Archive for It's About The Horse The Free Forum for those Doing Parelli - and a whole lot More! "Anything forced and misunderstood can never be beautiful." Xenophon (430-355 B.C.),
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appellativo
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Evolution of the SelfOk this may be along the lines of you Eckhart Tolle readers.
I was reading book reviews. This one is on the book Kundalini Rising. I was very glad to have read the review because it disabused me of thinking that ego is all bad and helped balance my understanding of personal evolution. Here is the review. If it seems greek to you, don't worry about it.
As a person who has suffered "Kundalini" awakening over a period of 12 years now, I found this book to be disappointing and to contain typical mis-understandings and mis-interpretations of the process of awakening. These mis-interpretations are due to people's attachment to a particular religion or spiritual tradition through which they filter their perception. Ken Wilber is especially guilty of us. Nearly all of Ken's writings are filtered through and distorted by his belief and commitment to Buddhism. Ken's section on the chakras in this book is incorrect and is based in ignorance and will lead many astray. It is obvious that Ken Wilber and most of the other contributors to this volume have not experienced kundalini first hand and are simply regurgitating second hand beliefs. After all, there is big $$ to be made in writing pop "spiritual" books.
Wilber is always quoting someone else like Freud and rarely speaks from direct experience and perception. Wilber claims that the chakras are not real...that they are only real to one with the "separate self sense." This is completely false. I know first hand that the chakras are real. They are clearly visible to clairvoyant vision. Also, a person authentically experiencing the awakening process experiences the chakras directly. The knots and grandthis are not equivalent to the Chakras. Wilber disappoints for a guy with such a seemingly high IQ. It seems that Wilber is himself deluded by samsara and maya and is coming from his ego only. The so called "separate self sense" is not some anomaly of existence and our lives are not a mistake. To read Wilber's second hand Buddhist beliefs, this world is "samsara" or an illusion. This false belief leads many astray.
For this life is very real and is meant to be. In fact, every single thing in our lives is meant to be and is there on purpose. The "delusion" or the "samsara" is that our Being and Value is based on our socio-economic status and on outer things...the things that humans usually base their identities and self sense on. In our culture, a person is assigned worth (Value) and status (Being) based upon how much money he or she has, what kind of car they drive, socio economic status, etc. This is the "Outside/In" delusion and causes deep wounds and alienation in us, for we are brought up in and brainwashed with this false hierarchy of being and value based on possession and objects. This is the meaning of Maya and Samsara.
To be severed from the Higher Self center and to be outwardly identified is maya and samsara. These delusions come not because we are somehow falsely interpreting ourselves as individuals and as persons....autonomous, distinct, and seperate people. No. Our individuality is a given...a basic obvious fact of our existence. The "sin" or the "samsara" that causes us to feel like isolated, condemned entities, is that because of our wounds and blocks, we are closed in our hearts and our connection to our own Higher Self, which is located behind the heart chakra.
The Higher Self is and always has been directly immersed in and fully integrated with the One. The Higher Self is Light and is Divine...it is a "spark" or portion of the One Source and the ALL THAT IS. Made of the same stuff. The Higher Self never fully incarnates in 3 dimensional space time, yet it is always present right here right now because all the other dimensions that are invisible to our senses are also right here, right now. The heart chakra directly connects to the crown chakra, which is connected to the causal body which is and always has been immersed in the Higher Dimensional Reality.
Seem weird? It is at first. This is because the Universe and humans are multi dimensional in nature. Our individuality and personhood is absolutely meant to be folks. The goal is to become fully Self Realized as an Individual, to be fully in community with others, and to be consciously reconnected to the ONE and ALL.
There is no such thing as "Kundalini". Kundalini is just a word. Kundalini energy is nothing but your own Higher Energy or Spirit erupting through lifetimes of defensive self encapsulation, wounds, complexes, and blocks. (what Wilber wrongly calls the chakras) Life as a human is traumatic and we are continually wounded as we experience life in a spiritually hostile and ignorant world. Our instinctive reaction is to block the experience of trauma in the physical body. This creates blocks in the subtle body and the subtle energy system. This causes us to be partially severed from our own Higher Self.
The wrong teachings and interpretations in this book are related to the relationship between the One and the Many. Traditions that emphasize the One tend to obliterate and degrade the individuating many ( the countless Individuating Beings throughout the Cosmos). Kundalini does not destroy the ego. No. That is a wrong teaching. Kundalini seeks to break the ego's false identification with Outer things. From the time we are born, especially in the West, we are brainwashed with false self concepts. We are conditioned to believe that our sense of Being and Value and Self hood come from our job, how much money we have, what family we are born into, what we own, what sort of car we drive...etc. We develop an adapted "self" that many in recovery circles call the "false self". Jung called this the persona or mask. It is the self that we present to the world. The problem is...that this adapted self has an identity problem and has forgotten who and what it is and where it came from. We truly and actually came to this world from another dimension. Reincarnation is True.
Our egos are sacred and the first half of life is dedicated to developing our egos and to developing a sense of individuality. This is one of the sole reasons why we choose to incarnate in duality on the physical plane. Being forced to make choices and take responsibility for our lives and selves provides countless opportunities to learn, grow, and evolve from experience. Authentic egoic development gets "added onto the Soul" or what some call the Higher Self, the Buddha nature, the Christ Self, etc. The kundalini process first overwhelms and crushes and importunes us and forces us to withdraw from the world and to break our outer identity. The process breaks us of the "Outside/In" syndrome. This is extremely painful and is called ego death.
Yet, it doesn't stop there...there is much more to us. The process then forces all our karma, repressed emotions, problems, blocks, anger, shame, guilt, fear, and other "energies" and emotions to the surface for purgation and cleansing.This is agonizing and causes the ego to feel as though the whole weight of the world is on our shoulders. This also causes deep depression and frustration. Whatever comes up to consciousness must be cleared, worked through, and integrated. What is happening? The ego is being stripped of its false identification with outer things and is being healed so that it can re-integrate with the Higher Self.
Sri Aurobindo calls this Center the Psychic Being. This is our eternal Individuality and Self hood...our Soul...our True Self. When the Soul or Center "comes to the front" and dominates the Being...this is Self Realization.
There is more. Next....if a person works hard for many many years on the process, a person will also achieve conscious Oneness with the Source. This is called "God Realization" or "non dual" etc. We are already One with Source but are not aware of it and we do not experience it often due to the fact that most of us are severed from a direct connection with our Higher Self center. We knew it as children. We lost it as we were brainwashed and conditioned by the belief systems and memes of this planet. The process does not eliminate the ego. That is psychosis. The process does not obliterate the Individual...the Individual has been evolving over many many lifetimes and is eternal. This teaching of ego annihilation is the MAJOR FALSE TEACHING IN THIS BOOK. The ego annihilation part is only temporary. Our very makeup is designed to protect the ego at all costs. The ego is the important executor of consciousness and needs to be strengthened, made authentic, and integrated with the Higher Self. A person actually needs a very strong ego to weather the tremendous trials and suffering of the process. People and "traditions" that teach ego annihilation are doing souls a disservice and are teaching falsehood which discourages and frightens people.
The process is actually trying to heal people and bring them to the next level of evolution. Otherwise...this book does have some very good writings, particularly the pieces by Wilber and Whitfield.
The best book on the subject of Awakening is "The Ego and the Dynamic Ground by Michael Washburn. Washburn "gets it" because he himself experienced the process. Washburn also explains the process in terms that modern Western people can understand. People who have not gone through this process typically cannot be trusted to teach Truth because they themselves do not know it. Most so called "spiritual teachers" are simply regurgitating teachings that have been inherited or passed down. They are teaching ideas and beliefs that may or may not correlate with actual reality. More than anything else, never buy into any belief in a "no self" or "getting rid of the ego" and all that nonsense. The Buddha never taught a doctrine of "No Self." That is an ignorant human interpolation based in shame. The ego is a rather recent evolutionary development in humans and needs to be nurtured and made stronger and more authentic in most people before they are ready for Awakening to the next level of their development, which is the Soul level.
(end of review. I think this guy needs to write a book LOL)
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jackspark
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Not directed at anyone........ I do find it interesting that with the general sentiment of the forum against weekend colt starts that this very event has pulled the attention of so many people. It has been my practice to move my attention, time, focus and esp. money away from things that I don't feel good about. All this attention does is encourage the promoters of events, like this, to continue hosting them. I wonder how much money was made from pay per view It'll be bigger next year..... Once again, not directing this at anyone. Just an observation and I came here to post it.
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appellativo
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You are right. It just shows us where we are at on the road of 'evolution of the self....' :D
a bit depressing at times, but you only get over it by analyzing your behavior and making a new decision to change.
Which brings me to a quote from a book I'm reading....email me if you want me to email the pdf ebook to you (anyone.)
The Ego
You cannot eliminate the Self or the “ego”. I have tried it - and
failed miserably every time.
In this book, I have clearly demonstrated why. We are
INDIVIDUAL for a REASON. Without our individuality
there would be no point whatsoever making the Universe
to start with.
Trying to suppress our individuality is a violent act against the
Purpose of the Universe and as such it always results in
experiencing misery.
The only way is to EDUCATE the ego. Study it. Bring it up.
Convince it. Teach it Love.
Examine your Self. You will find that Everything is there
Lust and Love Hate and Tolerance
Violence and Kindness Arrogance and Respect
Animal instincts and Intellect
Joy and Misery Envy and Admiration
Wisdom and Ignorance Deceit and Sincerity
Selfishness and Generosity Filth and Innocence
Pride and Modesty Cruelty and Tenderness
It is all WITHIN. And more...
Everything HAS TO BE THERE at all times.
Otherwise how could you exercise your Freedom of Choice?
104 Thomas J. Chalko
How else could you perceive things if you didn’t have a
chance to experience a perpetual contrast of the opposites?
Do you see the logic and the beauty of the Design?
Examine the Self.
Study the Ego.
Bring it up.
Show it the beauty of your Intellect.
Show it the Potential
Convince it to develop.
Show it all the choices
Teach it to Choose consciously
Convince it that your choices make all the difference
Then teach it to Choose Love
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jackspark
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Noticed similar behavior with the disdain for horseracing and then the ardor over Zenyatta. Puzzling at best. I feel lucky to have a place (spirit) where I
can voice these ideas without the fear of offending anyone.... at least I think I haven't
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appellativo
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Well yah! Who wouldn't deplore racing because of it's injustices?!
And who wouldn't admire such a beautiful athlete as Zenyatta, even if her industry is for the most part flawed?
(you ARE feeling the love, right?!)
Hatin' the bad, lovin' the good....that's just me.
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jackspark
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Feelin it for sure. It's not my fight so to speak cause I grew up at the track and am always drawn to RTTH. It's a win-win for me. It just seems if the love, attention, vibration or what ever you' d call it, pores out then it is a given that the event will, at the very least, continue if not grow.
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appellativo
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(warning: rant coming on.)
EXACTLY!!! this is why we need to all move to the country and become self sufficient. Because if there is no big industry providing for all our needs, there will be no lobbying of politicians and vested interests in the name of money, the love of which is the root of all evil, the system of which keeps us trapped in this crooked paradigm and prevents us as a society from evolving upward.
And EXACTLY!!! which is why we need to shun war and violence, not giving any sort of conflict our attention and support or objection (like Sweden), not giving attention to any sort of effort to keep us fearful (of war, disease, etc), because that is what retards us as a society. Because whatever we give our attention and energy to, is what persists.
So, what makes sense to me, is if something is bothering you (the general 'you' not any 'you' in particular), instead of protesting it or resisting it with lots of attention and flame and fire, quietly quit supporting it and go in a new direction and strengthen that instead.....
(end of rant)
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whisperingwindfarms
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Other Erin,
Couldn't agree more because whatever we resist, persists.
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appellativo
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Oh oh oh. you guys have got to check out this ebook. Like I said, I'll email it to anyone who PMs me.
On page 72, he describes what I think happened to Eckhart Tolle as he describes in his book The Power of Now. Fascinating stuff.
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jackspark
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sooooo now my interest is peaked. You said ET and that got my attention pm'd ya with the e-mail. Thanks!
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whudson
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Interesting conversation as usual ladies...Erin, me too !
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appellativo
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Ok ladies I sent you your books.
Y'all I am really feeling strongly about analyzing motives lately. There is a section in this book about the purpose of the universe and two questions that you can ask yourself to help you discern whether or not an action (any action, taken by anybody) is beneficial to the purpose. Be sure you really check that out.
Use it to analyze your own motives, so that you can be a light in the world to others, and also use it to analyze the motives of others. (this info can be found in the first fourty four pages, but if you want a sneak peak, just read the purpose at the bottom of page 34 and then read violations of the purpose on page 44. The whole book brings you sequentially through and really builds on itself to help you understand.
It is a fast read, and can be read in a couple of hours.
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jackspark
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Ok, now you REALLY are spookin me! I have been analyzing my motives lately Looking into the whys of most every action is quite enlightening. If you are honest with yourself it is fascinating Will get on the E-book this weekend........ am beat right now and need some couch potato, veggie time.
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Hute
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I'm with ya. I am all about motive. If I feel like someone has an agenda, I'm not on board with them generally.
On the flip side, though, right now I'm trying to get away from doing too much analyzing! I'm at a point where I feel like I've self-improved myself to death, lol, and I just want a break. I have nothing urgent going on anymore, which is really nice, and I'm doing my best to sit back and enjoy it.
The E-book sounds interesting. I may ask for it later. Thanks.
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appellativo
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couch time (as in psychoanalysis time): My motives are REALLLLY selfish.
I feel overwhelmed by a lot of sensations/input from my senses. So, much of how I react to others has to do with protecting myself from overwhelm from my senses. That is a pretty selfish motive. Modifying this behavior so that it comes across diplomatically to others (ie the kids I watch all day long) is a real challenge! I have to constantly balance their needs with my needs which is a real job sometimes. I have a real challenge this time around.
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jackspark
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Ditto-You'd have to associate with children ALL day to understand the flood of stimuli and the need to have NO stimuli.....
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jackspark
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Particularly good considering a lot of the talk on the forum, lately. RTTH, clinicians, Reptilian Brotherhood, (that was for you Erin).
Physical man gets into an uncomfortable place when he concludes, "I and those like me have come to the right decisions, and everybody that's living outside of these right decisions is wrong." And then he spends his life pushing against all those "wrong" decisions and cutting himself off from the Life Force that would help him have joy in his, what he concludes to be, right decisions. There is no one right path. There are endless paths, and the differences in the paths are what make them more and more, and more, perfect. The same old path no longer serves.
--- Abraham
I have a hard time with nitpicking and expecting people to be super human. The answers lie within yourself and not within someone else. Their paths are not yours so don't expect them to be............. sorry, done with rant. Allowing people to be who they are is a beautiful thing. Sorry, had a case of premature doneness.
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appellativo
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when you say you have a hard time, do you mean that you expect people to be superhuman, or are you saying that it frustrates you when others expect others to be superhuman?
I have pretty high expectations and I reallly need to stop that......expecially considering all the areas I'm lacking in myself.. LOL
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jackspark
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I am very tolerant and it takes a lot for me to be critical of someone, esp. someone I don't know personally. It bothers me to hear others rip up people when they have very little to base an opinion on, often relying on hearsay and isolated incidents.
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jackspark
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This about sums up how I am feeling lately; too much time is wasted focusing on the wrong things and not on the right ones.
You can't take sides against anything. If you would just leave the "against" part out; if you would just be one who is for things - you would live happily ever after...
--- Abraham
As an example: I have spent 10 years being somewhat pissed at my incompetent boss...... this year I just gave it up and allowed her to be a non-thing in my life. She is gone and won't be returning
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whudson
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Just realised that I need to do some reading to keep up with this post !! Right now the bed is calling...I'll get back to ya'll though
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jackspark
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Not making mountains out of molehills has always been a struggle here. The tendency to add to an already difficult situation can create an unwanted outcome. I've been working on the ability to stay apart from the surrounding drama and not to invest in a situation until it actually manifests. Veronica spoke to this this morning. Love the last statement: Hold hands with your Soul.......
_________________________________________________________________________
A New Message From VERONICA
Facing Difficulty
"Many times in the linear the energy becomes so thick and unbalanced, it becomes difficult to live through the moment. Events unfold from this vibration that are not the most desired ones.
What does one do when faced with such opposition to their well being?
It is important to keep one's thoughts clear from the "what ifs" that most likely have not manifested. If fear is allowed to run rampant within, the experience may turn into a much worse scenario than the first appearance.
Often one will embellish a poor situation by creating extra elements that were not in the original mix or the experience or lesson.
Keep yourself clear headed when going through a difficult moment. Realize that you were part of its creation, so the outcome is in your hands as well.
Think of the best possible result and stay fixed on that point. By allowing extra energy into it, there is risk of extending or continued creating of the difficulty.
Life is about experience. Not all of it is easy. At the end of the day it's how you rise to the adversity that results in your soul's evolution.
Keep focused.
Determine the lesson.
Stay within the parameters of that lesson.
Go with the flow of energy and allow the lesson to unfold. Keep in mind that it is an opportunity to evolve. There is no need for extra embellishment of the difficulty. Hold hands with your Soul and all will be well."
-VERONICA
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coveredbridgefarm
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Erin wrote:
| Quote: | | Which brings me to a quote from a book I'm reading....email me if you want me to email the pdf ebook to you (anyone | Erin, I'll pm you with my address if you'll send that book to me. Thanks.
Larry
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jackspark
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Move Forward
"It is important in the linear life not to let disappointment in events or people color your ability to create.
The expectations of the soul often are not prepared for the thick energy that the linear provides. Thus the intentions from the soul that wish to manifest are sometimes difficult to bring through the physical environment.
Sensitive souls may become disillusioned by this process sinking into forms of depression because of it.
We encourage all who have met with disappointment to move forward with all the gusto they can muster. A belief in your core values and abilities needs to come forward at all times. It is often not your energy that is the problem. It is often the surrounding energy that is difficult to maneuver through.
Always be in touch with your center. Keep the dialogue of communication active from within.
If there is an opportunity to participate creatively, set aside the disappointment and try again.
The commitment to the endeavor may supersede all else.
Remember you are a spirit having a physical experience, not the other way around. Attach to your soulful energy and do not give up.
Do not allow disappointment to create your reality. Use your core energy to by-pass the energy.
You can accomplish whatever it is you desire. Go for it with no reservations.
Believe in your energy and turn away from disappointment. Do not allow it to color your current perspective. Attempt a fresh approach. Leave it behind while moving forward in your reality"
-VERONICA
Life is full of minor and major disappointments and it can be so hard to move on and not get stuck in a rut....... sometimes I feel like to move on is somehow disrespectful or callous but in reality it is the only thing that makes sense. We can't create positive events if we are knocked out of the game, so to speak. It's good to be reminded that we are just souls experiencing the linear for expansion's sake. I've had some events that have sidelined me this year and am needing to blast past them.......... any pieces of advice?
.
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appellativo
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Yeah. Read the book Frequency by Penney Pierce LOL
She has a whole section on 'stuck!'
Shoot, the whole book is about finding your home frequency and not getting derailed by life events.
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jackspark
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Thanks Erin, I'll give it a go!
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jackspark
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Reading an older book by Ken Keyes Jr. and doing a lot of thinking about the idea that your life is full of addictions. He discusses Freeing Yourself from security, sensation, and power addictions by turning them into preferences.
I never thought of an addiction as being a programming error which triggers uncomfortable emotional responses if the world does not fit the programmed pattern in your mind. If your desire is not fulfilled, you respond emotionally in a computer like way and automatically play out a program of anger, worry, anxiety, jealousy, fear, etc.
Some of the addictions that I have seen in my own life:
Money
Time
Children's behavior
Housekeeping
These addictions cause periods of emotional warfare with yourself and others causing a loss of happiness.
He even mentions addictions as small as needing your appliances to run properly and the resulting suffering that comes from the inevitable malfunction.
HaHa I think I have that one too.......
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jackspark
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlIrI80og8c
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appellativo
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WOW that takes some guts to tell a joke like that to the Dalai Lama! I wouldn't have the nerve to! I'd be too afraid he didn't get it! Although I think its pretty funny that he didn't get it lol
I love the Dalai Lama. If y'all haven't rented the DVD The Four Noble Truths, you should!!
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jackspark
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Will do Erin, thanks. Lovin' the Lama
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jackspark
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Good post from CR
http://www.carolynresnickblog.com...og+%28The+Carolyn+Resnick+Blog%29
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coveredbridgefarm
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That might be the funniest thing I have seen in some time. Maybe I'll give that one a try in my metaphysics class. See if they get it.
Larry
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Aisling
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Re: Evolution of the Self | appellativo wrote: | Ok this may be along the lines of you Eckhart Tolle readers.
I was reading book reviews. This one is on the book Kundalini Rising. I was very glad to have read the review because it disabused me of thinking that ego is all bad and helped balance my understanding of personal evolution. Here is the review. If it seems greek to you, don't worry about it.
As a person who has suffered "Kundalini" awakening over a period of 12 years now, I found this book to be disappointing and to contain typical mis-understandings and mis-interpretations of the process of awakening. These mis-interpretations are due to people's attachment to a particular religion or spiritual tradition through which they filter their perception. Ken Wilber is especially guilty of us. Nearly all of Ken's writings are filtered through and distorted by his belief and commitment to Buddhism. Ken's section on the chakras in this book is incorrect and is based in ignorance and will lead many astray. It is obvious that Ken Wilber and most of the other contributors to this volume have not experienced kundalini first hand and are simply regurgitating second hand beliefs. After all, there is big $$ to be made in writing pop "spiritual" books.
Wilber is always quoting someone else like Freud and rarely speaks from direct experience and perception. Wilber claims that the chakras are not real...that they are only real to one with the "separate self sense." This is completely false. I know first hand that the chakras are real. They are clearly visible to clairvoyant vision. Also, a person authentically experiencing the awakening process experiences the chakras directly. The knots and grandthis are not equivalent to the Chakras. Wilber disappoints for a guy with such a seemingly high IQ. It seems that Wilber is himself deluded by samsara and maya and is coming from his ego only. The so called "separate self sense" is not some anomaly of existence and our lives are not a mistake. To read Wilber's second hand Buddhist beliefs, this world is "samsara" or an illusion. This false belief leads many astray.
For this life is very real and is meant to be. In fact, every single thing in our lives is meant to be and is there on purpose. The "delusion" or the "samsara" is that our Being and Value is based on our socio-economic status and on outer things...the things that humans usually base their identities and self sense on. In our culture, a person is assigned worth (Value) and status (Being) based upon how much money he or she has, what kind of car they drive, socio economic status, etc. This is the "Outside/In" delusion and causes deep wounds and alienation in us, for we are brought up in and brainwashed with this false hierarchy of being and value based on possession and objects. This is the meaning of Maya and Samsara.
To be severed from the Higher Self center and to be outwardly identified is maya and samsara. These delusions come not because we are somehow falsely interpreting ourselves as individuals and as persons....autonomous, distinct, and seperate people. No. Our individuality is a given...a basic obvious fact of our existence. The "sin" or the "samsara" that causes us to feel like isolated, condemned entities, is that because of our wounds and blocks, we are closed in our hearts and our connection to our own Higher Self, which is located behind the heart chakra.
The Higher Self is and always has been directly immersed in and fully integrated with the One. The Higher Self is Light and is Divine...it is a "spark" or portion of the One Source and the ALL THAT IS. Made of the same stuff. The Higher Self never fully incarnates in 3 dimensional space time, yet it is always present right here right now because all the other dimensions that are invisible to our senses are also right here, right now. The heart chakra directly connects to the crown chakra, which is connected to the causal body which is and always has been immersed in the Higher Dimensional Reality.
Seem weird? It is at first. This is because the Universe and humans are multi dimensional in nature. Our individuality and personhood is absolutely meant to be folks. The goal is to become fully Self Realized as an Individual, to be fully in community with others, and to be consciously reconnected to the ONE and ALL.
There is no such thing as "Kundalini". Kundalini is just a word. Kundalini energy is nothing but your own Higher Energy or Spirit erupting through lifetimes of defensive self encapsulation, wounds, complexes, and blocks. (what Wilber wrongly calls the chakras) Life as a human is traumatic and we are continually wounded as we experience life in a spiritually hostile and ignorant world. Our instinctive reaction is to block the experience of trauma in the physical body. This creates blocks in the subtle body and the subtle energy system. This causes us to be partially severed from our own Higher Self.
The wrong teachings and interpretations in this book are related to the relationship between the One and the Many. Traditions that emphasize the One tend to obliterate and degrade the individuating many ( the countless Individuating Beings throughout the Cosmos). Kundalini does not destroy the ego. No. That is a wrong teaching. Kundalini seeks to break the ego's false identification with Outer things. From the time we are born, especially in the West, we are brainwashed with false self concepts. We are conditioned to believe that our sense of Being and Value and Self hood come from our job, how much money we have, what family we are born into, what we own, what sort of car we drive...etc. We develop an adapted "self" that many in recovery circles call the "false self". Jung called this the persona or mask. It is the self that we present to the world. The problem is...that this adapted self has an identity problem and has forgotten who and what it is and where it came from. We truly and actually came to this world from another dimension. Reincarnation is True.
Our egos are sacred and the first half of life is dedicated to developing our egos and to developing a sense of individuality. This is one of the sole reasons why we choose to incarnate in duality on the physical plane. Being forced to make choices and take responsibility for our lives and selves provides countless opportunities to learn, grow, and evolve from experience. Authentic egoic development gets "added onto the Soul" or what some call the Higher Self, the Buddha nature, the Christ Self, etc. The kundalini process first overwhelms and crushes and importunes us and forces us to withdraw from the world and to break our outer identity. The process breaks us of the "Outside/In" syndrome. This is extremely painful and is called ego death.
Yet, it doesn't stop there...there is much more to us. The process then forces all our karma, repressed emotions, problems, blocks, anger, shame, guilt, fear, and other "energies" and emotions to the surface for purgation and cleansing.This is agonizing and causes the ego to feel as though the whole weight of the world is on our shoulders. This also causes deep depression and frustration. Whatever comes up to consciousness must be cleared, worked through, and integrated. What is happening? The ego is being stripped of its false identification with outer things and is being healed so that it can re-integrate with the Higher Self.
Sri Aurobindo calls this Center the Psychic Being. This is our eternal Individuality and Self hood...our Soul...our True Self. When the Soul or Center "comes to the front" and dominates the Being...this is Self Realization.
There is more. Next....if a person works hard for many many years on the process, a person will also achieve conscious Oneness with the Source. This is called "God Realization" or "non dual" etc. We are already One with Source but are not aware of it and we do not experience it often due to the fact that most of us are severed from a direct connection with our Higher Self center. We knew it as children. We lost it as we were brainwashed and conditioned by the belief systems and memes of this planet. The process does not eliminate the ego. That is psychosis. The process does not obliterate the Individual...the Individual has been evolving over many many lifetimes and is eternal. This teaching of ego annihilation is the MAJOR FALSE TEACHING IN THIS BOOK. The ego annihilation part is only temporary. Our very makeup is designed to protect the ego at all costs. The ego is the important executor of consciousness and needs to be strengthened, made authentic, and integrated with the Higher Self. A person actually needs a very strong ego to weather the tremendous trials and suffering of the process. People and "traditions" that teach ego annihilation are doing souls a disservice and are teaching falsehood which discourages and frightens people.
The process is actually trying to heal people and bring them to the next level of evolution. Otherwise...this book does have some very good writings, particularly the pieces by Wilber and Whitfield.
The best book on the subject of Awakening is "The Ego and the Dynamic Ground by Michael Washburn. Washburn "gets it" because he himself experienced the process. Washburn also explains the process in terms that modern Western people can understand. People who have not gone through this process typically cannot be trusted to teach Truth because they themselves do not know it. Most so called "spiritual teachers" are simply regurgitating teachings that have been inherited or passed down. They are teaching ideas and beliefs that may or may not correlate with actual reality. More than anything else, never buy into any belief in a "no self" or "getting rid of the ego" and all that nonsense. The Buddha never taught a doctrine of "No Self." That is an ignorant human interpolation based in shame. The ego is a rather recent evolutionary development in humans and needs to be nurtured and made stronger and more authentic in most people before they are ready for Awakening to the next level of their development, which is the Soul level.
(end of review. I think this guy needs to write a book LOL) |
I've only read this first post so you'll have to forgive me if I'm behind with the convo! Lol.
I think it depends on what you class the ego as. I've always understood the ego to be the fear based element within us. If in truth we are but Love, than the ego is the opposite and thus is fear. If the ego by defintion is fear, my goal is always to undo it.
However some people seem to class the mind as the ego. From what I've learned and felt, the mind is neutral, it can either be informed by our higher selves(Love) or our ego(Fear).
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jackspark
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I've spent most of my adult life always "being right", mom, wife, and teacher.......It is just recently that I've made the switch to always being the one who is wrong, even if I'm right. What an interesting and productive point of view!
I rode as usual this morning and I noticed that the partner that stood in front of my mare is not the "partner" that stood in front of the older horses. As I prepared to mount she moved slightly away from me and I stopped and thought: What did I do wrong to cue you in that way? In the past I would have tugged on the lead and abruptly put her EXACTLY back where she was, might have also raised my voice and harshly said NO! I would have considered that to be avoidance behavior. The partner today considers it to be a faulty cue or discomfort and regroups to more clearly deliver the cue. I believe that she was responding to my toe up against her side and did a nice little sidepass. Even if that is NOT what she did, there was no dust kicked up and she didn't see anything as punishing. I mounted up successfully and we went on our way. It seems like a small thing but my decision to always be wrong saved her confidence and trust in my leadership......... the best ride of our summer followed.
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PasoBaby_CarolU
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I thought all you ladies might like this talk...
http://www.ted.com/talks/hanna_ro...ew_data_on_the_rise_of_women.html
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jackspark
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Very insightful. Do you think that is why all female politicians are treated so poorly as they climb higher? Is it just the last bastion of male supremacy?
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PasoBaby_CarolU
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| jackspark wrote: | | Very insightful. Do you think that is why all female politicians are treated so poorly as they climb higher? Is it just the last bastion of male supremacy? |
I don't think they are treated nearly so roughly by their colleagues as they are by the public and the media. The Bachman cover is recent, but look at how they treated Hillary.
I think it is easier to make a woman 'ugly.' But I don't know why they think they need to. Maybe they are threatened?
I know, the past 40 years have seen a big change about women. I was spit on and had my hair pulled at the International Women's Year meeting in Salt Lake City when I was 19. I don't think that would happen now. There was a time when I thought young women weren't appreciating the fight we did for their rights and equal treatment. Now, I think it is a good thing, that they don't have to know it.
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jackspark
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I think the culture, in general, is reluctant to change........women esp. or we would see them supporting each other, more ferociously, regardless of party affiliation! I am not a HC supporter but was a vocal advocate when she was skewered and I do believe that she would have been a good president. Would she have been robbed of that if she had been a male?
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