[First, a response to a question from Louise, Cape Town Africa regarding parent-child ego-states: Hello Louise, Yes. The terms personas, ego-states, roles, false identities, etc. can be used interchangeably. "The Parent" and "The Child" joins the ranks of "The Spouse," "The Spiritual One," "The Religious One," etc. They are all products of programming, conditioning, and enculturation and are "housed" in that storehouse of false beliefs called "the mind" which takes mirages to be real. Believing mirages are real, persons then behave as if mirages are real, resulting in the insane-like, unnatural, and supernatural behavior that is common among persons (the non-Realized). Only one consideration: the ego does not create these personas. A mirage cannot create a mirage. Ego is the false “I.” Ego is the persona. Faulty perception and thinking and programming generate a belief in the ego(s), and then ego-defense mechanisms trigger in an effort to try to protect the false image…in an effort to try to sustain the false personas.]
F.: Eric Berne’s Transactional Analysis introduces a third element for discussion: “The Adult.” As far as the Advaita Teachings go, Berne's fully mature “Adult” could represent the Realized in some ways. “The Adult” only manifests after one rebels against the command, received in childhood, to never question any of the concepts and ideas and beliefs that were presented by parents (and parent-role-players).
“The Adult” only manifests when one no longer accepts as truth—without any evidence at all—“their” ideas. “The Adult” only manifests when one no longer accepts non-facts as facts on the basis of “faith” alone and thereby is freed from magical, supernatural thinking. “The Adult” manifests after one begins to use reason to challenge parental and cultural and myth-based nonsense.
“The Adult” manifests when persons finally begin to discover for themselves the differences between taught concepts and actual reality. “The Adult” manifests when “Parent” directives, rooted in superstition and ignorance, are seen for the nonsense that they are and are thereafter cast aside as “non-truths.” Then, natural, spontaneous living can begin to happen, free of parental nonsense and cultural programming. Yet independence cannot happen until “Child”-inspired emoting is cast aside as well.
“The Adult” can begin to manifest if it is understand that, when dormant emotions from childhood are triggered, “The Child” will take itself and its emotions to be real and justified. “The Adult” must see that an adult-aged person can have a child-aged “mind” and childish emotions that together drive thoughts, words, and deeds.
“The Adult” must see how “The Child” has inspired insane-like ways of thinking and speaking and behaving. If independence from “The Parent’s” desire to have power and control happens, and if independence from the five-year-old Child happens, then “The Adult” (the “Realized One”) can begin to manifest at that point.
Finally, re-consider past pointers regarding the ego’s attachment to thoughts and to noise and to talking and to going and to doing and to zooming. Consider the ego’s hatred of the silence. All ego-states are mind-thought dependent, noise-dependent, and doingness-dependent.
“The Parent” cannot exist unless it is thinking and coming up with words to be spoken…words that reveal the ego-state’s desire for power and words that reveal the ego-state’s controlling, critical, judgmental nature. “The Parent” must think parent-type thoughts, speak parental-type words, and act like a parent.
Similarly, “The Child” cannot exist unless it is thinking and coming up with words to be spoken…words that reveal the ego-state’s desire to get what it wants, to throw tantrums when it doesn’t, to rage, and to whine. “The Child” must think as a child thinks, talk as a child talks, and behave as a child behaves.
“The Adult”/The Realized, by contrast, need not speak any words. There is no agenda. The Adult/The Realized have no thoughts. They need not speak any words in order to be. They need not take action and try to control. They can witness silently whatever unfolds spontaneously.
So, how many on the planet will pass the entire manifestation of the consciousness by functioning under the auspices of “The Parent” and “The Child” ego-states? Most. They will think, and talk, and do. Their thoughts and words and actions will be driven by unconscious influences. In the meantime, they will walk about in their sleep, mistakenly believing their thoughts are their own, mistakenly believing that their words are being chosen, and mistakenly believing that they are choosing to do what they do.
Driven by “The Parent” ego-state, they will try to control; driven by “The Child,” they will throw fits. So it is. The exception to all of that will be the few who complete all seven steps to Realization and are thereby freed from the influence of any ego-state.
F.: Eric Berne’s Transactional Analysis introduces a third element for discussion: “The Adult.” As far as the Advaita Teachings go, Berne's fully mature “Adult” could represent the Realized in some ways. “The Adult” only manifests after one rebels against the command, received in childhood, to never question any of the concepts and ideas and beliefs that were presented by parents (and parent-role-players).
“The Adult” only manifests when one no longer accepts as truth—without any evidence at all—“their” ideas. “The Adult” only manifests when one no longer accepts non-facts as facts on the basis of “faith” alone and thereby is freed from magical, supernatural thinking. “The Adult” manifests after one begins to use reason to challenge parental and cultural and myth-based nonsense.
“The Adult” manifests when persons finally begin to discover for themselves the differences between taught concepts and actual reality. “The Adult” manifests when “Parent” directives, rooted in superstition and ignorance, are seen for the nonsense that they are and are thereafter cast aside as “non-truths.” Then, natural, spontaneous living can begin to happen, free of parental nonsense and cultural programming. Yet independence cannot happen until “Child”-inspired emoting is cast aside as well.
“The Adult” can begin to manifest if it is understand that, when dormant emotions from childhood are triggered, “The Child” will take itself and its emotions to be real and justified. “The Adult” must see that an adult-aged person can have a child-aged “mind” and childish emotions that together drive thoughts, words, and deeds.
“The Adult” must see how “The Child” has inspired insane-like ways of thinking and speaking and behaving. If independence from “The Parent’s” desire to have power and control happens, and if independence from the five-year-old Child happens, then “The Adult” (the “Realized One”) can begin to manifest at that point.
Finally, re-consider past pointers regarding the ego’s attachment to thoughts and to noise and to talking and to going and to doing and to zooming. Consider the ego’s hatred of the silence. All ego-states are mind-thought dependent, noise-dependent, and doingness-dependent.
“The Parent” cannot exist unless it is thinking and coming up with words to be spoken…words that reveal the ego-state’s desire for power and words that reveal the ego-state’s controlling, critical, judgmental nature. “The Parent” must think parent-type thoughts, speak parental-type words, and act like a parent.
Similarly, “The Child” cannot exist unless it is thinking and coming up with words to be spoken…words that reveal the ego-state’s desire to get what it wants, to throw tantrums when it doesn’t, to rage, and to whine. “The Child” must think as a child thinks, talk as a child talks, and behave as a child behaves.
“The Adult”/The Realized, by contrast, need not speak any words. There is no agenda. The Adult/The Realized have no thoughts. They need not speak any words in order to be. They need not take action and try to control. They can witness silently whatever unfolds spontaneously.
So, how many on the planet will pass the entire manifestation of the consciousness by functioning under the auspices of “The Parent” and “The Child” ego-states? Most. They will think, and talk, and do. Their thoughts and words and actions will be driven by unconscious influences. In the meantime, they will walk about in their sleep, mistakenly believing their thoughts are their own, mistakenly believing that their words are being chosen, and mistakenly believing that they are choosing to do what they do.
Driven by “The Parent” ego-state, they will try to control; driven by “The Child,” they will throw fits. So it is. The exception to all of that will be the few who complete all seven steps to Realization and are thereby freed from the influence of any ego-state.
Seeing that ego is an illusion, it then becomes clear that there is no need to try to "deconstruct the ego" or "destroy the ego," any more than there is a need to "deconstruct a mirage" or "destroy a mirage." A mirage is a mirage, and once that it is seen as such, then a mirage is never taken to be anything more than an illusory appearance. It is first knowing what you are not that facilitates the movement along the "path" to Realization and liberation and freedom. Please enter the silence of contemplation.
IN STOCK AND READY TO SHIP: The latest release, the third book in the “Advanced Seekers Trilogy,” FROM THE ABSOLUTE TO THE NOTHINGNESS ($16.99+ S&H). To order, go to http://floydhenderson.com/order.htm , complete all of the information, and in the “Special Message” box, type in FROM THE ABSOLUTE TO THE NOTHINGNESS.
AN OVERVIEW (The order in which the books are to be read and how to get them at a package rate):
Consider the Meditation CD, the Meditation Guides, Bullshit, and Spiritual Sobriety to be a “Beginner’s Package,” providing a foundation from which persons can begin to consider realities that are beyond the beliefs which they accept unquestioningly as a result of their enculturation. Used as a group, the works encourage inquiry (which is at the core of the Advaita approach) where questioning has not occurred before. [See MAKE YOUR OWN PACKAGE below.]
Consider Peace of Mind, Liberation, What Happens When I Die? and The Essence of the Teachings to be a “Mid-Level Seekers” Package, each guiding seekers beyond the false identification with body and mind and personality and explaining the basic terminology that must be understood before moving to the advanced teachings. [See MAKE YOUR OWN PACKAGE below.]
Consider From the I to the Absolute, Consciousness/Awareness, and From the Absolute to the Nothingness to be an “Advanced Seekers” Package. From the I to the Absolute can serve as a guide for earnest and capable seekers, putting the teachings into an orderly context that reveals the exact steps that must be taken in an exact order to move through all of the degrees of separation from belief in the false “I” to Realization. Consciousness/Awareness offers the next level of understanding, explaining that which is beyond the beingness and how happiness can manifest each day via the understanding. Finally, From the Absolute to the Nothingness will allow earnest and capable seekers to understand the state that is even prior to beingness and non-beingness, even prior to the Absolute. The seeker who understands the content of this book will realize how it is that—from a state of non-existence or nothingness—everything in this universe (and all universes) came to be. [See MAKE YOUR OWN PACKAGE below.]
MAKE YOUR OWN PACKAGE (FOR A LIMITED TIME): 10% OFF if two books are ordered at the same time; 15% OFF if three books are ordered at the same time; 20% OFF if four or more books are ordered at the same time. Visit http://www.floydhenderson.com/
IN STOCK AND READY TO SHIP: The latest release, the third book in the “Advanced Seekers Trilogy,” FROM THE ABSOLUTE TO THE NOTHINGNESS ($16.99+ S&H). To order, go to http://floydhenderson.com/order.htm , complete all of the information, and in the “Special Message” box, type in FROM THE ABSOLUTE TO THE NOTHINGNESS.
AN OVERVIEW (The order in which the books are to be read and how to get them at a package rate):
Consider the Meditation CD, the Meditation Guides, Bullshit, and Spiritual Sobriety to be a “Beginner’s Package,” providing a foundation from which persons can begin to consider realities that are beyond the beliefs which they accept unquestioningly as a result of their enculturation. Used as a group, the works encourage inquiry (which is at the core of the Advaita approach) where questioning has not occurred before. [See MAKE YOUR OWN PACKAGE below.]
Consider Peace of Mind, Liberation, What Happens When I Die? and The Essence of the Teachings to be a “Mid-Level Seekers” Package, each guiding seekers beyond the false identification with body and mind and personality and explaining the basic terminology that must be understood before moving to the advanced teachings. [See MAKE YOUR OWN PACKAGE below.]
Consider From the I to the Absolute, Consciousness/Awareness, and From the Absolute to the Nothingness to be an “Advanced Seekers” Package. From the I to the Absolute can serve as a guide for earnest and capable seekers, putting the teachings into an orderly context that reveals the exact steps that must be taken in an exact order to move through all of the degrees of separation from belief in the false “I” to Realization. Consciousness/Awareness offers the next level of understanding, explaining that which is beyond the beingness and how happiness can manifest each day via the understanding. Finally, From the Absolute to the Nothingness will allow earnest and capable seekers to understand the state that is even prior to beingness and non-beingness, even prior to the Absolute. The seeker who understands the content of this book will realize how it is that—from a state of non-existence or nothingness—everything in this universe (and all universes) came to be. [See MAKE YOUR OWN PACKAGE below.]
MAKE YOUR OWN PACKAGE (FOR A LIMITED TIME): 10% OFF if two books are ordered at the same time; 15% OFF if three books are ordered at the same time; 20% OFF if four or more books are ordered at the same time. Visit http://www.floydhenderson.com/
