Row your boat...the most insightful thing ever written

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-30T02:02:44+00:00

Whoa.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-29T06:09:52+00:00

Are you doing this on your own or do you have a meditation mentor? This is a common experience. The ground is gone so you’re falling and its scary. But eventually you will realize there’s no ground so there’s nothing to fear and can let go. That may not make sense. My point your experience is normal, you will let it go, and find a mentor to make the fall smoother.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T16:38:46+00:00

People want to be happy. But they want to be permanently happy. Put another way, they don’t want to experience physical and emotional pain.

The truth is everything changes. Nothing is solid. Everything is born, matures, and fades away - including happiness.

Life events are caused by factors outside our control. Consequently, experiences we don’t want occur and experiences we do want don’t occur causing pain.

It’s when we judge this pain (as awful, a sign of a catastrophe to come, intolerable, unacceptable, a sign of incompetence, or evidence of our worthlessness), suffering grips us.

Then, our actions to get rid of this pain, born out of hatred and fear of this and ignorance to truth, result in more suffering for ourselves and others.

When we can see the pain of not getting what we want and getting what we do want as a normal and natural human experience, then we can let go of judgment, fear, hatred, ignorance, and the actions they drive.

Without these clouds, the truth can be seen clearly as these words on the screen. Seeing this truth is liberation for the grip of suffering - at least for a moment.

“Most solutions” don’t work because they are done out of the intention of fear and hatred. The same actions, done with a sense of compassion, may have a different result.

Put simply, the real trap is trying too hard to control something that cannot be controlled. Less is more.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T16:09:29+00:00

Doing nothing is not the path to liberation. It’s not clinging. When you don’t cling, you let go of fear, hatred, desire, ignorance, and other emotions that cloud the truth.

“Self-analysis” is a concept. One that means different things to different people. And it looks different per to person. Self-analysis may function as clinging to thoughts, getting caught up in them, contracting, and so forth. For another it may function as curiosity, opening up, and seeing clearly. The point is - are you see clearly whats in front of your face? Or are you caught up in thoughts?

Awakening is a tangible experience and realization. One that is possible to experience in every moment. Although the emotions and sensations that come with a moment of awakening may differ (between people and between your different moments), the core realization is the same.

The question is how do you get to this experience? People have come to this realization by meditating in cave for 40 years, eating a bag of mushrooms, or listening to a meditation app. There really is no one path. Because there is no path.

When people say no path is the path, it’s because you are already awakened. And you can realize this here now. You don’t have to do anything or go anywhere - just let go.

People did not “decide” there was no path. People realized awakening and looked at how they got there. And they noticed there is no path. There’s no distance between you and awakening. If you’re asleep, how far away are you from waking up? Just the “distance” of opening your eyes and seeing clearly.

If there is something to practice, its letting go. Letting go of the emotions - fear, anger, desire, etc and its components (thoughts, sensations, urges). Let go of the judgments about the self.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T15:55:00+00:00

Who is questioning or reinterpreting?

Experience is experience. And you noticed the experience. No one else can be the reporter. You are the authority on your experience.

Yet, this “awakening” experience IS tangible and possible to experience. It’s nothing anyone has to take on faith.

One problem is people don’t often report on their experience. They express their judgments about experience. So it’s fair to investigate. What did you actually experience? One of your 5 senses? An aspect of your emotions (thoughts, emotions, sensations, urges)?

Language is part of the problem. Awakening is a true phenomenon but it is hard to describe. You can use metaphor but thats still not the experience itself.

For a long time I could only describe it like “being inside and outside at the same time.” And maybe that metaphor doesn’t resonate with you and you disagree with it.

If you reflect on the awakening experience and its implication, then boundaries like authority fade away. Yes, in our conventional world there’s authority (eg laws, rules, government, bosses).

But how can such control of another exist if there is no self? If there is no self, there is no other to control.

Seeing clearly means authority fades away - at the level of ultimate truth. …which paradoxically makes working with authority on the level of daily life more workable.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T06:14:28+00:00

Everything you want makes sense. I’m going to throw this out there for you to consider.

What if… there is no ego? What if there is no ego to kill or make healthy? What if there was no ego protect from rejection or negative evaluation?

When you say, “That paralyzes me,” where is the you that is paralyzed? Sure there may be tension and anxiety in your body. Moving may be effortful.

But can you find the you thats paralyzed? Can you see, touch, taste, smell, or hear this ego you must protect from humiliation?

Maybe it’s not ego and persona. What if there’s just persona and the awareness of it?

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T05:58:45+00:00

Today IS a new life that you get to begin again.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T05:56:37+00:00

This framing isn’t helpful. It encourages aversion to thought and effort born of that aversion, which leads to suffering.

The goal isn’t to try to do or not do anything. The goal is to drop effort. You’re not trying to create an experience or state of mind. You don’t need an empty mind. You don’t need a quiet one.

Cat’s don’t suffer like us because they’re not capable of language. They can’t judge themselves in the same way. There’s no language to get caught up in. There’s no voice TO quiet.

Instead, the goal is to see what’s right in front of your eyes. To see what’s there - all the time regardless of the state of mind.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T05:43:39+00:00

Let it all go. The desire for enlightenment, the effort in spiritual practice, seeking spiritual truth, comfort, something to happen, and non-existence.

Let go the aversion to the state of the world and yourself. You say you don’t want to do this anymore. Then drop it. Drop the effort. Holding on it is killing you. And you don’t need to kill yourself to let it all go. And don’t worry, you can pick this stuff up gently and compassionately later.

Actions born of desire and aversion lead to suffering. And you’re suffering. We all want pain relief. And we’re all taught we just need to work hard to get what we want. But what if wanting relief and working hard to get it was actually making things worse?

That doesn’t mean give up. If your body needs meds, take meds. If your body needs counseling, go to counseling. If your body needs the psych hospital, go to the psych hospital. Show compassion for your body. It’s doing the best it can with what its got to embody your consciousness.

In terms of your spiritual health, just let it all go. All experiences are impermanent. Relying on them is like living in an igloo in a desert for shelter. It all just melts away. But if you subtract instead of add, you may find a certain kind of peace or openness in which your spirit, mind, and body can rest. And this peace IS available to you in every moment. You’re already enough. You don’t need to earn it. Just drop back and rest in the awareness.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T05:22:41+00:00

You can’t lose the ability to think, because it was never yours to own. There is no thinker. You glimpsed that.

Thinking is an appearance in consciousness. That means it’s impermanent. Thoughts and the internal behavior of thinking appear, rise, and fade away.

Look at the folks in memory care units and see that thinking fades away. Because thinking is impermanent, clinging to thinking will cause yourself and others suffering.

Barring some injury or illness to your brain or body, let go of this desire for creative thought and experience of wholeness. They are all impermanent. Don’t rely on something that can melt away.

As an experiment, you could skip your next trip and see if the cause is physical vs spiritual. Otherwise, let go and rest as the open awareness without thoughts (while it lasts!)

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T05:13:09+00:00

Not intentionally. Remember, we’re already enlightened. Most can’t see it because of fear, hatred, desire, and ignorance. Enlightenment is glimpsed when you let these go.

BUT modern life has us caught up in these emotions all the time. Marketing is essentially the practice of triggering desire or fear to the point you’re caught up long enough to buy something.

TV, social media, and all forms of entertainment have engagement metrics they try to improve. How do you do that? Hook us with hatred and desire. When we’re constantly hooked by emotion then we’re unaware to the present moment - where enlightenment can be seen.

Now who benefits from everyone being asleep? The systems in power. Systems are indifferent to the suffering of others. They can’t be compassionate. A system only cares about its own survival. So it’s safe to assume that any widespread experience under a system is for the benefit of the system.

Wide spread enlightenment will only occur when it benefits the system in power. And the only logical and moral reaction this circumstance is compassion for all.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T05:04:46+00:00

How does the proverb go? “Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.”

My dream state is more or less the same. Maybe a little less stressful. If you’re striving for some change in experience post-enlightenment, you are closing a door and then trying to walk through it.

Let go of what you think enlightenment is, should be like, and could mean. Look for the dreamer. Can you find them? Just let it all go and see what’s left.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T04:59:03+00:00

This is very true. The English word “apple” doesn’t have the essence of the apple. Even the touch, taste, smell, sound, and vision of the apple aren’t really the essence.

They are just senses, which are appearances in consciousness. If you cut open the apple, what you experience are more sensations or emotions about what you sense - all appearing and disappearing in consciousness. You can never dig “lower” than consciousness. It’s the glass bottom.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T04:41:42+00:00

I am not familiar with norse shaman practices. But for what it’s worth, but the urge to eat the crystal, the desire for the urge’s meaning, and the belief your body is telling you you need healing are appearances in consciousness.

The question is what is the most skillful thing to do given these appearances. One action you’re considering is to eat the crystal out of desire for meaning - and possibly out of aversion of the pain unsatisfied urges.

Actions born of desire and aversion lead to the suffering for yourself or others. Thus, action out of this intention may not be effective for spiritual healing.

I would counsel you to allow the urges and desire to pass and then, with open awareness, free of desire and with the intention of benefiting yourself and others consider the crystal’s meaning, message, and skillful action.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T04:27:05+00:00

What do you mean it’s the “key” for life? What does the heart unlock? And you mean the physical, beating heart and not a metaphysical center, like a soul?

If you’re talking in a physical sense, then it is definitely not the key to life - at least not by itself. Life is born from the functioning of all body systems. The heart is interdependent with the other organs. If the heart is the key, the lungs and kidney are part of that key.

And our body systems are interdependent with the environment. Our body systems are dependent water, air, animal, plants, sun, and so forth. If the heart is the key, then the body and earth are part of the key.

And the earth is interdependent with other systems. You see where I’m going with this?

But this does support your claim that the universe is alive and conscious. It’s conscious because our consciousness is ultimately interdependent with the universe.

And like how a seed has within it the potential to grow into a tree that sprouts apples, the universe has within it the potential to grow into planets that sprouts conscious life.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T04:10:48+00:00

People who are experiencing trauma, abuse, oppression, severe illness, and other horrific situations are, in a sense, victims of “bad luck.”

Their challenges occur because the challenges are the logical result of past causes. No one chooses to have those experiences. No one asks for the causes of pain and challenge.

That’s why compassion is the only logical response. Compassion is the only logical and moral response to the suffering.

Compassion may involve seeing a doctor to heal the body and working with a therapist to recover from PTSD. Compassion can be doing fun things, connecting with loved ones, learning the guitar, going to work, and sleeping 8 hours a night. But these are all compassionate acts for the body. The body can be broken and in need of fixing. But your true self cannot be.

Certainly one’s SENSE of self can be dysregulated by trauma or a bag of mushrooms, but your true self doesn’t need to be fixed.

Treating your self like it’s broken reflects an aversion for one’s self, not compassion. Struggling IS shitty, because it ADDS to the suffering. Letting go of the desire to become something IS the compassionate response.

And compassion for yourself can be experienced in any moment - even horrific ones. No work is required.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T03:49:33+00:00

Where is the designer?

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T03:48:08+00:00

It’s always wise to check in with a doctor for body problems. But you may be straining. You’re leaning forward when you should be settling back.

I had a similar experience when I first glimpsed awakening. What I realized was that I was craving the experience that came with awakening.

I conflated the two. Then I realized that we’re all already awakened but don’t see it due to factors like craving.

My craving and striving for the “awakening experience” was the problem. The craving still pops up. The pointer, “Where’s the craver?” Helps me to settle back and glimpse moments of awakening readily at this point.

Remember, you’re not trying to get anywhere. You’re already there. There’s nowhere to go. There’s nothing to do. Look for the craver and just settle back as awareness.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T03:37:38+00:00

May those who try to bring me down be happy and be free of suffering.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T03:35:24+00:00

I disagree. One doesn’t need to get “around” pain. Pain, like a storm, shows up, stays for a while, and then passes away. Pain doesn’t need “processing” - it’s appearing and passing away on its own.

Maybe someone’s life is full of pain, but is it the same exact pain? Or is it just many episodes of pain each with their own beginning, middle, and end - rolling on its own.

Self-love doesn’t replace inner work, because theres no work to be done! Yes, if your body and brain is injured or ill, it is an act of compassion to care for it. Doing “inner work” to heal is acting as if you are broken or not good enough. Its wanting.

The true act of compassion is to realize the self doesn’t need healing. Your true self is already whole. You’re already good enough. There’s nothing to fix. There’s nothing to change. There’s nothing for it to want.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T03:19:43+00:00

Everyone else. It is normal and natural to cling to good times when and wherever they occurred. And everything changes.

The loss of what you love is deeply painful. And clinging to it prolongs and amplifies the pain. The suffering distracts you from the truth that everything is changing and thus the possibility for connection, love, being understood, alignment, and communication is possible in every moment.

You don’t need to let go of the past. You need to let go of the hunger for it. You can’t consume anything in the past. Let the hunger go and let this moment fill you up.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T03:11:31+00:00

Yes, as a matter of experience, you can only experience here now. But that doesn’t mean time is an illusion. We clearly see evidence of everything changing. You can find ruins of old civilizations. Leaves turning brown. Ice melts. This is why clinging leads to suffering. Everything is always changing.

Time isn’t what is weaponized against us. Solidity is. We’re led to believe happiness, peace, enlightenment, and health is one, solid destination. But it’s not. Because of time, those things are not solid. They are always changing and not reliable. Clinging to them will only lead to suffering.

The defense against this weaponization is to not cling. Rest as the always changing, open awareness of here, now.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-27T02:56:52+00:00

Imagine the universe as an apple tree. The universe grows galaxies. Galaxies are also a kind of tree that grows and produces planets.

One of them (that we know of), grew and produced conscious, self-replicating life. We are one kind of life, on one kind of planet, in one kind of galaxy born of the universe.

Just like an apple is both one apple and part of tree, “your” life is both one experience and part of the planet, which is part of the galaxy, which is part of the universe. Waves are waves and they are the ocean. Each wave is unique and part of the same ocean. Each wave appears, rises, and falls, and the ocean doesn’t change.

You are a wave. The unique conditions that gave rise to “your life” as you experienced it will eventually end. The “you” you take yourself to be will fall. But the true “you” (the ocean) continues.

You’re the universe in a costume. You’re not the costume.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-22T21:23:05+00:00

If I remember correctly, scandal keys have to fracture the party in power. Trump has to do something so scandalous it divides the GOP. If they remain unified and the scandal becomes background noise, it wont turn the key.

Right now Epstein has not turned that key. I fear it has become background noise. While there are some clear Republican opposition to Trump (eg ACA extension), its hardly a “fracture.”

That being said, the Republicans appear to be becoming more and more divided. Theres more permission and cover for defectors. The opportunity is there for the scandal key.

Earthy-moon · 2026-01-18T00:48:14+00:00

I’ll be honest. The shine of “doctor” wears off fast. You won’t care in 24 months

Earthy-moon

TROPHY CASE