TODAY'S CONSIDERATIONS
[See the offer following this post for details on how you can watch a retreat on video which includes a detailed 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: Non-duality and non-duality-based seeking has everything to do with treating the Ultimate Sickness, a sickness which Maharaj eventually came to see has everything to do with "ignorance, stupidity, and insanity" and has nothing to do with either knowing too little dogma or with having a "spiritual malady" or a "sick spiritual" or being "spirituality unfit."
To that end, Maharaj would eventually explain that "realization" is simply a process by which a person can be restored to her or his original condition by "being free of all learned ignorance," including being free of all body and mind and personality identification which is also the result of learned ignorance.
Hence . . .
REALIZING WITHOUT DOGMA, WITHOUT CONTINUOUS SPIRITUAL PRACTICES, AND WITHOUT A PREOCCUPATION WITH “THE NATURE OF REALITY AND THINGS NOUMENAL":
The Near-Impossible Task of Breaking the Hold of Beliefs -Especially Religious and / or Spiritual Beliefs
The problem with listening to liars and accepting as truth anything they say is this:
Memories can be forgotten but they remain in "the mind part" of the brain even if they do not remain in "the conscious part." Most persons do not understand that because they do not access the majority of their forgotten but nevertheless remaining memories.
Moreover, even if something seen or heard triggers a recall of a forgotten memory, the recall is almost always distorted because all of the memories of non-realized persons at the time they were being stored were being viewed via distorted and delusional seeing and hearing.
So lies, once heard, remain in the mind and can subconsciously drive thoughts and words and actions. Hear 3000 lies in 14 months? Then 3000 lies are stored in the mind and can consciously and / or subconsciously control behavior. Garbage in. Garbage out. Moreover, the same effects can result from one major trauma event or a series of minor trauma events.
During the last two decades, major advancements have been achieved in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy which has proven to be effective in treating trauma and unprocessed memories. Francine Shapiro, Ph.D. reports that "three randomized studies have demonstrated that 84 to 100 percent of those suffering from a single trauma no longer had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after an average of three 90-minute sessions. Changes that typically took months or years with other forms of therapy occurred within weeks."
"When an event is too disturbing, it can overwhelm the information-processing system, and this negative experience is stored in memory along with the unpleasant emotions, physical sensations and beliefs. Since everything that happens in the present links into the memory networks to be interpreted, any future encounter with the person can trigger these unprocessed memories and the negative responses arise."
In her book, Getting Past Your Past, the doctor reports that "traumatization is a widespread problem. In fact, recent research has demonstrated that general life events can cause even more symptoms of PTSD than major trauma. Many of the negative emotions, thoughts, and body reactions people have are caused by unprocessed memories stored in the brain."
[Why else consider the effects of trauma? Most believe that trauma follows addiction as persons with the Addictive Personality Disorder generate fighting and chaos and misery and suffering. The fact is, however, that trauma precedes addiction. Trauma happens and then addictions follow in order to try to cope with the effects of untreated trauma and unprocessed memories of the trauma.]
Dr. Shapiro shows "how mental problems are actually caused by physiologically stored, unprocessed memories." As noted here over the last thirty years of sharing non-dual pointers, there are some conditions which the understanding can address but there are others which require professional assistance in order to be treated effectively.
Maharaj had this to say on the subject:
"Onto the screen of the mind destiny forever projects its pictures, memories of former projections and thus illusion constantly renews itself. The pictures come and go — light intercepted by ignorance. See the light and disregard the picture"
and
"We consider memories only when they come into the present. The forgotten is not counted until one is reminded which implies bringing into the now."
Yet can a bogus belief or idea or notion or impression from that past that is brought into the now suddenly and miraculously be not-bogus? No, for the memories were based in imaginings.
Maharaj: "Imagination based on memories is unreal."
Even the author of The AA Big Book told people that there are "doctors, psychologists and practitioners of various kinds" who can offer the additional assistance which those with the Addictive Personality Disorder often require; nevertheless, many in step groups ignore that recommendation and claim that their program has all of the answers anyone needs and that the answers all involve "becoming spiritual" and, yes, even becoming "Spiritual Giants."
Some non-dualists speak of "samskaras" or "mental impressions" or "residual impressions" which are the stored residue from events and happening (events and happening which were not understood and which were misperceived and which, therefore, will generate misperceptions. Those delusions and distortions, in turn, can drive erroneous thoughts and senseless actions for an entire relative existence).
Too, there are what psychologists call "unprocessed memories," the residue of usually traumatic events that come into consciousness far less often than samskaras - if at all - but that subconsciously drive thoughts and words and actions in what are (relatively speaking) the most destructive and self-defeating and harmful ways imaginable.
Additionally, there are recollections rooted in "learned ignorance." Those might be addressed via the non-dual understanding.
Of all of that, Maharaj said: "The main point to grasp is that you have projected onto yourself a world of your own imagination, based on memories, on desires and fears, and that you have imprisoned yourself in it. Break the spell and be free."
He said: "Experience leaves only memories behind and adds to the burden which is heavy enough"
and
"If you could only keep quiet, clear of memories and expectations, you would be able to discern the beautiful pattern of events. It is your restlessness that causes chaos"
and
"The person is a very small thing. Actually it is a composite; it cannot be said to exist by itself. Unperceived, it is just not there. It is but the shadow of the mind, the sum total of memories."
This pointer was offered five years ago on this site:
The non-dualist is aware of all of the chaos and discontentment that result when mental impressions, residual impressions, unprocessed memories, and implanted non-memories end up driving the totally delusional members of an entire population." Then this was asked:
Is it not time to "break relationship with your mind"? With the memories stored therein? With the xenophobic nonsense stored therein? With all things personal and personality-oriented stored therein? With the fiction-based memories stored therein? With the false "implanted non-memories" stored therein? With the lies stored therein which are assumed to be factual and true?
Maharaj's solution to the dilemmas which come with unprocessed memories? Understand this:
"Having seen that you are a bundle of memories held together by attachment, step out and look from the outside. You may perceive for the first time something which is not memory. You cease to be a Mr-so-and-so, busy about his own affairs. You are at last at peace. You realize that nothing was ever wrong with the world — you alone were wrong and now it is all over. Never again will you be caught in the meshes of desire born of ignorance"
and
"The experience of being empty, uncluttered by memories and expectations; it is like the happiness of open spaces, of being young, of having all the time and energy for doing things, for discovery, for adventure"
and
"Accept no guidance but from within, and even then, sift out all memories for they will mislead you."
To be continued.
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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 relevant is the "loving and caring" 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."
