Rapid Format Awakening: Nowhere to Hide -Ordinary Sparrow

[Guest guest]

Namaste Ordinary Sparrow,

 

Thank You so much for sharing the grace of GOD. I feel privileged to be able to

read what you choose to share with us.

It is a great gift. Your kindness touch the Source.

 

Nina

In , " ordinarysparrow "

<ordinarysparrow wrote:

>

> Namaste

>

> dear Selena

>

> Thanks for your comment. . . I so agree. . . " The ego is challenged in

> all sorts of ways, in all the places where it hurts the most. "

>

> When i entered there was anticipation of giving up the negative holdings

> of the egoic and was so open to that, but what i found much more

> difficult were the concepts where the egoic defends with the positive.

> . . i had kept the ego safe by beliefs and lots of energy into " right

> relationship " and " reverence for life " , in concepts of fairness,

> gentleness, my understanding of justice,and commitment to following

> spiritual discipline, such as little egoic formulas like " if i am fair,

> gentle, just with another, then the other will be that way with me " . . .

> if i give my best and if i am sincere then the person will respond in

> like manner. . . When all my positive egoic formulas where met with

> what i experienced as cruelty, which is a button i wear that can easily

> provoke rage, i would find a cesspool of raw sludge i had stored

> underneath. . . all the programming of cause and effect were thrown to

> the ground. . . .and began to see the egoic attachments to what i

> thought was positive as well as the ones i considered negative. . .all

> the egoic formulas where dust in the wind. . .and when the positives

> where crushed that is when i came to see what lies beneath is really no

> difference with what is considered the positive and negative wrappings

> of the ego. . .for myself it has brought the realization the core of

> the ego is narcissism, the ego is me, my, mine. . . it took many years

> to really look at the ego for what it is and what it is not without

> trying to give it some type of justification. . .

>

> sure do not want to give the impression i have been through

> annihilation of the ego, for i still have the egoic, just nowadays can

> readily identify it and step around it with greater awareness. . .and

> can also be more compassionate towards it. . .but know it is not the

> true Self. . .

>

>

> This week went back and re-read an interview from one of my teachers

> from India, Amma. . .another teacher from India is the one i have gone

> through the strongest egoic challenge. . .whereas Amma has her ways

> that are perhaps more precise and deadly. . .it seems that each teacher

> is given there own methods and ways, depending on the student. . . .

>

> I have added the interview from Amma for it speaks of ego, the student

> and the teacher. . .

>

> I will also add this opinion, many people come to spiritual teachers

> with many hurts and wounds, and some of those wounds cause personality

> structures that cannot withstand the intense fire of the alchemical

> process that is required for deep awakening. . .and K Ma and the

> teachers need to be able to discern each person that comes forth. . . i

> know there are bad teachers, but i would imagine that many of the " ain't

> she/he awful " stories of BAD gurus come from people that are personality

> structures that do not have the ability to withstand ambiguity. . . K Ma

> and teachers take us into is the heart of the great land of Unknowing

> and Unknowable, the Great Mystery where we are of constant ambiguity and

> it shall never be contained by our egoic mind that wants everything in

> structure and formulas that are only there to insure the life of the

> egoic. . . .many cannot withstand and split. . . .

>

> i have often thought that being a spiritual teacher would be the hardest

> job in the world. . .downing a red cape and walking into a arena with a

> angry bull would be a breeze compared to bringing forth what is real

> with a group of students all with egos. . .with success being the egos

> have got to go. . .mercy! Who would choose that life? Surely they are

> called. . . .

>

> i trust and know from my own process the lotuses really do come

> up from the mire. . .and this i trust in this situation for all

> concerned. . .a greater good is coming forth here and my heart extends

> to for i see him with the deepest of desire and commitment to

> impeccability and integrity. . .and my heart extends to the person that

> feels a bit scorched. . and may cool gentle waters soothe your soul,

> dear one. . .

>

> just yesterday i listened to an interview with a spiritual teacher from

> India. . . he said something very interesting. . .He stated that once

> Kundalini Ma is awakened from that place on EVERYTHING that happens to

> the aspirant is auspicious. . . . .EVERYTHING that happens is for

> higher purpose. . . .EVERYTHING that happens is suppose to happen. . .

> .EVERYTHING is working together for the good. . .

>

> This i hold for each and everyone concerned with this situation. . .

>

>

> An interview on ego, students, and teachers

>

> WIE: What is ego?

>

> MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI: You are actually asking, what is unreality? But

> how can unreality be described? What use is there in talking about

> something that isn't real, that is nonexistent? And how can you speak

> about that which is real? Amma can only give you a few hints. The mind

> is the ego. But the ego is a big lie—it is a liar. It is unreal.

>

> There was a cowherd boy who took his cows to the meadows every morning

> and brought them back to the cowshed at the end of the day. One evening,

> as he was tying the cows up for the night, the boy found that one of

> them was missing her rope. He feared that she might run away, but it was

> too late to go and buy a new rope. The boy didn't know what to do, so he

> went to a wise man who lived nearby and sought his advice. The wise man

> told the boy to pretend to tie the cow, and make sure that the cow saw

> him doing it. The boy did as the wise man suggested and pretended to tie

> the cow. The next morning the boy discovered that the cow had remained

> still throughout the night. He untied all the cows as usual, and they

> all went outside. He was about to go to the meadows when he noticed that

> the cow with the missing rope was still in the cowshed. She was standing

> on the same spot where she had been all night. He tried to coax her to

> join the herd, but she wouldn't budge. The boy was perplexed. He went

> back to the wise man who said, " The cow still thinks she is tied up. Go

> back and pretend to untie her. " The boy did as he was told, and the cow

> happily left the cowshed. This is what the guru does with the ego of the

> disciple. The guru helps untie that which was never there. Like the cow,

> due to our ignorance, we believe that we are bound by the ego when, in

> fact, we are completely free. We need to be convinced of this, however.

>

> The ego is an illusion with no existence of its own. It appears to be

> real because of the power it derives from the Atman [self]. It is

> animated by the Atman. The ego itself can be compared to dead matter;

> for without the Atman, it would have no life. Stop supporting the

> ego, and it will withdraw and disappear. We ourselves lend the unreal

> ego its reality. Expose it for what it is, or rather, for what it isn't,

> and that will be the end of it.

>

> A dog wags its tail—the tail does not wag the dog. If the tail were

> to wag the dog, it would be disastrous! The same is true with the mind.

> The mind, or the ego, should be nothing more than a useful tool; a

> sadhaka [spiritual seeker] shouldn't let him- or herself be ruled by

> the whims and fancies of the mind.

>

> The ego consists of our thoughts and our mind. Our thoughts are our own

> creation. We make them real by cooperating with them. If we withdraw our

> support, they will dissolve. We simply have to observe our thoughts. The

> clouds in the sky assume different shapes, and they change constantly.

> You may see clouds drifting by that look like faces of the gods or

> different animals or sailing ships. A small child may believe that these

> shapes are real, but, of course, they are only illusions. In the same

> way, our ever changing thoughts drift through the mind, which is the

> ego. They assume different forms, but they are no more real than the

> shape of a cloud in the sky. If we simply witness our thoughts as they

> drift by, they will no longer have any effect on us or influence us in

> any way.

>

> A lion made of sandalwood is real to a child, but to a grown-up it's a

> piece of sandalwood. For the child, the wood is concealed, revealing

> only the lion. The grown-up may also enjoy the lion, but he knows it is

> not real. For him, the wood is real, not the lion. In the same way, to a

> Self-realized soul, the entire universe is nothing but the essence, the

> " wood " that comprises everything, the Absolute Brahman or Consciousness.

>

> WIE: What is ego death for the true seeker of moksha [liberation]?

>

> MA: If the ego is unreal, what death are you talking about? We

> superimpose the unreal on the real. What really exists is Brahman.

> There is no discovery, only uncovering.

>

> WIE: What are the signs of true ego transcendence?

>

> MA: One who has gone beyond the ego becomes an offering to the world,

> like an incense stick that burns itself out while bestowing its

> fragrance to others. For such a person there is no sense of otherness.

> It is difficult to say what a clear sign would be. People pretend or

> they imitate this and that quality—but for a real master, one who

> truly doesn't identify with the ego, his or her entire being, and every

> action, is a pure expression of divine love and self-sacrifice. Divine

> love and self-sacrifice cannot be imitated.

>

> WIE: Is it possible for a master to completely annihilate their ego?

>

> MA: A mahatma [great soul] is one who disidentifies with the ego; they

> see everything as an extension of the Self. Due to our ignorance, we

> identify with the ego, with that which is not real, but a mahatma is not

> identified at all with the ego, with that which is unreal.

>

> WIE: How does the guru help to annihilate the ego of the disciple?

>

> MA: A true master creates the situations that will allow the seeker to

> come out of his or her dream. The disciple wants to continue to sleep

> and to dream, but the master wants to awaken him or her. The whole

> effort of the master is to somehow bring the disciple back to the

> reality of his or her true existence.

>

> WIE: It is said that the ego will go to any length to maintain its grip

> on the individual, even masquerading as our own spiritual longing. What

> are the most important qualities for success in the fight against the

> endless tricks of the ego?

>

> MA: Performing one's own dharma with utmost shraddha. Shraddha is

> very important at the beginning stage on the spiritual path; it is

> absolutely essential.

>

> WIE: What is shraddha? Is it faith in the possibility of transcending

> the ego in this life?

>

> MA: Shraddha is more than just faith. It is trust and love. Both

> trust and love are necessary to transcend the ego—trust in the

> existence of a higher reality, love for that reality and an intense

> longing to realize it.

>

> WIE: What is the best way to cultivate discrimination in the face of

> all the temptations of the ego?

>

> MA: Just as a little boy grows out of his teddy bear and other toys, a

> true seeker gains the power to discriminate between the eternal and

> noneternal as his understanding grows and as he advances along the path.

> The power of discrimination dawns within us as we gain proper

> understanding and as we mature. As we learn how to evaluate life's

> experiences in the proper manner, we automatically begin to use our

> discriminative intelligence. It is an inner blossoming that takes

> place—like a bud opening up. It is part of a slow but steady

> process.

>

> There is a divine message hidden behind every experience life brings

> you—both the positive and negative experiences. Just penetrate

> beneath the surface and you will receive the message. Nothing comes from

> outside; everything is within you. The whole universe is within you.

>

> There will be many temptations and challenges along the way. Only an

> experienced person can help you. The way to moksha is very subtle,

> and it is easy for a spiritual aspirant to become deluded.

>

>

>

> WIE: What is the role of the spiritual master in guiding the seeker

> on the path to moksha or liberation?

>

> MA: If you want to learn how to drive, you need to be taught by an

> experienced driver. A child needs to be taught how to tie his shoelaces.

> And how can you learn mathematics without a teacher? Even a pickpocket

> needs a teacher to teach him the art of stealing. If teachers are

> indispensable in ordinary life, wouldn't we need a teacher even more on

> the spiritual path, which is so extremely subtle?

>

> Though that subtle knowledge is our true nature, we have been identified

> with the world of names and forms for so long, thinking them to be real.

> We now need to cease that identification. But in reality, there is

> nothing to teach. A master simply helps you to complete the journey.

>

> If you want to go to a distant place, you may want to buy a map. But no

> matter how well you study the map, if you are heading toward a totally

> strange land, an unknown place, you won't know anything about that place

> until you actually arrive. Nor will the map tell you much about the

> journey itself, about the ups and downs of the road and the possible

> dangers on the way. It is therefore better to receive guidance from

> someone who has completed the journey, someone who knows the way from

> his or her own experience.

>

> On the spiritual journey, we have to really listen to and then

> contemplate what the master says. We have to be humble in order to

> receive. When we really listen and then sincerely contemplate, we will

> assimilate the teachings properly.

>

> WIE: Why is submission to a guru said to be so important in helping

> the disciple transcend the ego?

>

> MA: The seat of the ego is the mind. Any other obstacle can be removed

> by using the mind except the ego, because the ego is subtler than the

> mind. It is only through obedience to the one who is established in that

> supreme experience that one can conquer the ego.

>

> WIE: You didn't have an external guru, yet you completely transcended

> your ego. It seems you depended on the formless as your guru to take you

> all the way.

>

> MA: Yes, you could say that. But Amma considered the whole of

> creation to be her guru.

>

> WIE: Is perfect obedience to the guru ultimately the same as ego

> death?

>

> MA: Yes. That is why the satguru [realized spiritual master] is

> depicted in the Kathopanishad as Yama, the lord of death. The death of

> the disciple's ego can take place only with the help of a satguru.

>

> Obedience isn't something that can be forced on the disciple. The

> disciple is tremendously inspired by the master, who is an embodiment of

> humility. Obedience and humility simply happen in a true master's

> presence.

>

> WIE: It takes rare courage to face ego death.

>

> MA: Yes, very few can do it. If you have the courage and determination

> to knock at the door of death, you will find that there is no death. For

> even death, or the death of the ego, is an illusion.

>

> WIE: There have been some very powerful spiritual teachers who seem to

> have been driven by the impure motives of the ego. Do you think that

> spiritual experiences could at times empower the ego rather than destroy

> it?

>

> MA: Amma doesn't agree that those teachers to whom you are referring are

> realized. A Self-realized master is completely independent. Such beings

> don't have to depend on anything external for their happiness because

> they are full of bliss, which they derive from within their own Atman.

> Amma would say that everyone forms part of a crowd, except the realized

> masters. In fact, except for those rare souls, there are no individuals.

> Only one who is realized is uniquely individual and totally independent

> of the crowd. Only such a soul is alone in the world of bliss.

>

> True spiritual masters have to set an example through their actions and

> their lives. Those who abuse their position and power, taking advantage

> of others, obviously do not derive all their happiness and contentment

> from within themselves, and so they cannot be realized masters. Why

> would a realized master crave adulation or power? Those who do are still

> under the grip of the ego. They may claim to be realized, but they are

> not. A perfect master doesn't claim anything. He simply is—he is

> presence.

>

> Until the moment before realization takes place, a person is not safe

> from the temptations of his or her desires.

>

> WIE: So would you say that people like this have become more proud as a

> result of having had spiritual experiences? Can spiritual experiences at

> times strengthen the ego in a negative way?

>

> MA: The people to whom this happens are deluded, and they confuse others

> as well. They will actually push others into delusion. Some people gain

> a glimpse of something, or have a spiritual experience, and then think

> they have attained moksha. Only someone who is not realized will think,

> " I am spiritual, I am realized, " and this will create a strong, subtle

> ego. A subtle ego is more dangerous than a gross ego. Even the

> individuals themselves won't understand that the subtle ego is leading

> or motivating them, and this subtle ego will become part of their

> nature. Such people will do anything for name and fame.

>

> Amma also feels that this kind of pride makes people lose their capacity

> to listen. And listening is extremely important on the spiritual path. A

> person who does not listen cannot be humble. And it is only when we are

> truly humble that the already existing pure Consciousness will be

> unfolded within us. Only one who is humbler than the humblest can be

> considered greater than the greatest.

>

>

>

> WIE: Since it is possible for spiritual experiences to feed the ego,

> is it necessary to cultivate purity first?

>

> MA: There is no need to get obsessed with purity. Focus on your dharma,

> performing it with the right attitude and with love. Then purity will

> follow.

>

> WIE: What is dharma, in the way you are using it?

>

> MA: Dharma is the right action in the right place at the right time.

>

> WIE: How can one know what one's dharma is?

>

> MA: By loving life with the right attitude and having the right

> understanding, we will know what the right thing to do is. And then, if

> we perform our dharma, purity will come.

>

> WIE: How do you cultivate that kind of love?

>

> MA: Love isn't something that can be cultivated—it's already within

> us in all its fullness. Life cannot exist without love; they are

> inseparable. Life and love are not two; they are one and the same. A

> little bit of the proper channeling of your energies will awaken the

> love within you.

>

> You need to have a strong intent to reach the goal of liberation; you

> need to be focused on that goal. Then such qualities as love, patience,

> enthusiasm and optimism will spring forth within you. These qualities

> will work to help you attain your goal.

>

> WIE: You are revered by so many as the embodiment of unconditional love,

> and you literally hug everyone who comes to see you. But I have heard

> that you can also be very fierce with your students. How do these two

> very different methods of teaching go together?

>

> MA: For Amma there are not two different methods; Amma has only one

> method, and that is love. That love manifests as patience and

> compassion. However, if a deer comes and eats the tender flower buds in

> your garden, you cannot be gentle with the deer and say softly, " Please

> deer, don't eat the flowers. " You have to shout at it and even wave a

> stick. It is sometimes necessary to show this type of mood in order to

> correct the disciple. Kali is the compassionate mother in her

> disciplining mood. But look into her eyes—there is no anger there.

>

> Amma only disciplines those who have chosen to stay close to her, and

> she only does this when they are ready to be disciplined. A disciple is

> one who is willing to be disciplined. The guru first binds the disciple

> with boundless, unconditional love so that when the disciple eventually

> is disciplined, he or she is aware of the presence of that love in all

> situations.

>

> Amma helps her children to always be aware and alert. Love has many

> aspects. When Amma disciplines her children, she does this with the sole

> purpose of guiding them along the path to help them to fully blossom.

> This blossoming will happen only if a conducive atmosphere is created.

> It can never be forced. A true master does not force his or her

> disciples because pure consciousness cannot force anything. The master

> is like space, like the boundless sky, and space cannot hurt you. Only

> the ego can force and hurt. Amma will patiently continue to create

> opportunities for that inner opening, that blossoming, to take place

> within her children.

>

> The guru-disciple relationship is the highest. The bond of love between

> the guru and shishya [disciple] is so powerful that one may sometimes

> feel there is no guru and no shishya—all sense of separation

> disappears.

>

> WIE: What do you do when the ego takes hold of one of your disciples?

>

> MA: Amma lovingly helps her children to realize the danger of being

> under the grip of the ego, and she shows them how to get out of it.

>

> WIE: Some Western psychotherapists and spiritual teachers believe that

> we must develop strong egos before we seek ego transcendence. They say

> that most of us have weak or wounded egos as a result of the emotional

> and psychological traumas that we have suffered over the course of our

> lives, and they advocate various forms of therapy to help us build up

> our character, ego and sense of individuality. You had quite a difficult

> childhood; you had to bear harsh treatment and even physical abuse, and

> yet you transcended your ego completely. Would you agree with these

> teachers that in the pursuit of enlightenment, we first need to build up

> the ego before we endeavor to transcend it?

>

> MA: Most people are deeply wounded within in some way, and those wounds

> have been caused by the past. Those wounds usually remain unhealed. They

> are wounds not only from this life but from previous lives as well, and

> no doctor or psychologist can heal them. A doctor or psychologist can

> help people to cope with life to a certain extent, in spite of those

> wounds, but they cannot actually heal them. They cannot penetrate deeply

> enough into their own minds to remove their own wounds, let alone

> penetrate deeply enough into the patient's mind. Only a true master, who

> is completely free from any limitations and who is beyond the mind, can

> penetrate into a person's mind and treat all those unhealed wounds with

> his or her infinite energy. Spiritual life, especially under the

> guidance of a satguru, does not weaken the psyche; it strengthens it.

>

> The ultimate cause of all emotional wounds is our separation from the

> Atman, from our true nature. It may be necessary for a person to go to a

> psychologist, and that is fine—but to put spirituality aside in

> order to first strengthen the ego is to perpetuate that sense of

> separation, and it will only lead to further suffering. What is the use

> in thinking, " I will go to the doctor as soon as I feel better " ? To wait

> for either the inner or outer circumstances to be " just right " before we

> embark on the spiritual journey is like standing on the seashore waiting

> for the waves to completely subside before we jump into the ocean. This

> will never happen. Every moment of life is so utterly precious, such a

> rare opportunity. We should not waste it.

>

>

>

>

> , " selena255 "

> <selena@> wrote:

> >

> > Hi Sparrow,

> >

> > What you say is right on! Poor teachers take a lot of bashing from

> their own students during the process, LOL! Patience and forgiveness of

> a supernatural kind is what makes the difference between a bogus guru

> and the real deal.

> >

> > Yes, the RFA is excruciating. The ego is challenged in all sorts of

> ways, in all the places where it hurts the most. The pitfalls are

> tailored on each individual in such a way that no stone is left

> unturned, and you have to confront all of your own demons one by one,

> all the time.

> >

> > The most painful part is that your own conscience keeps assessing your

> performance 24/7 and is aware of all your failures. The ultimate

> challenge is that of being able to forgive oneself in the face of such

> glaring flaws, even as you lose the ability to fool yourself into

> self-complacency. Long periods of self-loathing and moral torture are to

> be expected--what they call the dark night of the soul, perhaps.

> >

> > Once the process begins, there is no hiding.

> >

> > Sel

> >

> > ,

> " ordinarysparrow " ordinarysparrow@ wrote:

> > >

> > > Namaste

> > >

> > > dear Chrism

> > >

> > > This is so on target for me personally. . . will not go into it at

> > > length. . .but with one of the teachers from India this is such an

> apt

> > > description of what it can look like. . .

> > >

> > > i do not have words to describe the force and the drive of what this

> > > beloved teacher put me through for about seven years. . .it blew

> every

> > > conceivable frame or imagination of what a teacher was " suppose to

> be

> > > like " . . .the times i called him a brutal b_______ are not

> countable. .

> >

>

>

>

>