I do some reading from time to time related to topics I want to write about in my blog. Just now I was thinking of writing about charisma but my book talked about celebrities, politicians and revolutionaries and the like. I don’t fall into the category of a would-be leader or celebrity so I decided against that blog topic.
But my book also discussed Jiddu Krishnamurti. His teachings were summarized in a sentence – you must be simple, removing the screen of language and past experience. I do not have the concept about removing the screen of language clear in my mind. But I have practiced removing the screen of past experience to some extent.
By now you may have guessed whom I am about to quote as an authority – Emerson’s Essay on Self Reliance. Link is below:
https://www.owleyes.org/text/self-reliance
Quoting from the essay:
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.
Speak what you think now in hard words and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again though it contradicts everything you said today.
Now when I was young a lot of fuss was made in educated and high society circles about being a man of your word and not telling lies and being a man of impeccable integrity. In choosing Emerson as a guide I displayed none of these qualities. And so unknowingly I paid the price with my career, social life and family life in ruins.
To be fair to Emerson he had mentioned that if you follow his advice you are sure to be misunderstood. But I was young and wet behind the ears and did not know the consequences of being misunderstood.
Anyway, forget that. I want to make two points in this blog.
- The first was that society had erred in thinking that not being a truthful person and a man of my word were cardinal sins deserving harsh punishment. Integrity is required of shopkeepers. And accountants also I suppose. I needed to be told that with my attitude and reputation I had better not try my luck as a Chartered Accountant but become a philosopher. Civilization and society requires all sorts of people.
- The second point is that my doing what Emerson advised had the effect of freeing myself of the ego to some extent at least. Unknowingly I made spiritual progress when I was not even interested in spirituality.
I suppose I have satisfied the regular readers of my blog that I have something to contribute to society and that not having integrity is not a serious crime.
Here are two of my earlier blogs on related subjects:
Freedom from the ego is the best form of freedom and is highly praised in all spiritual traditions. You may not attain enlightenment in this lifetime but if you free yourself of the ego then you will be much happier than the mass of humanity. It is possible that I am happier now than most people with successful careers. I like to think so anyway.
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