Promotion of the Known

Promotion of the known is promotion of the self and its conclusions and opinions. Those who write books and give lectures on self improvement or finding the "higher self" may have good intentions, but they sometimes delude more than assist. When one has a realization that is genuinely a life transforming event, then it is easy to get caught up in the "desire" to help others realize. One may get caught up in the importance of ones own image as he or she who "knows".

Once one has a group of followers or believers, then it easy to go the next step, of creating a loosely held list of ideals that one must adhere too in order to attain. If one goes to the book store one can count hundreds of self help books that of a spiritual or psychological nature. They all have their tenants and systems of practice. The authors of these books are authority figures in a particular field, some are spiritual practitioners, doctors, sociologist, psychologist or a self proclaimed divinity. But they all have one thing in common they promote the known. They are in fact the image of the known, the illusion of the self absorbed.

One must have the realization that freedom from the known is the most important single factor in realizing the true self. One can read and listen to what these various authorities have to say but in the end one needs to maintain a spirit of unattachment. It is taken in, in the moment and then released in that same moment. It does not become a part of ones definition as the self. Because for one to realize truth there can be no self that is defined or identified. This is the freedom of a consciousness that is unconditioned. The outcome of this freedom is understanding that transcends the self. Then each moment is a total understanding of the reality of thoughts movement as the self. One is not caught in the ideal, in the mind that is seeking.

It is very difficult to maintain a clear and unattached mind. The mind as the movement of thought naturally seeks identification through the known. That is why it is important to be aware without choice, without choosing that creates a position. Then there is an absence of the conflict of opposition. Conflict breeds conflict. Once you are caught in the circle of trying to find answers in the authority of the known you are lost. One has to break free from the self that is both the problem and the solution.