The List

2003-11-13 06:32:00

Several added to my list of how the personality is used to lead toward the dark rather than the light.

Robill gave two good ones.
1) "All you need is love, no need to think"

JJ Comment:
An illusion in this age is that the mind must be negated.

2) "The Master is eager to meet you"

JJ:
Yes, the Great Ones have better things to do than to have small talk with beginning disciples.

John C's list:
Employment of stereotyped techniques and/or rituals and exercises, as an end in itself, or ascribing power to the rituals and not to the spiritual powers within the persons performing the exercise.

Without an understanding of the Law of Correspondences rituals are indeed dead works that appeal to the personality and can be used to promote mindlessness.

The use of rituals with understanding can be very beneficial, however. The same goes for mantras.

Emphasis on theory without practical application.

JJ:
True. This is the lazy man's way to enlightenment.

John C:
Telling followers that life or the world is dangerous and they can't make it through without the leader's help.

Isolation from former friends and family.

Creating imaginary "enemies" or bogus outside threats in order to hold the organization together through fear.

Applying one standard of behavior or conduct to the leader(s) or the inner circle and another standard to the rank and file members.

JJ:
All tactics to immobilize seekers.

Solomon:
1.)"the lord told me to deliver his people out of poverty". 2.)if you keep the word of a prophet, you will receive the reward of prophet. 3.)The hand of the lord came mightily upon me. 4.)touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm. 5.)In many churches the pastor and the wife will be called "daddy and mummy". 6.) M.O.G: man of God.

JJ:
Indeed. The dark disciple will use the scriptures and orthodox presentation to establish unjust authority.

M. Sufilight has some points that were controversial and others that will be readily accepted.
6. Supporting the view, that God within esoteric teaching should be promoted as a male named "he". And also supporting an ignorant view on that this does not lead to a continuous support for a male-chauvinistic society.

JJ:
I do not think this is a tool of the dark side in most cases, but it is misused at times when the male is emphasized with the idea that he is superior to the female. Where the female is dominated and suppressed as is the case in many Middle Easter countries then free thought and spirituality is also suppressed.

One of the problems we have with gender and God is that we are limited in descriptive pronouns to "he" "she," "it," or "he-she-it."

Since the generic "he" in the English vernacular is representative of either a male or female whereas "she" only represents female I (and many others) use the word "he." "He-she-it" is just too much to type and is too touchy feely for my taste.

My personal view is that we should be tolerant of however anyone chooses to express God; as long as they are sincere their speech or prayer is as valid as any.

In addition there are times that the seeker may want to specifically appeal to the male or female aspect of God. If he knows what he is doing in this approach much good can result.

M. Sufilight:
7. Supporting the view, that merely singing outloud a prayer-song like The Great Invocation will move the Seekers after Wisdom and Truth beyond an emotional level of what could be called social tribalism. This leads to a continuous support for emotionalism.

JJ:
If one has mindless reiteration of a mantra or prayer you are correct, but energy follows thought and if the words are made to live by the power of thought much good can result.

M. Sufilight:
8. To support the use of randomly collecting Seekers after Wisdom and Truth into Internet forums and groups. This leads to the collection people in a manner, which is not according to the spiritual NEED of the relation between time, place and people. Or avoid raising awareness about such an issue when it is proper.

JJ:
I don't quite see your point on this one. While internet forums can be used by the forces of darkness I think they have greater benefit for the Light.

M. Sufilight:
9. To support cultural bias too heavily without doing a proper and needed spiritual effort to raise awareness about the spiritual NEEDs among the Seekers after Wisdom and Truth to avoid such a cultural bias. Also an avoidance in making it clear how devastating this cultural bias has on today's growing information society.

JJ:
One can be biased toward something that is true and good as well as that which is destructive. Leaning on any bias without the use of discernment is never wise.

M. Sufilight:
10. Supporting the view, that Islam is a hybrid offshoot of Christianity, and thereby insinuating it not to be a true religion on at least the same level as Christianity.

JJ:
I haven't heard anyone giving this view. I would guess some see it this way though.

M. Sufilight:
11. Supporting the view, that spiritual Middle Eastern culture and teachings (both orthodox and esoterical) are NOT important in a growing information society.

JJ:
Haven't heard much talk in this direction either. It seems that all but a handful are trying to understand Islam since 911.

M. Sufilight:
12. Supporting the mass media's cultural biased and non-objective influence upon the Seeker after Wisdom and Truth.

JJ:
I think the mass media pretty much ignores true seekers. This will not always be the case, however.

M. Sufilight:
13. Leaning too much on a Christian outlook upon the world as if, this was what God intended with - the creation of it.

JJ:
This happens in all religions and belief systems. All of us must learn to be more synthetic.

M. Sufilight:
14. A failure to emphasize the importance of the words like "true spiritual love" and "compassion" in ones teachings - together with a failure in the practice of their content.

JJ:
You hear these words thrown around a lot. Putting them into action is the important thing.

M. Sufilight:
15. A failure to in ones teachings to distinguish properly between, what one assumes and think to know - is NOT the same as REAL and true Knowledge and Wisdom.

JJ:
Real truth is that which can be confirmed by the soul no matter what it's source.

M. Sufilight:
16. Further the following could be helpful - although it has been mentioned some days back. The claim that the organization is the sole repository of truth, or is the only "path."

JJ:
This is a problem which is being dissipated as we enter the Aquarian Age. It is the desire of many seekers to just find the one truth and end the search, but that would be no fun would it?

Yesterday I parked my car in a tow-away zone...when I came back the entire area was missing. Steven Wright