FROM A SITE VISITOR: Dear Mr. Henderson, Re; your am post of this date. [8 Feb 2007] Can you speak about how to move beyond the fear of losing \"this\" to embracing \"That\". When I think about \"Why not Realize\". It is fear. Fear of losing parts of the little self that I have allowed to define me. Peace,Peace,Peace Virginia
[Initial e-mailed response]: A very legitimate question. Due to its relevance to the recent post, the reply will be moved up the list and responded to tomorrow. In the meantime, know that seven steps are required for the shift you're asking about, and they must be completed in an exact order, the explanation of which is book-length rather than e-mail length. See http://floydhenderson.com/iamabsolute.htm for more on that. Peace and Light. f.
F.: OK, Virginia. Thx for writing. Your assessment (that one factor which is retarding your undertaking of the “journey” to Full Realization is the "fear of losing parts of that little self" that you "have allowed to define" you) is telling. It reveals that you are farther along than most persons walking about the planet since most haven’t considered their circumstances enough to even be aware of the duality of “self vs. Self.” (Technically, the problem is not losing parts of one false “self” but losing all of the many, different false selves that persons use to “define” who and what they think they are.)
While various fears are one hindrance to Realizing, desires, denial, arrogance, and greed are others. First, the fears. The various fears among persons manifest as fears about non-continuity, fears about the unknown, and fears of powerlessness:
FEARS ABOUT NON-CONTINUITY
Among persons--that is, among the non-Realized--an understanding of their fears cannot be separated from an understanding of their desires. The fear that the body-mind-personality might have “an abbreviated stay in this world” is always accompanied by a dualistic desire for eternal continuity of the body-mind-personality in the next world. That desire for continuity will generate fear-based conduct in the relative that reinforces more and more belief in the lies of duality and that results in less and less chance of Realizing. To “earn” or “gain” continuity for the mirage called “the body” and the mirage called “the mind” and the mirage called “my personality,” persons self-servingly cling to their beliefs in such dualities as “god/gods vs. mortals”; “hell vs. heaven”; “rewards vs. punishments” (both "now" and “later”); “benefits of worshipping vs. not worshipping”; “payoffs from tithing vs. not tithing,” etc.
Why self-servingly? Because all of those dualistic beliefs are rooted in the dualistic desires of various false selves to continue now, to continue forever, to gain “good” things now and forever, and to avoid “bad things” now and forever. The goal of persons is to be able to manipulate other persons as well as some external Power in order to get what “you”—that “little self”—wants and desires, which is the power to control as well as some supposed guarantee that "you" will "continue." With Realization comes the awareness that there is no Power or power, that there is no one who can control, and that there is no continuity of body or mind or personality. With Realization comes the awareness that NOW is the only "time" there is, so NOW might as well be enjoyed fully. With Realization comes freedom from illusory fears and illusory desires. For most persons, however, because they are fixated at the elementary level of body-mind-personality identification, the motivation to transcend will seldom happen. Please enter the silence of contemplation. [To be continued]
[Initial e-mailed response]: A very legitimate question. Due to its relevance to the recent post, the reply will be moved up the list and responded to tomorrow. In the meantime, know that seven steps are required for the shift you're asking about, and they must be completed in an exact order, the explanation of which is book-length rather than e-mail length. See http://floydhenderson.com/iamabsolute.htm for more on that. Peace and Light. f.
F.: OK, Virginia. Thx for writing. Your assessment (that one factor which is retarding your undertaking of the “journey” to Full Realization is the "fear of losing parts of that little self" that you "have allowed to define" you) is telling. It reveals that you are farther along than most persons walking about the planet since most haven’t considered their circumstances enough to even be aware of the duality of “self vs. Self.” (Technically, the problem is not losing parts of one false “self” but losing all of the many, different false selves that persons use to “define” who and what they think they are.)
While various fears are one hindrance to Realizing, desires, denial, arrogance, and greed are others. First, the fears. The various fears among persons manifest as fears about non-continuity, fears about the unknown, and fears of powerlessness:
FEARS ABOUT NON-CONTINUITY
Among persons--that is, among the non-Realized--an understanding of their fears cannot be separated from an understanding of their desires. The fear that the body-mind-personality might have “an abbreviated stay in this world” is always accompanied by a dualistic desire for eternal continuity of the body-mind-personality in the next world. That desire for continuity will generate fear-based conduct in the relative that reinforces more and more belief in the lies of duality and that results in less and less chance of Realizing. To “earn” or “gain” continuity for the mirage called “the body” and the mirage called “the mind” and the mirage called “my personality,” persons self-servingly cling to their beliefs in such dualities as “god/gods vs. mortals”; “hell vs. heaven”; “rewards vs. punishments” (both "now" and “later”); “benefits of worshipping vs. not worshipping”; “payoffs from tithing vs. not tithing,” etc.
Why self-servingly? Because all of those dualistic beliefs are rooted in the dualistic desires of various false selves to continue now, to continue forever, to gain “good” things now and forever, and to avoid “bad things” now and forever. The goal of persons is to be able to manipulate other persons as well as some external Power in order to get what “you”—that “little self”—wants and desires, which is the power to control as well as some supposed guarantee that "you" will "continue." With Realization comes the awareness that there is no Power or power, that there is no one who can control, and that there is no continuity of body or mind or personality. With Realization comes the awareness that NOW is the only "time" there is, so NOW might as well be enjoyed fully. With Realization comes freedom from illusory fears and illusory desires. For most persons, however, because they are fixated at the elementary level of body-mind-personality identification, the motivation to transcend will seldom happen. Please enter the silence of contemplation. [To be continued]
