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brother neil
USA
752 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 30 2008 : 8:45:35 PM
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what MUST one do to feel the presence of God?
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Suryakant
USA
259 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2008 : 9:34:02 PM
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| Remember God's name until God's name becomes the only thought that ever enters your mind. |
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Scott
USA
969 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2008 : 10:16:35 PM
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| Stop doing. |
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machart
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2008 : 10:53:35 PM
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| The opposite of anything. |
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2008 : 11:28:53 PM
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| The mind must cease its labelling and defining of reality in order for God to be perceived with the heart. |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 12:00:31 AM
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| Forget you are an individual and remember you are God. |
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cosmic_troll
USA
229 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 12:37:44 AM
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| Be. |
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newpov
USA
183 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 01:43:48 AM
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| Laugh! |
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Balance
USA
967 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 03:05:16 AM
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| Feel the presence of God. |
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Wolfgang
Germany
470 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 03:33:17 AM
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| Love, respect and honor yourself. Then do to others likewise. |
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Divineis
Canada
420 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 10:42:05 AM
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| Be good and embrace all shades of life. |
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Eitherway
USA
100 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 11:41:35 AM
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1. Be Serious about feeling the prescence of God.
2. Meditate + additional practices.
3. Release the question/thought into inner silence.
4. Try to live every moment of life as you feel God would want you to.
5. Laugh, smile, cry as you feel appropriate.
6. Repeat steps 1-5.
7. Eventually, we all can let go and let our little selves drown in God's prescence.
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brother neil
USA
752 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2008 : 5:25:33 PM
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it was funny, I saw there was eleven replies and thought (another way of saying made a judgement  ), oh man, I have a lot of reading to do. Then opened it up and saw so many one liners thanks for the replies. I am not enlightened but maybe soon. Anyway I will have to quote someone who is since I cannot speak from experience
"Thy faith hath made thee whole"
I pray for thy faith to increase, thy would be honered if you do the same
i am
thy
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - Nov 01 2008 : 1:46:48 PM
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This thread has got me contemplating and raises an interesting question: do we have a moral and/ or ethical responsibility to say something along the lines of "you know what, great question but I have no idea" when asked a question like what tubeseeker asks at the beginning of this thread?
Obviously there are a lot of good intentioned replies here by well-meaning people, but maybe tubeseeker is better served if only those who have direct experience of what he speaks reply with suggested methods without qualifying their source. In other words, someone who perceives God 24/7 can say, it is done like this and specifics are given. Otherwise, qualifying the answer as "I believe such and such will give you a direct experience of God because I read it somewhere and believe it” or “a teacher I respect preaches it”, or “my guru told me” etc. is a much more responsible way to go. That way the sincere seeker can at least pick a method that has actually been applied and worked for someone and not waste time and effort going the wrong way.
When asking for directions to New York, I’d personally like to hear from someone who has travelled there. If you haven’t but heard it was in such and such a direction, by all means share it, it may be the best lead I get, but qualify it by saying "or so I heard".
If we all took this approach, we could more easily discern the right path for ourselves.
I'm speaking for myself as well, I do not have perpetual direct experience of God so am not qualified to speak of it as if I do and am sure of the way. I have memories to draw from of some experiences over the last few years and can speak from that, but if I knew the way entirely for certain, I would be perpetually aware and permeated by the loving embrace of God that I can remember is there from past experiences. So I remember but then forget again, so my suggestions are faulty at best until otherwise.
It's funny I noticed that inside I felt a little annoyed by this thread and how I perceived tubeseeker was getting very conflicting answers not to mention a hundred different things to try, how does this help him find his way I wondered? It motivated me to write this post, but then two things came to mind out of this question which put things in perspective. First, how hilarious is it that someone is asking directions and here we have 50 people pointing in 50 different directions and second, how obvious does it become from this that each of us has to find our own ways home?
So maybe the best answer? Ask God.
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NagoyaSea
424 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2008 : 02:22:28 AM
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| Meditation. |
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Etherfish
USA
3615 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2008 : 09:42:04 AM
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Anthem, point well taken, but there is no one correct path. There are many paths, even among people who follow only tha AYP method.
That is why, in the "main lessons", you will not find exact instructions claiming to end in exact results.
Each person has a unique set of karmic obstructions, must find their own way, and results will vary greatly.
And yes, I have direct experience of what he is asking. For me, the first answer, Suryakant's works. It doesn't have to be as permanent and perfect as it sounds. I can still go about my everyday life, and just remember God as often as possible, and from that i will feel his presence sometimes. There are others on this forum whom I feel are much farther along than me, in terms of dedication and feeling the presence longer or more often.
Probably the most important factor is bhakti; creating an emotional desire. Also try to see God in everyday things and in everyday people. You can see an expression of God in people when they don't even know it. |
Edited by - Etherfish on Nov 02 2008 09:47:30 AM |
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2008 : 3:45:06 PM
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Hi Etherfish,
Great points, I appreciate the reminder that there are many paths, easy to overlook that what helps one person may not help another. Writing the post was a nice reminder to myself that the inner guru, in Yogani's words, is the one ultimately that we must follow. |
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mikkiji
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 1:04:27 PM
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I don't normally talk or write about “god” because of the difficulty in putting words to a concept beyond words. Even naming “god” is, for me, bothersome. I don't like to use an upper-case “G”, and I don't like to imagine god as “he” or “she” or “it”. All those conventions get too specific, too close to idolatry. But I'm going to give it a try, because I feel the search for the "god" is important.
A policeman watched a drunk looking for something under a streetlight. He asked the drunkard what he was looking for. “My wallet,” he replied. They looked together, but with no success. “Where did you lose it?” encored the policeman. “Down that road,” replied the man, pointing into the distance. “Then why weren't you looking down there?” “Because there aren't any street lights there. I'd never find it!” Many people are searching but few look in the right place. Many people ask, “Where can I find God?” The best answer to that question is another question, “Where have you lost Her (or Him)?” How can one lose God in the first place? I mean, seriously, that's one hard something to misplace! Okay, your keys, your watch, your wallet--you may lose these things with some regularity, especially if you are not organized enough to put your things in a regular spot. Even something as big as your car may be lost in a crowded parking lot, filled with so many other similar items. But God? Really now--you must be VERY disorganized to lose such a significant and conspicuous thing. That is as if you found yourself standing naked in the middle of town. You know you had your clothes on when you left home this morning, but somehow, somewhere you must have misplaced them, having now discovered yourself to be naked all of a sudden... Or maybe, while you were not noticing, someone stole them...?
That is, of course, utter foolishness! The notion that we cannot find god is the same as thinking that we lack eyes, because those very eyes are what we see with--they are subject, not object. They establish their own Being by being the seer, but never the seen. God is the inner Self of our Being, that which IS our consciousness. It IS Awareness itself, but is seldom the object OF awareness. However, it is still a valid, if naive question to ask--”Where can I find God?” And the answer is alarmingly simple and straightforward. Shhhh, be silent and empty, shut off all action, speech, thought, feelings, sensation and there is god--all the other stuff is veils, and when the veils are removed, all that is left is God.
Like the drunk looking for his wallet, you must look in the right place. Not necessarily the obvious or well-lighted place. God is not found in scripture, nor in church or temple or mosque. God is not in a song or a prayer or a chant or a ritual. God is not in a sunset or a full moon, a baby’s laugh or a lover’s sigh. These are all wonderful expressions of God, and they serve to remind us of god’s presence. They are the smile of god, and they help us remember to smile back. But to greet god face-to-face, close your eyes, and dive deep within the silent self. There, you never lost God, she is hiding within your own Self. And you cannot lose your own Self.
Michael |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 1:24:03 PM
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Awesome post Micheal. If it's okay with you can I use this posting word for word to send to my father who I am arguing with over the compatability of Christianity and yoga. I won't use it if you don't want me to, but I've never heard this explained so clear, so conscise and so exactly how I feel. Let me know.
Love,
Carson |
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emc
2072 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 1:52:49 PM
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Turn inside with your perception and sensation instead of outside. The One perceiving the sensations in your body IS GOD. It is consciousness being aware of what is moving NOW. It is impossible to feel in the past or future. You can only feel instantly in the present moment. And that present moment is God. Would you happen to have built some inner stillness from meditation practices (or other)... well... that stillness is the perceiver. It is the Consciousness taking in the experience of bodily sensation.
The blood in your veins, your heart beat, your breath... is Shakti moving. If you are still and feel that... you are bringing consciousness into form... and that is Gods business... to make form conscious, that's the only thing happening really... Awareness is God.
The mistake we do is to put the label "personal" on the experience. "My body, my heart, my breath". When it's all impersonal. |
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brother neil
USA
752 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 9:41:23 PM
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thank you for the continued posting on this topic, micheal, good words my friend, thank you. They are now a part of me, resonating somewhere, maybe a mustard seed
we are
brother neil |
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neli
USA
283 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 10:40:14 PM
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emc
Your post is Great ! I liked it so much, I agree a hundred percent with your statement. I'll print it.
Thanks for your reply.
Namaste
Neli
quote:
Originally posted by emc
Turn inside with your perception and sensation instead of outside. The One perceiving the sensations in your body IS GOD. It is consciousness being aware of what is moving NOW. It is impossible to feel in the past or future. You can only feel instantly in the present moment. And that present moment is God. Would you happen to have built some inner stillness from meditation practices (or other)... well... that stillness is the perceiver. It is the Consciousness taking in the experience of bodily sensation.
The blood in your veins, your heart beat, your breath... is Shakti moving. If you are still and feel that... you are bringing consciousness into form... and that is Gods business... to make form conscious, that's the only thing happening really... Awareness is God.
The mistake we do is to put the label "personal" on the experience. "My body, my heart, my breath". When it's all impersonal.
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mikkiji
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2008 : 08:45:43 AM
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Carson--go right ahead, no problem--I am honored.
Namaste,
Michael |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2008 : 10:17:47 AM
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Thank you Micheal.
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emc
2072 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2008 : 11:02:50 AM
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Thank you Neli. I have come to know that very deeply during this retreat.
There is a possibility to go beyond the senses, and loose all sensations of body, and stay in the Nothingness. One might say that that is an even deeper experience of God. What is not understood then, is that that is only turning the eye inwards, and Conscousness is not interested in staying Home and Do Nothing. In that case we could have stayed in the point before the Big Bang. The Mystery is that Consciousness evolves through experience. The eye can therefore be turned outwards and express itself as form, gather experience and take that home. That's how consciousness grows.
This is symbolized in the breath and the Soham mantra. Every inhale is giving Life, consciousness coming OUT here in form to LIVE. Every exhale is dying, going back to Source. And that puls is it. We can go breathless and visit home. Beautiful. But if we don't continue to breath and come back to Life... The mystery is over. We will leave our sense perception vehicles and go back to static being. Here on Earth we can continuously BECOME in every moment. That's the creative force we are given as a precious gift.
I do believe that's why Yogani is repeating the necessity of going out there and live a normal life after practices. Stillness wouldn't be so cool if it wasn't for the action.....
And then I'd say that God is found in scripture, in church or temple or mosque. God is in a song or a prayer or a chant or a ritual. God is in a sunset or a full moon, a baby’s laugh or a lover’s sigh. And that's the most delicate Mystery. |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2008 : 11:24:34 AM
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Hi emc,
Welcome back, happy to have the priviledge of reading your thoughts again. Glad you enjoyed the retreat. Sounds very transformative.
quote:
Originally posted by emc
And then I'd say that God is found in scripture, in church or temple or mosque. God is in a song or a prayer or a chant or a ritual. God is in a sunset or a full moon, a baby’s laugh or a lover’s sigh. And that's the most delicate Mystery.
I think what Micheal was trying to say is that God is not found soley in these things, as they are just expressions (parts) of God. The "whole" God that we can experience is found in silence. All these wonderful things around us are "manifestations" of God but are not a complete representation of God. Not everyone will experience God in a full moon or a sunset, although many will....but everyone can experience God while sitting in silence whether they recognize it or not at the time. I realize what you are saying, and essentially I think you are both right....just like in samadhi there is everything and there is nothing....so in this situation you can see God in everything or you can see God in nothing. All in how you look at it.
Love,
Carson
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