FROM A SITE VISITOR: You mention “Realization,” “awakening,” “liberation,” “Full Realization,” “Awareness,” “Enlightenment,” all sorts of terms that I thought meant the same. Do they or not? And what about self knowledge, self realization and self actualization? I’ve seen those too. Thank you. Greg
F.: Today, a term which you mentioned at the end of your e-mail will be addressed: “self actualization.” First, understand that Advaitins do not speak of “self actualization.” They might speak of “Self actualization” on some occasions, but a marked difference exists in the way the two terms are used.
It should have been seen in yesterday’s post that the first steps in the movement toward Realization deal with being free of (liberated from) the illusions of the relative existence. The concept of “self actualization” deals with the illusions of the realm of the relative as well.
One of the more well-known uses of that term comes from the work of Abraham Maslow who employed the phrase in his discussions regarding “the human desire for self-fulfillment” and the desire among humans to “be all that they can be.”
Obviously, “desire” and “beingness” and “being all one can be” are relativistic and have nothing to do with the Absolute. The Advaitin knows that (a) You already Are That Which You Are and that (b) You cannot be more than whatever That Is, that (c) all desires and fears are illusory as well and that (d) any “self” that desires “fulfillment” or “being more than one already is” is a false identity as well. Thus, “self-actualization,” as used by most teachers or psychologists, points to relative subject matter only.
Maslow also talked about “the human desire to become more and more of what one is”; as noted, the Realized Advaitin knows that What One Is is What One Is, and there is no “more and more” involved. Relatedly, in the Five Stages that track the shift from (a) being programmed to accumulate to (b) de-accumulating and functioning in an “AS IF fashion of living” (see The Essence of the Teachings), the concept of more becomes irrelevant at the Fourth Stage.
Maslow also felt that the desire to self-actualize or “to be all one can be” provides “motivation” and “a desire to accomplish and fulfill all of one’s ambitions.” Since the Realized function from a position of neutrality, from a position of spontaneity, and from a position of non-attachment, achievements can happen…or not. No “one” exists to be driven by relative desires, though all relative possibilities remain open to the Realized during the period of manifested consciousness.
When occasionally used on this site or by some other Advaitins, the term “Self-actualization” is not applied at all in the fashion that Maslow used “self-actualization.” As used by Advaitins, the term points to That Which One actually Is or to the understanding of That Which You actually Are. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
NEW PACKAGES CURRENTLY BEING OFFERED TO SITE VISITORS ONLY UNTIL NEXT WEEK:
The Entire Advaita Collection (all twelve items in all three of the packages below): $187.00 + S&H
“The Advaitin Beginner’s Package”: The Meditation CD, two Meditation Guides, Bullshit, and Spiritual Sobriety $62.00 + S&H
“The Mid-Level Seeker’s Package”: Peace of Mind, Liberation, What Happens When I Die? and The Essence of the Teachings $54.00 + S&H
“The Advanced Advaitin Seeker’s Package”: From the I to the Absolute, Consciousness/Awareness, and From the Absolute to the Nothingness $45.00 + S&H
To order, go to http://floydhenderson.com/order.htm , complete all of the information, and in the “Special Message” box, type in the name of the collection or package(s) being ordered.
F.: Today, a term which you mentioned at the end of your e-mail will be addressed: “self actualization.” First, understand that Advaitins do not speak of “self actualization.” They might speak of “Self actualization” on some occasions, but a marked difference exists in the way the two terms are used.
It should have been seen in yesterday’s post that the first steps in the movement toward Realization deal with being free of (liberated from) the illusions of the relative existence. The concept of “self actualization” deals with the illusions of the realm of the relative as well.
One of the more well-known uses of that term comes from the work of Abraham Maslow who employed the phrase in his discussions regarding “the human desire for self-fulfillment” and the desire among humans to “be all that they can be.”
Obviously, “desire” and “beingness” and “being all one can be” are relativistic and have nothing to do with the Absolute. The Advaitin knows that (a) You already Are That Which You Are and that (b) You cannot be more than whatever That Is, that (c) all desires and fears are illusory as well and that (d) any “self” that desires “fulfillment” or “being more than one already is” is a false identity as well. Thus, “self-actualization,” as used by most teachers or psychologists, points to relative subject matter only.
Maslow also talked about “the human desire to become more and more of what one is”; as noted, the Realized Advaitin knows that What One Is is What One Is, and there is no “more and more” involved. Relatedly, in the Five Stages that track the shift from (a) being programmed to accumulate to (b) de-accumulating and functioning in an “AS IF fashion of living” (see The Essence of the Teachings), the concept of more becomes irrelevant at the Fourth Stage.
Maslow also felt that the desire to self-actualize or “to be all one can be” provides “motivation” and “a desire to accomplish and fulfill all of one’s ambitions.” Since the Realized function from a position of neutrality, from a position of spontaneity, and from a position of non-attachment, achievements can happen…or not. No “one” exists to be driven by relative desires, though all relative possibilities remain open to the Realized during the period of manifested consciousness.
When occasionally used on this site or by some other Advaitins, the term “Self-actualization” is not applied at all in the fashion that Maslow used “self-actualization.” As used by Advaitins, the term points to That Which One actually Is or to the understanding of That Which You actually Are. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
NEW PACKAGES CURRENTLY BEING OFFERED TO SITE VISITORS ONLY UNTIL NEXT WEEK:
The Entire Advaita Collection (all twelve items in all three of the packages below): $187.00 + S&H
“The Advaitin Beginner’s Package”: The Meditation CD, two Meditation Guides, Bullshit, and Spiritual Sobriety $62.00 + S&H
“The Mid-Level Seeker’s Package”: Peace of Mind, Liberation, What Happens When I Die? and The Essence of the Teachings $54.00 + S&H
“The Advanced Advaitin Seeker’s Package”: From the I to the Absolute, Consciousness/Awareness, and From the Absolute to the Nothingness $45.00 + S&H
To order, go to http://floydhenderson.com/order.htm , complete all of the information, and in the “Special Message” box, type in the name of the collection or package(s) being ordered.
