Theos-Talk Archives (May 1998 Message tt00092)

>
><< [Jerry Schueler] There is only one path that we can take today.
Basically
>it is
> Jnana Yoga...

>[Richard] In short, it is not clear to me that "Jnana Yoga" is the best
path for
>everyone or whether, indeed, it might not be more suited to those who have
>already "psychomatured"...

OK, there is more than one path. But I think Jnana Yoga is probably
best suited to Theosophists who read and study a lot anyway, than
Raja or Kundalini Yoga which have few adherents and a lack of
qualified teachers. Karma Yoga is something that we all tend to
do as a matter of course at whatever level we are on.


>
>It's such a messy subject.  At this point, my understanding is that one
cannot
>do ANYTHING without having a ego-formation in operation.

This is true. Wilber's Spectrum of Consciousness has nine major
levels with a self-formation at each except the highest which is
pretty undefinable.


>Show me a person who can rattle off what he or she dispassionately
>knows (utilize a semi-Self formed at the manas Level) and still hold on to
a
>"remainder" of Self-awareness, and I'll show you an individual of at least
the
>beginning of the Sixth-degree.

Its when we identify at any level that we tend to get "stuck" at that
level. Growth and progression up the levels is easier and faster
when we dis-identify with the semi-Self at each level.


>
>No, the only psychomaturational developments one can hope to See in others
>are probably those one has first seen in oneself.  Ditto for
psychomaturational
>"sins."

Agreed. This usually works at the sub-conscious level.


> Furthermore, the thing which really makes me uncomfortable--and which
>I am still struggling with--is the realization that at no matter what Level
I
>allow semi-Selves to form at, IT SEEMS TO BE FOR THE EGOIC PURPOSE >OF
MAKING MYSELF "HIGHER" THAN SOMEONE ELSE.

This is inherent in the concepts of levels and progressions which, in turn,
are inherent in the concept of time. We all must struggle with this.


>This is a horrible confession, I admit
>(and even now as I write I am occasionally catching a glimpse of my
"semi-Self
>of the moment" trying to assert that it is higher than those with whom I am
>trying to share my "understanding" of this subject).
>

How does one respond on this list without such a "glimpse?"


>I don't know . . . perhaps my view is all screwed-up, and the real "occult"
>activity on this list is not to primarily establish whose
at-least-partially-
>deluded-ego-of-the-moment is higher than whose.

Ranking of list members is a human desire that we need to ignore.


> Is anyone free of Catch 23?
>(I don't know . . . even the laudable Dallas is in one breath telling us
that
>"None of us are ever any superior to any one else" and in the next telling
us
>that his ideas are to be taken as a "touchstone"--a standard by which to
judge
>other ideas.)
>

Yeah, I do that myself sometimes.


Jerry S.  As usual, a good post.