Desperately seeking the truth

[Seeker]

I am absolutely intent of finding enlightenment, contacting God or whatever you wish to call it. For years now I have been reading and studying spiritual texts, both contemporary and ancient, but I have failed to begin a spiritual practice for a number of reasons:
1. I can't find the equivelents of many of the practices described in books or the older texts don't say how something is accomplished (ex. The Zohar, Kabbalah's text, tells you you have accomplished your goal if you see lights on the back of your eyelids but it doesn't say how to get there.)
2. There are a lot of "New Age" charlatans and I am worried about the accuracy of the information I'm getting.
3. There are a lot of former hippies in my area and I am concerned I'll inadvertedly join a cult.

Advice?

[monkey]

Don't believe anything you don't experience, but never loose faith that something you haven't experienced can't exist.

[scramasax57]

this is a pretty general question. we're not priests or philosophers. but i'd say the best way to find enlightenment or happiness is to not look for it. pursue perfection in one thing, for example martial arts, and happiness will come to you on its own accord.

[Patbirder]

Hi Seeker,

Good luck in your quest. I like Monkey's response to this eternal quest of so many over time. Maybe you should be skeptical enough to avoid the charlatans yet open-minded enough to be able to prove it to yourself that what you are experiencing is true.

take care,

[Inga]

seeker, you've had some great advice already. may i also add, i would recommend that you take your years of reading and research and use some introspection to sense what you feel most drawn too, what feels right. to believe that we control our own destiny is one thing, to believe that god/gods/fates control/steer our future is quite another. that may be a starting point for you. once you decide which path holds the most comfort or sense of truth for you then start to focus on that. find like minded individuals, continue to read, surf the net, etc. you can stop yourself at any time, if you feel this is not the right connection for you. if you are insightful enough to be concerned about being 'lured' into something negative at the start of your journey (your example being "a cult") than you are likely to avoid such a trap. our lives, we hope, are long and take many diverse directions, keep following your heart, your head will keep you from serious danger. and if you make a mistake, that is part of the learning process, an answer in itself.

[Walter Wong]

Something I think about is when life gets really hard and presents some real challenges or if you seek these challenges & difficult tasks be it they are physically or emotionally tough or both, then the hardness and bitterness of life usually helps one to see the deeper meaning of life granted if they have an open mind and strong will and spirit. Without an open mind, strong will and spirit, then individuals without those qualities that face hardness usually crumble easy and will have no insight to deeper meaning of life and everything in this universe.

Of course next to open mind, strong will/spirit, the mind must be objective and unbiased or unopinionated. Because in the end no one's opinions matter. Opinions have no effect on what's real and true.

Those that have very little to nothing and do more things with themselves have a realistic and deeper insight into life than those who have alot and do little to nothing with themselves.

Find your truth through things that are not easy and challenges you.

Of course this is my opinion.
And opinions in the end aren't worth more than dust.

"I think, therefore I am."

[Dvivid]

All great advice. To begin a practice toward this goal, you should meditate. The best guide I have found for the physiological part of this training is this book:
http://store.yahoo.com/ymaa/qigmedembrea.html


One of the best books on the mental, or psychological part of this training is this book:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0865473994/sr=8-1/qid=1145381739/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-5873156-8220702?%5Fencoding=UTF8


Da Mo, or Bodhidharma, is the Buddhist monk who is known for bringing Buddhism to China from India, and also who brought 'internal cultivation' to Shaolin Temple.

YMAA schools teach Qigong and meditation from this lineage. It is important to realize that Qigong was once a vital part of sitting meditation, but it has been lost over time, and often now people train sitting meditation with no knowledge of Qigong techniques. Dr. Yang is working to inform people of this ancient information.

The next step for the physical part of meditation training, once you've built a foundation of embryonic breathing, is taught in this book:
http://store.yahoo.com/ymaa/qimeb.html

I am not suggesting Dr. Yang's books because I work at YMAA. I suggesting them because I too am very interested in the subject of true enlightenment, and I have found Dr. Yang's approach to be the most practical and true. That is WHY I work at YMAA.

[BaguaMonk]

Meditate, clear your mind, but most importantly, DO not detatch yourself from everything that IS life. Experience life to its fullest from an open mind, and open heart. Lot of grief, lot of happiness, analyze all of it, and put the pieces together. Watch movies, read books, feed yourself spiritually, put all the pieces together. And one day you might, if not this lifetime, maybe next one.

[tim 1 mc]

Bruce Lee's quotation in Enter The Dragon:In that The Finger.

Now i must go back to him that sent me.

Terrance

[The Possible Human]

"Enlightenment" won't be found by desperately searching for it through the teachings of other people. Many would contend that it doesn't exist at all, and that is stems from a cultural pressure to be special. I am of the firm belief that only you can enlighten yourself. You can learn from other's examples, and drills may indeed provide some solace, but enlightenment will never be found by strictly adhering to another's system.

The original Yogi had nobody to teach him Yoga. Buddha was not the disciple of a buddhist monk. Tai Chi was created by a man. It was not handed down from the heavens. These people allowed themselves to be shaped by their experiences and knowledge gained, which in turn allowed them to find their own way. You must do the same for yourself. Don't belittle yourself. You have every capacity to be as great as these others.