Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Continuing Along the Direct Path vs. Taking the Third-Step Detour and Staying Lost

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Author's Paperback Books
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An Advaita forum focusing on Realisation, enlightenment, non-duality, Real Love, peace, freedom, Your original nature, abiding naturally, the Oneness, the Nothingness, and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.

As for Maharaj, you will find here some of his early pointers for beginners but some of his later pointers that are for seekers farther along the "path." During his last years, he said of I AM THAT: "That book and whatever was expounded at that time was only relevant for that period. I am speaking differently today" and am "emphasizing different aspects." What he offered later differed considerably from his earlier talks, making clear that the pointers in I AM THAT will take you to the midpoint of "the race" but that his final talks point the way to "the finish line."

F.: The following is shared on the author's page at Amazon.com:

In college, I told the young woman I was dating that I was going to be a writer some day. She replied, "I have no doubts." In a recent conversation with her, she reminded me of that prediction, but neither of us would have guessed in the late 1960's that the subject matter of my books would involve the Advaita Vedanta teachings.

What neither of us knew at that time was that there would be many decades of detours before I would finally write and publish several dozen non-duality books and novels. The detours were described thusly in one of those novels entitled THE TWICE-STOLEN NECKLACE MURDERS:

"In his energy-consuming search for salvation, he'd been dipped, dunked, sprayed, spayed, sprinkled, and neutered; in the quest for truth, he'd been blessed, cursed, cussed, lectured, scolded, and praised; in his pursuit of Life's Meaning, he'd been communion'd, Om'd, grape-juiced, wined, ahsram'd, accepted, rejected, Mu'd, and yoga'd; in his chase for service-work-opportunities, he'd been pulverized, martinized, and frappéd; and in the endeavor to attain Life Eternal, he'd been baptized, Buddha'd, New Aged, powwow'd, Far Eastern Indianized, incense'd, sage'd, Tao'd, Peru'd, Tibet'd, washed in the blood, dunked in the waters, and purportedly purified."

If you find the reading of that list tiring, imagine actually DOING all of that. Eventually, the search ended with the combination of (1) pointers from a Realized teacher and (2) a vision that revealed the exact steps on the "path" that can move persons from identifying with all of the false "I's" to abiding in a manner that requires no searching, no effort, and no fluctuating between happiness and sadness (or between any other dualities, either).

Today, life unfolds in a manner described in FROM THE ABSOLUTE TO THE NOTHINGNESS while savoring the taste of something even beyond what the Italians call "il dolce di fare niente" (that is, "the sweetness of doing nothing"). There has been a shift to an even simpler level than "the sweetness of doing nothing," namely, to "il dolce di Niente" (or, "the sweetness of Nothing," period).

Best regards if you are seeking freedom from all of the doingness of the relative existence, if you are sensing that natural living might be easier and more enjoyable than the heavy toll of supernatural or unnatural living, and sensing that you might enjoy the lightness of mere being even more than all of the heaviness of doing.

If that sounds of interest, then this point is offered:

The road need not be long and arduous, if (1) you happen to cross paths with a Realized teacher that employs the Direct Path Method and (2) if you happen to cross paths with a teacher that actually knows the exact steps on the direct "path" and (3) if you happen to cross paths with a teacher that knows how to convey to you the directions required to follow the direct path.

[A caution: if you use any of the lists on the internet that "rank" Non-Duality / Advaita Vedanta teachers, you likely will not find what you seek. Why not? Because what you have found is a list that has been compiled by one of the most arrogant of all persons who believes that he or she knows "who is teaching the right way" and "who is teaching the wrong way"; moreover, you will find a list compiled by a person who is revealing that Realization has not happened at all because that person is building and maintaining a hierarchy whereas the Realized discard belief in any and all hierarchies since they generate a sense of separation and better-than-ment. Too, according to Maharaj, you will never find what you seek via those he called "The Big Name Teachers." Why? If they are popular among the masses and have therefore become famous teachers, it is because they have diluted the message with elements that appeal to the masses, and the masses have no tolerance at all for either the truth or The Truth.]

So what are the odds of your finding the kind of teacher that understands the "path" and knows how to travel it in the precise fashion required in order to "go back, in the exact reverse order, of the way that the coming in happened"? According to Maharaj, the odds are 1 in 10,000,000; thus, as the masses wander through their relative existence, they take one detour after another, but most are stuck at one particular "place," specifically:

those who are totally "stuck" on the side road are the persons who are among the 97% who claim a religious affiliation or among the millions of others who brag that they "are not religious but are spiritual instead." They are all now stuck on the detour, on the side route, trapped in their religious and / or spiritual roles and having no clue at all that they have abandoned the "journey" before having even hit the halfway point.

However, seekers on the Direct Path must see that the Direct Path route also has detours: by the third step, seekers have begun to discard body identification and to question the content of the "mind." Yet some of the former "bad" roles that are abandoned by that point have simply been replaced with what are thought to be new, "good" identities, specifically, a variety of religious or spiritual roles.

The act of replacing roles with roles creates a detour along the "path," a "path" which requires the discarding of ALL roles and identities and personas and personality / personalities - including religious and spiritual personas that are as fictional as any other personas assumed in the past.

Yes, the third step must be completed for it is one of the seven steps that are necessary to shift one from identification with the false "I" to the understanding of the Absolute and to an awareness of the functioning of the totality; nevertheless, the third step is a detour. If seekers ignore Maharaj's warning - that erroneously believing that they are being bathed in the full light of the noonday sun when they are actually still standing in the dull light of the dawn - then they will remain sidetracked.

They will take the detour and become so enamored by their religious and / or spiritual role that they will never find their way back to the path and complete the entire "journey." This is the map that has been offered in the past to those that would understand what the entire "journey" involves:



The results of completing only a part of the "journey," the part up to the third step, are far worse than not completing any part of the "journey" at all. Why? The case here makes clear why that pointer is valid:

When the detour happened here and there was a fixation at the third step, all sorts of religious and spiritual roles were assumed. When an ego-state is assumed, four events follow:

1. the ego-state is assumed to be real, to be an actual identity;

2. egotism and arrogance - two ego-defense mechanisms - activate to "protect and defend" the role;

3. as a result of such egotism and arrogance, the identity is soon upgraded;

4. then, a new set of belief systems develop that inspire judging and inspire a sense of separation, and that sense of separation is far worse than the sense of separation that existed prior to beginning the "journey."

Prior to Realization, when "floyd" assumed several religious and spiritual personas as identities, arrogance led to the upgrading of those roles. Soon, "floyd" was on the mountaintop, speaking to "The Poor Lost Souls" lulling about in the darkness of the shadows of the valley:

if only they would be as spiritual, they too could reach the same heights and be washed in the light of the knowledge that comes with mastering dogma and spiritual principles. But alas, they are not, so they shall continue to suffer.

The result: while abiding on the mountaintop, there was an even greater sense of separation, and a far more disgusting sense of better-than-ment, than had existed during the darkest days before both religious and spiritual roles had been assumed. The level of arrogance before could not compare with the degree of arrogance that came via the self -upgrading that comes with playing either or both of those two false roles.

In this case, therefore, the effects of completing only one-half of the "journey" proved to be far worse than if the "journey" had not been undertaken at all. In the 1980's and early 1990's, ownership of a European tour company required flying frequently from Houston to destinations in Western Europe. If only half of one of those flights had been completed, the airplane would have ended up in the Atlantic Ocean. The results of completing half of a seven-step "journey" to Realization are similar.

If you are reading this and either trying to follow the Direct Path or considering the undertaking of the "journey," you can expect to reach the third step and take a detour; however, you need not fixate there by identifying with the roles that are accumulated on the side road. This "journey" is about de-accumulation, not accumulation (and that includes not accumulating more identities and it includes eventually being free of all identity).

You need not take the long and arduous route that the non-Truth-seeking masses follow. They have no other option, so this is not to judge them but is only to understand the facts regarding that which will continue to trap them in darkness. At this moment, if you read and consider the content of this post and then follow through, You do have a different option.

Please enter the silence of contemplation.

If you would like to support the site or to help insure that those seeking this understanding have someone available, you may click the following button to donate:



LATEST RELEASE:


For those seeking the full explanation of the topics addressed on this site: there are non-duality books offered below as well as retreats and Skype or telephone sessions available at
  • Floyd Henderson's Website

  • The full explanations are also available in the books in the author's collection that explain in detail all of the non-duality, nisarga teachings offered here:
    1. Most non-duality books below are available through Amazon.com.
    2. Read Kindle books on your own device by downloading a free app.

    The available books are arranged on the carousels below. Use the arrows to move each book to the forefront; then, you may click on any book that you might be interested in to find more information or to purchase.

    THE ADVANCED SEEKERS' SERIES
    From the I to the Absolute
    Consciousness / Awareness
    From the Absolute to the Nothingness
    The Final Understanding
    The Advanced Seekers' Series in
    paperback
    The Two Meditation Guides




    The BLISSFUL ABIDANCE SERIES, PART ONE
    What BLISS Is and What BLISS Is Not
    Why You Must Be Empty If You Would Be Full
    When Reality Is Overlaid Upon the Relative
    Freedom from Shifting Between States of Happiness and Unhappiness
    Liberation
    The Blissful Abidance Series (6 books) in
    paperback



    The ADVAITINS Collection
    with THE MAHARAJ QUATRO, including:
    (1) Why NISARGA YOGA in addition to the ADVAITA TEACHING?
    (2) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj and His Evolution
    (3) A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
    (4) Going Crazy / Going Sane
    and
    Jesus Christ the Advaitin
    William Shakespeare the Advaitin

    The "Final" Talks of Floyd Henderson



    The BLISSFUL ABIDANCE SERIES, PART TWO
    Overcoming the Fear of Being Totally Independent
    I AM THAT (vs. "This Is Who I Think I Am")
    The Essence of the Teachings
    There Is Nothing That Is Personal (Including You and Including God)
    Lessons in Non-Duality from Travels in South Africa
    The Path to Freedom vs. the Path to Misery




    The FREEDOM FROM THE MIND Series
    Instability / Insanity: What the Advaita Teachings Can (and Cannot) Address
    PROGRAMMING, CONDITIONING, DOMESTICATION, AND ACCULTURATION
    The Ultimate Sickness, The Ultimate Medicine
    Going Crazy / Going Sane
    There's No Such Thing As "Peace of Mind" (There Is Only Peace If You're Out of Your Mind)
    Dancing Lightly




    RECOVERY LITERATURE, the RELATIONSHIP books
    A Twelve-Step Journey to SELF-Realization [Kindle]
    A Twelve-Step Journey to SELF-Realization [Paperback]
    A Guide for Working the Twelve Steps (In the Manner Used by the Founders)
    The Twelve Steps and Advaita / Non-Duality: A 21-Day Plan for a Psychic Change
    Finding Real Love in An Unreal World
    Casting Light on the Dark Side of Relationships




    The NO DEATH books, NON-DUALITY IN FICTION, FINANCIAL SANITY
    The Myth of Death
    What Happens When I Die?
    The Twice-Stolen Necklace Murders (Non-Duality) [Kindle]
    The Board of Directors of Wars (Non-Duality) [Kindle]
    The Board of Directors of Wars (Non-Duality) [Paperback]
    Living Within Your Means
    How Your Personality Type Shapes Your Spending Habits




    NON-DUALITY BOOKS, EACH CONTAINING A SERIES OF ESSAYS DISCUSSING ONE OF THE SEVEN STEPS ON THE PATH TO REALIZATION



    FOR THOSE WHO PREFER PAPERBACK, THE FOLLOWING PAPERBACK BOOKS ARE ON SALE NOW
    (Click the pictures for information on the paperback versions)



    (FOUR BOOKS IN ONE)





    (SIX BOOKS IN ONE)








    FOR THOSE SEEKING FURTHER EXPLANATION

    An online Advaita Internet Course is offered here. The price of the course includes the four Advaita eBooks used as the texts; questions sent after completion of the assigned readings; replies to your answers; and follow-up as required.

    The price of the course includes the four Advaita eBooks used as the texts; questions sent after completion of the assigned readings, replies to your answers, and follow-up as required.

    You will be guided through all seven of the steps, in order, that lead from identification with the false "I" to the Absolute (and beyond). For more specific information and details about the course, you may click on the link to the right. To get started now now, click the pay button below and receive the $365 course for a discounted price of $325.00.

    Purchase at Discount the Advaita Internet Course with Floyd


    by
    Clicking the Buy Now Button below:

    Or, if you prefer, begin by arranging a one-hour Advaita session via Skype with Floyd:

    Next, you can now receive for $40 a downloadable computer file version of the same 7-hour satsang that seekers receive when they visit for the Advaita Retreat with Floyd. You will be guided through the seven steps from identification with the false "I" to the Absolute (and beyond).
    For more information or to order, click:

    DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat

    SIX WAYS THAT SEEKERS HAVE REALIZED:


    1. BY WATCHING the 4-Disk, Seven-Hour Video (DVD) Set of an advaita retreat, or the downloadable file version. To find out more or to purchase the DVD or downloadable computer file version of the retreat, click:
    DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
    International buyers: note the separate option for those outside the continental U.S.

    2. BY READING the explanations offered in the collection of non-duality books that are available on this site.

    3. BY ENROLLING in the Online Advaita Classes

    For information, visit Information on the Advaita Classes on the Internet
    To enroll visit Enroll in the Advaita Internet Course

    4. BY ATTENDING an Advaitin retreat for satsang with floyd and being guided through all seven steps. For details of the retreats offered, please visit the retreat information site.

    5. BY ARRANGING satsang by telephone in the U.S. or by Skype internationally. Use the Contact link for information or use the link below to pay for your first Advaita session.

    You may click the BUY NOW button below to begin arrangements for your first Advaita session with Floyd via Skype and he will contact you to schedule:


    6. BY ARRANGING for floyd to travel to your location and meet with you or your group. Use the contact link below to discuss details.

    Wednesday, November 02, 2011

    Let It Happen With Dignity, Part Nine, The Conclusion

    Table of Contents

    Today's Considerations
    Recent Posts and Archives
    Tools for Realization
    Author's eBooks
    Author's Paperback Books
    Free eBooks
    An Advaita forum focusing on Realisation, enlightenment, non-duality, Real Love, peace, freedom, Your original nature, abiding naturally, the Oneness, the Nothingness, and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.

    As for Maharaj, you will find here some of his early pointers for beginners but some of his later pointers that are for seekers farther along the "path." During his last years, he said of I AM THAT: "That book and whatever was expounded at that time was only relevant for that period. I am speaking differently today" and am "emphasizing different aspects." What he offered later differed considerably from his earlier talks, making clear that the pointers in I AM THAT will take you to the midpoint of "the race" but that his final talks point the way to "the finish line."

    F.: It was noted earlier that Maharaj made clear, as the end of the manifestation of that speck of conscious-energy neared, that "even this 'I-Amness' will not remain as my friend."

    This pointer was also offered for consideration:

    If You allow the abidance to happen with dignity, everything else will necessarily unfold in the same fashion. If You accept the eventual taking of mahasamadhi as part of the natural cycling, then abidance can also happen with dignity and peace and serenity and calmness.

    It has also been noted that dignity (i.e., composure and serenity and calmness and tranquility) manifests in proportion to the degree that talking is devalued and to the degree that silence is respected.

    As Maharaj prepared to take mahasamadhi, he entered into seventy days of silence. Prior to that, when he was still receiving guests in the loft in spite of the overwhelming pain associated with his cancer, the length of his talks became more and more abbreviated.

    Yet those final talks happened with complete dignity and composure and calmness. Maharaj said seventy-nine days before the manifestation came to an end, "In spite of my ... understanding, the bodily suffering has to be undergone because of the consciousness. The name of the consciousness is suffering itself."

    His talks - more direct than ever near the end and finally stripped of all of the conventional type of pointers offered in his earliest years (including the type of pointers which paralleled the supposedly "spiritual" subject matter shared by his contemporaries) - reached their zenith.

    Review this pointer that precedes every posting on this site:

    During his last years, he said of I AM THAT: "That book and whatever was expounded at that time was only relevant for that period. I am speaking differently today" and am "emphasizing different aspects." What he offered later differed considerably from his earlier talks, making clear that the pointers in I AM THAT will take you to the midpoint of "the race" but that his final talks point the way to "the finish line."

    Thus, the seekers who came to the loft on that seventy-ninth day prior to his taking mahasamadhi heard Maharaj say:

    "I do not follow the spirituality of the masses. In this place, spirituality of the common type will not be doled out. "

    What clearer evidence could there be of his total lack of fear and of his having been firmly fixed in a state of total dignity in spite of what he knew would soon happen? There was no "deathbed conversion" there. No calling for a priest to come and offer "Last Rites." No "final confessions to try to cover all bases," just in case there might really be a heaven and a judgmental God waiting there to determine if one will be offered permanent residence or will be cast into a place of eternal pain and suffering and misery instead.

    No panic. No loss of composure. Just dignity, marked by a calm acceptance of the mahasamadhi that would soon be taken:

    Maharaj: "Let us forget spirituality for the time being. Among all of my experiences, I had occasions for joy, happiness and miseries. What part of the miseries or happiness still remains? One who had transcended the consciousness, or one who has seen the end of 'this', for such a one, where is there the question of any gain or loss? So, this being the case, where is the question of one's engaging in activity?"

    At the end, he said: "All my knowledge has gone into liquidation. I am unconcerned."

    Maharaj remained calm to the end of the manifestation: "I am unconcerned." Maharaj remained tranquil to the end of the manifestation: "I am unconcerned." Maharaj remained composed to the end of the manifestation: "I am unconcerned."

    If the abidance happens while remaining solidly unconcerned, then the abidance can end while remaining solidly unconcerned. His final words showed that he was intent on letting it all happen with dignity: "I am unconcerned."

    Again, if You allow the abidance to happen with dignity, everything else will necessarily unfold in the same fashion. If You accept the eventual taking of mahasamadhi as part of the natural cycling, then abidance can also happen with peace and serenity and calmness and tranquility and composure. That is, with dignity.

    You are invited to enter into the silence.

    If you would like to support the site or to help insure that those seeking this understanding have someone available, you may click here to donate.

    For those seeking the full explanation of the topics addressed on this site: there are non-duality books offered below as well as retreats and Skype or telephone sessions available at
  • Floyd Henderson's Website

  • The full explanations are also available in the books in the author's collection that explain in detail all of the non-duality, nisarga teachings offered here:
    1. Most non-duality books below are available through Amazon.com.
    2. Read Kindle books on your own device by downloading a free app.

    The available books are arranged on the carousels below. Use the arrows to move each book to the forefront; then, you may click on any book that you might be interested in to find more information or to purchase.

    THE ADVANCED SEEKERS' SERIES
    From the I to the Absolute
    Consciousness / Awareness
    From the Absolute to the Nothingness
    The Final Understanding
    The Advanced Seekers' Series in
    paperback
    The Two Meditation Guides




    The BLISSFUL ABIDANCE SERIES, PART ONE
    What BLISS Is and What BLISS Is Not
    Why You Must Be Empty If You Would Be Full
    When Reality Is Overlaid Upon the Relative
    Freedom from Shifting Between States of Happiness and Unhappiness
    Liberation
    The Blissful Abidance Series (6 books) in
    paperback



    The ADVAITINS Collection
    with THE MAHARAJ QUATRO, including:
    (1) Why NISARGA YOGA in addition to the ADVAITA TEACHING?
    (2) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj and His Evolution
    (3) A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
    (4) Going Crazy / Going Sane
    Jesus Christ the Advaitin
    William Shakespeare the Advaitin




    The BLISSFUL ABIDANCE SERIES, PART TWO
    Overcoming the Fear of Being Totally Independent
    I AM THAT (vs. "This Is Who I Think I Am")
    The Essence of the Teachings
    There Is Nothing That Is Personal (Including You and Including God)
    Lessons in Non-Duality from Travels in South Africa
    The Path to Freedom vs. the Path to Misery




    The FREEDOM FROM THE MIND Series
    Instability / Insanity: What the Advaita Teachings Can (and Cannot) Address
    PROGRAMMING, CONDITIONING, DOMESTICATION, AND ACCULTURATION
    The Ultimate Sickness, The Ultimate Medicine
    Going Crazy / Going Sane
    There's No Such Thing As "Peace of Mind" (There Is Only Peace If You're Out of Your Mind)
    Dancing Lightly




    RECOVERY LITERATURE, the RELATIONSHIP books
    A Twelve-Step Journey to SELF-Realization [Kindle]
    A Twelve-Step Journey to SELF-Realization [Paperback]
    A Guide for Working the Twelve Steps (In the Manner Used by the Founders)
    The Twelve Steps and Advaita / Non-Duality: A 21-Day Plan for a Psychic Change
    Finding Real Love in An Unreal World
    Casting Light on the Dark Side of Relationships




    The NO DEATH books, NON-DUALITY IN FICTION, FINANCIAL SANITY
    The Myth of Death
    What Happens When I Die?
    The Twice-Stolen Necklace Murders (Non-Duality) [Kindle]
    The Board of Directors of Wars (Non-Duality) [Kindle]
    The Board of Directors of Wars (Non-Duality) [Paperback]
    Living Within Your Means
    How Your Personality Type Shapes Your Spending Habits




    NON-DUALITY BOOKS, EACH CONTAINING A SERIES OF ESSAYS DISCUSSING ONE OF THE SEVEN STEPS ON THE PATH TO REALIZATION



    FOR THOSE WHO PREFER PAPERBACK, THE FOLLOWING PAPERBACK BOOKS ARE ON SALE NOW
    (Click the pictures for information on the paperback versions)



    (FOUR BOOKS IN ONE)





    (SIX BOOKS IN ONE)








    FOR THOSE SEEKING FURTHER EXPLANATION

    An online Advaita Internet Course is offered here. The price of the course includes the four Advaita eBooks used as the texts; questions sent after completion of the assigned readings; replies to your answers; and follow-up as required.

    The price of the course includes the four Advaita eBooks used as the texts; questions sent after completion of the assigned readings, replies to your answers, and follow-up as required.

    You will be guided through all seven of the steps, in order, that lead from identification with the false "I" to the Absolute (and beyond). For more specific information and details about the course, you may click on the link to the right. To get started now now, click the pay button below and receive the $365 course for a discounted price of $325.00.

    Purchase at Discount the Advaita Internet Course with Floyd


    by
    Clicking the Buy Now Button below:

    Or, if you prefer, begin by arranging a one-hour Advaita session via Skype with Floyd:

    Next, you can now receive for $40 a downloadable computer file version of the same 7-hour satsang that seekers receive when they visit for the Advaita Retreat with Floyd. You will be guided through the seven steps from identification with the false "I" to the Absolute (and beyond).
    For more information or to order, click:

    DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat

    SIX WAYS THAT SEEKERS HAVE REALIZED:


    1. BY WATCHING the 4-Disk, Seven-Hour Video (DVD) Set of an advaita retreat, or the downloadable file version. To find out more or to purchase the DVD or downloadable computer file version of the retreat, click:
    DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
    International buyers: note the separate option for those outside the continental U.S.

    2. BY READING the explanations offered in the collection of non-duality books that are available on this site.

    3. BY ENROLLING in the Online Advaita Classes

    For information, visit Information on the Advaita Classes on the Internet
    To enroll visit Enroll in the Advaita Internet Course

    4. BY ATTENDING an Advaitin retreat for satsang with floyd and being guided through all seven steps. For details of the retreats offered, please visit the retreat information site.

    5. BY ARRANGING satsang by telephone in the U.S. or by Skype internationally. Use the Contact link for information or use the link below to pay for your first Advaita session.

    You may click the BUY NOW button below to begin arrangements for your first Advaita session with Floyd via Skype and he will contact you to schedule:


    6. BY ARRANGING for floyd to travel to your location and meet with you or your group. Use the contact link below to discuss details.

    Tuesday, November 01, 2011

    Let It Happen With Dignity, Part Eight

    Table of Contents

    Today's Considerations
    Recent Posts and Archives
    Tools for Realization
    Author's eBooks
    Author's Paperback Books
    Free eBooks
    An Advaita forum focusing on Realisation, enlightenment, non-duality, Real Love, peace, freedom, Your original nature, abiding naturally, the Oneness, the Nothingness, and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.

    As for Maharaj, you will find here some of his early pointers for beginners but some of his later pointers that are for seekers farther along the "path." During his last years, he said of I AM THAT: "That book and whatever was expounded at that time was only relevant for that period. I am speaking differently today" and am "emphasizing different aspects." What he offered later differed considerably from his earlier talks, making clear that the pointers in I AM THAT will take you to the midpoint of "the race" but that his final talks point the way to "the finish line."

    F.: Yesterday it was shared that approximately 157,500,000,000,000 words are spoken on a daily basis around the globe. That is one-hundred-and-fifty-seven trillion, five-hundred billion words spoken daily, on average. And any objective appraisal of all of that conversing would reveal that the use of 157,500,000,000,000 words every day amounts to far too much talking ... to far too much abuse of the ability to speak.

    Recall from the first post in this series that "dignity" is defined as "a composed manner or style" and that "composed" is defined as "calm" or "tranquil" or "serene." While the invitation here is to allow the relative existence to happen with the dignity that Maharaj endorsed, there is no delusion here.

    Most persons do not want to abide in "a composed style"; most do not want to abide in a "calm" or "tranquil" or "serene" manner. Most are addicted to chaos or to control (and their efforts to control just generate more chaos).

    The Realized writer Henry David Thoreau spoke of the fact that most people live lives of "quiet desperation" and then "go to the grave with the song still in them."

    Nowadays, the desperation is no longer quiet. It is, to the contrary, quite loud. Note that there can be no dignity other than "quiet dignity." If your existence is to unfold with dignity, that is, with composure and calmness and tranquility and serenity, then that requires periods of quietness and silence. It also requires restraint in the use of words.

    There is no such thing as "noisy dignity," "noisy composure," "noisy calmness," "noisy tranquility," or "noisy serenity." Consider the duality revealed by the fact that most cultures abhor the silence even as their expressions give lip service to quietness:

    For example, you might hear an endorsement of quietness on one hand, as in: "He met her in the bar, and they found a quiet corner where they could talk" - not a "noisy corner where they could talk." Yet on the other hand, one hears statements like these even more frequently:

    "You're very quiet, Dear - is anything the matter?" and "You're not saying much - what's wrong?" In many cultures, if one is quiet it is taken as a sign that something is "wrong." Or consider these types of statements that send the same perverted message which suggests that "being silent" = "wrong":

    "She is a very strange, quiet girl" or "he's not a very sociable person." Those are the kinds of conclusions that are drawn about any who do not join in the gossiping, who do not participate in the "small talk," and who do not seek out venues or meetings where they have a captive audience that is forced to listen to their talking ... and talking ... and talking.

    Furthermore, persons might say, "I'd love to go on holiday somewhere where it's nice and quiet," making it clear that they have no intention of doing their part to keep things "nice and quiet" right where they already are.

    If one really wants to be free of the noise of the madding crowd, then the first way to do that is for one to stop his or her own talking. Persons are never with "others" 24 / 7. They are only with themselves 24 / 7. Most of the talk that persons hear is their own talk.

    But that will not likely change. The invitation to be quiet, to talk less and to pass more time in the silence, is itself characterized as "crazy talk" by most persons.

    Some are driven to talk, including those with the Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Personality Type Two's are driven to talk, wanting to impress others and inspire others to "love" them and give them the love they missed out on during their childhood.

    Type Four's who disintegrate to Type Two are the same. And then there are the Type Threes who are driven to have an audience, seeking not love but actually seeking instead adulation and praise and applause from large audiences; in fact, they believe that they must have an audience and hate being alone except for brief periods.

    If they are not before a large audience, then they are accompanied by an entourage. As in a well-known credit card ad, their attitude about an entourage of followers is "don't leave home without it."

    Also driven by their own narcissism, Type Threes love to speak before crowds, love to sing before crowds, love to perform before crowds. Because the ego hates the silence, Threes join in with Twos and psychically unhealthy Fours and become very talkative and very noisy.

    There are others who cannot stay in the silence but must talk, including:

    ** those who would manipulate others

    ** those who would control others

    and

    ** those who talk to assure that they will be the center of attention, will be the one in the spotlight.

    One man who is a Three is said by some to be "a charming and entertaining raconteur." In fact, he is neither charming nor entertaining, but he is a master at getting the attention of everyone in any group in his presence by telling tall tales and long stories that usually run about twenty minutes in length. That practice, of course, keeps him in the spotlight for twenty minutes at a time.

    Want your existence to be "nice and quiet"? Then try being quiet more often. No one can "disturb your peace" more than you do. And that is a result of what Maharaj called "the inner." Disturbances do not manifest nearly as often from "the outer" as from "the inner."

    One might hear a voice that is disturbing - nagging, criticizing, judging - but the time spent hearing that voice is minimal when compared to the ceaseless noise that originates between one's own ears. That noise can be like the chatter of a thousand monkeys, and it is spawned in one's own fiction-filled "mind."

    In "relationships," effective but efficient communication (with less talk for the sake of talking) can also insure more peace and less dissemination of dualistic ideas and concepts and beliefs.

    It can also provide the opportunity for both parties to bring an element of quiet dignity to the relationship and to help insure that the association is marked by calmness and tranquility and serenity.

    But talking in relationships, to the contrary, can provide the chance to "disturb the peace," to try to alter, to try to "fix," to point out a partner's faults that need to be addressed.

    In the printable book "Casting Light on the Dark Side of Relationships", also available in a less costly, non-printable version thorough Amazon, the problems that impede the development of healthy relationships are discussed, along with suggested solutions.

    In one chapter, this is shared in regards to the often-heard (and often dreaded) statement, “We need to talk”:

    Maybe you do, and maybe you don’t. Yeah, I know the common counsel: “Couples must communicate.” Unfortunately, what the words “we need to talk” really mean - in far too many cases - is “You need to listen…to me.” Some partners never stop—they never give their mates a break. The complaints are endless, the blaming is endless, and the nit-picking is endless. Sometimes, one partner listens like the Child to the partner playing the role of the Parent, but that’s not communication (which only happens when the conversation is on an Adult-to-Adult level). Other times, complainers never stop to realize how well off they are. Some argue over such trivia that they admit a week later they can’t even remember what they were arguing about. It makes a partner want to scream, “SHUT UP!”

    Of course that is a far-too-blunt invitation, but it nevertheless indicates that a relationship could be rendered far healthier if the partners could reach a point of being so comfortable with Self that they can be comfortable in a partner's presence while also being silent on occasion.

    If one would abide in a state of quiet dignity, being composed and calm and tranquil and serene, that will not be achieved with an excess of self-serving talk.

    It will happen when the selfish need to talk - for no other reason than to impress or control or influence or manipulate or change or shape or sway or persuade or induce or win over or conquer or pressure or con - finally comes to a soft and gentle end.

    Then there will be a peace-bringing stillness of a degree that most cannot even imagine.

    Maharaj said: "That in which consciousness happens, the universal consciousness or mind, we call the ether of consciousness. All the objects of consciousness form the universe. What is beyond both, supporting both, is the supreme state, a state of utter stillness and silence."

    If it is peace that You are seeking and would find, try abiding as THAT for a spell.

    You are invited to enter into the silence. (To be continued)

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  • The full explanations are also available in the books in the author's collection that explain in detail all of the non-duality, nisarga teachings offered here:
    1. Most non-duality books below are available through Amazon.com.
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    The available books are arranged on the carousels below. Use the arrows to move each book to the forefront; then, you may click on any book that you might be interested in to find more information or to purchase.

    THE ADVANCED SEEKERS' SERIES
    From the I to the Absolute
    Consciousness / Awareness
    From the Absolute to the Nothingness
    The Final Understanding
    The Advanced Seekers' Series in
    paperback
    The Two Meditation Guides




    The BLISSFUL ABIDANCE SERIES, PART ONE
    What BLISS Is and What BLISS Is Not
    Why You Must Be Empty If You Would Be Full
    When Reality Is Overlaid Upon the Relative
    Freedom from Shifting Between States of Happiness and Unhappiness
    Liberation
    The Blissful Abidance Series (6 books) in
    paperback



    The ADVAITINS Collection
    with THE MAHARAJ QUATRO, including:
    (1) Why NISARGA YOGA in addition to the ADVAITA TEACHING?
    (2) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj and His Evolution
    (3) A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
    (4) Going Crazy / Going Sane
    Jesus Christ the Advaitin
    William Shakespeare the Advaitin




    The BLISSFUL ABIDANCE SERIES, PART TWO
    Overcoming the Fear of Being Totally Independent
    I AM THAT (vs. "This Is Who I Think I Am")
    The Essence of the Teachings
    There Is Nothing That Is Personal (Including You and Including God)
    Lessons in Non-Duality from Travels in South Africa
    The Path to Freedom vs. the Path to Misery




    The FREEDOM FROM THE MIND Series
    Instability / Insanity: What the Advaita Teachings Can (and Cannot) Address
    PROGRAMMING, CONDITIONING, DOMESTICATION, AND ACCULTURATION
    The Ultimate Sickness, The Ultimate Medicine
    Going Crazy / Going Sane
    There's No Such Thing As "Peace of Mind" (There Is Only Peace If You're Out of Your Mind)
    Dancing Lightly




    RECOVERY LITERATURE, the RELATIONSHIP books
    A Twelve-Step Journey to SELF-Realization [Kindle]
    A Twelve-Step Journey to SELF-Realization [Paperback]
    A Guide for Working the Twelve Steps (In the Manner Used by the Founders)
    The Twelve Steps and Advaita / Non-Duality: A 21-Day Plan for a Psychic Change
    Finding Real Love in An Unreal World
    Casting Light on the Dark Side of Relationships




    The NO DEATH books, NON-DUALITY IN FICTION, FINANCIAL SANITY
    The Myth of Death
    What Happens When I Die?
    The Twice-Stolen Necklace Murders (Non-Duality) [Kindle]
    The Board of Directors of Wars (Non-Duality) [Kindle]
    The Board of Directors of Wars (Non-Duality) [Paperback]
    Living Within Your Means
    How Your Personality Type Shapes Your Spending Habits




    NON-DUALITY BOOKS, EACH CONTAINING A SERIES OF ESSAYS DISCUSSING ONE OF THE SEVEN STEPS ON THE PATH TO REALIZATION



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    (Click the pictures for information on the paperback versions)



    (FOUR BOOKS IN ONE)





    (SIX BOOKS IN ONE)








    FOR THOSE SEEKING FURTHER EXPLANATION

    An online Advaita Internet Course is offered here. The price of the course includes the four Advaita eBooks used as the texts; questions sent after completion of the assigned readings; replies to your answers; and follow-up as required.

    The price of the course includes the four Advaita eBooks used as the texts; questions sent after completion of the assigned readings, replies to your answers, and follow-up as required.

    You will be guided through all seven of the steps, in order, that lead from identification with the false "I" to the Absolute (and beyond). For more specific information and details about the course, you may click on the link to the right. To get started now now, click the pay button below and receive the $365 course for a discounted price of $325.00.

    Purchase at Discount the Advaita Internet Course with Floyd


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    2. BY READING the explanations offered in the collection of non-duality books that are available on this site.

    3. BY ENROLLING in the Online Advaita Classes

    For information, visit Information on the Advaita Classes on the Internet
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    Five Free eBooks

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    I.
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    The content of this eBook deals with one of the most common but erroneous beliefs that the non-Realized masses cling to and which they will fight about (and even kill over), namely, that there is a planet-wide duel going on between “the forces of good and evil” in the universe.

    Either (1) the ancient view is spot on: that the "ills of the planet" are rooted in evil people, in people not being religious enough or spiritual enough, and are caused solely by bad morality; or, (2) the "ills of the planet" are rooted in ignorance, stupidity and insanity and "being good" or "being moral" does not put an end to ignorance, does not eliminate stupidity, and does not treat insanity in any way.

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    In “PART ONE” it will be seen that most persons on the planet are not seeking, and most will never seek, but for those who are seeking, most will face several obstacles:

    In “PART TWO” of this book, it will be seen why many criticized Maharaj for “changing his message in his later talks.” It will be seen that the changes were not about changing the message per se as much as about changing his methodology as he experimented with one version of the Ultimate Medicine after another in order to try to find an effective means for addressing the Ultimate Sickness.

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    V.
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    “Dangerous” is a term that can only apply during the relative existence, but of those who do commit suicide, for example, how many shoot themselves in the foot over and over until they “bleed out”? None. They shoot themselves in the head. Why? In order to try to stop the noise - to try to stop the chatter of a thousand monkeys – to stop the noisy mind which is the area that stores the ideas, notions, concepts, mind-stuff, etc. which drives them into the depths of insanity.

    And what are those ideas, notions, concepts, etc. called, collectively? "Their beliefs." The irony? They are not their beliefs at all. They are the beliefs of “others” that were set in place via programming, conditioning, etc. and which persons then think are their own.

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