Comfort and confidence can be derived from a verifiable reality that the
rare persons who are actually attracted to Enlightenment as a life goal are
attracted because that is already their destiny (calibrates as true). For the
same reason, only future golfers would be taking golf lessons. Q: How does the inner pathway differ from traditional religious
observance? A: The emphasis is on the inner experiential subjective realization and
internal validation of spiritual truth. In contrast, religion is formalized
and historically structured in an authoritative context that stresses
conformation to observances, rituals, customs, and belief systems. Thereby, the origination of truth is projected backwards in time to other
cultures, places, and ethnic circumstances. In addition, there is also
emphasis on mystification, glorification, and dramatization,
intermingled with theological doctrine. In religion, Divinity is
contextualized primarily as elsewhere in time and location and is also
described as having human motivations, limitations, and defects. Religion emphasizes belief rather than the inner realization of truth. In
religion, there is also a major emphasis on spiritual destiny in the future
after physical death rather than on the experiencing of spiritual truth in
the present. Q: What personality characteristics are favorable for the inner
pathway? A: Characteristically, devotees tend to be introspective, thoughtful,
reflective, curious, responsible, and attentive. There is usually an
aversion to violence, cruelty, nonintegrity, and the fanfare and drama of
glamour or vulgarity. There are the attraction to learning for its own
sake and the pleasure of discovery of basic premises. Q: What of the demands of daily life? A: The inner path is a way of continuously being with oneself and life in
the world, whereas religious observance tends to become
compartmentalized. Spiritual devotion is a continuous inner lifestyle
that incorporates constant watchful awareness. External occurrences aretransitory, whereas inner qualities of consciousness are more permanent. Inner work is a constant learning process whereby there are pleasure
and satisfaction in discovery and the unfolding of insight. The process is
self-rewarding and, paradoxically, this results in greater benefit and
enjoyment of formal religious participation or practices as well. The reflections of truth are everywhere to be seen and recognized in
multitudinous expressions. By internal observation, there develops an
inner wisdom that facilitates compassion and spiritual comprehension
rather than an ‘ought to’ discipline. With inner awareness, religious
guilt and preoccupation with sin diminish, and instead, one chooses
positive options rather than being controlled by negative programs
resulting in shame, fear, and guilt. Fulfillment of potential is rewarding and gratifying, which in turn
progressively reinforces motivation. Self-honesty brings greater inner
freedom as well as adaptational expertise and flexibility. It is not
necessary to withdraw from the world but instead to recontextualize it. Spiritual evolution results in greater capability due to the advancement
of consciousness that ensues. It is a matter of motivation. It is not
necessary to go into monastic retreat, although there may be such
periods that are beneficial. Q: What is a workable goal? A: To verify spiritual truth experientially and to become it rather than just
conform to it. The process is an unfolding of discovery resulting in
greater happiness and diminution of fear, guilt, and other negative
emotions. The motive is inner development, evolution, and fulfillment
of potential, which is independent of the external world. Life becomes
progressive rather than just repetitive. All experience is of equal value
and innately pleasurable so that life stops being an endless sequence of
alternating pleasure and displeasure. With inner progress, context
expands, resulting in greater awareness of significance and meaning,
and therefore, gratification of potential. Q: Inner spiritual work seems to require discipline and endeavor. A: These requirements are activated by intention. There is an innate
gratification in spiritual growth and the evolution of consciousness
itself. Progress is the consequence of clarification and greaterunderstanding that arise from the expansion of context. Recontextualization then results in transcending the distortions of
perception. Q: Inner work concerns focus rather than specific, special activity? A: The average person is focused on participating successfully in the world
and its activities via education, success, relationships, etc. The inner
work, ‘to know thyself’, is focused on inner comprehension of life
events, including expectations, motives, attitudes, and habitual thought
patterns. Curiosity arises :“Why do I see that situation the way I do?”or,
“Why do I feel as I do? What is my prevailing attitude, and what
programs are actually running my mind?” These questions lead to an
interesting discovery of prevailing presumptions about oneself, life, and
others. Prevailing goals and values become apparent for examination as
well as the degree to which they are prioritized. Q: That brings up the quote, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
A: Although the quotation might seem to be somewhat of an overstatement,
it does contain a valuable truth and observation, which is also validated
by the premises of quantum mechanics (the Heisenberg principle) in
that observation itself changes outcome as a consequence of not only
the introduction of the field of consciousness but also its intention. To a highly aware person, most people seem to walk about as if they
are in some kind of a dream state, unconscious and unaware of
themselves. Self-observation leads to awakening, which then motivates
the desire to learn, grow, mature, and evolve. Self-inquiry leads to
discovery and the unfolding of the layers that obscure the Self. With
self-inquiry, one examines the basis for faith and beliefs, and by
instituting spiritual techniques and criteria, proceeds to discover the
inner validation of spiritual truths for oneself. Thus, the field of inquiry
is the function of consciousness/awareness and the manner in which it
contextualizes the inner experience of self, others, and Divinity. There is a difference between having ‘heard’ a truth and having
discovered it as an inner reality. The way to ‘be it’ is to own it as an
experiential reality. Q: But is that not what is called ‘solipsism’?A: Solipsism is an intellectual belief that only the subjective experience of
the self is ‘real’. Thus, people live in different subjective realities. Solipsism is valid up to a point as it applies to the ego/self, i.e., each
person lives within their own perceptual version of reality. In contrast,
this limitation is transcended by the very process of inner spiritual work,
which progresses to the elimination of the limitations of perception (i.e.,
the world of illusion), so as to reveal the Reality of the Self. O c e a n o f P D F . c o mCHAPTER 3
Orientation
Introduction
Spiritual evolution is supported by education and information up to the
point where the intellect is no longer a primary tool as it is in ordinary
learning. The spiritual ‘work’ then transitions from the
mental/intellectual/conceptual linear to the nonlinear region of human
consciousness, which relates more to context than to content and form or
data. The transition is from the specific content to the quality of subjective
experiencing itself. This major shift entails reliance on different qualities,
such as faith, intention, devotion, volition, and the will. Character traits are
called into action, and attitudes are of greater practical use than specific
ideas. Whereas ordinary information is ‘acquired’ by effort, in spiritual
endeavor the emphasis is on relinquishing, letting go, and surrendering. The
‘work’ involves identifying positionalities and then transcending the ego’s
resistances and relinquishing its illusory control or sovereignty. Thus, the core of spiritual work is aligned with undoing and the
unloading of the mind rather than its enrichment. To seek Enlightenment is
a major decision. The decision itself is therefore akin to a ‘Yang’ position,
but subsequently, the process itself is more intrinsically akin to a ‘Yin’
posture. While the ordinary ego is programmed to ‘getting’, spiritual
intention now shifts to ‘allowing’, similar to floating in the water rather
than flailing about or swimming in it. The actual process is innately simple
yet challenging of accomplishment by virtue of the innate structure of the
ego/mind, which resists loss of dominion by inventing a plethora of
arguments and defenses. Another resistance is that ordinary mind dislikes
taking responsibility, even for very trivial matters. (For example, “Who
forgot to lock the screen door?” “Not me; it must have been the dog.”)
Posture
The spiritual practice of seeking Enlightenment via nonduality is the
consequence of intention and commitment. Its actual practice is not so
much a matter of ‘doing’ but a way of ‘being’ or aligning with thesubjective awareness of life. It is therefore like a posture as represented, for
example, by the classic m u d r a (sacred hand position). Attention is aligned
with the field/context rather than the customary focus on content and
details. Intuition is valuable and investigative rather than being dismissed as
illogical. Also, spiritual work is more like noticing and becoming aware
rather than ‘doingness’ per se. Attitudes that may just seem merely ‘nice’ to ordinary mind become
very powerful tools when aligned with spiritual intention and commitment. For instance, to strictly live by the dictum of ‘good will to all life’ is
transformative when energized by the Spiritual Will. The decisions to ‘be
kind to all of life’ or to respect the sacredness of all that exists are powerful
attitudes in spiritual evolution, along with the virtues of compassion, the
willingness to forgive, and seeking to understand rather than to judge. By
constant surrendering, perceptions dissolve into discernment of essence. Supplication and prayer to Divinity are facilitated by a profound and
deep surrender to humility. This humility is merely the truthful
acknowledgment of the actual fact that the ego/mind, by virtue of its
structure and design, is intrinsically incapable of being able to differentiate
truth from falsehood (essence from appearance). Emotion is not an indicator
of truth as it is both reflective and determinative of positionalities and
conditioning. It is important to realize that both the level of consciousness and karmic
propensities are consequences of prior acts of the will. In contrast, in
ordinary worldly life, rewards are based on gain and demonstration of
accomplishments or acquisitions. Surrender and humility are not the same
thing as passivity because, paradoxically, both surrender and humility are
positive acts of the Spiritual Will and are thereby in a positive agreement to
‘allow’ rather than to ‘get’. Focus
In ordinary life, the mind focuses on linear content, specific details, and
emotionalized perception. The ego is thus energized consequent to
projected, inflated estimates of worth or value. The process of energizing
perceptions and desires is based on the ego’s expectations of gratification
and reward. In contrast, in spiritual endeavor, the focus is not on the result
but instead on alignment with an overall field of intention. The ego is oriented towards specifics and the linear content of the field
of vision. Its effect on vision itself is exclusive and limited in order to focusprimarily on the near side of objects (so as to facilitate manipulation). Spirit
is oriented towards context and the whole, and is thus inclusive and focuses
on the far side of objects. Its field is diffuse rather than local. To relate to the overall field rather than become involved in the details
of specifics is characteristic of a contemplative lifestyle, which is conducive
to spiritual evolution. In meditative practice also, there is a shift from focus
on specifics at the outset but then progressive identification with the overall
field and eventually with context itself. When vision is focused on a desired object, the focus is on the near side
of the object. In contrast, looking at what or who is loved results in the
inclusive shift of focus to the far side. In ordinary life, the ego/mind goes from ‘unfinished’ to ‘finished’, and
then from ‘incomplete’ to ‘complete’. In contrast, the spiritual pathway is a
direction and style that goes from complete to complete as evolutionary
states of emergence. Ego positions are interactive and usually represent a
composite. For example, to disassemble anger may require the willingness
to surrender the pride that underlies that anger, which in turn depends on
surrendering a desire. This means surrendering the fear that energized the
desire, which again is related to the undoing of imaginary loss, and so forth. Motivations are thus intertwined and mutually interactive, and operationally
surrendering them leads to the next levels, which are comprised of dualities. The deeper layers, therefore, tend to surface one’s beliefs about God,
programmed spiritual expectations, and belief systems. Spiritual work is
therefore a matter of exploration that transcends mentalized concepts, such
as those of cause and effect. It is helpful to understand that a specific level of consciousness is
aligned with an ‘attractor field’ that, like a magnet, attracts similarities. Although the personal self likes to think that the thoughts going through the
mind are ‘my thoughts’, they are actually only ‘the thoughts’ that prevail at
a given level of consciousness. It is like different depths in the sea attract
different types of fish. Thus, if one’s calibrated level of consciousness is
primarily in the field of pride, then the field itself impersonally attracts
similar supportive thoughts that are quite different from the ones that
prevail with an overall attitude of neutrality or acceptance. Spiritual intention subserves, reinforces, and focuses on witnessing and
observing rather than on doingness or specifics. Spiritual processing is like
positioning oneself in the wind or in a water current.Spiritual motivation, intention, and alignment could be likened to
changing the magnetic or gravitational field of influence by which context
is shifted, revealing a different understanding. For example, a presumed loss
becomes recontextualized as a hidden gain (greater freedom, opening of
opportunities and choices, etc.). By comparison, from the level of Pride, the
options are few and limited, but from Willingness, Surrender, and
Acceptance, the options are multitudinous. The Will
The Spiritual Will is not like the ego’s understanding of will as ‘will
power’, which means emotional force with clenched teeth of exertion and
increased emotionality. The ego-driven will takes energy and is taxing. It
could actually be understood as a form of aggression. In contrast, invoking
the Spiritual Will is like opening floodgates and then standing back. The
ego/will contextualizes events in terms of cause and effect in which the
personal self-will claims credit or blame because it sees itself as a causal
agent. In contrast, the Spiritual Will is not personal but is a quality of
consciousness that changes context by surrender to an invitation to the
power of the Self. The Spiritual Will calibrates at 850, and the personal will
calibrates at only the person’s current level of consciousness. The Spiritual Will, invited by complete surrender, is thus capable of
performing the seeming ‘miraculous’, whereas the personal will,
paradoxically, often automatically triggers resistances, as anyone knows
who has tried personal ‘will power’ to overcome even minor habits. Surrender of the personal will to the Will (Wisdom) of God (or
Providence, Higher Power) signifies relinquishment of control. One can
expect the ego to resist doing so, and it invents excuses, counterarguments,
and multiple fears in order to maintain illusory control. The ego’s positions
are reinforced by pride as well as desire for specific results. Thus, to the
ego, to step back and invite the intervention of Divinity seems like a loss,
whereas, to the Spirit, it is definitely a win. Another limitation of the personal will is that it has no knowledge of
karmic propensities or propitious timing, nor does it have the wisdom
(omnipotence) to comprehend beneficial sequence. The Self orchestrates
with an inner knowingness of capacity. For instance, to try to face a certain
conflict prematurely may be unsuccessful, whereas it would have been
successful after a few other layers of the conflict had been resolved.Alignment of Awareness
Spiritual alignment is with context rather than content. To watch the
mind is far different from identifying with it. To witness and observe are
beneficially removed from the alternative of emotional involvement and
gain-or-loss participation in the world of perception. To watch the mind
from a detached position is educational, nonstressful, and can be done with
equanimity. Whereas the consciousness level of the witness/observer
increases awareness, the ego watches with the expectation of ‘doing’ or
‘getting’ something. With the style of detached observation, the unfolding
of life reveals itself to be the consequence of the spontaneous emergence of
actuality as a manifestation of potentiality when conditions are favorable. By the practice of nonattachment (as compared to detachment), the
spectator viewpoint can be maintained even during participation because
the spectator learns ‘about’ an event but is not ‘of it’. Nonattachment
becomes possible with relinquishment of the desires for gain. With deep
surrender and continued alignment, identification with awareness eventually
disappears along with the loss of identification with the
witness/observer/watcher. The Self is innately complete unto itself and is
therefore not needful nor is it subject to the positionalities of subject/object. The field is independent of content. Consciousness just i s, with no stakes in
the unfoldment of Creation. Eventually, the autonomous spontaneity
whereby potentiality unfolds as Creation reveals that Evolution and
Creation are one and the same thing. Q: Spiritual inquiry starts with acquired information derived from
study, etc. This then results in the obstacle of the mind’s conclusion
that “I know.” How can valid information be held so as not to
create the obstacle of presumption? A: To the seeker of the truth of the inner pathway of nonduality, all learning
is held as tentative until the innate truth reveals itself and is validated
experientially. This process is potentiated by recontextualization. Classically, the recommended position from which to hold information
is clarified by the phrase “So I have heard,” which implies the holding
back of transferring information into a belief system. That information
has become an integrated ‘knowingness’ is indicated by a
transformational change of perception consequent to full understanding. This is often the result of reflection and contemplation.Q: Can you amplify that with an example? A: Both the Buddha and Jesus Christ taught that the basic ‘sin’ (defect) of
humans is ignorance. Socrates taught that all men are intrinsically
innocent because they always choose what they perceive to be the good,
even though it is in error. A Course in Miracles teaches that everyone is
intrinsically innocent and merely beguiled by the ego. Thus, sin means
limitation, error, and misperception due to the impaired capacity. It also
represents the limitation of evolution. Consciousness research indicates that the human ego/mind is
constitutionally unable to differentiate truth from falsehood by virtue of
its construction. The mind is like the hardware of a computer that will
play back anything for which it has been programmed, whether it be
propaganda, misinformation, emotional distortion, bias, fallacious
memes (slogans), etc. To fully ‘know’ a reality is to ‘be’ it, which is a transformative
absorption and full integration. Complete acceptance would therefore
result in the termination of judgmentalism, anger, resentment, blame,
guilt, and hatred of self and others. Full acceptance, on the other hand,
does not mean becoming an apologist for grossly negative, destructive
behavior. A bull may misperceive a bystander as a potential enemy, but
that does not mean that one thereby allows oneself to be needlessly
gored. Spirituality is often confused with passivity. Moral obligation to
respect and honor life includes one’s own as well. Truth is strength as an
expression of integrity. Moral stance is not the same as physical action,
which, in and of itself, is neutral. The consciousness calibration level of
an action is determined by intention. With progression of the evolution
of consciousness, there arises the capacity for the Tao of the ‘non-action
of action,’ which is indicative of mastery and exemplified by the martial
arts. Culpability is aligned with capability and actual possibility. It is
akin to situational ethics, which includes overall context as well as
content. Q: Many spiritual and moral dilemmas therefore cannot be resolved
within just the limited level of content. A: That is a clear observation. Even just adding historical and cultural
context already alters the appearance of many phenomena. Tounderstand the evolutionary origins of the ego itself and its alignment
with the support of animal evolutionary life creates a more
comprehensive, expanded paradigm from which to view human
motivation and behavior. Available options are limited by the level of consciousness and vary
quite differently from one level to another. This realization also
facilitates compassion instead of judgmentalism. Much judgmentalism arises from posing the hypothetical, i.e., that
people ‘should’ be different; however, if they could be, they would be. The hypothetically possible becomes actual by intention as well as the
level of evolution of consciousness plus favorable conditions. One of the most important operational conditions that limits options
and not available to ordinary perception is karmic patterns, including
propensities and unresolved obligations, as well as the presentation of
karmic opportunities. Q: What does ‘karma’ mean? Is it not just a belief system? A: Karma really means the totality of one’s inheritance, which includes
both the known and the unknown, both the linear and the nonlinear. To
just be born a human being already represents the expression of untold
millions of factors. Genes or chromosomes are merely the mechanisms
of karmic transmission that already include the mechanics of
physicality, the expression of which requires enormous informational
patterns. Everyone already has a calibratable level of consciousness at the
moment of birth that is thereby correlated with physicality itself. The
Western world accepts karmic consequences subsequent to physical
death as the destiny of the soul. The Eastern world accepts the reality of
karma as an ongoingness of the evolution of the spirit over great periods
of time. Consciousness calibration confirms and extensively
demonstrates that every intention or action, even in its most minute
details, is embedded and recorded forever within the infinite field of
consciousness. It is also confirmable (at consciousness level 1,000) that
everyone, without exception, is accountable to the Universe (i.e., the
Mind of God or Divine Providence alluded to by whatever term
chosen). Thus arises the wisdom that “God is not mocked,” and that
“Every hair on one’s head is numbered.”Q: But are not many characteristics or events just accidental? A: The infinite eternal field of the Unmanifest becomes Manifest as
Creation by virtue of Divine Ordinance (as an expression of its essence). The power of the field is absolute and inclusive, all present and beyond
time, and within it, manifestation occurs when conditions are favorable. Intention itself is also a contributing factor. There are no possibilities outside the infinite realm of Reality because
all possibilities have already been included within Creation itself. The
term ‘accidental’ is a hypothetical absurdity, like proving that a physical
object on planet earth is not subject to the laws of gravity. Even the
concept of ‘chaos’ means unpredictable from a limited, linear
Newtonian or mathematical viewpoint. Reason, logic, and predictability
are limited to the consciousness levels of the 400s, whereas Reality has
no such limitations or restraints. All comes into actualization from
potentiality, and the laws of karma are not only linear but also
contextualized via the nonlinear as well. Chaos is a mentalization that implies unidentifiable and unpredictable,
which means not identifiable or predictable from a linear, mathematical
viewpoint, that is, no identifiable pattern. Context is local and
identifiable, as well as nonlocal and unidentifiable. Knowability is a
reflection of paradigm, which is identifiable by the consciousness
calibration of the overall contextual field itself. The real reason much
information is not available is because there is a lack of capability to ask
the correct question. Q: Does the inner path require erudition? A: No. Merely simple attitudes and the necessary motivation are required. To strive to know God is in itself pristine and the ultimate aspiration. O c e a n o f P D F . c o mCHAPTER 4
Spiritual Practices
Introduction
Human ingenuity has resulted in a great variety and number of spiritual
practices, many of which were listed and calibrated in Chapter 17 of Truth
vs. Falsehood. Each has its historic roots that include ethnic and cultural
proclivities as well as practices that are aligned with specific belief systems. Many practices are quite imaginative rituals, and their consciousness
calibration level indicates that their benefit arises primarily from the
spiritual intention with which they are done rather than from the practice
itself. Therefore, it is said that there are “ten thousand ways to God,” for
each practice fulfills a purpose at a given time in each individual’s spiritual
evolution. Some practices are almost universal in their expression, such as
devotion and worship of Divinity by whatever designation. In contrast,
some practices are quite unique to the degree that they become imbued with
mysticism and magic. These often involve entreaty and/or manipulation of
various linear energy fields and the invoking of unseen spirits. These
practices actually rely on techniques of magic and typically calibrate quite
low, frequently below the consciousness level of truth at 200. The major genuine spiritual practices include individual and group
worship and prayer, including music, incense, creative arts, and dance, as
well as symbols, postures, and mudra. These are often associated with
styles of dress, dietary observances, genuflections, bodily prostration,
fasting, prayer beads, and the rhythmic chanting of mantras. Group
activities reflect not only worship but also gratitude to Divinity for life and
its expressions of God’s Grace. In daily life, formal prayer of gratitude is
most commonly ‘saying Grace’ before meals, the benefit of which is
corroborated by consciousness calibration research, which shows that the
actual energy of the food itself increases by ten to twenty points. In all societies, the prudent acknowledge God, even if they personally
harbor doubts or lack conviction. The universality of the acknowledgment
of Divinity throughout time in all cultures and in all ages represents theintuitive awareness and wisdom within the collective consciousness of all of
mankind, which is independent of locality or time frame. Some practices include the intention of influencing God in a desired
direction for some specific benefit. Other practices are intended to assuage
what are believed to be the negative depictions of God and therefore include
personal or ritual sacrifice, as well as that of animals or humans. Thus, even
killing life itself has been incorporated into rituals that in themselves
calibrate extremely low, indicating very serious and sizeable error and
deviation from truth. The calibration level of a spiritual practice reflects the degree to which
it is actually intrinsically aligned with spiritual truth rather than illusion and
imagination. Because Divinity is nonlinear and intangible, God is the
ultimate screen upon which to project the endless errors and proclivities of
the human ego. Thus, Divinity is often depicted as having a distinct
personality. The Presence of God as Creator is intuited by mankind, and the
infinite nonlinear Reality that is the very source of all of Creation and
Existence is present within the discrete linear domain as the Source of its
Existence. This is reflected in the Roman Catholic ecclesiastical doctrine of
“The Natural Law” which states that humankind is created with the capacity
to realize God as Creator, and therefore, there is the moral obligation to do
so. (The Natural Law doctrine calibrates at 570.) This is an accepted realty
by approximately 90 to 92 percent of Americans currently. The universality of Divinity is acknowledged in all major religions,
such as the Hindu pantheon or the Christian Trinity. It also appears in the
Hindu religion as the trinity of Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. There are also
diverse depictions of various expressions of the Buddha, and Krishna is also
envisioned in different roles. In the monotheism of Christian or Judaic
theology, God is conceptualized as primarily transcendent. Consciousness
calibration research confirms that God is transcendent, immanent, and
present in all that exists as the very Source of Existence itself, and thus the
nonlinear is simultaneously present in the linear. The prominent form of spiritual practice that prevails in the majority of
the world’s religions is the repetition of scripture or portions of verse that
are also frequently the basis for instructional teaching via sermons or study
groups. Also common to all religions are group practices, such as
pilgrimages, retreats, and religious festivals and celebrations, and symbols
of Divinity depicted allegorically in form as statues, graphics, spirituallyinspired monuments, stupas, and pyramids. Even traversing patterns, such
as the geometric arrangement of the labyrinth in the floor of Chartres
Cathedral in France, are utilized to increase spiritual awareness. In contrast,
Islam, Judaism, and some branches of Eastern Orthodox Christianity
eschew icons or depictions of Divinity. Of considerable interest has been a variety of spiritual practices in the
form of repetitious physical exercises, such as the various yogas that also
include breathing patterns in a variety of practices designed to control
physical and spiritual energy systems via the chakra system. The Grand
Yogas all calibrate extremely high and include the selfless service of Karma
Yoga (cal. 915), Bhakti (cal. 935), Raja (cal. 935), Kundalini (cal. 510),
Kriya (cal. 410), and Hatha (cal. 390). Jhana yoga denotes the pathway of
Advaita, or nonduality (cal. 975), which emphasizes meditation and
contemplation and is the pathway of the Buddha and great mystics of
history. Included in many religions is also the practice of mantras, or repetitious
phrases or prayers, that often emphasize very specific sounds (such as the
famous “Om”), or the repetition of the names for God. The downside of
repetitious, rhythmic physical chanting and practices is the induction of an
artificially altered state of consciousness that may be misidentified as a
mystical condition, such as satori. On the other hand, however, it may
precipitate sudden flashes of insight or peak experiences whose value can
best be determined by their subjective impact indicated by an elevation of
the level of consciousness or advance in spiritual awareness. In practice, most spiritual seekers sooner or later investigate a variety of
techniques and practices, especially during the initial period of exploration. Most often, the result is allegiance to several practices simultaneously that
are compatible with personality, lifestyle, prior spiritual experience, and
one’s level of consciousness. Also, spiritual doubt may arise along the
pathway, which may even express as atheism or agnosticism for periods of
time as the search for truth can find multitudinous expressions and go
through various seemingly contradictory phases. If inner alignment is with
integrity, and inner honesty prevails, the outcome is aligned with the
prevailing intention. In the long run, the ultimate guide is actually the inner
Self, which, it is commonly believed, is quite happy to throw one bodily off
a cliff if that is what it takes to awaken and activate the spirit. The pathwayof nonduality is also denoted as Advaita, Jhana yoga, Zen, and,
paradoxically, the way via mind to the ‘no mind’ of Mind. Devotion intensifies whatever pathway or practices are chosen, and
devotion and inner prayer characterize the mystic. The serious, dedicated
search for Enlightenment is energized by intention and empowered by
devotion, which leads to the inner search for truth characterized by
meditation and a contemplative lifestyle. Although, in the beginning, the
search may be investigative or even experimental, as time goes on, it
becomes the predominant motif and core of one’s life as a prevailing
dedication. Meditation
Focused, concentrated introspection can be both peaceful and fulfilling
but also quite frustrating. There is an enormous amount of literature on the
subject, with descriptions of available techniques and traditions, the most
prevalent of which arise from Hindu, Sufi, and Buddhist traditions, as well
as from Christian mystics and contemplatives. To sit cross-legged and unmoving is a learned discipline. The overall
purpose is to transcend identification with the body/mind as the self and
thus to Realize Self, which is beyond yet inclusive of both. Most practitioners complain that the mind is ceaseless in its activities. There is an endless sequence of thoughts, concepts, ideas, images,
memories, feelings, and anticipations that flow across the mental television
screen as an uncontrolled phantasmagoria of random activity. The intent of meditation is detachment, especially detachment from the
notion that the thoughts are ‘mine’ or represent ‘me’. In reality, they are
merely ‘it’s’, as is the mind itself. The idea of ownership arises from the
personalization of these thoughts due to familiarity because the
mind/camera was present to record these past thoughts, events, and
memories. However, it recorded them only because they were imbued with
importance. Note that little roadside detail is recalled from a boring cross-
country drive. The mind’s inner television set records what is valued. That
which was considered unimportant was not recorded. Recall and rerun are also the consequence of imagined, projected value. Basically, with examination, it will turn out that the only real value is that
they are ‘mine’. Thus, just an ordinary shoe is not really noticed, but ‘my
shoe’ is now imbued with value and is therefore remembered.How much anything is valued can be determined from the emotional
response to real or imagined loss. Once thoughts, like objects, are
depersonalized, they become devalued and lose their attraction. Thoughts
and feelings arise from desire, and the mind desires what it values. To clear the mind, merely note that nothing at all is of special or unique
‘value’ or ‘worth’except by invested, superimposed, and projected belief. Therefore, withdraw value, worth, importance, and interest. Q: Is that not a contradiction to the spiritual assumption that all is
equally holy and sacred by virtue of the Divinity of its Creation? A: That ‘all is sacred and holy’ is, at this stage, merely a belief system of
the mind and a repetition of what has been heard. The fact that it is
intrinsically a truth reveals itself later without the superimposition of
conceptualization. Value, from the ego’s viewpoint, is an emotionalized
mentalization, and Reality does not require mentalization. With
humility, one can integrously state and witness that everything merely
‘is as it is’, independent of projected worth. Its intrinsic ‘value’ is that it
‘is’, i.e., existence is complete within itself and is not needful of
projected nominalization as ‘special’. When the Divine Essence of All
of Creation shines forth without obstruction, then the ego/mind goes
silent in awe. Q: How can the mind be silenced? A: Ninety-nine percent of the mind is already silent and without linear
content. Only one percent is active (as proven by consciousness
calibration research), but that one percent is the focus of attention. Note
by close observation that each thought arises from a silent, clear field of
energy that is the source of thinkingness, ideas, and images. It does not
arise, as the mind presumes, as a result of linear causation. On the
contrary, each thought arises independently of all the others, like flying
fish flying out of the ocean. The ocean is like the silent, primary, a priori
condition of the mind and thoughts. The concept that they are somehow
caused or meaningfully correlated is actually a superimposed
afterthought. Each flying fish arises independently of the others out of
primordial stillness. Interpretation or meaning is via the observer who,
for example, upon seeing three fish jump out of the water
simultaneously, says, “Look how the fish are triangulating.” The mindtranslates phenomena in 1/10,000th of a second; thus, the mind is like
the playback monitor of a tape recorder. When that interface of mind
between phenomena and experiencing dissolves, the difference is quite
dramatic. Q: But what about the classical spiritual teaching of “the space
between two thoughts”? A: It is a misunderstanding for there is no detectable space ‘between’ two
thoughts through which one can glimpse the Infinite. The supposed
‘space’ is not between the thoughts but prior to the thoughts. Perception moves at the same rate as does mentalization; therefore, to
expect that perception will discern a space between two thoughts is
impossible because perception would have to then move faster than
1/10,000th of a second, that is, the perceptive faculty of the mind moves
at the same rate as the content of the mind. Thus, to try to witness the
space between two thoughts is like a dog’s trying to chase its own tail. This is why many serious and committed meditators do not reach
Enlightenment, even after many years of devoted meditation. They are
simply looking in the wrong place (calibrates as true). Q: Then how can one silence the mind? A: One cannot. It stops of its own accord when the energy of interest is
removed. It is of greater service to merely disown it and stop identifying
with it as ‘my mind’. Thoughts are the automatic consequence of a
specific calibrated level of consciousness plus personalization by which
they gain value. With relinquishment of the activation of memory, one
lives in the emergent instant rather than hanging on to the past or
anticipating the future. Q: To withdraw the magical value of ownership and the concept of
‘mine’ silences the mind? A: It stops when it is not narcissistically energized. Thoughts, ideas, and
concepts are of pragmatic and useful value to worldliness, but with the
relinquishment of worldliness, they are excess baggage and of no value. In the infinite stillness of a great forest, of what value is a portable
radio? One can visit the great, magnificent cathedrals of Europe and
witness visitors busily talking on their cell phones and completelymissing the wonderment of the stark, stunning beauty. They seem to be
walking about unconsciously in some kind of dream world, oblivious to
the timeless and silent beauty and magnificence. Again, the mind stops when it is no longer narcissistically energized. Thinkingness is intrinsically a vanity. Survival is spontaneous and
autonomous, an automatic karmic consequence. Even when the mind
becomes totally silent, the body goes about its business like a karmic
wind-up toy. Q: What about meditation on an image or concept? A: That is focused attention on the linear; however, eventually the mind
gets out of the way of the nonlinear, and greater meaning then springs
forth because it is unobstructed. Formal meditation holding a Divine
image in mind is a form of worship and supplication. By surrender and
invocation, a knowingness arises via attunement to the teacher’s etheric
spiritual energy and the consciousness level of the vibrational field. Thus, an image can be inspirational and uplifting, but eventually, that,
too, has to be given up as a dependence. Q: What is the value of mantras? A: They are in accord with all the above. The purpose is to still the mind
and invoke a high energy field. The calibrated levels of various mantras
are listed in Chapter 17 of Truth vs. Falsehood. For greater benefit, the
sound should be held silently. There is an inherent limitation to repetitious mantras in that they too
often result in a semi-autohypnotic, altered state of consciousness that
actually becomes an obstruction to the sought-for state of Realization. Enlightenment is not an altered state of consciousness induced by alpha
waves, feedback, or rhythmic repetitions of dance, sound, breathing, or
body movements. It is not the ‘high’ of drumming, music, bells,
chanting, or ascetic extremism. All the above are transitory. When the
stomping feet, drums, bells, incense, gongs, and flashing lights stop, so
does the artificially induced trance state, which is an altered state of
consciousness rather than a Knowingness. Psychedelics also allow
glimpses of states of advanced awareness, but they, too, recede. States of spiritual joy and ecstasy occur naturally at the calibrated
levels of the high 500s. To reach Enlightenment, they also must besurrendered to God, and in their place arises a great Peace beyond all
description. The Peace of God experientially transcends all prior states,
as exquisite as they might have been. Meditation
Q: What should one focus on in meditation? A: There are three basic styles that can be described that are effective and
fruitful. The first could be described as psychological insight or self-
examination. The second is through the thought field, and the third is
the simplest by which to bypass the thought field. Style 1: Psychological  
The purpose is focused on understanding and investigating inner
motives, attitudes, presumptions, and hidden feelings. This has
historically been called self-examination, spiritual inventory, or self-
assessment designed to ‘know thyself’. The requisite is strong
commitment to inner honesty and relinquishment of self-judgment. This
reveals the instinctual drives and their emotional and psychological
components. These are then processed through forgiveness, acceptance,
and recontextualization. Style 2: Through the Mind  
Look for the energy field of silent stillness, which is ever present and
‘situated’ just prior to and beneath the advent of thought. Look for the
energy source out of which thoughts arise. Watch how a thought begins
to arise as a vague kind of feelingness. Progressive specificity then
develops. For example, a thought may start out as a general feeling of
‘dogginess’, and then it specifically evolves into ‘a dog’. Next, it
quickly particularizes as ‘Rover’. Then arises the thought of ‘Good old
Rover’, followed by the sad story of Rover and how he got lost one day,
and so on. By sharp focus and declining involvement, the capacity develops to
sharply witness the formation of thought earlier and earlier in the
thought-formation process prior to its becoming concretized and linear
in defining a specificity. By the above process, attention will be led to
the silent, nonlinear origin of the energy field of thinkingness itself. This
is the energy field of the desire to think, which is highly prized by theego, for it is related to the belief/ concept of ‘I’ or ‘me’. Thus, it has a
creative urgency as a ‘need to think’ or ‘have to think’, and the mind
flails around in panic to grab a thought in order to survive. One can surrender the desire of thinkingness to God, which then
quickly brings up the mind’s fear of survival. At that point, one has to
surrender the will to survive to God. If one stops thinking, there is the
fear of being mindless. To be thoughtless is called ‘Divine idiocy’, or
‘Divine stupidity’. However, what actually needs to be known will
reveal itself, not as thoughts but as comprehension, understanding, and
apperception via totalities. The Infinite Reality is omniscient and
independent of talkingness, thinkingness, and verbalization of words. The narcissistic ego is addicted to talkingness. It is of no value to the
Self. The ego/mind believes that if it stops thinking/feeling, the personal
self will die for it is intrinsic to the ego’s survival system. Therefore, it
fears and avoids silence and stillness. The ego/self identifies with that
which is linear, discrete, separate, and definable, i.e., content. Style 3: Bypassing the Mind 
Whereas Styles 1 and 2 are educative, Style 3 is purely
subjective/experiential and not mental, psychological, emotional, or
conceptual. It is the most rapid and basic and consists of a simple
‘doingness’. The steps are very simple: relax completely and deeply;
close the eyes; witness the visual field and merely focus on what is
witnessed. Within the darkness, notice numerous tiny bits of dancing
light phenomena (called “phosphenes”). Become at one with the lights
(thoughtlessness ensues), and merge with the visual field. In due time,
the context simultaneously begins to shift and deepen. The seeming
separation between the witness and the observer disappears. One
‘becomes’ the phenomenon sans a localized observer. Eventually, only awareness itself prevails, and all is spontaneous and
nondual. The mind is bypassed and surrendered to Mind, which is
autonomous. With practice, the capacity to be ‘at one’ with the silent,
thoughtless state can be maintained with the eyes open. One then lives
within the silent state. In the beginning, the state is lost when it is necessary to return to
functioning or necessary mentation. With practice, however, even that
distraction can be transcended, and the silent state prevails even thoughthe persona goes about relating and acting in the world. Eventually, the inner state prevails and selfless action operates
spontaneously and autonomously. It is the karmic ‘wind-up toy’. It can
eventually even think and respond to the world without interrupting the
state of silent peace. The persona is perceived by the world to be ‘you’, whereas it is only a
linear functionality. It is like the ripples or waves of the ocean. As with
contemplation, the sense of Self moves from content to context. One
then abides in the silent awareness that Ramana Maharshi termed turiya,
or the “fourth state.”
Q: Does that not result in impairment of functioning? A: Yes. It may be necessary to leave the ordinary world for some years. At
that point, it is of no concern. The world is surrendered to God. Q: What replaces the mind when it disappears? A: Divine wisdom unfolds. Consciousness/awareness remains but it is an
autonomous quality or condition. Loss of mind does not result in
‘nothingness’; on the contrary, it is replaced by Allness. The leaf is not
the tree. It is safe to abandon any identification with what one thinks or
believes one is for none of it is real, and ‘nothingness’ is purely an
imagination. Q: But what of existence itself? A: Both existence and nonexistence are abstract positionalities. Neither
term applies to Reality, which is beyond both ideas. Consciousness is as
the primordial clear Light of Awareness. It is the primary condition. Q: But wouldn’t that take one to the Void? A: That is a subject to be specifically addressed later. It is not a problem in
the beginning and only becomes an issue that needs to be clarified and
understood at consciousness level 850. However, it is important to know
about it considerably well in advance; therefore, it is addressed at depth
in a later section (see Chapter 8). Contemplation
Meditation and contemplation are merely descriptive styles. They are
not separate because the processes are essentially the same. In practice,traditional formal meditation is a process that requires removal from the
activities of daily life. However, it tends to develop a certain specialness
and becomes compartmentalized and sporadic over time. There are periods
of enthusiasm, but the practice is vulnerable to the demands of daily life. It
is more profitable to apply the essential mudra/position/focus/intention in a
style that can be done continuously so that contemplation becomes a
lifestyle, with one’s life becoming the meditation. The evolution is to turn
one’s life into a prayer/contemplation/meditation/supplication and
surrender. One’s life becomes the prayer—the prayer is the contemplation. The contemplative lifestyle facilitates transfer of the sense of identity
from body/mind to witness/ observer, which is more primary and closer to
the Truth of the Self and Reality. The next step is the withdrawal of the
sense of ‘I’ from the witness/observer, where it moves to the faculty of
consciousness/awareness itself, which is a quality rather than a personage. One major advantage of being the witness/observer instead of the
participant is that the witness does not talk; it just sees without comment. It
could be said that the witness/observer is aligned with the forest rather than
the trees. Q: How can contemplation be instituted, started, or learned? It is a
decision? A: It is only a matter of awareness. It is really nothing new and therefore
does not need to be learned but only given attention. A useful decision
or choice is to decide to stop mentally talking about everything and
refrain from interjecting comments, opinions, preferences, and value
statements. It is therefore a discipline to just watch without evaluating,
investing worth in, or editorializing, commenting, and having
preferences about what is witnessed. One then sees the rising and falling
away of phenomena and the transitory nature of appearance, which,
with ordinary mentation, is conceptualized as a sequence of cause and
effect. It is an informative practice to ‘pretend’ to be stupid, and by the
invocation of radical humility, Essence shines forth. All thinking, from a
spiritual viewpoint, is merely vanity, illusion, and pomposity. The less
one thinks, the more delightful life becomes. Thinkingness eventually
becomes replaced by knowingness. That one ‘is’ does not really need
any thought at all. It is helpful, therefore, to make a decision to stop
mental conversation and useless babbling. Silent group retreats are often valuable experiences for it is discovered
that life goes right on in a delightful fashion, and everything falls into
place of its own accord. Communication continues nonverbally, and
everyone just seems to become telepathic in a surprisingly short time. Q: Is a contemplative lifestyle possible in today’s world? A: With strong intention, daily life conforms. Contemplation implies
nonattachment, which does not preclude activity. Q: Contemplation seems to be confrontive to the mind’s propensity to
control and think that it has to control in order to survive. A: That is so. By practice, there is the emergence of the awareness that all
takes place spontaneously as a consequence of the overall field plus
intention, and ‘you’ as the imaginary causal agent were never necessary
in the first place. Q: But is not control necessary to survival? A: Let God worry about your survival. If it serves the Self to dump the
body, so let it be. In a strict spiritual practice, the time will come when
one actually has permission to leave the worldly body. One witnesses
whether the body will continue to walk on and breathe again or not. In
the end, what one conceives to be oneself has to be surrendered to God. If it serves Providence, this bodily life continues, and if it does not, then
it ceases. The eventuality is up to the Presence. Q: It sounds as though serious spiritual work may eventually preclude
one’s customary lifestyle. A: That is so. Some devotees actually leave, some become renunciates, and
others modify their lifestyle to be in accord with their serious spiritual
commitment. The challenge brings up issues to be processed, such as
attachments to others, to possessions, to lifestyle, and to concepts such
as duty, obligation, responsibility, etc. In the end, to the true devotee, the
pursuit of spiritual reality supersedes all other considerations. The
commitment to become enlightened involves the decision “No matter
what.”
Q: That sounds alarming.A: The entity who is alarmed and seems confronted by such a situation is
not the same one who asks the question. The need for a critical major
decision does not arise until sufficient strength is present to handle it. That is why it is unwise to try to force spiritual progress by artificial
means. To facilitate it is one thing; to try to force it is another. OceanofPDF.comCHAPTER 5
Clarifications
Paradoxically, the way of nonduality is the ‘doing’ of undoing. There is
nonreliance on scripture or external authority. Truth stands revealed on its
own without proclamation or need of aggrandizement. Its Absolute
Sovereignty shines forth without need of acclaim or praise. It is, therefore,
the way of faith and trust that relies on the truth that both the destination, as
has been known throughout the centuries, and the means or method of
discovering that truth are reliable and certain. Traditionally, reliance has been placed on reputation or hearsay, along
with historical documentation. The reliability of information was also a
matter of faith and belief. In contrast, there is now a method of discerning
truth from falsehood that is independent of history, ecclesiastical agreement,
or reputation. It is therefore possible to quickly and easily verify not only
truth from falsehood, but also to ascertain the level of that truth. That was
the purpose of the research reported in Truth vs. Falsehood. Whereas previous eras in the evolution of human society were
characterized by faith in authority, the current era is one of doubt,
challenge, and skepticism. Current society is stressed by vociferous
contention, like an endless court drama of conflicting opinions and
repetitious exaggeration of contradictory evidence. The purpose is to enlist
support for positionalities via persuasion. It is an era of inexorably
ostentatious disputation and rhetorical bombast that glorifies narcissism by
subverting and distorting truth. Historically, contention arose in the evolution of religions, and religious
strife continues in the world of today, just as it has for many past centuries. Inasmuch as opinions are subjective, biased, and often consist primarily of
hearsay, they cannot be depended on when it comes to crucial matters. While worldly concerns are indeed important when the lives of millions
of people depend on them, from the highest view, they are of secondary
importance to spiritual truth, the consequences of which are very long term
in contrast to transitory worldly life. Therefore, to trust one’s spiritual
evolution to some authoritative source of information is a major step that
should not be taken lightly. The downside of religious/spiritual fallacy is ascalamitous as that of trusting corporeal life to the nonintegrous. Therefore,
before embarking on a quest, a student should verify whether a specified
pathway meets critical criteria. There are many false and seriously limited
spiritual/religious belief systems, teachers, and organizations. It is well to
remember that the perceptions of the ego/mind are limited and subject to the
seductions of illusion and impressionability. The mind itself is unable to
discern truth from falsehood or to discern Descartes’ res interna (cogitans)
from res extensa/externa (Reality-Creation as it is). The first requirement of spiritual integrity is to verify a pathway by all
means possible, which include:
1. Historic record. 2. The effects of the alleged truths upon the world. (“By their fruits ye
shall know them.”)
3. Concordance with calibrated levels of consciousness. 4. Verification by subjective experiential realization. Spiritual Education
Fortunate is the seeker who has not been led away from the straight and
narrow path by diversions and popularized attractions. People spend
lifetimes searching for authentic teachings and become sidetracked by the
seduction of attractive, glamorized aberrations from truth. These turn out to
be fictional or romanticized fantasies that attract the naïve person’s inner
child. Spiritual fairy tales abound and impress the credulous for whom
anything labeled ‘spiritual’ is imbued with a magical glamour. To go
through that stage is routine during initial, uncritical enthusiasm and
exploration. The primary problem initially is the lack of awareness of the difference
between the truly spiritual reality and the astral, paranormal, or supernatural
domains. To the naïve, these latter alternatives seem amazing and
impressive. This is due to the discovery that there are surprisingly more
areas for human experience than the strictly physical, emotional, and mental
ones. Consequently, a ‘right-on’ psychic reading is indeed impressive to an
erstwhile, naïve seeker or novitiate. It is also easy to become sidetracked by
the seemingly astonishing wonder of a whole new dimension of possible
realities. The majority of popular best-selling, supposedly spiritual books is
actually fictional, and their average level of truth is at calibration level 190,as are slick-appearing ‘spiritual’ magazines that glamorize fallacious
fantasies of ‘other dimensions’, and so on. The paradox is that the appeal is
to the naïve seeker who has not yet mastered this dimension, much less
other fanciful ones. There are, of course, other dimensions and ultimate realities that are
well represented by adepts, trance readers, channelers, psychics,
clairvoyants, shamans, magicians, ‘masters’, deceased celebrities, erstwhile
guides, ‘teachers’, guides, fortune tellers, card readers, astrologers, throwers
of Rune stones, and more. To add to the glamour, many of these diversions
have large collections of faithful followers and enthusiasts who are
impressed and thereby influenced, as well as seduced, by the magical notion
of the unseen paranormal. Also popular are ‘ancient secret mysteries’, UFO
religions, primitive rites, magic symbols, crystals, incantations, energy
manipulation, and spirits from other realms. Classical spiritual tradition and integrous scripture do not refute the
supernatural/paranormal, but warn ‘not to go there’. The same advice is also
prescribed by all true spiritual masters and enlightened teachers. By
consciousness calibration research, all such ‘entities’ on the ‘other side’ can
be calibrated, as well as ‘fallen gurus’ from other eras who succumbed to
the illusory gain of power over others by spiritual seduction. (See Lewis,
2001; Partridge, 2003.) The so-called ‘astral circus’ was at its most influential in ancient
Mesopotamia. The expertise of the adepts, many of whom are still the same
as they were in that era, have perfected their skills over long periods of
earthly time. Like an experienced expert salesman, they intuitively pick up
on a vulnerability or a weakness, especially the proneness to glamorization. If such entities were indeed what they claim to be, they would have long
ago evolved on to the celestial realms. There is no lack of integrous, reliable spiritual truth accessible by
ordinary means. Thus, the seeking of the extraordinary is a trap for the
unwary. An ego that is ‘out of body’ is actually just the same as an ego in a
body, except that it now has the mystification of being physically elusive. Exploration of other dimensions can be facilitated and learned by induced
and altered states of consciousness. The primary temptation is one of child-
like curiosity. On the other hand, there are some entities on the ‘other side’
that calibrate over 200 but they do not have any information that is not
available by ordinary means (e.g., be kind to your neighbor).Supranormal qualities arise as an experiential reality when
consciousness levels reach the high 500s as a consequence of the rising
kundalini spiritual energy field. These phenomena, classically termed
siddhis, are the normal expression of consciousness levels that are beyond
the linear. The student is advised to be aware that they are not personal and
to merely witness the phenomena. By so doing, it will be evident that the
phenomena are qualities specific to the spiritual energy itself; they are not
personal because they are not controllable by the person. The phenomena,
on the other hand, can be impressive as one witnesses the seemingly
miraculous events unfold effortlessly. The reason they appear to be
miraculous is because of their being witnessed by the linear mind with its
limited perception of cause and effect. The unfolding of the seeming
miraculous is merely ‘normal’ from a higher perspective. These paranormal spiritual phenomena are described by mystics and
saints of various religious denominations and have been reported
throughout the ages. By calibration, ‘sainthood’ represents calibration 570
and above. The siddhis are indeed somewhat wondrous to behold, and the
spiritual energy field may, of its own, transmit to other people so that
healings take place in accord with karmic propensities. The ‘miraculous’ is
thus not volitional or controllable, nor is it the consequence of any person;
thus, there is no ‘person’ who performs miracles. It is instead the
consequence of the healing power of the Self. The siddhis arise of their own and bring about the capacity for
psychometry, clairvoyance, clairaudience, distant vision, and other
telepathic types of faculties. They are also unpredictable and evanescent. Some come and go over variable periods of time that may last from weeks
to months to a number of years. With forewarning, the student who
witnesses and experiences these phenomena can easily dismiss the
temptation of ownership and its implied specialness. Integrity and humility
preclude claiming authorship of the phenomena and thus being trapped by
an illusion. The siddhis are discussed at some length in Transcending the
Levels of Consciousness. From a practical viewpoint, the appearance of the siddhis is also a signal
to begin making arrangements about worldly affairs as performing some of
them may be coming to an end. It is a matter of wisdom to make ‘practical’
decisions while it is still possible to do so. Capacities may change, as well
as motivations and values, and what previously seemed to be of great valueand worth may later appear as a waste of time and effort. Thus, such things
as success and opulence become amusements, and finally nuisances and
then distractions. This shift of viewpoints is consequent to the evolution of
consciousness, which has moved from want/have/seek to effortless
attraction by virtue of what one has become. At the lower levels of consciousness, effort is applied within the context
of cause and effect, but as evolution of consciousness progresses,
phenomena are the consequence of attraction by the energy field itself
rather than as a consequence of personal volition. At a higher level, it is
only necessary to ‘be with’ rather than to ‘own’. The spiritual information necessary for advanced states should be
learned early and stored away for when it is needed. The possible downside
of hearing advanced information early is the intellect’s presumption of
prideful ‘I know that’. It is better to hold the information as ‘I have heard
that’. To truly ‘know’ is to ‘be’, at which point one does not know; instead,
one ‘is’. The dedication to Self-realization and Enlightenment is a disciplined
straight-and-narrow path. Thus, a serious devotee is advised to bypass the
attraction of curiosity and appeal to the inner child of the magical and
mysterious paranormal and psychic phenomena that are commonly
merchandised and proffered as learnable skills. These are delays and also
traps for the unwary. Their appeal is to the exotic, foreign, occult, and
esoteric elaborations that are intriguing but do not lead to Enlightenment. Most are merely imitations of the genuine phenomena and lead to
involvement in linear interests and manipulations of energies. Mystical ‘powers’ that are genuine are not exhibited, much less
promoted or sold for a price. Imitations of the real are a diversion that have
sidetracked and deceived many naïve spiritual students and even branches
of major religions (Tibetan Tantric yogas, pseudolevitation, Tantric sex,
etc.) Artificial means are ego inflating as is denoted by the mere fact that
one is attracted to them by their specialness and the glamour of the unique
and unusual. Even when acquired by training, such phenomena are merely
acquired skills that have been sought for their own sake and reflect spiritual
vanity as evidenced by display and promotion.
_OceanofPDF.com_Discovery_of_the_Presence_of_God_Devotional_Nonduality_-_David_R_Hawkins.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Comfort and confidence can be derived from a verifiable reality that the
rare persons who are actually attracted to Enlightenment as a life goal are
attracted because that is already their destiny (calibrates as true). For the
same reason, only future golfers would be taking golf lessons. Q: How does the inner pathway differ from traditional religious
observance. A: The emphasis is on the inner experiential subjective realization and
internal validation of spiritual truth. In contrast, religion is formalized
and historically structured in an authoritative context that stresses
conformation to observances, rituals, customs, and belief systems. Thereby, the origination of truth is projected backwards in time to other
cultures, places, and ethnic circumstances. In addition, there is also
emphasis on mystification, glorification, and dramatization,
intermingled with theological doctrine. In religion, Divinity is
contextualized primarily as elsewhere in time and location and is also
described as having human motivations, limitations, and defects. Religion emphasizes belief rather than the inner realization of truth. In
religion, there is also a major emphasis on spiritual destiny in the future
after physical death rather than on the experiencing of spiritual truth in
the present. Q: What personality characteristics are favorable for the inner
pathway. A: Characteristically, devotees tend to be introspective, thoughtful,
reflective, curious, responsible, and attentive. There is usually an
aversion to violence, cruelty, nonintegrity, and the fanfare and drama of
glamour or vulgarity. There are the attraction to learning for its own
sake and the pleasure of discovery of basic premises. Q: What of the demands of daily life. A: The inner path is a way of continuously being with oneself and life in
the world, whereas religious observance tends to become
compartmentalized. Spiritual devotion is a continuous inner lifestyle
that incorporates constant watchful awareness. External occurrences aretransitory, whereas inner qualities of consciousness are more permanent. Inner work is a constant learning process whereby there are pleasure
and satisfaction in discovery and the unfolding of insight. The process is
self-rewarding and, paradoxically, this results in greater benefit and
enjoyment of formal religious participation or practices as well. The reflections of truth are everywhere to be seen and recognized in
multitudinous expressions. By internal observation, there develops an
inner wisdom that facilitates compassion and spiritual comprehension
rather than an ‘ought to’ discipline. With inner awareness, religious
guilt and preoccupation with sin diminish, and instead, one chooses
positive options rather than being controlled by negative programs
resulting in shame, fear, and guilt. Fulfillment of potential is rewarding and gratifying, which in turn
progressively reinforces motivation. Self-honesty brings greater inner
freedom as well as adaptational expertise and flexibility. It is not
necessary to withdraw from the world but instead to recontextualize it. Spiritual evolution results in greater capability due to the advancement
of consciousness that ensues. It is a matter of motivation. It is not
necessary to go into monastic retreat, although there may be such
periods that are beneficial. Q: What is a workable goal. A: To verify spiritual truth experientially and to become it rather than just
conform to it. The process is an unfolding of discovery resulting in
greater happiness and diminution of fear, guilt, and other negative
emotions. The motive is inner development, evolution, and fulfillment
of potential, which is independent of the external world. Life becomes
progressive rather than just repetitive. All experience is of equal value
and innately pleasurable so that life stops being an endless sequence of
alternating pleasure and displeasure. With inner progress, context
expands, resulting in greater awareness of significance and meaning,
and therefore, gratification of potential. Q: Inner spiritual work seems to require discipline and endeavor. A: These requirements are activated by intention. There is an innate
gratification in spiritual growth and the evolution of consciousness
itself. Progress is the consequence of clarification and greaterunderstanding that arise from the expansion of context. Recontextualization then results in transcending the distortions of
perception. Q: Inner work concerns focus rather than specific, special activity. A: The average person is focused on participating successfully in the world
and its activities via education, success, relationships, etc. The inner
work, ‘to know thyself’, is focused on inner comprehension of life
events, including expectations, motives, attitudes, and habitual thought
patterns. Curiosity arises :“Why do I see that situation the way I do. ”or,
“Why do I feel as I do. What is my prevailing attitude, and what
programs are actually running my mind. ” These questions lead to an
interesting discovery of prevailing presumptions about oneself, life, and
others. Prevailing goals and values become apparent for examination as
well as the degree to which they are prioritized. Q: That brings up the quote, “The unexamined life is not worth living. ”
A: Although the quotation might seem to be somewhat of an overstatement,
it does contain a valuable truth and observation, which is also validated
by the premises of quantum mechanics (the Heisenberg principle) in
that observation itself changes outcome as a consequence of not only
the introduction of the field of consciousness but also its intention. To a highly aware person, most people seem to walk about as if they
are in some kind of a dream state, unconscious and unaware of
themselves. Self-observation leads to awakening, which then motivates
the desire to learn, grow, mature, and evolve. Self-inquiry leads to
discovery and the unfolding of the layers that obscure the Self. With
self-inquiry, one examines the basis for faith and beliefs, and by
instituting spiritual techniques and criteria, proceeds to discover the
inner validation of spiritual truths for oneself. Thus, the field of inquiry
is the function of consciousness/awareness and the manner in which it
contextualizes the inner experience of self, others, and Divinity. There is a difference between having ‘heard’ a truth and having
discovered it as an inner reality. The way to ‘be it’ is to own it as an
experiential reality. Q: But is that not what is called ‘solipsism’. A: Solipsism is an intellectual belief that only the subjective experience of
the self is ‘real’. Thus, people live in different subjective realities. Solipsism is valid up to a point as it applies to the ego/self, i. e. , each
person lives within their own perceptual version of reality. In contrast,
this limitation is transcended by the very process of inner spiritual work,
which progresses to the elimination of the limitations of perception (i.
What should one focus on in meditation? A: There are three basic styles that can be described that are effective and
Does that not result in impairment of functioning? A: Yes. It may be necessary to leave the ordinary world for some years. At
That sounds alarming.A: The entity who is alarmed and seems confronted by such a situation is
The inner pathway focuses on the inner experiential realization and internal validation of spiritual truth, whereas traditional religious observance emphasizes conformity to external rituals, customs, and belief systems.
What is the main difference between the inner pathway and traditional religious observance?
The inner path is more suitable for individuals who are introspective, thoughtful, curious, responsible, and attentive, with an aversion to violence, cruelty, and non-integrity.
What personality traits are favorable for the inner path?
The primary goal is to verify spiritual truth experientially and become it, rather than just conform to it.
What is the primary goal of the inner spiritual work?
No, it is not necessary to be educated to pursue the inner path; simple motivation and a willingness to learn are sufficient.
Is it necessary to be educated to pursue the inner path?
One cannot silence the mind; it stops on its own accord when the energy of interest is removed.
How does one silence the mind?