Marek,
Good points.
The freedom from ownership (of thoughts, actions, attainments,
achievements, talents, (gf attainemnts?) ), seems to be a natural
lubricant for the smooth(er) functioning and transition to fuller
actualization. I am not sure the reverse is true.
While I can hear some cackling like hyenas at such an audacious
statement, I think actualization is a crown of non-ownership and
non-attachment to boundaries. Non-ownership, on the other hand, is a
grease can for actualization. And Lord knows most know the value of
good lubricants.
As you have pointed out, recent, and IMO, the longer term history of
some posters and teachers, their experiences and claims -- if taken at
face value, tend to weaken any correlation between awakening and
actualization.
And ironically, the popular (perhaps mythodic) "peak experiences" of
actualization, create (even more) detachment from boundaries, and in
the process, produce more "grease". "Peak experiences are situations
that are so intense that the person loses all sense of self and they
find themselves in the flow of the event. These are often religious or
mystical experiences."
In contrast, grease, by itself, does not create actualization. And
sitting in a pool/glob of grease alone, seems unworthy of the being
the crown of human potential.
Regardless, I would rather hang with friends having the following
virtues, over shells of Brahman being THE definitive and defining
value of ones expression of life. Not that the two are mutually
exclusive, but clearly are not epoxied together either.)
* They embrace reality and facts rather than denying truth. (That
is, they love 'truthiness')
* They are spontaneous.
* They are interested in solving problems which may include
personal problems or the emotional conflicts of others.
* They are accepting of themselves and others and lack prejudice.
* independence,
* autonomy,
* a `philosophical' sense of humor,
* a tendency to resist outside pressures
* a general transcendence of the environment rather than a simple
`coping' with it.
Not that these are the greatest of human virtures, but they are culled
from the below articles. (To me all great virtues are inherent
potential in everyone -- waiting to actualize in the garden of
non-ownership and non-attachment to boundaries)
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>
> New.Morning, great topic.
>
> If realization of self is independent of any necessary and
sufficient status of the body
> or mind then actualization would not necessarily reference anything
of realization.
> However, it seems highly unlikely (at least to me) that a truly
actualized individual
> wouldn't also easily apprehend self-awareness. Feels like one
(actualization) would
> freely express the other (enlightenment).
>
> But for some reason it doesn't follow that self-realization
necessarily produces
> actualization. That's my sense of it, at least.
>
> I think that the quest for enlightenment, however, is a useful tool
for actualization.
> One thing most of us (perhaps all) have had is the experience of
long rounding and
> meditation. Kind of like the eastern traditions where the young
spend some time in
> the monastery or the gurukula, in the role of a novice monk or nun.
I would think
> that that's pretty unique life situation. And a fortunate one, too.
>
> What would you say was your path? I've got no argument with
actualization. Alex
> (Stanley), how would you relate the Waking Down teaching to this
axis with
> enlightenment and actualization at the different poles?
>
> Thanks, New.
>
> **
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, new.morning <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> > I am wondering how mnay of us got on the "self-actualization" train,
> > and not the Enlightenment train.*
> >
> > In the mid to late 60's and early 70's, TM, as well as life's quest,
> > was all about actualization (or Actualization) not Enlightnement. The
> > latter was not a term used, AFAIR, and we were a bit shocked when MMY
> > came out with the term "Age of Enlightenment" in the mid 70's.
> >
> > I have a funny skit in my head about two (imaginary) lectures. One on
> > Actualization and the other on Enlightenment, given around 1967-9 at
> > UCLA or Berkeley.
> >
> > The latter given by someone using a lot of Rory/Jim-speak (with
> > perhaps some good rants on the REAL nature of consciousness by in
> > Peter-speak).
> >
> > The former, enthusiastic, glowing, healthy, vibrant 20-30ishs
> > lecturers, on campus, giving an articulate vision of possibilities
> > about human potential.
> >
> > Which line would you have, did you, get in?
> >
> > -----------------------
> > Some definitiions, not necessarily definitive:
> >
> > Self-actualization is a term that has been used in various psychology
> > theories, often in slightly different ways (e.g., Goldstein, Maslow,
> > Rogers). The term was originally introduced by the organismic theorist
> > Kurt Goldstein for the motive to realize all of one's potentialities.
> > In his view, it was the master motive - indeed, the only real motive a
> > person has, all others being merely manifestations of it. However, the
> > concept was brought to prominence in Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of
> > needs theory, as the final level of psychological development that can
> > be achieved when all basic and meta needs are fulfilled and the
> > `actualization' of the full personal potential takes place.
> >
> >
> > According to Kurt Goldstein in his book The Organism: A Holistic
> > Approach to Biology Derived from Pathological Data in Man
> > self-actualization is "the tendency to actualize, as much as possible,
> > its [the organism's] individual capacities", in the world. The
> > tendency for self-actualization is "the only drive by which the life
> > of an organism is determined." [1] Goldstein defined
> > self-actualization as a driving life force that will ultimately lead
> > to maximizing one's abilities and determine the path of one's life.
> >
> > The term was later used by Abraham Maslow in his article, A Theory of
> > Human Motivation. Maslow explicitly defines self-actualization to be
> > "the desire for self-fulfillment, namely the tendency for him [the
> > individual] to become actualized in what he is potentially. This
> > tendency might be phrased as the desire to become more and more what
> > one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming." [2]
> > ...
> >
> > A basic definition from a typical college text book defines self
> > actualization according to Maslow simply as "the full realization of
> > one's potential" without any mention of antiquated Goldstein. [4]
> >
> > A more explicit definition of self actualization according to Maslow
> > is "intrinsic growth of what is already in the organism, or more
> > accurately of what is the organism itselfÂ…self actualization is
> > growth-motivated rather than deficiency-motivated." ...
> >
> >
> > People that have reached self actualization are characterized by
> > certain behaviors. Common traits amongst people that have reached self
> > actualization are as follows: [6]
> >
> > * They embrace reality and facts rather than denying truth.
> > * They are spontaneous.
> > * They are interested in solving problems which may include
> > personal problems or the emotional conflicts of others.
> > * They are accepting of themselves and others and lack prejudice.
> >
> > For Goldstein it was a motive and for Maslow it was a level of
> > development; for both, however, roughly the same kinds of qualities
> > were expressed: independence, autonomy, a tendency to form few but
> > deep friendships, a `philosophical' sense of humor, a tendency to
> > resist outside pressures and a general transcendence of the
> > environment rather than a simple `coping' with it. [7]
> >
> > ...
> >
> > The humanistic approach focuses on healthy, motivated people and tries
> > to determine how they define the `self' while maximizing their
> > potential. [9]
> >
> > People who are self actualized have had peak experiences. Peak
> > experiences are situations that are so intense that the person loses
> > all sense of self and they find themselves in the flow of the event.
> > These are often religious or mystical experiences.
> >
> > ---------------------
> >
> > * (Enlightenement vs Self-Enlightnement is an interesting quetion,
> > given the parallel structure of self-actualization and the implicit
> > "Actualization"
> >
>
