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Originally Posted by pamela
Michael, your tone has softened, which in turn, will draw me further into this dialogue. As far as your first quote, it is rather extreme.Encouragement and soft words can produce a calm that allows us to think deeply and clearly in our quest for knowledge. Constructive criticism allows us to see ourselves from a different perspective and recognise where we need to change or grow. The nasty girl and rude boy tactics only serve to belittle us and drive us away from change through a bruised heart or a deflated ego.This does not allow us to confront self but to avoid it.
I find the second quote disturbing. It speaks of an egotistical self, being the supreme I, as it were. It is in only denying self, with it's puffed up over inflated all consuming want of I, that we embrace others with selfless acts of kindness and words that express our love of humanity
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Pamela,
Thanks for your thoughtful reply.
I think that when Wilber counsels seekers to find a "rude boy" or "nasty girl" Teacher, it is assumed that such Teacher (with a capital 'T') is an enlightened one. He sees his friend Andrew Cohen as such and in his context, is actually recommending Cohen as one who can expose the egocentric identity for the illusion it is. So the seeker who accepts such a Teacher agrees to surrender ego in preparation for awakening into the True Self Identity, which is the same (universal) Identity in all individuals.
The latter, then is the context for the second quote.
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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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All enlightened ones have found this same Universal Identity and realized that the "personal, separate identity' is illusory. Wilber's use of the term "Kosmos" denotes this One Universal Being in Whom the individual awakens into indentity-in-unity.
Michael
