Works? Works? A man get to heaven by works? I would as soon think of climbing to the moon on a rope of sand!
George WhitefieldRead
We have to distinguish between a man as he is in essence, and as he is in ego or personality. In essence, every person is perfect, fearless, and in a loving unity with the entire cosmos; there is no conflict within the person between head, heart, and stomach or between the person and others. Then something happens: the ego begins to develop, karma accumulates, there is a transition from objectivity to subjectivity; man falls from essence into personality.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the distinction between our true selves and our ego-driven personalities.
Oscar Ichazo's quote explores the concept that at our core, every individual exists in a state of perfection and unity with the cosmos. However, as the ego develops over time—due to accumulated experiences and karma—we can become disconnected from our true essence and instead identify with a subjective personality that often leads to internal and external conflicts.
In practice
In a self-improvement seminar discussing the importance of self-awareness.
Works? Works? A man get to heaven by works? I would as soon think of climbing to the moon on a rope of sand!
It’s true that someone will always say that good and evil don’t exist: that is a person who has never had any dealings with real evil. Good is far less convincing than evil, but it’s because their chemical structures are different. Like gold, good is never found in a pure state in nature: it therefore doesn’t seem impressive. It has the unfortunate tendency not to act; it prefers, passively, to be seen.
Guilt -- if there was any guilt -- spread out and diffused itself over everybody and everything. . . . Perhaps at some point in time, at some spot in the world, a moment of responsibility existed.
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space.
Men invent new ideals because they dare not attempt old ideals. They look forward with enthusiasm, because they are afraid to look back.
The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.