Ok, Ok, Yes I agree that knowledge and practice of knowledge such as mantras, japa, meditation, pujas, havens, etc. is of great value in that they refine the physiology, culture the heart, and thereby evolve us. 🧚♀️
But I am talking about intellectual understanding here and, even more importantly, the integration of that knowledge into your behavior. In my podcasts for example, so many listened to the podcasts on paradigm identity, reality continuum, and mapping and some felt confident that they knew all about it. You may have even found the topic boring since you had already heard about it. But then in the podcasts about the enlightened city and coronavirus you do well to ask yourself if you thought and felt along the lines of those principles or just fell back on your old paradigm identity and evaluated everything based upon that identity. For example, was the notion of positive attracts negative just not acceptible by your paradigm identity? How about the notion of mapping an enlightened city onto a nation? Or how about different perspectives on the coronavirus? In my conversations with people, I have seen how few are able to do look beyond their paradigm identity. 👁
Also in daily life in general, how many behave with wisdom and reflection? How many still act instinctively and spontaneously based upon their emotional and psychological programming? In particular when life becomes challenging, how many behave not in accord with their inner wisdom but rather upon the rakshasa value that dwells within—perhaps anger, judgement or even hatred? Suddenly ones true spiritual level comes into question. Yes? 😡
Keep in mind that knowing all about spirituality is a good beginning often mistaken for the goal. If you choose to white knuckle onto your judgements and hostilities, they will, of course, stay with you longer. Expansion of awareness, of consciousness, is no simplistic task. It is the journey of the true hero. There is no way around that. Attacking anything you do not feel one with is not the path to unity. Learn to under-stand and not over-stand. Humility is the flip side of wisdom. I have said all these things before. But every indidvidual does well of take a step back and observe their own behavior. How quickly the peace and love attitude morphs into antifa. 🤯
Please keep in mind that this is Kali Yuga—the age when the rakshasas dwell within the hearts and minds of the people. It is not so hard to believe that about other people. But the most important person to know and work with in that regard is yourself. 😱
We just posted another podcast called Coronavirus: Taking a stand. It would be a good exercise to explore where you go with it in light of what has been said here. You can access that podcast by clicking here. 🙏
I love the use of the emojis with this blog! So often, when I read scripture, my adult self shows up, because, after all, attending church requires us to be on our best behavior. My intellectual student shows up to read your blogs, because, after all, it’s important to understand what I’m being taught. But this time, I got to read it as a little kid – at least the third time I read it. Of course, you’ve met my resistant teenager a few times, also! 🙃
Looking in the mirror is the whole game, at least the active game (excluding meditation, etc.) Those in-dwelling rakshasas are hanging on for dear life. I have tried to change or manage other people a million times. It never works, not really.
Even trying to change myself is like wearing down a stone with a water drip- slow, slow, slow. People who have known me forever do say that I have changed for the better. I am more mellow and not as easily aggravated. I can feel the changes too. Life is so much easier when I’m not being upset by things not readily going my way.
Thank God for Michaelji and all his teachings. To me they are a lifesaver.
Mary and Mark,
I enjoyed both of your lovely comments. And of course as you know Mark, in a transgradient sense, meditation is ‘looking in the mirror’ in the deepest sense of the expression. Everything exists transgradiently, as we often say. I know you know that full well, but I felt inclined to mention it here.
In a way, the study of the Vedas, exploring knowledge, having intelligent action can bring a understanding of our identifications or your mapping. Self-reflection is necessary for self awareness and also for the development and of ego structures both healthy and unhealthy. Having the I (me) and It (primordial ground) separate, can serve to improve ourselves (ego), by knowing perfect discernment, being strong, kind, willful, pure, etc, by having a ego ideal to compare, judge and criticize. This can be a valid way to work on self awareness, educating ourselves, learning more about who we are as a person, and necessary for working through our thickness, or veils, or boundaries to who we truly are, and getting in touch with our essential nature. Or even if someone is lost and empty can uplift their spirit. Being in the world of duality has a purpose on function. And in the end who is it that is really reflecting?
Now with Vendata, “end of knowledge” there is no reflection. No separation from the self that is the absolute, the dark mystery at the depth that is awareness itself. If we self reflect at this point nothing happens, the experience of concepts have already stopped. This can be a difficult journey for many and without love and compassion can be near impossible. An example would be an austere Zen practice, but who really wants to live their life doing and being nothing, where’s the joy in that…
Hi Jack,
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I am fond of the quote that “you can not meditate your way to enlightenment”. We do well to remember that Vedanta is the culmination of the Upangas. As you correctly pointed out, human evolution is a process of reflection and, as Adi Shankara said, discernment… keep in mind that discernment is not a strictly intellectual process. Skipping over the other steps to Vedanta, as you pointed out, is a blunder often made.