HINDU BY “BIRTH,” BUT INVESTIGATING ADVAITA, Part Eight

FROM A SITE VISITOR: [Please see the 02 November 2007 post for the e-mail which is being responded to today]

(The exchange continues):

F.: Now, Vignesh, you are invited to revisit some of your comments about “God” and “religion” and “holy” writings in light of the pointers offered over the last days:

V.: “My concept of Brahman(God) has so far been like…,” and “in every religion there is no parallel existence to God,” and “God does not change,” and” “Even if there is Consciousness, how could God become aware of It's existence…?” and “But that is not in line with the teachings of the Upanishads, right?”

F.: What a waste of energy, yes? What a waste of time that could be spent dancing and enjoying the lightness of being, yes? Why a waste? Why spend time debating with yourself or others about mirages? See that a mirage is a mirage and move on down the road. But that is nearly impossible for those who, from childhood and then throughout adulthood, have been programmed to believe in duality, in god(s), in holy men, and in holy books.

Maharaj said: “First of all you identify something as being good or bad for yourself. Then, in an effort to acquire good or to get rid of the bad, you have invented God. Then you worship such a God and…you pray to that God for something good to happen to you.”

Note that duality drives the invention of gods, that the invention of gods drives the writing of dualistic (“holy”) books, that dualistic (“holy”) books generate organized religions and spiritual movements, and that religions and spiritual movements generate and support more dualistic concepts: good, bad, right, wrong, reward, punishment, heaven, hell, etc., resulting in a closed loop of learned ignorance.

Why is there no need for holy books and religion and worship and spiritual movements? Because Truth cannot be stated; thus, there is no need for any priest or preacher or prophet or rabbi or imam or medicine man to assume it is his task to tell you what the Truth is. Truth cannot be stated. There is no need for any “holy” man (it is almost always a man, is it not?) to write what he claims are “holy words of God’s Truth” because the Truth cannot be written any more than it can be stated.

However, Truth can be realized by tapping into “the intellect” (actually the pure consciousness) via the inner guru, but many adhere to the view expressed by Loyola who wrote that Catholics “… sacrifice the intellect to God.” (No argument there, but the practice is not limited to any single denomination but is common throughout all religions and sects and “programs” and spiritual movements as well.)

For an objective witness to see how “religious leaders” have required the forfeiture of logic and reason over the ages can lead such a witness to question their invitation to abandon logic and reason; can lead to the objective witness eventually discarding all false beliefs; and can prepare the way for Truth to spring into awareness via the re-purified consciousness.

Yet the forfeiture of logic and reason among persons who are religiously or spiritually programmed, as you have been, is a result of the same programming that inspires many to agree with the belief of Luther who said, “Reason is the Devil’s harlot….”

It is that type of disdain for reason—along with the inflation of the worth of “unquestioning faith”—that has led trillions of people over the millennia to accept that Buddha, Krishna, and Christ were all conceived in some virginal fashion and were all born in manners that (supposedly) did not involve the use of a violated-by-a-male birth canal. So much for holy words in holy books.

If you want to rely on books as your source of truth, then read enough books and treatises and essays to receive a balanced view: Read Freud’s The Future of an Illusion in which he reports, “Where questions of religions are concerned, people are guilty of every possible sort of dishonesty and intellectual misdemeanor.”

Read Heine’s Gedaken: “In dark ages people are best guided by religion, as in pitch-black a blind man is the best guide; he knows the roads and paths better than a man who can see. When daylight comes, however, it is foolish to use blind old men as guides.”

But in the end, what good are any of the readings from believers or non-believers? One group shouts “Aye” and the other immediately shouts “Nay.” The task for you is not to find out what all of them think they know but for You to find the answer to this question: “What do You know?" The third step of the "journey" to Realization is a religious or spiritual step. The step must be taken; however, to complete the "journey," the third step must be transitioned.

To find the answer to the question above, you must cast aside all of the beliefs that are “theirs,” then conduct a Self-Inquiry, and thereafter determine what You have always known but do not remember at this moment because of programming and conditioning. That which blocks the realization of that which You have always known is the impure (programmed and conditioned) consciousness.

The obstructions that have blocked "you" from knowing You are the same obstructions that prevent the seeing of Truth because they create a miasma of lies called “the mind.” That miasma includes such obstacles as dogma, ideas, beliefs, and concepts.

For beginners, Vignesh, the suggestion is to stay with the “I Am” only until the last ego-state and concept and belief dissolves. Eventually, even the “I-Amness” can be transcended, and then, abidance as the Absolute can happen. The “you” will disappear, You will stop functioning as if the various "you's" are real, and You will abide as the one and only You for the remainder of the manifestation. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
RELATED TO TODAY’S TOPIC:

Click FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)

NEW ADVAITA PACKAGES AVAILABLE AT REDUCED RATES:

The Entire Advaita Collection (all twelve items in all three of the packages below): $187.00 + S&H

“The Advaitin Beginner’s Package”: The Meditation CD, two Meditation Guides, Bullshit, and Spiritual Sobriety $62.00 + S&H

“The Mid-Level Seeker’s Package”: Peace of Mind, Liberation, What Happens When I Die? and The Essence of the Teachings $54.00 + S&H

“The Advanced Advaitin Seeker’s Package”: From the I to the Absolute, Consciousness/Awareness, and From the Absolute to the Nothingness $45.00 + S&H

To order, visit http://floydhenderson.com/order.htm .

HINDU BY “BIRTH,” BUT INVESTIGATING ADVAITA, Part Five

[Please note: Departing today for a vacation trip to the Hill Country. If my companion can pick up a WiFi signal on her notebook, postings will continue; otherwise, this series will continue Friday morning.]

FROM A SITE VISITOR: [Please see the 02 November 2007 post for the e-mail which is being responded to today]

F.: (The exchange continues):

V.: I understand that this would be the case even if i believed God to be a Spirit. I mean, there is not much difference. the Void should know nothing exists.

F.: First, there is no difference at all in “God” and “Spirit.” Both are illusory concepts. Secondly, a Void can know nothing. Are you seeing why more questions and reading are required before any additional effort is made to verbalize your understanding? Putting your thoughts into words at this point can only reinforce your misconceptions and, if shared with other beginners, can only add to their confusion.

Further, it is not only a Void that knows nothing post-manifestation. That "state" is beyond beingness and non-beingness, so there is no “one” to know anything: no self, no Self, no Infinite Self-ness, no Ultimate Self-ness. As reported, awareness in that state is not even aware of awareness, is not even aware of “itself,” so to speak. The phenomena of self-awareness and Self-Awareness are limited to the manifestation.

Here’s some background that might facilitate the understanding of consciousness. In the original case of consciousness manifesting in the void that would become what is called “this universe,” a subatomic particle of the very first atom was “conscious of” the movement of another subatomic particle.

(The proton and the electron particles “stayed together” because the electrical charge of each “attracted” the other in this original instance of the simplest form of conscious-of-ness, “a” being conscious of “b” and vice versa.) The movement of one affected the movement of the other, but neither particle was conscious of “itself.”

V.: The spirit should know nothing else exists. But how does this knowledge comes in the first place?

F.: The knowledge (of self) comes spontaneously, a now common happening that first began after all of the elements evolved over billions of years in such a manner that the consciousness was able to manifest spontaneously. (Consider the bird or the deer that moves deeper into the forest to avoid a human walking through the woods: both have knowledge of self, both are aware of the beingness, and both move away from the perceived threat of the unknown in order to sustain continuity.)

Among humans, the knowledge of beingness also manifests spontaneously; additionally, the knowledge of Self manifests spontaneously, but the supposed knowledge of (false) self or selves follows programming. That the knowledge of Self is known intuitively is shown by the one who answers “Yes” to the question, “Would You still be You even if your body lost its arms and legs?” Awareness of the fact that Self is beyond self is intuitive and spontaneous, but the awareness is lost via the corrupting of the consciousness. All other so-called "knowledge" comes via programming and conditioning and enculturation and domestication, and—when religious and spiritual concepts are introduced—the ideas accepted as “truth” do not constitute knowledge but form a collection of “learned ignorance.”

In a followup e-mail:

V.: Does the concept of Brahman start with manifestation only?

F.: Indeed, all concepts start post-manifestation only. God did not create men. Men created God (or multiple gods) via the consciousness that is warped as a result of fears and desires. Men have created all concepts. In regards to that subject, Maharaj shared the following to show how belief in duality precedes belief in god(s):

“First of all you identify something as being good or bad for yourself. Then, in an effort to acquire good or to get rid of the bad, you have invented a God. Then you worship such a God and ... you pray to that God for something good to happen to you.”

V.: I think I am beginning to understand. I'd like to ponder more over what you said before i can ask anything further.

F.: As a Realized Cherokee grandmother advised, “Take at least three moons to dwell on any consideration prior to response,” so your inclination to consider and ponder is well-founded. In fact, seventy-two hours might be an overly-optimistic timeframe. Some persons require years of consideration of pointers before all lies are seen to be lies, allowing an understanding of Truth to finally explode into awareness via the re-purified consciousness. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued]
RELATED TO TODAY’S TOPIC:

Click FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)

NEW ADVAITA PACKAGES AVAILABLE AT REDUCED RATES:

The Entire Advaita Collection (all twelve items in all three of the packages below): $187.00 + S&H

“The Advaitin Beginner’s Package”: The Meditation CD, two Meditation Guides, Bullshit, and Spiritual Sobriety $62.00 + S&H

“The Mid-Level Seeker’s Package”: Peace of Mind, Liberation, What Happens When I Die? and The Essence of the Teachings $54.00 + S&H

“The Advanced Advaitin Seeker’s Package”: From the I to the Absolute, Consciousness/Awareness, and From the Absolute to the Nothingness $45.00 + S&H

To order, visit http://floydhenderson.com/order.htm .

YES, WE SHIP INTERNATIONALLY. New rates by the USPS went into effect in May 2007. You may visit http://ircalc.usps.gov/ to calculate rates and view options. (Select your country, then in the “weight” box, estimate 1 pound per each book ordered.) Add $5 to cover package preparation, the assistant's trip to and from the PO, and the time for completion of international shipping forms.

HINDU BY “BIRTH,” BUT INVESTIGATING ADVAITA, Part Four

FROM A SITE VISITOR: [Please see the 02 November 2007 post for the e-mail which is being responded to today]

F.: (The exchange continues):

V.: Now, in every religion there is no parallel existence to God. God does not change also. Even if there is Consciousness, how could God become aware of It's existence, unless there is some percievable change within it? Hypothetically, if i became deaf,blind,numb to touch, insensitive to smell all at the same time and there is no bodily feeling inside me, and my memories got erased too that wud mean i'm in a coma right?

F.: The suggestion for you at this point, Vignesh, is to keep it simple. A piece of advice received during the early stages of the “journey” will now be passed along to you: “It is obvious, at this juncture, that you should ask more questions, make fewer statements, and meditate upon the pointers offered.” To that end, pointers for meditation will be offered.

As for the comments above, when the “you” that you think you are is sleeping, the consciousness knows that the elemental plant-food-body is sleeping. That said, focus more on the fact that you are using the "mind" to over-analyze, but the “mind” will prove to be useless in this process. In actuality, it is part of “the problem,” but if the process is completed, the “mind” (a repository of all ideas, concepts, lies, distortions and erroneous beliefs) will be eliminated.

[A pointer for further consideration in quiet meditation: Also eliminated along with the “mind” will be your programming to desire more. You mention religion. Understand that religion is about more: more “life,” more “advancement,” more “rewards,” more “blessings,” more "security," more "power," etc. Understand that Advaita, in its purest form, is a philosophy that is about less.]

Next, to the concept of “God” you mention:

Regarding this “God” of which you speak, would that be (A) a “creator God,” (B) a “sustainer God,” (C) a "God of destruction" or (D) all of the paganistic, multiple gods of lore, sometimes all rolled into one (as is the case of “Abraham’s One God”)?

If “A,” understand that neither matter nor energy can be created; thus, wherefore a “creator”? Infinite is infinite, whether speaking of it at the end of an imaginary timeline as the religious often do or whether reconsidering it in “the other direction”—not “after” but “before” and “always.” Energy and matter have existed infinitely and will exist infinitely.

[A pointer for further consideration in quiet meditation: What IS has always been and was not, therefore, "created." The religious can seem to grasp the notion of “infinity” after death but refuse to accept that infinite is as valid "to the left" on their conceptual timeline as it is "to the right" on their "birth-life-death-judgment-reward or punishment" conceptualized timeline.]

If your "God" reference is to “B”—a sustainer God—understand that energy/matter is continuous…without support, without a sustainer, without any contribution from anything. Thus, energy/matter is not “sustained” but simply is…forever independent of any creator…forever independent of any sustainer…beyond creation and beyond destruction.

[Consideration for meditation: The same applies to That Which You Are and to That Which I Am: I have been continuous and shall be forever, present before all time and present at the initiation of all universes. And that is the factual reality though no “former” plant food body existed. Further, it is also a factual reality though this present plant-food-body is not Me and though no “mind” or “personality” ever existed or currently exists.]

Why has there been no sustaining of matter or energy? Elements cycles into temporary forms and out of temporary form-ness and then return to the universal pool of elements; the breath cycles into and out of spaces/forms, and then eventually returns to the universal pool of air; the conscious-energy manifests and unmanifests, thus returning to the universal pool of energy. Neither creation nor sustenance is involved in that which cycles (or "circles," as opposed to that which religion would measure with a straight line, namely, their fictional beginning-end-eternity continuum).

[A consideration for meditation: Understand that timelines are fiction, understand what actually cycles, understand what does not cycle, and then You'll know why You were not born, why You cannot die, and why You, therefore, cannot be re-born either.]

If, however, the God you are speaking of is (C) a God of Destruction, then understand again that neither matter nor energy can be destroyed. Thus, no creation, no sustaining, and no destruction.

V.: How could i be aware of my own existence, without even knowing any external or internal changes happening?

F.: That Which I Truly Am and Which You Truly Are has never changed at all. I Am the constant. You Are the constant. Anything that is “changing” is illusion.

The challenge you face, Vignesh, is to set aside all that you think you know about Advaita and Hinduism and life and death and Brahman and God and the functioning of the totality and the Void and to take the primary steps required to build the foundation that is required for the full understanding to happen.

Go back to the starting point (the body identification) and be free of that first. Then, the “mind” that is being overly-utilized can be cast aside, as can identification with all personas (including any religious and/or spiritual personas that are lingering).

Only then can you move through the steps to Realization in the logical order required. Regards. Please enter the silence of contemplation. (To be continued)
RELATED TO TODAY’S TOPIC:

Click FROM THE I TO THE ABSOLUTE (A Seven-Step Journey to Reality)

NEW ADVAITA PACKAGES AVAILABLE AT REDUCED RATES:

The Entire Advaita Collection (all twelve items in all three of the packages below): $187.00 + S&H

“The Advaitin Beginner’s Package”: The Meditation CD, two Meditation Guides, Bullshit, and Spiritual Sobriety $62.00 + S&H

“The Mid-Level Seeker’s Package”: Peace of Mind, Liberation, What Happens When I Die? and The Essence of the Teachings $54.00 + S&H

“The Advanced Advaitin Seeker’s Package”: From the I to the Absolute, Consciousness/Awareness, and From the Absolute to the Nothingness $45.00 + S&H

To order, visit http://floydhenderson.com/order.htm .