Dec
16
Written by:
Mike
12/16/2008 4:31 AM
Paul,
Reading your blog entries, got me to thinking about something related to measuring one's own progress on the Spiritual Path. It seems these days everyone is into detailed descriptions of the so-called Enlightened state. Books have been written (McKenna) that while on the surface seem to be extremely helpful, are really expositions from some egocentric point of view. "I'm Enlightened and here I am on a street in New York City" is how I describe it. I never quite pick up the humility in that point of view.
I'm wondering why it's important to measure spiritual progress, but more importantly I suppose, WHO is it that is "measuring" this so-called progress? Does that mean if I "see" things a certain way, does that mean I'm almost Enlightened? Or am I still pretty far away? And then, in order to evaluate anything, don't we need to be apart from it? So in a way, may measuring or evaluating one's progress is a spiritual exercise in and of itself. I could go for that, but still, I think there's more direct ways of working.
Finally, isn't there always the danger that a person (ego) will think "Hey, I'm doing all right here on this project. I am watching my mind struggle between the polar opposites! Wow, that makes me an Umpire, according to Richard Rose's Jacob's Ladder diagram!! I"m doing it!! Now all I gotta do is start watching the process of my mind, by detaching from the thought process itself and residing in Awareness as best I can." Something just doesn't seem kosher about all that, though I can't exactly right now say what it is.
Rose's advice to simply and consistently "Go within" seems more to the point. Have no preconceptions. Just look within. I like that better for some reason.
Mike
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