@damienechols That has definitely been my experience brother. The change is barely noticeable in my self. Until others mention the change by stating “you’ve changed.” And my response is like, really? In what way?
All the great works—the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, the alchemical texts—are saying the same thing in different languages: be here now, fully and completely. The Kingdom of Heaven, Nirvana, the Philosopher’s Stone, enlightenment—they’re not places, objects, or afterlives. They’re states of consciousness. Presence is the Stone that transmutes lead into gold, turning the dull and painful moments of life into something luminous. Presence is the key to immortality because when you’re fully in the now, you’ve stepped outside time—and what’s outside time cannot die. Presence heals because most suffering is self-inflicted through resistance and regret. When you stop splitting yourself between yesterday and tomorrow, the wound closes. You become whole.
If it’s that simple, why do the Work? Because simple isn’t easy. The mind is conditioned to live anywhere but here. Trauma, distraction, and craving keep us running in circles. Alchemy, meditation, martial arts—these are just tools to retrain the nervous system, to build the strength to hold presence without squirming to escape. The Diamond Sutra says the Dharma is like a raft—you use it to cross, then you burn it. Presence is the other shore. Stop chasing symbols. Live what they meant. Start now.
“Remember all ye that existence is pure joy; that all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass & are done; but there is that which remains.” The Book of the Law.
@IAO131 I wasn’t aware that many claim that. Strange. I’ve take the test a few times over the years and always come up with INTP. But I don’t see life as rigid as that. More like a spectrum. I know people who are very introverted, but get them in the right settings and they blossom.
@Gorgon_Katie I hope everyone is okay. Can you elaborate on some of the misinformation? I know there’s a ton going around but as always it’s hard to figure out what is what. Thank you!