Local meetup for budo practitioners?

Chris Williams
What's this "certain threshold" thing supposed to mean?

Thomas Nelson25 said:Chris Williams
What's this "certain threshold" thing supposed to mean?

One really ought to confront absolute solitude and whatever processes occur within us during that time.

Most people seem terrified of being alone because, to them, it feels synonymous with the suffering of loneliness. When there is no one else around, the mind tends to start dredging up all the mental refuse we have accumulated over the years. I suspect the mind doesn't truly exist; what we call the mind is merely a stream of thoughts composed of memories and fantasies.

These thoughts aren't actually ours. They belong to society. They are acquired—parasitic constructs born from social conditioning and sustained by our identification with them. This identification is what creates a personality.

When others are absent and the mind begins to fracture, it marks the beginning of the collapse of the personality, leaving us to face a revolting void. To move through that void, to enter that silence, is to cross a threshold; it is an initiation, a leap into the darkness, a plunge into the unknown. Death.

What actually occurs is quite beautiful, I guess. That death is the beginning of the birth of individuality, bliss, true happiness, and a sense of ease in existence.

silverotter592 said:Hey there,
I’ve been sitting here thinking about this, and I wanted to ask everyone: how much substance do you actually find when you hang out with people who are on their own spiritual journey? I mean, when it comes to really opening up and sharing the highs and lows of life across the board—is there any actual depth there? From what I’ve seen personally, every single person I’ve run into who claims to be into spirituality seems to have already picked a specific religion or a certain niche movement to cling to, and honestly, it feels like they aren't actually looking for genuine, soul-level friendship. It feels more like they just want to recruit anyone they meet into their little group or community. So, I'm curious, what has your experience been like in your day-to-day interactions with others who are also walking this path?

There seem to be fewer of them every year. Ever since that massive retail boom back around 2003, people have become increasingly obsessed with material things. The older generation has passed on, and the new one hasn't really stepped up to fill the void. Everyone is just too caught up in the grind of making money, which doesn't exactly mesh well with a spiritual lifestyle. That said, I don't really run in artist circles, and I suspect there might be more meaningful connections to be found there.

Chris Williams said:One really ought to confront absolute solitude and whatever processes occur within us during that time.

Most people seem terrified of being alone because, to them, it feels synonymous with the suffering of loneliness. When there is no one else around, the mind tends to start dredging up all the mental refuse we have accumulated over the years. I suspect the mind doesn't truly exist; what we call the mind is merely a stream of thoughts composed of memories and fantasies.

These thoughts aren't actually ours. They belong to society. They are acquired—parasitic constructs born from social conditioning and sustained by our identification with them. This identification is what creates a personality.

When others are absent and the mind begins to fracture, it marks the beginning of the collapse of the personality, leaving us to face a revolting void. To move through that void, to enter that silence, is to cross a threshold; it is an initiation, a leap into the darkness, a plunge into the unknown. Death.

What actually occurs is quite beautiful, I guess. That death is the beginning of the birth of individuality, bliss, true happiness, and a sense of ease in existence.

I get it. You think maybe "normalcy" is actually dangerous? (At least for people with a soul.)

Anyway, speaking of being alone.

It can manifest as art, spirituality, or even religion—basically just ways to sublimate (you know, escape) normalcy.
Personally, I'm more into a sort of internal alchemy.

Jerry Murphy3 said:There seem to be fewer of them every year. Ever since that massive retail boom back around 2003, people have become increasingly obsessed with material things. The older generation has passed on, and the new one hasn't really stepped up to fill the void. Everyone is just too caught up in the grind of making money, which doesn't exactly mesh well with a spiritual lifestyle. That said, I don't really run in artist circles, and I suspect there might be more meaningful connections to be found there.

I'd throw external memory and intelligence into the mix too, especially with smartphones.
People are basically glued to them 24/7 at this point.
It’s total cyborg territory—everyone just acting based on what an algorithm tells them to do. And honestly, the person on the other side of the screen? Even if they are human, nowadays they might as well be a bot.
That person is just as much under the machine's thumb.

All this is bound to lead to some weird side effects... we'll just have to wait and see.

Thomas Nelson25 said:I get it. You think maybe "normalcy" is actually dangerous? (At least for people with a soul.)

Anyway, speaking of being alone.

It can manifest as art, spirituality, or even religion—basically just ways to sublimate (you know, escape) normalcy.
Personally, I'm more into a sort of internal alchemy.

I suppose normalcy is essentially just sleepwalking. If one pays even the slightest attention to that background chatter in the mind, it becomes apparent that it is just an unrelenting stream of associations—one that is, at its core, just as fragmented and unpredictable as a dream. No one can truly predict their next thought. Those thoughts trigger emotional responses within us, and those reactions, in turn, produce either pleasure or suffering. That is our version of normalcy. It is sleep.

Speaking of solitude...

It might manifest as art, or perhaps spirituality, or even religion acting as a channel for the sublimation of normalcy. I personally prefer a sort of alchemy.

My view is that anything capable of jolting us out of that slumber is useful, provided we actually desire that kind of evolutionary leap for ourselves.

Regarding art, I suspect that when we are genuinely creative, it brings us to the same state as meditation. In those moments, everything else ceases to exist except the act of creation itself; once all that compulsive mental noise settles, we enter "the zone." We become a mere conduit—in that state, we are truly awake, an ecstatic observer of whatever the universe is manifesting through us. Many artists experience this... though, I suppose, entering that zone isn't always easy. Then again, you can find that same flow while just peeling potatoes.

Thomas Nelson25 said:I'd throw external memory and intelligence into the mix too, especially with smartphones.
People are basically glued to them 24/7 at this point.
It’s total cyborg territory—everyone just acting based on what an algorithm tells them to do. And honestly, the person on the other side of the screen? Even if they are human, nowadays they might as well be a bot.
That person is just as much under the machine's thumb.

All this is bound to lead to some weird side effects... we'll just have to wait and see.

You say "will." I say "are." I can already see it happening.
I could easily write a book about these new generations of "digital natives."
They’re becoming psychotic, even feral and aggressive, while their entire existence is reduced to being little worker bees in corporate environments that feel just as hollow and alienated as they are.
The only thing left from their biological programming is the impulse to have children. But once they actually have them, they have no idea what to do with them. Form is replacing substance.

Chris Williams said:One really ought to confront absolute solitude and whatever processes occur within us during that time.

Most people seem terrified of being alone because, to them, it feels synonymous with the suffering of loneliness. When there is no one else around, the mind tends to start dredging up all the mental refuse we have accumulated over the years. I suspect the mind doesn't truly exist; what we call the mind is merely a stream of thoughts composed of memories and fantasies.

These thoughts aren't actually ours. They belong to society. They are acquired—parasitic constructs born from social conditioning and sustained by our identification with them. This identification is what creates a personality.

When others are absent and the mind begins to fracture, it marks the beginning of the collapse of the personality, leaving us to face a revolting void. To move through that void, to enter that silence, is to cross a threshold; it is an initiation, a leap into the darkness, a plunge into the unknown. Death.

What actually occurs is quite beautiful, I guess. That death is the beginning of the birth of individuality, bliss, true happiness, and a sense of ease in existence.

Masterfully articulated! 👍

Those kinds of friendships—they always have an expiration date, don't they? I mean, sure, some can stretch on for ten years or even longer, but eventually, you always hit that crossroads where everyone just kind of drifts off toward their own separate paths...

It’s like there’s always some underlying factor that pulls things apart, though honestly, I couldn't even tell you exactly what it is myself. You could spend hours talking about it, but it feels like a situation where you just eventually outgrow one another. No matter how much heart you put into it or how hard you try to hold on, things just start to thin out and fall apart, and there isn't much you can do to stop it once it starts happening.

Chris Williams said:I suppose normalcy is essentially just sleepwalking. If one pays even the slightest attention to that background chatter in the mind, it becomes apparent that it is just an unrelenting stream of associations—one that is, at its core, just as fragmented and unpredictable as a dream. No one can truly predict their next thought. Those thoughts trigger emotional responses within us, and those reactions, in turn, produce either pleasure or suffering. That is our version of normalcy. It is sleep.

Speaking of solitude...

It might manifest as art, or perhaps spirituality, or even religion acting as a channel for the sublimation of normalcy. I personally prefer a sort of alchemy.

My view is that anything capable of jolting us out of that slumber is useful, provided we actually desire that kind of evolutionary leap for ourselves.

Regarding art, I suspect that when we are genuinely creative, it brings us to the same state as meditation. In those moments, everything else ceases to exist except the act of creation itself; once all that compulsive mental noise settles, we enter "the zone." We become a mere conduit—in that state, we are truly awake, an ecstatic observer of whatever the universe is manifesting through us. Many artists experience this... though, I suppose, entering that zone isn't always easy. Then again, you can find that same flow while just peeling potatoes.

I find myself agreeing with you.
If one is able to perceive this, then it becomes a state of conscious "sleepwalking," or perhaps true experiencing. I recall a recent incident where certain thoughts essentially hijacked my conscious space, triggering an intense sense of anxiety. This, in turn, manufactured an irrational perception of reality, leading to a distressing experience—which, by any standard metric, could be classified as "reality" because it concerned perfectly ordinary, everyday worries. Fortunately, however, I remained positioned within the space of awareness rather than getting lost in the content of that awareness. Consequently, that temporarily constructed, colored reality simply evaporated without the need for any deliberate technique, positive thinking, or denial. It appeared hollow and devoid of energy. How can one place faith in mirages? Thoughts drift incessantly; if left untouched, they simply float away.

It strikes me as peculiar when someone claims they are not in the present moment. Where, precisely, are they? In what moment are they experiencing this "not being" in the present, if not in the present itself?? 😬
Must the present moment always be filled with blissful sensations or some sort of transcendent experience?

Chris Williams said:I suppose normalcy is essentially just sleepwalking. If one pays even the slightest attention to that background chatter in the mind, it becomes apparent that it is just an unrelenting stream of associations—one that is, at its core, just as fragmented and unpredictable as a dream. No one can truly predict their next thought. Those thoughts trigger emotional responses within us, and those reactions, in turn, produce either pleasure or suffering. That is our version of normalcy. It is sleep.

Speaking of solitude...

It might manifest as art, or perhaps spirituality, or even religion acting as a channel for the sublimation of normalcy. I personally prefer a sort of alchemy.

My view is that anything capable of jolting us out of that slumber is useful, provided we actually desire that kind of evolutionary leap for ourselves.

Regarding art, I suspect that when we are genuinely creative, it brings us to the same state as meditation. In those moments, everything else ceases to exist except the act of creation itself; once all that compulsive mental noise settles, we enter "the zone." We become a mere conduit—in that state, we are truly awake, an ecstatic observer of whatever the universe is manifesting through us. Many artists experience this... though, I suppose, entering that zone isn't always easy. Then again, you can find that same flow while just peeling potatoes.

🙂 or even when a hot french fry burns your lip—and potentially even in your dreams. 🙂

Dana Davis5 said:Those kinds of friendships—they always have an expiration date, don't they? I mean, sure, some can stretch on for ten years or even longer, but eventually, you always hit that crossroads where everyone just kind of drifts off toward their own separate paths...

It’s like there’s always some underlying factor that pulls things apart, though honestly, I couldn't even tell you exactly what it is myself. You could spend hours talking about it, but it feels like a situation where you just eventually outgrow one another. No matter how much heart you put into it or how hard you try to hold on, things just start to thin out and fall apart, and there isn't much you can do to stop it once it starts happening.

It sounds like you might be dealing with a bit of a 'well-mannered self-saboteur': ? 😉

Scott Ward48 said:It sounds like you might be dealing with a bit of a 'well-mannered self-saboteur':

? 😉

But honestly... who doesn't? 😁

Dana Davis5 said:But honestly... who doesn't? 😁

This one (though it's just at the very end): https://hi-in.facebook.com/gingerinm..._fb_noscript=1 😁

Since I don't really feel like I fit in with the crowds of people out there on this same spiritual journey, it’s tough to give you a straight answer.
Sometimes, while scrolling through these threads, I get this nagging feeling that I’ve wandered into the wrong room—like I’m missing the context or just can't quite relate to the conversation.
I’d describe myself as a practical Catholic; I've spent some time around various Christian communities, but I also decided to swing by an alternative fair to see if anything there might resonate with me. Turns out, nothing they were talking about really hit home.

How do you actually tell if a spiritual awakening has happened? Is it something you can intentionally trigger, or is it just one of those things you have to experience to reach true samospoznaja?

Scott Ward48 said:This one (though it's just at the very end): https://hi-in.facebook.com/gingerinm..._fb_noscript=1 😁

You have to zapaziti how she said, "The truth is, even this isn't me"... honestly, it's a good thing she realizes there's no final destination when it comes to samospoznaja... because if she had just decided her insights were set in stone, I wouldn't be able to take her seriously at all.

silverotter592 said:Hey there,
I’ve been sitting here thinking about this, and I wanted to ask everyone: how much substance do you actually find when you hang out with people who are on their own spiritual journey? I mean, when it comes to really opening up and sharing the highs and lows of life across the board—is there any actual depth there? From what I’ve seen personally, every single person I’ve run into who claims to be into spirituality seems to have already picked a specific religion or a certain niche movement to cling to, and honestly, it feels like they aren't actually looking for genuine, soul-level friendship. It feels more like they just want to recruit anyone they meet into their little group or community. So, I'm curious, what has your experience been like in your day-to-day interactions with others who are also walking this path?

Total agreement here. I was part of one of those groups once, hoping to actually make some real friends, but it was pointless. At the end of the day, they were still just strangers to me. I was looking for something else entirely.

Dana Davis5 said:You have to zapaziti how she said, "The truth is, even this isn't me"... honestly, it's a good thing she realizes there's no final destination when it comes to samospoznaja... because if she had just decided her insights were set in stone, I wouldn't be able to take her seriously at all.

Look, self-discovery—those deep dives into who you actually are—after those formative years when you're still growing and evolving, has to eventually reach a point where it becomes final or "cemented," whether we like that version of the person or not.

Socrates basically told us to "know thyself"—implying a destination—rather than telling us to "keep knowing thyself" forever.

People change, sure, but their core character? That stays the same... kind of like how a wolf might shed its fur, but it's still the exact same predator underneath.

Austin Smith4 said:Look, self-discovery—those deep dives into who you actually are—after those formative years when you're still growing and evolving, has to eventually reach a point where it becomes final or "cemented," whether we like that version of the person or not.

Socrates basically told us to "know thyself"—implying a destination—rather than telling us to "keep knowing thyself" forever.

People change, sure, but their core character? That stays the same... kind of like how a wolf might shed its fur, but it's still the exact same predator underneath.

People change, sure, but their core character stays the same... kind of like how a wolf sheds its fur, but its nature never actually shifts.

Maybe Socrates was getting at the idea that we need to grasp our true essence—you know, what actually drives us, who we really are deep down. And man, if you think that’s an easy thing to do, you’ve got another thing coming. It isn't about whether your "fur" changes or your temperament shifts; it's just the plain old fact that it's incredibly hard for any human being to truly wrap their head around who they actually are underneath it all.

Socrates also famously claimed he knew nothing, even though he was hailed as the greatest sage of his era... and again, you can't just take that sentence literally or strip it away from the context it was meant for. Honestly, only he really knew the full scope of what he meant by that.

"Know thyself" was basically the foundation and the backbone of everything Socrates did... he spent his time questioning "himself and others," whether they were young or old, Athenians or foreigners... So, Socrates wanted to walk that difficult path of self-examination and discovery alongside everyone else, dealing with all the messy, complicated consequences that come along with it."...

Basically, his teachings were far too advanced, wise, and layered to be reduced to a single literal sentence stripped of all its nuance.

Dana Davis5 said:

People change, sure, but their core character stays the same... kind of like how a wolf sheds its fur, but its nature never actually shifts.

Maybe Socrates was getting at the idea that we need to grasp our true essence—you know, what actually drives us, who we really are deep down. And man, if you think that’s an easy thing to do, you’ve got another thing coming. It isn't about whether your "fur" changes or your temperament shifts; it's just the plain old fact that it's incredibly hard for any human being to truly wrap their head around who they actually are underneath it all.

Socrates also famously claimed he knew nothing, even though he was hailed as the greatest sage of his era... and again, you can't just take that sentence literally or strip it away from the context it was meant for. Honestly, only he really knew the full scope of what he meant by that.

"Know thyself" was basically the foundation and the backbone of everything Socrates did... he spent his time questioning "himself and others," whether they were young or old, Athenians or foreigners... So, Socrates wanted to walk that difficult path of self-examination and discovery alongside everyone else, dealing with all the messy, complicated consequences that come along with it."...

Basically, his teachings were far too advanced, wise, and layered to be reduced to a single literal sentence stripped of all its nuance.

Maybe...

Austin Smith4 said:Maybe...

🤣
Look, once you get yourself cloned again we can pick this right back up—I honestly think you had a lot more on your mind than you actually got out—but hey, at the end of the day, you know yourself better than anyone else does. 👍