May I introduce the highest Buddist practice?

[Britkit28]

Can we just say that almost everyone seems clueless?

It seems that way, because we are projecting our own unacknowledged character traits onto other people.

Thus Jung's shadow.

This is precisely why we are here to focus on self. We are not designed to concern ourselves with someone else's journey and can never truly know their progress. To go against this design brings negativity and is backwards. By focusing on self and making the highest choices, you automatically affect others in a positive way.

By the way, I do not agree that almost everyone seems clueless. We are all at our own stage and I cannot possibly know the line between genius and cluelessness in it's true context for another individual. There is light everywhere and in everyone. It's difficult to remember this, but challenges continually arise until we do.

[ps24eva]

Back to the subject of this thread, Buddhism agrees with Robert Bruce, and the Dalai Lama, that the goal of practice is to become a better person through knowing yourself. This directly leads to Buddhahood. If you don't believe me, research the emotional obscuration to Buddhahood.

Therefore I encourage everyone to read some psychology textbooks. I prefer Jungian psychology myself.

If you understand how your psyche works, then you I think you have taken some steps up the spirtual staircase.

To know youself is to know the Divine.

[Britkit28]

Back to the subject of this thread, Buddhism agrees with Robert Bruce, and the Dalai Lama, that the goal of practice is to become a better person through knowing yourself. This directly leads to Buddhahood. If you don't believe me, research the emotional obscuration to Buddhahood.

Therefore I encourage everyone to read some psychology textbooks. I prefer Jungian psychology myself.

If you understand how your psyche works, then you I think you have taken some steps up the spirtual staircase.

To know youself is to know the Divine.

That is interesting because I was under the impression that the topic of this thread was thogal and rainbow body...

It occurred to me when I was a girl that I was not able to use my psychic ability on myself, but only on others. This lead me to an interesting concept. If I were able to use my abilities on myself, I would be far less likely to use it as a tool to help others. We are to use what we remember and know to reach out to others. It's not just for self, but for connecting and remembering. We are already one and part of Infinite Spirit (everything and nothing). You climb the highest peak only to find there is nothing there because it was always in you. There is nothing to find, and nothing to escape from. It is in our loving efforts towards one another that we remember who we are. This is not a law, it is a shared realization that crosses all religions and boundaries. We all have this and we have always been.

In any case, not wishing to go back and forth, Tom and Timotheus I thank you once again for such wonderful posts. They have provided much insight, and I especially appreciate the way that your posts are not completely cloaked in ego, but rather provide good food for thought.

[Britkit28]

PS. I suppose this is where Kabbalah and Buddhism differs. We are not taught that we are the Divine, but rather we are of the Divine, just as a child is of its parent. They are one, but not one in the same. I believe there was a similar quote from Jesus saying something to the effect of, "I am of the Father, but the Father is not of me"... At least I think that's how it goes. I'm not sure how much this matters, but I do find the difference quite interesting.

[Tom]

By the way, I do not agree that almost everyone seems clueless. We are all at our own stage and I cannot possibly know the line between genius and cluelessness in it's true context for another individual. There is light everywhere and in everyone. It's difficult to remember this, but challenges continually arise until we do.

Really. If you find someone you think is not clueless, just ask that person's parents and you will immediately be informed of every clueless thing this person has ever done. Or their spouse. Or their children. Their neighbors. Their boss. Their employees. The teachers they had growing up. The kids who went to school with them. Just ask enough people and you will get all the dirt.

There were people who met Buddha in person who said he was just a regular guy and they didn't know why so many people were making such a fuss over him.

[Britkit28]

By the way, I do not agree that almost everyone seems clueless. We are all at our own stage and I cannot possibly know the line between genius and cluelessness in it's true context for another individual. There is light everywhere and in everyone. It's difficult to remember this, but challenges continually arise until we do.

Really. If you find someone you think is not clueless, just ask that person's parents and you will immediately be informed of every clueless thing this person has ever done. Or their spouse. Or their children. Their neighbors. Their boss. Their employees. The teachers they had growing up. The kids who went to school with them. Just ask enough people and you will get all the dirt.

There were people who met Buddha in person who said he was just a regular guy and they didn't know why so many people were making such a fuss over him.

I'm not quite sure how to respond to that because I think it's far to easy to look at someone and call them clueless or even stupid. I have been shown far too many examples in my life though of how connected we are. A clueless comment to you may be exactly what another person needs to hear to make them think differently and expand their mind, so it's not for me to say that someone is not a positive contribution to the whole when I cannot know their path and level of spirtual progress. It's all quite relative and fluid. So no, I do not agree that everyone is clueless (forgotten who we are perhaps (Kabbalah teaches that this is by choice before we are "born"), but not clueless), but it doesn't matter that I don't agree. It doesn't change anything. We can both be right or wrong and it wouldn't change a thing or make us contradictory. And I would never take what someone else says about someone as an authority on that person's spiritual level. Actions would tell me that.

The reason nobody thought Buddha was special is because he wasn't, nor was any "prophet" - coming from their own words. We're all the same and are meant to remember who we are. There is no trick to this and we needn't go to complicated classes to understand this.

[Tom]

If it is true that over 99% of Mahayana Buddhists are clueless - and I'm not saying they are - that shows the system is broken, and not the people in it.

[ButterflyWoman]

I think it's far to easy to look at someone and call them clueless or even stupid. I have been shown far too many examples in my life though of how connected we are. A clueless comment to you may be exactly what another person needs to hear to make them think differently and expand their mind, so it's not for me to say that someone is not a positive contribution to the whole when I cannot know their path and level of spirtual progress. It's all quite relative and fluid.

Exactly.