Topics: projection and denial, criticism, the individual’s relation to society, the needs of spirirtual people, knowledge yoga
Dear X….,
If you are going to stand up to your fear of criticism you need to understand a few facts Simply taking a stand in your true nature doesn’t work unless these facts are fully appreciated. Please contemplate on them deeply.
The Fact about Facts
Don’t waste your time asking why facts are facts. Nobody knows. They exist and they rule life. Also, don’t expect your facts to trump the facts of the group.
The Facts about Individuals and Groups
(1) You were born into a social situation.
(2). You were born with a particular disposition (svadharma)
(3) Your disposition is basically different from the nature of your family and clan into which you were born.
The Needs of the Total (the group, society) Come First
(4) Groups are entities in themselves made up of individuals that appreciate protection and support. There is nothing wrong with it, in fact is very useful to be a contributing member in some ways, not so much in others, but owing to the zero-sum nature of life it comes with a cost. Groups need the individuals in them to conform to the desires of the group. Smaller groups, family clans, also need to conform to the values of the society at large or they risk destruction. The needs of the total come first.
The Needs of Spiritual Types
(5) The desire for freedom, which is your basic impulse puts you in conflict with your clan, which expects obedience. Nobody likes suffering. Suffering is unnecessary but it comes with a cost. See the zero-sum rule in operation once more.
(6) The cost is sacrificing the protection and support of the group for the sake of independence and positive self-esteem.
(7) People whose predominant desire over time is freedom and self-love are always attracted to groups and individuals with the same desire. So all spiritual people have a stronger desire to non-conform than secular people who strongest impulse is security.
(8) Because a spiritual person exists in a society that values security more than freedom, the spiritually inclined individual needs to gradually sacrifice the security of the group for the security of Self knowledge, since the self, existence shining as unborn ever complete consciousness is the only free thing.
(9). The pursuit of freedom depends on trust in the teaching and the teacher. An impersonal teaching and a teacher trained in the methodology is required if you want to avoid the pitfalls of seeking on your own.
(10). So faith in the teaching is absolutely necessary. Blind faith doesn’t work, which is why I asked you above to understand these facts before you accept them. If you accept the idea that you are free without accepting these facts low self esteem will continue.
(11) There is no need to change your circumstances to achieve this unless you trust Isvara to look after you, although if you can find some way to explain the facts in this satsang to the leader of your clan, he or she may be inclined to support you.
What is Knowledge Yoga?
Knowledge yoga is accepting facts at the expense of beliefs and opinions. Your statement that you have low self-esteem and that you don’t like criticsm is a belief, although it seems true. It seems true because you believe these words. You believe these words because you don’t know you are the Self. If you take a stand as the Self it is impossible to believe these words because the Self is no fearful and critical. To convert belief to knowledge you need to know the facts of life.
Love,James
