We have some informal chat after every arti, the "post-arti party"! But once a week, Jeff Wolverton joins us for some serious mining of the spiritual depths. Join us for conversation, more readings, songs, quotes - you never know what treasures will be uncovered! This Sunday, we are continuing with the chapter, “Changing Our Address” on page 95 in Darwin Shaw’s book, Effort and Grace. Here he delves into the subject of what Baba refers to as the “provisional ego”, which Darwin sa...
We have some informal chat after every arti, the "post-arti party"! But once a week, Jeff Wolverton joins us for some serious mining of the spiritual depths. Join us for conversation, more readings, songs, quotes - you never know what treasures will be uncovered!
This Sunday, we are continuing with the chapter, “Changing Our Address” on page 95 in Darwin Shaw’s book, Effort and Grace. Here he delves into the subject of what Baba refers to as the “provisional ego”, which Darwin says is the shortest path to merging with Baba. But this requires that thinking of Baba as the doer has to become less of an exercise and more and more our actual experience. Ideally, we are vacating our premises, so to speak, and letting Baba be the new resident while we move into our new quarters as the witness. Your sharing of your own experiences and challenges with this ongoing transition are wholeheartedly welcomed.
First, an invaluable quote by Baba on the "provisional ego” (provisional meaning temporary, a substitute arranged for the time being only):
Think of me in everything you do. Eat, dance, but forget yourself in the action and think of me instead. This is union through action. The less you think of yourself and the more you think of Baba, the sooner the ego goes and Baba remains. When you — ego — go entirely, I am one with you. So bit by bit, you have to go. Today your nose, tomorrow your ears, then your eyes, your hands, everything.
Think of me when you eat, sleep, see and hear. Enjoy everything, but think it is all Baba. Baba enjoys it. Baba is eating. Sleep soundly in Baba, and when you wake up remember it is Baba getting up. Keep this one thought constantly with you. If you do wrong, then think it is Baba doing wrong. If you get a pain, think it is Baba getting a pain. Then it will be all the time Baba ... Try to forget yourself and do all for Baba. Let it be Baba all the time!
It might be said that the provisional ego is the last train stop in Creation. As I mentioned, it usually begins as a mental exercise, but ultimately the truth behind the provisional ego needs to be revealed in us through experience. That is, the provisional ego is useful as a concept, but it has to eventually become a reality.
One day we will realize that all along it has been Baba living what we have always claimed as our life! It really is Baba who gets up in the morning and lives our day, not us. It was Baba who went back for the extra helping of roast turkey and dressing on Thanksgiving!
In watching a movie, for example, we may find ourselves identifying with one of the characters so that when that character is in danger, we feel we are in danger, when they succeed, we succeed, when they fall in love we fall in love. In the end, however, when the credits come up, we know that it was all a projection on our part. We get so identified with the character in the movie that we become that character for the time being. But Baba has said that It has never been us. He is the One who plays all the roles. That is, it is Baba who is living the life we see on the screen before us, and we are projecting our consciousness on to Him, and claiming that we are the one who is living this life! This is our colossal mistake.
In lifetime after lifetime, we identify with the character before us and are pulled into the whole illusion of Creation. What we are being asked to do is to remain fully aware of Creation, but not identify with anything in it. Or put in another way, to be aware that everything and everyone is Baba. Such a detachment, Baba says, is not sterile or passive, but is a state of flowing and dynamic responsiveness to life characterized by a loving spontaneity that always leaves our consciousness free! In this way, love is finally liberated from being bound by Creation and can express itself in each moment as it wishes, unrestrained by what our personality wants.
Baba has said that we are really infinite, but we identify with the mind, and "instantly we become a person. If we didn’t do this, we would remain the Infinite that we really are."
All this is a very tall, tall order from Baba. Bit by bit “we” have to go. I know we all sometimes feel in certain moments that Baba is working through us or eclipsing us in a particular situation. We may feel Him watching us. And now it all has to be reversed, little by little, so that it is us watching Him live what we formerly called “our" life. The mandali have said that people are just playing their roles. They are not really their roles; it is really Baba in disguise.
What a huge challenge! This requires an unfathomable effort that is truly ongoing.
All my love in our Beloved Baba, Jeff
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