Rites of Passage

[anonji]

A few thoughts about the spiritual journey in a social environment.
Some of the ideas came from this article: harkless.org/steve/writing/Trance_Dance_and_Ecstasy.html

Rites of passage are a necessary way of moving from one phase of life to another. Ideally, the spiritual path could be incorporated as one phase, but western cultures skip it in preference to social conditioning.

The article mentions three basic rites of passage as one goes through life.

The first rite is a separation from the mother and from all childhood associations. The child lives in simple sensory pleasure where play is the dominant behavior. But when schooling starts there is a shift towards using the mind more and more.

The second rite is an expansion of consciousness into the realm of the cosmos. This transcendent rite is the one we have skipped. We have gone directly into...

The third and final rite is a return and reintegration into society, a symbolic rebirth.

By skipping expansion of consciousness, or awakening, we are left with mind numbing conditioning and conformity. And the difficult and long journey to purge our conditioning and reclaim our true nature.

We can read these phases as "the innocence of youth" followed by "spiritual awakening" followed by a return to society as Bodhisattva in order to impart wisdom and help others. When returning to society we are not conditioned but are free and liberated.

The right sequence is everything!

[Sid]

I believe the transcendent rite is a basic biological need if not met leaves humans confused and alienated from life... In a sense our activities in this forum is an attempt to fulfill this need...

In a materialistic society the spiritual experience and identity is a threat to its existence...

A dominantly materialistic society eventually becomes destructive and at that time may realize the benefit of the transcendent rite.

[dramos]

Thank you for that article anonji, I enjoyed reading that.

Coming into this world our minds were blank. Then we were learned to "talk that talk" and "walk that walk". Through the innocense of youth we felt nothing but love, this began changing when introduced to "good and bad", an introductory step to socialistic views.

The next step was conformity, taught by those who already have conformed to this concept, keeping at bay true consciousness of ourselves, being taught that the only things that exist are through our "senses". Some began questioning such a concept, "testing the waters" so to speak but still through the socialistic environments, being caught up in the moment, ultimately being sucked back in.

Few began realizing the "glitches" within this social network and became aware of their own consciousness and began to understand their "trueness". This journey was easy.......yea right. Unconforming the conformity is quite a challange, it is a "dieing" of the social views and directing ourselves, through perseverance, toward the spiritual.

We then become reunited with our spiritual family, what a blessing!

[anonji]

Sept 24, 2009 0:05:35 GMT -5 Sid said:

A dominantly materialistic society eventually becomes destructive and at that time may realize the benefit of the transcendent rite.

I think we are getting to this place now, where the destructive forces of conformity are being challenged and transcended. Eckhart Tolle, even if one does not care for his style of teaching, has brought an awareness for the need to transcend our ego driven, thought-based lives. I don't know that the year 2012 is the magic number but change is in the air. And it smells good!

[dramos]

Have you noticed that with these "prophecies" there is a "mis-completion aiming to a completion" There is an "erased" book of names, some of these prophets may have not realized, but then again maybe they did, why they could look no further.

There are no names because individualism will be "stripped" which leaves only "God"!