TODAY'S CONSIDERATIONS
THE RATIONALE FOR UNDERSTANDING "THE REASONS" AND BEING FREED FROM THEIR INFLUENCE, PART SEVEN (Continued)
The primary rationale for understanding "The Reasons" and for being freed from their influence and for the discussion offered in this series is to provide for some few seekers a chance to grasp an alternative perspective from that held by most seekers.
Just as seekers are invited to consider alternative perspectives from those held by the uninformed, "non-realized" masses, so too is there a subset perspective which most seekers will never consider but which is far more freeing than any their find on their 'non-dual paths" or while engaged in their "non-dual journeys."
Yesterday, we looked at some of the various "paths" which are being tried out by seekers of realization, including The No-Step Path, The Three-Step Path, and Maharaj's original Seven Step Path (which he combined with the Nisargan Yoga in order to endorse natural living). We also looked at the first of three styles of abidance, including Unnatural Living and Supernatural Living as opposed to Natural Living.
Much of the manner of Unnatural Living evolves out of the more addictive, totally dreamed up Supernatural Style of Living.
Supernatural Living
Supernatural living involves magical thinking and involves focusing on "other-worldly" concepts, a focus which often leads to ignoring the relative existence (The AM-ness, the IS-ness) and which often leads persons into escapism, avoidance, dissociation, and the assumption of - and the playing of - roles which are deemed to be "really special," including, as mentioned yesterday:
"The Super Religious One," "The Super Seeker," "The Eternal Seeker," "The Spiritual Giant," "The Higher Self," "The Highest Self," "The Righteous One," "The True Self," "The Infinite Self," "The Supreme Self," "Brahman," "Paramatman, "Paramātmā," "The Absolute Atman," "The Supreme Soul," "The Ultimate Self," etc.
Yet Maharaj made clear that "there can be no continuity of existence."
Yet Maharaj made clear that "there can be no continuity of existence."
Those assuming and playing such roles have told me throughout the last twenty-eight years that "those are not roles but are my 'True Self' or my 'Real Self' as opposed to the roles that I played earlier on."
The point: Everything on the list offered above is a noun, and nouns name a thing or something. It is denial at the very least and ignorance at the worst for anyone to suggest that there can be "an identity-less identity," that there can be an exception in their case to the rule that nouns always identify, that nouns always name a person or a place or a thing or something.
Thus, with a straight face, they can say, "That which names what I truly am is not naming a thing or something. Let's just say it's pointing at what I truly am and what I shall be." All of that is nothing more than thoughts and beliefs and talk what are all rooted in a duality-based, conceptualized "witness" that is being driven by duality-based consciousness.
This "you" is nothing more than a composite unity forming a space via elements which have come together temporarily, which are always constantly falling apart and being replaced with more elements if one eats and in which air and conscious-energy are both circulating; moreover, no part of that physical entity will survive in some post-manifestation form, so nothing post-manifestation will remain to know or experience anything.
The elements will return to the universal pool of elements; the air will return to the universal pool of air, and the conscious-energy will return to the universal pool of conscious-energy. End of the story of "you."
Questioner: "Is the witness-consciousness permanent or not?"
The point: Everything on the list offered above is a noun, and nouns name a thing or something. It is denial at the very least and ignorance at the worst for anyone to suggest that there can be "an identity-less identity," that there can be an exception in their case to the rule that nouns always identify, that nouns always name a person or a place or a thing or something.
Thus, with a straight face, they can say, "That which names what I truly am is not naming a thing or something. Let's just say it's pointing at what I truly am and what I shall be." All of that is nothing more than thoughts and beliefs and talk what are all rooted in a duality-based, conceptualized "witness" that is being driven by duality-based consciousness.
This "you" is nothing more than a composite unity forming a space via elements which have come together temporarily, which are always constantly falling apart and being replaced with more elements if one eats and in which air and conscious-energy are both circulating; moreover, no part of that physical entity will survive in some post-manifestation form, so nothing post-manifestation will remain to know or experience anything.
The elements will return to the universal pool of elements; the air will return to the universal pool of air, and the conscious-energy will return to the universal pool of conscious-energy. End of the story of "you."
Questioner: "Is the witness-consciousness permanent or not?"
Maharaj: "It is not permanent. The knower rises and sets with the known. That in which both the knower and the known arise and set, is beyond time. The words permanent or eternal do not apply."
So much for the "True Self," which is a term which still implies some permanent self-ness / Self-ness. In fact, the "True Self" is not a Self at all and does not refer to either "the Witness" or even "the witness-consciousness" but refers to "Pure Witnessing" of the sort that happens when all of the blockages which were set in place via programming, conditioning, etc. have been discarded, after which clear seeing and clear perspectives happen. Yet even that happens temporarily.
The consciousness / conscious-energy is simply the name used to point to that which - prior to manifestation - was a part of the field of awareness-energy; yet awareness-energy, if not manifested as consciousness, has no sense of aware-of-ness. That was the original state and that will be the post-manifestation state. Ironically, if realization happens during the period when the consciousness is manifested, the awareness can be aware of itself. Yet, again, that too is a temporary condition.
Conscious-of-ness in itself implies duality: "A" is conscious of "B." Duality manifests automatically when the consciousness manifests within a space. Only if realization happen can aware-of-ness happen, but post-manifestation, there will be no one and no entity that can be aware-of. Any promises about an eternal, permanent thing or something or entity or Something, therefore, are as hollow as all other promises dreamed up by persons and made by persons.
So much for the "True Self," which is a term which still implies some permanent self-ness / Self-ness. In fact, the "True Self" is not a Self at all and does not refer to either "the Witness" or even "the witness-consciousness" but refers to "Pure Witnessing" of the sort that happens when all of the blockages which were set in place via programming, conditioning, etc. have been discarded, after which clear seeing and clear perspectives happen. Yet even that happens temporarily.
The consciousness / conscious-energy is simply the name used to point to that which - prior to manifestation - was a part of the field of awareness-energy; yet awareness-energy, if not manifested as consciousness, has no sense of aware-of-ness. That was the original state and that will be the post-manifestation state. Ironically, if realization happens during the period when the consciousness is manifested, the awareness can be aware of itself. Yet, again, that too is a temporary condition.
Conscious-of-ness in itself implies duality: "A" is conscious of "B." Duality manifests automatically when the consciousness manifests within a space. Only if realization happen can aware-of-ness happen, but post-manifestation, there will be no one and no entity that can be aware-of. Any promises about an eternal, permanent thing or something or entity or Something, therefore, are as hollow as all other promises dreamed up by persons and made by persons.
Yet the concept of "permanency" is one of the most beloved of all of humankind's dreamed up concepts. Whether the conscious-energy is manifested in a space called "a bird" or "a fish" or a human," it brings with it an automatic desire for continuity.
Tap into the desire for continuity and a politician will earn votes by promising to protect the citizens of his nation (maybe soothing their fears somewhat but definitely tapping into the desire of the consciousness to live); a religious leader will gain followers by promising to have an infallible plan which will guarantee that her or his congregants will live eternally and will be rewarded rather than punished;
and business people will increase sales if they claim to have a product which will extend life (again, maybe soothing the fears of the purchasing public somewhat but definitely tapping into the desire of the consciousness to live).
And of course the initial focus of the consciousness is for the preservation of the space in which it is manifested for as long as possible, but the greater focus / desire / wish is for eternal, pleasure-filled continuity of that space in whatever form they have been told it can exist eternally, including as a half bird, half human floating or flying unseen form, some of whom will work in the capacity of "a guardian" of still-living humans;
or as a gauzy, transparent, unseen likeness of the space at the time that mahasamadhi was taken; or as a god; or as some kind of superhuman messenger traveling at the speed of light or faster to deliver messages from a Supreme Being; or as one of the roles mentioned above: "The Higher Self," "The Highest Self," "The True Self," "The Infinite Self," "The Supreme Self," "Brahman," "Paramatman, "Paramātmā," "The Absolute Atman," "The Supreme Soul," "The Ultimate Self," etc.
Again, Maharaj said: "There can be no continuity of existence. Continuity implies identity in past, present and future. No such identity is possible, for the very means of identification fluctuate and change. Continuity, permanence, these are illusions created by memory, mere mental projections of a pattern where no pattern can be; abandon all ideas of temporary or permanent, body or mind, man or woman. What remains?"
Nothing. Identity-less-ness. Nothingness.
Again, Maharaj said: "There can be no continuity of existence. Continuity implies identity in past, present and future. No such identity is possible, for the very means of identification fluctuate and change. Continuity, permanence, these are illusions created by memory, mere mental projections of a pattern where no pattern can be; abandon all ideas of temporary or permanent, body or mind, man or woman. What remains?"
Nothing. Identity-less-ness. Nothingness.
The wise will see that supernatural living requires a thinking mind; magical thinking; and a belief in some kind of eternal / permanent form or some kind of definable entity or being or beingness. Some, even beyond considerations regarding the effects of programming, conditioning, etc. and the presence of certain personality disorders, are more likely than others to buy into magical, supernatural thinking. Consider:
I knew a man who was adept at hypnotizing persons in front of audiences. He selected people from the audience by looking deeply into the eyes of those he considered inviting to join him on stage. I asked him if the staring was a part of the act - trying to add some "mystical, mysterious element to his overall show. He said, "Hardly."
He said, "I am looking for what we in the business call 'hypnotic susceptibility' by using the Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP) or the eye roll test to determine if a person is susceptible to hypnosis. I have potential candidates roll their eyes upward and measure the degree to which the iris and cornea are seen. The more white that is showing, the greater the likelihood that they can be hypnotized; that is, the less iris and cornea observed, the more hypnotically susceptible a person is going to be."
As for the effects of personality on being more susceptible to being hypnotized, he pointed out that individuals with the Dissociative Identity Disorder or with PTSD will have "the highest hypnotizability," and when you get in the face of persons with those issues, he said, their reactions are quite different from that of others.
He showed me, literally, that physical and mental and emotional and personality-based issues set some person up for being fooled or manipulated more easily and readily than others. It is almost as if some are pre-wired to drink the Kool-Aid; to think magically; to believe damn-near anything unquestioningly;
to have and use blind faith; to be easily programmed and conditioned and influenced; to buy readily into concepts of others; to march to the beat of the same drummer to which the masses march; and - therefore - to try to abide supernaturally / religiously / spirituality or to try to live an "other-worldly-centered" existence rather paying attention to "the stuff" of the relative existence.
In terms of personality, 50% of all person on the planet are Personality Type Sixes who thrive on their sense of loyalty, who are predisposed to be dependent and co-dependent and who have no drive at all to be totally independent; who attach to institutions or "powerful" people to take care of them; who are driven by blind faith to believe the promises of persons in authority or who are seeking authority; who pledge allegiance to persons who promise to help them and protect them; and who are, therefore, easily fooled.
Then add in the fact that only 1/2 of 1% of all persons on the planet are predisposed to question, to rebel against authority or to at least question authority, and to refuse to buy into whatever the majority believe (that is, the majority who unquestioningly accept whatever the military does or whatever the police do or whatever others in authority do, for example).
Is it any wonder, therefore, that Maharaj's estimate of the number who will ever realize (that is, "be freed of the effects of their learned ignorance") shifted from only 1 in 100,000 to only 1 in 1,000,000 to only 1 in 10,000,000.
Is it any wonder, therefore, that Maharaj's estimate of the number who will ever realize (that is, "be freed of the effects of their learned ignorance") shifted from only 1 in 100,000 to only 1 in 1,000,000 to only 1 in 10,000,000.
Natural Living
From the book entitled, Why NISARGA YOGA in addition to the ADVAITA TEACHINGS?
At the simplest level, one may take “nisarga” to mean “natural.” As used most frequently, the term refers to the yoga of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj which advocates “natural living” or abidance as the natural state.
The Natural Disposition
Every form or space on the planet has an innate disposition.
That natural, inherent, instinctive disposition is simple and uncomplicated, allowing for a relative existence that is undemanding, plain, minimalistic, unadorned, bare and fairly effortless at its core.
Be the reference to a rock or a flower or a bird or a tree or a fish or a deer, all among those happens spontaneously without thought, the result of a simple, no-mind, no-concept, no-belief, natural manner of functioning; too, that happens planet-wide without any exceptions, except for one exception.
When the Natural Disposition Became Skewed
The exception to the tendency to adhere to one's natural disposition: the space or form called “humans.” As the brain increased over the millennia from a size that would fill one coffee cup to a size that would fill three-and-a-half coffee cups, a “mind” evolved; that is, the ability to store and retrieve data developed.
That worked fine until it came about that what was being stored was no longer information which could facilitate the survival of the species but became the kind of nonsense which is prevalent nowadays and inspires destruction, (relatively speaking).
That worked fine until it came about that what was being stored was no longer information which could facilitate the survival of the species but became the kind of nonsense which is prevalent nowadays and inspires destruction, (relatively speaking).
TOMORROW: THE FOUR-STEP PATH
Please enter into the silence of contemplation.
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