05-29-2008, 12:00 AM
Doktor Green, you said,
"...one must first learn to "see". Then impeccability becomes an aspect of life that is a natural symptom of one's perspective. "Seek
ye first the Kingdom of Heaven." All else follows."
So awareness precedes impeccability or perfection. Jesus said in another place that a person must be "born from above" in order to "see" or
"enter" this kingdom. This seems to be a prerequisite. It also seems to imply a total change of perception also.
You also said,
"..this is a concept that one looks to the will to fulfill."
Bob Carr said,
"If we are comparing ourselves to others or ideals, we are indulging in envy. At the same time, this envy leads to fear, and fear cause us to become
arrogant and elitist as we make comparisons, to bolster our self reflection/importance.
As I stalk myself, I can see a disdain for other human beings , the same as expressed by others here."
Both of your statements I believe. And both point to a legalist mindset. If I overcome smoking or drinking or whatever and then look down on someone who has
not accomplished that, I am forgetting that I too had those problems and that I am lacking in some other way. In some other area of my life be it thought or
actions. No one is perfect or impeccable. We are all on equal footing so there should be no elitism (but there of course is),
We all start out our journey with discipline, or an act of will. Our shortcomings become more clear to us as we try to "follow the rules" whatever
these rules happen to be. So then we are left with the feeling that we are worse off than before we put our foot on the Path. Not really, we are just becoming
more aware. Of our shortcomings and weaknesses and of those around us.
Trying and failing enough will bring us to the "end of ourselves". Call it Grace, the Kingdom of Heaven, Seeing or the Second Attention.
Our Will, or discipline cannot bridge the abyss. Those are the tools of "this world."
It is not a paint by numbers world we live in, but the standards we set for ourselves or subscribe to can help to paint us into a corner, so to speak, where we
confront the need to let go. To come to the end of our resources.
"...one must first learn to "see". Then impeccability becomes an aspect of life that is a natural symptom of one's perspective. "Seek
ye first the Kingdom of Heaven." All else follows."
So awareness precedes impeccability or perfection. Jesus said in another place that a person must be "born from above" in order to "see" or
"enter" this kingdom. This seems to be a prerequisite. It also seems to imply a total change of perception also.
You also said,
"..this is a concept that one looks to the will to fulfill."
Bob Carr said,
"If we are comparing ourselves to others or ideals, we are indulging in envy. At the same time, this envy leads to fear, and fear cause us to become
arrogant and elitist as we make comparisons, to bolster our self reflection/importance.
As I stalk myself, I can see a disdain for other human beings , the same as expressed by others here."
Both of your statements I believe. And both point to a legalist mindset. If I overcome smoking or drinking or whatever and then look down on someone who has
not accomplished that, I am forgetting that I too had those problems and that I am lacking in some other way. In some other area of my life be it thought or
actions. No one is perfect or impeccable. We are all on equal footing so there should be no elitism (but there of course is),
We all start out our journey with discipline, or an act of will. Our shortcomings become more clear to us as we try to "follow the rules" whatever
these rules happen to be. So then we are left with the feeling that we are worse off than before we put our foot on the Path. Not really, we are just becoming
more aware. Of our shortcomings and weaknesses and of those around us.
Trying and failing enough will bring us to the "end of ourselves". Call it Grace, the Kingdom of Heaven, Seeing or the Second Attention.
Our Will, or discipline cannot bridge the abyss. Those are the tools of "this world."
It is not a paint by numbers world we live in, but the standards we set for ourselves or subscribe to can help to paint us into a corner, so to speak, where we
confront the need to let go. To come to the end of our resources.