From: Grlygrl201@aol.com
Date: Sun May 14 2000 - 05:44:46 PDT
I'm gonna post this sleep-deprived introspectus, she threatens herself
beforie it's even typed. Wish I were smart enough to wax Nordquistian.
The eastern vs western idea of duality breaks along a dotted line - for one,
duality is within, for the other, without. I suppose I align myself with
"within." Raised Catholic, however, I believe the within should manifest
without - specifically, thoughts and behavior should change with
enlightenment. "By their works you'll know them."
"Works" might be as simple as letting someone else have that parking space or
as elegant as sincerity. For the monk, it was combustion.
The christ alegory is that we die to self to be raised up god-like. A process
as psychically painful as crucifiction, but we're promised the reward of
everlasting life. Each time we exalt ego above _______ at the juncture of
choice, we are less god and more human. There are thousands-a-day choices to
make, thousands of opportunities for crucifictions. They are each one
personal, between us and our gods within.
The psychologist says "Altruism doesn't exist. We each and all act in
self-interest." The Adam and Eve alegory is that self-awareness (they
discovered they were naked), the precursor to self-interest, removed them
from Paradise. I used to interpret Adam and Eve as a story of our
physio-psycho evolution from animal to human; now I include spiritual as
well. Animals act in self-interest, or rather are driven by
species-interest. Was this then paradise? Blissful ignorance? Does
self-interest separate us from animals or from god? Again, evolution - ego
is what got us from animal to human, but it is what keeps us from becoming
god-like. When we die to self, we are reaching for the next spiritual
evolutionary rung. Who knows what's beyond - I like J. Bronkowski's "Reach
of the Imagination."
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