Conversations with Avant-garde Sages - The Wizard LLC

Conversations with Avant-garde Sages
RICHARD YOUNG: Yes.
TRIP: Well I'm not sure, because we have this apparent identified
small self that does make its appearance quite often, even for those
of us who are pretty steadfastly focused on the Truth of who we
are, and we can invest in that pridefully, or we can reject it, or we
can maintain neutrality, and I think neutrality quiets the mind, so
accepting one's self as one is the neutral path. So I do think it's
helpful in realizing the non-self. It has for me, because I have a
very aggressive personality, I'm the person that will say things
very pointed. And I used to get into the shower the next day and
go through a Tourette syndrome rehearsal of all the things that I
said at the party the night before. But I'm okay with that now, and
it really has helped. So I say accepting oneself is useful.
RICHARD YOUNG: As you're framing that statement I would
have to agree with you, but I had something else in mind when I
wrote it. I was really trying to speak to the obsessive culture that
we have of self, self-acceptance, of self-concept, of self-esteem, my
God, there's even a magazine called Self out there. And I was
really talking about the futility of ever being able to come to a
place where that's where you're satisfied with that, where you are
okay with that, where that somehow becomes an end in itself, or
somehow resolves issues, the issue for you.
WIZARD: As identification.
RICHARD YOUNG: Ultimately you have to withdraw that
identification with self, it's a matter of subtraction, not of addition.
It's not trying to make the self better by accepting it, or by
improving it, or by another other means, it's a matter of taking
away your identification with it. And so that's what I was trying to
get out with that statement.
TRIP: Another thing that you talk about, which I think is a very
interesting and useful discussion is the healthy balance between
mindfulness and being fully present, watching oneself and then
615