|
|
more on that; plus halfway between you and baguaFrom: Steven
Subject: Philosophy
Date/Time 2009-10-03 20:46:59
Remote IP: 76.251.213.191
Message>>>I both agree and disagree with certain things...
>>>The idea that we are playing out thoughts of our
>>>higher selves makes sense, but on the other hand,
>>>the reason why we are here is to explore free will,
>>>and we are here because the higher self cannot function here.
>>>So, yes, on one hand there are issues in the vast
>>>impersonal collective plane that need to be worked out,
>>>but we are here to actually do the dirty work and
>>>play out all the possibilities through our choices.
>>>We can make no choice and nothing happens (to change
>>>our current direction, we keep doing the same things
>>>over again) or we can make choices to do new things
>>>and have new experiences. I think we are the determining
>>>factor that gives insight to our larger collective selves.
The idea that I'm trying to convey is hard to explain.
I'm pleasantly surprised that Rainbowbear gets it, because
it's difficult to put into words and paint the accurate picture.
Let me try another approach.
Let's say you watch a game of tennis, but you've never played
tennis--just watched the game. You have a pretty good idea
of what "tennis" is all about. However, you get a much deeper
understanding of what is all about when you actually get on
the court and play your first few games. This is like the
larger self/smaller self dynamic. The larger self has an
excellent understanding of the game of "tennis" from a
theoretical point-of-view, as if it has spent lifetimes
watching the game--however, it has never played a game of
tennis. It can't. It is outside the physical realm.
Thus it sends in the "lower self" into the physical realm
to experience it directly for itself in physical form, akin
to playing the game of tennis. The lower self is not acting
"freely" in the sense you would like, as it is completely
directed to do so by the larger self. However, it is
experiencing the game directly--by being right on the court,
and then this information is relayed back to the larger self
to give the larger self a deeper understanding of what it
*already* knows. Thus the physical exploration and discovery
acts to deepen the understanding of the "overmind" of the
larger self.
To be honest, I think this is the common ground between
yours and bagua's polar arguments. If I may paraphrase
the understanding I have of the two sides, it appears
to me that bagua believes that "we are immortal already",
and that all that remains is to clear away the clouds
of confusion that prohibit us from seeing this clearly,
and prevent us from living from that already
existing stable core "you";
whereas, it seems to me that you believe that we are *not*
currently immortal and that all work must be done
here on the ground floor from the lower self perspective
in order to achieve it.
To be honest, I think each of these viewpoints is really only
half of the story. In my opinion, the reality is
that both sides--the larger self and the lower self
are working collaboratively, it's just that the lower self
doesn't realize that it is doing so and can't see the
perspective of the larger self.
The larger self is immortal; the lower self is not.
The two are working together, with the larger self as
the mentor telling the lower self what to do, so that
it can join its big brother on the immortality train.
S
[Top of List] [Previous Thread] [Next Thread]
|
|
|
|
This Forum is for posting on topics of interest to the Taoist (Daoist) community. Tao is exceptionally broad. Will your post add to the collective balance, harmony, & wisdom? Posts/links deemed obscene, prejudicial, irrelevant, inflammatory, or falsely impersonating others may be removed at Healing Tao USA's discretion. The Forum community thanks you for respecting the registration privilege!
|
|
|
|