Dear Members and Lurkers:
If someone tells you there are three quick and easy steps to T/R/ or enlightenment, here is the spoiler:
Trick Number One: Don't believe them.
Trick Number Two: Don't believe them.
Trick Number Three: Don't believe Trick Number One and/or Two.
When and if you experience T/R it will almost assuredly be in an instant. That instant may follow years of hard work but those years will only appear as they truly are, a vague meaningless foggy past... of no consequence.
Well, I guess I better come up with some better ''tricks'' if I am going to dis those three. Here are my three:
Trick Number One: Breath properly
Trick Number Two: Relax
Trick Number Three: Be as aware as you possibly can to what arises, without presumptions.
No guarantees this will work for you, but what harm could possibly come from embracing them? In reality, wouldn't considerable good arise from them?
I guess that if you breathe too deeply you might get an overdose of oxygen... so you pass out. It will only be for a moment and the other riders in the subway won't even notice it. If you relax too much you could turn into a limp rag doll, but in this high tension world that might be a good thing. Being too aware could make you paranoid, but a little paranoia doesn't hurt. Maybe they real are after you.... hmmm....
Now there is one more thing in this that comes into question, is there really such a thing as T/R or Enlightenment? Permit me to come up with a silly metaphor.
You tell me that in your past you did something unusual... I'll make it up... you... you were walking in the jungle and met a famous movie star. I, temporarily distracted from an excellent cappuccino, call ''Bull s h i t''.
You, in your usual frustratingly calm demeanor (you haven't had as many caps as I) say, "Well, It doesn't really matter if you believe me or not. I have a pretty good idea of what I have experienced, you are just speculating that it didn't happen, I know it did.'' It seems that it doesn't matter to you whether I believe you are not... indeed, you don't care if I believe you.
Now, I find this quite aggravating and demand proof of what is obviously (to me) an outrageous story. To my frustration, you don't seem to give a tinker's damn what I believe. I order another cap and for good measure a shot of rum to make me feel better... doesn't work. I'm pissed at your b.s. assertion and I want you to be honest with me. I hate people who lie to me. I never lie so why should you. You didn't meet some famous who-hah in the jungle and I want to prove you are wrong. It just didn't happen, period!
Three caps and two shots later I realize my dilemma, I'm trying to prove you wrong... that's impossible... how can anyone prove a negative... I can't prove your memory is wrong... I'm stumped. But I have another idea... instead of proving you wrong I decide to prove you are right, or at least see if I can experience something that would indicate your experience was real.
I am a pretty adventurous guy, so I ask you where you met this particular ''famous'' person. You shock me a little with your cartography skills and I soon have a map in my hot little hands, granted it's written on a napkin, but a map is a map. It's not far away, so I make a point of walking that same route at least once a day. At the very least I am getting great exercise and fresh air.
And the results, absolutely nothing! However, I do seem to be happier and feeling better towards life. It appears that the energy I spent trying to prove you wrong would have been far wiser spent in trying to prove you right... and I am following your three tricks as well:
Trick Number One: Breath properly
Trick Number Two: Relax
Trick Number Three: Be as aware as you possibly can to what arises, without presumptions.
Why can't I be right... JUST FOR ONCE? It's the... darnedest.... thing.
Love ya, Jed