The esoteric or inner purpose of religion, that has been largely forgotten in its exoteric or societal level, has always been on developing the individual’s ability for human understanding of its potential and its relationship to the “above and below.”
A modern person having smelled the coffee is in a rough spot. Education doesn’t teach it. Modern psychology doesn’t understand it. It doesn’t appear impressive so it won’t get you laid and exoteric or secular religion only pays it lip service.
I’ve rarely read this problem better described then in Jacob Needleman’s classic book “Lost Christianity.” He describes well how the superficial is so emphasized that the essential kernel is ignored. Religion has largely lost the distinction between the inner and outer aspects of man and like society, has concentrated on the outer considering them the same. In this way human potential is starved out from our becoming oblivious of it. So I’d like to invite comment and to pass the following page along to any budding black sheep out there who have begun to smell the coffee. From page 59:
Psychology in the ancient past was the knowledge of the relativity of human being. Over time it has changed to become knowledge of behaviorism. Concern for the knowledge of what we are has been replaced by what we do.
Appreciating ourselves as an acorn, our shells are being made stronger and stronger and being considered more and more important that there will be fewer and fewer individuals with the common sense necessary to allow their kernels of life to crack through.
I dislike thinking this way but it is hard to be optimistic. The influence of modern experts is just too strong, the esoteric religious truths are ignored, and the impressive shell is just too beautiful until it is too late. I don’t see a way out and “wonderful” speeches are woefully inadequate.
“Appreciating ourselves as an acorn, our shells are being made stronger and stronger and being considered more and more important that there will be fewer and fewer individuals with the common sense necessary to allow their kernels of life to crack through.”
The “purpose” of an acorn is more than simply that of growing into a glorious oak, but also that of getting a squirrel through the hardship of winter. Instead of dreaming about the beauty of your/our own becoming, aided by the powers of esoteric knowing, perhaps appreciate oneself in the manner in which you help others get through their winters, the nutrition implicit in your being taking its role in an even larger process. One must think outside one’s own design. I am more of the opinion that history is good and not a degradation of lost perfection, that Life unfolds directionally, not corrosively.
Quite true. The purpose of the acorn, as it exists as an acorn, is to both feed the earth and for a tiny minority, to become another oak. Man on earth is the same. Primarily our purpose I believe is to serve the needs of the earth and feed it through our life processes as does all organic life existing in the cycles of dust to dust while a tiny minority can grow to become “Man” in the real sense of the word.
I’m just concerned with this tiny minority since so much seems against it.
For some reason you seem to believe that concern for inner growth by definition makes one ignore the human condition. To the contrary it is precisely such awareness that provides the psychological freedom to be genuinely useful and not bogged down with all sorts of conditioned fears. A Man will understand the human condition far better than a sheep.
Human life moves in cycles in accordance with the same laws as does all of organic life. What direction is that? Some parts of the cycle appear better and others worse. Because we are what we are, life is as it is and will continue moving in circles. It serves the purposes of nature perfectly as it is.
“Some parts of the cycle appear better and others worse.”
The appearance of “worse” or “better” is the result of not seeing the cycle as a whole, and viewing it from a narrow desire. Is winter any “worse” than summer or spring. Each moment and phase must be perfect in its state.
It is a nice thing to say but we cannot do it. Such a degree of impartiality and affirmation is beyond us. This is why we need help from above in regards to what we are. The shell cannot help here. what is needed is a growing kernel of life or human “essence”.
If a person truly appreciates the value of the conscious impartial experience of the cycle, then the purpose of the Crucifixion and the resulting Resurrection will be obvious. It is not understood so it is not obvious.
Arjuna’s objection in the Gita concerning his obligation to kill his family seems reasonable and the response from Lord Krishna seems wrong at first until appreciated in the larger context.
The point though is that it is one thing to say such things and quite another to be able to actually do it. We underestimate how far we are from such understanding and will where head knowledge is inadequate.
“The point though is that it is one thing to say such things and quite another to be able to actually do it.”
One is always “doing” it to a degree, in the sense that one relinquishes “control” to larger patterns, the question is to only do so more thoroughly, more completely, in understanding. I feel that Life in the teacher in this. It will break your grip upon any perspective you attempt to clench. Rivers of Time will wash you downstream. Just because one does not achieve understanding completely, doesn’t mean that one should cease the attempt, for I believe that each degree of success in this is provided with a kind of happiness, a “eudaimonia”.
When you worry: “I’m just concerned with this tiny minority since so much seems against it.”, perhaps have faith that the process is wiser than any one perspective. The sarcity of winter gives way to spring. Of course one cannot ever move out of the process, so if you would rather worry, your worry too will be part of the process as well. You just will feel a bit less connected to the whole.
Concern isn’t worry. I do try to be of help IRL in accordance with the essence of these ideas.
The trouble is very few are doing anything and before one can do anything it is necessary first to be more than a kernel of life dominated by a shell. Normally the shell is reacting without you.
Is a deer doing anything when running from the leopard or are they both participating in a happening? To be able to do rather than react as part of a happening requires a quality of consciousness that exists within us as a potential.
Life may be a teacher but what in us is learning what it can teach? The learning of the shell is different from the learning of the kernel.
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I was reading this thread on Human Nature and began to feel it in the context of Acornology. Technically though it is not philosophy so I thought to remark on it here since this thread introduces the addition of change of being itself rather than just change of behavior.
Suppose hypocrisy is human nature for the acorn husk? No one may be able to be free from it on that level but must it be true for the kernel having begun to grow?
Russiantank writes:
I agree that this is human nature for the acorn husk but is the growing kernel of life also so restricted? Can this kernel of life in which man’s consciousness resides develop so that it recognizes itself in context of a larger reality then itself. If it can it is capable of true compassion where self satisfaction is not the underlying goal but instead the recognition of the human condition itself.
Dunamis writes:
By empowerment I presume he means the ability “to do.” Yet this is precisely what the devil tempted Jesus with.
Matthew 4:
This really becomes fascinating for me. From the point of view of the husk or our personality, empowerment of our personality, or our unconscious reactions to external influences does seem to define joy for ourselves. However, this self or personality from the point of view of the growing kernel of life, is something that has to be seen for what it is and sacrificed in pursuit something more. This may lead to the emotional experience beyond joy. The benefit of empowerment begins to change from the joys of the husk to the ability to sacrifice the husk in order to empower the kernel.
PoR asks in the initial post:
How to change ourselves can either be directed to the kernel or the husk. The husk or our personality is learned behavior so begins with a blank slate and is indeed changeable through more learned behavior. The qualities we are born with can also change in that they can grow by allowing them to be touched by the conscious perception of our learned habitual behavioral patterns.
So human nature is changeable as adaptation for our personalities through conditioning and for our essential selves or the “kernel” from the change of being itself through consciousness or evolution. Change of behavior is in the realm of society while change or growth of being is, at least theoretically, the realm of religion.
I really admire those that genuinely see the connection between the two and act in accordance with this understanding.