Nothingness 101

2004-1-16 04:35:00

The Question:
Do you see any truth in the Nothingness philosophy? What do you think it is?

One of the problems with examining this philosophy so far is that it has never been on topic. Even so it has been perhaps discussed here more than any other item. This is because we have had so many people with differing degrees of this thinking come to the list and seek to change the topic to this doctrine.

So, even though I have written a lot on this subject, it has been mostly in response to others coming on the list insisting in a response to their views.

This is the first time I have made the subject on topic. We could probably spend a year on this topic since it always generates a lot of reaction and conflict, but instead we'll try make a concise covering of the subject so we do not lose the interest of our members.

Each time this philosophy has been brought up in the past it has created a lot of conflict which persists for a time ending in demands from the members to cease talking about it and move on to something mew. Around this point in time the Nothingness Philosophy advocate accuses the group of being closed minded, lacking love and missing a great opportunity for bliss and quits.

What he doesn't realize is that it is not his philosophy that aggravates people as much as his approach.

As a whole (realizing all are different) the Nothingness Philosophy advocate starts off by projecting some superior assumptions. Through his seeking he has had a spiritual experience he feels cannot be put in words and begins a debate assuming he has had this great experience that none of the rest of us have achieved. He makes no effort to ask those with whom he is having conflict what experiences they have had, but just assumes his are much superior and he needs to teach us the unteachable and unknowable.

He also assumes he understands real spiritual love and any understanding we have of it is of a lower order.

He advocates that we discover the heart seemingly assuming we have no heart.

He will often tell us we do not understand the oneness of God and all life the way he does.

He accuses us of being attached to the mind and mental constructs while presenting himself as being free from attachment. This he automatically does without doing even the least bit of checking into the point of evolution of detachment of various members.

He will often teach points of doctrine with which many here are very familiar. Even so he assumes we know nothing and must be force fed first grade material when most are way beyond the first grade.

The point I am making here is that when the Nothingness Philosophy advocate comes on so strong and with such an insulting attitude it wouldn't matter what his philosophy was. Members so attacked will be in no mood to find points of agreement, but will disagree instead.

I realize that there are some newer members here who follow this philosophy and haven't posted enough to warrant the typecasting, but it has never ceased to amaze me how each of these Nothingness Philosophy advocates, even though they may proceed with a gentle start, soon will create a storm by projecting such superiority and attempting to force the list in a different direction than the group desires. Hopefully we have a more considerate bunch this time round.

Perhaps by my presenting the problem in advance this will cause these people to consider their approach and attempt to come across more in a spirit of love and harmony. Hopefully we can discuss in a spirit of reason.

That said, let us go through the various points of what we call (for want of a better term) The Nothingness Philosophy.

I call it such because it's central philosophy is built around the idea that we live in the illusion of duality from which we must escape. That which is beyond duality and the origin of all things is that point between extremes which is neither up or down. It is that part of the wavelength where the crossover is made and beyond time and space. It is that reality which would remain if all form were to be stilled, all motion were to cease.

This point is sometimes called nothingness, the great void

It's one thing to talk in theory about this, it would be quite another to actually return to this nothingness space. But we know that such advocates have not returned.

Why?

Because they are still here with us in the world of dualities and using their dualistic minds to try to change our minds.

This is not to say that there is no truth in the idea of an originating point. I have taught this myself in the beginning of my book, The Molecular Relationship. This book is available at thgenewagesite.com. Scientists also teach about such a point and call it a singularity from which the universe began with a big bang.

Here is my thinking on the matter. None of us return to the singularity until the end of the universe wherein we shall rest in a great pralaya until another universe comes into existence. Even here we do not rest in nothingness, but that which is hidden.

So where do these people go who say they have discovered the bliss of the formless God or the great void and have made the return?

Most of them have discovered a higher astral feeling which is quite joyous but far from the absolute or the ultimate. They think they have moved beyond the astral when they have only moved to a higher level of the astral. Keep in mind that there are seven levels in the astral realm and the highest seems like heaven compared to the more coarse vibrations of the lower.

We'll skip the mind because these people see this as an obstacle and go to the Buddhic plane. This is called the first formless world though it is called so, relatively speaking, because form is not used as a vehicle there as it is here. This plane has a higher level of spiritual peace, but few have a polarized consciousness on this plane.

What would one have to do to reach the originating formlessness?

He would have to leave this world behind completely and ascend beyond where even Christ has gone past all the planes of the astral, mental and the four higher planes and then move on past the Planetary and Solar Logi through the cosmic astral, cosmic mental etc.

The fact that the Nothingness Philosophy people are still here in the physical tells us they have not found the ultimate reality. They may have found something wonderful, but far from the ultimate.

Now let us move on to the second point which is this: (2) We must let go of our minds which deceive us with the illusions we see in front of is. We must empty our minds of all knowledge, past beliefs, attachments etc and be as if we know nothing.

How about this? Is the mind a great benefit or an obstacle to be removed - or perhaps a little of both? Do we need to release ourselves of our attachments? How do we do this?

People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost. H. Jackson Browne Jr.