Genius & Enlightenment: The Paths of Mastery

Questions to reflect upon:

Where are thoughts initiated?

Are knowledge and insights gifted to a genius because of years of dedicated effort?

Are visions implanted by a higher intelligence in the mind of a mystic because of decades of discipline and meditation?

Does genius exist at a frequency, and can this space be tapped into when an individual reaches a particular vibration?

Both the mystic and genius are perplexed about where the body and mind are formed for different reasons –

The Genius is driven by discovery because there is always eminent danger lurking on this plane of existence (hunger, drought, disease, natural disasters, etc.). They aim to provide immediate solutions to global problems, making life efficient and more comfortable.

The Mystic contemplates the temporary nature of the plane and tries to envision an eternal solution to global problems. They realize the earth is the plane of suffering and duality, and one is held by several spiritual laws (karma, dharma, etc.).

On this temporary plane, fixing immediate problems to alleviate suffering provides a short-term fix. The other half of our human condition is an ongoing diseased thought pattern that traps souls who enter this plane into suffering.

To truly change the state of suffering on this plane, we need to change the vibration of thought.

A person of wisdom creates with the knowledge that most creations are destroyed in time; life is temporary and ever-changing. This is evident with one of the grandest structures, the Pyramids. We still don't know the purpose of these structures, and we don't know the name of the once-powerful Pharaohs who erected them. Further, in the past the majestic cities of Atlantis and Lemuria existed; did they, or is this a myth? Solomon stated: "Vanity of vanities, all things are Vanity, a pursuit of the wind."

By studying past Geniuses and Mystics, we see two paths that lead humans to revolutionize systems and ideas, benefiting future generations. The degree of knowledge acquired is directly proportionate to the lifestyle of the individual.

Both paths call for a disciplined and 'non-attached to outcomes' life, in which the quest for abstract truths, the need to know oneself or the world around them, is more significant than the need for sentimentality and short-term victories.

Quoting the great Hermes Trismegistus: "'As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul." The word 'without' refers to the world outside the individual, and the term 'within' refers to the mind and the soul. So, the perfection of the 'without' or refinement of the 'within' can lead to Mastery.

The two paths to Mastery are:

1. The 'without' path: Heightened thought

2. The 'within' path: Silent knowledge

1) HEIGHTENED THOUGHT

On the 'without' path, answers are sought in the external environment, which is the way of scientists, artists, and discoverers.

Heightened thought stems from having an unquenchable need to know and a highly trained will to concentrate, create, and excel in a skill, scientific investigation, discovery, etc.

These thinkers dedicate their entire lifestyles to suit their discoveries of genius. Throughout the ages, philosophers, painters, scientists, musicians, poets, architects, etc., renounced social memes and walked away from the mediocre mentality to follow their path without limitations.

It didn't matter to them whether they had honors conferred upon them or they were being ridiculed.

Most people lack the boldness, discipline, and willpower to walk this unconventional path, where the quest is more significant than the individual, far superior to niceties, and over time it ignites something transcendental.

As Nikola Tesla stated, "I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success . . . Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything."

The heightened thought path leads the thinker towards a seemingly abstract invention; the social norm considers them delusional or crazy.

Their abstractions (such as the 'Free Energy' of Nikola Tesla and the 'Theory of Everything' of Albert Einstein) may or may not actualize. Still, the thinker cultivates their mind to extreme levels to deduce, explore, and create.

Short-term glory and fame, with their fleetingness, will never come close to using full focus to explore the mysteries of the universe and make discoveries that will empower future generations.

Albert Einstein stated, "Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason, Mastery demands all of a person."

From a place of heightened thought (after almost a lifetime of dedicated focus on perfecting the 'without'), the thinker can see the opposite point of 'silence', when the thinker's head is about to explode with unanswerable questions.

E.g., Einstein, when faced with quantum particles towards the end of his life, stated: "Quantum would require a rewriting of the laws of physics."

Einstein (and every thinker when they reach this roadblock) has two ways to react: either discount quantum theories with sheer bullheadedness, or begin the process of exploration, factoring in these discoveries. To maintain the open-mindedness and resilience required for this process, the thinker must spend time going 'within' for their wellbeing.

Max Planck stated: "Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are a part of the mystery that we are trying to solve"

After much seeking, inquiry, and investigation, these heightened thinkers reach a place of "I know nothing" – the space of the mystic.

The laws of vibration explain to these discoverers that they have reached a whole new dimension of possibilities, which is the realm of mysticism, e.g., Buddha's visions of the 31 planes of existence are similar to the scientific theories of dark energy, dark matter, parallel or multiple universes.

Geniuses hit upon ideas, visions, and thoughts of unfathomable reality that might be proved over time, or are just feelings of grandeur, similar to those within the mystic's mind.

Isaac Newton stated: "Truth is the offspring of Silence and Meditation. I keep the subject constantly before me and wait 'til the first dawnings open slowly, by little and little, into full and clear light."

2) SILENT KNOWLEDGE

On the 'within' path, the mystic refines their soul to make them worthy of being in the presence of a supremely higher vibratory intelligence.

This is the way of devotion and meditation, a solitary and subjective path. Mystics sit for years in meditation, staring into the face of their demons, fears, projections, assumptions, emotions, and thoughts while awake and in dreams. Reflecting inwards on every aspect of life and transmuting darkness into light.

A poem by Sri Chinmoy states: "No mind, no form, I only exist; now ceased all will and thought; the final end of nature's dance, I am it whom I have sought. A realm of Bliss bare, ultimate; Beyond both knower and known; I have crossed the secret ways of life; I have become the Goal."

The search inward leads one to discover boundless dimensions and states of being. The mystic gains complete control over their mind and lives a life that reflects the wisdom of these discoveries.

"Awakening is possible only for those who seek it and want it, for those who are ready to struggle with themselves and work on themselves for a very long time and very persistently in order to attain it" – George Gurdjieff.

Ancient sources record that Pythagoras would only admit initiates who underwent a five-year initiation period of Silence. Pythagoras taught, "Choose rather to be strong of soul than strong of body."

Over time, the mystic accumulates enough Silence to know oneself. From the point of Silence, the mystic hits upon the opposite point of 'heightened thought'; the enlightened mystic receives a down-pouring of timeless knowledge. e.g., revelations of the Vedas, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Pythagoras, and other such mystics.

Rumi states: "Silence is the root of everything. If you spiral into its void, a hundred voices will thunder messages you long to hear."

From the Indian seer and educationist Ramakrishnan: "Only two kinds of people can attain self-knowledge: those who are not encumbered at all with learning, that is to say, whose minds are not over-crowded with thoughts borrowed from others; and those who, after studying all the scriptures and sciences, have come to realize that they know nothing."

We must, therefore, recognize these two distinct paths among those who seek truths, and both paths lead to Mastery.

During the early stages, a seeker of one path can't see the other path. The mystic believes the busyness of the thinker is pointless, as the mystic's mind believes seeking answers 'without' (perfecting the physical plane) is a distraction, if not carried out in tandem with seeking answers of consciousness (the path of within).

On the other hand, to the thinker, the method of the mystic seems lethargic, because the mystics revelations only have a degree of utility or reason in the world of form (art, science, or philosophical thought) after long training enables them to actualize.

The perfect union on this duality plane is merging Einstein's 'heightened thought' with the 'silent knowledge' of Buddha.

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. We will not solve the problems of the world from the same level of thinking we were at when we created them. More than anything else, this new century demands new thinking: We must change our materially based analyses of the world around us to include broader, more multidimensional perspectives." – Albert Einstein

Most people today find themselves somewhere between these two points:

• In the state of scattered thought (lacking clarity), so unable to reach heightened thought or

• In a place of yearning for physical and emotional experiences, so unable to discipline the mind and attain total inner Silence at will.

Therefore, genius and enlightenment at their highest octave might not be everyone's cup of tea.

Maslow categorized 'Self-Actualization' and 'Transcendence' as peak experiences at the top of his pyramid, as they are refined attainments that don't hold mass appeal. Most people live their lives pursuing physical needs, emotional needs, and self-esteem needs, which sit on three levels rising respectively from the bottom of Maslow's pyramid.

For the earth to evolve, we need more substantial goals - self-actualization and transcendence to become the focus for more people.

And for these people, their lifestyle choices need to reflect this overwhelming search, and the basic requirements of food, clothing, and shelter should be easily available.

Love, belonging, and self-worth should be encouraged through the education system - the need for these states comes with the deep desire to know oneself. Most people stay away from the mystical domain or heightened thinking because it feels abstract and delusional.

But the spoke in the wheel is we all die; the earth doesn't allow for immortality. If immortality is made available to earth, mystics will recalibrate consciousness, and thinkers will have eternity to evolve thoughts slowly.

But until immortality is discovered, to die pursuing enlightenment, higher dimensions, or moksha should not be frowned upon. The self-actualized thoughts of Free Energy by Nikola Tesla should not be thwarted. Think big and bold; it's an added advantage of being human.

"Man (human) know thyself; then thou shalt know the Universe and God." - Pythagoras.