Re: Principle 63 -- Becoming And/Or Being (2)

2008-4-29 05:06:00

Questions

Ruth asks:

"So any teacher teaching people to live in the NOW, are really only teaching a particular meditative state which takes them into a peaceful state for a time, but not out of Being or Becoming?"

JJ:

This takes them into Being but sooner or later Becoming dominates again. The advantage of such meditation is they become aware of Being, even as they evolve through Becoming. The disadvantage is some enjoy Being so much they want to focus there all the time. This will delay their progress in the end.

JA comments:

"I thought that the great rest was to enjoy the fruit of our labors in terms of experience and to get R&R [rest and relaxation]. Is the great rest just a esoteric level now? Where does the life principle fit into this?"

JJ:

Yes, that is the purpose of the great rest of pralaya, but before that happens we still enter into cycles of lesser rest.

In the worlds of form Becoming dominates and Being is in the background, so to speak.

When we go out of form into pralaya then Being dominates, but Becoming is still there but in the background.

Bryan writes:

"I guess I will never understand how it is -- that those who are described who 'chose the dark left hand path that leads to the destruction of all the sheaths and clothing of existence' would do so knowingly do this."

JJ:

It is difficult to believe until you examine the actions of many humans.

For instance many religions teach that if you commit adultery you will burn in hell for all eternity. Even so, many who believe this will happen to them go ahead and have an affair anyway. When you think of it, the limited pleasure you get from an affair does not compare in any way to an eternity of burning in hell yet many take the plunge. Fortunately this is not a correct belief.

Those who take the dark path are not quite as illogical as those who risk eternal punishment. They do give in to the immediate pleasures that pure selfishness will bring but they have kind of a pyramid scheme going where it appears the winners or top producers can continue indefinitely. They all meet the same fate of destruction in the end, however and go back to the state of Not Being. Eventually they will come back into Being but a very long time will be lost.

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