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Carl Jung was the Shaman/Hustler/Hokum-master of his age. He created an entire psyche-scam, an artifice composed of little more than smoke and mirrors to distract the attention of those seeking his help away from the simple secret source of their escape from their so-called "neurosis" back to "the face that was theirs before they were born." Jung developed an entire lexicon of terms that have no meaning whatsoever apart from the meaning he said they had-- and no one could ever quite understand what he meant by the words or his definitions/explanations ("Neurosis" "Archetypes" "complex" "individuation" "mysterium coniunctionis" "anima" "animus" "shadow" "alchemy," etc.) which kept everyone's attention diverted from the central feature of Jung's therapy: reconnecting people with their own heart; redirecting them to their own life. Jung found that reuniting people with their own spirit/energy/vitality restored their own sense of balance and harmony, which was the key in returning them to the joy and satisfaction of the life that was theirs to live. But he knew no one would go there directly. They had to be sent on a mysterious voyage to the truth if they were ever to buy into it. So he led them on a merry search for themselves through a dreamworld of their own making. And it worked wonders for those who were prone to wonderment, and it did not work at all for those who were not. Here are a few statements straight from the heart of the Master: “Follow that will and that way which experience confirms to be your own.” “Trust that which gives you meaning and accept it as your guide.” “We only gain merit and psychological development by accepting ourselves as we are, and by being serious enough to live the life we are entrusted with.” “Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” “In the final analysis, we count for something only because of the essential that we embody. If we do not embody that, life is wasted.” “At bottom, there is only one striving, namely the striving after your own being.” “Particular care and attention must be given to that delicate plant ‘individuality’ if it is to grow and develop.” And on and on like that... From antiquity, all of the stories that matter to us are about the return to what matters to us. All of the great quests of lore are quests for the heart of who we are. All of the central themes of literature through the ages are the same themes in every age: Death and resurrection. Turning and becoming. Sin and repentance. Betrayal and atonement. From bondage to freedom. From being lost to being found. From sickness to health. From darkness to light. Etc. These are the themes that run through our own life. They speak directly to our heart/soul/psyche. We are what we seek. And we don't have to go anywhere to make the journey to healing and wholeness. We only have to open ourselves here and now to the truth of our own being, and become who we are within the context and circumstances of the time and place of our living.
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02

Chang Ling (AKA Chang Tao Ling, etc.) was born in the beginning of the Common Era in the province of Szechwan, China, and laid the foundation for the transformation of the world. He created a "Savior Mystique," and organized a religious following regimenting life around a core belief in the resilient harmony at the heart of one's own self and the spirit of right relationship with one's neighbors and all sentient beings. His method of healing (According to Martin Palmer, in his book "The Elements of Taoism") consisted of having "the person seeking healing... to write out all of their sins and failures...and holding the paper (containing the list) above their head wade out into a river (where they submerged themselves under the water and let go of the paper, allowing the river to carry it away, then stand up and return to shore) cleansed of all of their failures and shortcomings and (healed) of their illness." Create the proper environment so that people are psychologically prepared to be saved, and they will be saved. All of the great healers heal in this way. It is the placebo effect applied/experienced on a mass level (which makes it all the more effective). And, once we understand the basis of our own restoration, we can apply it to ourselves without getting wet, simply by letting go of our attachment to our sins and failures and allowing ourselves to live at one with the truth of our own being-- with "the face that was ours before we were born," no matter what. We will sacrifice ourselves in the service of something. It would be wise (and healing) to sacrifice ourselves in the service of our own true self at the heart of who we are.
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03

It all comes down to, and flows from, sincerity and integrity. What these words attempt to express constitutes the foundation-- the adamantine core-- of life and being, both individually and collectively. The most important thing we can do, for ourselves and the larger community (communities) of which we are a part, is to live consciously, with mindful, compassionate, awareness, in the service of sincerity and integrity, moment by moment, day by day, in each situation as it arises, our entire life long. In conjunction with sincerity and integrity, we need to be intently and intentionally, consciously, mindfully, aware of the state of our balance and harmony, and the quality of our spirit, energy and vitality. These are the seven markers indicating/expressing/exhibiting our degree of wellness and the quality of our life. To know how well we are doing, we only have to take a reading of these seven areas of our experience. Simply give yourself a number between 0 and 10, with 10 being complete perfection, and 0 being a total void, and plot yourself throughout the day/week. Commune silently with yourself on a regular basis to see how you might alter your life to raise your numbers-- not thinking/planning as is our wont, but simply watching in the silence for what emerges/arises/appears/occurs to lead you along the way toward the wholeness that is recognized through balance, harmony, sincerity, integrity, spirit, energy, vitality flowing through our life and transforming the way we live in each situation as it arises. Your life will change without you doing anything to make change happen. Of itself. And you will find that you are as the Buddha, One Thus Come. All because you sat quietly in the silence, as the Buddha did (And as Jesus did, and as all have done who share The Way of Life and Being).
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04

Do not have to know "Why?"! Start with "Why anything?," and keep asking, "Why?" of every answer, and you will eventually get to, "I don't know?" At the bottom of every "Why?" is "I don't know." "What?" and "How?" are operative questions. Ask them. "What?" is a heart question. "How?" is a head question. "What?" is a feeling question. "How?" is a thinking question. We feel our way to "What?" We think our way to "How?" And we have to ask "Why?" until we get to "I don't know." Sit in the silence with "I don't know," until something occurs/arises/emerges unbidden, un-thought, simply realized, and carry that with you in your awareness until something shifts within, and your perspective changes automatically, without you doing anything to make it happen. This is called "Growing yourself up over time."
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