“Remind yourself of your true being, your true wonder, your true mystery.” Great line! One of your best videos yet. Looking forward to what you get up to next.
Glad you have been getting into Alan, I love his talks and they have really helped me. As for the experience of losing ones ego during meditation and having a spiritual/mystical experience, it can also be attained via psychedelics, which in certain contexts can give you some key insights into your essence as 'stardust that's woken up'. This is what happened to me spontaneously and it lead me to get into philosophy and spirituality to better integrate and understand what had occurred. I think it can be easy to overly intellectualise the idea of an awakening and try and "think" it through and explain with language. But as they teach in buddhism its beyond abstraction and words, its felt rather than thought, by subjective experience, which is a bummer for the western mind thats kind of obsessed with ideas, thinking and explanations. I think its important not to try and force the spiritual too much.I can get wrapped up sometimes with "seeking" the feeling again, but trying to pursue it feels like it puts it further away. One of the things I've realized is that there's nothing to find, you are complete as is, and if you do search for something to attain what you end up finding is yourself. That sounds pretty cryptic and I'm not sure how helpful that is, but I felt compelled to try and explain what I've realized anyway. Love your channel and the video, keep doing what you are doing xx
The way he stand ,think , express has changed so much and in a positive way .....and I am so amazed by seeing his subscription s are increasing in a amazing way....... good luck brother and thanks
After year on TH-cam , after years of video essays, I've find your take on this so fresh it makes me think I'm watching a documentary. Love the blocking, the nature and the natural talking, exclenent man. Excellent work
I’m lovin the content man, very wise words here. I’m slowly starting to become more aware of the present moment which has been very enlightening. I remember one day on my lunch break I went out side and practiced meditation (or as Eckhart Tolle puts it: present awareness) and I focused on a tree. For a moment my mind was silent and I felt a wash of calm over my mind and body and I remember feeling very happy afterwards. It’s like I connected with my higher self and was at peace. I’m going to keep at it and try to maintain that state as it’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced. Keep up the good work!
"You are stardust that woke up" "All that was left of me was a point of awareness, like a droplet of water hanging off of moss"... So poetic! I also loved the simple explanation you gave between the observer and the observed without over-mystifying it whilst still keeping the awe of being a conscious living being.
So genuine question: I were to mentally remove the barriers between myself and another person, and let myself flow and change into different expressions of self... Then what is it that makes me unique? Like how do I make the decision to be an architect or teacher or whatever without the "Ego story" telling me what to do and not do? Or should the decision of what to be come from a different place completely?
Mate, this is a *professional grade* production - and the quality and value you bring to your videos is virtually unparalleled. Very impressed. I am not sure why you don't have more subscribers. You should. But something tells me your purpose is greater than getting likes, comments and subscribers. As with the natural process of Osmosis, those who need this guidance will arrive and flow on taking with them the knowledge imparted, hopefully helping another soul. And when the tide comes in, so will your subscribers. Be peaceful my friend and stay strong. Thank you.
Thank you George! If somebody asks me what I believe in, I would send them this Video. Give that man a Like. He deserves it. Keep up the fantastic work.
this video is so beautiful! your tone, words, method of filming, etc. it’s so calming yet entertaining and beautiful. you should have your own show or something seriously!
What is it with people putting music behind their talking these days? It makes it very hard for anyone with even a minor hearing issue and the elderly to pick out what the person is saying. Ugh! Aside from that, a brilliant video.
Love your videos George. You're evolution is amazing to see. And a really inspiration. As someone that experiences a lot of anxiety, and has a lot of negative thoughts about myself, i find your content uplifting and it gives me hope that I as well can overcome those negative thoughts and anxiety. Observing your thoughts is a really interesting way of looking at it. Observe negative thoughts. And watch as they go away. Without affecting you. Keep a certain distance from them. Challenge them. And find that those negative thoughts are not part of you. Keep up the good work. Love your videos. And you have become my favorite TH-camr for sure😊😊
I stood exactly where you were at the edge ofthe beach only 6 months ago. Our essences have shared the same space only 6 months a part. 🙂 Great video, was relaxing just to watch and listen.
Nop 😂 this s track from the mind it self We are the observer and when u try to find this observer U cant find anything Bcs ur absolutely nothing Gautama buddha called it : nothingness 🙂😘🍁
Critical point where you achieve awerness and your ego will gone, when you are leads by truth, you must admit that people around you lie, envy, crave, suffer, cause suffer to others, people are getting sick, commit blasphemy, killing others, curse others, ect... And you can't just ignore that fact, otherwise you became part of this evil. That make me very anxious every day. You know, it is good to stay among threes and feel that supreme connection with nature, it is nice be among people who love you and sharing your point of thinking. But reality that suffer and sin, delusion of this life is everywhere and it is sad. What you are think about it? I just can't ignore that, sometimes I think, mybe it is my karma to see all this stuff around and be afflicted by it, where in meantime others seems to enjoying their lives with their close relatives, in peace and love...
Alan Watts was and still is an important part of my philosophical studies. If you listen to enough of his tapes, he does sometimes contradict himself. I've tended to take bits and pieces from several different thinkers. Anyway keep the quest going, but remember the Tao that can be explained is not the eternal Tao. Years ago I studied Geography in college. Climate change? Yes it's mostly cyclical, and has caused mass extinctions. Eventually, sooner or later, man will have to wait his turn as did the Dinosaurs and ice age mammals. Does that meen the extinction of consciousness? I dont thin so. As the Tao says, the end of something is the beginning of another.
You study Daoism and zen, please study the climate change debate that is both sides of the argument. Computer models have no integrity. Co2 is needed by plants, lots of arguments against this extinction nonsense. ATB.
Very fine lines said by Neil degrasse Tyson "You are special not because you're different from the universe, you are special because you are same as the universe" ✌🏻 . A very gm video for me George ,thx ☯️
we'll we stand out of the universe because we are self-aware - we are created in the image of God.. but we are also one with the source if we want to be.. we can all have a relationship with God. In christian meditation you should accept yourself through the lense of the cross, and gods grace, but in christian meditation we need to submit to Gods plan. But at the core to have peace we need to love ourself, and God becoming man in Jesus duying on the cross validates us as very important and loved.
I can relate to being disconnected with my body. I have experienced it while hiking too, but the most memorable moment was while riding my bike! While riding my bike on a 100 mile ride, I came upon a downhill under a grove of trees that was so exhilarating that I had no sense of my bike nor body. I had just the sense of flying as I sped downhill with leaves flying all around me! It only lasted a few seconds, but it was wonderful! I've never shared this with anyone, but since you have, I felt it was okay to share here.
Nice done video ;-) You have an euphonious voice and an absorbing way to show yours thoughts. For me cycling to work is the best moment to talk with myself about everything what's going on inside me :-D
I’m extremely and sincerely grateful for this piece of content George ! I feel the profound and positive energy you put into it, seriously. Thank you 🙏🏻
Hallelujah! Love you, you’re on social media, young (young people will hear you better) and great to listen to( British accent )! Thank you very much for taking this path and letting us all share.
Yes the trees release oxygen so we can sustain and we are to release love so our fellow beings can sustain. For there is not longevity in a deteriorating world that is in danger due to ignorance and resistance of creator. Amidst a shift..
Well played George. Yes, criticism does undermine self love. A recent discovery of this being about love in general as well as as love for self is about 100% acceptance. Improvements are great and expansion is needed but to accept the self along the journey of expansion is love. So perhaps replace the word criticism with acceptance. Shift focus
I remember starting to feel improvement in your channel, it definitely continues. These are concepts that I have always had hard time to talk about with people, because of how hard they are to put into words, and you just did it great.
I’m an old dude now. I’ve worked long, raised children, buried parents. I read the philosophers, investigate religions. I’ve grown to admire Taoism intellectually. And I think I have the experienced the sense of the Tao, long ago as a youth. Granted, it was a shortcut and unwise, but happened nevertheless. In the deep Olympic rain forest in the state of Washington in the American Northwest I ingested LSD. Bathing in a remote hot springs engulfed in green foliage, the majestic ancient cedars swaying high above, I felt as if I could feel the earth spinning on its axis. I sensed strongly the lush vegetation taking in the oxygen then exhaling. The chatter of the forest life, the breath of wind, then I disappeared into this manifestation. I, meaning me, was no longer present for a spell. This comes back to me as I listen to your discussions.
George, thank you again for sharing that honestly your exploration. This morning during my meditation I was trapped in exciting thoughts, although positives they were disturbing my meditation. And I remembered you speaking about the observer... this changed completely my meditation experience and I could identify with the observer instead of that excitement state. THANK YOU for sharing and reminding me of the knowledge I already had but wasn't remembering. ☺🙏🕉 This is the power of sharing the Truth. 😃🙏🕉
When in doubt of my value as a human..I remind myself that in the birth process there are thousands of sperms and hundreds of eggs but only one sperm connects with one egg.... I am the result of that miraculous connection if I am here I am already a winner
Really a great video, George, thank you! Well made, looks beautiful, to the point but not stale in the slightest. Enjoyed it greatly. I was talking with someone about this very concept at the WTWA and out of that discussion rose the notion that we are indeed the observer, and at the same time the observed. We are not one of the two, but rather both. You can have an emotion or a thought and observe that emotion or thought at the same time without becoming detached from it. Maybe nothing new, but perhaps useful. :)
Master/Brother/Student George, Thank You. I love that you grasp the underlying unity between multiple spiritual traditions. I see you too struggle with thinking too much. Let us reflect upon Master Lao Tzu #20 Stop Thinking and End your Problems...easier said than done, but I ask myself from time to time, what of this thought I am experiencing is for the moment before me? Having Faith it will work out is really no different from Going with the Flow or Wu Wei. ☮️❤️☯️⛩️🕊️🌍🙇🙏.... Happy 2021 may you experience what you seek.
"We are star dust that has woken up!" I LOVE THAT! This has been one of the worse weeks of my life... And I began to feel the universe was, for some reason, turning against me... But I feel myself coming out of it. And this video has helped. I have recently learned that when I begin to get depressed, when I think the universe is out to grind me into the dust... That I study a verse of the Tao... Any verse, and a calmness comes over me. Today hasn't been perfect... But I don't feel the universe hates me. I am star dust that is waking up! Thanks George!
You are the aperture through which the universe looks at itself. You are the very extremities of the big bang creating the universe in front of your eyes. Be a wise creator.
Glad you feel better, hopefully you might Realize that perhaps they were in fact the best weeks of your life, .. they don't have a label, you create it.. they were only experiences, you decide the rest.
Wow! One of the best videos I’ve seen on TH-cam! What wisdom from such a young man and so well presented! It has taken me 65 years to realize these truths! Good on you! I look forward to more!
We run Tomatin Glamping Pods which is within half an hour of Glenmore Forrest. It’s such a beautiful place and we always recommend our guests head for Loch Morlich, Lochan Uaine and Loch An Eilein -(one which we particularly love as it it was where my wife and I married). Thank you George for choosing the Cairngorms as the backdrop to another enlightening video. Best wishes from us! 😊
@ min. 7:44 .. oh yes ! BEing in this human form we are both blessed & challenged with the possibilty of DIRECT EXPERIENCE , which happens when we truly let go of that ID- Entity & allow LIFE 2reveal ITselF .. and not only by trending AyaHuasca-ceremonies ( pls , be aware that La Abuela is not 4 evry buddy) There are many PLANTs on this blue PLANET . . we are in fact living in Paradise , only separated by thought
I have never heard of anyone becoming enlightened from reading a book ... knowledge comes from books but true wisdom always comes from within 🗝️ xxxxxxxxxxx
George, you are on to something there. You are even older than stardust, You, We, were around before that. Who do you think made the first stars, after all? And in saying this statement, I am using temporal tenses, but we exist - outside of time, for time and space are produced by our point of view. Just as shadow is created by light - or was it that light is created by darkness? Hahaha!! Enjoy the ride. I love your voice on TH-cam. Peace, brother.
Son, you better take a good look at what the criminals from Extinction Rebellion are doing now. NOT peaceful. Not non-violent. NOT "civil disobedience." They are committing criminal acts of vandalism and violence and that's what you just happily announced you're running off to join in on. If what they're doing is what you want to do, your head is FAR from being in a good place. That brings into serious question everything you talk about. And that's a shame.
As you like contemplation, may I add one more title to your recommend literature? "Resonate with Stillness - Daily contemplatjons", by Swami Muktananda & Swami Chidvilasananda. I've been daily reading this book since 2013 and as we progress in our journey every time I re-read a contemplation it sounds new. It is so surprising. Hope you enjoy it as I do.
I think George would make a fantastic documentarian. I could easily watch an hour of him exploring some philosophical subject. His oratory delivery and information precision make for fantastic learning and easy listening. Keep up the good work. I've been a subscriber since pretty much the beginning, some 1k subs I think and the channel has grown pretty rapidly, and clearly, for good reason too.
Seems like a lot of people are beginning to awaken to this realization. EDIT: An important observation. The climate change protests are wrapped in layers upon layers of identity. It occurs to me these types of protests are an impediment to realization. Hmm, let me rephrase that. They can be an impediment if one doesn't remain mindful and grounded in what you're beginning to understand. Oh, and just to let you know I included this video in my channel's Wisdom playlist. :-)
Hello George, just wanted to say thanks for another great video and, also, that since having started watching your videos a little over a year ago, you have helped me realise I was doing a degree just because its the 'done thing' and not because it improved or interested me. I've loved seeing your progression and how your outlook on life has changed since your trip to China, and you've inspired me to risk it and try something different. So, in about a months time I'm leaving the comforts of Cambridge and am off to China for a year (hopefully I'll enjoy it and decide to stay longer) in the hopes of expanding my own horizons and outlook on life! Thanks again for all your videos, keep up the good work and I can't wait for the next one! P.S. If you - or anybody else who may be reading this - have any recommendations on places to visit in China I'd love to hear them.
All the best on your journey. We get 18 years of education on how the world works but next to nothing on how WE work. I hope in that time you understand yourself a bit better. This learning has helped me a lot.
Greetings, George! What you are doing is so wonderfully edifying on many levels. At 9:13, you state: “In all our searching of the cosmos we haven’t found a single other species that is as self-aware like we are.” I am not convinced that such a search is the best application of one’s energies, but anyhow, there is a saying archaeologists are fond of, “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.” We are accustomed to using human intelligence as a barometer of what self-aware consciousness is. It is likely those amazing trees you co-mingled with manifest a self-awareness far more advanced than what humans have come to express. To be preoccupied with the human form of self-aware consciousness is (to use a phrase of Timothy Leary’s) “a tender trap”, which you will discover, soon, I am sure and move beyond.
Nothing is really defined, everything we know is our subjective experience - phenomena. Two philosophers who read well together are schopenhauer and zhuangzi, even though they seem to come to different conclusions, and one appears more positive, there is something about them for me that approaches life with an authenticity, I think it is mysticism combined with a kind of cynicism in relation to collective ordered human behaviour. Just my opinion.
The ego is an illusory structure. In truth, you are already without your ego but you are not lost at all. You would still do and know everything as awareness, but you would not attribute it to a separate you anymore. Perhaps you should read I am That, a book by Maurice Friedman about the philosophy of Nisargadatta. It takes the Dao to the final consequences for the ego. Another entry would be the book of David Godman, titled "Be as you are" about the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. So much to learn in so little time 😀
Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Dominion extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
Milinda Panha (Milinda's question) in Buddhist texts gives some proposition to this question. Teachings of the Buddha revolve around on this question, who am 'I' and what constitute this 'I', conventional truth and the ultimate truth.
Very interesting! This essence which you speak about sounds a lot like the Atman from Advaita Vedanta. But in early Buddhism, consciousness is also an aggregate, and therefore it is also not yourself. I like the version presented by Daoism. If you can talk about it, it is not yourself.
Hola George...An American living in Colombia studying Taoism. I am finding clarity being in a place where no one thinks like I do. I loved your video, it gave me a new perspective on the trees I love so much. Happy travels.
I must compose my self; my self is a thing I must compose, as one composes a speech. My true self is the only part of me that wants to grow; I am that which wants to master gongfu.
Well done, George. I think you manage to put some difficult concepts across very simply. You mention Christian mysticism in the video - out of curiosity which approaches or works are you referring to?
I was fortunate, extremely fortunate to spend a year of life on a wilderness guide course. At the end of the solo ski trip, 10 days alone with no technology expect my emergency phone, i cried, because i was going back to the modern world. That was four years ago. And after a couple of years where i did things to earn money and them ending very very badly i have recently come to a conclusion. Why am i doing these things that make me so unhappy. So i have started a journey, it start with breathing and meditation. And now it is looking into shamanism and Wicca. I dont know where it will end but it feels correct. And i know that someday i will get back to that intimate feeling of connectedness nature that i had after 10 days alone skiing through the fells of Northern Finland.
But we're connected not only to the Universe. All in all people are part of the human society. Current society tells us what is wrong about oneself from the childhood. «You need to make money, you need to look good enough, you need to do this and don't do that», they say. Should a man who understands his being follow the road that millions and millions of people do every day? I somehow feel that our generation is free. I can take my laptop and work from any corner of the earth. Even from this forest of yours. But it is a fake freedom. From my point of view understanding of who you really are is the first and the most difficult step. But there is the second one. To share your understanding and creative source with others. And I believe there is more steps to climb. Some hard thoughts from Russia. I hope that once we will drink some tea together and do chatting. Thank you for this channel.
Last year I discoverd the world view of Taoism in Taiwan, met a Taoist master and was fascinated. Now I discovered your channel and I feel so blessed with all this wise insights of life! Thank you so much for spreading this wisdom ...
This is a good talk. Even at 72 i have been blessed with good physical condition, but for most people including myself as years go by it seems like the battle with gravity becomes more difficult. However, twice this year when in a position of having to do quite a bit of walking, I have felt lighter than air. Energetic, no pressure, like I was ageless. This always comes when I remember throw out the mental garbage before I start the day. Taoisim has been my main focus for the past several years, although I like to read various philosphies. Alan Watts is the most articulate interpreter of philosophies of modern times, however even Alan can be contradictory at times as we all are. The true answer is always within, that is where the long path always returns to. I am still on this path and still seeking, but it becomes more exciting as life goes on.
Why do humans seek identity? Why do we seek a tribe? I get that the tribe we seek is one from our past in which finding a tribe would have allowed us to probably survive longer since living on your own was probably not a good idea for continuing our human species. Today that is pretty irrelevant when it comes to survival, and maybe it still applies with human connection, but we are constantly looking to fit in. Maybe we are truly a lost tribe of empty souls looking for meaning.
A few months ago I began doing research on Taoism for a fantasy novel I was writing. The more I learned about it, the more the philosophy began to make sense for my own life. I just wanted to thank you for your easy to comprehend approach to these concepts. Your videos are fantastic and I have enjoyed them a great deal.
Hello George, what do you think about Plato’s ideas regarding a pre-natal self? It seems to be quite in line with what you are talking about in this video.
George, I'm really enjoying the *_evolution_* of your channel
SAME
I am a new subscriber :)
“Remind yourself of your true being, your true wonder, your true mystery.”
Great line! One of your best videos yet. Looking forward to what you get up to next.
George I have been studying all the greats for over 20 years and that was the best explanation I have ever heard, Alan Watts would be proud if you 👍
Hey there George, thank you for the great content, I think you've been reading more Alan Watts, I would love to chat with you about that
Glad you have been getting into Alan, I love his talks and they have really helped me. As for the experience of losing ones ego during meditation and having a spiritual/mystical experience, it can also be attained via psychedelics, which in certain contexts can give you some key insights into your essence as 'stardust that's woken up'. This is what happened to me spontaneously and it lead me to get into philosophy and spirituality to better integrate and understand what had occurred. I think it can be easy to overly intellectualise the idea of an awakening and try and "think" it through and explain with language. But as they teach in buddhism its beyond abstraction and words, its felt rather than thought, by subjective experience, which is a bummer for the western mind thats kind of obsessed with ideas, thinking and explanations. I think its important not to try and force the spiritual too much.I can get wrapped up sometimes with "seeking" the feeling again, but trying to pursue it feels like it puts it further away. One of the things I've realized is that there's nothing to find, you are complete as is, and if you do search for something to attain what you end up finding is yourself. That sounds pretty cryptic and I'm not sure how helpful that is, but I felt compelled to try and explain what I've realized anyway. Love your channel and the video, keep doing what you are doing xx
The way he stand ,think , express has changed so much and in a positive way .....and I am so amazed by seeing his subscription s are increasing in a amazing way....... good luck brother and thanks
After year on TH-cam , after years of video essays, I've find your take on this so fresh it makes me think I'm watching a documentary. Love the blocking, the nature and the natural talking, exclenent man. Excellent work
Remember you are completely unique ... just like everybody else!
Ha
I’m lovin the content man, very wise words here. I’m slowly starting to become more aware of the present moment which has been very enlightening. I remember one day on my lunch break I went out side and practiced meditation (or as Eckhart Tolle puts it: present awareness) and I focused on a tree. For a moment my mind was silent and I felt a wash of calm over my mind and body and I remember feeling very happy afterwards. It’s like I connected with my higher self and was at peace. I’m going to keep at it and try to maintain that state as it’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced. Keep up the good work!
"You are stardust that woke up" "All that was left of me was a point of awareness, like a droplet of water hanging off of moss"...
So poetic! I also loved the simple explanation you gave between the observer and the observed without over-mystifying it whilst still keeping the awe of being a conscious living being.
Move over Professor Brian Cox, there’s a new presenter guy in town!!
George you’re awesome!
Amazing 😍 thank you for sharing this helped me immensely.
thank you for watching Elizabeth!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I'm awake! Thank you George! Thank You Univeeeeeerrrse!
So genuine question: I were to mentally remove the barriers between myself and another person, and let myself flow and change into different expressions of self... Then what is it that makes me unique? Like how do I make the decision to be an architect or teacher or whatever without the "Ego story" telling me what to do and not do? Or should the decision of what to be come from a different place completely?
Barellie Thompson I think it comes from within once you remove those barriers... something like that lol good question!
Awww I wish to meet someone like George to talk to all night about stardust’s and jellyfishes 😊
Me too!!! :)
Me 3
Mate, this is a *professional grade* production - and the quality and value you bring to your videos is virtually unparalleled. Very impressed. I am not sure why you don't have more subscribers. You should. But something tells me your purpose is greater than getting likes, comments and subscribers. As with the natural process of Osmosis, those who need this guidance will arrive and flow on taking with them the knowledge imparted, hopefully helping another soul. And when the tide comes in, so will your subscribers. Be peaceful my friend and stay strong. Thank you.
Thank you George!
If somebody asks me what I believe in, I would send them this Video.
Give that man a Like. He deserves it.
Keep up the fantastic work.
thank you!
this video is so beautiful!
your tone, words, method of filming, etc. it’s so calming yet entertaining and beautiful. you should have your own show or something seriously!
What is it with people putting music behind their talking these days? It makes it very hard for anyone with even a minor hearing issue and the elderly to pick out what the person is saying. Ugh! Aside from that, a brilliant video.
I really like your content, very intresting. You have a nice calming voice tho! Keep going! ❤️
thank you friend!
Thanks for sharing! Have an awesome day!
Exceptional delivery of your exceptional reflections of the self! You’re a beacon of light, my friend! Bravo!👏🏼
Love your videos George. You're evolution is amazing to see. And a really inspiration. As someone that experiences a lot of anxiety, and has a lot of negative thoughts about myself, i find your content uplifting and it gives me hope that I as well can overcome those negative thoughts and anxiety. Observing your thoughts is a really interesting way of looking at it. Observe negative thoughts. And watch as they go away. Without affecting you. Keep a certain distance from them. Challenge them. And find that those negative thoughts are not part of you. Keep up the good work. Love your videos. And you have become my favorite TH-camr for sure😊😊
I stood exactly where you were at the edge ofthe beach only 6 months ago. Our essences have shared the same space only 6 months a part. 🙂 Great video, was relaxing just to watch and listen.
Nop 😂 this s track from the mind it self
We are the observer and when u try to find this observer
U cant find anything
Bcs ur absolutely nothing
Gautama buddha called it : nothingness 🙂😘🍁
Critical point where you achieve awerness and your ego will gone, when you are leads by truth, you must admit that people around you lie, envy, crave, suffer, cause suffer to others, people are getting sick, commit blasphemy, killing others, curse others, ect... And you can't just ignore that fact, otherwise you became part of this evil. That make me very anxious every day. You know, it is good to stay among threes and feel that supreme connection with nature, it is nice be among people who love you and sharing your point of thinking. But reality that suffer and sin, delusion of this life is everywhere and it is sad.
What you are think about it?
I just can't ignore that, sometimes I think, mybe it is my karma to see all this stuff around and be afflicted by it, where in meantime others seems to enjoying their lives with their close relatives, in peace and love...
Alan Watts was and still is an important part of my philosophical studies. If you listen to enough of his tapes, he does sometimes contradict himself. I've tended to take bits and pieces from several different thinkers. Anyway keep the quest going, but remember the Tao that can be explained is not the eternal Tao. Years ago I studied Geography in college. Climate change? Yes it's mostly cyclical, and has caused mass extinctions. Eventually, sooner or later, man will have to wait his turn as did the Dinosaurs and ice age mammals. Does that meen the extinction of consciousness? I dont thin so. As the Tao says, the end of something is the beginning of another.
You study Daoism and zen, please study the climate change
debate that is both sides of the argument. Computer models have no integrity. Co2 is needed by plants, lots of arguments against this extinction nonsense.
ATB.
Very fine lines said by Neil degrasse Tyson "You are special not because you're different from the universe, you are special because you are same as the universe" ✌🏻 .
A very gm video for me George ,thx ☯️
we'll we stand out of the universe because we are self-aware - we are created in the image of God.. but we are also one with the source if we want to be.. we can all have a relationship with God.
In christian meditation you should accept yourself through the lense of the cross, and gods grace, but in christian meditation we need to submit to Gods plan.
But at the core to have peace we need to love ourself, and God becoming man in Jesus duying on the cross validates us as very important and loved.
I can relate to being disconnected with my body. I have experienced it while hiking too, but the most memorable moment was while riding my bike! While riding my bike on a 100 mile ride, I came upon a downhill under a grove of trees that was so exhilarating that I had no sense of my bike nor body. I had just the sense of flying as I sped downhill with leaves flying all around me! It only lasted a few seconds, but it was wonderful! I've never shared this with anyone, but since you have, I felt it was okay to share here.
Nice done video ;-) You have an euphonious voice and an absorbing way to show yours thoughts.
For me cycling to work is the best moment to talk with myself about everything what's going on inside me :-D
I’m extremely and sincerely grateful for this piece of content George ! I feel the profound and positive energy you put into it, seriously. Thank you 🙏🏻
Hallelujah! Love you, you’re on social media, young (young people will hear you better) and great to listen to( British accent )! Thank you very much for taking this path and letting us all share.
Yes the trees release oxygen so we can sustain and we are to release love so our fellow beings can sustain. For there is not longevity in a deteriorating world that is in danger due to ignorance and resistance of creator. Amidst a shift..
What a wonderful video, thank you George, it's just what I needed
Great video, George! Have you noticed any significant differences/disagreements between Daoism and Zen Buddhism?
Thank you for sharing your insights. Your growth is wonderful to see and a seed for the rest of us. Peace and safe journeys.
Thank you, George. This is really beautiful and illuminating. Love all the old trees, too!
Well played George. Yes, criticism does undermine self love. A recent discovery of this being about love in general as well as as love for self is about 100% acceptance. Improvements are great and expansion is needed but to accept the self along the journey of expansion is love.
So perhaps replace the word criticism with acceptance. Shift focus
I remember starting to feel improvement in your channel, it definitely continues. These are concepts that I have always had hard time to talk about with people, because of how hard they are to put into words, and you just did it great.
I just discovered your channel and absolutely love your videos. They are so well made! 👏🏻
I’m an old dude now. I’ve worked long, raised children, buried parents. I read the philosophers, investigate religions. I’ve grown to admire Taoism intellectually. And I think I have the experienced the sense of the Tao, long ago as a youth. Granted, it was a shortcut and unwise, but happened nevertheless. In the deep Olympic rain forest in the state of Washington in the American Northwest I ingested LSD. Bathing in a remote hot springs engulfed in green foliage, the majestic ancient cedars swaying high above, I felt as if I could feel the earth spinning on its axis. I sensed strongly the lush vegetation taking in the oxygen then exhaling. The chatter of the forest life, the breath of wind, then I disappeared into this manifestation. I, meaning me, was no longer present for a spell. This comes back to me as I listen to your discussions.
YES!
Fuck ya my brother ! I dug this video immensely !!!!!!!!!!!! .....THANK U....MORE PLEASE ***********
George, thank you again for sharing that honestly your exploration. This morning during my meditation I was trapped in exciting thoughts, although positives they were disturbing my meditation. And I remembered you speaking about the observer... this changed completely my meditation experience and I could identify with the observer instead of that excitement state. THANK YOU for sharing and reminding me of the knowledge I already had but wasn't remembering. ☺🙏🕉 This is the power of sharing the Truth. 😃🙏🕉
I found this so inspiring and valuable. Thank you, George. ❤️
Glad you didnt gave up i will always support ya
When in doubt of my value as a human..I remind myself that in the birth process there are thousands of sperms and hundreds of eggs but only one sperm connects with one egg.... I am the result of that miraculous connection if I am here I am already a winner
A pleasure to watch this video.
As Carl Sagan said, we are starstuff.
Really a great video, George, thank you! Well made, looks beautiful, to the point but not stale in the slightest. Enjoyed it greatly.
I was talking with someone about this very concept at the WTWA and out of that discussion rose the notion that we are indeed the observer, and at the same time the observed. We are not one of the two, but rather both. You can have an emotion or a thought and observe that emotion or thought at the same time without becoming detached from it. Maybe nothing new, but perhaps useful. :)
Ohhh goshh ..his smile is killing......his personality has changed since in a great positive way....😘😘😘😘😘😘
Master/Brother/Student George, Thank You. I love that you grasp the underlying unity between multiple spiritual traditions. I see you too struggle with thinking too much. Let us reflect upon Master Lao Tzu #20 Stop Thinking and End your Problems...easier said than done, but I ask myself from time to time, what of this thought I am experiencing is for the moment before me? Having Faith it will work out is really no different from Going with the Flow or Wu Wei. ☮️❤️☯️⛩️🕊️🌍🙇🙏.... Happy 2021 may you experience what you seek.
You have found your calling in life, George. The video was clear, insightful, and poetic. You made me think of the transparent eyeball. Well done!
"We are star dust that has woken up!" I LOVE THAT! This has been one of the worse weeks of my life... And I began to feel the universe was, for some reason, turning against me... But I feel myself coming out of it. And this video has helped. I have recently learned that when I begin to get depressed, when I think the universe is out to grind me into the dust... That I study a verse of the Tao... Any verse, and a calmness comes over me. Today hasn't been perfect... But I don't feel the universe hates me. I am star dust that is waking up! Thanks George!
Glad to hear it's helped. Wish you the best through this current period. Sounds like you've got some good practices to help you process things.
You are the aperture through which the universe looks at itself. You are the very extremities of the big bang creating the universe in front of your eyes.
Be a wise creator.
I think we all loved that line in particular 😍😍😍 is a bit magical to think of it like that: “We are star dust that has woken up” ❤️
Glad you feel better, hopefully you might Realize that perhaps they were in fact the best weeks of your life,
.. they don't have a label, you create it.. they were only experiences, you decide the rest.
Its best....George you are doing some best kind of work....That no one else's doing.... Atleast you have a Mission....You know what you are doing.
Ur videos have peace in it..🙂
Wow! One of the best videos I’ve seen on TH-cam! What wisdom from such a young man and so well presented! It has taken me 65 years to realize these truths! Good on you! I look forward to more!
I'm impressed. You're wearing the same clothes you wore in the video from 2017. Respect. I'm sick and tired of materialism, greed and overconsumption.
imagine disliking this video
We run Tomatin Glamping Pods which is within half an hour of Glenmore Forrest. It’s such a beautiful place and we always recommend our guests head for Loch Morlich, Lochan Uaine and Loch An Eilein -(one which we particularly love as it it was where my wife and I married). Thank you George for choosing the Cairngorms as the backdrop to another enlightening video.
Best wishes from us! 😊
@ min. 7:44 .. oh yes ! BEing in this human form we are both blessed & challenged with the possibilty of DIRECT EXPERIENCE , which happens when we truly let go of that ID- Entity
& allow LIFE 2reveal ITselF ..
and not only by trending AyaHuasca-ceremonies ( pls , be aware that La Abuela is not 4 evry buddy) There are many PLANTs on this blue PLANET . . we are in fact living in Paradise ,
only separated by thought
"You are stardust that woke up"
We call ourselves people because we are each a ' peep-hole' into the universe.
I have never heard of anyone becoming enlightened from reading a book ... knowledge comes from books but true wisdom always comes from within 🗝️ xxxxxxxxxxx
George, you are on to something there. You are even older than stardust, You, We, were around before that. Who do you think made the first stars, after all?
And in saying this statement, I am using temporal tenses, but we exist - outside of time, for time and space are produced by our point of view. Just as shadow is created by light - or was it that light is created by darkness? Hahaha!!
Enjoy the ride. I love your voice on TH-cam.
Peace, brother.
Son, you better take a good look at what the criminals from Extinction Rebellion are doing now. NOT peaceful. Not non-violent. NOT "civil disobedience." They are committing criminal acts of vandalism and violence and that's what you just happily announced you're running off to join in on. If what they're doing is what you want to do, your head is FAR from being in a good place. That brings into serious question everything you talk about. And that's a shame.
As you like contemplation, may I add one more title to your recommend literature? "Resonate with Stillness - Daily contemplatjons", by Swami Muktananda & Swami Chidvilasananda. I've been daily reading this book since 2013 and as we progress in our journey every time I re-read a contemplation it sounds new. It is so surprising. Hope you enjoy it as I do.
Hi George, I'm 30yrs or so older than you and might as well be you. Same beliefs, searching etc. Not working too hard at it however... Good stuff.
You are so inspiring! So glad I found your channel.....looking forward to future video's. Casey from Canada.
I think George would make a fantastic documentarian. I could easily watch an hour of him exploring some philosophical subject. His oratory delivery and information precision make for fantastic learning and easy listening.
Keep up the good work.
I've been a subscriber since pretty much the beginning, some 1k subs I think and the channel has grown pretty rapidly, and clearly, for good reason too.
Seems like a lot of people are beginning to awaken to this realization.
EDIT: An important observation. The climate change protests are wrapped in layers upon layers of identity. It occurs to me these types of protests are an impediment to realization.
Hmm, let me rephrase that. They can be an impediment if one doesn't remain mindful and grounded in what you're beginning to understand.
Oh, and just to let you know I included this video in my channel's Wisdom playlist. :-)
Love your work George..... but I am leaning towards it being a flat earth..... any thoughts....?
"We are stardust, we are golden, and we've got to get ourselves back to the garden." Joni Mitchell
Hello George, just wanted to say thanks for another great video and, also, that since having started watching your videos a little over a year ago, you have helped me realise I was doing a degree just because its the 'done thing' and not because it improved or interested me. I've loved seeing your progression and how your outlook on life has changed since your trip to China, and you've inspired me to risk it and try something different. So, in about a months time I'm leaving the comforts of Cambridge and am off to China for a year (hopefully I'll enjoy it and decide to stay longer) in the hopes of expanding my own horizons and outlook on life! Thanks again for all your videos, keep up the good work and I can't wait for the next one!
P.S. If you - or anybody else who may be reading this - have any recommendations on places to visit in China I'd love to hear them.
All the best on your journey. We get 18 years of education on how the world works but next to nothing on how WE work. I hope in that time you understand yourself a bit better. This learning has helped me a lot.
Greetings, George!
What you are doing is so wonderfully edifying on many levels.
At 9:13, you state: “In all our searching of the cosmos we haven’t found a single other species that is as self-aware like we are.”
I am not convinced that such a search is the best application of one’s energies, but anyhow, there is a saying archaeologists are fond of, “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”
We are accustomed to using human intelligence as a barometer of what self-aware consciousness is. It is likely those amazing trees you co-mingled with manifest a self-awareness far more advanced than what humans have come to express.
To be preoccupied with the human form of self-aware consciousness is (to use a phrase of Timothy Leary’s) “a tender trap”, which you will discover, soon, I am sure and move beyond.
Another beautiful and inspirational video with fantastic information and powerful insights 🙂 - thanks George 🙏🏼
The Observer is The Observed....
Look up Krishnamurti your love his books George.
See you in a few weeks with Master Gu
🙏
Nothing is really defined, everything we know is our subjective experience - phenomena. Two philosophers who read well together are schopenhauer and zhuangzi, even though they seem to come to different conclusions, and one appears more positive, there is something about them for me that approaches life with an authenticity, I think it is mysticism combined with a kind of cynicism in relation to collective ordered human behaviour.
Just my opinion.
The ego is an illusory structure. In truth, you are already without your ego but you are not lost at all. You would still do and know everything as awareness, but you would not attribute it to a separate you anymore. Perhaps you should read I am That, a book by Maurice Friedman about the philosophy of Nisargadatta. It takes the Dao to the final consequences for the ego. Another entry would be the book of David Godman, titled "Be as you are" about the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. So much to learn in so little time 😀
Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence.
Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep.
To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth.
Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission?
He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills.
His Dominion extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not.
And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
Milinda Panha (Milinda's question) in Buddhist texts gives some proposition to this question. Teachings of the Buddha revolve around on this question, who am 'I' and what constitute this 'I', conventional truth and the ultimate truth.
Very interesting! This essence which you speak about sounds a lot like the Atman from Advaita Vedanta. But in early Buddhism, consciousness is also an aggregate, and therefore it is also not yourself. I like the version presented by Daoism. If you can talk about it, it is not yourself.
Hola George...An American living in Colombia studying Taoism. I am finding clarity being in a place where no one thinks like I do. I loved your video, it gave me a new perspective on the trees I love so much. Happy travels.
I must compose my self;
my self is a thing I must compose,
as one composes a speech.
My true self is the only part of me that wants to grow;
I am that which wants to master gongfu.
Well done, George. I think you manage to put some difficult concepts across very simply. You mention Christian mysticism in the video - out of curiosity which approaches or works are you referring to?
This video is amazing.. You summed everything up very very perfectly..
I was fortunate, extremely fortunate to spend a year of life on a wilderness guide course. At the end of the solo ski trip, 10 days alone with no technology expect my emergency phone, i cried, because i was going back to the modern world. That was four years ago. And after a couple of years where i did things to earn money and them ending very very badly i have recently come to a conclusion. Why am i doing these things that make me so unhappy. So i have started a journey, it start with breathing and meditation. And now it is looking into shamanism and Wicca. I dont know where it will end but it feels correct. And i know that someday i will get back to that intimate feeling of connectedness nature that i had after 10 days alone skiing through the fells of Northern Finland.
Thank you.
I am I. ^^ ❤
Thanks for your video's, its really amazing how relaxed and easy you explain stuff that goes on in my mind.
But we're connected not only to the Universe. All in all people are part of the human society. Current society tells us what is wrong about oneself from the childhood. «You need to make money, you need to look good enough, you need to do this and don't do that», they say. Should a man who understands his being follow the road that millions and millions of people do every day? I somehow feel that our generation is free. I can take my laptop and work from any corner of the earth. Even from this forest of yours. But it is a fake freedom. From my point of view understanding of who you really are is the first and the most difficult step. But there is the second one. To share your understanding and creative source with others. And I believe there is more steps to climb. Some hard thoughts from Russia. I hope that once we will drink some tea together and do chatting. Thank you for this channel.
Last year I discoverd the world view of Taoism in Taiwan, met a Taoist master and was fascinated. Now I discovered your channel and I feel so blessed with all this wise insights of life! Thank you so much for spreading this wisdom ...
That's so beautifully explained. Thanks for this and I can't believe this hasnt gotten as much views as your other videos
This is a good talk. Even at 72 i have been blessed with good physical condition, but for most people including myself as years go by it seems like the battle with gravity becomes more difficult. However, twice this year when in a position of having to do quite a bit of walking, I have felt lighter than air. Energetic, no pressure, like I was ageless. This always comes when I remember throw out the mental garbage before I start the day. Taoisim has been my main focus for the past several years, although I like to read various philosphies. Alan Watts is the most articulate interpreter of philosophies of modern times, however even Alan can be contradictory at times as we all are. The true answer is always within, that is where the long path always returns to. I am still on this path and still seeking, but it becomes more exciting as life goes on.
Why do humans seek identity? Why do we seek a tribe? I get that the tribe we seek is one from our past in which finding a tribe would have allowed us to probably survive longer since living on your own was probably not a good idea for continuing our human species. Today that is pretty irrelevant when it comes to survival, and maybe it still applies with human connection, but we are constantly looking to fit in. Maybe we are truly a lost tribe of empty souls looking for meaning.
A few months ago I began doing research on Taoism for a fantasy novel I was writing. The more I learned about it, the more the philosophy began to make sense for my own life. I just wanted to thank you for your easy to comprehend approach to these concepts. Your videos are fantastic and I have enjoyed them a great deal.
Thank you George for another very encouraging video. Love watching your videos 🙏🏻👍🏻
Hello George, what do you think about Plato’s ideas regarding a pre-natal self? It seems to be quite in line with what you are talking about in this video.
George? Are you George.
Congratulations you have unveiled the secret . No more journey. Let the fun begin.
The next time you feel down. Remind yourself, that you are star dust, than woke up.
- George Thompson
Thanks George. Keep up the good work
Glad your enjoying my home country, you have came at a good time of the seasons, this country is very spiritual. Many blessings my freind
thank you friend!