For the past eight months I’ve been going deep into spirituality and I’ve been studying all religions different spiritual teachings and philosophies. The reasons for this is unknowingly on semen retention during my steak in September 2023. I had a raise in consciousness in other words a spiritual awakening. The reason I had this spiritual awakening was because I had at the time subdued my lower nature in this case. My lust which gave me greater mental clarity and a raise in consciousness because I had overcome my lower self. . I remember I started having all of these epiphanies during this time and I was filled with a high sense of bliss and love suddenly everything made sense and I became very self aware of myself and my actions both past and present. When the lust was gone I realized what really mattered when it comes to the opposite sex and that’s the soul not the flesh. Since I’ve been on a quest to defeat my lower self and gain a greater understanding. And to ultimately raise my consciousness.
Filled with a great thirst for knowledge I’ve gone into every religion ( Christianity,Islam,Hinduism,Buddhism,Taoism) as well as just spirituality in general and different philosophies.. I’ve gone into all of these to increase my understanding. I adopted a lot of aspects of these various beliefs into my daily life for example the reason I’m a vegetarian is because of Hinduism which says that eating meat is Bad karma and every living thing is sacred. I also don’t consume sugar anymore because it’s detoxifying to the body and I also fast because of its spiritual benefits. Semen retention is a topic every one of these religion’s discusses the one who goes the most in depth is Hinduism. Who discusses brahmacharya. All of this I do to further raise my consciousness.
The parable of the blind men and an elephant is a story of a group of blind men who have never come across an elephant before and who learn and imagine what the elephant is like by touching it. Each blind man feels a different part of the elephant’s body, but only one part, such as the side or the tusk. They then describe the elephant based on their limited experience and their descriptions of the elephant are different from each other. In some versions, they come to suspect that the other person is dishonest and they come to blows.
The moral of the parable is that humans have a tendency to claim absolute truth based on their limited, subjective experience as they ignore other people’s limited, subjective experiences which may be equally true.
Different religions are like the different parts of this elephant – a different part of the whole. Each culture and religion explains differently how they perceive the Divine..
All of these teachings,philosophies,Religions. All point to one thing in a all roads lead to Rome type situation. They all boil down to the battle between the lesser self and the higher self. Lower consciousness vs higher consciousness. All religions are just different ways of achieving higher consciousness just different words and practices are used but they ultimately all want the same thing which is to ascend to a higher level of consciousness. People like Jesus, The prophet Mohammed,Buddha these were all just very highly conscious people. All of their teachings all basically summarize to the same thing which is to be loving because the highest level of consciousness is Love. They all just have different words different teachings and practices but they all ultimately want and teach the same thing. Which is to ascend to higher consciousness.
The Lower self vs The Higher self
It all boils down to the battle between the lower self and the higher self. Every religion and philosophical talks about this with just different wording.
Christianity
Often discusses the battle between the flesh (worldly or sinful desires) and the spirit (the pursuit of godliness). The Apostle Paul, for instance, talks about this struggle in his letters in the New Testament, such as in Galatians 5:17:
“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.”
Islam
The concept of “nafs” (the self, soul or ego) is crucial in Islamic thought.
There is a focus on the struggle against one’s lower desires (nafs al-ammara) and striving towards a purified state (nafs al-mutma’inna), which is at peace and content with the will of God.
Buddhism
: The Eightfold Path guides followers towards overcoming desire and attachment, which are seen as sources of suffering (dukkha). The higher self in Buddhism could be associated with achieving enlightenment or Nirvana, transcending the ego and realizing the nature of reality.
Hinduism
The Bhagavad Gita discusses the battle within oneself between higher knowledge and discipline (sattva) and lower desires and ignorance (tamas).The character Arjuna represents the human soul, and Krishna provides the divine guidance necessary to uphold dharma (righteousness or duty).
Stoicism
:This ancient Greek philosophy teaches the importance of living according to reason and virtue, as opposed to being controlled by passions and desires. The “higher self’ is one that acts in accordance with nature and rational principles.
Sufism
:In Sufism, which is the mystical branch of Islam, the goal is to purify oneself of the nafs (lower self) and to realize union with the divine, often described as a deep love and knowledge of God.
Christian Mysticism
Christian mystics focus on the spiritual union with the divine, often through practices that transcend the ego and the material world. They seek a direct experience of God’s presence, which brings a sense of fulfillment beyond worldly desires.
Platonism
In Plato’s philosophy, there is the idea of transcending the physical and the realm of desires to access the world of forms and ultimate truths, which is a higher state of knowledge and existence.
Nietzsche
Will to power
Nietzsche believed that individuals possess a fundamental driving force called the “will to power” which is the primary driving force behind human behavior. Overcoming the self involves harnessing this will to power to transcend one’s limitations and reach higher states of existence.
Self overcoming
Nietzsche saw self-overcoming as a process of continually challenging and surpassing oneself. This involves questioning one’s values, beliefs, and assumptions, and actively striving to become more than what one currently is.
Arthur Schopenhauer,
a German philosopher, believed that suffering is caused by unfulfilled desires. He argued that our constant striving for satisfaction leads to a cycle of desire, temporary fulfillment, and then renewed desire, which perpetuates suffering. Schopenhauer’s philosophy emphasizes the role of desire and the insatiable nature of human wants as fundamental causes of suffering.
It’s all really the same thing
All these religions and philosophies all really boil down to the same thing. When you truly analyze it and critically think. It’s all about the overcoming of the lower self to ascend to the higher self also known as higher consciousness. The teachings might be different but the ultimate goal is to transcend the limitations of ego, achieve spiritual enlightenment, and experience unity with the divine or higher consciousness. I don’t think one religion or philosophy is better than the others or is the only way because they in they purest forms all boil down to the same thing. When you think about it all these prophets like Jesus,Buddha,and the prophet Muhammad also all taught the same thing when you summarize it and strip it down which is to ascend to higher consciousness and the highest consciousness is to be loving. It all boils down to the lesser self vs the higher self and to live in accordance to the higher self
The different levels of consciousness
7. **Instinctual**: – Basic survival instinct. – Reactivity and focus on acquiring basic life-sustaining resources.- Life viewed in terms of survival struggles.
6. **Individualist**: – Focus on ego defense and advancement. – Desire for control over environment and others. – Association of ego and security with well-being.
5. **Conformist**: – Need for acceptance and a tribal mentality. – Strong in-group preference and possible devaluation of out-groups. – Adherence to tribal customs and norms.
4. **Rational**: – Dominance of formal rational thinking. – Emphasis on logic, fairness, justice, and effectiveness. – Consideration extends beyond tribal or in-group boundaries.
3. **Pluralistic**: – Egalitarian and empathetic worldview. – Value of people based on their humanity rather than specific traits or skills. – Moral standard based on love.
2. **Integral**: – Appreciation for the value of all people and all levels of consciousness. – Harmonious integration of reason and love from prior levels – A recognition of the contributions of all levels of consciousness.
1. **Transcendent**: – View of reality as a holistic, organic whole. – Recognition of the divinity in all things.Unity of all parts of the universe.
What exactly is the lesser self and the Higher self ?
The Lower Self:
The lower self is often associated with the ego, the physical, and the material aspects of our being. It is the part of us that is driven by desires, impulses, and attachments to the physical world. The lower self is concerned with survival, pleasure, and the gratification of personal needs and wants. It is the part of us that can be selfish, greedy, and caught up in the illusion of separateness from others.
The lower self is influenced by our conditioning, past experiences, and the societal and cultural norms that shape our beliefs and behaviors. It is the part of us that can be reactive, impulsive, and caught up in negative emotions such as fear, anger, and jealousy.
1. Identification with the ego: The lesser self refers to our attachment to a limited, separate sense of self or ego. We tend to identify strongly with our thoughts, emotions, desires, and sense of “I” or “me”.
2. Craving and aversion: This identification with the ego leads to a constant state of craving for pleasure, success, approval, and material possessions. It also leads to aversion towards pain, failure, and anything that threatens the ego.
3. Attachment and clinging: The ego’s constant need to acquire, control, and hold on to things causes us to become attached and cling to impermanent phenomena, which inevitably leads to suffering when we inevitably lose them.
4. Separation from the whole: The ego’s sense of being a separate, isolated self creates a feeling of separation from the rest of the world, other people, and the larger reality. This sense of separation is seen as the root cause of much human conflict and suffering.
5. Illusion of control: The ego’s desire to control outcomes and events leads to frustration, anxiety, and a sense of powerlessness when we inevitably fail to control the ever-changing nature of life.
Many spiritual and philosophical traditions, such as Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta, and Stoicism, emphasize the importance of transcending or letting go of the lesser self in order to find peace, freedom, and connection with the larger whole. The ultimate goal is to realize our true nature beyond the limiting confines of the ego.
HIGHER SELF
The Higher Self:
The higher self, on the other hand, is the more expansive, spiritual, and transcendent aspect of our being. It is the part of us that is connected to a deeper sense of purpose, meaning, and interconnectedness with all of life. The higher self is often associated with qualities such as wisdom, compassion, patience, and a sense of inner peace and harmony.
The higher self is the part of us that is in touch with our true nature, our innate potential, and our spiritual essence. It is the part of us that can transcend the limitations of the ego and see the bigger picture of our existence. The higher self is the part of us that can tap into our intuition, our creativity, and our ability to connect with something greater than ourselves.
All these religions and self help philosophies all strive for the individual to overcome the lower self and operate off of the higher self.