Hi, Paul! You posted this in the Jokes section "
Not sure which thread to place this in but here goes: Instead of trying to change one-self perhaps this'll work easier:????
Thoughts to ponder and contemplate:
Accept everything about yourself - I mean everything, You are you and that is the beginning and the end - no apologies, no regrets. -Clark Moustakas
I also couldn't find a thread that sounded right for adding some comment to what you posted.
Thanks, it's really been an eye opener, in spite of what ignorant people may judgementally say about the Forum , this is the buffet wher one can find plenty food for thoughts!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I think that for BKs as well as for most people who undertake some spiritual path, one of the reasons to do that, is the desire to improve one's personality, getting rid of bad/old habits, etc ...
The reason why I thought I should copy Paul's post onto this thread, is because it seems to me that in the BKWSU, the main method used for "purification", of character, is suppression and pretence of perfection. This combination can result in a lot of harm and waste of time, because issues are denied, rather than faced. So, thank you Paul, I will think about it further. Probably this method of accepting the self first, and I could add, not feeling guilty about our shortcomings, can be experimented with, in any circumstance, and it allows us to watch ourselves more objectively, without expectations or judgements. This creates more favorable conditions for growth and real, deep transformation to occur.
The perspective, then, becomes totally different, and by accepting and loving the self unconditionally, there's a better chance that the self will cooperate in giving up negativies, and weaknesses, that are our dependencies, our "comfort zones". How would we allow anyone to drag us out of those unless we feel "relaxed" and safe? It 'd be like having some one to pull the carpet from under your feet! And since defects are actually weaknesses, what we probably need to do is, first of all, empowering the self, once again, through acceptance. So the process, from " I will love you when and if you change", becomes " I love you, and this will help you change."
Does it make sense?
Baba talks about variety of elements as normal and necessary in the creation of a New Age, different contributions, roles and actors, different flowers adding beauty to the bouquet. Why then we often don't get accepted unless we show total obedience and we conform, rather than just " being", confident that the spiritual family and its patriarchs will accept us?
Is it because an organization-not a school- needs for its own survival, people that are ready to follow blindly, sacrifice their personality and bend to any request, renouncing any personal needs for the "higher cause", or to "feed the beast", the Leviathan?