Absolutely, you are right, how could I have made such a mistake. Of course demanding does not necessarily include expecting, and not being satisfied does not necessarily include being frustrated...Demanding does not necessarily include expecting, and not being satisfied does not necessarily include frustration. :) — Janus
What's wrong with spiritual practice in order to improve your efficiency and capacity in the world?So, it’s intersting to note that theosophy, and then New Ageism (growing out of theosophy) grew out of a more magical approach to mysticism. Which would put secular meditation, yoga, etc, purely in the camp of magic, not mysticism. Spiritual practice for personal power and gain, not for a movement towards union with the divine — Noble Dust
As I said in my post I think for most authentic spiritual practices the idea is that one has to "surrender", to "let go", to "trust" etc. Paradoxically that "surrender" is correlated to (the highest) "victory" according to many religious traditions. The idea is that the "ego" shrinks to zero, so to speak, while the mind "joins" the infinite (in whatever form). The self-mastery has nothing to do with an egoistic drive. The self-mastery increases as "egoism" decreases.
This in fact contrary to our intuition. In fact we would expect that one who is "in control" is one who rules everything, or even imposes his will against others. But those who try to "impose" their will actually are those who actually lose (and are those who suffer the most).
Sadly it is very difficult to surrender — boundless
It is all just quiet. My approach is Tai Chi which allows me to gradually sink into the state. One complete routine is usually about 27 min. At the end I feel the energy in my body as water flowing inside of me and moving me without will (Zhi). Something else is moving me.
it strongly suggests me the idea of "surrender". The will is completely calmed, there is no need to "control" everything etc. — boundless
only spontaneity, freedom - the same spontaneity found in the flow of a river (except of course that we are aware and the river is not :) ). — boundless
An intellectual understanding can of course give a "glimpse" on them, but the practice in fact permits to actually "see" them. — boundless
So I consider myself still a (very confused) questioning "agnostic". — boundless
I don't see how that is demonic. Didn't Abraham and his sons all pray to God and engage in spiritual practices to better guide them in their worldly activities? Of course they did.At least in theory, you're using the techniques that draw one into the divine, but using those techniques for one's own accomplishment in a temporal life which end's with death. Which is essentially demonic. — Noble Dust
I read, for example, opinions (even among very respectable and serious teachers and/or monks) suggesting that "Nibbana/Nirvana" is nothingness, an "absolute void". I find such interpetrations somewhat "off" (albeit sometimes very logical and rigorous), — boundless
Śāriputra, foolish ordinary beings do not have the wisdom that comes from hearing the Dharma. When they hear about a Tathāgata’s entering nirvāṇa, they take the wrong view of cessation or extinction. Because of their perception of cessation or extinction, they claim that the realm of sentient beings decreases. Their claim constitutes an enormously wrong view and an extremely grave, evil karma.
“Furthermore, Śāriputra, from the wrong view of decrease, these sentient beings derive three more wrong views. These three views and the view of decrease, like a net, are inseparable from each other. What are these three views? They are (1) the view of cessation, which means the ultimate end; (2) the view of extinction, which is equated to nirvāṇa; (3) the view that nirvāṇa is a void, which means that nirvāṇa is the ultimate quiet nothingness. Śāriputra, in this way these three views fetter, hold, and impress [sentient beings].
My view is that Nirvāṇa and the unconditioned is never an object of perception however the mind constantly tries to find or identify it as an object. Ceasing from that false effort is ‘the way of negation’. Actually it’s somewhat similar to the mystical approach ‘cloud of un-knowing’, except that it is not focussed on deity. — Wayfarer
But nihilism is nevertheless a pitfall for Buddhists. It comes from interpreting śūnyatā as merely nothingness or non-existence. In actual fact, śūnyatā refers to ‘conditioned existence’ i.e. all objects of perception, sensation, thought, etc are compound, subject to decay, and so on. — Wayfarer
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