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Waking Up
-Sam Harris - Coggle Diagram
Waking Up
-Sam Harris
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Chapter Four: Meditation
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Meditation has no "goal". There is no "thoughtlessness" to create, no particular mind-state to achieve
In fact, having a "goal" actually detracts from the experience, as it only serves to reinforce the fact that there is something to escape from, some future state to be achieved through effort
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There are many known benefits to meditation, seemingly regardless of the "technique" or "school" applied
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Gradual realization of non-duality, though easier to teach and begin practicing, can take years and leave many students confused. Sudden, however, can seem overly steep and leave students unable to grasp.
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Chapter Five: Gurus, Death, Drugs, and Other Puzzles
Gurus
Beware false gurus, even if they believe themselves to be true
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"magic" of any kind, especially that which influences large-scale events
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Any sign of deceit for personal gain on the part of the guru should throw his credibility into question
Think of the SEALS - they are put through what would normally be considered torture, but they are consenting and able to quit without resistance at any point. This is not true of cults.
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Drugs like LSD, Ecstasy, Psycocillibin (Magic Mushrooms), under the right circumstances, can provide experiences very similar to enlightenment.
These are uncontrollable, though and prone to the potentiality of "bad triips". But, so is spiritual awakening if done "wrong"
"If LSD is like being strapped to a rocket, meditation is like slowly opening a sail"
Meditation and spiritual awakening should be under the same scrutiny as science - sound thought and provable theories
Once one has realized the there is no separate self, all one must do is remind themselves. This is more difficult than it sounds, which is why we must meditate and practice regularly
Near-Death Expereinces
None recorded can provide any recollection or recount of their experience while the brain had no activity, and thus is very subject to the brain's normal functions
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Conclusion
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People seem to be of the opinion that religion offers something that would be "missing" without it. This is simply not true.
Until we can talk about spirituality in rational terms - acknowledging the validity of self-transcendence - our world will remain shattered by dogmatism.
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Consciousness is never improved or harmed by the experiences it comes to know - only our feelings, thoughts, interpretations, and beliefs are
The conventional self is a transitory experience among transitory appearances, and it vanishes when looked for
The sense that we are unified subjects - the unchanging tinkers of thoughts and experiencers of experience - is an illusion
Yes, the cosmos is vast and appears indifferent to our mortal schemes, but every present moment of consciousness is profound. In subjective terms, each of us is identical oto the very principle that brings value to the universe. Experiencing this directly - not merely thinking about it - is the true beginning of a spiiritual life
We are always and everywhere in the presence of reality. Indeed, the human mind is the most complex and subtle expression of reality we have thus far encountered. This should grant profundity to the humble project of noticing what it is like to be you in the present. However numerous your faults, something in you at this moment is prisitine - and only you can recognize it. Open your eyes and see.