|
Know yourself, the path to enlightenment
"Religion is a primitive form of philosophy,
[the] attempt to offer a comprehensive view of reality."
- Ayn Rand,
(The Objectivist Feb 1966)
"To this there also belongs
the faith in the possibility that the regulations valid for the world of
existence are rational, that is, comprehensible to reason. I cannot conceive of
a genuine scientist without that profound faith. The situation may be expressed
by an image: science without religion is lame, religion without science is
blind."
-
Albert Einstein, November 9, 1930
“Religions are different roads converging upon
the same point. What does it matter that we take different roads so long as we
reach the same goal?”
-
Mohandas K. Ghandi
To walk the path is to know the path, know yourself. The experience
variously referred to as Enlightenment, Satori, Prajna, Awakening and Healing simply
stated, is a neural synaptic cascade that integrates and aligns perceptual and
analytical cognitive
functions probably at an
engrammatic
level. For many people this phenomenon can last for a split second and offer a
‘flash’ of insight (e.g. the
Archimedes
'eureka' story). My
experience lasted in varying degrees for days and weeks. For further explanation
you could refer to these pages on my site,
Definition and
Recognition.
The Delphic Oracle
By Eloise Hart
The best known Delphic injunction was carved into the lintel at the Temple of
Apollo: GNOTHI SEAUTON, Know Thyself. These words may have originated in
Apollo's response to a question Chilon of Sparta asked: "What is best for man?"
The reply, "Know thyself," is similar to the one believed to have been given to
the Lydian king, Croesus, when he was told that he must know himself if he would
live most happily. Croesus, a man of action and not philosophical, took this to
mean that he should know his own strength, know what he wanted, and should rely
on his own judgment. Others have found deeper meaning in these words, taking the
"self" to mean the higher self, the true Self; to imply that as man is the
microcosm of the macrocosm, he who knows himself knows all.
I happened to see the headline “Did Jesus have a twin
brother?” on the cover of a magazine called
Nexus (March-April
2002) and that put me back on the track of reviewing the Gnostic gospels. Since
I am a fraternal twin the question of whether Jesus had a twin or not grabbed my
attention (not sure how they surmised ‘identical’ twins mentioned later in the
article) and I’m not really interested in finding out if this can be proven.
For me, having a twin provided years of valuable insight into the differences
and similarities in our personalities. Most people see me and my twin as
opposite personalities (INTP & ESFJ).
from jesus to christ: the story of the storytellers: the gospel of thomas
“This book opens with the lines, "These are the secret words which the
living Jesus spoke, and the twin, Didymos Judas Thomas wrote them down." Then
there follows a list of the sayings of Jesus. Now this raises all kinds of
questions. Did Jesus have a twin brother? Actually the name Thomas Didymos --
well, Thomas is Hebrew for twin. Didymos is Greek for twin.... The implication
here is that he is Jesus' twin. But this character, of course, also appears in
the Gospel of John, he's one of the disciples, the twin. Here he appears as if
he's Jesus' twin, and he is one who knows secret teaching, which Jesus hasn't
given to all other people. Some of these sayings are familiar. We know them from
Matthew and Luke - Jesus said, "I have come to cast fire on the earth." Or
"Behold, a sower went out to sow," and so forth.... Others are as strange and
compelling as Zen koans. My favorite of these is saying number 70, which says,
"If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If
you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will
destroy you." The gospel opens as Jesus invites people to see....”
For unresolved questions like these I think the real
benefit comes not from having the answer but instead from being inspired to think and explore so that
you’ll not necessarily find past truths but more importantly find truths in the
here and now as well as timeless ones. Either way you grow. Just as the author of the PBS program observed the gospel of
Thomas contains sayings, “as compelling as Zen koans”. The reason she identifies
them as such is because the gospel of Thomas is filled with
Koans with the
same purpose (koans appeal most to those who introvert a perceiving function and
extrovert a judging function).
In another article Vincent J. Romano reviews the work of the same
author Elaine Pagels and observes that the Gnostics, “had some contact with
Buddhism in the formation of their ideas”. I contend however that it
is not necessary that the Gnostics encountered adherents of a separate Buddhist
tradition as they are one and the same thing regardless of the proper noun used.
There is only one path, there is only one Tao regardless of many peoples'
inclination to over-simplify, to try and identify differences between them or suppress what they
have in common. (for several examples please go here)
A Review by Vincent J.
Romano: Elaine Pagels on "Jesus and his Message in the Gnostic Gospels"
“Indeed, the suppression of the Gnostic gospels fits the pattern of rational
patriarchy that has marked the Church throughout the centuries. Unlike the
dominant imagery of God (The Father) in the institutional Church, the Gnostic
gospels recognize a feminine influence in God as Jesus' origin, and also affirm
Jesus' upending of Jewish tradition by including women in his ministry. In
addition, it seems clear that the Gnostics had some contact with Buddhism in the
formation of their ideas. The Church's rigid demand for participation in
sacraments and other externally focused actions has severely truncated the inner
religious experience, precipitating many Christians to go outside the Church and
add meditation practices to fill the void in their spiritual lives. The forced
exclusion of these Gnostic elements have kept hidden from Christians many
aspects of their faith--until now.”
The explanation for the "pattern of rational patriarchy"
can be found in the book "The Alphabet Versus the Goddess" by Leonard Shlain.
The content of the first two sections of my web site particularly the
Language page support Shlain's
theory.
The Alphabet Versus the Goddess : The Conflict Between Word and Image by
Leonard Shlain
“Making remarkable connections across brain function, myth, and anthropology,
Dr. Shlain shows why pre-literate cultures were principally informed by
holistic, right-brain modes that venerated the Goddess, images, and feminine
values. Writing drove cultures toward linear left-brain thinking and this shift
upset the balance between men and women, initiating the decline of the feminine
and ushering in patriarchal rule. Examining the cultures of the Israelites,
Greeks, Christians, and Muslims, Shlain reinterprets ancient myths and parables
in light of his theory. Provocative and inspiring, this book is a
paradigm-shattering work that will transform your view of history and the mind.”
The following fulfilled prophecies are intended to appeal to the
right hemisphere; The
White
Buffalo Woman,
Lion lays down
with the Lamb, and the
child
who will lead them. Again because it's central to understanding
everything, I'll cite Dr. Benziger's conclusions on the Physiology of Type as
well as a bit of basic supporting info.
Cerebral hemisphere
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The cerebral hemisphere forms one
half of a
brain.
Humans (and
many other types of animals) have a brain divided into two
hemispheres. Each hemisphere is a mirror image of the other and has an
outer layer of
gray
matter called the
cerebral cortex. ...In most people, the left hemisphere of the human
brain dominates, and specialises (in very broad terms) in speech, writing,
language and calculation. The right hemisphere has equivalent broad
associations with spatial abilities, coherent form recognition, visual
face recognition and some aspects of music perception and production.
The Physiology of Jung’s Four Functions & Their Organization
By Katherine Benziger, Ph.D., © March 1998; September 1999
From the above overview we have learned that:
- Jung’s four Functions are rooted in four distinct
areas of the cortex. Thinking is housed in the Left Frontal Lobe. Intuition
is housed in the Right Frontal Lobe. Sensation is housed in the Left
Posterior Convexity. Feeling is housed in the Right Posterior Convexity.
- Jung’s assertion that each of us has one Natural Lead
Function is the result of a neuro-chemical - physiological fact that each
person has one area which is 100 times more efficient
than their remaining three areas.
- Jung’s assertion that each person has two natural
auxiliaries can be understood to be the natural result of the brain’s
structure. Factually speaking, neuronal bridges hardwire a person’s Natural
Lead to their auxiliaries, making communication between their lead and
auxiliaries easy, even though
each actual auxiliary is relatively speaking highly inefficient.
- Jung’s assertion that once a person’s Natural Lead
Function has been identified, one can confidently calculate the person’s
greatest Natural Weakness, is the result of the simply fact that there are
no diagonal bridges in the human brain.
- The difference between the Feeling Function and
Emotions can be understood more clearly. The Feeling Function is a cortical
capacity to recognize the presence or absence of harmony – between colors,
tones, or human beings. By contrast, emotions are a limbic capacity to
experience delight, anger, fear, grief.
While enormously important, this is all rather boring and academic to me
now. A simple question, if the
philosophy and teachings that form the foundation of the world's religions
contain fundamental truths in them as each claims, wouldn’t you expect to find
these essential truths in all of them? Other than the proper nouns of “Christs”
and “Buddhas” aren’t these two paragraphs identifying the same message?
Keep in mind that the
Buddha Siddhartha Guatama
achieved enlightenment by searching for the cause of, and solution to, human
suffering.
Many Buddhas
“The word Buddha is a generic term, meaning the Enlightened One. It
refers to a person who has realized the Dhamma and attained enlightenment. This
enlightenment, as we have seen, is open to all, and so is Buddhahood. In line
with the Theravada teachings, Mahayana tradition goes a step further to strongly
assert the universal presence of Buddha-nature in all beings, without exception;
this Buddha-nature is the inherent potential for enlightenment, which can be
cultivated and actualized by each and every individual. This spirit of openness
and tolerance is characteristic of Buddhism.”
A Review by Vincent J.
Romano: Elaine Pagels on "Jesus and his Message in the Gnostic Gospels"
“The Gnostics believed that by investigating the source of sorrow, joy, love
and hate, one could cultivate insight and discover God as the fountainhead of
all of these states of being. The significance of Jesus is interpreted to be
that of a model, one whose instruction to come and know oneself as he did will
transform human beings into sons (and daughters) of God like him. Consistent
with the scholarly consensus that Jesus' purpose was not to found a new religion
centering its devotion upon him, the Gospel of Philip, a companion text to the
gospel of Thomas, urges followers not to become Christians, but rather new Christs.”
The central message is that people should understand themselves, nosce te ipsum
(also temet nosce,
gnothi seauton). By increasing conscious awareness of yourself and your
surroundings you will eventually understand your strengths and weaknesses,
prejudices, preferences and things you dismiss without consideration. By
following a peaceful path where you do not exert your will on others or your
environment (extrovert judgment) but instead
listen to everyone (extrovert your perception) and sort it out logically
(introvert judgment) and not how you want or expect things to be (subjective reasoning
influenced by older structures)
you will discover related fundamental truths about yourself and the rest of the
world (universe). That knowledge (engrams) integrated primarily with the use of
intuition (right frontal lobe) will be linked (analogous to hyperlinks) between quadrants of the cerebral
cortex and enlightenment can be triggered (neural
synaptic cascade integrating both analytical and perceptual cognitive functions
(memories/neurons/engrams).
One consequence of the cascade is that balance between the two perceptual functions
is achieved, (specifically, Ne=future and Si=past) temporal bias is lost, timeless truths are easy to identify
(Ni) and one can comfortably live in the present (Se).
INTPs are
blessed, or cursed since historically they are often executed for challenging authority, with having a cognitive matrix
most likely to achieve this form of enlightenment (Ti Ne Si Fe). Keep in mind that the left hemisphere (Sensing & Thinking)
embodies what are considered masculine values (e.g. order) and the right
hemisphere (Intuition & Feeling) embodies what are considered feminine values
(e.g. harmony). Upon achieving enlightenment a balance is found between
them by integrating neural engrams. This balance between order and harmony
is the explanation for uncommon wisdom. Here's a description by Jesus of
the same process. He appears to be alluding not only to the four cognitive
functions but also the different attitudes, see my
cognitive matrix description.
The
Gospel of Thomas
Jesus said to them, "When you make the two into one, and when you make the
inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper like the
lower, and when you make male and female into a single one, so that the male
will not be male nor the female be female, when you make eyes in place of an
eye, a hand in place of a hand, a foot in place of a foot, an image in place
of an image, then you will enter [the kingdom]."
Here is also a passage from one translation of the Tao
te ching alluding to the same process. The claim that "ordinary men hate
solitude" has been validated by research on personality type that finds that
perhaps 1 of 4 people are born with a
physiological predisposition toward introversion (higher set rate for
RAS). And among introverts those with a preference for objective
reasoning (T) over subjective (F) are more comfortable with infrequent social
contact (consequently dominant function is introverted Thinking i.e. Ti and
least developed is Fi).
The Tao gives birth to One.
One gives birth to Two.
Two gives birth to Three.
Three gives birth to all things.
All things have their backs to the female
And stand facing the male.
When male and female combine,
all things achieve harmony.
Ordinary men hate solitude.
But the Master makes use of it,
Embracing his aloneness, realizing
he is one with the whole universe.
- Lao-tzu ,
Tao-te ching “The Book of the Way and Its Power”
A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell
To elaborate further on the "ordinary men hate solitude"
claim I think it's important to understand why the reference is to 'men'.
This touches on gender issues, an area I only superficially address on this
website. However, because I have enormous respect for women it has
bothered me that I've found so few references to 'enlightenment' in women.
I recognize now there are a number of reasons for this. Aside from
societal bias and social-historical examples that Shlain explores in Alphabet
versus The Goddess I believe there are biological differences such as
neurochemistry. In the citation below note the claim that, "When
the men were stressed, they holed up somewhere on their own." as well as
the reference to, "a classic 'aha' moment".
UCLA Study On Friendship Among Women
An alternative to fight or flight
©2002 Gale Berkowitz
A landmark UCLA study suggests friendships between women are special. They
shape who we are and who we are yet to be. They soothe our tumultuous inner
world, fill the emotional gaps in our marriage, and help us remember who we
really are. By the way, they may do even more.
Scientists now suspect that hanging out with our friends can actually
counteract the kind of stomach-quivering stress most of us experience on a
daily basis. A landmark UCLA study suggests that women respond to stress with
a cascade of brain chemicals that cause us to make and maintain friendships
with other women. It's a stunning find that has turned five decades of stress
research---most of it on men---upside down. Until this study was published,
scientists generally believed that when people experience stress, they trigger
a hormonal cascade that revs the body to either stand and fight or flee as
fast as possible, explains Laura Cousin Klein, Ph.D., now an Assistant
Professor of Biobehavioral Health at Penn State University and one of the
study's authors. It's an ancient survival mechanism left over from the time we
were chased across the planet by saber-toothed tigers.
Now the researchers suspect that women have a larger behavioral repertoire
than just fight or flight; In fact, says Dr. Klein, it seems that when the
hormone oxytocin is release as part of the stress responses in a woman, it
buffers the fight or flight response and encourages her to tend children and
gather with other women instead. When she actually engages in this tending or
befriending, studies suggest that more oxytocin is released, which further
counters stress and produces a calming effect. This calming response does not
occur in men, says Dr. Klein, because testosterone---which men produce in high
levels when they're under stress---seems to reduce the effects of oxytocin.
Estrogen, she adds, seems to enhance it.
The discovery that women respond to stress differently than men was made in a
classic "aha" moment shared by two women scientists who were talking one day
in a lab at UCLA. There was this joke that when the women who worked in the
lab were stressed, they came in, cleaned the lab, had coffee, and bonded, says
Dr. Klein. When the men were stressed, they holed up somewhere on their own. I
commented one day to fellow researcher Shelley Taylor that nearly 90% of the
stress research is on males. I showed her the data from my lab, and the two of
us knew instantly that we were onto something.
Recognizing biological differences is a sensitive matter
that I recognize has been used perhaps more often to discriminate, disparage
and oppress than to illuminate, celebrate and liberate. I myself see men
and women overwhelmingly more alike than different, this is primarily because
I recognize the importance and features of the neo-cortex. Where they do
differ I see complementary skills and abilities that enable both to survive
and thrive.
"I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't
spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things."
-
President George W. Bush, June 4, 2003, President Meets with Reporters on Air
Force One
It is difficult for many people to achieve this level of
self-awareness because they struggle daily to meet more essential basic needs.
Psychologist
Abraham Maslow
studied successful people and identified a hierarchy of needs that must be
fulfilled before an individual can achieve what he called self-actualization.
I contend a self-actualized person is largely an enlightened person even if
their awareness was built slowly and predominantly while they slept in contrast to
the experience of sudden 'awakening'/satori etc. Of course even
balanced/self-actualized individuals are different from one another based on
their learned experiences, accumulated knowledge and place in time. No
human has experienced or acquired knowledge of 'everything'.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Pyramid of needs
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often depicted as a pyramid consisting of
five levels: the four lower levels are grouped together as deficit needs, the
top level is referred to as being needs. While deficit needs can be met, being
needs are a continuing driving force. The basic idea of this hierarchy is,
that higher needs com e into focus only after all needs lower in the pyramid
are met. Growth forces result in upward movement on the hierarchy,
whereas regressive forces push prepotent needs down in the hierarchy.
ABRAHAM
MASLOW
1908-1970
Dr. C. George Boeree
One of the many interesting things Maslow noticed while he worked with monkeys
early in his career, was that some needs take precedence over others. For
example, if you are hungry and thirsty, you will tend to try to take care of
the thirst first. After all, you can do without food for weeks, but you can
only do without water for a couple of days! Thirst is a “stronger” need than
hunger. Likewise, if you are very very thirsty, but someone has put a choke
hold on you and you can’t breath, which is more important? The need to
breathe, of course. On the other hand, sex is less powerful than any of these.
Let’s face it, you won’t die if you don’t get it!
Maslow took this idea and created his now famous hierarchy of needs.
Beyond the details of air, water, food, and sex, he laid out five broader
layers: the physiological needs, the needs for safety and security, the needs
for love and belonging, the needs for esteem, and the need to actualize the
self, in that order.
You may have noticed the unusual claim above in the excerpt
from the Tao-te ching, "The Tao gives birth to One. One gives birth to Two.
Two gives birth to Three. Three gives birth to all things." It took
me a little while but I believe I've confirmed my own personal insight and can
reconcile this claim with the research of Dr. Paul D. Maclean and his
identification of the Triune Brain (three brains in one). Above the
brain stem is the R-complex (R for reptile) and surrounding it is the limbic
system (mammalian brain), and capping it is the cerebral cortex. The
first two structures are the source of our emotions and instinctual responses.
While distinctive and understandable on their own, the functions of the cerebral cortex
do relate to the older
structures, can influence and be influenced by them. I believe that
the cognitive function localized to the right posterior cortical convexity which
many call the Feeling function and which I prefer to refer to as
subjective reasoning is most closely associated with these older
structures and has been consequently confused with them. Identifying
and distinguishing between higher level cognitive processes and the features of
the older structures is essential in understanding your own needs,
unconscious drives and how events in your environment can trigger what may
seem to be an
irrational response.
You should be able to identify the qualities of needs in
Maslow's hierarchy with those of each of the three brains. For example
the R-complex would provide an explanation for the Physiological and Safety
Needs. Above them the qualities of the limbic system can explain the
Belonging and Esteem needs. I've cited excerpts from relevant articles
below. Note that the fourth and fifth articles relate directly to the
goals of controlling one's emotions and the value of knowing oneself and
consequently everyone else. (In everyday events, try to
identify those who listen to the
serpent R-complex and
encourage others to listen).
About: Paul D. MacLean, M.D.
“His Triune Brain Theory, based on an evolutionary model of the brain,
proposes the idea that the human brain is really three brains in one. The
R-Complex is similar to the brain of reptiles, in that it controls basic,
instinctive survival thinking and behavior. The limbic system, which is similar
to that of lower mammals, seems to be the source of emotions, some aspects of
personal identity, and some critically important memory functions. The third and
outer formation of the brain, called the neocortex, like the brain of higher
mammals, is devoted to higher order thinking skills, reason, linguistic
expression, and verbal memory.”
The Triune Brain
The Reptilian Complex
The R-complex consists of the brain stem and the cerebellum. Its purpose
is closely related to actual physical survival and maintenance of the body.
The cerebellum orchestrates movement. Digestion, reproduction, circulation,
breathing, and the execution of the "fight or flight" response in stress are
all housed in the brain stem. Because the reptilian brain is primarily
concerned with physical survival, the behaviors it governs have much in common
with the survival behaviors of animals. It plays a crucial role in
establishing home territory, reproduction and social dominance. The overriding
characteristics of R-complex behaviors are that they are automatic, have a
ritualistic quality, and are highly resistant to change.
The Limbic System
The limbic system, the second brain to evolve, houses the primary centers
of emotion. It includes the amygdala, which is important in the association of
events with emotion, and the hippocampus, which is active in converting
information into long term memory and in memory recall. Repeated use of
specialized nerve networks in the hippocampus enhances memory storage, so this
structure is involved in learning from both commonplace experiences and
deliberate study. However, it is not necessary to retain every bit of
information one learns. Some neuroscientists believe that the hippocampus
helps select which memories are stored, perhaps by attaching an "emotion
marker" to some events so that they are likely to be recalled. The amygdala
comes into play in situations that arouse feelings such as fear, pity, anger,
or outrage. Damage to the amygdala can abolish an emotion-charged memory.
Because the limbic system links emotions with behavior, it serves to inhibit
the R-complex and its preference for ritualistic, habitual ways of responding.
The limbic system is also involved in primal activities related to food and
sex, particularly having to do with our sense of smell and bonding needs, and
activities related to expression and mediation of emotions and feelings,
including emotions linked to attachment. These protective, loving feelings
become increasingly complex as the limbic system and the neocortex link up.
The Neocortex
Also called the cerebral cortex, the neocortex constitutes five-sixths of
the human brain. It is the outer portion of our brain, and is approximately
the size of a newspaper page crumpled together. The neocortex makes language,
including speech and writing possible. It renders logical and formal
operational thinking possible and allows us to see ahead and plan for the
future. The neocortex also contains two specialized regions, one dedicated to
voluntary movement and one to processing sensory information.
The Nature of Man
- Carl Sagan, Cosmos p.276-277
"Deep inside the skull of every one of us there is something like a brain of
a crocodile. Surrounding the R-complex is the limbic system or mammalian brain,
which evolved tens of millions of years ago in ancestors who were mammal but not
yet primates. It is a major source of our moods and emotions, of our concern and
care for the young. And finally, on the outside, living in uneasy truce with the
more primitive brains beneath, is the cerebral cortex, which evolved millions of
years ago in our cosmic voyages. Comprising more than two-thirds of the brain
mass, it is the realm of both intuition and critical analysis. It is here that
we have ideas and inspirations, here that we read and write, here that we do
mathematics and compose music. The cortex regulates our conscious lives. It is
the distinction of our species, the seat of our humanity. Civilization is a
product of the cerebral cortex."
The Triune Brain
This hypothesis has become a very influential paradigm, which has forced a
rethink of how the brain functions. It had previously been assumed that the
highest level of the brain, the neocortex, dominates the other, lower levels.
MacLean has shown that this is not the case, and that the physically lower
limbic system, which rules emotions, can hijack the higher mental functions when
it needs to.
#TL12: HOW TO ACHIEVE EMOTIONAL CONTROL
By Mark Lindsay
THE TRIUNE BRAIN
In order to increase your control over your emotions, it is helpful to
understand emotions from the viewpoint of a brain specialist. This will help you
to understand the origins of our emotions and why we have them. The advantage of
this is the same of any type of self-knowledge: the more you become aware of the
mechanical or automatic aspects of yourself, the more you are able to increase
your control over them.
...According to the triune model of the brain, evolution has
simply added new sub-brains to preexisting ones like a man who keeps building
additional structures onto an old house. However, to continue with the analogy,
with each new addition to the house the physical structure of the older
components were altered or modified to some extent. In other words, the reptile
brain in humans is not exactly the same as the brain of a lizard. That is not to
say we haven’t retained any reptilian functions in our brains; we most certainly
have. MacLean has shown that our reptile brains play a major role in our
aggressive behavior, territoriality, ritual and social hierarchies.
The Triune Brain
It is interesting that many esoteric spiritual traditions taught the same idea
of three planes of consciousness and even three different brains. Gurdjieff
for example referred to Man as a "three-brained being". There was one brain
for the spirit, one for the soul, and one for the body. Similar ideas can be
found in Kabbalah, in Platonism, and elsewhere, with the association spirit -
head (the actual brain), soul - heart, and body in the belly. Here we enter
also upon the chakra paradigm - the idea that points along the body or the
spine correspond to nodes of consciousness, related in an ascending manner,
from gross to subtle.
Cult Conversion, Deprogramming, and the Triune Brain
Volume , Number 10, 1, 1992
Geri-Ann Galanti, Ph.D.
California State University,
Los Angeles, California
Abstract
This article presents a theoretical analysis of cult conversion and
deprogramming based on the model of the triune brain. During
participant-observation at a Unification Church training camp, the author
found, to her surprise, that her intellect was unaffected; the
"brainwashing" affected her emotionally (limbic system). Cult life involves
much ritual behavior (R-complex) but de-emphasizes intellectual processes
(neocortex). Interviews with deprogrammers indicated that their goal is to
get the cultist to see contradictions between cult doctrine and practice in
essence, stimulating the neocortex. Thus, cult conversion and deconversion
emphasize different parts of the brain.
For a modern approach toward introspection, which is the
path I took, I highly recommend studying; intelligence research, Jungian
personality theory, Jungian inspired personality/behavioral research and the
testing/classification system referred to as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). For descriptions of each of the four
functions referred to in theory as 'preferences' you can
click
here. For descriptions of all 16
personalities you can click
here.
For a free personality assessment test you could go
here.
additionally several are offered here.
While it costs a few dollars I would recommend taking the test
here
at the Personality Page site.
The Personality
Page
"By learning more about my own Personality, and about other Personality Types,
I can come to a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses.
I can improve my interpersonal relationships, realign my expectations towards
others, and gain a better self-knowledge that will help me define and achieve
goals."
Daniel 12:8-10 :: King James Version (KJV)
8 And I heard, but I
understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
9 And he said, Go thy way,
Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
10 Many shall be purified,
and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the
wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
NOW, January 3, 2003
MOYERS: I did an interview a number of years ago with your colleague, the
scholar of religion Elaine Pagels I think some of you know her. And she said
there's practically no religion I know of that sees other people in a way
that affirms the other's choice. That is the nature of religion, is it not,
not to affirm the other's choice. If my truth is true, can your truth be true?
"I believe in the fundamental truth of all great religions of the world.
I believe that they are all God-given and I believe that they were necessary for
the people to who these religions were revealed. And I believe that if
only we could all of us read the scriptures of the different faiths from the
standpoint of the followers of these faiths, we should find that they were at
the bottom all one and were all helpful to one another."
-
Mohandas K. Ghandi
Here are passages from various teachings that identify the
importance of understanding/'knowing' yourself. Often, most typically
those who may be identified as 'Extroverts' (usually a dominant judging
function, T or F in the extroverted 'external' attitude) who have
typically misunderstood the teachings of various Buddha/Christs/teachers/masters
(master of oneself) have used the truths to create religions
(social organizations) inevitably these hierarchical institutions compel those
at the top to enforce dogma and coerce those below to accept and obey. However,
because everyone already has the capacity to understand right and wrong, by
forcing others to obey, those who coerce become themselves something to be
opposed. This is true even if they are attempting to convey something
positive. For the listener (follower) the positive message is lost when the individual is
threatened and becomes defensive (triggers use of R-complex). 'Masters' on the other hand lead by example.
'Masters' wish to walk side by side with strong, independent and honorable
individuals. The weak and corrupt think poorly of others and surround
themselves with people they can control. Those who accept a subservient
role to such a person will only aid in their corruption.
"You must be the
change you wish to see in the world."
-
Mohandas K. Ghandi
“Humans are by nature a curious lot. Our expansive sense of time and space
stimulates us to ponder our place in the scheme of things. Many of us have had
experiences in which we seemed to glimpse other dimensions, or realities, and
these epiphanies inspire the belief that there is an existence greater than the
one commonly described. Attempts to discern the supernatural and experience the
transcendent have been part of virtually every culture. All spiritual traditions
share certain common denominators. All have developed exercises and rituals to
alter everyday consciousness to transcend an individual’s feelings of alienation
and reconnect (religare) that person to “the source.” The inner peace so
generated enables a person to see oneself embedded in the matrix of a grander
entity, and to intuit connections to all other living things. This insight
engenders in the soul of the one so graced both wisdom and compassion, two
attributes that characterize every prominent ancient religious leader.”
-
Leonard Shlain, “The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and
Image”, Chapter 32: Sorcery/Science, p. 363
Many Buddhas
"As far as attaining enlightenment is concerned, Theravada literature
describes three kinds of Buddhas. One who has attained supreme and complete
enlightenment through his own efforts, unaided and unguided, and is capable of
teaching the truth he has realized to others, is known as Sammasambuddha, the
Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. The second kind of Buddha is the one who has,
likewise, attained enlightenment (through his own effort and without any
external assistance) but is incapable of imparting his knowledge to others in
such a way that they also could realize the Dhamma. He is known as
Paccekabuddha or Silent Buddha. The third category, added by the commentaries,
consists of those who attain enlightenment not solely through their own
effort, but through the guidance and assistance of a Sammasambuddha. These are
known as Anubuddhas or Savakabuddhas. Some Mahayana authors prefer to call
Anubuddhas, or those people with exceptional knowledge and spiritual
experience, simply buddhas (small 'b'). Theravada tradition popularly refers
to those noble disciples, who have realized the Truth after the Sammasambuddha
and have achieved the highest stage of spiritual attainment, as Arahants."
"In light of knowledge attained, the happy
achievement seems almost a matter of course, and any intelligent student can
grasp it without too much trouble. But the years of anxious searching in the
dark, with their intense longing, their alterations of confidence and
exhaustion and the final emergence into the light -- only those who have
experienced it can understand it."
- Albert Einstein (1875-1955),
German-born American theoretical physicist, theories of relativity,
philosopher
"What objectivity and the study of philosophy
requires is not an 'open mind,' but an active mind - a mind able and eagerly
willing to examine ideas, but to examine them critically."
- Ayn Rand,
"Philosophical Detection," Philosophy: Who Needs It
"It is because we have at the present moment everybody claiming the right of
conscience without going through any discipline whatsoever that there is so
much untruth being delivered to a bewildered world."
-
Mohandas K. Ghandi
“Jihad, the subject of the "documentary," is not even defined. We are not told
that jihad has many definitions, that in general it means struggle, and that
the highest form of jihad is the struggle against self.”
-
The
Wisdom Fund, April 28, 1995
- Thousands -
One may conquer a million men in a single battle;
However, the greatest and best warrior
Conquers himself.
Conquest of one's self is the greatest victory of all.
...
The honor paid to the one who has achieved
self-mastery
For one single instant
Is worth more than monthly offerings
Of a thousand pieces of gold.
- Anger -
The wise ones who do no harm,
Ever restrained in body, word, and mind,
Come to the place of peace
Where they will sorrow no more.
-
The Dhammapada (The Path of Truth)
The Basis of Zarathusta’s Teachings - Dr. Bahram Varza
“In Zarathustra’s philosophy, everybody has the liberty to choose the
right way, out of his/her good reflection and since human wisdom is more
related to good reflection, thus the followers of Zoroastrianism should
precede by each other to the propagation of science and education. In this
manner, Zoroastrianism becomes the forerunner of knowledge and enlightenment.”
Matthew 15 :: King James Version (KJV)
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth
into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart;
and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands
defileth not a man.
#TL12: HOW TO ACHIEVE EMOTIONAL CONTROL
THE TRIUNE BRAIN
”In order to increase your control over your emotions, it is helpful to
understand emotions from the viewpoint of a brain specialist. This will help
you to understand the origins of our emotions and why we have them. The
advantage of this is the same of any type of self-knowledge: the more you
become aware of the mechanical or automatic aspects of yourself, the more you
are able to increase your control over them.”
Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.
If you realize that you have enough,
you are truly rich.
If you stay in the center
and embrace death with your whole heart,
you will endure forever.
- Lao-tzu ,
Tao-te ching “The Book of the Way and Its Power”
A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell
These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas
Thomas recorded.
1. And he said, "Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings
will not taste death."
2. Jesus said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find.
When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will
marvel, and will reign over all. [And after they have reigned they will
rest.]"
3. Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's)
kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they
say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the
(Father's) kingdom is within you and it is outside you.
When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will
understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know
yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty."
70. Jesus said, "If you bring forth what is within you, what you have will
save you. If you do not have that within you, what you do not have within you
[will] kill you."
-
The
Gospel of Thomas
“Do not despise the world, for the world too is God.”
“Whoever knows himself knows God.” –
Muhammad
Self knowledge does not end with understanding humans and their motivations.
“The surface of the Earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. On this shore
we’ve learned most of what we know. Recently, we’ve waded a little way out,
maybe ankle-deep, and the water seems inviting. Some part of our being knows
this is where we came from. We long to return. And we can’t, because the cosmos
is also within us. We’re "made" of star stuff. We are a way that the cosmos can
know itself. The journey for each of us begins here.”
-
Carl Sagan,
introduction to his 1980 public television series "Cosmos."
"A human being is part of a whole, called by us the "Universe," a part limited
in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as
something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his
consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our
personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be
to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to
embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
-
Albert Einstein
The Gospel According to Mary - Chapter 4
...Will matter then be destroyed or not?
22) The Savior said, All nature, all formations, all creatures exist in and with
one another, and they will be resolved again into their own roots.
23) For the nature of matter is resolved into the roots of its own nature alone.
24) He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
…
30) Matter gave birth to a passion that has no equal, which proceeded from
something contrary to nature. Then there arises a disturbance in its whole body.
31) That is why I said to you, Be of good courage, and if you are discouraged be
encouraged in the presence of the different forms of nature.
32) He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Dark Matter, Energy Puzzling Astronomers
June 19, 2003
"We owe our very existence to dark matter," said Paul Steinhardt, a physicist at
Princeton University and a co-author of a review on dark matter appearing this
week in the journal Science.
…dark matter caused particles to clump together. That set up the gravitation
processes that led to the formation of stars and galaxies. Those stars, in turn,
created the basic chemicals, such as carbon and iron, that were fundamental to
the evolution of life.
You can think of ordinary matter as a froth on an ocean of dark matter. The dark
matter clumps and the ordinary matter falls into it. That led to the formation
of the stars and galaxies."
Without dark matter, "there would be virtually no structures in the universe,"
he said.
Robert P. Kirshner, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics, said the presence of dark energy was proved only five years ago
when astronomers studying very distant exploding stars discovered they were
moving away at a constant acceleration. It was a stunning discovery that has
since been proved by other observations.
"What this is pointing to is a deep mystery at the heart of physics," said
Kirshner. "We don't understand gravity in the same way we understand other
forces."
“The Master keeps her mind
always at one with the Tao;
that is what gives her radiance.
The Tao is ungraspable.
How can her mind be at one with it?
Because she doesn’t cling to ideas.
The Tao is dark and unfathomable.
How can it make her radiant?
Because she lets it.
Since before time and space were,
the Tao is.
It is beyond is and is not.
How do I know this is true?
I look inside myself and see.”
- Lao-tzu , Tao-te
ching “The Book of the Way and Its Power”
A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell
Rebirth as Buddhist Reincarnation, Wikipedia
Within Buddhism, the term rebirth or re-becoming (Sanskrit: punarbhava) is
preferred to "reincarnation",
as the latter is taken to imply there is a fixed entity that is reborn. However,
this still leaves the question as to what exactly it is that is reborn.
3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God.
4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he
enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
kingdom of God.
6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit.
7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
-
John 3 (King James Version)
“Furthermore, we have not even to risk the
adventure alone, for the heroes of all time has gone before us. The labyrinth is
thoroughly known. We have only to follow the thread of the hero path, and where
we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god. And where we had
thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves. Where we had thought to travel
outward, we will come to the center of our own existence. And where we had
thought to be alone, we will be with all the world.”
-
Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces
If you overesteem great men,
People become powerless.
If you overvalue possessions,
People begin to steal.
The Master leads
By emptying people’s minds
and filling their cores,
by weakening their ambition
and toughening their resolve.
He helps people lose everything
they know, everything they desire,
and creates confusion
in those who think that they know.
Practice not-doing,
and everything will fall into place.
- Lao-tzu ,
Tao-te ching “The Book of the Way and Its Power”
A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell
- The Way -
Following this path, you shall put an end to
Suffering.
Having myself realized the way that can lead to
removal
of the thorns of defilements,
I have shown it to you.
You, yourselves, must walk the path.
Buddhas only show the way.
Those who are meditative, who have gotten
On the path,
Will be free from the bonds of Mara.
All conditioned things are subject to change.
When one realizes this truth,
One feels wearied of these suffering heaps.
This is the way of purification.
All conditioned things are unsatisfactory.
When one realizes this truth,
One feels wearied of suffering.
This is the way of purification.
All things in the world are insubstantial.
When one realizes this truth,
One feels wearied of suffering.
This is the way of purification.
The lazy man, weak in mental discipline,
Indolent, prone to sloth,
Unproductive, and though young and strong,
Failing to move at the right time,
Never finds the road to wisdom.
-
The Dhammapada (The Path of Truth) translated by Ananda Maitreya
Can you coax your mind from its wandering
and keep to the original oneness?
Can you let your body become
supple as a newborn child's?
Can you cleanse your inner vision
until you see nothing but the light?
Can you love people and lead them
without imposing your will?
Can you deal with the most vital matters
by letting events take their course?
Can you step back from you own mind
and thus understand all things?
Giving birth and nourishing,
having without possessing,
acting with no expectations,
leading and not trying to control:
this is the supreme virtue.
- Lao-tzu ,
Tao-te ching “The Book of the Way and Its Power”
A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell
"The way of peace is the way of truth. Truthfulness is even more
important than peacefulness. Indeed, lying is the mother of violence.
A truthful man cannot long remain violent. He will perceive in the course
of his search that he has no need to be violent and he will further discover
that so long as there is the slightest trace of violence in him, he will fail to
find the truth he is searching."
-
Mohandas K. Ghandi
“He [Zarathusthra] was wise enough to recognize that all the motives of human
beings are based on action and reaction. Because, the receiver of every good
deed in this world will react accordingly with the good behavior. Therefore, in
the realm of interaction, if human beings act favorably, they receive favorable
reaction and vice versa. In this regard, if a person robs another one, he should
not be surprised when some day he will be robbed as well.”
-
Dr. Bahram Varza
- Twins -
Mind is the forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with a corrupt mind,
Suffering followers,
As the wheel follows the hoof of an ox pulling a cart.
Mind is the forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with a serene mind,
Happiness follows,
As surely as one’s shadow.
“He abused me, mistreated me, defeated me, robbed me.”
Harboring such thoughts keeps hatred alive.
“He abused me, mistreated me, defeated me, robbed me.”
Releasing such thoughts banishes hatred for all time.
-
The Dhammapada (The Path of Truth) translated by Ananda Maitreya
|
