Your post is beautifully stated, Vam. Ultimately, we -- the ' I ' -- must be free from ALL effects of OTHER and otherness upon us.
This is a powerful leap in awareness. I think it occurs when we come to the understanding that we are all others. It is taking total responsibility, and with that, comes freedom. When we can become the one in the many, we still relate to others, love and care for others, but we can also see ourself in all others... the ultimate, do unto others what you would have done unto you. At this point, everything you do to others, you are doing to you. What others do is a reflection of the true you of the moment and a sign post on the path to becoming. Like the end of a Shakespearing play, all masks come off. On May 13, 12:40 am, Vamadevananda <[email protected]> wrote: > " ... unveiling of masks ... " I am only drawing the reference, SD, > not commenting on your post. > > I see the concept of unveiling or peeling off of masks. But I find it > unidimensional, not root - cause based ; more like treating the > symptons, quite like Quality Control vs Quality Assurance. > > The effort, in one's awareness, needs to get focussed on what effects > the ' other ' is having on us, how are we --- the ' I ' --- > being affected, being determined, being formed and defined, by other > (s) or in terms of other(s). > > Ultimately, we -- the ' I ' -- must be free from ALL effects of > OTHER and otherness upon us. Then, while being thus free, we can > CHOOSE to be affected by the other, as and how we feel, think or know > the necessity thereof. > > That is when we can take on masks for others, while being fully aware > of it ( the mask ), and remain true to ourself ! > > The method may be instantaneous or impossible, and any in between, > depending on how mentally and emotionally evolved the individual is. > > On May 13, 4:45 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Much of the unveiling of masks would be impossible within the socially > > set legal parameters. If a person's true self falls outside of the > > law the person literally has not choice but to mask the truth. This > > does not necessarily imply that the person is a serious criminal but > > simply may enjoy casual drug use or some deviated sexual activity > > which is considered illegal activity by state statute. So in that > > vein we should also consider what traditions define as wholesome > > living. What are the parameters, where do we draw the line, or is it > > always as it seems to be, anything goes and we should simply accept > > people no matter how deviated or debased they are? > > > On May 12, 2:44 pm, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > good questions, Rosey, and the reason I included Websters unabridged > > > definition of sincerity. The Zen tradition tells us we only have one > > > original face, the face we had before our parents were born, our > > > immortal face. To them, all other faces are masks. I tend toward a > > > less elemental view. I think that at any given time, we have a core > > > identity that includes our honest, wholehearted, real, true, unfeigned > > > self and if we are not wearing a mask to ease the abrasion of social > > > interaction, we are revealing our true self. I also think that those > > > masks become so comfortable, that we can see them as our true self, > > > repressing the parts of us disguised so that we don't feel the rub of > > > our activity with the larger world. The trick, I think, is to peel > > > all of those away and find a way to move through the world without the > > > need of a mask. This introspection can be filled with layers and > > > painfully intense, but can also be the exhilarating joy of self > > > discovery. > > > > On May 12, 2:11 pm, Rosey <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Molly when you refer to the mask are you basing it simply on one's > > > > interaction with others? This facade that we adorn ourselves with has > > > > developed into an entity of its own. It's a compilation of socially > > > > developed morals and acceptances that we have evolved into. At home > > > > one tends to shed his mask but ever so slightly if he isn't alone. > > > > What I mean by this is, the shedding happens in intervals. Some are > > > > able to completely remove the mask as they feel comfortable enough > > > > within themselves and others to do so. One such extreme archetype > > > > could be masturbation (we are grown up here), some uncommonly do it in > > > > front of others, while others will never reveal committing to such an > > > > act, yet they succumb to it. However the mask can be quite > > > > complicated. An example as such would be, adult film industry. They > > > > say women engaged in such activities are being themselves, open with > > > > sexuality, callous to what society considers moral. Yet these women > > > > tend to wear the largest masks. As pretending to enjoy what they are > > > > doing for monetary gain is the mask itself. Sexual implication was > > > > not my intention (sigh...rolling my eyes), but it plays a key role. > > > > > What really defines a person that is not wearing a mask? Are there > > > > people that truly do not display such a falsehood? > > > > > On May 12, 10:43 am, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > The Zen tradition would take us back to the concept of our original > > > > > face: What is your original face before any ideas, images, feelings > > > > > that you have been carrying like so much baggage? When investigating > > > > > "What is your original face before parents were even born?" we are > > > > > thrown back on our most primal, original self. Seeing this face in > > > > > others is rare, knowing it in myself is easier. > > > > > > Are any other faces sincere? Well, we can let webster define that > > > > > (below) and it seems that if a face is presented as an honest > > > > > expression of self, then yes: > > > > > > 1 : marked by genuineness: as a : free of dissimulation : not > > > > > hypocritical : REAL, TRUE, HONEST <the missionaries were prompted by a > > > > > sincere desire for good -- Herman Melville> <was above all sincere and > > > > > detested any form of pretense or affectation -- Terry de Valera> b > > > > > (1) : free from adulteration : not mixed <to find and isolate Nazism > > > > > in its pure sincere form proved extremely difficult -- J.C.Harsch> > > > > > (2) : not containing any foreign element : PURE <wood is cheap and > > > > > wine sincere outside the city gate -- Robert Browning> c : marked by > > > > > truth : GENUINE <the only sincere glimpse that we get of the living > > > > > breathing word-compelling Dante -- J.R.Lowell> d : motivated by a > > > > > desire for meaningful expression <the emotional substratum which we > > > > > feel to be inseparable from a truly great and sincere work of musical > > > > > art -- Edward Sapir> > > > > > 2 archaic : DEVOID <air sincere of ceremonious haze -- J.R.Lowell> > > > > > 3 : characterized by firm belief in the validity of one's own opinions > > > > > <an entirely sincere and cruel tyrant> > > > > > synonyms WHOLEHEARTED, WHOLE-SOULED, HEARTFELT, HEARTY, UNFEIGNED: > > > > > sincere suggests absence of hypocrisy, dissimulation, falsification, > > > > > feigning, or embellishment and consequent honest genuineness <too > > > > > sincere for dissimulation -- Ellen Glasgow> <individuals are > > > > > considered sincere when there is little or no discrepancy between the > > > > > goals they seek and those they claim to be seeking -- L.W.Doob> > > > > > WHOLEHEARTED and WHOLE-SOULED stress lack of reservation or misgiving > > > > > and may suggest devotion, zeal, and sincerity <writes himself down a > > > > > frank and wholehearted Tory -- V.L.Parrington> <who could help liking > > > > > her? her generous nature, her gift for appreciation, her wholehearted, > > > > > fervid enthusiasm -- L.P.Smith> <men whose dedication to their country > > > > > was whole-souled, nevertheless, and for whom the supreme frustration > > > > > of personal ambition never deflected them away from public services of > > > > > a monumental nature -- Eric Sevareid> HEARTFELT suggests a genuine > > > > > stirring of innermost feelings and usually contrasts with formal, > > > > > conventional, outwardly indicated, more or less factitious > > > > > manifestation <our sympathy for you therefore is heartfelt, for we are > > > > > sharing the same sufferings -- Sir Winston Churchill> <if ever men > > > > > have offered heartfelt thanks to God for deliverance from the perils > > > > > of the sea, surely we were those men -- C.B.Nordhoff & J.N.Hall> > > > > > HEARTY may suggest vigorous manifestations like notable warmth and > > > > > robust exuberance <infuriated elderly traveling salesmen were > > > > > backslapped all day long by hearty and powerful unknown persons -- > > > > > Sinclair Lewis> <a courtier's laugh, decorous, brief and not too > > > > > hearty -- J.H.Wheelwright> UNFEIGNED may stress spontaneity and > > > > > absence of simulation <I confess to unfeigned delight in the insurgent > > > > > propaganda -- J.L.Lowes> > > > > > > On May 12, 10:29 am, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > I have to say, I think the use of 'mask' is at the root of that > > > > > > discomfort, because of the assumption of a false face. I wonder if > > > > > > 'faces' might be more accurate. As Lee noted, we have different > > > > > > faces for work and home...additionally, we have different fraces > > > > > > for friend, lover, parent...are any of them less than sincere? > > > > > > > [ Attached Message ]From:Molly Brogan > > > > > > <[email protected]>To:"\"Minds Eye\"" > > > > > > <[email protected]>Date:Tue, 12 May 2009 07:10:31 -0700 > > > > > > (PDT)Local:Tues, May 12 2009 10:10 amSubject:[Mind's Eye] Re: The > > > > > > Finite Mask that Covers the Infinite > > > > > > > Thanks, sajida, what do you think about masks? My thoughts until > > > > > > now > > > > > > have been about how we use masks as self expression, either forming > > > > > > personas with ego, or expressing what is repressed by stepping > > > > > > outside > > > > > > our comfort zone with the aid of a (like rebel) persona. But gabby > > > > > > brings up a new perspective. When others judge there to be a mask, > > > > > > does it mean there is one? Communication is a two way street, and > > > > > > understanding isn't always achieved. Can folks seem to be masked > > > > > > because understanding isn't reached in the communication? > > > > > > > On May 12, 8:01 am, sajida naz <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Thanks Chris, Allan and in fact all of you. There is a very nice > > > > > > > and > > > > > > > informative discussion going on in the group. > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > > > Naz > > > > > > > > On Mon, May 11, 2009 at 6:59 PM, iam deheretic > > > > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. 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