STOP

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by alanantic

How do you DO that?

Dissatisfaction, desire, discipline and determination.

[Miss Hepburn]

I wonder if this particular group would appreciate Sri Yukteswar's words?

''When a soul is out of the cocoon of the three bodies it escapes forever
from the law of relativity and becomes the ineffable Ever-Existent.
The soul expanded into Spirit remains alone in the region of lightless light,
darkless dark, thoughtless thought, intoxicated with its ecstasy of joy in
God's dream of cosmic creation''

[alanantic]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Dissatisfaction, desire, discipline and determination.

I see the problem...I keep trying to use logic! (You'd think that would work!) If our motive in life is to transcend it, you'd think logic would help us build a platform to jump into that Unknown. Wouldn't that be logic's purpose, to bring us to the edge of it? Yet, from what I remember from my few moments of Clarity, logic was never involved! Stillness or quietude was there, though. So, I've been working on being "Still", while I'm going through a whirlwind of change. Ain't been easy!

Originally Posted by alanantic

I keep trying to use logic! (You'd think that would work!) If our motive in life is to transcend it, you'd think logic would help us build a platform to jump into that Unknown.

From an Advaita perspective here's how I see it. Knowledge alone (Jnana Yoga) might point one to the threshold but quietude (meditation/Raja Yoga), service (action/Karma Yoga) and devotion (Bhakti Yoga) are also required to be carried across the threshold.

[alanantic]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

From an Advaita perspective here's how I see it. Knowledge alone (Jnana Yoga) might point one to the threshold but quietude (meditation/Raja Yoga), service (action/Karma Yoga) and devotion (Bhakti Yoga) are also required to be carried across the threshold.

I have heard that. I consider my Christian sister siblings as practicing Bakti yoga while I was strictly Jnana yoga. (raised a Christian, been there. Done that.) yet... It's seems there are 3 paths; heart/devotion, mind/self-inquiry, body/chi, prana, holy spirit. Since these are aspects of our sense of self, maybe they all need to be integrated and balanced.(?)

Originally Posted by alanantic

It's seems there are 3 paths; heart/devotion, mind/self-inquiry, body/chi, prana, holy spirit. Since these are aspects of our sense of self, maybe they all need to be integrated and balanced.(?)

There are the four Yogas: Jnana, Raja, Karma and Bhakti. A traditional Advaitan would take the position all four are required, no exceptions. A neo-Advaitan would take the position just a tiny slice of Jnana from the Mandukya Upanishad is all that's required. A neo-Vedantist would take the position it's possible to follow only one path fully (the one suited to the seekers personality) but recommends some amount of all four Yogas.

Of course this is only Advaita and there are other non-dual traditions, some unqualified and some qualified. Also is the Enlightenment of a dualist like from the Yogic tradition any less valid than that from one of the non-dual traditions? Or Enlightenment from a purely Bhakti tradition like Christianity? I'd say they can all lead to true Enlightenment.

By the way my roots are Catholicism but I realized in my teens it just wasn't working for me. It took me roughly 45 years to find a path that suited my particular makeup and predispositions.

Originally Posted by eputkonen

Trying to stop is just another egoic activity. I tend to phrase it as ceasing to do.

What do you mean by "Cease to do" or "cease spinning"? It is also an act of 'ceasing'. Isn't it?

The wheel is spinning - and if you are not 'interested' in the Wheel - there is an 'act' of ceasing, stop continuing the movement. Then yes, The movement which already started comes to an end.

But, one has to 'cease/withdraw' their interest of "moving" - which I meant as "STOP" thoughts/desires.

Sir, we are much 'interested/desire' in pleasures of the World - so 'ceasing' not happens. STOPING the interest, is what I mean as "STOP" moving/desiring. There is no effort in it. If you see the consequences of all the 'acts', or what is the World/body is made up of, you "STOP", if you are in a urge to 'see' the "TRUTH". "TRUTH" is not in Movement/world/body/senses/thoughts, so "STOP" interesting in it, if you are 'serious'.

Originally Posted by mihael_11

All can be expressed in words if you have right guidance.

Nope.

Sir, we can 'think/speak' about 'THAT' as whatever form we 'wish' - in that "thinking", "THAT" represents itself in the form we "think/speak" of. But, "THAT" is not the "form" it represents. We 'wish' - so it took that form. If we not wish/think/speak about "THAT", then "THAT" cannot be expressed in words - only to feel it's "PRESENCE". It is "Unlimited" sir. Only Limitedness has a form. Though Limitedness is born out of Unlimited in the form we desire to, the "limitedness" is not the "Unlimited".

The "Thing/THAT/TRUTH" can/is/will take/taking the form of any 'word/thought/body/universe/mind/etc..'. But, these "words/thoughts/universe" is not the "Thing/THAT/TRUTH".

Whatever is born, whatever dies, whatever changes, whatever is temporary - is 'not' "THAT". "THAT" is neither changing nor not-changing.

[alanantic]

"I wonder if this particular group would appreciate Sri Yukteswar's words?"

I would, being a fan of Yogananda. How much can you quote without getting yelled at?

[WeiYing]

Originally Posted by Viswa

Why don't we STOP 'moving' (i.e. STOP desiring,thoughts,attachments,sensual pleasures) and feel the 'PRESENCE' of "THAT"?

Ahh, things would be so much more simple, wouldn't they?
This makes me think of the ending of a movie, I believe it was Stigmata? where the person sits atop of a tall building and a voice is heard saying something among the lines of "turn a stone and you'll find me."

Most people are just too selfish to think of anything else, and also trapped into the hamster wheel.
We'd all have to return to living off the land and be self-sustaining and then maybe we'd be able to just stop all that you mentioned.