Monday, March 20, 2006
The End of Illusion
Each of us already has Buddha Consciousness. We were born with it. Yet, we are taught to perceive that we are only bodies with minds, each separate and alone and vulnerable in this World. We are taught to perceive this way as children. We are told that reality is this or that, that something is good or bad, to conform to the parent's or group's viewpoint. Not unlike believing that the Earth was the center of the Universe, when in fact it wasn't. How many lone voices were put to death refuting that idea? When we Awaken, we see the World anew, see reality differently, or maybe enter a new, more wonderful dream. Each individual has a unique trigger which initiates the Awakening. For some, it is great suffering. For others, it is concerted effort at living on the razor's edge of the Now through religions like Zen or a dangerous activity such as mountain climbing. For yet, others, a word or phrase or image causes their mental resistance to dissolve and they spontaneously Awaken. The Buddha had to work at Enlightenment. Jesus probably spontaneously became Enlightened, though we don't know how. His Baptism is given as the triggering event in The New Testament. For Tolle, it was great suffering to the point of suicide that triggered his Awakening. It is said that women will awaken before men because they are more in touch with their bodies and their minds don't imprison women like men's minds do them. I believe that we are seeing this already. Women are starting to Awaken.
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Yes, we're only taught to perceive separation. Sad, really.
Many cautions and corrections follow; I mean them kindly. You write with a lot of confidence; be careful that you are not overconfident in what you presume to know. You write of your interpretations of how I describe my experiences; you write about how it seems to you, as though that were positive fact - can you see what folly that might be?
As one intelligent person to another: we bring with us extra dangers. Intellectual questions are answered with the intellect; spiritual questions are not answered in the same way. Crossing from the intellectual into the spiritual realm, we move from universally shared verifiable certainties to knowing only our own perceptions. If perception grows in a linear fashion, the boundaries of what might be percieved grows in an exponential fashion (so it seems to me). I caution you against believing too soon that you understand what you might not, or that you understand in full what you do not.
Your comments on my blog are helpful-and-not. Here's the rub: trying to tell me just won't do if I'm not there yet, (and in my experience it's better not to try). I have go through the process myself; the questions have to be lived through; I have to know for myself. I think you understand that already.
Again from my vantage point, on awakening - not just women, but men also.
Many cautions and corrections follow; I mean them kindly. You write with a lot of confidence; be careful that you are not overconfident in what you presume to know. You write of your interpretations of how I describe my experiences; you write about how it seems to you, as though that were positive fact - can you see what folly that might be?
As one intelligent person to another: we bring with us extra dangers. Intellectual questions are answered with the intellect; spiritual questions are not answered in the same way. Crossing from the intellectual into the spiritual realm, we move from universally shared verifiable certainties to knowing only our own perceptions. If perception grows in a linear fashion, the boundaries of what might be percieved grows in an exponential fashion (so it seems to me). I caution you against believing too soon that you understand what you might not, or that you understand in full what you do not.
Your comments on my blog are helpful-and-not. Here's the rub: trying to tell me just won't do if I'm not there yet, (and in my experience it's better not to try). I have go through the process myself; the questions have to be lived through; I have to know for myself. I think you understand that already.
Again from my vantage point, on awakening - not just women, but men also.
What I perceive will only be fragments of the totality of what is. Some of what I am saying is knowledge gleaned from those who are awakened already. Some of what I say I have already experienced. I know for myself that driving a car awakens me because I have to stay alert driving the car. There is no time for daydreaming or being lost in thought. Everyone's experiences will be unique and colored by their own perceptions. Perhaps I should just shut up and let things be. It is easier for women to awaken. It has always been thus. If it were not for men who labelled and killed the wise women as witches, who killed the librarian of Alexandria perhaps the World would be a different place. Almost every Western religion subjugates women because 2000 years ago, women were nothing, but property. They weren't considered full human beings. Society has corrected that deficit, but religion still has some catching up to do. But it is as it is. Each of us makes choices each and every moment. We struggle between mind and spirit though many don't know it. A few do.
I do not mean to come across as a "wise" man or a "awakened" man. I am not fully there yet. I can only point you to Truth as I know it. The key thing here is to awaken yourself in your own way. Each flower blossoms in its own time, in its own way. As Jesus said, " You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free". Know your Truth. Do not care about what I or any one else says. Experience for yourself, Julie, as you are doing so now. And forgive me if I have done you wrong, because that was not my intention.
I do not mean to come across as a "wise" man or a "awakened" man. I am not fully there yet. I can only point you to Truth as I know it. The key thing here is to awaken yourself in your own way. Each flower blossoms in its own time, in its own way. As Jesus said, " You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free". Know your Truth. Do not care about what I or any one else says. Experience for yourself, Julie, as you are doing so now. And forgive me if I have done you wrong, because that was not my intention.
In watching a couple other people elsewhere with their own awakenings, it's challenging to be encouraging but to have the discretion to leave everybody to his own path. To write nudges rather than sermons. (I deal with that by writing posts-inspired-by-posts, so as not to invade somebody's comment area by expostulating too much... like I'm doing now...)
It's no problem for me to reject things that don't match my experience; the challenge is to be both direct and kind.
I think... you really do need to stop trying so hard. :) The universe is proceeding exactly as it should...
It's no problem for me to reject things that don't match my experience; the challenge is to be both direct and kind.
I think... you really do need to stop trying so hard. :) The universe is proceeding exactly as it should...
Yes, but the curse of intelligence is to know that it could be a better place if people were not so selfish, if people were more compassionate and kind. It is also human nature to share beauty when one finds it. You are not the only idealist. You don't get a PhD in a scientific discipline if you aren't some sort of idealist. Sometimes I'm too passionate and intense. Yes, my lesson here is to let go and let things be.
John and Julie,
Thank you for sharing this dance. Your conversation was engaging. It had tension and awkwardness, emotion and intelligence, elegance and beauty. It had both humanity and spirit. It seems that wakeful consciousness enjoys dancing like this.
Warmly,
Aki
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Thank you for sharing this dance. Your conversation was engaging. It had tension and awkwardness, emotion and intelligence, elegance and beauty. It had both humanity and spirit. It seems that wakeful consciousness enjoys dancing like this.
Warmly,
Aki
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