TODAY'S CONSIDERATIONS
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Rather than being "pro- or anti- religion" or "pro- or anti- spirituality", the invitation here is to consider becoming doggedly “anti-ignorance” and tenaciously "anti-stupidity" and staunchly “pro-sanity.”
To review:
The discussion at this point in the series is now focusing on "The Most Influential Obstacles Of All" which have come via dreamed up myths and superstitions and via "religious" and / or "spiritual" sources, including religious and / or spiritual thoughts, ideas, concepts, notions, views, theories, inklings, perceptions, a.k.a., "beliefs."
Recall the man who approached me after a talk and said, "I was abused as a child by a priest. I've done years of work to try to get beyond that, but where I am today is, I still cringe when people start talking religion to me. So my question is, have you found a way to guide people to realization and freedom without their having to buy into the dogma you talk about?"
Thus, this:
REALIZING WITHOUT DOGMA, WITHOUT CONTINUOUS SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, AND WITHOUT A PREOCCUPATION WITH “THE NATURE OF REALITY AND THINGS NOUMENAL”
[Continuing with Tuesday's post]
Next, Cicero said that one of "the six major mistakes of mankind" is “believing that personal gain is made by crushing others.” The concept of "personal gain” is supported by the desires of ego-states to (mentally) upgrade themselves. "Crushing others" is inspired by ego and egotism which are, in turn, driven constantly by the desire of ego-states to (mentally) upgrade themselves (such as upgrading one’s self image to “A Special Self” instead) and the tendency of ego-states to downgrade all others.
Among those no longer seeking because they think they have found but have not, there is still no freedom from identification. There is merely the assumption of new and improved and upgraded identities which have been assumed in place of formerly-assumed false identities which were deemed to be of a lower grade. The fact: all identities are based in delusion and in self-deception and, yes, even in Self-deception.
Once again, to review, Maharaj's take on these pointers regarding "self" and "Self":
"It is enough to know who you are not"
and
“Whatever I am telling you is not the truth . . . .”
and
“The ‘discovery of truth’ is in the discernment of the false”
and
“What the real is cannot be told”
and
“You cannot say truthfully about yourself anything except 'I am'”
and
“The desire for truth is the highest of all desires, yet, it is still a desire”
and
“Once you are convinced that you cannot say truthfully about yourself anything except ‘I am’ and that nothing which can be pointed at can be yourself, you are no longer intent on verbalizing ‘What You Are’.”
Realize the falseness of all identification / Identification and then you will no longer be intent on verbalizing ‘What You Are’.”
Once more: In the end, Maharaj advised seekers to stop reading I AM THAT; to give up all of their spirituality and spiritual doingness and spiritual workaholism; to stop talking about "Who You Are"; to focus on reaching a state of “zero concepts” and zero identity; and to focus on being totally free of the mind, and – thereafter – being free, period.
******
Then comes Leg Four:
To be continued.
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