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Originally Posted by pamela
Michael, I don't think it was the radical honesty, but your lack of politeness. This forum isn't about heated debate. Present your ideas in a gentlemanly manner and provide the appropriate supporting links.
This is curious statement. How would you define unity? To successfully unite, should we not be respectful to one another? Within that respect, kindness would likely allow for a peaceful coexistance.
If we are being true to ourselves in brutal honesty, we should look at the source of what triggers aggression and harsh sarcastic words. Would you say as a psychologist, this is part of your natural self? or could it simply be part of past events that we have not reconciled within ourselves, that drive us to lash out against others in retaliation to their words. To better understand what would be our transpersonal self, should not all areas of our personality be addressed?
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Hi Pamela,
"Truth seeking" in the spiritual sense requires a radically honest willingness to surrender the illusions of "personal identity and allow Truth speakers ((Teachers in the spiritual sense) to "hold the illusory identity to the fire of purification" ( a common concept in Eastern spirituality.)
Here is one of my favorite quotes in that regard. It comes from Ken Wilber (most brilliant integral philosopher, in my opinion) introducing a book by his buddy Andrew Cohen ( spiritual Teacher and founder of "What is Enlightenment" magazine.) It is known as Ken's "Rude Boys" quote:
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" If you want encouragement, soft smiles, ego stroking, gentle caresses of your self-contracting ways, pats on the back and sweet words of solace, find yourself a Nice Guy or Good Girl, and hold their hand on the sweet path of stress reduction and egoic comfort. But if you want Enlightenment, if you want to wake up, if you want to get fried in the fire of passionate Infinity, then, I promise you: find yourself a Rude Boy or a Nasty Girl, the ones who make you uncomfortable in their presence, who scare you witless, who will turn on you in a second and hold you up for ridicule, who will make you wish you were never born, who will offer you not sweet comfort but abject terror, not saccharin solace but scorching angst, for then, just then, you might very well be on the path to your own Original Face."
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This is about getting over the false, egocentric pseudo-identity.
Then there is the whole realm of knowing who we really are in that "identity-in-unity" i spoke of above.
Here is another Wilber quote in that context, which will resonate with what you said above:
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"If your identity expands to embrace the Kosmos, you will treat all sentient beings with respect and kindness, for they are all perfect manifestations of the same radiant Self, which is your very own Self as well. This comes to you in a direct realisation of the Supreme Identity, precisely because identity can span the entire spectrum of consciousness, matter to body to mind to soul to spirit, with each expansion bringing a greater moral embrace, until the all itself is embraced with passionate equanimity."
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It"s all about context. The two quotes appear blatantly contradictory, but
the "flame thrower approach" to "toasting" the "self" has its place. Then, after awakening from the illusory "separate self" into the True Self, the latter is fully honored as in the second quote.
Thanks for your interest and reply.
Michael
