Hello, my name is Laura and this is my first post here so I hope the nature of my question is appropriate for the kind of things discussed here. If so, any thoughts, insights or experiences any of you might have had that would shed light on my question would be most appreciated.
I've studied The Ra Material for many years (picked up my first book back in the 80s) and consider it one of maybe 4 spiritual works that over the years have proven to be central to my spiritual thinking, my practice and my view of "how things work". I have, over the past several years, contemplated and meditated on awakening from duality into the Infinite beyond duality. But an ever present splinter in my mind is that I can't seem to reconcile the two spiritual traditions of seeking growth on a path (such as discussed by Ra and in my case the path of STO), with the spiritual teaching and goal of waking up out of duality. The splinter, so to speak, is the seeming paradox of, on the one hand working within time/space (duality) in order to evolve spiritually... a time-based, linear pursuit, with a seemingly contradictory spiritual pursuit of awakening out of the illusion of duality, into the eternal/infinite reality of Source/Supreme Reality and, presumably, brining to and end all linear, duality-based pursuits.... such as spiritual evolution/STO path.
Has anyone else grappled with this and, if so, have you had any insights to help resolve the seeming conflict of these two paths?
Thanks, Laura
Embracing non-duality is actually recognition that all is One, which is actually the path of the service to others adept. The STS path is fueled by the confusion and separation that is caused by the veil, hence it is "that which is not" per Ra, and eventually the STS path has to accept the truth that all is One, that there is no separation.
At this point in time, many third density incarnate "non-duality teachers" insist that it's about embracing both polarities, or, shunning polarization. This is a gross misunderstanding of what non-duality means. Non-duality is meant to be a recognition of non-judgement for the "path which is not", not an embrace of that path.
Here is a recent Q'uo channeling that talks about why it's important to choose a polarity - in our circles, ideally, service to others - otherwise, if you don't stick steadfast to the path of serving others, that confusion will set in and you will unintentionally polarize the other way, regardless of your attempts to stay 'balanced'. You need to have a grounding, and understanding of what is important - the energies of acceptance, love, unity, and compassion - so that you can recognize when you are feeding the energies of fear, separation, rejection, and hatred, and ideally, cease and desist, because we are currently trying to shift the planet into 4th density positive. We have a lot of confusion/separation that still engages our social memory complex deep into its roots, so it's important that we are diligent in attempting to alleviate these "symptoms" of third density within ourselves so that we can alleviate the suffering of this planet as a whole, and help her ascend into 4th density positive.
Q\uo Wrote:Now, you are aware that it is an essential consideration for those who attempt to develop spiritually from within the context of the veiled experience that you should polarize one way or the other. That is to say, that you must choose. That which comes to you simply as wisdom, therefore, in an unpolarized sense, that which comes to you as wisdom in other words in which the tendencies of polarity are ambiguous, must be taken up in such a way that the choice that you make will redirect the energies in the direction of your choice so that should they be, as they are for this group, of the positive polarity, you have ensured, to yourself, that you can seat this wisdom in a context of service to other selves and not a context of service to self.
http://llresearch.org/transcripts/issues..._1104.aspx
I think the contradiction of embracing both polarities comes from not making the distinction between serving yourself and serving yourself "over others". Once that misconception is out of the way it becomes a lot easier to make the choice. After all if your intent is to serve others, how can you do so without serving yourself then? It provides a two way service as long as there is no hierarchy involved, no control involved and no need for raising or lowering the self in the process.
I would then think that to "transcend" polarity is not so much about sometimes embracing the negative polarity but more about recognizing that serving one is to serve all. It doesn't do away with polarity, it just stop the paradox of seperating service between self and otherself, as both are served when serving the one and serving the all.
(01-12-2018, 04:54 PM)Bring4th_Jade Wrote: [ -> ]Embracing non-duality is actually recognition that all is One, which is actually the path of the service to others adept. The STS path is fueled by the confusion and separation that is caused by the veil, hence it is "that which is not" per Ra, and eventually the STS path has to accept the truth that all is One, that there is no separation.
At this point in time, many third density incarnate "non-duality teachers" insist that it's about embracing both polarities, or, shunning polarization. This is a gross misunderstanding of what non-duality means. Non-duality is meant to be a recognition of non-judgement for the "path which is not", not an embrace of that path.
Here is a recent Q'uo channeling that talks about why it's important to choose a polarity - in our circles, ideally, service to others - otherwise, if you don't stick steadfast to the path of serving others, that confusion will set in and you will unintentionally polarize the other way, regardless of your attempts to stay 'balanced'. You need to have a grounding, and understanding of what is important - the energies of acceptance, love, unity, and compassion - so that you can recognize when you are feeding the energies of fear, separation, rejection, and hatred, and ideally, cease and desist, because we are currently trying to shift the planet into 4th density positive. We have a lot of confusion/separation that still engages our social memory complex deep into its roots, so it's important that we are diligent in attempting to alleviate these "symptoms" of third density within ourselves so that we can alleviate the suffering of this planet as a whole, and help her ascend into 4th density positive.
Q\uo Wrote:Now, you are aware that it is an essential consideration for those who attempt to develop spiritually from within the context of the veiled experience that you should polarize one way or the other. That is to say, that you must choose. That which comes to you simply as wisdom, therefore, in an unpolarized sense, that which comes to you as wisdom in other words in which the tendencies of polarity are ambiguous, must be taken up in such a way that the choice that you make will redirect the energies in the direction of your choice so that should they be, as they are for this group, of the positive polarity, you have ensured, to yourself, that you can seat this wisdom in a context of service to other selves and not a context of service to self.
http://llresearch.org/transcripts/issues..._1104.aspx
Thanks Jade, the reminder that the negative path ceases mid-6th and, therefore, from the perspective of non-duality, is the "path which is not" was nice to have been re-brought to my attention.
But the enigma I'm trying to gain some wisdom about doesn't have to do with polarities but rather - how one can be seeking to evolve spiritually (such as through introspection to uncover blockages, etc, etc.) while simultaneously seeking to end the process of evolution by awakening. Or, maybe my assumption that spiritual evolution ends once one has awakened into non-duality is the problem??
Thoughts?
BTW... I see you're another Coloradoan! Hello from Loveland.
(01-12-2018, 05:06 PM)Night Owl Wrote: [ -> ]I think the contradiction of embracing both polarities comes from not making the distinction between serving yourself and serving yourself "over others". Once that misconception is out of the way it becomes a lot easier to make the choice. After all if your intent is to serve others, how can you do so without serving yourself then? It provides a two way service as long as there is no hierarchy involved, no control involved and no need for raising or lowering the self in the process.
I would then think that to "transcend" polarity is not so much about sometimes embracing the negative polarity but more about recognizing that serving one is to serve all. It doesn't do away with polarity, it just stop the paradox of seperating service between self and otherself, as both are served when serving the one and serving the all.
Thanks for your reply Night Owl. My question isn't about polarity. I'm clear about how we chose STO or STS in 3rd and hone our service through the remaining dimensions... with the caveat that those who have chosen STS will need to flip to STO somewhere in 6th. No, the question I'm working on in my contemplations is perhaps better stated as, "Once you've awakened and become aware that your true essence is non-dual, that all there is is the unitary Reality/Truth/Source of which everything and everyone that's manifested is an expression, does work within the illusion of duality cease or continue?"
(01-12-2018, 05:21 PM)loreilly Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks Jade, the reminder that the negative path ceases mid-6th and, therefore, from the perspective of non-duality, is the "path which is not" was nice to have been re-brought to my attention.
But the enigma I'm trying to gain some wisdom about doesn't have to do with polarities but rather - how one can be seeking to evolve spiritually (such as through introspection to uncover blockages, etc, etc.) while simultaneously seeking to end the process of evolution by awakening. Or, maybe my assumption that spiritual evolution ends once one has awakened into non-duality is the problem??
Thoughts?
BTW... I see you're another Coloradoan! Hello from Loveland.
I think you were right in rethinking your assumption. Being incarnate means that we are using the realm of duality to give us catalyst to further our spiritual growth. We choose to "forget" non-duality and come into this reality so that we can continue our spiritual lessons. But, Ra says that "the duality of your dimension must be internalized" - which means that we can't fully escape it while incarnate. We will always be partially veiled.
Ahhh, we are everywhere! I wish I lived closer to Denver, I would totally be hosting a Law of One group by now... or so I say! As it stands I live on the south side of Colorado Springs. What would your opinion be on whether or not that was too far from Loveland to drive once a week/every other week for a group?
I think that an awakening is more of a sudden thing, a brief time. The lightning tower tarot potentiaor of the spirit Ra says is the representation of this sort of event. It offers you the opportunity to see that there is a path to walk, but walking the path is your lifelong choice post awakening. I’m sure it’s possible to have multiple awakenings in life (I keep hoping for the next one in mine) but there’s only two paths to walk here ... and since you are here and now, you will not escape “duality” until you have died and enter a density that isn’t about that. I believe anything is possible, but the tradition of waking up totally out of duality involves the death of the yogi, no? So unless you plan to meditate to death, duality is where you will be existing until your time here is up and you take the next step of light.
I just moved away from Denver after living there for many years, I do miss my friends ... the Smokies are filling that Rocky void nicely for me
That would be about a 2 1/2 hour drive each way which, at least for me, is probably a bit too far to come on a regular basis. I could probably make the drive once a month, or once every other month though.
Are there more people down your way that are studying the Ra material?
Do you know if there are other seekers up my way (northern colorado)?
RA111 - best of luck in your new locale. The Smokies are beautiful too.
Thanks for your input to my questioning. :-)
(01-12-2018, 06:56 PM)loreilly Wrote: [ -> ]RA111 - best of luck in your new locale. The Smokies are beautiful too.
Thanks for your input to my questioning. :-)
You are welcome, and thanks for the well wishes ! one thing I wanted to add ... the lesson you are yearning to study, that of “no duality” sure sounds to me like a fifth density lesson. It sounds like you are fifth density yearning for sixth ... if all you could do here is graduate to fourth, would you be satisfied with that? Fourth density still has “polarity” after all, yes?
(01-12-2018, 07:01 PM)Ra1111 Wrote: [ -> ] (01-12-2018, 06:56 PM)loreilly Wrote: [ -> ]RA111 - best of luck in your new locale. The Smokies are beautiful too.
Thanks for your input to my questioning. :-)
You are welcome, and thanks for the well wishes ! one thing I wanted to add ... the lesson you are yearning to study, that of “no duality” sure sounds to me like a fifth density lesson. It sounds like you are fifth density yearning for sixth ... if all you could do here is graduate to fourth, would you be satisfied with that? Fourth density still has “polarity” after all, yes?
Hmm, very interesting question! I will definitely be spending time pondering it further.
My first response is a definite, 'Yes!'.... I most definitely, at a minimum, want to move beyond 3D into 4D positive, where those I'd interact with have a sense of unified seeking, vs here where the majority of those around us are stuck in the sinkhole of indifference.... no path yet chosen. It's my hope that I will be able to both raise my vibration sufficiently in this incarnation to quality for graduation to 4D positive and, as well, to learn to let go/trust/surrender/release into The All to such an extent that my consciousness may move beyond (small) self so that Universal Consciousness is what remains looking out through my eyes and walking the remaining path of 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th until all vehicles are released and all that's left is Universal Consciousness having been enhanced through "my"/It's journey home.
Great answer , Laura .... remember Ra’s advice on going from 3 to 4+ ... just be service to others oriented 51% of the time. (My personal advice here, do it in both your thoughts AND actions !)
That will get you to 4D positive. The yearning to awaken from polarity and dualism is certainly a valuable lesson to learn , but you still would have billions of years to learn it even after your time here as a 3D person and later as a 4D person and later as a 5D person ;-)
(01-12-2018, 05:29 PM)loreilly Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks for your reply Night Owl. My question isn't about polarity. I'm clear about how we chose STO or STS in 3rd and hone our service through the remaining dimensions... with the caveat that those who have chosen STS will need to flip to STO somewhere in 6th. No, the question I'm working on in my contemplations is perhaps better stated as, "Once you've awakened and become aware that your true essence is non-dual, that all there is is the unitary Reality/Truth/Source of which everything and everyone that's manifested is an expression, does work within the illusion of duality cease or continue?"
I was mostly adding to jade's previous comment about the misconception of service regarding duality. But yes, duality ''is'' no matter what is your perception. Duality is like a transcending concept, a law of physic, it just is. The point is to have your own perception become united, you can't overcome duality itself, or leave it, it's part of the universe. The only thing you can do is not being divided in your perspective. That in turn changes how you experience life and duality.
To answer your question directly, I'd say not only does the work continue, but in a certain way, it is merely begining. Although that's more like an analogy as beginings and ends still are dualistic concepts. In fact, it is more simply ever going. Unity is neither the begining neither the end, it just is all of the times. It is both the begining and the end.
(01-12-2018, 05:21 PM)loreilly Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks Jade, the reminder that the negative path ceases mid-6th and, therefore, from the perspective of non-duality, is the "path which is not" was nice to have been re-brought to my attention.
But the enigma I'm trying to gain some wisdom about doesn't have to do with polarities but rather - how one can be seeking to evolve spiritually (such as through introspection to uncover blockages, etc, etc.) while simultaneously seeking to end the process of evolution by awakening. Or, maybe my assumption that spiritual evolution ends once one has awakened into non-duality is the problem??
Thoughts?
BTW... I see you're another Coloradoan! Hello from Loveland.
The two are not mutually exclusive. I hold both dear. Though I know in other lives I served as a bringer of darkness that ultimately brought more light.
I am STA which leads me on the path of yearning to see unity and love, great things and joy for all self and my otherselves. Yet at the same time I am completely at ease with the understanding that darkness and light sort of are a dance of weaving and learning and bringing about growth in one another. Darkness can be seen as service.
Look at any and all negative things and if we step far enough back from it we can find it taught someone to see light, seek light or be light. All plunges into darkness eventually increase our capacity to see the contrasting intensity of light.
That isn’t to say I want others or this self to ever suffer but I’ve found a place in me that deeply trusts the process. No polarity for me comes through a STO/STA understanding so I can embrace all that is and see there is no separation.
If it came from STS without first stopping in STO the love would be lacking, if it came straight from nonduality without stepping into STO then it would be more like indifference. Even then those are all valid experiences of infinity.
My point though even though not clear is if you move through STO you certainly can keep it while also holding deep within you that nondualistic faith in all things working together. We might be challenged by our own pain from time to time but like all darkness it offers the opportunity to brighten the light. It also offers us the chance to deepen our nonduality orientation when we still see light, and see the darkness served us to brighten that light..
I’m not sure that made sense. These subjects can be confusing to explain with words.
Either way I certainly wouldn’t push to see anything but what you see. If nonduality is a stumbling block for you that just means that experience would likely keep you from the path you need to go yet. We all need to find it at different times, through different means, no better or more advanced just different paths so the creator can experience infinite variations of itself.
(01-12-2018, 04:41 PM)loreilly Wrote: [ -> ]Hello, my name is Laura and this is my first post here so I hope the nature of my question is appropriate for the kind of things discussed here. If so, any thoughts, insights or experiences any of you might have had that would shed light on my question would be most appreciated.
I've studied The Ra Material for many years (picked up my first book back in the 80s) and consider it one of maybe 4 spiritual works that over the years have proven to be central to my spiritual thinking, my practice and my view of "how things work". I have, over the past several years, contemplated and meditated on awakening from duality into the Infinite beyond duality. But an ever present splinter in my mind is that I can't seem to reconcile the two spiritual traditions of seeking growth on a path (such as discussed by Ra and in my case the path of STO), with the spiritual teaching and goal of waking up out of duality. The splinter, so to speak, is the seeming paradox of, on the one hand working within time/space (duality) in order to evolve spiritually... a time-based, linear pursuit, with a seemingly contradictory spiritual pursuit of awakening out of the illusion of duality, into the eternal/infinite reality of Source/Supreme Reality and, presumably, brining to and end all linear, duality-based pursuits.... such as spiritual evolution/STO path.
Has anyone else grappled with this and, if so, have you had any insights to help resolve the seeming conflict of these two paths?
Thanks, Laura
To see both as separate is a dualistic view, and like with any duality, you move as non-dual through it.
Even if you see everything as non-dual, you will still be a complex of dual-thoughts and will still experience yourself foremost through the mirror of duality, but will more easily realize from within dual perceptions your own constant non-dual expression. Take the duality of self and other-selves, even if as a self you realize that you are one with others you will still experience yourself as your dual side of your non-dual wholeness. Other-selves don't disappear because a self realizes its non-dual beingness with them, it simply now sees that just as it has a mind in this sense of self it also has this other-mind in this sense of other-self, and that whether self or other-self is contemplated, the same essence is perceiving the same essence from different states of itself.
I think that if, as a self, you see beyond the illusion of duality then you will find that the energies that enter you simply reconcile when they are applied this view upon and so you will naturally have a growing STO relationship with your outer beingness. So, I think a strong perception of non-duality does not disallow to build a STO polarity and instead allows to build one's polarity in a higher degree of purity; I'd add that unless you are able to see things as non-dual, then your polarity will project its imbalances, confusion and karma outwardly to distill itself through the mirror of where it was projected (because of the inherent and transcendent unity, 3D and 4D have little required focus upon this). An example of this could be a martyr that has inspired others to become martyrs, those others that it initially wished to be at peace are now stuck in its own projected restlessness and lack of self-value, and so the person may be led to contemplate that to offer peace it first needs to find it, as otherwise it may only offer its own lack of peace it contains.
Edit : That was a bit a more indirect example and so I thought to add a more direct one ; anyone that builds a strong polarity will, anytime they lack acceptance for something, project a strong negative energy. So I'd say, personally, that to the conscious entity it is preferable to seek balance over a powerful activation and working opposites (non-duality) is a mean given in the material to do so.
Back to the seeking of duality and non-duality, I say just keep following the drive of your will as it is exactly what you are doing as all your other-selves.
Quo, Sept 12, 1999 Wrote:I am Q’uo, and greet each again in love and in light through this instrument. We have taken a great deal of pleasure in presenting our offering to you this session of working, and we would ask if our speaking or any other impetus has brought any other queries to your minds. If so, we would be happy to speak to them now.
Carla: I would like for you to speak more about living in two worlds at once. It seems to me that the frustration, the pain of living, is in trying to deal with the light and see things in a spiritual way and yet there is just no way to escape the fact that we live in the Earth plane and life as it is.
I am Q’uo, and am aware of your query, my sister. This is a query which each seeker, from the depths of its soul, asks of any entity which will answer. For it is most difficult for the spiritual seeker who wishes with all its heart to hew to the upper level, to the higher road, to the spiritual journey, to have to dip again into the illusion of third density and to move within a realm that seems to be muddied, confusing and chaotic. This is the nature of your illusion. For if all were as the time/space realm, that is, clear to the eye, to the heart, to the mind, and to the experience of each moment, then there would be no challenge to the seeker to enlarge its scope of being, its realm of possibility, to gain more experience in the rather efficient way that the third density has of impressing upon the seeker the urgency of catalyst. There is within your illusion the benefit of the seeker who wishes to know and yet does not know, and the benefit that we find here is that the angst, the frustration that comes from wishing to know that which is beyond the illusion, beyond the grasp, is that it motivates the seeker to move forward even when the seeker does not recognize forward as forward. For each catalyst, each experience, each event within your illusion has the ability to temper the heart of the seeker, shall we say, the will of the seeker, the faith of the seeker.
There is within frustration an inevitable rededication of the self to seeking, for the temptation is to stop, to quit, to rest, to have done with it. Yet, though this may momentarily give solace to the mind of the seeker [there is] no quitting, no true stopping. Though one may rest there is always the journey that waits before one. And the heart of each seeker seeks the heart of the one Creator. There is no better way to put it. And when heart seeks heart, there is the motivation to move forward, to learn from that experience, that catalyst about one, enough to move yet a small bit forward, to feel the desire afresh. To feel motivated again. And so this wishing to know what seems beyond knowing is enough, for there is within each frustrated moment the tempering, the hardening, the building up of inner desire to know, to grow, to share, to experience again the great round and round of this illusion. For though frustration may grow greatly there is still in the heart the knowledge that this is as it should be, this is as it must be, this is as it was planned. There is a recognition of the rightness of frustration so that when its fury has worn off there is reborn the kernel of desire, the seed of knowing, the seed of knowledge.
There's a line of thought suggesting that any awakening is simply a new beginning at a different level. Therefore, awakening is not exactly a goal, but milestone along the way.