Monday, March 10, 2008

“This” is all relative…THAT is Absolute, Part Two

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FROM A SITE VISITOR: [Please see the 9 March 2008 posting for the e-mail which is being responded to in this series]

F.: Your understanding is clear that, post-manifestation, none of the nonsense or destruction on this planet has the least meaning or relevance at all. Thus, the only “relevance” of any of these pointers is for NOW.

And yes, even Realized the existence happens in an AS IF fashion of non-attachment; however, that does not prevent awareness of the pain and suffering of persons on the planet. Non-attachment refers partly to the condition of not being attached to any personal identities (or false personas as identities). It does not imply "without feelings or empathy."

In fact, the True You cannot detach from the unicity and cannot ignore the reality of Oneness, if enlightened. It is What You Are, and You know What You Are. It is impossible not to be That Which You Are, so it is also impossible for the Realized to be unaware of relative happenings and to feel the pain and suffering of persons.

So the Realized know well the phenomenal pain and relative suffering being experienced across the globe, even as they have been freed of the factors that contribute to that relative misery. The e-mail on 8 March ’08 from “Sick of you in Seattle triggered a rash of e-mails, some wondering why so many persons have no ability to feel or to empathize.

The Advaitin response is (1) because of traumatic relative experiences during childhood, (2) because of the resultant formation of personality and (2) because personality, working in tandem with the corrupt “mind” and influenced by stress and arrogance, determine relative thoughts, relative words and relative deeds.

In the e-mail being responded to, Danny noted, Realization didn’t keep the killed alive and hasn’t seemed to changed the world for the better, so what the heck?” so that issue will now be addressed.

No Advaitin teacher would suggest that pointers shared when the consciousness speaks can affect the Absolute; the only potential “consequence” is limited to an influence upon the manifested consciousness, namely, “re-purifying it” or “unblocking” the pure consciousness so that clear witnessing can happen.

Why are there so few Realized? Persons in a deep sleep haven’t a clue that they are asleep, haven’t a clue that their dreams are dreams, and have little chance of awakening themselves.

Similarly, those whose experiences have traumatized them, who have been driven to adopt personality (or personalities), who are stressed and arrogant, and who are driven by the corrupted “mind” will not have a clue about Reality, about feelings, about empathy, or about caring.

Last week, when hired by a company to troubleshoot some internal disharmony manifesting among staff as a result of “personality conflicts,” workers were asked, “What is the most challenging part of your job? What change would reduce your stress and allow you to become more productive?”

During two days of interviews, the name of one director in particular was raised repeatedly. Yes, some would say, “If your problems are caused by another, then you are in trouble. If, on the other hand, you are causing your problems (that is, if your perspective is generating your internal turmoil) then there is hope for change.”

The staff members having no level of awareness that could make that pointer relevant, and the assignment being to “put out this fire so we can move on,” a private session was scheduled with the man whose name was raised repeatedly.

Opening comments were halted when his hand was raised and he interrupted with, “I don’t give a damn how anyone here feels, and I don’t give a damn if they like how I say what I say or how I do what I do. I’m not going to be friends with any of them. This is business. Now, you can go ahead and say what you came to say, but….”

The “but” made clear the belief behind the unstated words: “…but, I’m not going to change anything about me, and if they don’t like it, they can leave.”

Tomorrow, the impact of his assumed persona upon that environment will become clear as it is understood the way in which persons assume a personality in childhood, allow it to drive them through adulthood, and then disintegrate into the lowest levels of psychic unhealthiness when stressed and arrogant.

Is this all “relative stuff,” as Danny noted, dealing with the “not real”? Of course, but the “relative stuff” is what the non-Realized deal with on a daily basis. Functioning in that relative trap, persons will pass their days either judging and hating or will gain some sense of freedom by beginning to understand.

Does understanding require that one continue to accept abuse throughout the relative existence? Not at all. But it might open a door for one who is seeking peace to see how one's own personality is working to prevent enjoying the existence in an AS IF fashion.

Too, it has been noted that when sanity is restored, a movement toward peace and away from chaos happens automatically. That may happen among some staff members as well. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)

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