Why Spirituality?

(Start of a new book).

Previously Raymond Pattison wrote about his ten years as a monk in India. Then about spiritual matters with foundation spiritual philosophy derived from ancient Indian writings. After leaving India in 1976 Raymond became a mental health professional, qualifying in 1980.

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In the previous book Therapeutic Journey to Self-Realisation there was a focus on traditional Spirituality connected with some mental health perspectives. Some writing was about therapy involving depression, anxiety and addiction, etc., using the labels of mental health disorders. The preferred view was that mental health is inclusive in our Journey as a Waymarker on ourroute.It doesn’t define us, only advises where we are. (Mental health in its entirety is inseparable from life in its entirety).

Now only realisation and enlightenment are sought as this new books outcome. If we have a higher state of being both spiritual and live in the world, as both human and transcendental, then we are:

Practically Enlightened or Realistically Realised

For this book we meet Alex who contacted me via my website, to better follow his spiritual path with some advice about practices, Alex also was dealing with some long standing issues – especially severe anxiety. However we quickly established a weekly “session” where we placed mental health into the context of the wider picture of real spiritual practice which transcends all of Life and the Universe.

Here (in following blogs), are partial transcripts of what we said followed by some summaries.

The transcripts may have a note on who is the speaker.

(The summaries are AI generated)

N.B. Summaries relate to the complete conversation

6

What Inner child?

Next is part two of the dialogue…..

R

So Alex, you cannot heal your inner child. It’s not resolvable.

There is a solution. I’m saying you can’t resolve it because you have to surrender your ego identity. Because you can’t resolve something for the ego, as the ultimate truth is the ego cannot resolve its own suffering.

And then when you bypass the ego, you don’t even need a mantra,

We are getting rid of the unpleasant life. You are a divine being in a divine world. No teacher’s going to teach that. No school is going to teach that. Nobody’s going to teach that.

Who’s going to put that in the curriculum?

Or ask questions.

Who is hearing those thoughts?

Who am I?

What am I?

A

No, I don’t think he’s going to happen. If we bring up the corporate world, it’s already happening. Meditation and mindfulness has traction.

People are doing this for ulterior reasons. They want to modify, codify,

Make the ego more functional to be more of a better ego.

Not bolstering their Transcendence.

if parents are interested in doing it, they can teach their children at home.

But it’s usually in religious terms, you know?

We’re here to reach out for people who have no religion or no following.

We have a case, like in my case, a condition. And we say, look, the medication is not doing it. We have, we have an inner child that has traumatized all of us. And we’re prone to mental health problems,

addiction problems, all sorts of problems. And we’re trying to function in the world that seems very hostile or very dysfunctional. Or very dangerous, and fearful.

R

I don’t have an opinion. I just do my mantras to stay safe and sane. And that’s all I do. I just rely on the sound. I’m taking a medication. Which is the mantra.

I’d like to say to people, you know, here’s the wonderful news. Hang on to that. Hang on to this and you’ll be okay.

I don’t have that. I just do the mantras. You just go into the sound. You just go into your meditation state.

Maybe some exercises if you have a lot of cognitive problems, like ruminations, catastrophizing.

Maybe a bit of relaxation. Practice with the Prana. Yeah, the breathing.

I can’t write a book saying, oh, you know, read this book and you’ll be fine. Sorry, don’t have it.

As you know, we don’t die. Nobody dies, okay? Nothing ceases to exist.

Everything carries on forever. Eternally.

So there is no inner child, outer child, no nothing. (From this perspective). There’s just a load of stuff going on, which we label. (By psychiatrists/psychologists/ therapists.

But if you go back thousands of years, people already understood what was going on. They said, no, there isn’t anything. This is an illusion. The whole thing is like a dream. We’re in a dream and it’s pretty crazy, most of the time. Real dreams are more crazy.

Our lives are pretty crazy, most of the time, but we think somehow they’re sane.

Our children, our jobs, our relationships, they’re all sane. They’re meaningful. And then you die. It’s all gone. End.

And what happens then? Well, maybe in the afterlife, you meet your mum and dad and your brother or whoever.

The visions are not sane either. The whole thing is an illusion. Maya.

It seems to exist.

And all we need to do is say: I am who I am. I’m a divine being in a divine world. That’s it.

You’re no less equal than God or no more than God.

You’re not God, you’re not anything.

You’re not, but you’re not just a human blob either.

you’re part of that cosmic consciousness.

And you can call it God if you like.

Don’t like to use the word God or Divine much.

Many people don’t gel with that.

They think, oh, no, we’re not divine at all.

You can see – my ice cream is divine.

That’s the wrong sort of word.

We just need the concepts of, as you say, molecules bouncing around the sound of the universe. The cosmic energy, whatever you want to call it.

It doesn’t need to be religious.

Connect. It’s a connection like a wire going into the plug. But what’s behind the plug in the wall? Yeah, that’s where we were going. We’re just trying to connect to the power behind the plug. The final place where all the electricity comes from.

A

I have a provocative question to ask.

It seems to be conflict. You’re saying, use mantra to go through the pain. But mantra is not, in my opinion, going through the pain. It’s blocking the pain.

It is like a poor quality medication. Doesn’t really remove the pain.

It helps a little bit though. And if you’re desperate and you have no medication it’s better than nothing.

R

The mantra doesn’t really work that way. The mantra is something you get into over lifetimes, many lifetimes maybe. Gradually you understand the power of the sound. Then sometimes when you get to that level, the mantra can help you to transcend pain.

Generally speaking, panadol or opium is better!

It’s about living in awareness of death. We go into other planets and sit in our cocoon, and float in the cosmic consciousness. We do that a lot once we’re used to doing the mantra. Then we come back because we’ve got a body. So you have to go through your karma. That’s the rules of the universe. You have to live in your body, even if you’ve got some bad stuff.

This is why the some say, oh no, you can’t have euthanasia, because you’ve got to live through it.

Personally, I don’t really care.Give me the drugs, you know!  Anyway, it’s a logical idea that you’ve got to live through it all, because you’ve got to undergo the results of your own behaviors.

So I agree that you can’t have euthanasia. But I also agree with euthanasia as well. I agree with both parties. And when it comes to the crunch, I make my own decision.

I’ll either say, oh no, I’m going to suffer without the drugs.

Or I’ll say no, give me the top quality end of life drugs and I’ll go to Switzerland and end it all.

A

A

I see we might be going over the same type of questions, and discussions.

Today is important to put a dot on seeking, seeking a solution and finding out for inner child healing. We are talking about the present moment also.

R

Inner child, yes. Got Trauma? Have therapy, see a therapist, see a psychiatrist. See people for years and years, to try and work it out, to try and heal the inner child.

I gave up on that. I’m out of here. I’m out of that inner child. I’m going to become a monk. No inner child left. Doesn’t exist. Gone.

Then I came back from that. Then I realized, yes, there is an inner child.

But I’m not going to treat it. I’m just going to go and accept it as it is.

And if it drives me to be psychotic or an addict or whatever, so be it.

But I’m not going to label myself as mentally diagnosed as this or that. I’m not going to have that label. It isn’t my problem, actually. It’s the body, mind problem. Just as when I die, it isn’t my problem. Let the dead bury the dead, as they say.

Abandon the inner child. That sounds terrible, doesn’t it?

Otherwise, you’ll never be free from it. You’ll be bound to trying to heal it all the time. And you spend your whole life trying to heal it all the time.

And the inner child will say, Oh, feed me, help me. Don’t leave me, don’t abandon me.

You don’t have to kill the inner child. You have to kill the ego.

And that’s terrible also.

No, don’t you want to do that?

I understand that you might strongly disagree with me. And I think that 99.9% of people will strongly disagree with what I’m saying.

They are identified as, well: this is my life, this is my career, this is my wife, my husband, and these are my children, my grandchildren.

I’m not going to abandon that. No way.

I’m just saying when the pain becomes painful enough, and when you come to rock bottom, and then you go beyond rock bottom, you suddenly find you’re dead, (in the water).

You don’t have an inner child. You don’t have an outer child. You don’t have any identity anymore.

You’re gone.

Then people say, oh well, he didn’t have a chance. he wasn’t a bad guy.

He was just there and it was all terrible, suffering.

But what purpose?

Perhaps it’s all about taking on people’s sin, or in Hindu terms, it’s about taking on your karma, removing your Samskaras.

Samskaras are accumulated version of all your previous lives. Biffing them out of the window leads to this Nirvana/Moksha.

Eventually, you leave it all behind and there’s nothing.

A

But can we put it in a one or two sentences?

How do you see a first step to become enlightened?

Or what is the important thing to say?

What can I do?

The first step is to accept that, yes, I have an ego identity.

I believe that I’m this person and I do this and I do that and all these things are important to me. I accept that they are important, and I believe in it and so forth.

And the next step is to say, is that of any value or purpose?

They say, yeah, I need to pay bills, I need to raise family,

I need to…

R

I’m not saying isn’t or is.

I’m just saying you need to ask the questions.

Who am I?

What am I?

What’s my real purpose here?

Where am I going?

Am I going into another life after death?

You go on and on and on.

You do it for a hundred thousand years.

Whereas the Christian say all it ends if you got born again.

If you got born- again, that’s great. I’m not going to compete with Christianity.

So and now we are touching the biggest problem.

Where you get born again, but you don’t get born again, necessarily through a religion, but you get born again into your true identity.

Of who am I?

What am I?

What’s my purpose?

If you do it through Buddhism, that’s great.

If you can find a Hindu, Guru, Get the mantras and you get past all that Samsara – the world, the world going around and around.

And you get past all your rebirths.

This is Kaliyuga. (The Dark Era). One era. There are many other eras. Many other worlds. And they will change over time. So you start to understand, I’m nothing.

But then I’m anything that could happen as per the design

of the universe.

The dinosaurs could come back. Tomorrow.

They won’t come back tomorrow. (Maybe next Tuesday)

Psychology is new. Psychiatry is very new. It’s a three-month-old infant in terms of where we’ve come from over tens of thousands of years of wisdom.

All these modern things that they think are wonderful are just like little tiny blips, the therapies are things that appeared yesterday, in terms of the universal time.

If you go back tens of thousands of years there was intense wisdom about all the meaning of everything – already there. We lost some of that, of course, and now we’re trying to find it again. Maybe through modern therapy, or now AI.

A

Human beings are based throughout the body.

Oh, the body, yeah.

R

And that’s why I do the Kundalini mantras.

It’s all in my books. Anyway, the whole thing I’ve promoted.

Simply by dropping into the body using the key mantras for various chakra centers.,

Even if you’re driving, or if you’re in the shopping mall.

You do it because you’re in the body, and the body is in the body of the world.

But first of all, you have to be say, well, yeah, I’d like to try that.

I’d like to try that mantra for anger, or lust, or whatever it is you’re feeling.

There’s mantras for all of that stuff. But there’s advanced practice.

And I don’t give that out to anyone. You know, although in my books I’ve talked about that Kundalini

You’ve got to come and talk to the teacher about that before it becomes real.

Summary of Dialogue on Inner Child Healing and Ego

• Ego and Inner Child: Healing the inner child requires surrendering the ego; the ego cannot resolve its own suffering.
• Meditation and Mindfulness: These practices are gaining traction in the corporate world but often serve to enhance ego functionality rather than transcendence.
• Acceptance: Embracing the inner child without labeling oneself as mentally ill is crucial; the focus should be on accepting one’s existence.
• Questions of Existence: Individuals should explore their identity and purpose beyond societal roles.
• Ancient Wisdom: Modern psychology is a recent development compared to ancient wisdom regarding existence and consciousness.

What is the perspective on the relationship between meditation and the corporate world?

Meditation and mindfulness are gaining traction within the corporate world, indicating that these practices are already being integrated into that environment. However, there is scepticism about the motivations behind this trend, implying that people may be using meditation for ulterior reasons, such as enhancing their ego rather than fostering true transcendence. Overall, there can be a disconnect between the spiritual essence of meditation and its adoption in a corporate context.

What is the perspective on the relationship between the ego and the inner child?

The perspective on the relationship between the ego and the inner child is that the ego obstructs the healing of the inner child. The argument is that the ego cannot resolve its own suffering, and thus, to address the inner child’s pain, one must surrender the ego identity. Instead of trying to heal the inner child, individuals could accept its existence while focusing on transcending the ego.

What is the relationship between the ego and suffering?

The relationship between the ego and suffering as one where the ego is inherently tied to the experience of pain and cannot resolve its own suffering. The ego’s identity and attachments contribute to ongoing distress, making it impossible for the ego to find true resolution. To alleviate suffering, one must surrender the ego and move beyond its limitations to access a deeper understanding of self and existence.

What is the concept of the inner child?

The concept of the inner child as something that exists, but should not be treated as a separate entity requiring constant healing. Instead, they advocate for accepting the inner child as it is, without the need to abandon or overly focus on it. Recognizing the inner child’s presence is important, but true freedom comes from surrendering the ego, rather than trying to heal the inner child continuously.

What is necessary to transcend pain?

To transcend pain, one must gradually understand the power of spiritual practice, with a strong inclination towards mantra sounds.  Ultimately surrender the ego identity. By moving beyond the ego, individuals can access a deeper state of awareness and acceptance, allowing them to transcend their suffering. This process involves recognizing the limitations of the ego and embracing a more profound connection to one’s true self and the universe.

What is the role of the ego in resolving suffering according to the dialogue?

According to the dialogue, the role of the ego in resolving suffering is fundamentally limited, as the ego cannot effectively resolve its own pain or suffering. True resolution requires surrendering the ego identity, as the ego is tied to attachment and the cycle of suffering. Ultimately, the dialogue suggests that bypassing the ego is essential for achieving a deeper understanding and acceptance of one’s experiences.

What is the relationship between the ego and the inner child?

The relationship between the ego and the inner child as one where the ego is a barrier to resolving the inner child’s pain. They argue that the ego cannot heal its own suffering, and thus, to address inner child issues, one must surrender the ego identity. By bypassing the ego, individuals can accept the inner child as it is, without the need for constant healing or intervention.

How does the concept of mantra relate to experiencing pain?

The concept of mantra relates to experiencing pain by providing a means to cope with and temporarily alleviate it, acting as a form of mental medication. While mantras may not fully resolve pain, they can help individuals transcend it over time as they deepen their understanding of the sound’s power. Ultimately, mantras are seen as a supportive practice that aids in navigating pain rather than eliminating it entirely.

What is the significance of doing mantras?

The significance of doing mantras, lies in their ability to help individuals stay safe and sane amidst a hostile and dysfunctional world. Mantras serve as a form of meditation that connects practitioners to their bodies and the universe, facilitating a deeper awareness and transcendence of pain. Ultimately, they are viewed as a vital tool for maintaining mental and emotional well-being.

What are the key mantras mentioned for various chakra centres?

The text does not specify any key mantras for various chakra centres. It only mentions that there are mantras for emotions like anger and lus,t but does not provide the actual mantras. For specific mantras, one would need to refer to the author’s books or teachings.

What is the significance of dropping into the body using mantras?

Dropping into the body using mantras helps individuals connect with their physical presence and awareness in the world. It allows for the experience of being grounded and present, even in challenging environments. This practice is seen as a way to navigate emotions and transcend pain over time through the power of sound.

What are the key mantras mentioned for various chakra centers?

The text does not here specify the exact key mantras for various chakra centres. For advanced practices, it suggests consulting a teacher for more information.