"Who are you?"

[ocean breeze]

Originally Posted by Megamedes

In absence of physical concepts I see little evidence of existence, thus I answer if I removed all that make up who / what I am there will be no possibility of my existence

so basically you don't believe in a soul, spirit, or anything beyond our physical self. is this correct?

[ajay00]

Originally Posted by wanchain

I had encounter this question before. At that time I didn't know how to answer.

In the normal sense, we would answer by stating our identity (name, gender, race, nationality, etc.), our relationship with so and so (we work/volunteer for this or that company, we study here, etc.), our background (family, tribe, education, travel experience, etc.), etc.

In the absence of all these concepts, which exist only in the physical dimension, how do you answer the question: Who are you?

This is a question which a teenager named Ramana asked himself sincerely, and became enlightened in the process.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramana_Maharshi

As per Ramana, consciousness is the only existing reality.

[Thunder Bow]

Self is a great gift given to us from the Universe. It is sad to see us throwing it away. All the fast rapid fire videos posted here say nothing about Self. This is typical of our Modern Culture. We seem to have no concept of Self. Thus we run around as hyper active children, not knowing Who We Are. Such immaturity. Even our leaders and elders are immature.

Originally Posted by ocean breeze

so basically you don't believe in a soul, spirit, or anything beyond our physical self. is this correct?

All I truly said is that those things, soul, spirit and you name it, simply are part of the physical reality. So I do think they exist, yet I see them as no more prevalent than any other idea of what reality is. I think it is how you approach life that creates life all together. The less we then mess with this magnetic flow, the less we ruin the perfection it already is. If spirituality brings you to a place of greater sense of joy then great. If it does not, then why pursue it? Keep in mind that I am not saying give up just because something is demanding quite a lot of you

I love this talk, and think it is quite fitting. Where is home?

[Miss Hepburn]

Ahh, Ramana Maharshi...yes.

Oh boy...how did he do that and stay there? Haha....Just
like Nisargadatta....his guru said a particular thing to him and
he basically said, 'ok'...and never left that realization!

I have a tendency to think they were pretty darned advanced souls for many lifetimes before this one...but , I dunno.
Is that a limitation I place on myself...YES! LOL...

I fall asleep with their sat sangs every night or someone reading
their sat sangs or talking about their experience with them...ahh.
Youtubes are such a blessing!!! Ah, but, I rambled.

So to stay on topic...I am the daughter/child of a Magnificent Being!
Like a grain of sand next to the Sun...I am surrounded from every angle by immense Love...into Infinity, eternally.
And I place my mind on this knowledge everyday...like placing a needle back onto a record...or basking
in the warmth of this Love like sunbathing...lest I forget.

"Where I s Home" by Pico Iyer...very nice, btw, Megamedes.

[ocean breeze]

All I truly said is that those things, soul, spirit and you name it, simply are part of the physical reality.

so if a person dies you believe their soul and spirit die too? i would think the soul and spirit would be beyond the physical reality.

If spirituality brings you to a place of greater sense of joy then great. If it does not, then why pursue it?

perhaps if one feels there is no other option available. i don't think spirituality brings you to greater joy but rather towards the pain and suffering that you have been running from.

Originally Posted by ocean breeze

so if a person dies you believe their soul and spirit die too? i would think the soul and spirit would be beyond the physical reality.

perhaps if one feels there is no other option available. i don't think spirituality brings you to greater joy but rather towards the pain and suffering that you have been running from.

It is kind of like this. What many think of physicality might only relate to their pinky finger. If you cut that off would their whole body then die? The thing is, when people write about spiritual experiences their words suggest that it is physical, yet their idea of it is that it is not.

That exactly is my point, to not narrow down life to a single point of possibility. If you think life is spirit, then where else would you look even if spirit makes your life yuck? I am not spiritual, though it does not take a genius to see that I know what I talk about.

I think what you talk about is what I call unfolding the self. In order to unfold you have to release not just what feels pleasant, but also what feels unpleasant.

[ThoughtOnFire]

Your finger is not you, but it is a part of you, an extension.

Just because your finger is not you, does not mean you should go around chopping off your fingers.

Embrace yourself.

Originally Posted by ThoughtOnFire

Your finger is not you, but it is a part of you, an extension.

Just because your finger is not you, does not mean you should go around chopping off your fingers.

Embrace yourself.

What are you talking about? None of your words remotely relate to what I am talking about. Unless of course you are not trying to relate to what I said... and I am then just talking to myself

[ThoughtOnFire]

Yeah that was a general response.