F.: Persons talk a great deal about their power and their freedom, but the fact is that they are driven by the “desire-fear” factor to create dependencies and co-dependencies with imagined beings here and with imagined Beings there. Independence is the opposite of dependence, so their drive to be dependent actually leaves them with no freedom at all. As for power, any dependency results in powerlessness, not power. A person dependent on anything cannot be independent, a person dependent cannot be free, and persons not free cannot be happy, no matter what claims they make to the contrary. Because persons are trapped in their programming, they can believe themselves to be powerful when they are powerless; can believe themselves to be making choices when they are being driven subconsciously; can believe they are generally happy when they are suffering depression; and can believe that “that was then…this is now” when in fact their "past" is still very much their “now.”
One protégé described a father who was physically and verbally abusive, able to use his tongue to slice away any esteem or self-respect the child might have had. The father was emotionally-unavailable and usually physically unavailable. His looks when angry sent a message that he could kill, and his moods were so unstable that hug-slug became a way of life: say “hello” as he came in one evening and get a hug; say “hello” the next evening and get slugged. The protégé contacted me as an adult on the occasion of his marriage dissolving. He did not have a clue as to why.
After understanding that his “then” was still very much his “now,” he came to see how his programming had inspired his compulsion for repetition: he had married a woman who said the vilest comments imaginable and who used her tongue to slice away any esteem or self-respect he had. She was emotionally-unavailable and her facial expression when angry sent a message that she hoped he would die. Her moods were unstable and what she loved on Monday she could hate on Friday. He had read these writings about the power of programming, but he had never related to them in the least until an exchange of e-mails finally revealed that he had found someone to assume the familiar role of his father and to continue the abuse that he had been conditioned to believe was “normal” and “deserved.” He married a female-version of his abusive father and got the same abuse in that relationship that he received as a child with his dad.
One protégé described a father who was physically and verbally abusive, able to use his tongue to slice away any esteem or self-respect the child might have had. The father was emotionally-unavailable and usually physically unavailable. His looks when angry sent a message that he could kill, and his moods were so unstable that hug-slug became a way of life: say “hello” as he came in one evening and get a hug; say “hello” the next evening and get slugged. The protégé contacted me as an adult on the occasion of his marriage dissolving. He did not have a clue as to why.
After understanding that his “then” was still very much his “now,” he came to see how his programming had inspired his compulsion for repetition: he had married a woman who said the vilest comments imaginable and who used her tongue to slice away any esteem or self-respect he had. She was emotionally-unavailable and her facial expression when angry sent a message that she hoped he would die. Her moods were unstable and what she loved on Monday she could hate on Friday. He had read these writings about the power of programming, but he had never related to them in the least until an exchange of e-mails finally revealed that he had found someone to assume the familiar role of his father and to continue the abuse that he had been conditioned to believe was “normal” and “deserved.” He married a female-version of his abusive father and got the same abuse in that relationship that he received as a child with his dad.
Programming and conditioning can make the desire to find that which is “familiar” a goal, no matter how unnatural the familiar might have been or continues to be. An unbelievably painful “then” typically becomes a similarly painful “now," but persons have no ability to break the cycle as long as they wander through their existence in the sleep state: unawake, unaware, unconsiousness. That is the typical state of persons, whether in bed or driving or at work. Like the male described above and the many other men just like him, the teachings have offered insight to certain women as well. Some few of them have seen that the power of their programming influenced them to choose men who would replace the male or female abusers from their childhoods. Sometimes the abuse was physical, sometimes sexual, sometimes mental, or sometimes emotional, but always the programming and conditioning were driving the compulsion to repeat the earlier, familiar experiences. Programming and conditioning trap persons into roles and prevent their shifting away from the confines of their warped personalities and all the suffering that results. Most will never want to be free because they are living the prison-type life that all the other persons around them are living—a type of life that is said to be “normal” in this world. Few will ever cross the path of an Advaitan, but the typical human beings who do will dismiss the words. Why?
Because no Advaitic teachings are offered for typical humans beings. Their ability to see anything beyond their limited identification with a body is negligible. These postings are meant for those who have tired of the drama, gotten an inkling that all they’ve ever been told is fiction, are beginning to see that their past programming has them trapped in various false identities, and are now ready to begin questioning it all in order to re-purify the consciousness. They are seeing that the words of the poet Lovelace, that “stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage” are true. Only when persons begin to understand that the “mind” is the prison (because it is a conglomeration of ideas and beliefs and dogma and attitudes and learned ignorance that drives persons and makes them powerless) only then will they be ready for the Advaita message. Only then will they abandon the search for “peace of mind” and focus all effort on being “free of mind,” period. Eventually, if all seven steps to reality are taken, then all concentrated effort will end and spontaneous living will happen.
Yet it is only when the consciousness is pure—when no personality or individuality remains—that spontaneous living happens. And only when spontaneous living is happening can complete freedom truly manifest. Prisoners haven’t a shred of spontaneity in their lives. Persons in this culture who think they are free and are tapping into a power are not free or powerful at all if they are not living spontaneously. And persons are not living spontaneously if they are "here" each day of the week at this time, are "there" each day at that time, and can be found on one particular day of the week at the same location, week in and week out. They, instead, are living in the kind of rut that robs persons of all joy and bliss even as they are claiming that it is their routine which gives them joy and bliss. Look into their eyes while in their assigned places, saying their routine sayings and hearing the routine sayings, and see that spontaneity has gone and that death-in-life has come.
Because no Advaitic teachings are offered for typical humans beings. Their ability to see anything beyond their limited identification with a body is negligible. These postings are meant for those who have tired of the drama, gotten an inkling that all they’ve ever been told is fiction, are beginning to see that their past programming has them trapped in various false identities, and are now ready to begin questioning it all in order to re-purify the consciousness. They are seeing that the words of the poet Lovelace, that “stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage” are true. Only when persons begin to understand that the “mind” is the prison (because it is a conglomeration of ideas and beliefs and dogma and attitudes and learned ignorance that drives persons and makes them powerless) only then will they be ready for the Advaita message. Only then will they abandon the search for “peace of mind” and focus all effort on being “free of mind,” period. Eventually, if all seven steps to reality are taken, then all concentrated effort will end and spontaneous living will happen.
Yet it is only when the consciousness is pure—when no personality or individuality remains—that spontaneous living happens. And only when spontaneous living is happening can complete freedom truly manifest. Prisoners haven’t a shred of spontaneity in their lives. Persons in this culture who think they are free and are tapping into a power are not free or powerful at all if they are not living spontaneously. And persons are not living spontaneously if they are "here" each day of the week at this time, are "there" each day at that time, and can be found on one particular day of the week at the same location, week in and week out. They, instead, are living in the kind of rut that robs persons of all joy and bliss even as they are claiming that it is their routine which gives them joy and bliss. Look into their eyes while in their assigned places, saying their routine sayings and hearing the routine sayings, and see that spontaneity has gone and that death-in-life has come.
Only those who are truly free can live spontaneously. What are you depending on? Do you really believe that you can be free as long as you are depending on anything? Would you be willing to look objectively at all your dependencies and see exactly what freedom is actually being lost as a result of dependence? What about the dependencies you’ve given up but then substituted other dependencies for? Are you willing to evaluate those dependencies and their toll as well? Please enter into the silence of contemplation.
Tomorrow: “DIE” NOW TO LIVE NOW
Tomorrow: “DIE” NOW TO LIVE NOW
