An Advaita Vedanta philosophy site, focusing on Realisation, (Realization), enlightenment, nisarga yoga, non-duality, Real Love, peace, freedom, Your original nature, the natural state, and Maharaj.
Following the post, details on the 50% off sale of the remaining Non-Duality paperback books in the store
NOTE: A seeker who plans to attend an Advaita retreat this August is seeking someone to share the costs. If you are interested, you may use the Contact link and arrangements can be made. With this opportunity, you will be able to attend at about 50% of the regular price. For details of the retreats offered, please visit the retreat information site.
NOTE: A seeker who plans to attend an Advaita retreat this August is seeking someone to share the costs. If you are interested, you may use the Contact link and arrangements can be made. With this opportunity, you will be able to attend at about 50% of the regular price. For details of the retreats offered, please visit the retreat information site.
[The embedded links are only for those seeking a thorough explanation of pointers offered]
FROM A SITE VISITOR: all the recommendations so far seem like your [sic] telling people to just run away. I choose to try to help people and make the world a better place. You cannot deny that some people help and other people hurt.
F.: First, there is no suggestion at all to run away. The only thing that persons (the non-Realized) could run away from would be the mirages that they take to be real—illusions that generate fiction-based misery and suffering; yet even that would never be suggested, any more than it would be suggested that persons should run away from ropes that look like snakes.
Furthermore, to be free of belief in the false selves—and their desires and fears which perpetuate instability at the least and misery and suffering more often than not—does not require running anywhere.
If you consider yourself a seeker, understand that You are where you would go and You are that which you seek. Understand also that what is sought can only be found and known and understood “now” and “here,” not by running away to somewhere you seem to take to be “there.”
Maharaj was once similarly charged with recommending “escape.” His reply was different from the response above, but it provides another means for understanding the difference in escapism and Realization and also addresses your idea about helping “people” and “the world”:
"The only way to renewal lies through destruction. You must melt down the old jewellery into formless gold before you can mould a new one. Only the people who have gone beyond the world can change the world. It never happened otherwise. The few whose impact was long lasting were all knowers of reality. Reach their level and then only talk of helping the world."
Of course, when it comes to "ego-states" or mirages or any illusions, there is no real "destruction" since that which does not exist cannot be destroyed. Belief in it can come to an end, though, simply by seeing clearly.
As for “some helping and some hurting,” of course that can be applicable as far as the relative existence goes. But all dualities (including helping vs. hurting) are “the stuff of which dreams are made,” and the relative is nothing more than a dream. If you want to try to help, try to help, but the invitation is to do so with a clear understanding of what can and cannot be done in the absence of any "do-er."
Otherwise, you will miss the truth that you cannot provide any permanent help to “persons” or to what you take to be “the world” any more than you can help a mirage. Advaitins make clear that you are not in the world…that the world is in you.
You might make some temporary “difference” in terms of the relative’s ebb and flow between light and darkness, between peace and war, between preserving lives vs. ending lives. But no permanent change will come, so to engage in any such actions from a standpoint of non-Realization will only generate frustration along with fluctuations between an egotistical sense of success and a debilitating sense of failure.
When Maharaj was asked in the ‘70’s about war and suffering that were occurring at the time, his answer further clarifies the pointer offered in the previous paragraph. The way he explained it was as follows:
"I am reading newspapers, I know what is going on! But my reaction is not like yours. You are looking for a cure, while I am concerned with prevention. As long as there are causes, there must also be results. As long as people are bent on dividing and separating, as long as they are selfish and aggressive, such things will happen.
“If you want peace and harmony in the world, you must have peace and harmony.... Such change cannot be imposed; it must come from within. Those who abhor war must get war out of their system. Without peaceful people, how can you have peace in the world?
“As long as people are as they are, the world must be as it is. I am doing my part in trying to help people to know themselves as the only cause of their own misery. In that sense I am a useful man. But what I am in MySelf, what is my normal state, cannot be expressed in terms of social consciousness and usefulness.
“No doubt, striving for the improvement of the world is a most praiseworthy occupation [if] done selflessly.... But soon man will realise that he pursues a mirage. [Bold and italics added]
“Local and temporary improvement is always possible and was achieved again and again under the influence of a great king or teacher; but it would soon come to an end, leaving humanity in a new cycle of misery. It is in the nature of all manifestation that the good and the bad follow each other and in equal measure. The true refuge is only in the unmanifested.”
That last sentence should make clear that the three pointers offered so far in this series are not about “running away” but are very much about being in touch with Reality, here and now. Review the three pointers so far in that context:
If in touch with Reality, (1) Pure Witnessing can happen; it can be understood that (2) there is no experience or experiencer; and it can be understood that (3) the universal respite for all relative problems is “deep sleep” (i.e., “wakeful sleep” or “alert sleep”).
Or see it the way Maharaj put it, that “the true refuge” is abiding as “the unmanifested” rather than the manifested. Only the Realized will grasp the actual difference in “taking refuge via abidance as the original, natural, unmanifested state” and “running away or trying to escape.” Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
Furthermore, to be free of belief in the false selves—and their desires and fears which perpetuate instability at the least and misery and suffering more often than not—does not require running anywhere.
If you consider yourself a seeker, understand that You are where you would go and You are that which you seek. Understand also that what is sought can only be found and known and understood “now” and “here,” not by running away to somewhere you seem to take to be “there.”
Maharaj was once similarly charged with recommending “escape.” His reply was different from the response above, but it provides another means for understanding the difference in escapism and Realization and also addresses your idea about helping “people” and “the world”:
"The only way to renewal lies through destruction. You must melt down the old jewellery into formless gold before you can mould a new one. Only the people who have gone beyond the world can change the world. It never happened otherwise. The few whose impact was long lasting were all knowers of reality. Reach their level and then only talk of helping the world."
Of course, when it comes to "ego-states" or mirages or any illusions, there is no real "destruction" since that which does not exist cannot be destroyed. Belief in it can come to an end, though, simply by seeing clearly.
As for “some helping and some hurting,” of course that can be applicable as far as the relative existence goes. But all dualities (including helping vs. hurting) are “the stuff of which dreams are made,” and the relative is nothing more than a dream. If you want to try to help, try to help, but the invitation is to do so with a clear understanding of what can and cannot be done in the absence of any "do-er."
Otherwise, you will miss the truth that you cannot provide any permanent help to “persons” or to what you take to be “the world” any more than you can help a mirage. Advaitins make clear that you are not in the world…that the world is in you.
You might make some temporary “difference” in terms of the relative’s ebb and flow between light and darkness, between peace and war, between preserving lives vs. ending lives. But no permanent change will come, so to engage in any such actions from a standpoint of non-Realization will only generate frustration along with fluctuations between an egotistical sense of success and a debilitating sense of failure.
When Maharaj was asked in the ‘70’s about war and suffering that were occurring at the time, his answer further clarifies the pointer offered in the previous paragraph. The way he explained it was as follows:
"I am reading newspapers, I know what is going on! But my reaction is not like yours. You are looking for a cure, while I am concerned with prevention. As long as there are causes, there must also be results. As long as people are bent on dividing and separating, as long as they are selfish and aggressive, such things will happen.
“If you want peace and harmony in the world, you must have peace and harmony.... Such change cannot be imposed; it must come from within. Those who abhor war must get war out of their system. Without peaceful people, how can you have peace in the world?
“As long as people are as they are, the world must be as it is. I am doing my part in trying to help people to know themselves as the only cause of their own misery. In that sense I am a useful man. But what I am in MySelf, what is my normal state, cannot be expressed in terms of social consciousness and usefulness.
“No doubt, striving for the improvement of the world is a most praiseworthy occupation [if] done selflessly.... But soon man will realise that he pursues a mirage. [Bold and italics added]
“Local and temporary improvement is always possible and was achieved again and again under the influence of a great king or teacher; but it would soon come to an end, leaving humanity in a new cycle of misery. It is in the nature of all manifestation that the good and the bad follow each other and in equal measure. The true refuge is only in the unmanifested.”
That last sentence should make clear that the three pointers offered so far in this series are not about “running away” but are very much about being in touch with Reality, here and now. Review the three pointers so far in that context:
If in touch with Reality, (1) Pure Witnessing can happen; it can be understood that (2) there is no experience or experiencer; and it can be understood that (3) the universal respite for all relative problems is “deep sleep” (i.e., “wakeful sleep” or “alert sleep”).
Or see it the way Maharaj put it, that “the true refuge” is abiding as “the unmanifested” rather than the manifested. Only the Realized will grasp the actual difference in “taking refuge via abidance as the original, natural, unmanifested state” and “running away or trying to escape.” Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
TABLE OF CONTENTS BELOW:
1. REALIZATION AIDS
2. ADVAITA BOOK SETS-50% off
3. ARRANGE FOR FLOYD TO SPEAK TO YOUR GROUP
4. DONATIONS
1. REALIZATION AIDS
The Advanced Seekers’ Book Set
From the I to the Absolute
Consciousness / Awareness
From the Absolute to the Nothingness
Purchase one or all at The Official Website of Floyd Henderson
2. ADVAITA / NON-DUALITY BOOK SET
THE FOLLOWING BOOKS ARE IN THE STORE IN LIMITED SUPPLY AND WILL BE OFFERED AT 50% OFF WHEN BOUGHT AS A PACKAGE:
From the Absolute to the Nothingness
Consciousness/Awareness
From the I to the Absolute (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)
It's All Bullshit (and Why Knowing it Sets You Free)
Meditation Guide (Advanced Volume)
There's No Such Thing as ''Peace of Mind''
Ending Financial Problems by Understanding Your Personality
The Essence of the Teachings
$79.00 for all eight books + free S&H in the U.S.
Most titles are also available as eBooks
Visit
The Official Website of Floyd Henderson
3. ARRANGE FOR FLOYD TO TRAVEL TO YOUR LOCATION AND SPEAK TO YOUR GROUP
Here’s a recent example:
Travel costs of the drive to Austin and back: $200.00
Friday and Saturday hotel room: $140.00
½ day Friday, Saturday and ½ day Sunday fees: $600.00
16 participants: $59.00 each for the retreat
Certain bargains are currently available for international flights as well
4. DONATIONS
1. REALIZATION AIDS
2. ADVAITA BOOK SETS-50% off
3. ARRANGE FOR FLOYD TO SPEAK TO YOUR GROUP
4. DONATIONS
1. REALIZATION AIDS
The Advanced Seekers’ Book Set
From the I to the Absolute
Consciousness / Awareness
From the Absolute to the Nothingness
Purchase one or all at The Official Website of Floyd Henderson
2. ADVAITA / NON-DUALITY BOOK SET
THE FOLLOWING BOOKS ARE IN THE STORE IN LIMITED SUPPLY AND WILL BE OFFERED AT 50% OFF WHEN BOUGHT AS A PACKAGE:
From the Absolute to the Nothingness
Consciousness/Awareness
From the I to the Absolute (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)
It's All Bullshit (and Why Knowing it Sets You Free)
Meditation Guide (Advanced Volume)
There's No Such Thing as ''Peace of Mind''
Ending Financial Problems by Understanding Your Personality
The Essence of the Teachings
$79.00 for all eight books + free S&H in the U.S.
Most titles are also available as eBooks
Visit
The Official Website of Floyd Henderson
3. ARRANGE FOR FLOYD TO TRAVEL TO YOUR LOCATION AND SPEAK TO YOUR GROUP
Here’s a recent example:
Travel costs of the drive to Austin and back: $200.00
Friday and Saturday hotel room: $140.00
½ day Friday, Saturday and ½ day Sunday fees: $600.00
16 participants: $59.00 each for the retreat
Certain bargains are currently available for international flights as well
4. DONATIONS
FROM SIM IN KENTUCKY, U.S.A.: How about a donate button? I give monthly to a blog about locations and reviews of a particular type of restaurant we like. I’d sure donate to this blog.
FROM “ANONYMOUS”: Almost every visitor brought Maharaj food or flowers. I’d like to treat you to a meal if you tell me how to do so with my credit card!
FROM LOUISE, SOUTH AFRICA: [Consider the case of an acquaintance who] added a donate button to his site. Regular blog readers were happy to support the site in this way.
F.: Okay—so it’s done, but note that the postings and responses are offered without charge, as is access to the library of 1,300 Advaitin essays archived on the site.
FROM “ANONYMOUS”: Almost every visitor brought Maharaj food or flowers. I’d like to treat you to a meal if you tell me how to do so with my credit card!
FROM LOUISE, SOUTH AFRICA: [Consider the case of an acquaintance who] added a donate button to his site. Regular blog readers were happy to support the site in this way.
F.: Okay—so it’s done, but note that the postings and responses are offered without charge, as is access to the library of 1,300 Advaitin essays archived on the site.
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