I suppose what I should have said and meant was that there is a lot of confusion about what enlightenment means.Walker wrote: ↑Tue Apr 10, 2018 7:55 amAre you referencing a bad experience, or are you speaking about observation of others?DAM wrote:“Genuine seekers look beyond the appearances to that which lies behind the observer. They want to make direct contact with their true self, which is not found in churches or from those BS spiritual retreats offering instant enlightenment.”
I went to one only once, although there was no talk of enlightenment. I simply went to get verification from a great teacher, for what had happened to me, because no one had adequate answers. I knew from their answers that they did not know what I knew. I had to go pretty far as he travels a lot around the world and his physical presence is brief and scarce for my means. So, I found the teacher and all my questions were answered, mostly in silence. Miracles happened afterwards. One involved vision, for a time my myopia was gone. For some time afterwards, I received teachings in dreams that were not like ordinary dreams in their vividness and clarity. I've learned teachings in his tradition of knowledge that explained what happened to me, but I'm not a teacher or representative. It's why there's no mention of specifics.
I think maybe you need no verification.
I’ve gathered that you’re satisfied with what you know.
If we attend the retreats in the hope of becoming enlightened we are going to be very disappointed.
A good teacher will point that out anyway, the teacher will say something along the lines of...(there is no one to become enlightened.. there is no separate ''me'' to become enlightened, and that my friends is what enlightenment means.)
It means the dissolving of the separate 'me'...the 'me' doesn't become enlightened, the 'me' dies, the 'me' doesn't get anything out of this at all, it's a losing game with a twist... ..the 'me' is lost, and all that's left is the everything. And that everything is already enlightened.
I personally have never attended a retreat, nor have I followed any specific teacher. I'm totally self taught, I deconstructed myself alone when I instinctively knew I did not exist as I thought I did. So even if I did go to a retreat, it would only be to listen to my own heart with the desire to just sit in silence with that. I wouldn't be there to gain some knowledge,or ask any questions, because for me, I'd already know what the teacher is talking about.
I also received teachings in dreams that were not like ordinary dreams in their vividness and clarity like you...This happened once I'd become open enough to receive the information.We are conduits for this information, we are the channel for what ever information we are ready to hear and will hear it depending upon how open we are to receiving it.
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