The specific traps we will analyze here are: 1) that of Inner Peace, the belief that all that is necessary is to find a quiet spot inside from which to get the strength necessary to confront the sufferings of the world; 2) the notion that we need to live in the Present, that this moment is the only moment, and we must take full advantage of it; 3) the idea that Knowledge comes uniquely through the Heart, that it is an emotional certitude, a killing of doubt. This pernicious idea of Inner Peace as presented by many teachers ensures that people who have started to ask questions, who are drained by the horrors and suffering of the world, and of their own lives, will continue to feed those predators around them by developing an ability to tap into a hidden source of energy or bliss. A fixation on the Present – in the particular context of limitation to right now - blinds us to our past experience and the application of our lessons to the current moment and the consequences in the future. Knowledge defined as emotional certitude, freezes us in ourselves, locking us away from those people who may be able to see us more clearly than we can see ourselves, thereby closing off any hope of escape. Any or all of these teachings can be accompanied by techniques designed to produce an altered state in the seeker, a state of altered consciousness that triggers certain neurochemicals that feel like bliss and this then serves to reinforce the idea that the teaching is good and real, the end all and be all, and that the teacher is someone special for having provided the key. In the most dangerous cases, the guru or master is credited with giving this state to the devotee, creating a strong and sinister psychological link between the two, a link impervious to logic, reason, and clear thinking. [...] The goal of any esoteric work must be that of objectivity, first in our understanding of ourselves, and then, as our filters and programs are dislodged, of the world. A true esoteric teaching will, therefore, not only focus on Know Thyself, but will also provide knowledge about the reality of our reality. If one or the other of these aspects are missing from a teaching, then you can be certain that it is incomplete, and an incomplete teaching, even if through ignorance of the teacher, even if unconscious, is dangerous...
Posted on: Wed, 14 May 2014 06:53:36 +0000
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