Tuesday, October 14, 2008

IGNORANCE AND LEARNED IGNORANCE AT PLAY: Citing and Believing Phony “Evidence,” Part Two

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FROM A SITE VISITOR: Why do you say that truth cannot be spoken? (I do not disagree--just do not understand.) thank you Patty


F.: Many factors contribute to the spread of belief in lies and, therefore, the spread of ignorance. All involve persons who claim they are speaking the truth, and all have dualistic aspects:


A. GIVING CREDIBILITY TO “AUTHORITIES”

Pecking orders manifest not only in hen yards. They manifest in homes, in offices, in cities, in states, in nations, and in institutions, all rooted in dualistic beliefs about “separation” and “not the same” and “unequal” and “better than” and “rulers vs. the ruled” and “leaders vs. the led” and “the royalty vs. the populace” and “the nobility vs. the peasantry.”


Because 50% of the persons on the earth are fear-based Personality Type Sixes who are wired to be loyal to flags and countries and leaders and dogma and institutions, then “the authorities” will generally have at least 50% support and approval among the masses.


While certain “work clothes” are designed for functionality, those in authority choose to reinforce the fact that they are “different” from the masses by dressing differently from the masses, often wearing robes or uniforms. Many male authority figures who are considered to be members of royalty wear silk garbs and jewel-encrusted crowns.


Some male authorities in the church wear red patton leather shoes with silk hosiery, brocade robes with gold-thread designs, and high pointy hats. Often, a lace apron is added around the waist. Others—such as judges or preachers and priests—wear cassocks or black robes with albs or stoles.


In some cultures, ochre or saffron robes are worn along with special haircuts and other accoutrements to signify “different from” or “better than” or “wiser.” In militaristic cultures, police all dress the same and soldiers all dress the same, suggesting that entire groups within a culture can be “different from” the masses.


The subliminal message to all in the presence of those wearing such special vestments that reinforce the concept of “differentiation” is this implied message to the masses:


“You among the masses are to understand that persons above you who wear special attire are special and different. Those who dress in special clothes are the ones who possess special understandings or special skills that you do not have. When people with special attire speak or act, you must pay very careful attention.”


The fact is, “authority” is a dualistic concept that is used to generate belief in more dualities: “the powerful vs. the weak”; “the uncommon vs. the common”; “the haves vs. the have nots”; “the ones to talk vs. the ones to listen”; and "Parent or Adult figures vs. Child figures."


During satsang (by way of contrast) there is a give and take...the Advaitin teacher welcoming questions and comments and, yes, even challenges and debate and argument and dialogue. Have you ever known that to be the case during a sermon? During a trial when a judge is speaking? During a speech to the troops by a commanding officer? When a member of royalty is addressing his/her subjects?


Yet the fact is, Patty, all of those persons will tell you that what they are saying is the truth. Priests and preachers will tell you that they can convey the truth; judges will claim the same; military commanders will assure you that what they have to say is truth; and members of royalty for millennia have convinced subjects that they know the truth (often claiming that to be the case because they are ruling by “divine right”).


In order for lies to be believed and disseminated throughout a culture and across a planet, persons must first accept the belief that (1) there are a few who are special and different in every society; that (2) there are people who are authorities in terms of power or in terms of subject matter; and that (3) there are certain people in every society whose word should never be questioned.


With those ground rules in place and accepted as truth by the masses, then non-truths will flourish.


Such is the case when the masses do not understand that the truth cannot be stated, when the masses believe that outer resources are the proper vehicle for finding truth, and when the masses do not understand that truth can only be realized by tapping into the inner guru. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
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