REALIZING WITHOUT DOGMA, WITHOUT CONTINUOUS SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, AND WITHOUT A PREOCCUPATION WITH “THE NATURE OF REALITY AND THINGS NOUMENAL”: The "I'm Not Religious, I Am Spiritual" Braggadocios Delusion

TODAY'S CONSIDERATIONS

[See the offer following this post for details on how you can watch a video which includes a discussion of all seven of the steps on the path as used by Maharaj] 

Here, with those who are still driven to talk about "God," the "Son of God," the "Holy Spirit," "Buddha," "Krishna," etc., etc., etc., the invitation to them is to view those as verbs, not nouns. See the end of the post for the full meaning and implications of that.

WHY? TO REVIEW: 

"Heaven and hell are not geographic places but are states of mind, nothing more than concepts dreamed up by men." 

--Pope John Paul II 

"There is no hell." 

--Pope Francis, the current pope 

[in an interview with journalist Eugenio Scalfari] 

"No one shall ever see 'the kingdom of heaven.' It is within" 

and 

"Heaven and earth shall fade away." 

 --Yeshu'a (Jesus) 

 REALIZING WITHOUT DOGMA, WITHOUT CONTINUOUS SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, AND WITHOUT A PREOCCUPATION WITH “THE NATURE OF REALITY AND THINGS NOUMENAL”: 

The "I'm Not Religious, I Am Spiritual" Braggadocios Delusion 

["The rest of his story," continued from yesterday] 

Yesterday, we saw the end result when one is raised in a part of a nation that deems itself to be better-than those in other parts, specifically "The Heartland of the U.S." and "The Real America"; 

and when a man ends up being one of the most mentally-and-emotionally-disturbed individuals ever worked with here because of . . . 

sexual abuse by a parent and grandparent (who were both deemed to be "pillars of the church and community"); because of 

physical, sado-masochistic abuse at the hands of an ignorant and insane father (who was deemed to be "a pillar of the church and community"); because of 

being raised to believe that image and authenticity and appearance is all and substance is nothing; 

and that only "the church" has the answer to all hurt and suffering (even though it ignored all of the obvious signs that he needed some serious help because many of the leaders in the church were also sexually abusing some of its young congregants); then 

one can become a deeply-disturbed and psychically-unhealthy Personality Type Three Performer, putting up a false front; wearing masks to hide reality; and keeping up a "good" and respectful" and "admirable" appearance which becomes the be all and the end all and sets up a lifetime of hypocrisy; then 

the abused is set up to become the abuser and can be driven by the hidden agenda of a deeply-disturbed and psychically-unhealthy and sociopathic Personality Type Eight Controller; and 

one can become trapped in dissociation and denial and those will become a person's most used tools of the trade; 

but, being an expert at cover up and charm, one can draw persons to him or her as moths are drawn to the seemingly appealing glow of a burning candle but will eventually end up going down in flames as a consequence of being manipulated by a charming sociopath or psychopath. 

Next, the fellow recalled for me the stops on his long and arduous and fanatical "path to healing," and he was convinced for years that if he sought the religion of his youth in the most fanatical way possible, that would be the answer to his problems . . . that would be a way to find peace and happiness. 

During his late teen years, his "Midwestern Patriot and "Great American" roles inspired him to volunteer and enlist in the army and to travel 9,000 miles to kill people deemed to be "a threat to America" and therefore "the enemies of America." 

Years later, he would get an occasional glimpse of the truth that some of the people he killed, such as a rice farmer standing in a narrow boat which he was pushing along with a pole, could have never threatened America at all; but the role of "The Super Patriot" would always prevail and he would defend the actions taken by him and his fellow brothers-in-arms in that war. 

A few years later, he became ordained in the Christian church and he lived in a monastery for a time, wearing floor-length robes and cutting his hair in a special way and wearing a huge cross on a rope around his neck and wearing leather sandals year-round and carrying a Bible with him at all times; then he retreated into isolation, living for a while in a cabin in a remote woods in the Midwest. Yet all of his calloused and malicious behaviors continued when he came into contact with people. 

Rejoining society, he was introduce to “spirituality” and soon became not only a religious fanatic but also a spiritual fanatic, convinced that such a combination - providing a “double dose” of a special medicine - would be the answer to his problems and would lead to peace.

His status elevated among his fellow “Spiritual Giants,” and he became globally famous . . . a recognized leader among spiritual persons in their Twelve Step recovery programs. Along with the Bible he carried everywhere, he also began carrying what that program called their "Big Book" everywhere he went as well. 

He attended more meetings than anyone else; he shared more than anyone else; he rose each morning at 4 A.M. to begin readings and meditation and had crowds joining him in the act. Man oh man did he look super religious and super spiritual. Yet alone, he cried, knowing what a fake he was and how false his image was, but the next morning, he would get up and start his image-building and image-maintenance stuff all over again. 

He spoke to others all around the globe, but all along, he was living the greatest lie of all. He talked only generally about his abusers during his early years, but he talked in great detail about how he had forgiven his abusers even though they had never asked for forgiveness. And he really believed that lie too. 

He felt trapped between a desire to maintain his elevated image and an occasional inner longing for authenticity. The image won out until the end. His fanaticism around earning applause and recognition and maintaining his false image prevailed to the very end of the manifestation. 

To the very end, he was one of the most fanatically-spiritual, obsessive, and compulsive persons that anyone was ever likely to meet. Yet to the end, he knew no peace. He never once relaxed. He was the epitome of pain and misery and suffering, partly in spite of his fanaticism and partly because of his fanaticism. 

Such is guaranteed to be the case when a program encourages and reinforces obsessive-compulsive tendencies of its members who need more than anything to be treated effectively for their Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder. 

When it was suggested that some method other than the organized religion which his mother and grandmother had modeled in public might be more effective, he balked. Later, when it was suggested that some method other than the spirituality which his father had modeled in public might be more effective, he balked. He did look at the non-dual pointers offered here for consideration, but he was "never quite ready for the whole deal" (though he said that he felt "the real answers might be contained in that understanding").

He would, in fact, send certain suffering persons to come here - persons who were quite like him, actually - encouraging them to "be open and explore what a non-dual understanding might offer," but he never fully accepted the message himself. 

He never realized that the religious / spiritual belief systems espoused by his parents and grandmother in order to maintain a positive public image were the same belief systems which he was espousing in order to maintain a positive public image. He never saw that he was engaging in a repetition compulsion. He never understood that he was trapped in the Stockholm Syndrome and was idealizing his abusers. He never understood that he had become his mother, his grandmother, his father. 

Now that is only one of billions of cases of unchecked fanaticism which should make clear that one can be as fanatical as can be but will remain miserable and unhappy and, yes, insane. 

Whether one's fanaticism has been continuously reinforced by way of the continuing programming, conditioning, etc. offered in the place where it originally took root - either in a church / temple / mosque or in a spiritual group or in a satsang session or anywhere else - the invitation here is to understand what cannot coexist with fanaticism: 

Peace cannot coexist with fanaticism. 

Resting and relaxing cannot coexist with fanaticism. 

Sitting in what Maharaj called “the cool, blue shade as do the deer" cannot coexist with fanaticism. 

Taking it easy cannot coexist with fanaticism. 

Seeing clearly cannot happen in the presence of fanaticism. 

Being free of the false identities which trigger the use of egotism to sustain them cannot happen in the presence of fanaticism. 

In fact, nothing that religious role players or spiritual role players are seeking - or claim to have found – can manifest alongside fanaticism. 

Moreover, nothing that religious role players or spiritual role players are seeking can be found via fanaticism. 

Fanaticism inspires belief systems and thinking and talking and behaving in ways that are the very antithesis of that which can lead to peace and resting and relaxing and sitting in “the cool, blue shade” and taking it easy and seeing the false identities which trigger the use of egotism and arrogance. 

Maharaj’s end message was this: see who / what you are not; then empty the mind and reach a state of zero concepts; then abide in a Nisargan (natural) fashion. Enjoy the pleasures available when freed from ignorance and insanity (pleasures which can only be enjoyed now during the relative existence because, post-manifestation, there will be no “one” to enjoy anything). 

Again, as Yeshu'a (Jesus) said after reaching the non-dual understanding, there is no "kingdom to come," explaining: “No one shall ever see the kingdom of heaven. It is within.” 

Analogous to “the kingdom of heaven” is being free; being at peace; being able to relax; being able to take it easy.” Those states are all possibilities which have nothing to do with externals and which have everything to do with internals. They have the potential to come forth now, yet they cannot be experienced unless that which is blocking the ability to enjoy those (namely the content of the mind) is removed entirely. 

To be continued.

NEW OFFER: 

Watch an updated seven-hour streaming video of a retreat with Floyd Henderson which can be viewed by anyone with internet access. (In this video; all seven of the steps on "the path" as taught by Maharaj are explained and discussed.) 

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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 3,300 posts for any topics of interest to you. 

Here, with those who are still driven to talk about "God," the "Son of God," the "Holy Spirit," "Buddha," "Krishna," etc., etc., etc., the invitation to them is to view those as verbs, not nouns. 

THE EXPLANATION 

If looked at as nouns, they point to illusions and are, therefore, a total waste of time to even discuss; if looked at as verbs which are resulting in certain sane but rare behaviors among humanity, then they are worthy of some attention during the relative existence. 

Meaning? There are members of certain groups who say things such as "My concept of God in the past was of a weak God, an absentee God, A Santa Claus-type God, a mean, punishing, vindictive God, etc. Today, I am in close contact with a loving and caring God whom I worship and praise and glorify and give thanks to." 

The reply to that usually goes like this: "If you are in contact with a God that wants to be worshipped and praised and glorified, then you're dealing with someone like yourself - a narcissist - and hanging out with narcissists will never bring an end to your narcissism (that narcissism evidenced by the fact that you think you are "godly"). 

Next, in the phrase 'loving and caring God,' any supposed God that truly had her or his act together would tell you that the totally irrelevant part of that phrase is 'God' and that the only part 

"That is, a non-narcissistic god / goddess would say, "I care not an iota about being worshipped and praised and glorified by you or anyone else. How arrogant and insecure and needy would I have to be to want that? Forget the man-made, dreamed up noun 'God' and focus on the 'God as a verb' understanding and then go forth and let loving and caring be verbs - not adjectives - and let them generate the act of love and the act of caring and let those actions manifest through you." 

Yeshu'a (Jesus) and Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis were spot on: 

"No one shall ever see 'the kingdom of heaven.' It is within" 

and 

"Heaven and earth shall fade away." 

and 

"Heaven and hell are not geographic places but are states of mind, nothing more than concepts dreamed up by men" 

and 

"There is no hell."

REALIZING WITHOUT DOGMA, WITHOUT CONTINUOUS SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, AND WITHOUT A PREOCCUPATION WITH “THE NATURE OF REALITY AND THINGS NOUMENAL”: The "I'm Not Religious, I Am Spiritual" Braggadocios Delusion

TODAY'S CONSIDERATIONS

[See the offer following this post for details on how you can watch a video which includes a discussion of all seven of the steps on the path as used by Maharaj] 

Here, with those who are still driven to talk about "God," the "Son of God," the "Holy Spirit," "Buddha," "Krishna," etc., etc., etc., the invitation to them is to view those as verbs, not nouns. See the end of the post for the full meaning and implications of that. 

TO REVIEW:

"Heaven and hell are not geographic places but are states of mind, nothing more than concepts dreamed up by men." 

--Pope John Paul II 

 "There is no hell." 

--Pope Francis, the current pope 

[in an interview with journalist Eugenio Scalfari] 

"No one shall ever see 'the kingdom of heaven.' It is within" 

and 

"Heaven and earth shall fade away." 

 --Yeshu'a (Jesus) 

REALIZING WITHOUT DOGMA, WITHOUT CONTINUOUS SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, AND WITHOUT A PREOCCUPATION WITH “THE NATURE OF REALITY AND THINGS NOUMENAL”: 

The I'm Not Religious, I Am Spiritual" Braggadocios Delusion 

Next month marks the twenty-ninth year that the non-dual teachings have been offered here. As was the case during the decades that Maharaj offered the teachings, the approach has most certainly evolved. With Maharaj, his approach evolved from a use of various types of yoga which were non-Nisargan; to the use of a religious / non-dual compound version of the Ultimate Medicine; 

to the use of a spiritual / non-dual compound version of the Ultimate Medicine; and eventually to a method which focused on a psychological / non-dual version of the Ultimate Medicine which focused on the mental problems of humanity, combined with a near-pure version of the Nisarga Yoga as well. 

He changed the method which he was using each time he realized that the method was not providing a long-term and effective treatment for what ails humanity. Here, the changes were made for the same reason, along with others which have been mentioned. 

A means for realizing without having to use dogma and without having to engage continuously in spiritual practices and without a constant and impractical preoccupation with “the nature of reality and things ‘Noumenal’” and without a constant focus on “SELF” (which is just an egocentric substitute for focusing on “self” or “selves”) is offered because of their ineffectiveness and impractically but also because it was seen that seekers were coming here with issues that Maharaj never likely had to address. 

Some over the years have come here who had sought via religion but who can no longer use that means because of horrific instances of abuse by "religious people." Some regularly underwent the most extreme forms of corporal punishment imaginable in their home where their parents' “holy text” warns against "sparing the rod." 

In addition to that - or alongside that - they suffered mental and emotional abuse as their parents shared the teachings of many religions which introduced them to an angry god who has prepared the most radical and extreme and eternal punishments for them if they do not adhere strictly to the dogma they are exposed to. 

How lacking in empathy and how cold to the bone is the practice of telling such sufferers that religion is the only answer and that they need to “get over it and move on and get back into the church / temple / mosque and do whatever the leaders there tell them to do.” 

Those persons deserve an alternative. That is offered here. 

The same applies to seekers who find their way into spiritual groups who claim they are not religious but who model exactly the format of religious services. (Why? Because their so-called "spiritual, not religion program" was based on a program originally founded by two Christian ministers whose program was later copied / plagiarized by a self-identified alcoholic.) 

The members of such groups . . . 

meet in a place they deem to be special; 

start their meetings with a prayer; 

talk about God and "how he saved their lives and changed their lives"; 

pass a basket and collect an offering / small contribution; 

talk some more about God; and then 

close their meetings with the Christian “Lord’s Prayer.” 

(By the way, Christ never prayed that prayer. The talk of a “kingdom to come” directly contradictory to his non-dual pointer that “no one shall ever see the kingdom of heaven because it’s within,” now). 

Those who have been abused in a church / temple / mosque / religious / spiritual home cannot find that which they seek in any venue which is an exact model of that which warped and distorted and injured their psyches in the first place. 

Those persons also deserve an alternative. That is offered here. 

And any alternative or method or institution which is exactly like that which initially injured one’s psyche cannot possibly provide a means for un-warping or un-distorting or undoing the injuries which they caused in the first place. 

Consider the case of one man who tried to use the religious plan he was introduced to during his childhood as a cure and, eventually, used the "spiritual" plan he found later during his adulthood: 

That man at the age of 49 came here and described a life which had been catastrophe (relatively-speaking) for himself and all those who dealt with him. He confessed to years of abusing alcohol and all of the drugs he could get his hands on. 

(He began using those to try to escape the mental angst which developed during his early years and which were exacerbated during the two years when his “Super Patriot” ego-state inspired him to buy into his warrior-mentality government’s warning that Far Eastern communists were a threat to the U.S. His xenophobic urge inspired him to volunteer to go to Vietnam and to kill any people that his government told him to kill. 

After we spoke, he came to understand that there was not an iota of difference in that job and the jobs that hit men take on when a mob’s godfather identifies who is deemed to be a threat. That variety of "The Hit Man" also kills whomever the boss tells him to kill and also gets paid for doing the job of killing so-called "enemies.") 

He described how, on the farm in the Midwest U.S. - the self-described "Heartland of The Real America" where people are viewed as "good, God-fearing Christians" - and where he spent his first eighteen years, his highly religious mother and grandmother began sexually assaulting when he was thirteen; he also described how his supposedly highly-religious-and-spiritual father forced him to go into the barn regularly and forced him to strip into the nude; tied a rope around his wrists; hung him by his arms from the rafters; and then sado-masochistically used a whip to beat him. 

After those experiences during his youth and as a young adult in war, his psychic state had deteriorated to the lowest level possible. He began acting out sexually in the most fanatical ways imaginable, using women for gratification and then tossing them aside. 

Meanwhile, he gained an international reputation as "one of the most spiritual men on the planet." 

He eventually came to see, as we continued meeting over a period of weeks, that he had been behaving in a fanatical, sado-masochistic manner for over three decades, repeating the same kind of horrors and the same kinds of abuse which his parents had submitted him to. He finally saw that, indeed, for almost every person whom he had ever charmed - and, as a Personality Type Three, charm was the most effective tool he had for manipulating others - the dealings all those people had with him with had sooner or later become their greatest nightmare.

[The rest of his story tomorrow] 

To be continued.

NEW OFFER: 

Watch an updated seven-hour streaming video of a retreat with Floyd Henderson which can be viewed by anyone with internet access. (In this video; all seven of the steps on "the path" as taught by Maharaj are explained and discussed.) 

If interested; click the button below to pay the fee via PayPal. You will then receive an email which includes the link for you to view the private, unlisted video via an arrangement we have made with YouTube, Inc. You do not have to have a YouTube account to watch this privately streamed video. 

(If you do not receive the link promptly, your computer or email provider may have high filter settings. Check your spam and trash folders because some providers automatically transfer emails containing links to those folders.) 

To access the seven-hour streaming video of a retreat and begin watching right away, click this "Buy Now" button: 

 

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 3,300 posts for any topics of interest to you. 

Here, with those who are still driven to talk about "God," the "Son of God," the "Holy Spirit," "Buddha," "Krishna," etc., etc., etc., the invitation to them is to view those as verbs, not nouns. 

THE EXPLANATION 

If looked at as nouns, they point to illusions and are, therefore, a total waste of time to even discuss; if looked at as verbs which are resulting in certain sane but rare behaviors among humanity, then they are worthy of some attention during the relative existence. 

Meaning? There are members of certain groups who say things such as "My concept of God in the past was of a weak God, an absentee God, A Santa Claus-type God, a mean, punishing, vindictive God, etc. Today, I am in close contact with a loving and caring God whom I worship and praise and glorify and give thanks to." 

The reply to that usually goes like this: "If you are in contact with a God that wants to be worshipped and praised and glorified, then you're dealing with someone like yourself - a narcissist - and hanging out with narcissists will never bring an end to your narcissism (that narcissism evidenced by the fact that you think you are "godly"). 

Next, in the phrase 'loving and caring God,' any supposed God that truly had her or his act together would tell you that the totally irrelevant part of that phrase is 'God' and that the only part 

"That is, a non-narcissistic god / goddess would say, "I care not an iota about being worshipped and praised and glorified by you or anyone else. How arrogant and insecure and needy would I have to be to want that? Forget the man-made, dreamed up noun 'God' and focus on the 'God as a verb' understanding and then go forth and let loving and caring be verbs - not adjectives - and let them generate the act of love and the act of caring and let those actions manifest through you." 

Yeshu'a (Jesus) and Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis were spot on: 

"No one shall ever see 'the kingdom of heaven.' It is within" 

and 

"Heaven and earth shall fade away." 

and 

"Heaven and hell are not geographic places but are states of mind, nothing more than concepts dreamed up by men" 

and 

"There is no hell."

REALIZING WITHOUT DOGMA, WITHOUT CONTINUOUS SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, AND WITHOUT A PREOCCUPATION WITH “THE NATURE OF REALITY AND THINGS NOUMENAL”: When "Goofiness" Manifests

TODAY'S CONSIDERATIONS

[See the offer following this post for details on how you can watch a video which includes a discussion of all seven of the steps on the path as used by Maharaj] 

Here, with those who are still driven to talk about "God," the "Son of God," the "Holy Spirit," "Buddha," "Krishna," etc., etc., etc., the invitation to them is to view those as verbs, not nouns. See the end of the post for the full meaning and implications of that. 

Maharaj noted that the masses - post-programming and post-conditioning - exhibit the traits of the Ultimate Sickness (namely, "ignorance, stupidity, and insanity"). Note, too, that 97% of the masses claim a religious affiliation which, more than any other single factor, results in dualistic thinking and dualistic talking and duality-based beliefs and duality-based behaviors. 

Among many of the 97%, and among millions more who brag about being "spiritual, not religious" and among the millions more who are seeking "something beyond all that" via one means or another, site visitor Bill B. - whose observations have been shared here in the past - recently offered another consideration. 

Years ago, when our paths first crossed, Bill - just as I had done - had followed a "Super Seeker's" long and arduous and winding path for decades and had settled into the role of "The Super Buddhist" by the time we met. 

He would eventually find freedom even from that "good" identity as the non-dual understanding began to manifest and he began moving toward a "no-who-ness" and "no-WHO-ness" perspective. He understood the "no-Soul, no-Self" teaching referenced in yesterday's post but evidently had not yet settled into that understanding completely. 

He said recently that "Buddha’s First Noble Truth regarding suffering" in life seemed to ring true at times but that "a better first noble truth might be . . . 'all life is goofy'.” Can that apply not only to those programmed with and attached to dogma but also to those who consider themselves to be spiritual or even those who consider themselves to be above and beyond both? 

Experience here leads to the answer, "Yes." 

Thus Bill said, "If one uses the programmed mind to attempt to examine life, and make sense of it, and categorize it, and philosophize about, it is goofy. 'All life is goofy' has a nice ring to it, and it may more accurately describe the actions [which are generated by] a programmed mind." 

He explained: "The goofy programmed mind creates ego-states and emotional intoxication and false identities which are fighting for their supposed survival and the ignorant and insane beliefs which ego-states generate. The result is full-blown fanaticism. Need I say more about goofiness!" 

"Philosopher George Santayana defines fanaticism as 'redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim' and says that 'the fanatic displays very strict standards and little tolerance for contrary ideas or opinions.” 

Bill admits, "I was a fanatic religionist. From my memory of the condition, I remember the constant 're-doubling of the effort' part; however, I am not sure that I had forgotten my 'aim' or goal." 

Instead, he explains, maybe that case was that "it, the aim, was never clear in the first place. The miasma of emotional intoxication was strong, and mirages and wispy hopes were there, but the goal was fuzzy. Maybe the goal was to become more godly. That makes me wince a bit now. But at least in part, the goal was to get better masks." 

"I think my programmed ego wanted to be seen as “a spiritual giant” or a “holy man.” The whole fanaticism thing really had nothing to do with waking up but with getting completely stuck in the ruts of organized religions and new alternative spiritualities." 

"I am reminded of the humorous, old county road sign where the pavement ended and the mud began. It advised “Choose your rut carefully. You’ll be in it for the next 30 miles.” Not a bad analogy for religions, only instead of 30 miles, it might be 30, 40, or 50 years. That is why Buddha may have said 'All life is goofy'.” 

Indeed, what is goofier than believing that one is making conscious choices after the ability to made conscious choices has been stripped away and one is operating on "autopilot" as a result of goofy programming, conditioning, domestication, acculturation, brainwashing, and indoctrination?

For many years beginning in 1989, I found myself drawn into far too many opportunities to try to de-program fanatical, goofy persons who had been drawn into the web of deceit that is spun by the plethora of cults and cult-like institutions that are present in all cultures, be those . . . 

religious cults and other sky cults 

spiritual cults 

Eastern cults 

cults of personality 

family and tribal cults 

recovery cults 

political, racist or terrorist cults 

supremacist and hate group cults 

new age cults 

self-help cults 

"Native American spirituality" cults 

black magic, satanic, occult cults 

etc., etc., etc. 

Nowadays, the sharing of Direct Path / Nisargan pointers involves the same: trying to free persons of the "learned ignorance" (Maharaj) which entraps them and allowing them - if free of that - to "realize." Per Maharaj, that is all that realization is about, and that is all that de-programming is about, just as the case is with those who would free persons from the effects of buying into the goofy, insane teachings which cults disseminate. 

Whether persons know it or not, all have been introduced to the goofy, insane teachings of one cult or another. It is impossible for any child nowadays - or for most adults for that matter - to avoid the widespread nonsense and lies which are being spread all around the globe by the three entities focused on in the non-duality-based adventure novel entitled The Board of Directors of Wars, namely, Big Business, Big Government and Big Religion. 

The masses who have bought into their nonsense and lies - unquestioningly in almost in all cases - can only pass down the ignorance which they have lave been taught and accepted as true.

So what should the "aim" or "goal" be? What to seek? God? An Eternal Reward? Avoidance of Eternal Punishment? An Infinite Self? 

or 

Freedom from the ignorance and insanity and goofiness which result in a loss of freedom and in a lifetime of religious or spiritual workaholism and fanaticism and a life-long case of being driven by the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder? 

That is why, here, the invitation has long been to forget trying to gain more knowledge and, instead, submit to be un-taught so that total un-learning can happen. 

Otherwise, the specter of the goofiness Bill discussed can exert itself for the next "30, 40, or 50 years." The issue with that? 

The history of humanity has been littered with the garbage of goofy beliefs. Just as "ignorance and stupidity and insanity" lead to ignorant and stupid and insane thoughts and talks and beliefs and behaviors, so, too, does goofiness lead to goofy thoughts, goofy words, goofy beliefs and goofy behaviors.

To be continued.

NEW OFFER: 

Watch an updated seven-hour streaming video of a retreat with Floyd Henderson which can be viewed by anyone with internet access. (In this video; all seven of the steps on "the path" as taught by Maharaj are explained and discussed.) 

If interested; click the button below to pay the fee via PayPal. You will then receive an email which includes the link for you to view the private, unlisted video via an arrangement we have made with YouTube, Inc. You do not have to have a YouTube account to watch this privately streamed video. 

(If you do not receive the link promptly, your computer or email provider may have high filter settings. Check your spam and trash folders because some providers automatically transfer emails containing links to those folders.) 

To access the seven-hour streaming video of a retreat and begin watching right away, click this "Buy Now" button: 

 

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 3,300 posts for any topics of interest to you. 

Here, with those who are still driven to talk about "God," the "Son of God," the "Holy Spirit," "Buddha," "Krishna," etc., etc., etc., the invitation to them is to view those as verbs, not nouns. 

THE EXPLANATION 

If looked at as nouns, they point to illusions and are, therefore, a total waste of time to even discuss; if looked at as verbs which are resulting in certain sane but rare behaviors among humanity, then they are worthy of some attention during the relative existence. 

Meaning? There are members of certain groups who say things such as "My concept of God in the past was of a weak God, an absentee God, A Santa Claus-type God, a mean, punishing, vindictive God, etc. Today, I am in close contact with a loving and caring God whom I worship and praise and glorify and give thanks to." 

The reply to that usually goes like this: "If you are in contact with a God that wants to be worshipped and praised and glorified, then you're dealing with someone like yourself - a narcissist - and hanging out with narcissists will never bring an end to your narcissism (that narcissism evidenced by the fact that you think you are "godly"). 

Next, in the phrase 'loving and caring God,' any supposed God that truly had her or his act together would tell you that the totally irrelevant part of that phrase is 'God' and that the only part 

"That is, a non-narcissistic god / goddess would say, "I care not an iota about being worshipped and praised and glorified by you or anyone else. How arrogant and insecure and needy would I have to be to want that? Forget the man-made, dreamed up noun 'God' and focus on the 'God as a verb' understanding and then go forth and let loving and caring be verbs - not adjectives - and let them generate the act of love and the act of caring and let those actions manifest through you." 

Yeshu'a (Jesus) and Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis were spot on: 

"No one shall ever see 'the kingdom of heaven.' It is within" 

and 

"Heaven and earth shall fade away." 

and 

"Heaven and hell are not geographic places but are states of mind, nothing more than concepts dreamed up by men" 

and 

"There is no hell."

REALIZING WITHOUT DOGMA, WITHOUT CONTINUOUS SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, AND WITHOUT A PREOCCUPATION WITH “THE NATURE OF REALITY AND THINGS NOUMENAL”: Pointers Which Inspire Abhorrence and Outrage along with Hatred of "The Messenger"

TODAY'S CONSIDERATIONS

[See the offer following this post for details on how you can watch a video which includes a discussion of all seven of the steps on the path as used by Maharaj] 

Here, with those who are still driven to talk about "God," the "Son of God," the "Holy Spirit," "Buddha," "Krishna," etc., etc., etc., the invitation to them is to view those as verbs, not nouns. See the end of the post for the full meaning and implications of that. 

CONFUSIONS AND DISAGREEMENTS AND INCONSISTENCIES AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT "ADVAITA VEDANTA" AND "NON-DUALITY" AND "THE MESSAGE" AND "THE MESSENGERS" 

Such misunderstandings about Advaita Vedanta and non-duality have long existed and absolutely proliferate nowadays. For example, it has been written that "Advaita Vedanta is an Indian philosophical system mainly associated with some early Upanishads and the works of Adi Shankara." 

While the notion had been referenced here early on that Advaita Vedanta might be at least one-part philosophical, even that notion was set aside long ago and replaced with a focus on non-duality and the view that non-duality is a means or a process by which an understanding (or "freedom from ignorance") can manifest; thus, Advaita Vedanta might be considered to be "a philosophy," but non-duality is seen as something quite different. 

As for Shankara, while the dates of his "birth" and "death" are disputed, the most commonly accepted dates are around the 780's and 820, respectively, though many claim he was "born" much earlier. 

OTHER MISUNDERSTANDINGS 

Some, too, dispute the significance of the notion that Shankara played the role of "The Consolidator" of Advaita Vedanta - praised as "the one who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta." To "consolidate" means to "merge, combine, and unite many things as one." That might apply to his writings about "Advaita Vedanta" and other "philosophies and systems" but that makes no sense at all if one is speaking specifically of a "non-dual" understanding. 

To illustrate, he did try to explain a key difference between Hinduism and Buddhism, stating that Hinduism asserts "Atman (Soul, Self) exists" while Buddhism asserts that there is "no Soul, no Self"; however, that point would involve de-consolidating rather than consolidating (accurate though it was and certainly in alignment with Maharaj's later message which endorsed a "no Self" understanding and which endorsed self-inquiry over Self-Inquiry, saying that "it is enough to know who you are not"). 

ADVAITA VEDANTA VS. NON-DUALITY 

Taft points out accurately that "the first Indian scriptures, the Vedas (roughly 1000 BCE), are completely dualistic in their outlook; these Ur-texts of human spirituality consist mainly of poems of praise to nature deities, magical spells, and ritual invocations." 

In fact, a non-dual message was being circulated long before any "consolidated Advaita Vedanta" writings came into being and long before any so-called "consolidation" of a doctrine referred to as "Advaita Vedanta." 

OTHER DISPUTES REGARDING THE NON-DUAL MESSAGE

Disputed are (1) the existence of "Moses" and (2) the suggestion that he wrote "the Torah" (a.k.a., "Genesis" and other of the first books in what Judaeo-Christians call "The Old Testament") and even (3) the date of such writings. If those writings occurred in the early 1300's B.C., then by the early 1300's the summative statement of non-duality had reached the Middle East from the Far East, likely carried by people in the caravans which traveled between the two regions. 

So if the Torah was written shortly after 1300 B.C., then the non-dual message was already being discussed in the Middle East though the writer of The Torah left out the semi-colon between the two when he used it as one of the names for "God" ("I AM THAT I AM" rather than I AM THAT; I AM. Another misunderstanding). 

Around two thousand years ago, Yeshu'a (Jesus) had modeled abandoning organized religion and was offering non-dual pointers in his later talks either out-of-doors or in private homes. The result: he was killed, so for at least 2,000 years, we have evidence of the fact that those involved in organized religion (and those involved in governments which have long aligned themselves with religion or religious leaders in order to expand their power base) have been opposed to the non-dual message which is totally incompatible with the dualistic dogma which organized religions rely on. 

For another example of what can happen to "The Messenger of the actual non-dual message," look to Maharaj: 

First he attracted Hindu visitors to his bidi shop which some visited in order to discuss his non-duality / Hinduism combination message; for a time, others came to his loft to be exposed to the same message where he used religion to attract the religious and then added in more non-dual and sometimes Nisargan messages during the two sessions a day he conducted. The result: many worshipped and lauded and idolized him. 

After the publication of the transcripts of some of his talks in the book entitled I AM THAT, Westerners came who deemed themselves to be "spiritual rather than religious." The result: Maharaj allowed them to influence his message and led him to offer more non-dual pointers and less Hindu dogma. The result: many more worshipped and lauded and idolized him though some locals criticized his "shift." 

Eventually, he would abandon both religious-and-spirituality-based pointers after he came to see that the Ultimate Sickness was a mind-based sickness, not a sickness based in too-little-religion and not a sickness involving a sick spirit or a "spiritual malady." When he began offering a psychological / non-dual message as a form of the Ultimate Medicine, the critics came forth in significant numbers. 

Some among the formerly-idolizing mob became anti-Maharaj, just as happened with Yeshu'a nearly 2,000 years earlier when he shifted away from organized religion and toward a non-dual message.

IT IS NOT NEW FOR PRO-RELIGION, PRO-SPIRITUALITY PERSONS TO HATE THE NON-DUAL MESSAGE 

There is nothing new about the fact that the offering of non-dual pointers very often inspires abhorrence and outrage over the message as well as hatred of "the messenger." 

To challenge their false identities - such as "The Super Religious One," "The Spiritual Giant," "The Super Seeker," "The Super Sponsor," or the role which Maharaj warned seekers to avoid, namely, those playing the role of "The Big Name Teacher" - is to incur the wrath of all of those role-players. 

One might as well advise the person who is attached to the role of "The Spouse" - and who believes that he or she has a "perfect marriage" - to leave the one playing the co-dependent, counterpart player to that role. 

And far more threatening than that would be an invitation to one playing the role of "The Super Religious One," "The Spiritual Giant," "The Super Seeker," "The Super Sponsor," etc. to give up playing the false identities which rob them of authenticity. A typical reaction: "I'm not "The Super Religious One," "The Spiritual Giant," "The Super Seeker," and / or "The Super Sponsor" The hell you say! And to hell with you!" 

And far more irritating among many playing the role of a spiritual or religious giant is the suggestion that realization can happen without dogma and without continuous spiritual practices. ("How dare you!") 

or 

the suggestion that it is more rational to choose scientific facts over the emotional intoxication generated by religious / spiritual fanaticism (How dare you!) 

or 

the suggestion that while religion and science are not always incompatible, logic and reason and wisdom make clear that if a choice between the two is to be made, only one choice is the sane option. 

Again, the point offered here is that realization does not require a mastery of dogma or an attachment to spiritual roles and does not require fanaticism, obsessions or compulsions; thus it should be clear why Maharaj eventually advised seekers to avoid those and then offered a totally different option, namely, to seek a means by which their warped, nonsense-filled mind can be effectively treated.

Meanwhile, if non-dual pointers happen to be heard, the "get-thee-away-from-me-Satan" notion will prevail among the masses far more than the "Hummm-you-might-be-onto-something-there-tell-me-more" notion. 

The former is the far-more-prevalent belief and attitude.

Hence, Maharaj's advice: 

This message is not for the public at large. Share it with them at your own risk. 

So it is. 

As for those who say, "You must crawl before you walk, so religion or spirituality or holy books or the Big Book etc., etc., etc. are required," the reply is:

"Fine, go with that for a spell. It is, in fact, the third step on 'the path' used here; but are you sure you'll ever be allowed to walk independently, on your own, as long as you fixate at the midpoint of 'the path' and continue to associate with those who want you to stay dependent and to settle for crawling with them forever?"

To be continued.

NEW OFFER: 

Watch an updated seven-hour streaming video of a retreat with Floyd Henderson which can be viewed by anyone with internet access. (In this video; all seven of the steps on "the path" as taught by Maharaj are explained and discussed.) 

If interested; click the button below to pay the fee via PayPal. You will then receive an email which includes the link for you to view the private, unlisted video via an arrangement we have made with YouTube, Inc. You do not have to have a YouTube account to watch this privately streamed video. 

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To access the seven-hour streaming video of a retreat and begin watching right away, click this "Buy Now" button: 

 

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 3,300 posts for any topics of interest to you. 

Here, with those who are still driven to talk about "God," the "Son of God," the "Holy Spirit," "Buddha," "Krishna," etc., etc., etc., the invitation to them is to view those as verbs, not nouns. 

THE EXPLANATION 

If looked at as nouns, they point to illusions and are, therefore, a total waste of time to even discuss; if looked at as verbs which are resulting in certain sane but rare behaviors among humanity, then they are worthy of some attention during the relative existence. 

Meaning? There are members of certain groups who say things such as "My concept of God in the past was of a weak God, an absentee God, A Santa Claus-type God, a mean, punishing, vindictive God, etc. Today, I am in close contact with a loving and caring God whom I worship and praise and glorify and give thanks to." 

The reply to that usually goes like this: "If you are in contact with a God that wants to be worshipped and praised and glorified, then you're dealing with someone like yourself - a narcissist - and hanging out with narcissists will never bring an end to your narcissism (that narcissism evidenced by the fact that you think you are "godly"). 

Next, in the phrase 'loving and caring God,' any supposed God that truly had her or his act together would tell you that the totally irrelevant part of that phrase is 'God' and that the only part 

"That is, a non-narcissistic god / goddess would say, "I care not an iota about being worshipped and praised and glorified by you or anyone else. How arrogant and insecure and needy would I have to be to want that? Forget the man-made, dreamed up noun 'God' and focus on the 'God as a verb' understanding and then go forth and let loving and caring be verbs - not adjectives - and let them generate the act of love and the act of caring and let those actions manifest through you." 

Yeshu'a (Jesus) and Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis were spot on: 

"No one shall ever see 'the kingdom of heaven.' It is within" 

and 

"Heaven and earth shall fade away." 

and 

"Heaven and hell are not geographic places but are states of mind, nothing more than concepts dreamed up by men" 

and 

"There is no hell."

REALIZING WITHOUT DOGMA, WITHOUT CONTINUOUS SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, AND WITHOUT A PREOCCUPATION WITH “THE NATURE OF REALITY AND THINGS NOUMENAL”: No Fanaticism or Emotionalism Required

TODAY'S CONSIDERATIONS

[See the offer following this post for details on how you can watch a video which includes a discussion of all seven of the steps on the path as used by Maharaj] 

Here, with those who are still driven to talk about "God," the "Son of God," the "Holy Spirit," "Buddha," "Krishna," etc., etc., etc., the invitation to them is to view those as verbs, not nouns. See the end of the post for the full meaning and implications of that. 

Realization does not require fanaticism, obsessions or compulsions; thus it should be clear why Maharaj eventually advised seekers to avoid those, leading to this totally different option: 

REALIZING WITHOUT DOGMA, WITHOUT CONTINUOUS SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, AND WITHOUT A PREOCCUPATION WITH “THE NATURE OF REALITY AND THINGS NOUMENAL”: 

No fanaticism or emotionalism required. 

To review: Such is the relative existence when it is being controlled by duality, that is, by dualistic thoughts, dualistic talk, and duality-driven actions; by religious fanatics fomenting a false sense of separation and different from and better than; by political fanatics fomenting a false sense of separation and different from and better than; by political fanatics; by big businesses who are co-opting control of elections and using their billions to foment a false sense of separation and different from and better than; by political fanatics; ad infinitum. 

Witness objectively those all around the globe who have assumed and are now playing the role of “The Super Politicians” or “The Great Reformers” or “The Super Religious Ones” or “The Spiritual Giants” or “those who have assumed the identity of “The Supreme Self” or even “God” or even “The Super Sports Fans.” Then, because it applies to all of those role players, consider the root word of the latter’s title: fanaticism. 

“Fanaticism” = “wildly excessive or irrational devotion, dedication, or enthusiasm” 

and 

“a mode of living which is marked by irrational and extreme and unwarranted perceptions which lead to irrational and extreme and unwarranted behavior, especially as exhibited by excessive enthusiasm, unreasoning zeal, or wild and extravagant notions on some subject.” 

Synonyms for “fanatic” – devotee, extremist, maniac, addict, zealot, believer, fool, and monomaniac. 

All of those ego-states are accompanied by emotional intoxication which often reaches maniacal levels. In that regard, Maharaj said: “Emotional reactions, born of ignorance or inadvertence, are never justified.” Does that mean that "the realized" isolate in a flat or house and avoid everything? No. Maharaj said: “Action, in which you are not emotionally involved . . . does not cause suffering and will not bind you.” 

Next, Maharaj said: “All illness begins in the mind” and “it is the emotional link that perpetuates the bondage.” See? There is no separating the three aspects of the mind-emotions-suffering triad, and that is why Maharaj endorsed what he called “emotional non-involvement.” He added: “It is the emotional involvement . . . that creates bondage.” 

And what generates more emotion and emotional reactions and emotional intoxication than one’s assumed, false identities and their hidden agendas and their fears and desires and the beliefs which they hold dear and are willing to fight for in an instant, often to the end? And what is the result when four factors are combined within a mind, those four being (1) ego-states and (2) emotional intoxication and (3) false identities which are fighting for their supposed survival and (4) the ignorant and insane beliefs which ego-states generate? The result is full-blown fanaticism. 

So do “the Realized” not feel? Of course they feel, but they do not emote. The “Realized” – understanding that the summative statement of non-duality is as much about the I AM as it is about the I AM THAT - are in touch with both “reality” and “Reality.” That means they feel, but it does not mean they emote. 

Of that “reality” and the beingness which assures that feelings will be felt, Maharaj said: “To strengthen, and stabilise the 'I am' we do all sorts of things -- all in vain, for the 'I am' is being rebuilt from moment to moment.” 

[Thus, unless fully in touch with both “reality” and “Reality,” then ego-states will be built and rebuilt constantly, and they will then generate the use of egotism and arrogance to defend those false, assumed selves, and that will lead to fanaticism; fanaticism, in turn, always leads to instability and chaos.] 

What, according to Maharaj, is the requirement for being free of the influence of those false-self generators of arrogance and egotism and fanaticism and emotional intoxication? He said that the requirement “is unceasing work." He added: "The only radical solution is to dissolve the separative sense of 'I am such-and-such person." The result? He said: "Being remains, but not self-being." 

The distinction between emotions and feelings is explained here in this way: The Realized can “feel” for as long as the manifestation continues, but they cannot emote. Emotions are reactions generated and sustained by ego-states. Emotions are like small pockets of explosives stored in the warped, fictional “mind” that can detonate without notice. They inspire the taking of unconscious actions around desires or reacting unconsciously around fears. 

Dr. Peter G. Stromberg asked: “What do we mean when we say that someone is a fanatic? One variety of fanaticism has to do with religious or political views. This sort of fanatic is a person who is so sure that his or her views are the truth that they see anyone who holds different views as evil or inhuman.” "A fanatic," he said, “becomes involved in something to a degree that is excessive,” adding that “fanaticism always entails a lack of balance in a person's life.” 

Of such balance, Maharaj said: “The universal trend is towards balance, harmony and unity.” 

Philosopher George Santayana defines fanaticism as "redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim” and says that “The fanatic displays very strict standards and little tolerance for contrary ideas or opinions.” 

Of “standards," Maharaj said: “Discard all traditional standards. Leave them to the hypocrites. As long as you worry about sin and virtue you will have no peace.” 

Those involved with the study of fanaticism often focus (in addition to sports fanaticism") on these other forms of the mental illness of fanaticism: consumer fanaticism; emotional fanaticism; ethnic-supremacist fanaticism; racial-supremacist fanaticism; nationalistic or xenophobic or patriotic fanaticism; religious fanaticism; spiritual fanaticism, etc. 

Anthropologists provide evidence which shows that the history of humankind developed to the point where humans spent a few hours a day completing tasks required for survival. After that, their lifestyle was marked by “balance and harmony and peace” with no concerns about such dualities as “virtue vs. sin.” Prior to being convinced that there is a supernatural / religious / spiritual / Supreme way to abide, all abidance happened naturally. [That Cherokee woman called "Grandmother" here confirmed that fact.] At that point, there was no more fanaticism being exhibited among humans than there was among all other living things on the planet: deer, birds, fish, etc. When did the change come? 

Throughout most of the millions of years that humans or human-like life-forms walked about on the planet, natural abidance prevailed until the last five or six millennia when some persons began convincing the people in their communities that what is happening on earth is controlled by gods or goddesses or Powers “out there" and that those Forces can be displeased by humans and that humans better shape up and be “good” as opposed to “bad” if they want a reward now and later as well. 

That concept / belief which the religions of the planet and the spiritual movements on the planet developed has now led to higher levels of dualistic thinking than ever existed in the millions of years prior to the dreaming up of those concepts. 

Those concepts led to unnatural and supernatural ways of thinking and talking and behaving which - in turn - led to fanaticism, to a lack of peace, to conflict, to fighting, to humans killing humans out of anger, as well as to instability and chaos and pain and misery and suffering. The wise will see that it is those unnatural and supernatural ways of thinking and talking and behaving which have led to fanaticism and chaos and a lack of freedom and peace. 

It should be seen as well that those sources have produced those results which have become parts of the new abnormal norm. And if that is seen, then it should be clear that the influence of those sources should be brought to an end. [Yet that will not happen.] 

Also, seeing that the exact source which started the unnatural thinking and behaving is now perpetuating that unnatural thinking and behaving, then this should also be clear: while billions are trying to use the very source of unnatural and supernatural ways of thinking and talking and behaving as a method for treating the planet's widespread fanaticism, lack of peace, conflict, fighting, killing humans out of anger, instability, chaos, pain, misery and suffering, it should be clear that the source of unnatural and supernatural ways of thinking and talking and behaving cannot possibly rid persons of unnatural and supernatural ways of thinking and talking and behaving (that is, cannot rid the masses of the ignorance and insanity which drive them). 

More than ninety-nine percent of the people on the planet are attached to either organized religion or to some spiritual movement or organization, so 99%+ will never have a chance to be free of unnatural and supernatural ways of thinking and talking and behaving. Nor will those who take themselves to be “Supreme” or “God” ever be free of their egotism and arrogance and nonsense, either. 

All unnatural and supernatural ways of talking and behaving begin with an unnatural and supernatural way of thinking. Thus Maharaj’s pointers regarding the key role that the mind plays in generating ignorance, insanity, chaos, pain, misery and suffering. 

To be continued.

NEW OFFER: 

Watch an updated seven-hour streaming video of a retreat with Floyd Henderson which can be viewed by anyone with internet access. (In this video; all seven of the steps on "the path" as taught by Maharaj are explained and discussed.) 

If interested; click the button below to pay the fee via PayPal. You will then receive an email which includes the link for you to view the private, unlisted video via an arrangement we have made with YouTube, Inc. You do not have to have a YouTube account to watch this privately streamed video. 

(If you do not receive the link promptly, your computer or email provider may have high filter settings. Check your spam and trash folders because some providers automatically transfer emails containing links to those folders.) 

To access the seven-hour streaming video of a retreat and begin watching right away, click this "Buy Now" button: 

 

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 3,300 posts for any topics of interest to you. 

Here, with those who are still driven to talk about "God," the "Son of God," the "Holy Spirit," "Buddha," "Krishna," etc., etc., etc., the invitation to them is to view those as verbs, not nouns. 

THE EXPLANATION 

If looked at as nouns, they point to illusions and are, therefore, a total waste of time to even discuss; if looked at as verbs which are resulting in certain sane but rare behaviors among humanity, then they are worthy of some attention during the relative existence. 

Meaning? There are members of certain groups who say things such as "My concept of God in the past was of a weak God, an absentee God, A Santa Claus-type God, a mean, punishing, vindictive God, etc. Today, I am in close contact with a loving and caring God whom I worship and praise and glorify and give thanks to." 

The reply to that usually goes like this: "If you are in contact with a God that wants to be worshipped and praised and glorified, then you're dealing with someone like yourself - a narcissist - and hanging out with narcissists will never bring an end to your narcissism (that narcissism evidenced by the fact that you think you are "godly"). 

Next, in the phrase 'loving and caring God,' any supposed God that truly had her or his act together would tell you that the totally irrelevant part of that phrase is 'God' and that the only part 

"That is, a non-narcissistic god / goddess would say, "I care not an iota about being worshipped and praised and glorified by you or anyone else. How arrogant and insecure and needy would I have to be to want that? Forget the man-made, dreamed up noun 'God' and focus on the 'God as a verb' understanding and then go forth and let loving and caring be verbs - not adjectives - and let them generate the act of love and the act of caring and let those actions manifest through you." 

Yeshu'a (Jesus) and Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis were spot on: 

"No one shall ever see 'the kingdom of heaven.' It is within" 

and 

"Heaven and earth shall fade away." 

and 

"Heaven and hell are not geographic places but are states of mind, nothing more than concepts dreamed up by men" 

and 

"There is no hell."