The Neighborhood Park

Anyone who has been around these delayed-reaction email/message groups - particularly the "enlightenment game" bunch - should know that the main thing going on with all of them, is hiding. Hiding behind this or that piece of supposedly useful information produced by somebody else - usually a long, long time ago - in order to appear as someone of equal stature. Oh, most won't admit that, because that would require coming out of hiding, but they know who is being called out here. So long as the group has some high-minded moniker - like AdvaitaForEveryone, or ZenBuddhistPhilosophy, or GurdjieffWork, or EnlightenmentNow, or WhatEVER - then all the members, who consciously chose to join and hang around for sometimes years - can believe they are coming out of hiding (even though, in fact, 99% don't even realize they are now, and have always been, IN hiding.) Another way this has been expressed over the years, is "Asleep on a higher level."

It all reminds one of a neighborhood park (with a clever name), that has a rather large fenced-off sandbox, and there are always many children in there with their shovels, and their pails, and their smiling faces, and they are all simply doing what children do: PRETENDING. It's cute while it lasts, unless it lasts way too long (some of them have been there for decades!) But the children in the sandbox will never figure it out. That would require an adult in the place, who can usher the children out of the sandbox, and into more suitable surroundings for those who honestly want to Grow Up.

Growing up simply means: retire from your delayed-reaction email/message groups with fancy, esoteric names purporting to "discuss" (which often turns to disagreement, argument and more confusion) the "enlightenment game," primarily because they never found (or were never invited to) more suitable surroundings... namely face-to-face conversation with their grown up peers, who consciously choose - each and every time - to Be there on time, to leave their personalities at the door, to stay for the duration, and be fully prepared (even technologically) for active participation in order to elevate themselves and the room. When this happens - and it's not hard, but it is an effort - it's something to behold, and few there be who have access to such a place.

Keep your eyes open and your ears perked up.
You never know who might appear...

It can happen.