Underlying the controversy of Scientology lie the following assertions:
The Scientologists seems to be arguing that Scientology is 100% workable, and that failures occur only when it is not applied correctly. To them Scientology is the end of all earlier searches and that its scriptures are not open to being questioned in any way. The individual scientologist believes this because, for him or her, Scientology has opened doors to new realizations in a short amount of time. A Scientologist, therefore, defends his faith against all critics very aggressively.
The critics of Scientology, who are mostly ex-Scientologists, seems to be arguing that Scientology is not so perfect as it is made to appear, and that there are deceptions built into it. They warn that one should better be very careful of these deceptions. They say that Scientology has hounded and intimidated it critics into silence until the Internet came along. But Internet is now revealing the harmful influence of Scientology in terms of conditioning of its members and the breakup of their families.
There is some truth that underlies both the beneficial and harmful aspects of Scientology. I have intimately experienced both aspects. This essay points to an ideological underpinning of Scientology that may be the source of both beneficial and harmful aspects that are presenting Scientology in a controversial light.
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There is no doubt in my mind about the beneficial aspects of Scientology. I don’t have to go into any more details than to relate my earlier experience that pulled me out of a very desperate situation. I have documented that experience here in My Introduction to America.
But I ended up leaving Scientology after an intimate experience with its behind-the-scene operations. I did spend about 3 years from 1972 to 1975 working closely with L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, on his Flagship Apollo that sailed international waters. I was involved directly with the international management of Scientology for a while.
What did not make sense to me was the inconsistency between the technology of Scientology and its administration; the presentation of a façade of scientific research that hid untested assumptions; the sweeping of its failures under a carpet of massive public relations; and the intimidation of its critics into submission and silence. What is there for Scientology to hide if it is producing such wonderful results on a daily basis? What underlies those hidden failures of its technology that Scientology is trying to hide so desperately?
The secretive aspect of Scientology is easy to understand from a business perspective. Scientology is an American phenomenon and it functions the way corporate America functions. Scientology is so very successful in the American way that it has amassed billions of dollars in a very short time. It may be compared to the Catholic Church in terms of that success with real estate acquisitions. But to my Eastern way of thinking this is not a success that can be aligned with spiritual enlightenment that a religion supposedly promises.
This whole blog has been a search for inconsistency that seems to be the key to the understanding of this controversy highlighted by Scientology, and which somehow has danced around the periphery of my consciousness. That inconsistency seems to represent something much bigger than Scientology. Scientology just happens to be the latest “religion” that highlights it.
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Any philosophy is based on some starting postulate. The starting postulate of Scientology is Axiom 1, which puts words to something that has been taken as an absolute truth in the Abrahamic religions.
AXIOM # 1: LIFE IS BASICALLY A STATIC.
Definition: a Life Static has no mass, no motion, no wavelength, no location in space or in time. It has the ability to postulate and to perceive.
In other words, the basis of all life and this universe is an unmoved Mover, or uncaused Cause that is self-aware. Scientology brings this postulate down from the level of God to a personal level.
My reading is that Scientology contains many brilliant advances. Its starting postulate as above is, however, deceptively attractive to the ego while it does not lead to enlightenment.
So a very potent topic of discussion surfaces as,
Does Scientology Axiom 1 enlighten or does it set up a deep trap?
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The most recent thoughts that I have on this topic are expressed here.
Beingness is “existing-ness.” A phenomenon exists as a spiritual essence and a physical form. The spiritual and physical aspects go together. They cannot be separated as some absolutes. A spiritual state will have physical form, no matter how subtle. And a physical state will have some spiritual characteristics, no matter how subdued.
Thus, an atom has a configuration and certain properties that express its essence. Both of these physical and spiritual aspects go together to make up the beingness of an atom.
Beingness is inclusive of both form and essence.
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Awareness arises because there is desire to know. Awareness is manifested as a light with barely a frequency and period. Its characteristics are limited to a very basic form requiring space-time and simple awareness. This is the totality of initial beingness. The appearance of beingness reinforces the desire to know, and this pushes the development of beingness.
At the basic level there are no developed characteristics, such as, perception of other forms, visualization of other forms, or thinking by association of forms, because there are no other forms. The initial beingness is very raw and in no way does it resemble the God of Abrahamic religions or the thetan of Scientology. Those things come much later after the beingness has developed.
The initial beingness is basic light and raw awareness.
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We look at self in human perspective only; but self could be regarded as the consciousness of any beingness. Some beingness is more developed than others. Therefore, some self is more developed than others.
The initial beingness is basic light and awareness. Its self would only be the limited consciousness of light. This self would be very primitive. It would then develop as self of minerals, plants, animals, and finally that of the humans.
The self is the consciousness of beingness.
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The self or “I” forms the basic viewpoint from which awareness expands. It consists of all of space-time in the beginning. It is not just a “point” in space.
The “I” of a mineral consists of the space-time its physical form occupies, and the awareness it extends through its chemical properties.
The “I” of an animal consists of its physical form, and its interactions with its environment. It will include all its instincts and the functionality of its body.
The “I” of a human being consists of the human form and its vast capacity for interactions. It will include his intelligence and skills.
The basic viewpoint of beingness is the self or “I”.
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The desire to know is not satisfied with just having a beingness of light and awareness and with nothing else to be aware of. Thus come about harmonics of disturbance of the ground state, which gives rise to different beingnesses with their viewpoints.
Thus, there is differentiation. There is separation of forms. There are boundaries. There is perception of other forms. There is knowledge of basic forms.
There are interactions of different awareness, and with such interactions there come about complex forms, beingnesses, viewpoints and knowledge.
The desire to know produces harmonics of disturbance, giving rise to different beingnesses.
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Thus there is reality gained from perception through the viewpoints. Then there is reality of the viewpoint of “I”, which comes from the consciousness of beingness. There is also the reality of other beingnesses and their viewpoints.
The “I” is very basic in the beginning. It has awareness of its own space-time and characteristics as light. This awareness is then extended to other beingnesses or existence in general. That constitutes its reality. “I” acts as the basic filter of the awareness of all existence.
Beyond that reality is the reality of “I” itself.
Reality is what is perceived through viewpoints, and the fact of viewpoints.
NOTE (11/23/19) : Each verse is followed by my comment (in color). ~ Vinaire
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1. Out of respect for the lineage,
Who developed these instructions,
To counter an ocean of suffering in Samsara,
Let me pour this view into your mind, my friends.
The purpose of these instructions is to counter an ocean of suffering in this world. You may follow these instructions to alleviate your suffering.
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2. Although Mahamudra isn’t anything I can really explain.
Just let go, and hold this vantage point of mind,
Without artificial meditation strategies, and freshly
[without conceptualization]
Just as space has no substance to it,
Likewise, the real nature of the mind, Mahamudra,
Has no substance that can serve as a support to focus on
Mahamudra is a viewpoint from which to observe without fixed ideas, prejudices or beliefs. Simply let go of such ideas, attitudes and beliefs.
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3. Cling to nothing as I speak, and there is no doubt, liberation will come.
Take this view as if you were looking directly into awareness itself,
Like space, in such a way that you aren’t trying to see,
Because from this vantage point, awareness sees itself by itself.
And when all attempts to conceptualize cease,
You will attain perfect awakening.
Beyond these ideas, prejudices and beliefs is pure awareness. When you cease to have any fixations, you are simply experiencing awareness.
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4. Clouds float through space,
But don’t go anywhere, or stay anywhere.
In the same way conceptualization arises in the mind,
But from the vantage point of the real nature of the mind,
Thought is like waves that become calm.
Ideas appear in the mind, form into different shapes, float around and then disappear just like clouds do in the sky. They have no real permanence.
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5. Just as space has no color. It has no form.
It has no darkness. No light. It is changeless.
Likewise, the real nature of the mind has no color, no form,
Nor is it tinged by the darkness of bad,
Nor the light of virtuous actions.
The essence of mind is emptiness. It is empty of all phenomena, ideas, prejudices and beliefs.
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6. For thousands of aeons, the sun that shines everyday day
Has never been clouded by darkness.
Likewise, the real nature of the mind’s clear light of awareness
Has never been clouded by the cycle of Samsara.
The sun’s inherent nature is to shine brightly. Similarly, the inherent nature of the mind is to be aware perceptively.
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7. You’ll probably conceptualize about the mind in so many ways,
Calling it “empty space’ or ‘clear-light’
But you can’t really explain it in words.
This mind is…insubstantial, and words won’t make awakening happen.
One may refer to mind as “empty” or as “clear light”; but words are insubstantial and they fail to describe it, or make awakening happen.
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8. The real nature of the mind is always right here,
Beginningless, endless,
Like vast space that saturates everything!
So my dear friends, now stop doing anything
To set up your body posture,
Shut your mouth, be quiet, and don’t think
About anything whatsoever.
Simply take this vantage point,
As the teaching beyond all practices.
Simply be there and face whatever comes up. You do not have to think or act in any way.
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9. The body has no substance,
Like the hollow inside of a bamboo stalk.
And the mind, like space itself,
Is beyond any intended meditation object.
So let go of any artificial strategies of meditating.
Let go of meditating.
And when this mind reflects itself to itself,
Right here is Mahamudra awakening.
We are made up of our thoughts that have no real substance. There is nothing to meditate upon. Just BE there.
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10. You will not see the clear-light of Mahamudra
By chanting mantras,
Reading the wisdom texts or sutras on emptiness,
Or, by practicing ethical precepts.
When the [ordinary] mind [incessantly reacts]
By moving away from practices it dislikes
And moving toward practices it likes
You stay obscured and will not see
The clear-light of Mahamudra-awakening.
Mahamudra is not accessible through practices that the mind is traditionally conditioned to, or it reacts to through likes and dislikes.
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11. Having ideas about how you routinely keep your vows,
Trying to conceptualize how you might [awaken],
Just makes to stray from this truth.
This truth is beyond the reactivity of the mind
Moving away or moving toward anything.
Don’t particularize anything,
And whatever seems to arise by itself,
Immediately becomes calm by itself,
And so the mind remains like a still pool of water.
The truth of how you might awaken is beyond the reactivity of the mind. You cannot conceptualize it. You just have to let it happen.
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12. Never leave That-ness, but don’t stay in it either,
And don’t try to represent it.
Simply vow never to leave it,
And nothing will obscure the flames [of awakening!].
Beyond the reactivity of the [ordinary] mind
Moving toward and moving away,
Not trying to stay, not even trying to see it,
Then you will see everything there is to see!
Don’t try to be. Simply Be without thinking and acting. Then you see everything there is to see!
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13. Conduct an examination-meditation right now on the Truth,
And you will become liberated from the prison of Samsara.
Then, in you samadhi-meditation, right now,
The flames of this Truth will burn up
All the bad karma and obscurations.
Those who are unable to appreciate this Truth
Toss about in the sea of Samsara.
As you examine the truth and meditate upon it, you become liberated from the concerns of this existence, as all your doubts, perplexities and confusions are resolved.
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14. Those foolish beings who continuously get caught up
In negative states of misery and sorrow.
All these sorry folks who wish to be free,
Need only depend on the teacher’s pointing out instructions.
Freedom does not come from wishing, postulating or making efforts toward it. Freedom comes from following the natural evolution. Natural evolution is the invisible teacher.
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15. So my friends, everything that exists within Samsara
Is only the cause of suffering, not the cause of Truth.
The essence of this teaching is: to do nothing,
Other than taking the vantage point of what is the essence of Truth.
The cause of suffering is the existence itself because it does not provide the vantage point of Truth. You have to let go of the conditioning of this world and simply seek that vantage point.
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16. The King of Views is: Going beyond subject/object duality
The King of Meditation is: Holding this vantage point uninterruptedly.
The King of Practice is: Do nothing. Do not search for anything.
Be without any expectation of gain or fear of failure,
And your realization will directly come to fruition.
The duality simply represents the two ends of a scale that extends to infinity on both sides. Meditate on the whole scale rather than on either end. Do nothing. Just let your awareness straighten itself out.
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17. So now move beyond any intended meditation object
To the real nature of the mind’s awareness
Self-illuminating itself to itself.
There is no path to walk….
and you are already facing Buddha-mind as your mind.
And when you are familiar with what it’s like meditating in this way,
Without any intended meditation object,
And it is perfect, now you awaken!
Ultimately there is no object to meditate on, there is no path to walk. The mind is simply immersed in its own awareness. Now you are awaken.
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18. So my friends, please understand me well.
Everything that seems to exist in this world is impermanent,
Like a mirage or a dream,
And as such, mirages and dreams are not the Truth.
Everything that we see, feel and experience are appearances. They are projections of our mind. They are impermanent. The truth is much deeper.
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19. So at least for now put aside everyday activities,
Break connection with [ordinary] sensory experience.
It only generates more desire and aversion.
Dwell in the forests or mountains and meditate.
Yet, [above all] stay in this vantage point of non-meditation,
And when you don’t try to attain it,
You will attain Mahamudra-awakening.
Realize that ordinary sensory experience is simply a reaction to something much deeper. Desire and aversion are part of this reaction. When you go beyond this reaction, you attain Mahamudra.
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20. The leaves and branches of a tree
Wither and wilt when its roots are cut.
Likewise, cut the roots of the mind,
And the leaves and branches of Samsara end.
The roots of the mind is its reaction to things. That generates all the experience.
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21. The smallest lamp can eliminate darkness
That has accumulated for thousands of eons.
Likewise, a single flame of the clear-light
Of the mind’s awareness self-illuminating itself to itself,
In a single instant,
Eliminates all the ignorance, obscurations, and defilements,
That have accumulated for eons.
It only takes a simple realization that reaction is at the root of all experience, to remove all accumulated ignorance in a single instant.
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22. So my friends, don’t conceptualize this,
Or you won’t see the Truth that is beyond all conceptualization.
Don’t engage in any artificial meditation strategies,
Or you won’t see the Truth that is beyond all doing.
So if you want this Truth,
It is beyond all conceptualization
And all artificial meditation strategies.
The truth is beyond all conceptualization and artificial meditation strategies.
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23. Use your sword of emptiness everywhere,
And cut to the root,
And hold the vantage point freshly.
Purify the muddy water of conceptualizing
Until it becomes clear.
Ease up so you let whatever arises
Come forth in its own right [self-contentedly].
Don’t do anything.
Do not make anything happen
Nor prevent anything from happening.
The following is a tall order in meditation: Don’t do anything; do not make anything happen nor prevent anything from happening.
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24. Do not hold onto anything, nor let anything go,
And right here, is Mahamudra-awakening,
And you are freed from Samsara.
All that obscures, even the subtlest propensities cease.
The awakened mind, always right here,
Self-illuminates the storehouse of all potential experience.
Be just what you are. You will reduce to your simplest, continuous, harmonious and consistent form automatically.
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25. Complete liberation from all extreme [views].
This is the Supreme View.
Wide and deep and limitless.
This is the Supreme Meditation.
Beyond any intention or cutting anything off.
This is the Supreme Practice.
Beyond all expectation of outcome or fear of failure,
The mind frees itself.
This is the Supreme Fruition.
In the deepest meditation you reside in the widest context possible. Nothing is avoided or excluded.
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26. At first awakening the mind is like a fast-moving waterfall.
Then, it flows gently like the vast Ganges,
And finally, it is a great ocean wherein
The infant of individual consciousness
And the dharmakaya mother consciousness
Flow into one another.
When the mind first awakens there is a lot that flows quickly towards ultimate resolution.
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27. For those less intelligent who can’t stay [continuously]
In the vantage point of awakened wisdom [once you taste it]
You can [once again] stay on the breath,
And distill the nectar of awareness
With many concentration practices,
[And when your concentration is strong again]
Above all learn to hold the vantage point of awareness-itself
If you happen to attain the vantage point of awakened wisdom, but then lose it, you can attain it again with much concentrated practice.
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28. If you take that vantage point as your support,
Awakened Wisdom arises, its radiance, its emptiness.
Through empowerment, entering samadhi, then insight,
[The seeds of] this Awakened Wisdom
Are gently drawn into the mandala [in your heart],
Then manifest in various sites in your body,
Then saturate your entire being.
When you don’t grasp for it,
Awakened Wisdom arises, its radiance, its emptiness.
Once you attain that vantage point of Mahamudra, support yourself with it, and let it express itself through your entire being.
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29. You will seem ageless and healthy like the waxing moon.
You become radiant.
You’ll seem to have the strength of a lion,
And all the ordinary [positive states]
And special powers of a Buddha will flourish.
This is my oral advice to you, my friends,
On the essence of Mahamudra-awakening.
Let it stay uninterruptedly in your heart,
And in the hearts of all sentient beings!
Mahamudra expresses itself though perfect health and beingness.
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Vinaire’s Summary
This Song of Mahamudra provides instructions that may help you alleviate your sufferings (verse 1).
Mahamudra is is a viewpoint from which to observe without fixed ideas, prejudices or beliefs. Simply let go of such ideas, attitudes and beliefs (verse 2).
Beyond these ideas, prejudices and beliefs is pure awareness. When you cease to have any fixations, you are simply experiencing awareness (verse 3).
Ideas appear in the mind, form into different shapes, float around and then disappear just like clouds do in the sky. They have no real permanence (verse 4).
The essence of mind is emptiness. It is empty of all phenomena, ideas, prejudices and beliefs (verse 5).
The sun’s inherent nature is to shine brightly. Similarly, the inherent nature of the mind is to be aware perceptively (verse 6).
One may refer to mind as “empty” or as “clear light”; but words are insubstantial and they fail to describe it, or make awakening happen (verse 7).
Simply be there and face whatever comes up. You do not have to think or act in any way (verse 8 ).
We are made up of our thoughts that have no real substance. There is nothing to meditate upon. Just BE there (verse 9).
Mahamudra is not accessible through practices that the mind is traditionally conditioned to, or it reacts to through likes and dislikes (verse 10).
The truth of how you might awaken is beyond the reactivity of the mind. You cannot conceptualize it. You just have to let it happen (verse 11).
Don’t try to be. Simply Be without thinking and acting. Then you see everything there is to see (verse 12)!
As you examine the truth and meditate upon it, you become liberated from the concerns of this existence, as all your doubts, perplexities and confusions are resolved (verse 13).
Freedom does not come from wishing, postulating or making efforts toward it. Freedom comes from following the natural evolution. Natural evolution is the invisible teacher (verse 14).
The cause of suffering is the existence itself because it does not provide the vantage point of Truth. You have to let go of the conditioning of this world and simply seek that vantage point (verse 15).
The duality simply represents the two ends of a scale that extends to infinity on both sides. Meditate on the whole scale rather than on either end. Do nothing. Just let your awareness straighten itself out (verse 16).
Ultimately there is no object to meditate on, there is no path to walk. The mind is simply immersed in its own awareness. Now you are awaken (verse 17).
Everything that we see, feel and experience are appearances. They are projections of our mind. They are impermanent. The truth is much deeper (verse 18).
Realize that ordinary sensory experience is simply a reaction to something much deeper. Desire and aversion are part of this reaction. When you go beyond this reaction, you attain Mahamudra (verse 19).
The roots of the mind is its reaction to things. That generates all the experience (verse 20).
It only takes a simple realization that reaction is at the root of all experience, to remove all accumulated ignorance in a single instant (verse 21).
The truth is beyond all conceptualization and artificial meditation strategies (verse 22).
The following is a tall order in meditation: Don’t do anything; do not make anything happen nor prevent anything from happening (verse 23).
Be just what you are. You will reduce to your simplest, continuous, harmonious and consistent form automatically (verse 24).
In the deepest meditation you reside in the widest context possible. Nothing is avoided or excluded (verse 25).
When the mind first awakens there is a lot that flows quickly towards ultimate resolution (verse 26).
If you happen to attain the vantage point of awakened wisdom, but then lose it, you can attain it again with much concentrated practice (verse 27).
Once you attain that vantage point of Mahamudra, support yourself with it, and let it express itself through your entire being (verse 28).
Mahamudra expresses itself though perfect health and beingness (verse 29).
NOTE: This graph plots the levels of any disturbance as a function of frequency. The disturbance levels are defined in terms of the doubling of frequency. The basic disturbance DL0 has a frequency of 1 (20). The subsequent disturbance levels (DL1, DL2, DL3 … DLn.) have frequencies of 21 (2), 22 (4), 23 (8) … 2n. It can be seen from this graph that negative disturbance levels may be postulated to exist with the halving of frequency. The frequency never reaches the zero of ground state. As long as some frequency is present, awareness is also present in some form.
Theoretically, awareness arises when ground state is disturbed. Awareness has a certain frequency, which gives it the form of “light”. And, thus, there is consciousness..
Awareness has a certain frequency, which gives it the form of “light”.
The undisturbed ground state has no characteristics, definition or form. It is simply undefined. When disturbance is present, there is a frequency that has the characteristics of wave-length and period. These characteristics provide definition in terms of extent and duration. Thus there is form, which appears as finite against the background of ground state.
Any characteristic, definition, or form is finite relative to ground state. However, it may be considered to have a large range extending from “negative infinity” to “positive infinity.”
The form is defined by extent and duration against the background of undefined ground state.
The extent and duration of form are defined by the dimensions of space and time respectively. Since the basic form is defined against the background of ground state, space and time are also defined against that background. Thus space and time are differentiated from spacelessness and timelessness of ground state.
Extent and duration of form are defined by the dimensions of space and time.
This separation of form (from ground state) introduces the idea of a space-time boundary of awareness, which can still be conceived as infinite. This leads to the visualization of a spherical boundary on which any linear progression would appear to have neither beginning nor end. A spherical boundary also meets the requirements of symmetry in the absence of defining conditions.
This universe of awareness has a space-time boundary that is spherical.
As the disturbance levels increase, the frequency increases, the wave-length shrinks, and the period shortens. This provides denser forms. It is as if the disturbance folds over itself to provide the denser appearance. Thus there is a dimension of increasing density.
An atom could be visualized as a homogenous structure with the most condensed nuclear layer at the core and the least condensed electronic layer on the outside. This provides a picture of an atom with layers of increasing density who spacing is tightly determined by the the frequency, wave-length, and period of the disturbance, Sub-atomic particles are likely to be generated when this structure of the atom is impacted.
With increasing frequency, denser layers of form emerge within the lighter layers.
As disturbance levels increase, the various layers of form interact with each other to generate complex forms. Thus come about an infinite variety and diversity of forms. The forms of houses, trees, roads, business, people, etc., come together through placement in space to generate a complex city. Similarly, the forms of musical notes may come together through sequencing in time to generate a beautiful melody.
The layers of form interact with each other to generate complex forms.
Scientologists make a big deal about being suppressed by social and governmental institutions like psychiatry and IRS. They always have legal battles waging against their perceived critics.
Scientology worships individuality in the form of “thetan.” Hubbard was critical of the idea of “nirvana” of Buddhism. The individual scientologist screams loudly of being invalidated, the moment they hear anything said against their idea of self. One gets a strong sense of “I am right and you are wrong,” when talking to a scientologist.
On various blogs discussing matters related to Scientology, there is no genuine discussion possible. There would be endless advice imparted that uses scientology ideology and vocabulary. But the moment one insists on anything that differs from Scientology ideology, one is accused of preaching.
Scientologists can be very suppressive to ideas that do not agree with their ideology. But they are quick in identifying themselves as victim of suppression from the society.
