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Yes it does.Does idolatry inhibit self-actualization? self-realization?
if all is self then why look any further than the reflection of self?i don't think so - if your worshipping, no matter who or what you may be worshipping to, helps you to meditate and ground yourself, then i personally don't think that gets in the way of self-actualization or realization!
if all is self then why look any further than the reflection of self?
Short answer - it would be putting the cart before the horse.if all is self then why look any further than the reflection of self?
Short answer - it would be putting the cart before the horse.
1. First, there is a gulf of a difference between self with a small s and Self with the Capital S.
The small s is for the individual ego who has a hard time getting beyond, cross the bridge, hill, to even see the reflection from afar.
2. The mirror has to be cleaned first. Thick layers of dust make it opaque and typically the self stays blind to the reflection, what to speak of the actual Self.
3. The One Beloved pulls (read: yanks) the self out of the material dessert (metaphorical) and they both walk ans walk until all the distractions, entanglements, longings, flaws in thought process, attachments, aversions, fall on the wayside because the One Beloved showers this tiny self with lots of unconditional Love, attention, nurturing and gives plenty of demos.
4. Then one day the local-mind becomes strong, gives up the local-ego and bathes in the glory of the Self.
This is why the self worships the Beloved One who is its higher power, Higher Self.
It is a long process full of challenges, learning, and this is why the question is putting the cart before the horse.
Now, this is why all those warnings and hype about "idolatory" because you have to worship the One, who is the Self of All, represents the Whole, and not a part of the Whole or someone at odds with the Whole (idolatory by definition). Be it as "another" at first, because the poor little self IS another, other than the Self, until the ego is shed and oneness is attained.
Walk With Mukunda
i can change, relateif all is self, then no matter where you are looking, is it not then a reflection or yourself?
Now, this is why all those warnings and hype about "idolatory" because you have to worship the One, who is the Self of All, represents the Whole, and not a part of the Whole or someone at odds with the Whole (idolatory by definition). Be it as "another" at first, because the poor little self IS another, other than the Self, until the ego is shed and oneness is attained.
In my opinion, experience and understanding, No. There may be different ways in which people may experience the True One Self , which, on a secondary level of subtle manifestation, some call God, YHWH , some others call Ishwar, Allah etc.In your opinion.....can there be different Self’s from a different Whole, from a different One, a different Source, not part of the All, not One with everything you mentioned?
In my opinion, experience and understanding, No. There may be different ways in which people may experience the True One Self.
Hinduism (VedAnta part) states that this original Source of everything lives very subtly within every being, precisely because it is the original cause, hence it is bound to pervade the effect. Just as milk pervades butter subtly and clay (source and cause) pervades the clay-pot (effect). This pervading Source thus becomes everyone's True Self with a capital S , and not the body-mind-ego flawed self with a small s (by-product). The small self is unique to each individual, prone to errors etc., but Inner Self is the same.
It further says this Self is crystal clear and very pure , without any add-ons and qualifiers.
Thus, realizing the True One Self (same for all) is essentially knowledge of the Ultimate Source, which some call God, YHWH , some others call Brahman' (and Ishwar), Allah etc.. We are not talking of a fixed form here.
It is the singular Consciousness and the ultimate primary Source of everything that we call Brahman' , which is everyone's Self
Self is universal and pure without qualifiers.
The challenge is when a person mistakenly thinks a flavour-manifestation of the Self as the Self and therefore thinks "My Self is blue yours is green and her's is pink." but actually the Self is none of these. It is colourless ... If you understand the anology.
If there are multiple Sources, they are not the ultimate cause, and can be traced back to an ultimate ultimate original cause.I understand.
So there could not be multiple Sources?
If they have different projects that compliment each other (such as creation, sustenance, dissolution) they are One in Spirt.Or there couldn’t be one Self realizing that they are not One with other Self’s? Like a Self that is the polar opposite in nature as another Self but they’ve both realized True Self yet have opposing aim and intent.
Precisely! It IS. We have to accept that it is by itself utterly Pure, but being the Ultimate Source of All, the flaws and all are Nth degree auto-manipulation results of the Source. Like you take clay, then make a pot, a jar , and the jar cracks. Will you deny that the clay was the source? Just because the jar broke? The gravity and all forces that caused the jar to break also came from the Source.Because if it were the primary Source of everything, then it would be the Source of all flawed ego’s with all of those add-ons and qualifiers.
A secondary Source. Mother Nature. She is pure, and an aspect Of the Source, but has properties of goodness:: passion::ignorance in various proportions. (sattva::raja::tama). So, in the effect, the products , the resulting universe, it is all about the variations in these proportions.Could flawed ego’s have come from another Source?
If there are multiple Sources, they are not the ultimate cause, and can be traced back to an ultimate ultimate original cause.
In order to transcend nature, we try to raise levels of goodness, and minimize levels of darkness-ignorance.
Therefore, any entity that wants to cause harm or discontent, cannot be the Original Source, but is nevertheless a product (effect) of the same one Source.
Mathematically, if there is a green and a brown, the difference is due to attributes green and brown. Hence, we have to see what lies underneath and causes the attributes to exist.Why would or does their have to be a ‘singular’ Source?
Why not raise levels of darkness and ignorance and minimize levels of goodness since it’s from the same Source anyhow? Either way you’d be doing the Sources work. Transcending goodness into darkness-ignorance would be of the same Source anyhow.
Neither. The Source transcends all 3 qualities -If you were this Source and were pure goodness for example... would you want Self’s teaching that pure darkness and ignorance came from you? Or would you be fine with stating that this singular Source is both pure goodness/awareness and pure darkness/ignorance simultaneously?
Wrong premise, fundamental or definition. A Malicious entity cannot be enlightened! It is acting from the platform of its ego and vice, a shrinking wicked heart. Please put aside your idea of Satan or Devil as an all-powerful entity. It cannot be that powerful.What if they are not bi-product of that Source but are a True realized Self from an entirely separate Source? Why would one Self who would be pure goodness want to associate as being One with an ‘enlightened pure malicious entity?’
I recommend reading the references I mentioned, because otherwise we could be here all day all week talking.
Yet, these 3 are properties of Its nature, although never ever touch the Ultimate Source.
If you consider mathematical permutations and combinations as things set into motion to weave the Universe -- there are cause-effect chains, primary, secondary, tertiary...... Nth cycle, and sheer to causal to subtle to gross to grosser -- that is how creation begins.
and behold the beauty of Brahman' -- it is like the spider that weaves the net from itself.
Wrong premise, fundamental or definition. A Malicious entity cannot be enlightened! It is acting from the platform of its ego and vice, a shrinking wicked heart. Please put aside your idea of Satan or Devil as an all-powerful entity. It cannot be that powerful.
Good conquers evil, ultimately. en-lightened is all about Light, not darkness.
Self-Realized = Found the Self. The bad stuff is not the Self, and again, the gateway to transcendence is pure goodness.
AgreedCan read just about every text and see similarities, same source attributes and different source attributes and the literal name is irrelevant yet the name(nature/character/attributes) are the same because most of them that weren’t modified or altered are all referring to writings/transmutations/and experiences within.