Dear Mr. Samuel,
Why in the world did you write to me about the fictitious "old man"? A fiction is a fiction and to write about a fantasy at all is not absolute enough for me; it is but foolish delving into duality!
Yours truly,
ABOUT MISIDENTITY
For those who wonder why we write about an identity that doesn't even exist in Reality, let me say this again and, hopefully, have done with it. When one has finally put away the old man, the "liar from the beginning," he no longer takes issue with what appears to be degrees of attainment, correctness, absoluteness, nor with the words another uses.
It appears that many I talk to about their Identity as Awareness fail to comprehend what is being said until first they come to recognize the identity they are not; until they discover who and what the "old man" professes to be in relation to themselves; that is, in relation to who and what they appear to believe themselves to be.
Simply to be told the human identity is a "nothing claiming to be something," a phantom or "a dream that isn't really going on," does not relax the tenacious grip with which we clutch our personal opinions of ourselves. The ego is only a seeming, true, but a seeming is a seeming until it doesn't seem to seem. Seeming ill health and unhappiness, a seeming world filled with turmoil, are only slightly more palatable than the genuine article, if such could be possible. Those who have had done with all seeming have discovered its mystery and know why these words are written.
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TO PUT OFF THE OLD MAN
How long has humanity been trying to put off the old man? Has it been successful? Not at all. Churchdom has been wrong in its identification of the pseudo-ego because churchdom is the product of the pseudo-ego, consequently its admonitions as to what to do about it are incorrect and misleading. For instance, classical theology has thoroughly indoctrinated its adherents with the belief that the way to put off the old man is to divest him of his worst qualities, his immoralities, passions and appetites.
Humanly, this is commendable, but even if such a program were carried to a successful conclusion, the old man himself would still be left: a paragon of virtue, of course; upright and passionless, but still the old man, the deceiver, the wrong identity; and we would still believe ourselves to be that one! Even the most perfect human attainment leaves one believing himself "born of woman," while he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater."
The admonition remains to PUT OFF the old man, then put on the new. Proclaiming the allness and onlyness of the "new" first is like attempting to put new wine into an old wineskin, or a new patch on an old garment. Until the misidentification is seen for what it is with relation to this Awareness, right here, right now, our proclamation that "God is all" is so much babble.
The Light declares what is, revealing what is not. Those who have found the Light to be their Identity know precisely what the "little-I" pretends to be. They have the ability to expose it honestly and effectively. Then, turning to the Light as the Light, one is nevermore concerned with darkness, with a false identity that only seemed. To the new Identity uncontained and unpossessed Awareness itself—“the only thing that counts is the new creation." Sorrow, sighing and seeming flee away. .
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THE SURRENDER IS NOT DIFFICULT
The tender simplicity of Reality first comes from the Heart. We have identified the Heart as the "place" of the immaculate conception where the Christ Truth is found. Christ and Truth are the selfsame Awareness beholding these words! Truth is the real Identity being you and me!
It is apparent that these concepts are contrary to the high and mighty intellect, contrary to theology and churchdom, but not at all contrary to the wise and tender simplicity of the Heart. While the intellect vehemently opposes Truth and tends toward arrogant self-righteousness, Truth remains a very simple, gentle and unblemished Tranquility, at peace with everything and unmindful of any suppositious opposite concerning it.
As we have pointed out, all one ever needs to consciously be and experience the Tranquility of the real Identity is to let go the personality, the pseudo-ego, the mistaken thought and action that this consciousness, right here, is an intellect which contains Awareness, Life.
This is the classical "sacrifice" of the entire old man, not just his passions and appetites, or his worst qualities. This is the axe laid to the root.
Excerpt from "A Guide To Awareness And Tranquillity" By William Samuel
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If you would like further guidance in understanding any of William Samuel's work based on Self discovery - you are welcome to contact me, Sandy Jones -- samuelandfriends@gmail.com - Ojai, California -
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