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MOTH
Wild Woman


Registered: 06/06/03
Posts: 23,431
Loc: In the jungle
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"Making it out" and moving forward
#3499148 - 12/14/04 06:12 PM (19 years, 2 months ago) |
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How do you know if you'll be able to make it out of the continuous cycle of life and death?
I don't subscribe to that particular belief entirely, but I find a lot of validity in it.
I'll probably get "you won't be able to know," answers, which is okay. I was just thinking about it and decided to ask anyway to hear what people said.
For instance, it seems like everytime I make some headway in my life, I always stumble and take steps backwards instead of forewards. How do I learn to always go "forwards?" Will I be able to do that in this lifetime, or will it take another one, or several? Or could it happen in this lifetime after all? I guess it all depends on me, but knowing my track record that doesn't give me a lot of confidence.
I just wish I could always move forward and never look back and never stumble. Is that even possible?
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vampirism
Stranger


Registered: 03/14/04
Posts: 8,120
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Re: "Making it out" and moving forward [Re: MOTH]
#3499583 - 12/14/04 07:19 PM (19 years, 2 months ago) |
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That's a hard answer. Some turn to dogma, some to religion, some to their other poison of choice - sports/politics w/e. What I've cautiously found true for myself in terms of doing that is what I've read of Mayan astrology/religion/weird science or whatever it should be called. Don't really know what to say, but maybe this will help you ( if your birthdate in your profile is correct ):
http://www.astrodreamadvisor.com/M_blue_elec_monkey.html
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ninjapixie
newbie


Registered: 02/06/04
Posts: 417
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Re: "Making it out" and moving forward [Re: MOTH]
#3500338 - 12/14/04 08:50 PM (19 years, 2 months ago) |
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Move forward to what? What is this goal you're moving forward to?
If there is no goal, you're forward movement may as well be circular.
-------------------- Put that monkey back in the oven.
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MOTH
Wild Woman


Registered: 06/06/03
Posts: 23,431
Loc: In the jungle
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Re: "Making it out" and moving forward [Re: ninjapixie]
#3500500 - 12/14/04 09:12 PM (19 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
ninjapixie said: Move forward to what? What is this goal you're moving forward to?
If there is no goal, you're forward movement may as well be circular.
Well, that's what it feels like right now, heh.
My main goal that all my smaller goals stem from is to be able to have discipline and focus in my life. It seems like the harder I try at it, the more chaotic I become.
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MOTH
Wild Woman


Registered: 06/06/03
Posts: 23,431
Loc: In the jungle
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Re: "Making it out" and moving forward [Re: vampirism]
#3500506 - 12/14/04 09:13 PM (19 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Morrowind said: That's a hard answer. Some turn to dogma, some to religion, some to their other poison of choice - sports/politics w/e. What I've cautiously found true for myself in terms of doing that is what I've read of Mayan astrology/religion/weird science or whatever it should be called. Don't really know what to say, but maybe this will help you ( if your birthdate in your profile is correct ):
http://www.astrodreamadvisor.com/M_blue_elec_monkey.html
That's scarily accurate.
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ninjapixie
newbie


Registered: 02/06/04
Posts: 417
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Re: "Making it out" and moving forward [Re: MOTH]
#3500612 - 12/14/04 09:26 PM (19 years, 2 months ago) |
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Perhaps you can try be more chaotic as you seem to get the opposite of what you try to achieve. 
I really don't have a major goal in my life. I just go day by day, taking things as they come, not planning ahead too much. To me this circular life is fine as it is with its ups and downs.
-------------------- Put that monkey back in the oven.
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Divided_Sky
Ten ThousandThings

Registered: 11/02/03
Posts: 3,171
Loc: The Shining Void
Last seen: 15 years, 8 months
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Re: "Making it out" and moving forward [Re: ninjapixie]
#3500725 - 12/14/04 09:41 PM (19 years, 2 months ago) |
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The Buddhist explanation for enlightenment/cessation is that our mental karma determines the realities we encounter. Our longstanding bad habits make us cling to life and death so we can't escape them. By correcting the bad habbits and mistaken beliefs that make us cling to the cycle of life and death you can create the cause to exist in a reality without death or suffering.
-------------------- 1. "After an hour I wasn't feeling anything so I decided to take another..." 2. "We were feeling pretty good so we decided to smoke a few bowls..." 3. "I had to be real quiet because my parents were asleep upstairs..."
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Divided_Sky
Ten ThousandThings

Registered: 11/02/03
Posts: 3,171
Loc: The Shining Void
Last seen: 15 years, 8 months
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Re: "Making it out" and moving forward [Re: Divided_Sky]
#3500875 - 12/14/04 10:06 PM (19 years, 2 months ago) |
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I might add, I believe these are the best goals: 1. Developing compassion towards all living beings 2. Ending selfishness and selfish attachment 3. Learning to control your mind 4. Direclty realizing that all suffering is illusion 5. Developing the capacity to see things for what they really are 6. And most important, dedicating your life to helping end the suffering of all living things as well. These are the goals of a Bodhisattva, a superhero-like person whose purpose is to attain Enlightenment in order to free all living beings from suffering.
-------------------- 1. "After an hour I wasn't feeling anything so I decided to take another..." 2. "We were feeling pretty good so we decided to smoke a few bowls..." 3. "I had to be real quiet because my parents were asleep upstairs..."
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