The Honest Life - Solving the Problems of Awakening pt.2

The Honest Life – Solving the Problems of Awakening pt.2

Here we will discuss a few things that are crucial elements in awakening. Without these incorporated into your daily life awakening will be almost impossible. Everybody, or at least the majority of us, knows of these words. However, from my observation very few of us actually have a good understanding of what these words are pointing to, insofar as how we are to utilize the underlying concept of them in our daily lives. The words/concepts are: "honesty" and "sincerity". On the surface they mean very similar things, however, when we study them further we find that they have subtle differences that are often confused. One is an understanding or an expression of understanding and the other is purely an expression that may or may not be accompanied by an understanding. Both are essential for our lives if we seek to become awakened. This is “The Honest Life”.

Honesty

There once was a teacher who while living amongst his students noticed a great need for them to become more honest. A few of his thirty-three students had refused to speak to each other over a trivial dispute surrounding a water bucket. One of them had become thirsty and sought out his water bucket to go and fetch water with it from the river, but another student had already taken it earlier in the day to do the same. Upon return, he was met with great hostility by this student. “You’ve taken my water bucket without asking me first! Why did you do this? Did you not think that I too might get thirsty?” said the angry student. The other student jabbed back and said, “Do you not remember that you put a hole in my bucket last week when I let you borrow it? Stop being so greedy and such a hypocrite, the least you can do is share it with me now!” They went back and forth with each other all day about this until more and more of the students began to take sides. By night fall the whole group of students, with exception of only a few, had chosen a side and refused to talk to the opposing side. During the nightly lesson and meditation their teacher noticed this conflict and asked his students to take tomorrow off from their usual routine and spend it by conversing with each other in complete honesty about their problems.

The next day at sunrise all of the students gathered in the garden and began to converse with each other about their feelings and beliefs surrounding this conflict. It started off fairly calm but by mid-day their anger rose and they had again ceased speaking to each other. In fact, no longer were there just two sides to this conflict but six. They had become even more fragmented and confrontational towards each other than they were the previous day. Nothing had gotten better and most of the students began to question their teacher’s advice. “If he was so wise then why did he ask us to do something that only made the problems worse?” each group began to ask. Again at night fall the students gathered for the nightly lesson and meditation and upon doing so their teacher once again noticed that they were not speaking to each other. In fact, he noticed some had even refused to come to the nightly meditation out of protest. He told his most wise student, who had taken no side during this dispute, to go and gather the other students who refused to show up. Half an hour later this student arrived with the missing students and they all sat down in front of their teacher.

“I see most of you have not taken last night’s advice to heart. Who here decided against speaking to each other with honesty today?” their teacher asked, but no one said anything. “What, has your anger now grown towards your teacher, are you so full of hate that you cannot even speak to he who loves you unconditionally?” After a few moments of silence one of the students finally stood up and boldly stated, “Your advice to speak with honesty was not adequate enough; it made us even angrier and more separated then before.” The teacher gave thanks to this student for voicing his opinion but then rebutted it with, “How do you know it was inadequate if you did not try it?” Another student quickly stood up and stated, “But we did try it, we did exactly what you asked! You told us to be honest with each other today but it only made us angrier. Maybe you were wrong!” The teacher again gave thanks to the student for voicing his opinion and replied, “Maybe you are right, maybe the teacher did not give the correct advice to his students. Or maybe they just do not understand what honesty means. In fact, this must be true, for, honesty always leads to peace, respect, compassion, understanding and unity, never anger and separation. Tomorrow the students will again take the day off from their usual routine and spend it with the teacher learning what honesty is and what it is not. This surely will solve this unproductive and damaging conflict.” The next day the teacher spent all day with the students clarifying what honesty is and what it is not, and by nightfall everyone overcame their anger and conflict for each other. The honest life was now underway in this Sangha and great progress began to take place in all of their awakenings.

So why did honesty not work for these students at first? Why did their teacher ask them to continue doing something that he saw was leading them into conflict? Did he mean something completely different than what they thought he meant when he told them to speak with honesty, and if so what?

First we must understand what they thought honesty was. Like for many people, to them honesty was merely speaking how they felt, their opinions and beliefs on a matter. They might of said, “I am just being honest with you, I don’t like the things you do, you were wrong for doing that…” or “I am just being honest with you, you’re a real a**hole most of the time…” or “I am just being honest with you, you better change your ways or I am going to hurt you in some way, or leave you, or fire you…” and when the other person does not take kind to these comments they reply with, “Well you want me to be honest with you, don’t you? Or should I just lie to you?”, as if they were doing something truly productive and virtuous by belittling and threatening the other person. This of course could not be further from the truth of what honesty is. If honesty is merely speaking upon how you feel, voicing your opinions and beliefs at any particular moment, than surely this would not be a productive thing if you are currently feeling angry, resentful, frustrated, distasteful, neglected, jealous, envious… and so on, because that is going to influence your intentions and outward expression. Thus in this way honesty would in fact be more damaging of a thing than anything helpful, it would merely be another word for an egotistical “opinion” or “belief”. But since true honesty is always a productive and virtuous thing that is void of the ego, it undoubtedly cannot be this. So then what is honesty?

Honesty is an inward understanding of one’s own short comings, a self-awareness that takes full responsibility of any unproductive actions or illogical thinking. Honesty may or may not be expressed outwardly, but it always begins with an inner understanding of one’s own emotional/physical/mental instability and/or illogical thinking/action. What was described in the previous paragraph is merely a form of blaming, not honesty. Honesty does not shift responsibility for suffering or conflict to another person or object or external circumstance. It is taking full responsibility for yourself, your thinking and your actions, in any giving circumstance. This is what leads us to gain deeper insights and understandings into the causations of our sufferings and conflicts, and allows us to find the path to transcend these terrible things. This is why honesty is so powerful and important for those who seek to become awakened and liberated.

The next time you want to be honest with someone, you must first be honest with yourself. If you merely want to blame someone for what has happened to you or put someone else down to make yourself feel better, than you are essentially admitting to yourself that you have no control over your own thoughts, actions and thus life. If you find yourself doing these terribly negative things, such as blaming others or putting others down, than be honest with yourself that you have lost all control over your thoughts, actions and thus life. This understanding, this insight, will lead you to look deeper within yourself for the reasons you feel the ways you do and you will begin to again gain more control over your thoughts, actions and thus life. If you are fine with having no control over your own life, just so you can continue to blame and put down others, than awakening will be most definitely impossible for you.

To look outwardly and blame another person, to speak with your opinions and beliefs that shift responsibility from you to something or someone else for your problems, is like placing a veil of ignorance over your eyes. You will see nothing but anger, frustration, resentment, unworthiness, jealousy… and ultimately confusion. To look within and take full responsibility for your own actions and thoughts, with no consideration of what others have done to you, is like lifting that veil of ignorance off of your head. You will see things clearly and compassionately, and you will gain the ability to concentrate powerfully on what it is that will liberate you from your conflicts and sufferings, and ultimately bring you peace.

Sincerity

Sincerity is another crucial and virtuous element in awakening. It is an outward expression of passion that derives from a sense of selflessness. However, without honesty, sincerity is merely an outward expression of selflessness with no deep understanding of the problems at hand, and so overcoming conflicts with others will be a much slower process to achieve. Still, without honesty, sincerity is a powerful ‘tool’ in itself, for, it is void of any and all selfish tendencies that can corrupt ones intentions. Although, it must be said that without honesty it may be very difficult to know if you are truly being sincere or not, for, the ego is a master of disguise and tricking you into believing untruths, and this is why honesty is a necessity to have before we seek to be sincere. Making honesty the foundational root of your sincerity, and incorporating it into your outward intentions along with sincerity, one can rest assure that he/she is truly being sincere, and thus with this combination of honesty and sincerity working together, sincerity will become an extremely powerful ‘tool’ that will heal all outward conflicts and problems with others by using very little effort.

Recap

So let us recap these terms/concepts and essential ‘tools’ for awakening so we are sure we understand them fully.

“Honesty” is an inward understanding of one’s own emotional/cognitive thought processes and how these have influenced our own outward actions, insofar as, it is an understanding of how external influences have influenced our own emotions, thoughts and actions. Further, it is an understanding of our level of inner conflict between the ego and the Self. These understandings can be realized in three general ways:

1. By becoming acutely aware of and identifying our internal emotional/cognitive thought tendencies through a form of Vipassana meditation. This will allow us to identify any illogical or unproductive tendencies within us at its very root.

2. By becoming acutely aware of our own outward actions and then tracing them back to our inner emotional/cognitive thought processes to see why we have done what we have done and what emotions or thoughts were present when we did these things. This will again lead us to a form of Vipassana meditation, or maybe some other form of deep contemplation, where we will be able to identify any illogical or unproductive tendencies within us at its very root.

3. By becoming acutely aware of the external influences in our lives that have influenced our own outward actions, and by doing this we can trace these outward actions back to our inner emotional/cognitive thought processes to see why we have done what we have done and what emotions or thoughts were present when we did these things. This will also lead us to either a form of Vipassana meditation, or maybe some other form of deep contemplation, where we will be able to identify any illogical or unproductive tendencies within us at its very root.


By continuously doing one, or all three, of these methods we will gain full insight into our tendencies of illogical or unproductive thinking, insofar as, full insight into any illogical or unproductive reactions to traumatic or disturbing external stimuli’s. Thus we will gain more control and responsibility over our own thoughts, emotions, actions and life, which will allow us to overcome internal and external conflicts, insofar as see things as they truly are in a much more clear and contemplative manner. From this true honesty can arise.

“Sincerity” is a passionate outward expression of selflessness. True sincerity without honesty is an outward act of selflessness without the understanding of one’s own inner emotional/cognitive tendencies, insofar as without the understanding of one’s own conflict between the ego and the Self, thus it can be very difficult to tell if you are being truly sincere or not, or whether it is just an illusion that was created by your ego. Sincerity with honesty is an outward act of selflessness with a full understanding of, and thus full responsibility for, one’s own inner emotional/cognitive tendencies, insofar as a full understanding of one’s own level of conflict between the ego and Self, thus in this way one can be sure their sincerity is truly sincere.

Closing

Through the constant combinational use of true honesty and sincerity together in our daily life one is almost guaranteed to make awakening a much easier thing. Not only will this take care of the problem that many of us have with the "Enlightened Ego", but if done with enough consistency, dedication and intensity it should also dissolve our ego entirely. With enough practice of these two things, every thought we have and action we do will be done with complete honesty and sincerity. When this is achieved then the ego should dissolve completely and no longer will there be a ‘thinker’ or a ‘doer’, only a fully aware and awakened being. This is “The Honest Life”.

Next Time

Next in this series of “Solving the Problems of Awakening” we will again return to studying some of the possible hindrances that one may run into when seeking to become awakened. It will be called, “The Great Avoidance”, and will discuss why some of us seek to become awakened in the first place. Are we avoiding something?

Again, if you feel inspired to add to this then please do so however you would like because by no means do “I” hold the totality of truth.

Until next time… Peace my friends.
L.I.E. (read between the lines)

Hello and thank you for making these threads. I've been going through a giant change/awakening in every aspect of my "I" being. I can't really explain it, but reading these kinds of things somehow helps me understand the changes that are occurring. Thank you for taking the time and writing this out, it is greatly appreciate by me.

reply to post by LifeIsEnergy


You didnt put in how the student would have reacted in the hinest and sincere manner, which I mean in an actual example. So I will put it into how I would respond, assuming that I remembered to be honest and sincere lol. I do forget lots of times, but Im getting better! Here is the scenario:

"I was looking for my bucket. I see that you have it and used it to get some water for yourself. Im glad that it has gone to such a good use. I know that what I did was wrong, that is cutting a hole in your bucket earlier. I am sorry for doing that, I only got what I derserve for making a hole in your bucket. Im happy that I could be of use to you. My bucket was, that is. I hope you can forgive me, my friend."

Thats how I would put it, when I summoned all of my courage lol. In my opinion it was a fair trade, the friend got less last time so I got none this time. Karma!

Peace and Love

reply to post by mattime


Great! Your right, that story should definitely have ended with how the students utilized their newly found wisdom. The story was getting a little long so maybe that is why I skipped that part, but your version is great so we will just use that one as the ending.

Thanks friend!
Peace.

It is always such a pleasure to read your toughts and opinion related in solving the problems of awakening. Great piece of informations out there, I enjoyed reading this second part and can't wait for the third one.


Much love to you and everybody,


Thruthseek3r

Very good thread, I'll check out the others too. One thing about awakening is that, the higher your frequency the more aware you become and memories can return or windows open directly into people's souls. Frequency is related to Love and Peace, and Kindness/Compassion. Prayer, meditation, sungazing at dawn or dusk all enhance frequency and get an earnest seeker started in opening doors, and then the further they go, the simpler it becomes, and then suddenly, oh, it was all about kindness after all, for in that window when others are shining more of their warm loving sunlight ray, their light, they not can activate you further but also recognition of them,and memories start to occur.

Peace, Love & High Frequencies!

Thanks guys/gals for the comments. Glad it was of some use.

Unity: Frequencies are an interesting way of describing things. Although it is a little confusing, could you explain this idea more? Do you already have a thread explaining this idea?

Thanks.

Peace friends.

Ide like to post something that caused me to rethink very deeply about what alot of us would understand to be a 'past life'.

You say you remember your past lives. Do you? Are you sure?

Very well, what if you do? Just because I have permitted you a glimpse of the Reality of one of My past Expressions, that you might the better comprehend My Meaning which I am now expressing to you, is no assurance from Me that you personally were My Avenue of that expression.

For do I not express through all avenues, and You with Me, and are We not the Life and Intelligence of all expression, no matter what the character, or the age, or race?

If it pleases you to believe that you actually were that expression, it is well, and I shall cause such belief to be of benefit to you; but only to the extent of preparing you for the great Realization that afterward will come.

In the meantime you are chained fast. Your personality, with its selfish desires and selfish seeking, is still bound hand and foot to the past, and looks only to the future for its deliverance, after the final wearing out of all the consequences of its acts; dominating your mind and intellect with this false belief in birth and death, and that such is your only way to final emancipation and union with Me; preventing the realization of Our Eternal and Ever-Constant Oneness, and that You can free your Self any moment You will.

Why seek in human or spirit teacher, guide, master or angel, for the necessarily limited manifestation of My Perfection, when you can come directly to Me, God within you, the Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, the Inspiring Idea back of and within All manifestations?

As I AM in You, even as I AM in any you seek, and as all the Wisdom, all the Power and all the Love they possess come only from Me, why not now come to Me, and let Me prepare you also so I can express My All through You?

I speak with many voices, -- with the voice of all human emotions, passions and desires. I speak with Nature’s voice, with the voice of Experience, even with the voice of human knowledge.

Yes, these are all My Voice, which I use Impersonally to express to you the one fact, that I AM in All and that I AM All. What this Voice says, in Its thousand ways, is that you, too, are part of this All, and that I AM in you, waiting for your recognition of Me and your conscious cooperation in the expression of Me Idea of Impersonal Perfection on earth, even as It is expressing in Heaven.

I dont claim all of it as a 'matter of fact' but it all sure made me think and reconsider some of my perceptions.

www.scribd.com...://www.scribd.com/doc/189390/The-Impersonal-Life

reply to post by LifeIsEnergy


Before Frequency, one must first contemplate Infinity, and what this intrinsic platform means to exist within. In infinity no measurement can exist, no direction of flow, forward/backward, up/down, higher/lower, bigger/smaller, and there is No Time. Any placement of a dot on an infinite line has the same endlessness in all directions surrounding it, and any placement in a dot of Infinite Fractals, is the same. Also, Infinity cannot contain boundaries of any kind in person, place or thing or it becomes finite, and it would have passed long ago. There is no One, but Infinite One's. 1111111111111111111111......................... Infinite places, persons and things. I see it like Infnite Fractals. The infinity within a grain of sand and a star are equally immeasurable endlessness therefore the SAME infinite volume.

We have always existed and will always exist.

Infinite Intelligence/soul perceives and has perception of levels or progress, of past, present, and future.

In an ocean of Infinite Frequencies and Densities, our body suits are like computers that zero in on a few frequencies and define what we can perceive. All of the energies are waves and vibrating at infinite rates of frequency. This lower vibrational frequency range is a tiny box. Made even tinier by those who are controlling us, and the ones over their heads on slightly different channels, but close, for they can only be Big Fish in a a tiny reality box fishbowl if they hault our progress and keep us in an even smaller one. Channels themselves are simply, what our sense, pre-programmed into our body suits can perceive., (OR for disembodies, what level of frequency match a soul is vibrating at).

For example, our taste buds only perceive a limited range of taste , and our eyes interpret a limited range of colors, wheras there are Infinite frequencies/densities, intelligences and awareness/information, so this translates into millions more colors and tastes on higher levels.

Its akin to being metaphorically in a huge holographic radio station, hooked up to a screen.

Ask yourself this? Is anger a higher frequency or lower? Revenge? War? Apathy? Fear? Control? Insecurity?

On even more dense lower levels, they are less mixed than our world but more the shades of grey to black in the checkerboard floor structure of opposition in our world. In other words, there is No choice, except to try and raise your frequency and leave. So there are more gravity based, or denser frequencies.

Our world is more akin to the choice testing grounds lower level, still lower frequency, because it contains half dark squares, in everything, opposition, both in the natural white matrix of our Universe's Creators, which is just the ai coding in the system, that we have to overcome, or the dark matrix created as an overlay by the Bullies who want to hault our soul evolution.

But we still exist in a very small box.

To increase or raise our frequency is to connect to the Family, to the Greater Frequencies, Intelligence, Information, to grow and expand our Consciousness and Awareness. The Higher Levels are Peace, Love, Kindness, Goodness. There is a Oneness in Spirit with our Family on those levels, unity.

Yeshua said, I and my Father are One and the Same, and one meaning of this is, Alike in Nature and Spirit of Peace, Love, Goodness.

On higher frequencies, there can be no discord or anger or fear. For less dense, we are connected and telepathic, the boundaries between us fade, and our innermost thoughts are understood and we understand that of everyone else. This makes for Unity, Love, Peace.

There is a natural progression by raising frequency, Love, Peace, Kindness, and seeking to refine the silver in us, overcoming the structure of opposition more, that brings back Soul Memory, and Awakens us to who we are.

So frequency relates to the Spirit within us, and our nature or who we are now, and who we are becoming or allowing ourselves to become.

Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish

Its seems that many people would rather confirm what they already 'knew', rather then learn something new. Maybe the first part of this series was more attractive because it confirmed what others wanted to feel about those who speak of awakening, that often times there is a sense of superiority that comes along with it. Funny, and ironic. The first part of this series was not meant to put down those who seek to awaken. Maybe this whole idea of "Solving the Problems of Awakening" is more suitable for a different audience.

Peace.

Originally posted by LifeIsEnergy
Its seems that many people would rather confirm what they already 'knew', rather then learn something new. Maybe the first part of this series was more attractive because it confirmed what others wanted to feel about those who speak of awakening, that often times there is a sense of superiority that comes along with it. Funny, and ironic. The first part of this series was not meant to put down those who seek to awaken. Maybe this whole idea of "Solving the Problems of Awakening" is more suitable for a different audience.

Peace.

I giggled when I read this post. Perhaps this is an astute observation. But judgment of the whole audience your post reaches isn't in my opinion allowing the truth to be truth. The truth flows where it is meant to flow and reaches where it needs, removing or circumventing obstacles along the way. Let it be as water. Would you dam the flow and change the current? Such attempts at control always fail, eventually and inevitably.

Namaste

reply to post by Unity_99


Great post, as usual Unity! Thank you! I alway love your insights.

reply to post by LifeIsEnergy


If one considers oneself to be "awakened", one should realize that those who choose not to awaken have a right to do so. AND if you are "awakened" you would realize that we/everything are/ is ONE. With the latter knowledge understood, we should realize that we too were just as they are many times before. Those who choose not to awaken are necessary for the GAME to continue. Who know's? Soul contracts made before incarnation? (I had a OBE where met a being/guide that showed me my "contract") In any event there is BIG happenings on the Cosmic energy level, I can FEEL it as I am sure all of you can too! No worries! We are divine and all that is happening is part of the Divine plan. The Divine plan however is for US to create a NEW world. I opt for Peace, Love, total equity....though Peace & Love sums it all up doesn't it? Peace & Love to you all my brothers and sisters. Namaste.

Modernity, in refutation to Buddhism, has inverted the teachings of Buddhism to imply that mere superficial compassion, secular morality, and merit-making are the core of Buddhism [this superficial view of the path is denied at MN 3.72], and that Buddhism denies empirically the notion of autonomous stasis, i.e. the Soul, the Subjective and ontological nexus of noetic being. There are only two absolutes in Buddhism: “Emancipation of mind (cittavimutti) and emancipation by wisdom (pannavimutti), this is a designation for both ways liberated” [DN 2.71];

-Aryanatta, Original Buddhist writer.

The journey of enlightenment ends in liberation, which is a complete transcendence of the cycle of karma. The idea that Buddhism is about outward displays of compassion is a false view of Buddhism, much like there is a false view of Christianity which states that one must be compassionate and feed the poor in order to somehow gain access to heaven.

reply to post by filosophia


Im curious if you have ever heard of the story about Buddha refusing heaven, when he reached it?

Refused to enter, without every single other soul.

Do you not think this is a act of compassion and understanding how connected we all are, truly he understood and become 'one' with all others?

Similar to the words of Jesus in that there is no glory found if only the self is saved. Stating he did not seek glory for his own self....but a path that helped 'all' find glory.

Both in their own way, are about understanding we are all connected in spirit...and then the act of 'self offering'.

Is this not a act of compassion to you.....or do you care to explain how you see such acts in your own eyes and the reasons a soul would do such a thing?

My best to you
LV

Originally posted by LifeIsEnergy
Its seems that many people would rather confirm what they already 'knew', rather then learn something new. Maybe the first part of this series was more attractive because it confirmed what others wanted to feel about those who speak of awakening, that often times there is a sense of superiority that comes along with it. Funny, and ironic. The first part of this series was not meant to put down those who seek to awaken. Maybe this whole idea of "Solving the Problems of Awakening" is more suitable for a different audience.

Peace.

All we can do, as individuals, is share with each other what has helped us and where we gain our understandings from.

What one understands on a individual level, seems as a 'truth' to them. We cant hold that against eachother but we can try to give eachother things to think about or consider.

Part of claiming we 'know' anything at all...does come from the 'self, the I, the ego'. We can try to help eachother keep a healthy ego in check.

When another comes off with something as a 'fact'...all we can do is ask them how they know such. We dont have to accept it. Let all have their space, we all have our own reasons for what we understand to be of importance.

My best to all
LV

reply to post by LeoVirgo

“What is the one benefit, Master Gotama, which you exist for? The one thing that the Tathagata exists for is the fruit and emancipation by illumination.”

The only presectarian corpus of Buddhism exists within the ancient scriptures of the Pali Nikayas and are, unquestionably, the oldest group of materials that exist which can illuminate for us that which the historical Gotama Buddha did or did not teach and his philosophical system culminating in emancipation and immortality.

“Emancipation of mind (cittavimutti) and emancipation by wisdom (pannavimutti), this is a designation for both ways liberated” [DN 2.71]; emancipation of mind achieved through Jhanic Samadhi, and emancipation by wisdom achieved through transmundane gnosis thereby eliminating avijja

-Aryanatta, Original Buddhist writer

This means the main goal of Original Buddhism is the emancipation of the mind, the liberation of the mind/will (citta) from ignorance.

This and only this is the goal of Buddhism. Not secular humanism.

While the Buddha had compassion for others which is why he taught his followers, he only taught those with little dust in their eyes. The goal was not to feed the poor or house the sick, Gotama and his disciples were homeless beggars, so they were the ones being fed and housed by other people's compassion. Gotama was thought of as a doctor who taught suffering, the cause of suffering, and the remedy to suffering.

reply to post by filosophia


I didnt ask you to further your quotes and explain what you quoted.

Since you seem to understand Buddahism so well....I asked you...when Buddha reached 'heaven'....why would he of told the gate keepers that he would not enter, to close the gates, he would not enter until every other soul had entered.

What does this tell you?

Originally posted by LifeIsEnergy
Its seems that many people would rather confirm what they already 'knew', rather then learn something new. Maybe the first part of this series was more attractive because it confirmed what others wanted to feel about those who speak of awakening, that often times there is a sense of superiority that comes along with it. Funny, and ironic. The first part of this series was not meant to put down those who seek to awaken. Maybe this whole idea of "Solving the Problems of Awakening" is more suitable for a different audience.

Peace.

It has been said that we don't learn anything, we simply remember what we have forgotten.
There are as many views and ways as there are people who have them.
You went from teacher to student, as we all do.
As per the topic, how are you being challenged to face yourself and the above reaction? How are you not being honest with yourself?