KnowledgeReform.com » Self-Knowledge

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

Liberate Your Mind with the Empowering Wisdom of Hip-Hop – Part 3

Jason Cooper — Wed, 26 May 2010 07:53:33 +0000

The basic instructions before leaving earth is to pursue the true knowledge and wisdom to free our minds and live a righteous and joyful life, that’s according to hip-hop artist GZA.

As you will no doubt see in his lyrics, GZA’ s B.I.B.L.E is perhaps a true interpretation of what a holy book should be, as it instructs us on how we can become like gods and make this planet a heavenly place to live.

The first things we must start with is ourselves, and to always seek truth no matter what…

GZA feat. Killah Priest – B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) Lyrics

Basic instructions before leavin’ Earth
Basic instructions before leavin’ Earth
Basic instructions before leavin’ Earth

Chorus:(X2)
Life is a test, many quest the universe
N’ through my research, I felt the joy N’ the hurt
The first shall be last N’ the last shall be first
The basic instructions before leavin’ Earth

(Killah Priest)
Knowledge this wisdom, this goes back when I was twelve
I love doin’ right but I was trapped in Hell
Had mad ideas, sad eyes N’ tears
Years of fear, but yo my foes couldn’t bear
I searched for the truth since my youth
N’ went to church since birth, but it wasn’t worth the loot
That I was payin’, plus the prayin’
I didn’t like stayin’ cuz of bizzie-bodies
N’ dizzy-hotties
That the preach-ass souped up with lies
Had couped up, lookin’ at loot, butt N’ thighs
During the service, he swallowed up the poor
N’ after they heard this, they wallowed on the floor
But I ignored, N’ explored my history that was untold
N’ watched mysteries unfold
N’ dropped the jewel like Solomon, but never followed men
Cuz if you do your brain is more hollow then
Space oblivia, or the abyss
With no trace of trivia, left with the hiss
Does it pay to be deaf, dumb, or blind
From a slave he was kept from the mind
N’ from a caves he crept from behind
N’ what he gave was the sect of the swine
When the bible, that condemned the pig
I don’t mean to pull your hems or flip your wigs
But we used to wear a turban, but now were in the urban
No more wearin’ beanies or dress like the genie
No hocus pocus cuz I focus on the facts
N’ put it on the track or brought it through the wax
I speak on Jacob, it might take up some time
N’ too much knowledge, it might break up the ryhme
I did it anyway, just to wake up the mind
Of those who kiss stones or prays on the carpet
Those who sit at home, or sell books by the market
Need to chill N’ get their mind revived
For years, religion did nothing but divide

chorus(X2)

I strolled through the books of Job to unfold
N’ opened bibles, instead of hopin’ on revivals
Callin’ on his name N’ screaming Halleluja
When he hardly knew ya, that’s how the devils fooled ya
See, look into my eyes brethren, that’s the lies of a Reverend
Why should you die to go to heaven
The Earth is already in space
The bible I embrace
A difficult task I had to take
I studied till my eyes was swollen
N’ only arose when I found out that we were the chosen
I deal with the truth N’ build with the youth
N’ teach my son as he kneels on the stoop
Son, life is a pool of sin, corrupted with foolish men
N’ women with wicked minds who build picket signs
To legalize abortion, the evil eye extortion
I quiz some with my wisdom
Before I converted I was perverted
N’ knowledge was asserted
The study of wisdom, I perferred it
The understandin’, it gave me mental freedom
I even learnt Caucasians were really the Tribe of Edam
The white image of Christ is really Cesare Borgia
N’ uh, the second son of Pope Alexander
The sixth of Rome N’ once the picture was shown
That’s how the devils tricked my dome
I prophesized to save a man but no one gave a damn
For my nation, the seed of Abraham
Blessed with the tongue of Hebrew
Now we’re strung on needles, N’ some are plungin’ evils
So study N’ be wise in these days of darkness
Peace to my nephew Marcus

chorus

Attain the 6 Key Virtues of W.I.S.D.O.M and Live a Heavenly Existence

Jason Cooper — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:19:16 +0000

Is Wisdom a Gift from the Gods?

I wrote the following in an earlier post, ‘Will your Journey of Life take you Down the Road to Wisdom or Perdition?’,

‘As the ancient philosophers would say, “Wisdom is a much vaunted prize from the Gods! Where only a select few of seasoned competitors, who have trained hard in the sport of virtue, can lay claim to it once they pass all the tests of life. Upon receiving their prize their minds are then rewarded by being set free to ascend to the very heavens themselves.”’

The Gods may or may not exist but we can become gods of ourselves if we choose to use the gift of wisdom to conquer all mortal obstacles that dares stand in our way.

Let us now elevate our minds to the heavens so that we may excel in the art of living, which will enlighten us on how to realise a paradise of our own making.

What are the 6 Key Virtues of Wisdom?

There are 6 virtues that we can hope to attain, that’s if we can somehow pass the tests of life – in other words, having the motivation to instigate self-learning toward wisdom. If this Wisdom can be won then we are sure to be rewarded with a life filled with enlightenment, happiness and serenity.

Let us now look at the virtues that awaits us:

1. (W)ell-being
Wisdom, if embraced, can immensely improve your well-being in all areas of your life not to mention help guide you to overcome any external circumstance that dares to challenge your personal growth. Well-being can enhance your character, health, happiness and prosperity for the better, so cultivating wisdom in your life is imperative.

2. (I)nsight
Wisdom, if embraced, can provide you with the common sense to do the right thing at the right time and in as simple a manner as possible. This insight or intuition can also help you to perceive the most obscure things with the most pristine clarity, such as with apparent difficulties. On the surface, many difficulties look insurmountable, but insight can help penetrate and reveal an easy path toward a stress-free solution.

3. (S)elf-knowledge
Wisdom, if embraced, can provide you with this key concept of self-improvement and self-growth. Self-knowledge can provide you with a deeper understand of yourself, as well as giving you the knowledge to react positively to any external situation that may affect you in your life.

4. (D)evelopment
Wisdom, if embraced, can encourage continuous growth and development in both mind and spirit during your whole lifetime. Other benefits include developing reason and common sense so that you can be more logical and make better decisions in every situation in life.

5. (O)bservation
Wisdom, if embraced, can enhance your observational skills which can help develop better understanding and awareness of yourself, environment and other human beings in general.

6. (M)eaning
Wisdom, if embraced, can open up avenues for you to find greater meaning in your own life. Having a purpose in life to fulfill can ultimately give you meaning and something to live for. This will help to eliminate any pessimistic or apathetic attitudes that you may have in regards your own existence.

How Does One Hope to Win this Material Prize of Wisdom?

1. Invoke continuous self-learning; of yourself, from other sources of beneficial knowledge, and from your surroundings
2. Speak less, listen more
3. Remain independent in thought, humble and objective in everything
4. Learn from your relationship with nature and other human beings
5. Read Books written by the great Ancient Philosophers, such as from Plato’s Socrates, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Lao Tzu and Confucius
6. Observe and learn from nature’s workings. There is nothing man-made that can compare to nature in terms of wisdom.
7. Learn from Life’s experiences and past mistakes

Jiddu Krishnamurti Points the Way Toward Wisdom

Jason Cooper — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:27:29 +0000

In the following two videos, Jiddu Krishnamurti advises us to illuminate the way, for ourselves, to freedom, peace, and spiritual enlightenment.

Part 1 of 2

Part 2 of 2

Will your Journey of Life take you Down the Road to Wisdom or Perdition?

Jason Cooper — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:05:18 +0000

Take the Road to Wisdom to Find a better Life

Wisdom, wisdom and more wisdom! How many more times must I spell out this simple but obscure six letter word that hides a beneficent gift to humankind.

The reason for encouraging you to attain this rare commodity, is because of the seemingly sad state of today’s superficial and ignorant world.

Whilst pursuing the things that we think will make us happy, paradoxically, they eventually serve to make us more miserable as we continue down the path of self-destruction.

Why not get off this ignorant path of perdition, my friend, and instead discover for yourself a pathless trail towards self-knowledge, self-improvement and limitless wisdom.

My Own Journey

I will forever be on this journey of self-discovery towards wisdom; of course I will make mistakes along the way and will stray off course from time to time – I am human after all – as the more I learn to know myself the more I become aware of how ignorant I actually am.

While I still have breath, I am determined that I will never retire from this most difficult of journeys, because every mile that I travel will provide me with a little improvement, bringing me that much closer to wisdom.

We all have opinions, and we are educated to believe that the attainment of knowledge will make all our dreams of so-called success come true. But to be frank with you, we don’t know a goddamn thing – especially of ourselves. This is where the problem lies with humankind – we continuously seek external solutions for inward problems.

We think to make ourselves happy and successful in life, one must have money, power, luxurious possessions, a celebrity image or social status. How wrong we are. Each and every one of those aforementioned man-made creations can eventually become self-defeating and can cause negative behaviour that we wish to avoid in the first place. We can become aggressively competitive, insecure, anxiety-ridden and worst of all, filled with fear of losing every external superficial baggage we have accumulated to make us feel secure.

So why can’t we see what we’ve become so we can then change for the better? You would think that with a bit of awareness and time to contemplate this current situation we find ourselves, we should then obviously see the path that we have presently chosen can lead us to disaster, and for the planet as a whole.

I’m guessing that common sense is not something that we’re all born with, and is as uncommon as seeing today’s world leaders having the wisdom to guide the people to “The Promised Land”.

Unfortunately, the way our society is run leads us to be continually on the run ourselves. Always distracted, without any time to spend with ourselves because we are all supposedly too busy and in too much of a rush to get somewhere – sadly, we go looking for answers to our problems everywhere else but ourselves.

Then again, maybe this is the reason why wisdom is so short in supply and so difficult to attain. As the ancient philosophers would say, “Wisdom is a much vaunted prize from the Gods! Where only a select few of seasoned competitors, who have trained hard in the sport of virtue, can lay claim to it once they pass all the tests of life. Upon receiving their prize their minds are then rewarded by being set free to ascend to the very heavens themselves.” Paradise at last reached – if only.

As for me, all I can do is to continue to learn from past mistakes and try to unravel the misguided thoughts in my mind which can create obstacles to my present growth, relationships and general well-being.

Most of my ignorance is probably self-inflicted or conditioned, but I know despite the root cause, I must aim to liberate my mind completely from “the burdens of yesterday” if I am to ever have the clarity and wisdom to live a peaceful and contented existence.

The following resonant quote has been very motivational for my personal journey towards emancipating my mind of destructive, negative conditioning,

“Truth is a pathless land’. Man cannot come to it through any organization, through any creed, through any dogma, priest or ritual, nor through any philosophical knowledge or psychological technique. He has to find it through the mirror of relationship, through the understanding of the contents of his own mind, through observation, and not through intellectual analysis or introspective dissection. Man has built in himself images as a sense of security—religious, political, personal. These manifest as symbols, ideas, beliefs. The burden of these dominates man’s thinking, relationships and his daily life. These are the causes of our problems for they divide man from man in every relationship.”

~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

I always make a point in saying to myself that “the biggest challenge in life will always be myself”. We are usually taught in everyday life that to be successful we must conquer every external obstacles that stands in our way. But they fail to tell us that the real obstacle in life is really ourselves – the very same self that can stop us from improving, being happy, or even achieving peace.

It may sound funny, but I think that if we really want to improve every facet of our lives we must aim to conquer ourselves first. The only enemy that threatens to imprison our minds is a jailer called ignorance.

With every question that you ask of yourself you will always find a truthful answer

I now continually ask the following philosophical questions to myself, those of which I will endeavour to answer in a future post:

Who am I?

What is the meaning of life?

Why do I get the feeling that there is more to life than we have been told?

Why do I feel that I have been conditioned with a false view of life?

How can I attain happiness in life?

Am I living superficially?

How can I live a more authentic life?

How do I live an honest and truthful life?

How am I to improve my character?

How am I to overcome adversity?

How am I to improve relationships?

How am I to live contentedly?

How am I to attain this wisdom?

What if all else fails what do I do then?

What I am now slowly discovering, as I contemplate where I stand in this mysterious life, is that philosophy and self-knowledge are the probable keys available for us to open both the doors of “the meaning of life” and “wisdom”.

So I suggest that you find some time out of your busy lives to ask the above questions to yourselves, as being aware of your own ignorance and attaining wisdom begins when you start to question how much you actually know about yourself and the life you presently live.

The Search for Meaning and Wisdom

I have read many a book written by the great philosophers who purport wisdom as a priceless thing to attain to guide our lives. I have watched many thought provoking videos and educating talks which discuss liberating the mind so we can live a more conscious life. I have also at the same time observed: the inner workings of my own mind, other human beings and the natural environment in which we all interact with each other.

Am I any closer to wisdom? I don’t know. But what I do know is that the one important lesson I have learned so far is to accept myself for who I am. Security is a much demanded comfort in this fear-ridden society – but external security is just an illusion. Being secure within yourself is the only security you will ever need to live a contented, confident and prosperous life.

It can be an empowering liberating force when one is secure within themselves and accepts all imperfections and weaknesses that they may have despite any outward pressures to conform or become superficial.

Once you embrace independence of mind you can take control of your life and drive it wherever you wish as long as you have a full tank of inspiration and motivation to keep you going. You should then be capable of reaching any destination you wish to visit, be it personal growth, self-knowledge or wisdom.

It is our one and only life to live after all, and nothing should constrict our ambitions of improving and being happy within ourselves once we become aware of who we are.

Always Apply what you have learned

Enough talking from me…time for us to apply the knowledge we have learned about ourselves so that we can make an active, positive and wise contribution to everything in our life.

It’s now time to get tough. We must see through all the bullshit and be real with ourselves and with others. No more false thoughts, or actions. Time to step up to plate and grab life by the reins and take control, because nobody else will live it for you. That is perhaps the wise thing we can all do.

If we are successful in gaining wisdom, and using it when a challenge suddenly arises, we can then leave this life in full knowledge that we lived a good and happy life, as we pass the “lamp of wisdom” onto the next generation so that they can then continue illuminating this planet to dispel the darkness of ignorance forever more…no matter how unlikely that may all sound.

And lastly, to my little boy: “Build your strength up, my son, especially of mind. As I prepare for you this wisdom that I will shortly pass on to you. Make me proud!”

Self-Knowledge is Power! Knowledge of Self Towards Successful Living

Jason Cooper — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:29:32 +0000

Read the first part of the ‘Self-Knowledge’ series: ‘Quotes of Wisdom: Inspirational Words towards Self-Knowledge’

What is the relationship between Self-Knowledge and Self-Reflection?

Snow White comes to mind when I take the time to self-reflect, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has the most self-knowledge of them all?” The mirror then replied, “Look within yourself to find the answer.” Okay, I know the previous dialogue was never actually said in the Snow White film but that is my reinterpretation of them when thinking of how one can discover self-knowledge.

You must think I’m like a scratched record because of the amount of posts on this blog re-emphasising the need for self-knowledge as a key to enhancing yourselves in life. The reason for my over-zealousness in this regard is because I feel learning about oneself is an important and overlooked subject which, if encouraged, will greatly benefit this planet for generations to come.

Now going back to self-reflection, I feel it doesn’t only mean withdrawing into yourself and being deep in thought, it also means looking at your own reflection of self within the mirror of a clear perspective. The only way we can truly know ourselves is by examining our own minds without judgmental views and with freedom. We must look within ourselves with honesty, and without papering over the cracks of our flaws which will just open up again sometime in the future.

For us to improve ourselves for the better and achieve continuous growth we must identify any debilitating causes, open up the cracks, correct and reconstruct our minds, and by having self-knowledge one can achieve that purpose.

Knowledge vs. Self-Knowledge
Accumulating general knowledge can fill and stagnate the mind, leaving no room for growth towards self-learning, clarity and wisdom. Self-knowledge’s goal is not actually about accumulating, but it’s more to do with emptying the mind so one can think with more flexibility as well as being able to adapt to unforeseeable changes in life.

You must ask yourselves the question, “if there is no room for my mind to grow because of superfluous knowledge, then how can I find the space to learn about myself and surroundings during my whole lifetime?”

What does it mean to have Knowledge of Self?

Self-knowledge ultimately means having the knowledge to react positively to any given situation that may affect you in your life. Because if you know yourself, you will know life and will be able to conquer any enemies trying to siege the fortress of your mind.

How can one attain Self-Knowledge?

empty your mind of the useless knowledge that does not benefit your personal growth
absorb what is useful and learn from other sources such as books, video, audio or another person – be sure to use them only as a pointer and not a substitute for your own self-learning
be open minded and non-judgmental
be both observant and objective of yourself and in relationship with others
be aware of your behavior so to understand why you react in certain ways to different situations
Find time to be on your own so you can self-reflect and question yourself on life and any present obstacle in your mind
be independent of mind when making decisions and try not to be influenced by people or opinion which maybe false or go against your nature
write down your daily observations and thoughts, such as in a diary, personal journal or even a blog

What are the benefits of Self-Knowledge?

Self-knowledge will help you with:

your relationships with yourself and others
understanding and dealing with emotional issues
understanding your motives and behavior as well as others
being conscious of what is and is not in your power
being conscious of what you can and cannot achieve
knowing your strengths and weaknesses
becoming a good judge of character
enables one to develop objectivity, rationality, reason and, ultimately, wisdom
knowing how to overcome any difficulty and negative feelings when they arise
self-motivation and self-help
independence of oneself in making the right decisions and improving one’s emotional mood
continuous self-learning, self-improvement and personal growth throughout your whole life

Can one learn Self-Knowledge from external or secondary sources?

One can learn from enlightening books and people but it is somewhat limited towards your own self-knowledge. My advice is to use secondary avenues of knowledge as a guide (very much like what this blog is trying to achieve) towards learning about yourself and attaining wisdom.

One must not depend on these sources to provide you with the answers regarding yourself – which may only debilitate your own growth in the long run. One must have complete independence, and work towards achieving total understanding of oneself.

Look within the Mirror of Self

As you can see from the amount of benefits gained from having self-knowledge, it is most obvious that you should endeavor to begin learning about yourselves so to live successfully.

To be successful in life is not just about having a big bank account or becoming a Managing Director in your company. True success should be measured by one having attained the knowledge to live more consciously, intelligently and peacefully – which should all contribute towards one living a wise and fulfilling life.

In conclusion: Without self-knowledge there cannot be self-improvement of mind…and remember, the mirror of self never lies.