Advaita Vedanta: NEEDLESS WORK, COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE ACCEPTANCE and THE CURSE OF HABITS

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NEEDLESS WORK, COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE ACCEPTANCE and THE CURSE OF HABITS

Yesterday’s post ended with this:

So that is the take on the Direct Path from several of the non-duality guides credited above. Others aspects of the method will be offered tomorrow.

To continue:

This method does not try to “give” seekers anything since Direct Path guides know that, ultimately, there is no seeker and that there is no “one” to “gain” and that there is nothing to be gained;

conversely, the Direct Path guides know that too much has been given to seekers already (namely, all of the false dogma and concepts and ideas and beliefs which now block seekers from seeing reality and from realizing truth.)

Several distinct differences in the Direct Path Method of teaching non-duality as opposed to the other three methods have been shown.

During “floyd's” years of seeking, truth was sought during various periods by use of the other three methods (along with a host of religions and philosophies and ideologies and yogas and cult-like spiritual programs) but realization did not happen.

Religious and / or spiritual persons reported that “one must retreat into the soul” when the vicissitudes of the relative existence leave one feeling torn apart, but what is a person to do when even the so-called “soul” seems to have been torn asunder as well?

Over the years, visitors issues have been raised regarding: a pending divorce; sex problems and in-law problems showing up now as marriage problems; problems at work; problems in “self-help” groups; a spouse who just died; problems with a child; what seems to be an inevitable bankruptcy;

a disabled parent; challenges regarding single parenting; problems stemming from addiction; abuse of various kinds; and suicidal thoughts, to name a few. So what is a person to do when even the imaginary “soul” seems to have been torn asunder as well?

Sometimes, reporting to an emergency room or a professional therapist is the immediate, recommended step. Beyond that, for those seeking the cheap answers in groups or the magical answers in church, they may be required to continue the search and to transition beyond the traditional religions and spiritual programs and ideologies with all their contradictions.

And a few who continue as dedicated seekers might find a guide who can lead them along the “path” to full realization. Realization in the case of this speck of consciousness came (a) after a vision,

(b) after receiving Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj’s pointers as offered via the Direct Path Method and as offered in the fashion that he used at the end of his “sharing days,” and (c) after understanding the Nisarga Yoga approach.

[Note: Here, realization did not come even after multiple readings of the book I AM THAT. During the early days of Maharaj’s sharing when those dialogues were recorded, he was moving toward use of the Direct Path Method but it can be seen that he was also blending in some use of the Traditional Method and other non-Nisarga yogas.

Later, he began using the Direct Path Method more exclusively, occasionally tossing out pointers that had a straight-forwardness that some might now liken, incorrectly, to the “Neo-Advaita” Method;

therefore, it was his later sharings - along with a clarifying vision that came to this author one afternoon - that helped remove the final obstacles to realization.

Of the early sharings and the content of the book I AM THAT, Maharaj would say in his later days:

“That book and whatever was expounded at that time was only relevant for that period. I am speaking differently today,” adding that in his later days he was “emphasizing different aspects.”

Some of the other differences in the Direct Path Method and the other three methods include these:

Contrary to the Traditional Method, the Direct Path Method advises seekers to receive pointers from a guru / guide, to take those into consideration, and then to find truth via the inner guru (as opposed to studying any texts considered “holy”).

Contrary to the Neo-Vedanta Method (which offers flowery pointers that have the effect of encouraging followers to adopt more concepts and pseudo-identities) the Direct Path invites seekers to forfeit concepts and identities. One method blows smoke; the other blows away the smoke.

Contrary to the Neo-Advaita Method that says, “Why don’t you just get it? Understand it’s all illusion. Now you can go,” the Direct Path Method guide offers other pointers and guides seekers through the steps that most require in order for realization to happen.

Why? Direct Path guides agree with the Neo-Advaitins that (a) yes, it’s all illusion and that (b) once realized, there is no do-er and thus nothing more to do;

however, the Direct Path guide understands the high levels of programming and conditioning and domestication and acculturation and indoctrination and brainwashing to which most persons have been subjected and which cannot be wished away or eliminated with the snap of a finger.

The Direct Path guides understand how such high levels of distortion remove the ability of persons to see clearly and that merely inviting persons to see clearly does not result in their seeing clearly.

Such a suggestion would be tantamount to your ophthalmologist saying, “You won't need this prescription and new glasses if you'll just starting seeing clearly rather than seeing things all out-of-focus.”

Direct Path guides are occasionally trespassers - though invited trespassers - into their protégés’ pain. In such cases, some other guides using one method might quote scriptures; those using another method might offer lofty or inspirational platitudes; guides of a third method might suggest minimizing or ignoring the whole business;

but the effective Direct Path guide will understand the psychological structures that result from trauma and warped programming which can cause pain. That guide can uncover the true source of that pain so that the source can dissolve. Then, the dissolution of the pain can follow.

[Professionals, if properly-trained in the use of EMDR, can sometimes be effective in addressing the scourge of trauma as well as mental and emotional wounds.]

The adept Direct Path guide - being both consistent and persistent when persistence is indicated - is able to guide protégés through the deconstruction process that eliminates the “mind” which houses belief in lies and illusions and concepts and personas and that is the seat of mental and emotional pain.

Eventually, it is possible that the effects of the psychological structures that result in personality disorders (and which also generate turmoil and pain) can be eliminated via the Direct Path method to full realization. For some, of course, professional treatment is required.

Yet unlike the Neo-Advaita guide’s “just-believe-this-only” approach, the Direct Path guides know from experience that the obstacles that block the pure consciousness from seeing the levels to which the consciousness has been corrupted must be removed before the pure consciousness can be witnessed tapped into and before truth can be understood and differentiated from all which is false.

Finally, the form of Direct Path method which was used by Maharaj later on as well as the form of Direct Path method that is used here for years can both be considered “less Advaita Vedanta” and “more Advaita.”

Maharaj would eventually advise visitors to forget the concepts they value and quote because they were written in a so-called “holy book” and to find, instead, what they already know within but that is “hidden” from consciousness by the miasma of ideas and beliefs and concepts and other lies which are blocking their realization of truth.

The movement away from a Hindu-influenced message and from a spiritual message ended the use of the Direct Path method for the most part.

In the end, Maharaj did sometimes use a four-step path rather than a seven-step path as he focused on things phenomenal more than things Noumenal; focused on the psychology of the warped mind rather than dogma or spirituality; and focused on un-learning and un-teaching rather than on teaching.

He advised some visitors: “Do not come here expecting to receive anything; here, I take away everything.”

Same here.

To be continued.

Please enter into the silence of contemplation.

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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 their god / their 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"

--Yeshu'a (Jesus)

and

"Heaven and earth shall fade away."

--Yeshu'a (Jesus)

and

"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,

a writer used by the Pope to issue off the record

teachings which become a part of the Papal Magisterium.

[That said, would that the popes who have shown the courage to reject a core concept of their dogma - namely, "hell" - would find the additional courage required to question the very existence of their institution in light of the centuries-long cover-up of their history of raping children and in light of the mental and emotional and psychological scarring of billions of their members past and present.

And that need for courage also applies as questions need to be asked about why so many other sky cults are still being supported and allowed to continue to exist as well. When certain types of programming and conditioning have been shown to blind the masses, they should end. Will they? Not likely. Why?

Because what the masses think and say and do is most influenced by the international crime families which hold sway over the masses as criminals conduct their planet-wide operations. What are the major international crime families and which are the most influential and have the largest memberships?

The Mafia / La Cosa Nostra; the Catholic Church (with it 1.2 billion followers) whose Vatican Bank worked for decades with the Mafia while laundering mob earnings (for a 15% all-profit charge by the Bank); Protestant and Evangelical Churches (with over 1.2 billion followers) like the one I was raised in where the youth director molested and sexually assaulted young girls; big business which has long created environments in which people have been abused; powerful political bodies like the U.S. Congress, etc., etc., etc.)

With all of those crime families, neither the followers nor the leadership ever voluntarily step down or shut down their criminal activities. Be they gangs, organized crime families, religions, big business, politicians, etc., they all want control and they all want power and they all want money, and nothing internal will interfere with the driving forces at play.

The masses must demand that all those in charge must step down and their groups and institutions must shut down, and there's the real problem because the continuation of their crimes are enabled not as much by the people running such crime organizations as they are enabled by the masses of people who - wanting some perceived "payoff" - remain involved with them and give them money and support them and aid and abet the continued existence of those criminal enterprises and thus facilitate the ability of church criminals and political criminals and other types of criminals to continue to commit their crimes.]

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18 MARCH 2018

You can click on the picture link which has now been added for video "Number Ten" in the upper right-hand column on this page.

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