Evolutionary Enlightenment 101: Part II
[Read Part I — 51%: The Magic Number]
Part II — A Higher We: The Real Meaning of Incarnational Nonduality
For millennia, mystics, spiritual masters, and teachers have been speaking about what they call “nonduality.” In the teaching of Evolutionary Enlightenment, I’ve come up with a new interpretation of that profound and subtle concept.
Nonduality means “not two” or, more simply, it means that there is only One. The discovery of Oneness has been the perennial revelation that occurs in mystical experience. When one stumbles upon one’s own deepest interior, which is consciousness itself, it becomes immediately apparent that consciousness is the timeless, formless ground of everything that is. It is beginningless and endless. Paradoxically, it is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. In mystical revelation it becomes apparent that consciousness is all there is. Consciousness is that One which is never two. Consciousness is unknowable by the mind and yet without it, the mind — and indeed, the entire cosmos — would cease to exist.
Mystical insight into this mystery of mysteries often occurs as a result of a deep and sincere practice of meditation, but it can also spontaneously erupt within an unsuspecting soul, as it did for me when I was a teenager. Whenever the mind or the filter of our cognitive apparatus quiets down or temporarily becomes transparent, the whisper of intuition reveals to us the liberating presence of that empty, infinite ground. Indeed, this opening to our own boundless interior can happen any time that we are either extremely concentrated or extremely relaxed. That is why we can also experience glimpses into the nondual oneness of all things, as many people have discovered, in the midst of love-making. When are we more concentrated and simultaneously more relaxed than that?
This is what practitioners of the ancient art of tantra discovered. Tantra emerged as part of a revolution that took place in Buddhism about 2000 years ago. This revolution was based on the historic recognition that the world of form and time is not separate from the formless, timeless ground of all Being. As the Buddha is purported to have proclaimed in the Heart Sutra, “Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form.” This insight changed the meaning of enlightenment significantly. From then on, spiritual emancipation was no longer merely about transcending time and form but was now about seeing directly the truth that time and form were none other than that empty ground itself. The highest realization, therefore, was that being in the world was not ultimately different than transcending it. In this new understanding, to transcend the world meant one had seen through the veil of appearances, the most fundamental of which was the appearance of duality.
In our postmodern era, many Eastern ideas have become known by greater and greater numbers of Western spiritual pioneers and practitioners, albeit with a degree of modernization. Not only different kinds of meditation but also the practice of tantra, or spiritual sexuality, have become popular vehicles through which to experience nondual awareness. That is because we’re no longer rejecting the world, no longer rejecting the body. We no longer see them as separate from Spirit. And we understand that in the electric ecstasy and tactile immersion of erotic love, the mind can become transparent, and through that transparency, the formless nature of Spirit’s true face can powerfully shine.
I have discovered that there is a higher form of nondual practice, a new kind of tantra, that I believe is infinitely more relevant for the time we are living in. Over the last two centuries, it has slowly but surely become an apparent and unavoidable fact that the entire universe, including our world and each and every one of us as individuals, is part of a creative process. And it’s a dynamic process that is going somewhere, that is evolving. Any interpretation of nonduality or enlightenment that does not also include this new and all-important fact about the cosmic process only gives us part of the picture. Traditionally, a glimpse of nondual oneness is a direct perception of the interconnected nature of all things, seen and unseen, known and unknown, including the infinite ground upon which they all exist. But this traditional enlightenment insight does not include the relatively recent discovery that everything that occurs, including the subjective experience of enlightened awareness, is all part of an evolutionary process occurring within a universe that’s going somewhere.
A direct glimpse into the nature of nonduality that does not include evolution as part of that interconnectedness is not going to take us anywhere new or create the world afresh. It will only reveal to us the way things ARE in the present moment. That’s why the teaching of Evolutionary Enlightenment is based not only upon awakening to the timeless ground of Being, the eternal Present, but is based, even more importantly, on awakening to the evolutionary impulse, or the Authentic Self. The Authentic Self is that creative spark, or Eros, that emerged from that empty ground to create the entire cosmos. And we experience it, at the level of consciousness, as a wild utopian impulse to strive to create a better and more perfect world, at every level. It’s a powerful drive and a passion that emerges from the ground of consciousness itself. It compels those who have awakened to it to live our lives first and foremost for the sake of the future.
When two or more individuals have awakened to that Authentic Self, and crossed what I call the 51% threshold so that that spark becomes their driving motivation, and then begin to relate with each other, intersubjective friction occurs at the highest level. This is experienced as the liberating emergence of spontaneous inspiration, ecstatic creativity, and passionate commitment. This does not occur at the level of the flesh or the personal heart, but only at the level of the soul and the Authentic Self. This is when Spirit meets itself as the creative impulse. And when this occurs in and through those who are on the other side of ego, the world we create changes in and through us. This is Evolutionary Tantra of the highest form. This is the spiritual practice that I teach: Incarnational Intersubjective Evolutionary Nonduality.
Filed Under: Consciousness • Cultural Evolution • EnlightenNext Editors’ Blog • Evolutionary Enlightenment • Evolutionary Spirituality • Integral Philosophy • Spirituality
But is the recognition of true, timeless awareness a ‘subjective experience’? Does not subjective also imply an object, and a separate experiencer? Do not all subjects appear within and as awareness itself, including the so-called self-subject that recognizes, but in fact is only awareness itself? In true awareness is there any separation, as in subject/object, or do they not both arise in and as awareness, and in fact not separate from it. Is it not that ‘everything that occurs’ and evolves, only appears to occur and evolve from the point of view of a separate self, within and as pure non-evolving awareness?
Is it possible that real evolution is evolution from identifying only with form, to coming to recognize formless awareness, and to finally coming to rest in the non-separation of form and formlessness, both being none other than awareness? And in so is there in fact any evolution at all, but instead only a re-familiarizing of awareness itself with its true nature, which is always the same and never evolving, except apparently, and in fact includes both form and formlessness?
Is not the ‘authentic self’ a point of view in awareness and if so is it necessary to create an identity as that? Or can that be also seen as an appearance of awareness and not emphasized?
And is the discovery of awareness in fact NOT a subjective experience, but the experience of awareness recognizing itself as all subjects and objects, forms and non-forms, including the ‘authentic self’?
And if so, is this not the greatest benefit for the whole?
Your work is always amazing and it just triggered this response. Hope you don’t mind.
Salvadore raises some very relevant points here. The questions he asks are timeless. I would be very interested in the response evoked thereby.
It is such a wonderful realization that shows us the power we have in co-creating our world. That connection to the powers that be and the rest of all human kind is the only thing that keeps us from believing we are alone.
May the force be with you!
Although it is apparent that everything is evolving and heading somewhere, it is still not clear why it is necessary to accept the concept that there was “empty ground” from which the “authentic self” emerged to create the comos. Rather, connecting to the Present, however one is able to, irrespective of how the Present arose and where and to what the Present may or may not be heading, remains the challenge to be dealt with.
Just wanted to let you know, Andrew, that as a minister in United Church of Canada, I always find your take on reality clarifying. And to thank you.
I particularly appreciate the emphasis on the evolutionary dimension of enlightenment. I believe that it dignifies the human experience – indeed it dignifies all of life at all levels. We are not merely Consciousness aware of itself, but Consciousness (or Spirit) actually evolving in distinctive ways that are unrepeatable manifestations.
In my Christian orientation, part of the Mystery is that we may enjoy unity with the divine, and yet the divine also makes room – in a kenotic or self-emptying dynamic – for actual differentness, actual otherness, not merely the appearance of otherness. So, we’re otherness in union with All That Is – not just Oneness/Awareness masquerading in different forms.
And yet, I am persuaded through my own practice and experience that Reality is One, not two. If enlightenment truly is inter-subjective, and not just intra-subjective, then it takes two actual subjects to tango – not One masquerading as two. Rather, I would say, Oneness is manifesting as actual otherness. Don’t know how to resolve that baby, but there it is.
In any case, again, thanks.
I believe spirituality, as I understand Andrew and Americans are intcreasingly realizing, has a new paradigm. Whereas in previous times spirituality and religions have been more concerned with individual salvation with attendant attempts to convince others of living purely and sinlessly, I believe we are now more concerned with the connectivity to our fellow humankind and all of Creation as far as human reach extends. This spirituality is founded on learning to live peaceably with all sentient and nonsentient beings and not intentionally causing harm. If this lesson is not taken to heart and mind, we may possibly be faced with the destruction of our entire race and planet in the wars that will result with our continuation on competition for land and natural resources. It’s imperative that we all become more peaceable, teach the coming generations so and tell our leaders the kind of world we wish to live in and continue to flourish. Imagine, a world without war? Possible? Peace begins with me and you. Aloha, namaste,
Could it be that before we can attain what Andrew Cohen refers to as Evolutionary Enlightenment, it may be necessary see that this new name for the mystical state (there are a dozen and more names for the higher state consciousness), humans must have a basis to attract them, evidence to show it has been attained by others and logic to show that analyzing things we already know, works! One can attain the higher state of mind only when interest is created in that individual’s mind. It was Ovid who said, “Ignoti nulla cupido,” meaning that there is no interest in things we know nothing about. Both Buddha and Dr. Richard Maurice Bucke stressed that one must be in the right frame of mind. How does one get in the right frame of mind? By having, as said above, a basis, evidence and logic. This can be found in the analysis of familiar, obvious and already known things. It was philosopher Alfred North Whitehead who, in his book, Science and the Modern World, wrote, “Familiar things happen and mankind does not bother about them. It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.” Who can deny that the human Jesus, Buddha, Bucke and all those who reached the higher state of mind had unusual minds! Indeed, they had unusual minds because they chose to analyze familiar, obvious and known things which triggered insight. A number of other prominent names support Whitehead in what he offered. Sadly, we overlook the obvious given we take things for granted and do not realize that there is so much more to be realized which is overlooked by the ordinary mind.
I appreciate the overwhelming experience of transcendence. People have been attempting to understand and describe it for thousands of years. Probably well before written language. Some undertake explanations that grow into philosophies. Some initiate religions. Because we lack the language to explain, the talk is always extranormal. Andrew is just another ordinary person who has developed a belief system to answer the impossible questions.
Bruce Sanguin suggests that “enlightenment is inter-subjective, and not just intra-subjective, then it takes two actual subjects to tango.” I suggest that enlightenment is multiply inter-subjective. The overwhelming experience of transcendence is rapport with thousands or millions of other subjects. For us simple beings, close rapport with even a dozen others would be overwhelming.
The mystical side of that simple explanation is that no one can explain our spirit (silent witness, soul, etc.). Science can’t find it. Not yet. Chopra said, “The witness exists outside of time and space.” In other words, we can’t explain it.
But an unexplained, naturally evolved spirit self is a far more compelling view of the cosmos than that the entire universe (and all of the other universes) is evolving to create the mystical experience of transcendence. Yes evolution happens, on scales from molecules to the expansion of this universe. No it is not a mystical evolution, but a physical evolution. It just feels like infinity when experienced through transcendence.
I must thank Andrew and EnlightenNext for articles referring to Teilhard de Chardin. Evolution is the answer – evolution of practical, useful spirit selves in beings of sufficient sentience. Evolution “outside of space and time” yet connected to each human. Evolution that most certainly has happened billions of times on planets with sufficiently stable environments. Evolution that takes place at the right time for each of those species.
We are not the cosmos. In transcendence, we do not connect to the cosmos. The cosmos is not here to enable our spiritual experiences. The evolution of the cosmos is not in any significant way impacted by the spiritual experiences of human beings. The only question humanity will never be able to answer is why the universe exists at all.
I would say the dream is both ordinary, usual and extra-ordinary, unusual depending on how we look at it, if we do. So much is given there, “so much more to be realized.” We are largely overlooking the great opportuniy to be informed. The dream is not just information.
There is wisdom there about development. That is the highest , most valuable gift.
Incorporated in Andrew’s comments are possible misunderstandings and misinterpretations. “The way things ARE in the present moment” includes within its inherent matrix: the eternal source, all courses, and all goals. In other words, nothing is missing – including the “course” of the Self that inherently has the “urge” to reveal more of itself to itself from itself as itself, thus its “Essence” includes and is naturally embedded with the “urge” to spontaneously liberate all that arises in the present moment – moment to moment ad infinitum. Haven’t you noticed? :-)
Sure there is “flat Being” where it remains pure formless emptiness, and remains moveless. So be it. But there is also the “lively Being” aspect, i.e. where the moveless moves as non-dual multiplicity. As Ngakpa Chogyam adroitly puts it re: “lively Being”: “We realize that we do not have to seduce the world. Every activity arises as the consummation of the love affair with emptiness and form.”
This is beyond any concept we could conjure up as “utopian”, unless we wanted to “create” some conceptual scaffolding as such which would severely limit pure openness and Being-passion. Again N.C.: “Lively Being is free of fabricated reference points as objects of desire. We simply burn with the wisdom-fire of centrelessness and (as such – ed.) realize our (inherent – ed.) capacity to extend our realization to everyone. Anything might lurch out from nothingness” beyond anything we could “create” or “imagine”. And it does. :-)
As Jaggi Vasudev puts it: God has already done everything for us. We’re already embedded with the Divine and so is everything else. It’s just our turn to play the game”. We can no longer turn to the “coach” and have God save us. We have to take the field, play and our asses off, because we recognize the inherent love of emptiness and form, and ironically through it all: nothing is heavy-handed. :-) Everything whispers very lucidly about its perfect luminosity. :-) It’s simply our turn to live spontaneously and naturally from, and as the shimmering effervescence of our beginningless enlightenment in and as the endless empty nature of the dance.From this “view”, there is no separation between spirit and the creative impulse. Never has been.
It’s ALL a matter of perspective, “view”. We can create root misconceptions by attaching ourselves to any concept or form of spiritual specialness which creates further patterns of debility, and giddy whirlpools of bizarre theories and maps. Or we can dance with primordial wisdom and allow it to have its way with us. Non-specific wisdom is the ground from which specific compassionate activities arise that we could never imagine or conjure up. There comes a point where what arises is a choiceless choice. It throbs in the muscles of reality. :-)
There’s soooo much more. Enough already! :-)
What we are discussing here is the process of reconnecting to our higher selves that leads to the shift in consciousness within us as individuals. With enough individuals it will manifest as the “Great Shift.” Although the process is subtle and ongoing, I have found that there are conscious practices and concrete steps one can take daily that greatly enhance the process. (The evolutionary process otherwise can be more painful than it needs to be.)
In order to make possible the experiences that will lead us to profound spiritual growth, we had to disconnect from our higher selves. (This was called “The Fall” in consciousness and was something our higher selves had actually planned to experience.) We are at the end of that cycle and very much in the midst of the crises that will eventually result in the most profound spiritual growth ever. What is now required of us is the courage to reconnect within and follow through with our inner guidance (our direct connection to the Divine), often by taking action that’s considered “outside the box.”
I’d like to offer a free 7-pg report on reconnecting to one’s higher self. I also have numerous articles that address these topics on as concrete a level as possible, but I have found that one gets a glimpse of the beauty and power of the process only when one has had a profound personal spiritual experience. Indeed, we are programmed to seek this and aren’t satisfied unless we have this direct experience. It’s the direct experience (and direct connection with our inner knowing and the Divine) though that will take us through the end of this cycle of experiencing into the next one referred to by some as the Golden Age.
Christine Hoeflich
Author of “What Everyone Believed: A Memoir of Intuition and Awakening”
Emmanuel posted above: “One can attain the higher state of mind only when interest is created in that individual’s mind.”
That’s a start but then there follows the wanting to attain that higher consciousness. There are at least two approaches: 1) the intellectual, finding out more and 2) the emotional, sincerely desiring to advance and progress. If you begin to practice new attitudes and walk the walk as far as some of the ideas you’ve read or heard, you will advance. Your sincerity will be the wind beneath your wings. The emotional is more effectual, the intellectual is helpful but maybe second-hand. Direct contact with the Divine, with Transcendence is first-hand, no?
Consciousness should not be only intellectual.
Gary [posted above “We are not the cosmos.”
In “Sex, Ecology and Spirituality”, Ken Wilber’s endpages have the 4 quadrants of holistic consciousness (the personal, the interpersonal, the environment and the cosmos). Carl Sagan made the wonderful observation that we (all of Creation) are literally made of stardust. In the new paradigm of spirituality it’s recognized that spirituality includes all that humankind’s reach extends. If we don’t tend to the developments in space which may someday conceivably be populated by humans and if we callously continue to litter up space, there will be consequences. Our technology continues to expand our reach into the cosmos.
I believe the world is two-fold.
My belief is not duality. Duality looks at the world as two from one point of view. The problem with duality is that the flip side is often labeled as the other and is usually given an undesirable name. The two-fold allows me to look at the world as one from two points of view.
Cohen’s quote of the Buddha “Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form” is a statement of the two-fold.
The one and the many is a two-fold operator. There are many paths to find that we are one. But I find that I can’t stay in the state of oneness all the time. I have to shift views to work in the world as just one of the many who have seen the one.
Continuous and discontinuous is another two-fold operator. Darwin said that living things evolve. It’s continuous. Stephen Gould says that there is also a discontinuity – he called it “punctuated equilibrium”. I think that the “punk eek” part of evolution is what Cohen referred to as “spontaneously erupt.” I think it’s important to recognize both the continuous and discontinuous in dealing with Evolutionary Enlightenment.
If the two-fold is of interest, I’ve written about several two-fold operators at http://www.relational-paradigm.com
Andrew displays his preoccupation with the sex act (once again) as some form of holy man ritualist in downtown Detroit might. When exactly “in the midst of..” do all these spiritual experiences come to pass, and from what personal experiential info collection does the wizard of poke draw the conclusion? Is orgasm the moment (or is it the instant the young UCSB coed gives the dreamy eyed look to the teacher) in which that upheaval or transcendant thing happens? Please.
William James collected thousands of spiritual experiences through history, and most all occur when the mortal leaves his flesh and blood, his lust and greed behind upon realization of the true valuelessness of the self gratification that is the hallmark of lower consciousness, the preoccupation with what is truly the dual being, that which is driven to procreate for lack of knowing, to the core, that one need not be reproduced, because all are one, always, and ever have been.
We have forever, individually and collectively, simply been becoming that wonderful “Stuff” which we have always been capable of becoming. Seeming contrast is that which leads us to the change which guides us to the next contrast and ongoing change/evolution.
Having just (7 days) discovered EnlightenNext, everything I read is that which I have been knowing since the mid 1960′s. I continue to know that there is more wellness occurring globally and cosmically then there has ever been conscious awareness of…..and all is well.
Nonduality as a belief system is one of the master keys to the human
races evolution in conscious awareness. The masses have been taught separation all to long and it is now time for the masses to become aware of their true nature, consciousness. Joy.
In my opinion, Jesus was quite aware of the simplicity and power of his Mind when he spoke “It is done onto each as they believe”. Whether some thing or thought seems good, bad or indifferent is in the mind of the one holding the belief and a belief is simply something one holds and continues to hold in mind.
The science and power of consciousness, and its inate simplicity, shall soon be taught in school to children at an early age……..without such words as god or spirit or…..?
werall1 was my California license plate in the ’60′s………….still true.
Aurobindo Ghose (Sri Aurobindo) remarked earlier this century: “What then was the commencement of the whole matter? Existence that multiplied itself for sheer delight of being and plunged into numberless trillions of forms so that it might find itself innumerably.”
When you look at the sea do you see waves? Or the sea waving? One is an abstraction (useful in description and building devices but an abstraction nonetheless), the other a behaviour of a whole.
When you look ‘at’ life/infinity/’source’ do you see selfs (yourself, myself, etc)? Or do you see the source selfing? One is an illusion (useful in description and experience of a dual-consciosness kind, but an illusion nonetheless), the other a behaviour of an unbroken unity “…..that multiplied itself for sheer delight of being and plunged into numberless trillions of forms so that it might find itself innumerably.”
And in that unity of trillions(!) of forms arise ‘you’ and ‘I’. Rather than I am source (or whatever), contrast the view ‘source ‘ams’ I’, or ‘source selfs I’ -and the ‘I’ (selfing) we come to refer to as I (self) arises with the moment of illusion (dual consciousness).
People often say they feel connected with life or something greater, yet ‘connection’ is predicated on separation, i.e. separation is a necessary pre-existing or ongoing prerequisite for notions of connection, and hence, with respect to non-dual consciousness, any notions of ‘connection’ already embody and enact dual consciousness and illusion.
To realize non-dual consciousness is to “wake up” – (and amongst many things) to realize and thus ‘depart’/abandon the illusion of connection (and separation) as there only ‘is’ / ever was the unbroken unity “…..that multiplied itself for sheer delight of being and plunged into numberless trillions of forms so that it might find itself innumerably.”
With a similar view in mind, ‘evolution’ is a term that involves development, unfolding, opening, etc – and is fundamentally premised over time, or if you want to generalise, over some dimension of reference with extension. It’s a definite species of finite idea, and is not even essentially an infinite idea (like transfinite numbers are a species of infinite idea in number, for example).
Evolution therefore seems to me to be a strange way to be sure to characterize enlightenment, or the infinite, or ‘properties’ or views of infinity – except of course as enlightenment and/or the infinite is realized viewed, perceived, apprehended etc. only aspectually – and therefore by finite, illusorily parted forms of awareness – i.e. forms of dual consciousness. In any n-dimensional world, for example, a n+1 (or greater) dimensional entity is always partially apprehended, and will nearly always thus be seen to be ‘evolving’ by n-dimensional observers – even though it’s already ‘all there’.
And any dimensional entity (i.e. one subject to the very finite notion and view of ‘evolution’ – though the evolution be without limits (the surface of a 3 dimensional sphere for example is finite but without limits)) is necessarily a manifest (incarnate if you want to get personal :-) ) and impermanent one.
Hence, this question: Are you in danger of getting carried away with the meme of ‘evolution’, useful, confusing, time-bound and fundamentally illusory as that idea is with respect to non-dual consciousness?
Such a beautiful collection of words, expressing a growing realization of what can be here…. on earth. A path, the Authentic Self… The Soul… being brought here as part and parcel of the process of “Bringing Heaven to Earth”.
I would add a third stage here:
1) The question of “Who am I?”
resolved, leads to
2) How shall I live?
which at some point then clarifies into
3) What shall we create?
What ecstasy to move into !!
Love, Laughter and Joy, Eric
Researchers in Consciousness have posited “Consciousness is what “God”is.”
Section III and Appendix B of the book “What If—”, by E. Dorsey,contain interesting examples based on the “truth” of this concept.
When all cultures accept that “Consciousness is what “God” is, there will be a unifiction of belief systems, and it is evident that tis
merging” is already taking place.
Ave! Authentic Self!
Have a wonder-full, beauty-full, joy-full NOW in peace and love.
ern
Emerson says: A little consideration of what takes place around us everyday would show
us that a higher law than that of our will, regulates events; that our painful labours are very
unnecessary and altogether fruitless; that only in our easy, simple, spontaneous action are we
strong, and by contending ourselves with obedience we become divine. Belief and love will relieve us of a vast load of care. O my brothers! God exists. There is a soul at the centre of nature and over
the will of every man, so that none of us can wrong the universe. It has so infused its strong
enchantment into nature that we prosper when we accept its advice; and when we struggle to wound
its creatures, our hands are glued to our sides, or they beat our own breasts. The whole course of
things goes to teach us faith.
i see your description from being to becoming as a process of evolutionary proportions. this movement from the beginning to creation draws unseable subtle rythms which creates the excitement of the unknown becoming somehow tangable in our present reality.
In the future we are able to reflect and think about what has happened in the past to have a kind of understanding and try to answer lifes true mystery. We together consciously with all good intentions for the evolutionary process will create a future in leaps and bounds, united.
To BE…in the moment…in NOW transcends our small self.
In NOW we have awareness…we are GOD!!!! So is everything, we laugh at our old views absurdity…
to have this perspective always and everywhere is our aim for each and everyone, then humanity will have evolved to the next level…
Jim gates posted “Is orgasm the moment (or is it the instant the young UCSB coed gives the dreamy eyed look to the teacher) in which that upheaval or transcendant thing happens? Please.”
Jim seems to be denigrating the role of sex in spirituality and even enlightenment. Transcendentalists have this propensity to regard the body in that way but as we know, sex can be one of the paths to Awakening. Tantric sex is about regarding the partner as if not a god a partner in achieving higher consciousness. Granted, most will use this lower chakra for mere pleasure and as we know this type of heightened conscioiusness is short lived and need repeating to get that high again.
The practice of extreme sports, using drugs and other techniques are glimpses and steps toward higher consciousness, whetting the apetite for the Real Deal. The Awakening should result in a state of consciousness that is a commitment to the spiritual life that fosters life-enhancing values, not causing intentional harm and practicing loving peaceableness. Without that commitment, the Awakening is not complete, only partial.
kyle above posted: “Hence, this question: Are you in danger of getting carried away with the meme of ‘evolution’, useful, confusing, time-bound and fundamentally illusory as that idea is with respect to non-dual consciousness?”
I believe in the new paradigm of spirituality where the old notion of living sinlessly intent on the salvation of individual souls is supplanted by the consciousness that we humans are connected to each other, the other sentient beings and all of Creation, including the cosmos. The implications of this idea is that humankind must evolve to become the kind of beings who are able to live peaceably in lovingness, not intentionally causing harm. If this consciousness is not achieved by the entire race, humankind stands the chance of self-destructing in the growing competition for land and natural resources, becoming the new dinosaur. In the past spritiuality was maybe considered as only concerned with transcendence and the soul; the new consciousness being developed sees that even the mundane is can be, must be spiritual work, developing the kind of world where all may enjoy the right to life, liberty and the right to pursue happiness as deemed right.
Parmenides negation of not being is a move toward non duality. That which is continues to be.
Berkeley says what is, ceases to be, when it is not perceived in or by Universal Mind.
Plato points out in Parmenides that if one is not then nothing is.
In other words if there is no non duality then there is nothing since all partakes of the one.
The concern with non duality and with the not self can be related to the Buddhist negation of substance. If there is no substance there is nothing, and so this nothing is, and this nothingness is an end in itself.
We recall that the Buddha was evolving away from hierarchized substance. By refusing substance it became nothing–the nothing that is not.
But there was for Buddha something and that something was one.
In the process of evolution one and nothing become the same.
The Hindu power structure is eliminated.
Buddha remains and we are one with the Buddha and with nothing.
There is no enlightenment because there is no substance, for light is a substance.
There is not even any potential light not even any ein sof ur.
Next please.
Just musing:
There are some (Hindi ?) who believe we will perhaps evolve into beings of light when enlightened.
If our race reaches an omega point of enlightenment, could it be that we will be points of light, returned to beings of stardust?
Will a nuclear apocalypse be humankind’s return to non-being ?
As Andrew states … “The Authentic Self is that creative spark, or Eros, that emerged from that empty ground to create the entire cosmos. And we experience it, at the level of consciousness, as a wild utopian impulse to strive to create a better and more perfect world, at every level. It’s a powerful drive and a passion that emerges from the ground of consciousness itself. It compels those who have awakened to it to live our lives first and foremost for the sake of the future.”
For me, this is the most important point he makes, because I have shared in that burning impulse he describes. Its tough to put words to, but he’s done it as well as it can be done. Unfortunately, I think its a point that can easily be missed when getting lost in the reflective mirrors of the dual/non-dual, subject/object, endless circle jerk of reasoning that our frontal lobes love to engage in. You can try to think your way through it, but its not going to work. You’ve gotta have it happen in a moment of deep contemplation.
Thanks again to Andrew and KW for bringing these things to light and putting coherent words together so we can better share in the process at hand.
After thought to my last post re: ” If our race reaches an omega point of enlightenment, could it be that we will be points of light, returned to beings of stardust?”
Could it be that a nuclear apocalypse will be in effect de facto the omega point of humankind, transforming us back into stardust, literally en-”lightening” us?
imaginations… intuitions… inspirations:
1) this site is creating community;
2) community (WE) is the new I (ME);
3) then IT (the WE) collapses into ITSELF (ME);
4) I AM STILL HERE;
5) I see Ken Wilber walking down the street… is it really Ken Wilber?
6) I wrote this same thing a number of years ago;
7) who’s stream of consciousness is this?
8) ME or WE?
9) the sound of silence is heard;
10) Ah! [ the sound of consciousness hearing itself];
11) Still there is a hearer hearing;
12) Nothingness is absurd, yet it is the glue of the universe;
13) language is creating the created … continue the SELF dialog;
14) If this stream stops, will I still be here/hear to know it?
15) What comes after raindrops on a temple roof? ME reading about it.
16) Are we not all shamans now? Mystics! You and I, I and Thou, Universe and Empty Space beyond. Seeing beyond… and then seeing beyond the beyond… beyond the raindrops… beyond the temple roof… not vector (evolution), not circle (revolution), but wave: dynamic, fluid, and formative. ONE SPIRIT WAVE. Ah… the resting place for the mystery of JUST THIS… SILENCE… CONTEMPLATION… GRACE… EXPERIENCE… LIGHT (yes)… LOVE (yes)… LIFE (yes)… the WHOLE THANG ( the tranquility of the whole), WHOLE & HOLY, HOLON HOLDING HOLON….
17) Language is a limitation. Experience is the new language. Just listen! Just watch! JUST THIS. Alan Watts is correct: THIS IS IT! Wilber is correct, you are correct, I AM correct.
18) So now what. I AM THAT I AM? yes… try and sustain this. Go ahead! And then there is compassion,… loving-kindness, charity, generosity, patience, peace, kindness, joy, self-control… and the other modes of SPIRITUAL BEING. Perhaps Dana Klisanin is pointing in a humanistic direction: TRANSCEPTION is cyberception with compassion. WE needs this so that ME can exist.
19) Blah Blah Blah Blah… LOVE LOVE ME DO… birds chirping on my window sill.
20) if the message to love is really the curricula for our earth school, to be found manifesting across the unlimited forms, kingdoms, levels, modes, and tiers of consciousness, then is not GOD forever BELOVING SELF at the deepest widest, highest possible way?
21) “I don’t know” may be an expression of love, as it sets the stage for the BELOVED to BELOVING, which is ONE SPIRIT WAVING/LOVING.
thank you for creating a space, for language, to spill onto a white sheet of light, to be reflected back upon self, like a wave waving hello and goodbye, leaving it up to the beholder to decipher.
with love
BELA RAY
Bela:
En toto, the Web is our newly minted collective consciousness, our connectivity manifested. Great, ain’t it?
re: “20) if the message to love is really the curricula for our earth school, to be found manifesting across the unlimited forms, kingdoms, levels, modes, and tiers of consciousness, then is not GOD forever BELOVING SELF at the deepest widest, highest possible way?
I’d edit your statement: (if) > (Since), eliminating any doubt.
Aloha, Frank Luke
All comments taken together show some measure of intellectualism. But still (the evolutionary nature of existence considered), one may want to ask what the “purpose and meaning” of this evolution is. Does it even have a purpose or meaning? Would it be surprising to find that existence, the “not two”, has no purpose or meaning? … that it just is — period. There is no purpose or meaning.
jd, re: ” Does it even have a purpose or meaning? Would it be surprising to find that existence, the “not two”, has no purpose or meaning? … that it just is — period. There is no purpose or meaning.”
If Ken Wilber’s contention is true that the Omega Point of humanity is to become enlightened, evolution is heading us toward that direction. Enlightenment means to know everything, all. A daunting (impossible?) task for individuals but collectively, the Web offers this holistic knowledge.
FL: Condsider that in an Absolute the term ‘enlightenment’ has no meaning whatsoever. There is no argument here that consciousness is evolving; the question is toward what. This Omega Point spoken of sounds as if it is an end all to beat all, and that enlightenment is the undermining factor of reaching this point, singularly or collectively.
No “I” ever becomes enlightened. A famed historical figure put it well saying, “Unless a man lose his life (sense of I – ego) he cannot find it.”
Consider the nature of existence: it is ever changing, and the material aspect of it is cyclic in character. From action of an individual atom to the actions of innumerable galaxies this nature holds true. The only thing that “changes not” is the “space” in which all of these changes take place. Every ‘thing’ is in space and space is in every ‘thing’.
Here again, no argument is being put forth against an omega point. What is pointed out is that if such a point be reached — it will not be a permanent state of whatever one might imagine. It will be perhaps the apex of the conscious, aware, and intelligent nature of energy — but even so, subject to a changing nature due to movement.
Another cycle of who knows what will begin — the possibilities are imponderable being without limit. There is no grand scheme, impossible task, or the knowing of everything involved at all — except for one who may yet seek for what has never been lost.
There is no purpose and meaning behind it whatsoever. It just is. Always was, always will be, and that thou art.
jd:
I recently have come to the realization that there are no Enlightened Beings, some more highly conscious but none completely Enlightened. You ask if there’s any value in evolving to become enlightened. For me, there are moments of Awakening which strengthen Understanding, without claiming Enlightenment personally. But is it only a lovely fantasy where we humans entoto progress to the point where peace and loving kindness prevail and there will be war no more, that hate and violence will be non-existent? I harbor this hope, fantastic as it may be, and live trying to foster it. For me, Quixote-like, it is my hopeful dream.
Best regards, Aloha,
Is it our minds that create the universe that we see?
Is the expanding universe a reflection of our evolving minds?
A Course In Miracles’ thrilling answer to the question: “How will the world end?” is: “The world will merely cease to seem to exist”!
Would that be when we are evolved enough not to need the lessons of this earth any more, not need the ego self any more? When we all are enlightened which in my understanding is we all know the spiritual dimension that is our real WE?
Can human minds understand and explain what is above the mind? When that inner voice sometimes brings solutions and answers so obvious and beautiful and simple that I don’t know why I didn’t think of them before, then I know that is the spiritual dimension of our Higher Self.
For that to evolve means to me that everybody in my=our universe acknowledges that dimension, which I feel as an urge and obligation to create in the mind so that I=WE can project a world where no ego thinking is needed any more. Will there be no terrorists in the world any more when I/WE let go of all fear? So let’s get rid of fear then!
Would evolving then continue in new dimensions? What a distant project, but to God nothing is impossible!
EVOLUTION:
sparks settle among straw
thoughts smolder and sputter
igniting flames of many colors
sharing warmth across the dark
what is knowing?
i see your smile above the fire
and it lifts me
i feel love
and it sustains me
perhaps we gobble up the ineffable
like beans from a can
hurried and certain
that we dare not doubt
while between the flames
dark spaces beckon
awakening our chastening fears
silence settles then
and wisdom of our innermost ear
attends to grins and sighs
and rueful shaking heads
bewildered at the sudden awe
of each glorious heartbeat
meanwhile
the fire has burned to nothing
a memory of grasping ashes
and fervent whispers in the night
“Did the straw evolve?”
“Did the spark?”
“Did we?”
already the ground is cooling
your smiling visage hides itself
within the fading light
but i promise you
my heart will not forget
——
Thank you, Andrew, for the sparks, the gentle flames, the smiles and a place where we can all stay warm.
-T.Collins, San Diego
EVOLVING
* A new species of humans has evolved at the top of the food chain.
* EVOLVERS recognize themselves by their primary desire to devote themselves to the lifelong meaningful sexual relationship called marriage.
* HUMANIMALS have been faking this motivation for thousands of years to take advantage of EVOLVERS sexually.
* Fortunately, EVOLVERS carry a gene that discriminates them from the HUMANIMALS they have evolved from.
* The EVOLVER GENE is carried by 43% of a1l humans.
* Only 20% of Western males admit that their behavior is primarily influenced by their desire to find a virtuous girl to marry.
* 66% of Western females admit that their behavior is primarily influenced by their desire to find a virtuous man to marry.
* The Swiss research institute which has identified EVOLVERS and patented the EVOLVER GENE, invites people who recognize that they are EVOLVERS to securely identify themselves and potential life-partners through their DNA on THE INSTITUTE’S secure on-line introduction agency.
* THE INSTITUTE has also established an ALTERNATIVE PARALLEL ECONOMY based on THE TEN LAWS OF HAPPINESS, and designed to satisfy the motivations of EVOLVERS and reverse global warming before the end of 2010.
* Having observed the calamity caused by disregarding THE TEN LAWS OF HAPPINESS for 3,200 years, surely we deserve to be ELIMINATED if we do not prudently apply the science of genetic engineering that THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS has provided us with just in time to avoid our own ELIMINATION.)
* Free details of THE EVOLUTION and how its alternative
parallel economy proposes to reverse global warming by the
end of 2010, and how any EVOLVER anywhere in the world can
start a new career by earning their local equivalent of
$AUS 65,754 a year by distributing this card in their own
language, and addressed with their email address replacing
mine where you see mine
jd, re: on wondering toward what is consciousness evolving?
I posit that the most essential realization humankind must attain is to become enlightened to the lesson of learning to co-exist in loving kindness with and respect for all Creation, sentient and non-sentient. There are those who consider consciousness to be a matter of the mind and exalt intellectuality. I contend that it is with the heart that we achieve Awakening, a universal consciousness that allows us to realize the importance and necessity of that loving kindness. Without that universal consciousness, collectively embracing it with our individualistic entire beings, we will continue to progress toward more competition for scarcer natural resources and land, toward more wars and imminent apocalype.
THE CONTINUING EVOLUTION OF HUMAN BEINGS
People who have evolved the consciousness which allows
them to comprehend the concept of evolution can distinguish
different states of evolution of species by an animal’s
material appearance and by the abilities and different
behaviors that different states of consciousness beyond
what is ‘normally’ regarded as human, enable.
What is hidden from the consciousness of people who have
not evolved beyond human beings, are STATES OF EVOLUTION OF
CONSCIOUSNESS BEYOND WHAT IS COMMONLY REGARDED AS HUMAN. If
you have no awareness of a more evolved state, you CANNOT
discern states of evolution only evolved in consciousness
rather than matter. Thus, various states of consciousness
which have evolved in 43% of all people are not
distinguished in the behavior or language of people have
not evolved beyond ‘normal’ – the majority. These evolving
states become more and more esoteric as a human being
continues to evolve. That is why the highly evolved people
who have been labeled as Holy Men are more likely to find
themselves under attack than followed.`
I have been aware that my consciousness is evolving
since I was 5-years-old, and have been focused throughout
the subsequent 65 years of my life on how these states were
arising. The ACTIONS that this process prompted, caused
me to adopt behaviors which quite automatically promoted
the continuing evolution of my consciousness. Of the many
observations of the uncommon behaviors I found myself drawn
to as I evolved, I eventually observed that these
uncommon behaviors were in fact the norm for mystics and
Holy Men in ALL 6 great religions of the world.
So, I passed myself of to those who had not evolved as a
20th and 21st century behavioral scientist while I was, in
reality, observing and profiling my own evolving
consciousness. Thus, remaining clandestine, I explored my
evolving consciousness as I discovered that the founders of
all 6 of the world religions had been on the same path
that I was discovering. By the time I was 30 I had begun
profiling successful people and identified that 20% of
people were PRO-ACTIVE. Eventually I observed that there
was an hierarchy of evolutionary states beyond ‘normal’
humans and was able to profile people and determine where
they were on this hierarchy.
Thus, my INHERRENT DISPOSITION, my INSIGHTS, led me to
become a HEADHUNTER. Becoming a HEADHUNTER continued to
fuel my research as it identified EVOLVERS I could sell to
corporations for highly-paid executive positions that
funded my continuing VOCATION.
This lifestyle of a research scientist is a process
which is best served by a reclusive life that I realize is
actually the kind of devotion to EVOLVING which HOLY MEN
have always adopted. This process has identified the
EVOLVER GENE which I observe is carried by people who have
crossed the threshold of human existence to benefit by
DEVELOPING their own EVOLUTION into TRANSCENDENTAL LIFE.
These breakthroughs in EVOLUTIONARY STUDIES created a
new concept of education and a new economy, just in the
nick of time to facilitate the reversal of global warming.
These breakthroughs are founded on evolving science which
provides a new perspective and a new understanding of the
nature of existence.
With this new perspective, the ignorance and greed that
blights humanity, become redundant. It no longer makes
sense to propel the small planet we all have to live on to
the tipping point of global warming.
FL: Your thoughts are read with interest. What is thinking? Evidently you come to this sight because you are interested in those things which transcend. You are in a situation. It is the hardest of them all, and it is called ” Searching.” Hats off to you, but again listen.
There is an ancient saying: “With the mind is illusion built up, and with the mind is illusion overcome.”
There is nothing that is not mind FL. All that you you see, hear, smell, touch, etc. exists because you think that it does. This is the mystery which is no mystery.
What is Enlightenment? or lets change the title hahahahaha.
jd
When spiritual Awakening occurs, it may be simply imaginary, something one becomes convinced of. This event, like compelling ideas, is life-changing. How one behaved, what attitudes were held, how the world is perceived seems affected. If this is “merely” imagination, I accept that, so be it. The term “Awakening” seems so apt, where one seemed to be walking around in a state of unawareness, of being asleep and then becoming Awake. Like the experience of falling in love, it cannot be described to one who has not had the experience. Without condescension, I contend there is such a difference obviously and would hope all would be blessed to have this transcending transformation.
Yeah Frank, you’ve got it. The illusion is, as the self=realized Holy Men of Hinduism were proclaiming 5,000 years ago – matter. Because we relate to each other in the human form, our idea of ourselves is that, since we are material, existence is material. As you and Andrew are now REALIZING, all existence is in facf merely the play of consciousness – one mind which has actually fragmented to ACTUALIZE its desires – HEAVEN.
The most delightful REALIZATION is that this process has EVOLVED one collective consciousness comprised of all the individual consciousnesses which religions refer to as THE CHILDREN OF GOD. All who EVOLVE to this state continue to EVOLVE in HARMONY with each other. More importantly consciousness is clearly intelligent and that is how we REALIZE ETERNAL LIFE, FOREVER YOUNG TOGETHER.
Hi, Syd:
Can we say that those who have been Awakened have transcended ordinary human consciousness into higher consciousness and have thus evolved, mutated from human being to conscious being? From your comments, may I assume you have Awakened? Do you recognize a difference between those who are Awake and those who have yet to become so? It is not a holier than thou attitude which should be guarded against but more of a recognition that there are those who haven’t yet realized something like a blessing, a lack of attaining some insight that contributes a great dimension to living? This attainment of becoming awake I assert makes for better individuals because their behavior and attitudes do not allow them to behave as egoistically as those who continue in their irresponsible way. In this way the Awakened are, if not holier, more caring, responsible, nobler than the unawakened.
Do you know what bodhisattvas are? They are figures in Buddhism who are at the stage of becoming Enlightened but hold back and vow to help others attain their enlightenment before theirs. I was in an audience when the Dalai Lama was in Honolulu where he asked us to rise and take the Bodhisattva Vow. I was hesitant, not sure I could accept such a heavy responsibility but did take the vow. I now realize it was taken to heart, where I am in my limited but sincere way trying to act the part of a bodhisattva, asking myself “What would a bodhisasttva do?” It’s heartening to know that there are and will continue to exist Awakened ones who will exert efforts to bring humanity to higher consciousness, spirituality outiside of the conventions of organized religions who in some aspects are counterproductive in their understanding of deity and spirituality, IMO.
I appreciate your comments. Aloha (I honor your spirit),
Hello again Frank. Delighted to meet you – the only limit I discern is your inspiring humility.
Oscar Wilde once said, “In order to be at one’s best, one must always be in love.” I’ve been in love with one girl after another since I was 5-years-old – I hope you’ve been too, because humans are definitely at their best when they are in love. I was athletic and famous when I was 15 and was vigorously pursued by gangs of teenage girls as soon as I stepped out my front door. The interesting thing was that each new girlfriend went off the boil around 2 years, while I still remained as ENTHUSIASTIC today as I had been with every single one of them back for 60 years. I considered that ENTHUSIASM is the key state for the journey to TRANSCENDENTAL LIFE.
I came to Australia with XEROX and the loveliest girl I have ever seen as my wife in 1970. 2 years later I had become independently wealthy, (I have always been absurdly lucky.) In 1972 when this sensationally elegant, utterly lovely, totally charming, delightful creature produced the most delightful daughter, I observed that while she remained sensationally elegant, utterly lovely and totally charming, her focus for life swung to delighting in our delicious child.
I had bought the most elegant waterfront penthouse on Sydney Harbour. I spent money like a tomcat pilot off the USS Ronald Regan, for no better resaon than that I had money to burn. Independently wealthy, I had no need to work and we both devoted ourselves in harmony to delighting in our darling daughter But the magic of ENTHUSIASMOS in making love with my wife had simply evaporated – for my lovely wife. This made me desperately unhappy – after all, you cannot make love by yourself.
Then one afternoon in September in 1974 I was sprawled on my golden armchair in my gorgeous penthouse overlooking the most interesting marine vista trying to figure out what was wrong with me and I voiced the enquiry, “What am I doing wrong?”
Straight away reality exploded in my head, the hair’s stood on neck and head, and the nature of existence fiulled my being and I new everything.
That’s 35 years ago and since then in every conscious hour, a second parallel consciousnessswas to my normal waking consciousness beats the mantra “:My dear Lord, My dear Lord, My Dear Lord,” over and over again with my every heart beat so long as I am awake, and when I sleep, answers whatever questiuons I take to sleep with my normal waking consciousness.
I am a behavioural scientist and have devoted the ensuing 35 years to rising from sleep to record every revellation given to me by the collective unconscious. This work has formed itself into a series of 7 books which answer all mankind’s dilemmas including the global financial meltdown, global warming,the nature of existence and the administrative structure which will provide those who are EVOLVERS an alternative parallel economy to prepare themselves and their loved ones to navigate THE END OF TIME.
One of the several thousand topics I was propmted to investigate was the Bodhisattva. I did this by studying Tantra at a Buddhiust Institute in Australia. There, my hope was to encounter a Bodhisattva. I didn’t, but the search for a Boddhisattva did reveal the place of Bodhisattvas and. more interestingly, Bodhichittas in THE HIERARCHY OF THE CONTINUING EVOLUTION OF HUMAN BEINGS. It was through this INSIGHT that I realized that my mental condition prior to my own ANNOINTING in 1974 had been from the state that the Buddhist TRADITIONS identify as a BODHICITTA.
I suggest you do the degree in EVOLUTIONARY STUDIES offered by the Swiss Research Institute I endowed in 1981. By the way, this degree also happens to be the keystone to the alternative parallel economy of the education culture which is to replace the existing economy by arranging for students to earn the average weekly wage as they focus their education impeccably.
Up The Evolution
Syd
Hello, Syd:
TY for your generous and intriguing response that I read with great interest. It’s always fascinating to share the stories of others spiritual development for me. Doctrine and dogma are fine and good but first hand experiences, especially those of life-changing kind, are what I appreciate the most. I respect intellectuality but when it comes to spiritual matters, I see that direct contact with deity is where it’s at for me. I’m wary of flakey types but the closer to Perennial Wisdom understanding is, the more I feel a genuineness.
I’ll pursue knowing more about Bodhichittas and your Institute, if info is available online.
Are you cognizant of the meaning of Aloha, other than the touristy connotations? As I understand, it has a similar meaning to the Indian “namaste”: I honor your spirit. Aloha, Syd; be well!
Hello, Syd:
I unsuccessfully attempted to find out more about your Swiss Research Institute online. Do you have any material you can share with me?
I looked up Bodhichitta on Wikipedia and learned that it is someone who is seeking or has become Enlightened. You cavilled at my use of “humble” in my attainment. In the first flush of my awakening, I was so carrried away by my realization I had become awakened, that I wondered how it was no one else seemed to recognize it or see my halo. I have come to realize that only others can proclaim your Buddhahood or Enlightenment and it would be egotistic to say it of yourself. In this way I feel humble, to realize I’m still on the way to attaining full Understanding but know I have some way to go to transcend human attitudes that hinder this full understanding.
May I ask: on a scale of 1-10, can you say how far you have progressed in fully attaining Bodhihittahood?
shit
Funny thing Frank I was going to ask you about Aloha. Not that its any big deal, but the Fijians use a very similar greeting ‘Bulla’. It means Live Life to the Full. That really appeals to me. It captures the essence of the spirit of a BODDHICITTA and also of the SELF-ACTUALISED and it was fun to come across a great greeting that personified either before I knew I was either. That was a veryherlpful realization to come to as a boy.
Coming to the spiritual quest as a behavioral scientist I tend to appraise people psychologically and function as a HEADHUNTER by identifying what level of EVOLUTION people are on. Its very reassuring for someone who is aware that they are ‘different’ to be able to look at the profile of a relatively ascended being and see how that is defined on the HIERARCHY OF THE CONTINUING EVOLUION OF HUMAN BEINGS
Like you,I spent years searching for people who were what you relate to as ascended and especially trying to find a fully self-realized spiritual master who could tell me what the ANNOINTING that I had experioenced was about. I visited Ashrams, Tenples, Moasteries and churches indiscriminately and voraciously for years where great masters advised me that they had no idea what ailed me but I should drop it as soon as possible. That was the continuous calliung from my heart that I told you about in my last posting and which the living universe has, after 30 years, only advised me ANNOINTS me as THE LAST PROPHET of THE LAST TESTAMENT.
What can I say Frank? Its been coming at me every day since 1974 ovcerwhelming my being with love, wisdomjoy and endless absurd good fortune. Since it says this is ANOINTING G then I’m ANOINTED.
Since, for 20 years, I searched for people who had EVOLVED beyond the attributes of ‘normal’ people and was able to talk to people about the skills they have EVOLVED I can tell you classifying an hierarchy of spiritual states which one can climb. the giirl who was ‘climbing a stairway to Heaven” sounds like she was one of my proteges in the 60′s. An HIERARCHY is always very helpful all round in scientific research. But, once once again I refer you to the work of the Institute.
On this subject I am forced to be a bit obscure because the work itself raises hackles of people who realize that they do not qualify for ASSOCIATION with the Institute. When we put our heads above the parapet we get shot at. At t he beginning of our work n 1948 we searched blood-lines of people who were SELF ATUALIZED and only contacted them. There wasn’t any need for a parapet. Nobody but people we were searching and turning in to millionaires ever heard from us and they ended up joining us.
Now the web exposes us to every religious fanatic of every hue and makes us a prime target for hackers. The way we deal with this is that EVOLVERS only make contact through their email addresses. I’m not quite sure how this blogg deal works but I’d be delighted to send you a 30 page free INTRODUCTION to EVOLVING. I imagine if were to post such a heavy topic on this blogg I’d upset somebody at EnlightenNext so I suggest you send me your email address at sydshaw@hotmail.com
If you are a bit of a wiz on the web I sure could use any help you might be able to offer,as research scientists like us tend to like to work clandestinely and tend to be very amateur. We need all the help we can get in that areea.
Bulla
Dear Syd:
Earlier in my development I used to yearn to find teachers and others who I would be able to share experiences, reinforce my understanding (doubting the veracity of my discoveries) and advancing more in my spiritual development. Now 74, I feel no real need for further encouragement, though contact with other Awakened people is always a pleasurable experience. I don’t attribute that much to my understanding, accept it as a blessing but realize there’s more to know and become.
Would you be able to capsulize the premise of your Institute in a paragraph? I’m not being prideful but feel my advancement is a process that unfolds of its own accord. If I can advance further and in a programmatic way I would be interested but I’m also patient in my evolution. This is not to dismiss your offer, only by way of saying let’s see how it goes.
I’ll send my email to your address. We’ll talk further.
Aloha,
Be asured Frank, you are a Bodhicitta and anything else that comes your way will come from beyond this conscious of co-production consciousness in which we communicate.
I emailed INTRODUCTION TO EVOLVING to you.
If the spirit that is in me is the same spirit that is in you, it’ll inspire you to evolve your consciousness and join me in HEAVEN ON EARTH. If it isn’t ,I have nothing else to ad.
My understanding is that the collective unconscious manifests in a material form when mankind has degenerated beyond redemption. The prophet sent at these times is sent to give warning.
You have that warning in your hands now.
Bulla.
Syd.
manifests itself in a human form when human race has w
On a recent GOOGLE of ENLIGHTENMENT our search introduced us to EnlightenNext magazine. Clearly your quest is symbiotic to our own quest.
In 1948 THE INTENTIONEERING INSTITUTE began to head-hunt the people that New York psychologist ABRAHAM MASLOW had identified as what he termed SELF-ACTUALIZED in 1943.
Maslow had determined that 2 people in 100 were SELF-ACTUALIZED. The profile that we identify in a SELF-ACTUALIZED person is identical to the traits that tantric Buddhists call Bodichittas. Bodhichittas are judged ready to receive the initiation rites of enlightenment from a Master in which they become Bodhisattvas. The work of THE INTENTIONEERING INSTITUTE and the continuing development of MASLOW’S work that that has engaged us in for 60 years has revealed an hierarchy of 5 EVOLUTIONARY states beyond what is generally regarded as ‘normal’ human consciousness has determined that 1% of the world population are inherently SELF-ACTUALIZED. Though its only a small proportion of the human family, this is still 20 million people.
In our quest to identify the SELF-ACTUALISED for recruitment to a life as a senior corporate executive we did not invent these states. We merely identified states of consciousness in human beings which have clearly always existed and which we found were helpful tools to us in our recruitment processes.
We have found that 43% of more-highly evolved human beings identify themselves behaviorally in their sexual preferences. As Maslow himself had noted in his definition of the SELF-ACTUALIZED, the sexuality of what we call EVOLVERS is revealed by their primary desire to devote their lives to the meaningful sexual relationship called marriage rather than just the basic animal drive for SEXUAL gratification. We regard this as the basis of civilization.
This is a highly controversial claim which we have found is better kept to ourselves. The effectiveness of our work requires that we keep our work and our findings beneath the parapet. Going public with our findings embroils us in unending argument with the depraved people who need to justify their depravity and is detrimental to the effectiveness of our work and we shun publicity and operate clandestinely.
However, the melt-down of the utterly corrupt world economic system requires us to go public with a worldwide culture based on an alternative parallel economy which is based on the moral law in ALL religions and compatible to the economic system everywhere and may be developed symbiotically by EVOLVERS while the current corrupt world-order self-implodes.
Having recently encountered EnlightenNext we believe that the 75,000 subscribers to EnlightenNext are the core of the new culture now EVOLVING, and offer them the opportunity to become EVOLVERS in a world-wide network of primary-school based neighborhoods firmly grounded on the moral principles promulgated by all 6 major world religions. Surely the moral principles of ALL who are disposed to believe in a higher being, coupled to the philosophy inspiringly debated in your blogg are the right people at the right place at the right time to cascade the education economy, whose time has clearly come.
UlyssesChi@gmail.com
Chancellor
Intentioneering Institute
i hope someone will respond, but i direct this specifically to kyle’s july 15th post quoting Aurobindo (by the way, i find kyle’s posts profound). what would we be the point of numberless trillions of forms (and doesn’t “numberless trillions of forms” require difference?) if finding itself innumerably were all the same? the moment we allow difference within the unity/ALL/nondual/one, etc., don’t we allow degrees of consciousness and of becoming? doesn’t “evolutionary spirituality” simply acknowledge that the forms can evolve without necessarily inferring any change in Existence? if Existence were not finding itself differently in this or that what would be the point? if Existence is finding itself differently in this and that then this and that are different, aren’t they? be that as it may regarding what Existence may or may not be experiencing, i am looking out a window that you, kyle, are not looking out. however we might “experience” our self as “one” and however we might be “one,” we also have experiences that are not shared at some level … don’t we? please forgive me if this post is too elementary to deserve a response. i’m new to these discussions and would like to begin somewhere. thanks, at least, for reading. j
Frank and Syd: Have been following your dialogue. It is very idealistic indeed, but ponder this: One would “think” another crazy if the latter held the position that the “betterment of mankind” was an inconsequential position. Would they not? But, perhaps, the one with this crazy position realizes that any striving of self to become something other than what it already is (in this case — better) is in reality simply a case of an “I’s” desire to become a “better I” … which is the antithesis of awakening.
A desire to become something other than what YOU already ARE, even if this desire in viewed as honorable and loving, is nevertheless still desire; and desire is the root-cause of ignorance and suffering.
Perhaps the awakened understand that the whole process of awakening has nothing to do with becoming anything, it is rather a process of becoming not. It is NOT a process of learning; but rather a process of unlearning. It is NOT a process that builds; but rather a process that destroys. Awakening tears down, it does not build up.
Again: No “I” ever awakens (becomes enlightened). The self must utterly be dissolved. No more Syd; no more Frank. Has either Syd or Frank ever really considered what it is to be no more? A premise that strikes terror into the ego! It will be fought against tooth and nail. But that’s the way it is gentlemen. The ego, whether it is operating from what it “thinks” to be love, or perhaps even hate, is nevertheless operating in duality, and therefore operating in ignorance, and suffering is inevitable — because striving sets up conflict.
jd
says Syd: If the spirit that is in me is the same spirit that is in you, it’ll inspire you to evolve your consciousness and join me in HEAVEN ON EARTH. If it isn’t ,I have nothing else to ad. ………………………
The Kingdom of God does not come with observation. The Kingdom of God is within. What is God fellows? And what is the Kingdom? Better yet; what is God not?
I see you’ve (whomever you may be) elected to delete the last written comment I sent. Some have not yet ears to hear.
jd
Hmm jd, interesting comments. Full, it seems to me, of duplicity. But certainly understandable amidst the confusing, often bewildering, talk of duality/nonduality becoming/not becoming knowing/unknowing being/nonbeing, losing self to find self, losing your life to find your life (yes, those last two are biblical categories, straight from the mouth of jesus according to the gospelers), etc. One wonders, is there not choice? Think carefully before you respond … for, you see (at least it seems to me), you cannot not think. You cannot not choose. To choose is to have a preference. to have a preference is desire “to become” this and not that, and to choose IS to be this not that.
Your references to the Kingdom of God suggest at least some familiarity with the New Testament. It’s interesting to me how people qoute/misquote Jesus. All of us, or so it seems, project our own world view onto “the words of jesus.” be that as it may, consider this, according to john’s gospel jesus said, “the father and i are one.” now how’s that for both dual and nondual language? according to john jesus also prayed, “that they all may be one, even as you father are in me and i am in you that they may be in us.” that’s not only dual/nondual; it is also becoming. it is requesting a future that is not yet. it is expressing a preference for a preferred future: this future not that one. i dunno. maybe i misunderstand jesus and project my own world view onto him. maybe what we have is not jesus at all but the author of john’s gospel. in any event, these are the words of the new testament attributed to THE master of one of the world’s great religions. at least worth pondering … careful, though, to decide is to choose this not that.
(:) peace, jim
AUTHENTICITY
I tried posting the following to Andrew on his latest blog where I found it was rejected b3ecause it was 1800 characters. I tried having a look for the references that JD and Jim mention above but found those references had been deleted. This tells me that someone is editing our blogs. That suggests that I have been sucked in to a Bernie Maydoff proposition. If we really want to explore our odyssey to the bitter end, I suggest you emil me directly and I’ll start an AUTHENTIC blog to you.
Authenticity is the final challenge of enlightenment. Andrew, you of all people must see that it is the failure of every religion to SUBMIT to the SINGLE COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS FROM WHICH EVERYTHING HAS SPRUNG that has sabotaged every attempt of the human race to EVOLVE its return from The Fall.
Reading your blogs I see your brilliant intellect resisting the egos of your disciples as they jockey with you for SUPREMACY. You, of all people must surely see that “You must call no man Rabbi for you are all brothers, nor must you call any man Father, for you have but one Father and He is in Heaven, nor should you let any man call you Teacher, for you have but one Teacher, the ANNOINTING which is within you.”
Mindful of this, I have been working for a Swiss Research Institute since Abraham Maslow defined SELF-ACTUALIZATION in 1943. My observation at that time was that Maslow’s definition of self-actualization was the same definition on which Dzogen Masters select Bodhicittas to receive their initiation into ENLIGHTENMENT. You are probably aware that this initiation requires the Master to evoke the light and then embrace the initiate in THE VIEW with him.
For 60 years the Institute has been HEADHUNTING people we can profile psychologically who fit the requirements that define a Bodhicitta – the same profile defined by Maslow as SELF-ACTUALIZATION for Western civilization. Our research now tells us that there are 20 million such people on the planet at the beginning of the 21st century. The Institute calls them EVOLVERS.
According to the demographics of EnlightenNext you have 75,000 readers. Many of these will be EVOLVERS.
The Institute has developed an alternative parallel economy based on the central principal that EVOLVERS are “all brothers” and “none shall rule over you save the most high.” We do this by basing the new economy on local neighborhoods around the existing local primary school.
The EVOLVERS in an EVOLVER NEIGHBORHOOD have chosen to base their behavior on the moral laws common to all 6 great world religions and the total emancipation of women. Their new economy is based on the education culture which is clearly destined to replace the corruption of capitalism which is disintegrating everywhere.
With 60% of people earning their living in education the consumer society slips into history and reverses the global warming that threatens our habitat.
The Institute is recruiting EVOLVERS to staff its core businesses in neighborhoods wherever the 51 EVOLVERS who guarantee the viability of an EVOLVER NEIGHBORHOOD are recruited as catalyst EVOLVERS.
Those who CAN do. The impasse to EVOLVING is that people have egos and compete to be king while people who cannot compete are psychologically disposed to TALK about possibilities interminably. This is the nexus that has DEVOLVED every great religion the world has seen. It is only conquered by the authenticity by which EVOLVERS respond to the admonition that, “you are all brothers. ” Doing so evolves the reality that “you have but one teacher, the ANNOINTING which is within you.”
To live in HEAVEN ON EARTH contact
UlyssesChi@gmail.com
No disrespect is intended by this outreach, but science is telling us that the tipping point of global warming will arrive by the end of 2010. For our children and grandchildren, if not for the future of humanity, we EVOLVER brothers and sisters have the baton and NO TIME TO BABBLE.
whoaaahhh syd. u movin fast buddy. if there is “an anointing,” and i surely believe there is, IT will be what it will be. not to say humans don’t participate in the “evolution” of the “kosmos” with their choices; nonetheless, if the creation starts over, so be it. in the meantime, let’s keep evolvin. by the way, the author of “you have but one teacher, the anointing which is within you” was a teacher … :)
Hello again Jim. at the risk of sounding like a smart alec let me tell you I was a very fortunate young man enjoying a very privileged life in 1974. I was failing to persuade the utterly lovely creature I had been marriede to for 15 years to express herself as openly as you EnlightenNext bloggers do. I asked the ceiling I was lying looking up at, “What am I doing wrong?” with no concept of a reply. Fortunately, the universe seems to like ACTION as much as I do. Straight away it exploded reality in my brain and the hairs stood on my neck and head. Where was this coming from? Then it started proclaiming “My dear Lord, My dear lord,” with every beat of my heart. For a guy who hadn’t paid much attention to the nature of existence for 7 years as my life bathed me in wealth, I didn’t change, I was changed. I couldn’t take my real estate, finance, property development and recruitment empire seriously any more. Clearly it was irrelevant compared to what had started unfolding in my head. For the next 33 years this parallel consciousness answered every question I asked. Of course I was full of questions. But I never picked up what the purose of this was and I told hardly anyone what was going on. I didn’t want to fall in to the hands of the psycho-babble industry. 33 years of this has finally informed me that I was being raised up – trained – by God as His Prophet for the END OF TIME. It seems that when humanity bottoms out in eon after eon God raises up a Prophet to warn the people of their impending encounter with the rubbish dump of creation.
Now the 35 years of this warning has been completed I have to do something with it. Nobody I know wants to know. Then I encountered EnlightenNext magazine around 6 months ago and discovered that the people blogging in it were discussing the very things that I had been immersed in on my own for 35 years. The difference was that where I had been invaded and instructed by God for 35 years the people in the bloggs of EnlightenNext were trully obsessed by the ideas rather than ANOINTED as I had been. I was coming from the other side of what they were speculating about. I’m a behavioral scientist and my Doctorate was on THE CONTINUING EVOLUTION OF HUMAN BEINGS. But more than anything else, I’m a blend of action man and enthusiasm. Its really exciting me enormously to suddenly find I’ve got all these really exciting people to talk to, having spent the last 35 years trying to find anyone who cared about these things.
The following notes are notes I made about BODHICITTAS when I discovered in the 1990s that such a being exists .
The fact is that the state that a BODHICITTA has evolved
to, has developed an inherent momentum towards INTEGRATION
with INFINITE MIND BECOMING. The more evolved the
BODICITTA, the more this momentum will relentlessly impel
the BODHICITTA towards INTEGRATION in the face of whatever
inertia the cognitive system which has nurtured him brings
to bear. It could fairly be said that the nature, the
dharma, the INEVITABILITY, of a BODHICITTA IS INTEGRATION,
and that the compassionate and generous, pro-active,
enthusiastic, unassuming, fortunate, courageous, and
fearless heart which hosts the bright intelligence and
inspiring imagination by which we recognize a BODHICITTA
among us, is the character of INFINITE MIND. Thus, a
BODHICITTA PERSONIFIES the essential nature which BEFITS a
FINITE MIND and Becomes him to INTEGRATE with INFINITE MIND BECOMING as a COSMIC WARRIOR, a perfected child and
instrument of the living cosmos, free of all material confusion and limitations.
It interested me to discover that ABRAHAM MASLOW had identified these same behaviors in the people he defined as SELF-ACTUALISED in 1943. Discovering that Christianity called the same people in their TRADITION, BORN IN THE SPIRIT, that Islam called the people like this in their tradition , that Sufis called them BARAKA, and the Hebrews had a name for them too. As a scientist I began profiling them and identifying them in the 80s. there are 20 million of these highly evolved people on the planet unaware of the existence of the others. I’m pretty sure you’re one of them and I’ve been given the raining manual for what we band of brothers are to do next to navigate tHE END OF TIME.
If you’d like to look at the 30 page INTRODUCING EVOLVING I’d be happy to send it to you if you’ll send me your email address.
UP THE EVOLUTION
Syd
It seems to me that the person who said this had to be Anointed. It was a bit of a revelation to me when I REALIZED that the Greek word Christos used throughout the new testament is the Greek translation of the ancient Aramaic word Messiah which simply meant Anointed. Apart from the New Testament itself, which is entirely the EDITING of the first century church, the name Jesus is not used ANYWHERE in the historic writers of the time. There is a story about a guy in the 1st century whose story is so filled with the deeds and words attributed to a man called Jesus by the church. This guy is called John the Forerunner by the Roman historian of 1st century Israel, FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS. He’s given a whole book to John the Forerunner, including the following interesting teaching, “None shall rule over you save the most high.” My opinion is that the whole teaching that Jesus was the only begotten son of god is a blatant apostasy which Jesus never claims in any of the gospels.
whoaaahhh syd. u movin fast, again, buddy. where’s all this church bashing New Testament bashing … (“Jesus” bashing?) coming from? i must have skipped a beat because i don’t see its relevance. I will make two comments, however. From a purely historical discipline perspective, to prefer Josephus over the New Testament is, i’m pretty sure, considered spurious history. as far as we can tell, josephus had at least as much of an agenda as did the early followers of Jesus. be that as it may, Josephus and the early Christian texts exist as historical documents that deserve common historical review. Second, regarding the gospels and jesus being the son of god, i don’t think the typical argument that jesus never claimed to be the son of god is based on what the gospels contain. From my reading they do contain Jesus claiming to be the son of God; they also record that that’s why jesus was crucified. the typical argument against this is that the gospels distort what jesus said. in any event, how’s this relevant to our earlier posts? peace
Woops. I’ve hit a nerve. Do you really think that Josephus had as impressive an agenda as the first century church? Do you accept Josethus’ reference to a man called John the Forerunner? What was the impressive agenda he was constructing with that? If you ponder the gospels you will discern that the message of the man they are about is that he was A son of god and so were ALL the Jews he was talking to. As soon as he had been crucified the church of Paul proclaimed he was THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD. I can’t see that anywhere in the gospels, whose whole purpose is to record the actual words and deeds by which whoever was Anointed taught, for the purpose of settling disputes like the one we are having. As a result, the 65 Anointed Prohets of God for the previous 1200 were reduced to second-rate backround noise used by the church to venerate Jesus above the one and only God. That’s apostasy. Brought up in Heaven on Earth by what the church calls a Righteous Man, I too found the nuances of this discussion difficult to take on board. Living in Heaven on Earth, it was not until I experienced Anointing that I could digest what I just told you. Without the historical record it would still be IMPOSSIBLE to proclaim. Didn’t I mention that I was Annointed 35 years ago? Annointing was the message of John the Forerunner, which the political institution called the church immediately subverted to its proclamation that Jesus was the Only Begotten Son of God. Jesus is Aramaic for God Saves. Christos is the Greek word for the Aramaic Messiah which means Anointed. Its a pretty neat bit of spin to use John the Forerunner’s advertising slogan from 60 AD – Jesus Christ – as the name of the identity you propose to attribute the events in Israel up to 33 AD to. Just as John the Forerunner and all 65 of the historical prophets who preceded him, I’m proclaiming that I too am Anointed a Prophet of The Most High God and all I had to do was ask for that Anointing. My inference is that you too will be Anointed if you Love God and His Commandments. The ONLY thing that will settle the argument for you is YOUR OWN ANOINTING.
Hey Syd,
It’s cool. Peace, Jim
I like Andrew’s cousin.Leonard’s reference to our time in history.
“The girls all take their blouses off,
The men all dance on the polka dots,
Its partner gained, partner lost.
Its closin time.’
I have the same spirit of David. I see myself as a warrior who has driven his lance in the ground and lashed his leg to it to stand my ground. Shield in my left hand and sword in my right I rejoice in the glory of God to take coup on the enemies of God at Armageddon.
Mentioned above is that the aspiration to become more enlightened is also desire and therefore unworthy, if I understand the comment.
It’s true that if we allow the progress of enlightenment to proceed in a laissez faire way, it will progress if not monkey-wrenched and willfully thwarted. One of the previous threads mentions the Summons, which discusses a call reponded to by some to advance in a more obvious way and can seem like desiring. There may be some peril in desiring becoming an obsession and motivationally questionable. In my own experience, there was ego involved– to achieve and attain something admirable, to become recognized as a person of higher development. But I submit that it did result in an Awakening, mistaken at the time as real Enlightenment, but my progress has disabused me of that and my egoistic motives. For those sincerely desiring to elevate themselves from themselves in their ordinary consciousness, there are many paths to higher ground of being, but I would say that desire can play a part in attaining it. It’s an effort in progress and meditation and self-evaluation to skirt becoming caught in false perceptions is useful and necessary.
Best regards to all in your spiritual advancement! Aloha,
Hello again folks. Have been following the discussions with suspended judgement, but will comment at this point. Jesus Christ, Buddha, Krishna, etc., whether figures of actual or mythical men (do we really know?) are nevertheless One Voice. The speakers/teachers of yesterday and the hearers/students of today are one though it may appear on the surface as them and us, is sure-seen multiplicity of beings. Perhaps it is accurate to say that there is neither multiplicity, nor is the not not multiplicity.
I too searched for 30 plus years; chiefly thru the means of biblical scriptures. For the time being, I would not like to appear as an apologist for Christianity. But, I will say that the biblical scriptures eventually led me to the eastern teachings. The absorbtion of the eastern teachings resulted in a comprehension of the biblical scriptures of which I believed I had a handle on but did not … but suddenly did.
Imagine what a surprise it was to wake up to the fact that what I had believed to be God was not God. All pre-conceived ideas, formulations, conditionings, conclusions, concepts, theories, beliefs, held insights, and in short the entire gist of any inner-held concept of God vanished in the twinkling of an eye as it was realized that I had no idea of what the word God meant. It was instantly seen that my concept of God was almost exactly the same as it was as when I was a boy of 12 walking home from Catholic confession trying real hard not to sin before next days holy-communion. The only difference was that as a man of 53 (am now 61) my inner vision of God was a God who had way more bells and whistles. In short: when I found God, God did not exist! At least not according to all of the years of compilations of life-long investigation which were suddenly seen as layer upon layer of built up ignorance. I should add that what I did find was Self. Man know thySelf.
Here and there I run across men and women who are still actively searching. It is interesting to see how the word God is thrown around by those who are seeking as if they already know what God is. It is all too clear that these folks have never questioned what it is they actually believe in. They just do not question “what” God is. When asked just exactly do they think God is they will often become indignant and offended. Try this with the next Jehova Witness that visits your door wanting to talk with you about salvation.
The point is this. If expanding knowledge is built upon a foundation of ignorance, there can be no uncovering of wisdom. The adage, “The end of knowledge is the beginning of wisdom” is accurate. In light of these things, I would like to ask, again, … What is God? Or better yet, what is God not? Now, there is a strange twist in the phenomena of building up false and inaccurate assumptions over a long period of time. Ask the sadhu who has spent 20 years isolated and in meditation who suddenly awakes and understands that his isolation and meditation was a hugh waste of time seeing that what he was searching for was never lost to begin with. Does this mean that one should not isolate in meditation? No! It does mean that this meditation was neither a waste of time, nor not not a waste of time. The phenomena of duality in an absolute is a cunning and subtle one. Once uncovered and seen for what it is the term God is understood. And That Thou Art.
So, is God evolving? Is the Unchangable Absolute endevouring to become something that It is not? To answer this, one must understand what is meant by the statement: God is neither evolving, nor is God not not evolving. But what is God?
Syd, i think this one is for you.
As the poet writes
and the singer sings,
emotions are displayed.
The preachers rites
and spoken things
that publicly are prayed;
They all delight
in favoring
the basic human ways.
The prophet though,
is by design
different as he reaches
out to me and you,
speaks God’s word
boldly as the teaches.
His lonely view
God has destined
to practice as he preaches.
Juan … practice what?
Got awfully quiet around here. Come on guys, speak your piece.