Part Ten: THE ULTIMATE SICKNESS CENTERS NOT IN TOO LITTLE DOGMA AND NOT IN A SPIRITUAL MALADY AND NOT IN A FAILURE TO BE “A SUPREME SELF” OR “GOD” BUT CENTERS IN THE MIND

Today's Considerations

While notions about the existence of a “new earth” where persons are more enlightened and authentic than ever before would be debunked instantly were one to witness objectively the still-widespread darkness of image-assumption and image-maintenance, there are occasions when (1) larger-than-usual numbers of persons who are not aware of their own preference for form over substance do sometimes display (2) some seeming preference for authenticity (although it most often is in regards to the phoniness of "others" rather than in regards to their concerns with their own assigned or assumed images).

Those truly awake see this clearly: every living thing on the planet abides normally and naturally, except for humans. Among all living things on the planet except for humans, authenticity is the widespread norm; among all living things on the planet except for humans, authenticity and normalcy come naturally and remain throughout the entire manifestation; thus, every living thing on the planet is abiding in an authentic fashion except for humans who are raised in ways which rob them of all awareness of their false selves and which drive them to posture and pose and maintain a façade and wear masks.

To that end, during the present season of politicking that is happening in the U.S., half are once more aligning themselves with candidates who share their ideology and prejudices while the other half among the electorate are engaged in an otherwise-rare moment of evaluating their candidates' levels of authenticity and trustworthiness (as if the assumption of the role of “politician” and the manifestation of “credibility” could ever co-exist side-by-side).

Thus, one writer wrote this about “the new ‘IT’ factor” in politics:

Authenticity is the new ‘It’ factor.

The old ‘It’ was ideological (“Do they hate big government as much as I do?” and “Are they as opposed as I am to women having the right to decide what they do or do not do with their own bodies?” and “Do they hate like I do all governmental regulations on industry which are intended to protect the environment but which have a negative impact on corporate profits?” and “Do they understand as I do why women do not deserve to be paid as much as a man for the same job?”)

and

was positional (“Are they with me on encouraging the accumulation of  guns and ammo, even by children and crazies?” and “Are they with me on the belief that the increasing temperature rates on earth are not being contributed to by humans, or are they more like the 'tree-huggers' who want to force companies to spend more of their own money to protect the environment?”)

and

was demographic (“Do they care about people like me?” and “Do they respect the fact that we in our part of the country have the right to express our 150-year-old deep hatred of the federal government and have the right to display in any way we choose our sense of racial superiority and our hatred of minorities?”)

and

was personal (“Who would I want to have a beer with?” and “Who strikes me as a good ole boy?” and “Which of these candidate is showing the same levels of anger and chauvinism and hatred and arrogance that I feel?”). 

The author ended with a final point and a question that some members of one party are asking: The new ‘It’ is ontological: Who's real?

Ontology deals with the nature of being, becoming, existence, or reality. Is someone authentic . . . or phony? (Maharaj advised that asking question the is only relevant when it is asked about oneself, not about “others.”)

To review from the last post:

So the deal – that is, this “path” or “journey” or “process” - is about being restored to sanity, to returning to a condition of being “normal”: Maharaj spoke of “returning to normal” (and of abiding naturally, which is also about “being normal.”)

It does not take a chockfull mind for humans to function sanely and soundly and reasonable and practically. A chockfull mind will, in fact, prevent that mode of functioning. It does not take great intelligence for humans to function sanely and soundly and reasonable and practically, the most intelligent often exhibiting the most insane and unsound and unreasonable and impractically thoughts and words and actions of any.

How much "mind stuff" is required to grasp the truth behind this pointer from Maharaj: “The ultimate understanding is that there is no ultimate understanding"? None. Mind stuff will actually prevent seeing the truth of that pointer. And because he eventually proclaimed that he had given up all concern with - and all interest in - "The Supreme Self," he could have as easily said: “The ultimate understanding is also that there is no 'self' and that there is no 'Ultimate Self', either." Both self-ness and Self-ness are as dreamed up as every other concept that is rooted in dogma or spirituality.

Freedom first requires freedom from the mind - that is, freedom from unquestioned acceptance of, and belief in, the concepts stored in the mind. Only when the mind goes is the stage then set for wisdom to come, wisdom which (a) can only function if there are no impediments blocking the consciousness from seeing clearly and wisdom which (b) allows a brain which started out normal

but was

made abnormal

to

“return to being normal.”

Again, every living thing on the planet abides normally and naturally, except for humans. Among all living things on the planet except for humans, authenticity is the widespread norm; among all living things on the planet except for humans, authenticity comes naturally and remains throughout the entire manifestation; thus, every living thing on the planet is abiding in an authentic fashion, except for humans. Humans, to the contrary, are raised in ways which rob them of all awareness of the falsity of their false selves and which drive them to posture and to pose and to maintain a façade and to wear masks.

In New York City - sitting stunned on the front edge of her seat in the Majestic Theater – my five-year old daughter was spellbound. What would be "her favorite musical of all time" was being determined moment-by-moment as she listened to Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman introduce her for the first time to "the Phantom" and "Christine."

After settling herself during the intermission following her scare caused by the crashing, explosive climax to Act I, she was more than ready for the play to continue and for the expansive mega-scene which opened Act II. Much later, she would explain that the words sung during that scene would take on greater meaning when she reached her late twenties and began differentiating between that in this culture which encourages specious and affected posturing vs. that true sense of inner contentment which only comes when authenticity displaces disingenuousness.

These are the words which were sung during the Act II opening which pointed toward the now widespread levels of specious and affected posturing and inauthenticity:

Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade . . .
Masquerade!
Hide your face so the world will never find you!
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade . . .
Masquerade!
Look around - there's another mask behind you!
Flash of mauve . . .
Splash of puce . . .
Fool and king . . .
Ghoul and goose . . .
Green and black . . .
Queen and priest . . .
Trace of rouge . . .
Face of beast . . .
Faces . . .
Take your turn, take a ride on the merry-go-round . . .
in an inhuman race . . .
Eye of gold . . .
Thigh of blue . . .
True is false . . .
Who is who . . .?
Curl of lip . . .
Swirl of gown . . .
Ace of hearts . . .
Face of clown . . .
Faces . . .
Drink it in, drink it up,
till you've drowned
in the light . . . in the sound . . .
RAOUL / CHRISTINE
But who can name the face . . .?
ALL
Masquerade!
Grinning yellows, spinning reds . . .
Masquerade!
Take your fill -let the spectacle astound you!
Masquerade!
Burning glances, turning heads . . .
Masquerade!
Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you!
Masquerade!
Seething shadows breathing lies . . .
Masquerade!
You can fool any friend who ever knew you!
Masquerade!
Leering satyrs, peering eyes . . .
Masquerade!
Run and hide - but a face will still pursue you!

Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade!
Masquerade!
Hide your face so the world will never find you!
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade!
Masquerade!
Look around - There's another mask behind you!
Masquerade!
Burning glances, turning heads . . .
Masquerade!
Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you!
Masquerade!
Grinning yellows, spinning reds . . .
Masquerade!
Take your fill - let the spectacle astound you!

Maharaj noted that he takes his stand “in the original state where I was not aware that I am.” Note that he was not saying that he was "not aware" now, at this moment, as he was speaking to them; he was not saying that he was not aware NOW. To the contrary, he was totally aware during the post-Realization AM-ness . . . aware of all that he was not; thus, he was also" taking a stand" here and now and in full awareness and in full freedom from beliefs and identities (or any Identity as well).

In that Original State, there was no identity, either super-sized relative identities or a Super “Supreme Identity.” There was no "one" present to be aware of or conscious of anything. During the remaining post-Realized IS-ness, he was identity-less and also eventually Identity-less, yet he was totally awake, aware, and conscious.

The rejection of all learned ignorance and the restoration of sanity allowed that which came to be seen on the “reverse path back out” to later be overlaid on the relative existence so that it was no longer marked and marred by “ignorance and stupidity and insanity” but was marked by freedom from ignorance and stupidity and insanity and from all of the former content of the mind which always robs persons of peace.

The only reason to realize all which can be realized (about the THAT-ness as well as the AM-ness) is to also realize that one can only be free NOW – and therefore only at peace NOW – if that Original Nature is understood and if the abidance for the remainder of the manifestation happens in the fashion of that original ignorance-and-insanity-and-identity-and-Identity-free condition.

Meaning? Meaning that the AM-ness NOW must happen exactly like the pre-manifestation condition took place in that original state: with no body identification; with no mind identification; with no personality identification; and with none of the learned ignorance or insanity which drives insane thoughts which - in turn - generate insane words which - in turn - result in insane behaviors.

 

To be continued.

Please enter the silence of contemplation.

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