You are very right and I'm very thankful for this UA-cam - I almost didn't play it because of the title - but you possess that rare honesty which is the heart of wisdom ! - thank you - I look forward to hear more of your UA-cams.
Hi Darryl, I'm the one you're speaking about (the one who had the psychotic break and made all his videos private). As you may have seen on my other channel about half a year ago, I started to fall into the "enlightenment/fundamentalist non-duality" trap again, and I started believing again that I was on my way to self-realization/enlightenment and that my mental/emotional afflictions were simply a part of the process. I have finally started to come to my senses again, this time I hope for good, and I have begun to realize that I have been wasting my time with spirituality and that my life would be much better if I simply dropped it all and started being my regular, human, so-called "ignorant" egoic self again. I tried so intensely to dissociate from my mind and body and emotions, and instead of becoming enlightened, I developed intense OCD, memory loss, intense anxiety, nihilistic depression, and chronic depersonalization (and, of course, delusions of grandeur related to all the "spiritual enlightenment experiences" I was having). I have recently stopped meditating or doing any kind of spiritual practice, and I have been making a strong effort to come back into identification with my psychological self. I must say, even though it's very difficult because I have so many mental issues as a result of my obsessive disidentification path, I'm feeling a lot better and a lot more "normal" these days. I'm finally starting to feel like my regular old self again. I hope I don't fall into the trap of becoming a delusional spiritual seeker again.
Thank you Darryl! I feel the same as you. I have been listening to Tony Parsons talks and felt i was loosing the things i love after hearing his talks. I can't let go of attachments like my love ones and love ones that past. To keep it simple, I need my pain, it makes me know what life is about. Thanks for your help, I was going down the path that I do not want.
what I got from nonduality is that im not me (the organism) but im the awareness of the organism(roughly speaking). I cannot put a label on myself because then Ive mistaken myself for something else. Im not my body or my thoughts because I can label them as seperate so I must be something else, the awareness. Scary at first but then you get use to feeling that you arent in control of anything, as thou you were a program language that is self programming without limitation. I chose to believe the program created itself and were just software in the big piece of hardware in a way of speaking. (I've put this all in words that a non detached person can understand.) im detached with attachment, and thats good enough for me. put a label on the truth and its a lie, so just know that you cant know it.
Daryl- I also wrote the same on your blog as well. It’s been a pleasure to discover you. I have listened to majority of your clips on UA-cam about enlightenment and spirituality. I think you are spot on about the unnecessary holiness that is attached to the realization and life “after”wards. No doubt, “gurus” propagating such notions have hurt more than helped humanity as it has gone on for ages Now, in one of your videos you were commenting on how majority of modern day non-duality teachers cater to middle class Westerners and how predictable it has become; “teacher” sits in a chair at the head of “class” with a glass of fresh water and a flowers next to him/her and answers questions Or some have a couch and and address questions in a very therapy like setting by calling the questioner up and have them sit on the couch. I remember you spoke about Lisa Cairns a bit (I know there are few others in the similar category) but my question is around Rupert Spira. I know you mentioned his name in passing but I wanted to see what your opinion was on other more seasoned teachers. If you could please elaborate and expand on what are your views, It will be much appreciated. In other words, how should one go about sharing what Self-Realization is or can and how it will impact the apparent life? Thanks
I have been on the spiritual path for many years and love your videos and outlook. All i can say for sure is I live in a Paradox, My human part suffers like crazy, My Soul Part is always fine and free. Spot on video Darryl
Watched a few of your vids.Yes spot on with this one, I believe.Many try so hard to find something that is just not there, acceptance and just move on, its as simple as that.
How I understand things .. One is the presence and the presence needs an avatar to function in this life. Who you have become is your avatar, but it's an avatar created by others through conditioning. Once you realize this, a new avatar could emerge.. An avatar that realizes it's an avatar.
one can be too attached to anything, even non duality or spirituality...the fact that what Carnes presents angers you can indicate that you are too attached to YOUR understanding of non duality.
I was curious as you have a more ‘earthy’ approach to non duality. When you mentioned Lisa Cairns, I couldn’t help smiling... we agree on that for sure!😉
Lots of people are looking for something to take away suffering. They use religion..drugs...alcohol...wotever....its an escape. I find its best to feel the agony, go through it and come out the other side. Not everyone is strong enough to do this. As for some of the other non duality vid makers on utube ( mentioning no names) they look like they are suffering greatly to me. Passionate video Darryl!
I value the work and the videos Darryl that you share. Regarding Lisa its the listening that I bring to her talks that brings value. I get out of the way and listen her from where she is coming from. Without getting out of the way I have the same opinions that you have . Its a slight distinction but listening contextually can bring forth a new possibility.
This is really refreshing to hear. I find Non Duality fascinating but have been sickened to hear some of the things so many of the so-called teachers say. In Zen Buddhism there is a thing called Zen Sickness. This is when someone has a realisation which is only partial. The Master would on these occasions take action to eradicate this "sickness", sometimes even by beating it out of them! I believe that many Non Duality teachers have had only a glimpse of enlightenment and are not actually fit to teach. I recall one "teacher" saying casually "It does'nt matter about saving the whale". That says it all. Thanks.
Hi Darryl, not sure how I came across your video as im no longer down the rabbit hole - aka - on the spiritual path. Ha. I believe people who are on the spiritual path or people who are 'seeking' are missing the whole point of being alive and being enlightened etc.. I for one, am someone who suffered for years on the spiritual path until I realized 'this seeking was the very thing causing my suffering' and once i truely realized this, my suffering ended and i managed to crawl my way out of the rabbit hole. Anyway, I just want to say something about this video if you don't mind, and all videos like this (relating to the whole spiritual path, whatever the topic etc) The way I see it is this; 2 lives are never the same, hence 2 circumstances are never the same, meaning certain teachings should not be taken to literally mean 'for everyone' etc.. It's a fact that a child going through a rough time won't benifit from hearing someone preach 'let go of the self and you'll be ok' etc.. and I do not think for a minute that any teacher would disagree with that. I think alot of these spiritual teachers are refering to people who are mentally suffering due to everyday idle attachements. (Aka, the ones causing their own suffering) The average person brings on their own mental suffering by seeking and desiring something else other than the NOW!!!! But if someone is locked up getting tortured, then i think it's pretty obvious that they will go through some sort of suffering. And i think everybody on the planet understands that. So, baring that in mind, If i were you i wouldn't get too caught up and get worked up when you hear certain teachings that you don't neceassarily agree with etc. Instead, maybe just assume it's aimed at the average person who is going to work but suffering because he hasnt got the latest iphone or a faster car, or the newest trainers etc... (most of spiritual teachings are FOR these types of people; The ones who are not getting tortured and have the ABILITY to live, but don't, due to actions of their own, like wanting, rather than appreciating etc... I hope ive kinda made sense. I only commented because I saw how worked up and passionate you were about certain subjects. When maybe, it's not necessary. Anyway, Ive not watched any other vids as I don't need to, but good luck on your path.
I have heard that many people have misapprehended Non-duality teachings and used them as a way of evading Morality and natural law. Actions still have consequences even if only for the natural conscience, or the body.
Fred is fair. I used to listen to him, and I probably agreed with about 80% of what he says. I judge spiritual teachers in two ways: (1) Are they projecting a false persona? (2) Are they realistic about the slings and arrows of life? Fred scores high on the first point, above average on the second.
Very interesting video! There are two categories of people when it comes to non-duality->Those who are "awake" and are in fact living from that non-dual space and those who "know about" non-duality. If you've just read books on the topic, you could certainly adopt the idea of non-attachment and dissociation to become a psychopath or a repressed individual. In other words, I believe you can adopt "behaviors" associated with awakened people but in fact not be living it one bit. This is like reading about something as basic as sex and not actually having experienced it. I don't know about Lisa Cairns, but intentions do matter. For example, you could shave your beard or put on fashionable clothes to attract attention to feel good about yourself based on the compliments etc. OR you could do all those things just 'cause you enjoy looking good and even if nobody were on the planet you would do those things. I agree that giving advice like "There's nobody there/Suffering is just a story" is not helpful though. I also agree that pain should be acknowledged and attempts be made to relieve it. I'd be interested in finding out what Garry means by not being attached to his daughter. He could mean something different or not.
Just like there can't be wave without water, there can't be body-mind-intellect without Existence-Consciousness. Duality can't be denied...but realizing non-duality is possible. Body-mind-intellect required.
I think this is a great video, and I have some disagreements/quibbles, but I'm not sure how to articulate them. From my view, It's always ego who wants to be free from the difficulties of being human. You hope to be free from fear because you're afraid of what will happen if you live in fear. To me, non-duality is always about recognizing one's true nature directly, now. Are you the little human, the oneness of materiality, or the underlying emptiness? The answer is that you're the whole thing. It's not either/or, it's that you're the human being subjectively, and the underlying oneness, and the spaciousness that allows that to come into being. Non-duality is not deny our humanness, but to see "the big picture" as clearly as we can in each moment. If I encountered a victim of rape, I would offer sympathies and try to be warm towards them. I would only ask them questions like "who was it who was raped?" if they showed me that they had suffered enough and were willing to inquire on the root of that suffering. It may seem harsh, but I know of people who have made tremendous breakthroughs being asked similar questions by teachers. The directness of the question was necessary for them to wake up to the fact they had been unconsciously perpetuating the suffering from their past trauma. Nonduality is not about avoiding the human quality of life; it's about experiencing that realm with enough understanding so that you're not locked into living out the same traumas day after day. In my experience, the ego has been what sucks the vitality and fun out of experience. With recognizing the truth, as clearly as "I" can see in this moment, awareness opens to itself, which is beyond any conception the ego has about what's going on. A deeper intelligence comes into play in determining the responses of the human and a deeper enjoyment is possible. In the example of Gary Weber, I'm not sure that I can be totally critical of his brand of spirituality. I don't know how free anyone should be. Perhaps people with varying degrees of clarity/attachment are all equally necessary for the advancement of overall clarity and wisdom. Maybe we need the Gary Webers of the world and the libertines who live a life of material excess. Perhaps Gary giving up the attachment to his daughter's actually was a good thing for him and his daughters. In other videos I've seen, he talks about how he thinks he has become a better father as a result. Externally, he comes off as a bit of a unconcerned bore, but he talks about his experience being very sweet and kind, not like some kind of nihilistic indifference. What seems like insanity from one view may be a deep insight for another. Just some thoughts.
Darryl what's being said in these videos is not non duality. The closest videos on non duality are those by Tony Parsons, Jim Newman, Andeas Muller, Kenneth Madden and Richard Sylvester. Non duality ultimately doesn't exist but these guys are about as close can be said to an approximate discription.
How on Earth can you say one person describes something that you say doesn't exist incorrectly, or better than some other description? That confuses me.
Darryl Sloan I think ‘singular’ is impossible, nothing gives to something else, rather, all relations are production. Non-duality is the acknowledgement of how binaries fail to be one or the other, reality and experience, subject and object, mind and matter, they are impossible without their relation to each other. Dependent Origination is very much akin to Dialectical Monism - which sees all as a whole which is necessarily expressed as separation. Panentheism is also worth a look at here as well. A simpler way to express to DO is ‘there is a cloud floating in this piece of paper’ - it’s a thinking of encounter, relation, differences and accidents, even, the space in between, rather than essences, identity, objects, things or substances. It’s also a thinking of presence and absence.
An American Band Highly Suspect " My name is human song" (I Love the band. ) Non Duality if I attempt to kill you would you give in?..no you are an animal ... Non Duality .(Point is "You have built in survival instincts...why ?...when you don't think you sense a duality).. I love your writings they are intellectual. If you are the universe (TAO) then you are here . If you are the universe playing a game with itself.... .play the game... realize it is a game...but you are still in the game!!!! .....partially to figure out what is you and partially to live , love ,suffer Not to be attached to your daughter emotionally seems to me like death ..Non Duality...."Spirituality for bored affluent western people" (Exactly!) For the people who feel enlighten by non duality help the people who are to poor to think about anything but their next meal! It can't hurt you take it as a test of your non attachment look at suffering help ....and see if you are attached ...there is a difference between enlightenment and selfishness. There is the universe and there is a flow and like an ant we are part of that flow. I think you are on point here !!!!! "I am taking my chances!" and living! (Thanks great video!!)
If there is only one Consciousness why am "I" not aware of "your" thoughts? Do you think "other people's minds" are just an illusion of Consciousness? Will or did Consciousness experience all humans and animals ever existed one by one?
How do you think karma relates to this topic? If nothing can exist without its polar opposite to define it, then even a starving child in Africa isn't suffering by chance. That negative state would simply be the trough of a wave that also has a crest. Saying that suffering is random seems to indicate that it can exist independently of everything else. How can it be possible to have JUST a state of suffering? If you want to experience relief then you must also experience fear. While experiencing the fear it would feel as though you did not want it but how else would the feeling of relief take place? Saying that something bad could happen to you at any time depicts the self as being a voluntary organism navigating a random and stupid environment. The environment is only as random as the person's game requires it to appear so that order can exist. From the perspective of the ego, the order and chaos are in opposition. From the perspective of the ground of being, the order and chaos are dancing together.
Determinism projects an image of the world as being ruled by blind forces that are indifferent to conscious experience. I don't think this is the same as the karmic view of the world. What differentiates between doing and happening? If there is no isolated self then there is nothing external to DO something to and there is nothing external that DOES something to you. This also goes hand in hand with the idea that linear time is an illusion. Viewing the past as a compelling force is the same kind of illusion as viewing the external world as a compelling force. If we experience the world as egos, then this isn't just a psychological idea that has no bearing on our experience of reality. It literally means that we are experiencing the world as isolated egos in a very real way and that if we took a different point of view, we would actually experience it differently. Not that experiencing it differently is better, but that it's possibility is meaningful when studying the nature of reality. How can you be externally compelled/forced into an experience if there is nothing outside of yourself? Wouldn't an unpleasant experience simply be the contrast that allows a pleasant experience to happen and vise versa?
Non-duality is pursued because people want suffering to cease. That’s exactly right. Sure, it is hard to have this mindstate when you feel your own suffering keenly. A non-dualistic mindstate is a rarity, it’s literal enlightenment. It can’t be imparted by some mere words as much as ‘individual’ effort. Although, there are records that say the Buddha gave one teaching and his first bikkhus were enlightened hastily, but who can say how accurate that is? It’s an idealistic philosophy that works in theory. In any case, I for one subscribe to it because if I did not, I would not be able to take the emotional pain of this world and the pain would consume me. What other answer is there? You say that this kind of mind-state is psychopathy, it takes the vibrancy out of life. What is wrong with those things? What is wrong with not feeling pain at the loss of one who is familial like a daughter? To make it ideal for someone to feel pain in any situation opposes the motivation for one to seek a non-dualistic mind-state and is internally inconsistent in that case. But then we can discuss the concept that pain tends to be alleviated by the acceptance of pain. Which in itself is a rabbit hole that may not be quite relevant to this discussion.
Leading edge observations suggest that the mind is within the brain. Consciousness does not equal mind. I think you are trying to say that there is no evidence that consciousness can exist without a brain. Let me ask you, are the skin flakes you drop constantly you? Are your arms you? What if I take them away? Are you still you? And what if I take away your thoughts and feelings? Do you still exist? And what if I take away all but your brain, heart and lungs that somehow miraculously function, is that you? What about if there is the brain left, is that you? What if I pull the brain into many little pieces, is that still you? The idea here is that a "you", an "I" does not exist as they are commonly conceptually believed to. The idea is that oneself is a thing that is constantly changing from moment to moment. All of the things that one might think of to be themselves are not in fact "them". Everything is just one thing. Darryl pointed this out in the video: what oneself is considered to be is this loose thing that is constantly changing. You can't define where the borders of you are. So then, the question of if the mind exists in the brain becomes completely not relevant.
+Coras Ⓥ all your senses flow to your brain , which controls the mind , if I was only a brain in a bucket , that wouldn't be me. If the brain is damaged , i believe it wouldn't have a mind. I understand we are all one with the nature of everything, however that is not consciousness, a rock has no consciousness , as far as I can tell , consciousness is a function of a highly evolved organism with a brain at its center.
"To seek escape from this because it hurts is irrational" - Seeking escape from pain is the most natural and human tendency there is. To pretend you are okay with suffering is a dangerous form of denial.
Hey Darryl, Bryan Lake here, from my other channel. It's been a while. I've missed your videos since I abandoned imyouandurme. Sometimes, just for a laugh, I think about what it would be like to actually start my own church and organize my own religion. You would obviously have to create some sort of religious doctrine. Then, you would also be expected to "preach" in some capacity. When I think about that, I can't help but see the great danger of that situation... People would inevitably come to you for "answers" and expect you to provide "the solution" to their problems. If you think about it, that's the real reason people are attracted to religion. They want to win life, and solve the problem of suffering once and for all. IT CAN'T BE DONE! Of course, if that was your big Sermon on the Mount, you would have a big empty church and a very unpopular religion.
This type of teaching reminds me of Christian Science dogma which also happens to be favored amongst predominantly bored affluent westerners. Thankfully that religion is shrinking in numbers. Sure, we'd all like to feel that we have control over outcomes but as Darryl so eloquently explained, life just isn't like that. Another thought: how would people with that mindset like to encounter medical professionals in the ER with the same mindset? I have so many thoughts on this. Indeed it is dangerous.
You are making a valid point. I don't buy these ideas too, it has many philosophical issues. Everything can and will be used for exploitation/ weaponization in a modern day age that we live in. Back in the day there was a very influential "A Course in Miracles" that was basically a neo-Christian spin on New Age ides of Non-duality and Eastern Mysticism. It was pushed as an MKULTRA cut-out. Now we have this guy for example riding the same wave and cashing in on it: medium.com/@bescofield/tech-bro-guru-inside-the-sedona-cult-of-bentinho-massaro-a56314f830ef
1. The Stockholm Syndrome, where you can derive pleasure from pleasing your oppressor would imply that it works during real suffering. 2. Why couldn't a benevolent God be in control, even if that still ended up in bad things happening to you? Is it about this shallow existance on earth or the life to come?
The life I believe is to come, when it's all said and done and all the dead are resurrected and some face eternal life and others the second death and final destruction (to my current understanding). Either way, what do I know, I know so little, as does all of humanity. So it's maybe simplest (and thusly frowned upon) to just trust in a benevolent God that knows what He (it?) does. We can lean upon mans understanding or we can lean onto faith in something much greater. To each their own. If this life is all there is to it then it's utterly pointless in my view. I guess that's why I'm a borderline anti-natalist.
I'm a believer at best, a christian at worst. Christianity is a religion and religion is often a faithless tradition of man. Traditions of man aren't highly appreciated in biblical terms. Also indeed, mortality is great, for to live is Christ and to die is gain. But this life, it's all vanity. All but love of one another and the love of God is vanity, as Ecclesiastes points out very well.
It's hard for me to believe that you would ever waste your time watching a video by Lisa Cairns. She's fake. I remember the guy who's name you were trying to think of. I can't remember his name either, but it seemed like he was making videos while he was almost hopeless. It kind of looked like he lived out of an actual shack. If I think of the name I'll let you know.
![Rick Roderick on The Masters of Suspicion [full length]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4wetwETy4u0/mqdefault.jpg)
You are very right and I'm very thankful for this UA-cam - I almost didn't play it because of the title - but you possess that rare honesty which is the heart of wisdom ! - thank you - I look forward to hear more of your UA-cams.
Hi Darryl, I'm the one you're speaking about (the one who had the psychotic break and made all his videos private). As you may have seen on my other channel about half a year ago, I started to fall into the "enlightenment/fundamentalist non-duality" trap again, and I started believing again that I was on my way to self-realization/enlightenment and that my mental/emotional afflictions were simply a part of the process. I have finally started to come to my senses again, this time I hope for good, and I have begun to realize that I have been wasting my time with spirituality and that my life would be much better if I simply dropped it all and started being my regular, human, so-called "ignorant" egoic self again. I tried so intensely to dissociate from my mind and body and emotions, and instead of becoming enlightened, I developed intense OCD, memory loss, intense anxiety, nihilistic depression, and chronic depersonalization (and, of course, delusions of grandeur related to all the "spiritual enlightenment experiences" I was having). I have recently stopped meditating or doing any kind of spiritual practice, and I have been making a strong effort to come back into identification with my psychological self. I must say, even though it's very difficult because I have so many mental issues as a result of my obsessive disidentification path, I'm feeling a lot better and a lot more "normal" these days. I'm finally starting to feel like my regular old self again. I hope I don't fall into the trap of becoming a delusional spiritual seeker again.
Good to hear from you, Shawn, and glad that you are in a better place now.
Thank you Darryl! I feel the same as you. I have been listening to Tony Parsons talks and felt i was loosing the things i love after hearing his talks. I can't let go of attachments like my love ones and love ones that past. To keep it simple, I need my pain, it makes me know what life is about. Thanks for your help, I was going down the path that I do not want.
what I got from nonduality is that im not me (the organism) but im the awareness of the organism(roughly speaking). I cannot put a label on myself because then Ive mistaken myself for something else. Im not my body or my thoughts because I can label them as seperate so I must be something else, the awareness. Scary at first but then you get use to feeling that you arent in control of anything, as thou you were a program language that is self programming without limitation. I chose to believe the program created itself and were just software in the big piece of hardware in a way of speaking. (I've put this all in words that a non detached person can understand.) im detached with attachment, and thats good enough for me. put a label on the truth and its a lie, so just know that you cant know it.
What are your thoughts on Fred Davis?
Daryl- I also wrote the same on your blog as well.
It’s been a pleasure to discover you. I have listened to majority of your clips on UA-cam about enlightenment and spirituality. I think you are spot on about the unnecessary holiness that is attached to the realization and life “after”wards. No doubt, “gurus” propagating such notions have hurt more than helped humanity as it has gone on for ages Now, in one of your videos you were commenting on how majority of modern day non-duality teachers cater to middle class Westerners and how predictable it has become; “teacher” sits in a chair at the head of “class” with a glass of fresh water and a flowers next to him/her and answers questions Or some have a couch and and address questions in a very therapy like setting by calling the questioner up and have them sit on the couch. I remember you spoke about Lisa Cairns a bit (I know there are few others in the similar category) but my question is around Rupert Spira. I know you mentioned his name in passing but I wanted to see what your opinion was on other more seasoned teachers.
If you could please elaborate and expand on what are your views, It will be much appreciated. In other words, how should one go about sharing what Self-Realization is or can and how it will impact the apparent life?
Thanks
Nice important original and compelling......want a bit of personal story just out of curiosity...no website?
I have been on the spiritual path for many years and love your videos and outlook. All i can say for sure is I live in a Paradox, My human part suffers like crazy, My Soul Part is always fine and free. Spot on video Darryl
Watched a few of your vids.Yes spot on with this one, I believe.Many try so hard to find something that is just not there, acceptance and just move on, its as simple as that.
How I understand things .. One is the presence and the presence needs an avatar to function in this life. Who you have become is your avatar, but it's an avatar created by others through conditioning. Once you realize this, a new avatar could emerge.. An avatar that realizes it's an avatar.
one can be too attached to anything, even non duality or spirituality...the fact that what Carnes presents angers you can indicate that you are too attached to YOUR understanding of non duality.
Hi Darryl, I was interested in purchasing your books! Can you point me to where I can find them? Thanks so much for all your work! Love it!
I’d be really interested to know your views on Robert Adams the American teacher.
I was curious as you have a more ‘earthy’ approach to non duality. When you mentioned Lisa Cairns, I couldn’t help smiling... we agree on that for sure!😉
Lots of people are looking for something to take away suffering. They use religion..drugs...alcohol...wotever....its an escape. I find its best to feel the agony, go through it and come out the other side. Not everyone is strong enough to do this. As for some of the other non duality vid makers on utube ( mentioning no names) they look like they are suffering greatly to me. Passionate video Darryl!
I value the work and the videos Darryl that you share. Regarding Lisa its the listening that I bring to her talks that brings value. I get out of the way and listen her from where she is coming from. Without getting out of the way I have the same opinions that you have . Its a slight distinction but listening contextually can bring forth a new possibility.
Many thanks. Great video.
This is really refreshing to hear. I find Non Duality fascinating but have been sickened to hear some of the things so many of the so-called teachers say. In Zen Buddhism there is a thing called Zen Sickness. This is when someone has a realisation which is only partial. The Master would on these occasions take action to eradicate this "sickness", sometimes even by beating it out of them! I believe that many Non Duality teachers have had only a glimpse of enlightenment and are not actually fit to teach. I recall one "teacher" saying casually "It does'nt matter about saving the whale". That says it all. Thanks.
Hi Darryl, not sure how I came across your video as im no longer down the rabbit hole - aka - on the spiritual path. Ha. I believe people who are on the spiritual path or people who are 'seeking' are missing the whole point of being alive and being enlightened etc.. I for one, am someone who suffered for years on the spiritual path until I realized 'this seeking was the very thing causing my suffering' and once i truely realized this, my suffering ended and i managed to crawl my way out of the rabbit hole.
Anyway, I just want to say something about this video if you don't mind, and all videos like this (relating to the whole spiritual path, whatever the topic etc)
The way I see it is this; 2 lives are never the same, hence 2 circumstances are never the same, meaning certain teachings should not be taken to literally mean 'for everyone' etc..
It's a fact that a child going through a rough time won't benifit from hearing someone preach 'let go of the self and you'll be ok' etc.. and I do not think for a minute that any teacher would disagree with that.
I think alot of these spiritual teachers are refering to people who are mentally suffering due to everyday idle attachements. (Aka, the ones causing their own suffering)
The average person brings on their own mental suffering by seeking and desiring something else other than the NOW!!!!
But if someone is locked up getting tortured, then i think it's pretty obvious that they will go through some sort of suffering. And i think everybody on the planet understands that.
So, baring that in mind, If i were you i wouldn't get too caught up and get worked up when you hear certain teachings that you don't neceassarily agree with etc.
Instead, maybe just assume it's aimed at the average person who is going to work but suffering because he hasnt got the latest iphone or a faster car, or the newest trainers etc... (most of spiritual teachings are FOR these types of people; The ones who are not getting tortured and have the ABILITY to live, but don't, due to actions of their own, like wanting, rather than appreciating etc...
I hope ive kinda made sense. I only commented because I saw how worked up and passionate you were about certain subjects. When maybe, it's not necessary.
Anyway, Ive not watched any other vids as I don't need to, but good luck on your path.
I have heard that many people have misapprehended
Non-duality teachings and used them as a way of evading
Morality and natural law. Actions still have consequences even
if only for the natural conscience, or the body.
What do you think of fred davis?
Fred is fair. I used to listen to him, and I probably agreed with about 80% of what he says. I judge spiritual teachers in two ways: (1) Are they projecting a false persona? (2) Are they realistic about the slings and arrows of life? Fred scores high on the first point, above average on the second.
Very interesting video! There are two categories of people when it comes to non-duality->Those who are "awake" and are in fact living from that non-dual space and those who "know about" non-duality. If you've just read books on the topic, you could certainly adopt the idea of non-attachment and dissociation to become a psychopath or a repressed individual. In other words, I believe you can adopt "behaviors" associated with awakened people but in fact not be living it one bit. This is like reading about something as basic as sex and not actually having experienced it. I don't know about Lisa Cairns, but intentions do matter. For example, you could shave your beard or put on fashionable clothes to attract attention to feel good about yourself based on the compliments etc. OR you could do all those things just 'cause you enjoy looking good and even if nobody were on the planet you would do those things. I agree that giving advice like "There's nobody there/Suffering is just a story" is not helpful though. I also agree that pain should be acknowledged and attempts be made to relieve it. I'd be interested in finding out what Garry means by not being attached to his daughter. He could mean something different or not.
did you use motion interpolation on your video? wondering how at 480p the motion is so accurate.
Just like there can't be wave without water, there can't be body-mind-intellect without Existence-Consciousness. Duality can't be denied...but realizing non-duality is possible. Body-mind-intellect required.
I think this is a great video, and I have some disagreements/quibbles, but I'm not sure how to articulate them. From my view, It's always ego who wants to be free from the difficulties of being human. You hope to be free from fear because you're afraid of what will happen if you live in fear. To me, non-duality is always about recognizing one's true nature directly, now. Are you the little human, the oneness of materiality, or the underlying emptiness? The answer is that you're the whole thing. It's not either/or, it's that you're the human being subjectively, and the underlying oneness, and the spaciousness that allows that to come into being. Non-duality is not deny our humanness, but to see "the big picture" as clearly as we can in each moment.
If I encountered a victim of rape, I would offer sympathies and try to be warm towards them. I would only ask them questions like "who was it who was raped?" if they showed me that they had suffered enough and were willing to inquire on the root of that suffering. It may seem harsh, but I know of people who have made tremendous breakthroughs being asked similar questions by teachers. The directness of the question was necessary for them to wake up to the fact they had been unconsciously perpetuating the suffering from their past trauma.
Nonduality is not about avoiding the human quality of life; it's about experiencing that realm with enough understanding so that you're not locked into living out the same traumas day after day. In my experience, the ego has been what sucks the vitality and fun out of experience. With recognizing the truth, as clearly as "I" can see in this moment, awareness opens to itself, which is beyond any conception the ego has about what's going on. A deeper intelligence comes into play in determining the responses of the human and a deeper enjoyment is possible.
In the example of Gary Weber, I'm not sure that I can be totally critical of his brand of spirituality. I don't know how free anyone should be. Perhaps people with varying degrees of clarity/attachment are all equally necessary for the advancement of overall clarity and wisdom. Maybe we need the Gary Webers of the world and the libertines who live a life of material excess. Perhaps Gary giving up the attachment to his daughter's actually was a good thing for him and his daughters. In other videos I've seen, he talks about how he thinks he has become a better father as a result. Externally, he comes off as a bit of a unconcerned bore, but he talks about his experience being very sweet and kind, not like some kind of nihilistic indifference. What seems like insanity from one view may be a deep insight for another. Just some thoughts.
Darryl what's being said in these videos is not non duality. The closest videos on non duality are those by Tony Parsons, Jim Newman, Andeas Muller, Kenneth Madden and Richard Sylvester. Non duality ultimately doesn't exist but these guys are about as close can be said to an approximate discription.
How on Earth can you say one person describes something that you say doesn't exist incorrectly, or better than some other description? That confuses me.
What are your thoughts on Dependent Origination?
Darryl Sloan I think ‘singular’ is impossible, nothing gives to something else, rather, all relations are production. Non-duality is the acknowledgement of how binaries fail to be one or the other, reality and experience, subject and object, mind and matter, they are impossible without their relation to each other. Dependent Origination is very much akin to Dialectical Monism - which sees all as a whole which is necessarily expressed as separation. Panentheism is also worth a look at here as well.
A simpler way to express to DO is ‘there is a cloud floating in this piece of paper’ - it’s a thinking of encounter, relation, differences and accidents, even, the space in between, rather than essences, identity, objects, things or substances. It’s also a thinking of presence and absence.
+Ontic Philosophy Forum it is not impossible. singular is the only true reality. truth is singular but not physical since physical is dual.
Deep misunderstanding here Darryl, Study Tony parsons, or Jim Newman.
An American Band Highly Suspect " My name is human song" (I Love the band. )
Non Duality if I attempt to kill you would you give in?..no you are an animal ... Non Duality .(Point is "You have built in survival instincts...why ?...when you don't think you sense a duality).. I love your writings they are intellectual. If you are the universe (TAO) then you are here . If you are the universe playing a game with itself.... .play the game... realize it is a game...but you are still in the game!!!! .....partially to figure out what is you and partially to live , love ,suffer
Not to be attached to your daughter emotionally seems to me like death ..Non Duality...."Spirituality for bored affluent western people" (Exactly!)
For the people who feel enlighten by non duality help the people who are to poor to think about anything but their next meal!
It can't hurt you take it as a test of your non attachment look at suffering help ....and see if you are attached ...there is a difference between enlightenment and selfishness. There is the universe and there is a flow and like an ant we are part of that flow. I think you are on point here !!!!!
"I am taking my chances!" and living! (Thanks great video!!)
If there is only one Consciousness why am "I" not aware of "your" thoughts? Do you think "other people's minds" are just an illusion of Consciousness? Will or did Consciousness experience all humans and animals ever existed one by one?
There is one energy field, but many forms manifest through the field, we are all fractals of the one.
How do you think karma relates to this topic? If nothing can exist without its polar opposite to define it, then even a starving child in Africa isn't suffering by chance. That negative state would simply be the trough of a wave that also has a crest. Saying that suffering is random seems to indicate that it can exist independently of everything else. How can it be possible to have JUST a state of suffering? If you want to experience relief then you must also experience fear. While experiencing the fear it would feel as though you did not want it but how else would the feeling of relief take place? Saying that something bad could happen to you at any time depicts the self as being a voluntary organism navigating a random and stupid environment. The environment is only as random as the person's game requires it to appear so that order can exist. From the perspective of the ego, the order and chaos are in opposition. From the perspective of the ground of being, the order and chaos are dancing together.
Determinism projects an image of the world as being ruled by blind forces that are indifferent to conscious experience. I don't think this is the same as the karmic view of the world. What differentiates between doing and happening? If there is no isolated self then there is nothing external to DO something to and there is nothing external that DOES something to you.
This also goes hand in hand with the idea that linear time is an illusion. Viewing the past as a compelling force is the same kind of illusion as viewing the external world as a compelling force.
If we experience the world as egos, then this isn't just a psychological idea that has no bearing on our experience of reality. It literally means that we are experiencing the world as isolated egos in a very real way and that if we took a different point of view, we would actually experience it differently. Not that experiencing it differently is better, but that it's possibility is meaningful when studying the nature of reality.
How can you be externally compelled/forced into an experience if there is nothing outside of yourself? Wouldn't an unpleasant experience simply be the contrast that allows a pleasant experience to happen and vise versa?
I think you could check out Night Sky Sangha, they're on here and on Facebook. Perhaps you could dialogue?
Lisa Cairns is fun although i do agree. I wonder if she is fully awake.
She is illiterate, people with limited vocabularies have limited thought.
Non-duality is pursued because people want suffering to cease. That’s exactly right. Sure, it is hard to have this mindstate when you feel your own suffering keenly. A non-dualistic mindstate is a rarity, it’s literal enlightenment. It can’t be imparted by some mere words as much as ‘individual’ effort. Although, there are records that say the Buddha gave one teaching and his first bikkhus were enlightened hastily, but who can say how accurate that is? It’s an idealistic philosophy that works in theory. In any case, I for one subscribe to it because if I did not, I would not be able to take the emotional pain of this world and the pain would consume me. What other answer is there? You say that this kind of mind-state is psychopathy, it takes the vibrancy out of life. What is wrong with those things? What is wrong with not feeling pain at the loss of one who is familial like a daughter? To make it ideal for someone to feel pain in any situation opposes the motivation for one to seek a non-dualistic mind-state and is internally inconsistent in that case.
But then we can discuss the concept that pain tends to be alleviated by the acceptance of pain. Which in itself is a rabbit hole that may not be quite relevant to this discussion.
I believe the mind/consciousness is a product of the brain. I haven't seen any evidence of a mind existing without a brain.
Leading edge observations suggest that the mind is within the brain. Consciousness does not equal mind. I think you are trying to say that there is no evidence that consciousness can exist without a brain. Let me ask you, are the skin flakes you drop constantly you? Are your arms you? What if I take them away? Are you still you? And what if I take away your thoughts and feelings? Do you still exist? And what if I take away all but your brain, heart and lungs that somehow miraculously function, is that you? What about if there is the brain left, is that you? What if I pull the brain into many little pieces, is that still you? The idea here is that a "you", an "I" does not exist as they are commonly conceptually believed to. The idea is that oneself is a thing that is constantly changing from moment to moment. All of the things that one might think of to be themselves are not in fact "them". Everything is just one thing. Darryl pointed this out in the video: what oneself is considered to be is this loose thing that is constantly changing. You can't define where the borders of you are. So then, the question of if the mind exists in the brain becomes completely not relevant.
+Coras Ⓥ all your senses flow to your brain , which controls the mind , if I was only a brain in a bucket , that wouldn't be me. If the brain is damaged , i believe it wouldn't have a mind. I understand we are all one with the nature of everything, however that is not consciousness, a rock has no consciousness , as far as I can tell , consciousness is a function of a highly evolved organism with a brain at its center.
"To seek escape from this because it hurts is irrational" - Seeking escape from pain is the most natural and human tendency there is. To pretend you are okay with suffering is a dangerous form of denial.
Hey Darryl,
Bryan Lake here, from my other channel. It's been a while. I've missed your videos since I abandoned imyouandurme.
Sometimes, just for a laugh, I think about what it would be like to actually start my own church and organize my own religion. You would obviously have to create some sort of religious doctrine. Then, you would also be expected to "preach" in some capacity. When I think about that, I can't help but see the great danger of that situation...
People would inevitably come to you for "answers" and expect you to provide "the solution" to their problems. If you think about it, that's the real reason people are attracted to religion. They want to win life, and solve the problem of suffering once and for all.
IT CAN'T BE DONE!
Of course, if that was your big Sermon on the Mount, you would have a big empty church and a very unpopular religion.
Nice, agree on most😊
I still don't understand what "duality" or "non duality" means..can you or anyone else explain it ...preferably in mono syllables!
Not sure if I understand that but I will check out your video on "Non-duality is not a theory" for further clarification. Thanks for replying.
This type of teaching reminds me of Christian Science dogma which also happens to be favored amongst predominantly bored affluent westerners. Thankfully that religion is shrinking in numbers.
Sure, we'd all like to feel that we have control over outcomes but as Darryl so eloquently explained, life just isn't like that.
Another thought: how would people with that mindset like to encounter medical professionals in the ER with the same mindset? I have so many thoughts on this. Indeed it is dangerous.
You are making a valid point. I don't buy these ideas too, it has many philosophical issues. Everything can and will be used for exploitation/ weaponization in a modern day age that we live in. Back in the day there was a very influential "A Course in Miracles" that was basically a neo-Christian spin on New Age ides of Non-duality and Eastern Mysticism. It was pushed as an MKULTRA cut-out. Now we have this guy for example riding the same wave and cashing in on it:
medium.com/@bescofield/tech-bro-guru-inside-the-sedona-cult-of-bentinho-massaro-a56314f830ef
This dude is better understood then eckart tolle." Imo
Lol i also saw the gary weber comment! Dont know how to take it...
1. The Stockholm Syndrome, where you can derive pleasure from pleasing your oppressor would imply that it works during real suffering.
2. Why couldn't a benevolent God be in control, even if that still ended up in bad things happening to you? Is it about this shallow existance on earth or the life to come?
The life I believe is to come, when it's all said and done and all the dead are resurrected and some face eternal life and others the second death and final destruction (to my current understanding).
Either way, what do I know, I know so little, as does all of humanity. So it's maybe simplest (and thusly frowned upon) to just trust in a benevolent God that knows what He (it?) does.
We can lean upon mans understanding or we can lean onto faith in something much greater. To each their own.
If this life is all there is to it then it's utterly pointless in my view. I guess that's why I'm a borderline anti-natalist.
I'm a believer at best, a christian at worst.
Christianity is a religion and religion is often a faithless tradition of man.
Traditions of man aren't highly appreciated in biblical terms.
Also indeed, mortality is great, for to live is Christ and to die is gain.
But this life, it's all vanity. All but love of one another and the love of God is vanity, as Ecclesiastes points out very well.
The universe is duality
Follow your blisters not your bliss
It's hard for me to believe that you would ever waste your time watching a video by Lisa Cairns. She's fake. I remember the guy who's name you were trying to think of. I can't remember his name either, but it seemed like he was making videos while he was almost hopeless. It kind of looked like he lived out of an actual shack. If I think of the name I'll let you know.
I meant to say homeless not hopeless in my original comment, but we are generally on the same page either way.
This guy works in a school