What's in it for me?

I have this friend who, at different times, in various situations, in regard to various subjects, voices this thought. What's in it for me?

It's a common way of looking at things. How can I benefit? That's the focal point of our sojourn through life, a preoccupation with adding to or minimizing the removal from, the personal self. People are often seen as self-enhancers or self-detractors and we make our choices for friends and lovers accordingly.

What's in it for me?

Beneath this, of course, is the carefully hidden idea that "I" am incomplete and unfulfilled, needing to be added to, or possibly in danger of loss of some kind. Here is the idea of separation. "I" am a little separate entity, in constant need of defense.

And so we live our life in the "getting" mode. Get, get, get... mine, mine, mine... give to me, I need, I want, I must have... more, more, more.

And life becomes fragmented and disorganized... chaos reigns. Sometimes even giving to others is done from a place of getting... if I give this then I will be seen as "more than"... some kind of self-enhancement.

Not to say that this is always the case... but that attitude is predominant in today's culture.

But what if "I" was no longer the little self animated through this body? What if "I" was encompassed in the greater whole?

It's a completely different paradigm. How am I motivated now that "I" am all of "You"?

In the movie 10,000 BC there was a reference to a circle being drawn around what constitutes "I". Some people draw a circle around themselves alone. Others may include their close family and friends. And yet some of us include everyone in our circle. No one is outside this sense of "I".

 

You're close, but no cigar.

The individual "I" is not you. Its only a GI Joe copy of you. One made of dirt.

The true essence of what you are animates this copy and in a sense lives through it. When you withdraw the lifeforce from this copy and it returns to dirt, you'll see there is little point in attaching anything to it.

There is no I-Me-mine. Nothing belongs to the doll made of dirt except other dirt.

The ability to see this determines the spirituality of a person.



x

 

Xexon, you know I think alot of what you say is very valuable, but honestly I don't think you're hearing me at all. Maybe you're seeing what I'm saying through a certain filter or perspective which colors your interpretation. I fully understand that "I" is not a small isolated me, or even a bunch of them. Why do you suppose you're interpreting these words in this way? Over and over again, you're not hearing what I'm saying.

 

Both statements point to truth.

For it to be said "I am something" is identification. For it to be said "I am.." is not identification, however, it is not the total truth either (more like, the final thought), because "I am" is still a thought/form already arising in what this is.

It is only when the search for truth is given up that the truth will reveal itself.

 

As soon as we speak or write or think... that is not the absolute truth, because it can't be thought or spoken of or written about. So already here on this or any other forum, we can't express truth absolutely when we communicate. There's an inherent built in flaw, and it's interesting how people can quible over it, as if there's a way to perfect it.

Yes I completely agree that searching for truth is futile, a goosechase. From a certain perspective it may serve as a stepping stone, but must be given up at some point. Same with spiritual teachings and books and lectures and gurus and other such crutches. We must let all those drop away and fly on our own. I find that it's helpful to look for, or rather recognize that which ISN'T the truth. Working in the negative, so to speak. See what is false, so that in overlooking it we are left with only the truth.

 

Nice My death (life) experience happened around midnight. Also around the autumn equinox. maybe this has something to do with why, when i look at the clock on my PC, it most often says , not 11:11 or 12:12 or somesuch, but 00:00.

I am motivated to be less critical! It kinda makes judgements look stupid. How can we judge eachother when we ARE eachother.

 

"I" disagree, "I" think that the I really IS you. It is the individual consciousness/personality of one's being which remains fully intact along with the integrated whole. The "I" stems faaaaaaaaaar beyond this physical being. Hell, you visualize this reality through both the "eye" and "I". If we didn't have the I, what would be the point of individual experience/existance. God would of just remained whole and you probably wouldn't be on an internet forum talking about this right now.

 

I think it's time for Xexon to hit the books again lol. School time.

 

The truth is not this.

 

HAHAHAHAHA!!! :cheers2:

 

I don't know, I'd say I speak truth 99.9999% of the time, the only times I don't are usually for a damn good reason and not selfish intent.

Truth is ever evolving, just as everything else in existence is evolving. Truth is not a constant and cannot be restrained as such.

 

There is identification with I being "the individual consciousness/personality of one's being which remains fully intact along with the integrated whole."

what is prior to identification with I being "the individual consciousness/personality of one's being which remains fully intact along with the integrated whole."?

 

Ok, not to be nit-picky but I sense it's an important distinction. No one speaks truth, not absolutely. Speaking "truth" is one way of seeing it, from a certain perspective. And yes I often say I speak truth.

But the "truth" of it (lol!) is that at best we speak words that may point to truth. Truth is beyond words. No word, no vowel or consonant or symbol or something reduced to gutteral utterances, can convey TRUTH with a capital T. Does that make sense?

 

Ofcourse truth is beyond words, but it doesn't mean words do not contain truth.

 

Before the creator divided himself up to create the individual I's, I'd say the prior identification would simply be a fully realized God?

 

prior to identification with I being consciousness (something)

there is

identification with I being a fully realized god (also something)




hehe.

 

I lol'd

 

You know I'm like a total anti-semantic... not to be confused with anti-semetic ('specially cause I have Jewish heritage and that would really send an indignant shiver down the backs of some...) but I digress. And besides, it's much more empowering to be FOR something rather than AGAINST it anyway... so I'd like to clarify that I'm FOR meaning and not so much into getting hung up on wordage.... BUT

:toetap05:

Truth cannot be contained in words. Truth can only be pointed to, through the use of words. Okay, that's all I gotta say about that. And that's the honest truth.

 

me thinks you might need to set your clock.

Exactly. Hence forgiveness... it goes deep, and with it the realization there's nothing to forgive.

 

Yeah, like xexon said (and Eckhart puts it similarly):

... and this means the part OTHERS play is not them either, ... so we can put aside pointless, personal blame.

And about truth; I like in 'A new Earth' ... page 72,'The ego is not personal':

"On a collective level, the mind-set "we are right, they are wrong" is particularly deeply entrenched in those parts of the world where conflict between two nations, races, tribes, religions, or ideologies is long standing, extreme and endemic. Both sides of the conflict are equally identified with their own perspective, their own 'story', that is to say, identified with thought. Both are equally incapable of seeing that another perspective, another story, may exist and also be valid.
Israeli writer Y. Halevi speaks of the possibility of 'accomodating a competing narrative', but in many parts of the world, people are not yet able or willing to do that."

I think it speaks for itself and why preach to the choir anyway