Dear Dharma Overground,

I would like to thank you all for the many helpful posts and words of advice. After much soul searching this past week, I have decided to put my participation in this community on hold indefinitely. I am at a point in my spiritual path where I would like to take a path that diverges from those discussed in this community. Maybe I'll end up in the same place I would have staying here, but I've got to follow my heart and try to go my own way. I've begun to realize how much the language and concepts one immerses oneself in condition the nature of one's contemplative experiences. I feel as though simply by reading and posting on here I am conditioning my mind in a subtle way to accept certain paths of development and to shut down others. As much as I appreciate the intellectual rigour and openness of this community, it is, in the end, a community grounded in the teachings of the Buddha. I have realized once again, and very profoundly this time, how much my soul needs a break from that whole spiritual paradigm.

The challenging part is that it can be very lonely to be a non-monastic advanced meditation practitioner in this world. I really loved sharing experiences and tips. Maybe one day I'll return to rejoin the discussion here, once I'm more secure in my own path. Until then I'll be a wandering cyber yogi, seeking out new teachers and new communities that answer the call of the deep yearnings of my heart.

If any of you would like to remain in touch privately, my email and phone number are available on my website. I find that personal conversations open up more possibilities for exploration than do internet threads so I really would welcome anybody here giving me a call to chat about spiritual paths and practices. I also plan to continue writing about my latest thoughts on meditation and mysticism at my new blog mysticalbeloved.com.

Wishing you all the best,
Avi

Good luck. I'm relatively new here but I learned from some of your posts, mainly those about self healing. Thanks and good luck.

Enjoy your explorations. Feel welcome back anytime. If you find anything you find really useful (as well as things that seemed really useful that turned out to not be), consider letting us know about it. Take care,

Daniel

I read with interest many of your posts here, and truly appreciated you took some time to answer on some of my threads. I wish you all the best on your path. Goodbye.

Thanks for your input. Knowing that 4th path to you is like losing the part that resists sensations is a helpful marker for me. It shows the rest of us what's possible.

Metta

I guess he still has issues. Attention seeker.

Sorry Avi but this was childish.

Don't be so hard on him. The period immediately following a major shift can be dicey.

I hope you come back and let us know what lessons you learn.

Metta