The Twelve Gates by John A. Rush

The Twelve Gates by John A. Rush

Author:John A. Rush
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HIS002030 History / Ancient / Egypt
Publisher: North Atlantic Books


What defines an illuminated human being? Would this be a person who obeys all the rules? Perhaps this is a person who is without fear or desire? Maybe it is a person who repents or asks forgiveness? Is illumination a gradual process taking years of study, devotion, and faith, or can illumination just show up one moment without working at it at all? Illumination has nothing to do with rules, suppressing fears and desires, or asking forgiveness, although it does take a certain amount of work. It has to do with choices and behaviors and it does require knowing yourself (“Know thyself!”) as well as sensitivity to the cosmos, which includes the person, tree, and so on you are standing next to, all the way out to the specks of light in the sky. Remember: It takes just as much time, energy, and effort to be illuminated as it does to be dumb and stupid (avidya in the Buddhist tradition—not seeing or ignor-ant).

What is it like to be or feel illuminated? Is it a sense of peace with self and others? Is it a realization that you don’t understand the mystery of life and that it is all right to feel comfortable in your own honesty? Is it an understanding that the wave is not separate from the ocean or that all is illusion and all is impermanent? No one can teach this nor can anyone cram it down your throat; Buddha and Jesus had this right. Again, a starting point is to think “cost effectiveness,” that is, it takes at least as much energy to be happy, creative, and content as it does to be miserable, stuck, angry, or depressed. Logic demands the former; habit and belief demand the latter. Take your choice: logic and reason, or stupidity and ignorance. This is your first awakening.



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