Today's Considerations
Today let the focus be on what Maharaj had to say about the
three key symptoms of the Ultimate Sickness (which he identified as “ignorance, stupidity,
and insanity”).
For those who are offended by his bluntness, a reminder is offered here occasionally that he did not say that “the non-Realized" or "the human masses" are ignorant,
stupid, and insane. He did not say that the problems of the planet are caused
by ignorant and stupid and insane people. Nor did he say that humans are
morons:
Instead, he said that “ignorance and stupidity and insanity” are at
the root of the Ultimate Sickness and are at the root of the widespread, humanity-generated problems all over the planet.
Moreover, he did not say that “ignorance, stupidity, and
insanity” manifest in the form of humans; he made clear that “ignorance, stupidity,
and insanity” manifest in the form of ideas, concepts, notions, perceptions,
misperceptions, unclear perspectives, thoughts, impressions, theories,
and hypotheses (all of which boil down to one thing: “beliefs”).
Also, he eventually made clear that the problems of humanity are
not caused by their having too little religion or by their having mastered too little dogma. (That makes sense because religion has been
thriving for 5,000 years and because 97% around the globe claim an affiliation with
one organized religion or another. In fact, it might be that too much dogma is involved with the widespread chaos and insanity.)
Furthermore, he eventually made clear that the problems
of humanity are not a result of “a spiritual malady” or “a sick spirit” or “the
masses not being spiritual enough.” (That makes sense because the number of those assuming
the identity of “A Spiritual Giant” was flourishing then and is flourishing even more now.)
To the contrary, he eventually made clear that the problems of humanity are
centered in the mind, saying, “Ignorance and knowledge are in the mind, not in
the real.” He also eventually made clear that those problems rooted in the
mind involve what is deemed to be “knowledge” (but which he dismissed as nothing
more than “learned ignorance”) as well as “stupidity” and “insanity” which have been passed down
from one millennia to the next and from one generation to the next by way of ignorant
and stupid and insane programming and conditioning and domestication and
acculturation and brainwashing and indoctrination.
Thus, Maharaj said: “All knowledge is a form of ignorance”
and “To see that all knowledge is a form of ignorance is itself a movement of
reality.” Otherwise, he warned, “The person [the one assuming personas or personality
identifications] can stay in the darkness of ignorance forever, unless the
flame of awareness touches it.” So he asked on another occasion: “Where ignorance
is not, where is the need of knowledge?” Thus, he explained, “The proper role of
a Guru is to dispel ignorance in the hearts and minds of his disciples" (rather than to spread even more ignorance).
So what did he have to say specifically about “ignorance, stupidity, and
insanity,” all of which are mind-based?
IGNORANCE
Regarding the link between emotional intoxication and ignorance,
Maharaj said: “Emotional reactions, born of ignorance or inadvertence, are
never justified.”
Stripping away all of the lofty and noble and haughty and
supercilious and arrogant and prideful connotations which have been assigned to
“Realization,” Maharaj said: “Realisation is but the opposite of ignorance.” See? Simple, huh?
He observed that ignorance was indeed becoming more and more
widespread and noted: “The circles of ignorance may be ever widening, yet it
remains a bondage all the same”; however, he explained how one can avoid that
bondage:
“The immemorial night of ignorance dissolves before the
rising sun of wisdom”
and
“Ignorance has no beginning, but can have an end.”
He said: “Creation itself is rooted in ignorance; matter
itself is ignorance. Not to know, and not to know that one does not know, is
the cause of endless suffering.”
Of claims about one’s “Holiness” or “Supreme Self” or “God-ness,”
Maharaj said: “Proclaiming oneself to be an omnipotent, omniscient and
omnipotent deity is a clear sign of ignorance.”
He advised, “It is only your ignorance that makes you say ‘I
know.’ Begin with the admission that you do not know and start from there.”]
He said: “There is nothing that can help the world more than
your putting an end to ignorance.” The obstacle? “An ignorant man is ignorant
of his ignorance.”
Ultimately, he said, “I am only interested in ignorance and
the freedom from ignorance.”
Why be free of ignorance? He explained: “Ignorance causes
sorrow. Happiness follows understanding.”
STUPIDITY
He said: “Humanity’s pain is caused by the abysmal stupidity
of mankind.”
Speaking of the Ultimate Medicine, Maharaj referred to it as
“the remedy for a disease caused by obtuseness and stupidity.”
Of those who arrogantly think that they are in a position to
change the world, he noted: “You talk so much of reforms: economic, social,
political. Leave alone the reforms and mind the reformer. What kind of world
can a man create who is stupid, greedy, heartless?”
To one who said, “My world is an evil world, full of tears,
toil and pain. The God of an evil world is a cruel God,” Maharaj replied: “You
are the god of your world and you are both stupid and cruel. Let God be a
concept - your own creation."
Maharaj advised: “What is wrong is to love yourself stupidly,
so as to make yourself suffer. Love yourself wisely.”
Consider the key point of this exchange:
Maharaj: “Both indulgence and austerities have the same purpose
in view - to make you happy. Indulgence is the stupid way, austerity is the
wise way.”
Questioner: “What is austerity?"
M.: “Once you have gone through an experience, not to go
through it again is austerity.”
And the point of this exchange:
Maharaj: “Willingly sacrifice the imperfect to the perfect
and there will be no more talk about good and evil.”
Q: “Yet we are afraid of the better and cling to the worse.”
M: “This is our stupidity, verging on insanity.”
and
“Stupidity and selfishness are the only ‘evil’.”
One tool to use? That which religious fundamentalists so
despise: science.
To the contrary of the fundamentalists' anti-science attitudes, Maharaj said: “Science
pushes back the frontiers of our ignorance.” Of the linkage between fundamental
religionists and stupidity - and all of the ignorant and stupid and insane behavior
which that combination inspires - he said: “To love and worship a god is also ignorance.”
INSANITY
Maharaj said, “Insanity is universal. Sanity is rare. Yet
there is hope, because the moment we perceive our insanity, we are on the way
to sanity.”
Of the doctors I know, many have spoken of their dread when
having to report a most unwelcomed diagnosis to a patient. The last thing most
want to hear about is a diagnosis which indicates the present of a major
sickness. Yet no hope exists without a proper and honest diagnosis of what really ails a person.
Moreover, no sickness is as prevalent on the planet as the Ultimate Sickness
which is marked by the presence of “ignorance and stupidity and insanity.” The welcome news in that regard: there is a cure in many cases. Yes, some are so
strapped with amazingly high levels of ignorance and stupidity and
insanity that they will never be freed from their ignorance and stupidity and will
never be restored to sanity.
For many, though, there is an Ultimate Medicine which can address
the most prevalent Sickness on the planet. Yet a primary obstacle to receiving the treatment exists:
The very traits of the Sickness block most
persons from seeking the cure because their ego-states and egotism and
arrogance refuse to admit that those symptoms are present and need to be treated
and eliminated. So it is, but so it need not be.
To be continued.
Please enter the silence of contemplation.
[NOTE:
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