Posts by Anonymous

Balkanijan Pig said:Can you be more specific?

In one of his teachings, Raman suggests that religious texts are essentially tools designed for the human intellect. They’re useful right up until the moment you realize that pure logic won't actually take you anywhere—that no amount of mental heavy lifting can force enlightenment upon you. Once you hit that wall, you're free to set them aside. Raman wasn't one to push people toward a specific path, nor did he bother answering questions just to satisfy curiosity, which is a huge distinction. As an awakened being, he understood that everyone acts according to their own capacity; everything is already unfolding as it must. He never tried to stop people from doing what they felt was right, nor did he demand they act against their true nature. Sure, things like meditation and prayer are great for calming the mind—and we all know a centered, focused mind makes life much easier—but those aren't the keys to enlightenment. You can stay present and enjoy the moment without meditating, too. 🙂 But that's not the same thing as "awakening." That’s why Raman recommends focusing the mind on the question, "Who am I?" He explains that by doing this, you can boil down every single thought into the core "I-thought," which eventually dissolves itself. Personally, I find this kind of self-inquiry fascinating, though whether it actually works like that... I honestly don't know. It certainly hasn't done anything for me. 😁 I also remember reading that Raman emphasized that anyone can practice this self-inquiry anytime, anywhere. You don't need to drop everything, leave your family, or head off to some remote retreat to make it happen.

Grizzly said:So, you think every single one of these "enlightened masters" is the real deal... but what actually gives them away? What’s the proof that they aren't just faking it?

Just a hunch, 😁
What do you think?

sporty said:My brother calls it "American poison"😁 and he drinks way too much of it.
I don't know if you've heard those stories... where you drop a piece of meat into a glass
of Coca-Cola and leave it overnight... the soda completely eats it away.😲 And as far as
calories go, carbonated drinks are inherently high in calories.
Personally, I almost never touch them, maybe once in a blue moon.😁

Why on earth would being carbonated make a drink high in calories? That might be true for some specific sodas, but there's zero connection between bubbles and calorie counts. Diet Coke or sparkling water aren't caloric at all.
And what does meat dissolving in soda have to do with anything? If you toss meat into stomach acid, it’ll disappear by morning too, and we've got that acid inside us 24/7.
Maybe if you left a slice of cheese in a cup of Nescafe overnight, something weird would happen, but that doesn't tell us anything about cheese, Nescafe, or how the human body actually works. What kind of logic is that even?

Jade said:I was actually reading some other stuff by Ramana... 🤔

Like, specifically what?

Karen Sanchez19 said:🙏

I’m still waiting... you haven't even named a single person who actually did that.

Since when do rumors swirling around India count as proof of someone reaching enlightenment???

😉

Think about Nisargadatta. Or let's bring up Buddha. Or Ramakrishna, Sivananda, Yogananda—any of them. Heck, pick any Christian saint or anyone at all; I can't think of a single one who reached enlightenment just by rubbing their junk. So, since I don't personally know any masters, I'm not going to sit here while some chatterbox tries to tell me there's only one "real" way.

Karen Sanchez19 said:The people for whom there is no spiritual path...

Those for whom enlightenment isn't the result of actual work...

Those who don't follow patterns or rules

Those who ignore the law of cause and effect, or the law of karma and consequence
Those who don't hold people accountable for their own karma
Those who don't claim that humans actually have free will...

Doesn't that sound a bit off?

Like, "I'm going to meditate for 8 hours every single day, and according to this recipe, I'll be enlightened in 20 years..."

99.9999% of them aren't. It’s an easy guess.
(And obviously, I'm talking about public figures who have just left a legacy behind for themselves)

I highly doubt it...

Actually, Ivan is much better at hunting down flaws in various masters; you should probably ask him instead of me..

But you mentioned Ramana yourself...

We already established that besides Ramana, one single example in all of history isn't enough—especially since he himself demanded sadhana from his students.

Everything else is just nitpicking, and I'd rather not name names. Give me one specific name of a master who did absolutely nothing. Shankara? Buddha? Jesus? Who even counts as a master to you? Are they all just fools? They all meditated, fasted, and lived simply, and they all expected things from others (just like your Ramana did). Master Gristi knows better 😂

So, out of that 99.999% of famous people who supposedly left a legacy, can you name just one who was sitting around doing nothing while everything was handed to them on a silver platter?

Balkanian Pig said:We’d all be much better off if we spent just 15 minutes morning and night in prayer or meditation, paired with some light reading from the scriptures, holy writings, or even biographies of the saints. Honestly, it would beat this mindless keyboard smashing we're all doing here every single day. 😁

Look, you’ve clearly got your own personal mission and you're laser-focused on hitting those goals. That’s fine for you—honestly, what you're saying probably holds water in your own world. But how does any of that actually affect anyone else?

Do you honestly think those old-school masters don't offer any real value? You’re out here letting these forum idiots dictate how you think, asking for their "expert" opinions on everything, and I’m genuinely worried you might actually be taking them seriously. 😁

It’s all relative, really. It just depends on what kind of help you're actually looking for. I was specifically talking about enlightenment—you know, that idea I read somewhere that dead masters can't truly guide you through it. The theory is that you need a living master present to actually pass down that "knowledge." Since I haven't reached "awakening" myself, I have no clue if that's actually true or just some philosophical fluff. I only left that comment to see what people who consider themselves awakened, or at least on the path, had to say about it.
When it comes to life’s bigger lessons, you can find "messages" pretty much anywhere. You might hear them from someone totally unexpected, spot them in the little things around you, or even stumble upon them right here on this forum. It really all boils down to what you're looking for and what you personally need to hear right now.

"Quote:"

If there aren't any living experts left to guide us, we'll just have to rely on the wisdom of the legends who came before. It’s all about studying the greats, getting a clear vision of what we actually want to achieve, and then putting in the actual sweat equity to make it happen. Planting season is right around the corner, but the field hasn't even been tilled yet. Instead, here we are, stuck in a heated debate over the ideal hoe length and whether all this digging is actually worth the effort. 😂 They’d probably try to dig through our tea leaves too if they thought we were actually being productive on this forum during work hours.

That’s a pretty materialistic way to look at spirituality.

Time is slipping through our fingers, and life is way too short to waste.

"The goose is roasting, and I’m eyeing that drumstick." — Mark Twain 😁

You could spend thousands of lifetimes waiting around, hoping that just the sheer experience of living will slowly chip away at who you are.

This whole perspective really boils down to a belief in reincarnation.

"Quote:"

If we don't actually care about being free, and if we aren't willing to commit ourselves to the cause, then what’s the point of liberation even existing?

Honestly, you should ask yourself that. 😛 I’m not even chasing "liberation," mostly because I can't wrap my head around what exactly I’m supposed to be getting free from...

p.s. Try finding me just one single saint who actually reached the goal without putting in any work. The only one I know is Ramana, and even he was completely spontaneous about it while still teaching his students the importance of sadhana (spiritual practice).

Then again, I was reading about a different version of Ramana... 🤔

If it were meant to happen spontaneously, it would have already happened.

👍

The interest might be there, but the realization isn't. What are you going to do—sit around like a beggar waiting for someone to take pity on you (which probably won't happen) or for something to just fall into your lap?

Are you asking me, or are you really asking yourself? 🤔 Because I don't have any interest in this. 🙂

grizli said:The truth is, most of these texts are cluttered with talk about Gods, Angels, and all those other entities.

Hardly any of them are actually PURE—free from all that unnecessary noise and distracting, fake patterns...

For instance, Ramón and a few others (maybe Germaine to a lesser extent) are the real deal. Everything else is just garbage...
(And by garbage, I mean the junk I keep stumbling upon)

Oh, well, when an enlightened master like you speaks, I guess it must be the absolute truth. We mere mortals, being so uneducated, have no choice but to bow down to your lofty wisdom and infinite knowledge. 😢 😳 😁

adriatic said:🙂

The magic phrase here is "in your own way"! 🙂
If you insist there's only one single path, then you're just being a dogmatist. 😉

Look, you can pray, you can meditate, or you can pore over ancient texts trying to wrap your head around them and actually live by what they teach. You could dedicate yourself to serving those in need or find a thousand different ways to keep your spiritual energy balanced—I’m definitely not saying there’s only one right way to do it. But if you want to see results, you have to put in the work, even if you're just reaping what was sown. Of course, things happen spontaneously sometimes; nobody can truly control the absolute. It’s like what the Upanishads suggest: the Atman isn't created by our desires, but rather chosen by the Atman itself. Generally speaking, though, it tends to pick those who show genuine effort and intention. There are exceptions, sure, but they're so rare you shouldn't count on them as a rule. And if you believe in reincarnation, there are plenty of other ways to look at it.

Karen Sanchez19 said:If you keep pushing these kinds of THEMES, you’re basically putting yourself in the same league as the millions of fake gurus out there today...

I'll give you that—there are definitely millions of fakes. But tell me, who actually qualifies as a real teacher?

Alright then, NAME JUST ONE master (besides Raman) who actually achieved enlightenment through their own effort... just one, come on.😉 😁

I already asked you that. Name just one person who didn't😁
😁VIS. Since I respect teachers like Raman and Bhakte like Cheitanya—as well as Christians and Buddhists—my definition of a "master" is a bit broader than your narrow-minded philosophical nonsense. Honestly, I'm afraid you wouldn't even recognize someone I consider a true master.

Wait, weren't you mentioning Nisargadatta? That guy was incredibly devoted to his guru. He spent years relentlessly repeating the mantra his teacher gave him, combined with those "bi hijr nau" exercises—probably something similar to shikantaza.
He practically did nothing else all day except follow his teacher's instructions in his sadhana.

Now it's your turn. Name one person who achieved everything without doing any work at all.😉

Karen Sanchez19 said:With that one comment, you basically just laid out exactly where your head is at... No further explanation needed on your part.🙂 🙂 🙂

I'm honestly pretty glad about it. 😁

Karen Sanchez19 said:There’s barely any actual truth left in this world..

Everything else is just a lie.😉 🙏 😎 😁

Actually, there's plenty of real truth out there—you're just stuck in your own narrow definition of what Truth is.

Karen Sanchez19 said:It used to take an entire cosmic shift to move heaven and earth, but nowadays, you can flip the whole universe upside down with just two mouse clicks.😉

That’s honestly the worst thing that could have happened. There was a time when uncovering even the smallest truth or receiving an initiation required years of grueling preparation. Now, you can basically get initiated via an email attachment.😁

But let's be real: the actual heavy lifting happens during the preparation and the practice, not the ceremony itself. We can all read Raman, grasp his ideas intellectually, maybe even feel a glimmer of what he’s talking about, and then go around discussing it. But does that actually make us like Raman? This is really about Zen. How many Zen masters, regardless of how much they talk, actually reached their state without years of intense struggle and discipline? Do you honestly think the goal of life is as cheap as the words used to describe it? Is knowing something enough to actually live it?

There’s a story about the future Swami Turyanand—back when he was just a kid (I don't know exactly when, but looking back, it was probably more than 12 years ago)—he was swimming somewhere and someone warned him about alligators. He bolted immediately, only to turn around and scold himself for it. He thought, "I spend all day telling myself 'I am that,' that the world is an illusion and the Self is the only reality, yet here I am, terrified of an alligator," before jumping right back in.

Then there’s Totapuri, the famous 19th-century Vedantist. He grew up in an ashram and possessed incredible willpower alongside a very strong constitution. The first time he fell seriously ill (likely in his 40s or 50s), he decided to walk into the Mississippi and leave his body behind—a body he had absolutely no attachment to whatsoever.

Would you be an equal among wild beasts? If you got sick, would you be so deeply identified with Atman/Brahman, so detached from your physical shell, that leaving your body would feel easier than seeking medical treatment?

Talk is cheap. You can click through thousands of pages online and sell those ideas to others, but actually living out a single sentence in your daily practice? That is a much harder path.

Karen Sanchez19 said:Can someone please explain all the different levels of Nirvana in plain English?

Honestly, I feel a bit silly trying to lecture people on things I haven't personally experienced. I haven't had any major breakthroughs myself (at least I don't think I have 😬), so how could I possibly describe them? Savikalpa is generally seen as a lower state of intense focus where your sense of self still exists. Then there's Nirvikalpa, which is the total disappearance of duality—where you lose all awareness of the world and its divisions. Some people point to Raman as the ultimate example; he reached a state that is the peak of perfection for a seeker of knowledge (a gyan) and is incredibly rare. Most practitioners find Nirvikalpa to be their absolute ceiling, if they reach it at all. In Nirvikalpa, the body usually goes totally still and you lose touch with your surroundings. There’s even a theory that once an average practitioner hits Nirvikalpa, they don't really "come back"—the body eventually just gives out after a few days. Only those who have a specific mission or duty in this world return by adopting a sort of "intellectual ego" or "devotional ego" just to function within our dualistic reality.

That’s the standard breakdown, anyway. Even Yogananda describes Nirvikalpa in his autobiography using the classic definition of Samadhi, though in his tradition, there are different takes on these categories. At the end of the day, it's all just labeling.

I've heard some yoga instructors say that Satori is basically the same thing as Samadhi.
Could Nirvikalpa be the same thing as Nirvana?

The thing is, you could experience Savikalpa and still come out of it thinking you're just a fool, especially since the memory of the experience can fade over the years. But once you hit Nirvikalpa, you can't stay a fool even if you wanted to 😁

That's just what people say, and like I said, I'm no expert. The short version is: Savikalpa is still somewhat within the realm of duality, while Nirvikalpa is the Absolute. Blah blah blah, you know how it goes. You'd better ask a master; they'll tell you based on actual experience 😂 😁

swiftcobra15 said:Look, man, everything you said makes sense, except you’re totally forgetting about those of us into organic farming who don't even touch a Motika or deal with heavy digging. 😉

That’s true, but honestly, he still cares for his land in his own way. He isn't just sitting on the couch waiting for some imaginary field or unplanted crops to magically grow themselves while he sits around doing nothing. He knows what he's doing and he stays prepared. If we could just get our nutrients through an IV drip so we wouldn't have to deal with the hassle of eating solid food, that would be great.😬

Jack said:Exactly. 🙂 We just see it from different angles. You think you have to actively go out and change things to attract a mentor, whereas I believe everything happens organically—once we undergo an internal shift, the right teacher simply appears in our lives. 🙂 (I can already see your next reply calling me lazy or claiming I’ve just found an excuse to sit on my hands. 🤣 😁 )

Well, you certainly *can* wait. You could spend thousands of lifetimes letting "experience" slowly chip away at you, if you have that kind of patience. But if you’re actually thirsty, you aren't going to sit around daydreaming about someone showing up to buy you a drink; you’re going to scramble to find water. If you aren't truly thirsty, you won't care. And if you aren't thirsty, why would anyone bother giving you water? 😁

Practicing discipline, detachment, and a few other core principles are considered prerequisites for true liberation—they're what get you started on the path in the first place. If we don't actually care about being free or letting go of our attachments, what's even the point of seeking liberation?

p.s. Try to name a single enlightened soul who reached the finish line without putting in any work. The only one I know who was completely spontaneous about it was Ray, and even he preached the importance of spiritual practice to his students. If it were all meant to happen spontaneously, it would have happened by now. Interest is one thing, but realization is another. Are you really going to wait around like a beggar hoping someone takes pity on you (which probably won't happen) or decides to step in?

Jade said:But what if that goes against your personal journey? What if you're actually acting against your own true nature? It might be the right path for someone else, but there’s no guarantee it’s universal. I don't believe a Being designed this world just so we could all turn into robots, living, thinking, and feeling exactly the same way. 😉

I'm not saying you have to drop everything at age seven to hunt down a guru; I'm saying that intense drive and actual work are what matter.

Think about it this way: If you were an elite coach, you'd be just as thrilled to work with a guy who's training day and night to become a world champion as he would be to help them win. But if some lazy guy rolls up to you—someone who spends his time drinking beer in front of the TV, talking big about the sport while growing a beer belly—why would you even waste your breath on him?

If we actually gave a damn about reaching Moksha, finding God, or uncovering the Truth, we’d move heaven and earth to get there instead of just whining on internet forums. Why should a Master bother with people like that? Why hand over the most precious thing a human Being can possess on a silver platter to people who aren't even willing to try?

If you aren't truly committed, then stop complaining about gurus or living Masters when you haven't even put in the effort to take things seriously.

We’d honestly be better off spending fifteen minutes meditating in the morning and evening, plus doing a little daily reading of scriptures, holy writings, or biographies of saints, rather than wasting our lives on this mindless keyboard warfare. 😁

You seem to think the departed Masters don't want to help, yet you're perfectly fine asking questions and seeking opinions from a bunch of forum trolls—and my fear is that you're actually taking their input seriously. 😁

If there are no living teachers available, then the departed Masters are our best bet. Read extensively, get a clear vision of what we want and can achieve, and above all else, do the work.

Harvest season is coming, the field hasn't even been tilled, and here we are arguing about the best type of hoe and whether digging is even worth it. 😂
We could have tilled the whole plot with a tiny teaspoon if we had spent our time on the field instead of idling on this forum.

Time is ticking, life is short, forget the chatter—grab your shovel and get to work.👍

Balkanijan Pig said:Someone who left home at seven years old just to hunt down a guru and spent their entire life dedicated to spiritual practice has gone through some serious struggles. Opportunities like that don't just fall out of the sky.

But what if that actually clashes with your own personal journey? What if you're essentially fighting against your own true nature? Maybe that path works for them, but there's no guarantee it's a universal truth. I don't think a Being designed this world so that we'd all turn into robots, living, thinking, and feeling exactly the same way. 😉

Balkanijan Pig said:But do you really think people like that just happen to be hanging out on the outskirts, waiting to swoop in and pull us out of our own mental messes?

There’s a reason people say a guru only shows up once the student is actually ready.

Exactly. 🙂 We just interpret it differently. You seem to think you have to actively grind and change yourself to attract a teacher, whereas I believe everything unfolds naturally—once that internal shift happens, the right mentor simply appears. 🙂 (I can already see your next reply calling me out for finding an excuse to stay lazy. 🤣 😁 )

adriatic said:Can't you just keep it brief? Honestly, it probably isn't even worth the effort of writing it all out.😉

Fine, I’ll write it this time. I'll post it on game forum, delete it... post it on Rideo—I think, therefore I am—delete it... and so on. But here? I don't know. I'm just drawing a blank on what to actually say.

Best, 🙂