ANNOUNCEMENTS
[Walter Driscoll asked to interview me in order to preserve on video some of the latest modifications and evolutions in the versions of the message offered here since 1989. He would label the discussion, "Unlearning with Floyd Henderson."
Please note: For those who have a problem hearing what is being shared, the video offers a fairly accurate set of closed captions which some listeners might want to activate.
The interview is available for viewing by clicking on video "NUMBER THIRTEEN" in the column to the right. Also, by clicking on NUMBER FOURTEEN," visitors can also see the introductory discussion on non-duality on Walter's non-duality site and then a Q and A session which followed.]
1. [See the offer in gold text following this post for details on how you can watch a retreat on video which includes a detailed discussion of all of the steps on the path as used by Maharaj]
2. 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 green text after today's post for the full meaning and implications of that.
3. A newer video ("Number Ten: Awakening Together Satsang, March 2018") has now been added in the far right column of this page, offering the opportunity to view a recent 2018 satsang session with Floyd being interviewed by Regina and Jacqueline of "The Awakening Together Group." (See the details in the blue text after this post.)
4. Some prefer paperback books even if they have to wait a day or so to receive it and have to pay more for a printed book and its shipment. Now, 10 paperback books by Henderson are in print and available in two anthologies through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and over 40,000+ booksellers around the globe including in the Americas, Germany, India, Italy, Poland, Russia, China, Spain, Brazil and South Korea. See the end of this post in red text for details.
5. Would you like to have us send to someone as a gift from you a copy of any ebook in our inventory?
6. You may purchase a Floyd Henderson Shopify Gift Card here for someone and offer recommendations for the books in Floyd's store which might be of assistance to them.
7. You may click here to visit Floyd's bookstore which offers both digital books and paperback books which deal with non-duality, non-duality-based fictional adventures, recovery, and financial budgeting.
ARE YOU AT THE WET CHARCOAL STAGE OR THE GUNPOWDER STAGE?
(Most haven’t a clue and must be told)
Pointers from Maharaj make clear that both (2) keeping the relative existence simple rather than complicated and (b) casting aside belief in any and all personality identifications are vital.
“. . . Personality is only an obstacle.”
“The dissolution of personality is followed always by a sense of great relief, as if a heavy burden has fallen off.”
“How utterly dependent is the personality.”
“You are deeply complex, mysterious, hard to understand.”
“Give up all ideas about yourself and simply be.”
“It is all very simple; it is the presence of the person that complicates.”
“You are afraid of being impersonal.”
and
“Realization is but the opposite of ignorance.”
The first three steps on the “journey” to full realization involve casting aside the illusions of body and mind and personality identification. The effects of personality are being discussed in this series, along with the disorders which flow out of personality identification.
The traits and behaviors
associated with the various personality disorders provide evidence of how
personality generates a sense of separation; how personality generates
arrogance which in turn generates more sense of separation; how personality
generates behaviors that result in separation in the relative existence; and
how all personality and persona-adoption generate misery.
Three personality disorders especially focused on in this series generate those
very traits and behaviors that the non-dual understanding would eliminate.
Several e-mails have arrived recently from persons living with narcissists.
One e-mail contained a defense
of the narcissist in her life, saying, “My counselor said she thought my
husband was a narciisist [sic]. He can be somewhat irritating at times,
but there’s no way this man could ever be sociopathic and my counselor never
said anything about that either. He’s a very successful commodities trader,
usually #1 every month, and a great husband and a wonderful father who works
hard to care for his family. You’re wrong to link the two [disorders].”
In spite of the examples offered, many persons will deny that “their
narcissist” could ever behave in a sociopathic fashion. (Many are being
influenced by their own narcissism, as might be the case above. Others use
rationalization or minimalization to justify a mate's behavior. Such enabling
perpetuates the problem, relatively speaking.)
Most want to believe that
sociopaths are only those murderers or mass murderers who make the headlines,
but Dr. Robert Hare - a leading researcher of the Antisocial Personality
Disorder points out that . . .
. . . too many people hold the idea that psychopaths are essentially killers or
convicts. The general public hasn't been educated to see beyond the social
stereotypes to understand that psychopaths can be entrepreneurs, politicians,
CEOs and others considered to be “successful individuals” who may never see the inside of a
prison and who don't commit violent crimes.
However, they do often commit violations of another sort: they exploit people and leave them depleted and much the worse for the encounter. They prove to be treacherous employees, conniving businessmen, or immoral officials who use their position to victimize people and enrich themselves.
It can be seen that sociopaths and narcissists share their common traits with a third group, those displaying the traits of the Addictive Personality Disorder. Realization cannot happen for sociopaths and narcissists or addicts unless their disorders are successfully treated and unless all effects of their disorders are removed, and that is a rare happenstance.
That rarity is the basis of
Maharaj’s prediction that few will ever realize, even among those rare
instances when one finds a realized guide and who seek the understanding
diligently. It is also the basis of the non-dual invitation to be completely
free of personality.
It will be shown that persons with the Additive Personality Disorder (APD)
often display evidence of the Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) as well
as the Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). So while some researchers
suggest that only a small percentage of the population of the planet might be
extremely sociopathic or extremely narcissistic, that assessment is misleading.
By the time you add in overly-stressed or overly-pious Personality Type Threes
and Sixes who become narcissistic and can become sociopaths, and then add in
those with NPD and those with ASPD, and finally add in those with APD, the
traits and behaviors being discussed in this series dominate persons across the
globe.
And that is why non-duality focuses
on the (relative) scourge of personality identification and the (relative) ills
which are generated by personality identification and by the subsequent
personality disorders.
For realization to happen, all personality must be cast aside. Were
personality to end, all personality disorders that mark the relative existence
would end. But that will not happen.
Far too many have been
programmed and conditioned and far too many have had the consciousness warped
far too badly for any degree of logic and reason and sane conduct to manifest
across the globe. Only a few will ever realize and be truly free of the effects
of personality.
But is it becoming clear why personality identification and personality
disorders block realization? Is it becoming clear how sick the masses are when
driven by personality identification and personality disorders? Is it becoming
clear why personality will prevent most from ever realizing? Is it becoming
clear why the relative existence is marked with so much insane-like behavior?
Is it becoming clear why fully
realized guide start the process by guiding their protégés beyond
body-mind-personality identification? Is it becoming clear why “non-dualists”
point out (a) the traits and behaviors that result from personality disorders
and emphasize the fact that (b) freedom from those traits and behaviors is
attainable?
To see the traits and behaviors which are generated by personality
identification and the personality disorders discussed in this series is to see
the relative effects that persons could be freed of via full realization.
By seeing the traits and behaviors which personality engenders, there might be a remote possibility that some persons might recognize in themselves these traits and behaviors. The non-dual understanding can offer a means of being free of those traits and behaviors.
Here is how Maharaj defined realization: “Realization is but the opposite of ignorance.”
Now, here is a partial list of
what full realization eliminates:
1. Realization eliminates arrogance
2. Realization eliminates the absence of empathy
3. Realization eliminates the inability to understand that love in this
relative existence is only love if it is unconditional, unconditioned, and free
of self-centeredness
4. Realization eliminates the inability to know and feel the unicity
5. Realization eliminates envy
6. Realization eliminates desires and fears that are based in the perceived
needs that are dreamed up by ego-states
7. Realization eliminates identification with body-mind-personality
8. Realization sometimes eliminates personality disorders by eliminating
personality identification
9. Realization eliminates the adoption and defense of false images
10. Realization eliminates all sense of separation
11. Realization eliminates the assumption of ego-states, so it also eliminates
the use of ego-defense mechanisms and egotism as well
]12. Realization eliminates irritability, restlessness, and an otherwise
ever-present sense of emptiness and discontentment
13. Realization eliminates attachment to conflict, destruction, judgmentalism,
and self-serving concepts
14. Realization eliminates that sense of never truly being at ease
15. Realization eliminates outbursts and raging
16. Realization eliminates attachment to phoniness
17. Realization eliminates desires for power that can be used to control
18. Realization eliminates the drive to manipulate and use and/or abuse
19. Realization eliminates delusions of grandeur and
20. Realization eliminates belief in the fanciful and eliminates magical thinking.
Might realization be for “you”?
To be continued.
Please enter into the silence of contemplation.
To watch the most recent talk and Q&A with Walter and his guests, click:
Walter Driscoll and Floyd Henderson
To watch the interview when Walter and Floyd discussed the fact that the Ultimate Sickness is a mental / mind sickness and why learning more is not the answer and why unlearning is the answer, click:
