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Preliminaries for Spiritual Growth...
way does this necessitate the assumption of an 'eternal' prin. ciple such as a 'self' or 'pure ego'.
While such phenomena as those mentioned may occur they are not of paramount importance, rather emphasis is put upon wholeness experiences, of which four are most signifi. cant for the development of the personality. In each of them a specific operation takes place and each of them constitutes a 'foothold' for the above phenomena and their experience. They are interest', 'sustained effort', 'focussedness' and 'scrutiny'. These operations essentially serve to preserve the who. leness experiences by counteracting whatever threatens to disrupt them. Thus, we are told, there are five disruptive forces and these are countered by eight 'eliminating operation' The following diagram show their interaction :
five disruptive forces
Eight eliminating operations
1. serious interest, 2. inner conviction, 3. sustained effort, 4. cultivation of the inner potential
laziness
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forgetfulness (letting the object of one's concern slip from one's mind) depression and elation not doing anything about either states intent and focussing overdoing things when wither state has subsided equanimity10
<< alert awareness
The above three phases, each having a specific set of operations, deal only with what is necessary for setting out on one's life-long quest for meaning and what is merely the preparatory stage of the path. It already demands the utmost of us and yet, since it is only a first step in the direction of self-growth, does not guarantee that we will succeed in our quest. Only the barest ingredients have been presented, now it depends upon us what we are doing with them. It is as if we have made ready all that is necessary for a delicious meal,
SP.-34
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