TODAY’S CONSIDERATIONS
What is this entire process really and truly and singularly about, in the end? Is this deal really about “things Noumenal”? Or is it totally about "things Phenomenal?"
Every religion, ideology, and philosophy which tries to address that question will almost always answer, “Things Noumenal.”
Western religions, especially of the Judaeo-Christian tradition, make clear that the focus should be weighted in terms of how long the phenomenal existence of people lasts (a matter of years) vs. how long the Noumenal will last for them (supposedly, “for eternity”). For those types, what is assumed to be "eternal" is far more important. The result oftentimes? A perverted tolerance of – and even ennobling of – suffering now while focusing on some dreamed up “eternal reward” later.
For the sane and rational: simply tolerating suffering is not “Option One.” Understanding the cause of suffering and then taking the steps to be rid of it is "Plan 'A'" . . . is “Priority One.”
Thus Maharaj said, “Humanity’s pain is caused by the abysmal stupidity of mankind.” Ergo, “I am only interested in ignorance and the freedom from ignorance.”
Not “freedom from the cycles of bad karma and reincarnation”? No. Not “freedom from all things relative”? No. Not "freedom from not knowing 'The True Self'"? No. In the end, he urged seekers to abandon both the search for the Self and their focus on things spiritual.
Eastern religions which speak of “karma” and “reincarnation” tout the eternal benefit which can come if one escapes things phenomenal and thereby earns the right to break free of phenomenal cyclings. (Belief in those concepts can earn such types a ride on the Crazy Train for the entire relative manifestation, a one-way ticket to Foo-Foo Land, and the ability to live in castles in the air.)
And many so-called “non-dualists” or “Advaitins” focus on the importance of "things Noumenal" vs. "the insignificance of things phenomenal."
Even Maharaj’s answer to "What is this entire process really and truly and singularly about, in the end?" changed over the years, his earlier talks involving religion and spirituality with a blend of “things non-dual” (and with, early on, only a slight peppering of the Nisargan Yoga).
In the end, though, he gave up spirituality and focusing on “The Self” and focused on the problems and chaos and misery and suffering which are generated by the mind, and the mind is all about "things phenomenal."
Maharaj clarified: “There is no question of elevating to a higher (Noumenal) level. Here it is only a question of understanding."
Eleven years ago this month, in the initial posting on this site, a pointer in the book From the “I” to the
Absolute was shared which identified for site visitors what the focal point of the content of this blog would be, namely, what was called “Applied Advaita.” That is, to offer the parts of the teachings and the parts of the understanding which can make an actual difference now. Can any difference be made in anything which is post-mahasamadhi, post-manifestation? No. Why?
Again, early on, Maharaj spoke of “karma” and “reincarnation.” Later, when he shifted beyond a religious and spiritual version of the Ultimate Medicine and moved to a psychological version of the Ultimate Medicine, he explained that both “karma” and “reincarnation" were mere concepts, that both were dreamed up, and that neither, therefore, exists.
Maharaj: “Only those who think themselves born can think themselves re-born.”
Ramana Maharshi also reached the same understanding: “Reincarnation exists only so long as there is ignorance. There is really no reincarnation at all, either now or before.”
Once it is understood that the real problem among humans centers in the mind; and once it is understood, as Maharaj said, that "Realisation is only about being freed of ignorance”; and once it is understood that (post-mahasamadhi) no person remains, then it will be understood that no mind can remain; at that point, it will be understood that the only “benefit” involving the understanding is about healing the mind, now in order to enjoy freedom and peace and sanity now.
Again, the proper role of the guru, Maharaj said, is not to introduce seekers to spiritual principles and is not to require seekers to engage constantly in spiritual exercises but is “to dispel ignorance in the hearts and minds of disciples." He said: “There is nothing that can help 'the world' (persons) more than your putting an end to ignorance.”
So what is the real antidote for the key symptoms of the Ultimate Sickness, which he identified as “ignorance, stupidity, and insanity”? The Ultimate Medicine (a.k.a., “Realization”). And how did he define realization? He said, “Realisation is but the opposite of ignorance.”
Maharaj said time and again that this process is “so simple.”
For a process which – as Maharaj said – could be so simple, if mind and personality identifications are play, then there is likely nothing more complicated and inaccessible to the mind-and-personality-driven masses.
So how can the acquisition of the understanding, of realizing, of being enlightened, of being liberated, and of being freed from entrapment in duality and dualistic thinking be simplified?
1. By stripping away from the teaching all of the esoteric, obscure, cryptic and arcane elements which have been included or added over the millennia and especially over the last century and most recently during the last several decades; and
2. by avoiding decades of a needless trial-and-error search for a viable form of the Ultimate Medicine by seeing that Maharaj already did "the trial-and-error work" and "the seeking and finding what works" for us and then reduced his final version of the Ultimate Medicine to a type which goes directly to the core of the mind-and-personality-involved source of humanity’s problems, namely, the mental roots of the Ultimate Sickness; and
3. by eliminating the mythical and mystical and magical and supernatural elements of the teachings and offering a relevant, simple, straightforward, unadorned, unpretentious, non-flowery, and effective version of the Ultimate Medicine which does not result in persons ignoring the AM-ness and escaping into "the THAT-ness only" as a result of dissociating and detaching from reality and claiming to be associated only with THAT as a result of being disconnected and divorced from the IS-ness; and
4. by understanding . . .
a. that “realizing” simply means that one realizes that ignorant and insane programming and conditioning and domestication (while in the home) and acculturation (via one’s culture / society) and brainwashing and indoctrination can lead to nothing other than being trapped in ignorance and insanity;
b. that “being enlightened” merely points to the condition which can be entered into when the light is shined on all distortions and misconceptions and bogus beliefs and false identities which are rooted in the darkness of ignorant and insane programming and conditioning and domestication and acculturation and brainwashing and indoctrination and when that light is so bright and so intense that it burns away all of those ignorant and insane effects;
c. that “being liberated” simply refers to being liberated from the influence of assigned and assumed personality identifications which subconsciously control and unconsciously determine every thought that is thought, every word that is spoken, and every action that is taken;
and
d. then understanding that “being freed from entrapment in duality and dualistic thinking” is simply about understanding this:
the opposite of being trapped in duality is not about assuming new and lofty and good and great identities such as “The Super Religious One” or “The Spiritual Giant” or “The Supreme Self” or “being at one with God” or “God,” period; instead, the opposite of being trapped in duality is . . . stability.
That includes mental stability, emotional stability, and being fixed in a condition of stability as opposed to being trapped in chaos.
Whether dealing with (1) sages who taught that the problem of humanity centers in false identifications, especially personality identifications; or dealing with (2) practicing psychologists; or dealing with (3) those like “Floyd” who are certified to teach psychology in all 50 U.S. states, you might hear direct discussions of “The Dark Triad” by those in groups “2” and “3” or you might here the sages in group “1” at least alluding to the same triad.
Coming up: "The Light" vs. “The Dark Triad” and “Applied Advaita”
To be continued.
Please enter into the silence of contemplation.
[NOTE: The four most recent posts are below. 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.]
Also, other tools to assist with the realization process are available: In addition to the five non-duality books made available without charge by Andy Gugar, Jr. (see “FREEBIES” above), you can now access nearly 2,800 posts for any topics of interest to you.
A NEW RELEASE
The book What a Cherokee Grandmother Passed On to a Grandson (100 pages with pictures) explains how is came to be that, by the ages of 5 and 6, I was already being offered pointers toward the non-dual understanding. And what astounding levels of duality I had already been exposed to! The contrasts are illustrated via the differences between being raised in the darkness of an inner city vs. spending time in the forests with a Cherokee Grandmother and seeing the light.
The book contains a discussion of how duality is modeled and copied by children who then become entrapped in dualistic thinking and talking and behaving for their entire relative existence; how some few are fortunate enough to be exposed to a 180-degree-opposite alternative; and how some will pursue that opposite mode of functioning and witnessing and seeing which can allow those few to have an opportunity to be freed from the darkness and to abide in the light.
Above all, Grandmother was what some nowadays call “fully realised.” Was she also “a teacher” of non-duality? Yes and no. She passed on non-duality not as much by offering non-dual pointers as by modeling non-duality all day, every day, for her entire relative existence.
Everything she taught was consistent with what Maharaj taught, and if ever anyone adhered to the nisarga (natural) lifestyle throughout an entire relative existence, it was Grandmother. She pointed the way to me, and she can also point the way to you as well by way of what she taught, some of which is shared in this book.
(Click to purchase for $2.99)
Thanks, and enjoy. Peace, Unity, Love and Light.
