4 – How Can Some Teachers of Awakening Be Capable of Abuse?
There’s a very basic misconception about Awakening: that it wipes out identification with Personality for good. An Awakening is a passing thing; it reveals the viewpoint beyond Personality, but only for the duration of the experience. When the Awakening passes, the Relative perspective is returned to, and that includes the arising of [...]
3 – Is It Possible to Become Enlightened?
The word ‘enlighten’ is burdened by misinformation, it’s been overlaid with all sorts of beliefs and projections, and this makes using it problematic. The general image of an enlightened person is of a guy sitting at the top of a mountain – it’s usually a guy – who’s reached a level of understanding that makes him almost superhuman. He’s [...]
2 – Travelling Conversations
Have you ever tried talking with a religious zealot who calls at your door with the intention of trying to convert you? It can be a frustrating experience because the breadth and depth of the exchange is continually restricted by the beliefs of the visiting missionary. It’s impossible for the discussion to go very far, and soon you start [...]
1 – Is It Possible To Avoid Suffering?
It depends what you mean by suffering. There are two types: one is avoidable, one isn’t. The first type of suffering is that which arises from being human. To be human is to feel, and life throws all kinds of experiences at us. Some of these are painful to our psychological system or physical body and cause feelings that are so intense [...]