--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Ellis Nelson <himalayaspencerellis@...> wrote: > > I can see how consciousness informs existence and at that > level a further refinement is found through creativity. > It reminds me of the Perfect Man in Sufism who manifests > through his preparedness (if I understand that correctly).
While I understand that such theoretical discussions interest some, I tend to avoid them because my experience tells me that they're *completely* theoretical. Have you ever met a human being who you feel significantly affected the world around them through nothing more than the mech- anism of his or her consciousness? I have not, and have come to believe that it's a myth, a sales pitch touting the theoretical benefits *to others* of attaining supposed higher states of consciousness, whereas in actuality there are no such benefits. It's not (because you are new here, and probably don't know where I stand on such issues) that I disbelieve in what people have called enlightenment or higher states of consciousness in the past. Been there, done that, worn the T-shirt, and then thrown it away. It's just that I've come to believe that these are completely *subjective* states of mind that do not affect others, *except* in the same way that any of us affects others, through our thoughts and actions. While it may "feel good" subjectively to be in these states, I do not hold that to be of as much value as "doing good" for others in one's thoughts and actions. I've met supposed masters who claimed to be (and obviously believed it thoroughly themselves) that they were fully enlightened, but were real pricks. They treated people badly. If this is either enlightenment or a "higher" state of consciousness, color me not interested in it. In other words, the idea of the "Perfect Man," whether it be a Sufi formulation of it or a Buddhist one or a Hindu one or any other flavor of one, just doesn't float my boat. I don't believe that any such perfection has ever existed. Give me someone who just tries con- sistently to be a little better each day anytime. From what I've seen, believing that one has attained a level at which this trying is no longer necessary is almost always followed by the believer demonstrating that they needed to try more than most people, not less.
