Hi Nexus, and all;
nexus wrote:Elemeno, your reply to me refutes a premise which i did not make.
Perhaps so, nothing personal.
At least, it was not a premise which was overtly stated in your words; thus so i was addressing a common misconception about 'being spiritual' which results in well-meaning yet still ignorant activity. It seemed to me that this was implied in your words.
nexus wrote:I gave the examples of Jesus and Guatama Buddha as people to emulate... enlightened people who didn't physically leave the earth plane until they had discovered and fulfilled their mission/divine plan. They did not seek to simply escape the world. They refused to leave the world the way they found it.
Although they worked to reform souls and systems, as did Gandhi, they weren't therefore "little reformers" ignorantly attached to the world. Fearless and non-attached to the fruit of action, they took on the powers of this world each in their own way. They paid their debts to life performed world service and ascended to the spiritual plane. Each person will have a unique plan to fulfill in the final embodiment on earth. This is indeed a unique time on planet earth. A time when the "Householder" [as Yogananda's guru described it] can attain to Christ conciousness. Jesus , Guatama , and millions more of the "Heavenly Host" remain with earth and it's people to guide us into a personal and planetary victory over our own lower nature and over the enslaving forces of this world. Christ conciousness is not a passive state. It is not attained by a passive indifference to the world. Now in spirit and still available to us, the Adepts are still performing world service. Why? Are they still attached to persons and things in this world.? Greater love hath no-one but that they lay down their life for their friends. First, the 'life' of the ego is ' laid down' , then the Christ conciousness is given [laid down as a gift] in world service to help accomplish the Divine plan for the earth.
Certainly so.
The important point however, is that well intentioned, though naive activity, despite the fact that it can indeed be meritous; it can gain mertiful karma through noble intentions and activity; can in fact be obstructive to the manifestation of the Divine Plan, and thus also the liberation of the soul and can thus be obstructive for all beings.
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions"
Service, true spiritual Service, arises through the selfless sacrifice of ones being. Ones very self, ones soul, is given up to the Divine, The Fundamental Goodness, the Eternal Fount of Wisdom.
You mention this sacrifice, Nexus.
Right Knowledge, and contact with Living Wisdom are important precedents to True Spiritual Service, which then naturally arises, in harmony with the Greater Goodness.
"Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all thy getting, get understanding" -proverbs
In this world, at this time, there are countless philanthropic movements and groups, all working towards their own vision of goodness.
They do good things, they feed the poor, they provide for the destitute, they work for human rights; these are all beneficial things, they are noble things.
Yet for all the apparent benefit, they yet act out of ignorance; few are those who are addressing the fundamental cause.
"For the thousands hacking at the branches of evil, few are hacking at the roots" -Thoreau (paraphrased)
The Sages and Adepts, who, out of the great sun of the Love which they have come to know; the Love which is like a 1000 galaxies compared to the meager star of our own beings Serve. They serve not just a person here, or there, nor only a certain race; The boundless love from which they live and move serves in fact the whole of the Cosmos.
They are granted wisdom, and vision of what needs to be done before them; they are like the fingers and toes, they move how the Body of Christ would have them move.
Human beings benefit outwardly from the demonstration of Virtue. Yet Virtue, beloved in the eyes of God, is but a foundation. Ideas about virtue and what is right are not enough. In order to actualize virtue for the benefit of all beings we need the direction and guidance of wisdom.
Find an Adept; would such a one not point to the fountain of Wisdom within you, so that you in turn can move and act in accordance with the greater harmony, for the sake of all beings?
They can do no less, for they act always at the behest of Wisdom-Love.
What if you give a dollar to the poor man on the corner, out of the compassion of your heart, with love in your eyes, and this person in turn buys alcohol and further degrades themselves and others? Is this the action of wisdom, however well intentioned?
This is not to say we should not give and help as we are able, but far better is it to give and help how Living Wisdom, which knows always what is best, and which would reveal this to our inner vision, would have us help and give.
So you see that while sincerity is important in finding the path, right-knowledge and right-understanding grant us access to Living Wisdom, welling up like a spring in our hearts, to direct us to right activity.
It is very true that we cannot run away from ourselves, we cannot run from our problems. We must face things as they are. Until we are acting out of Wisdom, and not merely our own ideas of what is good and right, we will yet be bound to the world and our problems.
Someone once said: "The Dharma is simple: Do what you can to help; and failing that, do your best not to hinder"
What this means to us tends to change as we grow closer to the Christine Gate. Philosophically it means simply "act from love and wisdom always". Practically speaking, Insight, Inner Wisdom-Vision demonstrates the way to address the deeper causes, and not simply the outward symptoms.
"Christ Consciousness" is no small thing. To exist in Christ Consciousness means that the I-Being, the Ego, the separate self-delusion is dead. It has been crucified in the Fire of Truth and Wisdom.
To project too much upon this lofty state, which most of us mortals can only speculate about, leads to delusion. We think "well, Christ consciousness would act this way", but really we are projecting from out of our ignorance, even with the best of intentions.
So Service means: "To Live in Spirit".
For most of us, this means: "Seek God and Spirit"
Do you understand why i feel it important to make this distinction?
What is it that makes one "fearless and non-attached to the fruits of action"?
And when illumined beings "take on the powers of the world each in their own way", do they do so out of their own beliefs and opinions? Or did they do so by moving in accordance with actual living spirit-wisdom, which lent true spiritual Power to their activity, thus giving it a redeeming and profoundly transformative quality?
So, before inciting people to action which they may believe to be good and noble, perhaps better to incite them towards Wisdom, wouldn't you agree?
Gautama Buddha:
"Let us try to face reality squarely, exactly as it is."
"Let go of mere opinions. "
"One should understand according to reality and true wisdom."
"A good way lessens suffering, a great way routs it out. "
Thus, i must agree, Nexus, that passive indifference does not lead to spiritual redemption or liberation. However, Divine Indifference, born out of wisdom, which reveals the reality behind apparencies, is a natural consequence of moving out of the shadows of misconception, into an impersonal attitude.
This is not the same as being cold-hearted, unfeeling, or "not caring" because "it doesn't matter to us".
Adepts and illumined sages do not serve the world as we see it and know it. They serve Divine Love, they serve the reality behind the appearances.
Ones own mission, according to God and being, is revealed best by seeking the inner fount. Then we act not according to what we think or believe, but according to what is known and revealed via authentic insight.
To follow Christ is to Seek Christ. To follow Wisdom is to Seek Wisdom.
Best wishes,
Elemeno