Tuesday, February 21, 2017

THE ULTIMATE SICKNESS: Causes, Symptoms, Aspects, Effects, TREATMENT, Part Sixty-Seven

Table of Contents

Today's Considerations
Recent Posts and Archives
Tools for Realization
Author's eBooks
Author's Paperback Books
Free eBooks

TODAY'S CONSIDERATIONS

If one were to study the evolution of Maharaj's message, it could be seen that his pointers moved away from the use of hundreds and hundreds of Sanskrit terms; away from almost all of the liturgical language of Hinduism, in fact; away from the religious / philosophical language of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism; and, eventually, away from all spiritual talk (talk which was especially inspired by the influx of Western seekers who came after the publication of I AM THAT). 

Eventually he would shift away from the use of a religious / non-dual version of the Ultimate Medicine and away from the use of a spirituality / non-dual version of the Ultimate Medicine. That came as he realized that the Ultimate Sickness is centered in the mind, after which he advised seekers to "just give up spirituality," to stop reading the talks in I AM THAT and to listen only to his later talks, and to address the primary source of humankind's problems, namely, the content of the mind.

Using that process, he said, seekers could reach a state of "zero concepts" and then abide naturally rather than unnaturally and / or supernaturally (a.k.a., religiously, mythically, mystically, or spiritually). 

At that point, his message became simplified as he made use of a psychological / non-dual version of the Ultimate Medicine. In other words, his message became simpler . . . and simpler . . . even more simple and, finally . . . totally simple. 

He used the lifestyle of the deer as a model of non-ignorant, non-stupid, and non-insane living. And what is the role of the deer's eyes in being able to abide in that manner? 

Consider the size of the eye among various living things:

Because the colossal squid is known to descend into the darkness of the seas to depths of up to 6,500 feet, its eyes have evolved to the point where they now measure over 11 inches or more across, that large lenses allowing its eyes to help capture light in the near-totally-black depths where it hunts. 

But for land animals, along with the elephant, the moose, the horse, the cow, it is the deer which sports one of the larger eyes among mammals, allowing it to see in darkness and to see clearly even when fog is present. 

And that is an ability which humans lack and which the non-dual teachings offer, specifically, the ability to move about among the masses who are living in a fog and to see clearly that which most cannot see at all. 

Maharaj addressed the issue of the viewing all through the warped perspectives of the "inner eyes." 

He said, "Your outer eyes are better than your inner eyes." 

He asked: "How can you have insight into my state when you are without insight into your own? When the very instrument of insight is lacking, is it not important to find it first? It is like a blind man wanting to learn painting before he regains his eyesight." 

He asked: " When you refuse to open your eyes, what can you be shown?" 

Eventually, he said that "realization is simply about being free of ignorance." 

Not about understanding every Sanskrit term in the liturgical language of Hinduism? No. Not about becoming an expert in the religious / philosophical language of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism? No. Not about becoming an authority of dogma? No. 

Not about having the final word regarding all things noumenal, other-worldly, intangible, and independent of intellectual and / or sensory perceptions? No. Not about becoming the one most skilled in the use of spiritual exercises? No. 

Realization is simply about removing the blockages to clear seeing which have been placed in the mind via programming, conditioning, acculturation, domestication, brainwashing, and indoctrination and then . . . seeing clearly. 

Thus Maharaj advised: "Remove the speck and your eyes will be flooded with light. The light is there — waiting. The eyes are there — ready. The darkness you see is but the shadow of the tiny speck. Get rid of it and come back to your natural state." 

And what is one's natural state? The state that all living things except humans abide in, the difference being that no living thing - other than the human - has a mind, specifically, a mind filled with nonsense, filled with what Maharaj called "learned ignorance."

But he made clear what accurate seeing is all about, asking, "Unless the eyes and brain undergo a renovation, how can one see?" 

Of course, the entire brain does not require a renovation because it is only the parts of brain which store and retrieve information - specifically, store and retrieve "learned ignorance" - which call for renovation. 

In fact, Maharaj would later make clear that the ultimate call is for a purging which eliminates all ideas, notions, concepts, impressions, opinions, and views (a.k.a., "beliefs") which are stored in the mind. 

The problems of humankind which are generated by the Ultimate Sickness have nothing to do with knowing too little dogma and have nothing to do with a sick spirit or with a "spiritual malady"; instead, the problems have everything to do with the key symptoms of the Sickness which Maharaj identified as "ignorance, stupidity, and insanity." And what do those three have in common? 

They are all centered in the mind. They all result in not being capable of seeing things clearly and seeing things as they really are but instead seeing things in the distorted fashion which warped perspectives bring. 

Via the talks in I AM THAT, a witness that is functioning with wisdom and an ability to observe clearly can see that - though Maharaj never numbered them - there were seven steps on the "path" he offered in order for seekers to move from identification with the body to understanding the Absolute and one's Original Nature. 

But if wise and observant seekers were to study his later talks, after he shifted from recommending "SELF-Inquiry" and endorsed a "self-inquiry process" (that is a "false-self-inquiry process"), they could see that he began recommending a four-step "path." 

See? Simpler . . . and simpler . . . and simpler . . . until . . . finally . . . simple. 

The requirement for realization (for freedom for ignorance) is to be able to see clearly not Who You Are but to be able to see clearly who and what you are not

To be free of all personal identification is . . .

. . . to be free of being driven by the hidden agendas of personas 

and 

. . . to be free of being driven by the fears and desires and distortions and delusions and illusions which personas always generate. 

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.] 

In addition to the five non-duality books made available without charge by Andy Gugar, Jr. (see “FREEBIES” above), you can now access nearly 2,900 posts for any topics of interest to you.

Recent Posts and Archives

Tools Used by Other Seekers of Realization

WATCHING an Advaita Vedanta Retreat: Watch a Downloadable computer file version of the Four-Day Advaita Retreat (Downloadable on PC only, not Apple.)

ENROLLING in the Online Advaita Classes For information, visit Information on the Advaita Classes on the Internet To enroll visit Enroll in the Advaita Internet Course

ATTENDING an Advaitin retreat with Floyd and being guided through all seven steps. For details of the retreats offered, please visit the retreat information site.

ARRANGING a one-hour session via Skype or telephone with Floyd. (Skype is a free service.) Click the button to pay and you will be contacted to arrange a date and time for the call.

Five Free eBooks

Compliments of Andy Gugar, Jr.,
the following eBooks are available without charge for you or for friends:

I.
"GOOD vs. EVIL?" or "IGNORANCE, STUPIDITY, and INSANITY?"

The content of this eBook deals with one of the most common but erroneous beliefs that the non-Realized masses cling to and which they will fight about (and even kill over), namely, that there is a planet-wide duel going on between “the forces of good and evil” in the universe.

Either (1) the ancient view is spot on: that the "ills of the planet" are rooted in evil people, in people not being religious enough or spiritual enough, and are caused solely by bad morality; or, (2) the "ills of the planet" are rooted in ignorance, stupidity and insanity and "being good" or "being moral" does not put an end to ignorance, does not eliminate stupidity, and does not treat insanity in any way.

II.
"THE VISION"

Comments regarding the free eBook entitled “THE VISION”:

“My thanks to you and Andy.” – Andrew “Mac” McMaster

“Thanks so much for the book! And, by the way, it is brilliant and the most effective pointing that you have done. It has served to help clear the remaining blockages.” – Stan Cross

“Greatly appreciate having “THE VISION” added to my Henderson resource library that is situated on the right side of my bed for easy access! Eternally grateful for what was received and what was given.” – Robert Rigby

“‘THE VISION’ is such a well-written, condensed version of the Nisarga Yoga approach to understanding and enjoying Reality that I feel it can serve as a must-read ‘meditation guide’ for all earnest seekers.” – Andy Gugar, Jr.

III.
"Sapolsky, Maharaj, and the Non-Dual Teachings"

Dr. Robert Maurice Sapolsky is an American neuroendocrinologist; a professor of biology, neuroscience, and neurosurgery at Stanford University; a researcher; an author; and a Research Associate at the National Museums of Kenya.

There is much that a non-dualist or Advaitin or Nisargan can relate to by comparing and contrasting what Sapolsky reveals about the way certain troops of baboons live in Africa with the way that humans abide all around the globe.

This 152-page eBook catalogues the common, non-dual message shared by Sapolsky and Maharaj and reveals the ways that Sapolsky’s scientific research supports the non-dual pointers offered by Maharaj.

IV.
Seeking

In “PART ONE” it will be seen that most persons on the planet are not seeking, and most will never seek, but for those who are seeking, most will face several obstacles:

In “PART TWO” of this book, it will be seen why many criticized Maharaj for “changing his message in his later talks.” It will be seen that the changes were not about changing the message per se as much as about changing his methodology as he experimented with one version of the Ultimate Medicine after another in order to try to find an effective means for addressing the Ultimate Sickness.

He tried a religious version of the Medicine, a Spiritual version of the Medicine, and finally settled on a version which addressed to Sickness at its core . . . at the mental and emotional level.

V.
"THE MOST DANGEROUS BELIEF OF ALL"

“Dangerous” is a term that can only apply during the relative existence, but of those who do commit suicide, for example, how many shoot themselves in the foot over and over until they “bleed out”? None. They shoot themselves in the head. Why? In order to try to stop the noise - to try to stop the chatter of a thousand monkeys – to stop the noisy mind which is the area that stores the ideas, notions, concepts, mind-stuff, etc. which drives them into the depths of insanity.

And what are those ideas, notions, concepts, etc. called, collectively? "Their beliefs." The irony? They are not their beliefs at all. They are the beliefs of “others” that were set in place via programming, conditioning, etc. and which persons then think are their own.

And what are those beliefs rooted in, and what reinforces those beliefs and convinces persons that they are sacred and worth fighting over and even sometimes worth dying for? Blind faith.

This 337-page eBook discusses those issues in detail.

To read any or all of the free eBooks, please double-click the "FREEBIES" link at the top of this page