Practical Work on Self
by E.J. Gold
BK023
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Practical Work on Self
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TRABAJO PRÁCTICO SOBRE UNO MISMO
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This chameleon of a book starts out to be a collection of Fourth Way and Zen practices, stacked in a certain order to be built upon in that order. It is, in this form, a primer of idea/exercises for attention and essence development, after which it becomes an "obligatory" - Basic Work On Self, after which it becomes an advanced training course, after.....
A Chapter From The Book
Doorways
The practice of remembering ourselves, "invoking our presences", having the continual presence of "I" makes a "vibration of Being" which gradually forms a relatively permanent crystallization called "Gradation of Evolution".
The presence of the nonphenomenal source of attention within the awakened machine, because negative emotion is absent in the awakened machine, produces the vibration which gradually forms itself into the permanent crystallization which we call the Being.
Each stage of transformation of the Being produced by the awakened machine is called "Gradation of Evolution".
We can separate the process of transformation governed by the human biological machine into twenty-one definite Gradations of Evolution, each slightly more objective than the previous gradation in the sense of existing in higher and higher dimensions as we scale upward toward the Absolute.
Under no circumstance is it possible for us to attain the three highest forms of existence, the highest of which is the Absolute itself, pure Being. No one who knows anything would really wish to evolve to the gradation of the Absolute, and it would be of no benefit to oneself or to the Absolute. Each Gradation of Evolution represents a specific crystallization of the Being. These higher gradations of evolution can only be the results of intentional transformation.
The transference of the identity from the non-phenomenal source of attention to the Being is necessary for the moment of machine-death when it is once again returned to its natural organic source-of-substances.
Even the nonphenomenal source of attention eventually dies if it has existed without transformation, but the Being which has become a permanent crystallization can never die.
Perhaps we ought to first taste what it means never to die...maybe we would prefer to just fall into annihilation and forget everything.
No two Beings have exactly the same frequency of vibration,. Frequencies are limited in number because they are, as is everything, material. However, due to a surplus of apathetic humans and a corresponding paucity of transformed Beings, very few frequencies have ever been taken off the market.
The stable Gradation of Evolution several times removed from the ordinary state of a human being, when taken in relation to a successful transference of identity from the nonphenomenal source of attention to the Being, can be called "Objective Consciousness" when developed.
Although we may not understand exactly how this might be true, stepping through a doorway is to taste death in some form. When passing the threshold of a portal, we can use this a a reminding factor to exert our will to awaken the machine., Passing a portal, even in the form of an ordinary door, is like the moment of death, the passing of the portal for which we prepare ourselves all our lives. We practice the awakening of the machine during these little deaths so that at our passing, when the chains of life are thrown off, and we feel our life slipping away, we will have attention, presence, Being, and an unshakeable work-habit.
Only then will we taste of death and not feel its sting.
A Reader's Perspective
As I begin writing, I oblige readers to not interpret and make it another chaotic state of affairs, simply read, what has to stay with you, trust me it will. If you are a true seeker, divinity has its way of working with you and taking you to higher realms. Of course, effort has to be yours!
The mind, play of consciousness, machine, the ego, call it what you want is always at play making everything convoluted, when it can be simple, and in silent states, one laughs at each passing thought. Self-observation and awareness is the key. I practice non-judgment; the chaos at play is always at play, the strategy is to be playful.
A journey unexplained, started for me years ago and having been exposed to divine masters and their teachings over the years, the study of the self has only gotten deeper and it continues. For me, if there is a scared scripture such as 'Bhagavad Gita' from eastern roots, there is 'Practical Work on Self' (PWS) from western roots. In the current scenario, PWS is more apt for a seeker unless you understand India's scared scriptures and their deep esoteric knowledge. Having said that, stemming from Indian roots, this book has further enhanced my journey and has made my spiritual understanding deeper.
PWS came to me at a time, when I was at a junction standing directionless not being able to grasp why I was, after so many years of practice still reacting to external situations. I needed to find a way out of this slumber, slavery had to end! Thanks to E.J Gold's virtual ashram called 'Prosperity Path' on 'Second life', I had the opportunity to meet other spiritual seekers working for the world who opened a Pandora box of esoteric knowledge for me and ever since, there has been no turning back. The 2 books written by E.J Gold: American Book of the dead and PWS had a profound effect on me.
So, let me give you a peek-a-boo into what this titan of a book entails. Am sure those who have reached here have an inclination towards this study and understand we mechanically react to situations and our identifications are deep. What is a machine and who is an essential self? In retrospect, I have often seen a separation between the one who reacts and the one who is witnessing, I realized there is a mind operating on it's own, the so-called machine and the witness, the essential self does not have much control over it. However, with practical work on self, it is possible to awaken the machine.
This step-by-step guidebook supports one to gradually bring about a change and awaken the biological machine. It is not an instant process, can take years of practice. For me the fundamental training has been bringing my attention to the present moment using PWS exercises. As E.J says "The Work is not a study -- it's a lifestyle."
The seductions of so called 'Maya' (illusions) and identifications keeps me gripped. Attention oscillates between past events functioning from memory and fear of the future. I have no control over thoughts, and reasoning only makes it worse. This constant barrage of thoughts related to personal situations, events make me feel like a fish out of water.
Is there a way out for me? The answer is 'Yes'; using awareness exercises revealed in this book, like working with the left hand being right handed has brought about some awakening. Am sure all of you are travellers, you must have noticed that when we travel to a new destination, mind is always blank and there seems to be a dis-orientation, mind cannot function when it does not know, clearly because it is mechanical. One has to trick the nature of the mind!
Face it dear voyager, it ain't easy, first attempt is scary, for when we come to see so much of chaos, natural response is to blame someone else for it, escape the insanity, only to go back to sleep. Find out what these negative manifestations of the machine are, what is your chief weakness, what is happening, the work is yours, give it a momentum; It's not rocket science to find one's chief weakness for the swirling patterns go round and round in circles, PWS will retort to these queries.
A statement my master made 'Like what it dislikes' is apt for the machine. I have put myself in situations where the machine outraged, it was disparagingly important for me to see the functioning of the machine. In all this mayhem I continued my work -- a work wish to work for the benefit of all beings everywhere. E.J's scripted knowledge explored in his books will open such avenues.
Am trapped in sleep, 'I's' seem to be fragmented, one day I operate differently, the other day I operate some other way. Where is the real 'I'? I have begun that journey with the help of 'This Work Wish'.
Repeated efforts are required as practice is the only guarantee on the path, PWS is a spiritual bible and will help you tread moment to moment in bringing that awareness one seeks into the present moment. Don't waste more time in the labyrinth of lower dimensions, the higher dimensions are calling and it is your birthright.
Do you want to wait for the last hour of death when nothing can be done? If not, time has come Oh 'my earthly friend to recognize these functioning's of the machine and take the leap into the unknown!
By -- S.A.,WhiteSeer, PVA