Seems this bears repeating:David Quinn wrote:What is personal enjoyment but the enhancement of the I-illusion (success, conquering, achievement, etc) or the temporary escaping from it (drugs, alcohol, TV, good food, etc)?mikiel wrote: Personal enjoyment is not forbidden.
What is there for an I-less individual to enhance, or run away from? Where are the foundations for his personal enjoyment?
A life of moderation is far too extreme for my liking.Happy St. Pat's Day, all. A toast to Life, Love, Enlightenment... and enjoying celebration in moderation.
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And if you think enlightenment is defined in terms of Puritan moral "virtues"... you have no idea.
If you think enlightenment requires an ascetic life, you are wrong. If you read the biographies of enlightened ones, the personal habits of most don't necessarily change much, at least not immediately. But there is an absolute freedom to change or not, as one is no longer attached to the personal programs as "set in stone."
My teacher (Joel Morwood's) favorite "character" is "Zorba the Greek" and Joel throws an annual "enlightenment day" celebration that goes beyond the limits of moderation... once a year anyway.
You could broaden your horizons... and definition of enlightenment by studying his site and the "E" material he offers.
Truth is the Universal "I" (the "I Am" in all) enjoys life as/in/through this individual infinitely more now than when "i" suffered the ubiquitious illusion of "me in here; not-me out there."
The Eastern model for enlightenment is still primarily the ascetic sadhu, but the West has a different model... the enlightened householder. The model is not important. It is the realization of this Omnipresnt Consciousness as True Identity. The result is universal love, service according to what presents itself to do, or what inspiration arises... and full-on living both in joyful mode and compassionate service to alleviate suffering.
This is Truth-as-I-know it. Others' versions of Truth may be different, but the fundamental gnosis of unity in identity with the Divine will be the same in all cases of enlightenment.
mikiel