Guest guest Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 At 07:49 PM 8/2/2008, you wrote: Just out of curiosity, how did you know your teacher was enlightened? I've met people that I felt had seen more of the map than me, but I've not been able to know that any of them were enlightened. Laugh ... how do I know that *I* am enlightened? Seriously, this is just a nebulous concept with so many definitions ... just what *is* enlightenment, anyway? Where it comes to gurus and teachers (both spiritual and mundane) I throw all " credentialism " out the window and I simply apply the Brandi Jasmine Common Sense Test to whatever they say. I don't take Yogananda any more seriously than (or Swami Beyondananda, who is truly the greatest of all gurus imnsho). I've met a lot of folks with a lot of education and no common sense, so I make their claims irrelevant. The test should only be - does this thought, claim, idea or process make sense to me? If yes, then use it, if no, then toss it out. I don't agree with every concept I see posted here, but this is still one of the most interesting and (dare I say it) ... enlightening groups I am into at the moment. Brandi " Don't Be Ashamed to Laugh Out Loud: Laugh uproariously, wholeheartedly and loudly -- ejoculation is a natural bodily function, so we should feel no shame about it. " - Swami Beyondananda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 Well, I tend to think that either all of us are enlightened or no one is. Actually, I don't think that any individual can be enlightened because the essence of enlightenment is a unitary non-dual awareness. No time, no space, no I, no you, no we; just awareness, no object. And in time we are ego selves, living and dying. Two, two, two mints in one! Peter , Brandi Jasmine <jazztalk wrote: > > Laugh ... how do I know that *I* am enlightened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 At 01:30 PM 8/3/2008, you wrote: Well, I tend to think that either all of us are enlightened or no one is. Maybe it's " and " no one is ... ? Actually, I don't think that any individual can be enlightened because the essence of enlightenment is a unitary non-dual awareness. No time, no space, no I, no you, no we; just awareness, no object. I've had that experience - I just can't see staying in that state permanently. As blissful and peaceful as it was, it was sort of like a mental 0rg (AT) sm (DOT) I love those, but I wouldn't want to be in that state forever. Brandi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 4, 2008 Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 Yes " and " is more correct. <g> I think we are in that state forever. It's both at the same time. It's just hard when we experience the samsara consciousness to catch the clues to the nirvana consciousness. , Brandi Jasmine <jazztalk wrote: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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