110 pitfalls to enlightenment

[Wolfgang]

I found this list with 110 pitfalls on our way to enlightenment.

http://www.iamuniversity.org/library/psychology/pitfalls.html

If anyone wants to add more pitfalls, please do so here

Or do we have already such a list here on this forum ?

[VIL]

quote:Wolfgang: If anyone wants to add more pitfalls, please do so here[:p]

Nothing to add... but the summation from the website:

quote:Summation

I think this is a pretty complete list that should give a lot of food for thought.

VIL

Jim and His Karma:

 

quote: The human mind always tries to complicate. Complication is mind food. Yoga is subtractive.

[Etherfish]

Ha! yeah Vil.
It does help to scan the list though, for stuff to work on outside of meditation, such as:

30. The trap of reading too much and not meditating enough.
99. The trap of studying too much and not demonstrating in the real world enough.

[anthony574]

41. The trap of isolating yourself from people and thinking that this is spiritual.
59. Believing that other people don't have to work at their spiritual path as you do.
Thinking your moodiness is a true reality of God.

[VIL]

quote:Etherfish: Ha! yeah Vil.
It does help to scan the list though, for stuff to work on outside of meditation, such as:

30. The trap of reading too much and not meditating enough.
99. The trap of studying too much and not demonstrating in the real world enough.

LOL: (I'm glad you have a sense of humor!)

I read the entire list, earlier, out of curiousity.  Personally, I came to the conclusion that it seems counterproductive to focus the mind on what another person considers non-enlightened or "pitfalls".

quote: anthony574: 41. The trap of isolating yourself from people and thinking that this is spiritual.
59. Believing that other people don't have to work at their spiritual path as you do.
Thinking your moodiness is a true reality of God.

A renunciate and dervish would disagree that the above is unenlightened.  Dervishes and Jnanis were/are well known for being moody, irritable, and renunciates/monks consider isolation spiritual.

I also considered the fact that I may have qualities that constitute what an unenlightened person would be, so I'm being difficult, or maybe I'm bored.

Take care:



VIL

[brother neil]

111.  saying "I consider myself somewhat of an expert on this subject for I have fallen into most of them"
112 "In my travels through life as a spiritual teacher, spiritual psychologist, and disciple on the path, I have become aware of many of the pitfalls and traps of the spiritual path"
Your just a brother or sister
113.  To continue with listing the pitfalls that I see on this website.  

Be humble or be humbled
we are one
neil

[VIL]

From the author:

quote:I was the first person in the history of the earth to break this 22nd level of initiation barrier, and I am going to show you how you can do the same! I was also told by Spirit and the Masters that on earth as of the year 2004, there were 50 beings who had achieved the 14th to 15th initiation. However, I was humbly the only one at the 23rd level of initiation. I bring this up not to toot my own horn, but to emphasize a point that I must be doing something quite unusual to humbly stand out like this.

 

quote:Another key was I developed a consciousness of being a Master of Masters. By this I mean I kept developing my wisdom and refining my ideals on a spiritual/psychological and physical/earthly level everyday to the point where the overall spiritual ideals I held for myself were infinitely higher than what normal lightworkers or spiritual leaders hold for themselves. This is just an example of a certain impeccability and integrity I required of myself. A certain work ethic I required of myself. A certain purity on all levels I required of myself. A certain level of mastery on discipline I required of myself. A dietary discipline on all levels I required of myself. A level of emotional clarity I required of myself. I kept refining my spiritual ideals, psychological ideals and earthly ideals to the point that I humbly began to be a master of masters, for what I required of myself on all three levels was a level of mastery and self discipline most on the planet had never even conceived of!

http://www.iamuniversity.ch/Dr-Stone-s-Autobiography?artpage=9-9

Ah... the enlightened humility of it all!






VIL

[neli]

quote:

" My purpose in sharing these with you is to save you suffering, karma, and delay in your path of ascension that comes from not learning these lessons."


Who is he to save us of our suffering, karma and whatever, he forgot to save us from his traps!

So I have to learn "his lessons" to make me feel "saved" and not have delays in my path of ascension ? Is he God ? Nice to meet you !

I can see here a very big Ego. And a false hidden Guru or prophet.

He forgot to learn trap number one.

He also forgot to make the number 111 trap:

The trap of making "traps" to make others believe.

Sat Nam
Neli

quote:Originally posted by Wolfgang

I found this list with 110 pitfalls on our way to enlightenment.

http://www.iamuniversity.org/library/psychology/pitfalls.html

If anyone wants to add more pitfalls, please do so here

Or do we have already such a list here on this forum ?

[Etherfish]

I think the pitfalls are valid, and it is good to scan through them. It reminds me once again of things to watch.
Obviously the author has not learned the lessons he writes about. This only brings us to a very important lesson on the spiritual path: we can learn something from even the lowest of beings.

I think Yogsni and many others have achieved "24th level of initiation" and beyond, but this author can't see beyond the "23rd" because his status of "master of masters" is such a high pedestal. Probably the higher levels after 23 are back down creeping on the earth with the rest of us.

It is a good list though. So how can the author of such a good list be so deluded? Has he read many books to get that information but not done daily practices?
Or maybe, as we have seen examples of on the forums, he has done practices, achieved much, isolated himself from humanity and gorged his ego with it all?

The trap of labeling 110 traps, and thinking that makes you free of them.
It's the "Emporer's New Clothes" story, only the emporer doesn't know he's naked!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperors_New_Clothes

[Sparkle]

I did'nt get that he considers himself having transcended these pitfalls. They have to be an ongoing process surely, although he did'nt state that specifically he did'nt say anything to the contrary.

He said he was somewhat of an expert because he had fallen into most of them - this could be interpreted as being an expert at falling into traps not in transcending them. This is a type of phrase used by many people when explaining things to people - "been there, done that, got the teeshirt" etc etc.

If someone wrote here - I'm somewhat of an expert at the pitfalls of premature crown opening because I've been doing it for the past twenty years and have suffered every conceivable setback recorded. Please don't do as I do but follow the AYP recomendations.
Is this any different?

[david_obsidian]

Very interesting list!

With a small number of exceptions (i.e. the special belief in Ascended Masters), they are not really bound to any creed either -- they are creed-neutral and fit almost any spiritual path nicely.

109. The trap of trying to achieve ascension to escape one's problems.

It's the first time I've seen this one written down.  And it's a good one.

The following is not on his list, but it's in the discussion under it and it's very worthwhile:

Staying clear takes enormous vigilance, self discipline, commitment, self-introspection, and devastating honesty. If the ego can't make you feel like an underdog it will make you feel like a top dog which is even more seductive.

Etherfish,  I don't know how this particular guy came across to you so badly.  He actually seems quite humble to me, as if he has learned one of the most important things of all.  I think you've probably just mis-read him.

[jillatay]

quote:
109. The trap of trying to achieve ascension to escape one's problems.

If suffering is my problem then I think he's wrong.  If I  hadn't tried to do just this thing, I would never have discovered the most beautiful lessons of this life.  Sure I have problems but it is the wholehearted search for answers that leads us to the solution. Am I wrong?  Is ascension some esoteric phrase with special meaning I don't get?

Jill

[Etherfish]

David - He came across badly not because of that page, but the stuff Vil found on his autobiography page:


Originally posted by VIL

From the author:

quote:I was the first person in the history of the earth to break this 22nd level of initiation barrier, and I am going to show you how you can do the same! I was also told by Spirit and the Masters that on earth as of the year 2004, there were 50 beings who had achieved the 14th to 15th initiation. However, I was humbly the only one at the 23rd level of initiation. I bring this up not to toot my own horn, but to emphasize a point that I must be doing something quite unusual to humbly stand out like this.

 

quote:Another key was I developed a consciousness of being a Master of Masters. By this I mean I kept developing my wisdom and refining my ideals on a spiritual/psychological and physical/earthly level everyday to the point where the overall spiritual ideals I held for myself were infinitely higher than what normal lightworkers or spiritual leaders hold for themselves. This is just an example of a certain impeccability and integrity I required of myself. A certain work ethic I required of myself. A certain purity on all levels I required of myself. A certain level of mastery on discipline I required of myself. A dietary discipline on all levels I required of myself. A level of emotional clarity I required of myself. I kept refining my spiritual ideals, psychological ideals and earthly ideals to the point that I humbly began to be a master of masters, for what I required of myself on all three levels was a level of mastery and self discipline most on the planet had never even conceived of!

http://www.iamuniversity.ch/Dr-Stone-s-Autobiography?artpage=1-9

PS I agree with Jillatay,
I have returned to the spiritual path many times because i realize that it is the only solution to my problems.

[Anthem]

I just read some of that link, all I can say is wow.... my mind got all wound up just reading it, thinking of the thousands of things I'd better start doing yesterday. If that's enlightenment then I'm screwed, too much knowledge, striving and effort for me!

I really admire his dedication, I hope he finds or has found his way.

I personally prefer to go with the heart and hopefully keep it as simple as One. All that knowledge hurts my head.

[neli]

Jill,

I think this (109) "rule" or "trap" is really far-fetched.
If people wants to achieve "ascension" to escape problems, they just get some heroín, or some other hallucinogenic drugs,[xx(] to escape problems. All of us has different ways to achieve ascension, or Nibbana, or Samadhi, or whatever. If this person invented all this traps, is because they work for him, but he forgot that all of us are different, so the EGO is always present in these kind of false teachers, or whatever the name. If I invent a system, it can work for me, and maybe for some others, but it may not work for many others, so all the systems are fallibles, that is why one has to be our own's guru.
I think Buddha's system worked only for him, although his teachings are wonderful, that doesn't mean that his system is unfallible.

I don't think anyone knows what is "ascension" they might have an idea, but no one knows for sure.

By the way, What is Ascension ? (to all of you)

That's why I like guru Puppetji, he might be very right[]

Neli

quote:Originally posted by jillatay

quote:
109. The trap of trying to achieve ascension to escape one's problems.

If suffering is my problem then I think he's wrong.  If I  hadn't tried to do just this thing, I would never have discovered the most beautiful lessons of this life.  Sure I have problems but it is the wholehearted search for answers that leads us to the solution. Am I wrong?  Is ascension some esoteric phrase will special meaning I don't get?

Jill