What is the most practical way to lessen ones ego and attain enlightenment or awakening?

[psychoslice]

Yeah. I tend to go around the bush to make my point. At least you got it.

What I'm really saying is the goal, journey, and tradition are the enlightenment. They aren't stepping stones (or how you said long ago-um--supports until one finds their way to drop everything). These things Are the people who believe in them.

While enlightenment is with you without all extra things. Enlightenment is in Christian Joe, Buddhist Jane, and Vodouist Bob in their future, present, and past traditions. They aren't stepping stones nor replacements.

I guess everyone has their way of recognizing that they already have enlightenment. Not everyone who knows they already have it lives it without their practice or belief.

Yes after one is Self Realized, they may continue in their practices, whatever that practice, and again they have no choice but to do what they must do, compassion comes through when one is truly enlightened, or Self Realized, these are the Gurus, those who shine and reflect their truth upon others, they are like the lighthouse in the storm.

 

[Subhankar Zac]

Reading the Mahabharata Unabridged.

Will take 10 years to finish the text and 15 years more to understand it.
It's more than 5800 pages in English.

 

[YmirGF]

Will take 10 years to finish the text and 15 years more to understand it.
It's more than 5800 pages in English.

Then again, one could simply accept the notion that there is far more to personality than one has ever allowed themselves to previously imagine. Simply being open to the idea might generate unexpected results that may compel the individual to continue the journey down the rabbit hole of inner reality. You don't need a guru. You just need to trust your experience and yourself. The journey is its own reward... and there is no "enlightenment", as there is no end to the journey and that can indeed be enlightening...

 

[Subhankar Zac]

Then again, one could simply accept the notion that there is far more to personality than one has ever allowed themselves to previously imagine. Simply being open to the idea might generate unexpected results that may compel the individual to continue the journey down the rabbit hole of inner reality. You don't need a guru. You just need to trust your experience and yourself.

A very good point.
Afterall, gurus didn't help the Buddha. It was his own determination

 

[Aupmanyav]

Will take 10 years to finish the text and 15 years more to understand it.
It's more than 5800 pages in English.

Perhaps that is the problem. I read Srimad Bhāgawat Purāna in my childhood some 1,000 pages or so, in Hindi, published by Gita Press, small print, with beautiful images, I would say max in a month, before I turned 12 or so. Remember the stories and images even now (I am 73). Of course, understood it many years later. I fortunately still have the book with me.

 

[wizanda]

What is the most practical way to lessen ones ego and attain enlightenment or awakening?

Psychedelics....That's why many religions have shamanic roots.

 

[1AOA1]

Based on your beliefs, what would you say?

Each lifestyle has its own fruits.

 

[HonestJoe]

Explore, experiment, read, write, listen, learn, love, laugh.

 

[sayak83]

Will take 10 years to finish the text and 15 years more to understand it.
It's more than 5800 pages in English.

Will take 10 years to finish the text and 15 years more to understand it.
It's more than 5800 pages in English.

Well, you could try the abridged one first.
But if you are looking to read an unabridged one, here's a the one I would recommend.
Guess what it has 10 volumes exactly. One volume a year. Hee hee.

 

[Subhankar Zac]

Well, you could try the abridged one first.
But if you are looking to read an unabridged one, here's a the one I would recommend.
Guess what it has 10 volumes exactly. One volume a year. Hee hee.

Between classes, homework, gym, going out... I doubt it will help.
I need a quicker way... Maybe I'll try the buddhist way... Intense meditation in a quiet place but with incense and music

 

[sayak83]

Between classes, homework, gym, going out... I doubt it will help.
I need a quicker way... Maybe I'll try the buddhist way... Intense meditation in a quiet place but with incense and music

Be forewarned though. The Sutta compendium is even bigger than the Mahabharata.

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

Then again, one could simply accept the notion that there is far more to personality than one has ever allowed themselves to previously imagine. Simply being open to the idea might generate unexpected results that may compel the individual to continue the journey down the rabbit hole of inner reality. You don't need a guru. You just need to trust your experience and yourself. The journey is its own reward... and there is no "enlightenment", as there is no end to the journey and that can indeed be enlightening...

There is of course no enlightenment, but there are significant--sometimes dramatic--bursts of insight that inevitably occur on the endless journey. I observe that there is some necessity in their occurrence in this fashion, as a homogenous uninterrupted stream of insight seems inherently nonsensical. In addition, there are occurrences of a kind of "apocalyptic" insight in which seemingly every fragment of previous identity is vaporized or changed somehow.

 

[YmirGF]

There is of course no enlightenment, but there are significant--sometimes dramatic--bursts of insight that inevitably occur on the endless journey. I observe that there is some necessity in their occurrence in this fashion, as a homogenous uninterrupted stream of insight seems inherently nonsensical. In addition, there are occurrences of a kind of "apocalyptic" insight in which seemingly every fragment of previous identity is vaporized or changed somehow.

Being your perennial little s***, I agree with the exact wording here. I stress seemingly because it is no more radical that a child becoming a teen or a teen becoming an adult. The personality remains intact, but the contents of that personality are usually quite enhanced compared to the former persona.

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

Being your perennial little s***...

This must be an inside reference. Are you sure you didn't mean "postprandial"?

 

[allfoak]

Based on your beliefs, what would you say?

(Except converting to other religions or accepting someone as my savior, all thoughts and views are welcome)

This idea of lessening the ego i think is a misunderstanding.
While it is clear that we are not who we would like to be, getting rid of who we are does not seem to make much sense to me.

If i am correct in thinking that what must happen is that we need to transform who we are into something new, rather than lesson, ignore or get rid of our ego, then this saying in the Gospel of Thomas would be the way in which it is to be done.

Gospel of Thomas
saying 22
Jesus saw infants being suckled. He said to his disciples, "These infants being suckled are like those who enter the kingdom."
They said to him, "Shall we then, as children, enter the kingdom?"
Jesus said to them, "When you make the two one, and when you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below, and when you make the male and the female one and the same, so that the male not be male nor the female female; and when you fashion eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a likeness; then will you enter the kingdom."

 

[YmirGF]

This must be an inside reference. Are you sure you didn't mean "postprandial"?

I meant it in an anally retentive manner, lol. The masked word was "snot", but I decided to self-sensor it. It was a mood thing.