What are the results of your spiritual journey?

Quincy:

bluemason3 As stated by: Have you truly abandoned the pursuit of philosophy?$67 Is it truly possible to argue that "ascetics are simply incapable of achieving anything meaningful in this life"? Is that the fundamental truth we're meant to accept? 😁 Where do you think these extreme, boundary-pushing tantric practitioners actually come from? It’s highly improbable they are being recruited from the masses of wealthy families or those elite social circles. 😳 Drogerasi ☕

Drogerasi nikad 🙂I am still standing by that position, and I have no intention of wavering.

That is precisely my point. Those who actually possess significant wealth certainly aren't losing sleep over how to "transcend" their material circumstances; they have already mastered that realm. Isn't it always the case that those preoccupied with spiritualizing away their possessions are simply those who lack the means to acquire them in the first place? 😁

It’s easy for them to preach when they have such effortless access to drugs.

Ryan Wilson2 said:Quincy:

bluemason3 As stated by: Have you truly abandoned the pursuit of philosophy?$67 Is it truly possible to argue that "ascetics are simply incapable of achieving anything meaningful in this life"? Is that the fundamental truth we're meant to accept? 😁 Where do you think these extreme, boundary-pushing tantric practitioners actually come from? It’s highly improbable they are being recruited from the masses of wealthy families or those elite social circles. 😳 Drogerasi ☕

Drogerasi nikad 🙂I am still standing by that position, and I have no intention of wavering.

That is precisely my point. Those who actually possess significant wealth certainly aren't losing sleep over how to "transcend" their material circumstances; they have already mastered that realm. Isn't it always the case that those preoccupied with spiritualizing away their possessions are simply those who lack the means to acquire them in the first place? 😁

It’s easy for them to preach when they have such effortless access to drugs.

Aside from Bud and Sadh Maharaja 😬 😁

bluemason3 said:Aside from Bud and Sadh Maharaja 😬 😁

There is a parasite in every field of grain😁

It feels like the wealthy are more likely to crack under the weight of ascetic practices than those living a Hedonistic lifestyle. They don't have the same complexes, frustrations, or unfulfilled desires, so they might actually end up becoming saints or something along those lines. 😳

bluemason3 said:It feels like the wealthy are more likely to crack under the weight of ascetic practices than those living a Hedonistic lifestyle. They don't have the same complexes, frustrations, or unfulfilled desires, so they might actually end up becoming saints or something along those lines. 😳

Are there even more than those two?

Ryan Wilson2 said:Are there even more than those two?

🤣

To be honest, I haven't run the numbers 😁

It would make for an interesting study, though. 😳

Tyler Baker6 said:The questions are solid, really. The only catch is figuring out where the answer to that second question is actually coming from. Is it coming from your heart (or whatever) or is it just your ego? Or maybe some subconscious programming stuck in your head from bad experiences, or fear of authority, or being terrified of what people think...
When you look at all this "self-improvement" stuff, most of the work is basically dealing with these different voices in your head, and there's a lot of room to maneuver there. Everything else, if you ask me, is just avoiding facing
that specific part of yourself.
I seriously doubt we'd ever have the ability to reach a goal, gain knowledge, find talent, or experience love if those things weren't ultimately good for us.

Yeah, that's true... it's a sharp observation. The source matters immensely, but if you pick the wrong one... well, damn, you messed up. It means you listened to your ego (your head) instead. But honestly, even that isn't all bad—at least you learned something new about yourself and life. You learn, you mess up, you live, and life keeps moving. Eventually, you start becoming more sensitive to that voice coming from deep within, from your heart. I truly believe the heart is the seat of consciousness, and when you need to make a choice, you'll make the right one because you'll feel it internally. It'll just feel like the true, honest path. The answer will always be fast and intuitive; there won't be any room for useless overthinking because the answer will just bubble up instantly from the depths of your Being. The other thing is, most of the time, we don't actually *want* to listen to that voice. We resist it and try to over-philosophize everything—that's where the ego loop happens. But everyone—and I mean everyone, I'm being serious here—knows, or rather feels, what is truly good for them as an individual.
That's why it's best to stay in alignment with yourself; then you can quickly tell which answers are coming from your heart and which ones are just the ego.

http://www.newscenter.com/electric-heart.html

The heart is the most powerful tool in the body, producing an electromagnetic pulse 100,000 times stronger than the brain. The heart is the center of consciousness, radiating a field of pure awareness into the space around us. The heart speaks to us 24 hours a day, guiding us through every situation. Let's just surrender to the guidance of the heart and higher consciousness.

Scott Miller4 said:Do you see what your buddy down there just said to you? Is that really what you were looking for? 🤣

No, I haven't. And honestly, I have no idea where one even goes to meet him.

That’s assuming you can just wipe away everything you've been taught since preschool—all those lectures about how alcohol is bad, how it destroys families, how it ruins your health, and all that other garbage. I guess you're just a blank slate, so none of that upbringing actually stuck or formed any real convictions for you, right?

The question is, do you *really* want to meet Him? Is your heart open to His love? If the answer is yes, then you don't have to go anywhere; it's enough to just be exactly where you are right now. Jesus Christ isn't anywhere else but inside you—in your core, in your heart. But to meet Him, you first have to shut off that mental chatter that runs in your head 24/7.
And if you really feel the need to go somewhere, then go inward. Go into your own inner space, be still, and find peace with yourself.

Unless you’ve managed to completely tune out everything you've been told since kindergarten—you know, all that talk about how alcohol destroys families, wrecks your health, and is just generally toxic—then you're basically acting like a blank slate. Like, as if none of those warnings actually stuck or shaped your perspective at all, right?

But seriously, let's be real for a second: who actually finds long-term happiness through abusing drugs or alcohol? Does anyone actually? Are those people truly happy? Using substances just to chase a high or to numb out is just another way of running away from reality—and honestly, it might be the most destructive escape there is, because it trashes both your physical and mental health at the same time. 🤷

I’m convinced that if you just listen to your heart, you can't really go wrong—it knows what’s best for you. Of course, we learn through trial and error, and yeah, society, our culture, and the people around us definitely condition us in a lot of ways. But once you finally experience the damage firsthand—like realizing, "Hey, alcohol is actually killing me"—the only thing keeping you trapped in that cycle of addiction is your own ego. It's that craving for that temporary hit of euphoria that keeps us acting like slaves to outside influences, just chasing that next high.

nimbleranger5 said:Yeah, that's true... it's a sharp observation. The source matters immensely, but if you pick the wrong one... well, damn, you messed up. It means you listened to your ego (your head) instead. But honestly, even that isn't all bad—at least you learned something new about yourself and life. You learn, you mess up, you live, and life keeps moving. Eventually, you start becoming more sensitive to that voice coming from deep within, from your heart. I truly believe the heart is the seat of consciousness, and when you need to make a choice, you'll make the right one because you'll feel it internally. It'll just feel like the true, honest path. The answer will always be fast and intuitive; there won't be any room for useless overthinking because the answer will just bubble up instantly from the depths of your Being. The other thing is, most of the time, we don't actually *want* to listen to that voice. We resist it and try to over-philosophize everything—that's where the ego loop happens. But everyone—and I mean everyone, I'm being serious here—knows, or rather feels, what is truly good for them as an individual.
That's why it's best to stay in alignment with yourself; then you can quickly tell which answers are coming from your heart and which ones are just the ego.

http://www.newscenter.com/electric-heart.html

The heart is the most powerful tool in the body, producing an electromagnetic pulse 100,000 times stronger than the brain. The heart is the center of consciousness, radiating a field of pure awareness into the space around us. The heart speaks to us 24 hours a day, guiding us through every situation. Let's just surrender to the guidance of the heart and higher consciousness.

The question is, do you *really* want to meet Him? Is your heart open to His love? If the answer is yes, then you don't have to go anywhere; it's enough to just be exactly where you are right now. Jesus Christ isn't anywhere else but inside you—in your core, in your heart. But to meet Him, you first have to shut off that mental chatter that runs in your head 24/7.
And if you really feel the need to go somewhere, then go inward. Go into your own inner space, be still, and find peace with yourself.

Unless you’ve managed to completely tune out everything you've been told since kindergarten—you know, all that talk about how alcohol destroys families, wrecks your health, and is just generally toxic—then you're basically acting like a blank slate. Like, as if none of those warnings actually stuck or shaped your perspective at all, right?

But seriously, let's be real for a second: who actually finds long-term happiness through abusing drugs or alcohol? Does anyone actually? Are those people truly happy? Using substances just to chase a high or to numb out is just another way of running away from reality—and honestly, it might be the most destructive escape there is, because it trashes both your physical and mental health at the same time. 🤷

I’m convinced that if you just listen to your heart, you can't really go wrong—it knows what’s best for you. Of course, we learn through trial and error, and yeah, society, our culture, and the people around us definitely condition us in a lot of ways. But once you finally experience the damage firsthand—like realizing, "Hey, alcohol is actually killing me"—the only thing keeping you trapped in that cycle of addiction is your own ego. It's that craving for that temporary hit of euphoria that keeps us acting like slaves to outside influences, just chasing that next high.

I mean, sure, you’ve got people who light up a joint here and there before hitting the hay. For them, it’s just a way to finally shut their brain off and get some solid sleep.

Ryan Wilson2 said:Quincy:

bluemason3 As stated by: Have you truly abandoned the pursuit of philosophy?$67 Is it truly possible to argue that "ascetics are simply incapable of achieving anything meaningful in this life"? Is that the fundamental truth we're meant to accept? 😁 Where do you think these extreme, boundary-pushing tantric practitioners actually come from? It’s highly improbable they are being recruited from the masses of wealthy families or those elite social circles. 😳 Drogerasi ☕

Drogerasi nikad 🙂I am still standing by that position, and I have no intention of wavering.

That is precisely my point. Those who actually possess significant wealth certainly aren't losing sleep over how to "transcend" their material circumstances; they have already mastered that realm. Isn't it always the case that those preoccupied with spiritualizing away their possessions are simply those who lack the means to acquire them in the first place? 😁

It’s easy for them to preach when they have such effortless access to drugs.

I disagree. When you're broke, you think about making money, not "transcending" it. You only start worrying about spiritual stuff once you've actually secured your survival.

Ryan Gomez4 said:I disagree. When you're broke, you think about making money, not "transcending" it. You only start worrying about spiritual stuff once you've actually secured your survival.

Becoming a guru is a pretty convenient way to get there, anyway.😁

Ryan Gomez4 said:I disagree. When you're broke, you think about making money, not "transcending" it. You only start worrying about spiritual stuff once you've actually secured your survival.

It’s just common sense, honestly. When you're dealing with poverty or some actual catastrophe, people are just focused on surviving. Pure survival mode.

Spirituality should be more like an upgrade once you have a solid foundation, you know? As long as you aren't being greedy, it works.

Like, Krishna says in the Gita that if people start a spiritual journey but can't quite pull it off, they end up being reborn into wealthy families or spiritual ones, just to make it easier to pick up where they left off.

bluemason3 said:Becoming a guru is a pretty convenient way to get there, anyway.😁

Look, if you actually reach the level of a guru, you're basically in sync with nature—it works for you. You can't even call yourself a guru if you haven't mastered the siddhis or lived through nirvikalpa samadhi.
As Vivekananda used to say, you have to be crazy enough to stay grounded on Earth after experiencing nirvikalpa samadhi if you want to lead others.

though I think your whole point with this post was aiming somewhere else entirely.🤷

Being a guru isn't some mystical state of being or a level you reach. There’s no cosmic consciousness meter used during some licensing exam to measure your status. You just declare yourself one and start trading.

Being a guru can be a wonderful thing if you have a loyal following—people who truly value your wisdom and are willing to pay for your expertise. But if you’re just some self-proclaimed internet guru who spends ten hours a day on forums trying to hawk your "skills" or engage in petty arguments because you're secretly jealous of the real experts, all while being completely broke, then life isn't going to be easy for someone like that.

People love using all sorts of tricks when it comes to money—trying to con themselves or everyone else. Very few actually stay grounded in reality.

Anyway, this is a great topic to get people thinking about their own motives.

bluemason3 said:Being a guru isn't some mystical state of being or a level you reach. There’s no cosmic consciousness meter used during some licensing exam to measure your status. You just declare yourself one and start trading.

The thing is, we all have our own internal meters🤷—it's really just a question of what works for each person. ☕

At the end of the day, the most important thing is that everyone feels satisfied and fulfilled wherever they happen to be.

bluemason3 said:Being a guru isn't some mystical state of being or a level you reach. There’s no cosmic consciousness meter used during some licensing exam to measure your status. You just declare yourself one and start trading.

The ultimate judge for any Guru exam is God himself 😎

Most gurus have absolutely no clue what they're getting themselves into.
If they start leading people down the wrong path, karma is going to hit them like a freight train.
Let's be real: providing spiritual guidance is probably the heaviest responsibility a person can ever take on.

Ontopic: I finally broke loose and let my inner artist run wild—something that was basically locked behind a steel door while I was growing up

David Vaughn75 said:The ultimate judge for any Guru exam is God himself 😎

Most gurus have absolutely no clue what they're getting themselves into.
If they start leading people down the wrong path, karma is going to hit them like a freight train.
Let's be real: providing spiritual guidance is probably the heaviest responsibility a person can ever take on.

Man, this is spot on.

David Vaughn75 said:The ultimate judge for any Guru exam is God himself 😎

Most gurus have absolutely no clue what they're getting themselves into.
If they start leading people down the wrong path, karma is going to hit them like a freight train.
Let's be real: providing spiritual guidance is probably the heaviest responsibility a person can ever take on.

That’s assuming karma and karmic debt actually exist, of course.