There’s no inconsistency at all from where I’m sitting.
You might think I’m an idiot who chooses whatever belief I can mock up to suit my fancy.
On the flip side, it’s a humility that I don’t know anything. The questions and answers I’m finding have eluded spiritual traditions, religions and philosophers for thousands of years, and will never have any clear answers probably ever.
There’s also the deep understanding that pretty much everything is a lie.
What I do do, is look for the best truths I can find with all the evidence I can get, looking as deeply as I practically can.
The ‘facts’ that I’ve come up with are consistent with the latest neuroscience, and the oldest spiritual traditions. That there is no free will, there is no self, this is all an illusion.
Similarly, they also say there is no self, and everything is one.
You might quote Richard, but this is a niche philosophy that flies in the face of current neuroscience, and the oldest spiritual traditions. I can respect your views and wouldn’t dream of disdaining or dismissing them. I would ask that you do the same for me, if it was important to me, but it isn’t. I’m more than happy for you to completely disagree (with the latest neuroscientific discoveries and the oldest spiritual traditions ;)).
Actual Freedom indeed isn’t for me, nor is Basic Freedom. What is for me is the enduring principles such as happy and harmless, appreciating and enjoying this moment of being alive, and Srinath’s insight about caring as a key part of the process.
Similarly, enlightenment isn’t for me, and what is for me is a philosophy that’s consistent with that process that also gives me a feeling of non resistance, and even solace and peace.
Enlightenment is a long search based on contraction, so is AF/BF which to me is based in resistance to what is and wanting change from feelings, to a constant PCE. It is indeed a worthy goal for many, but not my shtick. Might change if I see more people jumping over to BF/AF like Geoffrey’s success was an inspiration for Srinath.
For me, I’ll leave the enlightenment search to others, whilst I continue in my non resisting, accepting, peaceful, even blissful way as much as I can, and accept the downs with as much equanimity as I can.
And I’ll leave the BF/AF search to others, whilst I continue to live it’s core principles of happy and harmless, appreciating and enjoying this moment of being alive and genuine caring as best as I can. Which might be a lot more than other people on the forum might be doing. But it’s not a competition. I just want to do justice to it in my own way.
PCE’s might be a journey, but again, from a place of exploration. I saw Srinath overjoyed at hitting a jhana early in his practice, and I wondered what the fuss was about? I’ve had multiple close to PCE experiences, maybe a significant proportion on drugs. But I’ve don’t feel the need to feel that way again.
Ups and downs. I’m more than happy to live with them.
Most people on the search for enlightenment and AF/BF absolutely hate feelings and the feeling being. I’m more than happy to live with the feeling being for the rest of my life.
So yes, Actual Freedom or enlightenment definitely isn’t for me. But practically using their principles to become a better human to myself and more than that, others, definitely IS.