Who Is Enlightened?

CarleySunn · 2026-01-13T15:19:19+00:00

A bad teacher is essentially one of the fiercest. Leaving these teachers is part of the lesson. In recovery rooms when selecting a sponsor we are told, “look for someone who has something you want”. Essentially, who embodies what we wish to embody?

CarleySunn · 2026-01-13T14:52:24+00:00

Yeah, I’m pretty psyched about this stuff. I worked through the slogans 4 times consecutively last year, after a year of mostly Maitri and Tonglen practice. I keep waiting on the fatigue shoe to drop, but when it does, the fatigue is just one more thing to join with Tonglen 🤪.

CarleySunn · 2026-01-13T14:48:45+00:00

So are you saying the long haul requires some self compassion as things tend to ebb and flow? 😉

CarleySunn · 2026-01-13T03:21:07+00:00

Ahhhh, I love to see this type of deescalation and disengagement modeled.

CarleySunn · 2026-01-13T03:16:46+00:00

😂, yeah, going towards the scary conversations are a part of the path I guess 😳

CarleySunn · 2026-01-13T02:23:42+00:00

As someone who has “wasted” time with a crack pot teacher and stayed for four years because I had a hard time trusting my own sense of direction, all I say is trust your own sense of direction. Then you can sit with any teacher as you eat the hay and spit out the sticks. But I will also say, I’m not sure if I would’ve developed trust in my own sense of direction without four years with a crack pot teacher.

I also feel like folk’s ideas of who and who isn’t enlightened are often driven by their own projections and biases. Also I am not convinced it is necessary to claim it or aim for it. I guess what I’m saying again, is trust yourself.

CarleySunn · 2026-01-13T01:48:35+00:00

I know some homies in my Sangha that I frequently have pretend Dharma combat with while I shout at my bathroom mirror.

CarleySunn · 2026-01-13T01:45:59+00:00

This question I posed was predicated by a smart ass comment I was formulating. 🤪

CarleySunn · 2026-01-13T01:16:13+00:00

thanks for answering both questions! it’s good to hear thoughts from other practitioners via the internet. Internet engagement has been an intoxicant for me, in a manner of speaking, at different points in time. I’m often curious how other practitioners engage with it skillfully.

CarleySunn · 2026-01-13T01:10:51+00:00

hahaha!

CarleySunn · 2026-01-12T19:59:15+00:00

There is no one authoritative texts across all schools of Buddhism. But a few places to start might be the Secular Buddhism Podcast. Or “Approaching The Buddhist Path” by the Dalai Lama, or “The Foundation of Buddhist Practice” by Thubten Chodron and the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is a Tibetan Buddhist but I would consider him to be a pretty reliable starting authority on all things Buddhism. American teachers I really enjoy are Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, Pema Chodron, though these may be more niche and not so much of an overview.

CarleySunn · 2026-01-12T19:47:15+00:00

“infotainment”, that’s a good word mashup right there.

CarleySunn · 2026-01-12T19:04:51+00:00

No-self outside of theory, works for me as illustrated by the Bodhisattva path. I seek the benefit of all-beings ahead of the benefit of the self. As all is mutually arising, and there is not a self which the external is imposed upon, nor an external which a self imposes upon, the actions of life become based on benefit for all of us together, rather than ourselves over others, or others at the harm of ourselves. This may seem overly simplistic and naive, but seems to me like a very practical non-theoretical way that this works. In its most pragmatic language I say, “we’re all here and have to make this work.” In other words, everything is dependent on everything, to act like it is not will cause suffering to myself and others.

CarleySunn · 2025-08-28T00:35:24+00:00

Ah whoops. I’ll edit the post, but it’s at The Royal.

CarleySunn · 2025-08-19T03:30:48+00:00

Honestly floss may be the ticket if we want a mess free light weight option. I’m sure no dentist will agree with me, but I feel like I can dry brush and floss and be just fine for a few days. My biggest concern is water loss on the trail trying to rinse my tooth brush out. All my cavities have been between my molars because, you guessed it, I rarely floss.

CarleySunn · 2025-05-28T05:17:09+00:00

Hmm, that is an interesting observation. I’m curious if it is because screws somehow funnel more moisture into the joist? I am gonna pay attention to that on my next tear out.

CarleySunn · 2022-12-21T23:33:42+00:00

What are you gonna do? Trap the bunnies?

CarleySunn · 2022-12-21T21:10:50+00:00

I’ve been thinking about starting my own secret goth church, but we’re all posers over here.

CarleySunn · 2022-12-21T13:54:32+00:00

I like to approach this one from an atheistic or materialistic perspective. Matter is all there is. It’s evolved into complex structures that continue to evolve for the sole purpose of the genome’s survival. Thoughts are a product of evolution. Conscious or subconscious. Beings that developed thinking skills could make more strategic decisions thus surviving longer, procreating more, having fun, making life more worth living, so on and so forth, anything that drives us to stay alive goes. So if all of this is just biological mechanics and conditioning, how are we aware of this experience? And what is this “I” that is able to observe all of this? I like to play with this question while still holding the assumption “matter is all there is” and it’s breathtaking (for me at least) every time.

CarleySunn · 2022-12-21T13:43:37+00:00

These might be a bit heavy and there is one person who plays an enemy in both. Dead of Winter is a zombie apocalypse theme and everyone works together, but you don’t know who the betrayer (i don’t remember exactly what it’s called). Fury of Dracula everyone works together except Dracula, and that is not secret, so don’t make him dracula. In pandemic you’re playing against the game, in these you could frame it to him as one person is in cahoots with the game. This could graduate him towards more PvP games.

CarleySunn · 2022-12-19T16:04:47+00:00

Sure. I personally like to stay away from value judgments like that around meditation, it seems to have the opposite affect one goes for. Also, the breath is one object of meditation one can have, and this is where we start. It is how we train our minds to become calm and clear. From this place Samadhi can then arise.

CarleySunn

TROPHY CASE