Hi Robert. Your response reminds me so much of U.G. This is exactly how he described this "natural state" or whatever it is that occurred, if anything occurred. And he also did not claim to be a teacher or have students. Those who knew him and hung around him all had their individual take on it. For me, he was my friend. And I have never had a better friend than U.G. He gave me nothing, which I am very grateful for. I am standing on my own two feet. As far as personality, you and UG are not alike. But as far as the expression of whatever THIS IS -- you nail it every time.
Thanks, Ellen. I have heard similar things from other friends of UG. I guess this point of view is embedded along with all the others as part of the human condition. "Own two feet" is a rare and radical stance. I wish you all the best.
the concept of "if you were born in other circumstances" is a funny one. Of course, there is no possibility of a "you" beyond the you that exists here and now, with all of the circumstances that got you here. I'm not saying this to make a point, but rather because reading that line was a great pointer for me. I started thinking about a "me" under other circumstances, and suddenly the concept of "me" started slipping through my fingers like sand.
What’s even funnier is that all this appears to be a complex web of cause and effect. But it also appears to begin and end. Now how could that be? What caused it to begin? Apparently nothing or it has no beginning and no end. A causeless web of cause and effect doesn’t make sense to us. But here we are. Here we are at the end of the web or at least too far from the beginning looking back and we can’t see the beginning. I guess it doesn’t matter. Here we are in these bodies and that’s what really matters. Life. Friends. Kids. Parents. Partners. Lovers. Loved ones. Love.
Got a 4 month old black kitten recently. It is like a rebirth ;-) Or, who knows. Anyhow, sending much Canadian, kitten and all kinds of - love. From Vancouver.
Sharon, congrats on the black kitten. Mine arrived as a baby at the front door 15 years ago, meowing loudly, "Here I am, I'm home!" He is still here, now, my Zen master, as Eckhart Tolle describes them. Love to all cats past present and future.
> So perhaps spiritual practice works against awakening as much as or even more than it does to foster it. But that is a different matter.
I am fairly convinced at this point that spiritual practice (for the sake of any goal other than the enjoyment of it) is purely a hamster wheel for the ego, and it will run and run and run and run on that wheel until it finally gets exhausted enough to step off the wheel and sit down long enough to get a good look at the contraption it has been tangled up in for so long.
In a way, the practice is working against awakening because it is not effort toward the goal (as if effort could get you to the goal, and if there was even a goal to reach)… and it is simultaneously vitally important to burn through the ego’s curiosity. No matter how many times it is told enlightenment is not under that rock, it will check over and over and over again, just to make sure, until finally just the right glimpse of Reality makes it experientially clear that what is being sought is not something that can be found.
Thanks - personally, I think that the idea of anyone being able to "teach" someone else this stuff is flawed from the start. I agree with you that if someone is at a point, through luck and the arising of causes and conditions of which they will be mostly unaware, whereby another's words or actions trigger a shift in perspective...cool. But that's all.
Robert Scott’s response to this post is similar to mine. And as you may know I am a big fan of U.G. even though I wasn’t fortunate enough to hang out with him like Ellen. Thank you Robert. You are the real deal whatever the hell that is!
Hi Robert. Your response reminds me so much of U.G. This is exactly how he described this "natural state" or whatever it is that occurred, if anything occurred. And he also did not claim to be a teacher or have students. Those who knew him and hung around him all had their individual take on it. For me, he was my friend. And I have never had a better friend than U.G. He gave me nothing, which I am very grateful for. I am standing on my own two feet. As far as personality, you and UG are not alike. But as far as the expression of whatever THIS IS -- you nail it every time.
Thanks, Ellen. I have heard similar things from other friends of UG. I guess this point of view is embedded along with all the others as part of the human condition. "Own two feet" is a rare and radical stance. I wish you all the best.
Who is UG?
the concept of "if you were born in other circumstances" is a funny one. Of course, there is no possibility of a "you" beyond the you that exists here and now, with all of the circumstances that got you here. I'm not saying this to make a point, but rather because reading that line was a great pointer for me. I started thinking about a "me" under other circumstances, and suddenly the concept of "me" started slipping through my fingers like sand.
What’s even funnier is that all this appears to be a complex web of cause and effect. But it also appears to begin and end. Now how could that be? What caused it to begin? Apparently nothing or it has no beginning and no end. A causeless web of cause and effect doesn’t make sense to us. But here we are. Here we are at the end of the web or at least too far from the beginning looking back and we can’t see the beginning. I guess it doesn’t matter. Here we are in these bodies and that’s what really matters. Life. Friends. Kids. Parents. Partners. Lovers. Loved ones. Love.
I really just want to come and hang out with you and your wife and your donkeys. xoxo
Robert I actually mean it.
Got a 4 month old black kitten recently. It is like a rebirth ;-) Or, who knows. Anyhow, sending much Canadian, kitten and all kinds of - love. From Vancouver.
Sharon, congrats on the black kitten. Mine arrived as a baby at the front door 15 years ago, meowing loudly, "Here I am, I'm home!" He is still here, now, my Zen master, as Eckhart Tolle describes them. Love to all cats past present and future.
Thanks Marilyn. Stinky is now 17 months old…wish I could send a photo.
It’s great news!
The sky has fallen
And nothing is wrong
Again!
Clear as clear water, Robert!
Thank you very much.
Es mi placer, amigazo.
> So perhaps spiritual practice works against awakening as much as or even more than it does to foster it. But that is a different matter.
I am fairly convinced at this point that spiritual practice (for the sake of any goal other than the enjoyment of it) is purely a hamster wheel for the ego, and it will run and run and run and run on that wheel until it finally gets exhausted enough to step off the wheel and sit down long enough to get a good look at the contraption it has been tangled up in for so long.
In a way, the practice is working against awakening because it is not effort toward the goal (as if effort could get you to the goal, and if there was even a goal to reach)… and it is simultaneously vitally important to burn through the ego’s curiosity. No matter how many times it is told enlightenment is not under that rock, it will check over and over and over again, just to make sure, until finally just the right glimpse of Reality makes it experientially clear that what is being sought is not something that can be found.
Thanks - personally, I think that the idea of anyone being able to "teach" someone else this stuff is flawed from the start. I agree with you that if someone is at a point, through luck and the arising of causes and conditions of which they will be mostly unaware, whereby another's words or actions trigger a shift in perspective...cool. But that's all.
Robert Scott’s response to this post is similar to mine. And as you may know I am a big fan of U.G. even though I wasn’t fortunate enough to hang out with him like Ellen. Thank you Robert. You are the real deal whatever the hell that is!
💋 keeping it simple, searching 🌬️🩷♥️
Reading this was a good hit, Scott--good vibes. Thanks.