lemit:
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This is the West. Western mysticism teaches that unity with all comes from inside. The only purification is in "The Dark Night Of the Soul," the fourth of the five stages. This also comes from inside, as do all lessons in life.
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Spiritual awakening is universal, transcending cultural etnocentricity including the old East vs West dichotomy and battles.
Non-dual awareness (conscious unity beyond the illusion of duality) transcends "inner vs outer" as well as East vs West.
The Universal Identity into which one awakens is both an "inside job" of ego-surrender and realizatiobn that the whole cosmos is One Intelligent Being... the same Identity manifesting as all forms/individuals.
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Existentialism also teaches us that the choices we make are our own. It teaches us to reject outside influences and turn inward, where we can, without being lectured by someone pretending to be a superior being, make those choices that represent what is moral despite the impossibility of truly moral consequences. And we can also find that peace and unity of spirit, conscience, and social responsibility that is a truly unfettered soul.
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As I mentioned above, I began my career as an "existential counselor" valuing the unique individuality and authenticity to be "myself" and for "other selves" to exercise personal freedom above all else, short of harming others, of course.
Then after a few more years of meditation I found the mystic realm which transcends "personal identity." Then I became a transpersonal counselor... and a meditation teacher.
In this realm one realizes that ones cultural conditioning is like robotic programing, and ultimately, one can not be
FREE until the illusion of personal identity (and all its program) is transcended.
All those "programs" are essentially specific versions of the following:
"This is who I am. This is what I want. To the extent I don't get what I want, I am unhappy, and I spread that unhappiness around as various forms of discontent."
True Freedom is freedom from all versions of the above program.
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It is only the quality of your character that really matters. Please let us see that.
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It is my intent to make a fresh start in this thread. Please don't drag my perceived offenses from other sections/threads here. I am in totally respectful mode and ask the same of all participants.
In "real life," besides my career as stated, I am First Trustee of an 80 acre land trust and intentional community. We are living in harmony with nature and focused on awakening to our ultimate Identity-in-unity. We are radically honest... which means we say it as we see it in all cases, including cases of egocentricity. We are absolutely respectful of our True Identity.
Thanks for your reply.
Michael
