- Introducing Aztec Nonduality: The lecture begins with introducing Aztec philosophy of nonduality, linking it with other major religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity. Aztecs believed in a dynamic, single, self-generating, and self-regenerating sacred power called Toyota. It permeates and shapes the cosmos and is inherent in all things. This is similar to the concept of God in several spiritual traditions. The universe, according to this philosophy, is a sentient organism engaging in endless cycles of creation and regeneration.
- Metaphysical Nature of Toyota: Toyota is both metaphysically immanent and transcendent, penetrating and shaping the universe while simultaneously standing beyond any single thing. The Aztecs saw the universe as a process rather than an object, constantly flowing and changing, much like a waterfall. Toyota is the manifestation of this constant transformation.
- Concept of Dialectical Polar Monism: The lecture introduces the concept of "dialectical polar monism", which sees the universe as a single entity (monism), expressing itself through the oscillation of polar opposites (dialectics). This encompasses the ideas of both nonduality and duality. Therefore, the cosmos and its contents are both identical with Toyota and consist of opposing yet complementary facets.
- Interconnectedness and Contradictions: Aztec philosophy believed in the interconnectedness of seemingly contrasting elements - being and not-being, order and disorder, light and darkness, masculine and feminine. It believed that these opposites are mutually arising, interdependent, and instrumental in explaining the universe's arrangement and movement. Life, for example, contains the seed of death and vice versa, highlighting the complementary nature of polar opposites.
- Aztec view of God: Aztec theology envisions God as a shapeshifter, taking on diverse forms as part of an infinite totality. It claims that God is identical to everything, and everything is identical to God. In this sense, God embodies the ceaseless cyclical oscillation of polar opposites, thereby becoming a unification of all dualities.
- Balance in Life: Balancing diverse aspects of life, including relationships, health, and leisure activities, is critical. The universe operates according to dialectical polar opposites which humans must navigate while maintaining a dynamic balance.
- Concept of Toyota: In Aztec philosophy, Toyota symbolizes a dynamic sacred energy that is neither being nor non-being but constantly transforming. It transcends dualities and cannot be pinned to any particular characteristic. It is simultaneously everything and nothing.
- Impermanence and Change: Phenomena such as physical bodies, species, planets, technologies, and governments undergo constant transformation, symbolizing the changing nature of reality. Holding onto these impermanent aspects leads to delusion and dysfunction.
- Overlap of Buddhism and Aztec philosophy: Both philosophies reveal the ceaseless changing and impermanent nature of reality. They underline the importance of being conscious of such changes to prevent clinging to transient phenomena.
- Understanding of Reality in Different Philosophies: Materialistic and scientific perspectives conceive the universe as static with unchanging physical laws, while non-dual metaphysics, such as Aztec metaphysics, explains the universe as continuously changing with no static point.
- Universe as a Piece of Art: Toyoda or God manifests the universe as a form of self-transformation and performance art. By being conscious of Toyoda in everything, one can appreciate the beauty of the universe.
- Pantheism versus Orthodoxy: Pantheism, which states God is identical with the entire universe, is the core truth of all major religions. However, Orthodox religious followers often deny pantheism due to an unwillingness to accept their unity with God.
- Aztecs' Perception of Life's Artistry: Aztec philosophy views life as an intricate piece of performance art. This perception allows for a deep appreciation of life and the beauty of the universe. By contrast, materialist or atheist perspectives commonly miss this artistry, instead seeing the world purely as a mechanical, random system based on logic and devoid of emotion, art, or deeper meaning.
- The Universe as a Shamanic Entity: Aztecs associated many aspects of their life and beliefs directly with the natural world and its phenomena. For instance, their word for themselves, "Nahua," was derived from "Nahual," which means disguise, mask or form-changing shaman. This demonstrates their belief that the cosmos, much like a shape-shifting shaman, was in constant disguise and transformation.
- Understanding God as a Shapeshifter: Aligning with this notion, they believed God was akin to a shapeshifter - always changing, sometimes appearing as nature or a particular aspect of it (like a tree or a cloud), and sometimes taking human form. However, God's true form was believed to be entirely free of form, allowing God to shape-shift perfectly and take on any form. This idea explains why many find it hard to understand or even recognize God.
- The Fallacy of Demanding "Evidence" for God: Pointing out God's presence to skeptics can be likened to trying to show them a perfectly camouflaged animal in a forest - one cannot see the creature unless their eyes and mind can recognize the intricate outline amidst the surrounding foliage. Similarly, God is all around in every element of existence, but can only be perceived by a conscious, intelligent mind.
- The Illusion of Existence: The Aztecs considered existence to be three distinct types of illusions: the apparent stillness and solidity of entities (humans, trees etc.), the apparent multiplicity of existence (distinct, independent entities), and the apparent dualities seen in order vs disorder, life vs death etc. This led to the understanding that everything in existence is a facet of the divine motion, there is only one principal entity ("Toyota"), and all dualities are complementary parts of "Toyota".
- The Deceptive Nature of One's Mind: Emphasizing the role of the mind in interpreting perceptions, this section proposes that the main delusions stem from the mind's attempts at making sense of the world. Misinterpretations, self-deception, etc. lead to a falsified understanding of self, suffering and reality, thereby causing most problems. The key is to identify this internal illusion and work to rectify it.
- Illusion as the Chief Human Problem: The discussion concludes with the assertion that the essential human problem lies in illusion and delusion. The nature of existence and one's own identity can only be understood by overcoming the illusions created by one's mind. The remedy advised is self-inquiry and spiritual practice.
- Understanding the Illusory Nature of Reality: Explaining how the human mind tricks individuals into believing they are entities separate from God, the video describes people's inability to see reality's true form. As humans, we confuse forms (like a tree or another person) as separate entities, rather than extensions of the same reality. The process of self-inquiry is highlighted as a critical spiritual practice to penetrate the veils of illusion and understand the true nature of existence, which is referred to as "Toyota as Toyota".
- Importance of Wisdom over Intelligence: Wisdom, not intelligence or IQ, is seen as the key to seeing through the self-disguises of Toyota, illustrating why the understanding of reality is not tied to intellectual capability. It is argued that lack of wisdom prevents many academics, researchers, and scientists from realizing that they operate within a dream or illusion.
- Metaphysical Elements of Toyota: Toyota mimics duality, appearing as both male and female, and embodies the dynamic energy from which all things derive existence and sustenance. Non-dual teachings describe consciousness as 'invisible and intangible,' making it a challenging concept to relay.
- Understanding Earthly Existence: Earthly existence is described as "dream-like" and illusory, leading to common misperceptions and misunderstandings. The video clarifies that this is not to say that our existence is ontologically substandard or not truly real, but it is an epistemic category, stemming from our human perspective and inherent misunderstanding of reality.
- Perception of Reality: Under the sway of the illusion, humans perceive and understand their reality through the disguises of Toyota, preventing them from perceiving the true nature of existence. These disguises allow humans to believe in a concrete reality necessary to build civilizations and agree on moral, legal systems and other survival activities.
- Existence as Ephemeral and Evanescent: Rather than negating the complete reality of earthly existence, the description of existence as fleeting and ephemeral points to the reality of endless oscillations under the principle of dialectical polar monism. The illusion is a result of mistaking Toyota's disguise as the characteristics of Toyota itself, underlining the Nahuas' rejection of ontological dualism.
- Challenge of Non-duality: The video explains the dialectical challenge of addressing the illusion of ego and the absolute reality of divine consciousness or Toyota. These two concepts are actually one, with the distinction only arising from the human perspective. The differentiation between the illusory physical world and the timeless absolute truth is a key part of the awakening process. But in order to truly embody non-duality, it is necessary to converge these realities, recognizing them as identical despite their apparent differences.
- Dual Modes of Perceiving God: Humans can perceive God either directly, by attaining divine consciousness, or indirectly, by understanding God through descriptions and specific forms. The indirect approach usually results in misperception and misunderstanding God, while direct perception requires mystical union of the human heart and God, which can be achieved through practices such as meditation, yoga, and self-inquiry.
- The Problem in Western Philosophy: Western philosophy, with its predominantly dualistic and materialistic approach, creates the problem of knowledge, specifically the question of how a subject (individual) can know an object (God). This Cartesian thinking suggests an indirect approach of understanding mediated by veil of perception. But to truly know God, the subject-object duality must be collapsed and the individual needs to literally become God. These philosophical issues emphasize necessity of realizing that metaphysics and epistemology are intertwined.
- Understanding the Nahua Perspective and the Importance of Maintaining Balance: Life as per the Nahua people is described as being filled with suffering, pain, and constant risks. People lose their balance easily resulting in moral downfall, emphasizing the importance of guidance to maintain balance. This metaphorically slippery, treacherous earth represents how easily humans can become morally misadvised and fall into wrongdoing.
- The Importance of Balance: The video discusses the delicate balance humans need to maintain on what is referred to metaphorically as a 'jagged peak'. Leaning too far to either side might result in falling into dysfunction and depravity. There are many traps that one might fall into that might destabilize their balance.
- Philosophy as a Tool to Maintain Balance: The ancient Nahuas practiced philosophy to maintain their balance in life. They viewed philosophy to be essentially pragmatic and aimed at teaching wisdom to individuals. However, modern analytical philosophy taught in universities is seen as too conceptual, abstract, and detached from real-world problems.
- Actualized.org and Realistic Philosophy: Actualized.org is designed to bring abstract philosophical concepts down to earth and apply them to everyday life. It aims to transform people's lives practically by teaching them how to manage their mood, overcome depression and addiction, find their life's purpose, align their career with their heart, become more authentic, and connect with their creative source.
- Lack of True Philosophy as a Reason for Inadequate Living: Without true philosophy, many people in the West lead miserable, depressed, and mediocre lives. This lack of philosophical grounding contributes to major problems like war, genocide, climate change, and political corruption.
- Wisdom and Balance: The Nahuas believed that wisdom aimed at teaching humans to maintain their balance in life, likening it to skilled mountaineers. They saw wisdom as the ability to dynamically balance oneself under varying circumstances. Wisdom is not merely about grasping eternal truths but about practicing this balance actively.
- Becoming Wise and Connecting with Toyota: To gain wisdom, humans must conduct their lives wisely, becoming deeply rooted in the ancient concept of 'Toyota'. This concept signifies one's association with a power higher than oneself.
- Wisdom in Conducting One's Life: This wisdom involves: conducting one's affairs to maintain balance and purity; participating in reinforcing, adapting, and extending the way of life inherited from ancestors; participating in the regeneration and renewal of the cosmos; performing ritual activities that embody Toyota and create balance and purity.
- Religion and Its Purpose: According to Leo, religion, when properly practiced, should help people connect with God (or a higher power) quickly. Once this connection is made, individuals will automatically learn to behave appropriately without the need for specific rules and moral regulations.
- Understanding the Connection of Humans with the Universe: The Nahua philosophy stresses the interdependence between humans and the universe. The universe affects humans and vice versa. This philosophy encourages a holistic perspective, seeing humans as part of a larger whole and interconnected with nature, animals, and the rest of the cosmos.
- Beyond Tribal Mentality: The video criticizes the tribal mentality of many religions that prioritize their own group above others and disregard the interconnectedness of all beings. This lack of holistic perspective contributes to societal problems and personal suffering.
- Navigating Balance in a Rapidly Changing World: Leo underlines that rigidly adhering to ancient traditions, even those promoting balance, is unsustainable in today's rapidly evolving world. Balance cannot be achieved by strictly following rigid rules or commandments.
- Yearning for Rootedness: Nahua philosophers viewed humans as being in constant search for a deep, firm and lasting anchoring in life. While people often attempt to find this rootedness in various aspects of life (e.g., religion, relationships, money), Leo argues that the only true and sustainable source of rootedness is in the consciousness of God or absolute truth.
- The Inevitable Dissatisfaction with False Rootedness: When humans try to root themselves in aspects that are not truly satisfying or lasting, dissatisfaction is inevitable, leading to an ongoing search that usually repeats itself. The only solution to end this cycle of dissatisfaction, according to the video transcript, is to root oneself in absolute truth.
- The Consequences of Failing to Find True Rootedness: Failing to achieve true rootedness results in unbalanced, unstable and deceptive behaviour. The video describes such people as scattered, unbalanced, and lost, wandering aimlessly from one illusion to the next.
- Human Well-being and Balance on Earth: The Nahua people believed in embracing earthly life despite its many challenges, striving for balance and moderation to achieve well-being. A lack of balance was seen as leading to psychological, physical, and moral imbalance and disease.
- Constant Search for Grounding: The video underscores humans' continuous search for grounding and stability in their lives. But many end up attaching themselves to aspects that are impermanent and ultimately dissatisfactory, leading to a recurring cycle of dissatisfaction and renewed searching.
- Interlinking of Human Actions and Cosmic Harmony: The Nahua philosophy stressed that human actions have implications not just for individuals, but also for cosmic harmony or disorder. This reflects the concept of interconnectedness, where one's actions have far-reaching effects on the universe.
- Living in Harmony with all Entities: The transcript asserts that true religion or spirituality should involve living harmoniously with nature and all entities, reflecting the interconnectedness of all things in the universe.
- Self-deception and the state of the world: Leo Gura explains that the majority of humanity is not rooted in Toyota, referred to as an understanding of ultimate reality or truth. He believes this is the underlying cause of global suffering. According to Leo, the definitive solution to humanity's problems is ensuring everyone is rooted in Toyota.
- Forcing consciousness of Toyota: Leo highlights that genuine consciousness of Toyota can't be forced or instilled using religious indoctrination. Such attempts can backfire, leading to more problems. He asserts that consciousness of Toyota can't be replaced with ideas, dogmas, or ideologies about it.
- Importance of proper education: The insufficiency of our current education system is underscored. Leo criticizes the system for not preparing individuals to be decent human beings. Instead of religious indoctrination, he advocates teaching subjects such as philosophy, metaphysics, spirituality, meditation, self-improvement, nutrition, fitness, health, and proper scientific thinking.
- Societal contagion: Leo discusses the concept of "societal contagion," suggesting that societal ills stem from widespread disconnection from Toyota. Such "contagion" spreads everywhere like a mind virus, polluting individuals, communities, the environment, and various sectors including education, health, and government.
- Truth and cognition: He emphasizes that truth is deeper than language or concepts. This understanding of truth as well-rootedness or stability, rather than just correspondence or representation, is essential to properly navigate life.
- Description of authentic items and total: This section identifies well-rootedness in Toyotarepresenting and embodying the essence of Toyotaas the benchmark for authenticity. Items and activities can fall anywhere on the spectrum from being well-rooted in Toyota to being poorly rooted.
- Effects of disconnectedness from the 'true nature': Leo discusses the harmful impact of being disconnected from one's true nature, using the example of a can of Coca-Cola and its effects on children's health. He argues that it is vital to create more institutions, corporations, and entities that reveal Toyota to promote better individual and collective living.
- The 'Toyota-lized' heart: The segment ends with emphasis on the importance of possessing a "Toyota-lized" heart, characterized by sacred energy and wisdom, for true understanding of Toyota. Instead of a logical or rational mindset, humans need to connect with Toyota from their heart or holistic mindset.
- Prominence of Rational, Logical Mindsets: Modern academic philosophy and academia view reality through a materialistic lens, often dismissing spirituality and lacking understanding of self-deception and states of consciousness. Understanding of the universe, or 'Toyota' in this context, is often approached with an overemphasis on the left hemisphere of the brain, leading to a state stuck within structures of linear, rational thought.
- Toyota and the Heart: Shifting from the head to the heart can lead to a direct experience of Toyota, resulting in an awakening that shifts one's life perspective and contributes to personal fulfillment. The Aztec word for heart even derives from the word for movement, portraying the dynamic nature of this wisdom. This connection with the heart can also lead to the awakening of compassion, love, and a greater sense of interconnectedness with the universe.
- Encountering Toyota: The ability to genuinely experience Toyota depends on non-linguistic, non-discursive, and non-rational modes of understanding. Trying to rationalize, quantify, or model Toyota through language and symbols is counterproductive and ineffective due to its infinite nature. Only direct, non-symbolic consciousness can lift the disguises and allow one to experience Toyota in its entirety.
- Role of Art in Connecting to Toyota: Engaging in artistic endeavors can serve as a means to align with the dynamic movement of Toyota. Song poems, or any form of art such as visual arts, literature, or music, are considered the highest form of human artistry that imitates and participates in the cosmic creative artistry of Toyota. True and beautiful art arises from a heart connected to Toyota, or the source of all creativity.
- Connection to Life Purpose: A Toyota-ized heart aids in fulfilling one's life mission and is further developed by engaging in creative artistry. Achieving balance with Toyota and moving knowingly improves the heart's capacity to know. The more connected an individual is to Toyota, the better their artistic expression, and vice versa. This sheds light on the significance of finding one's life purpose and a medium for artistic expression, as that would allow for the unfolding of their creative potential, leading to a deeper connection with Toyota.
- The Importance of Authenticity and Morality in Connection with Toyota: Leo discusses the vital role that authenticity, moral righteousness, balance, purity, and modesty play in acquiring a "Toyota-lized" heart and becoming knowledgeable of Toyota. He suggests that these traits are interconnected with epistemological, moral, and aesthetic self-improvement, and behaving in morally prescribed ways leads to attaining wisdom. Leo warns against trying to be a good person through mechanical means, emphasizing the importance of becoming more conscious. He highlights how aligning oneself with Toyota, the ultimate standard of intrinsic value defined by beauty and purity, provides balance and flourishing in life. Leo further highlights the beauty in natural designs, indicating the presence of Toyota in well-formed designs in nature.
- Significance of Holistic Personal Growth for Understanding Toyota: Personal improvement in various aspects is essential to accessing and understanding Toyota. Changes towards living wisely, beautifully, authentically, and morally righteous aid in becoming knowledgeable about Toyota.
- Role of Balance and Purity in Humaneness and Relationship with Toyota: Balance and purity in human lives make them perfect, humane, and flourish. The absence of these qualities leads to suffering and misery. Toyota is understood as the ultimate source of intrinsic value represented in nature's balance and purity.
- Observance of Beauty and Truth in Designs found in Nature: Leo highlights the reflection of elements of Toyota in well-designed and beautiful aspects of nature. In contrast to this, man-made designs lacking in artistry, functionality, and alignment with Toyota often turn out to be 'hideous Frankenstein monstrosity'.
- Links between Moral Conduct, Authentic Personal Development, and Connection with Toyota: Leo explains that morally appropriate conduct aids in the development of a true, enriched life and helps individuals become authentically human. Deviating from moral standards results in people distancing themselves from their authentic identity and Toyota.
- On Human Behavior and Suffering: The video discusses the concept of moderation in human actions and behaviors, including eating, sleeping, and bathing, referring to it as a middle path as found in Buddhist philosophy. Imbalanced or immoral conduct can lead to physical and psychological suffering, such as autoimmune diseases, cancers, mental illnesses, and heart disease prevalent in modern societies. The reasons for these health issues are attributed to lifestyle habits, including diet, activities engaged in, thought patterns, and the company kept.
- Education and Human Development: Leo outlines that education systems should aim at maturing and developing a student's character, wisdom, and a strong heart rather than focusing on academic achievements like tests and grades. Authentic education should incorporate teaching elements of self-improvement like state of mind, surrounds, and proactive behavior. There's an emphasis on taking responsibility for personal education, suggesting resources for learning are readily available, even if the traditional education system doesn't provide them.
- Developing Wisdom and Balance: Leo talks about the role of a sage in shaping a child's character, highlighting the importance of the educator's connection to 'Toyota'. A perfected, wise face and a good heart can promote balance and purity, deterring future imbalance and impurity. The video mentions activities that restore lost balance and purity, stressing their importance during periods of adversity like addiction.
- The Intersection of Aesthetics, Morality, and Epistemology: Leo points out that things that are aesthetically valuable or beautiful are also morally and epistemologically valuable. Things that are well-balanced, true, and pure are more aesthetically pleasing, while things that are disordered, impure, and deceptive are considered ugly. This applies not only to physical objects but also to actions and behaviors. Different problems of individuals may require different methods for realigning and rebalancing. The video emphasizes the need to develop new rituals and techniques suitable for the modern era to restore one's balance and purity.
- Status of Business Operations and Contribution to Toyota or Ultimate Reality: Businesses must introspect whether their operations genuinely present and truly disclose the ultimate reality or 'Toyota'. The significance lies in understanding if these businesses contribute positively to the balance and purity in the cosmos or if they spread illusion and false perceptions. Building a business aligned with Toyota is a challenging task that requires strategizing and true intent.
- Linking Moral Uprightness with Artistic Expressions: Genuine art can only be created by morally upright and Upright individuals, who have in-depth knowledge of Toyota. Any individual who is disconnected from this ultimate truth fails to create aesthetically valuable art.
- Importance of Connecting to One's True Nature: The cause of human suffering is primarily disconnectedness from one's true nature. All worldly pursuits such as sex, money, business, etc., fall short in providing true happiness unless they are connected to the individual's true self or 'Toyota'. It is imperative to discover this Toyota early in life to lead a fulfilling existence and minimize personal suffering.
- The Essence of Religion & Need for Open-mindedness: Encourages viewers to understand the essence of religion and not get caught up in technicalities and narrow interpretations. The aim should be to extract high-level ideas and techniques from religious texts and apply them in life. Encourages people, especially materialists and atheists, to consider why religion exists and to better understand its role in the lives of billions of people across the globe.
- Appreciation for Ancient Wisdom & Scriptures: Highlights the importance of reading scriptures and philosophical texts, irrespective of tradition, as they offer valuable wisdom about life and spirituality. While urging viewers to appreciate the wisdom contained within these ancient traditions, they are also warned against becoming overly dependent on them and falling into spiritual traps. Instead, advocates an integrative approach to studying various scriptures to gain a more comprehensive understanding of life and the concept of Toyota.