Today's Considerations
Some have asked over the last thirty-three years of sharing
non-dual pointers here what I most wished that I could pass on to seekers more than anything else. The replies has usually been along these lines:
“If you had the full understanding, you would know that
there is no ‘I’ here to wish for anything, but if you asked, ‘Is passing on Enlightenment
the ultimate goal?’ the reply would be, ‘Actually, ‘lightment’ rather than ‘Enlightenment,’
would be the goal if there were one.
"The invitation is to abide naturally; to be free of the heaviness
that has been passed along to you and to lighten up; to enjoy pleasure at the only
moment when it can be enjoyed, namely, right now; to be less concerned with
finding ‘What You Are’ and more attentive to finding all that you are not which is nevertheless controlling your thoughts and words and actions; to enjoy
the dance; and to dance lightly."
In this book
the following is offered in the conclusion:
So what is to happen with these teachings if "realized"?
Something? Or nothing? It was noted at the beginning that the "end
game" is not to sit around discussing Advaita all day.
Some of "the Realized" might choose to teach; some might
choose not to. Either way, the relative existence is enjoyed on a daily basis with no preoccupation
with Advaita. Such preoccupation itself would indicate that the fullness of the
understanding has not manifested.
These teachings are not to be focused upon in the end. In
the end, they are to lead to a nisarga (natural) style of living. They are to lead to a
condition whereby pleasure can be relished.
To one protégé who was witnessed to have "Realized Fully,"
these words were offered:
F.: “Now you are done here.”
F.: “Now you are done here.”
He: “And I understand why you will not be offering any of the
typical guru-to-protégé-type departing words that many protégé’s hear. I
understand that I will abide spontaneously so the teachings heard here might be
shared . . . or not.”
F.: “Indeed. Via the re-purified consciousness that you are,
the teachings could happen very easily. They may or they may not. So it is.
Now, go.”
It was understood that AS IF living would happen and that
the dance would begin immediately; that the dancing will always happen spontaneously; and that
whatever dances happen, they will all be danced . . . lightly.
He: “But I can call you on occasion should I be in the mood
to do some non-dual dancing, just for the heck of it?”
F.: “Absolutely.”
He: “Ha. Absolute-ly. I get it!”
F.: “Yes, you do.”
Of course the effects of personality disorders,
which come every time a personality identification is assigned or assumed, are
another part of the heavy baggage which seekers are invited to be free of. One
of the disorders discussed in the book on "The Child Ignorance Stage" or "The Child No-Knowing State"
is a personality disorder which is shared in common by
religious fanatics, spiritual fanatics, ideological fanatics, political fanatics,
reform-the-world fanatics, all of the fanatics with the Addictive Personality Disorder,
control fanatics, chaos fanatics, xenophobic (i.e., national / patriotic) fanatics,
sports fanatics, ideological fanatics, philosophical fanatics, sex fanatics, “love”
fanatics, and seeking fanatics is the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder.
This is shared in that book about returning to the "Child No-Knowing State":
The relative effects of not reaching "The Child
Ignorance Stage" or "The Child No-Knowing State" (and of
continuing to assume that false identities are real) include (a) the
personality disorders and mental illnesses that accompany such assumptions and
(b) the use of ego-defense mechanisms to defend false ego-states.
While the result of that amalgamation may well be the most detrimental to the re-manifestation of the unconditional happiness that was last enjoyed prior to leaving "The Child No-Knowing State" and prior to being exposed to the learned ignorance that cultures pass on via programming, conditioning, domestication and acculturation, all other personality disorders will also mar the relative existence. As far as the relative existence is concerned, all personality disorders will result in a chronically-maladaptive manner of dealing with people and the challenges that are guaranteed to mark the relative existence. Consider the effects of the following:
THE OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE PERSONALITY DISORDER
Regarding the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (O-CD), understand first that the term "obsessive" deals with "the mind" and characterizes the activities of the bogus-but-nevertheless-highly-influential "mind." O-CD involves fixating on any particular thought or event and causes the "mind" to be preoccupied with that thought or event; causes a person with O-CD to remain in the grips of that thought or event; and causes a person with O-CD to suffer the misery of having almost every waking moment consumed with and possessed by that thought or event. Such are some of the effects of an obsession of the mind. Other effects can include a high level of anxiety, stress, anger, and / or an inability to focus on anything else that should be focused upon.
(Note that an obsessive mind is actually one of the prerequisites for the manifestation of both the Addictive Personality Disorder and the Perfectionist Personality Disorder and is also a contributing factor with many other disorders.) Is it any wonder that Maharaj invited seekers to be free not only of body identification but also to be free of identification with the content of the mind and with identification with personalities as well?
While the result of that amalgamation may well be the most detrimental to the re-manifestation of the unconditional happiness that was last enjoyed prior to leaving "The Child No-Knowing State" and prior to being exposed to the learned ignorance that cultures pass on via programming, conditioning, domestication and acculturation, all other personality disorders will also mar the relative existence. As far as the relative existence is concerned, all personality disorders will result in a chronically-maladaptive manner of dealing with people and the challenges that are guaranteed to mark the relative existence. Consider the effects of the following:
THE OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE PERSONALITY DISORDER
Regarding the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (O-CD), understand first that the term "obsessive" deals with "the mind" and characterizes the activities of the bogus-but-nevertheless-highly-influential "mind." O-CD involves fixating on any particular thought or event and causes the "mind" to be preoccupied with that thought or event; causes a person with O-CD to remain in the grips of that thought or event; and causes a person with O-CD to suffer the misery of having almost every waking moment consumed with and possessed by that thought or event. Such are some of the effects of an obsession of the mind. Other effects can include a high level of anxiety, stress, anger, and / or an inability to focus on anything else that should be focused upon.
(Note that an obsessive mind is actually one of the prerequisites for the manifestation of both the Addictive Personality Disorder and the Perfectionist Personality Disorder and is also a contributing factor with many other disorders.) Is it any wonder that Maharaj invited seekers to be free not only of body identification but also to be free of identification with the content of the mind and with identification with personalities as well?
Consider
what it is like to spend an entire existence during which one cannot control her or his mind
but is controlled by an obsessive, often insane, mind instead. Consider
spending an entire relative existence that is preoccupied with ideas and
concepts and thoughts (a.k.a., "beliefs") which never go away, no matter how unwanted
they might be and no matter how much anxiety and stress and / or anger they
generate.
Once persons begin obsessing on something (or someone), eventually they are likely to take action around their obsession, and usually the action is compulsive in nature. (A "compulsion" is defined as "a strong, usually irresistible impulse to perform an act, especially one that is irrational or contrary to one's will." So first there is the obsessive thought; then comes the compulsive behavior.)
Once persons begin obsessing on something (or someone), eventually they are likely to take action around their obsession, and usually the action is compulsive in nature. (A "compulsion" is defined as "a strong, usually irresistible impulse to perform an act, especially one that is irrational or contrary to one's will." So first there is the obsessive thought; then comes the compulsive behavior.)
As noted here on occasion, persons' thoughts lead to words and
words lead to deeds. (To see that there can be actions that are "contrary
to one's will" is to understand the part of the teaching here which notes
that persons functioning under the auspices of ego-defense mechanisms and
personality disorders have no ability to make conscious choices; instead, they
are blindly driven by unconscious agendas and urges.)
Once obsessing leads to compulsive behaviors, then persons will be driven to use totally unrealistic solutions to try to address what they take to be a problem, or they can be driven blindly to repeat actions that are ineffective or unnecessary. One person was witnessed years ago as she always returned to the kitchen after cooking and double-checked all of the knobs of the stove to be certain they were turned off before she left the house.
Once obsessing leads to compulsive behaviors, then persons will be driven to use totally unrealistic solutions to try to address what they take to be a problem, or they can be driven blindly to repeat actions that are ineffective or unnecessary. One person was witnessed years ago as she always returned to the kitchen after cooking and double-checked all of the knobs of the stove to be certain they were turned off before she left the house.
On occasion, she could be fifteen minutes away
from the house but would turn around, come back, and check the knobs again.
When counseling and a supplement program were suggested, the witnessing of O-CD-driven behavior was replaced with the witnessing of looks that revealed pure
hatred; furthermore, the desire to be rid of O-CD-inspired anxiety and fear
- and, often, even a pending sense of doom - can lead to addictive behaviors
because any chance to use effective coping skills will be blocked by O-CD,
after which the use of substances or activities to try to escape can begin.
Also, the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder will block the ability to be rid of items that no longer have any value, as if they ever did. (These teachings always include an invitation to de-accumulate, but if the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is driving thoughts and words and deeds, then persons will not be able to de-accumulate their mental preoccupations or anything else. Sometimes, their O-CD will also trigger the Hoarding Personality Disorder, further preventing any chance to de-accumulate.) Additionally, those with O-CD will be quite rigid and inflexible and unyielding. They will be strict and severe and will never enjoy unconditional happiness if they remain trapped in the hidden agendas of this personality disorder.
They will be excessive, whether dealing with work or family or when acting out their addiction, and they will be overly-preoccupied with rules and details, so trapped in the minutiae of the relative existence that they never see "the big picture" and are never able to relax and take it easy. The "mind-noise" of the person suffering from O-CD can be likened to the chatter of a thousand monkeys; thus, the questions posed previously can apply as well to any and all of the results of personality assumption and the always-accompanying personality defects, so the reader is invited to once again consider:
Is it clear that the prerequisite for persons to be driven by personality disorders is the assumption of false identities / roles / ego-states / stage characters / facades / masks / personas? Is it clear how miserable the relative existence is doomed to be if one is dealing with persons who have assumed a personality (or many personalities) as identities and are then suffering from one or more personality disorders?
Is it clear how miserable the relative existence is doomed to be if persons have assumed a personality (or many personalities) as identities and are then suffering from one or more personality disorders? Is it clear why the invitation here is to at least reach the fourth step of seven on the "path" to Realization where all personality identification is forfeited, including the personalities that are thought to be "the good ones," including the personalities that drive persons to believe that they are "different from," and including the personalities that lead persons to believe they are "better-than"?
Is it clear why no one can be unconditionally happy unless there is a return to the condition which existed the last time unconditional happiness was happening? Is it now clearer why all are invited to return to "The Child Ignorance Stage" or the "Child No-Knowing State"?
Also, the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder will block the ability to be rid of items that no longer have any value, as if they ever did. (These teachings always include an invitation to de-accumulate, but if the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is driving thoughts and words and deeds, then persons will not be able to de-accumulate their mental preoccupations or anything else. Sometimes, their O-CD will also trigger the Hoarding Personality Disorder, further preventing any chance to de-accumulate.) Additionally, those with O-CD will be quite rigid and inflexible and unyielding. They will be strict and severe and will never enjoy unconditional happiness if they remain trapped in the hidden agendas of this personality disorder.
They will be excessive, whether dealing with work or family or when acting out their addiction, and they will be overly-preoccupied with rules and details, so trapped in the minutiae of the relative existence that they never see "the big picture" and are never able to relax and take it easy. The "mind-noise" of the person suffering from O-CD can be likened to the chatter of a thousand monkeys; thus, the questions posed previously can apply as well to any and all of the results of personality assumption and the always-accompanying personality defects, so the reader is invited to once again consider:
Is it clear that the prerequisite for persons to be driven by personality disorders is the assumption of false identities / roles / ego-states / stage characters / facades / masks / personas? Is it clear how miserable the relative existence is doomed to be if one is dealing with persons who have assumed a personality (or many personalities) as identities and are then suffering from one or more personality disorders?
Is it clear how miserable the relative existence is doomed to be if persons have assumed a personality (or many personalities) as identities and are then suffering from one or more personality disorders? Is it clear why the invitation here is to at least reach the fourth step of seven on the "path" to Realization where all personality identification is forfeited, including the personalities that are thought to be "the good ones," including the personalities that drive persons to believe that they are "different from," and including the personalities that lead persons to believe they are "better-than"?
Is it clear why no one can be unconditionally happy unless there is a return to the condition which existed the last time unconditional happiness was happening? Is it now clearer why all are invited to return to "The Child Ignorance Stage" or the "Child No-Knowing State"?
O-CD and heaviness are conjoined twins, mentally speaking. Freedom from
O-CD per se might be part of what comes with realization or enlightenment, but
more significantly, freedom from O-CD is a prerequisite for enjoying a sense of
“lightment.”
Please enter into the silence of contemplation.
[NOTE:
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