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Manly P. Hall’s Lessons of Self-Unfoldment (Part 2): Truth-Seeker’s Lonely Path To Wisdom

Jason Cooper — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:40:50 +0000

Read part 1 of the series: ‘Manly P. Hall’s Lessons of Self-Unfoldment (Part 1): Personal Growth’.

I wish to share with you selected passages from the book ‘Self-unfoldment by Disciplines of Realization’ written by Manly P. Hall.

This book contains many wise lessons and practical instructions on how we can penetrate deep within ourselves so to understand the Truth of who we are, and how we fit into this universal existence.

The ultimate aim is to attain the self-knowledge for us to grow effortlessly towards wisdom and a blessed life.

I am still in the process of reading this fascinating book, and will endeavor to post more enlightening and insightful passages as I go along.

From ‘Chapter 1 – Theory of Disciplines’:

II

Metaphysical disciplines are not to be regarded as competitive exercises in which one vies with another in the magnitude of his imaginings, or yearns toward some metaphysical aristocracy. All metaphysical exercises worthy of the name are an unfolding of self into the light of virtue, beauty, and wisdom.

The illustration for this lesson is taken from the Zen school of Chinese art. It is the “lone traveler,” a solitary monk standing on the edge of a great cliff gazing out into the mist. Far beyond rise dimly the shadows of high mountains in the ageless contrast to gnarled and broken trees in the foreground.

Much has been said of the loneliness of wisdom, and how much the Truth seeker becomes a pilgrim wandering from start to star. To the ignorant, the wise man is lonely because he abides in distant heights of the mind. But the wise man himself does not feel lonely. Wisdom brings him nearer to life; closer to the heart of the world than the foolish man can ever be. Bookishness may lead to loneliness, and scholarship may end in a battle of beliefs, but the wise man gazing off into space sees not an emptiness, but a space full of life, truth, and law.

What can we learn from the previous passage?

One must remain independent of mind to find Truth, and by not allowing any other supposed trustworthy individuals, organisations and political systems to provide all the answers. In other words, question everything to keep your mind awake and attentive.

This should eventually prompt one to seek the true answers themselves, instead of accepting what is Truth propagated by an authority which we are conditioned to believe dogmatically.

One is indeed alone when questioning popular beliefs, but they will find by removing ignorance in the form of conditioned man-made divisions and falsities they will then develop the insight to see that we are all part of this universal stream of existence – how can one then feel alone once they are aware of all this?

That is the reason why it is so important one conquer fear and show the courage to stand up for truth. Stand up against these evil maniacal and devious (but also human) forces which try to divide and destroy us!

However, there comes a time when one must be completely alone (not isolated) with themselves so not to be disturbed when the need for total introspection is called for. This is what I call an important exercise of quiet time to gather one’s thoughts and to observe freely, without distraction, their inner kingdom and its place in the outer world. This should be done in earnest and with sincerity – that’s if one wants to ever come close to Truth and Wisdom.

The Truth-Seeker’s lonely mission is to:

turn off the TV and radio
dispose of the newspapers
question everything you have been told and taught to be true
inquire for yourself to discern what the truth may be – in other words, educate yourselves
Seek and gain the practical and beneficial knowledge that can actually help you to become conscious beings, self-reliant, self-determined, pragmatic and wise
Look within yourselves for the true answers towards achieving your aims in life – the truth and wisdom is within you to use to your advantage
Take responsibility for your own health, income, and general well-being

Manly P. Hall’s Lessons of Self-Unfoldment (Part 1): Personal Growth

Jason Cooper — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:29:29 +0000

I wish to share with you selected passages from the book ‘Self-unfoldment by Disciplines of Realization’ written by Manly P. Hall.

This book contains many wise lessons and practical instructions on how we can penetrate deep within ourselves so to understand the Truth of who we are, and how we fit into this universal existence.

The ultimate aim is to attain the self-knowledge for us to grow effortlessly towards wisdom and a blessed life.

I am still in the process of reading this fascinating book, and will endeavor to post more enlightening and insightful passages as I go along.

From ‘Chapter 1 – Theory of Disciplines’:

I

Growth is natural to man. No one thinks of a flower trying to bloom, or of a tree trying to grow. The blossoming of the flower is a manifestation of universal law flowering through the plant; it is the will of the Infinite made manifest in the finite. Illumination is the blossoming of the soul in man; it is just as natural, simple, and inevitable as the flowing of the rose. The wise man does not try to be wise; wisdom is as natural to him as folly is common to ordinary mortals. Man does not have to try to be himself.

Effort is evidence of inconsistency in the individual. Most religious organizations impose strict rules and regulations upon their members. These rules and regulations consist principally of “thou shalt nots, ” the purpose being to force man into a state of grace by inhibiting and limiting him. Any individual who tries to crush out with brute force of will the vices within himself, achieves only inhibition and neurosis.

What can we learn from the previous passage?

You cannot force growth, or more-so, no person or religious organisation (or any other type of ideological organisation for that matter) can teach you how to grow through discipline – in fact, they will instead constrict or stunt your opportunity for growth in life.

You must be absolutely independent, free and rational to plant the seed of wisdom within so that you can then, for yourself, sprinkle the invigorating water of self-knowledge, which is most needed for the seed to burst forth.

How does one then break into blossom? To encourage continuous growth, you must try to learn from every encounter and every experience in life – good or bad. Also, I highly recommend you to heighten your awareness and attentiveness to everything around you as much as possible. The illuminating lessons that can be learnt from this exercise of gaining self-understanding and elevating consciousness will be most rewarding.

This all will ultimately help to strengthen the roots of your mind and spirit in preparation for whatever the unpredictable winds of change brings.

Use your personal growth in a positive way towards:

learning to understand yourself so that you have better insight and can become a little more wiser
developing maturity of mind
improving relationships and connecting with others and nature
being able to deal with trials and tribulations in a positive way
discovering total contentment and joy

Read part 2 of the series: ‘Manly P. Hall’s Lessons of Self-Unfoldment (Part 2): Truth-Seeker’s Lonely Path To Wisdom’.

Search for Meaning in your Life Towards Personal Growth

Jason Cooper — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:59:12 +0000

Manly P. Hall again demonstrates his inexhaustible knowledge and wisdom as he gives an educational talk on the Search for the Essential Meaning of Life.

For human beings to grow we must learn to understand our divine and true purpose in life; and where we fit in the universe.

Please enjoy and learn from the following talk on video:

From Wisdom to Understanding – Manly P. Hall

Jason Cooper — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:43:19 +0000

Carrying on The Wisdom Series (Click here to listen to ‘From Knowledge to Wisdom’) by Manly P. Hall, where he provides more enlightening knowledge we can all learn from.

This particular talk now focuses on From Wisdom to Understanding. Please do enjoy!

Part 1 of 7

Part 2 of 7

Part 3 of 7

Part 4 of 7

Part 5 of 7

Part 6 of 7

Part 7 of 7

From Knowledge to Wisdom – Manly P. Hall

Jason Cooper — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:36:11 +0000

To be found in today’s post is a highly recommended educational talk as part of The Wisdom Series from Manly P. Hall.

Please take the time to listen to all 6 parts of the From Knowledge to Wisdom lecture, as it provides a wonderful insight and an enlightening view on wisdom in general, and how us as individuals can attain this wisdom so to improve our lives.

Part 1 of 6

Part 2 of 6

Part 3 of 6

Part 4 of 6

Part 5 of 6

Part 6 of 6

Click here to listen to ‘From Wisdom to Understanding’ which is part two of the Wisdom Series

How Ancient Philosophy Can Make You Fall in Love with Truth in 3 Easy Steps

Jason Cooper — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:00:06 +0000

Falling in love is a tricky business, especially when trying to find the ideal partner to share your life with. The major challenge for any single person is acquiring the “right mate”. So the first question you must ask yourself is, what qualities do you look for in a mate? Here are just a few that came off the top of my head:

Committed
Compatible
Trustworthy
Faithful
Generous
Honest
Truthful

So in the case of “Ancient Philosophy” making you fall in love, the word “Virtue” comes to mind when describing the above qualities. For many philosophers of centuries past, “Virtue” was equivalent with “Truth”, and without “Truth” there can be no “Virtue”. So for one to become virtuous one must first have a love affair with truth.

Here are the following tips for you to find your own soul mate called “Truth”:

Tip #1: Engage in Reading

Reading plays an integral role in finding “Truth”. Seek out the many ancient philosophers of truth, so take your pick from; Socrates, Confucius, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Seneca, Plutarch and last but not least Boethius – their words of wisdom will penetrate your heart so deeply, that you will begin to develop strong feelings towards discovering “Truth” within yourselves.

Tip #2: Understand the Other Partner

You must now understand what “Truth” is in relation to your life. You must always listen to “Truth” and behave accordingly to whatever actions it advises you to take. You must be one with “Truth” so that your relationship can prosper towards spiritual enlightenment, self-knowledge, goodness, peace and contentment.

Tip #3: Develop Physical attraction

Emotion is all well and good in a relationship but you should also be physically attracted to what “Truth” looks and sounds like, so watch the following: