An Advaita forum focusing on Realisation, enlightenment, non-duality, Real Love, peace, freedom, Your original nature, abiding naturally, the Oneness, the Nothingness, 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.
This is the first joint posting and came about spontaneously yesterday. More may happen spontaneously…or not.
FROM A SITE VISITOR: Dear f: know youre not the form but the substance, but out of curiosity, several of us have said we'd like to know what the two forms-cum-consciousness (cohosts) look like? I know - you'll say 'appearance' - i say 'just curious'. Any chance?
F.: While “aiming to please” never happened in the loft and does not happen in this electronic loft, Maharaj did display a picture of his teacher, so we’ll play along with your curiosity. But first, acknowledgment of the speck of conscious-energy that is the most immediate in our lineage:
Received FROM A SITE VISITOR after the last series: Interesting in the April 13, 14 posts that the person who claimed to be realized was angry that you didn't see things his way. Ross
* That body-cum-consciousness *
* That speck called here “Our Mentor, Our Teacher” *
* Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj *
Now, the co-hosts:
Now, the co-hosts:
* This body-cum-consciousness *
* This speck called here “A Co-Host” *
* Louise *
and
* This speck called here “A Co-Host” *
* Louise *
and
* This body-cum-consciousness *
* This speck called here “A Co-Host” *
* Floyd *
* This speck called here “A Co-Host” *
* Floyd *
So, curious one, there you have it. Now, back to noting the message and forgetting about the messengers.
Received FROM A SITE VISITOR after the last series: Interesting in the April 13, 14 posts that the person who claimed to be realized was angry that you didn't see things his way. Ross
F.: So it is when one thinks he has transitioned personality (and its accompanying egotism) but has not, which moves the discussion to today's topic:
Why have so many Realized teachers, past and present, offered so many pointers on personality and being rid of its influence? This is the shocking news to those who are fixated in their "new and improved good roles," convinced that they have turned over their will to a god or gods:
the fact is, personality is more powerful than your god or gods in determining what you think and say and do, all other claims to the contrary notwithstanding and all degrees of lip service notwithstanding.
Louise: Being entranced by personality identification is like being moved by an invisible puppeteer. There is the appearance of spontaneous choice and action, yet every movement is predetermined by the programming set in place during early childhood.
F.: Exactly. When the relative existence happens under the auspices of personality, it is as if one is a dummy on the lap of a ventriloquist: it appears that the dummy is choosing to express its thoughts with words that it is choosing, and it looks as if its movements are happening by choice. In fact, all of that is being determined by a force behind the dummy.
Among the non-Realized masses on the planet, that force is personality. Consider the Type Eight Personality who claims to be a member of a “spiritual program.” That type is prone to raging and controlling and all sorts of excesses that go beyond the bounds of what most cultures might consider “acceptable” or “sane” or “mature” conduct.
In fact, the conduct is often what most cultures would label "pathological" or "sociopathic." Time and again such types have been heard to praise their god and give thanks for removing their defects; yet let them be challenged, and they once again explode in violent or near-violent outbursts.
Now, when that happens, was it their god inspiring that, or was it their Type Eight personality? As discussed in a series posted during November of 2009, entitled “The Evidence Is In: Personality Trumps God” (see archives if interested), it was shown that in spite of all the lip service that persons pay to their high level of development and to their belief that they are now “a new and changed and different person who has turned it all over to god,” their actions speak louder than their words. The underlying anger that dominates that personality type will eventually surface. Again:
L.: Being entranced by personality identification is like being moved by an invisible puppeteer.
F.: When persons assume a personality, they have identified with an ego-state. “Ego” in Latin is “I,” and in the Advaita teachings, the reference is to "the false I." When an ego-state manifests, that manifestation is soon followed by the use of ego-defense mechanisms that are employed by personalities to protect the false identity that is taken by the non-Realized to be real.
So personality and ego are one and the same, whereas egotism / arrogance are among the defense mechanisms that are used to support the lie of identity.
Now, one of the tenets of dogma or the tenets of spiritual programs is that egotism ends and humility begins once one is in conscious contact with a god / gods. The fact is, “The Religious One” and “The Spiritual One” are also ego-states, so they will use egotism on occasion to support those identities, preempting any possibility of humility showing up with any validity at all, much less with consistency.
Why have so many Realized teachers, past and present, offered so many pointers on personality and being rid of its influence? This is the shocking news to those who are fixated in their "new and improved good roles," convinced that they have turned over their will to a god or gods:
the fact is, personality is more powerful than your god or gods in determining what you think and say and do, all other claims to the contrary notwithstanding and all degrees of lip service notwithstanding.
Louise: Being entranced by personality identification is like being moved by an invisible puppeteer. There is the appearance of spontaneous choice and action, yet every movement is predetermined by the programming set in place during early childhood.
F.: Exactly. When the relative existence happens under the auspices of personality, it is as if one is a dummy on the lap of a ventriloquist: it appears that the dummy is choosing to express its thoughts with words that it is choosing, and it looks as if its movements are happening by choice. In fact, all of that is being determined by a force behind the dummy.
Among the non-Realized masses on the planet, that force is personality. Consider the Type Eight Personality who claims to be a member of a “spiritual program.” That type is prone to raging and controlling and all sorts of excesses that go beyond the bounds of what most cultures might consider “acceptable” or “sane” or “mature” conduct.
In fact, the conduct is often what most cultures would label "pathological" or "sociopathic." Time and again such types have been heard to praise their god and give thanks for removing their defects; yet let them be challenged, and they once again explode in violent or near-violent outbursts.
Now, when that happens, was it their god inspiring that, or was it their Type Eight personality? As discussed in a series posted during November of 2009, entitled “The Evidence Is In: Personality Trumps God” (see archives if interested), it was shown that in spite of all the lip service that persons pay to their high level of development and to their belief that they are now “a new and changed and different person who has turned it all over to god,” their actions speak louder than their words. The underlying anger that dominates that personality type will eventually surface. Again:
L.: Being entranced by personality identification is like being moved by an invisible puppeteer.
F.: When persons assume a personality, they have identified with an ego-state. “Ego” in Latin is “I,” and in the Advaita teachings, the reference is to "the false I." When an ego-state manifests, that manifestation is soon followed by the use of ego-defense mechanisms that are employed by personalities to protect the false identity that is taken by the non-Realized to be real.
So personality and ego are one and the same, whereas egotism / arrogance are among the defense mechanisms that are used to support the lie of identity.
Now, one of the tenets of dogma or the tenets of spiritual programs is that egotism ends and humility begins once one is in conscious contact with a god / gods. The fact is, “The Religious One” and “The Spiritual One” are also ego-states, so they will use egotism on occasion to support those identities, preempting any possibility of humility showing up with any validity at all, much less with consistency.
L.: I am often fascinated how, encloaked by personality, people “judge” because they expect others to think, feel, behave and react just like they do. This is rampant egotism actually.
F.: Yes, and rampant egotism will always manifest when personality has been programmed or assigned or adopted. (A) Personality and (B) “godliness” or “humility” or “spirituality” cannot coexist. Personality nullifies all of those and is one of the hidden “forces” that function as the “hidden agendas” which actually drive persons' thoughts and words and actions;
further, the fact is that the way personality drives thoughts and words and deeds is hidden from all who are trapped in personality—all such persons thinking that they are making choices when everything they think or say or do is determined by personality factors that they have no clue even exist.
Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
F.: Yes, and rampant egotism will always manifest when personality has been programmed or assigned or adopted. (A) Personality and (B) “godliness” or “humility” or “spirituality” cannot coexist. Personality nullifies all of those and is one of the hidden “forces” that function as the “hidden agendas” which actually drive persons' thoughts and words and actions;
further, the fact is that the way personality drives thoughts and words and deeds is hidden from all who are trapped in personality—all such persons thinking that they are making choices when everything they think or say or do is determined by personality factors that they have no clue even exist.
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.
