TODAY'S CONSIDERATIONS
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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."
The focus is also on this pointer:
Of the relatively few who do seek, almost all of them will seek in religious and / or spiritual venues, few understanding that realization can come without dogma, without continuous spiritual practices, and without an exclusive preoccupation with "the nature of reality and things noumenal."
Why is that significant? 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?"
That question made clear that I had not even reached the "kindergarten level of spirituality" which Maharaj condemned, much less the understandings beyond that which awaited. It was that question which would send me along a "different route" and would eventually lead me to the entirely different version of the Ultimate Medicine which is offered now which allows for realizing without being fanatical about dogma and without engaging incessantly in spiritual practices and without a never-ending preoccupation with things noumenal rather than relaxing and taking it easy and then abiding naturally and then dancing lightly throughout the remainder of the manifestation.
So to continue, first with a review of the "evolution" of Maharaj's versions of the Ultimate Medicine:
Originally he offered a version of the Ultimate Medicine which was a Hindu / non-duality compound; he abandoned that version, especially after Westerners interested less in Hinduism and more in “spirituality” began visiting the loft. At that point, he began offering a version of the Ultimate Medicine which was a spirituality / non-duality compound. Eventually, that version of the Medicine was cast aside after it was seen that the side effects – sending forth an army of arrogant “Spiritual Giants” - were as detrimental as the Sickness itself.
The same experiments were being conducted here at about the same time they were happening in the loft. Religious and then spiritual / “mythical” sounding pointers were also being offered here as possible versions of the Ultimate Medicine. Use of the religious version of the Medicine was inspired by the lingering effects of childhood programming which had obviously not been totally expunged; the spiritual / mythical version of the Medicine was inspired by adulthood re-programming.
Eventually, those were both cast aside after it was seen here, just as Maharaj saw there, that the side effects of improper versions of the Medicine were at least as detrimental as the Sickness itself. Thus, the same understanding which is being shared in this series came into clarity, so this December it will have been ten years ago that the following was posted on this blog:
“The realized have transcended both the false self / selves and even 'the True Self' and even ‘the Supreme SELF,' so all that happens among the realized merely happens spontaneously”; that is, after full realization, all identification will be transcended, including the supposedly noble or aloft or other-worldly ones.
Certainly, those that came for satsang years ago, as well as those that come for retreats, have been guided through all seven of the steps of a “path” which can shift persons from identification with the body and mind and personality to an understanding of the Absolute. Yet most among "the realized" understand that abiding in the Fourth Step “No-Knowing Stage” manner will do quite fine for the remainder of the manifestation. That is why Maharaj endorsed "self"-inquiry over "Self-Inquiry" by saying: “You do not have to know Who You Are; you only need to know who you are not.”
That is why Maharaj also said: "I got involved in spirituality, in the business of spirituality; finally, I lost that love of Self also. I have no more love for the Self."
And what a hornet’s nest that stirred up. Same here: “How dare you suggest that being free of ‘ignorance and insanity,’ and being in touch with reality 24 / 7 is enough when the most important part of this deal is that seekers be in touch with Reality 24 / 7.”
After seeing the side effects on those who assume a spiritual persona as an identity and who allow spiritual thinking and mythical thinking to displace logic and reason (which, in turn, moves them out of touch with the AM-ness as they start identifying with “A Supreme Self” or some other such “new and improved” and “unique” and “superior” and “elevated” and even “exalted” Self) begin believing that they are "different-from and better-than others" . . .
(A) just as much as those who join the military to kill “others” who are imagined to be “the enemy” and imagined to be “a danger to our country”;
(B) just as much as those in positions of authority who are gunning down members of minority races who are deemed to be “the bad guys”;
(C) and just as much as those who are joining a religious army and killing those deemed to be “infidels” or deemed to be “members of the wrong religion” or deemed to be “members of the wrong sect."
So again, the postings in this series are being offered with this aim: Maharaj said that his every endeavor was aimed at relieving the misery and suffering which are generated by the “ignorance and insanity” of the Ultimate Sickness. Ditto. Now, the endeavors here are aimed - as was eventually the case with Maharaj - at relieving a Sickness which is not rooted in a “sick spirit” but is rooted in a sick mind that has been totally warped and distorted and perverted by totally warped and distorted and perverted programming, conditioning, acculturation, domestication, brainwashing and indoctrination.
And what are the signs of a sick mind? (1) The presence of dualistic beliefs; (2) the presence of the belief that ego-states (i.e., in false “I”’s) are real; (3) the use of ego-defensive mechanisms to protect false identities which are thought to be real; and (4) the presence of thoughts and talks and behaviors which are controlled by fallacies in reasoning.
As noted, an improperly-diagnosed sickness will never receive the proper medicine. Seeing “ignorance and insanity,” especially one’s own, is the only way that one will seek - and maybe find - the proper version of the Ultimate Medicine for the Ultimate Sickness.
Thus, this is about understanding the contributing factors to the Ultimate Sickness in order to be able to spot them when they manifest as distorted thoughts and delusional speech and senseless behaviors.
“Some of the other Reasoning Fallacies Which Are Rooted in the Ultimate Sickness and in Its Accompanying Ignorance and Insanity and Which Result in Relative Instability and Chaos"
40. Abandoning Discussion: Refusing to complete the discussion of issues to resolution; refusing to communicate; walking out; even throwing a punch.
41. Affirming the Consequent: Justifying one’s behavior simply because a personality-based desire exists. (“I want it; therefore, I can take it.”)
42. Appeal to Pity: Trying to get one’s way by identifying with a self and then practicing self-pity; suggesting to others that one’s condition is the most pitiful and thus warrants special consideration and treatment.
43. Personal Attack: Believing one’s status can be elevated by reducing the status of “others.”
44. Apriorism: Refusing to accept facts as facts; closing one’s eyes to evidence which disproves one’s beliefs; being prejudiced to the point of being unable to consider an opposing perspective; an inability to differentiate between facts and non-facts and between truth and lies as a result of believing that one already knows everything.
45. Demand for Special Consideration: Convinced that they are “different from ‘others’,” those being driven by the distortion generated by this reasoning fallacy believe that they deserve to be treated in a way that is different from the way that those “others” are treated.
46. Forestalling Disagreement: Attempting to manipulate others’ beliefs and trying to force them to accept one’s own beliefs instead; trying to block people from the very outset from disagreeing (e.g., saying “No one would be so insane as to believe . . . . ”)
47. Impossible Condition: Giving people several choices while none of the options are plausible (“Either do it my way or get out.”)
48. Inconsistency: Making incompatible statements; being incapable of being consistent at all times (and, therefore, being trapped in duality and “being unstable in all ways”).
49. Lip Service: Saying one is for something while one’s beliefs and behaviors contradict her or his words.
50. Non-Exhaustive Classification: Contradicting oneself and not recognizing it, such as: “I don’t mean to tell you how to run your business, but . . . .” (When you hear that lead in, know that you are about to be told how to run your business.)
51. Non-Exclusive Classification: Using generalizations to justify specific behaviors.
52. Pointing to Another Wrong: Attempting to avoid accepting a fact or truth by deflection (“I’m driving dangerously? You’re the one who nearly killed us last year on vacation.”)
53. Post Hoc: Reaching erroneous conclusions. For example: “My father was insensitive. I’m insensitive. There’s nothing I can do about it” or “Hey, it’s just the way I was raised. So get off my back.” (Recall the professional football player mentioned here who beat his child so badly that the youngster required medical care for his bleeding cuts and abrasions and lacerations but who minimized the effects of engaging in child abuse by saying, “I was whipped the same way when I was a kid and I turned out fine,” ignoring the fact that the one abused has now become an abuser.)
54. Red Herring: Changing the subject in order to deflect attention to another issue and away from one that is making a person feel uncomfortable.
55. Trouble with Conditionals and Alternatives: Giving false reasons to explain events (“If life treated me fairer, I’d have a better job, better attitude, etc.”)
To be continued.
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