots it like a bunch of mindless sheep.

In Sanskrit, Veda translates to knowledge. Essentially, based on how the Vedas are said to have originated, Veda would mean direct insight—that which is heard as 'shruti.'
That’s what true Veda would be. The Rishis, who were in a state of Brahman consciousness, would hear the Vedas vibrating within their own awareness, like consciousness 'murmuring' to itself... and not everyone experiences Brahman consciousness, just certain individuals. That's how it's described. Can we actually see this? Only if we become Rishis ourselves and hear the Veda murmuring inside us. Until then, we just have to take it on faith, like anything else.

There are all sorts of spiritual teachers out there. Some claim the world is unknowable, while others insist everything can be understood—that we can find all the answers regarding the world, God, and Creation.
I'd group those latter people under what we call Veda. Veda would be, in short, true knowledge of everything that exists. This is the level described as 'Ritam Bhara Pragya,' a state that knows only Truth. Throughout many cultures, there have been people who reached this level and developed various concepts based on their own personal insights and realizations.

So, for me, Veda is strictly what is rooted in our own direct insight and realization. Anything someone else has said, realized, or written down can only serve as inspiration or a guide toward the Truth.

http://novasvest.com/vesti?id=487&ca...nju-jan-esmann

My Path to ENLIGHTENMENT ~ Jan Esmann
A deep dive into someone's spiritual journey and how they finally reached a state of oneness.