For M: "Why Do People "Awaken" But Fail to Achieve the Goal of Enlightenment?"

[raysantoyas]

I apologize if I come off as possibly rude or condescending I'm just trying to understand what your ultimate goal is and what you're trying to accomplish. I will say I like the comparison between a ninja and a Marine. Nice.

[BenjaminSmythe]

@raysantoyas It isn't possible to have an ultimate goal because this is in motion and it does not cease for a single opinion or intention on earth. No one has a choice.

[raysantoyas]

Do you have a job? Just curious. And don't respond with.... What is a job? Let me clarify to avoid such chatter. How do you financially support yourself and do you have any formal education? If so, from where?

[BenjaminSmythe]

@raysantoyas I give away as much as I can and I ask for money when I need it.

There is no such thing as formal education. There is only education. Institutional schooling has nothing to do with education as far as I can tell. It is just another place to experience possibilities. So, to answer your questions: planet earth.

[kristinamhart]

Brilliant Ben, I love the way you speak Truth.

You are the carrot. I am a carrot. We are all a bunch of carrots !!!

[Danmc91]

Somewhat confused. Is this against having goals, or just realising goals don't have an end, I still think the goals have a purpose and chasing the carrot can be positive on your life.

I know if I hadn't chased the carrot, I'd probably still be a virgin playing computer games with far more insecurities than I have now. I can say I've been happier and sadder in the last 2 years than I have before, because I chased the carrot and choose to experience life.

[80mthomas]

I resonate with your message, existence it's self is the reward... when you speak of people who charge money to assist others in reaching a place of charity, do you mean opportunists? I'm a life coach by profession, I didn't one day think of a cunning plan that would make me money... I'm just drawn to that kind of work because I find it very rewarding - I'm able to support my self enough to provide for my physical needs... did you mean the intentions of the person...

[BenjaminSmythe]

@80mthomas What I think is irrelevant. I poke fun of things. That's all. What matters to you is most important, and no one, anywhere on earth, is in charge. There is no reason to be sensitive. Everyone has a Marine and Ninja that lives in their heart. :)

[80mthomas]

@BenjaminSmythe koolio :)

[chreberle]

Byron Katie... well, okay... Mooji??? Not really... I mean, yeah, he's got hundreds of young girls sitting in his satsangs... so maybe yes.

And Ramana? Sitting in a cave for decades... nice, but a bit far away from "real" life...

No joke, but You are a real guiding light for "enlightenment"

[aryankhah]

Your expressions and mimics reminds me of JACK NICHOLSON .woooooooooow

[jennyjoz]

I like when he said that it is "unfortunate" when people charge money to help bring clarity. I SO agree with that.....

[jennyjoz]

I like when he said that it is "unfortunate" when people try to charge money to help other achieve clarity.

[rgainsburg]

I don't get why it's unfortunate to charge money to help bring clarity. Ben didn't explain that. Perhaps he thought it should be obvious.

[muphart]

@rgainsburg It's because, at least according to his analogy, the stick is obvious to everyone other than the one who has it on his back, so it would be charging money for something that takes no effort. In other words, they would be getting paid for doing something anyone could do, while giving the impression that they are doing something that requires their special services, much like a whore. Holy hooker is a common term to describe these people.

[MarleeAnn1994]

:) I'm such a jackass. The biggest one there ever "was". But that's okay. I SEEEEEE now!

I friggin love you Benjamin.

[MrRelax3737]

You are a wonderful teacher Ben. Spontaneous, natural and free sounding.

Your vibe RESONATES deep in me.

We appreciate you.

Doug G. in LV

[AshRNand]

10 minutes of truth! ty

[SavilleTu]

Excellent analogy. Cheers!

[hjotha]

very wise.

[robertallenmills]

as a self admitted jackass, i cant help but love your example of being a jackass, chasing a carrot of enlightenment that he cannot attain. you have my immediate

admiration for your willingness to question yourself and others.

i can see adyashanti saying this, another person that i admire

for his purity. i cannot, however, be satisfyed with eating grass or just being the

jackass that i am. i will throw some carrots away from me and enjoy retrieving them. its largely a matter of choice, isnt it

[madpixieful]

Aha finally i understand ;). the simplicity of the mechanics of it - Thankyou! The trouble for me has been that no matter how much all the teachers smile in satsang and say your it, they appear to carry a mystical intrigue that im not, cos of course im just little old imperfect me - you know! Thankyou - i get it.. wow :) and i know i'll carry on tricking myself however everytime i do i'll remember that im being a JACKASS ha,ha.. thankyou ben ur a legend :)))))

[sheilaskk]

always good to have another teacher  thanks!!!!

[acuaman42]

I SUGGEST THAT YOU WRITE A BOOK ON ALL YOUR POINTERS, I AM SURE IT WILL BE A BEST SELLER, LIKE OTHERS IN NONDUALITY.

[stephanie3274]

I can see why people invite you to their homes now. I thought that was an odd concept when I first read it on your site. But the more I watch your videos, the more I just want to pinch that cute face (you're Gemini, aren't you?) and listen and laugh and nod. Will you sit in MY kitchen and talk to me? That's how it feels.

[cattis333]

ahhhh, makes my heart sing, this is brilliant

[monterock100]

Great video! Here's another "or"...jackass at point A with stick stuck to back carrot dangling from stick out in front of JA. JA moves toward carrot, carrot moves too. Cycle repeats again and again. JA in the process of stepping towards carrot moves from point A to pt. B to pt. C and so on. At some point stick loosenes on JA's back and w/ each step slides backwards thus carrot gets closer. Eventually JA has carrot. Always did have. Needed to project spiritual quest to wake up to it.

[EdenConsciousness]

@monterock100 I really don't think that's an "or" that his analogy was meant to include. You'll notice in the possibilities he described the carrot (the idea of enlightenment) is never actually "gotten". The jackass was however walking through a sea of delicious grass (enlightenment as it is) the whole time.

[monterock100]

@EdenConsciousness - I see what you mean. But the JA even though in enlightenment all the while, is not congnizant of that Beingness. Thus, JA projects enlightenment as a separatness and something to be gotten. JA. though, in actuality, being all knowing consciousness knows, of course, that a state of "no enlightenment" does not exist except as a projection by JA wherein JA can pretend to not know in order to have the game/experience of coming to know. It's all a pretense for a game. It's fun!

[leooleg1]

T H A N K Y O U BEN ! :)

[anadiamor]

the last words..nothing for u to do..personality gets no payoff..I do" i get the peace to never have to worry aboute this guy..I was never in the movie...hahahahah

Love.

[Aklubia]

thank u

[jklich20102]

Came across Ben Smythe today on youtube and watched a few of the videos he posted. Just wonderful-- raw dynamic pointing to what what IS.

[TadRapidly]

i think the best one can do is to "set your table" properly in the morning when you wake up. Ask for the grace of God to come into your life. Just stay open and present and maintain a "listening" mode. Enlightenment is REMEMBERING who you are. It's a memory to be jogged so don't "think"; Remember... In the meantime, love with no conditions attached to get a taste. :o)

[originalwizbang]

if you make enlightenment a goal you will never arrive. If you seek to grasp enlightenment it will always slip through your fingers. If you intellectualize enlightenment you will not apprehend it. What is enlightenment, really...? Nothing.

[bugrist]

Ben, I really like your great talents a lot !

Thank you !

[TadRapidly]

"awakening" is a material-world realization (that you haven't been taking responsibilty for your own experience). Self-Realization is in the realm of mysticism and reveals your inter-conectedness with all that is and also reveals your invulnerability. It reveals the ill-conceived notion of "death". If the awakening is substantial enough self-realization is coming soon.

[buddhametta]

Wow... perfect... soooo much gratitude... Not trying to make "Ben" special, but he's a very rare expression of This, and even among the "teachers."

[maddiejotilley]

thank you :)

[nokreooo]

thank you for your words benjamin!

Namaste, from a part of the world in the south side!

Francisco.

[TJay9000]

Question: a sentence along the lines of "i am not ben smythe" might come out of the mouth of that which the world calls ben smythe. what is actually going on in this situation? can you clarify please? =)

[BenjaminSmythe]

@TJay9000 Ben Smythe is an entire set of thoughts and correlative phenomena that end up having no solidity. Awareness/I-am is quality-less.

Another way to say it is:

Ben Smythe is a function of Consciousness. Consciousness is not a function of Ben Smythe.

[kristinamhart]

@TJay9000

Ben Smythe is just a "name". What is he really behind the name, you could ask?

He is saying he is free of his identity or ego.

He is the same as you, as me... he has no identification to his Self identity as Ben Smythe... he is consciousness. As you are, as I am :-)

[benjayk]

So would you say the peace, the sense of "pure existence" / samadhi is just another experience one can have? It is not some absolute experience of special significance (other than that it is a very profound experience - among others). And the "real" absolute is simply the fact of experiencing or self-existence itself (whatever particular experience there is)?

The change in perspective after an "awakening" experience might be largely a change in our intellectual approach to the world?

[benjayk]

Do you think it is really possible to be in "trascendental" peace, not just some kind of mild contentment, (almost) all the time (not for me or you, just for people in general), like some people seem to claim? Or do you think it is really a myth that is perpetuated by people who want to make money, or wish to be some kind of authority? After all the promise of the possibility of everlasting peace is quite an appealing one, if not THE most appealing one.

[shunyam56]

We're looking. For something so simple. So simple, than we can't hold it in our hands. Or in our heads. So we look to him. To her. To them. To there. We look to everywhere but here. To when. To then. But not to now. It's hidden just beyond our cleverness. So we presume it's out there. But perhaps it's in there (Nic Askew)

[tx4thepostcard]

Thanks!

[Soulmystic7]

wow

[tokeabow]

Another great video, thank you for being able to explain it so eloquently

[jmbsol]

ahaha. i 'm only at 3:00 minutes and this is literally the most amusing thing i've ever seen in my life...when the donkey with the carrot sees and begins the exchange with the grazing donkey. This is classic. If this doesn't have me laugh my way into bliss, nothing will. :-)

[rwmagichands]

Thank you Ben, my tired heart and donkey-ass body needed to hear this tonight!And from such a fit,open-hearted face with your honest wonder and contentment shining out through it. Thank you and thanks to me for stumbling upon you. Me xx