--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Rick Archer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > From: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On Behalf Of jim_flanegin > Sent: Friday, October 12, 2007 10:34 AM > To: FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [FairfieldLife] Re: What we know > > > > It seems like you and new morning are the ones who keep making it > more "special" than it is, wanting to attach all sorts of conditions > and caveats, and tests to it. It is fully integrated with my > everyday life; no special smiles, or handshakes, or anything else. I > don't mention it to my friends, co workers, or family. I don't talk > about it, except here, and only when I want to. > > That's true of most of the other people I'm referring to. I keep arguing > that there are many genuinely awakened people around these days. Vaj seems > to feel that they could only be experiencing baby enlightenment compared > with his Tibetan guys, and New Morning seems to feel the same, compared with > famous saints. They may both be right; I don't know. Or maybe the > saintliness thing is just a special quality, like a sidhi, overlaid on the > same fundamental awareness. Whatever the case, I don't have a problem > believing that you and others are experiencing something real and genuine, > and are not trying to get ego strokes. > Its funny actually to think that the motivation for something like this, expressing Self realization, could be *ego strokes*. What is an ego stroke going to do for someone living enlightenment? Nothing really, or more precisely, it blends into the background of every other wonderful thing going on. I think the only kind of ego stroke or personal satisfaction I feel regarding enlightenment is that the goal has been reached, and there is endless personal satisfaction and encouragement to go ever further on the basis of that initial accomplishment, that permanent establishment of unshakable silence. But that comes from me, a private congratulatory pat on the back, if I think about it at all.
My purpose for mentioning it here on FFL is probably a similar motivation to the others who are enlightened-- to let folks know that it is achievable by regular folks, plain ordinary people like me, and that one doesn't have to be born a thousand years ago, or study in the East, or be of any particular gender, race, religion or background, or any of that superficial stuff, that permanent enlightenment is real, for us, right now. Booting it out of the ashram, the temple, the cave, the established religion. Do I feel *better* or *more special* than anyone else as a result? Of course I do not-- that would be pretty twisted thinking in my opinion. For two reasons-- first, it doesn't accomplish anything to feel trhat way in my daily life. I am successful in my business and personal endeavors because of the way I treat people inclusively, not by excluding them. Second, the whole paradigm of enlightenment is about growing towards a more and more comprehensive unity and compassion towards everyone. Acting all high and mighty telegraphs the reverse message to me, that there is a weakness that is being compensated for.
