Question:
Thank you for “ The Book of Secrets” Or should I thank the universe for creating the book in the “off position” for me to experience in the “on”. I do however have a few questions that plague me. I hope you consider these questions and don’t think I am “nitpicking.
”When we praise people are we not essentially nurturing their ego?
Should we nurture the ego or should we try to minimize it in others too.
If spirituality forms in us as naturally as a child grows then why do we need to consciously try to develop it?
Should we be still and have faith that the universe will provide all that we need and want, or should we use drive, passion and action to obtain these things vigorously? What I’m asking is should we be still or should we get going?
If we have created each other in our imaginations did I create you or did you create me and what really exists? You speak of the digestive system as an intelligent system whose cells communicate with each other but you also have said many times that this is all an illusion.
Are the people I love dearly an illusion that I have created …my daughter an illusion a manifestation of my imagination?
Reality is infinite yes? Balance is also an infinite idea. Then unreality must be as eternal and ever present as reality if so can we really break free of the realm of unreality. “If every day was a sunny day then what the heck would be a sunny day?” .
And finally I cannot seem to get my head around existing as a separate entity but also existing as a cosmic collective or unified intelligence. If we shed the ego do we exist at all as an individual? If the universe thinks through me then who am I?
Answer:
When we praise someone, we are appreciating something good we see in them, and that appreciation strengthens that quality in them, in us and in the environment, and that is a net positive. It’s certainly possible it might feed their ego, or it might not. That is something that is out of our control, but given the positive influences that come from the expression of appreciation it makes more sense to say it than not.
Spiritual development is natural, but it involves choices, it is not as automatic as physical maturity. Just as emotional development can be delayed or accelerated by how we face our life challenges, so too we postpone or enhance our spiritual evolution by our choices.
Whether we fulfill our desires through the path of surrender or conscious intention is largely a matter of our personality makeup. Either way works fine because at the root of consciousness the mechanics are identical. For the person who is naturally active, in-control and takes charge of their life, the intention of what they want to happen is formed, but then is released into the gap where the universe then computes and manifests the appropriate outcome for everyone involved. So there is aspect of surrender there as well.
For the person who likes the idea of simply letting the universe determine what they need and when they need it, they too are forming subtle intentions they are giving to the universe, only they are not doing it as consciously. Our desires are a natural function of living in the world, and even if we don’t fashion them into concrete ideas, they nevertheless have the same effect at that quiet level of consciousness.
At the basic level of our existence, we are all a part of one unbounded reality of consciousness. That is very different than saying my imagination created you or that your imagination created me. Our existence is our consciousness and that is uncreated and eternal. The illusion in creation is the appearance of absolute separation. When you realize the underlying unity of your consciousness with all creation, then the illusion is gone.
In your question about reality, infinity, and unreality, I think you are confusing your words. I don’t know what you mean by saying “unreality is eternal.”
Lastly, regarding individuality and universality, it is difficult conceptually to grasp, but since our core essence is identical with the cosmos, it is a natural and easy experience to have. Vedanta tells us atman is Brahman, the drop of water is identical with the ocean and the ocean is the same as the drop of water. As long as we retain our unique perspective within this ocean of consciousness, we keep our sense of individuality even after we attain enlightenment.
Love,
Beautiful !
and Mr. Dee waves at the crowd as he rounds the bases after knocking that one right into the upper deck bleachers!
i think where a lot of confusion comes in is when people attach consciousness (either individual as a fragment of the universal, or the universal itself), to the physical manifestation that is the created universe. it's like looking at a painting and saying "that's the artist."