Dear James,
We agreed that Vedanta has no comparison. Please take on board from me that I agree and please do not give up on your friendship. Nevertheless “outside” Vedanta similarities are revealed as reality is just what it is. No need to convince you of anything here, wish you see this clearly.
As in order to choose between your books How To Attain and Essence I choose both, as I appreciate both to the max, and still I see the pages of The Opposite Thought as the absolute Kings crown of all you presented.
In a former email I wrote I have no doubt that God is all over the place. As far as I can see today all problems boil down to 2 things;
1. Imprints are energies in the form of beliefs that are passed on through the generations which do have a huge impact on human beings and which “takes them out” of the unified field/awareness. The most devastating of all seems the question of parents to their children: “what are you going to be when you grow up?”, as this is the question that denies the validity of what we already are. It sets in motion the endless “doings” that become our adult experience. We try to prove we are worthy of being alive by succeeding or not succeeding. Even though we are already alive, we go in search of a purpose through which we may “earn a living”. What we are attempting is to “earn a loving” as we lost the knowledge to BE LOVE/EXISTENCE.
Here is what I read from you that applies to the above:
“Without self awareness you are at the mercy of your conditionings. The most fundamental relationship is parent-child. Our parents, their parents and their parent’s parents all suffer the dis-ease of self ignorance. The self is not known for what it is because we have been fed a continuous diet of misinformed words about who we are . . . .”. “Society defines virtues as “making a difference”, and everybody wants to look good in the eyes of society”.
2. During upsets we form beliefs ourselves also (!) by making interpretations out of what seems to happen to us that mostly or never ever has nothing to do with reality the way it really is, which then propels our endless “doings” on top of the imprints. Like the beliefs “I am unworthy to join the party . . . ., I am not important . . . ., I do not really matter to others . . . .” to name a few, which can only be traced back to its source through feeling without condition. By beliefs like this we are propelled in “making ourselves worthy . . . ., important . . . . and to do matter . . . .” and all the imbalanced neurotic and literally insane behavior coming out of it!
Oh My God WHAT A SET UP!
The consequence of all this reactive behavior is discomfort, confusion, separation, lack and the whole range of imbalances that stem from the trinity of fear, anger and grief.
Only through appreciating LOVE/EXISTENCE/AWARENESS/PRESENCE unconditionally on a moment to moment basis, we restore our allegiance to what we already are instead of valuing what we do.
During the course of my life I fell prey to the above 1 & 2 for sure, and still traces and residues of all its conditioning is with me way too much. So I try to apply The Opposite Thought on a moment to moment basis in order to choose again all the time, and to wield my attention and intention to put it where it is real. My only purpose is the peace of God, so to speak, on a moment to moment basis everywhere I go so peace is with me all the time, so nothing can disturb me.
This message is to question what particular ways Vedanta offers to me to make this self actual, next to applying The Opposite Thought, to put to use to dismantle all energies that block the ongoing knowledge of reality?
Thanks in advance, appreciated limitlessly
Love
Henry
Hi Henry,
Nice to hear from you!
Henry: This message is to question what particular ways Vedanta offers to me to make this self actual, next to applying The Opposite Thought, to put to use to dismantle all energies that block the ungoing knowledge of reality?
James: If the opposite thought doesn’t “dismantle the energies that block the ongoing knowledge of reality” as you state, which is a practice that only works effectively when you have completed the preceding four stages, then you need to go back and complete the first four stages, which are karma yoga, upasana yoga, listening, and removing doubts (the unexamined stuff you picked up in childhood that you talk about in your email). This is why you asked the question. It is a common issue. I think the best thing for you to do is to go to the home page of the website and click the big graphic link at the top center that says “New to Vedanta?” and follow the links SLOWLY. You jumped ahead to jnana yoga (Vedanta) and didn’t understand and assimilate the first two stages (karma yoga upasana yoga i.e. meditation). So you don’t understand the context in which the practice of applying the opposite thought works. Only if the mind is properly prepared will the Opposite Thought work.
Your statement, “what particular ways Vedanta offers to me to make this self actual” also indicates a lack of understanding. The self is always “actual.” There is nothing that isn’t the self…you…at any time. “Making the self actual” means removing ignorance of the self since there is no distance between you and the self. If I am in Amsterdam and I want to go to Amsterdam I only have an ignorance problem, not an actualization problem. The only way I can actualize my desire is to have my ignorance removed. I can’t remove it myself because the ignorance the idea that I am someone who can actualize anything. Anything that is actualized it only actualized by Isvara, not by the doer/enjoyer entity. So someone has to come along and tell you that you are already in Amsterdam. Then Amsterdam is “actualized.”
What is the ignorance in your email? It is assuming that you are Henry, a doer, who can do something, try “other ways” as you say. There is only one way…to have your ignorance removed. You can’t figure it out on your own. That is why you need to be taught. The belief that you are a limited entity began in childhood. It is still there today. It is very difficult to unlearn. It is a deeply ingrained unconscious of thinking of yourself in this way. All your relationships are based on the idea that you are Henry. If you told your friends and family that you aren’t Henry they would think you are crazy. They wouldn’t understand that Henry is just a word that refers to a thought put in your mind by your parents. You were something else before you learned that you are Henry and you are something else now.
To unlearn it you need to see that your life is focused on Self knowledge. If Self-knowledge is only one thing among others… music, friends, etc… it won’t work. The “opposite thought” implies an opposite life. This will probably be hard for you to accept.
Here’s another example of ignorance. You say, “Only through appreciating Only through appreciating LOVE/EXISTENCE/AWARENESS/PRESENCE unconditionally on a moment to moment basis, we restore our allegiance to what we already are instead of valuing what we do. unconditionally on a moment to moment basis, we restore our allegiance to what we already are instead of valuing what we do.”
Why is this ignorance? You can’t appreciate the Self unconditionally on a moment to moment basis” because the Self is you. There is no time involved because there is never a time when you aren’t the Self. See the language. You are very close to understanding but your words show that you are far away. You will appreciate LOVE/EXISTENCE/AWARENESS/PRESENCE unconditionally if it is you because you are always present or actual as I pointed out above. Your statement implies that LOVE/EXISTENCE/AWARENESS/PRESENCE is something other than you and that “you” can make your appreciation go from one moment to the next, not to mention unconditional. It is either unconditional or it isn’t. It becomes unconditional when you identify as the Self not with the Self.
Much love,
James