FROM A SITE VISITOR: Like Raja, I’m new to Advaita--but never had any religious training. It is easy enough to know that I am more than a body but why do you say I should not have a personality? Thank you.
F.: Yesterday, the focus was on the way that Personality Type Six sets up fifty percent of the population of the planet to be both afraid and desirous, explaining why three billion persons on the planet have a blind propensity for falling under the influence of charlatans.
As a result of their personality with its excessive fears and excessive desires, they will be blindly predisposed to manipulation; therefore, anyone who can assure them, via a fear-based message that includes promises of (a) immediate and eternal protection and (b) immediate and eternal desire fulfillment, will find that 50% of all persons will unquestioningly and willingly allow the bearer of that message to control them. Indeed, "He is the shepherd and we are his sheep" is an appropriate metaphor for the masses who so willingly and loyally follow their leaders.
Today's invitation is to see how the other personality types set people up to buy into magical dogma and/or nonsensical teachings:
Type Ones want to be perfect, so they can be easily persuaded to accept the teachings of any dualistic dogma that promises to “purify them” and “make them right.” (See for example “the Methodist cross and flames” with its implied message of duality that the cross will both “justify” and “purify,” just as fire accomplishes that result with metal: “You’re bad, but we can make you good.” Nothing which claims that you are bad or that it can make you good can have anything to do with the teachings of non-duality. Here, specks of consciousness are invited to transcend both sin and virtue.)
Two’s will be driven unconsciously to try to help themselves and others to salvation; Three’s will buy into the pomp and circumstance of religious performances that are heavy with dramatic, emotion-inspiring elements and images; Four’s (with their propensity for seeking the Authentic Self) and Fives (with their drive to understand the functioning of the totality) can be vulnerable to accepting a dogmatic or ideological message if it seems to provide answers to their questions;
Sevens will find the concept of “an eternal life of bliss” exactly what they’ve been looking for in their quest for adventure and pain avoidance; Eights (always trying to accumulate power of any kind, including earthly, financial, celestial, military, etc.) will be drawn to a message about an omnipotent force with power that they can tap into and use as a means to their ends;
and Nines will find the idea of being taken care of and the concept of not having to work for eternity to be the perfect plan that suits their personality exactly. These effects further validate the logic and reason behind the Advaitin suggestion to be free of the whims and vagaries of personality.
Of course all of the influences of personality materialize unconsciously, whether the effects are manifesting via a child using personality to survive or manifesting via an adult who is still being driven by a personality that was formed during childhood. Trying to survive can be considered “normal” and natural among children doing whatever is required to try to adjust to abnormal circumstances, but for an adult to continue to live under the auspices of a childhood tool is neither normal nor natural.
While nonsensical thinking and childish talk and immature actions might be expected among children, the relative existence curse of personality is that it inspires the same type of thinking and speaking and behaving among non-Realized adults.
Those specks of consciousness that have been restored to some degree of reason and logic will set aside their earlier childish confidence in outlandish tales they were told, will employ logic and reason to re-consider beliefs not previously questioned, and will therefore be able to shift beyond a mode that sets persons up for being consistently fooled.
Yet driven by the influence of personality and the illogical conditioning and programming to which most specks have been subjected, the use of logic and reason will seldom ever happen. Persons/Personas, taking their identities to be real, will fight (often to the death) to preserve mirages. The warped or blocked consciousness will remain in that condition, in most cases, throughout the entire manifestation. Such is the toll of personality and persona identification. Please enter into the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
