Right Livelihood

[Michael Hawkins]

Hello friends,

I've been updating and reworking my website, and thought you may be interested in checking it out:

astro-jhana.weebly.com/index.html

On the "Consultations" page, I've reduced prices and added verbiage around not wanting to turn anyone away for lack of money. I am very interested in working with as many folks as possible during these chaotic times, so do please let me know if you'd like to step into the alchemical crucible with me....

Much love,
Michael

[jhananda]

Congratulations, Michael, on making yourself available to those seeking wise guidance. I noticed for myself that leading a rigorous, self-aware, ethical, contemplative life not only led to ecstatic altered states of consciousness, but those ecstatic altered states of consciousness led to intuitive, revelatory, insight. Since you use oracles in your counseling service, would you agree that your rigorous, self-aware, ethical, contemplative life not only led to ecstatic altered states of consciousness, but intuitive, revelatory, insight?

[Michael Hawkins]

This think that my daily contemplative practice, Jeffrey, puts me in a more constant state of ease, and this then leads to deeper states of reflection, which connect me with things like intuition, revelation and insight. I do think I've become more "present" over the years, more able to meet the other person in the moment.

[jhananda]

Well, finding that a daily meditation practice that produces jhana every time we meditate has produced a constant state of ease, has led to deeper states of reflection, which connect us with intuition, revelation and insight for both of us. So, why has no other Buddhist priest or meditation teacher has found this? And, why was I marginalized for such a finding? It suggests we are on to something that mainstream Buddhism has lost track of. Now, you would think that a whole lot sincere seekers of liberation and enlightenment would check us out, but they have not. Does that mean that there are very few sincere seekers of liberation and enlightenment? I think so.

[Nick]

Jeffrey,
Regarding lack of sincere seekers; I suspect the great difficulty here is breaking free from collective mentalities and deciding for oneself what is or is not a path to enlightenment or liberation. Throughout history it seems the movement of what most in the know contemplatives recognize as enlightened activity, did not correspond to a very large initial movement. I conclude we are very much like herd animals, and instinctively fear breaking off on our own, only those who are consumed with longing, thirst and a iron resolution to fulfill this in the divine seem to break through. Even then a fulfilled seeker could still be caught in the lesser snares, one who goes all the way to the other shore is indeed rare.

[jhananda]

I have much to agree with you Nick. I would say that since mainstream religion has lost track of its contemplative roots, then most people are just misdirected by religion mistakingly believing that their priest, minister, rabbi, bhikkhus, lama, etc. understands his own religion. But, it turns out not to be true.