Lesson 9 Reading interactive Assignment (Responding to post 7669 by Damaz Alexis)
One of the points made by Damaz Alexis in his lesson 9 reading assignment, was in relation to his discussion of MAUI (reflection), the second step in the Kemetic Yoga of Wisdom. The goal of Maui was said to be that of reconditioning the mind so that one’s practical life becomes aligned with the teachings. This process was described as involving deep thought regarding the contents of the teaching, pondering the relevance they had within the context of our lives, and eventually assimilating them so that they become guides for our behavior.
This would suggest that “reflection” is the essential tool that may be used for self-inquiry which then becomes the basis for self-transformation. This process is not only about intellectual understanding but intuitive realization whereby with increased understanding of the teaching in relation to one’s life, there is an increasing realization of one’s true nature. This point is further elaborated on by Damaz Alexis when he say recites the proverb “Give thyself to God, Keep thyself daily for God, and Let tomorrow be as today”. This constant remembering of our true nature, he says, leads to the creation of new Ariu so that we eventually become expressions of the teaching. From the perspective of an aspirant this can be a most challenging venture, as it requires that we live up to the highest standards of “truth” within ourselves and be able to determine those moments when we may fall short of doing so but having faith in our ability to correct ourselves through further reflection.
Another interesting point made by Damaz Alexis is where he describes MAUI as being like that of a “cooking” process where we assimilate the teachings within ourselves much like an Alchemist transforming lead into gold. Similarly, through assimilating the teaching, we transform the gross impurities responsible for our ignorance into the purity of consciousness that brings to light our true divine nature.
All this reinforces for me the important role reflection and the development of a “reflective consciousness” plays in our spiritual development. Given that the dominant paradigm by which we live our lives demand that we externalize our consciousness which creates the basis for ignorance and delusion, reflection turns consciousness upon itself leading to an internalized self-orientation, this creating the path towards self-realization.
I would like to end the discussion by saying that Damaz Alexis has served as a source of inspiration in how I approach these assignments. I find that his discussions are always comprehensive and elaborate in scope, always applying the depth of his knowledge on whatever topic he addresses. In reflecting on what I had submitted for this same assignment, I now see how much more reflective I could have been and how I merely scratched the surface in my examination of the issues. This may reflect, to a certain extent, my level of engagement in the teaching and the need for me to not only intensify my level of engagement but also try to understand and overcome whatever obstacles or ego based defenses that may be impacting the quality of my practice. This is something that I have been expending much effort in doing recently whereby I have an intuitive sense of the existence of such go based defenses but not having enough clarity of mind to identify their source. I do know however that what is required is that I embrace and engage in the practice in a more wholehearted and consistent, and integrated manner.
HTP
