Today's Considerations
In the previous post, the consideration
was offered that no one can give away what they do not have; thus, the insanity
of believing someone who tells you, ”I cannot help myself, but I can help you.”
Too, it was noted how much criticism Maharaj came into when he changed his approach
for treating the Ultimate Sickness.
Yet the relevant fact is this: those that have only a “Lite”
version or a “Diet” version of something can only offer a “Lite”
or “Diet” version of whatever it is that they are offering.
During Maharaj’s go-do-zoom
stage, he owned more than a dozen businesses and was a successful “capitalist.”
After he returned to Bombay after having played “The Forest Dweller” role for a spell, he
survived quite well on the proceeds of the one remaining shop which his son was
managing in his absence along with the food gifts brought by visitors over the decades.
At one point during my go-do-zoom
stage, I owned five businesses, had seventeen workers, two secretaries, one accountant,
and multiple subcontractors. Much of the work of those businesses was seasonal in
nature, so during the busiest season, I paid workers more than I did during the
slower season. I could only give what I had at any particular moment.
That’s what happened with Maharaj
in terms of his non-dual offerings. First, he offered a blend of non-duality
and Hinduism. Later, he offered a blend of non-duality and Eastern spirituality.
It was as if his visitors had a major sickness, a serious infection which was
calling for a high strength antibiotic such as Ciprofloxacin but all he had to
give them was a small dose of penicillin.
Once he saw that the earliest
versions of the Ultimate Medicine which he was dispensing were not addressing
the core, mental part of the Ultimate Sickness, he changed his treatment plan. As he
gained a clearer understanding, he was able to give an increased dosage of
understanding the real problem as well as a more effective treatment. Same here.
The treatment plan he used at one
point had seven steps to it. After he saw that “it is enough to know who you
are not,” then all seven steps were no longer necessary in all cases. For those
who did want to complete all seven, he worked with them for a time. For
those that were ready for a “faster track,” that too was offered to that type of
seeker. Same here.
Thus, if a seeker’s words
indicated to Maharaj that the seeker was at Step Five and was stuck there, the pointers
offered would be intended to shift the seeker to Step Six. If a seeker
stuck at the Third Step was playing the role of “The Super Religious One” or “The
Spiritual Giant” or “The Super Seeker,” then Maharaj’s pointers would focus on shifting
that seeker to the Fourth Step.
To that end, some might recall the words
shared recently from two Christian ministers. Many wrote to question why I would
give any credibility, on a non-dual, no-identity site, to those two who were assuming
the Third Step personas of “A Christian.”
Consider: for Maharaj to shift a
seeker from the Third Step to the Fourth, he had to shine a light on the Third
Step roles and allow those playing Third Step roles to see the bogus nature of
those identities; then, he had to shine the light along the “path” that might allow them to
see the way to the Fourth Step.
Next, it has been noted that with
97% of all persons on the planet claiming a religious affiliation - and with millions more bragging that “I
am not religious! I am spiritual!” – then no greater call for light exists then
the light which can expose the bogus nature of the roles being played by those
stuck at the Third Step. The question then is, "To whom will those stuck in the role of 'The Super Christian' most likely listen? An 'outsider,' or the one those persons accept as 'their leader'?"
While Maharaj had been stuck
there but then later began inviting seekers to move beyond that step, and while I had
been stuck there but later offered an invitation to seekers to move beyond their
false identities assumed at that step, the critics in both cases came forth in
droves. Among those stuck at that step and who are listening only to leaders who are
also stuck at that step, a leader at that step who has seen the bogus nature of
the roles being played can likely be far more effective at facilitating the transitioning
beyond such roles-playing. And that is why the words were shared from two leaders who are at
that step but who see something beyond that step and who are working with those who are stuck at that step and are who are inviting their listeners to move beyond that step. And that is why their words will be shared again.
Recently, Pastor Jim Rigby shared this,
which is relevant to the process being offered here:
“When people ask me if I am a Christian,
before I answer, I ask them what they mean. If they mean that group who is
spreading lies about Planned Parenthood, the answer is ‘No.’ If they mean that
group who feels superior to pagans, Jews, Muslims, or atheists, the answer is ‘No.’
If they mean that group who cannot look science in the face and prefer imagined
places and people to real relationships with real people, the answer is ‘No.’
But if by ‘Christian’ they mean those inspired by Jesus to be a good neighbor
to all of humankind, to hate none, and to share the whole world with my human
and animal family, then I have to say that is my highest aspiration.”
See, it has been noted here time
and again over the last decade of posting on this site that there is not the slightest
similarly in what can be pointed to with the term “Christ-like” and what is
called “A Christian.” And the message of “Christianity” nowadays has nothing in
common with the non-dual message which Jesus taught in the last years of that
manifestation.
So, with five methods of teaching
non-duality, combined with the teachings offered via scores of this yoga or
that yoga, and then with the many bastardizations
of those combinations, and then adding in the influence of those Maharaj called “Big Name Teachers” who add in the self-focused
components which they are using to attract the masses, then the present circumstance is this:
there is much being peddled under the guise of “non-duality” which actually has nothing to do with grasping a full understanding of the message alluded to in the summative statement of non-duality, “I AM THAT; I AM.”
there is much being peddled under the guise of “non-duality” which actually has nothing to do with grasping a full understanding of the message alluded to in the summative statement of non-duality, “I AM THAT; I AM.”
Instead, most of what has been put
out over recent centuries as well as the not-so-recent millennia has nothing to
do with explaining the singularity of the reality / Reality message of that summative
statement and has nothing to offer in terms of facilitating the movement through
the relative existence in a manner that is devoid of learned ignorance and imposed
insanity. In most cases, the focus has been on THAT while ignoring the I AM,
resulting in escapism and avoidance and dissociation.
So, a là Jim Rigby’s message
above, this can be said (and it could have been said by Maharaj during the last
years of that manifestation):
“When people ask me if I am a
non-dualist or an Advaitin, before I answer, I ask them what they mean. If they
mean someone who is interested in ‘A Supreme Soul of the Universe,’ then the
answer is ‘No.’
If they mean someone who is interested
in ‘The Atma / Atman / Atma-Bhakti,’ then the answer is ‘No.’
If they mean someone who is interested
in ‘Brahma,’ then the answer is ‘No.’
If they mean someone who is interested
in ‘Jiva / Jivatman,’ then the answer is ‘No.’
If they mean someone who is interested
in ‘A Supreme Spirit or Supreme Self,’ then the answer is ‘No.’
If they mean someone who is interested
in ‘Nirvana,’ then the answer is ‘No.’
If they mean someone who is interested
in ‘Puja or Purusha,’ then the answer is ‘No.’
If they mean someone who is interested
in ‘being seen as a Sadguru,’ then the answer is ‘No.’
If they mean someone who is interested
in ‘going into and out of samadhi,’ then the answer is ‘No.’
If they mean someone who is interested
in ‘samskaras,’ then the answer is ‘No.’
If they mean someone who is interested
in ‘focusing on THAT while ignoring the AM-ness,’ then the answer is ‘No.’
If they mean someone who is interested
in ‘moving to an imagined place, either now or someday later,’ then the answer is ‘No.’
If they mean someone who is interested
in ‘clinging to even one single belief,’ then the answer is ‘No.’
If they mean someone who is interested
in ‘any self or Self,’ then the answer is ‘No.’
As with Maharaj, the case here is that there was a time
when the focus centered on the Self, as evidenced by many of the earlier posts
on this site, but it was eventually understood that Self -centeredness is based as
much in ignorance and arrogance and delusion as self -centeredness.
So if by “Non-Dualist” or “Nisargan”
or “Advaitin” a questioner is pointing at
(a) a state of awareness which has resulted
in abiding naturally rather than unnaturally or supernaturally (a.k.a., magically
or spiritually);
and
(b) a condition which allowed me to “slip the surly bonds”
of programming and conditioning and domestication and acculturation and brainwashing
and indoctrination;
and
(c) a state of
now being free of all taught and learned ignorance and free of all accumulated
concepts and ideas and notions and perceptions – that is, all beliefs –
then
I would have to say, “Yes, those terms can be used if you like, but only if you are not using them to point to an identity but are referring to a no-person, no-identity, no-Identity, no-who-ness, no-WHO-ness, non-dual state or condition.”
then
I would have to say, “Yes, those terms can be used if you like, but only if you are not using them to point to an identity but are referring to a no-person, no-identity, no-Identity, no-who-ness, no-WHO-ness, non-dual state or condition.”
To be continued.
Please enter the silence of contemplation.
[NOTE:
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