The unTeaching
As mentioned above, one of two central themes that characterise the doctrine of AND is its endeavour to resolve the apparent inconsistencies in our lives which often cause tension, misunderstanding and polarity between people. The writer feels that if ‘absolute’ Truth is to be all-inclusive by nature it cannot rest on the OR of logic but needs to embrace both sides of every apparent contradiction (both the ‘head’ AND the ‘tail’). The unTeaching associated with ‘AND’ endeavours to unfold this.
For something to be both ‘good’ & ‘bad’ or ‘high’ & ‘low’ at the same time would be a paradox that mind would wrestle with in its endeavour to know which part of the dichotomy is ‘true’ and which part is ‘false’. This is a characteristic element or modus operandi of mind; a conditioned response to what appear to be the polar-opposites inherent in the ‘OR’ of any paradox and which give rise to so many pointless questions pertaining to how and why.
Such ‘ambiguities’ are to be expected from our ‘education’ and conditioning. However, when these are unfolded in such a way as to show the validity of each component part of a paradox when it is unfolded in its own specific and unique context, then something meaningful can follow as a result: After the ambiguity or unclarity is resolved or removed it is often accompanied by a sigh of relief, a laugh or even a cognition (‘aha’ moment) when the underlying non-separateness or ‘unity’ is intuited. But as long as mind can only relate to one part of any dichotomy there will inevitably be stuck viewpoints which can give rise to bias, confusion or disagreements between people.
One of the paradoxes that many seem to struggle with relates to the question of free will OR destiny; and because this topic has come up frequently at meetings over the years it is being touched on in this prelude. Another aspect of Patrick’s earlier life had much to do with the distinction between understanding and knowing, and because it was similar in effect to a paradox, it threads this writing so as to better inform the reader of the background and context that gave birth to the philosophy of AND.
The unTeaching arose, not only as an antidote to stuck viewpoints but also from a need to unlearn or undo much of what has been fed to students in the name of formal ‘education’. The word education itself is misleading; being rooted in the Latin ‘educe’ – meaning to lead forth or bring out (that which is naturally inhering in the Soul). Instead, it has often become a cramming of conceptual data from the ‘outside’. The Soul already knows, it is the mind that is the problem as it veils this intrinsic knowingness with a never-ending stream of thoughts, words and thinking.
One of the ‘goals’ of this ‘way’ (if there be any) is to bring growing awareness to the necessity of a paradigm shift from the limitations inherent in the ‘OR’ of a ‘thinking’ mind to a more expansive and all-inclusive way of ‘seeing’ and relating to life after the mind has become collected and stilled.
A hallmark of AND lies in its revelation relating to 3 diametrically opposing ‘realities’ or arenas of mind through which expanding ‘human awareness’ (or ‘awakening’) progresses in its ascent to Consciousness. Each arena containing ways of ‘doing’, ‘being’ and ‘having’ that appear to be 180 degrees removed from the previous arena so that the 1st and the 3rd have an uncanny but deceptive ‘look-alike’ after having come ‘full circle’
When the overview and context of such arenas become clear one is no longer perplexed by paradoxes or contradictions as they are seen to have no existence other than in a mind burdened by stuck viewpoints. These 3 arenas or predispositions of mind correlate approximately to the Sanskrit terms of tamas*, rajas* and satva* in ascending order of increasing awareness. The human drive or urge to progress from the lowest to the middle arena is in some ways symbolic of the outward journey of the ‘prodigal soul’ (referred to later as exploring*), while the continued ascent from the middle to the highest arena being reminiscent of his homeward journey (characterised by seeking*).
As will be elucidated further, the Heart of AND is symbolised by certain strains of Iris which enigmatically portray these 3 arenas. Each of its 3 ‘layers’ of petals is unique and offset from the next, and what makes it an uncannily appropriate symbol is the fact that the highest set of 3 petals overlaps or seems to have the same orientation in space as the lowest set. It is the middle set that is orientated to a different set of axes … a profound symbol relating to the essence of both the ‘way’ and the ‘Heart’ of AND. Noteworthy in this particular strain is the fact that the middle set is the biggest in size and significantly coloured with yellow, while the highest is the smallest and permeated by violet… This will unfortunately mean different things to different people, and is unavoidable; but just because of this uncanniness it remains the most apt metaphor for this approach to truth.
—oo0oo—