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Post by siftingtothetruth on Jun 7, 2019 14:56:15 GMT
How common is it, in people's experience, to find people who are actually looking for existential truth, whether they know it as nondual or not? In my experience, it is quite rare. Even on the Internet. Apart from a couple of relatively tiny forums like this one, there are, I guess, the Buddhist forums... is that where everyone goes? But how many of them are true seekers? Again, few, few, I think.
And yet I do believe that there is a deep spiritual hunger out there... but where are the people who feel it? Are they scattered? How are they to be found? Where do they congregate?
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Enigma
Super Duper Senior Member
Posts: 13,969 
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Post by Enigma on Jun 7, 2019 16:40:20 GMT
How common is it, in people's experience, to find people who are actually looking for existential truth, whether they know it as nondual or not? In my experience, it is quite rare. Even on the Internet. Apart from a couple of relatively tiny forums like this one, there are, I guess, the Buddhist forums... is that where everyone goes? But how many of them are true seekers? Again, few, few, I think. And yet I do believe that there is a deep spiritual hunger out there... but where are the people who feel it? Are they scattered? How are they to be found? Where do they congregate? Seekers need a promise for the personal self in order to seek. The promise of personal salvation and eternal life (i.e. religion) or personal happiness and health, hence New Age and the like. (N/A is not so new anymore so it appears in other forms but still teaches reincarnation and ascension and manifestation, oh my! Some of these carrots are found in the 'higher teachings', such as reincarnation, the Peace that passeth all understandingeth and happiness and bliss, but ultimately seekers discover that the person is left out of the equation entirely, and so interest in the Truth is minimal. The problem is that, the search ends the way it begins, and if it begins with false promises, it will end in self deception or disillusionment. Marie taught me a phrase she used to mark the end of her search for personal happiness: "The human way doesn't work." |
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Post by siftingtothetruth on Jun 7, 2019 16:50:02 GMT
How common is it, in people's experience, to find people who are actually looking for existential truth, whether they know it as nondual or not? In my experience, it is quite rare. Even on the Internet. Apart from a couple of relatively tiny forums like this one, there are, I guess, the Buddhist forums... is that where everyone goes? But how many of them are true seekers? Again, few, few, I think. And yet I do believe that there is a deep spiritual hunger out there... but where are the people who feel it? Are they scattered? How are they to be found? Where do they congregate? Seekers need a promise for the personal self in order to seek. The promise of personal salvation and eternal life (i.e. religion) or personal happiness and health, hence New Age and the like. (N/A is not so new anymore so it appears in other forms but still teaches reincarnation and ascension and manifestation, oh my! Some of these carrots are found in the 'higher teachings', such as reincarnation, the Peace that passeth all understandingeth and happiness and bliss, but ultimately seekers discover that the person is left out of the equation entirely, and so interest in the Truth is minimal. The problem is that, the search ends the way it begins, and if it begins with false promises, it will end in self deception or disillusionment. Marie taught me a phrase she used to mark the end of her search for personal happiness: "The human way doesn't work." Yes, great points. I wonder, though, of all the meditators in yoga studios and various people who visit Buddhist centers -- a lot of them think that enlightenment is somehow the end of the rainbow. What does that meant to them, then? Is it just that it sounds cool? Because the number who go about it really seriously must be, again, quite small. |
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muttley
Super Duper Senior Member
Posts: 4,394
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Post by muttley on Jun 7, 2019 18:19:56 GMT
How common is it, in people's experience, to find people who are actually looking for existential truth, whether they know it as nondual or not? In my experience, it is quite rare. Even on the Internet. Apart from a couple of relatively tiny forums like this one, there are, I guess, the Buddhist forums... is that where everyone goes? But how many of them are true seekers? Again, few, few, I think. And yet I do believe that there is a deep spiritual hunger out there... but where are the people who feel it? Are they scattered? How are they to be found? Where do they congregate? heh heh .. you're the pioneer here among us dude .. you, tell me! 
Like I's said before .. ya' gots ta' advertise.  |
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Post by siftingtothetruth on Jun 7, 2019 18:35:03 GMT
How common is it, in people's experience, to find people who are actually looking for existential truth, whether they know it as nondual or not? In my experience, it is quite rare. Even on the Internet. Apart from a couple of relatively tiny forums like this one, there are, I guess, the Buddhist forums... is that where everyone goes? But how many of them are true seekers? Again, few, few, I think. And yet I do believe that there is a deep spiritual hunger out there... but where are the people who feel it? Are they scattered? How are they to be found? Where do they congregate? heh heh .. you're the pioneer here among us dude .. you, tell me!
Like I's said before .. ya' gots ta' advertise. I really gotta. I've tried, sort of flailingly, ineffectually, and I still am. But haven't gotten the sense that I've fully understood the landscape yet, thus these questions... hehe. Just gotta keep doing it and figuring it out I guess! You always learn the answer after you no longer need it... |
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muttley
Super Duper Senior Member
Posts: 4,394
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Post by muttley on Jun 10, 2019 2:57:40 GMT
heh heh .. you're the pioneer here among us dude .. you, tell me!
Like I's said before .. ya' gots ta' advertise. I really gotta. I've tried, sort of flailingly, ineffectually, and I still am. But haven't gotten the sense that I've fully understood the landscape yet, thus these questions... hehe. Just gotta keep doing it and figuring it out I guess! You always learn the answer after you no longer need it... I went to a meet-up with a group at this place once. Nice people. We watched a Tolle vid together and shot the breeze. The host told me that they once had an in-house sage from India living on the premises. Let me know if you want me to go back and look up if they're still meeting.
My sister knows the folks who run this place. Might be able to give you a name to contact and one to drop. I guess you could offer to show up and give a talk, and just ask folks to make whatever donation they're moved to make.
I'd imagine this is how many Satsang personalities were made .. starting with that first step leading to word-of-mouth, etc..
Does craigslist have a free place to post notices like for your book? Aren't you willing to skype folks as well, and wouldn't mentioning that perhaps get some people interested in the book who wouldn't be otherwise?
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Post by siftingtothetruth on Jun 10, 2019 15:07:12 GMT
I really gotta. I've tried, sort of flailingly, ineffectually, and I still am. But haven't gotten the sense that I've fully understood the landscape yet, thus these questions... hehe. Just gotta keep doing it and figuring it out I guess! You always learn the answer after you no longer need it... I went to a meet-up with a group at this place once. Nice people. We watched a Tolle vid together and shot the breeze. The host told me that they once had an in-house sage from India living on the premises. Let me know if you want me to go back and look up if they're still meeting.
My sister knows the folks who run this place. Might be able to give you a name to contact and one to drop. I guess you could offer to show up and give a talk, and just ask folks to make whatever donation they're moved to make. Thanks so much! I will think about that, but perhaps not quite just yet. The problem is those places are kinda far for me at the moment, and aren't really going to build a community where I am (NYC). I really should be reaching out to more yoga studios and what-not... I've definitely posted elsewhere online on Reddit and what-not where there are seekers. Good point about mentioning the Skype work more. I guess part of the problem is I'm not clear who my audience ought to be. I vacillate between trying to reach a more general crowd of "spiritual types" who might be open to this stuff, and a more pre-qualified set of people who already consider themselves seekers and helping them. I have to admit, having talked a tiny bit at yoga studios, speaking with people who simply have no idea about this at all is... well, I just don't know how helpful it really is either to me or to them. I get the sense it's just a little too far out for them. I'm a little skeptical. Then again, perhaps that's just the way I should go about things and content myself with hitting someone every now and then... not sure. |
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muttley
Super Duper Senior Member
Posts: 4,394
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Post by muttley on Jun 12, 2019 3:26:47 GMT
I went to a meet-up with a group at this place once. Nice people. We watched a Tolle vid together and shot the breeze. The host told me that they once had an in-house sage from India living on the premises. Let me know if you want me to go back and look up if they're still meeting.
My sister knows the folks who run this place. Might be able to give you a name to contact and one to drop. I guess you could offer to show up and give a talk, and just ask folks to make whatever donation they're moved to make. Thanks so much! I will think about that, but perhaps not quite just yet. The problem is those places are kinda far for me at the moment, and aren't really going to build a community where I am (NYC). I really should be reaching out to more yoga studios and what-not... I've definitely posted elsewhere online on Reddit and what-not where there are seekers. Good point about mentioning the Skype work more. I guess part of the problem is I'm not clear who my audience ought to be. I vacillate between trying to reach a more general crowd of "spiritual types" who might be open to this stuff, and a more pre-qualified set of people who already consider themselves seekers and helping them. I have to admit, having talked a tiny bit at yoga studios, speaking with people who simply have no idea about this at all is... well, I just don't know how helpful it really is either to me or to them. I get the sense it's just a little too far out for them. I'm a little skeptical. Then again, perhaps that's just the way I should go about things and content myself with hitting someone every now and then... not sure. Yes, community, that's the key word there.
I wonder, are we at a point where community can genuinely start online and move out into the real world from there? Because, if that's the case, I can definitely tell you were to find some seekers! |
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Post by siftingtothetruth on Jun 12, 2019 4:50:29 GMT
Thanks so much! I will think about that, but perhaps not quite just yet. The problem is those places are kinda far for me at the moment, and aren't really going to build a community where I am (NYC). I really should be reaching out to more yoga studios and what-not... I've definitely posted elsewhere online on Reddit and what-not where there are seekers. Good point about mentioning the Skype work more. I guess part of the problem is I'm not clear who my audience ought to be. I vacillate between trying to reach a more general crowd of "spiritual types" who might be open to this stuff, and a more pre-qualified set of people who already consider themselves seekers and helping them. I have to admit, having talked a tiny bit at yoga studios, speaking with people who simply have no idea about this at all is... well, I just don't know how helpful it really is either to me or to them. I get the sense it's just a little too far out for them. I'm a little skeptical. Then again, perhaps that's just the way I should go about things and content myself with hitting someone every now and then... not sure. Yes, community, that's the key word there.
I wonder, are we at a point where community can genuinely start online and move out into the real world from there? Because, if that's the case, I can definitely tell you were to find some seekers!  |
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muttley
Super Duper Senior Member
Posts: 4,394
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Post by muttley on Jun 12, 2019 5:22:04 GMT
Yes, community, that's the key word there.
I wonder, are we at a point where community can genuinely start online and move out into the real world from there? Because, if that's the case, I can definitely tell you were to find some seekers!  no! no! .. wait! ... I was serious, I didn't mean here or at STD/STF . I meant youtube. I like reddit and have even messed around with it a little. But reddit is so similar to these two forums that I can tell what will happen if I start corresponding with people there openly on the existential truth. 
Specifically about youtube, I have a whole plan/theory. And everything. 
... and .. I'm genuinely pretty myopic and thereby ignorant beyond those four sites plus maybe one other.  |
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no! no! .. wait! ... I was serious, I didn't mean here or at STD/STF 
