Comments on: Tom Stine – Spiritual Awakening – Consciousness – Adyashanti

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:46:33 +0000

This was good, Michelle. You had some great questions and Tom Stine had some thoughtful observations. I especially liked your question about enlightenment…”Why do we want to get there? What’s the benefit?” and Tom’s response: something in us just needs the answer…our circumstances at that moment in time urge us toward it. Beautiful.

Loved the wrap…go with the flow…reminded me of the difficulty of learning to turn on skis…I always wanted to choose the moment to turn instead of allowing/listening to the moment to turn informing me.

Thanks.
Cynthia

By: Irene

Irene — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:10:51 +0000

Lovely interview, Michelle! Great questions, flow, and charm.

Tom,
Fascinating food for thought when you mentioned that we are working not toward making a better me but about clearing out the stuff that makes me think I’m a me in the first place. So timely for what I’m currently learning. Thank you.
Blessings,
Irene

By: Tom Stine

Tom Stine — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:43:57 +0000

@Corinne I’m really glad that what I write and speak resonates so well with you. You are right: I can’t really condemn anything, even those things that at first blush seem so “off” in the spiritual world. One woman’s garbage is another woman’s path to God. I seem to recall an “enlightened guy” who said his path to awakening was 20 years of cocaine and alcohol! Not a path I would recommend, but it worked for him at least. Be well.

@Bob Nice to have your comments. Thanks! It seems to me that the spiritual teacher is always in the position of the blind men examining the elephant. We can’t do much better than describe some aspect of what you’ve experienced, even though in the case of the spiritual teacher he has experienced the entire elephant! Words will never be able to describe the totality. As Adyashanti likes to say, his job is merely to “fail well.”

@Patricia I’m glad this little interview was so helpful to you. If I may be so bold: it seems to me that life has only one purpose (if we can even say it has a purpose). That purpose is to realize Truth or God or Reality more and more deeply, clearly and fully in every aspect of life and being. Life seems to have an infinite capacity to see itself more clearly. You got a piece of the clarity at a very early age, and you are right, most people have no idea (nor do they want to know, to be honest).

Patricia, may I offer a suggestion? Nisargadatta Maharaj phrased the full expression of awakening quite beautifully: “When I look within and see that I am NOTHING, that is wisdom. When I look out and see that I am EVERYTHING, that is love. And between these two my life flows.” You’ve known the everything part for quite some time. How about the nothing? Have you looked within and seen that? If not, give it a try.

@Michelle Thanks again for the opportunity to speak with you. Always a pleasure.

By: Patricia Singleton

Patricia Singleton — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:32:55 +0000

Wonderful interview. Really informative. Great questions and answers. I always have liked Tom’s style. I took notes and have a lot of really good information.

Tom, thanks for expressing thoughts that I have had but didn’t know how to voice about my own spirituality. I was born with the knowing that God is me and you and in everything. The problem was that I was born years (1951) before most people would start to realize that for themselves so I kept silent about it until the last 10 years or so when it seems others are also getting the idea.

This is the first time that I have actually voiced that I was born with this knowing to anyone. I even forgot it for awhile. How do you express a knowing before others are ready to hear? Michelle, thanks for giving me the opportunity.
Patricia Singleton – Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:23:04 +0000

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By: Michelle Vandepas

Michelle Vandepas — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:50:51 +0000

@Corinne, I love Tom – .. and I’m so happy to have gotten him again – He’s so laid back, and willing to give his opinion – without being fanatical about it!.. He does get me thinking..

@Bob So glad you came and commented! Please come again.

By: Bob

Bob — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:38:14 +0000

.
Tom and Michelle,
I usually don’t comment on “Leave a comment” sites but in this case I will..
Good straightforward talk about realizing, Tom Stine. Not easy to discuss or describe. In fact we have to see “this” firsthand don’t we? Not really an experience, which can come and go, but a re-cognition of what has always been the case. There is no separation from anything, so nothing lets go or can let go or go with any flow. Yes, to cooperate is a good idea…. I say to people… sit still and observe, don’t do the math, don’t add, don’t subtract, multiply or divide. …Just observe.
Good luck to everyone….

By: Corinne Edwards

Corinne Edwards — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:15:13 +0000

Dear Michelle -

Thanks for having Tom Stine on again. He is my favorite spiritual bloggers.

What I particularly like about him is that he never says, “Follow me. I have the way.”

He shares his experience and also does not vilify therapy, religion or your beliefs. Whatever works is okay with him.

The most important statement to me in this interview is -

DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO MAKE THIS DECISION NOW?

Other than pulling a child out of the way of a speeding car – most things can wait.

Actually, sometimes you don’t have to make it at all.

A small example in my life is when I don’t want to have lunch with someone – they cancel.

I don’t have to do it.

There is great wisdom in just “Letting go.”