The Spiritual Search.

[Iamit]

Some characters (Ego's) are more successfully active and discplined than others at solving problems. This seems to have implications for the selection of what is preferred when seeking a solution to the spiritual search. The more successful tend to select paths and practices that require discipline, while the more unsuccessful select a solution that requires nothing to be achieved, such as the nondual option that requires nothing of the seeker, not even realization.

[JosephineB]

Does it have to be one or the other though. Can't we take action when needed and be passive at other times. Middle of the road! Discerning what to do when is key.

[Unseeking Seeker]

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@ Iamit ... how so?

As long as the ego (character) is externalised, the aspect of doership comes into play. However, the voluntary shift inwards, upon recognising that joy & tranquility eternal is in the internal and not in the ephemeral external, attention shifts inwards.

The spiritual search requiring a ‘letting go of’ all past conditioning and even vicarious knowing, there being no path save the burning yearning (resolve rather than discipline) for connecting with our own divinity within, the path is pathless and doerless, an inactive action, if you will.

As for realisation, is it not just a word, meaningless to the one not realised? Even each nuance or whiff of any spiritual revelation is incomprehensible to the limited mind.

The discipline you speak of ... the determination for exploration in silence occurs simply & effortlessly by our prioritisation to unravel the mysteries within. Love being spontaneous and without effort or technique, metaphorically (in reality) speaking.

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[Iamit]

Originally Posted by JosephineBloggs

Does it have to be one or the other though. Can't we take action when needed and be passive at other times. Middle of the road! Discerning what to do when is key.

I guess there will be a whole range of responses to problems but some seem to be stuck in the extremes. For example if the conditioning of the character has been undermining and negative, the extreme of no discipline may be the result, and the opposite may be the case if the conditioning has been predominatly positive. There may be an advantage if the person is aware of what conditioning he/she has been exposed to, so that there is an understanding of why particular choices seem to be made, with the possibility of trancending the conditioning, and changing choices.

[Iamit]

Originally Posted by Unseeking Seeker

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@ Iamit ... how so?

As long as the ego (character) is externalised, the aspect of doership comes into play. However, the voluntary shift inwards, upon recognising that joy & tranquility eternal is in the internal and not in the ephemeral external, attention shifts inwards.

The spiritual search requiring a ‘letting go of’ all past conditioning and even vicarious knowing, there being no path save the burning yearning (resolve rather than discipline) for connecting with our own divinity within, the path is pathless and doerless, an inactive action, if you will.

As for realisation, is it not just a word, meaningless to the one not realised? Even each nuance or whiff of any spiritual revelation is incomprehensible to the limited mind.

The discipline you speak of ... the determination for exploration in silence occurs simply & effortlessly by our prioritisation to unravel the mysteries within. Love being spontaneous and without effort or technique, metaphorically (in reality) speaking.

***

Yes identifying and understanding ones conditioning may lead to trancending it. This would be an adantage in the spiritual search, or maybe even a requirement, before one could engage in the practices you mention, just in case the selection of those practices themselves were a product of conditioning. Luckily there are clues to help us in identifying our particular conditioning such as projection and introjection. It is possible that we may each know what these mght be in our particular circumstances.

Originally Posted by Iamit

Some characters (Ego's) are more successfully active and discplined than others at solving problems. This seems to have implications for the selection of what is preferred when seeking a solution to the spiritual search. The more successful tend to select paths and practices that require discipline, while the more unsuccessful select a solution that requires nothing to be achieved, such as the nondual option that requires nothing of the seeker, not even realization.

Hmmmm..... interesting comparison, the vinegar tasters come to mind again.

Your first character sounds more of a western-ish methodical, perhaps even scientific, approach to me. The extreme of which would be prescriptive, more like Confucius? The latter more eastern, more like Lao Tzu. So, where would Buddha fall along this spectrum??

[Iamit]

Originally Posted by ketzer

Hmmmm..... interesting comparison, the vinegar tasters come to mind again.

Your first character sounds more of a western-ish methodical, perhaps even scientific, approach to me. The extremeg didn;t of which would be prescriptive, more like Confucius? The latter more eastern, more like Lao Tzu. So, t and waiwhere would Buddha fall along this spectrum??

I dont know enough about Buddha's conditioning. Didn't he just sit? So that would fit with the unsuccessful Ego, but wasnt just sitting a practice? if so would be for the successful Ego.

Originally Posted by Iamit

I dont know enough about Buddha's conditioning. Didn't he just sit? So that would fit with the unsuccessful Ego, but wasnt just sitting a practice? if so would be for the successful Ego.

Well, he did sit, which if that was all he did that would make me a Buddha much of the time.
But he also did meditate while he sat, so that does take discipline, which means I am not a Buddha most of the time.

Don't know exactly how to bring the ego into all that, but I get the idea that the ego was one of the things he saw through (i.e. the illusory nature of it) as he sat. So I am not sure if one would say he had a successful Ego, perhaps one might say he successfully saw beyond the ego??

Perhaps some Buddhists will enlighten us a bit more on the subject.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Iamit

The more successful tend to select paths and practices that
1.require discipline, while the more unsuccessful select a solution
2. that requires nothing to be achieved,
such as the nondual option that requires nothing of the seeker, not even realization.

Another:
3. Requires belief in Jesus as their savior...which ends 'the spiritual search'.
My input, anyway.

[Iamit]

Originally Posted by ketzer

Well, he did sit, which if that was all he did that would make me a Buddha much of the time.
But he also did meditate while he sat, so that does take discipline, which means I am not a Buddha most of the time.

Don't know exactly how to bring the ego into all that, but I get the idea that the ego was one of the things he saw through (i.e. the illusory nature of it) as he sat. So I am not sure if one would say he had a successful Ego, perhaps one might say he successfully saw beyond the ego??
ditation
Perhaps some Buddhists will enlighten us a bit more on the subject.

Meditation is a practice as I understand it, so that suggests a disciplined person, positively conditioned and used to successfully pursuing solutions to problems. Although meditation and seeing through the nature of the ego would not increase connection to source, as it would already be source not mediating and not seeing through the ego.