Overcoming the Causes of Suffering - Finding Truth, Speaking Truth

by Robert Wilkinson

From The Magic of Space, part of a commentary that can help us get beyond the unfortunate karmas of erroneous perception and unhelpful thoughts and speech. This nugget is from Chapter 4, "Fear of Inner and Outer Space."

You must learn to discriminate between truth and falsehood, and you must learn to be true in thought, and word, and deed. There are many untrue thoughts in the world, and many superstitions, and one who is enslaved by them cannot make progress. Therefore you must not hold a thought simply because many other people hold it, or because it has been believed for centuries, but must think it through for yourself, and judge for yourself whether it is reasonable. Your thought about other people must also be true, and you must never think things of them that you do not really know to be true.

Do not suppose that they are always thinking of you. If someone has done something which you think will harm you, or says something unkind which you think applies to you, do not immediately think, "he meant to injure me." He probably did not think of you at all, for each soul has its own troubles, and its thoughts turn chiefly around itself. If a man has spoken angrily to you, do not think, " he hates me; he wishes to hurt me" - for probably someone or something else made him angry, and simply because he happened to meet you he turned his anger upon you. Of course he is acting foolishly, for all anger is foolish - but simply because of this you must not think untruly of him.

You must be true in your speech, also - accurate, and without exaggeration. Never attribute motives to another person - he may be acting from reasons which have never entered your mind. If you hear a story against anyone, be careful not to repeat it. It may not be true - but even if it is, be careful; it is far kinder to say nothing. Be true in your actions, and never pretend to be other than you are, for all pretense is a hindrance to the pure light of truth which should shine through you. You must also discriminate between the selfish and the unselfish, for selfishness has many forms, and when you think you have finally killed it in one form, it arises in another as strongly as ever. You must discriminate in another way, also - learn to distinguish the God in everyone and in everything, no matter how evil he or it may appear on the surface. You can help others through that which you have in common with them. Learn how to arouse the spark of God in them, and learn how to appeal to the Christ in them.

Comments

[Dawn]

I am here going to distinguish between personal truth--perceived and experiential--and falsehood, starting with your erroneous adjuration of "nonattachment."

Surely it is ideal to think, wish, hope and dream that people mean you/one no harm. Unfortunately, they often do mean, and can inflict, if one is not aware, the most serious and debilitating traumas and injuries.

A horoscope, for example, can give an indication of hidden and open enemies. Saturn, Scorpio and Pisces provide real clues. Tarot cards are replete with instances of foes wielding knives. There is karma we come into this life to rectify/balance. There are discarnate entities.

There are people with ancient and awful animosities and scores they intend to settle. There are those who practice black and white magic of various degrees which can do real damage to unsuspecting, unprotected, naive souls.

There are those who unconsciously "project" malice and ill-will.

And there are "cords" which bind us inexorably to others.

It is really questionable of you, as a guru of some repute, to veritably advocate sheep going to slaughter at the hands of wolves: sweet and lovely as it all may sound. Or is it simply a matter of turning the other cheek?

Spiritual warfare is an aspect of it. But we must be willing, able, and alert enough to fight the good fight on whatever level it takes.

Life requires courage and comprehension, not cowardice and airy-fairy Neptunian delusions. I have had to learn that lesson the hard way and to my great sorrow.

Namaste

[Robert]

To answer your statements: First, these are not my words, but the words of someone far wiser than I. And I'm not sure you know very much about my take on non-attachment, but I am willing to dialogue.

Yes, it is ideal to imagine that you should not take things personally, which you should not even when they are, lest you strengthen the bond between you and the other when you want least contact, not continued karmic connections. The fact that barbarians do often mean good people harm is still no reason to deny the wisdom in the words of the author of The Magic of Space. He is not saying to be a doormat or volunteer to be abused. There is nothing in the words to infer that one should be unaware of the destructive potential of another.

I am aware of the horoscope's potential to show us destructive potentials of moments. This falls under the "be wise as serpents and meek as lambs" department. And it is useful to have a shield even when approached by someone who believes they mean well. You state "There is karma we come into this life to rectify/balance. There are discarnate entities." Neither of these statements is challenged by what was posted. Personally I refuse to acknowledge the ability of ANY discarnate being to influence my responsibility for my own reactions to what presents itself. Anything less is a delusion of placing one's self control in the hands of another, never a good thing.

Though you state "There are people with ancient and awful animosities and scores they intend to settle. There are those who practice black and white magic of various degrees which can do real damage to unsuspecting, unprotected, naive souls" these have no ability to disturb our eternal self, or in any way do anything to us that is destructive to our integrity unless we agree to it. Period. No one has the power to make us be different than our highest self. And if you live on a level where disturbed thoughtforms cannot affect you, you have nothing to worry about. They will return to source without affecting you, if you have no center for receiving the wave form.

I must take exception to your description of me as "a guru of some repute, to veritably advocate sheep going to slaughter at the hands of wolves." If I am a "dispeller of darkness" it's because you have the center of receptivity to whatever is said or quoted here. As for advocating what you say, that is simply not true, and you have no basis to infer such a thing. You know I give those who choose to read my words what I can to keep all as clear as possible about what is and what could be. I never advocate being a victim. In fact, everything I write serves to keep the reader from being the victim of their own or anyone's unfortunate habits. But fighting the good fight means to do battle with your skills and your strengths, not yield to the barbarians' sense of things or methods. It takes more strength and courage to fight non-violently than using the tools of fear, aversion, attachment, and illusion which only entangle us in these further. I agree cowardice and delusions are not helpful under any circumstances, but again, there is nothing in the Magic Of Space that encourages these.

[A Friend]

This is a useful excerpt and much appreciated.

I have read the previous two comments, but prefer not to engage with the mental objects directly. Here are the throughts this excerpt stimulated in this mind:

As soon as there is one, there are two, self and other. This is a fundamental delusion.

As soon as there are two, there is a relationship between them. This relationship is characterized by greed, if one likes two, or aversion, if one dislikes two.

Yet greed and aversion, love and hate, are still based upon one's unexamined assumtion of the existence of one (one's self).

The way out is to back out slowly. Take the charge out of the relationship to the other, bit by bit. Keep it calm, like Thich Naht Hanh.

Working with speech is essential to calm the relationship between the one and two. This text encourages us to speak accurately, without exaggeration (greed) or accusation (aversion), both of which reinforce the illusion of a solid self by attributing causation of inner transient phenomena to an external permanent entity.

Once the relationship between one and two is sufficiently calmed (lifetimes) the next stage is for one to look within one to gradually undo the fundamental delusion in terms of inner phenomena.

I'm working with this now at my job. I have decided that every time someone speaks to me, that I will focus on the sound quality of their voice. I will notice whatever feelings and thoughts that sound stimulates in my mind and remain still, returning to the sound of the voice. If a question is being asked of me, I will take sufficient time to gather the accurate answer in thought before voicing it clearly and calmly. Really there is no need to think while speaking (or typing). At this point the intention is complete and the awareness can rest on the touch of the tongue to the teeth (or the fingers to the keyboard).

My inner mantra is "Truly Listen / Speak Truly" And speaking truly, there is a wide gap between this expressed intent and what actually goes down. Faith perseveres nonetheless.

I communicate this only to illustrate how the widsom in this excerpt can be actualized in life. Of course it is up to each of us to fashion our own implementation.

Peace to all twos, both friendly and angry, for we are all ones.

[Robert]

Thanks to the "friend" who wrote the comment above. I love Thich Naht Hanh, had the great privilege of being in his presence years ago, and never forgot it. His is a story of amazing courage.

I would probably not use the term "greed" as much as "affinity." The rest of what you have posted is, IMHO, true, good and useful for all who stumble into this comment stream. I suppose that being human, to some degree we all have to deal with duality, since it is a manifestation of the great MAYA in which we seem to have a separate existence. This is at the root of the issue of manifestation v. non-manifestation and the traps of perception. I agree the post is mainly about control of the speech and mind so that we don't jump to conclusions that have no basis in any reality whatsoever.

"Truly Listen / Speak Truly" is a great mantra. It reminds me of what another wise one taught: "Love Everybody and Tell The Truth." And from a different but no less venerable source: "The best way to fight evil is to make progress in the good."

[a scorpion]

I greatly admire the wisdom in "The Magic of Space." I don't subscribe to the idea of "spiritual warfare;" that would seem to be a very limited (human) view of spirit. So much of the conflict in this world originates in attempting to make God in our own image.

Regarding the Tarot and the cards of Swords, I have always interpreted them in the context of self-undoing or of an unavoidable ending (which of course prepares the way for a beginning), rather than as symbols of enemies. Our reality does conform to our expectations; if one is convinced of the existence and threat of malevolent entities, most certainly they will appear. Therein lies the great responsibility inherent in our ability to manifest things. We are always under the protection of our highest self. Choosing to honor and respect this highest self, in ourselves and in others, enables us to wisely choose what to accept and what to eliminate from our lives. A lack of respect for highest self leads to choices that create victims and villains, and most of us have played both parts.

[Robert]

Swords are the Air element, symbolic of the mind's ability to divide and separate, perpetuating the impermanent duality. It is said that the mind has a "cutting and destroying" quality. Perhaps because it takes us away from direct experience, and throws us into perception? The sword number indicates its correspondence on the Tree of Life.

I agree with you, scorpion, that matter follows thought, creating temporary reality according to our spoken and unspoken expectations. Some malevolence does appear due to our frame. It also shows as vehicles of ancient karma that we experience to raise the response to a higher level, thus transmuting that old wave form for the future. Don't necessarily want to fight enemies, as recognize them as unhelpful dances that I don't need to do. Even when I do, the object is least contact, and go to the sanctuary of the highest self, impervious to lesser thoughtforms.

Thanks for stopping by. The level of dialogue in this comment stream is a joy.