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.
"SEEK NOT TO FIND WHO YOU ARE. INSTEAD, SEEK TO FIND ALL YOU ARE NOT."
THE FOURTH DEGREE: MOVEMENT TOWARD REALITY
(Excerpted from a 2004 Satsang session)
Q.2 : “Is ‘marriage’ a concept?”
F.: “Of course. Anything you can name is a concept.”
Q. 2: “So, if all has to dissolve and one has to give up every concept, must marriage be abandoned in order to continue this journey?”
F.: “I invited you to allow all personas to dissolve. Just because the role of 'husband' dissolves does not mean that a series of happenings must stop. Sex, reproduction, work, house-sharing, child-rearing . . . all that can continue to happen.
The difference is that after realization, all those happenings may continue to happen or not, but no person will be involved with the happenings; also, the absence of ego-states will herald an absence of emotional intoxication.
Moreover, when realized, one understands what is permanent and what is not. Energy and matter are permanent, including conscious-energy. The body is not; thus, energy-matter is real and the human body and mind and personalities are temporary and are not the real. Is marriage forever?
Q. 2: “I suppose not.”
F.: “You suppose? Have you seen any divorce rates recently?” [Laughter.]
Q. 2: “But some people stay married until they die . . . uh . . . until they take mahasamadhi.”
F.: “And after they die, does their marriage continue?”
Q 2.: “You’re trying to trap me.”
F.: “Hardly. I’m trying to free you from the trap you are already caught in. Let’s review. What is the composite unity?”
Q. 2: “I need to review my notes.”
F.: [Look of resignation] “See why we were told that ‘Jesus / Yeshu’a wept?’ After all his time and energy, his disciples still did not get it; that is, did not get freedom from their earlier programming, conditioning, etc.
The composite unity is a combination of plant food elements which have come together temporarily and which have formed a space through which oxygen can cycle and conscious-energy can cycle. Those two are never fixed inside the body.
They must constantly be cycled, coming and going. And when mahasamadhi is taken, the elements return to the universal pool of elements, the oxygen returns to the universal pool of oxygen, and the conscious-energy returns to the universal pool of conscious-energy. And never again shall any of those meet.
So no part of any human or animal or bird or fish body survives the taking of mahasamadhi.” [Q.2 raises his hand.] “Put your hand down, please. I'll head off your objection right now: there never has been, and there is not now, and there never shall be ‘a soul’ inside the space formed by plant food elements. [Q. 2 twists up his face. I twist up my face like his and then laughter follows.]
So no, souls cannot go to heaven and continue a marriage. And what if one partner is allowed into heaven and the other is sent to hell? I guess God divorced them? And what about those who have have 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 marriages?
Which of all those mates would they end up with if they all make it into
heaven? And be honest. After a couple spends years together, do you believe
that both would be equally as excited about continuing that prospect forever? When
Maharaj’s wife died, there were people in Bombay / Mumbai who were constantly
trying to 'fix him up.'
Finally, one frustrated matchmaker asked, “Are you ever going to marry again?” He replied, “I am already married again. I am married to freedom.”
That said, husband, wife, etc. are roles, so they are not real. Can ‘husbanding’ still happen? Sure. Can ‘wifing’ still happen? Sure. Just not with all the strum and drang that come if persons believe in those false roles. They are forever an instance away from ending.
Realize and then no images believed before to be real will be taken as the real after understanding the functioning of the Totality, but the full array of all those happenings can, nevertheless, still occur. With no persona to experience anything, the experiencing of the fears and desires that accompany the assumption of false identities will end.
Persons experience; consciousness experiences nothing. Impure consciousness believes experiences to be real; pure consciousness simply witnesses.
Reaching the fourth level we’re discussing involves purifying, filtering, removing obstacles in order to see clearly. It’s about returning to that state when the child was conscious of its presence but not conscious of any beliefs or ideas.
The consciousness was pure, devoid of lies and fabrications and prior to programming and conditioning. This is the point at which the effects of your learned ignorance, your conditioning, and your programming should be seen and cast aside, once and for all. You are within a step of reaching a state of authenticity.
Obviously, the understanding can only be understood when truth is seen, and truth can only be seen when all of the false has been noted and discarded. Then authenticity can springs into view when the last state-of-being dissolves. The shift to the earliest Child Ignorance Step or the No-Knowing State begins to purge the corrupted, variable mind of all false identities and beliefs so that you can understand the truth.
We are looking at all that you take to be ‘within’ and see it has always been false, as is all which you take to be ‘outside.’ In truth, none of it is anything more than movements in contaminated or blocked consciousness.
Moreover, there is no triad of perceiver, perceived, perceiving. The first two are illusions and even the perceiving will dissolve when consciousness is no longer manifested.”
Q. 2: “So, how to be rid of all my ideas and beliefs once and for all?”
F.: “See that there are no ‘my’ ideas or ‘my’ beliefs. They are 'theirs ideas,' and 'theirs' are dreamed up . . . not real. They are false.
Accept that and then let all ideas and beliefs dissolve, including mine after realization. Now, enough talk about forfeiting the learned ignorance. We’ve reached a juncture where meditation is called for. I suggest you spend time now in the quiet.
Focus consideration on where we have been so far on the journey: review our discussions regarding the misery of accepting the limiting view that you are your body, of taking a corrupted mind's beliefs as real, and of the various personalities you’ve assumed.
Review the power of two personas in particular that - if assumed to be who you are - will prevent any further movement along the path, namely, ‘The Super Religious One’ and ‘The Spiritual Giant.’
All knowledge has availed you nothing, so you’re being invited to try something different: let it all go. If you reach that no-body, no-false identities, no-false beliefs stage, then you’re ready to return to the Child No-Knowing State.
Remember, the non-dualist Yeshu’a was reported to have said, ‘I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never be able to come unto me.’ Go now and meditate on all these words. See the body lies, the mind lies, the personality lies . . . see all the lies and abandon belief in them completely.”
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:
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