PART “SS”: REALIZING WITHOUT DOGMA, WITHOUT CONTINUOUS SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, AND WITHOUT A PREOCCUPATION WITH “THE NATURE OF REALITY AND THINGS NOUMENAL”

Today's Considerations

To review: Such is the relative existence when it is being controlled by duality, that is, by dualistic thoughts, dualistic talk, and duality-driven actions; by religious fanatics fomenting a false sense of separation and different from and better than; by political fanatics fomenting a false sense of separation and different from and better than; by political fanatics; by big businesses who are co-opting control of elections and using their billions to foment a false sense of separation and different from and better than; by political fanatics; ad infinitum.

Witness objectively those all around the globe who have assumed and are now playing the role of “The Super Politicians” or “The Great Reformers” or “The Super Religious Ones” or “The Spiritual Giants” or “those who have assumed the identity of “The Supreme Self” or even “God” or even “The Super Sports Fans.” Then, because it applies to all of those role players, consider the root word of the latter’s title: fanaticism.

“Fanaticism” = “wildly excessive or irrational devotion, dedication, or enthusiasm”

and

“a mode of living which is marked by irrational and extreme and unwarranted perceptions which lead to irrational and extreme and unwarranted behavior, especially as exhibited by excessive enthusiasm, unreasoning zeal, or wild and extravagant notions on some subject.”

Synonyms for “fanatic” – devotee, extremist, maniac, addict, zealot, believer, fool, and monomaniac.

All of those ego-states are accompanied by emotional intoxication which often reaches maniacal levels. In that regard, Maharaj said: “Emotional reactions, born of ignorance or inadvertence, are never justified.” Does that mean that "the realized" isolate in a flat or house and avoid everything? No. Maharaj said: “Action, in which you are not emotionally involved . . . does not cause suffering and will not bind you.”

Next, Maharaj said: “All illness begins in the mind” and “it is the emotional link that perpetuates the bondage.” See? There is no separating the three aspects of the mind-emotions-suffering triad, and that is why Maharaj endorsed what he called “emotional non-involvement.” He added: “It is the emotional involvement . . . that creates bondage.”

And what generates more emotion and emotional reactions and emotional intoxication than one’s assumed, false identities and their hidden agendas and their fears and desires and the beliefs which they hold dear and are willing to fight for in an instant, often to the end? And what is the result when four factors are combined within a mind, those four being (1) ego-states and (2) emotional intoxication and (3) false identities which are fighting for their supposed survival and (4) the ignorant and insane beliefs which ego-states generate? The result is full-blown fanaticism.

So do “the Realized” not feel? Of course they feel, but they do not emote. The “Realized” – understanding that the summative statement of non-duality is as much about the I AM as it is about the I AM THAT - are in touch with both “reality” and “Reality.” That means they feel, but it does not mean they emote.

Of that “reality” and the beingness which assures that feelings will be felt, Maharaj said: “To strengthen, and stabilise the 'I am' we do all sorts of things -- all in vain, for the 'I am' is being rebuilt from moment to moment.” 

[Thus, unless fully in touch with both “reality” and “Reality,” then ego-states will be built and rebuilt constantly, and they will then generate the use of egotism and arrogance to defend those false, assumed selves, and that will lead to fanaticism; fanaticism, in turn, always leads to instability and chaos.] 

What, according to Maharaj, is the requirement for being free of the influence of those false-self generators of arrogance and egotism and fanaticism and emotional intoxication? He said that the requirement “is unceasing work." He added: "The only radical solution is to dissolve the separative sense of 'I am such-and-such person." The result? He said: "Being remains, but not self-being."

The distinction between emotions and feelings is explained here in this way: The Realized can “feel” for as long as the manifestation continues, but they cannot emote. Emotions are reactions generated and sustained by ego-states. Emotions are like small pockets of explosives stored in the warped, fictional “mind” that can detonate without notice. They inspire the taking of unconscious actions around desires or reacting unconsciously around fears.

Dr. Peter G. Stromberg asked: “What do we mean when we say that someone is a fanatic? One variety of fanaticism has to do with religious or political views. This sort of fanatic is a person who is so sure that his or her views are the truth that they see anyone who holds different views as evil or inhuman.” "A fanatic," he said, “becomes involved in something to a degree that is excessive,” adding that “fanaticism always entails a lack of balance in a person's life.”

Of such balance, Maharaj said: “The universal trend is towards balance, harmony and unity.”

Philosopher George Santayana defines fanaticism as "redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim” and says that “The fanatic displays very strict standards and little tolerance for contrary ideas or opinions.” 

Of “standards," Maharaj said: “Discard all traditional standards. Leave them to the hypocrites. As long as you worry about sin and virtue you will have no peace.”

Those involved with the study of fanaticism often focus (in addition to sports fanaticism") on these other forms of the mental illness of fanaticism: consumer fanaticism; emotional fanaticism; ethnic-supremacist fanaticism; racial-supremacist fanaticism; nationalistic or xenophobic or patriotic fanaticism; religious fanaticism; spiritual fanaticism, etc.

Anthropologists provide evidence which shows that the history of humankind developed to the point where humans spent a few hours a day completing tasks required for survival. After that, their lifestyle was marked by “balance and harmony and peace” with no concerns about such dualities as “virtue vs. sin.” Prior to being convinced that there is a supernatural / religious / spiritual / Supreme way to abide, all abidance happened naturally. [That Cherokee woman called "Grandmother" here confirmed that fact.] At that point, there was no more fanaticism being exhibited among humans than there was among all other living things on the planet: deer, birds, fish, etc. When did the change come? 

Throughout most of the millions of years that humans or human-like life-forms walked about on the planet, natural abidance prevailed until the last five or six millennia when some persons began convincing the people in  their communities that what is happening on earth is controlled by gods or goddesses or Powers “out there" and that those Forces can be displeased by humans and that humans better shape up and be “good” as opposed to “bad” if they want a reward now and later as well.

That concept / belief which the religions of the planet and the spiritual movements on the planet developed has now led to higher levels of dualistic thinking than ever existed in the millions of years prior to the dreaming up of those concepts.

Those concepts led to unnatural and supernatural ways of thinking and talking and behaving which - in turn - led to fanaticism, to a lack of peace, to conflict, to fighting, to humans killing humans out of anger, as well as to instability and chaos and pain and misery and suffering. The wise will see that it is those unnatural and supernatural ways of thinking and talking and behaving which have led to fanaticism and chaos and a lack of freedom and peace.

It should be seen as well that those sources have produced those results which have become parts of the new abnormal norm. And if that is seen, then it should be clear that the influence of those sources should be brought to an end. [Yet that will not happen.]

Also, seeing that the exact source which started the unnatural thinking and behaving is now perpetuating that unnatural thinking and behaving, then this should also be clear: while billions are trying to use the very source of unnatural and supernatural ways of thinking and talking and behaving as a method for treating the planet's widespread fanaticism, lack of peace, conflict, fighting, killing humans out of anger, instability, chaos, pain, misery and suffering, it should be clear that the source of unnatural and supernatural ways of thinking and talking and behaving cannot possibly rid persons of unnatural and supernatural ways of thinking and talking and behaving (that is, cannot rid the masses of the ignorance and insanity which drive them).

More than ninety-nine percent of the people on the planet are attached to either organized religion or to some spiritual movement or organization, so 99%+ will never have a chance to be free of unnatural and supernatural ways of thinking and talking and behaving. Nor will those who take themselves to be “Supreme” or “God” ever be free of their egotism and arrogance and nonsense, either.

All unnatural and supernatural ways of talking and behaving begin with an unnatural and supernatural way of thinking. Thus Maharaj’s pointers regarding the key role that the mind plays in generating ignorance, insanity, chaos, pain, misery and suffering. 

To be continued.

Please enter the silence of contemplation.

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