F.: Here’s an exercise that can be used to determine if “The Parent” and/or “The Child” are showing up in your relative existence:
Determine which of these are happening:
· Sometimes I am driven at work or at home to play “The Parent” role when I want to…
· control
· criticize
· judge
· evaluate
· talk down to
· scold others
Sometimes “The Child” shows up when I want to…
· express anger
· be spoiled
· receive attention
· refuse to look at my own shortcomings
· throw tantrums rather than remain calm and relaxed
· express righteous indignation over the way I have been treated or slighted
· Sometimes, “The Child” appears and complains when it has not received the level of attention it thinks it deserves
· Sometimes “The Parent” becomes engaged if it senses that it’s not being shown proper respect
· Sometimes, I play “The Parent” role, trying to exert control, and that creates problems in my personal relationships
Sometimes, “The Parent” role shows up when I’d like to…
· direct traffic
· correct others
· demand perfection from others
· change the world
· I can see that “The Parent” sometimes shows up when I replay parent or authority figure “recordings” from my childhood (or when I play tapes being recorded now as I still allow authority figures to influence thoughts, words, and deeds)
· I can see “The Child” sometimes shows up when I don’t get my way and get angry
· I can see “The Parent” sometimes shows up when I become angry if people challenge me or “talk back”
· I can see that “The Child” sometimes shows up when I do not question the content of early tapes
· Sometimes, “The Child” shows up when I take the content of those tapes as “truth,” even if evidence to the contrary arises
· I understand that as “The Child,” I made recordings about things that bothered me and that now, if some emotional trauma or hurt or slight or pain shows up, those old tapes start playing again and I immediately revert to “The Child” and experience the same emotional feelings and reactions that I experienced as a child
· I can see that, when that happens, I sometimes experience emotional intoxication and will react in a childish fashion
· Sometimes, “The Child” shows up when I do things that are not in the best interest of my health
· Sometimes, “The Child’s” tendency to be dependent prevents me from being totally free
· Sometimes, “The Child” shows up because, even if I gave up certain dependencies, I have now substituted new dependencies in their place
· Sometimes “The Parent” shows up in a desire for power and control
· Sometimes, I’ll let people put me into a “Child” role if it I think it will provide an easier way for me, allowing others to meet my financial needs or to provide what I think I am entitled to
· Sometimes, I’ll let people force me into a “Child” role if I think it will get me something I want from them
· Sometimes “The Child” shows up as a result of being frustrated by not having power or control
· Sometimes, “The Child” shows up when I reject financial sanity and refuse to live within a budget
· Sometimes, “The Child” shows up when I don’t want to exercise
· Sometimes, “The Parent” shows up when I want to exert all necessary force in order to try to control
· Sometimes “The Child” shows up because I accept being treated like a child when someone comes at me as "The Parent" (instead of shifting to “The Adult”)
· Sometimes I see that much of what I think and say and do is just a replaying of “Parent tapes”
· Sometimes I see that much of what I think and say and do is just a replaying of “Child tapes”
· Sometimes I see that much of what I feel is a result of something that triggers my “Child tapes”
For each instance you found that is showing up in your relative existence, you might ask how that is working for you. Are you seeing why the Advaita Teachings assert that all personality, all personas, must be cast aside if one is to be happy and free during the manifestation? Are you seeing why the teachings suggests that you cannot be happy unless you are free?
Determine which of these are happening:
· Sometimes I am driven at work or at home to play “The Parent” role when I want to…
· control
· criticize
· judge
· evaluate
· talk down to
· scold others
Sometimes “The Child” shows up when I want to…
· express anger
· be spoiled
· receive attention
· refuse to look at my own shortcomings
· throw tantrums rather than remain calm and relaxed
· express righteous indignation over the way I have been treated or slighted
· Sometimes, “The Child” appears and complains when it has not received the level of attention it thinks it deserves
· Sometimes “The Parent” becomes engaged if it senses that it’s not being shown proper respect
· Sometimes, I play “The Parent” role, trying to exert control, and that creates problems in my personal relationships
Sometimes, “The Parent” role shows up when I’d like to…
· direct traffic
· correct others
· demand perfection from others
· change the world
· I can see that “The Parent” sometimes shows up when I replay parent or authority figure “recordings” from my childhood (or when I play tapes being recorded now as I still allow authority figures to influence thoughts, words, and deeds)
· I can see “The Child” sometimes shows up when I don’t get my way and get angry
· I can see “The Parent” sometimes shows up when I become angry if people challenge me or “talk back”
· I can see that “The Child” sometimes shows up when I do not question the content of early tapes
· Sometimes, “The Child” shows up when I take the content of those tapes as “truth,” even if evidence to the contrary arises
· I understand that as “The Child,” I made recordings about things that bothered me and that now, if some emotional trauma or hurt or slight or pain shows up, those old tapes start playing again and I immediately revert to “The Child” and experience the same emotional feelings and reactions that I experienced as a child
· I can see that, when that happens, I sometimes experience emotional intoxication and will react in a childish fashion
· Sometimes, “The Child” shows up when I do things that are not in the best interest of my health
· Sometimes, “The Child’s” tendency to be dependent prevents me from being totally free
· Sometimes, “The Child” shows up because, even if I gave up certain dependencies, I have now substituted new dependencies in their place
· Sometimes “The Parent” shows up in a desire for power and control
· Sometimes, I’ll let people put me into a “Child” role if it I think it will provide an easier way for me, allowing others to meet my financial needs or to provide what I think I am entitled to
· Sometimes, I’ll let people force me into a “Child” role if I think it will get me something I want from them
· Sometimes “The Child” shows up as a result of being frustrated by not having power or control
· Sometimes, “The Child” shows up when I reject financial sanity and refuse to live within a budget
· Sometimes, “The Child” shows up when I don’t want to exercise
· Sometimes, “The Parent” shows up when I want to exert all necessary force in order to try to control
· Sometimes “The Child” shows up because I accept being treated like a child when someone comes at me as "The Parent" (instead of shifting to “The Adult”)
· Sometimes I see that much of what I think and say and do is just a replaying of “Parent tapes”
· Sometimes I see that much of what I think and say and do is just a replaying of “Child tapes”
· Sometimes I see that much of what I feel is a result of something that triggers my “Child tapes”
For each instance you found that is showing up in your relative existence, you might ask how that is working for you. Are you seeing why the Advaita Teachings assert that all personality, all personas, must be cast aside if one is to be happy and free during the manifestation? Are you seeing why the teachings suggests that you cannot be happy unless you are free?
Are you seeing that freedom and happiness are being interrupted by all of the beliefs and concepts that are rooted in programming and conditioning? Are you seeing all of the negative effects of programming and conditioning, relatively speaking? Please enter the silence of contemplation. (The Conclusion tomorrow)
FOR THOSE STILL ASKING ABOUT THE ORDER IN WHICH THE BOOKS SHOULD BE READ, AN OVERVIEW of the sequence for reading and how to get the books 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://floydhenderson.com/order.htm , provide all ordering information, and then in the "Special Message" box, indicate which package you want.
FOR THOSE STILL ASKING ABOUT THE ORDER IN WHICH THE BOOKS SHOULD BE READ, AN OVERVIEW of the sequence for reading and how to get the books 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://floydhenderson.com/order.htm , provide all ordering information, and then in the "Special Message" box, indicate which package you want.
