I'm writing from Poland and I have several questions that I wish to understand.
I'm introducing more and more consciousness to my life, watching everything what's happening inside and outside of me. And the less I'm using thinking, the more peaceful and stable I am. I'm less attached to outer world and more focused on myself.
To the point. I realised (not by using mind) that anything what belongs to the outer world can not make me happy. I'm happy inside of me, naturally. But besides food and normal things that are necessary to live, I really don't know what else I need from this world. I mean, what I do want to do in this world. And if I'm asking that, is that a question coming from my ego or from 'me'? If I want to go to the gym to exercise my body, is that a desire coming from ego, or from anything or anybody else inside of me? Of course I don't need to think about that, I am able to disable my mind, I mean to be an observer, not following my thoughts but watching everything as it is. But after all we are living in this outer world. How to discover what do I want from this life or what does life wants from me? Do we live in outer world using our ego? If I want to become a president, who really wants that? Ego? Me? Or maybe I'm defining it wrong? I like playing computer games. Who likes that in reality? When I'm meditating, I consciously know what thoughts I'm identifying with and cause suffer but I can't understand, what pushes me to playing these games. I have a problem with distinction what comes from my Source and what comes from my ego. Maybe everything what makes us feel happy is also an illusion? How to combine the consciousness and the ego in the outer world?
I wrote a lot of questions to make the thread clear. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Also english is not my native language, sorry for mistakes.
Thank you for every possible answer.
Based on what you said, you seem to perhaps not realized that what we are is happiness (nothing makes us happy) and perhaps not seen through the "me" because you talk about suffering and identifications still occurs. These realizations would answer these questions...and the question of "is it ego or source" would not arise.
Instead of doing things in live because of some lack or need...and so having a goal/purpose and working at it -- perhaps you could imagine doing things simply for the joy of it. Life becomes play. Say you want to become a president...that could be a fun game to play...a joy to play and perhaps bring joy to others through doing the job well...so then you take steps and act in such a way you might get elected as president. However, if you are not elected (you lose the game - so to speak)...it was still fun (a joy to play...the journey, not the destination) and perhaps you do something else instead. You do not feel the loss in suffering or feeling diminished (identification)...instead you appreciate having the opportunity to play at all. The Source is known as the Self in Advaita Vedanta. Let me say that whatever you want to do is exactly what the Self wants to do...as you. The Source and ego are not different...or two separate things.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you want me to clarify anything.
I realise this is an old topic, but I have the same question as original poster.
You say that we should do things for the joy of it, such as trying to become a president. What is driving us to achieve goals and why we even should have goals and a 'journey' ? Are certain actions considered good, because ultimately we are controlled by our instincts of survival and becoming a president/rich/healthy increase those chances and our brain rewards us for it?
If accepting present as it is enough, why should we even take any action?
What is driving us to achieve goals and why we even should have goals and a 'journey' ? Are certain actions considered good, because ultimately we are controlled by our instincts of survival and becoming a president/rich/healthy increase those chances and our brain rewards us for it?
This bodes the question, why are we here? Also where did we come from, and where are we going? To answer "what is driving us" these fundamental questions must be considered. If indeed there is more to us than brain chemistry, then there is purpose to our existence in this form. So what is it?
My take, after a lifetime of investigation, is that we are here to explore possibilities in experiential consciousness. All our goals, and whatever our journey may be, are the structures for exploring the possibilities in experience. So why would we explore such challenging conditions? That would be for the evolution of consciousness and being on a larger scale relevant to a larger infinite reality.
If you read a book to educate yourself in some way, the value is in the addition of the knowledge gained, not in the ink it was written with nor the paper it was upon. The characters in a book have defined limitations. We, the readers, are not so confined. We readers, may benefit from many books or the experience gained through many lives.
So if we have life goals which we pursue, or if we have none and live on the street, all lives have the common value of the unique experiences provided by those conditions. In sum, what is driving us is the desire for experience that is expansive to the fundamental consciousness that is our true nature.
Thanks turiya. Loved that link to the Stevie Wonder song. Well done.
Nothing is driving us to achieve. Motivation and drive is the viewpoint of an adult trying to get work done...not the viewpoint of a child playing.
Has so much time passed that you can't remember why you wanted to go out and play as a child?
Thanks for the replies guys. WW I like your idea that we are here to explore possibilities in experiential consciousness. That makes a lot of sense now. I think I misunderstood what Tolle meant by acceptance. Just because you accept the present moment does not mean you cannot act to change your life situation. It's like we have an inner and outer purpose. The inner purpose is to be present in any situation and the outer purpose can be anything we want. We just need to be present and we can go through anything. If we are present we do not have to be attached to the outcome, because present moment is all there is.
Just because you accept the present moment does not mean you cannot act to change your life situation. It's like we have an inner and outer purpose. The inner purpose is to be present in any situation and the outer purpose can be anything we want. We just need to be present and we can go through anything. If we are present we do not have to be attached to the outcome, because present moment is all there is.
This is well stated. And thanks for the Tolle link. I love how he takes those long quiet pauses to allow insight to arise within him. A perfect demonstration of exercising presence to gain clarity of thought. Good stuff.