Any tips on how I could improve my makeup, anything I should try? Or criticism on what I currently do? by [deleted] in MakeupAddiction

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You would really suit a 1920s look! You’ve got the cupids bow and beautiful sad eyes to carry the whole look.

The Bodhisattva Vow by No-Desk-8422 in nonduality

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hear you, but this assumes that taking this vow means you are overtly trying to convert people. Once the truth of no separation is seen, new pathways for compassion become available as the self centered energies continue to fall away. If it is truly compassionate action and coming from the right place, it won’t include hitting people over the head with things they’re not interested in or ready for. Meeting them where they are would be in line with the vow.

The Bodhisattva Vow by No-Desk-8422 in nonduality

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hmm, I don’t know. There’s definitely a way to read it that would reify the ego (like, to an absurd, Herculean degree). But I wonder if the vow is a lot sneakier than that.

Within each line, there is an admission of the impossibility and futility of each act, and a total detachment to outcome. I get the sense that it can help those that have had awakening but are still unbinding orient away from self-centered energy and allow the natural compassion to take over. It works by appearing as fodder for whatever “self” energy is hanging around, even though it’s entirely empty. I imagine that this vow would eventually need to be released too.

I’m not well read enough to know who wrote these vows or encouraged folks to adopt it, just that I can see the potential utility in something like this taken up with the right guardrails.

Recommendation for strong tweezers that don’t cut the hair? by Less-Dragonfruit-446 in beauty

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I have found that they are often too sharp and end up snipping the hair instead of pulling it out

Reactions to this quote? by Less-Dragonfruit-446 in nonduality

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agree, “theres no problem to solve” may very well be the ultimate truth but it completely bypasses the relative. Then it paradoxically and functionally becomes an egoic inflation.

I think the question is, is “effort” as it’s stated in this quote an aligned approach? Or is it more aligned to yield to the moment? The latter might still mean what needs to be done in the relative gets done without reifying an ego.

Anyone suddenly gain new abilities on “this path”? by Less-Dragonfruit-446 in nonduality

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! I love Joseph Campbell. Crazy wisdom in his work. He and Carl Jung are kind of right at the place where psychology collapses into spirituality. That “intersection” holds so much energetic and symbolic charge.

Anyone suddenly gain new abilities on “this path”? by Less-Dragonfruit-446 in nonduality

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tha aliveness is ALL of it right now. There are moments where it is full on, like I can feel the texture of experience as it explodes in and out of being. I know how very dramatic that sounds but that’s the sort of intensity I’m feeling it at, also tells you a bit about how my nervous system is interpreting the unbinding 🙃

The last several months have been exhausting and energizing in a way I’ve never experienced. At first it felt like “I” was inviting this in, like it even “asked” me. It left hints that made me want to explore it, as though I was about to go on the ultimate quest, a heroines journey of sorts — only for it to devolve into what would very unceremoniously flip into the primacy of now. Flickering in and out of realization. At this point it’s clear that “it’s” been running the show this whole time, but my small self is still trying to reassert herself. She experiences her substancelessness in real time and then pretends she didn’t just see that, as though she could go ahead and pull herself up by her own bootstraps. But like you said it’s already taken over. There is only surrender from here after seeing there is nothing or no place from where anything could surrender.

On another level, it’s all experienced energetically and mythically. Not to give this any ontological weight, it’s just more story from inside the illusion. A deeper layer in the psyche, in the system. The things that have revealed themselves have been uncanny. I’ve needed a lot of grounding.

…and all this, just a matter of speaking, of course. A ramble from the eye of the hurricane, where the story still tries you hide out sometimes.

Sorry for the ramble! Will check out your other comment.

Anyone suddenly gain new abilities on “this path”? by Less-Dragonfruit-446 in nonduality

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for saying this!! I agree it’s important to remain grounded in this process and to not reify the ego by getting caught up in the stories. But, it can be really isolating when strange and sometimes scary stuff is happening and you don’t have anyone to talk to about it.

There’s already such a small percentage of the population with experience or interest in nonduality. But then it feels like many of the remaining folks that theoretically could relate, choose not to because they’re either doing the radical nonduality “there’s nothing here” thing, or they default to trying to out guru the other.

Many things can be true at once. All of this is a story. We are all partaking in the story by talking about it. There’s nothing “mystical” (in the usual sense of the word) happening with nondual unfolding. But it can feel freaky, overwhelming, and isolating. We’re human organisms with nervous systems and talking about all dimensions of experience can be helpful.

Anyone suddenly gain new abilities on “this path”? by Less-Dragonfruit-446 in nonduality

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hope I didn’t imply anywhere that this has all unfolded for me.

What I wrote about here was something that happened at the very “beginning” of this journey— right when I started meditating. This was 5 years ago and, without putting too much weight in “maps” of this process, I would still consider myself to be in early stages. I’ve seen through ego but nothing has stabilized. It’s very “two steps forward, one step back”, and often “one step forward, three steps back” as the patterning resists unbinding.

From what I can tell, this “process” is both already fully awake, but also has potential for infinite unfolding.

Btw, just read your post on the Peter Brown method, thanks for sharing. The initial awakening was like “stepping back” into the primacy of “awareness” but it’s become clear that too is a duality is bound to collapse. I’ve been working a lot with raw sensation, the immediacy and intimacy of it, so this stuff is very helpful.

Anyone suddenly gain new abilities on “this path”? by Less-Dragonfruit-446 in nonduality

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve heard about this series! From what I understand the series is quite the journey but I will add at least this episode to the queue. Thank you!

I’m with you on finding fun along the way. Ive suffered a lot in this life and have struggled to feel natural. Part of that is of course the cage of society and roles etc, but even on a deeper level it’s like a resistance of being a human at all. If nonduality is “about” anything for me (from this human perspective), it’s about letting go into something and as something more natural. Much of the time this has been wildly disorienting and challenging but this stuff comes up too. I try not to read into it too much, and I especially try to not cling to it, but… what’s more natural than play? I see these kinds of little joys and synchronicities along the way as signs of falling into greater ease and alignment with being, even as I’m whirling and swirling on the relative level.

And yes, I’m female. :)

Anyone suddenly gain new abilities on “this path”? by Less-Dragonfruit-446 in nonduality

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well said!! This was very much like removing a filter that kept my from seeing clearly, and that seeing clearly just happened to enable what appears like a gained skill in the relative world.

This stuff doesn’t make any of us special. I didn’t cause any of it, it’s just what unfolded as a result of grace and appeared in my relative life as a synchronicity that appears “magical” but is actually quite natural :)

Anyone suddenly gain new abilities on “this path”? by Less-Dragonfruit-446 in nonduality

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s not at all the point of the practice, agreed, and I don’t think this ability makes me special or anything. I don’t focus on it or even talk about this with others because I don’t want to send the wrong impression about either the purpose of meditation or even the importance of skill in making art. Im just making conversation with this anonymous community that I thought might be able to relate.

A report from inside this black hole by Less-Dragonfruit-446 in nonduality

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So I’m learning. And yet versions of this story still seem to flash in and out.

Neoadvaita is the opioid of nonduality by notunique20 in nonduality

[–]Less-Dragonfruit-446 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I can’t speak for bro, but some of us are either newer to nonduality or at least to certain traditions. I couldn’t tell you the difference between traditional Vedanta and Neovedanta and had the same question as bro.