F.: The first three steps of the seven-step “journey” to Full Realization involve casting aside the illusions of body-mind-personality identification. The effects of personality are being discussed in this series, along with the disorders that flow out of personality identification. The traits and behaviors associated with the various personality disorders provide evidence of how personality generates a sense of separation, how personality generates arrogance which in turn generates more sense of separation, how personality generates behaviors that result in separation in the relative existence, and how all personality and persona-adoption generate misery.
The three personality disorders being focused on in this series generate those very traits and behaviors that the Advaita Teachings would eliminate. Several e-mails have arrived recently from persons living with narcissists. One e-mail contained a defense of the narcissist in her life, saying, “My counselor said she thought my husband was a narciisist [sic]. He can be somewhat irritating at times, but there’s no way this man could ever be sociopathic and my counselor never said anything about that either. He’s a very successful commodities trader, usually #1 every month, and a great husband and a wonderful father who works hard to care for his family. You’re wrong to link the two [disorders].”
In spite of the examples offered, many persons will deny that “their narcissist” could ever behave in a sociopathic fashion. (Many are being influenced by their own narcissism, as might be the case above. Others use rationalization or minimalization to justify a mate's behavior. Such enabling perpetuates the problem, relatively speaking.) Most want to believe that sociopaths are only those murderers or mass murderers who make the headlines, but Dr. Robert Hare—a leading researcher of the Antisocial Personality Disorder who was mentioned in earlier postings—points out that…
…too many people hold the idea that psychopaths are essentially killers or convicts. The general public hasn't been educated to see beyond the social stereotypes to understand that psychopaths can be entrepreneurs, politicians, CEOs and other successful individuals who may never see the inside of a prison and who don't commit violent crimes. However, they do often commit violations of another sort: they exploit people and leave them depleted and much the worse for the encounter. They prove to be treacherous employees, conniving businessmen, or immoral officials who use their position to victimize people and enrich themselves.
The three personality disorders being focused on in this series generate those very traits and behaviors that the Advaita Teachings would eliminate. Several e-mails have arrived recently from persons living with narcissists. One e-mail contained a defense of the narcissist in her life, saying, “My counselor said she thought my husband was a narciisist [sic]. He can be somewhat irritating at times, but there’s no way this man could ever be sociopathic and my counselor never said anything about that either. He’s a very successful commodities trader, usually #1 every month, and a great husband and a wonderful father who works hard to care for his family. You’re wrong to link the two [disorders].”
In spite of the examples offered, many persons will deny that “their narcissist” could ever behave in a sociopathic fashion. (Many are being influenced by their own narcissism, as might be the case above. Others use rationalization or minimalization to justify a mate's behavior. Such enabling perpetuates the problem, relatively speaking.) Most want to believe that sociopaths are only those murderers or mass murderers who make the headlines, but Dr. Robert Hare—a leading researcher of the Antisocial Personality Disorder who was mentioned in earlier postings—points out that…
…too many people hold the idea that psychopaths are essentially killers or convicts. The general public hasn't been educated to see beyond the social stereotypes to understand that psychopaths can be entrepreneurs, politicians, CEOs and other successful individuals who may never see the inside of a prison and who don't commit violent crimes. However, they do often commit violations of another sort: they exploit people and leave them depleted and much the worse for the encounter. They prove to be treacherous employees, conniving businessmen, or immoral officials who use their position to victimize people and enrich themselves.
It can be seen that sociopaths and narcissists share their common traits with a third group, those displaying the traits of the Addictive Personality Disorder. Realization cannot happen for sociopaths and narcissists or addicts unless their disorders are successfully treated and unless all effects of their disorders are removed, and that is a rare happenstance. That rarity is the basis of Maharaj’s prediction that few will ever Realize, even among those who find a Realized teacher and who seek the understanding diligently. It is also the basis of the Advaitin invitation to be completely free of personality.
It will be shown that persons with the Additive Personality Disorder (APD) often display evidence of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) as well as the Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). So while some researchers suggest that only a small percentage of the population of the planet might be extremely sociopathic or extremely narcissistic, that assessment is misleading.
By the time you add in overly-stressed or overly-pious Personality Type Threes and Sixes who become narcissistic and can become sociopaths, and then add in those with NPD and those with ASPD, and finally add in those with APD, the traits and behaviors being discussed in this series dominate persons across the globe. And that is why the Advaita Teachings focus on the (relative) scourge of personality identification and the (relative) ills that are generated by personality identification and by the subsequent personality disorders.
For Realization to happen, all personality must be cast aside. Were personality to end, all personality disorders that mark the relative existence would end. But that will not happen. Far too many have been programmed and conditioned (and far too many have had the consciousness warped far too badly) for any degree of logic and reason and sane conduct to manifest across the globe. Only a few will ever Realize and be truly free of the effects of personality.
But is it becoming clear why personality identification and personality disorders block Realization? Is it becoming clear how sick the masses are when driven by personality identification and personality disorders? Is it becoming clear why personality will prevent most from ever Realizing? Is it becoming clear why the relative existence is marked with so much insane-like behavior? Is it becoming clear why Fully Realized teachers start the teaching process by guiding their protégés beyond body-mind-personality identification? Is it becoming clear why Advaitins point out (a) the traits and behaviors that result from personality disorders and emphasize the fact that (b) freedom from those traits and behaviors is attainable?
To see the traits and behaviors that are generated by personality identification and the personality disorders discussed in this series is to see the relative effects that persons could be freed of via Full Realization. By seeing the traits and behaviors that personality engenders, there might be a remote possibility that some persons might recognize in themselves these traits and behaviors and understand that the Advaita Teachings might offer a means of being free of these traits and behaviors. Here is a partial list of what Realization eliminates (which includes the traits and behaviors of addicts as well) :
1. Realization eliminates arrogance
2. Realization eliminates the absence of empathy
3. Realization eliminates the inability to understand that love in this relative existence is only love if it is unconditional, unconditioned, and free of self-centeredness
4. Realization eliminates the inability to know and feel the unicity
5. Realization eliminates envy
6. Realization eliminates desires and fears that are based in the perceived needs that are dreamed up by ego-states
7. Realization eliminates identification with body-mind-personality
8. Realization sometimes eliminates personality disorders by eliminating personality identification
9. Realization eliminates the adoption and defense of false images
10. Realization eliminates all sense of separation
11. Realization eliminates the assumption of ego-states, so it also eliminates the use of ego-defense mechanisms and egotism as well
12. Realization eliminates irritability, restlessness, and an otherwise ever-present sense of emptiness and discontentment
13. Realization eliminates attachment to conflict, destruction, judgmentalism, and self-serving concepts
14. Realization eliminates that sense of never truly being at ease
15. Realization eliminates outbursts and raging
16. Realization eliminates attachment to phoniness
17. Realization eliminates desires for power that can be used to control
18. Realization eliminates the drive to manipulate and use and/or abuse
19. Realization eliminates delusions of grandeur and
20. Realization eliminates belief in the fanciful and eliminates magical thinking. Might Realization be for “you”? Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
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It will be shown that persons with the Additive Personality Disorder (APD) often display evidence of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) as well as the Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). So while some researchers suggest that only a small percentage of the population of the planet might be extremely sociopathic or extremely narcissistic, that assessment is misleading.
By the time you add in overly-stressed or overly-pious Personality Type Threes and Sixes who become narcissistic and can become sociopaths, and then add in those with NPD and those with ASPD, and finally add in those with APD, the traits and behaviors being discussed in this series dominate persons across the globe. And that is why the Advaita Teachings focus on the (relative) scourge of personality identification and the (relative) ills that are generated by personality identification and by the subsequent personality disorders.
For Realization to happen, all personality must be cast aside. Were personality to end, all personality disorders that mark the relative existence would end. But that will not happen. Far too many have been programmed and conditioned (and far too many have had the consciousness warped far too badly) for any degree of logic and reason and sane conduct to manifest across the globe. Only a few will ever Realize and be truly free of the effects of personality.
But is it becoming clear why personality identification and personality disorders block Realization? Is it becoming clear how sick the masses are when driven by personality identification and personality disorders? Is it becoming clear why personality will prevent most from ever Realizing? Is it becoming clear why the relative existence is marked with so much insane-like behavior? Is it becoming clear why Fully Realized teachers start the teaching process by guiding their protégés beyond body-mind-personality identification? Is it becoming clear why Advaitins point out (a) the traits and behaviors that result from personality disorders and emphasize the fact that (b) freedom from those traits and behaviors is attainable?
To see the traits and behaviors that are generated by personality identification and the personality disorders discussed in this series is to see the relative effects that persons could be freed of via Full Realization. By seeing the traits and behaviors that personality engenders, there might be a remote possibility that some persons might recognize in themselves these traits and behaviors and understand that the Advaita Teachings might offer a means of being free of these traits and behaviors. Here is a partial list of what Realization eliminates (which includes the traits and behaviors of addicts as well) :
1. Realization eliminates arrogance
2. Realization eliminates the absence of empathy
3. Realization eliminates the inability to understand that love in this relative existence is only love if it is unconditional, unconditioned, and free of self-centeredness
4. Realization eliminates the inability to know and feel the unicity
5. Realization eliminates envy
6. Realization eliminates desires and fears that are based in the perceived needs that are dreamed up by ego-states
7. Realization eliminates identification with body-mind-personality
8. Realization sometimes eliminates personality disorders by eliminating personality identification
9. Realization eliminates the adoption and defense of false images
10. Realization eliminates all sense of separation
11. Realization eliminates the assumption of ego-states, so it also eliminates the use of ego-defense mechanisms and egotism as well
12. Realization eliminates irritability, restlessness, and an otherwise ever-present sense of emptiness and discontentment
13. Realization eliminates attachment to conflict, destruction, judgmentalism, and self-serving concepts
14. Realization eliminates that sense of never truly being at ease
15. Realization eliminates outbursts and raging
16. Realization eliminates attachment to phoniness
17. Realization eliminates desires for power that can be used to control
18. Realization eliminates the drive to manipulate and use and/or abuse
19. Realization eliminates delusions of grandeur and
20. Realization eliminates belief in the fanciful and eliminates magical thinking. Might Realization be for “you”? Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
THE FEATURED BOOK FOR THIS WEEK’S SALE IS THE ESSENCE OF THE TEACHINGS. (15% off through June 10th)
