Today's Considerations
This was offered last time:
Coming up: a discussion of . . .
why the invitation to begin the "journey" along
the seven-step "path" to Full Realization is extended even if the
chances of completing that "journey" are slim,
and
why completion of even four of the seven steps can make the effort amazingly worthwhile.
why completion of even four of the seven steps can make the effort amazingly worthwhile.
There are two options generally for ways to move through the relative existence:
(1) moving about in a state of unconditional misery without even being aware of that
misery; or (2) moving about in a state of unconditional happiness.
Those two states correspond to being in darkness or being in
the light. Your ancestors on the veldts of Africa came to understood this by
way of their own experiences and via the experiences of their ancestors who
survived and breed and contributed to the survival of the human species:
A. To stumble about in the darkness was - and is - to have no ability to make clear and totally wise choices,
is to have no control over what is thought and said and done in the darkness, is to have all decisions
made by the subconscious agendas of internal forces, and is to be unsafe and fearful
and in danger, relatively speaking.
B. They also learned that to move about in the light did - and does - provide
more opportunity for reaching sane and natural goals and for being safer, relatively speaking.
Maharaj made clear that there is likely no greater obstacle
to Realization than accepting unquestioned advice or guidance from, or being controlled by, those who are stuck in the mentally-ill condition of standing in the
dim light of the dawn but believing that they are being bathed fully in the
bright light of the noonday sun.
To review: Such persons have only reached the third of seven steps. At that point, they have cast off old, former identities which their cultures deemed "bad" and have assumed new and supposedly improved - but as equally false - identities which their cultures or friends or relatives deem to be "good" or even "great" ones, roles such as "The Super Religious One," "The Spiritual Giant," "The One Who Formerly Knew Nothing But Who Now Knows It All," "The One Who Can Rescue You," and "The One Who Wants to Pass On His or Her Knowledge to All."
Here, no knowledge is offered. Here, no pointer is ever offered with a belief that one can learn more, be taught more, or needs to be re-programmed. Here, any pointer offered is shared in order to facilitate un-learning, un-teaching, and de-programming.
To review: Such persons have only reached the third of seven steps. At that point, they have cast off old, former identities which their cultures deemed "bad" and have assumed new and supposedly improved - but as equally false - identities which their cultures or friends or relatives deem to be "good" or even "great" ones, roles such as "The Super Religious One," "The Spiritual Giant," "The One Who Formerly Knew Nothing But Who Now Knows It All," "The One Who Can Rescue You," and "The One Who Wants to Pass On His or Her Knowledge to All."
Here, no knowledge is offered. Here, no pointer is ever offered with a belief that one can learn more, be taught more, or needs to be re-programmed. Here, any pointer offered is shared in order to facilitate un-learning, un-teaching, and de-programming.
[“I joined the program” is spot on, because the persons
there are trying to re-program those who come their way rather than de-programming
them completely. The case with those members is that they have always been driven by the desire to get more and more and more and by the drive to have too much rather than getting rid of and
de-accumulating and understanding the wisdom and freedom of less-ness.]
The suggestion shared with a woman who questioned the
condition of this speck of consciousness was the same that is shared with all
who are seeking guidance but questioning what is offered here: "Read some
of the words spoken by the consciousness here. If those words trigger a
resonance within, then stay awhile; if not, then move on."
Maharaj would
also eventually invite seekers . . .
a. to stop reading his earlier talks in I AM THAT with their religious and spiritual
focus and to listen to his later talks dealing with the psychological roots of
the Ultimate Sickness;
b. to guard against fixating at the religious or spiritual level and thereby failing to return to the no-mind, no-concept, non-dual condition enjoyed by a child during the days prior to having been programmed, conditioned, etc.; and
c. to guard against fixating in any role identification (or "Identification") rather than moving beyond all persona-or-Persona-assumption and beyond belief in all ideas and concepts, including the ones assumed at the third-of-seven steps on the "path" by those who have been assigned or who have assumed religious or spiritual personas as identities / Identities.
Then this might now be considered:
"even if the chances of completing the entire 'journey' are slim, completion of even four of the seven steps can make the effort worthwhile."
How could
reaching only the third step on a seven-step
"path" to Realization be so detrimental
while
reaching the fourth step on that "path" could possibly
be "worthwhile"
as far as the relative existence goes?
Those who are miserable and who are suffering often say, "I just want to be happy."
Here, those are asked: "When was the last time you were unconditionally happy?"
Some say, "When I first married the man that I now want to divorce."
The reply: "That was 'conditional happiness,' not unconditional happiness."
Some say, "When my child was born."
The reply: "That was 'conditional happiness,' not unconditional happiness."
All of the examples of such exchanges over the years which followed that same pattern are far too numerous to count.
When was the last time anyone who is presently miserable was actually unconditionally happy? The correct answer, using non-duality terminology, is:
"When I was in 'the Child Ignorance Stage' or at 'The Child No-Knowing Step'," which is the fourth of seven steps and which is the step beyond the third religious or spiritual role-playing step.
At that point, a child that is dry and fed and not sick is perfectly content, is unconditionally happy. During the "coming-into-manifestation-and-eventually-identifying-with-the-body leg of the 'coming in' process," that "No-Knowing Stage" is the last of the pre-Ultimate Sickness states - the last of the pre-conditional happiness states - before exposure to programming and conditioning and domestication and acculturation and indoctrination and brainwashing contribute to the manifestation of the Ultimate Sickness and set the stage for misery and suffering. At that fourth step, the child knows it IS but does not believe it is "this" or "that"; therefore, the child suffers no persona-driven agendas, hidden or otherwise.
If only four of seven steps are completed, that is worthwhile relatively speaking because it is far more significant for those who are miserable to be able to recognize the "not-You's" (and their agendas) than to be able to understand the "Real You." Why? Because it is the "not-You's" that generate identification with false personas which, in turn, generate belief-based fears and belief-based desires; then, it is those personality-generated fears and desires which generate misery and suffering.
Those who are miserable and who are suffering often say, "I just want to be happy."
Here, those are asked: "When was the last time you were unconditionally happy?"
Some say, "When I first married the man that I now want to divorce."
The reply: "That was 'conditional happiness,' not unconditional happiness."
Some say, "When my child was born."
The reply: "That was 'conditional happiness,' not unconditional happiness."
All of the examples of such exchanges over the years which followed that same pattern are far too numerous to count.
When was the last time anyone who is presently miserable was actually unconditionally happy? The correct answer, using non-duality terminology, is:
"When I was in 'the Child Ignorance Stage' or at 'The Child No-Knowing Step'," which is the fourth of seven steps and which is the step beyond the third religious or spiritual role-playing step.
At that point, a child that is dry and fed and not sick is perfectly content, is unconditionally happy. During the "coming-into-manifestation-and-eventually-identifying-with-the-body leg of the 'coming in' process," that "No-Knowing Stage" is the last of the pre-Ultimate Sickness states - the last of the pre-conditional happiness states - before exposure to programming and conditioning and domestication and acculturation and indoctrination and brainwashing contribute to the manifestation of the Ultimate Sickness and set the stage for misery and suffering. At that fourth step, the child knows it IS but does not believe it is "this" or "that"; therefore, the child suffers no persona-driven agendas, hidden or otherwise.
If only four of seven steps are completed, that is worthwhile relatively speaking because it is far more significant for those who are miserable to be able to recognize the "not-You's" (and their agendas) than to be able to understand the "Real You." Why? Because it is the "not-You's" that generate identification with false personas which, in turn, generate belief-based fears and belief-based desires; then, it is those personality-generated fears and desires which generate misery and suffering.
To be happy and to be free of misery and suffering, the
condition of the brain must be restored to the same condition it was in the
last time that you were unconditionally happy, and that condition was a
no-mind, zero concepts, no-beliefs, non-dual, non-programmed, non-taught state.
To be continued
Please enter into the silence of contemplation.
[NOTE:
The four most recent posts follow. You may access all of the posts in
this series and in the previous series and several thousand other posts
as well by clicking on the links in the "Recent Posts and Archives" section.]
