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Herb
Canada
111 Posts |
Posted - Feb 15 2017 : 07:11:14 AM
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Me too Sey. That's why Delta's post really caught my eye. One thing I have learned about trying to change a weakness of mine into a strength, or at least trying to improve one of my faults a little, is to catch myself making a negative affirmation about my fault. Then setting about forming a strict habit of replacing that negative affirmation into a positive one, and repeating that positive affirmation over and over to myself untill it sinks so deeply into my subconscious mind that it changes me from the inside out.
All established habits of behaviour have their beginning in our thoughts. If we can change our established habits of thought, we can change a negative habit of behaviour. My new positive affirmation is, "I am not like that. From now on I intend to bite my tongue and listen, really listen, when someone's talking to me."
Thanks again Delta, for that awesome post |
Edited by - Herb on Feb 15 2017 4:00:32 PM |
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1571 Posts |
Posted - Feb 16 2017 : 12:07:49 AM
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Yeah, agree. I have been telling myself this past month "I am a good gardener, I have green fingers" but the sight of the grass, flowers and trees waiting for me to water them every evening scares the s**t out of me. This is why I like weeds so much better - they just grow - but I have decided I want a garden ! I am a good listener too !
Sey
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Herb
Canada
111 Posts |
Posted - Feb 16 2017 : 11:13:06 PM
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Hey Sey you should become a herbalist like I did. Then almost every one of those pesky weeds suddenly becomes a medicinal herb. It's a cool hobby, all you have to do is start reading about it and in no time you are colecting, washing, drying and making all kinds of healthy tea's, massage oils, and food additives. I picked enough my first year to make about 100 pounds of dried herbs. And I never even came close to getting sick from one. On the contrary, I only became more healthy and super in tune with nature.
For the hard to find herbs in nature, I even started my own herb garden so I'd have every kind I liked. You can learn it easy from books and just doing it.
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parvati9
USA
587 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2017 : 09:54:35 AM
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Hi Herb I love natural healing and have spent my life studying it ... but never found the topic of herbs easy to grasp from books. Your post is very inspirational. Maybe you could start a topic in the subforum Healthcare Holistic and Modern? |
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Herb
Canada
111 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2017 : 6:59:40 PM
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Hi Parvati Unfortunatley my wife and I moved to a condo about 3 years ago and I stopped harvesting and drying herbs. It was something I did for only a couple years. Maybe I got lucky with the books I chose. The first one was written by a guy who lived in India, China then in Nothern California with the Indians. He called his system global herbalism or something like that.
I also found a book called "Wild Health" that described in detail how animals in the wild heal themselves and stay healthy. I learned a lot from that book.
I just read books, then talked to local herbalists, and did a LOT of picking and drying herbs. I also joined a local organization that collects indigenous plants and has a huge garden. I developed my herb garden with their help.
That's what I did and it worked awesome. My local University has a Herbarium, with a massive inventory of local herbs on file. I spent quite a few days there too.
I hope that helps. |
Edited by - Herb on Feb 17 2017 10:16:04 PM |
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Dogboy
USA
2294 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2017 : 8:41:35 PM
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Now I get it..."Herb" |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2017 : 8:47:48 PM
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Herb! |
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Godslave
Canada
113 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2017 : 09:29:02 AM
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quote: Originally posted by Herb
Delta I think Tempest no longer comes here. It's too bad as he/she made some great points and asked many thought provoking questions. I love your above post. I am going to study it over in the hope of becoming a better listener. In your post I realized some great benifits and potentialities to listening, realy listening, to what others have to say. Just a beatiful post there
Godslave, sorry for the late reply. I was away for a while. Although the term slave has a historically negitive connotation, used in relation to God, it is a wonderfully powerful term. Many english translations of Scripture, have changed the original to servant, because of the historical negativity of the term. However, when one becomes fully God-Realized, one is eager and joyful to be servant or slave to Him.
Thanks for the reply, Herb. That's the meaning that I was thinking of when I used the name "godslave".
I haven't visited here for some time but it is nice to follow up. |
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Radharani
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2017 : 12:37:53 AM
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quote: Originally posted by Tempest
Does anyone here know without any doubt that God exists? I mean does anyone feel at one with God and can say so with complete certainty?
Your first question is problematic because of definitions and the limitations of human knowledge. First of all, it has been argued by theologians that the word "exist" = "ex istere" = "to stand out from" is not applicable to God, because God is the ultimate Source or Ground of all being, from which everything else arises. And to "know" something in the objective sense would require scientific verification, but science by definition does not concern itself with metaphysical entities like "God." I've addressed that at some length elsewhere and don't wish to argue about it here.
Having said that, my answer to your second question is absolutely YES! Every moment for the last 6 years or so, and it just keeps getting better, as Yogani described somewhere, "like drowning in an abyss of ecstasy." Having This, what I always wanted - the continual presence of God - I'm not concerned about "enlightenment."
Heart knowledge is an entirely different thing from head knowledge. It is direct subjective experience, as opposed to intellectual speculation. And that, of course, is the whole point of yoga/ meditation - to experience It for oneself.
In the beginning of the practice we get temporary glimpses during meditation, but a consistent daily practice over time leads to a deep, abiding awareness of the Divine as our consciousness shifts from identifying w/ the ego or monkey mind, to resting in the center of our being where God is. People experience and express this in different ways, so my description might not apply to everyone.
I began practicing yoga in my teens including kriya (SRF), tantra, kundalini and other approaches over the years, all of which are addressed at least in passing, in the AYP Lessons. My current practice is asana, pranayama and deep meditation from the classical tantric approach.
What is life like now? Life goes on, with all its ups and downs, and it pretty much just flows. Yes, there is still "suffering" - which as the Buddha pointed out is the nature of existence - but it's different because it no longer "feels personal," nor something to be concerned about or to escape from. It simply is what it is. No more clinging to, or pushing away. Like a fascinating movie in which you are playing a role; as a good actor with enthusiasm, you can feel everything intensely but you know it's only a movie.
Beyond the drama, on a deeper level I'm just here to be a clear channel of Divine Love, whatever my role in the drama and no matter how the story unfolds. That is the ultimate fruit of a consistent daily yoga practice and it comes by Grace. |
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jonesboy
USA
594 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2017 : 7:46:12 PM
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Hi acrabbe,
A very cool experience congrats :)
If you don't mind I would like to throw my hat into the ring and help answer some of your questions.
quote: Originally posted by acrabbe
Many people who claim to have experienced spontaneous kundalini awakenings seem to have merely activated the chakras, but have not traveled through the crown into the universal consciousness field (or samadhi, crossing the barrier into the spiritual realm). How rare is this?
Well if we are talking the entire population? Yes it is rare.
quote: What does it say about my purpose here that my Higher Self was able to take me to such a place upon the temporary surrender of my ego?
Purpose is ego. When you surrendered and experienced what you did it was a being, a non doing. Purpose brings up fame, money or sitting alone in a cave or something.
In truth, all it means is you are ready to begin the journey. Now it is up to you to walk it.
quote: Does this mean my purpose here is to renounce worldly living and develop my spiritual gifts in order to help others? If I do not develop my spiritual faculties, am I dooming myself to more failures and hard lessons in the world as a result?
The only thing you ever, ever give up is your fears, your pain..suffering. Our attachments, it is the removal of and what that experience is like.. well you tasted it didn't you :)
quote: I have purposefully avoided pursuing a strong meditative practice because part of me is apprehensive about what may come. If I ACCIDENTALLY reached samadhi upon my first spontaneous awakening, what will happen when I begin practicing kriya with diligence?
Life gets better.
Now the spiritual path isn't easy. Given up those attachments can be tough at times but in the end it is always more than worth it.
quote: I come from a Christian west african family whose spiritual views are fairly monotheistic and basic (I stopped going to church at 15 when I came to terms with the corruption within human religious organizations) and I worry about abandoning my lifestyle and familiar friends and family. That feeling of dissolving I had makes me fear that I will permanently lose parts of my personality if I go too deep, or even die prematurely (!?) as you have alluded to in your posts about the consciousness becoming too much for the human animal form.
This is the ego. You really don't know any of that to be true but look at the hold it has upon you.
When you are able to let go of the upsets, it improves the quality of your life as well as your relationships. As you improve, you will notice how those around you change as well.
quote: I want to pursue bliss and EXPLORE the divine realms, I want nothing more than to experience that state again. but I am oh so scared of completely blowing up my worldly life and those who count on me. Is it possible to be a householder and manage life in non-duality?
:) yes it is very possible.
quote: I need guidance from someone who has also traveled through the crown and into the Universal Consciousness. I realize that there are people who have meditated and practiced kriya and other yoga arts their entire lives and never reach samadhi, so I am VERY CONFUSED about what it means that I was taken there accidentally, not of my own will but as a result of my "ego death".
I await any guidance... God bless you!
Sincerely, Andrew
Let's now go over your experience if that is ok.
quote: I saw it from a first-hand perspective as if I was traveling up the spiral and then out the crown into a vast energy field with tall energetic beings (!?)
Like maybe they were helping you? :)
quote: and feeling as though I was pure bliss, thought energy, no time, all knowledge, unconditional love...
You experienced the bliss of the merging of silence/void/Shiva with energy/form/Shakti
Not a bad experience, this being is it? Love, Bliss, Compassion, Knowing.
Also, notice how before you were seeing and then you were being and knowing.
quote: this was overwhelming for me and the longer I stayed in that state the more I felt like I was dissolving and floating apart, which I thought to be DYING or LOSING MY MIND PERMANENTLY. So naturally, I panicked. I specifically remember saying to myself (my ego talking?)
Before you noticed the freedom of not being attached to thoughts, of the bliss of just being.
Then you started to attach to them, get caught up in them.
Notice how you were the observer of that ego, of all that happening.
Now lets look at what the ego/attachments bring.
quote: [quote]"if you want to live, then fight like you've never fought before" and then projecting fear, anger, fight.... I eventually regained consciousness after kicking a hole in my friends bedroom wall.
You held on tight to your fears, to your ego like a warm blanket and returned to that which you know.
When you can truly let them go.. well you have experienced what that can be like right? :)
How would such compassion impact your family life? How would letting go of your anger impact your lifestyle? Your friendships?
That is the path. One of letting go to a true being.
You asked what if it happens again and what or should you do if it does happen again?
Let go, don't flinch and enjoy the ride. Because it is a good one :)
Hope that helps some,
Tom |
Edited by - jonesboy on Nov 30 2017 7:55:07 PM |
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