We talked a bit about all goals being “maya”, as it were.
YOU ARE RIGHT, OF COURSE: ALL GOALS [of ego] ARE ONLY INTERMEDIATE GOALS. (The [real, final] goal is awareness.)
THERE ARE OF COURSE PARALLEL VECTORS LEADING TO NOWHERE. MANY LEAD TO STAGNATION ON THE PHYSICAL PLANE, MANY TO INTENSE KARMIC RIBBONS. ONLY THOSE VECTORS LEADING INTO THE FLOW ARE PATHS THAT ARE WORTH FOLLOWING. THOSE WE HAVE SUGGESTED LEAD TO JOY, AND MOST TEACHINGS THAT WE ARE AWARE OF DO LEAD TO THIS. PARALLEL VECTORS ARE THE ILLUSION AND THE MISERY OF THE PHYSICAL PLANE. THE “VALE [valley] OF TEARS” THAT WAS POINTED OUT IN THE BIBLE DEFINES THE ROAD OBSCURED BY MAYA — THE MANIFOLD VECTORS OF THE CHOICES MADE BY THE [negative poles of the] OVERLEAVES. THE TROUBLE IS, THE CHOICES NEVER DO SATISFY THE ESSENCE, AND THERE IS ALWAYS INTERNAL WAR.
THE PHYSICAL PLANE REPRESENTS THE LOWEST STATE OF EXISTENCE. CALL IT “HELL”, IF YOU WISH — IT CERTAINLY FITS. THE ONLY CONCEPT WE WOULD DISAGREE WITH IS THAT THE FRAGMENTED ENTITIES DESIRE A SEPARATION FROM GOD [which they don’t]. THE LONGING [for union with God] IS ALWAYS THERE, EVEN THROUGH COUNTLESS MISTAKES OR POOR CHOICES. LOOK UPON THIS [physical plane] AS A PROVING GROUND, IF YOU WISH. LEARNING THAT THIS IS NOT THE PARADISE THAT YOU INITIALLY THINK IT IS, IS THE GIANT STEP YOU MUST TAKE IN ORDER TO PROGRESS SPIRITUALLY.
WE WOULD SAY THAT A CERTAIN CARELESSNESS ABOUT THE FUTURE IS QUITE A POSITIVE THING. ONE CANNOT DETERMINE WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, NO MATTER HOW SPIRITUAL THEY BECOME, AND ENDLESS SPECULATION LEADS TO NOTHING BUT DESPAIR. ONE SHOULD FEEL A SADNESS THAT THE PERSONALITY EXPERIENCES GUILT FOR ENJOYING THE MOMENT.
THE [negative poles of the] OVERLEAVES ACT AS AN EFFECTIVE BARRIER TO ANY REAL JOY, BECAUSE OF THEIR CONSTANT CONCERN WITH THE FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCES OF ANY ACT IN THE MOMENT. GUILT IS A BUILT-IN FEATURE OF THE PERSONALITY. IT KEEPS YOU ON YOUR TOES. IT ALSO GEARS THE ENTIRE LIFE TO THE FUTURE. ALL ACTION IS BASED UPON FUTURE NEED MORE THAN IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION. THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT ALL OF THE PERSONALITY’S NEEDS AND DESIRES OF A TEMPORAL NATURE SHOULD BE GRATIFIED. [The balanced, centered person responds to the promptings of essence, not the needs of ego.] THE CONFLICT THAT YOU FEEL COMES ABOUT BECAUSE THE PERSONALITY DOES EXACTLY WHAT IT WANTS TO DO ALL OF THE TIME. THE ESSENCE DOES NOT HAVE THE CHANCE TO ACT IN THE MOMENT AND IT GOES TO SLEEP IN ORDER TO AVOID THE CONFLICT. THE FORCES OF “GOOD AND EVIL” THAT YOU FEEL FIGHTING WITHIN YOURSELVES ARE NOT THE ESSENCE FIGHTING THE PERSONALITY, BUT ARE THE OVERLEAVES FIGHTING EACH OTHER.
WE HAVE TOLD YOU ALL THAT THERE IS A WAY THAT YOU CAN USE TO PENETRATE THE VEIL — OR, TRULY, THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS THAT WE HAVE OUTLINED. ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO THAT WILL BRING YOU TO THE BRINK OF AN EXPERIENCE WITH THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF EXISTENCE WILL BRING YOU TO THE REALIZATION OF THE PATH THAT YOU MUST FOLLOW. THIS IS A FANCY WAY OF SAYING THAT YOU MUST HAVE SOME SORT OF A “PSYCHIC” EXPERIENCE THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO SEE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING OUT THERE — OR OUT HERE, IF YOU WISH. NOTHING ELSE WILL CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU HAVE CUT DEEPLY ENOUGH INTO THE MEAT OF THIS TEACHING OR ANY OTHER TEACHING. MANY STILL RESIST WITH BULLDOG TENACITY. NO TEACHING ANSWERS QUESTIONS THAT YOU DO NOT WISH TO HAVE ANSWERED. YOU CAN ALWAYS OBSCURE ANSWERS AT WILL AND TAKE FROM THE TEACHING ONLY WHAT YOU NEED TO GET THROUGH YOUR PRESENT MISERY. ONLY BY EXPERIENCING THE TRUTH DIRECTLY WILL YOU BELIEVE AND CHANGE. THIS MEANS THAT YOU MUST SEE IT YOURSELF. WE CANNOT TELL YOU THAT IT EXISTS AND EXPECT YOU TO FEEL GRATIFIED. YOU MUST EXPERIENCE THIS. YOU MUST WANT TO BE CHANGED. SOME OF THE METHODS WE HAVE SUGGESTED IN THE PAST ARE VALID FOR YOU EVEN NOW, BUT THEY MUST BE UNDERTAKEN WITH POSSIBLE VICTORY IN MIND. THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF DEFEAT THAT MAKES MANY OTHERWISE GOOD STUDENTS FAIL AT THIS JUNCTURE. THEY SAY, IN EFFECT, IT HAS ALWAYS FAILED IN THE PAST AND IT WILL FAIL AGAIN. THE PERSONALITY DOES NOT WISH TO BE ENLIGHTENED.
SOURCE: Michael Teachings Transcripts