Re: Wholeness and Fragmentation
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:04 am
Yes, sure, they are all different.
I guess one could define this kind of "essence" as the human organism minus all conceptual knowledge (and as such minus the acquired personality as well as all other relativistic ideas and beliefs).
Well... I think we have to be more precise.
The personality is not really added on to "essence" (what I would call consciousness) but rather arises in consciousness. The essence/consciousness does not change one bit, it is only clothed in a set of colourful robes (the personality) - but underneath, naked, its still the same.
When you refer to "essence" you seem to be referring to something slightly different, something changeable ... maybe something similar to what Freud called the "Id" (pretty much the instinctual workings of the organism)? Does this come close to your idea of "essence"?
See, to me, essence is simply consciousness - whatever arises: ideas, beliefs, personality, perceptions - arises within consciousness. Consciousness doesn't change, it is as such real - it is reality itself - whatever seems to change are only appearances... they come and go, but consciousness remains.
Whatever may develop from state A into state B is an appearance within consciousness - it is ultimately not real - eg: the personality: it is not actually real, it is only "conceptually real". Now, whatever is only "conceptually real" may be changed, developed, organised, made better or worse - its all good or bad - but consciousness itself is not affected by these changes in the slightest - it remains as it always was: real.
All "qualities" can only be developed within the conceptual framework of me and other - and within this framework they may be developed or not, it doesn't correct the initial mistake: that people are trying to achieve wholeness/unity from the (illusory) belief of oneself being a fragment, a separate piece that might develop into something whole - the issue is: the fragment is illusory in the first place! - how much time do you want to spend trying to put together what has never been broken?Nick_A wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 3:48 am The sacred emotions of love, faith, and hope, can only be developed in essence. Prof Needleman is describing our potential to allow these sacred qualities to develop regardless of societal pressures to deny them through imitation of what he experiences around him