Best Of
Re: About mind-altering experiences
The only weird stuff ( if it can really be called weird) which arises in my mind is this persistent sense of self at cushion time....
The body sits, the lungs take in and let out air, as things/phenomena settle down, awareness arises of "I AM (this psycho-physical sense of self) experiencing this moment", then this awareness departs becoming entangled/lost in amongst the I AM thought...
The next moment, awareness breaks free of the thought/dominates the thought... and so the cycle of awareness continues.... 
And when the body leaves the cushion, this entanglement of awareness & thought (psycho-physical phenomenon call the self) continues...However, for the most part it's now on Awareness's leash, which helps to keep it in check so to speak...
There comes a realisation that this experience is..."Nothing Special..." it could all just be in the Mind
Shoshin1
Re: Don’t be a Buddhist, be a better whatever-you-are
I think he is right when it comes to feeling pressure to convert but following traditions is not always the same as seeking the Way. Sometimes we just feel the need to belong and I think H.H. is trying to say that you don't have to follow any specific tradition to belong. That Buddhism is also a process that can compliment ones heritage and traditions with no need to convert religions.
Re: Yes, this meditation, of a kind.
With the word "meditation" attributed to as many meanings as "love" is, I think the visual and auditory representation of this murmuration fairly fits the bill as being potentially meditative.
For me it shows life endlessly shifting between order and chaos, space & form, in a fluidity that challenges the self/verses other foundation of ones basic ego's storyline.
Thanks for sharing.
how
Re: Don’t be a Buddhist, be a better whatever-you-are
I believe that for some people the beneficial/inspiring/happy option will be to be better whatever-they-are, while for others it will be to convert. Others still might go back-and-forth. No general rule here.
The DL's sentiment under such conditions, not to force any option, is for me extremely commendable.
marcitko
Re: Yes, this meditation, of a kind.
I'm reminded of the continuous dance/movement of sub atomic particles...
Shoshin1
Yes, this meditation, of a kind.
Really, I have no desire to start a discussion. I watched a video on the Web yesterday, and through it, experienced a state that would, I am sure, been impossible to know otherwise. If I succeed in uploading the video, you will know why, if you watch it. However, it is so powerful that, if I don't succeed in uploading it, here is the webpage: 
Do take the trouble to watch, it's only just over three minutes! I feel that it comes into the category of a meditation, hence my posting under this heading. If the video does not appear underneath these words, I did not find a way to upload it. Others don't have any problem doing this, but there is no button to click, or any way of doing it that is obvious.
Metta to all!
Re: Reading and belief, critical observation
Yes, I've certainly noticed this - the tendency seems to be proportionate to the skill of the writer. I think I most often just let it go, let myself slip into 'default belief' rather than struggling against it, but maintain the awareness that it has occurred, and analyze it later for its validity or lack thereof. If the writer isn't very adept, I'll probably only read a few paragraphs anyway.
Fosdick
Re: No Buddhist Quotes
“Man’s basic state is one of happiness. But the mind gives you what you want, and so if you say ‘I am suffering’, the mind gives that to you.”
— H. W. L. Poonja
Jeroen
Re: No Buddhist Quotes
“Although I am a typical loner in my daily life, my awareness of belonging to the invisible community of those who strive for truth, beauty, and justice has prevented me from feelings of isolation.”
― Albert Einstein
Jeroen
Re: No Buddhist Quotes
"No matter how aware or enlightened we are, we will never comprehend the struggles and oppression faced by others"
-- Wagma Mayar