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My meditation this morning (Read 18036 times)
seagull
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #15 - Apr 16th, 2014 at 4:13pm
 
Maybe you're right, Dude. Glad to see you, was thinking of you a few days ago, then here you are.

Can you tell us about some of your experiences you had while you have been away?
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recoverer
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #16 - Apr 16th, 2014 at 5:03pm
 
Well, sometimes I waste my time watching TV, so I might as well spend time trying to be helpful to others.

When I'm done here in this World I'd rather say that I tried even if I failed, than say I didn't try at all.

Not that I get it right all the time, but considering how much misleading info is out there, overall I don't believe it will hurt if I try.

I believe it is possible to learn from others without getting caught up in their belief systems. Once we know it is possible to get caught up in an erroneous and limiting belief system, we should be able to read just about anything without getting misguided.

I can't meditate all of the time because my energy (parts of my being) is often involved with helping with retrievals. There have been occasions when I started to meditate and the friendly beings I work with asked me to stop doing so because it was interferring with the retrieval process. At times it is hard to feel blissful when I'm helping out with lower realm retrievals.

And Dude, you just did some of what you just wrote against.
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BobMoenroe
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #17 - Apr 17th, 2014 at 4:31am
 
Thanks Dude, good points and perfect timing.

Recoverer, sure there are good conversations and helping out. Also there is "helping" out a board and the world when one's ample initiative is needed for helping and letting the respective self grow. Smiley
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DocM
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #18 - Apr 17th, 2014 at 6:36am
 
Good to see you back, Dude.  And say it ain't so (your leaving) Bob. 

I would just add this to the mix.  There is no such thing as wasted time (IMHO).  For myself, I don't seek advice from others here to worship a "wise one," but I'd like to think of it as an exchange of thoughts/ideas, and hope to open myself up to the thoughts of others.  I can do this during meditation as well, but the general process is the same.   I am not personally trying to convert anyone, but I do enjoy a good discussion.  Is that ego?  Perhaps.  But it still serves a purpose. 

From my perspective, being incarnated into a human animal body means that I will be subject to desires and ego for a while -- drives for sex, alcohol, entertainment, etc.  I don't believe in pure ascetisim, as it seems counterintuitive to the human experience.  Life seems perfectly set up to teach me it's lessons on ego, unity and love with the push-me/pull-you movement of the physcal world, yin/yang and clash of egos.  However, it does at times make me sad.

OOBD, yes, at times these posts can seem like mental masturbation, yet this forum touches on all the big issues: love, spirituality, and our relationship with God.   If I hung out here and did not play outside with my son and dog, if I didn't engage the real world, I would think that posting here was a hindrance to my own growth.

The thing is, (and this is not obvious), I think our own spiritual growth is an inevitability, no matter how fast or slow it seems.  This is, for me part of the wonder of it all. 


M
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recoverer
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #19 - Apr 17th, 2014 at 1:43pm
 
BobMoenroe:

I don't understand what you mean by your last sentence.




Quote:
Thanks Dude, good points and perfect timing.

Recoverer, sure there are good conversations and helping out. Also there is "helping" out a board and the world when one's ample initiative is needed for helping and letting the respective self grow. Smiley

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I Am Dude
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #20 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 12:10pm
 
Seagull, I am currently writing a book that will contain many new experiences.  Smiley  I will most likely be releasing it in ebook format for free so if you like I can send you a copy when it is finished.

Recoverer, I believe Bob meant that some people try to help others when they should be helping themselves.

I wrote what I wrote to introduce the idea that the delusive urges, attachments, and activities of the ego may play a bigger role than it may appear in the lives of those who are not constantly mindful of their mental and physical actions and reactions and the underlying causes of same.  I feel compelled to speak of this because I myself was once fully engaged in these elusive ego-driven mental mechanisms, and with the help of regular vipassana meditation and mindfulness practices I have learned to recognize these unwholesome habits and attachments within myself and have been working diligently to eradicate them, as even the most subtle of defilements inevitably leads to suffering.  I see my past mistakes reflected in the unconscious actions of others, and so I am offering this advice to those who may benefit from my words. 

I believe it is most powerful to lead and teach by example, and while I cannot effectively do this through words, I offer them nevertheless as a testament to my own personal experience of deep self-discovery and the spark of true liberation from illusion and suffering that I am becoming more and more aware of as I further my vipassana and mindfulness practices.  Thus I encourage those who seek to fully know one's self and the true nature of one's experience and reality to invest their time more deeply into mindfulness meditative practices such as vipassana and tibetan dream yoga. 

Of course, you can continue to spend your time speculating and debating as well, I'm sure forum addiction has led lots of people to attain enlightenment and liberation.  Cheesy  I am not saying forums and discussions are bad.  What I am saying is that the reasons for our engagements in them may very well be driven by the desires and attachments of ego, and I believe it should be a personal duty for any individual wishing to liberate one's consciousness from impurity and grow spiritually to learn to become mindful of even the most subtle of defilements.  As I am no longer in need of what it is that I used to seek and that many others continue to seek through these interactions, my goal here is now to provide those who wish to free themselves of these self-imposed mental burdens with the knowledge of how to do so.  I have a collection of vipassana (insight) meditation materials, thoroughly detailed instruction manuals, and audio discourses from 10-day retreats, as well as many informative and instructive materials on Tibetan dream yoga practice.  If anyone cares to acquire these, simply send me a message, I am at your service.   Smiley   

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But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
 
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recoverer
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #21 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 12:36pm
 
Dude:

I don't agree with much of what you said. I am not going to make the mistake of judging how spiritually deep others are by whether or not they take part on a spiritual forum. I believe you are being an extremist. Ego this,  ego that, blah, blah, blah.

If you want to claim to be spiritually advanced while you at the same time put others down, that is your choice.

Hah, hah!  Grin Look at how many posts I have written. I must be the least spiritually developed person on this forum.

That's all I have to say. I don't want waste a bunch of time talking about your measurement system.
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seagull
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #22 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 1:25pm
 
Thanks for the info, Dude. Although I am not familiar with the materials you have been studying and practicing I have been helped by some of your recent suggestions.

Your first post caused me to take a step back and to observe myself and my motivations over the last few days, in general, in daily life. I do not see it as criticism, but as observation, and have combined my self-observation with personal self-encouragement to open further to "spirit" moment by moment.

I had an absolutely amazing day yesterday because of that. Although feeling very very tired, I took that opportunity to "commune" more often with my spiritual guides, and was shown that if I do slow down and take the time to open myself up to it, all kinds of wonders appear right before my eyes. Things like a small child being carried by his family as I stepped aside off the pavement so they could all pass and walked in the street for a moment, and at that exact moment I passed, the child held out a small red rose and smiled directly at me. Things like that.

Life is beautiful when you notice each moment and take the time to speak kindly to others, sharing their suffering, laughing with them, encouraging them, giving them your full presence.

So, I thank you for that.
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I Am Dude
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #23 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 4:14pm
 
Seagull

I am glad that you were able to grasp my message without letting your ego interfere.  It is not everyone who can so easily objectively scrutinize one's own thoughts and actions.  It requires confidence and the willingness to grow and change. 

Recoverer

It seems you have taken what I said personally.  It was not my intention to offend you.  It was not meant to be a critique and I was not coming from a place of judgement, but rather of discernment.  I am not condemning anyone for their behaviors or tendencies, nor am I putting myself on a pedestal, as you have also falsely perceived.  Never have I said that I was spiritually advanced, nor have I put others down.  Perhaps your own feelings are clouding your own discernment.  I will clarify my message and purpose once more for the sake of those who may have been thrown off by your short-sighted conclusions:

What I wrote was based on my own personal experiences of using the forum setting as a playground for my ego's desires and attachments.  It was not based on anyone else.  As I have learned the error of my ways through a reliable and repeatable system of meditative practices, I simply shared what I have learned and the methods by which I have gained personal benefit with those that may have a similar interest in one day overcoming the delusions and defilements that plague us humans that generally go unnoticed.   

If you had truly grasped what I said, you would understand that it is not the forum activity itself, but rather it is the underlying desires and intent that generate the activity which should be evaluated.  This goes for all activity in all areas of one's life.  Everyone can be more mindful, aside from maybe those who claim to be fully liberated, and I have learned by experience that the dedicated pursuit of this process of in-depth mindfulness and related meditative practices affords innumerable benefits which has personally liberated me from the seeking of approval, the seeking of establishment and confirmation of my beliefs, the seeking of gaining more and more information, and the seeking of establishing my identity to others that was largely driving my past activities here.

Although I notice behavior similar to my own past ego-driven behaviors that I can draw comparisons to, my intent is not to imply that the forum members here are guilty of being ego-maniacs, but rather to encourage everyone to be more mindful of their thoughts and actions, as there can be no spiritual growth if one does not know one's self, and to offer my knowledge of a practice that has verifiably liberated many of it's practitioners from many of the defilements and suffering that we so eagerly seek to escape from.  My intent was to warn those who may be unaware of the underlying source of illusory desires and attachments that drives us to partake in unwholesome mental and physical actions, and to point to a way that I have experientially discovered to allow for the development of clarity from such delusions.

If you see any judgement or superiority in what I have said, it may do you some benefit to reevaluation your perceptions and the possible cause of the negativity that you have cast over what I have written.  My friend Seagull has benefited from what I have said, and I hope that you and others may as well.
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But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
 
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recoverer
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #24 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 5:06pm
 
Dude:

Read your posts closely and you might feel differently.  I was going to point out specific words but there were too many too point out.

Perhaps it is possible that some of the people who post on this forum are motivated by something other than ego-based trickery. Perhaps some people have a genuine desire to be helpful.

Perhaps some people just simply have the desire to communicate with others. I just spoke to a lady at my work about how un-sociable things are at where we work. I’ve found it problematic because it doesn’t feel natural to be surrounded by people for much of my waking state life, and such people aren’t open to sharing love with each other.  The just mentioned co-worker I spoke of cried a bit and said it breaks her heart. She believes it is sad to have to spend so much time working at a place where people are not open to each other.

I live alone. I have only two friends. It is hard to find friends I can connect with. I don’t want to do things such as go out to clubs, play golf and go to baseball games.  When it comes to spiritual people, it doesn’t make sense for me to go to a church because such people might find it hard to deal with what I’m in touch with spiritually.

I look for places where New Age people meet but I don’t want to go to a meeting where channeling takes place, a questionable guru speaks, or an introductory course I don’t need takes place.

Because of my spiritually I basically do okay being alone most of the time, but sometimes I like to visit a place like this forum.  Since we are ultimately all one, it doesn’t seem natural to be isolated as much as I am. I have more contact with spirits than with people.

So perhaps it is best to be a little more sensitive when you stated your reasons for not wanting to take part in a forum.  If you don’t want to that’s fine, but why make remarks that speak of speculation in a negative way and suggest people are driven by ego-based motivations?
If you are seeking growth by dealing with egotistical tendencies I understand that. But perhaps it is best to be discerning about where you believe you see ego manifesting.
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recoverer
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #25 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 5:12pm
 
Dude:

The system won't let me edit my last post now, so here's an addition to my last post. Below is an example of what you wrote. Can you see why somebody might interpret it in a negative way?

"If we look closely at our motivations for activity such expressing personal beliefs, debating the validity of concepts, and trying to change the viewpoints of others, we may find a nasty mixture of ego, attachment, and identification issues at play underlying the surface conviction of "liberating" others or providing them a service.  We may find ourselves wasting hours on end trying to make others see things our way, or looking to others to provide the answers to questions of which we are ignorant to, all the while stunting our own personal growth, neglecting the true source of wisdom within."

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I Am Dude
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #26 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 6:18pm
 
I can see why you felt personally attacked and have a negative bias towards the points I have made.  Sounds like you could benefit from some of my advice.  I say this with love and respect.  Good luck on your journey.
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But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
 
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recoverer
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #27 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 6:41pm
 
Dude:

Going by an email I received I'm not the only person who interpreted your posts as I did. I don't know if there are other people who interpreted as I did.

Of course this doesn't absolutely mean that we put one and two together in a correct way.

It is true that part of my response was reactive.  Not everyone on this forum is a fan of some of my past posts. It can be challenging when you try to be helpful and in return you receive negative feedback.

If by "some of my advice" you mean not wasting time on a forum and not writing posts that are based on ego, then it seems as if my interpretation of what you initially said is accurate.

Whether you believe my forum participation is based on the reasons I stated on my next to last post, that is up to you.




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seagull
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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #28 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 7:27pm
 
Recoverer,

Is there a reason why you continue to work at a place where you feel so shut off from other people and you feel you "cannot" make a mistake, as you mentioned in a post somewhere recently? Do you think that you do not deserve a different sort of life, if you would feel more comfortable around people who are more open and expressive towards each other? I don't think a "geographical solution" is always the best strategy, but sometimes it can be.

Although you say you have "only" two friends in your private life, there is nothing wrong with that. And, as you see by the email you received, you have at least one friend on this forum, and no doubt you have many friends here.

Is it possible for you to find volunteer work or outdoor activities which are more enjoyable for you to do in your private time so that you can build more connections in your private life? Sometimes it is easier to form friendships if you and others are already doing things together in a purposeful way, and sometimes friendship is a side effect of working together on projects.

How about learning something in the subjects of art or music?

Pets are great, especially dogs. People love to talk with you if you are with a cute dog, and they love to talk about their pets. It's not only wonderful support to have a creature who is so happy to be with you everyday, but it attracts others to you. But, you have to really be ready for that, and know you can devote your love and attention each day to your pet -- for a long time. In my case, I have always been happier when I have had an animal or two to love.

These are just some ideas, for anyone who might wonder how to make connections with people outside of a job. Appearance, social class, politics, spiritual beliefs are no barrier in some kinds of activities.

Aside from that, other possibilities can unfold in your life if you make room for them. You never know who you will meet or where that might lead.

Otherwise, I have been through some frustrating times at my job over the years. I have been there for almost 25 years through all kinds of changes. As time has passed I now realize that most of my problems in my past were self-created -- and I don't "blame" myself because it's just being human.

Well, these are just a few thoughts because I do care, and if anything rings a bell for you at some point, that's great.





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Re: My meditation this morning
Reply #29 - Apr 23rd, 2014 at 7:52pm
 
Hello Seagull:

I'm not certain of what you mean by "not making a mistake." It is hard for me to remember everything I've written on this forum (I've written so much  Smiley), but I believe you are referring about when I allow myself to get stressed by the things I am responsible for at work.  It is true, there isn't much room for making mistakes. I don't stress out too much, but sometimes I falter.

Regarding changing jobs, I don't know. I'll be 56 next month. I hope to retire in about 9 years.  When you're older it isn't always easy to find a new job.

Plus if I change jobs the same thing might happen at the next place I work.  I won't match up with the people who work there. Plus, the job I have does have some advantages.

Some of the people at my work know that I communicate with spirits. I don't know how uneasy this makes them.  If you knew me in person you'd see that I'm a really nice person and basically likeable.  But if people don't make an energetic connection, relationships don't tend to form.

Regarding volunteer work, the way I help with retrievals I help much of the time.  I help when I'm just sitting there.  If I get up and move around I can't help in the same way. So I give retrievals first priority. Sometimes I choose to not do something like go to a musical performance so I can sit at home and help with retrievals.

I'm going to the New Living Expo in San Mateo California this weekend. Maybe I'll meet someone there.

If not, well it isn't as if it's really hurting me being alone most of the time. But because I am, sometimes I feel inclined to visit a place like this forum. I don't believe it is a waste of time.

Did it sound like I made some excuses? Smiley
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