Tendency to Commit Mistakes
Mon, 01/28/2008 - 18:14 — admin
The next defect is the tendency to commit mistakes. For example, Dr. Benjamin Spock was accepted by millions of mothers all over the world as being an authority on raising children. For over 25 years, his book was a big seller, and he gave hundreds of lectures telling parents how to treat their children. Then one day he declared, “I was wrong. I made a mistake.” He said that although at the time he had believed in what he wrote, he had now come to the conclusion that his method of child training was not the best.
MICHAEL: And what about the fourth defect?
TEACHER: The fourth defect is imperfect senses, and I have already explained that to you.
I have described the defects of materially-conditioned living beings for two reasons: (1) to bring attention to the fact that, if he is not careful, a person can “learn” false and incorrect information from an “authority” who is influenced by these defects, and (2) to point out the fact that a person who is under the influence of these imperfections cannot act as a medium for perfect knowledge. One cannot convey to others what he himself does not have.
MICHAEL: Are you saying, then, that we shouldn’t waste our time trying to learn from others?
TEACHER: Definitely not! By pointing out that the vast majority of “authorities” from whom one can receive information are materially conditioned, I do not intend to propose that there are no real authorities from whom we can receive information about God. Actually, real authorities who can help us understand higher truths do exist.5 They are called spiritual masters, and we can discuss them when we talk about descending information.
The point at hand is that the knowledge we receive from others is not always perfect knowledge.
This is especially true when we consider that the accumulated knowledge which most authorities have is simply a collection of sense experiences, deductive and inductive reasoning, and facts and figures they have learned from the direct experiences and reasoning of others.
No matter how much sensual pleasure people have, no matter how much they consume, they always want more. This endless personal craving manifests as ever increasing material consumption.Tendency to Commit Mistakes
Science of Identity Foundation – Chris Butler Speaks
The next defect is the tendency to commit mistakes. For example, Dr. Benjamin Spock was accepted by millions of mothers all over the world as being an authority on raising children. For over 25 years, his book was a big seller, and he gave hundreds of lectures telling parents how to treat their children. Then one day he declared, “I was wrong. I made a mistake.” He said that although at the time he had believed in what he wrote, he had now come to the conclusion that his method of child training was not the best.
MICHAEL: And what about the fourth defect?
TEACHER: The fourth defect is imperfect senses, and I have already explained that to you.
I have described the defects of materially-conditioned living beings for two reasons: (1) to bring attention to the fact that, if he is not careful, a person can “learn” false and incorrect information from an “authority” who is influenced by these defects, and (2) to point out the fact that a person who is under the influence of these imperfections cannot act as a medium for perfect knowledge. One cannot convey to others what he himself does not have.
MICHAEL: Are you saying, then, that we shouldn’t waste our time trying to learn from others?
TEACHER: Definitely not! By pointing out that the vast majority of “authorities” from whom one can receive information are materially conditioned, I do not intend to propose that there are no real authorities from whom we can receive information about God. Actually, real authorities who can help us understand higher truths do exist.5 They are called spiritual masters, and we can discuss them when we talk about descending information.
The point at hand is that the knowledge we receive from others is not always perfect knowledge.
This is especially true when we consider that the accumulated knowledge which most authorities have is simply a collection of sense experiences, deductive and inductive reasoning, and facts and figures they have learned from the direct experiences and reasoning of others.