An Advaita forum focusing on Realisation, enlightenment, non-duality, Real Love, peace, freedom, Your original nature, abiding naturally, the Oneness, the Noneness, and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.
Here, there is nothing that is believed, so there is no one here who wants you to believe anything, either. Here, the invitation is to be free of all that you have been programmed, conditioned, acculturated, and domesticated to believe so that you can be free, period.
FROM A SITE VISITOR: A friend mentioned that in a talk on personality you talked about where certain types live but he couldn’t remember it all. He said I’m a Type Three and have a huge ego and that on your list I’m the one who lives in the mirror. Do you have a copy of that I could read? Thanx, Jim
F.: The historical data offered in yesterday’s post was not without relevance to this discussion. The dates when persons first began looking at their images in a mirror coincide with the time that religions began to organize and claim that there is a creator god that makes persons “in His image.”
Not only did the use of the mirror and the belief in those teachings reinforce the belief that false images are real; the mirror and the teachings also planted the seed that gave rise to later claims by arrogant persons who would assert that they were "created in the image of god"; that they were “the children of god”; that they were “godly”; and, eventually, that they actually “were god.”
(The same claims are still being made today by billions of persons on the planet who have no clue at all that the actual case is this: there was no god that created man or woman in his image; instead, there is a god who was created in man's image; in fact, in more than a few religions over the last 5000 years, the case is that many gods have been created—that is, just dreamed up—by humans.)
So, some 5000 or so years ago, the mirror-delusion link was set. Yesterday’s post ended with the statement that “tomorrow, the discussion will show the effect that the mirror stage plays in driving the masses to accept the lies of duality as truth.”
Lacan, introduced yesterday, linked in his teachings (1) the “mirror stage” and the role it plays is generating a belief in (2) the false “relation duelle”—the false concepts of “duality" and "relationships."
He suggested that the mirror stage drives the formation of the Ego via the process of identification, the Ego being the result of identifying with one's own specular image; however, Lacan’s teachings regarding the relation duelle deal not only with the faulty linkage between the ego and the body but also with much more.
He said that "the mirror stage is far from a mere phenomenon which occurs in the development of the child. It illustrates the conflictual nature of the dual relationship. The dual relationship (relation duelle) refers not only to the relation between the Ego and the body, which is always characterized by illusions of similarity and reciprocity, but also to the relation between the Imaginary and the Real. The visual identity given from the mirror supplies imaginary ‘wholeness’ to the experience of a fragmentary real.”
Note the pointers available in his brief passage:
** The mirror now plays a role in the development of children (and in the development of body image and body identification).
** The mirror reinforces belief in duality, and duality reinforces the false belief in “relationships”—in the notion that there is a “A” and a “B” that can relate to each other.
** That also supports kindergarten-level religious and / or spiritual beliefs such as the concept that “because I am now religious (or spiritual), I am at one with god whereas before I was not at one and so back then there were two”…a total reversal of Advaita’s “not two,” non-dual understanding.
** To live in the mirror is to live in conflict, and conflict can only happen when a foundational belief in duality exists first. (For conflict to happen, an “A” must believe in itself and in a “B” to be in conflict with.)
** To live in the mirror is to fabricate ego, ego-states, and egotism, and to continue to spend time before the mirror is to reinforce the ego as well as the false belief that “I am this body that I see.”
** To live in the mirror is to be trapped in a relative existence that is “characterized by illusions.”
** To live in the mirror is to be stripped of any chance to be able to differentiate the “imaginary” from the “real,” to distinguish between true and false.
** To live in the mirror is to believe erroneously that “visual identities” are exactly what they appear to be, that perceptions are fact, and that mirages are real.
** To believe in an “imaginary wholeness” will preempt the call of the inner guru—of the inner resource—from being heard. That will prevent the seeking of the true wholeness that is longed for innately among humans but that most persons will never recognize for what it is.
Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
Not only did the use of the mirror and the belief in those teachings reinforce the belief that false images are real; the mirror and the teachings also planted the seed that gave rise to later claims by arrogant persons who would assert that they were "created in the image of god"; that they were “the children of god”; that they were “godly”; and, eventually, that they actually “were god.”
(The same claims are still being made today by billions of persons on the planet who have no clue at all that the actual case is this: there was no god that created man or woman in his image; instead, there is a god who was created in man's image; in fact, in more than a few religions over the last 5000 years, the case is that many gods have been created—that is, just dreamed up—by humans.)
So, some 5000 or so years ago, the mirror-delusion link was set. Yesterday’s post ended with the statement that “tomorrow, the discussion will show the effect that the mirror stage plays in driving the masses to accept the lies of duality as truth.”
Lacan, introduced yesterday, linked in his teachings (1) the “mirror stage” and the role it plays is generating a belief in (2) the false “relation duelle”—the false concepts of “duality" and "relationships."
He suggested that the mirror stage drives the formation of the Ego via the process of identification, the Ego being the result of identifying with one's own specular image; however, Lacan’s teachings regarding the relation duelle deal not only with the faulty linkage between the ego and the body but also with much more.
He said that "the mirror stage is far from a mere phenomenon which occurs in the development of the child. It illustrates the conflictual nature of the dual relationship. The dual relationship (relation duelle) refers not only to the relation between the Ego and the body, which is always characterized by illusions of similarity and reciprocity, but also to the relation between the Imaginary and the Real. The visual identity given from the mirror supplies imaginary ‘wholeness’ to the experience of a fragmentary real.”
Note the pointers available in his brief passage:
** The mirror now plays a role in the development of children (and in the development of body image and body identification).
** The mirror reinforces belief in duality, and duality reinforces the false belief in “relationships”—in the notion that there is a “A” and a “B” that can relate to each other.
** That also supports kindergarten-level religious and / or spiritual beliefs such as the concept that “because I am now religious (or spiritual), I am at one with god whereas before I was not at one and so back then there were two”…a total reversal of Advaita’s “not two,” non-dual understanding.
** To live in the mirror is to live in conflict, and conflict can only happen when a foundational belief in duality exists first. (For conflict to happen, an “A” must believe in itself and in a “B” to be in conflict with.)
** To live in the mirror is to fabricate ego, ego-states, and egotism, and to continue to spend time before the mirror is to reinforce the ego as well as the false belief that “I am this body that I see.”
** To live in the mirror is to be trapped in a relative existence that is “characterized by illusions.”
** To live in the mirror is to be stripped of any chance to be able to differentiate the “imaginary” from the “real,” to distinguish between true and false.
** To live in the mirror is to believe erroneously that “visual identities” are exactly what they appear to be, that perceptions are fact, and that mirages are real.
** To believe in an “imaginary wholeness” will preempt the call of the inner guru—of the inner resource—from being heard. That will prevent the seeking of the true wholeness that is longed for innately among humans but that most persons will never recognize for what it is.
Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
Now you can receive for $40 a downloadable computer file version of the same 7-hour satsang that seekers receive when they visit for the Advaita Retreat with Floyd. You will be guided through the seven steps from identification with the false "I" to the Absolute (and beyond).
For more information or to order, click:
DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
SIX WAYS THAT SEEKERS HAVE REALIZED:
1. BY WATCHING the 4-Disk Video (DVD) Set, or the same retreat available as a downloadable file. Either will provide an entire seven-hour retreat / series of satsang sessions showing three seekers being guided through all seven steps by Floyd and can provide viewers with an “experiential,” step-by-step series of satsang meetings that will move the viewers from identification with the I to abidance as the Absolute and then to abidance as That Which Is beyond
Some seekers are already using the computer file version and the DVD sets for meetings in groups in homes, playing the retreat, pausing for discussion, etc.
To find out more or to purchase the DVD set or the downloadable computer file version of the retreat, click:
DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
Option “A” is for the downloadable file version, Option “B” is used to order the DVD set for delivery inside the U.S., Option “C” for international orders.
For the download, Paypal will send me a notice that payment has been received and then I will send by e-mail the downloading instruction, password, etc.
[It is recommended that you watch the video with pen and paper in hand. Write whatever you need clarified. You'll see that there are constant reviews and you might find an answer later in the seven-hour presentation. Then, after you watch it all, there will be a common ground for discussion. Purchase of the DVD’s or the file will include the right to clarifications and answers to your specific questions via e-mail.]
2. BY READING these books in this exact order:
IT'S ALL BULLSHIT (And Why Knowing It Sets You Free)
SPIRITUAL SOBRIETY (Recovering What Religions Lost)
[Those two prepare the seeker to question it all]
THE MEDITATION GUIDES
[Provide a broad overview of the understanding]
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DIE?
[Begins to free the seeker of body identification and the desire for body continuity]
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS "PEACE OF MIND" (There Is Only Peace if You're Out of Your Mind)
[Shows the seeker how to be free of the subconscious motivators of the false content of the “mind”]
LIBERATION
[Shows the seeker how to be free of the subconscious motivators of personas]
THE ESSENCE OF THE TEACHINGS
[Provides the final preparation for the seeker to be directed along the “path”]
FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)
[Directs the seeker along the “path”]
CONSCIOUSNESS/AWARENESS: The Nature of Reality Beyond Self-Realization (Peace Every Day When Abiding as The Absolute)
[Allows the seeker to understand the functioning of the totality, the manifestation, and what is involved with the un-manifestation]
FROM THE ABSOLUTE TO THE NOTHINGNESS
[Provides the seeker the wisdom to understand the Noneness as well as the Oneness]
Purchase an e-Book now and begin reading it in minutes (except with e-checks that can take 7-10 days). Trusting our clients as we do, all e-Books are provided to you in printable form.
SAVE IF YOU BUY ALL ELEVEN AT ONCE:
(You may order the books one at a time or you may use the following link to acquire the entire 11-e-Book set on sale for $99 if ordered at one time with the “Buy Now” button below. For this option, there will be no download links provided; once the near-instant notice of payment is received from PayPal, your e-Books will be sent to you as e-mail attachments. All are printable for your convenience.)
For more information or to order, click:
DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
SIX WAYS THAT SEEKERS HAVE REALIZED:
1. BY WATCHING the 4-Disk Video (DVD) Set, or the same retreat available as a downloadable file. Either will provide an entire seven-hour retreat / series of satsang sessions showing three seekers being guided through all seven steps by Floyd and can provide viewers with an “experiential,” step-by-step series of satsang meetings that will move the viewers from identification with the I to abidance as the Absolute and then to abidance as That Which Is beyond
Some seekers are already using the computer file version and the DVD sets for meetings in groups in homes, playing the retreat, pausing for discussion, etc.
To find out more or to purchase the DVD set or the downloadable computer file version of the retreat, click:
DVD or Downloadable computer file versions of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat
Option “A” is for the downloadable file version, Option “B” is used to order the DVD set for delivery inside the U.S., Option “C” for international orders.
For the download, Paypal will send me a notice that payment has been received and then I will send by e-mail the downloading instruction, password, etc.
[It is recommended that you watch the video with pen and paper in hand. Write whatever you need clarified. You'll see that there are constant reviews and you might find an answer later in the seven-hour presentation. Then, after you watch it all, there will be a common ground for discussion. Purchase of the DVD’s or the file will include the right to clarifications and answers to your specific questions via e-mail.]
2. BY READING these books in this exact order:
IT'S ALL BULLSHIT (And Why Knowing It Sets You Free)
SPIRITUAL SOBRIETY (Recovering What Religions Lost)
[Those two prepare the seeker to question it all]
THE MEDITATION GUIDES
[Provide a broad overview of the understanding]
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DIE?
[Begins to free the seeker of body identification and the desire for body continuity]
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS "PEACE OF MIND" (There Is Only Peace if You're Out of Your Mind)
[Shows the seeker how to be free of the subconscious motivators of the false content of the “mind”]
LIBERATION
[Shows the seeker how to be free of the subconscious motivators of personas]
THE ESSENCE OF THE TEACHINGS
[Provides the final preparation for the seeker to be directed along the “path”]
FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)
[Directs the seeker along the “path”]
CONSCIOUSNESS/AWARENESS: The Nature of Reality Beyond Self-Realization (Peace Every Day When Abiding as The Absolute)
[Allows the seeker to understand the functioning of the totality, the manifestation, and what is involved with the un-manifestation]
FROM THE ABSOLUTE TO THE NOTHINGNESS
[Provides the seeker the wisdom to understand the Noneness as well as the Oneness]
Purchase an e-Book now and begin reading it in minutes (except with e-checks that can take 7-10 days). Trusting our clients as we do, all e-Books are provided to you in printable form.
SAVE IF YOU BUY ALL ELEVEN AT ONCE:
(You may order the books one at a time or you may use the following link to acquire the entire 11-e-Book set on sale for $99 if ordered at one time with the “Buy Now” button below. For this option, there will be no download links provided; once the near-instant notice of payment is received from PayPal, your e-Books will be sent to you as e-mail attachments. All are printable for your convenience.)
You may visit The Official Website of Floyd Henderson for information on each book.
3. BY ENROLLING in the Online Advaita Classes
For information, visit Information on the Advaita Classes on the Internet
To enroll visit Enroll in the Advaita Internet Course
4. BY ATTENDING an Advaitin retreat for satsang with floyd and being guided through all seven steps. For details of the retreats offered, please visit the retreat information site.
5. BY ARRANGING satsang by telephone in the U.S. or by Skype internationally:
Use the Contact link for details or for information on making arrangements for a session
6. BY ARRANGING for floyd to travel to your location and meet with you or your group. Use the contact link above to discuss details.
3. BY ENROLLING in the Online Advaita Classes
For information, visit Information on the Advaita Classes on the Internet
To enroll visit Enroll in the Advaita Internet Course
4. BY ATTENDING an Advaitin retreat for satsang with floyd and being guided through all seven steps. For details of the retreats offered, please visit the retreat information site.
5. BY ARRANGING satsang by telephone in the U.S. or by Skype internationally:
Use the Contact link for details or for information on making arrangements for a session
6. BY ARRANGING for floyd to travel to your location and meet with you or your group. Use the contact link above to discuss details.
