Haha! Beautiful answer. I doubt, I understand the Schrƶdingerās cat thought experiment; feeling more inclined to embrace the poem - ahhh - but what I get from the ācatā paradox is exactly what I try to solve in my mind: a koan. I have placed my question where the vertical and the horizontal line touch and thereā¦no concept, idea, explaination feels right, questions resulting in more questions and the whole picture never completeā¦
Maybe the answer I am so desperately longing for will be revealed in a lucid dreamā¦?
Why not a regular dream? The most profound dreams I had in my life were not lucid ones.
Will tag you in a thread that shows a powerful incubation technique you can to before bed to ask your question to God/the Universe/ your higher self/ etc.
Yes Iāve told myself this at too and I do believe there is truth in it. Sometimes though I feel that at least for me it can be a cop out, a spiritual bypass. āI need to help myself before I help other people.ā Which is a valid point, but it can also lead to a life where you just work on yourself and ignore the problems in the world and the needs of people in your life. I do think engagement in the world, no matter where we are spiritually, can be helpful, as long as you renounce the fruits of your actions. This is karma yoga in the Hindu tradition, and according to the traditional Hindu classification of spiritual paths, itās one of the four ways to grow spiritually.
I think you are 100% right, the near enemy of this is spiritual bypassing. The middle way is always the best option.
Agreed. Even if it is a small engagement like donating used clothes to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, or being there for someone in a time of great need.
Its nearly impossible to completely unplug in todays world. I think this was the same conclusion the Buddha came to, when he accepted a bowl of rice from a woman, as he was starving to death. We are all connected, and all need each other.
The original meaning of āspiritual bypassingā was about bypassing personal psychological and emotional āShadowā work in favor of transcending to higher spiritual realms through meditation practices, etc. This is especially important if you have had traumatic experiences in childhood, in relationships or even in spiritual communities (and pretty much all of us on this planet have had some degree of trauma at some point). This stuff has to be worked with, not just transcended through spiritual practice. Going to therapy can be an important thing to do at that point. I also want to add that there are some newer therapies that can be very effective in moving through past trauma and involve a lot more than just ātalking it outā endlessly. Some of these therapies include such modalities as EMDR. EFT (or other āenergy psychologiesā that work with acupressure points or chakras) or Somatic Experiencing.
Andrew also highly reccommends therapy especially for issues you are stuck on. And if you are already seeing a therapist and things are going nowhere, I dont doubt he would reccommend abadoning ship and finding one that really cuts to the heart of the problem.
Sometimes when I get stuck on negative thoughts about the past, these very wise words come to mind:
Morpheus: āWhat happened, happenedā¦ā.
I think to myself not all suffering is the same, and there are infinitely painful permutations of suffering, and perhaps, the the circumstances that leas me to this point, paved the path for the least amount of suffering.
I did not want to pry about your personal life or what is causing pain, but if you are open to share there may be some insights here from folks that could help.
Even better would be to write out your Question to Andrew, that way you can ask him in the question to only read out loud the non-personal stuff, but provide the extra info privately and ask for advice and tips. The best would be to ask him face to face in the zoom so he could have a back and forth, and get clarification on the issue.
Stay strong, wishing you the best.
Very sweet wordsā¦
The last Q & A session with Andrew was in November. Does it not happen regularly? Like monthly?
(Later more.)
He does a preparing to die book club 2x a month. If you are not a member, might be helpful to try it for a month ($20), and then cancel if its not for you. The meditation videos are fantastic, highly recommend binge watching the ones Andrew leads if you become a member.
Do you have a faith based organization you belong to?
Church, temple, mosque, etc?
Asking a priest or monk for help can be hugely beneficial if you can find one with a deep connection to God.
Started during the pandemic so after 3-4 years, ended, but has kept the book club going. The same for the Monday meditations. He still answers questions during the Book Club meetigs.
I heard during one of the book club meetings that it was just in hiatus for about 6 months or so as he is busy and needed a break. I hadnāt heard it was canceled.
Hope so, but heās gotten pretty busy . . . .
Me either, but my gut tells me this might be the end of Q&A which is very unfortunate but understanable, the free Q&A was what made me sign up as a customer, and buy all his books, after he answered some deep and out there questions, one of them being on Animal Communication.
Fingers crossed
Q&A started at the beginning of the pandemic as āThe Hangoutā and about two years later became Q&A. Who else does what he does? I think weāre lucky to have access to this siteās book club & Qs, dream sharing group, lucidity group, sleep doc, meditations and other resources. Iāll be happily surprised if anything else emerges.
I agree with you 100%. Its a great reminder that nothing is permanent, and to make the most of this genius resource while he is still available. Book club might be next on the chopping block, utilize it while it lasts, and be very grateful for his time, nothing lasts forever.
The way heās going, a page at a time, maybe June 2026!
Hopefully June 2323
I have high hopes for AI and modern medicine
I agree. Iāve seen organizations offer much less for the membership price here. The legacy content justifies the price in itself much less the ongoing offerings we have access to. I really appreciate that, not having a lot of money. Dharma practice in the US seems to be something that only rich or at least well-to-do folks can afford, not people like me. Not criticizing here- I understand itās the way it has to be, and the teachers need to make a living. It does price out a lot of people from being able to access teachings though. Another symptom of the Kali Yuga I think. Thatās why I really appreciate what AH is doing here- providing a platform where people can affordably access life changing teachings.
I agree also. In the course he is doing now he said he is working on new books. One on dark retreats which should be a home run. Canāt wait to read his insights on this tried and true process.