Enneagram and Non Duality (Advaita) Musings
The Enneagram is a useful tool which can assist in doing the “highest activity the separate-self can engage in”.
The Enneagram assists by organizing complex and seemingly random human experiences and behaviors into basic patterns or basic flow. The Enneagram does this by reducing human experiences i.e. behaviors, thoughts, feelings, sensations, and perceptions down to their most basic common denominators: Basic desires and fears, and key motivations. A solid Enneagram study can reveal what consistently drives thoughts and feelings which lead to behaviors and choices, in a coherent manner.
Infinite Consciousness (aka. God) becomes or incarnates as a finite human body-mind to experience the marriage of divinity and matter. Aka a human being. What humans often do irrespective of race, class, gender or any other demographic distinction however, is forget who they truly are and misidentify as only the finite body-mind. The experience of waking up to what’s beyond the finite mind-body within, and integrating this essential truth into all of life is what maturity is about, to me. The process of growing into or integrating the infinite with the finite and recognizing they are not two separate entities, but One – is a journey I believe is unique to humans.
Think of two people running in a 3-legged-race. They need to learn how to harmonize their steps and coordinate as one, or they will not get far, fast. Their journey will be frustrated with incoordination and an inefficient use of energy and rhythm. This is where the Enneagram becomes exceedingly useful, when you understand its potential along with accurately typing yourself, it accelerates unf**king yourself. It helps coordinate the infinite and finite movements in feeling more graceful and efficient versus effortful and strident in your energy flow or movements. This manifestation is experienced first inwardly, then will inevitably manifest outwardly. This is a lifelong unfoldment of integration – to experience more alignment and ease in being while experiencing the full spectrum of human-ing.
We are all God or Infinite Consciousness, incarnate. The vehicle or conduit of infinite consciousness is the finite mind-body. The ego state is when the finite mind-body mistakes its very own activity or role as a separate identity or self or entity. It wrongly believes it is separate from Infinite Consciousness or God and must therefore gain or avoid something, in order to be whole.
How does a separate-self go about doing this? The Enneagram distills this down to 9 basic patterns or constructs, each with 9 levels of development.
The finite mind-body has its place and role. As it grows in recognition and remembrance of its inherent and essential incarnate nature aka Essence, and integrates or is overarched by this recognition, wholeness will increasingly manifest and unveil itself.
Suffering occurs when the inverse order takes places. In other words, when the separate-self superimposes itself above all else, and conflates role and activity (thoughts, feelings, sensations) with its essential nature or identity. Another way I’ve said this is making the footnotes, the Title or Header.
Accept the invitation by the Enneagram to “know thyself”, well, including but beyond the ego. It is indeed as Rupert Spira says, “the highest activity the separate self can engage in”.
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