Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The "Incredible Lightness of Being" as Infinite Inconsistency


The egoic conceptualization (belief) that you will have some egoless experience outside time is most likely the cause of egoic suffering. Yet, it's a comfortable idea to a very uncomfortable ego seeking to learn how to achieve ever greater comfort in a world defined by suffering and sacrifice. Isn't that all you really want?

However, if the experience of ego-self was formulated in consciousness (since it’s really nothing more than that) then most likely enlightenment is process just as the ego-self is process. There is no static or solidified self-concept (even though we tend to 'live' as though there were) and the very nature of ego-self is composed of consistent change or infinite inconsistency.

The ego-mind has deluded itself into conceptualizing an "awakening," as some point in time, of pure, unadulterated consistency and this is how it defines "truth." This is because ego-self believes its suffering is a result of change or inconsistency. But that's what IT IS and therefore, in seeking a point of pure consistency it essentially seeks NOT to be itself, which it can never be. Therefore, for an ego-self that can never be anything but an ego-self, there is no such concept as timelessness, only infinite time.

Ego-self is time-oriented and for ego to be timeless means not to exist at all and who wants to not exist or Be? The ego-self is a time-based concept, since it requires “development” through which to be known to itself. Ego-self conceptualized being “born” and in time it knows itself as “existing” through change as ever more egoic or self-oriented. This is why I continue to contend that any attempts to pursue egolessness, or transcend ego, only builds a bigger ego.

Nevertheless, as the theory goes, following birth the ego then engages in concept accumulation (constructing a belief system) up to a point where it then realizes the psychological concepts it has collected actually hide something it needs to KNOW as that which provides a "final knowing." True, something is hidden, but it's not anything final. In fact, it's the experience of infinite inconsistency that you've been resisting all this time. There can be no final anything.

At this point the ego must then begin a sort of backward realizing of less and less concepts concerning itself, or engage in a process of conceptual stripping (dissociating from concepts of itself) which many equate with a return to the consciousness that existed at or before “birth.” The less concepts the egoic mind is attached to, the greater freedom it experiences.

This conceptual stripping is really what many consider as "awakening" episodes. This is because, as you realize that attachment to concepts, or beliefs, is a choice, you empty your baggage which becomes lighter by degrees. This experiencing has been referred to as "the incredible lightness of being" but most just call it "awakening."

Therefore, the process of egoic learning is actually an unlearning and "enlightenment," or "awakening," can only be within the process of learning-to-unlearn what ego has defined as itself. Yet, the process never ends and most likely goes on after-death. This is because it is the ego-self, or "you" that must define itself as dead. So if an ego-self defines itself as dead, clearly this opens the door to a new game we call "afterlife." Many might argue that an ego cannot define itself as "dead" the moment the body expires, since the go expires with it. Well...you can play by that rule if you so choose, however, I would suggest that this rule has resulted in a great deal of "before-death" suffering.

There is NEVER a point in time at which an ego-self can have learned everything needed to be egoless. This is because the chief defining factor of ego-self is learning-in-time. An end of time signifies an end of learning, which obviously means an end to self. “You” can never end because learning can never end. Learning is infinite.

The Truth (cap T) is that learning is infinite and there is no point at which ALL is known. Truth has no finite properties. Accumulative 'knowing,' or unlearning through stripping of concepts, just keeps going on and on, since Truth must be infinite and cannot be a finite point in time, because that means Truth would have a finite end point. Truth cannot stop or have an end for it to be Truth. Therefore, it cannot be suddenly known, all inclusivley, as some infinite 'understanding' at some point in time, since infinite understanding presupposes never knowing. It can only be infinitely learned but never fully known because the knowing is infinite or never ending. Thus, the incredible lightness of being is merely being infinitely inconsistent.

Duh!
mikeS

3 comments:

  1. hi
    i like the description "infinitely inconsistent".
    you say
    "At this point the ego must then begin a sort of backward realizing of less and less concepts concerning itself, or engage in a process of conceptual stripping (dissociating from concepts of itself) which many equate with a return to the consciousness that existed at or before “birth.” The less concepts the egoic mind is attached to, the greater freedom it experiences."

    i appreciate what you say here although i would tend to word things somewhat differently. this backwards realizing you mention - to "what many with a return to the consciousness that existed at or before “birth.” "
    although consciousness has a naked quality (uncluttered with concepts) at birth - i don't believe "the point" is to re-arrive at this naked and unknowing "place". because although consciousness is naked at birth - it is also unable to navigate through the dualistic world - there being no self awareness of the very rudimentary ego at that point...
    it is the ego that is the vessel that provides all the richness of the human experience... and i believe it is important for ego to be very well developed and healthy... although i realize "healthy" will mean different things to different people - what i mean by healthy is the realization that "infintely inconsistent" quality you speak of. that is - all of us together not in a static situation - but in a very fluid and creative situation - always changing, always interdependant. then there is no "return" to the consciousness you speak of - but simply a natural arising of "it"... an uncovering of something there but cannot be realized by an undeveloped or unhealthy ego. ego-self inseparable in the process that does not end at a point of "awakening" - but rather arises and arises and arises.
    another comment - about "building egos" - as if one ego is stronger than another - these days - i don't think it's like that. from birth (or perhaps "before") i think that the sense of separateness is there even though it may not be conceptualized - even in a very rudimentary way such as a baby being startled or hungry or a small animal running from a predetor... and then for humans through language and culture etc ego then becomes self aware and able to express... but i don't think anyone has less or more ego than anyone else.
    ... anyway - thanks for the opportunity to express my ego-self.
    christine

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  2. Christine!!

    Great to have your comments.

    Yes, "backwards realizing" was a hazy concept and that's why a wrote "sort of backward realizing..."
    True, an ego-self involved in birth, or 'original perception,'(dang! I want that copyrighted) would be less uncluttered with concepts except possibly a conceptual understanding of being a 'body' and maybe that's what starts off the 'self concept.' If there is a realization of being contained or embodied, this constricts and makes mind a finite experience causing a whole host of other concepts to be 'born.'
    "building egos"? did I use that term? Damn, I guess i need to go back over the post because i already forgot what I wrote, LOL!

    But yes, It seems there is a process of concept accumulation or a collecting of concepts as the ego seeks out what concepts aid in increasing its assertion into the world by improved competing with other egos also involved in the assertion process. I suppose it's more of an 'insertion through assertion'(copyright!)LOL!

    There is a driving need for the ego-self to fully realize or actualize itself before death. But this is delusional since the actualization is by concept stripping. So yes the separateness occurs upon realization of embodiedness (maybe before?hmmm...)and from this there is comparison with other egos acting against the world. The ego-self 'perceives' what is assessed as other egos all competing for resources in the belief of scarcity.

    Wow! looks like post material. Next time your ego-self engages in this much intellectual poetry, I'm gonna have to post it on a page rather than leave it as a comment.

    Therefore, i await the next opportunity!

    Thanks Christine, love how you think!!
    mikeS

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  3. umm... thanks...
    so - i have another comment already.
    you say

    "There is a driving need for the ego-self to fully realize or actualize itself before death. But this is delusional since the actualization is by concept stripping. So yes the separateness occurs upon realization of embodiedness (maybe before?hmmm...)and from this there is comparison with other egos acting against the world. The ego-self 'perceives' what is assessed as other egos all competing for resources in the belief of scarcity."

    i am not sure about that... i think for us, lost in our little ego-lands there is a driving need to attempt to secure the real estate... that is, to make sure the ego survives till death do us part - and hopefully beyond... and this is done through that conceptual insertion (i like that) you mention.
    however... imo realization does not necessarily occur wtih concept stripping - as a matter of fact, stripping a comment (that is rejecting it) is also a conceptual action... rather than stripping i would say that it is more like noticing the rising and falling away of concepts... it is more passive than stripping... i like the way the metaphor the tibetans use - that the knots loosen and untie on their own.
    as far as separateness is concerned, it appears upon conception - the moment of union when the male and female elements unite... for all living things (using sexual reproduction). there may or may not be realization of separateness - but regardless, it is there anyway. so it seems to me (speaking about embodied life as separate selves)... first there is the unconscious separate self. then consciousness of self develops along with identification with that self occurs... and that is where most of us get to. occasionally (although perhaps more often these days ???) there is some sort of realization of interdependance of all selves... but there is the stumbling block of overcoming the fear of losing one's individual existance - so even if people have the conceptual understanding, most are not able to relax into that and use it as their modus operandi... that is why it is so important to have healthy well developed egos... which is why it is important to have good counsellors and psychotherapists and others well versed in the workings of their own mind to help people uncover some of their hidden fears etc. even so, it is hard to convince most people that there is some other aspect of consciousness other than their body and mind and what they sense and think... oh - i could go on and on.
    ... but i won't.

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